A/N: Thank you very much to Lena-luvs-cats, Amelia Loves Anime, jy24, Alaia Skyhawk, Walker's Annoying Voice, m, Alice2795, LadyH.J.P.-P, dbzgtfan2004, and melovecats for all taking the time to review! Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: As much as I love this series, I'm more of a writer than a drawer, so that should be plenty indication that I own zilch.

Chapter 36

Time Frame — Night of April 20th, 1896

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

Allen hauled Oliver's trembling form into the shadows of the forest. He continued until he felt they were far enough away, stumbling into a clearing and carefully lowering Oliver down onto the ground, where the older teen curled into himself, hands still clutching his head.

"I-I'm sorry for l-lying to you," Oliver forced through his clenched jaw, blood still trickling through his fingers.

Conflicted, Allen could only observe him, face expressionless. The silence was only occasionally broken by Oliver's pained whimpers, and Allen finally kneeled down beside him. "So you know what it is that's happening to you?"

"… Yes," he whispered hoarsely, "T-the truth is… the truth is that the n-name of this body is Oliver Price, but that boy is long gone…"

"Excuse me…?" Allen tensed slightly, eyeing him with an odd expression.

"My name… my true name is… Mana Walker."

Allen felt the world coming to a slow halt around him, his ears ringing with the echoes of his confession, skin crawling with the marching of a thousand ants, and his heart practically coming to a stop.

My true name is… Mana Walker.

"What. The. Hell?" were the only words that Allen could force out through his gritted teeth. It had been one thing to speculate whether this was the reincarnation of Mana that everyone was so frightened of, but for the boy himself to know? For Oliver to decide that he was no longer Oliver?

"I know," Oliver, Mana, whatever-he-was-calling-himself, choked out. "But someone… I don't have any idea as to whom, but someone preserved my memories and implanted them into this body. Into this boy who no longer lives. I killed him, Allen, but I didn't mean to…"

The turmoil within Allen refused to cease, and with an inaudible scoff, he rose back on shaky legs. "Yes, just like I'm sure you didn't mean to slaughter thousands of other lives," Allen remarked almost numbly, voice hard and eyes cold, eyeing the shuddering mess at his feet.

Despite his quivering hands, Mana tensed up, words tumbling out in a raspy voice, "I… I no longer am that man!" Hands suddenly parting, pained, amber eyes met Allen's. "The power—that power he had was like a maddening force that enveloped and consumed every good thought; like the gnashing of teeth that tore everything up and spat it back out. His sanity was mere shreds of what it once was. The darkness took over, and nothing of him was left…" he trailed of, eyes dimming as tears finally spilled out. "I'm sorry…" It was said so quietly, Allen briefly wondered if he'd actually heard it.

Allen's stiff expression was unreadable. "And why should I believe anything you have to say?"

It was as though he was slowly chipping away, as Oliver—Mana further slumped down, blood dripping onto the grass beneath him. "You're a Walker," Mana simply stated. "Allen Walker. My little brother."

It dawned on him then, as Allen observed his pathetic whimpering. "I don't know what sort of delusion you've been under all this time, but even you should know it's been 35 years. Your brother is long dead," he stated simply, without remorse. (I'm not a part of this, Allen tried to convince himself, My loyalty isn't with them. Not with Oliver and not with Road. I'm an Exorcist. But it was in vain.)

Smile sad, the soon-to-be Noah whispered, "I know, I just wish…"

Allen took a hesitant step back, before asking, "How long has it been since…?" He couldn't bring himself to finish, and he wondered if he even wanted to know—to know whether his friend Oliver had been cast away and replaced by the mad Noah, or whether it had been Mana (his uncle) that he had befriended all along.

Even so, the other caught on. "Tch," Mana clenched his teeth, until he replied in a raspy whisper, "Years…"

His mind urged him to walk away from the mess before him, but his feet stayed rooted to the ground. "They're looking for you, you know," Allen remarked numbly, still standing rigidly.

"W-who?!"

It was as though Allen were in some sort of dull trance, as he explained without a thought, "Your brother, Neah. He's sensed your reincarnation. The Black Order is preparing for war."

"War?" Mana whimpered, almost as if he couldn't believe it.

Before Allen could deign to reply, a piercing light unexpectedly blinded them both. "What on earth…?" Allen murmured, slightly entranced as he watch the shards of light gathering in the clearing. They were brilliant and quite stunning, but going by Mana's paling and frightened expression, he could only assume the worse.

Allen would later wonder what had gotten into him, because without a second thought, he hauled the other boy up and booked it, trying to put as much distance between himself and whatever had manifested itself into the forest. But moments later, when he felt someone giving chase, the dreaded feeling in his gut told him he never should've gotten involved.

A/N: Sorry it's not as long as I'd hoped. I briefly thought of writing the rest of it, but my head is killing me and I can barely stand to look at the screen, so I'm just going to go ahead and take a nap. But please review!