In a Memory, You'll Find Me

Shard Zero: Don't Look Back

Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man. Hoshino Katsura does. I only own the fictional town listed below.

Note:

Also, this story is set in the twenty-first, century, making it pretty much an AU fic. But there's still innocence.

The timeline for this story is after the final battle which ends differently; in Allen's death. More details to be revealed later.

She landed on a roof gingerly. She had to be fast, or someone would eventually see her hasty escape.

Her eyes were red and tired from crying, her body still trembling in mourning for him. Thoughts of the silver-haired exorcist flooded her mind. But she had to be fast, swift in her actions. She could not afford to mess this up.

The consequences of failure were too terrifying to think about.

She had already carefully set up her 'story'; the red anklets similar to those of her Dark Boots were in her room, under the pillow, and had written a suicide note expertly and left it deliberately in Lavi's room while he was out.

Her plan was running smoothly. In no time, she would escape.
She would forget everything about this godforsaken life of death and killing, the life of an exorcist. She would forget the torture she endured for the sake of mankind.

A stray tear trickled down her cheek.

Forgetting life as an exorcist meant forgetting about her friends, didn't it? Forgetting precious moments they'd shared, previous battles, won and lost. She would forget the life of someone who's friends and co-workers were her family.

Second thoughts flooded her head.

Lenalee brushed away the tears on her cheeks and strode up to the end of the highest roof of the order. She closed her eyes.

She had to be strong.
They hadn't talked about him after his death, hadn't reminisced of happy times with him.

It would be the same with her.

"Innocence, activate…"

The anklets split, blood-red substance wrapping Lenalee's legs.

No more second thoughts.

This would be the exact moment that determined everything. If she made a mistake, it would be over. She would be strapped to a bed, confined to its corners for the rest of her exorcist life.

She had told Lavi to get up and see a Lunar Eclipse at exactly 2.15AM. She had told him to look out his window, and know that Lenalee Lee, exorcist of the Black Order, hadn't actually committed suicide, but run away.

She had even asked Kanda to see her.

They were the only two who could possibly know, possibly understand her decision.

Someone needed to know. Someone would need to find her if anything happened at the order and they needed her.

Someone would need to find her if, somehow, miraculously, Allen came back.
But she wouldn't pin her hopes too high.

And now, there would be no turning back.

She heard someone call her name frantically, alarmed.

She turned to the right, catching Lavi's eye, and smiled.

"I'll be fine," she mouthed, hoping he would understand her.
Then she raised a finger to her lips, and smiled, tears slipping from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks.

Lenalee launched herself off the rooftop, falling downwards headfirst.

The ground was rushing up to meet her, but stopped short as she flipped.
Her Dark Boots were now in front of her, in a position to cushion her fall.

She touched the ground with her legs, silent, no heavier than a butterfly.
Then, she zoomed upwards, wind rushing into her face.

The air was madly refreshing.

She looked back at the large building.
London was beautiful at night. A circus of lights.

Her brother had made a good choice.

Her brother.

She shook her head, trying to stop herself from those troubling thoughts.
She would return to her brother, eventually. She would come back for him, just as he had done for her.

Now, she needed to focus on starting a new life.

She would change her appearance. Change her name. Change her birthday.

Change her identity.

A/N: Hello all! This is the third story I'm publishing this month. It's an old piece of writing I didn't finish. I found it at random in the back of the storage files on my computer and decided to post it. Otherwise, it would go to waste.

I hope it turned out alright. ^_^