Author's notes: Thank you for the amazing reviews. For this fic if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment or if you prefer talking to me on my twitter my username is RoseRozu1. And a massive thank you to my beta Hanashi-chan and this website www. /spell-checker/ english-spelling-grammar/ (remove spacing) that is giving my beta less work for her.
Let's get reading!
Warnings: May have full description of violence and minor characters death
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If not for Link, Allen was sure the trek down these old decrepit corridors would've been far more difficult to traverse. Holding up Kanda's wait was proving difficult, and the silver-eyed male could only imagine how things could be if he were carrying both the unconscious sword-wielding Exorcist and the barely conscious Finder.
He didn't exactly doubt that he could, per se. In fact, Allen was fairly certain he was able. It would've been slightly difficult with his body throbbing as it was. He took a greater beating than he initially thought. He heard Link mutter something under his breath, answering something that Toma said that Allen didn't catch.
Allen silently gulped, looking around in front of him. "Dammit, I have no idea where we are…we need to find a safe place to tend to everyone's wounds…
"Walker, do you hear that?" Link called from behind. Allen stopped, and listened around him.
Singing. He heard someone singing nearby…or at least near enough where he could hear it. "I hear a song…"
"Wait up, Walker!" Link scolded, trying to hurry after his charge. As they progressed, the singing ceased, and two people were talking, but it was difficult to hear what was being said. Until they were close enough to hear the tail end of the discussion.
"What song would you like to hear next?" The female's voice asked.
"I'm an ugly…ugly…human being…" Rasped an elderly man's voice. Enraptured by the scene, Allen failed to see a small rock that he kicked, alerting the duo of his, and the others' presence.
"A-ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop!" He quickly apologized. "But…you're the doll…?"
The girl made for a pillar that had long ago fallen, and picked it up with ease, thinking fast, Allen got him and Kanda out of the way, though not without screaming in surprise.
"Wait! WAIT! CALM DOWN! LET'S TALK?!" He couldn't dodge the barrage of pillars the girl was throwing at him. Finding a safer place to lay Kanda down, Allen quickly ran towards the doll, he needed to diffuse this situation sooner, rather than later. "LINK! WATCH OVER THEM!" He called over his shoulder.
"Will do."
Allen pulled off his glove, and quickly invoked his claw. The next stone pillar to be thrown at him was caught in his activated Innocence hand. "Heh. Here it comes!" He threw it like a boomerang, the projectile had hit every pillar in the room, reducing all potential weapons to rubble. When it came back, Allen caught it again, and placed it next to him, leaning against it, exhausted.
"There's nothing left to throw." Allen tiredly explained. "Please, talk to me if there's something I should know. I can't fight against a cute girl."
The girl was silent, before understanding dawned upon her.
"I see…you're not my enemy, are you?"
(* - *)
"You see…Guzol is going to die soon." Lala, as Allen found out her name to be, was explaining to him. "Please, don't take me away from him before that…you can have my heart after!"
Almost an our had gone by, and Toma was now working on Link's injuries. The Finder was in better condition than he, Link, or evn Kanda were in that moment. Said man was unconscious on the floor, his head being supported by Allen's folded Exorcist coat. All the while, Allen as seated on a step, listening to Lala's tale.
It was eighty years ago…but Allen was certain Lala remembered those events as though they happened only yesterday. "Guzol's going to stop moving soon…I can hear the sound of his heart quieting down. Please let me stay with until the end."
"It's a touching story." Link spoke up, looking up from Toma's work. "But I doubt we can allow—"
"LET ME BE A DOLL UNTIL THE END! PLEASE!" Lala's voice rang out in panic. Allen eyed the female doll, and sighed. How could he say no to such a face?
"Absolutely not!" Kanda's voice rang out. The injuried man, sat up, glaring daggers right at Allen. "You want us to wait until he dies? We don't the luxury to listen to your wish under these circumstances. We came here to protect the Innocence. Take that doll's heart, now!"
Allen's form winced, as he placed his hand over his left eye.
"Master Walker, are you alright?" Toma asked, getting up to quickly check on the white-haired male.
"M'fine, really…"
"You are not fine, Walker." Link growled, throwing something at Allen, who caught it in his free hand. "You're lucky I'm with you right now."
"Yeah…" Allen chuckled in embarrassment. He examined the container. Small, orange in color, with a cap that supposedly made it hard for kids to open. A few pills rattled from within, and the young boy scowled at the offending meds. Gods, he hated those little tablets.
"The fuck even are those?" Kanda asked, eying the container.
"It's a type of pain reliever." Allen softly explained. "You know my eye can see the Akuma, right? It's because an Akuma cursed me when I was little…it's because of this curse I'm able to do what I can." He paused, and sighed, opening the container with ease, and allowed a small pill to fall to his palm, he glared at the thing, but sighed in annoyance, as he popped into his mouth, swallowing it dry. "…but in rare cases my eye hurts when there is an Akuma higher then level one…I never happened across those before today…but I have at least sensed them over the years."
He eyed the younger suspiciously. The explanation seemed sound, he didn't pick up on any lie. Despite is earlier words, Kanda decided that he would protect Allen with everything he has. Why? He wasn't sure. But he'd be damned if he let the beansprout of a boy know.
…beansprout. Moyashi. Kanda decided.
"I can hear the innocence." Allen answered suddenly. Did he miss something while he was revering? Dammit. The fuck was wrong with him?
"I thought I was already talking?" Lala asked in confusion.
"Well, yes, but I mean I can hear the Innocnece within you, Lala." Allen clarified. "It's sad that it'll have to leave Lala and Gozul soon. It loves them both, but it knows it'll have to find its rightful user and help us with the war." The bearer of the Heart was deeply saddened.
Link knew that look only too well. And judging by Kanda's disproving look, he seemed to have an idea. Before he could say anything, for whatever reason, Kanda snapped.
"What did we come here for?!" Kanda growled out. His glare never wavering.
"I can't take it." Allen said. "I'm sorry, I don't want to take it."
Angered, Kanda reached behind him, before forcefully throwing the makeshift pillow at Allen. "That coat isn't meant to be a pillow for the wounded." He hissed out, "It's meant to be worn by Exoricsts."
Despite his state. Kanda stood, trying his best to walk, and shoving past Allen as he did so. "It takes sacrifices to save others, newbie."
"Please!" Lala pleaded, "Don't take it…" Kanda held is weapon, pointing the blade at the duo. "Please…don't…"
"Then I'll be it."
Surprised with his charge's declaration, Link stood, "Walker, what are you—?"
"Are you okay with me being the 'sacrifice' in place of them?" Allen now stood between Kanda and the cowering duo behind him. "All they wish foor is to die on their own terms…I can't take the Innocence from tis doll until then!"
"This is ludicrous!" Link scolded, "For god's sake, Walker, even I have to draw a line."
"As long as I destroy the Akuma, there shouldn't be a problem, right? To win a war built on sacrifices…is just empty!"
Kanda stood silent, the words angering him. Under normal circumstances, he would have ignored everything. He would have walked away, act as though nothing happened. But the way the idiot spoke…it snapped something that could have been his patience. He punched the younger in the cheek, holding nothing back with the force.
"KANDA!" Toma called out, as Link ran to Allen's side, the younger haven fallen to the ground with the force. To say he was worried for his charge was putting it lightly. To say Apocryphos was going to have a field day? He was sure there would be hell to pay. He just knew it in his marrow.
"You're a foolish idiot." He sneered, voice low, and eyes colder than any freezing blizzard. "You'd sacrifice yourself for others because you feel sorry for them!? DON'T YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S PRECIOUS TO YOU?!"
"Yu Kanda, what right have you to—"
"What was dear to me…has been lost a long time ago." Allen softly said. "It's not that I feel sorry for them. And it isn't for any noble reasons either." He smiled, but it was small, and didn't reach the snowy head of hair. "I just don't want to see that side of things. That's all it is."
"Walker, you can't be thinking about that, could you?"
"The hell is 'that'?"
"Don't get me wrong, Link. You're one of my dearest friends, and I'm always thankful for everything you've done." Allen said, chuckling weakly, "But…the thing is, I'm only human. My heart goes out to what's in front of me, rather than see the big picture. I can't cut them out like that…"
"Hey…"
"I want to protect them if I can!"
The room was quiet, none spoke a single word, as what Allen admitted sunk in. The silence didn't last, however, as a low rumbling could be head, and with it, the whirring sound that accompanied Allen's cursed eye turning red and black.
There was no time to react, before the Akuma struck, stabbing its trident-like right arm right through Lala and Guzol.
"No!" Allen screamed, just as the pain set on his curse. He screamed, covering his left eye with his hand, trying to sooth the pain to no avail.
"Walker! You need to deactivate your eye!"
"I-I can't!" Allen gasped, "The Akuma…we need to get rid—"
The sand began to move, moving around in a circle around the CROW, Finder, and Exorcists.
"HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA~!" The Akuma's voice sounded, as it emerged from the sandy depths of the floor around them. "I did it~! I GOT THE INNOCENCE~!" Guzol was still impaled by one of the deadly claws, and resting before him at the sharp point, was the Innocence which had been Lala's heart. In its other claw, was now the lifeless doll that once sang and took care of human child
"Ooh~! So this is Innocence?" The Akuma cooed, eying the glowing shard of the God Crystal.
"L-La…la…! La…la…" Guzol's voice was weak, now at death's door. His older body unable to withstand such an attack.
The pierrot tossed its victims to the ground, and Allen's eyes were wide in fear and anger. "Give it back…"
Link looked to Allen, and didn't miss the dark aura that seemed to reveal itself around the younger. It was almost as though a wind was blowing about the young boy…but what truly caught the German man's attention was the way Allen's arm begun to morph in a grotesque way.
"No…ALLEN! CEASE THE ACTIVATION!" He called out, as a memory from nearly four years ago resurfaced.
(* - *)
Link and Apocryphos were in a gym while supervising Allen's training. More precisely, Apocryphos was keeping an eye on their charge, while Link was speaking with Cross who by a technicality actually was Allen's mentor.
Not that he really taught him anything.
"My idiot apprentice's Innocence can change shape depending on his emotions." Cross boredly explained.
Link nodded in understanding, but… "How would you know that? You hardly ever train the kid."
The red-headed General shrugged, taking a quick drag of his cigarette. He blew the excess into Link's face, who scrunched his face in disgust by the action.
"Will the change in its appearance cause him any pain?" Apocryphos asked, not taking his eyes of Allen's training.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Cross said. "I doubt you'll want to risk it, so keep a good eye on him."
The eleven-almost-twelve-year-old child panted, as he fell on his romp. He put a lot of work into his training that day, and looked to the three older males with a bright smile.
'We'll protect him, no matter what.' Sentient Innocence and CROW had both thought to themselves.
(* - *)
"Reacting to his emotions…" Kanda breathed, eying the arm-gun. It's like the weapon is trying to shape his emotions… He watched as Allen's arm continued to morph and reshape itself. Allen didn't wait, before he was already heading straight for the Akuma. "YOU IDIOT! YOUR WAEPON STILL HASN'T FINISHED RESHAPING ITSELF!"
Allen aimed his weapon and shot beams of Innocence at the sandy Akuma. While he was sure he hit it, it wasn't enough to destroy the monster. He landed atop a pillar of his attacks, hearing the sand behind him move. He glared at the Akuma over his shoulder.
"You can't hit me if I'm sand~!" The Akuma preened. Allen jumped to get out of the way, but the Akuma was fast, and captured the boy within its sandy armor. "You're done! Check mate!"
"Dammit…!" Link growled, "Walker!" Why wasn't he moving? He was supposed to protect Allen was any severe danger, he was a CROW! This was a severely dangerous situation!
"I wonder how many stabs it'll take before you die~?"
When Link was finally able to get his body to act, Kanda held his arm up to stop the CROW from getting any closer. "He's fine. I can still sense the malice coming off that sprout."
"You just want to stay back and watch?!"
"He's an Exorcist, two-spot. When you don the black coat, you know exactly what you're getting yourself into. What you're putting on the line when you step onto the battlefield."
"But he's—!"
"I know what he is. If he can't protect himself, how do you expect him to be able to do his job?"
To that, Link had no words. He bit his bottom lip, looking at the Akuma that was stabbing through its sand skin, attacking wherever it was sure Allen was hiding.
Clank!
"Did you hear that?" Toma asked.
The Akuma had a moment of confusion, and in that span of time, a beam shot through its head, and sliced downwards. The armor that once covered the Akuma pealed in half away from the main body, making it vulnerable once more.
"It's a saber now?!" Link asked in disbelief, seeing the weapon had closed near the end, had a beam of light emitting from where the area had once been more open for projectiles.
"Now you're back to your original form." Allen said, as he landed. He looked up to the Akuma, a smirk on his face. His arm returned to a gun-like state, aimed and ready to fire at the enemy. "I won't give you time to make a new skin! I'll make a hole right through you!"
"But I still have your arm~!" Screeched the Akuma, as it thrusted its weapon forward.
There was no hesitation, as Allen shot at the oncoming attack. "Guzol…loved Lala…" The young male panted, as he continued to rapid fire his arm. "I won't forgive you!"
"D-dammit! How can this be!? WE HAVE THE SAME ARM!" The Akuma was becoming desperate, "HOW CAN HE DEFEAT ME?!"
Che. It's because you're at your limit. You may have the same weapon, but you are two different wielders. Kanda thought, silently observing the scene before him. The only person who can truly wield the Anti-Akuma weapon is an Exorcist. The more an Exorcist synchronizes with the Innocence, the more powerful they become.
No sooner did he finish that thought, did he hear a violent cough from the younger Exorcist. Allen's arm deactivated, and he fell to his knees, coughing blood. It didn't take a genius to realize that the kid couldn't keep up with the new form of his weapon.
"I'VE GOT YOU!" The Akuma exclaimed, going in to what it believed to be the final blow. The Akuma was fast, but Kanda was faster to react, and Link was by his side. The CROW had a switchblade that he had hidden in his sleeve, while Kanda used the blade of Mugen to keep the Akuma from hitting Allen.
"Kanda…Link…?"
"Che…you know that won't do shit against it."
"I'm aware, I acted without thinking." Link stated matter-of-factually.
The ravenette glared over his shoulder, shoving at the Akuma's arm as he did so, "You're pathetic. What do you think you're doing running out of steam at the last minute?" He scolded, "You're the one who claimed you wanted to protect them. I hate your tender-hearted ways, but…" I hate people who don't keep their promises even more! Those words were unsaid, though they rang as true to him all the same.
"…hah…you still hate me either way." Allen said between pants. "I haven't lost steam, I was just taking a break."
"Now is hardly a time for such thing, Walker." Link grunted.
"You just keep pissing me off." Kanda muttered. His gazed then fixed to the Akuma. He clucked his tongue, and with what strength he could muster, sliced the hand of the demon clean off its body.
"You two can finish him off, correct?" Link asked, as he kneeled to the ground, exhausted from the rush of adrenaline from moments prior.
"I think we can." Allen said, reinvoking his arm at the same time Kanda actiated Mugen's blade.
"Turn him to dust." Link said.
"NOW, DIE!" Allen and Kanda exclaimed, as they released their attacks onto the Akuma.
"CURSE YOU!" The Pierrot screamed, "CURSE YOU, EXORCISTS!" The force of their combined attack disintegrated the Akuma, and blew a hole clear through the surface city of Mater.
Exhausted of his energy, Allen fell to his knees, before falling forward onto the sandy floor. In his dimming vision, he could see the container housing Lala's heart fall into his line of site.
"Once more…" He weakly muttered, reaching for the canister. "Let her lullaby…be heard…one more time…" The boy managed to grab hold of the container, but found himself unable to get up.
"Let me help." Links's voice said, as he kneeled to help the younger up. "You want to give this back to the doll, correct?"
"Yeah…thank you…Link…"
. . - * - . .
After the incident…Lala stated to move after hear heart had been put back. However, it was no longer 'Lala'. It was the doll that met Guzol for the first time all those years ago.
Lacrimosa dies illa
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus.
Three days have passed by. And although Guzol had already passed, the doll continued to sing. Allen was determined to let her sing until she finally broke…even if it was painful to listen to the mechanical voice speak for that first time.
He sat on the stairs, legs close enough where he knees could have his arms resting on them, and his face could be hidden within them.
"Welcome back, Kanda." Link said, not looking up from his book. "You're well enough to come back already, I see."
"Che. Brat, wake up. You're supposed to be guarding them."
"What's a guy who's supposed to be bedridden for five months doing here?" Allen asked, keeping his face hidden in his arms.
"I'm healed."
"You got to be joking."
Link closed his book, and tapped the white-head of hair with his novel. "Kanda's a little special. He heals quicker than anyone else. His regenerative abilities have been proven useful to him over the years."
"Don't say things that aren't your business, twin-mole." Kanda growled out. "Listen, I have a message from Komui. I'll be heading straight to my next mission. You're to deliver the Innocence to HQ."
"…right."
Huic ergo parce, Deus,
Pie Jesu, Domine!
"…if it's too hard on you, go stop the doll. That thing isn't 'Lala' anymore, right?"
"I suggested the same thing before you got here." Link sighed, placing his chin on the palm of his hand, "However, he said—"
"It's their promise to each other." Allen finished. "The person who destroys Lala should be Guzol."
Judicandus homo reus.
Dona eis, requiem! Amen!
"You're too soft, you know?" Kanda sighed after a short while, "We're 'destroyers' not 'saviors'."
There was a moment of silence, before Allen lifted his head, the rims of his eyes were red and puffy, "I know."
The wind suddenly picked up, carrying the final notes of the lullaby to their ears…
Pie Jesu, Domine!
Leaving nothing more than an eerie silence. "…she stopped." Link stated, as he stood from his spot.
"I'll collect it." Allen decided, as he walked past his guardian, and heading back into the ruins which housed Lala and Guzol. The doll was looking to the heavens, mouth stuck on a note that never released. Guzol was rested on her lap, where had peacefully passed.
He walked to the duo, ready t take the Innocence. He knelt before them, giving the duo a sorrowfully glance.
"Thank you…" Silver eyes widened in surprise, as Lala looked to him with happiness, "For letting me sing until I broke…you let us…keep…our…prom…ise…" She fell forward into Allen's arms, and the tears he thought had dried up, came back with a vengeance.
"Hey. What's going on in here?" Kanda called out, Link and Toma following on either side.
"…Kanda, I know w-we're destroyers…" Allen said between sobs, "B-but…I want to b-be a destroyer th-that can save…"
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Author's note 2: Well until next time my fellow readers ;)
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Note from the Beta: Greetings and Salutations readers! I'm sorry about the delay. I thought I would try something called "multi-tasking" but it seems I did it wrong xD