Questions
"What should we do, Timcampy?" Allen asked his gold golem pitifully, "I can't find the headquarters anywhere!" If golems could shrug, he was sure that's exactly what Tim did. The boy looked forlornly at the rolling waves, as if hoping the Black Order's HQ could magically rise from under the ocean. Sure, the headquarters may have an exorcist who can perform such a feat, but hoping for such a miracle may be too much of a stretch after all. Allen sighed.
After half an hour of pondering, the boy stood up abruptly, startling his golem. Allen's stomach growled. "I'm starving." He cast one last glance at the offending ocean before saying, "Well, I'll just get something to eat first before deciding what to do."
"Letter? From General Cross?" Komui looked at his beloved sister blankly. "Yes, the General who went missing three years ago. According to Squad Leader Reever, it was received a few weeks ago. It should be here somewhere." She exasperatedly pointed at the desk, which is overloaded with pieces of paper, gathering to a mountain of appalling size. Komui, hearing that, at once discarded his foolish appearance, "From General Cross... He hasn't contacted headquarters for so long, we thought he might be dead... Why did he send us a letter?" Without a doubt, it should be about a very important topic.
Allen sighed in relief. "Thanks for the meal." He said to no one in particular. The boy looked up from his seat in the restaurant only to find a few stares directed his way and shuffled uncomfortably, pulling his hood further over his snow white hair. After having paid for the meal, he said to Timcampy quietly, "I guess it's not everyday people watch a kid eat so much, huh?" Then laughed nervously, hoping that is why they were staring at him.
"Akuma! It's an akuma!" From outside the restaurant, Allen sprang into action at the voice, running towards the origin of the shout. He turned the corner to a small street, "Akuma? Where is it?!" A few adults turned to him with irritated eyes. "There's no akuma," One said, "Look what you did, Jan! Screaming about akuma all the time." By then, Allen had stopped listening, instead zeroing on the man in a messy outfit, his cursed eye activating. In the swirl of Dark Matter, he can clearly see the soul, bound by a single chain, floating over the man. He quickly let strands of his hair cover the left side of his face so that they can't see his activated eye as the adults turned to him "Sorry, it's this guy's fault, don't mind him." Allen smiled, "It's no problem."
As soon as the adults left, the akuma turned on the boy, Jan, who looked terrified, and a pentacle appeared on its forehead. Allen was ready for that, however, and he activated his anti-akuma weapon, silvery claws reaching for the akuma almost on it's own accord. "You can't fool my eye, akuma." The akuma's face split open, and it promptly turned to ash. Again, the white haired boy felt a slight sadness singing in his chest. Oh pitiful akuma, let your soul be saved. He chanted in his heart. Allen turned to Jan, "Are you all right?" Jan, still shocked, merely nodded his head.
"So your father is a scientist at the Black Order?" Jan had recovered all his previous vigor and grinned at Allen, "Yes! I once looked into his research notes and found out all about the akuma. Me and Leo promised to guard this town against the akumas." Allen thought for a second, "Do you know where the Black Order is?" Jan looked at him, startled, "You mean you don't know?" Allen felt another wave of depression about to overwhelm him. "I do know where it is roughly." He said defensively. Jan looked to the front again, "Anyways, I don't know. I didn't find out anything from the notes. I do have a question, can you still be an exorcist without being a part of the Black Order?" Allen stopped walking. He'd never thought about that... "Not officially, I don't think. But it's not like there's a license for whether you are allowed to kill akuma or not..." Jan skated before Allen, his helmet's untied straps flapping, "So why do exorcists have to go to the Black Order?" This time, Allen had no answer for the younger boy. "I don't know." He answered truthfully.
After that short talk with Jan, Allen thought to himself. Why? Why do I have to go to the Black Order? Why indeed. Was there ever a reason for anything? Why does the Earl create hateful weapons made of tortured souls and ice cold machinery? Why does Dark Matter exist? Why is he born with this arm? Why can only he see it? The very human souls that inhabit the akuma. They grieve and cry too.
"Timcampy, I'll stop looking for the headquarters and go travel on my own. What will you do?"
At night, when he collapsed in the bed of his hotel room, he thought for a while, wondering if he made the right choice. What is the right choice in the first place? All his life, he'd been travelling. With Mana, and with Master. Out of all the things in his life, only that had not changed one bit. "Don't stop walking. Keep moving forth." Yes. Allen smiled a smile of both happiness and sorrow. "I promise, Mana." He murmured tenderly, "I'll keep walking until the day I die." The fifteen year old boy carved the vow into his heart.
Someone held the red haired boy's hand, pulling the boy along. The boy looked up and recognised the clown's face. Mana. Even with the man's lips painted a garish red, the boy still recognised his Mana. He is smiling, laughing, so the boy smiled and laughed too. "Let's go, [ ]." His foster father said, still smiling joyously, half-dancing. Meanwhile, the boy frowned ever so slightly, "Mana, my name is Allen." But Mana didn't answer, "Let's go, [ ]." The boy tugged at his father's sleeve, "I'm Allen!" Still Mana didn't answer, "Let's go, [ ]." As the boy was about to repeat himself, Mana said, "I love you, Allen." Did he say Allen? "I love you [ ]." Who? Who did Mana love? The red haired boy, or... Who?
That same boy opened his eyes, filled with confusion and a question. Who? Who is Neah?