Waxing Moon

A/N: Last posts for a while. School's back in session once more. I'll try and see during my breaks, but we'll have to see. Thanks to himekuroyuki853 for the encouragement. Hope you enjoy the reveal next chapter.

"Dialogue"

Thoughts, emphasis, etc.

/ Flashbacks and visions /

*sounds, actions*

Formal attack names

"Akuma (in their true forms) speech"

- New Moon –

Allen sat on one side of the mast, and Raven sat on the other. They waited as the sailors readied the ship for their journey across the ocean. Raven's headaches have finally quieted. Raven came to terms (sort of) with his pendant's loss. It was the very last thing he had of his mother's, but the young exorcist tried to focus on the mission at hand. He couldn't put his brother in danger by his inattention like back on the river.

With his mind finally cleared, Raven decided to direct his thoughts toward a question buzzing at the back of his head since the rewinding town. With no one looking up there, Raven lowered his mask.

"Allen?"

"Hmm? Yes Raven?" Allen noted the worry fogging up the usually luminous yellow eyes.

"Do you think there's any link between me and the Noah? We have practically the same eyes, and I know I've never seen anyone else with actual yellow eyes. Golden brown, yes, but not actual glowing yellow."

Allen blinked. Then his face tightened in resolution. "Raven, you could never be like the Noah Clan. You're way too kind and smart and thoughtful. You shouldn't worry so much. You'll get gray hairs before I do, little brother. Plus, your eyes aren't the same. Theirs are more amber and slightly rippled while your eyes are more like a cat's in their pure color and shine. See, way different? They're fine, as long as you don't develop any habits like a cat."

Raven grinned. Allen always did know best how to cheer me up. Even when he was Red. Raven slowly put his mask back on when he saw it.

"Are you seeing this?!"

Allen had stood up, too, cursed eye activated.

His second sight registered a huge swathe of purple-black dark matter energy. Akumas were coming, more than the total number Raven has ever seen in his entire life.

"Guys! Akumas! Akumas are coming!"

"Innocence, activate!"

The akumas streamed toward the ship…and passed right over it?

A few suddenly swerved down.

"Let go!" yelled Raven from his upside-down position. Several akumas gathered around the ones holding Allen and Raven.

"Hehe, lookie what I have here! An exorcist."

"Quit messing around! We have a different mission. Throw them aside!"

"Hee, hee, why should I? Bastards like these are meant to be killed whenever by the likes of us. Maybe you feel envious of missing such an honor?"

Raven had enough of this nonsense. "Night Soul, activate! Lunar Flare!"

Feathers twirled around him, flashing silver with fire. The akuma screamed in pain, dropping the exorcist. Raven flipped himself upright in time to see Allen falling. A dark blur streaked past to catch him, luckily.

"Lenalee, Allen!" He flew over to their sides, helping Lenalee carry Allen.

Pain, anger, fear, confusion, PAIN, PAIN, VeGeAnCe! The tide of knowing crashed into the exorcist. Something so very bright nearly blinded him from the direction of shore. He had to deactivate his eyes. The sight that greeted him was horrible. A white torso had risen from the earth, a halo above the neck and a skirt of tentacles below its waist.

"What…what is that?"

Lenalee didn't say a word. She dropped Allen and readied herself to run off in the creature's direction.

"Innocence Second Opening – Burden, Foot Technique: Sound Shackles!"

Stubborn big brother. Allen grabbed Lenalee's hand. Raven spared a look back. The other exorcists and humans were fending off the akuma hoard. Raven soared after the two, his wings barely keeping up with Lenalee's speed.

"No way…those akuma are attacking it? It that why so many gathered?! For that white thing?"

Raven pursed his lips. The energy given off the creature…it was distorted, heavy, but recognizable.

"Lenalee, do you know something? Like why the creature seems to burn with the power identical to that of Innocence?"

Abject horror flashed in Lenalee's eyes. The creature fell forward to reveal a human within the ruined looking chest cavity.

"Suman…?" Lenalee stiffened, eyes glazed. She screamed and fell to her knees.

"What's wrong?" "Lenalee…?"

The female exorcist mumbled, "Fallen into Fault…"

"Lenalee?"

"Failed to become a disciple…" she whimpered. Tears trailed down her face. "When someone fails to become a disciple, when their synchronization rate with the Innocence is below zero, they fall into Fault. Yet, if a non-compatible continues to try, then the Innocence will exact its price for their sin of trying to synchronize with God. They don't do it anymore since brother prohibited it, but…I was there when they had those experiments to make an exorcist. That's how I know about them. But how can Suman fall into Fault…? He's a compatible… What happened to him?"

- Crescent Moon –

As they watched, Suman's Innocence unleashed a devastating blast of destruction. It destroyed hundreds of akumas in one fell swoop.

"We…we have to do something!" cried Lenalee. "Suman has a parasitic-type as the two of you. He was a part of the Socalo Group, and no one knew what happened to him after the fight. The akuma probably gathered because they heard he fell into Fault."

The Fallen One sent another devastating ray of power. Raven hissed in pain as the rocks around them came crashing down.

"He's destroying everything in sight!"

"And if this indiscriminate destruction continues…" Raven trailed off.

"Please…we need to help!" cried Lenalee. "We…we have to help Suman!" Raven couldn't look away at that hollowed gaze.

"Hevlaska wouldn't tell me anything about the experiment I saw," she continued. "No matter how much I pleaded. The boy who fell into Fault…I don't know what befell him. I don't know anything."

"Circular Mist Wind!"

"Earth Fall!"

All three exorcists tunneled through the crowd of akuma. They flew over to where the deconstructed body of the fallen exorcist laid. Just as Allen reached out a hand to help…

"Help...Mom…Dad….Where are you…? Please…someone help me…" A little girl was buried in the chest cavity. She was being taken in!

Allen tried to grab her, but the white mass pulled him into the body as well.

"Allen! Hold on!" Lenalee and Raven tried to help, but instead Allen pulled the girl out and handed her to Lenalee.

"Please, go and take her."

Raven regarded the remaining exorcist grimly as Allen once more disappeared from sight.

"Lenalee, please and go take care of her. I'll stay here and try to get Allen back out. Right now, the little girl needs your speed, and I won't be able keep up with Dark Boots if you go as fast as possible. Don't worry. Allen is a lot tougher than he looks," assured the winged exorcist. "Go on."

He watched for a minute after Lenalee flew off. Then turned back to the Fallen One. He threw off the remainder of his gloves not torn off by the white substance and reached in. He had only a moment to register the purple light emanating from his pentacle marks before he came into contact with the Fallen One.

- Half Moon -

/ Raven saw an image of a child - Suman's child, his mind whispered – the one he gave up his life to save through a deal with the Order. She wasn't much older than himself.

Blue waters rapidly turning red with blood. Suman's comrades being easily cut down one by one by a figure. He couldn't distinguish who. Suman's emotions: overwhelming fear, desperation and a single plea – he wanted to live, to live, and to see his child one last time. /

Suman fell because he stopped fighting, and he begged for mercy from the enemy. In doing so, he betrayed the Innocence. And now the Innocence was taking its toll from Suman's wavering life force.

"Stop …Don't…STOP IT INNOCENCE!"

Raven snapped from his trance. Allen, he was still in there. And Raven couldn't do a thing! What kind of brother was he? He couldn't save Allen from the Millennium Earl's machinations, he couldn't fight off Road's power, he couldn't fight back against the Fallen One! Keep walking… Raven stilled. Mana told the two long ago to never stop walking. By wavering in the air, Raven had just done that. He turned to the Fallen One, wings glinting in the pale light of the moon.

"Earth Fall!"

He dove into the monstrosity, reaching for the familiar presence within. Allen. He was trying to force his Innocence to activate. Raven reached for his brother, but at the same time, the flesh around them began to writhe. With incredible force, the Fallen One expelled the two invaders. They would have fell if Raven didn't have the power of flight.

"Ra- *pant, pant* -ven?"

"You okay, Allen?"

The older Walker got to his feet slowly. "Did you see?"

Raven could only nod. He glanced back to the rampaging Innocence.

"Want to see if we can save him?"

Both exorcists attempted to reason with the exorcist to no avail. His darkest emotions clouded his mind in pain and hate. Suddenly, the Fallen One tilted down, falling toward the village below them.

"Not good!" shouted Raven. Allen stared the younger Walker straight in the eye.

"Go," was all he said. Raven complied. He dove down to just above the village and faced the incoming disaster. He reached into the center of power as deeply as possible.

"Silver Guardian!"

His wings extended to their absolute maximum length Raven could risk short of 100% synchronization, green light sparking warningly from the green crosses of his Innocence. Finally, his wings became a large silver shield between the Fallen One's deadly rays and the village. It was a temporary solution, but Raven wanted to buy Allen as much time as possible.

Raven should have expected his brother to do something this stupid. Allen forced his Innocence to activate to maximum when he WASN'T AT 100% SYNCHRONIZATION! His claw expanded rapidly to hold back the Fallen One through sheer will power.

"Allen!" berated a panting Raven. "Deactivate before-!"

*Crack*

Allen's arm had begun to break down. Furthermore, the Fallen One was, too, falling apart.

Raven dropped down to where his brother laid. He knelt down and helped Timcanpy in 'encouraging' Allen to act.

*Bonk! Bite*

"OW, OW, OW, OW, OW! Why did you hit me? Even you, Tim?"

"Don't you give me that dead look, Allen. Suman is still alive, after all. And don't you dare give up after yelling at the guy for the past who knows how long. I'm your younger brother, and I just now reached Critical Point. What kind of example would you be demonstrating if you go and give up hope when I haven't?"

That did the trick. The familiar look of determination had returned. The two walked over to where the Suman could be seen.

"Hi, I'm Allen."

Raven gave a soft chuckle. Typically polite Allen to the last. "Raven here."

Tears fell from the white creature that was Suman Dark. "Please… Forgive me."

Allen's left arm lifted. Raven closed his eyes when he heard the telltale rip. He knew Allen wouldn't stop, no matter what. He arched his own black wings.

"Suman, I'm going to rip out your Innocence with my left arm. It's broken, so you must bite it when I try to pull you out."

"I'll help pull you out, too. My wings are a bit stiff after all that flying, but I can use them to help pull back while I grab hold with my two good arms."

Suman protested. He yelled for the two stubborn exorcists to let go, to give up on him. He argued that he didn't deserve to live after giving up so many of their friends and allies to the enemy.

"Stop it, Suman. We know," stated Raven, all the wisdom of a thirteen-year-old echoed in his words.

"While I'm alive, I pray for the happiness of the people surrounding me. Suman, I pray for your happiness, too," Allen said sadly.

"I-I…I want to live… I want to LiVE!"

Suman bit deeply into Allen's hand, and Raven held on tight to Suman's torso. They pulled hard the moment Allen severed the Innocence.

- Gibbous Moon –

Pain. Lots and lots of pain shot through their bodies as they hauled Suman from the Fallen One's body. A grand explosion detonated the moment Suman parted from his Innocence.

The two exorcists fell into a clearing in the middle of a forest.

Raven's entire body ached. His wings fluttered weakly on his back. He could see the white shards of his mask strewn about the area. Besides him, he could hear Allen stirring, too. Raven dragged himself to his knees. Just a little away in the clearing was the upper body of Suman Dark. But, something was wrong. Raven's eyes activated. Only a bare shimmer of life remained. Somehow, he knew there was no one there in that broken shell.

"Allen…" Raven whispered hoarsely.

"Suman…? Suman you're alive! I- Suman…? What's wrong?"

"Allen," Raven whispered with tears in his yellow eyes, "there's nothing there. The Innocence took its price." The younger exorcist shakily got up, the exhaustion of pushing his new abilities beginning to wear him down. He folded his trembling wings close like a cloak to help center his weight.

Allen fell to his knees and screamed, "WHY?!"

"A price must be paid," mumbled Raven. "War is never pretty, and the Innocence cares not for our little problems. At least…at least he still alive, kind of."

Allen nodded. "Timcanpy, you should go and get Lenalee and the others. Suman isn't dead. We will take him back to H.Q."

His headache returned in full force. His eyes burned. He could see something else. Hundreds of little amethyst lights. The more he saw appear, the smaller the aura became.

"Brother! Allen, get away!"

Suman Dark deteriorated as black butterflies burst forth from his body. Butterflies…?

"Too late. Bye-bye Suman."