Chapter 4: Starting All Over Again

"What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again."―Suzanne Collins, Mockingjay

xxx

He did not know what had happened right after that. The moment he used all his strength and power of his Innocence to slash through the bright golden light attempting to swallow him and Allen whole, everything just dissipated into the air, before the surroundings started crumbling down. Kanda hissed in pain as he clutched at his bleeding arm and collapsed onto the ground. He could feel something warm gradually leaving his grip, and his hand grabbed hold of it tightly without hesitation.

His vision was getting blurry, and all he could hear was piercing noises hammering at his head repeatedly. Despite his current condition, he still did not want to let him go. Kanda stared at the fading shadow of the silver-haired teen, wondering why he was trying to hold back a mere illusion of the Innocence so desperately. He knew that he wasn't Allen, and before this happened, Allen Walker had already lost his memory.

"Kanda..."

He heard his soft pleads, and he knew he had to let go. The raven-haired swordsman growled angrily, screaming inwardly to himself to release his hold once and for all. His heart wrenched for no reason―he supposed it was due to the serious injury at his arm. It wasn't what he thought to be, so why...

"Please, Kanda!"

Why was he so insistent on holding Allen back?

"Go back!"

"Kanda-dono!"

Sapphire eyes snapped open at the loud voice which was attempting to wake him up for the last five minutes. The train had stopped at the last station, and the Finder was starting to panic slightly when the raven-haired Exorcist showed no signs of waking up. Deltas heaved a sigh of relief when Kanda finally opened his eyes, staring ahead with a blank expression. He felt his pocket of his Exorcist coat, making sure that the Innocence was still secured. Grabbing Mugen by his hand, he stood up and the two of them alighted the train.

His black golem fluttered around him. Kanda stepped out of the station, staring at the Black Order located far up in the solitude mountains in silence. How long had it been since he came back here again? In the past, he had always been looking forward to coming back to the Order―his only home he could stay. It was the only place where he could find the peace and quiet and rest at ease. But now, he was hesitant on whether he should make his way back to that place, where that person was currently living.

"Kanda-dono?" The Finder peered at him in bewilderment, not understanding why the swordsman hadn't moved from his current position for the past few minutes. Kanda hissed in slight frustration as he forced his feet to step forward, moving into the nearby town. Being uncomfortable with crowds of people around him, he would always walk quickly with large strides. The raven-haired man tilted his head a little to avoid a stall owner who was about to approach him to advertise his products, and when he saw the exit right ahead, his eyes lit up and he increased his walking pace, before he finally got out of that bustling town. Kanda slowly stopped, panting slightly. He turned, and realised he was getting nearer to his final destination.

The Finder ran up to him seconds later, gasping some incoherent words breathlessly which he totally could not understand. Kanda did not notice, his eyes continuing to stare at the large, dull building which was just several metres away. They slowly walked up, and no matter how he tried to slow down his pace, it felt as though he was gradually sucked into the area of gravity where the Order was.

Before he realised it, the swordsman was already inside, on his way to see Komui to hand up the report and the Innocence. The Finder excused himself at the entrance, saying that he needed to report to his supervisor. Kanda just nodded his head, feeling slightly strange to be alone. Wasn't his main supervisor Komui himself? He was the one who was assigning missions to the Exorcists and allocating the Finders to them. Who else did he need to go to hand up his report? Kanda wanted to ask, but decided not to. When was he so interested in knowing someone else's business anyway? He should be glad that he was finally alone, and after handing whatever things to Komui, he could go back to his room and rest for the whole day.

Kanda stepped into the large hallway, spotting the Supervisor's office from a few distances away. He looked down, trying not to make eye contact at anyone who was passing by. Reaching for the doorknob, the raven-haired man opened the door and went inside, shutting it behind him quickly.

"Oh, you are finally back, Kanda." Komui looked up from his documents, adjusting his spectacles slightly. Kanda walked up to the desk and put down his report on his mission in silence, before he turned to leave. He did not know why he wanted to get out of here hastily, or why his heart throbbed heavily at that nostalgic yet uncomfortable feeling he was getting when he entered this office. This room reminded him of something, and he had a slight hunch that this wasn't a pleasant one to remember.

"Kanda."

The raven-haired swordsman stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

He could feel the intense gaze from Komui, and it was starting to irritate him. He knew what Komui had always wanted to ask him from the beginning, and the reason why he hadn't asked till now was because he did not want him to think that he was sympathising him. And he needed no sympathy from anyone. It wasn't as if his life was greatly affected after that accident. He was so glad that it happened, and the bond between him and the beansprout was finally severed for real. He was freed from that annoying silver-haired teen, and that was all it mattered.

After all, they were nothing as acquaintances.

"No, rest well for today. I will call you again when you are needed for another mission," Komui said with a sigh. Kanda walked towards the door, and as he was about to open it, it opened by its own, revealing a particular person whom he least wanted to see. The raven-haired man stumbled slightly, his eyes widening in shock at seeing Allen just standing right in front of him.

Allen.

The memory of that moment when he grabbed the wrist of the silver-haired teen before he was swallowed in the glaring light flashed in his mind repeatedly. Even till now, it felt as though it really happened―that he got Allen out of the way and the two of them survived from the attack. And somehow, this overwhelming emotion of wishing that it was real was so strong that he was slightly frightened by it.

Allen slowly stepped back, staring at the ground in confusion. Kanda took the chance to walk away, biding farewell to Komui before he proceeded to his room. Just as he was about to get out of here, something grabbed his arm and stopped him immediately. Sapphire eyes widened as Kanda stopped abruptly, knowing very well who was the one stopping him.

Did that beansprout remember something when he saw him? It had only been three months. Did his memory recover that quickly? Maybe...that part when they got out of that blast safely was real; that Allen was alright and still remembered everyone. That...might just be a nightmare that came across his mind. Maybe he...

"Have we met before?"

He froze instantly at the question. Kanda slowly turned to him, and he saw that same blank look living in that pair of silver eyes. Reality then hit him hardly, and at that particular moment, he had the sudden urge to laugh out loud, to laugh at his mere stupidity for coming out with such a ridiculous assumption. He really thought that the scenario which he experienced just a few hours ago were real―that it wasn't images formed by that Innocence; that Allen's memory was still intact and he still remembered all of them; that he would irritate the hell out of him as always. It felt as though cold water was literally splashed onto him.

"Um...did you hear me just―"

"No."

Allen paused, staring at him in slight astonishment.

"...What?"

"No, we haven't met before," Kanda answered coldly, emphasising that particular word strongly for him to hear. It was enough to send the silver-haired teen into a stunned silence, but it shouldn't really matter to him whether he knew him or not. He could not even remember anything about him.

"I love you, Kanda. Even if you will...not return me the same type of feeling in the end."

"I wish that...you will be happy. Even if we would not be together."

He hissed as pain began to hammer hardly at his head, each time whenever that particular memory was triggered. Not wanting to stay here with the silver-haired teen any longer, Kanda turned and left. He hurried up the flight of stairs, his feet walking as fast as he could. Stopping in front of his room, the swordsman took out his keys from his pocket. He fumbled it through the keyhole, cursing at the door which refused to open for him at this time. After a few tries, it finally opened, and he went inside, slamming the door behind him immediately. Kanda leaned against the door for a moment, staring at the fluttering curtains from the opened windows.

"Have we met before?"

His lips formed a thin line as Kanda covered his eyes with his arm in exhaustion, shutting off everything which reminded him of a certain annoying beansprout.

He hadn't expect that kind of reply from a person who appeared in his life for the first time―for now, since he had lost his memory. Normally people would stare at him sympathetically and introduce themselves to him nicely, yet this guy did not even care in the least and threw him an instant, cold-hearted reply. What startled him slightly was the cold and emotionless gaze present in that pair of beautiful sapphire eyes when their eyes met each other. He couldn't help but think that it was his fault which made the hostile raven-haired man react so coldly towards him.

Allen walked aimlessly in the hallway, not able to stop himself from thinking of the raven-haired man he had met just now. He had a slight feeling that he was lying―that the both of them had known each other, long before he lost his memory. He could instantly recognise the strong scent of jasmine from his body, jolting his senses strongly as several broken memories were triggered on its own. The silver-haired teen clenched his hands, walking faster as he pondered about it. Yes, it couldn't be wrong.

He knew this person.

The silver-haired teen halted in his footsteps, realising that he had forgotten to ask his name from him. Allen frowned, wondering how he was going to describe him to others since he only glanced at him for a moment. He closed his eyes as he slowly forming an image of him in his head―long, raven hair, beautiful sapphire eyes, a frown at his forehead, a firm yet slender body, his lips...

Lips...

Silver eyes widened at seeing a blurry image of him kissing someone else―a man―in his memory. Allen gasped, his hand unconsciously covering his mouth in shock. What was that just now? Did he just...did that with a guy? The silver-haired teen looked down, blushing fiercely at that thought. Just what made him think of that? And why did he remember this when he was thinking of that raven-haired man?

Who was he?

...Who?

For the first time, he wanted to know someone so badly. Allen could not decipher what it was that made him so curious. Everything about that person―his appearance, his body scent, that nostalgic and comforting feeling he got instantly when their gazes met each other―all rushed straight at him immediately when he saw him. His heart throbbed lively at this foreign yet warm feeling enveloping his whole being, and he just knew that if he got to understand that raven-haired swordsman, then maybe...maybe his memory would come back in no time.

What could it be? A very close friendship which could never be severed by anything? That was the only thing he could think of. Allen winced slightly as his head throbbed every few minutes. It seemed that he couldn't think for too long. He walked up the stairs to the upper floors, pacing around the corridors as he kept an eye for the raven-haired swordsman. It was currently empty, so he would not have interruption from others.

Maybe he and Kanda were sworn brothers? Allen laughed softly at that thought. Their combination was simply too weird and slightly ridiculous. The both of them were the opposites; people who would definitely not work well together. Even so, he still wanted to find this person who might be linked to his past.

Allen slowly walked to the railings and stopped, staring at the numerous rooms of identical colour and size that he had come before. The silver-haired teen peered through the silent surroundings for a moment, before he gradually closed his eyes, hearing his faint erratic heartbeats echoing softly within his mind as he saw that faint yet familiar shadow at the back of his mind.

Silver eyes opened seconds later as he began to move. He absolutely had no idea where or how he was going to find that person from the entire Exorcist dormitories in both the second and third floors, but somehow, he just knew where he should go. Allen turned at the first bend, his head gradually remembering the route which he had explored early in the morning. He slowly walked up the flight of stairs to the third floor, his feet continuing to move forward. His hand stretched out, his fingers trailing along the smooth surface of the wall. His heart thumped hardly as a familiar jasmine body scent lingered at his nose.

Allen looked up, seeing the same door with words carved on it. His eyes widened slightly as the door opened at the same time, seeing the raven-haired man he met earlier walking out. The raven-haired man caught his gaze and froze slightly, not expecting to see him here.

"This is...your room?" Allen asked in slight astonishment, though he was puzzled at his own reaction. He hadn't thought that he would find him so quickly...and so effectively. And he was so sure that they had not met before...

"Why are you here?"

He frowned at his sudden hostility and the lack of emotions in him. The tone was so cold and unfeeling, and somehow, he was feeling slightly hurt and rejected by it.

"I...just want to ask you something."

"There is nothing we can talk about. Didn't I tell you that I do not know you?" The raven-haired man hissed. Allen bit his lip, not understanding what this overflowing emotions he was currently experiencing which almost threw him off instantly. This person clearly told him straight at his face that he did not want to see him, yet why was he still insistent on getting answers from him? Why was his heart telling him to continue?

"Are you sure we have never met before?" Allen asked.

The raven-haired man said nothing.

"Who are you?" Hearing no reply from the other, Allen dared himself to press him further, raising his tone of voice. He had a feeling that this person standing in front of him was hiding a lot of things from him. Many fuzzy images flashed continuously inside his head, showing him a particular shadow which was always with him in a room again and again, but when he wanted to seek for more, that particular memory would be cut off immediately, and he could not remember anymore. And every time he felt this way, this person would always appear, whether it was in his memory or right at his very own eyes.

He could not understand. If he really did not know him, why wasn't he saying anything? Why couldn't he deny instantly, just like what he did when they met just now?

"Allen?"

The tense atmosphere snapped as Lenalee walked towards them. He broke off the intense gaze, and as the olive-haired girl stopped at his side, the raven-haired swordsman walked away without a word. Allen stared at his faint silhouette in silence, his hand unconsciously reached up and clutched his shirt where his chest pained slightly.

"Is everything alright here?" She asked in concern. Allen blinked for a moment, before he turned and gave a light smile to her to show her that everything was alright. But...was it really alright? Even he wasn't certain about that.

"Allen, how...did you come here?" Lenalee asked in astonishment, her gaze fixating at something behind him.

"I...I don't know. Why?" He asked. Violet eyes widened in slight shock.

"This is...Kanda's room. The person who was with you just now."

Silver eyes widened as that particular name rang inside his mind repeatedly.

Frankly, he was taken aback when Allen showed up right at his door. That beansprout shouldn't have known where he was staying unless he had recovered some parts of his previous memory. The past him would definitely know where he lived, because he would always come and pester him every time he had the free time. Kanda hissed softly in frustration at the recollection as he drank the cup of hot green tea in his hands, peering at the table with a blank expression.

He hadn't expect Allen to ask the same questions again, which he could give him the same answer he wanted to give him ever since a long time ago. For the past seven months without the existence of the silver-haired teen in his life, Kanda had erased that name from his mind and swore to himself to forget him and never speak of him again. Now seems to be the best time to get rid of that irritating midget once and for all. Even if it means Allen might never remember him, he did not care.

He was not affected in the least.

Yet, when Allen asked for his name, he found himself unable to answer. He could just give him his name to feed to his curiosity, but he feared the consequences he had to bear―his name which might trigger parts of his memory. It would be better if he did not tell him anything about their past, and just say that he met him for the very first time, but another part of him wished that the beansprout could go back to normal, such that he did not have to face him with constant guilt regarding that incident, and be reminded of that particular confession he threw to him before he completely forget everything.

Kanda let out a soft sigh, drinking up the remaining tea in the cup. He stood up and returned the cup to the stall, before he grabbed his sword, deciding to go to the training room to practise. He walked past Komui's office, ignoring the people around him as he turned to another quieter corridor where there were lesser people accessing it. The raven-haired swordsman stopped at the entrance of the room, opening the wooden door aside as he stepped inside. Taking out the necessary equipment that he needed for the training from the storage room, Kanda unsheathed Mugen and blindfolded himself. Darkness clouded his vision, and he depended on his strong sense of hearing to detect where his opponents might be.

His eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, raising his sword up high and hurling it down swiftly, destroying a doll made of straw with one swift cut. He slowly stepped back, his face tilting slightly as he heard light whistles of the breeze entering the room from the opened windows. Kanda moved in slow, cautious steps, approaching another target as he slashed it with accuracy, breaking it into clean halves.

Concentrate...

His fingers loosened and tightened at the hilt of the sword as he prepared for the last target. As he was about to run towards it, the swordsman flinched within a second, sensing that he was not alone. Kanda turned and paced towards a warm presence he had just detected, his sword stopping just right at that person's throat. He frowned, catching a faint yet familiar body scent lingering in the air.

"Who is it?" He demanded.

"It's...it's me!" Allen squeaked in fright, his wide eyes staring at the silver blade which was millimetres from his throat. Kanda wasn't sure whether he should be surprised by the beansprout's presence. He reached up and took down the blind fold, staring at the silver-haired teen who had made his appearance in front of him for the third time of the day. Seriously, this was getting a little irritating.

"Why are you here?" Kanda asked, walking back into the dojo as he picked up the remaining straw dolls he placed for the training and cleaning up the ones that he cut with his sword. As usual, he was not pleased with someone disrupting his training session, and it just had to be because of a certain idiotic beansprout to spoil his mood.

"I just stumbled upon this place. So you always come here to train?" Allen asked in awe, stepping in and looking around the place in excitement. Kanda just watched him in silence as the silver-haired teen moved in slow, steady steps, peering at the surrounding he was in for the first time. He wondered just how much Allen had changed ever since he lost his entire past memory. That beansprout wouldn't even show such a pure curious expression on his face once. Somehow, the beansprout he was looking at now was more...real than the past him who always had that extremely fake smile hanging at his lips.

"You aren't supposed to come in. Can't you see that I'm training?" The raven-haired swordsman hissed coldly as he cleaned off the sweat at his neck.

"I'm sorry for that," Allen turned and said with a smile. Sapphire eyes widened slightly, and he found himself turning away. He seriously wasn't expecting that. Frankly, he really could not get use to this new side of Allen Walker. That irritating beansprout wouldn't apologise to him just for that. At least, not to him. Kanda grunted softly in reply, deciding to end it for the day. His concentration was completely gone with the sudden intrusion of this beansprout, and there was simply no meaning to continue if he was not at his best condition.

"Your name is Kanda right?"

Kanda froze momentarily, his eyes widening at that name coming out of his lips. Allen peered at him with a curious gaze, waiting for his reply.

"...Yes."

"I finally get to know you, Kanda!" Allen exclaimed in happiness as he stretched out his hand. Kanda just stared at it, before he looked up at him.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Allen Walker!"

"Your name is Kanda right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Hello, I'm Allen Walker! Nice to meet you, Kanda!"

He remembered their very first introduction when they met at that kind of unexpected circumstances. At that time, Allen used the same friendly tone and called out his name, introducing himself to him. Now that he thought about this, it felt rather nostalgic. As Kanda peered at his hand reaching out to him once again, he realised that Allen wasn't really gone. Allen was still here, and with the past erased, and every one of them were merely starting another new beginning with him, creating new memories that were solely theirs.

"Che."

Allen frowned slightly at his cocky attitude. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Except that their relationship would always stay the same. And he hoped that it would always stay the same within the both of them―that they would continue as rivals, quarreling and bickering whenever they met.

Kanda turned and stared at him with a slight smirk.

"Do I look like one who would shake hands with someone...cursed?"

Silver eyes widened slightly, and Kanda couldn't help but admire that baffled and confused look written all over his face just like before. The frown at his forehead began to deepen and Allen started to scowl, obviously offended by his blunt words.

"What the hell...why do you have to speak to me like that?" Allen snapped.

"Because...you annoy the hell out of me."

"W-What did you just say?"

And the two of them began bickering heatedly as always, and it was always Lenalee who would step between them to stop the fight from escalating. Everyone made sure to get far away from the two of them. Ever since that day, Allen would always talk to him in an extremely unfriendly and sarcastic manner. Kanda would follow suit and start mocking him in any ways to annoy the hell out of him. Everything was getting back to normal.

Everything...except that confession. It was something Kanda did not mention to anyone. It was the only thing that was preventing him and Allen from going back to where they originally belonged. Those words burnt deep within his soul, but words did not mean anything. In the end, everything was all forgotten, just like what had exactly happened to Allen.

Kanda gazed out of the windows from his room.

It would be alright.

As long as it continued on this way.

"Seriously that baKanda is pissing the hell out of me!" Allen seethed loudly in anger as he strode along the hallway together with Lenalee one afternoon. Apparently, the two of them met each other and started their usual routine of bickers and fights which was usually over the smallest issues. Lenalee just smiled faintly at him and patted his shoulder silently in comfort. She was not sure what had really happened between the two of them which ended up like that, but somehow, the quarreling part sounded normal. At least...it was something which was really about Allen Walker.

"I wish I can punch off that disgusting smirk hanging at his face whenever he was with me! Argh, I can't stand it!" Allen yelled loudly at the top of his voice, swinging his arms in frustration.

"Can't the two of them just talk to each other normally?" She asked with a defeated sigh.

"That will be impossible!" He answered back immediately. Lenalee shook her head and let out a sigh. She had always thought that something had definitely changed when Allen lost his memory; that everything would never return back to the same state again. She hadn't expect his relationship with Kanda to stay exactly the same, but no matter how she thought about it, Kanda was just being too calm about the whole matter. He just put it off as though nothing had happened at all.

The two of them went into the infirmary, where Allen was going to have his monthly body examination. The main purpose of the check-up was to monitor on his current condition to see whether there was any sign that he might be remembering. The silver-haired teen pushed the door and stepped in, greeting the Head Nurse who was already waiting for him. Lenalee just followed him behind as they reached to a room, and he went inside with the other medical people.

"Nii-san, what if Allen has a little recollection about something?"

"That means his memory is gradually recovering back, and once it starts, this process will continue until he remembers everything."

Lenalee leaned lightly against the wall, folding her arms as she stared at the faint ceiling lights at the corridor she was currently in. She was already content at how he currently was. There was simply no need for him to remember something so horrible and miserable in his past life, even if that means he would never be an Exorcist again. Violet eyes softened as she slowly recalled the happy memories she and Allen had, and he was always at his smiles every day. There was no facades, no pretense. Allen was showing how he was exactly feeling―lively and simply alive.

If he did not remember, he did not need to face the wrath of the Vatican's punishments.

If he did not remember, he did not need to face the inner battle between him and the Fourteenth Noah inside him.

If he did not remember, he did not need to work so hard just to fulfill his duty as an Exorcist, and continue destroying his own body which was already broken long ago.

If he did not remember...

Lenalee hissed softly, clenching her hands hardly as she stopped her thoughts before it led to something she did not want to expect. She could not be so selfish. Allen had the right to know what had happened to himself for the past few months. He had the right to choose the path he wanted to take, even if it meant going towards his death. Her lips curved as she shut her eyes, trying to control her emotions.

Yes, right now, she was in charge of taking care of him. And her job was to make sure that Allen recovered fully in his current state, and this would also mean getting back his original memory if possible.

The door slowly opened as Allen stepped out, thanking the doctors and nurses for helping him with the examination as always. Lenalee peered at him in silence, not liking how friendly he was in showing gratitude for those who was helping him to recover his memory. He totally had no idea where he was going to. What good would it do to him if he remembered everything?

"I'm all done here, Lenalee."

She had a feeling that the Allen she was seeing now...would disappear when his memory came back.

"Lenalee?"

"No, it's nothing! Let's go, shall we?" Lenalee said with a smile. Allen nodded his head and the two of them walked out of the infirmary, thinking of where they were going next.

"Where is Lavi?" Allen asked.

"Lavi has gone on a mission with Kanda. It was brought in short-notice, and most of our Exorcists are out on missions, thus nii-san can only ask the two of them to go and check it out. They are just at the next town from here," Lenalee replied, though she had heard that the mission wasn't about finding Innocence. Retrieving the Innocence was always the Order's top priority, so she was slightly puzzled on Komui's decision, but if he asked the two of them to check it out, it meant that the details about this mission should not be underestimated with. Something must be going on in that town which caught the Order's attention.

"I see. Hope Lavi isn't bothered with that baKanda's attitude," Allen said with a slight snort. Lenalee giggled at his reply.

"Don't worry about that, since it is going to be the other way round."

Silver eyes widened slightly at her words.

"You mean...Kanda would be bothered by Lavi instead?"

"Lavi loves to talk, while Kanda prefers peace and quiet around him, so their personalities clashes with each other. Not to mention that they are going on a mission together. Lavi can be annoying sometimes. Well, you may not notice it, but the two of them are actually good friends," She explained as they reached the cafeteria. Now that she thought about it, Allen hardly knew anything about Kanda ever since he woke up. The swordsman left for a mission immediately after that sudden visit, and Allen probably did not remember much when he first woke up from six months' of comatose.

The silver-haired teen stayed silent as he listened to her story intently, his eyebrow raising in slight intrigue and his eyes fixated onto her gaze and nowhere else. She was slightly surprised by his level of attention towards something even though he had no recollection of it, and it seems that Allen was more interested in knowing information relating to Kanda recently. For a person he had only met for once or twice, his curiosity was a little too much.

"How long would they be away?" He asked.

"Hmm. Probably around a few weeks."

Lenalee just stared at Allen in silence as he turned away, having some thoughts in mind. As far as she knew, Allen was rarely concerned with the affairs of the Black Order. Ever since he lost his memory, he did not ask much about the foundation of the Order and what they were basically doing. She thought that it would be good as well, since he wouldn't understand much in his current state, and feeding him unnecessary information might trigger his past memories as well. She did not want to risk that.

"I see."

They walked out of the gates, going to the nearest town to buy some groceries for Jerry, the Order's cook. Now that she thought about it, it was Allen's first time getting out after spending months inside the Order. The silver-haired teen looked around in excitement, taking slow steps forward as he tried to absorb everything that he saw in his own eyes. A smile slowly formed at his curved lips and he started running down a hill leading down to the entrance of the town below.

"Wait up, Allen!" Lenalee shouted, increasing her pace as her eyes were fixated on him, making sure that he did not leave her sight. It was mid-afternoon, and the market in town was bustling with people as usual. Allen stopped at the entrance, peering inside with growing anticipation. He looked back at Lenalee who was coming down with an impatient look, and she couldn't help but laugh slightly at his pouted face.

"Hurry up, Lenalee!"

"Okay!" Lenalee skidded down the slope and ran up to him. Allen smiled brightly and grabbed her hand with his own. Violet eyes widened slightly, blushing slightly in embarrassment at the sudden gesture. Allen did not notice and just pulled her together with him, entering the small town.

There was a festival going on, and both of them found themselves enjoying every moment of it, forgetting that they had an errand to do. Allen tugged her sleeves, beckoning her silently to come to his side. Lenalee blinked as she came over, and when she peered over his shoulder, her eyes widened at the small kittens which let out a loud yawn and snuggled closely to their mum.

"Cute!"

"I think you will like him, Lenalee, so you really have to see this," Allen replied with a smile. Lenalee nodded her head vigorously, her eyes not leaving the kitten as she bent down, her hand reaching out cautiously to the little one's head. As her finger gently touched its head, the kitten opened its beady eyes and purred softly. She gasped.

"Wanna buy it, lady? I can give you a good offer," The man tending to the stall asked politely. She almost wanted to say yes, but realised that the kitten would be separated from its mother if she bought it.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked, looking at her.

"I...I think it's okay, Allen. I don't know whether I can take good care of it..." Lenalee said, pulling her hand away. The kitten blinked and stared at her, and her heart wrenched a little at her decision. She knew that newborns needed to rely heavily on its parents, and imagining it being separated from its mother reminded her of that harsh period of time when she and Komui had to depend on themselves when their parents died.

"Can we buy the two kittens and the mother cat?"

Violet eyes widened as she turned to stare at Allen who was talking to the stall owner. The man blinked in surprise by his request, not expecting someone to be interested in the mother cat as well, but he nodded his head several minutes later. The silver-haired teen paid him the money and took the cage with the cats inside. He then turned and handed it over to her. Lenalee just stared at him in slight astonishment.

"Why aren't you taking it? It's my birthday present to you. Your birthday is coming next week right?" Allen asked. She reached out and took it carefully, making sure that the cats were comfortable inside.

"Thank you, Allen," Lenalee said, not knowing what to say. She did not know that Allen could remember so well even if he had forgotten everything. The olive-haired girl hugged the cage closely at her chest, and as a warm, bubbly feeling surged within her, she couldn't help but smile back at him.

They continued to walk in the market, seeing and trying out new things that they hadn't done before. Allen was running in front of her, waving excitedly to her to walk quickly such that they could finish seeing everything before they would leave for the day. His silver strands fluttered beautifully in the air, and as she stared at his radiant smile, her heart skipped a beat in response. And she firmly believed that the accident which happened seven months was something to made things right again.

To return the real Allen Walker back to them.

"Allen, we still have not bought the groceries yet! Jerry needs them by the end of evening!" She shouted from a distance, but her voice was drowned instantly as a parade was starting. Everyone stepped aside and cheered loudly as rows of musicians and performers dressed in forms of clowns and circus players walked along the streets. She squeezed through the crowd, muttering apologies as she went to where Allen was. That pair of gentle silver eyes sparkled brightly as he watched the performance in close view, and she wondered what he was thinking right now.

"Allen?"

Loud, rhythmic music continued to play in the background. The clowns spun around gracefully, holding their masks at their faces―large wide smiles which looked happy yet a little sinister and eerie, and somehow, it reminded her of the Millennium Earl. Lenalee turned anxiously to Allen once again, and realised that he wasn't just staring. His unmoving eyes, dull and colourless, just continued to stare at a particular point. She shook his arm tightly, but he hardly responded, smiling sweetly at the direction where the clowns had gone to.

"Allen! Allen!" Lenalee shrieked, shaking him violently in order to get his consciousness back.

The mixed noises of the crowd dispersing echoed loudly as the performance was over. Silver eyes slowly widened as Allen turned to Lenalee who was desperately calling out his name repeatedly.

"Lenalee?"

She hugged him immediately, and it was so tight that he found himself hard to breathe properly. Allen blinked in bewilderment, his hands slowly going up to her back in reflex as he patted her gently. Lenalee leaned close to his shoulder, sniffing in his faint body scent which slowly calmed herself down. At that particular moment when Allen froze in place, she had a bad feeling that she might have lost him on the spot, that he would not wake up anymore, and it terribly frightened her.

She slowly let him go, and Allen stared at her in concern.

"Are you alright, Lenalee?"

Lenalee took in a deep breath and cleaned away the moist at her eyes threatening to fall. She turned to him and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Let's go. We need to go back after buying the groceries."

He nodded his head, and they began to walk to the grocery store just a few metres away. The olive-haired Exorcist stepped into the shop, her eyes looking back to make sure that the silver-haired teen did not wander away. She then turned to face the stall owner who approached her at the counter.

"Can I have all the things written in this list?" She handed him the list that Jerry gave her. The owner read through the list briefly, before he nodded his head and proceeded to the storage room at the back. Allen came and joined her, and as they waited, she taught him some food ingredients he had never seen or heard before. He listened attentively as always, and sometimes they laughed at the funny names they created from the food ingredients.

The stall owner came back with bags of groceries in his hands. Lenalee paid him the money and they took them, walking out of the store. It was already evening, and the sun was gradually setting behind the mountains just around where the Black Order was. They had to return home, and Allen was rather reluctant in leaving this great place which brought him so much fun. Seeing his gloomy face, she promised him that she would bring him here again. His face lit up immediately as the silver-haired teen showed out his pinky finger.

"Promise?"

Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at him in astonishment. Her pinky finger slowly reached out and hooked together with his.

"Promise."

They walked along the streets, and as they was about to step out of the town when she felt some movements deep inside a dark alley that they had gone past. That was initially her main concern as her senses were in full alert, thinking that an Akuma might be close by. But when she felt a loss of warmth beside her, she panicked immediately. Lenalee turned, seeing that Allen was not with her.

"Allen!"

She ran, searching all over the town for signs of the silver-haired teenager. Lenalee stumbled across the same dark alley, and was surprised to find Allen there. She slowly walked towards him, peering intently at the darkness where she was sure she sensed a faint existence hiding in there. As Lenalee walked cautiously to where Allen was, her violet eyes slowly widened at seeing a man―a white clown―wearing a black hat and white mask over his face with a rather morbid smile decorating his plain features.

"It has been a very long time, Allen."

A/N: This story is gradually progressing to the usual plot of DGM, which means that there will be more drama and fighting scenes between Exorcists and the enemy in future chapters. Allen will slowly remember through the series of events, and Yullen is still not obvious for now, but it will be. Soon... so please be patient with me! I know the progress of this story is slow, but I really do appreciate reviews which will motivate me to continue this story! I currently have many ideas in my mind which I have noted them down to use for writing future chapters, and I'm really excited in writing the story plot out.

It's a rather long chapter! Please bear with me!

This masked man I mentioned here should be familiar to all of you if you are updated with the manga of DGM. There is a reason why he made an appearance in this chapter, so stay tuned for the next one!

Please review! And sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes once again!

~SingingBlues