Reckoning
Chapter 14
an impossible revival

Tyki put down his utensils. "First off, I want to tell Akicho something. You should know… that the Millennium Earl has been lying to you." Road looked at Tyki warningly. "I know, Road. I can't tell you what he's been lying about, only that the rest of us only just found out." He sighed. "Maybe you'll find out if your friend wins."

My hands shook. "Lying? He barely spoke to me. All he told me was that I was an Akuma, and that my entire family had died." Tyki nodded, but looked down. "He… he lied about that, didn't he?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell you. Now, Exorcist." He looked up. "Don't make faces!"

Tyki… what are you planning to accomplish? You used to tell me that you'd never try to hurt me. But here we are, with you threatening my friends. You even tried to kill them. How can you expect me to believe you when you tell me that?

The Noah of Pleasure exclaimed, "Come on, I said there'd be no cheating. This isn't a trap!" Lenalee began to shake as Road flirted with Allen. It must've been that Kanda and Krory were both gone. I watched as Lavi comforted her.

It must suck for him. He was in love with Lenalee. But she had fallen for Allen. The look in Lavi's eyes when he saw them together just tore me apart. He'd given up on trying for her love. I noticed it on the very first day I was with them. When Lavi and Lenalee had found out that I was an Akuma, Lavi had pulled Lenalee behind him. Allen sent them one jealous look before saving me from being sliced in half by-

By Kanda. Oh, God… how did every one of my memories with the Exorcists have him wrapped up in them? Now he was gone. I wasn't even listening to the conversation. I couldn't, not with the deaths of my friends…

Tyki laughed heartily, pulling me back to reality. "What, do you think that the boy is the Heart?" Allen? He's the Heart? "Just because his Innocence filled that hole in his heart doesn't mean that he is the Heart." His golden gaze landed on me as he said, "Akicho's Innocence is her heart, too. It created a beating heart for her."

Everyone turned to gaze at me. "Is this true?" Allen asked warily. I nodded.

"Yes. I have no heart, so my Innocence made one for me," I replied shortly, looking at Tyki, who shrugged. "No Akuma has a heart. It runs on its blood. I do, too, but apparently I now have a need for a heart."

Everything went downhill from there. Tyki only wanted Allen's death. He had lived too long, in Tyki's opinion. I looked from Exorcist to Noah, to find that they both had the expression of absolute hatred written on both of their faces. They were absolutely livid at seeing the other. Allen, I could understand, as Tyki attempted to kill him. But Tyki… Tyki just wanted Allen dead.

A Tease landed near Lenalee, and quicker than anyone's eyes could keep up with, Allen pinned it to the chair without hesitating. "Tyki Mikk. I also have something I want to say," Allen began, the hatred in his eyes growing stronger. "If you lay one hand on my friends, I won't hesitate to kill you." Oh, God, was Allen pissed off. I glanced to Tyki, who smirked.

None of us could do anything to stop the two furious enemies from rushing at each other with everything they had. Road pulled me back from the clashing foes, and I looked at her. She shook her head. "Let Tyki do what he does. Allen won't die." She squeezed my hand and stared at the clash before turning to Lavi and smiling.

She looked like the Devil. "Would you like to play with me, Bookman?"

I shook a little, clenching my fist. "I can't allow anything else to happen. I lost two friends. I won't lose either of my brothers," I declared firmly. Pulling away from Road's loose grip, I ran towards Tyki and Allen's fight. I wouldn't lose them here, and not to each other. Lenalee, Lavi, and Chaoji all called out for me to stop, while Road shook her head again.

Road knew I was always stubborn when it came to family.

A scream from Lenalee forced me to stop and turn around. Chaoji and Lenalee were trapped in a giant dice. Lavi was going to face Road… As the Noah of Dreams, she could quite literally be his worst nightmare.

When I turned back to Allen, I saw that he was now struggling against Tyki in his worry for Lavi. I grimaced. I couldn't split myself in two. Either way, one of them was going to have to fight on their own. Tyki seemed to notice my dilemma and smirked. "Well, well, Akicho. Who's side are you going to take this time around? You can only be part of one team."

My eyes closed. Allen would be fine. Tyki wasn't the strongest. But Lavi was stuck in Road's world now. He was as good as dead if he couldn't find strength within himself. His insecurity and his past would soon get the best of him. Every nightmare he's ever had, every doubt about himself, would be what Road used against him. He wasn't fighting a Noah. He was fighting his own memories inside his own mind.

Lenalee and Chaoji looked worried for the red-haired Exorcist. I walked over to Road and glared at her. "Let him out, Road. He has no idea what he's in for."

She simply shrugged. "Who cares? After all, he's only an Exorcist. I've got another one to play with inside that little cube!" the eldest Noah exclaimed happily. I growled a little and knelt in front of Lavi.

"Road, don't do this. Just let me into his dream."

Road pouted. "No way! You'll suck all the fun out of it!" I sent her a glare and she sighed, still pouting. "Okay, you fun-sucker. If that other fight ends before he gets out, I'll let you in to pull him out of that dream. That is…" she sent a smirk my way before laughing, "… if he's still alive at that point!"

My brown eyes significantly widened. I had to help Lavi. His past must've been bad for Road to really be enjoying her torture that much. "Then I'll make sure that they all come back alive." I rushed to the edge of the tower, staring down. Allen didn't need my help. His new form of Innocence was practically unbeatable. But Tyki was getting serious.

I looked back to the unmoving Bookman and the two trapped in the dice. Lenalee caught my gaze and nodded, telling me to go. I was about to slide down, but our favorite white-haired teen was slammed into the dice cube by a burst of power from Tyki. Tyki landed next to me. "Stay out of the way, Akicho. I don't want to kill you." Allen was going to get killed if he didn't move.

Growling, I tackled Tyki as he advanced on Allen. I apparently took him by surprise, as I was easily able to pin him to the ground. A string of curses left his mouth. "Tyki, listen to me! Leave them alone!"

He pushed me off, pinning me down instead. "No, Akicho, you listen. I don't want to kill you, but if I have to, I will. Don't make this difficult," he snapped, his golden eyes boring into mine.

"If stepping back and living means that I have to watch my friends die, I think I'd rather you pull out my heart and crush it!" I spat back, kicking at him. "So do it already, Tyki! 'Cause I'm not going anywhere!"

Allen's voice cut through our conversation. "As if you could crush a heart. You couldn't kill a resolve, no matter how hard you try, Tyki Mikk." Lenalee sighed in relief. "Like I would ever run from the dark!" Looking up, he calmly ordered, "Leave Akicho alone. I'm your opponent." A burst of green shot up his arm, but he faltered, spitting out blood. Tyki stood and chuckled.

He'd taken too big a hit from Tyki's power.

The Parasite-type smiled a little. "I think you've misunderstood what an Exorcist is. You think that if you destroy the Innocence, an Exorcist becomes a normal person, a powerless human, right?" Wiping away blood from his mouth, Allen looked up, a renewed determination in his eyes. "Those are the ones you need to fear. We get power from the Innocence, but you should be afraid of the Exorcists who wield it!"

I stopped, standing from the floor. No… Allen really was aiming to kill Tyki! And Tyki really was going to try to kill Allen! Tyki only laughed and shot a burst of purple power at Allen. I gaped at him. He really had snapped. "Road! Get them out of here!" I yelled, rushing to Allen.

Inside Tyki's power, I couldn't breathe. It was like he was trying to suck all the air out of my body. I looked from one end of the vacuum to the other. One end had Allen and the other had Tyki. But… it was so far away… maybe… if I closed my eyes, I would be able to help Allen… After all, I couldn't do anything without breathing…

-TYKI MIKK-

He was pissed, and in no mood to stop from killing his prey.

Road yelled down, "Tyki! Akicho's in there, too!" He scoffed. She was probably lying to get the boy out. He reached into the vacuum and saw the Exorcist still able to move. How…? Why?

Why wouldn't this damn kid die?

As he ripped a hole in the vacuum so he could breathe, Tyki noticed someone fall out of the black hole and into the real world. Road wasn't lying; Akicho was out cold, and almost dead. His eyes widened considerably at the sight. She wasn't breathing, was she?

Looking back, he saw that even though the boy was supposed to be dead, his left eye was still working. The white-haired boy looked up, then back down at his arm. Tyki followed his gaze and glared. His Innocence was glowing again.

The Noah'd had enough. He plunged his hand through the boy's chest, gripping his heart. "I'm going to take your heart out now. You're really starting to annoy me," he mused angrily. His anger turned to shock as the boy's whole body flared green. His Innocence was still growing stronger.

Pulling his hand out of his chest, Tyki stepped back. The boy pulled a sword from his left arm. Damn thing was huge! It looked a hell of a lot like the Earl's sword! But… the boy's sword wasn't just pulled from his left arm. It was his left arm.

This was going to be tougher than he originally thought.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

A dream…

Is that where I was?

A dream?

I opened my eyes slowly. It was snowing. The sky was a light blue and a layer of white was covering all that I could see. There were no buildings. I could practically see the sky and land meet. A single figure was standing in front of me. They knelt down, the shadows moving away from their face. My eyes widened.

She was me. Or at least, a person who looked like me. She had the same hair, the same eyes, the same everything.

"Are you all right, Akicho?" she asked, extending a hand. I looked at it warily, not able to find my voice yet. "Oh, right. My name is Kumari, perhaps you know me?" she asked sweetly.

Kumari? As in my twin sister?

Her face creased in worry. "Akicho… I think you should know that I'm not your twin sister. Your past isn't what you think it is."

Finally finding my voice, I snapped, "Then explain!"

"I'm you, remember?" I glared a little. "I'm entirely serious. I am your sister, just not your twin. You did die. You died when you called me back, over thirty-five years ago." My eyes widened in surprise. Kumari sighed. "Maybe you should sit up a little for this story."

"Okay, here it goes. Over thirty-five years ago, I was part of the Black Order. My name was Kumari Tsumiko. You were my ten-year-old sister, Akicho Tsumiko, who I loved very much. I was killed by my own comrades because I betrayed them for love."

I choked a little. "What?"

Kumari smiled wryly. "Well, I fell in love with a Noah. You never knew him, but he was the most beautiful person ever. In fact, he looked a lot like your Tyki. His name was Neah Walker."

Neah… Walker? "Wait, Walker?" I asked. Did this "Neah Walker" have anything to do with the teenage Exorcist who was currently fighting Tyki to the death? "Does he have any connection to Allen Walker?"

She nodded. "Yep. He's his adoptive uncle." The place we were in shook a little and she looked up calmly. "Oops. I don't have a lot of time left. I guess I should speed up the story. Well, after I betrayed the Order, I died, and my sister, you, Akicho, decided to call me back. As soon as I was called back, General Cross destroyed me. Now, it took the Earl twenty-eight years, but he created a perfect Akuma. One that could be called back and take on its own personality. That was why they used your skin. The Earl called me back using a form of Neah's music. He shoved me in your body and now, seven years after the incident, I'm still alive in you. But now, you are you, and I am you, as well."

I nodded, trying to understand. "I get it. We're one soul now, right?" She smiled and nodded. "I understand now. I am living for my sister, and for myself. I have to make the most of this, and not screw it up." Kumari smiled widely as she began to fade.

"Exactly."

When I opened my eyes, I saw Allen holding… an oversized sword? Where the hell did he get that?

I gaped as Allen slashed across Tyki's chest. Before I could stop myself, I yelled, "Tyki! No, Allen, don't!" But when Tyki stepped back, he wasn't cut.

He asked, "What is this trick?"

Allen glared. "It's not a trick. I didn't cut your body." A ring of crosses appeared around Tyki's body. Allen didn't destroy Tyki. He destroyed the Noah inside Tyki. I gasped as Tyki crumpled in pain.

The ever-strong Tyki I knew for seven years was fading right in front of me. I struggled to stand, tripping at one point as I hurried to my brother's side. He was crying out in pain. Allen had killed a part of Tyki. I knelt next to him as he spat curses and insults at the Exorcist.

Road jumped down to help Tyki, but he stopped her. I gripped his shirt as he stood, taking me with him. Right in front of my eyes, Allen's sword pierced Tyki's chest, and once he ripped it out, Tyki fell, his gray skin turning human.

I watched in shock and horror as Road's human side began to fade. "No, Road! Don't!" I looked up to see that Chaoji had been stabbed with candles in his back. "Road… I'm still here!" She pushed me away and knelt besides Tyki. She didn't care.

Closing my eyes, I resigned. Road was going to kill Lavi. There was really nothing to be done. When Road snapped, there was no stopping that little girl. I stood again. No candles…

"Tyki isn't dead, Road." She glared up at me. "He's still a part of your family. And those twins… do you know how hard it is to kill those two? They're cockroaches, and it takes more than a single battle like this to bring them down." Her grip on Tyki's unmoving body loosened. "I know what it feels like to lose someone. Just don't let go of your memories."

She began to cry. "Whenever one of my family dies… I start to cry. To be perfectly honest, I don't care that Tyki had a sword plunged through his chest. I don't care how he was hurt. All I care about is killing the one who hurt him. Even if it is Allen."

I put a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "He'll be fine. Now, you promised me that if the fight between Tyki and Allen ended, you'd send me into Lavi's dream."

"I can't." I looked at her incredulously. "If you go in now, there's a chance that you will never come back out. Lavi's gone crazy in there."

I stood up and smiled a little at her. "All the more reason to go in and help him. Come on, Road, you'd do the same if Tyki was hurt. Lavi, however little I know him, is a friend and comrade, and if I let him die, I'm not sure I'll be able to live with that."

Allen and Lenalee stopped to stare at me in wonder. Road sighed. "As long as you're happy." She pulled the box with Lavi over and it shattered. "You have ten minutes, Akicho. That's all I'm giving you."

I nodded and she pressed her fingers to my forehead and her other hand to Lavi. My eyes closed and I drifted off to Lavi's dream.

-ALLEN WALKER-

What the hell? Was Akicho really in Lavi's dream? Her body collapsed onto the ground and Allen could only stare. She was willing to sacrifice her own life to go in and save Lavi?

Road looked up. "I know what you're thinking. But she loves Tyki and me and the twins as family. She wants to reach out to you, too." The little Noah gazed at Tyki's body. That's when Allen noticed that Akicho's hand was linked with Tyki's, and he glared at the unmoving girl. "She hates being alone. I remember when the Earl locked her away for three days as a punishment, and she said she didn't cry because she was afraid. She cried because she was lonely."

Allen's glare softened. Now that Kanda was gone and Allen had changed, Akicho didn't have anyone to really trust but her own family, unless she reached out to the Exorcists. He would have loved to help her, but with those candles around, there really wasn't anything he could do.

It was all up to Akicho now.

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

I was back in the Black Order. No, that's wrong.

I was in Lavi's dream of the Black Order.

I looked around to see Lavi facing… Allen? A fire seal from another Lavi erupted underneath Allen, and the white-haired boy fell. I pushed my way through the bodies and coffins. Lenalee, Kanda, and Krory were all advancing on Lavi, only to stick their weapons into his body.

After stumbling over the coffins, I realized what Lavi's greatest weakness was. His fight between wanting to be a Bookman and wanting to be a friend. "Lavi!" I called. He collapsed as the three pulled their weapons out of his chest. "Lavi, get up! You can still fight, and you can still be a Bookman! Bookmen aren't just recorders of history… they're human, too!"

He groaned a little, moving around on the floor. The shock was taking over.

Kanda, Krory, and Lenalee all faded away. Road's illusions. Not to mention the other Lavi that was standing there. I ran towards him and shook him. "Why? Why do you want Lavi to choose so badly?"

"He can't be human if he wants to be a Bookman."

Those were the last words I heard before something was plunged into my stomach. I guess that my weakness was the same as Lavi. I wanted to be an Exorcist, but I wanted to be close to the Noah, too.

Since I chose the Exorcists, I guess… Road would be my undoing.

My eyes opened and I saw Road looking down at me. "I told you, ten minutes." Something like a tattoo painted itself under Lavi's green eye. "If you want to save Lenalee and that human, you have to kill him." I could only watch as Lavi began to kick and punch at Allen, revealing his true strength.

That's not Lavi. That's the illusion, and the Bookman side of Lavi.

But Road put a hand over my mouth. This wasn't fair to Allen. Allen pulled the unresponsive Lavi into a tight hug, but his friend only knocked him around even more.

I tried to pull Road's hand off of my mouth, and growled, "Let me back in! If that's a part of Lavi's mind, then maybe he can become both of them!"

Road giggled childishly. "Nope! Sorry, but he could only choose one. He chose to be a Bookman, and now, he's going to pay the price." He didn't choose Bookman. He was beaten by Bookman. A sharp gasp cut through my thoughts and I looked over to see Allen's huge sword embedded in Road's chest.

"Road!"

She just laughed and pulled it out. "Not a bad idea to attack Lavi in his weak point, but… I am me, and at the same time, I'm not." Now, Allen was weaponless and the Fire Seal completely overtook him.

I smirked a little. "Lavi… Lavi will never lose to himself. He is Lavi, and no one can split him in half. If he can't beat himself, he can never win." A Fire Seal erupted around Lavi, burning his own Bookman. "Lavi is always going to be Lavi."

But I couldn't leave it alone. If Lavi was going to die, and I said that I'd help him, I wouldn't give up now. Pulling myself up, I stumbled forwards, into the flames. His inner turmoil was causing him so much pain, and I could see that when he was inside his mind.

As I found Lavi, I put a hand on his shoulder. "You're always trying to save us. Save yourself for once, Lavi. Come back to us." I stood with the Junior Bookman, even when Allen burst in to save his friend, even when the white cloak wrapped around both Lavi and me, even when the flames started to turn to stone.

I could feel myself losing consciousness. I wasn't meant to be in that flame. Allen finally pushed out of the stone, taking both of us with him. Lavi and Allen both stood, coughing and choking. "It hurts to breathe!" Lavi complained, holding his neck. Both of them collapsed onto the ground. "We're alive."

"Do you have a problem with that?" Allen shot back weakly.

"You're too reckless, Allen."

"I'll throw those words right back at you."

I smiled a little as I stood, breathing heavily, letting out a harsh laugh as Lenalee ran up and slapped Lavi. But when Road started to laugh from across the room, I turned in worry. "Road?" I asked softly, gasping as she burst into black smoke, her clothing falling. "No!" I cried out, rushing over to pick up a ribbon from the stone pillars. "Not you, too…"

As I began to cry for my family, I realized that I'd lost too much in this damn Ark already. Kanda and Krory were dead, the twins were probably badly injured, and God knows what happened to Lulu. Now Tyki had been badly hurt, and Road was as good as dead. I had Allen, and Lavi, and Lenalee, but was that enough? Allen called, "Akicho! Get on!"

I shook my head stubbornly, rushing over to Tyki and Lero. "Tyki…" I grabbed his hand and sat down next to him. "I'm not coming, Allen. Not until I can get Tyki and Lero back up there, too."

Allen looked at me, but sighed. "Let's go." I could barely hear Lenalee's protests as Lavi's hammer pulled them up to the door.

"Tyki… I won't leave you. Not again." I smiled a little, propping myself up in his lap. "I love you, and I won't let you die." I looked up to Lero. "You should get out while you still can. I'm sure that the twins are injured, but okay. Tell them… that I'm sorry I couldn't bring Tyki's top hat with me." Lero shook his head. He wasn't about to leave Tyki now. "Then I guess that we're all doomed." I laughed dryly, letting my head fall back onto Tyki's shoulder.

Two arms wrapped around me. "I'm not leaving you, either," Tyki's voice whispered softly. "And neither are they." Thousands of tentacles extended from his hand, and once they came down, so did the door and Allen.

I asked softly, "Allen?" Tyki picked me up bridal style and put me down out of range of his attacks. "Tyki?" He wasn't a normal human. He was still a Noah, through and through. Allen's exorcism had failed. "Tyki, no!" Tyki and Allen were both ready to attack, then I noticed that Tyki's hand was bleeding badly as his body was almost completely taken over by the tentacles. His blood… was black.

Then everything exploded.

What was left of Tyki was a full demon. This was his full power. I stood up and slowly walked over to the demon. But Allen got there first. Even when his sword landed, Tyki had dodged and slashed him in the shoulder. I stopped.

Why was I hesitating? Why wasn't I trying to help Allen? Was it because I was afraid of Tyki's full power? Maybe I was, but now, I shouldn't be afraid of my brother. He was still Tyki, after all, right?

No, this wasn't Tyki.

Lavi and Allen combined couldn't escape him. He followed them up, leaving me to wonder and worry. I couldn't see what was happening, only that Lavi and Allen were getting badly beaten. Tyki… I turned to Lero, who was hiding behind a column.

"Lero, can you get me up there?" I practically begged. "I have to stop Tyki! At this rate, he'll kill both the Exorcists and himself! I can't let that happen, Lero!"

The umbrella looked around nervously. "Fine, fine, but only for Master Tyki." I grinned weakly and hopped onto him like I used to when I was ten. At least he could still support me.

That's when Allen and Lavi were plunged through the floor, and Lenalee was screaming. "Lero, get me up there, and fast!" He obliged and flew up faster than I ever thought he could. "Tyki!" I yelled. "Stop this, now!" Tyki looked over to me and only laughed. "Tyki, what's wrong?"

I got no answer from him. A tentacle from him slapped me in the head, like he did back in Barcelona, and I collapsed.

-TYKI MIKK-

He knew nothing but hate and rage. No pain, no sadness, and no love. His Noah side was all that was left. So why did he feel the need, the desire, to save that one girl? He looked down at the rubble, with the girl in his arms, only to see that damn sailor holding up the entire tower.

He growled and flew down, holding the girl, who was clearly out cold.

Just as he was about to finally rid himself of all of those stupid Exorcists, his attack was countered by the other two. He growled again and put the girl down, letting her rest.

Why did he care?

-AKICHO LAMURIA-

Fighting. That's all I could hear. Tyki was still going, even after all the wounds he'd sustained in the battle against Allen. But everything was just so hard… even breathing took me too much energy. Was this the end?

Lavi was screaming, too, and Chaoji's yells were mixed in with everything else. We were falling, and the Ark was almost done for. This really was the end, wasn't it? I chuckled weakly, struggling to open my eyes and see what was happening.

Yeah, I was falling. Down into a deep black hole. I wished I could call out for help, but I guess that wishing just doesn't cut it sometimes, does it?

Sorry about that, Kumari. I guess I wasted my life.

…

…

Warmth, cold. Voices, silence. How could I still hear and feel? Wasn't I dead? I could hear a voice… A familiar melody rang in my head. A piano…

"And so, the boy fell into a deep sleep. The struggling flames lay in the ashes. One by one, rise up and swell into that lovely face…"

How did I know this song? Why was it familiar to me?

"Thousands of dreams float above the Earth. Those dreams… On the night when silver eyes trembled, you were born in a sparkling light."

Kumari's soft voice told me, "Neah taught it to me. You know it, too."

"Though hundreds of millions of months and years will pass, no matter how many prayers return to the Earth, I will continue to pray. Please deliver this love."

"Neah…"

I opened my eyes slowly, almost painfully, as if I'd been asleep for hundreds of years. The Ark was being pieced back together. Everyone was going to be okay.

I could sleep now. Allen would take care of everything. Kanda and Allen and Lavi and Lenalee and Chaoji. They would all go home safe. I could finally rest.

Goodnight, Akicho…

A longer chapter for all you guys! I'm almost done drafting this story, thank whatever powers that be that gave me the strength to find the creativity to finish this. I've been so distracted by life lately, sorry about that guys! I'll try to update more often now. ;o; Before college (ew) completely steals me away OTL god that's going to be horrible.

I can't believe it's been almost five years since I first opened this account...

I feel old. ._.

Anyways, thanks for reading everyone! Please anticipate the next chapter~ ^o^