This place was eerily familiar but for the life of him he could not pinpoint where he knew this place from. He continued to follow Lavi and Kanda as Komui and Lenalee walked beside him.
"Moyashi you alright?" Lavi asked looking mischievously at Allen waiting for him to scream.
"'m fine Lavi." He said absent mindedly as he continued to scrutinize his surrounding s with a confused smile. He froze when he heard a gonging of a bell and vertigo hit him making him stumble. Lavi steadied him and looked at Allen in concern as he stared up dazedly at the sky.
"The ringing of the bell is the summons that I answer." He intoned emotionlessly and began to walk into a dark alley. They followed Allen and found that he was one of many teenagers and children walking in the alley and into a small opening that none of the other exorcists could fit into. Then they heard cries from outside the alley so they hurried towards them and found adults weeping.
"Sonya!"
"Eric!"
"Nate!"
"Richard!"
"Alidade! Come back!" adults were in clusters weeping as the bells kept tolling.
"What is going on here Ms.?" Lenalee asked and then woman glared at her with pure spite.
"The children of this town always go missing when the bell tolls. Sometimes the kids don't come back and many of us fear that it will be our child that does not return this time. This has been going on for decades and… my child!" the woman sobbed into a man's shoulder.
"The children up until they are sixteen all disappear no matter what we do to try and save them. Many of us have taken to abandoning our children outside of the town but the bells bring them back no matter how far they are." Lavi had a calculating look in his eyes that scared Lenalee.
"Does it affect people visiting because we lost a companion to the bells." The man looked shocked before pain filled his features.
"No. it affects those that are born here. If they were taken far away enough then they would not come but they would sleep or become lost to the world until the bell has last tolled on the second evening it rang and all the children will have returned. Tomorrow evening they will have returned if your companion is not with them then he or she is lost forever." The man told them kindly before walking towards a house and Lavi quickly hurried to the man.
"Have no people in white or black and silver or gold uniform ever come? Do the children remember what happens to them?" he seemed frantic. Them man shook his head to both of the questions and opened a door before ushering his wife in.
"If you have not yet found a place to stay you may come into our home." The man left the door unlocked and Kanda ushered them all in.
"Where's Timcanpi?" Lavi asked and Komui smiled.
"With Allen and he'll come back to us… if Allen doesn't so we'll know what happens." They all went to sleep troubled and worried even Kanda though he didn't let anyone else see this.
The next morning was very tense for the exorcists but the man and woman were acting as if everything was okay. Though when Lenalee made to step outside she was dragged away from the door.
"NO! Don't go outside. The children will not return if you do! It's just the way it goes do not interfere until the children have returned." The woman pleaded desperately and Lenalee sat down. When it was evening the door was thrown open and they could see the street littered with kids and teens of all ages. They ran in search of Allen and found him face down his left arm clutched to his body.
"ALLEN!" Lenalee shouted and shook his shoulder to wake him but he wouldn't wake. A young girl was beside Allen it looked as if he were shielding her and the girl looked just like him only with chestnut brown hair. An older coupe hurried over to the girl and paled when they saw Allen. The man reached a hand hesitantly towards Allen and put it on his cheek stroking it softly.
"My little Gray…" Allen's eyes slowly opened to reveal liquid silver orbs that glistened in the evening light. Allen shot up and away from the man a look of terror in his eyes.
"St-stay away from me!" he screamed as he stood on shaking legs. Deep remorse filled the man's eyes and the woman began to weep softly. The girl awoke and she glared with tear filled eyes at the man and woman.
"How could you do that to my brother!" she sounded betrayed as she said this. Allen trembled and tore his gaze away from the man and woman before him.
"Nadia… come with big brother. We'll… get out of here… I'll take you to the circus I worked at as a child. Cosmo should be long gone by now… no one will recognize me." His voice was thick with suppressed tears.
"No big brother… they hurt you! You can't let them get away with that!" she cried and Allen shook his head tears spilling down his cheeks.
"No… what's done is done… leave it be."
"Son you have to believe me we did this for your own good." The man started but he flinched at the agonized look in Allen's eyes.
"My own good? You left me to die! I was only five and you left me to die after beating me so badly!" he sobbed and took another step back.
"The only parent I have is the clown Mana Walker who picked me up after I lost all trust in humanity!" Allen had a look of pure heartbreak as he said this. He covered his mouth as if he said some foul word. He fell to his knees sobbing.
"And the world took him away from me! What did I do to deserve this?" his sister ran and embraced him as he sobbed and shook as if his whole world was tearing apart before his very eyes.
"Guys we have to get out of here." He whispered before flinching as the bell began to toll again.
"NO! Not again!" he cried as he covered his ears before his eyes glazed over and his hands fell to his side uselessly. He stood and turned walking away his sister by his side. Other children and teens joining them. Timcanpi was on Allen's head with his tail resting on Allen's cheek as if to comfort him.
"NO! This isn't supposed to happen!" many of the adults screamed in agony. The bells stopped tolling and each child and teen fell to the ground unconscious and it seemed that they would never wake.
And indeed it seemed that way for none of them moved or awoke for seven days and the bells did not toll as they slept. And then when they gave up hope everyone of them awoke screaming and clutching their head.
"Allen what's wrong?" Lenalee shook him as he continued screaming in pure agony before he fell silent and opened his eyes.
"The millennium earl is searching. Searching for his special heart. Let's check to see if you are it." He muttered before passing out again leaving a pale Komui and Lavi who knew of what happened to general Yeagger after the Earl was through with him and the destroyed innocence.
"Ma 'ead hur's." mumbled Allen as he awoke the next day and blinked in confusion at everyone staring at him.
"Who the hell are ya? I wan Mana!" he cried as he brought his fists up as if preparing to defend his self. He flinched as Kanda took a step forward and Kanda paused before continuing to the bed and laying his palm on Allen's right fist.
"Calm down we are only trying to help." Allen stayed tense the entire time but he did lower his fist and then put a finger on the crest on Kanda's left breast.
"You one of da people aftah the pretty haught." He stated before searching his self and pulling a beautiful silver and glass heart shaped necklace. He frowned before shoving it back into his shoe.
"Stupid voices." He muttered darkly and put a hand over his stomach as it growled loudly.
"Hmm its one hundred eighty for a single bedroom at that inn and food costs about fifty a bowl… we only have enough for one each… again. Maybe I should pick my cards back up? No! Mana said it was bad… but I had more game than at work." Allen bowed his head as he tugged at his left arm. Cracking the wrist over and over as he continued to mutter under his breath. He kept muttering about money and all the troubles it cost and how he didn't know a Master Cross so why was he so afraid.
"OH… you're still here? Or am I still here? I'll just be getting out of your hair for now shall I?" he got up but wobbled on his feet momentarily. He laughed quietly as Timcanpi flew at him and hit him in the face. He pulled off the gold golem before he blinked at it.
"What the fuck are you?" he asked before slapping a hand over his mouth and glancing around warily.
"Ya won't tell Mana I cussed again would ya? It would break his haught… he wans me tah grow up a gentle man." His nose crinkled in disgust but his eyes softened at the thought of Mana.