A/N: This chapter was ridiculously easy to write. No joke! I'm really glad though; I'm out of the country right now, so I was worried I wouldn't finish this chapter before leaving—I didn't, but I worked on it on the trip there, and now that I have WiFi, I can upload it quickly and be done with this chapter!(x Whew! Can't believe I'm almost done with this story! :D

Hehe, thank you so much to garoorar, Takei Daloui, Ennael, patrick the almighty observer, Yuki Walker-The Kitsune, WriterKillsReader, vampireharry the 2, 534667lc, Candy Crackpot, Yuuki GB, poisonapplecat, ENDragneel, ultima-owner, Shad0wReaper133, Guest, The 10th Wand, Darke13, Mariatheartist, Lead Potato, RaNDoem, amenokuma, Luce-san, ShimmeringCrimson, hue, bougainvillea blossom, Fulminata, and Latias426 for all taking the time to review! It was so much fun reading your thoughts, despite how upset some of you were.(x

Disclaimer: Everyone, beware! The teenage girl writing FanFiction definitely owns the original series! … Wait, that doesn't sound right… You know why? Because I don't own anything! I know right? I could hardly believe it myself~.

Chapter 18

Time Frame — Midnight of April 23rd, 1896

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

"Where…?" his voice echoed eerily, "Where am I?"

Dazedly, Allen stumbled, trying to gain his bearings, moonlit eyes flickering back and forth as he numbly examined the rustling, gaunt trees that crowded on each side of the pathway, reminding the boy of ashen skeletons the way they crept and rattled forth. Allen could feel a shudder crawling down his back, the radiant, crescent moon hanging precariously above and flurries of snow whirling about the expansive obsidian skies only furthering the bitter chill, as he staggered forward, ever vigilant in his goal of moving forward. And it wasn't until he stumbled upon the sprawling lake that he was forced to come to a halt.

The white-haired boy could feel the horror creeping in and blossoming in his chest, spreading like a vile disease that numbed him to the core and froze him in place, unable to do more than simply gawk with wide, petrified eyes. For there, upon the reflection of the lake, laid a shattered world, the sky bleeding an awful crimson, the waning moon no longer radiant, but a poisoned black that hung there, as if it too, could not remain untouched from the bloodshed that lay below. For as far as the eye could see, the trampled remains of the castle that was once known as the Black Order, laid in shattered pieces, crumbling pillars stacked atop one another and threatening to topple at any second. And despite the broken remnants of the castle that engulfed the watery landscape, it was unable to shield away the corpses littering the wreckage, the infinite splashes of blood and chunky entrails smeared across for all to see.

But it was not this that made Allen feel as if he were about to choke on his own vomit.

For in the center of it all, he, himself, also stood, gazing right into Allen's eyes with their piercing, golden hue, lips spreading into a mocking grin as he pointedly looked at his surroundings. Allen could feel himself beginning to tremble with sobs, as he watched the sight of each of his precious comrades laying in a circle, surrounding the Noah-Allen, their corpses unmoving, pain still frozen upon their faces, eyes widened and staring at him accusingly. Collapsing to his knees, Allen quivered, the loss of hope threatening to consume him in a roaring ocean of defeat as he watched Noah-Allen sneer at him, hideously contorting the mess of stigmata combined with the pentacle scarring his ash colored face.

As if the bizarre world surrounding him could read his thoughts, the revolting images suddenly began to blur into a mishmash of black and red, and just when Allen began to calm his trembling, another image cropped up, causing Allen to sharply inhale as he watched it form into a picture of Timothy's broken corpse, the cerulean gem seeming to have been crudely ripped from his forehead, the sight of his broken skull and spilling brains causing Allen to dry heave.

"P-please! J-just stop!" Allen whimpered, attempting to wrench his eyes away, but it was as if he were literally frozen, forced to observe every repulsive detail. Again and again he was made to closely watch each of his dead comrades, their shattered bodies smeared into unnatural poses.

"STOP!" Allen shrieked hoarsely, wrenching up from his bed, chest heaving and tears spilling from shock. It took him a moment to gain his bearings, eventually realizing that he was in his darkened bedroom. But even that didn't halt the trembling or the anguished cries. "… N-not again," Allen shakily whispered to himself, heavily dropping his head into quivering hands, not even the worried fluttering of Timcanpy giving him any semblance of comfort. "Ever since…" he choked out in barely a whisper, "Ever since Master died…"

Allen wasn't sure as to how long he sat there, his mind relentlessly recalling the memories of finding his Master's body, of listening to Mei-Ling's horrified shrieks as she futilely attempted to awaken General Nyne, of holding Timothy's quivering form while watching them take away their bodies; of trying to not let the insurmountable guilt consume him in its arduous grip, knowing—knowing that it should have never been this way. And even a week later, not a suspect had been found. Personnel from Central had been leery of staying for too long in order to investigate, as they were still paranoid of another possible attack from the Noah, and had, in the end, publically placed the fault on said Noah before quickly ushering Allen to the new Headquarters, where he was asked to open up a new Ark gate, allowing for the last of the equipment to be brought in much more efficiently.

And so now, this is where Allen found himself, placed in a brand new bedroom—slightly more extravagant than the last, due to his General status—as if being asked to forget everything that had occurred. A fresh start, they had called it, but Allen knew all too well that it was certainly not the Noah who had been behind it; had heard the muted, paranoid whispers of Central personnel as they now engulfed a good part of Headquarters, claiming that they were only adding to its protection with their legions of CROW. But after much prying on Allen's part, he'd found that there was a traitor among their ranks; someone who they were attempting to isolate, rather than returning the whole entourage to Central.

But for as much as Allen attempted to involve himself, they adamantly refused, claiming he'd only be endangering himself if this entity had been able to defeat two Generals so easily. And as if to distract him, Mei-Ling's apprenticeship had been shifted over to him by Komui. The girl was so distraught that even Allen had been forced to shove away his own mourning aside, in order to bring some semblance of comfort to the young girl.

But it seemed suppressing his emotions had brought about its own slew of consequences.

Allen cringed, the images from his nightmares returning full force, breath coming out in short gasps as he strained to keep his churning stomach down. It had become a constant cycle for the past week; being forced to witness the brutal deaths of his comrades. And Allen was unsure as to how much longer he'd be able to handle it. The young teen had hardly been able to face his comrades since then, and knew with a bit of guilt, that they'd been worrying over him, but despite that, he's avoided them like the plague, keeping his attention solely focused on Mei-Ling and Timothy.

Eventually, the weak glow of dawn seeped through his thin curtains, and all Allen could do was force himself to get up, and to keep walking, Mana's mantra ringing like a familiar tune to his ears. His stiff expression relaxed slightly as his moonlit eyes made contact with the portrait hanging across his bed in the dim lighting, the familiar painting of the clown bringing him a trace of comfort; more so knowing that it must've been one of his comrades who'd salvaged it for him, as he hadn't been around during the move, simply taking the minimal amount of clothes he had in a suitcase—one which he'd ultimately replaced his backpack with, as he felt he'd finally outgrown it.

Allen's morning workout relaxed him in its familiar monotone, and once he was dressed in his new uniform—similar in design to the rest, though lined in gold rather than red—the fourteen-year-old knew he could no longer stick around the unfamiliar castle without attempting to find the culprit behind his Master's death. Though he had never been particularly fond of the man, General Cross had been one of the few that had accepted him, even if it had been in his own bizarre way, and knowing that somehow his actions had ended in his death when they he should've still been technically apprenticed to him, left a bitter taste in his mouth, and Allen knew without a doubt, that the guilt weighing on his shoulders and squeezing his heart would forever remain.

And so, it was with this thought in mind, that Allen slipped out into the corridors, quietly asking for Timcanpy's guidance to Komui's new office, as Allen had had the foresight to have the golem map out the place this time around.

"Good morning, General Walker," a jovial voice greeted, startling Allen out of his despondent thoughts.

It took him a moment to discern who it was that had called out, but then, despite still not knowing his name, Allen called back to the kind Vatican official with a smile that had taken him a while to perfect, "Good morning, Cardinal."

That was where their interaction ended, as the small CROW unit ushered the Cardinal on, having been informed of Allen's insisted involvement. And Allen himself wanted to leave as soon as possible, sending Timcanpy out to collect Timothy and Mei-Ling once he'd reached the door to Komui's office. After a swift knock to the door didn't entail a response, the young general heaved a sigh, simply making his way in, the office shockingly clean—then again, Komui had only been in this office for a week. The towering stacks of paperwork from his old office had taken years to acquire, and what with the constant visit of a certain Central official—Leverrier—and some new secretary, the white-haired boy could see how the office had been maintained. Though he didn't count on it lasting long.

Komui must have pulled another all-nighter, Allen concluded, moving over towards the slumbering man, and when the shaking hardly aroused him, Allen was forced to employ the usual method.

"Ahem," Komui cleared his throat, after his idiotic freak-out, "I apologize for that, Allen."

"It's fine, Supervisor," Allen nodded quietly.

Komui observed him critically for a moment, before asking, "How are you and your apprentices holding up?"

"As fine as can be expected," Allen shrugged, trying to deflect his concern, "It's why I'm here, in fact. I feel Timothy has had enough recovery from the incident that occurred with his Innocence, and there's only so much sword training Mei-Ling can undergo before she's in need of facing real opponents. I know these are dangerous times, and you were hoping to delay the deployment of any more Exorcists, but I was hoping for a mission."

Komui tossed him a knowing glance. "You can't avoid them forever, Allen. They're very worried about you."

Allen deflated. "I… I know…" he trailed off, unable to keep the guilt from showing on his face, but how could he admit that seeing them would only dredge up the awful images of their broken corpses? How could he face his teammates, knowing that he could possibly fail them, like he had so many others already?

"Alright," Komui finally consented, "There's an area down in Poland going through a bit of an Akuma infestation. The extermination job should be something easily handled by Timothy and Mei-Ling."

"Thank you," Allen could only sigh in relief, once the man seemingly gave up on his prodding.

"Allen? Did you need us?" a slightly, sleepy voice called from the doorway. Turning, a small smile tugged on his lips, at the sight of Timothy's and Mei-Lings small forms, thankfully already dressed in their red-rimmed, Exorcist uniforms. Timcanpy must have woken them up, if their drowsy expressions were anything to go by.

"Yes," Allen nodded, "We'll shortly be departing for a small mission, so go get your bags ready, and I'll meet you in the dining hall for some breakfast before we leave."

The duo nodded and scurried off, seemingly more awake in the face of a mission, and after saying his farewells to Komui, Allen headed out, Timcanpy leading the way, planning on grabbing the suitcase he never bothered unpacking, as well. Unfortunately for the still grieving boy, he ran into one of the comrades that he'd been so insistent on avoiding as of late.

"Ah, hello, Lenalee," Allen smile weakly, trying to shove the sight of her mutilated corpse to the deepest crevices of his mind.

"Allen…" Lenalee whispered, with wide, amethyst eyes, as if she couldn't believe she was actually seeing him. "Allen!" Lenalee launched herself into his arms, clutching him tightly, and Allen could only revere in the comfort that only physical touch could bring, allowing himself for a moment to relax from his stiff posture in order to hug her back.

But all too soon, she pulled away, an anxious frown tugging down at her features. "We've been so worried…"

Allen winced. "Yes, I apologize. I just… I needed some time to myself."

Lenalee smiled gently, with an understanding nod. "I forgive you, but the others have been pretty upset as well, so maybe we should go see them too and let them know you're holding up alright!"

"Ah, about that, I'm actually heading out in about an hour. I just have enough time to gather my things and get something to eat. I'm taking Timothy and Mei-Ling out on a small mission, you see," Allen explained, closely observing her, hoping she wouldn't be too upset. That's also when he took note of the deep, purple coloring beneath her eyes. Allen knew she was prone to having nightmares, but when had they gotten so bad…? Grimacing, Allen asked, "Are you sure you're alright yourself, Lenalee? It doesn't seem like you've gotten any sleep as of late."

Lenalee flushed, seeming embarrassed. "The nightmares," she whispered, eyebrows furrowing, "They're worsening… But what about you? You seem just as bad, if not worse…"

Allen briefly brushed his gloved fingers along the space beneath his eyes, knowing how much they must have darkened in the past week. "Yeah, I haven't been sleeping so well myself." He then paused, noticing something odd. "Lenalee, where are your Dark Boots?"

"Huh? Oh! That's right, you were gone, so you never knew," she replied thoughtfully. "I'm not really too sure what happened myself, but after Kanda and I practically destroyed the synchronization with our Innocence weapons after the Level 4, we were having a lot of trouble attempting to use them again. It was the oddest thing, but Hevlaska had us drink the Innocence itself. She said it had evolved, using our blood to form itself, so now they take the shape of rings around my ankles."

"Ah," Allen nodded, having vague recollections of Lenalee's Crystal Innocence, when she helped in defeating the Level 4 the first time around. He had never actually gotten around to finding out how she'd managed to synchronize though.

"Allen," Lenalee suddenly sighed, seeming to wilt, "I'm worried. Ever since…" the pig-tailed girl paused, and Allen could only nod stiffly, knowing what she meant. She continued, "You haven't been around. Seeing you now, it's clear you've been working yourself to the ground. You're not coping well; you're not getting better. I'm scared that the next time I see you…" Lenalee abruptly shook her head, as if trying to banish the thought. "Allen, you still have other comrades. Maybe you're afraid of losing us too, but the fact is that you haven't. Isn't that enough? Please don't push us away…"

Allen opened his mouth, and then closed it, brow furrowed. Exhaling heavily, the young boy finally replied sadly, "I'm sorry, Lenalee. You're right, I'm just angry with myself. I never expected things to get so far out of hand. It worries me; what's going to happen next. At this point, I'm more lost than I ever was before."

The female Exorcist nodded vigorously. "That's why we're here, Allen. To support each other, just so we can through this war, day by day."

For the first time in a while, a slightly genuine smile lit up Allen's face. "Thank you."

Lenalee abruptly clasped her hands together, and suggested, "How about I accompany you on your mission? It'll be like old times!"

Allen blinked owlishly, slightly stunned, before quickly nodding. "Of course!"

"Great!" Lenalee beamed, "I'll just go inform Brother and then get my stuff."

"We're meeting up in the dining hall," Allen quickly called after her.

"Got it!"

Time Frame — Afternoon of April 27th, 1896

"I still don't know why he had to come," Timothy grumbled to Allen, albeit not very discreetly, as he was soon on the receiving end of a heated glare.

Allen patted Timothy's head with an awkward chuckle. "Komui's just a bit overprotective, and wanted another Exorcist along for Lenalee's sake."

"But why him?" Timothy insisted, not even bothering to keep his voice down this time around.

"I can hear you, you idiotic brat!" Kanda finally growled, bonking said brat over the head. Timothy wailed dramatically, claiming child abuse, and all Allen could do was sigh heavily. He'd been dealing with them for the past couple days, though thankfully they were on a train now, rather than the boat they'd taken to cross the English Channel. Allen had ended up losing count of the number of times Kanda ended up tossing Timothy into the ocean. If there was one child Kanda wasn't afraid of upsetting, it was definitely Timothy. Despite that though, Allen had slowly begun to feel his mood uplifting.

Still, the white-haired boy wondered if maybe he should have forgone travelling using the long method, and instead, made use of the Ark. But Lenalee had insisted, and Allen hadn't seen a problem with it then.

"Heh, sorry about that, Allen," Lenalee smiled sheepishly, as if she could read his thoughts, before nervously darting her eyes around. Allen quirked an eyebrow curiously. The older girl had been acting strange, and Allen had a feeling she'd been attempting to tell him something for a while now. But every time she finally spoke up, she'd change her mind.

"Allen," Lenalee called his attention, "I… Wait, no, never mind."

Just like that, Allen thought dryly. The white-haired boy just hoped that she wasn't trying to bring his nightmares back up. As they were both suffering from them, they could empathize, though they had hardly spoken about what it was that occurred in these nightmares. Fortunately, Kanda hadn't commented on them, and Timothy and Mei-Ling had been more preoccupied with messing with the katana-wielding Exorcist. Well, mostly Timothy, who usually dragged the twelve-year-old girl along for the ride.

"Oh, for the love of…" Kanda grumbled under his breath, abruptly standing up, and pushing Timothy and Mei-Ling to their feet. "Alright, you," Kanda pointed towards Lenalee, "Just say whatever the hell you need to say, while I take the brats off your hands for ten minutes. And that's all I'm willing to give you, so you better make it quick!"

And before Allen knew it, they had exited the compartment, leaving him and Lenalee alone. Allen tilted his head towards Lenalee, perplexed, watching as the girl nervously fiddled with the red, ruffled ends of her skirt. Eventually, she blurted out, "Allen, do you have a really close relationship with Road?"

"Eh?" Allen blinked. That had been the last thing he'd expected. And when he realized she was nervously awaiting an answer, he finally scrambled to say, "Um, I wouldn't say close relationship. To be honest, I don't really know what relationship I have with her. At times, it felt like I could consider her a friend, but considering that she's with the Earl… What brought this on, Lenalee?"

"I, um," she stammered, avoiding eye contact, "I didn't mean to snoop, honest! But since you were gone, I decided to go to your room and pack away anything you might want at the new Headquarters."

A smile suddenly lit up Allen's face. "So it was you who brought the clown painting then! Thank you for that!"

"Ah, right," Lenalee nodded with a tentative smile. "It was obvious you'd taken everything else with you. Except… I found one last thing, in one of your drawers."

"Huh? What does that have to do with Road?" Allen drew his eyebrows, puzzled.

Reaching into one of her pockets, Lenalee hesitantly held up a round, gleaming object. A silver pocket watch, Allen realized with a blink as she clicked it open, upon which lied a creased photograph of Allen and Road, both dressed elegantly, the Noah girl holding onto Allen's offered arm while they beamed at each other.

"I'd forgotten about that," Allen muttered to himself, recalling a rainy night, almost a year ago, upon which Road had dragged him all the way to France, only to be caught by Daisya, later that night. He'd forgotten that Daisya had taken that picture, later giving him the copy he'd obtained once they saw each other. He hadn't had any idea what to do with it, so he'd simply shoved it inside the pocket watch Road had allowed him to keep, before leaving it in one of the drawers of his nightstand.

Lenalee nodded, handing him the objects. "I was just worried, is all. I know Daisya said you guys dated, and even though she's with the Earl, you also mentioned her saying that she wanted to keep her options open, along with those two other Noah. I can't even begin to guess what her decision will be and how it will all play out. I just don't want you getting hurt…"

At this point, Allen didn't even bother insisting that they hadn't dated. He knew it they hadn't, but after all the times he'd been forced to defend himself around Daisya's big mouth, Allen doubted she'd even believe him.

"I see," Allen hummed, and then smiled at her. "No need to worry anymore than you already have, Lenalee. I do care for Road, and wished things weren't the way they are, but ultimately, it's her choice. Right now, I just want to focus on keeping us all alive. We may have ultimately won the battle against the Noah and Level 4 last month, but we can't forget what Devitto said to us; about the Earl not playing games anymore, so we need to prepare for that."

"You're right," Lenalee nodded seriously, "I think—"

"Alright! Times up!" Kanda abruptly slammed the compartment door open. "I'm done dealing with the hellions!"

Allen could only sigh as Timothy began to loudly complain.

Time Frame — Morning of May 1st, 1896

"Hmm," Allen concentrated, cogs whirling about his left eye, upon which rings of crimson and black engulf the eye itself. They were currently at the center of the large town Komui had directed them towards, Timothy and Mei-Ling having already activated their Innocence weapons. "The numbers are a little iffy, but I think there's around two dozen Level 1s, as well as a handful of Level 2s. Think you guys can handle it?"

"Yes!" they both nodded in determination, and Mei-Ling continued on to say, "I can see them on my blade. Even though they're disguised, it recognizes them. They're about a mile down east of here."

The young general nodded approvingly. "That's right, Mei-Ling. Go on ahead, and careful when confronting them. We won't interfere unless the situation becomes dire, but I have faith in you both."

"You won't be disappointed, ya old man—ah, I mean Allen!" Timothy snickered, bouncing on the balls of his feet before running off. "Come on, Mei-Ling!"

"You sure you don't need me to teach the brat another lesson, beansprout?" Kanda scoffed, eye twitching slightly as Timothy turned to blow him a raspberry from further down the street. Grip tightening on Mugen's hilt, Kanda spat, "Why that damn, little—"

"Ah, no need to, Kanda," Allen waved his hands, "I know he can be a bit of a brat sometimes, but I think he's just picking on you because of what you did to him last time."

Kanda snorted. "Little shit deserved it."

Lenalee narrowed her eyes at them, placing her hands on her hips. "Exactly what did Kanda do to him?"

"Ah, well, when Timothy was first assigned as my apprentice," Allen began as he started following after Timothy and Mei-Ling, "Timothy was being a little, err, difficult, so Kanda gave him a taste of what it was like being trained by him. Afterwards, Timothy was all too happy to return under my wing."

"And how did Kanda go about training him?" Lenalee insisted.

"Um," Allen sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "He sort of just yelled a lot and made Timothy run around. I'd be lying if I said I found no satisfaction in it."

Lenalee shook her head in exasperation, but no longer seemed suspicious. "Of course—hey, wait! What is Timothy doing?!"

Allen and Kanda immediately turned to the cobalt-haired boy, nearly sweatdropping at the sight of Timothy trying to prank some poor civilian about a street down. But observing him more closely, Allen suddenly felt the cold grip of dread clutching his heart. "Oh no…" he whispered, breaking into a dead run.

"Beansprout! What the hell's going on?!" Kanda demanded, as both his comrades chased after him.

"That guy that's with Timothy! He's no regular human! He's a Noah!" Allen shouted back, urging himself to run faster, but it seemed he was already too late. With a sinister smirk, Skinn Bolic roughly snatched Timothy up, an obsidian Ark gate seeming to open out of nowhere—Allen was positive he shouldn't have been able to do that; was Road with him?!—and slipping in, easily holding down the flailing seven-year-old.

"No, damn it!" Allen cursed, pushing himself into a quick burst of speed and managing to jump through just in time, Kanda not far behind, the gate swiftly shattering soon afterwards.

~Lenalee~

Lenalee shrieked, stumbling to her knees just as the Ark gate began to fall apart. But that was the least of her worries. Clutching her head, Lenalee rocked back forth, feeling as if something were trying to shatter her skull to pieces; trying to puncture its way through, splitting and spilling her brains. The hammering and drilling methodically increased, pulsating throughout, and all she could do was continue to grip and pull at her hair, wishing desperately for the agony to go away, hardly able to comprehend Mei-Ling's frantic shrieks. The world around her blurred, and it was all Lenalee could to keep it from falling apart.

And suddenly, she could see. She could see everything.

"W-where…" Lenalee frantically flitted her eyes about, "Why am I here, if I'm not dreaming?!"

She was back in that horrid place; the place that haunted her in her sleep; a nightmarish world. A bleeding sky and an obsidian, waning moon overlooking the obliteration and death of her home. Upon the shattered remains she could see decapitated and mutilated corpses, bloodied body parts littered gruesomely throughout in pools of sticky blood. Lenalee could feel her stomach recoiling, and just when she was about ready to retch, she stumbled upon a wide, clear puddle, remaining untainted by the blood bathing its surroundings. Collapsing to her knees, Lenalee stared within, her eyes widening at the reverse world that met her; a world with a pretty, black sky and a radiant moon. And further down a path, surrounded by rustling, skeletal-like trees, was a throne.

"Is that… Allen?" Lenalee whispered, eyes growing wide at the sight of Allen chained down, despite his struggles. And beside him stood… "A Noah…?" It certainly wasn't one that Lenalee had seen before, but why was Allen there? Lenalee could feel her rage growing and spreading at the sight of the leering Noah.

"Allen!" she called, but he didn't appear to hear her. She then reached in, hoping to traverse to the other world, but suddenly, it was like something bitterly cold had taken a hold of her, griping her tightly and smothering her before carelessly tossing her back into reality with nausea-inducing speed.

"Lenalee?!" Mei-Ling called once again, tears spilling down flushed cheeks, expression contorted into horror at the sight of the older, trembling girl.

"M-Mei…" Lenalee whispered hoarsely, leaning heavily against the young, twelve-year-old girl, head throbbing painfully.

"W-what is happening to you?" Mei-Ling stared up her with wide, milk chocolate eyes, fear evident.

"I-I don't…" Lenalee trailed off, clenching her eyes shut, thinking furiously despite the aching in her head. Why was this happening? She had only ever thought them to be nightmares; fears concocted out of her doubts and insecurities. She only ever thought it to be her world falling apart, but lately, it had grown worse; witnessing horrid, ghastly images she could have never come up with on her own. But why was it worsening on such a scale? How could it have reached the point of tormenting her while awake?

Could it have really been of her own creation…?

"I see…" Lenalee eventually murmured to herself, "I understand now."

"What is it?!" Mei-Ling frantically demanded.

Finally glancing at her, Lenalee grimaced. "It's not something I've thought about in a long time," she began in a quiet, grim tone, "But something Hevlaska said to me a once… A prophecy."

"A prophecy?" Mei-ling prodded, "What was yours about?"

Closing her eyes once more, Lenalee thought back to the eerie, resonating voice of Hevlaska, reiterating, "Lenalee Lee, for years to come, our imminent doom will be displayed for your eyes to perceive, until the day your Innocence yields a 'Scarlet Shield for Destruction'. I'm cursed to forever watch our annihilation."

"But… Why did you collapse? Were you having a vision?" the younger Chinese girl prompted after a moment of thought.

Lenalee shook her head and replied wearily, "I really don't know. They've always just been dreams; nightmares. That's never happened to me before…"

"Are you like me, then?" Mei-Ling whispered, hoisting up her small sword, gazing at the crystal clear reflection with something only she was privy to.

"No, not really," Lenalee heaved a sigh, "I'm doomed to only see the bad."

Mei-Ling gasped sharply. "Oh no!"

"What is it?!" Lenalee was suddenly on alert, abruptly recalling what had happened before her episode. "Where are the others? Did they make it through the gateway?"

Mei-Ling nodded frantically. "Yes, but it closed right after Kanda made it through! But the Akuma… They've finally sensed us and are head this way!"

"Don't worry," Lenalee reassured the younger girl, all the while internally praying for her other comrades, "We can do this together."

~Allen~

"What the…?" Allen trailed off, gawking at his bizarre surroundings. It seemed Komui had been correct in assuming that the Noah's new Ark was unstable. The world surrounding Allen appeared to be crumbling at the seams. It was nothing like his own Ark's white, sparkling city. This Ark hardly had a structure to it, as if it had been made hurriedly, its creator hardly caring for the lopsided, deteriorating buildings and filthy streets. Above, the sky expanded in an endless, gloomy gray that made the atmosphere feel all the more damp, a murky fog steadily rising and thickening.

"This way!" Kanda abruptly declared in a whisper, reminding Allen of the reason they were here in the first place. It made him feel grateful that Kanda had been focused enough to keep an eye on the large Noah.

"Did Lenalee not make it through?" Allen asked, noticing the absence of his female comrade.

"No," Kanda grunted, "I tried keeping the doorway open for her, but someone else is probably controlling this behind the scenes, because it hardly budged when I tried."

Allen nodded, "Most likely Road. It's probably for the best though; Mei-Ling shouldn't be left on her own, especially in an Akuma-infested town."

They stayed quiet after that, Allen allowing Kanda to take the lead, as it seemed the older Exorcist had the Noah in his sight. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of skulking around, Kanda spoke up, "There!"

Leaning around him, Allen's mercury eyes narrowed. The Noah, Skinn, was fastening an unconscious Timothy onto a wooden pole, brutally swathing his small body with spiked chains, the jagged metal digging harshly into his skin and breaking through, blood spilling.

"I can sense you, Exorcists!" Skinn growled, rising to his feet, and that was all the acknowledgement needed. The duo swiftly rounded the corner, Kanda heading straight for the Noah's hulking form and engaging him in battle, Allen rushing to Timothy's side and activating Crown Clown, gently trying to slice through the chains without further hurting the boy.

"Fancy meeting you here, Allen~."

Allen stiffened. "Road."

The spiky haired girl nonchalantly skipped over to his side, humming contentedly around her lollipop as she crouched beside him. Despite being unsure of how she'd act, Allen continued to hack through the chains, only to have Road blocking his elongated claws with her arm, ignoring the searing pain caused by the Innocence. "Now, now, Allen," Road tilted her head towards him, a devious smile playing on her lips, amber eyes narrowed, "No need to be in such a rush~. We're just beginning, after all. How about we kick things off with a game?"

Allen gritted his teeth. "I don't have time for games, Road."

"Hmm, well I don't think your friend will be finishing up any time soon," Road cheerfully pointed out, and they both briefly glanced at the furious battle ensuing further down the street.

I wonder, if like last time, Kanda will defeat him, Allen thought, slightly anxious. I have faith in him.

"Now then, Allen," Road murmured, grabbing him by the chin and forcing him to face her once again. Allen couldn't help but get lost in her wide, molten gold eyes, falling into a trance as the golden liquid became wider and deeper, until it felt as if her were plummeting right through. "Let's get started," he heard her distant whisper. But Allen hardly registered it; he was long gone by then.

"Where…?" Allen mumbled incoherently, a shudder coursing throughout his body once the shocking, ice-cold chill hit him. Curling into himself, he stumbled forward, almost slipping on the slushy snow, only just gaining his balance in time, a lock of red hair flying across and stinging his eyes. "What the…?!" Allen swiftly grabbed the errant strand, staring at the bright, auburn coloring with unconcealed shock. He then swiveled his head from side to side, observing the snow covered path he was stranded in, pine trees swathe in glistening snow crowding on either side. And in the distance, above the tree line, the peak of a bright, red and white circus tent was visible.

"Allen?"

The redheaded boy jumped, gazing up in shock, at the man's sudden appearance.

"M-Mana?" Allen practically choked on the word, the bitter cold seeping through his threadbare clothing hardly bothering him at this point, as he stared at his father figure in wonder. But then the reality of it hit him, recalling how Road had once pulled this same trick on him. Narrowing his mercury eyes, Allen took a step back with a furious shake of his head. "I told you I didn't have time to play your games, Road!"

"Allen, what's the matter?" the fake-Mana strolled forward, kneeling before him and offering him that disarming smile that had once made Allen feel as if happiness were finally a possibility. But Mana was dead. And speaking with this… fake; pretending as if he were real; that couldn't be healthy. And frankly, it just pissed him off.

Quaking with surmounting rage, Allen spat, "I said, I'm not playing your stupid games!"

Fake-Mana leaned back, surprise flickering across his features, but after a small, contemplative pause, his kind expression contorted into a sneer. "Aww, no need to be such a bore, Allen~."

"Could you please lose the disguise?" Allen slowly asked through gritted teeth, the sight of Mana's ugly expression practically screaming wrong!

Tilting her head, Road seemed to consider it for a moment, before abruptly flickering into her small, girlish form. Giggling, she sang, "Did I make you angry, Allen~?"

"Why are you doing this, Road?" he bit out, "What happened to 'keeping your options open'?"

The Noah girl's expression became somber for once, amber eyes losing their playful gleam. "It's too late, Allen," she whispered in a rigid tone, "There are no more options. We thought we would have plenty of time, but for a reason we have yet to understand, everything seems to have accelerated. Wisely awakening so soon was just the tip of the iceberg. All of Millenie's projects have suddenly become successful despite the fact that they seemed to be going nowhere a year or so ago. The Level 4 shouldn't have been created this soon! And the new Ark! As unstable as it is, it's a miracle we have anything like it. It should have been impossible, and I don't understand how…" Road trailed off with an anxious frown, before finally stating, "It's over, Allen. The final Noah has awoken, and the loss of Jasdevi won't hold us back."

Allen could feel the dread gripping him, guilt further gnawing at him. Coming back in time… Desperately, for just a moment, Allen wished that the whole incident had never occurred. Things wouldn't be occurring the way they were! They wouldn't have to be facing an army of Noah this soon! "I… I see…" Allen finally replied, throat dry.

Glancing at him with an anxious expression, Road added, "And don't think you can just throw your life away in this war, Allen. You, Neah; that's Millenie's prize, and he'll stop at nothing to get to you."

Hands curling into fists, Allen spat, "Don't think I won't go down without a fight! Only death itself will keep me from defeating the Earl!"

"I—" Road paused abruptly, seeming to choke on her words, before tears gathered along her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "I'm… crying?"

Allen blinked, eyes wide, hesitantly asking, "Road, why are you crying?"

Her expression suddenly contorted into fury. "That Exorcist! H-he killed Skinn! … My Noah is crying…"

"I… see," Allen muttered, a sense of relief sweeping through him, knowing that Kanda had defeated the Noah of Wrath. One less Noah to worry about, and if Road had been honest, then the count should have decreased to ten Noah—he refused to include the Fourteenth in that equation.

"Millenie is calling a meeting," Road whispered, tears streaming listlessly down her face. "I should go."

Before Allen could protest, the world shattered to pieces.

The Noah's Ark immediately spat them back out onto the deserted streets, clearly not mindful of the injuries inflicting Kanda and Timothy. Allen carefully helped them up, keeping an arm around Timothy.

"Are you all okay? What happened?!" Lenalee and Mei-Ling sprinted over to them, clearly having just escaped battle themselves, the streets engulfed in the ashes and remains of Akuma.

"I killed the dumbass Noah," Kanda griped, clearly exhausted, though his regenerative ability allowed for the worst of his wounds to be healed. Knowing Timothy didn't have the same luxury, Allen swiftly laid him down, using some spare bandages to wrap up the gashes lining his body; fortunately, they mostly seemed to be superficial.

"We need to get back to Headquarters quick," Allen announce, humming beneath his breath and allowing for the dazzling, white Ark gate to open up behind them. "It appears the Noah will be staging an attack soon; much more devastating than the last!"

They all exchanged worried glances, but quickly followed after the white haired general, soon ending up back in Headquarters.

"I repeat!" they heard a voice boom through the intercom as soon as they were back in the expansive castle, "All Exorcists report to Hevlaska's chambers immediately!"

The group didn't even have time to contemplate the decision, for soon, a CROW unit was ushering them along, down to the levels located underground, and they were soon crowded with the rest of the Exorcists on a platform facing the enormous form of Hevlaska.

"Allen, what's happening to her?" Lenalee whispered, holding Mei-Ling close as they watched the massive, ethereal being thrashing around as if having a seizure.

"Hevlaska!" they heard Komui's voice towards the front as he attempted to calm her down, "They're all gathered here now! It's alright!"

"No!" Hevlaska shouted, shocking them all. All the Exorcists knew her to be a gentle creature. "The time has come!"

Abruptly, Hevlaska's raging form stilled. As if in a trance, they all leaned in.

In a resonating voice that bounced and echoed all around them, Hevlaska decreed:

~The closing stage is approaching
Where turmoil and madness will conquer
And our division has been set in motion
While shadows of our past shall be conjured
To our greatest guide, a tragedy shall befall
For our Six Saviors must unite as one
Before Time overcomes us all~

There was a moment of stunned silence. And then the intruder alarms began to blare.

A/N: Ah, sorry if it feels like everything's happening too fast! But Allen's time traveling did have consequences…

Oh, and I won't be answering to last chapter's reviews. I'm out of the country right now, so your lucky I'm even updating!:p

Review please!