A/N: I feel like this story won't be as well received, but I figured, why the heck not? I've been having fun writing this!(: I mean, if it's not well liked, I can put it on the back burner and work on my other stuff instead, but I hope you guys give this a chance! Not much else to say, other than enjoy!^-^

Disclaimer: Ahh! I've turned into Hoshino Katsura! … Wait a minute. False alarm! I don't actually own anything! What a bummer…

Chapter 1

Time Frame — Night of November 9th, 1897

—1st Person POV—

I shivered, a bitter chill coursing through my body as I attempted to gauge my surroundings, but too disoriented to see past the blurred white that blinded me. And then she appeared before me; she looked at peace, as if she had no care in the world, her body loose and vibrant, dark, waist-length locks flowing around her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely, but held a bright, joyful smile all the same.

I puckered my brow, confused as to why the beautiful girl before me—and why did she seem do familiar?—could look so cheerful, but apologize to me as if she'd done me some terrible wrong. I tried to speak, but the breath suddenly whooshed out of me, and I panicked, because I could feel something in me tugging and turning, yanking me away with surprising force as if I weighed nothing, and it was all I could do to keep her in my slightly distorted sight.

"My time is up," I heard her tilting voice distantly, as she grew further and further away, until she eventually twirled and blurred form my sight. But I managed to catch her last words of, "Now it's up to you to keep my world from falling apart."

I gasped, my body jerking up of its own accord as my eyes danced wildly around, a bedlam of shouts and erratic beeping harmonizing with my own thumping heart as a greeting. A sharp, raspy cry further escaped my dried lips, when I abruptly became aware of the pain that coursed and throbbed throughout my battered body as my tender skin ripped and pulled apart agonizingly, suddenly becoming soaked with blood.

"Lenalee!"

"Someone! Hold her down before she further aggravates her wounds!"

"I've got the anesthesia!"

I then felt something cold and thin pierce my skin, and before I knew it, the blinding lights smeared into a world of black.

The next time I awoke, it was to the feeling of a numb body. I lolled my head from side to side, trying my best to shake off the drowsiness that pulled at my heavy lids.

"Rest," a gentle voice spoke up from my left. I lethargically blinked up, observing the strong and tall, but haggard looking man that sat at my side, shoulder-length hair lying limp and strewn hectically about him, his lopsided, thin wire glasses only adding to his worn appearance.

"No," I eventually managed to croak, my tongue feeling thick, my mouth tasting of ash, lips crackled and dry.

A haggard smile pulled at the edges of his lips, but nonetheless he carefully took a hold of my chin, and using what little strength I had to tilt my head forward, he placed a cool cup to my lips, tipping it up and allowing for fresh water to dribble down and soothe my parched throat. "Thank you," I sighed afterwards.

"How are you feeling?" he murmured, his eyebrows pulling down into a worried frown.

"I can't feel anything," I mumbled, resting my head sideways, and tilting it down towards him, half-lidded eyes in danger of fully closing. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Hospital Wing. You… You almost didn't make it," he choked out, broad shoulders suddenly curving in and shaking, his slanted, teary eyes flitting about me, as if terrified that I'd vanish at a moment's notice.

My brain still felt fuzzy, and it hurt to think, but nonetheless, a wave of uncertainty washed through me as I stared up uncomprehendingly at the strange man. There was something about him; something that my hazy memories told me was familiar about him, but trying to come up with answers only made my head pound and throb all the more, the pressure behind my eyes increasing and pulsating. I slid my lids down for moment, taking a deep breath; but I then found it too difficult to open them back up, slipping into unconsciousness to the sound of hushed weeping.

It continued on like so, waking up at random intervals; sometimes I could hear indistinguishable conversations, sometimes I'd have the strength to open my eyes to see the same man from before, and always, there was the constant beep, beep, beep at my side, like an old friend. Those instances are more difficult to recall, a sleep, so unnatural and heavy I knew it couldn't be of my own doing, dragging me down and pulling me below, into its endless depths. When I fully did awake though, I was grateful to find that both the agony and numbness of my body was gone, to be left with slightly aching, but bearable limbs which I could now move.

"Careful," a voice cautioned from the doorway, and I glanced up; it was the same man. He looked better now; his hair was brushed back, held in place with a white barrette, glasses no longer lopsided, and clothes freshly pressed. But looking more closely, I was able to see beyond that, noticing the subtle signs of sleepless nights from where murky shadows had imbedded themselves deeply beneath his eyes, skin pale and slightly clammy, clinging unhealthily to his cheekbones and making shadowed crevices beneath them. Could he have really… been that worried?

"How long…?" I trailed off hoarsely, and I reached over, my trembling hand clamping around the glass of water beside my cot, and he hurried over, assisting me in bringing the cup to my lips so that I could drink.

"Over a month," he sighed, another frown pulling down his features, and it made me unbelievably sad, to think that this man that I had never met could care so much about me. But… why?

"So long?" My brow creased in puzzlement, trying to recall what had occurred before this whole mess, but it was mostly a blank. I remember being with my friends, heading home, and then… nothing. Except… that strange dream with the familiar girl; what had she said?

"Now it's up to you to keep my world from falling apart."

It shouldn't have meant anything to me, but her words were so vivid, ringing through my head, not letting me forget a single syllable she'd uttered. It was prominent; at the forefront of my mind as if urging me to remember something.

"Are you alright…" the Asian man suddenly began, "Lenalee?"

That name. And that was all it took for my mind to open; a barge of memories hit me, like a tidal wave, crashing through my very soul as they wrapped and took hold, merging with me, fusing into the depths of my very being. I rocked back and forth, gripping at the hairs on my scalp. "Make it stop!" I cried, even though I knew it was futile. There was no stopping it; it had me in its grip, torturing me with memories of loss and pain, and, and… the experiments! "Stop touching my body!" I screamed, even though I knew they were only specters of the past, that they had already made their mark. The vile, vile memories ripped through me with no mercy, only making me see; see! "Get. Out. Of. My. HEAD!" I shrieked, gasping and trembling, tears spilling down from the sheer terror of having to live a life filled with foul monsters and bloodshed.

"Lenalee!" the man—no, Komui; my brother—shouted, taking a hold of my shoulders. "Look at me. I'm right here, Lenalee, I'm here."

No. Not my brother. Because I wasn't her; I wasn't Lenalee. I was me… I was me!

"T-that's not me," I whimpered, his face appearing blurred through my tears.

"Shhh," he murmured, pulling me into his embrace, holding me tenderly as if I were about to break. "You're home now."

"I-I can't," I blubbered incoherently, my mind still in a terrorized daze. "I can't keep this world from falling apart."

Afterwards, I stayed silent, keeping my thoughts for fear of revealing something I shouldn't know. It worried Komui; but what could I do? I wasn't the little sister that he so desperately loved with his whole being; I was someone completely different… Or at least, I believed so. It was hard not to look at him and recall all the memories I'd gained from Lenalee, but I tried focusing on the lighter, happier ones from the most recent years, shoving anything before that into the depths of mind, so that I wouldn't have to think about. But nightmares persisted in reminding me, and the nurses grew all too used to hearing me scream myself hoarse. It was frustrating and scary, but… I would have to learn to live with it. Though it would be a lie if I didn't say it had made me somewhat bitter, resentful of the situation I'd been thrown in by the real Lenalee.

"Now it's up to you to keep my world from falling apart."

I grinded my teeth as the words coursed through my head, clear as the day she'd said them. My hands curled into fist, unkempt nails tearing through the skin, feeling outraged at the fact that someone could be so… selfish. She hadn't been strong enough to live, and so had thrown the duty to me. What did I care if—

But you did care, the little voice in the back of my head said.

Yes, once, I admitted, when I thought them to be mere characters. But that was no longer the case; this was a real war, with real deaths and real carnage.

And do you think those from Central will accept that? Whatever identity you had before no longer matters; now you're considered an Exorcist.

I frowned at my running thoughts, because I knew it was true and could do nothing about the fact. But even so, I could do nothing for them.

And your knowledge of what's to come?

My eyes briefly widened, when the thought occurred to me, because… maybe I could make a difference? After all, I'd woken up in the earlier events of the storyline; it had taken me a while, but after sorting through the muddled memories, I'd managed to pinpoint where it was that I'd landed. But I was… confused. The last of Lenalee's memories consisted of the fight against Road in the Rewinding Town, but from what I recalled of the story, Lenalee had made a swift recovery, not even having to be transferred back to Headquarters. I had tried sorting through the fight, but even I couldn't remember enough to compare every minuscule detail in correlation to the depicted drawings from the manga, let alone pinpoint any differences. But she must have made a different move, a minor decision that had decided the fight and almost cost her life; had cost her life… and brought me into it. It just showed how delicate the timeline could be, and if I wasn't careful, I really would get myself killed.

I continued to run possible options through my head, but in the end, would I truly have a choice? I wish I could've had more time, but eventually, I was bound to fully recover, and I did.

Now, the only question that remained: How was I to impersonate Lenalee Lee?

Time Frame — Night of December 16th, 1897

The answer: I didn't. It was difficult enough trying to work out that changes I planned on making without the added load of attempting to keep up a ridiculous façade. If people started asking questions, I'd deal with it then, but at the moment, I was more focused on moving forward and throwing myself into this mayhem before I lost my nerve.

Which is why I was currently dressed as I was and heading to the Supervisor's office. I don't know what type of advanced medications these people had created, but after they'd gotten a good control on my lifeline and thrown me into a state of comatose, I'd recuperated rather quickly, my bruises now cleared and my once-stitched wounds now closed and scabbed of their own accord. In fact, I had an impressively long one along the length of my abdomen that had even surprised me. In any case, I had finally left the Hospital Wing, knowing it was only so long that I could hide out there, taken a bath, and dressed in Lenalee's Exorcist uniform.

Lenalee's memory of the place was impeccable, and I was able to make my way around quite easily (making sure to avoid any familiar faces from her memories). Then again, she'd have to be; she'd lived here for the past ten years of her life. A time which I could now recall.

Eventually, I arrived, but a knock to the door proved futile, so I simply barged in, calling out impatiently, "Komui, are you asleep again?"

Surprisingly, my mere voice seemed wake him up, because he was soon jumping up from his desk, hair slightly mussed from his nap. "L-Lenalee! What are you doing up?"

His worried tone tugged at my heart strings; before recalling that it wasn't me he was worried about.

"Where's Allen?" I asked, not beating around the bush.

"Err, Allen?" Komui tossed me a perplexed look, but shook it off. "He's fine; on a mission with Bookman and Lavi. Anyway, are you sure you're alright, Lenalee? And why's you're hair like that?"

"My hair?" I quirked an eyebrow, before recalling that my attempt at high pigtails had turned into lopsided failure, and had opted for a single, high ponytail. "It's just a new hairstyle. And I'm fine. Where are they?"

An odd glance graced his features at my dismissive tone, and I tried to shove away the twinge of guilt. But after a moment he smiled, and said, "I'm glad you're doing better Lenalee. You look as beautiful as ever." I tried to keep my face impassive, simply nodding. He sighed, "Alright, alright. They're somewhere in Germany I believe. Bookman just reported with me the other night; said the boys were dealing with a small vampire crisis."

Drat, that wasn't enough. I don't know where Krory lives. My eyes swiftly darted over his chaotic desk, until they finally landed on a stack of maps towards the side; probably used to show Exorcists the location of their missions when being briefed. Sifting through them, I found one with a close-up of Europe. Snatching it and placing it before Komui, I insisted, "Thank you, but where? Can you mark their exact location?"

Another strange expression flitted across his features, but nonetheless, he took a pen, marking a small, isolated town with a swift flick. "Thank you, Komui," I said sincerely, taking the map, and quickly making my way over to nearby window and unlatching it; though not before taking notice of his worried expression.

"Lenalee?"

I paused, not turning. "I'm going to them, Komui."

"Lenalee," he murmured in a sad tone, "I am still your brother."

I knew Lenalee had always referred to Komui as 'Brother', but I wasn't her, and continuing this one-sided relationship would only hurt him more in the end. I contemplated how to reply, all the while permitting instinct to take over my body, and allowing the Dark Boots to activate. It was probably one of the few advantages Lenalee's memories allowed me; if I zoned out and let my body act of its own accord, it would simply go through the motions; of course, this method could only do so much for me, but it was enough for now.

Climbing up onto the ledge of the window, I slightly tilted my head around, enough to catch a glimpse of Komui's torn expression. "I'm sorry Komui, but… I am no longer the Lenalee you once knew."

Before he could reply, I threw myself into the night.

The Dark Boots technically didn't fly, they just allowed extremely high jumps and propelling through the air, but I they did travel at the speed of sound. And so, heading in one direction while keeping them activated allowed me to stay aloft for the most part. Of course, I was forced to take breaks, as I couldn't keep them activated for too long with the amount of energy I was using up, but going down and double checking with townspeople that I was headed in the right direction was also helpful. It was exhausting, but I would take this over boring train rides (in which I would drive myself crazy by over-thinking everything with the obscene amount of time I'd be forced to be alone with my thoughts) any day.

So, it was two nights later that I was finally able to make out an enormous castle in the distant gloom. With a relieved sigh, I pushed forward with all my strength, eager to finally take a rest. Once I neared it, I swiftly flipped over, allowing my boots to push through bricks making up the structure, in a similar move I could recall Lenalee making many times. Easily breaking in with a thunderous crash, I quickly landed in a vast room.

To put it simply, it was a disaster. The castle was in shambles, carcasses of enormous plants strewn about, and the place was soaking wet. I wrinkled my nose, kicking a twitching plant aside. Finally, my eyes landed on the huddled trio in the corner, who were in turn, staring at me wide-eyed.

"Huh," I said, glancing at them, "I guess I missed all the fun."

"Lenalee!" who I assumed Allen and Lavi to be called simultaneously, rapidly making their way over to me, the tall, pale figure (Krory) following them at a slower pace. It was slightly shocking, witnessing the people that I'd once viewed as characters come to life before my very eyes. I tried to push past it though, rather than gaping like an idiot.

"Miss me?" I smiled, slightly relieved to know that they wouldn't have the same expectations of me as Komui; though that was a bit unfair towards the poor guy. But this was easier; Allen hardly knew Lenalee, and Lavi acted like a goofball most of the time. The Bookman Junior would most definitely notice, but hopefully he'd just do what he knew best; stay back and observe.

The cheerful redhead threw an arm around my shoulders, the weight almost causing me to topple over, and exclaimed, "Lenalee! I'm liking the new hairstyle! It makes you look more like a woman!" Lavi wiggled his single, visible eyebrow comically, a suggestive glint entering his eye.

"Lavi!" Allen warned him indignantly.

But I simply laughed, pushing him off in the process. "Calm down, lover boy. I haven't even been here a full minute and you're already coming onto me."

He seemed surprised by my response, but he smiled sheepishly anyway, and said, "Ah, sorry Lenalee. But what are you doing here? I thought you were on some special mission, according to Komui."

I frowned, my eyes flickering between Lavi's and Allen's expectant expressions. "You mean he didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what, Lenalee?" Allen stepped forward, concern now marrying his features.

"That Road practically put me on my deathbed," I scoffed bitterly. "They say it's a miracle I even survived my injuries. I've only just fully recovered, so I asked Komui where you guys were, and here I am."

Shock flitted across their faces. "That's… No, he didn't tell us. I'm so sorry, Lenalee," Allen finally spoke up, regret entering his tone.

"It's fine," I shrugged, "No need to dwell on it now." They seemed hesitant to let it go, so I urged, "Well? Don't be rude. Aren't you going to introduce me?" I demanded, nodding over to the silent Krory.

"Oh! Right!" Allen nodded, and quickly said, "Lenalee, this is Arystar Krory III; he's also decided to become an Exorcist. Krory, this is Lenalee Lee; she's our comrade."

I smiled tentatively up at the nervous man, "Good to meet you."

"Likewise," he nodded timidly. "We were just finishing up here. Could you all please wait for me outside? I just need to get some things."

Ah, right, the dramatic exploding of the castle, I remembered with a wry grin.

"Sure thing, Krory-kins," I nodded, and quickly headed out, soon followed by the Allen and Lavi.

"Lenalee?" Allen spoke up uncertainly, "Are you sure you're alright? You don't seem like yourself…"

"Don't I?" I asked rhetorically with a sardonic smile, but noticing his concerned features, I added with a careless shrug, "I'm as fine as can be, Allen. Face death one too many times, and it changes you. Honestly, if it weren't for Komui's insistence that the doctors continue to try and revive me, I probably wouldn't even be here."

That seemed to shut him up. Until Lavi pointed out, "It's as if you wish they hadn't. Did you want to die, Lenalee?"

My silence was response enough. Grabbing me by the arm, Allen jerked me back so that I could face his livid expression. "Lenalee—"

BOOM!

The deafening eruption propelled us forwards, a burning heat on our backs making itself known.

"The castle!" Lavi gasped, turning along with Allen and I to witness the raging inferno.

"Did he…?" Allen trailed off with a horrified expression.

"No," I reassured him firmly. They both threw me questioning looks, but I simply nodded towards the shadowed figure making his way towards us.

When Krory finally appeared, he held a satisfied smile, up until he noticed our expressions. "What? Oh my… Did you think I'd blown myself up? I'm alright."

Time Frame — Afternoon of December 20th, 1897

It was while we were on the train, on our way to meet Bookman, that Allen finally cornered me.

"Lenalee," he began, and finally said, "I'm sorry."

I blinked. "Err, what? What are you apologizing for?" I stared up at him, puzzled.

"Don't get me wrong," he shook his head, "I'm still very upset with you, but I know I also angered you back in the Rewinding Town, so I wanted to apologize."

I frowned, trying to recall what occurred, before the memory of Allen's enraged expression flickered across my thoughts.

"Why did you stop me?!"

Slap!

"I did it because you're my friend! Why else…?!"

"Oh," I said, shifting awkwardly, before shrugging. "Well yeah, you should probably be a little more grateful. Even you knew you weren't going to make it in time, so don't be such an idiot next time."

Allen frowned, seeming to contemplate my words before exhaling loudly. Glancing back at me, he nodded with determination. "You're right, I'm sorry. I should have seen your actions for what they were. But Lenalee… What happened to you? I know you almost died, but why do you want to give up now? What about your brother; your comrades? From what I could see, they're the reason you fight so hard."

I pointedly looked away from him, stepping back. How was I supposed to reply to that? The answer was so simple, yet so complicated. Part of me wanted to confide in him, but I knew with certainty that he wouldn't believe me. I mean, what was I supposed to say? That the real Lenalee was dead, now replaced by a girl far from home with too much information on their futures; that my decisions could be the deciding factor on whether they lived or died; that I was now being forced to use the body of their comrade?

I shuddered. The thought came much too close to the idea of an Akuma (except without the demon part). Still, even I found it disturbing.

I heard him step closer, gently placing his hands on my shoulders. "Lenalee…" he sighed in sad tone. "I just don't want you to lose your will to live. This war is far from over, and I'd hate it if you were to commit some sort of suicidal act in the middle of a battle just to…" he trailed off in a slightly choked voice.

Damn, I didn't mean for him to think I was a suicidal freak! I finally met his earnest gaze, and said firmly, "Allen, calm down. Yes, I admit that at this point, not having to be here would have been much simpler. But I've decided to face my problems head on. I'll deal with everything as best as I can, but like you said, this is war; even if I'd like to, I can't guarantee my survival."

Allen's tense posture loosened up somewhat. "Right," he cleared he throat, "Just be careful."

A smile tugged at my lips. "Of course. Now come on, let's go save poor Krory."

"Krory? I thought he was back in the compartment with Lavi." Nonetheless, he followed me.

"He's not. Poor guy is probably lost," I shook my head.

Allen glanced at me dubiously. "It's a train."

"You're telling me," I scoffed.

A/N: This will be following the manga, by the way! Please keep this in mind when you see no sign of the Lulubell Arc and whatnot. Anyway, I hope this is turning out alright!

Please review!(: