[DISCLAIMER: I do not own DGM]
[NOTE: "talking"; 'thoughts' 'Neah talking in Allen mind']
A Few days later, the weather was quite nice. It was snowing and the sun was showing itself from time to time. The temperature was still low and without proper clothing you could freeze to death but at least that awful blizzard was gone.
Since they could continue their mission, the three Exorcists were outside of the inn. Somehow, Allen ended as their escort for around.
"So is being Exorcist hard?" He asked curiously.
"From time to time, I wish we could have holidays." Lavi admitted.
"So you don't have holidays… Must be hard on you" Allen said.
"Well… Akumas and The Earl don't have holidays, so neither do we." The red head sighed.
They told him a little about who they are and about their mission, hoping that Allen could help them somehow. It was Lenalee's idea and Lavi agreed to it, interested in how would he react hearing it. He was disappointed though. The white haired boy either didn't know anything or acted clueless.
"Still, we travel around the world on missions, so it's not so bad" The girl smiled.
"So you've heard about high activity of Akuma in this town..." Allen frowned. "It could be connected with the Innocence you're seeking for, and you want to know if there are any unusual events. Well… I know my way pretty well around, but I was gone for a year, so I can only tell you what I heard from my friends" he smiled. "It's not much but I hope it can help you."
"Thank you."
Allen looked at the sky, trying to remember his conversation with his friends. As always, the locals believed that there was something wrong with the forest not so far from there. But that wasn't new, and he already went in there two years ago. There wasn't anything worth paying attention in there. Of course that place was dangerous, but that was fault of wild animals, cliffs, and similar things. It was perfectly normal for a place that wasn't changed by humans.
Someone said something about mystical lights at graveyard, but Allen didn't believed it at all. It sounded unrealistic and generic.
One of his friends told him about people disappearing from town without a single trace, leaving all their stuff, their homes, and their families behind. It actually matched the situation. Level One Akuma bullets could turn someone into ash, but that wasn't Innocence.
'Without a trace…' Allen frowned. 'Yes… There was about something, no, someone disappearing without a trace.'
And then he remembered. There was one particular unsolved case.
Actually, that was quite a long story, and that event was only part of it.
It started ten months ago. Out of nowhere appeared a man named Roland, claiming that he was chosen by almighty God to save humanity.
Since people are gullible, they believed him. At first, there weren't many believers devoted to him, but then, he revealed that he was in possession of a very interesting 'magic ring' that gave him power of granting wishes. When Roland 'proved' that it was indeed the 'truth' and he was immortal higher being, his number of followers drastically increased.
He managed to gain power and money through his cult.
Many of people believed him. That is, before he was found dead in some filthy street. Finally, people snapped out of their trance (or rather stupidity, as Neah commented and Allen agreed with him) and realised that everything was bullshit.
Well, almost everything. If we assume that the ring was Innocence and Ronald was compatible with it, we could explain power of granting one wishes.
Since the corpse of man was found without the ring, the police concluded that it was a robbery and culprit was caught week later. He was forced to confess where he hidden the treasure. Then, he just disappeared without a trace.
'And here comes second assumption' Allen thought. 'If we conclude that one of policemen was an Akuma, it just took the information it wanted and then killed the man in order to evolve.'
At first, the location of it was confident, but… It wasn't too long before most of town folks learned about it in rumours.
Apparently, it was hidden beside some grave. The only problem was that before the man disappeared, he only told it was next to a grave, not which grave, not even at which graveyard. They were two in town and both of them were quite big, so even despite many people searching for ring it still wasn't found till today.
Of course humans wanted the treasure for themselves. They agreed that they won't tell about it to outsiders. Exorcists were probably labelled as outsiders as well, so Allen asked if they knew the story.
Seeing their surprised expressions, he had no need to hear the answer.
"Does it fit to your Innocence thing?" Allen asked.
"It's quite possible" Lavi admitted.
"But than why nobody told us about it?" Lee asked.
"It's simple, very simple, isn't it Allen?" Red head sighed.
"Indeed it is, people are greedy." White head agreed with him. "After all doesn't it sound nice to possess ring with a power that can give you wealth and God knows what's more."
"Stupid humans" muttered Kanda who was listing to them.
Despite no one had had told it aloud everyone agreed with him.
"So what are you going to do now? Exploring the graves? Want me to show you a way?" Allen asked.
Trio of Exorcist looked at themselves. No one of them really liked the idea of searching through graves. They wondered why their job is so: Lenalee – tiring and complicated, Lavi – scary and Kanda – irritating.
And the white head just looked at them with a shadow of smile. It started getting interesting.
/Just a Walker/
Week later Allen whistled impressed at the entry of south graveyard. They were dozens of people who were exploring graves. Finders of Black Order as Exorcist called them. They weren't compatible with Innocence unlike them but they were still trying to help them in Holy War. Silver eyed boy thought that they had very brave attitude.
"They are really many of them" he muttered under his breath.
"And we still had no trace of the ring" Lavi sighed.
"Maybe it's already gone?"
"If it was gone there won't be so many Akumas so it have to be somewhere around there" Lavi looked around.
In past few days Exorcist had encountered them. Of course since they were at most level 2 they managed to take care of them without any severe injuries.
To be honest be was a little creeped out by his environment. Red head wondered how Allen could be fine with spending whole days digging around corpses.
"Oh… I forgotten about it but they are few graves that aren't placed on cemetery" white head realised. "You should check them out too. Want me to show you the way?"
"Maybe tomorrow. We have our hands full in here today. Lenalee already promised that we are going to help and I don't think that Yuu would like to help Finders so..." He smiled.
"Okay. Maybe I could help you out a little. I have nothing to do after all."
They spent rest of the day searching for Innocence but despite their effort was left fruitless.
/Just a Walker/
2 am. Allen once again sighed. He was tired but he couldn't sleep at all. No matter how many times he changed his position he wasn't able to find the comfortable one.
'Should I go now..?' He wondered.
'Shut up! I am trying to sleep' Neah groaned.
'Then sleep' boy hissed irritated.
'Just shut up your thoughts' man growled.
'How am I even supposed to do so?!' Allen snapped.
Neah sighed. Both of them were irritated and wanted to rest.
'First you should calm down a little' he waited few seconds making sure that Allen is listing to him. 'It's because travelling is your habit. Now that we stayed a little longer at one place you're just feeling insecure. This feeling should disappear as soon as we get out of here' he waited another five seconds but there was no reply from white head side. 'Are you even listening to me?'
'Oh… Sorry.' Allen blinked. 'I was just a little shocked that you can actually sound smart and helpful instead of being your usual irritating and annoying self.'
'That's rude!' Neah growled. 'And here I was, trying to help you' he thought.
'Then tell me about one conversation in which you weren't rude, annoying or trying to get something from me than I will admit that you are right' boy smirked.
Neah tried remembering it but he couldn't recall anything at all.
'There had to be something' man muttered finally.
'No, there isn't' Allen stated.
'Besides, you're rude too' Neah backfired.
'Am I?' Younger one tone sounded so innocent.
'Believe me, you definitely are' man made a horrified expression. He wasn't joking. Sometimes, when Allen was pissed off, his character could definitely make him a worthy successor of his Noah gene.
'When Black Allen surfaces, the world becomes hell' Neah thought.
'How?' Allen asked.
'For example, now' man kept himself from saying it. 'It doesn't matter' he finally spoke.
'But…' boy tried to say something.
'Doesn't matter.' Neah repeated.
For another few minutes they stayed quiet. Neither one of them was able to sleep.
'Wanna go outside?' The older man asked.
'Where?'
'To brother, I want to see him.'
'It's stupid. It's not like you could actually see him. And why in the middle of the night?' Allen winced thinking about temperature outside.
'Said the person who spent whole day talking to grave' Neah again tried backfiring at him.
'Well…. That was…' Allen tried to think of some answer but thought of nothing.
'Was what?' Neah politely asked while he was grinning inside, thinking that this time he was upper hand in their conversation.
'Doesn't matter.'
'So let's go' Man hurried boy.
'Okay. Okay. I am coming' Allen wrapped blanket around himself tightly. 'But if I am sick later, I am going to blame you.' Boy warned him.
'Stop complaining and go.' Neah ignored his protests.
The silver eyed boy quietly sneaked out of his room. He didn't want to wake up anybody else.
"Allen?" He heard silent whisper behind him.
"Lenalee?" White head was surprised. They made eye contact.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"Outside" he replied.
"Can I tag along?"
'No. Tell her that she can't' Neah said. 'She will be annoying to me.'
'It will be rude and why she irritate you?'
"Yes, but I am not an interesting companion for night walks." Allen said.
A moment later both of them were outside.
"So, where are we going?"
'I don't want her to come' came another complain from man side. 'Why are you taking her in there. She has nothing to do wi...'
'Be quiet for a moment' honestly, Allen would glare at the other if he had his own body.
"Allen attention went back outside of his mind.
"My father place" he replied.
"Your father's place?" Girl asked.
"Yup. My father's place" Allen grinned. "Though he isn't talkative at the moment. Unfortunately, the dead don't talk after all" he pointed out.
Lenalee frowned with sad expression.
"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked you to bring me along."
"Hmmm… So that's your point of view" Allen closed his right eye (left still remained covered safely under eye patch. "But on the other hand, he doesn't have many visitors everyday. It will be nice change for him that someone came to him and not just me."
For Lenalee, Allen was so strange. He was smiling and grinning at the same time talking about his dead father. Her companion didn't look like he didn't loved him. He was just… Weird. Like his definition of sad things was entirely else from everyone else.
"You know… His place is kind remote from everything else so no one really passes around there" Allen made a thoughtful expression. "Though, long ago, I met some individual at his grave that I would rather not see in my whole life." this time white head wasn't as cheerful as earlier. It must have been some sore subject for him.
"Neah hearing his conversation recalled from Allen memories the thing he was talking about. Meeting of grieving boy with Earl.
"Well that aside, it's really cold in there." The boy saw Lenalee shivering. "Want my blanket?"
"But you..."
"I like low temperatures." Allen flawlessly lied, seeing how cold she was. "Besides, something like this won't make me sick."
"He just couldn't let her freeze because of him.
'She will freeze because she tagged along. No one asked her to do it.' Neah voiced his opinion.
Regardless of what other thought, Allen wrapped the warm material around the girl before she could protest. 'You're too soft. And if you're sick later, now you can't blame me.' The man added.
'I will still blame you' came a blunt response. 'If it weren't for your bickering, I wouldn't be outside right now. Now, please stop bothering me for a change when I am talking with someone else.'
The wave of chills was awful to the boy, but preparing for it, he managed to keep himself from shivering.
The few minutes later, they spent in silence. Neither Neah or Lenalee were talking to Allen which was kind of strange to him, since he already started getting used to talking to both of them at the same time. Not that he was going to admit it. Neah would surely start bothering him more if he said so…
"Either way, silence was now a strange and unusual thing for him.
Finally they stood before the grey, cold gravestone, which was partially covered by snow. Allen sighed and pushed it away, revealing the name of the human who was resting in there.
"Mana Walker." The girl whispered to herself.
It was the name on the tombstone. Mana Walker. Father of Allen Walker.
Lenalee could see the sorrow in the boy's eyes. The painful grief eating away his very own being. She understood him. A little at least. After all, her own family was killed. She wasn't sure how would she handle it if it weren't for her brother, Komui, who kept her from the deepest despair.
And Allen… He probably had no one at that time. Unlike her.
"You okay?" The boy asked.
"Eh?" Lenalee blinked.
"You spaced out a bit." Allen smiled.
"Sorry.. I was just..."
"Thinking? Graves make people think about things that they would normally keep away from themselves. Thoughts of how fragile we are, and how easily we could die," Allen sighed, "and things… That we should never do."
'Things we should never do' Lee shivered at the thought of calling back dead people. 'Allen… He hadn't thought about it, had he?'
The girl was so lost in her thoughts about her companion.
In the meantime, Allen started shivering again but that escaped the girl's attention.
'Well… Aren't you cold Allen?' Neah asked.
'I am… Why are you even asking about that pointless thing?' Allen had some really nasty feeling about it.
'I just wanted to. Anyway, there is one more thing that I'd like to ask.' Neah kept himself from snickering. He was sure to make himself enjoy the next few minutes. He was so bored and what's more, Allen ignored his request about Lee girl (he really didn't want her to go along with them) and what's even more, he told him to shut up. He was never going to do it in the first place.
'And it is…?
'Allen… Are you really a man?' Neah asked him in his mind.
'What?' Boy frowned. "Of course I am. What are you even talking about?'
'Well… You just don't behave like one at your age' man voiced his opinion.
'What?' Was the only response from confused boy. Allen had no idea what could be the older one talking about.
'I mean… You're alone with the girl at night and not even once you had thought about jumping on her. Making her yours.' Neah explained and visualised some images of Allen kissing Lenalee and…
'You…' For a moment boy was speechless. 'You...You pervert!' Allen snapped in his mind. 'GET THESE STUPID THOUGHTS OUT OF MY HEAD! NOW!'
"He was blushing madly from what he had seen. This was just so… Let's say, it was inappropriate at least.
"Stupid Neah," he muttered silently under his breath.
As for the said man, he was currently enjoying seeing what mess he had made in the mind of young boy. This red blush spreading across his checks and cute embarrassed expression.
"Sorry, I couldn't hear you. What did you said?" Lenalee asked.
Allen, who was feeling like he was on the edge, looked at her. His gaze unconscionably followed her lips and he remembered one of Neah's images. The kissing scene. God, how hot was he feeling now. All his coldness from earlier was gone.
His so called "uncle" giggled once again. Oh, Allen would love for him to have his body right now so he could tear his tongue out of his mouth and torture him in the most painful way.
He shifted his gaze towards graveyard and tried to cool himself down a little.
"No...Nothing," Allen responded a little slowly. "I was just lost in my thoughts."
"Just like me." Her violet eyes looked at him worriedly. "Say, Allen… Had you ever thought about bringing your father back from the dead?" She asked.
'Could she… She couldn't know it, right?' He panicked.
'Calm down, nephew. There is no way for her to know.' Neah calmed him down.
'Right… It's just me who's freaking out...'
"Well… It's hard not to think about it," Allen said, avoiding answering directly to her question. "But I think that dead should stay dead."
"So you wouldn't have tried it?" She dug the subject.
"I probably would..." He finally admitted after few seconds. "If I were to be caught in the moment when I wouldn't be thinking about consequences, I probably would."
'And I did, actually.' The teen added in his mind. He wasn't going to say that aloud, obviously.
"Allen. If there is a fat man wearing a top hat who will approach you and say he can bring your father back to life, please say no." She said it.
'But it's already too late. I said yes.' he thought.
"He's lying. You will pay a great price and no one will be happy."
'And I already paid it' Allen kept himself from voicing it.
"Never make a deal with Millennium Earl." Lenalee warned him.
"…Because he's the one who will use your tragedy for his own purpose." The white haired boy ended sadly.
Lenaleee eyes widened at the realization of what he just said.
He met Millennium Earl.
'Is he…An Akuma?' She questioned in her mind as she looked at him. 'Definitely not a level one. But level two can think on their own. He could be one.' She was ready to activate her Innocence, but the white haired figure remained motionless with gaze averted to the gravestone.
He had made no attempt to attack her as an Akuma would do in his place.
He was just staring with those lonely eyes at the gravestone. But at the same time, Lenalee had a feeling that he was watching something entirely else. Something that she could not see, like a scene from his past.
Finally some free time. Sorry about not updating but I was busy. Very busy. I almost forgotten how my laptop look like. Tests at school. Weekends which I spent outside coming back dead tired for evenings.
And another idea for story which just couldn't stop bothering me when I tried to create another chapter to it. I mean… I really like that other idea (I love it even, one of my best and most original ideas probably) but on the other hand I don't think that I could find time to have one more fic. They are killing me at school with their homework.
I also have a good news. – I am almost done with the next chapter. There are only two flashbacks left for me to write and most of the story is complete in it :) And as for the chap 5 – I am in the middle of it and I also started chap 6 so there is quite a big chance that updates from now on will be more frequently - at least I think so.
And the most important thing: We all should say thanks to my Beta for this story JinkiesCrown since if it wasn't for that person I probably would keep "slacking off" with my writing much more longer and what's even more important this chapter would be much morse worse without my Beta :)
At the end I would like to thank you everyone for your comments/favs/reviews and follows.
Of course if you like the story (to the people who didn't fav/foll/or whatever else/ please fav/follow/review to keep my motivation :)