Theory on the soul of the 14th Noah

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

I have been thinking about this theory for days now. It's bugging so much that I figure I have to type it down. May be I'll hit the jackpot, who knows?

Here I propose a theory with (somewhat) supporting reference from the manga.


Theory: What if the 14th Noah's ability is to divide his soul into different people?

If this theory is true, I propose that the 14th have divided his soul before he died. The fragments of soul now reside inside Allen Walker, Cross Marian and possibly others who Malcom says support the 14th ideals.

Reasons?
1) Cross knows a lot about the 14th and Noah's Ark. He knows of a secret room that the Earl doesn't. He knows what Allen has to do exactly to save the Ark. May be the 14th really told him that. Or, can it be because he is also part of the 14th?

2) The most suspicious part of Cross in his physical sense is the half mask he wears. I would bet any money that no one in the Order has seen the covered half of his face. Why does he have to cover it? Why? He doesn't want anyone to know what's under it, obviously. What if it's because the right half of the face looks exactly like Allen's left side of the face, with the same clown cross over it?

3) Timcanpy is created by Cross. I don't think Cross ever said "I created Timcanpy" in the manga, but Komui mentioned in volume 4 page 67 that "Cross, who is also a scientist, created Timcanpy". Anyhow, it's assumed that Cross owned Tim until the ownership is transferred to Allen recently. The 14th also said Timcanpy is "his Timcanpy". When Allen heard him say that, even he said that Timcanpy does not belong to the 14th, but to his master. What if Cross is also the 14th? Wouldn't that make sense if the 14th calls Tim his?

4) Back in volume 10, Road found a different brand of cigarette butts than what Tyki normally smokes. Clearly, Cross was there at that time. This occurs before Allen and co enters the Ark, so Cross couldn't have snuck in when Lenalee got pulled in. I can't image any Noah would open a gateway for Cross (isn't Road and the Earl the only ones who can open gateways?). So Cross must have got in by himself. Either that he is a "player", or his sorcerer power got him in, which I doubt.

If this blab is true...
If this is true, a few things still wouldn't make sense. Firstly, why doesn't Cross stop the destruction of the Ark himself, rather than let Allen do it?

My guess is that Cross doesn't want his covers blown. He knows the Central is up to something. There are things he need to do, so he want to divert all attention on Allen.

Second mystery: if this theory is true, why does Cross have to pretend to be dead, or abduct by someone in volume 17? Personally, I'm 90% sure Cross faked the suicide. He's probably somewhere smoking and drinking red wine. Why I think there may be others who share the 14th soul (other than Allen and Cross), is because of what the people at the Central know. Malcolm knows about the 14th before Cross mentions it. Cross is clearly surprise about his knowledge. Malcolm tells Komui that someone who is related to the 14th sought the Order's protection. What if that person is being threatened by the Order, who also has a fragment of the 14th's soul? If so, there is a reason for Cross to escape from the Order. He wants to go and save that person. I don't believe there is anyone in the Order Cross is so afraid of that he must flee the place. I won't even consider that he was injured or murdered; no one is able to sneak up to Cross and take his life just like that without any signs of his struggle, not even the Earl.


How's this? Sound insane enough? Thank you for reading this crazy stuff up to here. This whole soul-splitting thing sounds awfully like the plot from Hoshin Engi, doesn't it? That would be the only reason why I wouldn't want this to be true.

Right, so what does everyone think?

Comments

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

Hm... I'm afraid it feels rather shaky to me. You say he would divert attention to Allen to keep his cover, but that assumes that attention had to be on someone -- the best and easiest cover would be if no one ever realized there were an issue at all. If Cross really had part of the 14th's memory inside him, I don't know why he would reveal anything at that point. He could have slipped into the secret room, stopped the download, and taken everyone back to Headquarters without having to explain a thing, and nobody else would ever know. He could have done it even before going to intervene in the Tyki fight -- arranged everything in advance so that when the rest of the group showed up, he could just pop up behind them and pretend to be as surprised as everyone else about it. If he had the ability to do something like that, thus protecting Allen and avoiding unwanted attention from the Vatican for both of them, why in the world would he choose to get Allen revealed as a Noah and potential traitor instead?

Second, Komui says that Cross created Timcampy, and I'm sure that's what's generally believed around the Order, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's true. Cross, after all, is known for lying, misdirection, evading questions, and otherwise bending the truth to suit his purposes. The 14th, on the other hand, has no reason to lie that we know of. I think it's more likely that the 14th created Timcampy, and after Tim went to live with Cross, Cross simply claimed Tim was one of his creations so people wouldn't ask inconvenient questions.

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

I agree that Timcanpy may not have been created by Cross at all, that he could have lied about it.

Cross covering the whole issue at the Ark, as you suggested, seems a bit difficult, since there were so many Noahs at that time (Tyki, Road, Jesdevi and sweet-tooth). So many things could go wrong with that many unknown factors. Arranging everything in advance seems like a smart and logical move, but the Noahs and the Earl are unpredictable.

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

But all five Noahs were busy fighting other Exorcists, and in any case, Cross always has Maria. Remember when Cross and the Earl meet just after the Tyki fight, and the Earl mentions how Maria's powers make it impossible for even him to find Cross? If even the Earl can't detect him, I highly doubt any of the clan could. If he was capable of stopping the download and piloting the Ark himself, it would have been pretty simple for him to slip in, do exactly that (at whatever point in time during the various fights/activities on the Ark), and then join Allen's group without anyone ever being the wiser.

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

Assume that Cross can slip in and do all that, he still needs to stop the transfer of the Egg to the Earl's new Ark. The Earl will definitely notice if the Egg is not transferred. If he doesn't see someone doing it, it'd most likely be Cross (whom he can't detect), and so doesn't it make the Earl realise Cross has the power?

This sounds a bit confusing...

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

Well, if he can't see anybody doing it, how could the Earl just assume? It could be anything, maybe even some kind of Innocence power for all he knows. He might suspect Cross of being involved somehow, but he was already suspicious of Cross being involved with the 14th (which again, we find out during that meeting right after the Tyki fight, if I remember correctly), so it wouldn't really change anything. And more importantly, it would lessen suspicion from the Vatican so that both Cross and Allen could move more freely/be able to talk to each other in private. I still think if Cross had that kind of opportunity, there's no way he wouldn't find some route to use it rather than exposing Allen to everyone as a Noah.

Haha, it all is kind of confusing. XD;

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can see your points. The Earl is indeed already suspicious of Cross. I don't know about being about to talk to Allen more freely though, since Malcom practically announced to the world that Allen is the host to the 14th.

Your icon is so great XD Gosh, Cross and Komui affair.

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but Rouvelier didn't do that until after they brought the Ark back to Headquarters, and the biggest evidence for the accusation was the mere fact that Allen could pilot it. Cross would have to know that if he made Allen take care of stopping the download/piloting, Allen would be singled out by the Vatican and nothing good would come of it. Whereas if he quietly did all the work by himself, they could avoid that difficulty entirely.

:D and glad you like the icon! It's totally my OTP to be honest *cough* It's by thanks4smokin, if I remember right...

[lovely-fatima.livejournal.com]

Actually, your icon has inspired a rather fierce plot bunny. I really ought to get around to writing that... I have to admit that I really love Cross/Komui

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

S. SERIOUSLY?

I'll just be... over here collapsed with an excess of happiness and also anticipation. omg. There's not enough CrossKomui in the world T_T ♥♥

[selvatori.livejournal.com]

I propose that the 14th have divided his soul before he died.

Doesn't it sound like what Voldemort did with the whore-something...?! =)

but seriously, it would be rather interesting if Cross was actually 'physically' involved in the 14th case.

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

whore-something

....XDD;

Horcrux would be the word you want, I think XD

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! Well the first time I ever heard of soul-splitting was from Hoshin Engi. I forgot that it was there in Harry Potter too. Well, I guess it's no new trick. I hope I guesses this all wrong.

[arivess.livejournal.com]

Sounds like an interesting idea~! Although, if it's true, I think it's somewhat implied at least that different people got different abilities from the 14th. So maybe Cross doesn't stop the destruction of the Ark because he can't? Allen is the only one with the Musician's powers?

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

Shared abilities is very much possible too. May be he only knows how to do it but doesn't have the ability to.

[lovely-fatima.livejournal.com]

I have this same theory, only it's a little different and more like the one arivess had above. I think that Cross' mask does indicate that he has a "piece" of the 14th's soul, but I also think that he only got specific abilities--i.e. the lion's share of his magic and possibly the ability to synchronize with his innocence. Allen, got the Musician's powers--thus making him the only one who could stop the destruction of the Ark-- and the random person whom Rouvellier mentioned probably got another set of abilities.

I've always been intrigued by the fact that nobody really knows who Cross is, where he comes from, how old he is, etc. It's almost like he stepped into the Order with full abilities and there were no questions asked.

Likewise, I think Cross shot himself with Judgement--or rather, he shot the MASK with Judgement. In my own, personal Wacky Theory Land, I have this idea that Cross' mask was symbiotic or parasitic in nature. All that blood didn't necessarily come from the man himself--I think it came from the mask--which was the part of the 14th that was attached to him--which was what gave him his ability to synch with his innocence in the first place--which is why Hevlaska says that the user of Judgement isn't around anymore. It's not. The mask is broken. When next we meet Cross--if Hoshino ever allows us to (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, Sensei! I'm begging you!)--I have a feeling he's going to be something more like an ordinary man and less like his old mystical, magical, badass self.

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

Yay, someone else who agrees that Cross may have a piece of the 14th's soul~

I totally agree with you on how mysterious Cross is. Out of all the characters, we know least about the 14th, Mana, and then it's Cross. No wonder he is always in hiding so it makes it difficult to find out about him. We think that the Order can find out almost everything about its members but almost no solid information on Cross (other than his habits on money, drinking and women).

The parasitic nature of the mask is an interesting thought. Though if this is true, I wonder if it is so easy for Cross to just get rid of the bond with the 14th. Even without Judgement, he still has Maria.

I wouldn't worry about Cross's reappearance. Hoshino jokes about his death in a spoof in volume 17 (have you read it?). She said he "died" upon taking 9999 hit points damage, then ask us to think it's actually chocolate on the curtain and not blood. Cross will return with the same attitude, I'm sure ;)

[lovely-fatima.livejournal.com]

It's the little things and the timing of everything that makes me believe that Cross was being directed by the piece of the 14th that may or may not have resided in his mask. It is also why I think the man drinks so much. What's the first thing you learn about alcohol in health class? Alcohol negatively affects your judgement. If I were a strong-willed man like Cross and I came up against a situation where I had this *entity* in my head trying to exert control--or at least more control than I want it to have, then I'd definitely try to do whatever I could to blunt the power of that entity.

Anyway, I've had to wonder if Cross knew the score from the beginning, then why did he wait so long to tell Allen about it? What I mean is, why didn't he take some time, before they showed up at HQ, to tell Allen everything? Why did he wait until their conversation was being monitored by CROW and others from Central? How could either he or the 14th gain from that scenario? UNLESS they anticipated the suspicion and scrutiny that would be placed upon Allen following his moving of the Ark. UNLESS they needed to assess the situation at Central and at HQ before they proceeded in the next part of their plan.

I think they needed to know exactly how much Central knew, and they had to go about things in such a way that Allen's life would not be compromised (i.e. he wouldn't be arrested as a heretic, tortured and killed!) Also why would Cross tell Allen to "talk to the 14th"? I think he assumed that Allen is able to speak to the 14th the way that he does. In that scene where he supposedly dies, Cross appears to be talking to someone about Allen as he's sitting there in the window seat. Who is he talking to? Maria? Unlikely. My guess is that *that* is how he talks to the 14th.

I'm behind in buying the tanks--too busy making sure I have Japanese versions of some of my favorite short series before I leave the country in July--but I'll probably pick up vol. 16 and 17 sometime soon. Thanks for the heads-up about Hoshino's joking, though. Personally, the Omake at the end of vol. 14 (where Cross is naked at a restaurant and Tiedoll is serving him very yonic* sushi!) cracks me up to no end!

*yonic is the feminine equivalent of phallic.

[kowaiki.livejournal.com]

I see where you're coming at with alcohol and judgement. Perhaps Cross thinks wine is nice, whether it is used to suppress the 14th or not.

As with the score, I wonder if Cross asked Tim to record it after Allen and Mana played with it in the sand, or if Cross knew about it before Mana taught Allen how to read it.

It puzzles me greatly too why Cross sent Allen to the HQ. Perhaps he thinks Allen should learn the reason to activate his Innocence, protecting human and Akuma. Otherwise yeah, why would Cross just throw Allen in and goes "good luck and try to survive"?

To be honest, I didn't think as far as the possibility of Cross talking to someone in his room. You're combing through the details better than I ^^; After rereading the pages, I guess he could have been conversing with the 14th or just talking to himself. I do agree though that Cross will want to find out how much the Central knows. It is vital to his and Allen's survival.

I don't have the tanks either (stopped buying after volume 7 and didn't read D.Gray for a long while), I read the omake pages off a Chinese scanlation site. Some of those omake pages illustrated by her assistants are a bit creepy.