Blanket Disclaimer- I do not own D. Gray-man.

Eater Of Souls; Chapter One "Something's Breaking"

Near the Asia Branch of the Black Order

Allen Walker was the most interesting exorcist Tyki had ever killed. Normally, the whole grabbing-the-beating-heart thing scared exorcists so bad they'd be begging for mercy. Walker didn't even look slightly scared.

His eyes were sad, at least. There was a level of emotion there that Tyki had seen in many others. It was a dead resignation to fate. He lay there, in the dirt and bamboo leaves, surrounded by darkness.

"Eh, you're no fun," Tyki said, withdrawing his hand from the boy's chest. As he was doing that, however, his fingers brushed an organ that didn't feel like an organ.

"What's this? Doesn't feel like a lung..." Even if it was just a hard piece of rib he was touching, it would be fun to mess with exorcist, to see if he would crack. Allen's eyes went a little wider, but he tried to keep his poker face on.

"Timcampy, take Suman's Innocence, and run. Go now." The little golem swallowed the glowing stuff, zipping away. "Just kill me, Tyki Mikk. You're going to destroy my Innocence, I'll have no reason to live. I don't think there's much you could do to scare me."

Tyki felt around the guts of the exorcist, finding what he had felt before. His brow furrowed. "No, seriously, boy, tell me. What on earth is in your chest?"

"I have no idea."

Tyki yanked his hand out, holding the thing he had found. Blood flew everywhere, from the exorcist's chest, and mouth. Tyki ignored his coughing, examining the thing. Allen Walker was going to die anyway, it didn't matter how. He could destroy that arm later.

It made his fingers burn as he held it. It was a white crystal, glowing, drops of Walker's blood sliding down it. It was the size of an eye, but not in any specific shape.

It was Innocence.

"How interesting, Walker. It appears you have.." The words died in his throat as he took note of the supposedly dying exorcist. Allen Walker's aura was vibrating, the air around him thrumming. His eyes were wide, not the blue they were before, but swirling shades of red and black. "What the he-" Tyki said, but a huge wave of energy pulsed outward, knocking him into the trees behind them. Walker groaned.

"What did you pull out of me?" the white-haire exorcist slurred, trying to stand. His face was changing. The star above his left eye was sliding across his forehead, stopping in the middle of it. His eyes had stopped swirling to become a constant variation of red and yellow, the whites a solid black.

The form was so familiar to Tyki. Things with similar color and aura also worked for him and his master. He was alongside them everyday. Yet, seeing one like that... It filled Tyki with something akin to fear.

Allen Walker looked like an Akuma.

Tyki Mikk looked over at the shard of Innocence that he had dropped. What was going on? Another wave of energy pulsed out, making them both fall down again. Walker was on all fours, breathing hard and dripping blood. The energy made Tyki weak. A piercing headache was starting, and he knew something had gone wrong, something he couldn't control.

As if responding to his acceptation of the situation, an arc doorway appeared underneath him. He fell through it. His last view of Allen Walker was of the exorcist's now-pointed teeth and scared expression.

Something's gone wrong, something's gone wrong-

It hurt Allen, so bad, so insanely bad. It felt like every bone in his body was stretching, like every cell was being twisted into something it shouldn't be. His vision warped, then cleared, then was cloudy again.

Somebody help me, Allen thought. Anybody. The Noah that was going to kill him had left, and he had no idea where Lenalee and Lavi were.

Allen? What's going on?

There was another voice in his head.

"Help me," Allen cried aloud. Tears fell from his eyes.

What's wrong? Am I awake? I must be-

Another wave of pain hit Allen, and he collapsed back down to the forest floor, on his stomach, one arm awkwardly beneath him.

Stars, what was that? That hurt!

Help me, please, Allen though. He had no idea who the voice was. It could've been his own pain-addled mind.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments. Allen, take a few breaths. I know it hurts. It'll stop soon if you calm down.

Allen took in a raggedy breath, still coughing up blood. The blood tasted different. It wasn't as coppery as normal blood was, and was thick on his tongue. What's happening? I don't understand.

Didn't somebody remove the Innocence shard from your chest? You're turning back into an akuma.

An akuma?! Allen's heart raced even faster.

Why is that surprising? Ugh, forget it, just let me take a look at your memories. I need to know how long I've been asleep. Allen felt nothing in his head, but the owner of the voice was doing something, because it fell silent.

...You don't remember anything. The voice came back sounding irritated as heck.

Don't remember what?

Anything. Anything important, like, oh, lets say, from thirty-five years ago? Or what you are? Or what you agreed to? Stars, Allen, what happened, you idiot?

I wasn't born thirty-five years- A bigger wave of pain radiated out from his abdomen, and Allen cried out, curling into a ball. Black blood was everywhere.

Okay, okay, Allen? You need to listen, and do as I say. Don't question anything. I'm not lying.

O-Okay...

You are a level five akuma. That thing that my dear brother pulled out, that was a shard of Innocence keeping you in your human body. Since it got taken out, your body has just reverted back to its akuma body, still in a human form. Your Innocence arm should be able to keep you mainly as a human.

Wh-

Shut up! Don't say anything. Thirty-five years ago, you were my friend, and agreed to give me a body, after I died, which I did. A month before my memory was implanted in you, your akuma soul got sucked into a human body without a soul, and you gained a conscience, and a fully human form, not just a human skin. The Earl wanted to kill you, so you went on the run with me. I don't know what happened to you afterwards, those memories are blocked. Any questions?

I- I'm a-a level five akuma?

The only one ever evolved.

Allen was hyperventilating again. His breath came in short bursts, eyes wide. Although he couldn't see it himself, his face was that of an akuma's, with a red pentagram in the middle of his forehead.

Darn it Allen, calm down! Your exorcist friends are going to be coming back, you need to get control. Focus on what you want to protect.

I- I'm- a-an akuma, Allen repeated. How could he protect humanity if he was the very thing that killed it? How could he protect akuma-kind if he was one, and couldn't even protect himself?

What do you care about most, Allen? Judging from your memories, I'd have to say it's your friends.

That was right. He loved his friends dearly. Allen would die for his friends.

You would do anything to protect them, right? Become anything?

Yes, Allen would. Allen would do anything.

Well, right now, you need to be in human form to protect your friends.

Human form. Allen focused on an image of himself, surrounded by those he loved. A human self. Slowly, the pain in his body lessened. His blood still tasted like oil, and the Innocence on his left arm still burned a little where it met his skin, but he felt human.

I'm not bleeding anymore, Allen thought, pressing a hand to his abdomen. The wound was gone.

You're an akuma. Wounds not from Innocence don't usually hurt. The voice chuckled. Unless you're being eaten by another akuma. I assume that hurts.

Allen slowly stood up, legs shaky. Who are you? You said I was your friend.

I'm Neah, the fourteenth Noah. I'm Mana's brother, and was your best friend, many years ago.

All around Allen, there was darkness. He started walking in the direction that he supposed the harbor was. Suman was already dead, and for some reason, he couldn't seem to care. Apparently Neah was a Noah. He couldn't really force himself to care about that, either. There was something dead inside of him.

Stop walking, Allen. You forgot something.

What?

See that shard of Innocence Tyki pulled out of you? Go pick it up.

Allen saw it. He picked it up, fingering it. It doesn't hurt me, to touch it. Doesn't Innocence hurt akuma?

You're partly human, and that Innocence is used to you. It knows your purpose. Same with the Innocence on your arm. Unless you become a full-fledged akuma, your own Innocence won't hurt you.

Allen put the piece of Innocence in his pocket, and resumed walking. He felt so... dead inside. The shock of what Neah had told him hadn't hit him yet. Allen was just tired, and sick of being in pain.

Why do I need this piece?

Because it's what kept you human for thirty-five years. If you really lose control, it'll help keep the monster down.

"Who are you, boy?"

"Eh?" Allen looked up, meeting the eyes of a strange robot-woman. He put on a half-smile. She didn't have the souls of an akuma. "I'm Allen Walker, an exorcist. Do you know where my friends are?"

"The other ones? They're looking for you, coming this way." The woman looked him up and down. "What happened to you?"

"A bunch of akuma attacked me, their blood's all over me," Allen said, thinking fast.

"Oh. It looks like you're fine. Still got your Innocence and all, so I need to get back to the Order."

"Are you a member of the Asia Branch?" Allen asked, following her as she began walking.

"I'm the guardian of it."

"Oh! Wow, that's great." Allen felt awkward, and stupid. Maybe his lack of a good conversation skill was due to him being a demon.

The thought made him hurt. I'm a demon, Allen said to himself. I'm a monster.

Something in his soul was breaking, and he didn't know if it would ever be fixed.

"Allen!" two voices ahead of them cried. Allen's heart leapt.

"Lenalee! Lavi!" He ran to the two teenagers, grabbing both of them and pulling them into a tight hug. For a few seconds, he breathed into their shoulders, not talking. Just breathing. It doesn't matter if I'm a demon. I will protect my friends.

"A-Allen? Are you alright?" Lavi pulled away gently, looking him up and down. "You're covered in blood!"

"It's akuma blood. Not mine." Allen smiled. He wasn't going to cry. Demons didn't cry in front of those they loved.

"You still have your Innocence!" Lenalee said, grabbing his hand. Allen winced, remembering what had happened when he had tried to save Suman. Strangely, though, his arm appeared to be fine. It wasn't the pitch black color it had been before, but a simple red.

"Yeah, the Noah disappeared. I don't know what happened. One minute, he was about to rip out my heart, and next, he was gone." Allen was lying through his teeth.

So these are the friends you would protect, Neah said in his mind. The girl's hot.

Shut up, Neah. She's a friend. Lavi, the redhead, is a Bookman.

That's interesting. A bookman. So they're on your side now? They used to fight with the Noah.

Oh.

You don't sound angry.

How can I judge them, when I myself am nothing more than a walking hypocrite? I mean, I'm an exorcist akuma.

"You guys know how to get back to the harbor?" the Asia Branch guardian asked them. Lavi nodded.

"I'm going to go back, then. It was nice meeting you, boy." The woman waved to him, and then disappeared.

"That was the guardian of the Asia Branch," Allen explained, when Lavi and Lenalee looked at him. "She just came to check on what was happening, I think." He smiled at them both. It was good to see that they hadn't been too badly hurt in the fight.

-Bzzz-"Do you read me, Lavi?"-Bzz-

"What is it?" Lavi said, grabbing his golem.

-Bzzz-"Come back to the harbor. An emissary has arrived." -Bzz-

"Let's get back to the harbor, then," Lavi said, lifting his hammer. The handle stretched, Lenalee and Allen stepping on.

"I hate doing this," Allen said, bending down and grabbing the handle, just as Lavi made it grow. His stomach didn't have butterflies, strangely. Normally he always got nauseous.

I guess level five akuma don't get motion sickness.

Wong stood patiently, waiting for the last three exorcists to arrive. The rest of the group around him looked exhausted. Hopefully, Miranda Lotto could help them boost their spirits.

A sound reached all their ears, and they looked up to see three more exorcists arriving, via hammer handle. Wong didn't blink. It wasn't the most outlandish thing he had ever seen. One of the exorcists did catch his eye, however. It was the white-haired one. He had a large scar running down the right side of his face. Above his eyebrow, a pentagram was engraved. Much like an akuma.

"You're from the Asia Branch," the girl exorcist said. Wong pushed back his hood.

"Yes, I am. The Branch Director sent me to make sure everything is alright, before you set off again."

"How are we supposed to use the ship? It got destroyed in last night's battle," the red-haired one said, gesturing towards the vessel. Wong smiled.

"You have a new exorcist arriving from headquarters." He gestured towards the ship, where they all noticed the woman. "Miranda Lotto."

One hour later

The ship was sailing comfortably along. Allen was beneath deck, looking at the tiny room he, Lavi, Krory, and Bookman would be sharing. It wasn't that bad. At the moment, Allen was laying across his cot. He had gotten the bottom bunk, in the coin toss with Krory, and didn't mind. He needed to think. There was no one else in the tiny room, and the light was off. Just him and the darkness.

It had been interesting to see how much Miranda had changed. Her Innocence was quite powerful. Allen was glad that they would be able to continue on their mission. He had quite a few questions for his old master Cross.

Neah?

Yeah?

How come the Dark Matter inside of me doesn't destroy the Innocence?

Because your human body is acting as a buffer, and because they both sense your purpose. To protect your friends. Dark Matter and Innocence have minds of their own, and agendas of their own. They understand that, to gain their goals, using you would be better than destroying you.

That makes sense. Allen flipped around, so his back was to the room, looking at the wooden boards that made up the wall. How old am I?

About fifty years.

That's pretty old.

I would show you your own memories, but they're not in your mind. It's like they've been destroyed.

Do you know anything else about me?

You told me once about how you started out, as an akuma. It was quite interesting. Want to hear?

Sure.

Allen felt his mind being pulled into Neah's memory, and let it happen.

Neah sits across from an akuma. The akuma is in the shape of a human, but with a few differences.

A giant red pentagram is in the middle of his forehead, marking him as an akuma. His eyes are black, the pupils red and yellow. There are two black lines going from his eyes down to his chin, like teardrops. His hair is the brightest crimson, spilled blood. There are two small horns jutting from either side of his head.

"You're going to tell me, Red?" Neah asks. The akuma, Red, nods. He smiles.

"It's pretty exciting." Red's voice is that of a human's. "I was first made from the soul of the best gambler in Europe, called by the gambler's daughter after her daddy was killed in a shootout."

"That's why you play cards so well," Neah laughs. "Only Adam can beat you."

Red grins, his teeth are pointed. All of them. "I was a dumb level one for about a year, until I ate some of my fellow akuma. I eventually matured to a level two. That's when I gained my wonderful personality."

"Wonderful, my butt. Did you have any special skills, like you do now?"

"Being able to eat whatever I want is not a special skill. But, yes, I suppose, I did prefer to eat whatever I got my hands on, even back then. I quickly went into a level three."

"I think I met you once as a level three," Neah says, leaning forward in his chair. "You were the darn sassiest level three I ever met."

"I almost got destroyed by Sweets because I refused to bring him the sugar jar. He didn't kill me, thank goodness." Red leans back in his chair, looking at the ceiling of the room they are in. "Somehow, four years later, I made it to level four. I hated being a level four. I felt like such a creep."

"They do look creepy," Neah says. "All white and pregnant-looking. How did you become a level five? That's what I'm really wondering. No other akuma has ever done that."

Red falls silent, eyes shadowed. "I don't know."

"Don't know or don't want to say?"

"Both."

There's an awkward silence between the two, Red looking lost, and Neah looking unsure.

"Well, all I know is that your personality only got stronger as you got more powerful. You're my favorite akuma, Red, and my best friend. Come on." Neah stands up, putting a hand on the akuma's shoulder. "Let's go tease Mana."

Allen gasped for breath, feeling like he just woke up from a long dream. The room was still dark. Neah, was that me? That akuma talking.

Yep! That was you as a pure level five. You looked pretty cool, right?

I was called Red as a child too.

Only Road, Mana, and I called you Red. The rest of the Noah called you "Eater."

Allen got off the bed, heading for the bathroom. "Gotta go pee." He didn't want to think about why anything would be referred to as "Eater." A few minutes, he was washing his hands, when he glanced into the mirror. His heart nearly stopped. His face was the same, nothing was different, except-

A chain was floating above Allen, connecting him to a mass of souls. It was the same thing as when he looked at an akuma. The souls weren't just staying above him, they were coming down and standing around him. One put its pale hands on his shoulder, resting its head there, blood dripping from its eyes. Another wrapped its arms around his neck. They were writhing, countless faces and hands and bodies and screams-

Allen barely made it back to the toilet, flipping up the seat and vomiting. He gagged over it for some time, even when there was nothing left. What he had seen was burned into his eyes.

"H-How m-many souls d-did I-" Allen said, not finishing.

You were the best soldier in Adam's akuma army, Red. You were like a fifteenth Noah, if there was one.

"How many?" the white-haired akuma asked, wiping his mouth.

Over five hundred. You ate over five hundred souls.

Allen slid down the wall of the bathroom. There were tears running down his face. I've done more killing than saving. Stars, how can I call myself their friend? How can I live?

That doesn't matter, Allen. What matters is that you will save them. You will save all your friends, no matter the cost.

Thanks, Neah, Allen thought. I remember. I'll save them. He stood up, splashing water on his face, preparing to go out again. "I've got to avoid mirrors in the future." When he left the bathroom adjourning his small room, he noticed Lavi and Bookman. "Oh, hey, Lavi. Bookman."

"Wanna go eat dinner, Allen? Lenalee and the rest are already eating." Lavi hooked a thumb towards the door.

"Sure," Allen said, smiling as best he could. You're made from the soul of a top gambler, put on your best poker face, demon.

No, he wouldn't fix himself. Nothing would fix him. Nobody wanted to fix a demon.

Thanks for reading!