DISCLAIMER: d.gray-man and its characters are not mine! But mizuki is...muahahahaha!

Thanks Celedeen Takarona and Sashum-Mushroom for reviewing! Mmmm LAVI cookies!

Allen sat in the crow's nest overlooking the sea. Timcanpy circled his head excitedly; not exactly how Allen was feeling at the moment. I didn't want to go there if I could help it. Stupid master. I'll never forgive him if he's dead, Allen thought bitterly, eyes narrowed at the coming horizon. Their destination would finally, finally lead them to Cross. But why was he even there? A mission? If he's still taking orders from the Order, then why hasn't he shown up? No, he's definitely alive. He is my master, after all.

"Oi, Moyashi!" Mizuki called from below, shaking him from his thoughts. She waved. "How's the view from up there?" she shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand.

"It's Allen!" he called back, an angry vein pulsing near his temple.

She laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Anyways, just be careful. I don't know if I'd be able to come rescue you if you get in any trouble."

"I'll be all right," he grunted in response and folded his arms across his chest. She winked, giving him a thumbs-up and he cracked a smile.

Lavi snuck up behind her and clapped her hard on the back, causing her to jump a mile in the air with a squeak. "Watcha doin?"

"Reveling in the fact that I'm safely down here…and making fun of Allen in my spare time," She glanced once more at Allen, who appeared relatively unhappy about the fact that they were on their way to meet his master.

He rubbed his chin and looked up, thinking back. "Oh, yeah, you're not that fond of heights, are you?" He recalled the time he took her on Oodzuchi Kodzuchi when Lenalee was kidnapped.

"No, I love looking down from several hundred feet in the air at my imminent death," she said sarcastically. She walked over to the side of the ship and looked at her reflection in the water. She sighed heavily and leaned over the side, resting her chin in her arms. She stared hard at her own face and pouted. One step closer to Cross means one step closer to 'him'. A memory flitted quickly through her mind.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

FLASHBACK

He stood over her severely damaged body. She was sprawled on her back, her hair disheveled and matted to her head. She coughed and blood spurted out of her mouth, trickling down her chin. She gripped her weapon tightly and tried to lift her arm. A searing pain shot its way up her limb. Shit. It's broken. She exhaled sharply and looked up at him, her eyes harsh. He touched a cut on his cheek gingerly and winced. After a little thought, he looked down at her and shrugged.

He sat down Indian-style next to her and rested his chin in his hand casually, contradicting the physical state he was in. He had to be pretty banged up. "You did this to yourself, you know."

"You killed him!" she shouted at him, anger radiating from her face.

He smirked. "Quite easily too."

She made a motion to get up, leaning on her good arm, but he shoved her back down callously. He loomed over her, both his hands traveling down her shoulders to pin her arms to the ground. She gasped in pain as he put pressure on her broken arm. She tried to blink away the stars that tugged at her consciousness.

"I kind of like you in this position," he smiled cruelly. He lowered his head towards her, trapping her eyes in his gaze. "You're so…vulnerable." He let the last word drip off his tongue.

"Get off me, bastard." She spat in his face and struggled feebly against his iron grip. Undaunted, he remained immobile. Instead, he chuckled at her malicious action. He shook his hair out of his face. "That's what I always liked about you, Rai-hime. No matter what situation you're in, you always find a way to fight back."

"Shut up!" she breathed heavily. "You used me. I don't give a shit what you think." All the while, the wheels in her head were turning, weighing every option available to her.

He clicked his tongue at the back of his teeth. "It doesn't change the fact that you were the one who betrayed them, now is it?"

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

No. It doesn't.

Lavi suddenly appeared beside her and looked down into the water as well. He gave her a cheesy smile, which faded when didn't return it. His expression changed to concern, and his eyes searched for hers in the water. The instant their eyes met, Mizuki immediately looked away, face tinted pink. Why is it that sometimes when I look at him I want to smack him and other times…I don't? It must be because of that stupid kiss. It's got me all…thinking weird. She snuck a quick sideways glance at him. Did he really have to be that dramatic? Or was it something else? And why does he always think he has to protect me? Do I really seem that pathetic? She groaned inwardly. An awkward silence fell between them for a while as she tried to avoid his confused stare and organize her thoughts. She tried to put her bangs behind her ear, but the sea breeze kept blowing them out of place. Finally she gave up, and her gaze rose to the horizon as Lavi's continued to watch her reflection in the water.

She asked me if I was fine with who I was…I don't know. Am I? he thought. He shook his head, trying to clear it. Why are you so concerned? She's my friend, right? They all are. Ah, another voice in the back of his head argued, but aren't you the future successor of Bookman? Your sole purpose is to record history without interfering. He exhaled noisily. But what does that mean? It means that I can't have a relationship with these people and also be the successor to Bookman. Finally, she heaved a sigh and looked at him, mistaking his inner squabble for something else. "All right, I'll bite. What's up? Having some trouble finding the stunning and flawless Anita-san?" she asked, completely misinterpreting his pensive look.

He closed his eyes and wagged his finger in front of her face, grinning. "My lovely lady, you are too quick to judge. I am simply here to accompany a fine maiden on this seaside voyage."

"Sorry, but as you can see, Lenalee's not here either. Why don't you check below deck? You might find them both there," she scratched her nose.

His face blanched at her mistake. "Uh…" I wasn't really looking for them…

Krory walked over. "What are you two kids doing over here?"

"Who're you calling a kid?" Mizuki said crossly. "Anyways, I was here first," she threw a hostile glare at Lavi, to whom she also stuck out her tongue and pulled down her eyelid.

"Well I was here second!" He stuck his tongue out as well and pulled down both his eyelids.

Krory rolled his eyes as the two made faces at each other.

Then he suddenly turned to Lavi with a serious look. "Lavi, Mahoja is asking for you. You should go immediately. She doesn't look too happy."

"Ehh?" with a fearful look, Lavi quickly left to go find Mahoja.

Mizuki sighed with relief. "Thanks, Krory. I owe you one." She returned to her previous position, looking out towards the sea. However, instead of leaving, Krory joined her.

"Something wrong, Krory?" she raised her eyebrows. "Mahoja's not really looking for Lavi, is she?" Mizuki snickered and scratched her head. "I never took you for a prankster. Though I'm not sure he'll be happy when he finds out you tricked him."

"He's just worried."

She stopped laughing and blinked. "Eh? What are you talking about?"

"That's probably why he seems like he's overprotective. He just wants to make sure you're okay."

"Huh? Well, I'm fine…"

He gave her a knowing look.

She internally shook an angry fist. Grr stupid Lavi telling everyone! I should have known! Note to self: give ero-seinen a good kick in the head. "Aw, you know what I mean, Krory! I don't need to be babied. This is something I need to and can deal with alone." Repeating this line was getting tiring.

"We're friends, right?" Krory asked suddenly.

She tilted her head, taken off guard. "Yeah…" she said slowly, slightly suspicious.

"Well, saying things like 'I'm going to do this on my own' is like saying we're not. Friends are supposed to help each other. We want to help you."

Mizuki didn't seem moved. "You don't understand, Krory." You're talking about a decision between our friendship and your lives. When it comes down to it, your lives are a risk I can't afford to take. If that means losing our friendship, then that's just going to have to be the price I pay to keep you guys alive.

Krory didn't answer for a while, so she took this as a signal to the end of their conversation. Finally, he took a breath, "There's also something else going on with you two kids, isn't there?"

Something else? She sighed and looked up at the sky. "Well, I'm pretty sure the satisfying feeling we get when we annoy the guts out of each other is kind of mutual, if that's what you mean. And quit calling me a kid!"

"Though that may be true, it's not exactly…what I was asking about…" he trailed off. His eyes seemed to be glazed over.

Mizuki stretched her neck around to look Krory in the face. She waved her hand in front of him, but he didn't seem to notice. "Hey…Krory…Krory…" she poked him in the shoulder gently.

Lavi returned suddenly, fuming. He stomped over to the two. "Kuro-chan! Mahoja wasn't looking for me you idiot! I made a fool of myself in front of the entire crew, begging for her not to flog me and…eh? Mizuki, what's wrong with Kuro-chan?" he asked, taking notice of the unresponsive vampire.

"Err…I'm not entirely sure…" said Mizuki, uncertain of what to do.

"What's going on guys?" Lenalee and Bookman came over, drawn by the commotion.

"Krory's in some sort of catatonic state…" Mizuki rubbed her chin and looked up at the tall vampire.

"E-Eliade…" he mumbled softly.

"Aw man, was Kuro-chan thinking about love again?" Lavi smacked himself in the forehead

Love? Mizuki threw a furtive glance at Lavi and felt the color rise in her face. He was thinking about love?! Note to self: also kick the vampire in the head.

"Akuma!" Allen shouted from above.

"What? Where?" Krory looked left and right, ready to pounce, frightening Mizuki enough that she lost her balance and fell backwards. Luckily enough, a certain pirate was there to catch her from behind.

"You all right?" he looked down at her with that bright emerald eye. Her pulse rate might have gone up a couple hundred beats per minute. Jeez! Right after Krory was thinking…grr why is he always the one saving me?

She laughed nervously, "Umm…yeah, thanks," she squeaked, visibly embarrassed.

Lavi helped her up and shouted to Allen, "What's up, Allen?"

Allen held a look of deep concentration as he stared off in the distance. Why are there so many? "Hey everyone!" he called down. "There're demons on the horizon!"

Everyone's head jerked up, trying to find the enemy, which was still a bit of a ways off. Then, a black mass of demons came, heading towards the ship.

"Prepare for battle!" came shouts from the crew. Mahoja shouted orders as the crew got on their feet and ran about the ship, obeying them.

Krory was shaking noticeably. Is he sick? Mizuki put a concerned hand on his shoulder. "Hey Krory, are you all right?"

"My teeth ache," he moaned. His pained frown turned into a menacing smile as his white strand of hair flew back and his pupils dilated.

"Innocence, activate!" the exorcists shouted in unison. They didn't need to look twice to see that the odds weren't in their favor. There must have been thousands of Akuma headed towards them.

"Get ready guys…" Mizuki placed her bō in an offensive position. As the Akuma got closer and closer, she tensed. With a yell, she ran forward, brandishing her weapon, ready to attack the closest one. She slowed down to a stop when she realized they were going past the ship. "Eh?" she said stupidly.

"What is this?" Allen asked, wide-eyed.

"Where are they headed?" Bookman wondered aloud.

Allen gritted his teeth and powered up his weapon. "Wherever it is, we can't let them get there!" He shot several times at the oncoming demons. Two Akuma stopped in their tracks to take note of their attacker.

"As I thought. They're exorcists!"

"I knew I recognized those black coats!"

"Whoops! Watch out!"

Allen attacked while they were talking. Soon enough, more Akuma began to notice them. "There are exorcists here! Oh wow, there're a bunch of humans too!"

"Dinner time!" one yelled as they flew towards Anita and her crew.

Anita (along with the crew) activated the safety barriers normally used by Finders.

"Do you think something like this will stop us level two?" an Akuma growled.

"I've got you now!" an Akuma was able to sneak behind the barrier, but Mahoja jumped and side-kicked it away. "You won't lay a finger on my mistress!"

Lenalee and Krory leapt over to Anita and the others to cover them while Allen, Lavi, Bookman, and Mizuki fought off the bulk of the demons from the front of the ship.

"Gah!" Mizuki yanked her weapon out of a demon. "What the hell is it with all these Akuma?"

More came down, just noticing the exorcists, the battle attracting them.

"I could flail about with my eyes closed and hit something," Lavi joked.

"Yes. I will eat my fill tonight," Krory said gleefully, sharp teeth bared.

Allen was having difficulty with one particular Akuma, which kept dodging his attacks. He fought high above everyone else, on the mast. "Come on, exorcist! Quit trying to hit me and hit me!" it taunted.

"Gouka kaijin, Hiban!"

"That's helpful," Mizuki said, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes from the brightness of the fire. "You must've taken out at least twenty there!" An Akuma snuck up behind her, chuckling. Without sparing it a glance, she stabbed backwards into its abdomen, unperturbed. Stupid Akuma. You don't make noise if you're trying to sneak up on someone, she thought as she pulled her weapon out. She looked at the crew and saw that barriers were being used around the Akuma to hold them in place. She smirked, "That's also helpful."

She ran over to a dragonfly-shaped Akuma and sliced it cleanly in half. "Thanks Anita-san!" she gave a quick salute.

"Allen!" Lenalee shouted from the other side of the ship. Mizuki looked up and saw Allen struggling to dodge the same Akuma as it swooped down like an owl attacking its prey.

Allen paused to rub his eye and was too slow to react to the Akuma.

"Moyashi! Allen! Open your eyes! This is no time to get sleepy!" Mizuki cried.

With a cry, Allen was lifted into the air by the foot and carried off.

"Shit! Lenalee! Go get Allen!" Mizuki ran over to her, killing two Akuma along the way.

"Your Dark Boots should allow you to catch up to the boy," Bookman agreed.

"Please go!" Anita insisted. "Allen is fighting all alone. No single exorcist can stand against so many." She thought of Cross sadly.

With a nod, Lenalee jumped off the boat and flew into the nearby mountains where the Akuma holding Allen was headed.

Be careful guys, Mizuki sent out a silent prayer as she rushed towards three Akuma headed for Anita.

They fought for what seemed like hours, but the number of Akuma never let up. In fact, it seemed to be increasing.

A chill suddenly ran up her spine. She quickly turned towards the direction Allen and Lenalee should be in. "What the hell is that?" she pointed to what looked like a huge white floating…thing. "All the Akuma over there are flying towards it."

"What the hell is going on?" Lavi wondered aloud. It doesn't feel…right.

"It disappeared!" The white floating mass suddenly disappeared and seemed to shoot down into the forest at the base of the mountains.

"You don't have time to look away!" an Akuma charged at her from behind.

"Unh!" she quickly turned around and blocked its attack with her bō. She tilted her head a bit to get a good look at it. Instantly her eyes widened. "You?!"

A/N: Aw, Krory is ADORABLE sometimes when it comes to Eliade. Don't let her crazy evilness and Akumaness get you down! Yeah, so maybe this chapter was a little more exciting? Anyways, more to come next chapter! Thanks for reading and I'll update asap!