A/N: I must thank Mystjerne, ErzaScarlet14, Gothicgirl12, Panda-Hiroko and The White Wanderer for the reviews! You guys are SUPER awesome! Remember that~ :) If you are reading this now, thanks so much! It's thanks to you guys that I decided to post the next chapter up so quickly~! And thanks for the favorites and the story alert. :)

Anyways... this chapter was actually only about 2,060 words... sorry~ didn't realize that. :) I think the next one is like 3,000 tho... not sure... but anyways! I hope you will enjoy reading this! ENJOY~~


Chapter 02: The Newcomer

"Yup, I think you are right on the mark, Tyki~" Road commented with a smile making Tyki turn back around to look at her. Road has always been able read minds and send telepathic messages even though she was just the Noah of Dreams.

"Earl? Is this the boy that you were starting to tell us about?" Tyki asked looking at the Earl now.

"Yes… Tyki-pon… But… why is he in your suitcase?" the Earl questioned with a tilted head facing Tyki, and added, "Have you been kidnapping lately as well?"

"Uh… I don't― wait a minute…kidnap? NO! Of course not!" Tyki exclaimed with shock.

"Eh~ Even if you did kidnap him, you did the right thing. He's so adorable~!" Road purred.

"Road!" Tyki suddenly looked at Road with shock.

Ignoring Tyki, Road turned towards the Earl, "Do you know what his name is, Earl~?

"It's―" the Earl started.

"My name is Allen Walker and I am right here." A voice with slight annoyance replied coming from Road's direction. All the heads in the room turned to look at the boy.

"―Allen," the Earl finished.

"So cute~" Road continued to hug the boy some more.

"Road… I think you should stop…" Tyki recommended looking at the boy in Road's arms and Road.

"Road… so that's your name?" Allen asked with a curious tone making everyone snap their attention towards him once again.

A few seconds of silence passed by before the Earl snapped out of his astonishment and said, "Yes. I think we should introduce ourselves. I am the Millennium Earl as you already know it. But you can just call me Earl or Sennenko."

"And I am Road Kamelot," Road introduced almost immediately after the Earl stopped. "That man over there is my uncle, Tyki Mikk," Road said gesturing over at Tyki.

"Road, I think I can introduce myself…" Tyki said looking at Road with annoyance.

Sticking her tongue at him, she began, "Well―"

"So it's Earl, Road, and Tyki?" Allen interrupted looking at each of them as he said their name.

"Aw. You say our names so adorably~! Road exclaimed. Then she suddenly looks at Tyki with a sharp look when a question pops up in Tyki's head.

"Stop going into my head!" snapped Tyki. Then regaining his calm, he looks at the Earl and asks, "What are we going to do with him?"


A man with shoulder-length red spikyish-looking hair and a black hat on his head walked towards the cemetery holding a wine glass that is half-way filled with wine. Supposedly, he was to pick up a certain white-haired boy, but he got held back by his bill collectors and women that were trying to get another taste of him. By the time he got out of that mess, it was already 9:30pm and he was about an hour late to the designated time. He was told to go the cemetery at 8:30pm via the golden golem that was flying beside him. (The golem was not originally his and its original owner had somehow managed to send his message to the man via the golem.)

When the man reached the cemetery, there was not a single soul in sight. A low mist hung around and the full moon was shining bright, casting a strip of light on a certain grave. The man walked towards that grave and on the gravestone, the name "Mana Walker" stood boldly on it. Still, there was no boy in sight.

"Crap," the man muttered and took a sip of his wine. "I was too late. Now what am I going to do?"

The golden golem flew in circles around the man's head before landing on top of the stone. Then it opened its mouth and a voice belonging to the golem's original owner started flowing out.

"Cross, you were too late, as you have probably realized. His innocence activated and killed the akuma Mana. I myself have no clue where he is, or else I would have told you. I must stay with Mana a little more while before I am allowed to leave. But by then, I probably won't be able to contact you anymore, seeing as how I will be in a deep slumber until it's time. Try to find the boy and keep him safe, would you? Timcampy might be able to help you, who knows. See you later."

"Ugh. More work," the man named Cross muttered and he began to walk away rustling his hair a little. "How am I suppose to find ten-year-old boy? He could be anywhere. Timcampy! You coming or not?"

At the mention of his name, Timcampy flew up from his spot on the stone towards Cross. It lands on Cross's shoulders and settles itself on it.

"Tim, do you know a way to locate this boy?" Cross asks the golem on his shoulder and takes another sip of his wine. (The only way for others to understand Tim is for that person to be Tim's current master and right now, Cross is.) Tim seems to be saying "I don't know" and Cross can only sigh. Cross wanders out of the cemetery and heads towards town.


The Earl looks at the three of them and began, "Well first, we should know a little more about this boy before I decide…"

"Alright," Tyki nodded and then turning towards Allen, he asked gently, "Can you tell us a little about yourself?"

Allen looked startled and said, "Well…"

"Allen, we aren't going to hurt you. Please tell us," Road said in a kind tone. Allen looks up at her and then looks down.

"…"

"Allen…"

"Alright… I will… just a little though, okay?" Allen finally replies. It wasn't that he was trying to hide his past or anything, he was just not brave enough to go through his memories.

"Mana, my foster father, just died protecting me from an oncoming carriage that was going r-really really fast. By the time people got him to the hospital…. H-he w-was already…already... already dead." Allen explained in a monotone that started to crack with sadness as it went on. Road only hugged the boy tighter and her eyes had tints of sadness in it. Road whispered, "It's alright, boy. It's okay now."

"So I was crying at Mana's grave when suddenly, the Earl appeared out of nowhere and asked me if I wanted to bring Mana back to life, and I said y-yes." The boy continued. Tyki looked at the Earl, he didn't know whether or not he was angry at the Earl for that, for making the boy go through even more.

Tyki… the Earl was just doing his job. Road's voice appeared in Tyki's head making Tyki look at Road who was now watching him with gentle eyes.

I know, Tyki thought. He knew that was the Earl's job, but he couldn't help how he felt.

I understand what you are saying, but don't blame the Earl, okay? Road requested.

Alright, I wasn't going to anyways. Tyki replied truthfully.

Allen's voice starting once again ended the brief telepathic exchange between the two.

"I was so happy when Mana seemed to come back to life, but then I discovered my mistake. I-I h-had turned Mana into an akuma, and he cursed me for it," Allen's right hand reached up to touch his red mark over his left eye, "Mana told me he lo-loved me before his hands flew up as if it was about to attack me and when it went down, my left hand shone and it met with Mana's. Mana fell back and turned into a c-completely different person. He was about to attack me again when suddenly my arm p-pierced through Mana on its own. Then M-Ma-Mana shattered into dust after telling me to li-live on." The boy then broke down and started sobbing endless tears while Road and Tyki were in shock.

This boy has an Innocence... or else how could he still be alive, both Road and Tyki thought after they finished processing the information they just learned.

"Yes. This boy has an Innocence." The Earl answered their unspoken thoughts, startling both Road and Tyki.

"Y-you already knew?" Tyki asked the Earl. He was shocked, the Earl kept the boy alive knowing he possesses an Innocence! Innocence were their enemies…

"Of course. I was watching the whole thing in the shadows." The Earl replied. His reply made Allen look up with shock, "Y-you w-were?"

"I was." That was the Earl's only reply. A look of conflict flashed through Allen's eyes before it returned to sadness.

"Allen. It's not your fault. What happened to this guy, Mana, it's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself." Road spoke up for the first time since the story ended. Allen looked at her with shocked eyes.

"H-how d-did you know? And it is my fault. If I had been… if I had been more careful, then…then―" Allen was interrupted when Road hugged Allen a little tighter and leaned on Allen's head with hers. Allen wasn't crying anymore, he just had a depressed look on his face.

"Allen… no one could have seen that―"

"Allen," the Earl interrupted, making others look at him, "Do you blame me for what happened?" He didn't have any expression on his face besides the grin he always wore.

"No." The boy replied. That simple answer surprised the others. They had thought he would, considering what he went through.

"Really?" The Earl questioned with uncertainty.

"It was my own decision, even if I do regret it, but it wasn't your fault." Allen replied without hesitation. It was the truth. He didn't blame anyone… but himself. To the others, the boy sounded very mature and wise, even though he had just been through so much. The Earl was speechless, most of the people that he met blamed him and hated him, but this boy here… he is special.

"Hey... Allen. Sorry to interrupt, but something about your story is bugging me," Tyki suddenly spoke out.

"What is it?" Allen asked looking at Tyki.

"Um… you don't have to tell me… but… you said Mana was your foster father right?" Tyki inquired. Allen's eyes and expression immediately darkened, he had a feeling where this was going. Road tensed at the sudden change in the boy's aura.

"Yes. He is." Allen replied in an emotionless voice, but his expression was telling a completely different story.

"Then what happened to your biological parents?" Tyki asked curiously and looked up to see Allen. Tyki was immediately frozen in shock, the expression on Allen's face was… indescribable. It had sheer terror and fright. Tyki then yelled, "AL―"

"What happened to my biological parents...?" A humorless dark chuckle came from Allen. "I am afraid I don't know myself. After they… they…" Allen stopped, unable to continue, then he seemed as if he wasn't there anymore. Well, his body was, but his mind seemed to be reliving something, something horrible.

The silence within the room seemed to stretch eternally, with everyone except Road (but no one had noticed) looking intently at the out-of-body Allen, no one dared to disturb him. He seemed so fragile at this moment, as if even the sound of a feather dropping on the ground can shatter his body and soul. The expressions and silent screams for help running across his face were almost unbearable to look at.

Then as suddenly as the memory began, it abruptly stopped shown by Allen's eyes focusing.

"HOW DARE THEY?" A murderous scream erupted from the girl who was still latching onto the boy, shocking everyone in the room. Then Road jumped from her position and in the blink of an eye, she was at the door about to leave. The aura that surrounded the girl was one of anger, pain and murderous intent.

"ROAD! What―" One look at the glare that the girl shot at Tyki silenced him and his heart seemed to have frozen.


HEY~ It's me again. :) So... what did Road see that made her become so... furious and murderous? well, You are going to find out in the next chapter! :)

This story is going to turn out to be a Yaoi story... so head back if you don't like Yaoi stories. well.. it might have some RoadxAllen-ness too. but... I am not sure yet.. it's prob gonna focus on the Poker Pair and have some one-sided Yullen. :) But the ENTIRE Noah family is going to be SUPER close, okay?

Thanks so much for reading this! Please REVIEW if you can! I love hearing from you guys! :)

~Zen