So a little later than expected, but things that I won't bore you with the details about happened and I revamped the entire chapter. I kept certain parts of the old skeleton so some of you might recognize, but most of it has been completely rewritten, changed, and expanded upon. It's also a fair bit longer than the first one. I have included bracketed numbers like "[1]" after certain terms or concepts that may not be very well known or I felt needed some expansion upon. The descriptions are at the end of the chapter. I hope this story is enjoyed by some now that it is being written to a much more serious extent than the original, but remember to let me know what you think. I want to know your honest thoughts about this. Also, ignore the chapter title. It's from the first one and I was too lazy to come up with a more appropriate one. It's kinda where the chapter ends, anyway. Regardless, the first actual chapter of 100 Years Later (Even though it's been a lot longer than, nearly 50% longer).

Chapter 1: Invitation

From the year 1939 until 1945 there was a war that engulfed all of Europe and extended out to include other countries from around the world. In this time, air raids could begin overhead without warning, not discluding London. From early September until early November, the city was bombed for 56 of 57 consecutive nights. The Blitz continued until May of the next year, killing thousands and destroying over a million buildings. On the night of 29 December, 1940, one such bombing occurred on the City of London [1] itself, made worse that it was the night after a new moon. It was an act of terror on the center of the city and was the cause of the Second Great Fire of London, which was even more destructive than the first from 1666. The firestorm raged on longer and stronger due to the strategic timing of the low tide of the River Thames to make water less easily accessible in a timely fashion needed to help quell the angry flames licking away at the city. Sometime before the bombing began around 18.30 (6:30 PM; nearly two and a half hours after sunset and just twelve minutes before nautical twilight), a young adult dressed appropriately for commuting from work was walking the streets. He wore his neutral dark business suit rather than the colorful zoot suit he had stylishly worn in the decade before; his shoes were a black leather brogue that he noticed much fewer people were wearing; being December and thus rather cold, he also wore his wool overcoat and his new leather gloves to keep warm; and of course he wore his new favorite fedora he had just bought- it was useful in holding up his long hair (almost but not quite as long as a certain samurai) by stuffing it inside and making it appear like a more typical men's cut as well as helping put cover over his youthful and feminine face- he didn't want to be called out as an Ethel [2]. He was not as concerned over his scar as he had been a century ago as with the passing of its excessive use and his immortality, it slowly began to heal and fade. It was still there, but it wasn't as prevalent, as angry red as it had been. Now it was a pale red and looked more like an old scar than the cursed tattoo of a scar it had once been.

'Hey, Neah, doesn't it seem a bit…quieter than usual? I know a lot can change in a few years and that people have been moving out into the main of the city, but this is the City of London. Shouldn't there be more people out? More activity? Even the Music… it is fearful and wary,' the youth thought.

Surprisingly, despite being a thought in his head, there was a response, also in his head but not his own voice. 'How long has it been since we've been in Europe, Allen dear? Maybe something big happened. Remember that big war 20 years ago? That seemed to come out of nowhere, too. All those secret alliances. Or maybe there's a curfew in place because of murders. There could be Akuma lurking about and we haven't been informed yet. Society is really pushing for scientific explanations nowadays, after all.'

'That's true… It has been nearly half a decade since we were last on this continent. Most of the requests have been in and around Oceania lately. Must be a bad case if they're this cautious, though… No, it still seems a bit too strange. There were other people even up until an hour ago, but the streets are nearly empty now. There ought to be some people about. The Underground doesn't care about murders. Street rats, dealers, not ponce or pooter [3], no mafia; there's no one but a few. Even the soup [4] is different…'

'… It's not just the streets… Listen,' the voice in the youth's, Allen's, head instructed.

'I am! It doesn't sound… No, it's not that…' the youth began looking about as he noticed there were no lights in any of the buildings and that many of the buildings were either empty or destroyed. At first, he had attributed the destruction to mass reconstruction, but it was too much to happening all at once. He began to truly listen, trying to hear where everyone was at. 'This is no mere murder spree. It's more like terrorism. These buildings were blown to bits and the people are hiding underground… The tube [5]? With that many people, one'd think it was a celebration, but… and the explosions… they seem too random and many for a single group to plant without drawing attention to stop them… It almost seems as though God himself were striking down on the city, but God doesn't… It's not Akuma, either…' the youth went into deep thought.

'What about those aero planes they used in that big war? Surely they could have been improved by now. Maybe they dropping bombs as they fly by?' Neah theorized.

'Well, yes. It's possible, but they just had that war of wars! They even called it "The War to End All Wars", who would dare have another so soon?' he protested angrily.

'Allen, calm down. They are human. It's in their nature… But I could be wrong,' he tried calming down his friend. 'Is there a newspaper? Something this big should be covered in the news, be it reconstruction or destruction.'

Having calmed down a bit, the boy nodded and continued on, looking for a newspaper stand. There weren't any boys around to sell them, after all. It was nearly dark by the time he found one. He was getting more annoyed by the moment from a humming sound in the distance that only he could make out. He cursed his hearing as the Musician. It was only good for irritating him at times like these. His eyes widened as he unfurled the paper and read the headlines. He couldn't bring himself to read any of the articles. Neah had been right. Air raids- bombings by plane. They've been executed mostly at night and consistently for a while it seems.

'Allen, I'm…'

He was unable to complete his thought as siren blared out around them. Allen clutched his ears in pain, trying to muffle the sound. The humming had encroached upon them faster than they had realized. The Luftwaffe [6] had arrived. Not long after, explosions erupted all around, tossing rubble and debris about. The few people left on the streets suddenly were not. Some scurried into the tube if they could, others took cover in abandoned buildings, and a few stared up at the sky in fear, overcome and unable to move anymore. Although he lacked the fear of death, Allen too stared up in horror at the metal birds that set all aflame. Amidst it all, he could hear the death and the screams and the terror and the cries and the pain... He heard everything around him and he watched as it burned and broke. He felt something inside of him… burn and break. 'Humans… Damn these humans… After everything… Even now… They just don't learn… They must love death… they must love destruction. They want it. They act all scared, but they just want to die. Every… last… one… of… them…'

'Allen! You need to move,' Neah tried getting his attention. He knew what would happen if he continued to watch the scene unfold, but he could not break through the barrier that now blocked off Allen's mind. He could hear the gears turning, but he could no longer interfere. So he called out in hopes that someone would be listening. That the connection would get through. 'Please. Someone help him. Someone help Allen! Stop him before he does something he regrets.'

The corners of the lips on the youthful face curled up in a maddening grin. "They deserve it, right? It's just granting their wishes, right?" He was laughing in sorrow and bliss, tossing his head back and thus his beloved hat off into the wind, releasing his long white locks. "Come to me! Death! And Destruction! No, let me partake!"

A black cowl appeared over his shoulder, intricate mask falling over his eyes and left arm transforming into a clawed gauntlet [7]. With a crazed look in his once-gentle eyes, he leapt up top of the buildings and leered hungrily at the metal birds wreaking havoc. He could resist no more, his instincts coercing him to greet the planes.

In a white room in a white city, there sat a white teen on a white couch. He had been dozing off to stave off his boredom. The most interesting member of his group had wandered off earlier to see what was happening in his home town after not having visited in nearly a decade. He was enjoying his dream until he heard a cry for help. It wasn't the interesting member, so he almost shook it off. But it was a cry for help not from that member but for that member. Something was happening and the little homunculus [8] could not stop it anymore. He requires outside- physical- help. The distress felt by the wandering member rushed through him and he wasted no more time dilly dallying. He called out to the others. "It's Allen. He's in trouble. Prepare for a fight." The five others who had gathered nodded and took off with gear in hand.

Try as he might, all Neah was able to do was watch as Allen jumped and vaulted, chasing up after the planes, getting closer and closer. He prayed that someone heeded his warning, that someone was coming that could help, but they couldn't get here fast enough. It all happened so fast and he didn't think it would happen so quickly. After so long without witnesses the horrors of war- of war between humans- they had all forgotten what it was like to experience human darkness and human nature at its core. This is what humans really were.

Even when they fought in the Holy War, they weren't really fighting humans most of the time. The majority of the enemy was the Akuma. The Noah and the Earl were human, but they had become monsters. Not all the Noah were monsters, but those ones had left the Earl's side by then. The Earl had once been human, but he was overcome with madness and refused to be human. He hated humans. He was consumed by his hatred for humans and for the man he once was. For the man named Mana, the brother of his beloved Neah. He killed his own existence as Mana and became Adam, the father of the Noah, to forget his pain and sorrow. He sowed sorrow to forget his own; so others could experience his own pain. There was no more salvation other than death for the one once called father, friend, and brother. The Noah that remained with him until the end followed him into his descent, albeit slower than he. Others like Lulubell followed him blindly, never questioning him and risking their lives to please him. There was no safe way of letting them live, not even after the Earl died.

No longer could Allen be held back or hindered by Neah; he had long since surpassed his best friend and surrogate uncle in strength. Using Clown Belt, he vaulted far above the tallest buildings and flew through the chilled winter air, the heat of the firestorm below lifting him higher until he reached the death machines, landing on the cockpit of the first one he could. He found so much glee in watching the startled reaction and terrified face of the pilot seeing his appearance. He just wished he could fully witness it. Due to the darkness and the pilot's outfit, not much of the face was actually visible. Allen felt more than he saw the horror of the aviator as he pierced through the glass with his claw and tore it away. Clown Belt squeezed the wings until the metal gave and distorted.

The plane could not hold itself in the air and the pilot would not make the flight back with no shielding. With this realization and the fact that the monster in front of him could turn its attention back to him at any moment, the pilot came to a decision. As soon as the feral yellow glint turned his way, the pilot ejected, launching himself out of the plane and opening his parachute. He nearly wet himself as the beast passed by on the falling plane, cackling away. It was not concerned with the plane crashing, as if it did not fear death or injury. The pilot was afraid that the creature might try to come after him still, so he didn't move and held his breath until the beast disappeared in a blur. He released his breath when it didn't land on his person, but still cried a bit as the plane exploded below. If he survives, he will likely be a prisoner of war and not see his family for a long time, if ever. Not long after, he saw another plane go down and then another and another. Looking up, he saw the white of other parachutes. The monster was jumping from plane to plane, destroying them and forcing the other pilots to abandon their birds. Not all of them were quite as unscathed as he was, though. Some of them, the ones who were braver than he, had tried to fend off the beast and in turn got torn themselves. They still lived, but they wouldn't for long with wounds like those if they went untreated. They had no medics and all the doctors had either fled town or taken shelter. They would not treat enemy soldiers who were just bombing them moments before. Those soldiers would likely die by the end of the long night, but that is what it means to be a soldier. They were prepared to die for their cause, even if they weren't. Many planes had fallen that night, mysteriously lost to the flames and the Thames. The soldiers never told of what happened, wanting to forget the monochromatic monster with the yellow eyes [9].

Not that he was counting, but after having taken out nearly a dozen planes, Allen felt a stronger entity approaching, or rather several strong entities that together were stronger. Normally he would think of a strategy or resort to a strategic withdrawal, but his mind was not in its right place. It might not even be fair to continue to refer to him as Allen. Rather it was a feral beast with only death and destruction and havoc on its mind. It rode the plane down on its descent until it passed a building, hopping over to greet its new toys. It tilted its head when three approached it from the front, two from either side, and one from the back. It knew all their positions and movements, what else mattered. "Have you come to play with me? Will you be my new toys? Huh? These birds are no fun. They break so easily. They leak so much. Hey, would you Die For Me!" It launched itself at the only one with a drawn weapon and clashed.

It hadn't been too difficult to find Allen. Neah was able to speak directly to Wisely once they exited the Ark and all they had to look for were the falling metal birds. Thanks to Neah, they knew to an extent what to expect and were able to come up with a plan to quell their rampaging leader, but seeing the normally peaceful and polite boy in a black tinted version of his once white and awe inspiring Innocence wreaking destruction in his wake and laughing all the while was still beyond what they could have prepared themselves for. He reminded them of the Millennium Earl they fought so hard to defeat and that dug up some bitter feelings from them. They wanted to try to talk to him first, but seeing him as he is they realized there were no words that could get through to him. Especially after he began to talk, saying what he did, "Have you come to play with me? Will you be my new toys? Huh? These birds are no fun. They break so easily. They leak so much. Hey, would you Die For Me!" [10]

By the time 'Allen' had launched forward, Kanda had already drawn Mugen. He would initiate a fight, switching off with Tyki and Lavi as needed as Wisely and Road entered his mind to throw him off and hinder him. The battle was well-fought but Allen, although using power alone, was overpowering them and their injuries began to pile up. Though they healed much faster and wouldn't die from such wounds, they weren't impervious to pain and fatigue. Allen's episode of insanity seems to have disabled any pain receptors, making him that much more difficult to pin down- luckily this Allen was not able to utilize the full extent of his body's flexibility. But this was all a part of the plan; they knew they could not take on Allen as they were. There was another behind Allen since the beginning- the one he ignored as he knew his positioning. What he didn't know was that the one behind him is the one know as Link, or the one with the seals that if used correctly could seal the movements and powers of an Innocence and or Dark Matter user if caught off guard. In the heat of battle and with the distractions in his subconscious, 'Allen' had not been paying attention to the minute movements of the blond behind him. He didn't register the danger of the seemingly powerless one until the seals were wrapping around his person, sealing his powers, his movements, and his consciousness.

Taking the opening, Kanda and Tyki pinned their struggling leader to ground as he cried out, "Let me go! Let me go! Those detestable humans; I hate them. I'll kill them all. I'll kill all the ungrateful wretches. Those worms are begging me to die. I must! Destroy them all, death to all! I have… to kill… to… to… to… my hat…"

The black form faded away and the boy fell into oblivion. Link did not immediately release him from the bonds. He waited until he was certain that he was unconscious to even lower his stance from full alert. "Wisely, are you still in contact with Neah?" The taller white-haired male closed his eyes in concentration for a moment, calling out for the non-corporeal member of the group. He nodded. "What happened? Why did Allen become… that?"

Wisely spoke slowly as he relayed the other's speech, "The Germans are bombing the city with planes. They've been doing it for a few months now and Allen didn't react well to the revelation, especially when they started again… We've all been so separated from human conflict for so long that we've forgotten what they can do. I… Neah tried to stop Allen from rampaging, but by the time… he realized what was happening, it was already too late. Allen began to revert to a mix of his mindset as Red and that of… the Millennium Earl's hatred, which he has inherited as the last remaining successor to the title. Listening and being spectator to the destruction before us now… he was overcome… All the fear and death was feed to the fire kindled deep down, the one he had suppressed; the one that was born from my… Neah's other half- the part of him that had once been half of the Millennium Earl."

Kanda walked over and knelt down beside his Moyashi, brushing the loose hairs out of his face. His fingers came away wet, he noticed. "Moyashi… He was crying the whole time."

"A part of him might have still been aware of what he was doing," Tyki mentioned. "When Shounen fought me in the Ark that time, with his Sword of Exorcism, I was overtaken by my Noah genes as well. While I hadn't been in full control of my body, I was still aware to a certain extent. I had a general idea of what I was doing. He would be devastated when he wakes, especially if he… Neah, did Allen kill anyone?"

"… Not directly, but he injured several of the pilots. Some will have died by the night's end due to untreated injury; they might live a little longer by cauterizing their wounds with all the heat of these fires, however." None of them reacted, afraid of what would happen if Allen found out he caused the death of a human. He always fought for humans with his right hand; that was part of his vow during the War. "Do not concern yourselves over the death of the humans. This wouldn't be the first time Allen killed…" Even Wisely was surprised by this. "What?"

"The hell are you…?"

"Eh, ah, right. Neah says… Allen wasn't nearly as fond of humans as he let on," he continued relaying.

"We knew that already, you bastard!" Kanda yelled out.

"When did Allen first kill; why did he kill?" Lavi asked.

Wisely sighed, "He says he was getting to that. Neither he nor Allen remembers an exception amount of the time before Neah's death, but they have been slowly recalling throughout the years. One of the things they remembered was a time where they both killed. They don't know… if the times they remember were the first, but they have both been responsible for the deaths of others… They apparently were often challenged to duels to the death. Oh, I see, they were quite good at it. Hm? What's with the tiny sticks? Ow!" Wisely clutched at his head in pain. Apparently Neah didn't like him peeking in at a certain memory that was being recollected. "They were no stranger to duels, but they also fended off bandits and thieves on their travels… Even after Allen regressed into Red… He killed so he could live. Hm, I remember similar circumstances myself from when I was still human, but I never killed. I was a part of a group so we worked together to stay alive. Red was always alone, though. I see."

"So he was an even better actor than I gave him credit for… What was with his martyr complex, then?" Tyki wondered aloud as he puffed out smoke from his cigarette.

"Allen understands very well the weight of a human life. He is not afraid to kill, but he doesn't like killing without a good reason… He made a vow… to stop Mana and prevent him from destroying the humans he once held… dear… Mana… the Millennium Earl… he once loved humans more anything else; he wanted to save them. When he gave up his identity as Mana and turned into the Earl… Allen vowed to save the humans his friend had once loved, even if it cost him his own… It wasn't the humans he wanted to save; it was Mana. He wanted to save Mana from himself, from destroying what he once held dear to him. Allen only strove to save the humans threatened by the Millennium Earl."

The two exorcists stared in shock at the unconscious boy on the roof. "So it wasn't that he wanted to save others, it was that he wanted to protect what was once precious to his friend," Lavi repeated. "When did he remember?"

"It was one of the first things after his breakdown following his deal with the Earl… Oh, he didn't remember all the details, but he remembered that he wanted to… keep Mana's memory alive, per say. It came back to him in parts as he experienced a new life and as Neah told stories of his life before the regression; what he could still recall well enough to tell stories about. Neah's memories were affected nearly as much as Allen's, though he recovered a great many more upon his awakening than Allen had. That's also why Allen adopted Mana's personality- he wanted to try and understand his love for humanity," he continued. "That explains why I always thought it off whenever I read his mind... His obsession always seemed like it was not quite as he claimed."

"Wisely, how's Road coming along? We shouldn't dawdle here much longer; the bombs are still coming and the fire is getting a little close for comfort- it might burn off the seals," Link spoke up.

Wisely began to concentrate again, trying to locate Road from inside Allen's dreamscape. "Yes, she's found him. He seems to have calmed down now, but he and Neah both say to keep the seals on, just in case. They still think we should leave- return home. Someone will have to carry them; one of us will have to keep watch on our way. We have to return to the Ark entrance." All in agreement, Lavi picked up Allen, Tyki grabbed Road, Wisely kept communications open, Link maintained the seals and Kanda, with the fastest reflexes, watched their surroundings as they made their way back home.

Not long after Allen was caught in Link's seals, Road launched her mind into Allen's dreams. When she had done so in the past, there had been more detail to the surroundings, but now she found herself in dreamscape almost entirely black and plain. For a while she thought something had gone wrong until she finally found Allen sitting at the edge of a pond reflecting a giant moon that wasn't there. Allen was staring down into that watery abyss as she walked over. She noticed his eyes flick briefly up at her before he moved over a few inches. Taking the hint, she sat down next to him, pulling up her knees and following his gaze. The water rippled as it began to play Allen's view from his earlier rampage.

"I caused quite a bit of trouble for everyone, huh?" he mentioned with a half-hearted smile. "I guess I had forced myself so hard to understand Mana that I forgot why I thought differently. I had forgotten why I was never fond of humans. You see, Mana loved humans. Humans were his most precious. The only thing he loved more was his twin brother, but he could take care of himself. Everyone knew Neah was strong and independent. He didn't even depend on his older brother. Well, I guess he occasionally depended on me, but that's because we were best friends and understood each other more than anyone else. You see, I actually didn't like people. Never have. I've grown fond of certain people, like you and Tyki and Kanda and Link and Wisely and Lavi and a handful of others, but I don't like humans. I'm not antisocial or anything, but I am a bit asocial and tend to avoid other people unless necessary. I was once told by a professor of mine that I understood how people worked so well that I could never function as a proper one myself; mind you, he told Neah something very similar. That's in part why we got along so well. Together, we eventually began to learn how to be human, enough to be able to interact and function among them. The funny thing is that we were rather well-known and revered at our academy, despite our eccentricities- that's where we met, by the way. We were both from England, but we met when we went to school in Japan. The three of us studied abroad there; met near the end of our first year. We saw each other around a bit, but we didn't talk properly until Neah and I got paired up for a project at the end of the year. After that, we got close. We obsessed over our studies. We focused differently, but we respected the other's pursuits. I was… something of a chemist, I guess you could say; dabble a bit in the alchemical." The water had changed to show scenes of a young Allen and Neah in a classroom working together for the first time and meeting to exchange notes on other occasions. Allen always seemed to have beakers and tubes with him. His hair, Road noted, was a red color. Not as bright as Lavi's; his hair was a darker, almost auburn, red. He had mentioned on occasion that his hair had turned white after his meeting with the Millennium Earl at Mana's grave, said it was a reddish color and the likely source of his street name.

"That was actually why I met Mana- I was trying to make a breakthrough, but I needed some materials that I just couldn't get my hands on at the time. Mana had received some of them as a gift but had no use for them. When Neah mentioned me to him and my troubles, Mana gave them to me for free. He was always so kind; would it surprise you if I told I found his kindness annoying?" A young Neah was shown introducing Mana to Allen who just created an explosion in his cauldron, grinning all the while as he jotted down notes excitedly, completely ignoring the fact that his face had gone black with soot and his hair stood up on end on one side of his face. Neah seemed to be laughing his ass off at the sight but Allen couldn't care less. But when Mana handed over some strange looking ingredients, Allen's face lit up and his eyes sparkled so bright.

"Is that so? You could have fooled me, you hypocrite. Your kindness is suffocating, too. Why did you become like that?" she admitted. She had been absorbing what she was being told up until then, deciding not to interrupt as he rarely openly spoke about his past without prior prompting. "If it was so annoying, why did you copy it? Were you trying to irritate someone else?"

Allen chuckled a bit. "No. I am a strong believer in the alchemical principle of equivalent exchange. I didn't like being in his debt. This was the year we entered our teenage years, so I was a little more stubborn and awkward, but with Neah's help, I… suppose you could say we became friends. I was always looking for a way to pay him back, but he never had an opening. Never let me find a way. I think he purposely hid it from me. That continued for years until the year before we would have graduated… Mana disappeared from the school. Neah followed after him. At first, I continued on like normal with my pursuits… but after a few months I realized just how dear those two brothers had become to me… I had nothing in particular holding me to the school or the area; I could always continue my studies by myself- I spent many nights in the library doing advanced self-study anyway. So I packed my few important possessions- my materials and my notes and a few necessities- and I hit the road. I tracked them down. I always told myself that it was just to pay back my debt because of my stupid pride. I knew it was more than that, but I never openly admitted it. Until now, I guess. I eventually tracked them down, after months and months of wandering and hunting."

Allen slightly older than he appeared in modern day, including white hair, was wandering down roads, stopping to ask people probably about the whereabouts of the Campbell twins. He was travel weary but continued on the harsh road, determined. "Mana had begun to lose the battle against the part of him that was the Earl. They had both already completed their Noah transformations, but the Earl's hatred was consuming Mana. Neah had long since accepted that hatred; that was something he had been 'born' with. But Mana inherited the half that loved humans, the shepherd. When his Noah began to merge with him, those conflicting ideologies tore apart his mind, his sanity. He started to forget everything he had lived for up until then, started replacing his life and memories with those of the previous Earl who swore revenge against all of humanity for the betrayal of a few. You might even remember some of this part. This was around the time Neah killed all the other Noah. He was trying to bring his brother back and… Part of that was also my fault. I was just a human who happened to come across a certain special metal on my search for them. Mana wanted to kill me on sight for being a 'detestable human' but at that time… I had come across a very special piece of Innocence on my search for them and it reacted to his presence. It merged with my left arm and protected me from Mana, but he was stronger and more experienced so I was quickly overpowered. I knew so little about what was happening that time. I was severely injured. I only made it out alive since Neah came upon us and saved me. He had me treated, but the Innocence didn't react kindly to his presence as it was still adjusting itself to me. Neah was mad that I had been hurt like that and that his brother was turning into that monster, so he chased after… well, you know better than I the specifics of what happened, being the only survivor… When he found his way back to me… he was beyond saving. There was nothing I or anyone could do to save him, so I found a way to absorb his memories until he could return." A lightly bandaged Allen was seen trying to tend to a barely alive Neah, talking to him to keep him awake until a bright light erupted, distorting the image.

"Neah wanted to become the Earl to save his brother from that fate. He tried to absorb the Millennium Earl factor, but Mana was born with the stronger half. And after fighting all the other Noah… he didn't stand a chance. I continued on with my travels, kindling Neah's memories inside me, keeping him safe and hidden until the right time as my body fought over the Innocence and the memories of the 14th – the other half of the Earl. I was able to continue on for a quarter of a century until my body couldn't take it anymore. I had already theorized what might happen, so I took precautions for the occasion, but my body regressed. I forgot everything I had ever known except how to survive. I rigged myself so that I would prioritize survival instincts over anything else when I regressed. The funny part is that we were able to seal away a part of Millennium Earl so Mana returned to being Mana. Well, we never found a way to restore his sanity. About three or so years after my regression, I met Mana again, at a circus. He had named a dog after me. Turns out he vaguely remembered someone named Allen who was precious to him at some point, but he didn't know why or when. He must have sensed somewhere deep down that he and I were the same, and also that I carried his most precious brother. That's why he was so obsessed with me and took me away after Allen died. He named me after a dog he named after me. It's funny how it all goes full circle." The pond continued on to show a seven year old Allen meeting Mana for the first time. "After he 'died', the seal was broken and he re-awoke as the Millennium Earl and visited me at his own grave, having completely forgotten who I was again. That's when Neah woke inside me and I began to remember my life before my regression and the vow I had made after I absorbed Neah. I never did pay back my debt to him, so I vowed to protect the things he once held precious- humans and Neah- from him. I didn't want him to come back one day and find out he had been the one to destroy all his precious things. It would have killed him. What we didn't find out… for a very long time was that Mana had long since killed himself. The Millennium Earl didn't require him anymore and he sealed away the person once known as Mana and terminated him. But we didn't know that. So in his memory, until I could hopefully return him to normal, I decided I would adopt his personality in his honor. I would try to understand why he loved humans so and protect them as best I could. I vaguely recalled this promise when Neah awoke, but what I didn't remember was that I also vowed to stay alive until Neah was strong enough to take over again and finish the job. That's why I was always throwing myself in between- I remembered that it was important, but I only remembered half of it. I've killed many people before, before and after my regression. I never felt any regret, either. That's why I'm sad. I never was able to fully love humans like Mana did. I've become somewhat fond of them, but never like Mana. I am unable to fully understand him, even after all this time..."

"Allen, I…" Road began.

"But it's because of him that I met all of you, my precious family. I'm just disappointed that I could never repay him. Though I guess he wouldn't mind. He probably thinks it was nothing. The bastard would tell me that I fought for him and protected his precious humans and that's enough. I understand this, but it doesn't make it any easier…" The pond rippled and faded back to the moon. Allen tilted his head to look over at the young girl with a bitter-sweet smile. "Thanks… for listening to me drone on. I've never really talked about any of this. Mind you I've only recently remembered some of it, but still. I see what they mean when they used to say it feels good to let it out. It never used to, but I see it had to be done with the right person. I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks for being the right person; one of my special people, my family."

The girl wrapped her arms around the boy and pulled him in tight. "Always, Allen. We will always be your special people and you will always be our special person that holds this dysfunctional family together." He reciprocated.

"We may be dysfunctional and weird beyond belief, but it's never boring." They both laughed.

"We love you, Allen. I hope you know that," she said, pulling away slightly.

"Yeah. I've known for a while, but I think now I can finally admit it and understand. I understand that I am loved, and that I love in turn as well. I'm sure everyone already knows by now, but would you tell them thank you for stopping me earlier? I'm afraid I might be like this for a few days while deal with the monster that broke free. And also… I don't think it would be good to be caught off guard like we were again, so we should start planning to go out more even when we don't have a job request. Just to keep up with the times. Maybe even get proper jobs. Who know? We don't have to decide right away or anything, but let them think on it if they can. I have a basic idea on what might work, but I want them to figure it out for themselves first. That goes for you as well."

"Anything for our leader… but Allen… how are you planning to go from here?" she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

He looked off as pondered the question. "I think… I'll stop trying so hard to understand a dead man, but I want to keep… at least a couple of his principles alive. I've grown fond of it a bit, and while I never truly understood him, I have seen a glimpse into that man's heart. You could say that some of it has become a part of me. It has changed me, just a bit, so I won't be acting anymore. I will truly be myself, no more pretending." He lifted his left hand up to the empty sky. She didn't know when it happened, but as she followed his gaze, Road noticed it looked a little brighter in the dreamscape than it had when she first arrived. "Is that a sufficient answer?"

"Yes. That's what I wanted to hear," she smiled as she stood up, dusting herself off. "Well, I'll be off then! Don't take too long, okay, Allen?" She was back to her cheerful self, giggling as she faded away.

"Don't worry, Road. I'll have this done soon," he answered to the now empty space. He was certain she heard him regardless. "Well, then, I think it's time I got to work. You ready, Neah? I'll need a bit of help locking it up after I shove him back in."

"I'm always ready, Allen. Maybe this time, your absorption rate will be better," he replied as he appeared next to his best friend.

"Yeah, we might finally be able to merge properly. It might take a few decades, but we're getting there. This fight is nearly over. Let's go."

When Road returned from the dreamscape, she discussed what Allen had asked her to and the next few days as they waited for their central figure to wake, they thought on it. Some thought harder than others and some had better ideas. When Allen woke a few days like he said he would, he was not jumped nearly as hard as everyone had been expecting. With the revelation of his story and the incident that had happened not long ago, it seemed like a barrier had been dropped in the group and they began to understand each other better than ever with each passing day. They discussed certain ideas and possibilities and came to a conclusion.

It was decided that the group as a whole would keep track of currents events so as to not be caught off guard in the middle of such a large event again and to open Gates in less populated areas as it was becoming more difficult to appear in the growing and more densely populated cities. They would mingle among the masses and occasionally take on small or temporary jobs so as to understand how the world changed around them as well as funding. Most of the money was made from Allen's gambling and information gathering via social abilities, as well as his talents in music and theatre; and Link's abilities as a patisserie and secretary, but mainly as a patisserie; but that didn't mean the others were incapable of fending for themselves. Tyki was a slightly-less-successful-than-Allen gambler and actor and Lavi was good at adapting to most forms of academia. He seemed to stick more to anthropology and archaeology along with some other branches included in historical studies, though. Wisely and Road were not as adept as the others. Road was too childish and the world was changing child labor laws and most places were not interested in a sadistic teen- at least not anywhere the others would allow her to work- but with Allen's connections (old and new) [11], he was eventually able to set her up with certain fashion agencies and candy companies. Although she worked under an alias and only a handful of her closest associates [12] knew her face, her brand names became quite popular. Wisely was a little borderline and could sometimes be a street performer, but that was really all he could legally get by with without getting a degree that he would have to renew every few decades to keep up appearances. Instead, Allen employed his help in gathering intelligence on particularly tough customers. Kanda could not hold a proper job to save his life due to his attitude and other reasons, but he did make for a good trainer for those willing to work hard and not fuss. He also took part in some part-time manual labor and found in the late 60's that he just might take after his "father" figure in the fine arts- not that he told anyone other than Allen, who set up a secret art studio set off of his private training room with an emergency exit for when he wanted to sell his works. Of course Wisely found out, but they struck a deal to prevent the Noah from telling this to anyone else.

As the years continued on, there were fewer and fewer Akuma subjugation requests sent. Incidents were lessening and scientific reasoning was much more popular and widespread. Akuma were being less flashy as the higher leveled ones had the intelligence to understand they were a dying species and had to learn to better hide themselves; they were no longer seen as supernatural, but as hoax or unexplained anomalies that were actually military experiments or some other conspiracy theory. The true fanatic attributed it to aliens. Only the truly desperate or those with connections to those who still told stories of the times of the now unheard of Holy War would leave requests at these posts left scattered around the world, which by now were deteriorating and in need of renovations. Most requests still received were small incidents and were quickly handled without hassle or much communication with the client who would normally quickly state the place and the issue and ask that it be handled. They never took payment and made it clear so previous clients did not attempt to pass on a reward at a later date. When they did so regardless, they would find it back on their doorstep the following morning.

It so happened, however, that about half a century after the incident of the World War, a letter appeared at one of the United Kingdom posts. What made this a special case was that it was written in full confidence and was lengthier than usual, asking that not only the situation be handled but that it be a long term job due to scattered incidents happening around the grounds of one Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry and the magical world with which it is associated. The writer, one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, also offered room and board and privacy as well as any other reasonable requests. Not only that, but the letter itself was speaking and an owl came attached, or rather the owl was waiting with the letter. Apparently they were expected to send a response via owl as to if they accepted the job or not. Regardless of their answer, an extra set of instructions as well as tickets for a train were provided in hopes of a positive response. When the letter was finished speaking, it tore itself up and burst into flame, leaving no trace of the letter.

They all stared dumbfounded as the talking letter burst into flame and left no trace.

"So, uh… A school for magic, huh?" Tyki spoke first. "Should we, uh, accept the job?"

"Well, there were Akuma sightings, so I think we kinda have to, right?" Lavi asked.

"Ne, ne, Allen! Let's go! It should be fun, right? A school for magic!" Road was jumping all over in excitement.

"Seems like this will be entertaining," Wisely grinned in anticipation. "I concur. I wanna see what happens."

"What do you think, Moyashi?" Kanda asked, but Allen sat in shock, his hand covering his mouth. "Moyashi?"

"I-I completely forgot." Allen whispered.

"Forgot? Forgot what, shounen?"

"I… back when I was still apprenticed to Cross. Neah, he had me…I was… It's about the same year. It's been that long already? This is when I return? It must be… but what will they…?" Allen suddenly snapped back to reality and looked at everyone. "Yes. Yes, we should go. I'll explain when we get there, but this is surprisingly not a hoax. I… I need to straighten out my thoughts first. I promise I'll tell you everything when we get to Hogwarts… Well, when we're alone in our rooms at Hogwarts, okay?" They gave him a weird look, but they nodded and agreed. He would explain later and it was a job for them. They didn't complain. It would have been… my fifth year this year, wouldn't it? How time flies. I never realized the time had come. Maybe that's one of the functions of the Ark's time travel- not interfering with one's own time stream. Did it purposely mess with my mind so I wouldn't think about it? It's possible. I guess it's about time I returned then, isn't it? I wonder how it's changed; how everyone else ended up? Are the twins still pulling their pranks? Is Luna still ostracized and teased by the nargles? Is Ginny keeping up with her studies? And those three troublemakers- what did Dumbledore used to call them? That's right- the Golden Trio. And Draco… I hope his father hasn't been pushing him too hard again. "Oh, right. Since it's long term, we won't all be there the whole time. We still have our own jobs, so maybe we should go in shifts. We'll introduce ourselves together and become acquainted with the area, but after that we'll trade off. Sound fair?"

They nodded again, thinking it a good idea. The job, while long term, is only temporary. They still had their own responsibilities and dedications to uphold.

1. City of London- not the city but a county and city in the center of London that acts as the center of commerce; look up for more specifics

2. Ethel- an effeminate man; slang 1920-30's; same as fag, post 1920's

3. Ponce and pooter- pimp and prostitute respectively; slang 1920-30's

4. Soup- thick smog in London; slang 1920-30's

5. Tube- subway

6. Luftwaffe- German air force; look up for more specifics

7. Allen's Innocence Crown Clown, but in black; represents his descent into madness and loss of sanity; won't be used much, but may become an important plot point touched upon later

8. Homunculus- in this context it is not entirely utilized appropriately, but its meaning, particularly in neurology and psychology, is literally "the little man inside the brain"; this is not a reference to a man-made human from alchemical studies or from FMA; look it up for specifics

9. Yellow eyes of the Noah- his Noah genes and identity as the Millennium Earl are prevalent; monochromatic as his blackened Innocence covers his entirety, including his hair with the attached hood; in the darkness of night, he looked like glowing yellow eyes in the void

10. Die For Me! – this is just me having fun making a reference; kudos if anyone gets it, but I won't explain it

11. Old connections- Allen had connections from his time with Cross that he kept including but not limited to the brothels and bars that remained open, along with a few that he rediscovered from before his regression

12. Road's closest associates- mainly prostitutes helped out by Allen and old enough to be accepted by society for their positions; all were interested in either profession that they helped with and include both females and males; tight-lipped to keep their secrets of immortality; talented in their own way even when Road is away on business

And that's the end of this one. I hope some of you liked it. My personal opinion is that it turned out a lot better than I had intended and planned, but I want your opinions- that's the point of this whole experiment. I tried to explain as much as I could and thought necessary in the afterword, but if anyone has any questions, let me know and I'll try to have it answered. By the way, I know I didn't mention it, but Allen did go back and find his hat. It was a beat up so he couldn't use it, but he kept it just the same. He bought several new ones. Until next time, Ciao.