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Chapter 11 – Sad song

A/N: Hi~ it's me again. Yeah, I wrote another chapter while listening to the 14th's song. SO it's a bit sad, but a bit happy as well, it's full of feelings and emotions. Thank you for always reading! Enjoy!

"And then the boy fell asleep

And one or two ambers in the fading ashes of the fire

Flared up in the shape of a beloved face

Dreaming many thousands of dreams

Spreading across the land

Your silver gray eyes shine their eyes

Like stars falling down from the night sky

Even though countless of years

Turn so many prayers back to earth

I will keep praying

Somehow, love for this child please

Kissing the joined hands"

It was strange. He felt as if he heard this song before, this lullaby. It could have been because of the 14th's memories, but it still felt as if he knew the peaceful song since birth.

Allen opened his eyes. In front of him were people, passing by, going about their day. Next to him was Kanda, with the same grumpy look he always had. And on his other side was Johnny, happily accepting any and all objects people asked him to repair.

They were out of money, so the young scientist came up with an idea; taking objects and repairing them in exchange of a small fee. So far it was going wonderfully.

The white haired boy closed his eyes again, humming the all so familiar lullaby. It was relaxing and welcoming. It was as if it spoke to him, telling him everything will be alright in the end, that he was doing the right thing, making the right choices. In this moment, for him, the song was like the parent he never had.

Kanda was also finding the humming quite pleasant, believe it or not. He did not tell the boy to shut up and instead let himself be swallowed by the soft tune. He too found it relaxing, relieving some of the stress he put up with every day. He remembered, in the ark, how Allen played the piano and started wondering if the song had lyrics.

Johnny would have also enjoyed the soft music if he had time, but he was working on broken watches and tipping machines.

And then it stopped.

Kanda opened his eyes and, after a few seconds of looking up to the clear blue sky, he turned his gaze over to Allen. The boy had one hand over his face and a small, sad smile. Thanks to his sharp ears, Kanda could make out what the smaller teen was whispering to himself, "What the hell…"

Obviously, it should be frustrating. Such a beautiful song was implanted into his brain, making him able to control an (ex)tool of the Earl.

Allen removed his hand from his face and looked up into the sky. What wouldn't he give to be able to just escape, to run away and never return, to hide, just like his master used to. He remembered the good times with General Cross.

He once had a cold, and master placed him on the most comfy chair in the room, close to the fire, wrapped in the general's coat and several other blankets. His master didn't sleep, he didn't smoke or drink, he only took care of him until he got better.

In one town, a lady screamed after seeing his hand and started cursing at him, calling him a demon, a monster, an abomination. His master stopped her from hitting the small boy with her umbrella the third time. He told her to leave his apprentice alone. The same night, at the inn, inside their room, Cross carefully bandaged his wound (from the umbrella) while telling him he was no monster. He had innocence, he was a child chosen by God himself.

He once had a nightmare. A really bad one. With Mana turning into an akuma and all the bad things in the world swallowing him. He woke up sweaty, panting, and looking around the room in horror. But there was no threat in the room. He was alone. The door suddenly opened and his master came in, his hair was a mess and his face was flustered. He looked at his apprentice for a minute or two, then sat next to him. "You woke me up, stupid apprentice. Screaming in the middle of the night like that" and proceeded in hitting the boy in the head. He hadn't realized he screamed. Cross got up, rubbing his head and yawing; he turned around to see the boy holding his head where he had hit him. Master bent down and picked the boy up. Without a word, he took him to his room, and allowed him, just for that night, to sleep with him. And that helped a lot. No more nightmares for another few months.

There was that one time too, when his eye first activated. When he saw the souls for the first time, he fell to the ground and started vomiting. His master, right in front of him, shot down one of the akumas and bent down next to him. He was worried. You couldn't tell from his face, but from his eyes. The boy looked up at the level two and proceeded in vomiting some more. And then he passed out. When he woke up, he was in a bed, his master across the room, next to a window with a glass of wine. "M-master…?" The general looked up at the boy and asked if he was ok, what happened, why did he suddenly feel sick? The small boy only said "I saw an ugly ghost" the spirit of the humans trapped inside the akuma.

And even now, while telling him the cruel truth about the 14th and Mana, when telling him he will probably kill someone he loves shall he awaken as the musician, his master grabbed him in a small embrace, trying to make it at least a tiny bit easier to bear.

From the very beginning, Cross had been more than a master. Sure he was annoying as hell and threw all his debts onto the boy, but he cared. He genuinely cared, just as much as Mana did, for some reason, maybe even more.

Allen opened his eyes. He hadn't realized when he closed them. He whipped his eyes before the tears he felt forming could start falling. He wouldn't cry. He got up and shook his head then went next to Johnny, asking if he needed help.

Kanda was a cold bastard, but he noticed the shaking and the teary eyes. All the shit that was happening right now, all the hatred and the pressure was falling on that kid's back. Obviously, he would crack a bit. Right now, even that mask of his was beginning to fade away. He didn't eat as much, he didn't sleep at all, afraid the 14th might do something, and in the short times he did sleep, he would wake up shaking from the nightmares that kept getting worse. Why…? He wondered, looking at the two boys trying to fix a pocket watch Why would someone as caring as him have to suffer so much?

Kanda did care. He wouldn't admit it even if you'd tear his body to pieces, but he cared. He cared about Lenalee and what she'd gone through as a kid, about that stupid rabbit, about Marie and even Krory. He would rather face the Earl and all the Noah than admitting, but he also cared about his own master. General Tiedoll. And that new guy, what was his name, Chaoji. And even that stupid kid, Timothy, who was stealing Luvellier's sweets as a revenge for what he did to Allen, also that good-for-nothing woman, Miranda.

He would fight to protect them all, no matter what. And right now he was trying to repay a debt; to Allen Walker, the mad who set him and Alma free. The one who saved them from the Order and gave them one hour to themselves.

Johnny grabbed Allen's arm and dragged him to a shop where they were asked to repair some fax machines. Leaving Kanda and Timcampy to guard the objects waiting for the return of their owners.

He asked something stupid again "Who's side are you on?" Allen or Neah. It was a sad truth that Timcapy was bound to lose one to gain another. He himself didn't know who it was he cared for more. So he started crying.

A man wanted to buy one of the watches that were lying on the floor. Kanda told him those were not for sale.

And then, all Hell broke loose.

A/N: I guess this is a bit sad,… sorry D: And Oh My God, you guys are the most awesome readers ever! *hugs you all* thank you for all your nice comments and reviews and thank you for still reading and enjoying the story!