Hello dears!
This was my gift to thau-draws for the DGM Secret Santa 2017, prompt was something Mana, Nea and Allen; as well as time travel! This is more of a dimension travel with the year not being the same, but it still remains similar to time travel~ Another prompt was more Nea, so this is written mostly from Nea's POV.
You might guess, but Allen is from after running away from the Order (and before being found), while Mana and Nea are written from my personal headcanons/interpretation. On a final note, I might eventually make a full blow multi chap story out of this. It might not come soon though, as I have other stories in DGM I want to do first. But it's something I do have wish to write!
EDIT (16 December 2018): It's been asked a lot, I've mentionned it in review/comment reply and on my blog, but I wanted to add a note directly here too; I do plan to write a sequel to this!
I do not know yet when it will be, as I have other things to focus on right now, but I plan to first have a second chapter to "Long Lost Reunion" and then make a separate story for the sequel, so it will be easy for everyone to see when more of this storyline will come!
(And a very important note: it is likely that the sequel will have Mana/Allen at least, not sure yet if there'll be Nea/Allen; I find myself wanting to play with how it is different to have Mana as Nea's twin and not as Allen's father, but also how current Allen, for Mana, is different from Past!Allen).
Enjoy!
Long lost Reunion
"Five more minutes..." Nea mumbled as he felt his cheek poked, swatting at the offending hand and turning, kind of liking the scent of flowers.
… Wait. There should not be flowers in his bed.
Golden eyes snapped open, squinting and groaning as the sun hurt his eyes; but feeling immensely confused. Nea had noticed his brother was also sleeping beside him, and they were definitely outdoors.
Wait. If Mana was still out, then who woke him?
Rolling onto his back, Nea used an arm to shield his face as his eyes opened again, landing on a young white haired man with a friendly smile. One that was too fixed to be real. And one that felt familiar, for being at the receiving end of it whenever a certain someone was stressed.
"… Allen?" Nea sounded very confused, and for good cause, the last time he checked, Allen was a red head. And a bit older. And had glasses. He squinted. The scar felt weird…
But despite all that, Nea knew he wouldn't mistake Allen. And the flash of surprise in the silver eyes told him he wasn't wrong. Before he could speak though, he heard Mana groan, and he looked to the side. Nea couldn't help the snort as he realized Mana was face first into the grass, and he could help even less the snickers when his brother suddenly jerked to get on all fours, then sitting on his knees, rubbing off some of the green and dirt on his face with a hand.
A sharp intake of breath brought Nea's attention back to Allen, seeing Mana look too from the corner of his eyes, and his brows furrowed at the shocked look the young man wore. Silver eyes were wide and mouth open a bit, staring at Mana as if seeing a ghost. No, not as if, Nea realized as Man properly gazed at this white haired version of their beloved friend, blinking and tilting his head. The stare, the blankness that felt like shock, Nea suddenly realized that for this Allen, he really was seeing a ghost.
Someone he didn't think he would see again. But then the white haired turned puzzled, silver eyes going from Mana to Nea to Mana again, as if he couldn't quite understand what he was seeing. Nea's gaze was attracted up as something golden wiggled out to hover, and a big grin formed on Nea's face.
"Timcanpy!"
… Something was definitely up, because even the golem seemed uncertain what to do. But after a bit of hesiation, it dashed to press against Nea's cheek, a sign it recognized its master. Or first master?
"So… Do you know how you got here?" The white haired finally asked.
Mana blinked and looked at Nea. The short haired twin shrugged. "I think we were playing around…" Nea's cheeks took a slight red color, because he recalled now. "I was testing how the melody affected the gates…" Golden eyes took again into this white haired Allen. "And I'm guessing we shouldn't be here?"
Allen scratched behind his neck, and Nea realized the way his gaze kept drifting away was because he was trying not to stare at Mana. Of course, his twin realized it, and worry was starting to show on Mana's face. "How do you know me?" Allen asked instead of replying.
However, that stunned both twins a bit. Was this Allen saying that, while he seemed to recognized Mana and Nea, he hadn't expected to be recognized? Something floated in Nea's mind then, accompanied with a feeling that he associated with the one he got controlling the Ark. A thought that might be his own bond with the Ark talking.
"… What is the year?"
Mana sent a startled look at Nea, but the widening of his eyes told Nea that his brother was getting what Nea might suggest. And Allen's nervous smile confirmed it before the year slipped from his tongue.
They time travelled. Not only that, but they were 35 years in the future.
In the end, when Nea felt the sudden need for food, telling him he burned so much energy apparently opening a gate to the future, the three of them settled for going to next town and eat. Allen had told them it was not even an hour away, when Nea's stomach had grumbled.
They hadn't talked much, even if the Campbell twins had walked on each side of Allen, Mana occasionaly trying to get something out of the young man. Like how was he still young. What happened to his hairs. But Mana had stopped when he saw the troubled look, and the flinch. Allen had masked it well, smiling and saying, "But shouldn't the future stay hidden as much as possible?" but the two brothers knew there was a story behind all of who Allen was now.
One that Allen himself didn't seem to know, Nea mused. He knew the two of them, yet seemed to not know the ones in front of him. He seemed to have an history with Mana, but not the one walking beside him.
Nea wanted to catch Allen's arms, make him look into his eyes, and make him tell it all. He hated that troubled look, hated the sadness he saw showing for a moment, hated not knowing why their beloved friend was all alone and looking so tired.
From the way Mana nipped his bottom lips whenever he wasn't smiling gently at Allen glancing at him, Nea knew his twin felt the same. They weren't even caring much about possibly messing with their future, because what if they could avoid the bad parts? But Allen didn't look ready to share. Even when Nea voiced outloud that the Ark only travelled space, meaning that even if not much changed if at all, Mana and Nea were from an alternate world, and not the past.
What was so terrible, that Allen would be unwilling to share, knowing it might still happen?
Something bothered Nea as they got into town, but he wasn't sure what, at first. Mana had decided to link arms with Allen at some point, and the startled look had pushed Nea to do the same, smirking at how the white haired seemed unable to decide how he felt about it. But he didn't push them away, even seemed to relax some.
Relax… That's what is wrong, he's tense again. Nea realized, glancing from the corner of his eyes. He blinked, and figured out what bothered him. Allen had a hat over his hairs, but not long before getting into town, he had pushed it down a bit more. He was also keeping the twins closer, as if hiding.
Nea let his gaze drift up, and he met Mana's one for a moment. His brother was acting interested in the town, and well he was, but that didn't mean he missed the little details. Because truth was, Allen meant a lot to them, and there was no way they would miss the sign something was wrong, even if this Allen wasn't theirs. He was still Allen, different and yet the same at the core.
And well, Nea didn't like the idea that whatever it was, Allen seemed to fear it. That he seemed unwilling to be noticed, to be recognized. It made him want to open a gate there and then, to drag Allen with them, and get him all warm and comfortable in the Campbell Manor. And likely leave it to Mana to wreck anyone who played a part in making Allen look like this.
But Nea still had to recover a bit, and figure out what made that dimensional gate form. So for now, getting food in all of them was the priority.
Allen tried not to tip them off, Nea knew he did. He suggested they order to share, and so the large amount of food wasn't that suspicious. He tried to pace himself, but at times food vanished fast, making Mana stare in amazement. When the desserts came, and this time to each their own, Allen took only one, but Nea felt certain he heard a faint rumble from Allen's stomach, and pretended he couldn't finish his own dessert, passing it off to Allen. Which made Mana do the same.
So when they left the place, Nea grabbed Allen's arm, and dragged him in a secluded alley, Mana on their heels. Allen made a sound of surprise, confused and maybe, just a bit nervous. Because Nea had grabbed the left arm, but what the white haired didn't realize, was that Nea had done that on purpose.
Neither twins had been blind to how he only removed his right glove to eat, and quite honestly, they had felt something off. Touching the arm even through the sleeve, Nea was certain now.
Allen had a parasite type Innocence.
Whatever Nea meant to say to Allen, to question; Allen's gasp and sudden fear as feathers sprout from his arms stopped the short haired twin. He let go of Allen, worried it was his fault, and both twins hovered close, Nea calling, "Allen!" while Mana asked, "What's happening? Are you hurt?"
Allen gripped his left wrist with his right hand, left arm trembling as he sent a look that was both concerned and frightened, even as it was covered with determination. "Nea, can you open the gate? Can you two leave?"
Nea blinked in suprirse, and the answer was yes. He was the master of the Ark, its player, and so even such a travel didn't leave Nea out of energy for long. But why would he leave now, when Allen looked so distressed?
"Likely, but you're coming with us." Mana was the one to reply.
"What? No I can't-" Allen started, startled and wide eyed at Mana.
"Nonsense." Nea waved a hand. "I only need to know a place exist to open a gate to it. I can bring you back to your time, well, world, whenever." He tapped Allen's nose with an index finger. "On the other end, I'd rather take you away from whatever making all this happen. Or do you not trust us?"
It was painful, really, the way Allen curled a bit on himself, looking so lost and so determined still. "That's not it… You realized, didn't you?" He lifted his left arm a bit, though wobbled on his feet, jaws clenching as more of his arm turned to feathers. "And you're not from here. You should go back and be safe."
Nea's gaze grew fierce, almost snarling at the mere implication of leaving Allen unsafe, or that Allen would be a danger to them. But it was Mana that reacted first, arms slipping around Allen's chest from behind, their height similar so Mana rested his chin on Allen's right shoulder.
"Then you should understand we want you safe, too." Mana replied, voice all soft.
It was enough to make Allen falter, to make him look vulnerable. Whatever his relation to his own Mana had been, the white haired couldn't resist the promise of safety from even another Mana. From a younger version of his Mana. Whatever it felt to Allen.
Nea stepped forward, and place a hand on top of Allen's head. The softness of Nea's eyes seemed to startle Allen just as much. "Sorry, you're stuck with us. Maybe my Ark wanted us to find you. Maybe we're just all that lucky. But we're not leaving you alone, now that we found you."
Now it was the turn of the twins to be startled when tears fell from the corner of Allen's eyes. He dropped his gaze, looking so conflicted and almost broken. "But I'm not-You don't know me."
"Then even more of a reason to take you with us. I don't know how long you've been on your own, but that's over." While Nea spoke, a gate opened under the three of them, their form sinking in it. Mana grinned, Allen widened his eyes, and Nea gave a little smirk. "Like I said, I can let you come back whenever. But for now, we're stealing you off, until we know what's your story is~"
Allen made a protesting sound, glancing down to make sure at least Timcanpy was still within his shirt. But deep down, he felt warmth. He wanted it so much, the protection and care this Mana and Nea wanted to give him. He almost gave in too, but it also brought even more derermination to keep them away from the threat that lurked within Allen.
"You don't understand..." Allen voiced, softly. "I can't let you get hurt, and I'm not safe to be around." Allen opened his own gate then, perpendical to Nea's, to only have Allen in it, and he closed his eyes with a tear sliding down as he willed it to take him away.
Except, he heard a growl and then Allen's gate just vanished. Allen snapped his eyes open, still in Mana's arms, who had tightened as if afraid; and Allen was shocked into silence at the depth of the desperate anger in Nea's gaze. Not as if, they both feared that I would slip away… But of course Nea would overpower me.
And now, the two twins knew that Allen had Musician's powers. Or likely, they could tell he was the host of Nea.
"You idiot! What part of you're stuck with us no matter what can you not understand?" Nea grounded out, clasping both hands on Allen's cheeks and pouting. "I'm going to chain you to one of us if you try that again!"
Allen wanted to comment, but Nea gave a little smirk, and the gate finished absorbing their forms. And when they landed in the middle of a dirt road, a mansion a few meters from them, and a large field all corn all around with a tree to one side; Allen found that he didn't mind anymore. He found that he fell back into Mana's hold, eyes closing and feeling comforted by the hands still on his cheeks.
He didn't know how much those two would get out of him. If they would be satisfied with just some facts. He didn't know if it would change anything, for them and for him. But in the end, Allen felt relieved to be there, to not feel Apocryphos creeping on him. He felt safe.
How could he refuse the warmth of care and security Mana and Nea offered to him, when it had been all his lonely mind had wished for, after all these weeks on the run?
End