Core Pride and Innocent Sorrow

Chapter 18 - Familiar Strangers

Pale soft skin. Long raven black hair with a tint of green in a certain light. Soft lavender eyes. A gentle smile. Everything about this woman said it was Lenalee. However Allen knew that was impossible. He knows because he there when she died. She survived longer then what anyone expected. Despite being exorcist, despite having the evolved blood type innocence. She survived, she kept walking. Even when they we're separated she kept going.

Until that fateful day. It was a peaceful warm summer day in china. Warm sunlight fell on the two people in the room. Allen sat by the bed of old woman, Lenalee. Allen held Lenalee's hand. It was wrinkled from age, scared from battle but is still soft like a petal.

"I'm so sorry Allen..." Lenalee said softly.

"No! Don't be Lenalee!" Allen exclaimed, squeezing her hand.

"No I promised... and now I'm leaving you..." She said softly. "I wanted to stay by you're side... to keep walking with you..."

Her other hand held his cheek. He smiled and held it there.

"You've already done some much. Don't worry about me. Please. Because some day I'll be with you and everyone again. I promise." Allen said in a soft but shaky voice. "So please don't cry, I'd rather you smile."

"... Only if you keep smiling... Allen..." Lenalee smiled.

'Don't stop walking.'

'Don't stop smiling.'

"I promise." Allen nods with a smile despite also having tears running down his face. Silence suddenly fell in the room. The birds stop chirping. Lenalee's shallows breaths stopped. As if the world just stopped. Allen opened his eyes and stared at Lenalee as her hand grew colder.

"Lenalee?"

Allen got no response. The smile disappeared and wailed into her. She had survived for so long. Out living everyone. Outliving the expected date the Innocence had set. Outliving the wars the raged through the world. Through pure will or luck Allen will never know. But in the end, everything dies.

And here he is now. Kneeling before the Lenalee look alike. He's trembling like a leaf. Barely stopping himself from crying. Shiemi happened to look at him and sees him trembling.

"Are you okay Allen?" She asked whispering.

Allen flinched and looked at her. "Yeah. I'm fine." He lied. Closing his eyes and smiling.

Shiemi wasn't sure if she should believe him but left him alone. Yukio noticed Allen's behaviour. He wondered if Allen's bad memories were surfacing again. He noticed Allen's behaviour always changed when things with possible links to his past comes up. The happy sometimes cheeky teenager will become darker if something with money or his former Master is brought up. This was different though. This seemed to make his sadder side come up. Yukio glances away. Kamiki, Konekomaru and Bon both stared at Juan Lee in recognition. They seem to know of her.

"The Four gods priestess..." Bon said under his breath. Kamiki and Konekomaru seemed to know what Bon meant.

Rin on the other hand just thought this woman is really pretty. No mystery agenda or scaring past. Just really pretty. He blushes a little. Shima seemed to think the same thing but had a less innocent look on his face.

Juan Lee smiles at everyone with a slightly head tilt.

"We have a packed day for you all, first you will taken around the base and learn about Innocence, Noah and what we do here. Then tomorrow you will be observing a Black Division mission." She explained. "Are there any questions?"