Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man or Bleach

Chapter Eighteen - Gone

Even though he was insisting that they leave the inn now and continue their search for General Cross the fact remained that Hitsugaya looked like hell and Allen wasn't sure that leaving was the best thing for the young Shinigami. Even though he kept insisting that he was fine he still looked as though he could pass out at any given moment. Allen had his doubts about everything that the shorter boy told him. But the one thing that he was certain of was the fact that Hitsugaya wasn't going to take no for an answer. No matter how many people said it to him.

The boy was already out of bed and had once again donned the Exorcist's coat that he seemed to have finally grown accustomed to wearing. Allen eyed his companion, he had long since ceased thinking of him in terms of being a body guard, while the shorter boy tied the sash that secured his sword across his back.

"What?" Hitsugaya demanded, turning and catching Allen staring at him. He had gotten far too much attention due to his illness and he was not happy about that fact. Why couldn't these people just leave him alone? How many times would he have to tell them that he was fine before they believed his words?

Too many apparently.

"I don't think that this is a good idea," Allen said, deciding that it would be best if he just told Hitsugaya what he was thinking instead of trying to make up an excuse for staring at him. "You're obviously not well and continuing our journey will likely only make things worse."

"We've already wasted too much time as it is," Hitsugaya snapped, avoiding giving voice to the thought that was really occupying his mind. The thought that if he continued to move closer to the General, as well as the Millennium Earl and the Noah, then he might uncover the secret of the past that he couldn't remember.

The past that he had obviously been desperate to forget.

"You know you're way too stubborn bean sprout," Lavi commented from his spot by the door. It seemed that he had placed himself there strategically as though knowing that his mouth was going to get him into trouble and he may need to make a hasty retreat.

Hitsugaya whirled around to face the red haired Exorcist and his hand went to the hilt of his sword. Allen had the feeling that Lavi might have pushed the kid too far this time and he made a move to prevent the impending attack. Relying on lightening quick reflexes, honed by more life or death battles than he cared to remember, Allen seized his companion by the arm and prevented him from attacking Lavi. "Would you two please stop? If we're going to go out and look for Master then let's just go already."

It was so rare for the always polite Allen to lose his temper that both Hitsugaya and Lavi took note. Rolling their eyes the pair ceased their argument and together the quartet of Exorcists left the inn and traveled back out into the crowded streets.

"How about it Tim?" Allen asked, turning his attention to the little golden golem who had once again taken up a position on Hitsugaya's head. Timcanpy seemed to have grown unusually fond of the young Shinigami and Allen was a little confused by this fact. What was it about the boy that attracted the golem so?

At the sound of his name Timcanpy launched into the air and scanned the area. Then, as though to say that he didn't have a clue, the golem shrugged his little wings and landed on the top of Hitsugaya's head once more. The group of Exorcists took this to mean that the general was no longer in the vicinity and decided that they would simply have to continue their journey east.

"I swear I'm going to kill that man when I find him," Hitsugaya muttered to no one in particular.

"Only if you beat me to it," Lavi said, his hand hovering over his hammer. His fingers were twitching and it looked as though he too would like nothing better than to take out some pent up frustrations on the general that they were searching for.

Allen merely smirked.

Timcanpy's indecision when posed the question as to Cross' whereabouts led the group of Exorcists to believe that he had already departed this part of China however they spent a couple of hours searching the town just to be on the safe side.

Hitsugaya was still weak due to his little encounter with the Noah named Lulubell and the subsequent days that he spent unconscious but the young Shinigami Exorcist was making every effort to hide this fact from the others. He could tell that they were already worried about him and he didn't need any more of their sympathy. It was starting to get on his last nerve. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and he wished that they would get that through their thick skulls.

"It's no use," Lavi announced after the group had spent several fruitless hours searching for their missing general. "He's simply not here anymore. I think we should move on and make our way to the next town."

"Right," Allen said, in complete agreement with Lavi. Things looked bad at the moment but he could feel that they were close to tracking down his Master. All they had to do was keep moving forward. "We can still use Tim to track him down. It's just going to take a little longer than we anticipated."

Hitsugaya growled low in his throat but didn't bother to comment. Allen could find a way to be cheerful under any circumstances and, while a small part of him admired that trait in the boy, Hitsugaya was mostly annoyed by it. There was absolutely no bright side to this situation and he didn't feel the need to search for one.

This train of thought was derailed by a sharp tug on his hair and, without really thinking about the action, Hitsugaya reached up and seized Timcanpy from mid air. Opening his fist the boy gazed at the golem that he held clenched in his hand. "What?"

Timcanpy pulled himself free from Hitsugaya's grasp, tugged on the boy's hair once more, and then began flying off down the street.

"Tim!" Allen called out as he watched the golem grow smaller and smaller.

"Um," Lenalee said, grabbing both Allen and Hitsugaya by the arm and dragging them down the street in pursuit of the little golem. "Don't you think that we should follow him?"

Allen was too stunned by the action to react however Hitsugaya pulled his arm free of her grasp. He was perfectly capable of following Timcanpy under his own power and he wanted to make sure that she knew this. Lavi could be heard laughing at them as he too made his way down the street.

"Do you think maybe Timcanpy picked up on something?" Lavi asked as the group of Exorcists followed the golem down the street. None of them had any idea where Timcanpy was leading them but they knew that they had to follow. He was the only one among them with the capability of tracking General Cross and where ever he went they had to follow.

Whether they wanted to or not.

Timcanpy came to a stop in front of a building that looked like a very fancy inn. The group of Exorcists all came to a halt in front of the door that led inside and for a few minutes all they could do was stand there and stare. Why, out of all the places he could have led them, had Timcanpy stopped here?

"Was Master here Tim?" Allen posed this question to the little golem as though he really expected a verbal reply.

Both Allen and Lenalee jumped when the door was suddenly thrust open and a huge person appeared in the doorway. With the shaved head and bulging muscles they all thought that it was a man however upon closer inspection it was revealed that. . .

"It's a woman!" Allen and Lavi both exclaimed, earning them disapproving looks from Lenalee, Hitsugaya and the stranger standing in the doorway.

"What business do you have here?" the woman demanded. "We don't serve children or first timers here."

"I'm really sorry," Allen spoke up, always the gentleman. "We were out searching for someone and. . . we ended up here."

The woman regarded Allen briefly before her eyes focused on the golem that was floating between the two white haired youths. A spark of recognition appeared in her eyes and a smile spread across her lips. "I'm afraid that you've came too late. General Cross is no longer here."

"So. . . so Master really was here?"

The woman nodded and gestured for the group of Exorcists to enter the building. "I think that you four should speak to Mistress Anita. She can tell you far more about General Cross than I."

After passing each other brief glances the four Exorcists did as they were told and entered the building. The woman led the way down a long corridor and into a back room. A young woman was seated in the room and her eyes widened somewhat as her gaze fell upon the group of children.

"Mistress Anita," the woman said as they entered the room. "They're here searching for General Cross."

"I see," the black haired woman named Anita said, nodding her head to the muscled woman. "Thank you Mahoja."

The muscled woman bowed and stepped to the door. She didn't leave the room but instead chose to remain in the background, keeping an eye on all that went on. She knew that these children were from the Black Order and she had to admit that she was curious.

"I'm terribly sorry," Anita said, a strange expression in her eyes as she gazed at the group of children. So young to be fighting such a harsh war. The youngest appeared to be around twelve, the oldest no more than nineteen. "But General Cross left three days ago, bound for Edo."

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, clenching his hands into fists. So General Cross had actually been in the city when they had arrived. If it hadn't been for that damn Noah's attack and his subsequent illness then they might have finally caught up to him.

"Calm down," Allen said in a quiet voice. "He's not that far ahead of us. All we have to do is travel to Edo and meet up with him there."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Anita said quietly.

"Excuse me," Allen said, still being polite. "But why not?"

"Because we received word this morning that General Cross' ship was destroyed at sea," Anita replied, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And all on board were lost."

Lenalee gasped in surprise and her gaze automatically shifted to Allen, to see how he would take the news of his master's death. There was a strange expression in the gray eyes of the British boy but then it disappeared and he shook his head.

"No, you're wrong."

"What?" Anita said.

"My Master isn't dead," Allen stated calmly.

He said those words with such conviction that it would be hard to argue with him. His words simply left no room for argument. Allen was certain that the words he spoke were the truth and he wasn't going to allow anyone to tell him anything different.

There was simply no way that General Cross Marian would die in a shipwreck.

"Are you certain?" Anita asked, a hopeful tone in her voice as she posed this question to the General's apprentice. It was as though she had needed to hear those words just as much as Allen had needed to say them.

"Master's still alive," Allen said. "I'm sure of it."

"Well then," Anita said, seeming to gain a spark of life that she hadn't possessed earlier. She got to her feet and turned her attention to the woman who was still standing near the door. "Mahoja, summon the crew and have them prepare my ship."

"Mistress?"

"Tomorrow we depart for Edo."

"Right," Mahoja said, happy to see that the spark of life had returned to her Mistress' eyes. She was grateful to the young Exorcist boy for renewing Anita's hope and would do anything in her power to aid them in their mission. No matter the cost.

A/N - Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. I realize that the series of events is a little off but that's just the way that it has to be. The music has ceased for now but rest assured the song will continue. Til next we meet.

Allen: I can't believe he's gone... we were so close.
Toushirou: I'm going to kill him when we finally do catch up.
The Musician: Careful there, Cross has a fan club. That could be dangerous.
Allen: How the hell do you keep getting out?!
The Musician: 'Runs for cover'