Alice Mare: Lonely Wolf

We met again in a Dream. He was trapped, like many others before him. Poor child, that boy must thought him most evil. Wasn't that what the rabbit said? Ah, yet that's a lie, isn't it? I met him once before, inside the forest. That child was reckless, having wandered in that deep.

Ah, but I've grown rather fond of him. His adventurous self, his need for attention; he is rather likable. Had he only managed to look forward, maybe he could have survived.

He couldn't speak when I hovered over him. He can't. His soul is broken. Not completely, but it definitely shattered. As I watched him, he could only look with a dull gaze. Has he died inside too, I wonder?

"Child, have you lost all will to move on?" To my surprise he slowly shook his head; something that he shouldn't be able to do at this point. I asked him, "Do you remember me, or have I lost all meaning to you?"

His response stunned me. "Mister wolf…you came back…didn't you?" His voice spoke so feebly, I could barely hear his words. I chuckled softly for I faced him again.

"The heart is a fragile thing. Someone of your age would have truly given up at this point," I said, "However you are trapped now. Lest you no longer have the will to move forward, will consider a pact with me?"

"For what reason…?"

I smiled sincerely, "You should keep living. A strong wolf would look onwards rather than back,"

Joshua was awake. It must've been some miracle, Allen thought, it must be, unless that cat was lying. He must've been though; the cat had been playing jest with him since the start of that Dream. The cat was hardly to be trusted.

But then how did Joshua leave?

Allen thought about asking Teacher, yet when he learned of Joshua's awakening it appeared as though he didn't know any better as well. Truly, something strange was going on.

"Allen, I told you a bit of what I know about those Worlds, and how these Dreams function, right?" Teacher asked him, and Allen nodded. Teacher sighed, "This is the first case I've heard where someone woke up after diagnoses…perhaps you might find something,"

Allen stared at him questioningly as Teacher holds out a turquoise notebook. It was Joshua's notebook.

"Well, in either way, we should give this back," Teacher stated, "Could you bring it to him? It might also do good to explain him what to do…you know, just in case,"

Allen nodded silently as he took the notebook, and with a brief bow left for Joshua's room. He knocked briefly, before stepping in.

"Joshua? Are you here?" No response. Allen opened the door further to find the room empty. He looked around a bit, somewhat curious. On the table there was a peculiar book; it was something you wouldn't normally find in Joshua's possession. With a hesitant hand, Allen opened it.

"It seems he has hidden himself deeper. That or his heart is more fortified that originally thought. I wandered around his world a bit, just for any indications. His story hasn't changed, albeit a few alterations. Strangely though, the front door remains locked…"

Allen puzzled at the strange entry in the book. It didn't sound like something Joshua would write, or any of them for that matter. Maybe Teacher, but the wording seemed off. The writer knew something beyond what was given.

His curiosity deepening, Allen read further.

"I can expect the third floor to be in ruins. He saw something in the other World too, something that broke him enough. It still bothers me that the front door remains locked. Many of his lies came from outside, in the forest, yet this place is devoid of anything correlative. At first, I thought he had hidden himself away, but that doesn't seem to be the case…"

"Who's there?" Allen jumped at the stern voice. He looked over his shoulder, and tensed at the sight of Joshua standing by the door.

"Joshua…Ah, sorry...I shouldn't be looking," Allen fumbled over his words.

"So you read it?" Joshua asked coolly. Allen nodded slightly, unsure of what to make with Joshua's calm demeanor. It was uncharacteristic of him.

"Did you get what was written there, or is it just the rants of a madman to you?" Joshua said, before sighing, "Scratch that. You probably get it,"

Allen tensed up slightly, suddenly aware of the unusual behavior the person in front of him was expressing. "You're not Joshua, are you?" he asked, "He doesn't like to think very much; he told me himself once,"

"I could care less what was said once. It tends to be a single time thing anyways," Joshua answered, "But you are right for that matter. I'm not him. Rather, I'm the one in his place at the moment,"

Allen looked at him in confusion, and Joshua, or the person impersonating him, sighed once more. "You saw what was written there. A bit much for someone like that child, don't you think? I wrote it, all of it. It's not much, but it's worthwhile,"

Allen took a step back, hiding the book behind his back. "Do you have a name? Are like Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit?"

Joshua perked up slightly at the names, and he chuckled slightly. "In a way I'm the same," he answered, "Though I'm more of the observing kind. Those two, they like meddling. I don't; I'm like them, but I tend to keep away from anything bothersome,"

Allen tensed up a bit. "What about your name?"

"I have none. I have many, but it's not something I associate with. The thing about names is that I have no real attachment to them," Joshua replied.

"Oh,"

The person impersonating huffed slightly, before averting his gaze. "What is it?" Allen asked.

"You know, this child, the one I'm playing as, found it boring that I had no name," he said, "That child was interesting to say the least. I believe he called me a wolf many times,"

Allen nodded, unsure of what the person was saying. "So what should I call you? It feels weird calling you Joshua…when you aren't him,"

"Lupus, then,"

Allen blinked I surprise. "Lupus?" he uttered, unsure.

Joshua, or rather Lupus, nodded. "It would be wise referring me by that child's name in public, but in private, just call me that, or whatever comes to you,"

Allen nodded slowly, then recalled Teacher's request. Placing Lupus' book back on the desk, he held out Joshua's notebook. "…Teacher told me to give it back to you…Joshua, I mean. He said we should give it back,"

"Keep it for now," Allen was taken aback but the blunt reply. Lupus chuckled, "You seem easy to scare, child. You should break that habit,"

"R-right," Allen said with a flushed face.

Lupus grinned slightly. "That book belongs to this child, right? You know his name; it should act as the key. Whatever thoughts are there will be for you and not me. So go and read whatever his heart laid bare,"

"Is there a reason?" Allen asked.

"Who knows," Lupus replied, "He's alive in the other World, but so far he's unreachable. You read what was in that book just earlier. You should know what I'm talking about,"

Allen shivered slightly."…What do you plan to do to him…?"

Lupus sighed before placing a hand on Allen's shoulder. "Isn't it obvious? He won't wake up on his own,"

It didn't take long for Joshua's unusual behavior to be known. Stella was the first to notice; she told Allen that he seemed much more lifeless that before, more so than him and Teacher at that point. She disliked the living, Allen knew, but he could feel her unease.

Teacher noticed it soon after Stella, but didn't try to let it bother him. He said it was nice that he won't wake up to frogs in his coat like before, but it saddens him that Joshua was much more secretive than ever.

Letty and Chelsy both pointed out his strange behavior at roughly the same time. Letty complains that he no longer plays with her anymore, and Chelsy constantly worried over his abnormally quiet behavior. At one point Rick came out, and he and Allen spoke for a bit one night.

"He's changed. It's like he's another person," he told Allen, "Consider it strange, but he has that same air as me. What about that same air…Even I don't really know,"

Allen wasn't sure what to think anymore. The "Joshua" everyone sees wasn't exactly him; he knew that very well. He isn't a very quiet person, and hardly spends his spare time reading or writing. He doesn't usually lock himself in his room, away from everyone, nor does he spend hours in the day just sleeping out of the blue. The Joshua everyone knows is an attention seeker, yet now it seems as though he's shying away from it, hiding himself in the confines of his room.

"Allen," Teacher called out one evening, "Is it alright if I speak with you for a bit?"

Allen nodded, looking slightly worried. They walked into Teacher's room and office, where Teacher told him to sit across from him.

"Allen…I should ask, but I have a feeling you know what I was going to say," Teacher said in a low voice.

Again Allen nodded, a look of uncertainty crossing his face.

"I see…I won't pry, as there might be a reason why you know…and only you," Teacher stated simply, "Joshua is rather illogical in a sense. He's normally a chatter as you knew him to be, but as you saw he hardly speaks to anyone now…"

"Teacher…"

"Allen, his mother was rather strange with him when I first saw Joshua. She hardly looked at him, or said anything about him lest I asked, and when I did, she gave me a cold stare, as though I spoke of a ghost," Teacher explained, clasping his hands together, "When I asked to take him in, she agreed fairly easily, although her two other kids were fairly reluctant,"

Allen nodded, listening to his words.

"To be honest Allen, he acted much the same way back then. He was quiet, rarely said anything back then. He wasn't so into the reading and writing thing, but Joshua often isolated himself from his family when I saw him. I felt a little sad for him then," Teacher continued, "Then again, I don't really have a place to say anything. But that's what he was like back then. I thought I should let you know, Allen,"

"Teacher…" Allen pursed his lips, reluctant in telling Teacher about Lupus. Instead, he settled with, "Thank you,"

As Allen left for his room, Teacher suddenly called to him, having recalled something. "It was something fairly important, I think. It was a strange thing, but it may be relevant," Teacher said.

"What is it?" Allen asked, slightly anxious.

"I didn't think much of it then, but I remember now," Teacher explained, "When I brought him here I asked him to tell me a bit about himself. Did you know what he said?"

Teacher hunched over by Allen, and whispered ever so gently into his ear.

"He told me he once met a laughing wolf who was crying inside,"

"Lupus, did Joshua meet you before?" It was late at night when Allen asked this question. At that time Lupus was back at the desk, quickly scribbling in his book.

"At a time, I did. Actually, he ran into me the first time. Child slapped me on the hip rather forcefully,"

Allen chuckled nervously; apparently some things about his friend hardly changed. "Teacher told me something he said before," Allen continued, "He said it might mean something, but I'm not sure,"

"There are a lot of things that remain uncertain in this world. It's only natural," Lupus stated, his eyes never leaving the paper he wrote upon, "However you should say something about it or what-not otherwise it'll remain uncertain to the end,"

"Oh," Allen uttered. He still finds it strange talking to Lupus in such a way, especially since Lupus carried Joshua's appearance as of late.

"How much did that man tell you about him?"

"Not much," Allen replied, "He told me a bit of his family and how he was back then," His eyes flickered a bit, recalling something. "Teacher told me that Joshua said he once met a wolf that laughed,"

Lupus tensed at those words. Allen saw this, and took a moment to ask, "He said that the wolf laughed, yet was crying inside. Lupus, are you…?"

"It should be fine for you to go," Lupus intervened, slightly startling Allen, "You recall how you first entered the Dream? Through the closet, remember?"

Allen looked at him, stunned. "H-how did-"

"You stabbed him with that key. At least that's what I think happened," Lupus explained, "I couldn't have come here lest otherwise,"

"O-oh," Allen muttered quietly, slightly ashamed of what he did. He did have a choice, but he wasn't sure what to do back then. He could've gone through that final door if he wanted, but he didn't want to see any more tragedies. Of the most evil, the only person that came to mind was the liar Joshua. It seemed the most logical, yet…

"Don't regret it, child," Lupus suddenly said, snapping Allen out of his trance, "As I was going to say, you should go back to this child's Dream,"

"Why…"

Lupus laughed. "I've written it in my book, and I will give to you in that world. However you have to go to that Dream. Like I said long ago, he's hidden himself away in his World, somewhere he can't be easily bothered,"

Allen trembled slightly. "Will I be able to come back?"

"Of course you will. That man proved just as much as well," Allen stared at Lupus, unsure of what he meant. He clicked his tongue, "Never mind, forget I said that. You should be able to figure as much yourself, considering his knowledge of the other World,"

Allen nodded, and Lupus continued, "Anyways, go back to his Dream. I'll meet you there as well,"

With that, Lupus opened the closet. Allen, with a slight chill crawling up his spine, walked in. There came that same feeling of nostalgia, and he woke up at the stone pillar before the doors to everyone's Dreams.

Will I come back? Allen wondered. He doubts he could.

No one awaited him past Joshua's door. Allen pondered if Lupus went ahead or not, and decided not to dawdle for long. With a trembling hand he opens the closet, and finds himself back on that luxurious bed in that enormous room. Walking outside, he found himself in the same, spacious home that replicated Joshua's real home. Almost replicated, at least.

"You've kept me waiting, child. Ah, I can't really call you that though, not in this world I believe," a low voice said, echoing along the walls.

Allen turned to see a man standing by the door, his head hung low. His grey hair stuck out like tuff on his head, slightly resembling ears, and his bangs obscured his face, hiding one of his amber eyes. It was long, longer than Teachers, and he kept it tied back in a messy knot with a deep blue ribbon. His attire was reminiscent of the White Rabbit save for the large overcoat he wore, and around his neck was a tattered bandage.

"Are you…" Allen trailed off, knowing it was a stupid question.

"So it seems, though at this rate 'Lupus' is just another name I once bore," he said, sounding rather bored, "You can call me what you want at this point, I could care less now,"

Allen kept with the name Lupus, not willing to go through the hassle of learning another name.

"As you can see, this is how I normally look," Lupus stated, "and as I said earlier as well, here is my book,"

Allen nodded as he obtained Lupus' book.

"Strange thing though. Some of the pages have smudges on them now," Lupus explained, "Likewise when I checked the front door, it had unlocked itself. Say boy, do you have that child's notebook still?"

Allen nodded again, holding out Joshua's turquoise notebook. "I see, that might be it," Lupus muttered, bring a hand to his lower jaw, "Allen was it? I'll refer to you as such from here on out. Anyways, there may be more notebook scraps outside this giant of a house. As such, his heart may challenge you again,"

Allen nodded, aware of the dangers he'd face before. "Lupus…um, about my name…why are you only starting to call me Allen now?"

Lupus looked at him with a sigh, "I said this before…actually, I believe that child asked me something similar as well. Yes…I did say before that I'm detached to the concept of names, right? For similar reasons, to be honest; I find it straining calling you two 'Child 1' and 'Child 2' so I'll settle with using one name,"

Allen frowned slightly. "You contradicted yourself, just a bit,"

"Is that so?" Lupus said, somewhat surprised. He chuckled slightly, "Maybe I did. The world tends to be contradicting to the heart, many times so,"

Allen could only watch him in silence; in person he noticed things about Lupus he didn't realize before. For one, his presence was cold, almost (and he recalls Stella's words for this) lifeless. For another, it was his blank eyes. Nothing reflected against them; Lupus would laugh often, he saw that, but now he could see that it never reached his solemn eyes.

"Shall we go now, Allen?" Allen nodded, saying nothing more.

A deep forest stretched beyond the mansion. Behind Allen and Lupus the door locked, signaling them that there was no turning back by then. With a slight feeling of anxiety, Allen trudged forward with Lupus following him from behind. It was ominously quiet, which continued to unnerve him as he trudged forward.

After a little ways in, Lupus stopped Allen. "This place is reminiscent to the forest he wandered in before," he said, "As such, it's likely that there are similar dangers lying about. I'll warn you in time,"

Allen thanked him quietly and they trudged forward. Eventually they arrived at a crossway, splitting in three directions. Where the paths diverged, a tree stump stood out with a sign stuck on it. "How nostalgic," Allen heard Lupus mutter.

He approached the sign and read aloud.

The fifth path is hidden from the eyes of sinners. Till harmony return to all four paths will the fifth be uncovered.

"The paths at this point diverged into three points, meaning the fourth is where we came from. I'd take it since the door has opened, you cleared that route already. That means you must clear the remaining three before we can go on,"

Allen sighed, reminded of the arduous task the White Rabbit gave him before in collecting the world keys. He prayed it wouldn't be as painful as before.

"Don't worry so much, Allen. They will likely be common riddles and tasks. Nothing to strain your heart with," Lupus reassured him. Allen nodded, and they moved forward to the path on the left.

At the end of the path laid a dry water basin. At the top small trails of water trickled down, but a large, fallen tree blocked much of its path, changing the path of the water.

"I see where this place was from," Lupus reminisced, "There was a waterfall we would often drink water from. He told me once that the water tasted sweet, even though it was just normal water,"

"Is that so…" Allen said, rather skeptical. He knew of Joshua's lying habit, so it wouldn't surprise him to say such things.

"It may be true in the end though," Lupus suddenly said, "Anyways, we need to find a way to remove that tree," So they began to look. The tree was too heavy to move by themselves, and there was nothing to cut it down with. As they continued to look however, Allen called out to Lupus.

"There's a beaver there," he said, pointing at the brown creature chewing on a branch.

Lupus shook his head. "I see where you're going, but he won't help you much. If you look up you might see why,"

Allen stared at him in confusion, but looked up just to see why. He was astonished.

Above the beaver was a large rock, suspended by the same tree that blocked the river. As he looked around, Allen realized that the boulder was suspended over a den of some sort, to which the beaver stood by.

"It was a tale I spoke of once," Lupus said, "A sickly fox lives in that den, and the beaver is there to take care of him,"

"What do you mean?" Allen asked.

"In this case it might be loose rock, and the only thing holding that boulder is the tree blocking the river," Lupus explained, "That beaver will be reluctant in moving the tree lest there be a way to keep that boulder well in place,"

Allen frowned as he looked at the tree and the boulder it held back. He then looked back at the dry water basin. "Could we move the fox?"

"You'd be clawed to death before you can touch him," Lupus said, "That fox doesn't take kindly to humans,"

Allen let out a loud sigh, before he pondered over his choices again. Without another thought, he approached the beaver.

"Ah, boy, it's rare to see a human this deep in the forest," the beaver said, taking a bite out of his stick, "I know what ya wanna say, and it's a no, boy. Old Foxy won't move an inch, and if I move that old tree Foxy won't last a sec!"

Allen nodded, and then asked if there was a way to persuade him to move that tree.

"Maybe so, boy, maybe so," it said, "Ya saw how thick that old tree is, did ya? Same with them branches. I would do the math, but I ain't exactly smart, so you can do it for me, kay?"

Allen nodded again, and the beaver continued. "So there are two boulders sittin' next to that tree. On the tree the thickest branches lay around the base with the thinnest at the tippy top. If ya can tell me up to which branch to cut down to keep that old boulder in check while unclogging the river I'll let ya go. That's all I can really say, but ya can figure it out, right?"

Allen slowly nodded, unsure of the problem's solution. He wished the beaver gave more information to him. Feeling hopeless, Allen approached Lupus.

"I heard. Don't worry, I'll clarify for you," he said simply, much to Allen's relief, "The boulders are arranged left and right in a pattern much like how you would take one step forward to the next. The branches closest to them are too weak to hold on for long, but the branches furthest out would make the boulder fall,"

Allen nodded, and looked carefully at the tree. Lupus chuckled slightly. "You get it, don't you? That was a trick question,"

When Allen gave the beaver his answer, the beaver had lamented over his own stupidity before he proceeded in clearing a path for the river. The branches were hardly necessary; they were already latched onto the boulders nearby. The trunk of the tree was the main problem, and that was all that need to be cleared.

When the riverbed was cleared, crystalline water flowed down in a steady fall, filling the basin before. As Allen watched, he couldn't help but be awed by the tranquil sight. He looked over at Lupus, whose face remained shadowed.

When the beaver approached Allen soon after it gave him a piece of paper – a notebook scrap.

"I once met a laughing wolf in the forest. He was singing a foreign tune when I met him. When we spoke for the first time, he told me about the birds that fought over trivial things. I told mother what he told me, word by word, and she patted me on the head."

"Allen, we should move on," Lupus said. With a slight nod, he and Allen went back to the cross way,"

They went down the right path next, which brought them to a cliff. The view was rather stunning, overlooking the vast landscape. However Allen was more focused on the shadow that stared at him with tiny white eyes.

"That shadow again," Lupus murmured, "He sucks the life of that tree there. Sad thing too, considering how nice that tree was,"

"Did you have to get rid of him?" Allen asked.

Lupus nodded with a frown on his face. "It's simple if you're smart enough. Solve his three riddles then he leaves. He tends to pick ridiculous questions though, and they're annoying to deal with,"

Allen nodded, and approached the shadow.

"Ah…human…rare…" the shadow murmured, "Solve…riddle…?"

Allen nodded, and he swore the shadow had grinned slightly.

"…dividing…30…by half…add 10…what number…?"

Allen pondered slightly. "70," he answered.

"Six apples…take four…haw many…you have…?"

"Four," Allen replied quickly. He heard this trick before; he recalled it being one of the simpler tricks. The shadow smiled.

"A farmer…challenges…engineer…a physicist…and…mathematician…fence off…largest area…using…least amount…fence.

Engineer…made fence…in circle…said it was…most efficient.

Physicist made…long line…said that…length was infinite…then said…fencing half the Earth…was best.

Mathematician laughed…at others…with…design…beat others. How…many…posts?"

For a moment Allen wasn't sure. He thought for a minute how he would fence off a large area with as little fencing as possible. It needed to go around, right? Otherwise it can't be a fence.

"Allen," he heard Lupus call out, "That question is a trick. Think about it. The world is one plain, after all,"

It clicked. "One," he whispered, "He just puts one post down and declared everything fenced…"

The shadow smiled again. "Well…done…" it whispered before disappearing. The tree it stuck itself began to regenerate, and revived into a great maple tree.

"As always that shadow gives out annoying tricks," Lupus groaned. Allen laughed slightly, and gazed up and the maple tree, showering the world it overlooks in an array of red and gold. Something landed on his head, and Allen took hold of it and noticed it was another notebook scrap.

"The wolf said something about XXXX. He said it was something none can define, yet none can live without. I couldn't understand what he meant, but the wolf told I won't be able to any time soon. That thing called XXXX…Has he felt it too, somewhere?"

"Lupus," He perked up at his name, but when he faced Allen, asking him what it was, he brushed it off with a quiet, "Never mind,"

The final path had led to a cottage. When Lupus opened the door, they saw a man hanging in the air with a woman watching him as she sat. Almost instantly they tensed, clearly understanding where the scene came from.

"…I don't need to explain what this is," Lupus said through gritted teeth, "I would rather not look at this in all honesty. Allen, you're on your own here…"

"Lupus…"Allen uttered his name with worry, but focused back on the task at hand. The man that was hanging there…that was likely Joshua's father. That would make the woman staring blankly at his father his mother. She had a cold stare; it was something he recalled Joshua not liking.

Maybe I need to bring her attention somewhere else, Allen thought to himself. He proceeded to look around the house for anything that could divert her attention. In the drawer he found a small knife. In the trash was a grabby arm – the same one Joshua used for the snake skins. Under the bed was a box; he used the grabby arm to get it. Inside was a book, and as Allen flipped through the pages, he found a picture and a notebook scrap.

"Something was happening. I could care less what was going on, but it's getting worse now. Dad has a sad look on his face, and people are leaving the mansion. Strange people would ask to see Dad, and when they leave Dad looks sadder than ever. I went into the woods again, hoping to forget everything. The wolf wasn't there that day…"

As Allen read the scrap, he looked at the picture to see a happy family – a mother and father with their three happy, happy kids. A strong feeling welled up inside of him, and he clenched the picture tightly. With a trembling frame, he approached the hanging man. Standing upon a chair, he cut the string that hung his body up.

The woman stood up slightly surprised, and just as she was about to lunge at Allen he held up the picture of her happy family. Tears filled her eyes as she took hold of the picture and collapsed, holding it tightly to her chest. In the quiet room, she whispered, "I'm sorry," before vanishing into dust.

"That was the final path," Lupus announced, "The fifth route should show itself now,"

Allen nodded solemnly, recalling the notebook scrap and its words.

He wondered what Lupus may be thinking.

A deep hole took the place of the stump when Allen and Lupus returned to the crossroads. A cool breeze emitted from the pit, and it made Allen shiver slightly.

"There shouldn't be any more riddles or puzzles at this point," Lupus declared, "Three questions – I'm pretty sure you noticed that as well. The heart can only challenge you so many times, and his heart has already questioned you three times before,"

"Is he down there then…?" Allen asked. Lupus nodded in reply.

"When you're ready to go, just go," he said, "That child should be waiting,"

"Right…" Allen muttered as he approached the pit. Looking down, all he could see was darkness, and he wondered if there was even a bottom to that pit. Without another hesitant moment, he jumped down, and he could hear Lupus follow him soon after.

The landing was a soft one; it was more of a gentle thump rather than a sudden splat at least. Allen looked around to find himself in another field where the grass grew a dark green color and the flowers stood out stark white across the dark surface. A small breeze blew, chilling the air slightly. It felt rather dreary.

It was then that Allen saw him. There, sleeping in the field, surrounded by those bright white flowers, was Joshua.

"Troublesome child, I'll say," Lupus groaned, bringing a hand to his head, "Honestly, to think he'd go so far as to hide himself in this bleak place. Best you go and wake him up, Allen,"

Allen nodded, and ran over to Joshua's side. Gently but quickly, he shook the sleeping boy's shoulders.

"Mmph…huh?" Joshua's eyes fluttered open as he was roused from his sleep, "Oh…hey Allen…and…is that you, mister wolf?"

"In the spirit, more or less," Lupus answered, earning a small laugh from Joshua.

"You look different…kinda like an old man," Joshua said with a grin. Lupus sighed.

"You are as bothersome as ever, child," Lupus aid bitterly, "You were the one who made the pact with me, so it's only natural to carry bits and pieces of your appearance with me,"

"What? Really? Does that mean I'll look like you when I'm older?" Joshua squeaked slightly when Lupus gently struck him on the head. "It was a joke!"

"As always your jokes have no taste," Lupus stated, brows slightly twitching. He turned to face Allen and then said, "You remember how to leave as well, correct? Ah, maybe not the second route, I'd advise against that,"

Allen nodded as he took out the World Key he had received from the White Rabbit in his first Dream. His eyes shifted between Joshua and Lupus, and it was then that his hand started trembling slightly.

"Hey Allen, what's he talking about? What does that key have to do with anything?" Joshua asked, sounding uneasy, "Wolf, what is he going to do?"

Lupus laughed slightly. "Child, I didn't think you would call me a wolf on its own," he said, "It's always 'Mister Wolf' wasn't it? Well, not that it matters anyways; it is the meaning of the name he's calling me if I do so believe,"

Joshua looked at him puzzled, and he slowly backed away. "This is wrong, isn't it?" Joshua muttered, "I don't know why, but you're always hiding something. Even now you still are; you have the same eyes as mom right now, and I don't know why. I hate it,"

"Only natural, as it was these same eyes that took everything,"

"Stop it," It was a sharp command, and Lupus refrained from saying anything further.

"Hey Allen…you have to stab someone with that right?" Joshua asked, pointing to the key in Allen's hand, "He wants you to stab him. Yeah, I think that's it. I don't know; I say it, but it might not be true. He's a liar too, actually,"

Allen could see him shaking slightly. "Man, I still can't get over it. It's annoying as hell, not knowing anything. I thought it would be better not to, seeing my Mom like that and all, but then he had to hide everything from me also…" Joshua said, "Whatever…I don't care what happens now. Stab him for all I care,"

Allen frowned at his statement, but when he looked at Lupus he could see the man's sad smile. It was as though he was saying, "I'm sorry," in silence.

"Allen," Lupus said, "That child and I share the same body in the other World now. If you choice to stab him, it will send you and me back. Stab me, however…you understand, don't you,"

Allen nodded, trembling slightly. With shaky steps he approached Lupus, and swiftly lunged forward, thrusting the key into his body.

"Very good, Allen…" he could hear Lupus whisper as the Dream began to fall apart, "With this, he won't remember…"

Allen felt a hand on his head, gently stroking his hair. "The book…keep it. I have no need for it anymore. My name…I'm sure you'll figure it out,"

The Dream slowly shattered, bit by bit. Joshua was gone; he must've left. As Allen was about to close his eyes, he felt a scrap of paper in his hand.

"When Mom patted me on the head, there was always a warm feeling from it. Mother doesnt do that now. She no longer looks at me. I met the wolf again in the woods. He told me not to come back anymore. I cried, I think. I asked him if I was needed or unneeded. Then the wolf patted me on the head. He told me I'm sorry. H- -d su- - -n-y -mt-"

The words, like many times before, were too blurred to read.

Joshua had found a strange notebook in his room one morning. He told Allen about it, but said he wasn't sure what to do about it. Allen told him to read it. He had a sad look on his face when he said that as well.

"Sure, but who's is it anyways?" Joshua asked, "Do you know?"

"It meant 'defender of mankind' in in old English, I think," Allen replied, "I asked Teacher if he knew, and he told me it might be 'Alex',"

Joshua looked at him in surprise. "How did you know the name meant that? Wait, do you know this person, too?"

Allen shook his head. "I found something in the library. That's all,"

"Oh…"

With a tiny pout and a small laugh, the two boys opened the notebook.

"I was told the meaning of my given name. It meant "defender of mankind" which was something I wasn't. Most of the time I would just watch as people lived from their happiest moments to their most despairing ones. I defended nothing, not mankind, not even my own name. I had changed it again and again. Soon enough, something like a name no longer had any purpose for me."

"I was slapped in the hip by a boy that lived in that big old mansion. He was a mischievous kid, running about with his own interest. He told me he didn't plan to go home, that he didn't want to. That child calls me a wolf. I didn't like it."

"He was crying when I met him for the last time. He asked me if he was needed or not. I only said, "Sorry," I truly am a terrible person. This child…I'm afraid to say his name, yet I've grown attached. He calls me a wolf still, but yet…I feel he is more of a strong wolf than me in the end."

"I hate names. I hate having to think about them. But that child made an impression on me. The image of a wolf often comes to mind now. It saddens me. Why does that child think so highly of me? Even after I made him lose everything…why does he continue to reach out to me?"

"He's a real idiot, isn't he?" Joshua said soundly as Allen closed the notebook.

Somewhere inside, I've grown to XXXX people. It's a strange thing to say, considering I was never XXXXed before. But that's just what happened. I wonder about the child…I hope he finds that thing again someday – that thing called XXXX. Until then, I'll watch over him. He wouldn't mind, right?

...

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A/N

Thank you for reading! As you might know, this is the sequel to my other story "Crying Wolf". In comparison to the first one this is actually going more into the depth of the man Joshua had met in the woods. For me the man's description is a little dated but it's not something to be bothered by. Raher, I feel like he's more of another Teacher than I had previously thought... ^^"

Concerning him, I think the most important thing to note is names because they play a fairly crucial role in the story. It's the main inspiration in this part - the meaning of names, that is. And for the laughing wolf "Alex" fits him better than he thinks~

Thanks again for taking the time to read!