The characters and story belong to Hoshino Katsura.
Mana.
He watched as the face before him shed tears. He stretched out his hand, reaching to wipe them away, yet his fingertips met the ice, hard, hand of the other. They both pulled their hands away at the contact.
The man must be dying he's so cold, those fogged eyes gazing blankly at him.
He raised both his arms to encircle him, mirthlessly laughing as the man copied. What was he thinking? Did the other think he was the one whom needed comforting? What must he look like?
They pulled back away from each other, giving one another the same weary smile.
"You-." He paused, giving a chuckle. They had spoken at the same time.
'Well this is certainly awkward.' He scratched his head, ducking it down in thought.
He glanced up to see what the other man was doing; only the see him in the same slouched position. He received a scowl from the other, probably similar to the one he was wearing.
He returned to his former slouch, avoiding the man's scrutiny.
His annoyance stirred. If the man continued his clownish behaviour, he would simply get up and leave him to his pittance of existence.
He…who was he anyway? He look around at anything but the man. How had he come to be here? They were both stuck in similar rooms, of checker walls and blackened floors. The window into each other's cells was the only thing with any colour. The golden, rose-vine motif, frame was quite grand.
Oh.
They were standing, yet he had only heard his own foot falls. A sound proof wall maybe?
'Mana…please don't leave me.'
His clothes whipped around him as he turned trying to locate the whisper. "Who's there?" Shouting into the void, he took three steps forward.
'Who was Mana?' He placed his hand to his chin, head slanting to one side, it had been a child's cry. Mana… it was familiar… so was the voice.
Pain exploded within his mind, eyes bursting open, bloodshot.
His hands shot to his heart and head as they split, burned and shattered. Mana, how dare he!
'Mana…MAna...MANa…MANAMANAMANAMANA! It was all his fault, all his FAULT!' What had he done? He was Mana, but what had he done?!
He felt absolute rage not his own, trying to rip him to shreds, yet the burning sorrow was all his.
"ARrgHHHHH!" Neah, Allen, Neah, ALLEN! Those names rushed to him as the searing flames sped through him.
'MANA!' Allen.
He was pulled away from his burning hell, only to be encased into a new frozen, metal one.
As his mind cleared he could see.
"A…lle…n?" Those beautiful silver orbs gaped up at him, eyes brimming over in tears. Arms opened wide in exaltation.
His gaze moved to his handless arms. How could he have become an akuma?!
"You made me into an akuma…"
'How could he have been so foolish? This simply couldn't be happening!' He lashed out, his bladed hand slicing through flesh, as he stood above his beloved son.
"ALLEN! YOU MADE ME INTO AN AKUMA!" His grief bore-into those of the terrified orbs as he stretched his arm back. On the edge of his awareness, he could feel as the shell of the 'Millennium Earl' disappeared.
"I'LL CURSE YOU- I'LL CURSE YOU, ALLEN!" He was trapped in the Earl's creation!
As he was about to deliver another blow, his son's deformed hand blazed green, the mitten he had bought him was scorched away.
"Gyaaaaaa!" The silver claws enveloped him, crushing. If he could laugh he would have, saved by the abominable innocence. He truly had fallen.
He was flung far across the graveyard to come to a rolling stop on his front.
Thick, poison gas emerged from where the innocence had struck him. As he dragged himself up cried words pulled his attention.
"Mana?! No, DoN't Do ThIs To MaNa!" Allen was being scraped behind the innocence as it rampaged towards him, its destructive intent oblivious to its masters screams.
"RUN! RUN DAD!" The tears were flowing from his son's eyes and yet all he could feel was relief for his imminent demise. Maybe he could meet Neah in death. No… it was all his fault… he didn't deserve to… not after…
He turned his attention back to his son, this needed to be done. He could finally think straight, the 'Earl' had lost his mind, he had lost his mind. But now without me...
"Allen…I…love you…please destroy me." His voice was a mere whisper yet by the widening of Allen's tear stricken eyes, he knew he was heard.
"UWaaaAAAAAHHH!" The claws ripped into him and his soul was released. He stared down at Allen, watching his little face disappear, he did love him.
As his soul was pulled away, His eyes closed for a moment in bliss.
He, Mana would-
Who?
He eyes opened revealing a face before him shedding tears. It was the same man as before…before what?
He didn't know, but he reached out to him all the same, yet his fingertips met the ice, hard, hand of the other. They both pulled their hands away at the contact.
"Heh…heh heh hee…" now he remembered. The man in the mirror, that monstrosity who should never, ever, ever have existed.
The 'Earl' ogled in feigned amusement, the very sight of…Mana. It made his blood sear his veins.
"You shouldn't be here! Be gone Mana." The crying face went to plead only to dissolve.
To the 'Earl's' great joy, his 'rightful' face appeared.
'Neah and Mana…never existed.' Leaning forward, he admired himself as his true form of 'Adam' wrapped itself around him
"Yes. There is only the 'Earl'."
I hope you enjoyed...