It was a warm summer's day. The leaves shook gently in the breeze and the tree trunks groaned in a comfortable, quiet way. Rin slipped through the dark trunks, keeping a wary eye out for attackers. High above her, in the tallest tree sat her silent watchman, crouching like a sparrow on a slender branch at the very top. He scanned the horizon, waiting for some sort of sign, that feeling of blood pulsing through his veins, and the world of deep black and white.

The town was bustling, filled with happy people without much of a care. Bright skirts and dresses flowed around Rin as she edged through the crowds, towards the marketplace in the center of town. It was crowded there too, with muddy-looking boys racing among the stalls, sometimes snatching an apple or a bun. There were guards too, ones in long crimson robes, searching for something, someone. She kept her head down and tried to remain unnoticeable amongst the bustle. Rin was soon laden with heavy paper bags, checking around one last time, she slipped through the gate, nodding to the crimson-clad guard as she went.

Allen climbed down the big trees trunk, landing on the ground like a cat. Sprinting over the leafy floor, her made it to her in no time. She was gasping, and clutching five heavy paper bags.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, there's Crow there, though."

Allen stiffened. How did they know we were here? Come on we have to move. We can't stay here. He opened a gate in the silence. Rin kept glancing around nervously.
"Did anyone follow you?"

"No, I don't think so"

They entered the gate, the dark swirled around them like deep water and they moved silently and swiftly into the white city, its domes and arches shining like polished marble in the glow of a fake sun.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the cave, going through the ark will keep us from being tracked"

"That makes sense"

Flitting between the buildings they soon came to the right door, slipping through it nervously, the crept into the depths of the cave without so much as a sound. They were awake all that night, eyes and ears pricked for any rustle in the darkness, any gleam of crimson in the dark night. None came, and when morning came they stood and stretched their aching bones in the thin slits of yellow dawn seeping through the branches of the bush.

They spoke naught a word as they ate in silence, fearing that even the softest chewing could give them away. In silence they boarded the ark together, and Allen quickly closed the gate after them.

"Where now?"

"Where can we go?"

"Italy"

"Matter?"

"Yes"

They stepped into Matter's streets, even in high day the streets seemed dark and foreboding, as if large hungry cats crouched behind every rotting door, waiting for them to be in reach of their claws.

"There's some underground passages over there." Allen pointed into the dark.

"Are you sure those will be safe?"

"Yes, no one alive anymore knows about them except me and Kanda."

"Do you think he'd give us away?"

Allen paused for a moment and looked down at her.

"No."

They found the deepest darkest corner they could. Rin pulled out the rough blanket, shivering. A little box rolled from the folds.

"Allen! I almost forgot."

"Hmm?" Allen glanced over to her. She was holding a box of black hairdye in her hand.

"Come on, we need to find some water."

"I think I hear some over there"

"You have good ears, Allen"

He smiled, the first smile Rin had seen from the start of these horrible afairs.

They found the source of the water in no time, a gossamer thread of cristal water laced its way through a jumble of mossy rocks, cascading over the loose rubble into a small yet deep pool a meter below. They hoped down, a pebble knocked loose from their fall made a soft splash as it dropped into the pool. The ripples spread, radiating out from the place the pebble dropped, bringing consequence and new feeling to the cristline pool around them. One by one, they hit the rocky edges with the softest gentle sound of peace. The pool became still and silent.

"Come on, Allen, you need to get your hair wet."

"Yeah." He, very ungracefuly dunked his head under the surface, emerging, he rubbed the drops of water from his eyes and slicked back his dripping hair.

Rin worked quickly, rubbing the black dye into his hair, watching it turn from white to gray to jet black.

"Ok, you need to wait for a bit, then we'll wash it out"

"Okay."

They sat there, on the edge of the bright pool. Watching the sun rise in a crack in the roof above. A bird called in the silence.

"Allen?"

"Hm?"

"Where are we going to go now?"

"I don't know. We need to go somewhere out of the control of the pope."

"We can't hide forever."

"You're right. Sooner or later we'll have to fight." He stood up, his face illuminated by the young sun. "We need to train you."

"Huh?"

"You can't use your innocence yet, right?"

Rin shook her head.

"We need to work on that. We need to create a better world."

"Yes."

They washed the excess dye off in silence, the dripping and splashing of the falling water filling the air more effectively then any words could. Shaking his sopping hair, Allen took Rin's pale hand, and together they walked into the morning sun.

Author's notes: Is it just me or is this chapter weird? GIVE ME A BREAK ITS 2am OK? GAAAA! I need coffee…. * nervous twitch *