Angel Fantasy: What am I going to do with you? You have a link to the very chapter that answers your question on your profile. Joyd is Tyki's true Noah name, the name he takes/"is supposed to take" after awakening. And since Joyd IS Tyki, that answers your questions as they are all three of them together, and there is only one Noah there. :D

oz-outlet of shadows: Oi, sounds like you're mixing this with FMA. Their portions of Noah memory aren't actually them (if that's even the real thing, since recent manga chapters say they are actually 13 different people originally and always). After all, I don't see Rhode being 'dreams' "honed to its fullest", which some how ends up equalling sadistic. However, I do have it in mind that each Noah is influenced by their given title, like how Skinn went into rages. And I call them bastards as a slang term due to how they choose to kill and side with evil (Tyki: "You gotta be evil to have fun"). Aaaannnnd thanks.


Requiem of Time: Chapter Eighteen - Sarah


Her name was Sarah Omarova. She was eighteen years old, and in that year she acquired her Innocence known as Terra's Touch. She was the daughter of an artisan, born of working-class yet graced with a higher calling. She was apprentice to Allen Walker. Her likes were the smell of freshly cut wood - it reminded her of her father - and her dislikes were those who looked down upon others, much like the upper-class did to her family. Before, she had aspired to being a dutiful housewife with a happy husband. Now, she aspired to being useful to her companions and to do her part in ending the war against the Millennium Earl.

****

Sarah shivered at the sight of the floating monstrosity and the attacking hordes of Akuma so thick it was like a black ring. When the Fallen One attacked, she couldn't help but gape at its destructive power.

Shaking her head for a second time, she continued on her way through the Chinese forest. The others had listened when Allen told them to stay - they were good friends, better soldiers - but she was out here for her master. Allen had told her of his entire life, so she knew of the Noah Tyki being out here for that Innocence fragment as well as the possibility of the entire Akuma army attacking after destroying the Fallen One.

And her master didn't even have a working Innocence.

So no, she would not stay back while he confronted Tyki. She had walked right out of that mountain door while sharing a nod with Fou. Did he need her? Maybe not. But maybe so, and in that case she would be there. She would be his anti-Akuma weapon if it came to it, so that he would not be defenseless.

And so that he would not have to rely on his Noah abilities…

"Wait, so you are one of the those 'Noah' too? One of the Millennium Earl's bodyguards?" Sarah asked as they walked, surprised.

Allen's countenance darkened slightly, but he nodded. "I'm repressing - well, was and later will be repressing - my Noah side, but that's the truth." He glanced at her, yet instead of fear or unease her eyes were lit with excitement and suspense, as if this was just a story. Perfect. "Now, don't be as foolish as Central and believe that that means I'm a servant to the Earl. The Fourteenth Noah, my implant, was a renegade from the start, so even if he ever managed to destroy my mind and take over me, there was never a need to fear I would suddenly slaughter the Order and return to the Earl."

"Did he ever come close?"

"…Excuse me? Close to what?" Allen asked.

"Did the Fourteenth ever come close to 'destroying your mind' and 'taking over you?'"

Allen was quiet for a long while, likely reminiscing or maybe just thinking about the question. Then, he answered simply, "Yes." And he left it there.

But Sarah wasn't done with her questions yet. "Can I see you transform?"

That stopped the Marshal, causing Sarah to walk past him before realizing it. She turned to see him standing there, face hard, one eye like steel, and giving her a look as intense as her father could. "Every time I transform, I have to 'give in' to my Noah side. That's how the Fourteenth gets close to taking me over; that's when I'm most weak. Right now he's sleeping within my head, and activating those abilities now only risks wakening him…" Then, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair after removing his top hat.

The eye patch made him look fearsome, even when he softened. "But for you, since I want you to understand, I'll do it just this once… Please, prepare yourself." Allen closed his eye, and then… shifted.

The hair changed first, and Sarah would remember this always. His white hair, exotic and full, yet easy to confuse with an old man's, curled right before her eyes, writhing into slight swirls as if they had a mind of their own. Then his skin was next. He was a healthy, fleshy person, lightly tan from his excursion on the roads, yet that paled unnaturally, like he was sick, before going even beyond that. Pink turned to white, and white turned to gray. It because so dark that it was almost a natural skin color, frightening enough. His forehead, however, she believed changed last, with black crosses splitting open woundlessly - a mark Allen had taught her was a sign of the Noah and to be wary of. Finally, he opened his eye and Sarah saw the gold staring back, gold opposing his earlier silver.

This 'Allen' smiled at her, a frightening smile that made her almost take a step back. "Good morning, Sarah."

Sarah swallowed unexpectedly when he spoke. "H-hello, master."

That golden eye traveled lower, slowly, and Sarah felt herself blush brightly before realizing he was staring at her hands. The smile was still there as he said, "Your Innocence… May I see it?"

For some reason, despite that he was her master, Sarah felt herself take a step back. "N-N-No. May I have Allen back, please?"

The Noah took a step forward when she stepped back, following her as she did so again. "But I am Allen, can't you tell? Now, let me see your Innocence."

"No, you are his Noah." Sarah flinched when he stopped his advance at that. Maybe it wasn't best to antagonize him. She couldn't deny the fear she felt from the person in front of her. This had not been a good idea. "P-Please, let him come back."

"Sarah," 'Allen' said suddenly, his grin only a shadow of what it was before, "I order you to show me- Argh!" Allen brought a hand to his head suddenly, groaning angrily as… something seemed to be happening.

Sarah watched, helpless, as Allen collapsed to the ground, still clutching his head. Was he losing the fight? Oh God, did I just get him killed? Sarah panicked as he squirmed on the ground, yet she cursed herself for not having the courage to step forward to help his pains. She was too afraid.

Finally, the sounds cut off suddenly, and Sarah was relieved to notice his skin back to its normal collar. Allen lowered his hand from his face, and Sarah was surprised to see blood on that hand as well as on his forehead. He looked down at her, thankfully with his grey eye again, and gave her a smile. "Sorry, those never close properly after opening," he said, gesturing to the blood.

Yes, Allen as a Noah scared her, and she promised herself to never let him get to that state if he didn't have to. She was not as skilled as him as an Exorcist - thinking about the things he could do she doubted she ever could be - but she knew that he could use her somehow, even by direct command if he wanted. Somehow…

****

Her name was Sarah Omarova. She was eighteen years old, and in that year she acquired her Innocence known as Terra's Touch. She was the daughter of an artisan, born of working-class yet graced with a higher calling. She was apprentice to Allen Walker. Her likes were the smell of freshly cut wood - it reminded her of her father - and her dislikes were those who looked down upon others, much like the upper-class did to her family. Before, she had aspired to being a dutiful housewife with a happy husband. Now, she aspired to being useful to her companions and to do her part in ending the war against the Millennium Earl.

But it was a shame… because that wasn't the way the world went.

****

Sarah didn't know if Allen was on or confronting the monster, but right now she intended to search long and hard until she found him, regardless. An outcropping of rock here, a deep stream there proved no obstacle to her with her Innocence, and thus onward she searched, slowly drawing towards the sounds of gunfire and the source of the massive explosions.

Cresting a hill, Sarah noticed one of the trees among bamboo before her. While not significant in and of itself, she saw a beautiful owl resting in it. She had seen owls only occasionally where she came from, and if times weren't so pressing she would have taken the time to admire its snowy beauty. And so she walked past it, eyes sweeping for any sign of the boy she called master.

She traveled only a few feet past the tree when something occurred to her, a feeling like being told there was something wrong with a picture yet not being able to find out what it was. With that feeling she stopped moving, and after a moment she turned to face the owl in the tree again. It was still there, and it squawked loudly when it saw her staring at it.

It looked so natural, as natural as such a thing of beauty could be, and once again the sense of admiration rose. She brought one of her gloved hands up, almost surprised to do so, and pointed at the bird with one long, seamlessly curved finger. Her words surprised her just as much. "You're Lulubell, aren't you?" Where had that come from? She was in the middle of calling herself paranoid when the owl… changed.

It took only a moment, but soon the Noah in question stood there next to the tree, naked as the day she was reincarnated. In spite of herself, Sarah couldn't find it in herself to blush or look away. Everything Allen had ever told her was coming back in a rush, amassing to help her deal with the woman before her. Golden eyes unblinking as a cat's, Lulubell's gaze remained fixed on the apprentice as she reached into a nook in the tree and retrieved her clothes - a fine suit and tie - and dressed.

Sarah removed her gloves slowly, revealing a bright, white and red light; her Innocence was already activated. The woman before her was dangerous, extremely so and quite capable of killing her in a moment's notice. From what she heard from Allen, Sarah knew that if this meeting came to a fight she just might not be the one to walk away. After all, a fresh Innocence-candidate, not even an Exorcist, versus a professional, strategic, and experienced Noah was no contest, really.

So why was she not afraid?

"Our powers are much the same, aren't they?" Sarah asked suddenly, and a sudden bout of anxiety was immersed in eagerness. This time, it was just her and Lulubell - no Allen.

Lulubell said nothing in response, finishing tightening the blue tie in a sharp motion. With that she lowered her hands again, both limbs at rest on either side. Those cool, golden, slitted eyes never left Sarah's own blue orbs.

It was around then Sarah felt she located the reason for her calm. She had met her so many times before, seen so many of this woman's tricks made easy by Allen, that she found it hard to be worried. The familiarity of meeting Lulubell was more of a frustrating reminder than a inspirer of panic. Her logical part argued that was just plain foolishness, but then again emotions and logic had never really got along in the first place.

Sarah felt like smiling as she faced the stoic Noah. Those thoughts were so wacky. Here she was, possibly facing death, and she was pondering her own emotions on the matter. Perhaps the aloofness of her master was wearing off on her; he was two steps from sanity and it was like she was stepping up to enjoy the view.

Or perhaps she was so scared her mind refused to acknowledge it, and thus these things that would normally be pushed to the background were suddenly upfront, masking what she wished to hide from. Ah, that seemed more reasonable.

"Have you no words for me, Lulubell?" Sarah asked, and she felt like slapping herself for goading the enemy.

The Noah stared at her for a moment longer before finally responding. "Speaking is for spilling secrets and building deceptions. Other than that, there is no reason to speak to an enemy."

"So by saying that you are spilling secrets right now?" Master, I do believe you have corrupted me. I just keep digging this hole I have fallen in. Cheekily, she continued, "What would the Millennium Earl say?"

"That I must kill you," Lulubell answered simply, the nails of one hand sharpening and elongating like claws.

Sarah almost started the fight early when she saw a figure step out of the woods. It was not Allen. In fact, to the side, she could see the Fallen One beginning to disintegrate and more literally fall from the sky. No, the person who appeared was one whom she had met before, yet the newcomer was no ally.

Mimi, with her cyan hair done in two pigtails, stepped up to Lulubell and curtsied deep, gathering her maid's outfit in both hands with her head bowed. "Lulubell-sama, shall I deal with her for you?"

Lulubell watched as Sarah leaned casually against one of the many bamboo trees, one of the glowing white hands caressing the material - Terra's Touch's unnaturally smooth form allowed the hand and fingers to wrap around it neatly. Before she could reply, at almost the same instant the Innocence touched the tree, an unexpected problem arose.

Two unexpected problems, actually.

Sarah saw this and raised an eyebrow. And she had hoped to assist Allen, no matter the method. That could no longer be the case.

****

Her name was Sarah Omarova. She was eighteen years old, and in that year she acquired her Innocence known as Terra's Touch. She was the daughter of an artisan, born of working-class yet graced with a higher calling. She was apprentice to Allen Walker. Her likes were the smell of freshly cut wood - it reminded her of her father - and her dislikes were those who looked down upon others, much like the upper-class did to her family. Before, she had aspired to being a dutiful housewife with a happy husband. Now, she aspired to being useful to her companions and to do her part in ending the war against the Millennium Earl.

But it was a shame… because that wasn't the way the world went.

No, the world was a place of false dreams and early endings, as she had found. Sanity was an image, and insanity, the hard facts; thus was war. To exist one must flow, to thrive one must step around, to live one must step back. But to step back was to face death, yet Sarah wanted to live.

So while she was eighteen years old, on the threshold of womanhood, Sarah had found a purpose in life, she had broken free of her loving family, she had traveled the world outside her town, she had found a man she loved, and she made the choice to step back - to face that one owl in a tree. When she was eighteen years old, Sarah Omarova died.


AN: Well, that was unexpected, even for me. I get into these weird moods sometimes, and on this chapter I decided to just let loose and see what some of those produced. Three times I came back to this chapter - smack in the middle of a half-finished scene - and let myself write from a new and different mindset. If you do not approve, or even if you do, don't worry, because this is the only chapter I'll do this. Next and so on is a normal style. If you didn't notice anything strange at all, then good on you and leave it at that. :D

If you are helplessly confused about something - phrasing, description, introspection, whatever - well, have no fear, for that is reasonable. There were times I got an image of something - looking at it through Sarah's eyes - and explained an aspect of it in its literary essence. Entirely unnecessary, yes, but I was experimenting (on stuff like that as well as progressive narration) just to see how it sounded. Other parts to be confused about, such as what's going on or whatever, well that can be answered next chapter.

Eh, I just wanted something special for the only chapter following Sarah.