Disclaimer: I do not own the win that is -Man, or Allen, or Mana, or anything this chapter (184 and mine) mentions save for speculation and wonder and the utter fangirly-ness that went into this that should have translated into effort for an essay due tommorow...XD So basically everything except my love. 3

Summary: It was the same song and dance all over again--except a bit different. His dream seemed to have upgraded from worrisome to horrible, but looking upon that smiling face...he only half-heartedly denied the name he was called. spoilers for chapter 184

Warnings: Spoilers for chapter 184 of the manga

Damned Dreams

Something in him twitched (deep down inside, the part he tried to smother when he was alone with his thoughts and the future lying before him) and his eyes opened to The End.

...where..is this...?

(so different from before...no pool...Lenalee...did you...leave me...to this?)

A heavy, pure scent (of hate and death and utter nothingness) hung in the air, drifting without purpose or direction. It was familiar at the same time it was not. Faint whispers of whispers told him that he was intimately familiar with such a scene...whether it was truly him or not.

...what...is this...?

(not...not real...really couldn't...I...left?...Mana and...Link...why?)

The aching wound that Allen had received from the battle at the orphanage was pierced anew with Crown Clown's heavy Sword of Exorcism, and blood cooled and dried on his uniform, his exorcist coat (the piece of cloth that had so soon become a part of him) conveniently opened and unbuttoned to give less resistance to what pinned him to a small slab of rock.

...a...dream...?

(so cruel...for...not waking...?...you...my master...or ally?)

It was a burning sensation, truly, but as time wore on in this not-world, Allen found the pain become more and more manageable. His thoughts began to move at a faster pace as his body adjusted to the new environment it found itself in. It was an altogether strange experience, and his senses became sharper, and…

Wake Up!...this is wrong...

(something, something is wrong. it shouldn't--can't be like this!)

Allen, however, could not rid himself of the unnerving feeling...Something had shifted, moved, and everything was being reconfigured. His body, rather than his mind, found itself hard-pressed to follow his orders to the letter as he writhed uncomfortably, feeling as if control had been taken from him the moment he had opened his eyes in this not-world...Allen didn't like it. Not at all.

"Allen."

The voice so quickly penetrated his thoughts that the usual response (a casual "...yes, Mana?..."), conditioned from years he refused to toss aside in his bid to walk forward, almost spilled from his lips into the heavy air around what was now two people. He was...here?

...Ma...Na...?...

(here, he's here...yes, it has to be dream...A bad one?)

"What are you doing, standing around like that, 'Allen'?...Oh!--There's someone waiting! We've been waiting for a long time, 'All--'. Don't make us wait too long!" Mana...his Mana, jumped about as if preforming an act. He was all flounce and energy, scattering the stagnant air to whatever corner of this not-world he was capable. His face was smiling, actually honest-to-god smiling, and Allen nearly forgot to breathe.

if this dream is like this...if i am allowed to remain here, even just for now, i am happy.

(a Good Dream?...yes--for now. but...why does this seem wrong?)

"Come on then!" And a strong hand was held out, just like out of one of his dreamsmemorieshopeswishesnightmares, and he felt as if his life had become more complete. It was just a small child, fresh off the rough streets of London, with a poor clown as a guardian, skipping merrily through a forgotten, destroyed world that had only had its own medicine dealt back to it.

peace and happy. this is nice. just like when...

(it was us against them but now...there is nothing? do I feel nothing for this...End?)

"Hurry up, '----'. Don't dally--we don't want to be late!" His name. Mana didn't say his name, but he didn't care! Mana was here, he was here, and he was so happy with him smiling and walking and talking to him again, like before he died and the akuma and Earl came and he said that he hated him---

hah--my name's not '----', just call me...'Allen'! it's 'Allen'...Where are we going?

(Mana...it's me. my name is 'Allen'. just call me that, please...it's me...remember?)

"Just call me 'Allen'."

...And he awoke from a deep slumber as silver eyes shifted and gave way to gold.

The room was quiet, save for the soft breathing of one other person...an exorcist (a different one from before), he presumed. The scent of that burning sugar was plain to his senses. Plain walls with scant decoration surrounded him, so the rude Order brat (those manners of his still grated on his nerves) from before had obviously stayed silent on the events from before. He could hardly imagine his awakening would have received in such a calm manner otherwise. There was breathing outside the door, so another guard was present. This coincided with the fact that the Chief Inspector's pet was outside his range of sight, so it was safe to assume they were one in the same.

He noticed that Timcanpy lay to his side, tangled in the sheets of the bed his body had slept in. It tilted its head, as if trying to measure him to something. He would have chuckled at the familiar act, if he hadn't been to tense, trying to preserve his nephew's life, his body.

That aside, it was too uncertain whether he should comment on a good morning, and his current quarters gave him no clue as to what time it was now. He surveyed the area for anymore threats and indicators of his situation, turning only when the exorcist awoke and his semblance of control shattered as the secondary force in his body took hold and shifted everything around again.

He was tired of this feeling. Of these fleeting chances at simply breathing and living again, only to have it snatched away when he began to remember what it felt to be alive...

He hated that feeling…but he loved his dear nephew (for as long he was going to remain as such).

"Allen?"

And he retired to desolate, not-dreams with his brother once more.

Lenalee? but..wasn't i just with Mana...in my dream...

(i wasn't here, but i was...it flipped and i am...here?)

"Lenalee...?"

A/N: Essentially tried to prevent Allen from saying a word until the final one to kinda take everything out of his hands (poor guy, a freaky dream to top everything off. Was he even aware of the initial possession during the Timothy arc battle?). First thoughts are mainly from the manga and kinda on the spot while the second ones in the parentheses are sorta secondary thoughts going on in the back of his mind like a gut feeling more than a coherent thought.

Okay, another thing to freak out about this whole apparently remerging 14th arc....first we got a Noah pinned with a sword of innocence saying "Good Morning" to an akuma he is pinned with, and now we've got Allen skipping around a post-apocalyptic world with his dead(?) adoptive father who more than likely his helping along his son's loss of humanity?...Wow. I just kinda expected the scenery to change to match the situation, but seeing as Mana was playing Pied Piper...

I just felt kinda freaked that even though he was in his adoring Mana zone (if only younger siblings were like that), he didn't take time to appreciate the scenery that could very well become a reality...Or is it just me? Meh. What can you say? At least we got more 14th with his Tyki (poor noah) hair.