Nightfall was where all began and ended. It was a symbol of the day approaching its end, but also, it announced that another day was to begin in a few hours. When someone looked to the sky, they could prove to themselves night had indeed fallen, for the sky had truly darkened various hours before. So, why reassert themselves that night had fallen? Because in these times… in these times no one could ever be sure.
The sky sometimes darkened, but it wasn't because of the absence of the sun, or clouds that carried the promise of rain. No, war had erupted in the world, and it appeared like it would never end. Countries fighting countries, and states fighting states. Families and friends separated by the cruelties of humanity.
In other words, the darkness that sometimes ate the skies were planes and different artifacts created for destruction and mass killing. Dark sky, sure fight was what people said.
In the middle of that twisted reality, a song could be heard. By some miracle, a high building of London had managed to stay untouched by the numerous air attacks. The song emanated from it. It was a piano. It was a sorrowful song with grave and large notes, followed by some rapid movements that could not be told apart. Notes flowed without rest, till it reached a quick succession of low devastating notes. Then it began again.
There were times were it sounded melancholic, as if wanting by some kind of way say, transmit that it yearned for the times of peace. Or maybe, it wanted to see the dear persons lost in the war. Stop children from being scarred for life.
"It's late, could you stop playing?" asked an annoyed voice.
The melody didn't stop. The talented maestro ignored the simple request. His skillful fingers continued playing without a hitch.
"I don't want and you can't force me to" he whispered.
The piano ceased abruptly with a distasteful sea of sounds. The owner of the annoyed voice was holding the left hand of the person sitting in front of the grand instrument. The pianist winced, and the other, seeing that he was holding the other's injured hand, released it immediately.
"Sorry" he said scratching his head.
The other boy said nothing, rubbing his hand. It was bandaged from the fingers to the shoulder. It was apparent it had been burned in a fire.
There was a prolonged silence. Then, the redhead owner of the annoyed voice broke it by pronouncing the pianist's name
"Allen…"
"I'm not going to stop playing, Lavi… He will come back while I do it, I'm sure of it."
"Allen, why are you so thick-headed?" Lavi sighed, his expression adopting annoyance yet again. "You need to stop playing the god-forsaken piano. The only god it will do us is getting us killed."
"You don't know that"
"Allen…"
"You don't, Lavi."
Said boy began pinching the bridge of his nose. And the other boy entertained himself with passing his hands above the ivory piano keys. Even if it was silent, the playing hadn't stopped.
"He will not come back, Allen. He's gone. And there's nothing we can do about it" Lavi finally said, avoiding looking at the suddenly tense figure in front of the piano. Allen stopped his playing and hugged himself.
"Of course he's coming back. He always comes back."
Lavi turned a little red in the face. Without giving any chance to the little boy to defend, he punched him straight in the face. Allen fell to the floor and Lavi grabbed the collar of Allen's dirty and torn t-shirt. By force, he lifted and forced Allen to look at him straight in the eye. The brown eyes that returned his enraged stare were empty, without life. Allen's hair, the same tone of his eyes, was messy and stood out in many different ways. To be fair, Lavi wasn't looking any better. His right eye had an eye-patch, for he had lost it in a battle. The other one wasn't as bright as before. His green eyes didn't show any sign of happiness anymore. The now usual desperation was being forced away by anger.
"Understand!" he shouted, shaking him. "Nobody's going to come back, not Lenalee, not Komui. Not even Kanda, or Mana, or my Gramps! Nobody! They are all gone!"
During his small tirade his eyes threatened to fill with tears but he held them back. Allen, on the other hand, was not so strong. By the last word his eyes were filled with tears that were already running freely down his cheeks.
"I know as much, thank you!" shouted Allen back "Don't you believe I'm perfectly conscious that they will never cross that door anymore? Of course I am! I saw them die right in front of my eyes. I saw how they ripped them apart! I saw how—"
"That's enought!" yelled Lavi and Allen closed his mouth. The young boy saw how his best friend, and the only one still alive, started crying too. The redhead loosened his grip on the boy's t-shirt and Allen fell to the ground. Lavi covered his face with his hands.
"You understand, you understand. Why do you keep playing? Why do you play that song?"
"Because that way I don't feel alone anymore" murmured Allen. Lavi stared at him with surprise, tears still streaming down his face "When I play… when I play… I feel them here, with me. I imagine them hearing me play like they always did… everyone happy, everyone laughing…"
Allen whipped a few tears, but soon there were other in their place. He offered a teary smile that dissolved far too soon. Lavi couldn't comprehend how he could found the strength to smile, even if it was for a second. Allen continued talking.
"When I play… I remember how Lenalee fought with Komui because of his over-protective nature. I remember Kanda, making himself the antisocial jerk on the corner, but with a little smile on his lips while watching us… I remember Mana. I remember my father…"
Allen put his hands on his face, making his voice muffled and a tad incomprehensible because of the sobs raking his body. Lavi's heart went to his 15 year old friend. An age, Lavi reflexes, far too young to be the embodiment of the sorrow he was witnessing.
"I remember my father… teaching me how to play the piano. And you making an idiot out of yourself and making we all laugh"
Lavi reached for the crying boy and embraced him. Allen returned the gesture and buried his face in Lavi's chest, crying his heart out.
"I'm so sorry Allen… I didn't have the smallest idea you felt that way" Lavi rested his cheek on Allen's head.
The boy shook his head "No, I'm sorry, I knew that me playing made you sad and even so I played it all day long… I'm sorry" he said through sobs.
"There's no need to apologize" Lavi replied, closing his eyes, letting the last o his tears fall.
Suddenly the earth shook and faint sounds began to be heard. It began small but soon, blood-curling screams and the sounds of buildings collapsing began to be heard. The sound of bombs being dropped with deadly precision resounded within their ears. Allen and Lavi hurried to the window and saw enemy planes approaching. Fast. They hugged and kneeled down on the floor. Lavi turned to look at Allen and saw how his tear-stained face was contorted with fear. An explosion was heard just out of the building, and it shook them roughly. Lavi cursed, but suddenly, he had an epiphany.
Allen looked at Lavi and got confused by the calmness in the other's face. The redhead noticed his staring.
"As I see it bean-sprout, we are not going to be feeling lonely anymore."
Another explosion and more screams, the building shook again.
"It's Allen!" shouted the boy with mock-annoyance. Then a smile appeared in his face, replacing his previous grimace. "… And apparently not."
After Allen finished talking, the building they were in collapsed. Afterwards, it was consumed by the flames.
EDIT: 16/06/2012
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