Disclaimer (covering the entire fanfiction): I don't own -Man All characters used belong to their respective owners and are being used without permission.
This fanfiction is not for people looking for a romantic or fast-paced read. All romances, even those featuring the main character, will take a backseat to the plot. There will be pairings of all orientations and intensities, and no pairing will be finalized, regardless of how long they are written just like in real life! If any of these notions offend you, please find something else to read.
Chapter One: Wide-Eyed Innocence
A muted cloudy morning greeted him as he stepped out of the inn. Cold winds wafted through the town, swirling dead leaves and loose snow. Allen Walker paused slightly to watch the area come to life before moving swiftly through, determined to leave before anyone could question him. His pale features earned him many second glances and disturbed whispers. There were a few kind smiles but they were given the same treatment as all the others. Soon the townsfolk realized this boy wasn't the same polite child they had seen yesterday.
Blatantly ignoring everything around him, the pale haired youth jerked visibly when half his world turned violently from color into monochrome. Staggering backwards, he barely avoided a bullet-shaped object twice the size of Allen's clenched fist leaving it to explode at his feet. Heat colored his cheeks an embarrassed red as people stared. A scream sounded from behind him and people bolted from the street into the closest building they could find. He looked around carefully, waiting for his opponent to show themselves.
"Exorcist! Play a game with me?" The familiar form of a level one akuma grinned down at him. Its excitement was nearly palatable. Beside it, a pallid figure watched him almost hopefully, its miserable expression strained. Allen smiled as gently as he could manage at it, desperately ignoring the building pain in his left eye.
"Are you lonely?" The soul's eyes widened and it nodded quickly. "Don't worry; you won't be for much longer." Confusion twisting its features, the akuma fired more of its bullets. His smile turned almost feral as he dodged swiftly. Falling into a rhyme of twisting and jumping, time slipped from his awareness. Explosions rocked the area for several long minutes before he was forced out of his trance.
An itch formed in his left hand and spread through his arm. "Ah," he murmured, "am I taking too long?" A discomforting throb answered him. "My apologizes than." Using an incoming bullet as a springboard, Allen flipped over the akuma twisting to face its back. A numb feeling incased his arm. Red, disfigured skin smoothed as his limb grew, paling into an ivory white. Fingers sharpened into claws and a black cross dominated the back of his hand. A thought floated through his mind, pulling him mentally from the fight even as he parried various attacks. 'It's a good thing I'm not hungry, isn't it? They won't let me eat here after this…'
"Pay attention to me!"
"Oh, you're still here?"
"What? Of course I'm –" His claw sliced through the akuma, silencing it. The world once again shifted violently. The sudden shift threw off his landing causing him to jar his knee. Wobbling lightly, Allen dropped his smile. Slowly, as if it didn't believe all the akuma were gone, his arm returned to it dormant state.
"Are you angry with me? I have been wandering too much in my head recently…" He looked around him, watching as people slowly began leaving buildings to fill the streets. Glares followed him as he walked towards the edge of town. Hesitantly, he asked, "You… you won't leave me will you? When we get there?"
There was no answer.