Pure Colors

DGM

Chapter 31

Dire Resuscitation

Gaining consciousness without actually opening his eyes, Allen acknowledged the incredible pain surging through his head. Temporarily, he thought it was because of his curse, as it was a common scenario, or because of a simple headaches, which have become unusually frequent with him lately. Then he recalled seeing Mimi, and with heated cheeks, he remembered urgently kissing her - what was he thinking? - and then he remembered Ilinca, the female exorcist who slammed her head against the tree. He hastily opened his eyes, bright light blurring his vision and making his head hurt undesirably more.

Faster than he should have, Allen sat up and warmth which had been there and comforting, also have been unacknowledged moments ago, escaped his body's perimeter. A few chills crawled up his body and down his spine, and he ignored it, coming face-to-face with the lavender-eyed black-haired exorcist. "Finally awake, eh?"

Allen jumped to his feet, off a bed, which apparently was his. The room was small but recognizable - his inn's room. Mimi immediately came to his side, helping his steady himself as he began to tilt due to unbalance. Allen mumbled a grateful "Thanks" before glaring at Ilinca.

"Get out, or I'm warning you, I'll fight you. I'll kill you if I must." Allen seethed, holding his Innocence up to his chest.

"I took care of you."

"You're the reason why I needed taken care of!" Allen honestly hadn't the patience for this. He needed to leave. If she was here, then so were other exorcists, to which he didn't desire a conference with them. "Leave, or let me leave."

"Someone will eventually find you." Ilinca narrowed her eyes. "And I'm not saying I won't let you go, I am saying that I might follow you."

"Charming, really, you are." Allen said sarcastically. "If you weren't such a crude woman, I bet you would be surrounded by men."

Ilinca snorted, folding her arms. Allen warily lowered his arm, however, it suddenly came back up when he heard a footstep behind him... Then he gasped in surprised, spinning on his heels when he realized who it was. Tyki.

"What are you doing here!?" Allen asked, rather dumbly.

Tyki smirked, waving. "Oi, Shounen, good to see you." If Allen wasn't so shocked, he probably scold Tyki for acting so casual. Why he was tremendously mortified by surprise was an unexplainable question. It was just Tyki, and Tyki knows how to find Allen in the strangest of places, in the most inconvenient times. "What, no hello? How you've been?"

Allen calculated the situation. Tyki came through the wall, his smirk undoubtedly frightening, his appearance conspicuous. He wasn't dressed like a penniless bird of passage, so he was here on business. With that fresh on the mind, he eyed Ilinca.

Mimi whispered in his ear. "I notified Mistress Lulubell of your condition, Allen, and about the exorcists."

He murmured lower than her. "Exorcists? So there are more?"

"Yes."

That explained everything there. Either A) Tyki came here to help/protect him from Ilinca and the rest or B) Tyki's on a murderous prowl, likely sent by Lulubell. Plausible C was still forming in his mind. No other reason came to mind, and when Ilinca activated her Innocence (and he noticed a sword-like scar on her arm because she wore a sleeveless tank and her uniform was off, which oddly gathered his interest,) a crossbow materializing in her hands, aimed at Tyki. Instinctively, despite his peculiarly weak, cold, and aching body, Allen jumped in front of Tyki, inwardly cursing to himself as he remembered he wasn't supposed to be protecting neither side... Then, he could look at it as family.

"I warned you to leave." Allen growled, activating his own Innocence. He glowed white and green.

Tyki chuckled, his breath smacking Allen's neck, then his ear; it gave him warmth his body so needed. Why was he so cold? Hell, why did he feel so tired? Exerted?

"Leave, Allen." Tyki advised, and Allen looked into his golden irises. "I'm here to kill Ilinca."

"Why, I want to know." Allen believed he was lying. He came here to kill her because he hurt him, or Tyki believes she's endangering him. Still... Does it matter?

"She's an exorcist. That's all that matters. Now, go, before you get stuck in the crossfire." Tyki tugged his gloves further on his hand, his smirk forming into a sadistic smile. Something warned Allen to heed Tyki's advice, something told him Tyki was infuriated.

Something also told Allen Tyki would quickly kill her, what with being so... ominous, sinister, and... just merciless, that glint. He was ready to kill. He was bloodthirsty.

Allen high-tailed out of there, jumping out of the window and leaping onto a rooftop nearby. Mimi suspiciously followed, and not even two minutes later, after an explosion from the inn, narrowly missing stray arrows, and bright flashes of light that droned out the sun, Ilinca screamed a blood curdling cry. Allen never looked back, but Mimi did, noting her Innocence revolutionized to bracers aside from all the blood she was covered in already.

"Tyki can kill the strongest of opponents in mere minutes." Allen whispered, shivering, rubbing his hand over his goosebumps.

"Because they're weak." Mimi unnecessarily responded.

"No." Allen shook his head to emphasize his disagreement. "It's his ability that gives him the upper hand so easily. If they aren't covered in Innocence like I am, like my cloak, then one slip up, one right move, just one second of time, Tyki can kill them. Rip an organ out instantly. Then they're dead."

No matter how strong they are, he thought, they better know how to protect every inch of their body if they're stupid enough to face Tyki. Death won't always be a playful game on his part.

Allen stopped when he was a good distance away from Tyki and Ilinca, just as his head began throbbing and his cursed eye detected dozens of Akuma suddenly. Oddly, a jolt of pain surged through his head and he fell to his knees with a hiss muffled by clenched teeth, grasping his head cautiously. He didn't need to make the pain worse.

"Allen!" Mimi exclaimed, trying to kneel next to him, to which he pushed her away from him. "Allen?"

"Go! You and I aren't supposed to be together. The situation is terrible as it is, I don't need something else to happen because of you." Allen said fiercely, yet meekly.

Mimi just stared at him uncertainly, mildly hurt. Though she comprehended his hidden meaning of such actions, it still hurt, and she didn't want to leave him alone. Not like this, but... She had not choice but to.

Allen watched her turn around and run off. Either she would leave or go fight the exorcists with the other Akuma in town. He could already hear the explosions, screaming, and the stampedes. Allen focused on what to do though. Where was he supposed to go? How, when he was in such a dazing-pain condition? Allen has had multiply forms of headaches induced by many things, but this time, the burning and throbbing, his blood seemly boiling underneath the skin, the feeling of a hammer continuously slamming into his head, it was unlike anything he's experienced ever before.

The sound of a foot and dirt grinding against each other made him open his eyes-when did he close his eyes in the first place?-looking at the direction of the sound. Rick and Zeres stood only a few feet away, eyeing him angrily yet uncertainly. Warily. Allen smiled at the idea of them being suspicious of him playing a cold trick like this-pretending to be in pain to lure them in.

"I'd ask you to come with us or talk to us about forming an alliance, but I think we all know the answer already." Zeres grumbled.

"You'd be right if you're thinking no." Allen shakily got to his feet, though he was surprised neither made a movement to attack him.

However, Tyki slowly sprouted out of the ground behind Zeres and slipped his hand in Rick's unexpected body, resulting in a gasp of surprise, horror, and pain when Tyki chose not to play. Allen looked away when Tyki pulled an organ out, and Rick dropped to the ground, dead. Zeres wasted no time to attack, but Tyki... There was something off about him. He caught the scythe, dragged Zeres closer, and quickly slid his hand in his chest like Rick's, murdering the exorcist faster than the last.

"Ty... ki?" Allen stared wide-eyed at the man, then something dawned on him. Tyki's hand hadn't gone through, it pierced through their bodies But he did come out of the ground... similar to a shadow, though... "Lulubell!?"

'Tyki' looked at him coldly, yet expressionless all the same. It was weird, to watch him transform slowly, dark hair shading darker to coal-black, face molding into a smaller form, then the body, hair growing longer. Lastly, the mole disappeared and Lulubell stood in front of him.

"I should have made you leave." Lulubell said quietly, turning to face him.

"Wha..?"

"Tyki is here, Allen, though I suspect he finished the other exorcist already." Lulubell drifted her attention to the corpse's weapons. She was angry, it looked. But it made sense now, 'Tyki's' actions with them. Still, it's unbelievable she could do that so quickly. Allen hadn't thought she was so incredibly strong.

"Ilinca, I think her name was." Allen muttered, leaning on the building behind him. "What are you doing here, Lulubell?"

She destroyed the weapon's form and held the Innocence in her hand, glaring at the glowing cubes. "Collecting Innocence."

"I doubt that."

She turned her back on him, beginning to walk away, while Allen smiled serenely. "I love you, Lulu, don't forget that. No matter what happens, I love all of you." She stopped in her tracks, spinning around and her hair whipping in the hair. Allen heartily chuckled at her broadened eyes. It was near impossible to get a look like that from Lulubell of all people.

"You're going to make me say it again, aren't you?" Allen teased delightfully. "I. Love. You. Lulubell." He blinked sluggishly, heaving a breath of air. "Relay the message to everyone for me, too, will you?"

Pretending she didn't just lose her composure, she said, "Next time we meet, Walker, don't expect a friendly encounter. You are no longer an ally, I will kill you."

"Would you?" he asked somewhat curiously. "Somehow I don't believe that. Yet. But go ahead, prove me wrong, put me out of my misery now. Makes all this a whole lot easier for me."

"Then save time and do it yourself if you still want to die so much!"

His jaw hung loosely momentarily, the infuriated Lulubell glaring at him. Not because of her foul mood, because of what he said, and sounding so wistfully while doing so. He'd be lying if he said he never meant it, but he did. More unraveling than his shifting desire, as it always changed from time to time, was Lulubell's reaction.

Lulubell poised herself with a scowl, crushing the Innocence in her hands. She held the most murderous intent in her trademark golden eyes, face wrinkled in frustration, eyebrows narrowed unpleasantly. It scared Allen... while warming his heart. She does care.

"Pandora's dead, too." Lulubell said, irritated. "Since you failed to comply with your orders I had to finish them for you. I killed her last night and destroyed that gypsy girl's Innocence." Lulubell rubbed her temples. "The General and two other exorcists intervened and I unfortunately didn't kill her. Thankfully, the Lord wasn't angry with me, if he had been I would resort in hurting you for it would be all your fault."

"I see... You best be going then." Allen glanced around, sighing. Tyki and Lulubell, as well as Mimi, but he couldn't see Road? Didn't seem fair at all. Perhaps it was best in the end. What's right and knowing what's right doesn't steal the pain, now does it?

Before leaving, Lulubell spared him one last glance, simply walking away afterwards. It's beginning already... The Fourteenth will awaken soon.

Allen counted his breaths for a minute. His headache wasn't dying. So he would have to suck it up and find somewhere to go. But where? is the question hindering him. And the burning pulse in his skull worsened, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. Faint, he felt faint, his breathing uneven. Was he having a panic attack?

"Allen." A hand curled into his, jerking him backwards.

He yelped, expecting an impact with the wall, instead, fell back into something small and slightly soft. He heard a click. Assuming it was a door, his eyes snapped open, the warmth of the hand and the person behind him radiated into his body. His heart skipped a few beats when he found Road's darling doll face.

"Road." He gasped, enthusiastically turning around and embracing her. "Road, oh, my Road-"

She pushed him off her, punching his gut. He looked at her bewildered, grunting, though watching the one stray tear glide down her ashy cheek, dripping off her chin and into his palm that he reached out. Incoherent sounds of bafflement and perturbation choked out of his throat.

"You bastard!" Road tackled him, only accomplishing in leaping into his arms and making him stumble backwards a little. "How could you?" She unrelentlessly pounded on his chest, and he let her, gaze softening in realization. She didn't have to tell him.

"I'm sorry. I never thought you would hurt so much."

"I'm not hurt." Road blatantly lied. "I am pissed off! You left-you abandoned me without saying bye or... You just left. You left me without a word."

Road buried her head in his more than likely bruised chest, ironically finding solace in the core of her dilemma of impaired emotions. He kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her waist as his lips lingered down her skin to the corner of her mouth. Infatuation overcame offense and fury. When she looked at him sorrowfully, longingly, he caressed her wet cheek, nimbly rubbing the tear away; his lips drew back a few inches.

"Unlike you," Allen breathed, somehow soothed, tranquil, "I cannot communicate through dreams."

"Then you should have woke me, idiot!" The tone of her voice never met her eyes with equal ferociousness, quite the opposite actually.

Road blamed his beautiful, enticing eyes.

"I feared your reaction. Surely you don't think me wrong when I say you would have behaved worse then than you are now?" He cocked his eyebrow in an adorable manner.

"Coward."

A smile of absolute sincerity melted her defenses, her inclination to torture him for his selfish mistake. All her pent up ire contorted, crippled. Only he can do this to her. The single way to torment her... not thoroughly unpleasantly.

His thumb ran over her lips, making her shiver. Passion, lust, sincerity-all in his mien. Thinking about it provoked her own desire for him. She had to restrain herself so not to attack him. Oh, she has never wanted him so much before, fully aware he is no more there, hers, unreachable. Yet he was tangible.

Allen listened to her breathing, ever so slowly picking up. With his forehead connected to hers, he could feel her rhythmic pulse, comforting. Quickly skimming the area, he realized it was so quiet because they were in her dream world. "I guess I should thank you. You saved me a good deal of trouble with the exorcists."

Road touched his hand, smiling as she realized it was bare-skinned. No glove. "I don't take thank you's." She held an impish smirk as she coiled her other arm around his neck.

He groaned when she pushed him up against a wall, tightly hugging his body, a feigned look of innocence (that couldn't trick him since she was anything but innocent) provocatively crossing her features. Firtatious, she deliberately fluttered her eyes, her long eyelashes standing out, sort of glimmering. His headache was long forgotten now. All he needed was a remedy, and Road was Allen's cure.

Passionately, Allen pressed his lips to Road's, hand rubbing her neck, left hand sliding up her back to the back of her head to keep her in placed. Not only did he feel her smile, Allen tasted it. I shouldn't be doing this. His body acted contradictive to his mind, and he pinned her to the wall, reluctantly parting lips to catch his breath. Her erratic heart beating matched his. Excitement.

"I can't," Allen forced out when Road tried to unbutton his shirt, excessively messy today. "Road... We can't be together."

Road grasped a clump of his hair, slightly jerking his head back. "You're mine... and I'm yours." SHe panted, lightly nibbling on his neck, but he gently pushed her back. "Allen!"

"Road. We. Can't. Be. Together." Allen gritted his teeth, hating his own words venomously.

"Don't say that!"

"At least for now." he added softly.

She glared at him feebly. "I love you, Allen."

His heart fluttered. A smile carved. Yet there was an agonizing throe of loving pain in his heart. "I love you, Road, but..."

"But. It's always but." Road whispered, burying her face in his chest again. "What about my but's? We can't be together, but I love you. We can't even be lovers-" Allen blushed madly there. "-but I can't resist you. Not anymore. And I can't wait for you forever. I can't wait for this war to end. The end will be disastrous for both of us. No if's or but's about that."

He tipped his head back temporarily to fight the tears as Road guided his left hand to her stomach. He swallowed a lump in his throat. God, why does she have to make this harder?

"Allen." Road said his name so softly it caressed his heart into another erratic drumming. "I... I want a child. I want to bear your child."

His mercury eyes widened. More pain. More desire.

And sheer unadulterated joy.

His heart bled.

"What?"

Surprise!

I know I killed off the OCs so suddenly, easily, but I just couldn't continue writing with them, and I'm sure most of you don't mind. Besides, I kept them longer than intended. Sorry FollieofMadness. I liked Ilinca, but... Well, some people couldn't stand her. Still, I don't want anymore OCs. I find it distracting myself, when I reread this. Other than possibly making it more detailed, is there any objections to the deaths?

Road's back, for those who missed her. ^_^