A/N: So, I told myself I would edit this, but I never really did… Sorry for any glaring mistakes! Anyway, this is my take on how the whole "35 years ago" thing might've been possible. It's been a while since I've last read D. Gray-Man, so sorry for the misconceptions. I also didn't really come up on when this did happen to Allen, but oh well. There're certainly lots of holes in my logic, because I know Mana and Neah were on the run before he died, but I thought it was a neat idea all the same.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy.(:

Disclaimer: I have better things to do than pretend I own this manga series—like writing fanfiction for said series!^-^

Paradox

Time Frame — Night of April 7th, 1863

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

The thunderous rain slammed against the cobblestone streets, its abrupt weight throwing Allen off balance as the Level 3 Akuma's power of misplacing him in time took effect. Gasping from the shock of cold that hit him, Allen immediately took cover underneath the cover of a nearby inn, unfortunately already drenched through by then. As he violently trembled against the wet chill, the door from the inn peeked open, its warmth already inviting Allen in.

"Hey lad," whom Allen assumed the innkeeper to be said. "Would you like to come in for a cuppa? You'll catch a chill."

Gratefully nodding, Allen swiftly followed him in, warm chatter filling his ears as townspeople, who had also taken cover inside, sat around tables with steaming food and drinks, a sizeable fire crackling at its hearth. Allen was led over to the reception area, where the innkeeper's wife met them after she'd served yet another round of food and drinks.

"Ah, Hubert, is the young lad alright?" The woman seemed to fret over his appearance, placing the platter she'd held, down with a clank and reaching for a blanket from one of the shelves. Quicker than Allen thought possible, she'd sat him down with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a steaming cup of tea settled in between his soaked, gloved hands. Allen appreciatively sipped at the scalding drink, its heat seeming to thaw out his chilled insides and relaxed for a moment, before taking notice of unnatural silence that had settled over the room. Glancing up, Allen was met with the suspicious gazes of the townsfolk, before they all abruptly turned away, their talk turning into whispers of rumors and mistrust. Allen uncomfortably tried to shrug it off, accustomed to the scrutiny he received wherever he went. It seemed the innkeeper and his wife had also taken notice of the reaction Allen had caused, because they were soon ushering him into the backroom that served as the kitchen.

"You didn't have to do that, but thank you nonetheless," Allen offered with a kind smile, before introducing himself, "I'm Allen Walker, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The name's Hubert and it was no problem, lad. It was actually Margaret who insisted when she noticed you from the window," Hubert smiled tentatively, before shuffling out in order to deal with the crowds.

"Ah, sorry about him," Margaret smiled apologetically. "I've told him that he needn't buy into all those absurd rumors, but it's difficult when that's all the town ever seems to talk about."

Allen raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised. "Rumors? What does this have to do with rumors?"

"Your appearance, lad," the older woman pointed out. "It's certainly queer, and after all the strange occurrences in this town, anything out of the norm gets the folks going like no tomorrow." Taking notice of Allen's curious expression, she continued, "Just last month, a little girl's mother died. A terrible tragedy, I say. But a week later, the young girl's unresponsive state started to become very worrisome and when we sent in a doctor to take a look and see if she might've gotten what her mother had, he never came back out. The possessed, little girl tore him apart! It was right horrid, but thankfully, a stranger passing through managed to get rid of the little devil! And that's not even the beginning…" Margaret shook her head sadly, as if she could continue on no longer.

An Akuma, Allen decided as he placed his hand on hers in an act of reassurance.

"Though honestly," Margaret suddenly said with clear exasperation, "I don't see how blaming a simple Earl and his daughter make any sense. They may be a tad strange, but I doubt they're behind everything."

"The Earl?" Allen suddenly became rigid.

Nodding, she replied, "Yes, they live on the outskirts of town. Their home is practically a mansion! I believe it's called the Manor of Campbell. They're very secluded, and they have an odd air about them, but I don't believe they're so bad underneath. They just like to keep to themselves."

Though a small part of Allen thought he was being ludicrous, the nagging suspicion was too large to ignore. "What names do they go by?"

Margaret blinked, as if surprised by the question. "Dear, I don't seem to remember. It's on the very tip of my tongue, but also out of reach."

This only confirmed Allen's suspicions. Of course, if they were trying to keep hidden they wouldn't want gossiping townspeople to be giving them away.

"Tell me, Allen," Margaret suddenly began, pulling Allen from his train of thought. "Do you think you'll be staying long, around here?"

"Probably," Allen nodded, knowing he had nowhere to go. Sooner or later, time would snap him back to where he rightfully belonged and he'd end up back where he started; in the middle of that fight with the Level 3, and he'd need to stay alert. Plus, he couldn't help but be curious of what the Earl could possibly be doing around such a place, posing as human.

Margaret seemed apprehensive as she suggested, "Allen, I mean no offense to you, but I believe it would be prudent to have a change in appearance. If you're going to stick around, I fear the townsfolk will get riled up and I wouldn't want them coming at you with pitchforks." She gave a nervous laugh at the joke, but Allen had a feeling it wasn't far from the truth.

"If you believe that is what's best," Allen nodded agreeably. Attempting to fit in for once didn't seem like too bad of an idea either way.

Margaret beamed, relieved by his reaction it would seem. "I'm glad you think so. I have some hair dye that'll darken those white locks of yours. We'll get it set in tonight, and in the morning I'll dab some powder onto the mark on your face to keep it hidden." She got up, appearing to go and get the supplies ready.

"Margaret?" Allen stopped her bustling form and smiled at her. "Once again, thank you."

Time Frame — Morning of April 8th, 1863

Allen pulled his regular, and thankfully, dried clothes on. Despite this though, he felt strange. His lengthy, white locks were now dyed a dark, reddish brown and pulled into a half-ponytail, contrasting his pale, clear skin sharply. Though you could make out his scar if you looked close enough, the jagged mark on his face was virtually invisible to most. It shouldn't be so strange; this is how I would have looked if Mana had never died…

Pulling on his borrowed, brown coat, Allen made his way out into the drenched town, in order to investigate. He was unsure as to how long he'd be here, and with practically nothing to do, Allen decided that investigating the Earl of Campbell was the next best thing. He drifted about the streets, asking the townspeople what they knew when he got the chance. It turned out to be a waste of time; most of the information turned out to be preposterous. They claimed that devil himself and his spawn resided in that wretched place. Then again, if Allen was right in thinking that it was the Millenium Earl, they wouldn't be too far from the truth. He then briefly wondered if this supposed daughter of his could be Road…

There was something that continued to bother him, though. It seemed that not a single person in this town knew their names!

As Allen contemplated this, he abruptly took note of a noticeable red-head exiting a nearby bar, swiftly rounding the next corner. Racing after him without a thought, Allen rapidly approached him, thoughtlessly calling out, "Cross?!" Allen almost kicked himself right there and then. At least he hadn't said 'Master'… And to make matters worse, he actually turned around! Abruptly slowing down as he neared him, Allen wracked his brain for anything else he could say. Drat! He wasn't even supposed to know the guy's name!

Cross raised an impatient eyebrow, and that's when Allen took note of the major changes in the future General. For one, he certainly looked younger—late 20s, maybe?—and his long—but not as long—crimson tresses were pulled back into a low ponytail, showcasing a maskless face. Other than that, he looked relatively the same and though he held no clothing to mark him as an Exorcist, his gun, Judgment, strapped to his side said differently. Knowing he did magic, Allen briefly wondered if he used it to make it appear as though he never aged. He certainly wouldn't put it past him.

"Um, it is, Cross, right?" Allen attempted to act meek and confused. Pretending to know his future Master certainly wouldn't bode well for him.

"Yes," Cross replied gruffly. "What do you want, kid?"

Allen grasped at straws, trying to figure out what he could possibly say, when the most ludicrous and insane idea hit him. But, it was worth a try…? Knowing he didn't have the time to come up with something new, Allen shrunk into himself and twiddled his fingers, attempting to seem younger, which wasn't much of a problem for him. "Um, well, mom said to look for you if anything ever happened to her…"

"W-WHAT THE HELL?!" Cross jumped, with a horrified expression. Nervously glancing about, he actually stuttered, "Um, look, kid, I'm real busy. Just a—okay, if you don't have any place to go, just ask around and find the Manor of Campbell. I have a couple friends there; their names are Mana and Neah. They'll take care of you. Okay-I-gotta-go-now-bye!" Cross rushed and practically ran like the wind, leaving a stunned Allen behind. Realizing what had just happened, Allen burst into laughter. That was probably that most absurd thing he'd ever experienced! Who knew Cross was so afraid of any children he'd accidentally spawned? Shaking with mirth, Allen shook his head in exasperation, before abruptly sobering. Had Cross really mentioned Mana and Neah?! How could he have been so stupid? He should've checked the date the moment he got here. And could they really be residing with the Earl, of all people? He understood why Neah would be, but Mana? Could he really see Mana again…?

Before following Cross' advice, Allen looked around for a newspaper. Luckily he found a discarded one in the rubbish bin. Pulling it out without thought, Allen's silver eyes ran over the top swiftly.

April 8th, 1863

Drat! He'd traveled back 35 years! Man, Cross must have been using some sort of rejuvenating spell to make himself seem younger, because there is no way he looked this good for so long. Allen then wondered how old that would make Mana and Neah; maybe around his age? Knowing the best way to find out would be to actually meet them—and by all that was holy, did that make him nervous and jittery!—Allen asked around, and before long, was trekking through trodden path through the dense woods on the outskirts of town. The path wasn't too extensive, and he soon broke out into the large clearing that held the impressively large Manor.

Through the wrought iron gates, Allen could make out the forms of two teenage boys laughing and pushing each other around. One, he easily recognized from his mindscape. His short, reddish brown, spiky hair hung in waves about a face that held a resemblance to Tyki. Like Mana, his eyes were wide and dark, with pale skin and soft features. Mana, on the other hand, had extensively long, wavy locks that were a mahogany color and pulled back into a low ponytail. His youthful and carefree appearance made Allen's heart ache, recalling the version of a much older and weary Mana; and despite all his smiles and laughs, Allen could remember how when he thought he wasn't looking, he'd seemed so sad.

Trying to shake off all his past memories, with his heart pounding loudly and dried lips, Allen tentatively opened the creaking gate, the groan it made attracting the attention of the two teenage males. "Um, excuse me?" Allen asked, nervously licking his lips. "Do you happen to be Mana and Neah?"

"Who's asking?" Mana was the one to step up, and though his demeanor was friendly enough, Allen could tell his stance was guarded and wary.

"Um, Cross sent me. I was looking for a place to stay, and he sent me on your way, and then disappeared in that habit he seems to have," Allen explained with an anxious smile, hoping that throwing in that characteristic of his would gain some credibility.

They visibly relaxed, and Neah stepped up with a pleasant grin, asking "Really? What's your name?"

"Allen Walker," Allen automatically replied, before paling in horror. Was he stupid or was he stupid?! What was he thinking, using their own last name—

"That's a cool last name! I'm Neah Campbell, and this is my older brother Mana," Neah interrupted Allen's train of thought with a friendly smile.

"N-nice to meet you," Allen stuttered, wide-eyed. Wow, that had been close…

As they neared him, Neah conspicuously leaned over and mocked whispered, "You don't happen to be associated with them, do you?"

"Err, pardon me?" Allen blinked, wondering if this was supposed to be a code word for something. He sure hoped not!

Mana surprisingly smacked Neah upside the head and scolded, "Don't be such a dumbass, Neah." Allen started. Sheesh, and Mana had always enforced such good manners upon him… Mana then offered him a rueful grin, and rephrased Neah's question, "What my little brother meant to say was, are you also part of the Order, like Cross?"

"Oh, oh! Yes, yes I am," Allen nodded, and then mentally smacked himself, because he technically wasn't. At least, not in this time. Goodness, he just seemed to be making all sorts of mistakes today. He really needed to pull himself together.

Rubbing his head with a pout, Neah pointed out, "Sheesh, Mana, it was just a joke. It's not like the answer matters anyway. Either way, if Cross sent him to us, then it would only make sense that he'd only be loyal to the third side of the war."

Or if he thinks his lost long child is looking for him, Allen deadpanned, and then prevented himself from asking about the 'third side of the war'. Couldn't exactly pretend to be part of it while asking clueless questions like wondering aloud who this side consisted of. Speaking of which, how could they speak so casually of this? "Wait, doesn't the Earl live here?" Allen suddenly thought aloud.

"Hah! Told you it would work!" Neah bent over with laughter.

With an exasperated roll of his eyes, Mana elaborated, "Neah thought that making up rumors about the Earl, or as he called him, "the devil incarnate", living here, would keep the townspeople away."

"Why'd you add in the daughter bit, then?" Allen asked, though he could already guess.

Sobering slightly, Neah replied, "That's because Road—she's a Noah, by the way—sometimes comes along and I figured she'd need a cover just in case anybody started asking questions."

"Ah," Allen nodded, and decided to chance it by asking, "Is she part of the third side?"

They both gave him an odd look, and Neah replied, "Not really. I mean, she knows of it, and she seems pretty conflicted, but I don't know if I can convince her to join."

"Don't get your hopes up, Neah," Mana shook his head. "You know the Noah are inherently loyal to the Earl, and I hate to burst your bubble, but I doubt your little crush on her will make much of a difference."

Neah flushed, both out of anger and embarrassment. He then pointed out, "I'm a Noah too."

Mana chuckled. "Well yeah, but you're not just a conventional Noah. You're Neah! The Fourteenth! The Musician! The Noah of Destruction!" Mana declared dramatically.

Playfully shoving him, Neah replied, "Oh, how you flatter me, brother of mine!" Turning to Allen, he asked, "I am curious as to why you asked that, though. The third side can hardly handle having me on their side, let alone a second Noah."

Allen shrugged, and going with the cover story he'd already chosen, explained, "I'm guessing that having Cross as a father just goes to show you who the true demons of this world really are." Allen thought this was an apt response, but it seemed Mana and Neah thought otherwise because they dramatically held onto each other as they stumbled backwards and rewarded him with horrified expressions.

"Y-you're Cross' spawn?!" they shouted in unison.

Well, if that's how they were really going to feel about it… Allen abruptly burst into laughter, tears escaping from the corners of his eyes. "W-wow! I-I can't believe you guys fell for that!" The laughter really wasn't faked though. Their reaction combined with Cross' practically brought Allen to his knees in laughter.

After they'd all calmed down from their melodramatic reactions, Neah casually threw his arm around Allen's shoulder, Mana on Allen's other side, as he began to lead him towards the Manor. "You know Allen, I think this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Hm, an Exorcist and a Noah? I don't know…" Allen said dubiously, albeit with a teasing grin.

"Hey!" Mana indignantly huffed. "Don't forget about the run-of-the-mill human over to your right!"

"Don't worry, dear Brother," Neah grinned mischievously. "Who could forget about the obnoxious, nagging, know-it-all?"

Mana abruptly tackled Neah in retaliation, dragging Allen along. It took a moment to get past his shock, but then they all tussled in good humor, and Allen thought he'd never been happier.

Time Frame — Afternoon of April 8th, 1863

After they'd shown him around the Manor, the trio sat about the lounge room, relaxing after a long morning. Allen wondered, "What is it that you two do around here all day, anyway?"

The brothers looked at each other and then shrugged. Neah replied, "To be honest, not much. I try to train my powers as much as possible, and bookworm over here just reads all day."

"Well maybe if you opened a book or two, you'd find out what's so great about it," Mana simply shook his head with a sniff.

Neah wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Seriously Mana, do something more productive." When Mana raised a dubious eyebrow, Neah mused, "Like… I know! Train yourself to do some clown tricks; then you can entertain us all!" That abruptly received another smack to the head. Allen wondered how often those happened… Probably a lot.

With a small smile, Allen suggested with a chuckle, "I'll teach him."

Neah perked up. "Really?" Rather than answering, Allen simply grabbed a couple of random objects and began juggling, and to make it more ostentatious, jumped up on top of the backrest of a chair, tipping it over and then balancing there. After a moment, Allen expertly threw all the objects into their original place with a flourish before flipping back and landing on his feet, placing a hand on the chair before it tipped over.

Neah clapped with a small laugh, and even Mana seemed amused. "Hah! That was great! See, what did I tell you, Mana? Totally productive!"

"Maybe, but Allen's an Exorcist, he's wasted there. You were the one complaining about not having a sparring partner," Mana pointed out with an amused smiled.

Neah abruptly sat up with an eager grin. "That's right! That is, if you don't mind Allen." Not giving him a chance to reply, Neah moved on, "May we see your Innocence weapon?"

"Yeah, sure," Allen replied with a surprised blink. Removing his clothes on the upper, left side of his body—it would tear apart, after all, unlike his Exorcist uniform—he allowed a glimpse of his, blackened left arm before activating it, his sleek, onyx claws forming and a glowing cloak coming to life about his shoulders.

They both seemed awed, and Mana released a whistle, saying, "Definitely cooler than Cross'."

Allen practically burst with pride as he received the compliment from Mana of all people, and found it difficult not to sound boastful when he said, "That's not even its final form." Grabbing onto his wrist, his hand began to reconstruct into a handle, the rest of his arm taking the shape of an enormous broadsword. "The Sword of Exorcism."

"That's some beauty," Neah nodded in appreciation.

With an impossibly wide grin, Allen replied, "Thank you." He then deactivated it, slipping his shirt back on and buttoning it up before retying his ribbon. "And yes, I'll be your sparring partner," Allen agreed with a small smile.

Turning to his older brother, Neah pleaded, "Mana, can we please keep him?"

Allen didn't know whether to face-palm or smack him himself. But that's okay, because Mana took care of both for him.

Time Frame — Noon of April 22nd, 1863

"Uh, Neah? A little help here?" Allen called out uncertainly. Sure, he had somewhat gotten used to Road's affectionate ways, but this was just weird and unusual… To clear things up a bit, Allen had exited the stuffy house in order to get some fresh air, when a familiar, ash-skinned girl had suddenly tackled him to the ground—this wasn't the strange part, though; it was the way in which they'd awkwardly landed. With one, sock-covered leg wrapped around his face, the other clumsily hanging to the side, and both her arms wrapped around one of his own legs, Road refused to let go.

"C-could you please get off me?" Allen uneasily shifted around, but her leg tightened around his head, and he quit before her skirt could flip over any further.

"Intruder!" Road dramatically declared. "If you are here to hurt my Neah, you'll have to go through me!"

If Allen could, he would have face-palmed.

"N-Neah's my friend," Allen weakly protested.

With a sniff, Road stated, "I don't believe you."

"Why not?!" Allen practically wailed. And it had been such a wonderful past two weeks, too! Of course Road would have to come along and mess things up. With a sigh, Allen finally accepted the fact that staying in their own little world wouldn't last forever, no matter how much he wished for it.

"Because!" Road shouted back. "Neah and Mana never make any good friends, especially not cute boys like you!"

Allen sweatdropped. "Seriously?" he deadpanned. Now this was just bordering on ludicrous… Then again, he should have seen it coming from Road of all people.

"I resent that," a dry voice spoke from behind them. Neah! Oh, if Allen could kiss him in that moment, he would have! Something about being forcefully held down by a younger girl was kind of embarrassing… Allen abruptly released a yelp as Road accidentally kicked him in her process of scrambling up and affectionately tackling Neah. Fortunately, Mana pulled him up and away before he could be hurt any further. Offering him a grateful smile, Allen leaned against him in relief.

"I thought the pretty boy might have hurt you!" Road cried, holding tightly onto Neah, while he patted her back in amusement.

"Sheesh, maybe this whole 'Noah of Destruction' nonsense is a lie; I'm not made out of glass," Neah reassured her with a small eye roll.

Pulling back, Road gave him a pointed look. "Neah, you know that's not it. Millenie cares very much for you, and would be devastated if anything were to happen to you. Your special, Neah."

"When's the wedding?" Mana snickered under his breath, and as Neah shuddered in revulsion, Allen had a feeling that this was some sort of ongoing joke. Deciding he definitely did not want to know, he changed the subject by feeding his own curiosity.

"So is that why you two are cooped up in the middle of nowhere? So that you can be protected?" Allen raised an eyebrow. It certainly was an odd thought, considering Neah was a full-fledged Noah.

"That, and Millenie granted Neah's wish of wanting to stay with his brother. It's a little difficult to do in an Ark full of bloodthirsty Noah, though," Road elaborated.

"Yes, but we have each other, along with the occasional visits from Cross and Road, and, of course, now we have you," Neah grinned, unperturbed by the strange set of circumstances. Then again, it could have been worse.

"Ugh," Road wrinkled her nose in distaste. "You're still in contact with that wretched Exorcist? Honestly, Neah, you and your brother have a terrible taste in friends."

"Whoa, there, don't drag me into that one," Mana shook his head with a frantic wave of his hands. "That, was all Neah right there!" Slinging an arm around Allen's shoulder, and pulling him close with a huge grin, he declared, "Little Allen here was of my choosing!"

Allen beamed with pride, thrilled with the close friendship that Mana had already given him. Neah was actually pretty awesome too—how he ended reincarnating into his body was a complete mystery—but it was Mana who had raised and cared for him, and no one could ever replace that. Though, maybe having Neah as the wild Uncle might not have been so bad. Allen held back a snicker at the thought.

Road gave him an appraising look, before deciding with a nod, "Yes, Allen is quite the looker, and I guess I could look past the reek of Innocence." Turning to Neah, Road accused him, "Neah,youhave a terrible taste in friends!"

Neah's priceless expression caused the rest to burst into a fit of laughter, before he tackled both Mana and Allen in retaliation, Road cheering him on. As the play-fought, Allen decided he could get used to living this way, without a care in the world and together with the person he cherished most. Unfortunately for the now red-head, this dream would only be short-lived.

Time Frame — Midnight of April 25th, 1863

It was but only two nights later, that everything fell apart.

The sharp slamming of the front door caused Allen to shoot up from his borrowed bed, his paranoia kicking in as he immediately activated his Innocence, causing his night shirt to rip into shreds. Silently creeping out of his bedroom, Allen was met with the sight of Mana also sneaking about, seemingly holding a vase for a weapon. If the situation hadn't felt so eerie, Allen might've laughed at the sight. Making eye-contact, they gave each other a nod before continuing forward, Allen in the lead with his Innocence remaining activated. Slinking down the spiraling staircase, they soon made it to the living room, where a ragged Cross and Neah had just made their way.

"Neah!" Mana frantically called out, running over to them. Realizing that his Innocence was activated, with Cross nearby, Allen swiftly scurried upstairs for a change of shirt and pair of gloves, making it back in record time. Fortunately, nothing important had been said, as Mana seemed more content on making a fuzz over Neah.

"What's going on?" Allen questioned as he stepped into the room, earning a surprised look from Cross, as if he had forgotten all about him.

Sagging onto the couch, Neah buried his face in his hands as explained, "The third side. They're adamant that I make a move against the Noah soon."

"And by soon, they mean tomorrow morning," Cross growled.

"They couldn't possibly—" Mana's protest was cut off by Neah.

"It doesn't matter! I've already made the call; the family will be meeting me tomorrow morning, in a place not too far from here." In a weak voice, he tried to reassure his older brother, "The Exorcists, they'll help—"

"As if!" Cross exclaimed in a thundering voice. "You know they don't give two shits about you, Neah! They just want you to take out as many as you possibly can before you get yourself killed! They won't have to deal with you then and they'll have even less of a nuisance to worry over once you're gone, damn it!"

With clenched fists and fierce look, Allen proclaimed, "But you won't be going in there alone, Neah. We'll have your back!"

Cross took notice of the glow seeping through his gloves in the shape of a cross, but decided not to make a hassle of it. They had more important matters to deal with. Turning to Neah, he asserted, "Kid's fucking right, you idiotic Noah. We'll drag you out of that field before you manage to get yourself screwed over!"

"Thanks guys," Neah gave them a shaky, albeit relieved, smile.

Pulling him close, Mana said, "Don't think you'll ever be alone, little brother. We're here for you."

Fortunately, Neah relaxed, and they were soon, all drifting off to sleep in exhaustion, apprehensive of the morning to come.

"Allen, wake up!"

Jolting up from his tense position, Allen was met with the frightened expression of Mana. "W-what's going on?!"

"Neah!" Mana frantically explained. "It's just dawning, but he's already disappeared! Cross went to drag backup over, but I fear he may already be too late!" At this point Mana was already dragging him from the house and stumbling out into the wretchedly dim woods. As they staggered over prickly bushes and fallen logs in their haste, Allen was about ask how he even knew where they were going, but before he had the chance, they lurched right the designated clearing.

Allen's insides slightly rolled, as he took in the massive carnage that infested the once, lush grass. The air was teeming with the reek of spilt blood and gutted insides, insects already swarming the long-dead corpses. It was only a single, aching wail that ripped through the dawning, crimson sky.

"Millenie! Millenie! Please, please—y-you have to—wake up! MILLENIE!" Road screamed in aching agony, pulling at the barely-living Earl, as she attempted to pull him through her door, all the while bawling and whimpering in her choked, crackly voice.

Allen found it difficult to not have his heart ache for the grieving girl that had just been forced to witness this bloodshed, but before he could even contemplate going to her, Mana gasped, "Neah!" Turning over, Allen's eyes widened in horror as he took in the sight of Neah's broken body pierced by a familiar sword. Rushing over, Mana and Allen hardly took notice of the squelch that resounded in their ears as they sprinted over fresh corpses and pools of blood and entrails. As they reached him, Allen noticed that his Noah, ash skin was dulling back into his pale, human one, and with great fright, took note that the life in his eyes was slowly beginning to dim.

"M-Mana… A-Allen…" Neah gurgled, fresh blood slowly spilling onto his lips.

"Neah!" Mana cried, tears dribbling down, as he choked on the lump constricting his throat. "Why—you shouldn't have—oh Brother, please don't leave me!"

And as Allen took in the sight before him, he knew that he could never accomplish what Neah had. To be this powerful… Allen could hardly take on a single Noah himself. Swallowing back the bile in his throat, everything suddenly became clear to Allen; this had to be Neah's destiny. He would be the downfall of the Noah. And only in one way, could this be accomplished.

"Mana, I need you to do something for me," Allen abruptly said.

"W-wha…?" Mana could hardly speak, too heartbroken and confused.

"Neah's Score; do you know it?" As Mana nodded numbly, not completely comprehensive, Allen continued, "You must plant his Will inside of me, in order for him to reincarnate. Only then, can he finish what he started."

"N-no!" Neah weakly protested, fighting to speak past the blood the continuously choked him, desperately clinging to life. "I-it'll k-kill you!"

Allen smiled sadly, as he recalled the words Cross had once said to him.

What would you do, if I told you, you'll have to kill someone you love when you become the Fourteenth…?

But maybe, those words had never been meant for him.

"Killing someone you love, huh? We all have to make sacrifices," Allen smiled sadly. It was then, that he felt at tug; a similar feeling that he'd had when the Akuma had struck him with its power.

"A-Allen?" Mana whispered in horror at his slowly fading form, holding Neah's corpse in his arms.

"Remember me, Mana," Allen's fading voice whispered. "I'll be the mistreated boy by the name of Red in that wretched circus. And don't forget… I love you, Father…"

"ALLEEEEEEEN!"

A/N: I certainly hope you enjoyed! Pretty please review!n_n