Title: The-Boy-Who-Walked
Description: Allen Walker's back from a mission. He's looking forward to chatting with his friends, Jerry's cooking and a well-earned rest. ~Eh? Was that an owl? With post? DGMXHP Crossover. No pairings currently – open to suggestion!
Disclaimer: I do not own DGM or HP. However, as it is a crossover, I have borrowed lines from the actual books/manga/anime. These are highlighted via bold.
Message to readers: updates will be irregular, chapter lengths will vary and I can't say that I've got any overall plot to this (beyond the first dozen chapters). No pairings planned, but if they start heading that way or if your see any signs of and want a certain pairing, let me know!
Without a Beta-reader. (If you think I need one or could help me, drop me a PM!)
This is one of my first fanfictions (ever) so I hope you treat me kindly. And, without further ado, I give you the story:
The Boy Who Walked
Chapter One: Admittance to the Castle
In life, very, very few things turned out as Allen Walker expected. Of these, a dismal few weren't catastrophic misfortunes. The same prospects pretty much applied to the majority of unanticipated events, though Allen liked to think that he had better luck with those.
And so, having returned to the Order after a particularly successful mission, evident in how Allen only wore plasters (opposed to broken things in casts and slings) and still had an intact earlobe (not curtesy of the Head Nurse), something unexpected occurred.
An owl swooped overhead. A tawny, if he remembered correctly, with a parchment at its feet, clung to by talons. Allen paused midstride to observe the bird as it flew further away. What an odd sight.
He yawned, stretching his arms out momentarily, relaxing after the joints popped. He rubbed his eye. It was late and the retrieved innocence was already safe within Hevlaska.
Allen hesitated, wondering where to go next: his room, to get some well earned sleep?; Or the dining hall, for food? Allen glanced along each corridor, finding each as pitch black as the other. Well, if he got food first, he might fall asleep before he could eat it. But, if he went to sleep first, he would just wake up in an hour or two in dire need of food. Allen bit his lower lip, pondering.
A rumble echoed through the halls, rattling off the stone walls and shaking the glass in its window frame, like the foreboding chuckling of something big and dark and omniscient. Allen held a hand to his stomach, as if to soothe it, hoping no one had been awoken by the racket. Giving the black landscape a quick scouting, Allen nodded his assent. The dining hall it is!
He stepped into the darkness, shadows clinging to his pale limbs. For a while, he walked calmly, merely listening to and enjoying the sounds of his own breathing and footfalls. From above, something moved. Close to his head, swiftly, nimbly, the thing dived. Thuds fell beside and behind Allen, falling too fast for him to see clearly. Allen began to walk faster, knowing that the dining hall wasn't far away... unless he had missed it and had gotten lost in this same-ish gloom.
At the very end of the corridor, whence he had been, came the sound of falling books and scattering papers. Only, this was at a deafening, thunderous, monstrous scale. Allen, with a jagged breath of uncertainty, waited a moment in the almost lightless abyss. He wanted... he wanted to get a glimpse of whatever was racing towards him; a strange temptation, admittedly, but effective in ensuring his demise. For in that instant, he regretted it!
A wall of envelopes surged forwards, like a great wave; it swept everything in its path forwards. Even Komui, forever buried in paper work, couldn't match such a feat! Allen considered outrunning it, aware that he could only do so for so long and that he was much more likely to run towards a dead end, anyway. So, when given a split second to decide between a formed but flawed plan, and something he hadn't yet thought out, Allen chose the latter.
As the letters heightened and grew and crashed towards and around him, he activated Crown Clown and shrouded himself; now a white, albeit glowing, blob amongst a mountain of white paper. Unable to free himself, the current pushed him on.
When he came to, Allen was in absolute darkness, and upside down. Suddenly overcome with claustrophobia, he kicked out, avalanching the envelopes below him but rewarding him with precious light! He clawed his way upwards, towards freedom, heaving great breaths to force back his fear.
It took a moment for his eyes to adjust; even then he assumed that his sight was faltering: he was atop a monstrous mount of paper envelopes in Komui's office. Several others were scattered across the chaos.
Only Komui and Bookman sat seemingly unaffected: Bookman sat among the paper, not too far from where Allen emerged; Komui slept soundly at his desk, oblivious. His mug (featuring an elongated rabbit) hung from his fingertips. Cold coffee dripped hesitantly, almost cautiously, though appearing careless.
An owl, though not the one he had seen earlier, perched upon Allen's protruding head. Bird muck, from another overhead, landed dangerously close. Bookman, however, observed in silence, a cup of mysteriously coloured tea at hand: this was an event to record, a potentially pivotal moment in the war, if things continued as Bookman expected them to. Alas, his luck was as good as Allen's.
Bewildered, Allen glanced once more over the thick looking envelopes. (Perching owl taking flight from Allen's scalp in agitation.) It was made of yellowish parchment and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.
Mr. A-
The r-
The B-
Europ-
Another envelope obscured the words, this one revealing a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter "H".
Allen listened out for the sound of...- well, what ever happened earlier. Nearby, some owls hooted and one ruffled its feathers. Otherwise, it was safe.
Allen looked back over at Komui, before calling out to a bulge further away (which had two pairs of brown shoes sticking out), asking if they needed help. They wiggled their shoes in reply. Taking that as a yes, Allen scrambled from his place and skidded down the pile. He tore the paper away from them and in a flurry of white, Reever and Johnny appeared.
'Oh! Thanks Allen. And welcome back.' Johnny murmured, smiling sleepily. He rubbed the back of his head and looked around, stifling a yawn. Reever grumbled dangerously under his breath (Allen heard a few "Komui"'s and a couple of threats) and readjusted his jacket and tie. Reever paused briefly to take a few letters out from under his shirt and sleeves; amazingly, they had managed to get stuck there during the chaos.
'Welcome home, Allen.' Reever greeted him heartily, and then took a look at the room. He slapped his hand to his forehead, astounded. 'What has the chief done now? ...I only left to get some coffee.' he muttered to himself, eyeing the paper. Allen returned the strained smile, albeit with more brilliance.
He turned back around the room to Komui's sleeping figure, perplexed. Surely, for Komui to cause this mess, he'd have to be awake (else have been recently knocked unconscious to enable minimal resistance when disposing of Komurins or strange chemicals)? If something as odd as this wasn't Komui's fault, then maybe there was a second bizarre scientist at the Order? Because, after all, the Earl's evil plot to destroy the Earth wouldn't feature spam mail, - would it? If the Earl wanted the Order gone, he'd send an Akuma horde or some Noah? – Yet, death by suffocation...? Drowning the Order with letters just wouldn't happen, right?
Allen refocused himself as Reever waded towards Komui's desk.
'Chief, Lenalee's getting married.' Having spoken the taboo, a drill and hard hat were donned.
'Hmm? What's this-?' horror shook Komui's frame as he looked at the mountain. 'MORE PAPERWORK!? Reever, you Devil!' he exclaimed, index finger poised. The accused sighed heavily, removing his fingers from his ears. Reever glanced around the room again, ignoring his superior's antics, his eyes glistening anew as he reassessed what he knew. Komui continued his dramatics, himself having already considered and weighed the possibilities in his mind.
Maybe Komui is just an unlucky idiot, or a theatrical, misunderstood [sister-complex] genius. Either way, he could not be blamed for failing to know what had or was to happen. Who on earth would expect to hear the Gatekeeper's girly shriek in the middle of the night?
'HE'S OUT! HE CARRIES THE EARL'S PINK UMBRELLA! HE MUST BE AN ALLY OF THE MILLENNIUM EARL! HE'S OUUUUUUUT!'
Even from Komui's office the petrified babbling of the mostly inept guard could be heard, although muffled. Something about w-what kind of question is that? and no-no-no-no-no! What are you doing now?!
Allen made haste to the door of Komui's office, fully intent on defending the Order, but they gestured to him first, indicating the screens showing the events outside {said screens having appeared from some gismo hidden amongst the mess}.
The images that the golems sent back were incoherent and blurry. Allen scouted the sights hastily. On one screen, there appeared to be a giant face – rising into the sky – with beetles nesting in the cavities of his eyes. Another golem showed what could be the inside of a pocket, although resembling the vast abyss. A third, and fourth and fifth golem expressed colourful visions of the [purple, grey and on one screen, red] sky and grass, the elements themselves now swaying with expressive movements.
'The golems are acting up!' Komui exclaimed, stunned. How could they all become dysfunctional at once? If they were destroyed, he could understand, but what was the use of these images? What was this invader trying to achieve?
Allen blinked, storing the images into his mind, as he turned back to the doorway – racing through the order's halls. He hadn't met all the Noah – was there one with black bugs for eyes? With a shaggy mane for hair? What was his ability? Why was he here? Or was it an Akuma?
-but no. The gatekeeper had only an umbrella to go on, and Allen's scar was much more incriminating. Could it be a normal human? But, the golems-!?
Astoundingly, Allen made it towards the front of the building without getting lost (that he was aware, at least). Already there was Lavi and Kanda, the latter already looking worse for wear – he had just come back from a mission, and his clothes were ruined. The former was alert and agile, though the bags under his eyes evidenced another sleepless night, studying as a Bookman. Their weapons were drawn, although inactivated.
They waited for a moment in the dark silence of the Black Order's hall, watching the door.
BOOM...
Someone was knocking outside, waiting to come in.
BOOM. They knocked again.
The trio glanced at each other wearily and Lenalee joined them, dark boots flaring green in the half light.
There was a pause. Then – SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. At his side rested a battered pink umbrella. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
He barely resembled the man that the golems portrayed, startling Allen. For one thing, the man had eyes – not the large, creepy beetles that the golem had insisted. Another thing, this man was huuuge! But he wasn't taller than the Black Order's tower, as another golem had estimated.
Behind the man, the gatekeeper had tears [and snot] streaming down his face in fear – but his eyes held a more aloof stare than usual, as though seeing something so heart-warming and peaceful, a sight with an encompassing feeling of pride. Allen considered him for a moment, before turning back to the giant. Said man bent down, picked up the door and fitted it easily back into its frame. The giant of a man then turned to face them.
'You sure have courage, coming here alone...' Kanda stated, activating Mugen. Allen widened his eyes at the phrase, amused that Kanda would say that again.
Before they knew it, Kanda leapt forwards - Mugen raised to swipe the giant's head. Allen prepared to activate Crown Clown, to Clown Belt Kanda away from the obviously not-akuma intruder, to prevent an innocent's murder, but a crackle in the air made him hesitate.
'You... What's with that umbrella?' A frazzled Kanda asked, a few steps back from where be started, glaring at the accursed thing. The intruder gruffed into his coat, a coughing mumble somewhere between an explanation and an apology.
'It's jus' a 'brella?' He tried, hopeful to placate the samurai.
The exorcists glanced at the umbrella, which resembled a headless Lero. The four allowed their minds to wander for a moment, relishing the thought. Ah, wouldn't it have been nice - a headless Lero, opposed to a chatty, annoying one?
After a brief silence, the man spoke:
'Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey-'
'-Who the fuck are you?' Kanda, ever the patient one, interrupted coldly. His sword rested as high as Kanda could reach without jumping: at the man's stomach.
The giant chuckled at the exorcist, disregarding Mugen with a roll of his eyes. 'True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.' He glanced around the room, trying to spot a certain person.
'Hogwarts?' repeated Lavi. The man's eyes focused on the teen before him, a calculated assumption forming. The great man smiled warmly at Lavi in greeting.
'Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby... Yer hair got even redder, Allen!' The four exorcists scrunched up their faces, confused.
'Umm, no: I'm Allen. That,' Allen pointed, 'is Lavi.' Hagrid gave him a strange look.
'Ah! Blimey, Allen. Wha'appened to yer hair?' Allen regarded the man for a moment, then spoke.
'Trauma.' Allen suggested nonchalantly, eyeing the stranger before him.
Hagrid's face wavered for a second: embarrassment spilt into his expression, leaning into guilt. The giant smiled at Allen, and tried to say something positive:
'Anyway - a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yer here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right.'
At this point, all the exorcists stiffened. Even if the man wasn't an akuma, whose to say that he wasn't a Noah? Or that the Earl hadn't contracted a human? From the inside of his overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with happy birthday Allen written on it in green icing. Allen accepted the box and stared up at the strange man, confused. While the intruder had gone up points for the gift of food, Allen still wasn't sure about him.
'It's not my birthday... And how do you know me?' Allen tilted his head in question and watched the giant flounder.
'Well, I-er, knew yer parents and that...' The man gained a panicked look, and waved his arms frantically. 'And-a, er, you were sort-a born in July, if meh mem'ry's right.' In response to the lack of reply, Hagrid scratched his cheek, wondering if he'd said something wrong.
'Tch.'
Silence echoed. Allen twitched, his grin forced. Black Allen teetered on the cusp of consciousness, threatening to break through.
'What did you say, Bakanda?' Allen asked sweetly. Kanda growled in response. 'Would you mind repeating yourself so we can all hear you?'
'What was that, old man? Are you going deaf to match your hair?' Kanda retorted.
'No, Bakanda: I'd like you to explain why you tched. Or is your brain too small to understand social cues?'
Kanda snorted.
'It's just like the Moyashi to know a freak like this.'
'Ah, but Ba-Kan-da. I don't even know if I know him. And~,' he sang dangerously, glaring. 'My name is not Moy-ash-i.'
'Whatever, Moyashi.' Kanda scoffed. Black Allen leapt free of the gentleman mask.
'C'mon now, Bakanda. Say it with me; it's an easy enough name to remember: Al-len! Allen!' he snarled.
'Moy-' Kanda began in the same tone.
'Ah, shut up, Bakanda, yeh great prune,' Hagrid cut in.
There was a beautiful moment of silence.
Then, Kanda's hand twitched - ever so slightly. Lavi let loose a laugh, and Lenalee failed to suppress a giggle. Allen decided that he liked the giant.
'What-?' He growled. Kanda's horned shoulder demon, robed in fire, reared up from the chasm of relative serenity which it usually inhabits.
'What?' Hagrid echoed, oblivious to the danger.
'What...did you call me?' Kanda snarled, outraged.
'Bakanda?' he replied hesitantly, wondering what was wrong with the name. Looking at the two boys, Hagrid quickly decided that it wasn't a pet name that he had intruded upon, designed to show affection. So, what had enraged the tiny samurai?
Said samurai activated his sword. Unsure how to respond, Hagrid decided that tiny, glowing swords ought to be taken more seriously than puny sharp swords alone. After all, if magic had taught him anything, it was to respect that which glows.
'...Prune?' He tried again. Yet the glowing did not dim.
Just in time, a flying pand-ah, Bookman, entered the scene, plonking a foot on the samurai's unbudging head.
Kanda swept his death stare towards Bookman, conveying his growing and strong dissatisfaction. Unconcerned, the Bookman merely blinked and resumed contact with the floor. He readjusted his sleeves and announced:
'Supervisor Lee wishes to meet Rubeus Hagrid. Let us head towards his office.'
Lenalee was the first to deactivate her innocence, her crimson anklets returning and her bare feet, adorned with dark blue nail polish, warmed the tiled, slate floor. Bookman Jr shrunk his hammer with a whispered command, but didn't place it back into its holster.
With a pleasant, polite smile, Allen deactivated Crown Clown entirely, dimming the room. Their main source of light, besides the flickering lanterns and open flamed torches along the wall, had vanished. For an instant, there was an unreal darkness as they waited for their eyes to adjust. With the light seemingly went the sound, and none breathed, as the Order walls stole them of the senses.
Then, after this moment, they could see one another vaguely, outlines and shades visible. With a few confirming blinks between exorcists, they took up position and made progress towards Komui's office, boxing Hagrid into the middle.
'Lead th'ay, then, sir.' Hagrid grinned naively, motioning the exorcists on.
Kanda grumbled under his breath and fixed the giant with a warning glare, though diluted by the darkness. Keeping Mugen activated, he followed behind the procession, allowing the giant no retreat.
###
OMAKE 1
'You... What's with that umbrella?' A frazzled Kanda asked, glaring at the accursed thing. The intruder gruffed into his coat, a coughing mumble somewhere between an explanation and an apology.
'It's jus' a 'brella?' The giant wavered under Kanda's gaze.
Slowly, Kanda's hair began to frizz and spread out from his body, like really bad static electricity. Allen and Lavi couldn't hold back their laughter: Kanda's usually sleek locks were now a crinkled, knotted Afro.
Though Kanda's glare wasn't quite so 'calm-deadly', the pair found that Kanda's 'insanity' glare was just as scary.. And just as deserved.
'Yuu-chaaaan! Nuu! Spare me! At least, the bean sprout first!'
'Whaaat? Lavi! You traitor!'
'Wait, Yuu! Didn't you hear? Just the Moyashi! Just him! Not me too!'
...Their screams were heard across the entire black order.
###
OMAKE 2
'No, Bakanda: I'd like you to explain why you tched. Or is your brain too small to understand social cues?'
Kanda just snorted, releasing Black Allen (from the depths of Neah's wardrobe.)
'Come now, neesan.' Kanda flinched. 'Surely I don't have to sell your precious locks for you to talk this time?'
'What the fuck, Moyashi? What do you mean this time?! And like hell that'd work!'
Black Allen chuckled.
'Well, may~be I met a little girl or two willing to pay hundreds for a tiny snippet of Bakanda-hair?' Kanda looked aghast, a hand reaching to his ponytail, immediately grasping a short clump.
'You!' he hissed. Black Allen winked, eyes twinkling.
Lavi paled and pointed his hammer at the 14th's Host. At the base of the hammer, a lock of dark hair was tied.
'How dare you defile MY sweet, stoic Yuu-chan!'
Lenalee gasped, tears at her eyes. She flung an accusing finger towards Allen and brought out a fistful of raven hair from a pocket.
'You told me it was cut off during battle!'
Bookman stepped out from the darkness; his hairtie made of a suspiciously dark knot of "fur".
'I dismiss your potential, Allen Walker.'
Allen's shadow swirled beneath him, taking its own shape. (Think Jasdevi)
'Unacceptable, Walker.' Link beseeched, tears streaming down his eyes. From his military jacket's pocket, tufts of black hair sprouted.
Jerry, who had overheard as he mysteriously walked by, fell to his knees in grief.
'My cutie soba-samurai! Nuu!'
Finally(?), Zhu fell from a hole in the ceiling and offered his condolences.
'Like my hearing aid, I have kept your illegally cut, raven-shaded locks among my underwear as I wear them. I acknowledge that, again, I have sinned greatly against you. Please, accept my apologies and take my hearing aid to carry around your nether regions!' He called out, bowing on the floor.
'In mourning, I shall shave my own head for Yuu!' Lavi announced and he, Lenalee, Bookman, Link, Jerry and Zhu became bald.
Black Allen retreated to the wardrobe whence he came (ie, Narnia. Because, yes. I'm the author today and I say so).
In other news, Kanda is traumatised and not to be trusted with blades.
###
(ZHUxKANDA! Crack must happen. XD)
Note to readers: writing this chapter took a lot more time than I had anticipated (3months with distractions) and I got stuck quite often. Not all that sure when you'll get an update, but reviews and encouraging PMs will help if you want more. Let me know every criticism (no matter how tedious or petty) and what stuck out as a good or interesting bit. It's hardly my best work, especially as this is my first time doing such a project.
(A brief note on paragraphing - I'm not sure how well it's going to stay or if it's all going to become a wall when I publish this. Rest assured, if its difficult to read, I'll correct it as soon as I'm aware for that fact)
Let me know if this was successful on any level. Thanks. :)