A/N: Likewise to Fear of Infinity, this is the last chapter I have prepared in advance. *apprehensive* But I'm glad I have enough to cover the whole vacation, at least. (Cosmic Composite does not have this problem. Cosmic Composite will take me some ways into the school year, and I'm still smooth sailing with it. *laugh*) Well, go on, then.

Thank you to i love pink, RMXStudio, MsMusicLover, and Oh Look. A Flying Cow for reviewing!

Title: Sweet Dreams

Author: liketolaugh

Rating: T

Pairings: None

Genre: Angst/Tragedy

Warnings: Character death, insanity

Summary: Allen was the least stable to begin with, so it was no surprise that he went first. And really, it was a very high-stress job, and a lot of the exorcists were just too young. It was no surprise that they went mad.

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned D. Gray-man.

They arrived back at Headquarters, and Allen beamed.

Then they went inside.

There were cracks in the walls, Allen noticed. And rocks on the ground. Pieces missing from the ceiling. That was strange. He wondered how many people had been thrown into them. How the people had come out.

There were red smears on the floor and the walls. There was one on the ceiling, too, and he laughed. He wondered how it got there.

Allen saw people on the ground. He wondered if they'd fallen asleep, or woken up. It was hard to tell the difference.

Kanda was staring at one person in particular, frowning. Then his gaze flicked to the cracks in the walls, and a smear on the ground, and another body. There was no comprehension in those eyes. Allen was glad. Kanda didn't want to know, anyway.

Link knew, though. His mouth was twisting, teeth gritting as he looked around, tension close to making him vibrate.

"Allen! Kanda! Link! Oh, thank goodness!"

Allen looked over, tilted his head. Lenalee was hurrying toward them, tears in her eyes, running with bare feet that looked raw and bloody. Then she fair threw herself at him, holding him tight, and after a moment, he held her back.

"I was so worried, Allen!"

Lenalee let go of him, and moved to hug Kanda, who stared blankly, and then Link, who looked as confused as Kanda.

"With everything- I thought…Well, I'm glad you made it back okay."

"Miss Lee, what happened here?"

Lenalee laughed wetly, shaking violently. Allen worried.

"A Noah attack. I- We got them but we haven't added up the casualties yet, and I saw Krory… We aren't sure who's all died yet."

"I understand. Your brother?"

"Komui's fine. I made… I made sure."

"I'm sure you did your very best, Lenalee. I don't believe you're capable of anything less."

Lenalee looked despondent. Allen went up and hugged her again and murmured in her ear reassuringly,

"We all do the best we can, Lenalee. You and me and Kanda and everyone. We might not make it out alright - but we can make sure the rest of the world does."

Lenalee let out a quiet half-sob. "But I want my friends to be okay, Allen," she said desperately. "I want you to be okay, and Kanda, and Lavi..."

Allen smiled, though she couldn't see it from this position. Lenalee had always cared. It was his favorite thing about her. And she was so stubborn.

He didn't say anything, though, because that was just a dream and she knew it and he knew it but neither of them wanted to say it out loud.

"Lenalee!"

Lenalee extracted herself and turned to face her brother with that brave look on. Allen smiled.

Oh. There was Komui, pale but dead-serious. Only not actually dead, which was good. Lenalee would be so upset.

Allen let his gaze wander back over the hallway. Some of the bodies were half-eaten, he noticed. Strange. One of them had red hair like his used to be, and he smiled faintly.

"Lenalee, Marie and Miranda aren't back from their mission. I hate to ask this, but could you…?"

"Of course, brother. It wasn't far away, was it? I could fly there."

"Yes. Thank you, Lenalee."

"Anytime."

Lenalee's voice shook, Allen noticed, and he looked at her with concern. She gave him a reassuring smile, and he smiled back, and she left.

Link appeared by Allen, who was surprised. He'd forgotten Link was there.

Not Kanda, though. Kanda was leaning against a wall and staring at the red stain at his feet. Allen had never lost track of Kanda.

"Alright, Allen. Let's see what damage has been done."

Allen nodded absently.

There were cracks in the walls and the floor and the people. There were chunks missing from the walls and the ceiling, laying around on the ground.

He would bet that there were people missing, too. The evidence was all over the floor.

When Lenalee returned, only Miranda was with her.

Lenalee was carrying her, Allen noticed, and Miranda, bloody and bruised, was staring off into space, completely blank and unresponsive.

Oh. Miranda woke up, too, then. Or fell asleep. He knew there was a difference, but he couldn't remember.

Lenalee was shaking, and crying, and just kept shaking her head to the shouting as she was rushed by anxious people, who took Miranda away to the infirmary.

Allen went up, touched her shoulder, tilted his head in concern. He lifted her head so he could see her eyes, and she threw herself at him, they both tumbled to the ground, and she laughed.

She was crying and she laughed and she shook, shaking her head back and forth against his chest.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Even when you're still alive, I just… keep… losing you! I just-"

She was laughing really hard, Allen noted fondly, patting her back. Laughing and crying.

"She didn't recognize me, Allen! And he was on her for hours, dead- And she- Allen-"

And now she was just crying. Allen sighed, but kept rubbing her back.

Lenalee wasn't going to be okay, he realized. But she'd be in good company. And Komui would take care of her.

When Komui found them, Allen tilted his head up to look at him and offered a faint smile, because Komui looked really worried.

Komui just looked crushed, though. That was sad.

Probably not wrong, though. He loved Lenalee a lot.

Mana had loved him that much, too. But not as much as he'd loved his little brother. That was sad, too, but okay. He'd known that.

It was stupid to cry about it.

Again, I'm sorry if this is a little hard to follow, but it's primarily Allen POV and he's not the most aware right now. I'm trying my best to drop hints as to what happened to each of them - you guys are catching those, right? *worried* Well, thanks for reading, and please review!