Hitomi: I know it took me long enough… but thank you for your patience, encouragement, support, and love up until now.

A lot of things have happened and I'm still struggling. But no matter how long I'll take with writing, I'll keep updating this work.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own D. Gray – man. Hoshino Katsura-sensei does. The only thing(s) I do own in here would be my OCs.

Unravel

LXVI

Endless Night

「As long as heartbreak, grief, and death exists…

I don't want to bask into the light's warmth.

I've already decided that long ago.」

She couldn't stop herself.

Like a lightning bolt, she struck, agile on her feet.

And she intended not to miss her target.

The last words she heard from the Millennium Earl—

How dare he said—

"In the end, this Ark will be nothing more than a grave, sucking up the blood of those Exorcists… Ho ho ho ho…"

The faces of her companions flashed one by one.

Kanda.

Krory.

Chaoji.

Lavi.

But then, a loud clang resonated. Momentarily unfocused, Rue looked up to see Allen clashing swords with the Millennium Earl first.

He, too, would know. Rue still charged forward, her Innocence, too, meeting up with the Earl's weapon. The darkness around Deathtrap and Lifeline kept her hands cold, so no pain was felt when she made contact. Allen knows this pain because he, too, keeps his comrades close to heart.

"Hatred… It's there in your eyes." The Millennium Earl smirked, specks of Allen's blood covering his face. "Well met, Allen Walker. Rue Marucut."

He didn't miss, of course.

The Earl struck at Allen's forearm, then Rue's shoulder. Both retaliated with their respective attacks, perhaps blasting the Earl to another part of the Ark. But with them being too deep in their emotions, they hadn't watched their steps.

"Allen! Rue!"

Lenalee… Rue stopped short, hearing her best friend's voice. Shortly after, she was unfocused once more, a strange feeling taking over her body. Wait, my body's moving… on its own?

Once snapping back to reality, Rue found Deathtrap and Lifeline clutching onto the side of the Ark's debris, her body slowly climbing up. Not too far away, Allen's Sword of Exorcism was stabbed deep into the same cliff, stopping him from falling.

"Maria's power…!" She overheard Allen's voice, at once concluding the odd sensation was coming from General Cross's Grave of Maria.

"Stop it." Cross had a deep frown on his face, an edge to his voice. "Has the blood gone to your head from losing your comrades? Idiot apprentice."

"Release me from Maria's power, please, Master! The Earl… I must…!"

"You're climbing up here, whether you want to or not. Don't try to fight the Earl with hatred."

Seeing the exchange, Rue sensed a heavy aura from Allen, knowing fully well that he was glaring at the older man. Simultaneously, and without looking up, she sensed Cross's sharp eyes on her as well.

Of course, they had no choice but to relent. Rue gritted her teeth, resisting hard not to crush the rocks under her hands. Her heart pumped loudly, beating even in her ears, not bothering to hide its need for bloodshed. What intensified the feeling was seeing Relo and the Millennium Earl disappear into another one of Road's doors to escape, leaving her to seethe in silence.

Damn it…! She was too consumed in her thoughts once both her and Allen were back up, not quite hearing that Cross needed Allen for a mission. How dare you stop me from avenging my comrades…!

"Are you all right?" An unfamiliar voice called to her.

Closing her eyes, taking deep breaths, and counting in her head for a couple of seconds, Rue turned her head to the voice's direction. Opening her eyes, she met the forest green eyes of Kei.

"…I'm fine." Rue said slowly, the dark aura around her hands gradually disappearing.

"Hmmm… I see." Kei murmured, not breaking eye contact with her. Then, her lips broke into a small smile, much to Rue's surprise. "You don't need to explain any further. I know how it is, dealing with loss, pain, and grief. It's part of being an Exorcist."

Promptly, perhaps out of impulse, Kei grabbed Rue's right hand and squeezed it.

"Even in the direst of circumstances, everything will surely be all right. We'll get through this. I know we can." Rue only stared in silence, but nothing more. However, what Kei told her made her feel odd and she was unable to pull away from the other girl's grasp.

…I don't believe it. I don't believe what you're telling me is true, to be honest. Living my life at this point has given me such conclusions.

Then again, I guess I have no choice but to trust you, huh?

oOo

Before they knew it, Allen, Lenalee, General Cross, Kei, and Rue were into another room of the Ark. Timcampy had transported them into the room, where the Akuma Plant was. Behind them was a large orb, which General Cross explained was an "egg" that was used for the Earl's Akuma creating rituals. But there was more to it than that.

"Look up. This is the last room in the Ark to be downloaded. Once that 'egg' is completely transferred, the Ark will be gone, and us along with it."

"What do we do, Master?!"

"We're gonna stop it, of course."

"Huh?!"

"All we need to do is steal the 'egg'. If we start up this Ark and stop the download, the 'egg' will never make it to the new Ark."

At this exchange between Allen and General Cross, Kei frowned. Rue raised her eyebrows, not sure on what to think about this.

"How do we stop the Ark? We know nothing about it!"

"General… Do you know something?" Lenalee had a cautious look on her face. "About how to control the Ark?"

"I'm not going to do it." General Cross had a serious expression, making sudden eye contact with his apprentice. "You are, Allen."

With that, General Cross cast a spell on the "egg", as a way to interfere with its download. Allen was starting to freak out, no doubt not knowing what all of this meant.

"I'll open up the final room. Just go with Tim." Timcampy, then, flew over and opened a portal out of thin air as General Cross explained. "You'll get it soon enough."

"Why do I—?!"

Allen couldn't finish his sentence. He was practically dragged to the portal with Timcampy, which disappeared shortly after.

And Lenalee, Kei, and Rue could only watch.

"It's because you're the only one who can do it… idiot apprentice."

While waiting for Allen, the floor was crumbling underneath their feet. Without letting go of his concentration on his spell, General Cross had no choice but to hold Lenalee up with his right arm. Kei activated Arcana, using her winged Innocence to hover above the ground. Rue was trying to concentrate on keeping the ground intact for all of them, using both Earth and Metal to solidify it.

"IDIOT APPRENTICE!" General Cross roared, having a wireless device in his ear to communicate with Allen through Timcampy. "Hurry up and stop the download, you idiot! Did you get to the 'room' all right?!"

"Allen, can you hear me?"

"Lenalee? Yes I'm all right. …And aren't your voices coming from the same place…?" Silence. Then, Allen, too, was shouting out of horror and anger. "MASTER, WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP TOUCHING LENALEE?!"

"How much floor space do you think we're working with here?! This is great…"

"Ahhh… these two." Kei sighed, smiling a bit. Rue, however, rolled her eyes, trying to keep herself concentrated for everyone else's sakes.

"This isn't the time to be worrying about me, Allen!"

"Is there a piano in there?"

"Eh? Yes, there is, but…"

"That piano is the 'heart' that controls the Ark. Play it!"

More silence, then…

"Ummm… I've never touched a piano in my entire life… Well, I guess there was that one time with the clown, but…"

"Tim has the score you need." Cross said promptly without missing a beat.

"W-Wait a minute!" Allen's voice got high, then shouted once more. "I have no idea how to read sheet music or anything!"

"Would you rather get into more debt?"

"You want me to choose?! They're both ridiculous!"

Welp… I'm concluding right now that Riley isn't heartless with his debts. Rue shuddered, not believing the conversation she was hearing between General Cross and Allen. How ridiculous, indeed.

The dialogue, then, was choppy on Cross's end as all of them could barely hear Allen now. Only then, it became truly silent.

And they had no choice but to wait. But despite Rue's efforts to keep the ground together, she could no longer keep it under control.

"Play it, Allen…! The last of the 'egg' is already disappearing…!"

oOo

From the outside world, the other Exorcists saw the Ark disappear entirely. Miranda was on her knees, like mostly everyone else. She stared blankly at the sky, tears welling up in her eyes. Her Innocence, Time Record, was still activated but it inevitably didn't have the power to stop the Ark from vanishing.

"Marie…" General Tiedoll called to his disciple, for confirmation on what was happening.

"I can't… Hear anything anymore…" Marie said softly, wiping one of his eyes. "Kanda… Rue… We'd just lost Daisya. And now, you too…?"

"This is terrible…" The General slumped down, openly grieving.

Bookman had an unreadable look on his face, hearing the grieved calling out the names of the companions they had lost.

Lavi… He thought somberly, clenching his fists, unable to accept the fact that his grandson/apprentice was gone. Just like that.

"If only… I… had done a better job!" Miranda cried, willing to take all of the blame herself.

oOo

From within the void, despite the Ark's disappearance, the notes of music floated into the air.

Notes that only Allen could read.

Without believing his eyes, Lavi came from unconsciousness, with Chaoji lying not too far from him.

"Huh…?" He frowned, looking all around him. The white buildings and ground of the Ark were completely intact. Almost as if they were never downloaded and disappearing into nothingness. Lavi looked at his hand, still taking all of the scenery in. "Didn't we… fall…?"

As Allen continued playing, the buildings were reconstructing themselves. In the part of the Ark where Jasdebi once was, an unconscious Krory fell out from the iron maiden contraption he was trapped into. And with where Skinn Boric was, Kanda was already conscious, eyes wide and in stunned silence.

They were all… alive?

"What's going on?!" Lavi shouted as the rubble of the Ark's destruction were piercing themselves back to the buildings they were. "The town that was destroyed…?! It's coming back!"

Allen could hardly believe it. The notes he was playing… were notes between him and Mana. This melody… he hadn't forgotten it, even after all of this time. But an eerie sensation came upon him once he realized.

"Melody… no… Who is this singing inside my head?!"

oOo

"…And the boy fell deep asleep…
…The gasping flames within the ashes/one by one…
…Rise and expand…
…Into that beloved's face…
Suspended from the Earth…
Thousands of dreams…
On the night when those silver eyes trembled/you were born/shining brightly…
Hundreds of millions of months and years/no matter how many prayers return to the Earth…
I shall… continue to pray…"

oOo

While Allen was playing the notes, simultaneously, in the Black Order, Komui was thinking of them.

"First, I'll say welcome back and give everyone a pat on the shoulder…
Then, I'll wrap my arms around Lenalee and hug her as tight as I can!
As for Allen, I'll just have to make sure… there's a ton of food for him… to eat.
Right about then, I daresay Lavi will just end up falling asleep. I'll have to make sure there's a blanket for him.
And the older ones will want to have some wine and make a toast.
We'll all throw a huge party… and then, go to sleep…
It'll be great.
Oh, but Kanda will be late… He'll probably wander in and throw a sour look around the room.
As for Rue… it's hard to say what she'll do once she comes back here, after everything she's been going through lately.
But she will always have a home to come back to."

oOo

"Bring back my comrades! DON'T DISAPPEAR!"

oOo

Once General Cross, Lenalee, Kei, and Rue went into the Musician's room, Allen had a bittersweet smile on his face.

"Lenalee… I'm glad you're safe."

"Allen…?" Lenalee's eyes lingered on Allen, hesitantly going up to him. She sensed something was wrong. "The Ark stopped breaking down! We heard the sound of a piano… Allen, was that you…?"

"Yeah." Then, he turned to General Cross and gave him a scowl. Lenalee was first to notice, but she couldn't find the voice to say anything. Kei and Rue saw this as well, both of them wondering.

"I know what you want to say." General Cross replied, smoking. "Stop making that face at me."

"Why…? That musical score…" Allen began and it took him a lot to not sound shaken. He had to know. He had to know why Mana's sheet music was the one used in order for the Ark to be controlled.

However…

"DINNERTIME!"

All Exorcists in the Musician's room were stunned. That familiarly obnoxious voice that boomed loudly chose to interrupt such a tense moment and they were unsure whether to be relieved or not.

"L-Lavi… It's not like he's a dog or something…" Another bewildered voice could be heard.

"Just wait and see, Chaoji… If Allen's hungry, he'll come running in an instant. DINNERTIME!"

"This voice…?!" (Lenalee)

"Oh my…" (Kei)

…That's… No way… (Rue)

"Somebody must be calling from somewhere in the Ark." (Cross)

"From inside the Ark? Eh?" (Allen)

"Steak, pasta, mitarashii dango~!"

Something flashed on the wall in front of them. Now, on the wall, is a visual. With Lavi shouting and Chaoji being confused.

"IT'S DINNERTIME, ALLEN!" Lavi continued yelling, both hands around his mouth. "DIIIIINEEEEERTIIIIIME!"

"Lavi… Chaoji…" Lenalee put her hands up to her face, overwhelmed now to see her comrades' faces.

"They're alive…" Allen whispered in awe.

"Beef ribs!" Lavi was still going at it.

Kei only smiled and sighed a bit, closing her eyes. It was good to see them back.

Rue's expression was hidden as she looked away. Her hands were up to her chest, squeezing the heart locket.

They're… alive. Rue's thoughts were swirling around in her mind, trying to process this whole situation. Then, that means…

"Huh... looks like the town came back too." General Cross now sat in a chair, a knowing look on his face. "Well, I guess they were just getting sucked into the gap between dimensions. It's not like they were actually killed or anything…"

"…Master, you're one who said 'They're dead', didn't you?" Allen deadpanned, a blank glare on his face.

"Huh? Well, it's basically the same thing, isn't it?" Cross shrugged. "If they can't come back…"

"YOU SAID THEY WERE DEFINITELY DEAD!"

Lenalee fell to her knees, just silently watching the exchange with Lavi and the others.

"Mitarashii, mitarashii, mitarashii, mitarashii!" The stupid rabbit wasn't giving up.

"Lavi, we're all here! Can you hear me at all, Lavi?!" Allen's voice went from excited to angry real quick as he turned to General Cross. "Huh… Master, can't they hear our voices from in here? STOP MAKING YOURSELF AT HOME AND ANSWER ME ALREADY!"

"Hm?" Of course, he wasn't listening.

"Ah!" Something occurred to Lavi.

"What is it?" Chaoji blinked, apparently unable to keep up with Lavi's vibes.

"Wait a minute… If we're okay… Maybe that means Yuu and Krorykins are…!" Now, he started to shout for… "Yuu, are you…!"

Chaoji spotted something behind them, looking nervous.

"Well, isn't this a pretty picture, little bratty rabbit." A grumpy, familiar voice caught everyone's attention.

"YUU!" Lavi turned around, all smiles as he saw Kanda carrying someone.

"Tch." Typical Kanda, to make such a reply.

"And… is that Krorykins you're carrying there?!" Indeed it was. Krory was still unconscious.

"Found him on the way… more importantly, what, exactly, is going on?"

"Well, I really don't know either… OIII! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, BEANSPROUT!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BEANSPROUT, IDIOT LAVI?!" Now, Allen was able to communicate with the faraway Exorcists as his voice echoed all around the Ark.

Chaoji jumped from the sound.

"Aaah! Allen?!" Lavi called back. "Where is he…?"

"Tch… the beansprout's voice descends from the sky…" Kanda grumbled, covering one ear.

"THE NAME IS ALLEN, STUPID KANDA!"

"…Eli… ade…" Krory mumbled in his dream sleep.

"Ah, Krorykins said something!"

From all of this, Lenalee was crying. Crying from being overwhelmed, relieved, and happy.

"Thank goodness…" She said over and over, Timcampy wiping her tears all the while.

From another corner of the Musician's room, Rue had faced the wall. One arm was propped against it and she was resting her forehead on her arm, her body shaking.

You're all alive… Even Kanda… It was like a dream to her. A dream that seemed too good to be true, but here they were. Everyone…

At that moment, Daisya's face popped into her head. Though her eyes were not seen, a thin smile crossed on her face.

Thank you for watching over me. But even so, I wish you were still here with us…

oOo

From there, Allen had gone out to meet with Lavi and the others while General Cross, Lenalee, and Rue were still in the Musician's room. Kei had gone out a little after Allen, trying to find a way to meet Komui and report to him as it had been so long since seeing the supervisor. Krory was actually dispatched to the Musician's room by Kanda before he went off again to find Allen, the Romanian Exorcist asleep on the sofa. Lenalee was overseeing him, knowing that he had pushed himself to the limits.

Rue looked on at Krory while she sat on a chair, closing her eyes shortly after, in thought. From his battered state, she knew he fought hard like the rest of them. But it seemed that he had pushed himself too hard, to the point he passed out.

But since Kanda didn't notice her on his way here, much to her relief, Rue felt the need to escape and wander. The feeling was nagging her for a long time. It would be a little more time before the others came back…

That's right… I can't be here when… Rue swallowed hard, flashes of the Ark's destruction coming into mind. Out of everything, his words stuck out to her the most.

"I told you before and I'm telling you again… I'm not your comrade, Marucut. You're only ink and nothing else."

She squeezed her hands into fists.

I… I can't stay here for now. I need to go. Now.

"…I'm going for a walk." Rue said firmly, standing up.

"Rue…" Lenalee said softly, watching as Rue departed out of the room. General Cross watched until she walked out the door, frowning slightly as he did.

She's been acting a little off. Lenalee thought, looking uncertain as her eyes lingered from where Rue left. I really wonder if she's okay.

Turning her attention to Krory, Lenalee mused, "Looks like he really pushed his body to the limit from that last battle. That'll take time to recover from. He's hurt worse than any of us."

"His Innocence transforms his body to grant him power and that's what's saved him." Knowing that he left Innocence in Krory's grandfather's property, thus also knowing that Krory was the accommadator, General Cross had to reassure the female Exorcist in this way. "If you want to wake him up any time soon, he's going to need the proper medical treatment to fix up that body of his."

"Krory… I'm sorry…" She kept her eyes on the sleeping Krory, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You've gotten better at letting your emotions out than you used to be, Lenalee… and damn attractive to boot." Cross observed with a smirk.

"No— I—" Lenalee blurted and blushed, but turned to Cross to make eye contact with a small smile. "…You're almost like a phantom, aren't you, General? How long have you actually been here?"

"Back when you guys were fighting down there below. I was around too, using Maria's ability to conceal myself. Back when you all got swallowed up by the Ark."

General Cross got up and knelt down to Lenalee's level, one hand on her cheek.

"But man… If you were gonna turn out this lovely, you should've done it sooner… that hair of yours was beautiful…"

At those words, Lenalee remembered what Anita had told her, back when Lenalee's hair was longer, before the older woman was killed in action. Even now, she pictured Anita's smile from that time.

"You have such beautiful hair… you mustn't ever lose that to the war, okay?"

With a small smile, Lenalee told General Cross, "Miss Anita… told me exactly the same thing."

Cross's left eye went wide at her words, his chest constricting.

I see… So, Anita…

"Is that so?" A bittersweet smile lit his features. So, she had risked her life out there, after all. "…I told her not to follow me whatever happened, that idiot… The good women are always a little too feisty for their own good…"

"General…"

Such a moment was cut off once they saw Allen, Lavi, and Chaoji with shocked looks. Kanda was harder to read since he was looking away from the pair. Nonetheless, all of them felt something very wrong with this atmosphere.

And the squabbling assumptions… began.

"THAT'S A CRIME, MASTER!" (Allen)

"No, Allen, you got it all wrong!" (Lenalee)

"Honestly…!" (Lavi)

"What's that, idiot apprentice? She's sixteen years old, she's a fine woman now!" (Cross)

"GENERAL!" (Chaoji, perhaps Kanda too)

oOo

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, in the Black Ark…

Things were not going so well.

"Master," Lulubell began, assessing the damage. The "egg" was distorted and in pieces. "It is ruined. The transfer was incomplete; approximately, 80% of the plant's download has been lost. Perhaps this was Cross Marian's goal all along."

"It cost me a lot of money, sweat, and time to build this, you know!" The Millennium Earl shouted, biting into a handkerchief and ripping it up.

"Even though we need to make more Akuma right now, in this situation, it's impossible…"

"There shouldn't have been a piano in there, so why…?! The curse of 'The Fourteenth' lived within that Ark, after all… to those Exorcists… to them…!"

The Earl's aura grew dark and hungry for blood. It had been so long since he had thought of The Fourteenth Noah.

Curse him.

Curse him, even to this day.

This is anger…? Even with her emotionless mask on, she got chills just from looking at the Earl.

"I suppose 'The Fourteenth' must've lent the Exorcists a hand…"

"E-Earl?" Lero shivered, having not seen him in such a mood for a long time.

"It's not fair, that filthy sheep…!"

oOo

Back at the White Ark, Allen had connected the Ark's gate to the both Black Order HQ and the Asian branch, fighting and snarking aside between him, General Cross, and occasionally Kanda. They could now hear familiar voices, such as from Bak, HQ's Science Department, etc.

From the outside, General Tiedoll, Bookman, Marie, Miranda, and Chaoji's comrades saw that the White Ark reappeared. Such a sight built up overpowering emotions in everyone.

A gate opened in front of everyone and Lavi was shouting to them, "Hey, is everyone okay~?"

"Lavi! You're back!" Marie was overcome with emotion, waving.

"You're alive…" Miranda blubbered, new tears falling from her face, Time Record sensing everyone was complete. "The vanished time came back…!"

"Are Kanda and Rue alive as well?!"

"Shut up, Marie!" Kanda growled, not amused on how his unit was worrying over him.

"General, did you hear that?!"

In tears as well, head in his hands, General Tiedoll responded, "Oh… Ask if that child if who is to become my new apprentice is safe too…"

"What's this?!" Bookman snarled, a tear in one of his eyes (which he will never admit, even to Lavi). "It's terrible for my heart!"

Despite his harsh words, and Bookman code aside, he couldn't help but feel.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Lou Hua, one of the Asian branch's scientists, came up to Allen, her infatuation for him going off the charts.

"Comin' through." General Cross used Allen as leverage, slapping his hand on Allen's head, as we manuevered through the crowd. "Oh? Is this your woman, then, Allen?"

"Of course not!" Allen fussed, not liking how his sight was being temporarily blocked. "Ah, Master, where are you going?!"

"I kind of feel like running for it…"

"You mustn't, General!"

The next thing General Cross knew, Lenalee was hugging him from behind, pressing up her body against his back.

"Please, don't go anywhere!" She gave him a pout, using her eyes to convince him to stay.

It worked. Li Kei, Allen, and General Cross all stared at her in shock. Timcampy had a heart on his body. Bak, however, was freaking out in the background.

She's so cute, I can't refuse… Cross continued staring, seeing how tightly she was latching onto him.

I don't want to have to hunt for him again…! In contrast, this was Lenalee's true feelings.

Ah… After the shock, and the jolt in his heart wore off, Allen finally realized what this really meant. So, this is why Lenalee was on the team to hunt down Master.

"Lou Hua? Li Kei?" Shifu tried to call his two comrades back to reality, but the two were apparently in Lala Land.

"I'm Mr. Walker's 'woman'…" Too far gone into lovestruck mode, unfortunately.

"S… Strike!" And one would think only Lavi had this verbal tic.

"LENALEE'S HAIR AND HER PURITY!" The Asian branch's Supervisor cried, still unable to stop himself from freaking out.

"BAK, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Poor Shifu, having to deal with these three on a daily basis.

Eventually, all of Black Order HQ's Exorcists (alongside with the Asian branch scientists) met up with Komui, Kei (who had managed to meet up with the supervisor the moment the gate opened), and the Science Department. All greeted them with smiles.

"WELCOME BACK!"

It was good to be home.

However…

Marie looked around, sensing something amiss. Odd. Kanda made such a loud reply a moment ago, and he had reconfirmed to General Tiedoll that Chaoji was alive, but Rue…

Rue… hasn't responded? But Miranda's Innocence is showing that all lives that have vanished came back.

Where… is she?

"Hey, where's Rue?" Komui asked, concerned.

This caught the attention of Black Order HQ's Exorcists.

"Wait… Rue didn't see you yet, Supervisor?" Kei's nose wrinkled, her eyes round.

"Curious. Marucut hasn't said anything up to now." Bookman mumbled, crossing his arms.

Lenalee put a hand to her mouth, remembering.

"Ah… right… Rue told me she was going for a walk, but never told me why."

"Oh, Rue… where has my youngest child gone?" General Tiedoll sighed, unable to sit still.

"Well, Miranda's Time Record showed all lives." Marie was trying to reassure him.

"Yes. Marie's right, General." Miranda nodded to the older man, looking at her Innocence again. Indeed, while the lifeline of Rue was distant from the others, it was still glowing brightly.

"In that case…" Komui gave a look to Kanda, Allen, Lavi, and Chaoji, smiling as he did. "I think you know what I'm gonna ask."

Kanda sighed, rubbing a hand on his head. Oh, he knew, all right.

"I am going to kill the shorty." Kanda grumbled as he stomped off into the gate, heading back to Black Order HQ. Allen smiled with a small sigh, having the need to tag along, anyway, in case Kanda and Rue would fight. Chaoji looked apprehensive, given how she did punch him in the Ark over his honest opinion about Allen, but Lavi wouldn't let him have it, dragging him along. After all, the two were now teammates, even if Rue was unaware of it.

General Cross watched on, unsure what to feel about the spectacle.

Right, they were referring to the silent Exorcist that was with him, Lenalee, and the unconscious Krory earlier.

That kid… There's a lot of weight on those small shoulders…

It only means one thing.

Lavi, on the other hand, had different thoughts despite his cheerful demeanor.

Rue… is definitely hiding something. I don't know if it's a normal problem she's shouldering, but she's changed since the Ark's destruction.

Rue… what are you holding so close to your heart?

oOo

Rue continued wandering on, her eyes blankly taking in the scenery.

As soon as Ark's gate opened, she found herself in the familiar corridors of the Black Order, so she didn't feel lost.

I'm home. Rue called in her mind, sighing as she kept walking. Yet, it's not the same.

It's not the same at all.

The nostalgia building up pressed a heavy weight on her heart. Everywhere she looked, everywhere she turned, an illusion of Daisya snuck into her mind. All of these memories were embedded wherever she went.

If only… If only I could just see you again. I've been so used to your presence, I just can't undo that. Always messing up my hair, always playing pranks, always trying to make it up to me when I'm mad at you…

I feel lost. I don't know where to go from here.

Especially when Lavi, too, is lost to me. But in a different way.

Such a thought made her eyes grow dark.

She bumped into something hard, which jarred her out of her musings. Snapping out of it, she backed away, seeing that it was General Cross that she bumped into. He was actually on his way to Komui's office.

"Ah… General Cross, was it?" She saluted him, then bowed down immediately after. "I'm sorry. I didn't look where I was going, that was my fault."

"Hey, no need for formalities." General Cross came up to her, locking eyes. "But tell me… you lost someone recently, haven't you? A teammate in your unit, maybe."

Crack.

Was that… her heart breaking, just now?

Rue stepped back, hands over her chest, almost as if she got slapped from such a remark.

"What? I don't understand what you m—"

"You may be hiding it well enough, but you remind me of my idiot apprentice. I saw it in your eyes, especially when you were fighting against the Millennium Earl. And also… when you fought against… Tyki… as I was hiding myself from you guys."

"That's—"

"Don't you understand?" Without thinking, he grabbed her face with both of his hands, not giving her the opportunity to look away. "If you keep walking on the path of revenge, you'll ruin your precious person's memory."

Her eyes widened at this, all protests dying down, the core in her body growing cold.

"That person would want you to keep living, to be happy, even if they are no longer of this world. They wouldn't want you to live your life in revenge, even as an Exorcist. And you already know that you can't fight the Earl and the rest of the Noah with hatred. It won't work out."

Is that… what it is? Rue thought bitterly, feeling herself going far away in mind and spirit. Is that what Daisya would've wanted… for me?

Am I… really taking the wrong path here?

Without realizing it, General Cross let go of Rue's face, only to pull her into an embrace.

"Why…?" Rue's arms were slack, having no strength to hold the older man back or to push him away.

"You've been holding it in for too long." General Cross sighed. "Plus, Komui informed me that you're a woman, despite your appearance, so… If you need to let it go, by all means."

Rue went silent after that, deciding not to talk back anymore. She was still trying to process on what he said.

There wasn't an urge to let it out.

Why?

"AHHH! MASTER, DON'T YOU DARE COMMIT THE SAME CRIME TWICE!" Allen's shouting filled the corridors.

General Cross turned his focus elsewhere, seeing that Allen was flabbergasted and angry. Chaoji looked confused more than anything, most likely due to not being aware of Rue's gender. Kanda had the same reaction as before, when he saw the General and Lenalee in close contact, but he had a darker aura around him. And Lavi…

Lavi wasn't sure on what to think.

"Rue? Are you… all right?" Lavi called out to her tentatively, finding himself unable to approach her again. Rue, however, didn't respond. Rue wasn't responding to anyone, period, having shut herself off in thought and emotion.

Kanda saw it just then. Rue's lack of response towards the stupid rabbit and Lavi trying to mask up his sadness and hurt from the shorty's silence.

Ah geez, how stupid. What the Hell was up with these two this time?

Without knowing why, other than being fueled by his anger, Kanda somehow got Cross out of the way and roughly grabbed Rue's wrist. Only from this did Rue come back to life, her eyes flickering like a lit candle. Only then, she felt the impact of Cross's words and it sent a sharp sting to her chest, like that of the feeling when you thaw your icy hands above a roaring fire.

"Kanda— What the—!" Even if her voice was quiet, her voice was loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.

"Shut up. We're talking somewhere else." Kanda huffed, dragging Rue away with all of his strength. "You idiot shorty, do you really have to be such a pain in the ass?!"

"Kanda, stop pulling on my arm like that! I swear if you don't let me go—!"

"I SAID, SHUT IT!" And just before he left, he gave a hostile glare to the others. "AND NO FOLLOWING, GOT IT?!"

As the pair stormed off (well, one stormed off, the other was being pulled away against her will), the rest of the spectators blinked in surprise.

What just happened?

Chaoji couldn't comprehend it. At all.

"Kanda… wasn't like that to Rue before, was he?" Allen blinked rapidly, unsure if what he saw was real or not. However, he went back to focus on General Cross, scowling, "Master, what did you plan to do to Rue?"

"Nothing you would completely understand, idiot apprentice."

"As if I'll let you off the hook with that!"

Those two… Lavi scowled as his eyes never left the departing pair, the feelings he had before the Ark's destruction coming back at full force. Knowing that Deak was already making alarm bells in his head, he couldn't.

He couldn't just ignore this and let it be anymore. Leaving General Cross, Allen, and Chaoji behind, he had to get to the bottom of this.

Those two… when, and why, do they have such a relationship?

Where, exactly, do they stand?

oOo

Once things settled into absolute silence, Kanda continued to drag Rue until they were able to find a pillar to hide behind. It was only then that Kanda had let go of her wrist.

"You know, I'm already injured as it is. I don't want any more pains." As she calmly said this, her sharp eyes met his. "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, apart from you being a huge pain in the ass since the stupid Supervisor told me to go look for you… Stop spacing out. What the Hell is up with you and the stupid rabbit? Why are you avoiding him? And most importantly, you've been acting really out of it ever since we've been on our way to Edo, so what is up with that?" As emphasis, he glared at her, making sure to "tell" her that he wasn't up on hearing bullshit and lies, even though he knew she was honest. "Go on. Talk, shorty."

Rue went quiet, her thoughts brewing a storm.

How?

How could she even begin…?

"I…" She gulped hard, her hands clenching into fists. She was trying to keep her voice under control, but it was clear that she was struggling to do even just that. "We lost someone… didn't we? For all of this time, I wanted to avenge… him. Even up until now, the emotions haven't died down. It was also why I said I could only rely on you to make me stronger."

He looked at her carefully now, recalling the words she said to him on that day, in the rain, when they were training the Water power of her Innocence.

"You're the only one I can rely on to make me stronger, Kanda. So… Please… Please, make my Innocence stronger. For my sake… as well as… our 'brother's' sake…"

"I tried to fight against his killer, you know? Back when we left you behind to fight Skinn Boric, I met his killer face to face. You know the one. The one who gave you the key."

That took his breath away, all air out of his lungs. So, that Tyki bastard was the one who…!

"But I couldn't do it. No matter how much my Innocence screamed for bloodshed, I couldn't do it. Yet, after witnessing how much more powerful he is than me, how…?" Rue took a shaky breath, her eyes shining. "How am I supposed to fight against him? How am I supposed to take revenge of having our comrade taken away from us? Am I a failure? Am I really an Exorcist? Am I just going to be a burden forever to everyone?"

Her body was trembling now and it was taking all of her willpower to stay composed. Whatever numbness General Cross's words brought her was wearing off.

The pain finally caught up to her at last.

"And I… I feel like I lost that person too. I lost him in a different way. He may be here in the physical world, living and breathing, but…!"

He caught onto who she was talking about now. He knew, even if she didn't state his name outright.

"I've no idea what to do anymore. I'm tired of everything. I don't want to be alone anymore. I can't even trust my own heart anymore because I don't know what to believe. If I had known emotions are painful like this, I wonder if it's worth feeling anything, then. I know you may think I'm weak right now, Kanda, but I can't bear with it anymore…!"

And there they were.

Like rain, tears unwillingly fell from Rue's eyes. She had more than enough strength to suppress her weeping, but she couldn't stop crying afterwards. Out of impulse, she went up to hug Kanda tightly, as if to reassure herself that she didn't need to stay strong anymore. That she had someone to hold onto when she couldn't pick herself right up, when she didn't have any strength left.

Kanda, however, was taken aback and wasn't sure what to do. If it were Lenalee, he would definitely know what to do. After all, it was easy to read her as they were childhood friends. But even if Rue and him were alike, it was hard to read the situation.

But even if he had so many uncertainties about these circumstances…

He found himself embracing her back, pressing her close to him.

And he wasn't sure how or why.

"…Don't say anymore, shorty." Kanda finally spoke up, hesitantly rubbing her back with one hand. "I'll just tell you this: you are strong, more than you give yourself credit for. But… if you feel what you have now isn't enough, you know where to find me."

"…Thank you…"

That stupid rabbit. While not looking at her, Kanda had a hard look in his eyes. What the Hell did you do to hurt the shorty?

Not that it matters. But I will definitely make sure that you'll stay away from her.

oOo

For the life of him, he couldn't fathom what was happening now.

Lavi could barely hear anything from Kanda and Rue's conversation. The only thing he was able to catch was…

"I've no idea what to do anymore. I'm tired of everything. I don't want to be alone anymore. I can't even trust my own heart anymore because I don't know what to believe. If I had known emotions are painful like this, I wonder if it's worth feeling anything, then. I know you may think I'm weak right now, Kanda, but I can't bear with it anymore…!"

All thoughts went blank when he heard Rue crying.

Rue, crying? That wasn't like her at all.

But he knew that it was the most painful, heartbreaking sound he's ever heard.

Lenalee was understandable, yes, because that was how she was.

But Rue? Rue was the type to shoulder things on her own.

What could've caused her to break down at last?

And even stranger still was Kanda. Not only did Kanda get Rue to cry, he was actually reassuring her with physical contact. An embrace, no less.

Could that be what General Cross was trying to do earlier…?

But that wasn't the point. The point was Kanda was hugging Rue back—albeit, reluctantly—and it was such an intimate gesture between these two. And what did she mean when she said all of those things to Kanda…?

Lavi's jaw stiffened and his stomach was churning. Her crying and them being like this burned into his mind so clearly.

This feeling… what was it? He didn't know. All he knew was he didn't like it one bit.

He ducked into a corridor once hearing Komui's voice, but peeked out from the corner. From this point, Kanda and Rue separated themselves from each other, Rue's face was dry. They went out the corridor to meet with Komui. Following behind the supervisor were infirmary staff, who went ahead of him, carrying Marie in a stretcher.

"There you are, Rue! And welcome back. Good job finding her, Kanda." Komui said, greeting them with a smile.

"I'm back and I'm sorry, Sir Komui." Rue saluted him, face blank. "I guess I got lost and didn't realize the Ark's gate lead back into the Black Order. Sorry I didn't notify you immediately."

"Che, I can't believe you gave me such an annoying task, Komui." Kanda scowled, giving him a pointed glare.

"Oh, it's fine! And no, you shouldn't say that, Kanda, or General Tiedoll will get angry!" Komui waved their sentiments off dismissively, smiling wryly. "Anyway, you two need to go to the infirmary. I'll need to go back there, anyway, to check on the other Exorcists."

"Hmph. Fine, I'll go ahead." Kanda sighed, walking alongside with Marie, but not before giving Rue a look. She only nodded in reply, to tell him that she was all right now. And she knew that, as much as he didn't want to admit it, he wanted to check on how the General and Marie were doing, anyway.

From where he stood, Lavi saw that Rue was struggling with her footing, intending to follow her teammates. It was minuscule, but noticeable to his sharp eyesight all the same. It was then that he had chosen to come out of hiding and approach her.

"…You don't look good." Lavi told her, upon seeing her up close. She had trouble with her footing, but only because of how her injuries were. Now, he already knew she got injured because of Tyki. But unless she was hiding it so well, he didn't remember having certain hurts (for example, from the way she was clutching to her side and her other arm's wrist). "How… How did you get your injuries?"

Rue wasn't looking at him. She was looking straight down the Order's halls, still eyeing her teammates. For a moment, he thought she didn't hear him or he was being ignored, but…

He was given an answer, an answer he wasn't prepared for at all.

"…It was you who gave me these injuries, Lavi."

His stomach twisted in knots, his mind short circuited of all possible thoughts and replies.

How was he supposed to respond to that?

This was the last straw for her.

She… already hit her limit. This was far as she could go.

All of my strength… gone… So hot, I can't…

She fell back, closing her eyes, only meeting darkness.

"Rue…?!"

Lavi caught Rue in his arms before she had hit the floor, biting his lip. One hand went to her forehead and she was too hot to his touch. Hotter than before when they were battling in the Ark.

Her fever is coming back…?! Shit, she pushed herself to the limits when she wasn't supposed to!

He re-positioned her, so she was now being carried in his arms, in a princess cradle. Carefully, he tried moving, intending to go to the infirmary, but he felt a wave of dizziness himself.

Ah, I forgot… I have my own injuries… Damn it…

Slowly, he went over to the wall to lean against it, gingerly sitting down to the floor. In spite of his exhaustion, he still made sure to be cautious with carrying Rue. He looked at her worriedly, one of his hands still on her forehead. She was breathing raggedly, beads of perspiration falling down her face.

Coming out of her pocket was Deja, looking as frantic and concerned about her/its mistress. Lavi only gave it a look and she/it flew away.

Hang in there, Rue! We'll definitely get help!

oOo

In the infirmary, Claire Marucut was frowning as the nurses and doctors tended to their patients.

Where was her sister? By now, she should've arrived.

"I'm going out!" She reported to the Head Nurse. "We're still missing a few of the injured."

Once she was out the door, she looked around. It'll be hard to find her, why did this place have to be so big?

"Eh?" As she kept walking, she spotted a flying gray object. "This… is a golem, isn't it? Why is it wandering around in the halls?"

Deja pointed towards a direction with its stubby leg, flying away. Claire ran after her/it, cold sweat running down her back.

I have a bad premonition…

Once Deja stopped, she/it pointed again. And Claire spotted Lavi and Rue immediately.

"Hey…! Are you injured?!" Claire ran up to the pair, then saw her unresponsive sister in his arms. "Ate Rue?!"

Putting her hand onto her older sister's forehead, it reconfirmed the worst. Lavi blinked, taken aback.

Ate? So, this is Rue's younger sister?

"How could she have…? This is bad! Did she overexert herself again?!" Cupping Deja into her hands, she was contacting the infirmary. "Head Nurse, please send help! I need two stretchers because there are two more injured Exorcists! Moreover, injuries aside, my older sister also has a high fever, so please send help ASAP!"

Hitomi: Ate (Ah-teh) = big sister in Filipino

So, there were a few signs that told me to continue writing Unravel. And they were…

1) The manga coming out of hiatus last year.

2) The fact that we're getting a new anime season for DGM later this year. And lastly…

3) The recent manga chapter. Which basically heavily implied that it will be a Lavi/Bookman arc coming up next since *spoilers* it was noted that Bookman was dying and Lavi is no longer able to be his successor (the reason why has yet to be known). *end spoilers* I'll need to adjust accordingly, then, since it's come down to that for those two.

Nonetheless, I'll still write Unravel. I can't promise you on how frequently I'll update, given that I still need to get my life together, but…

Please understand and continue to give your support.

Thank you very much.