A/N:
Hi again guys! Sorry for the late update. The writer's block really gave me a hard time, but thank goodness I finally finished this chapter. X3 I based this story on the anime chapter with the character named Mother. That story was not too bad, but quite boring, so I changed the plot a little.
The original story had Allen traveling with Lenalee, but I changed it a little. Lots of Kanda x Allen-ness. X3 Just wait and see, I pretty like this chapter myself, though I had a hard time writing this. You see, I wasn't feeling well a few days ago, so it affected my writing. I had to re-write this chapter a few times. I hope you like it! XDD
Disclaimer: Do I really have to say it? Oh well…I don't own D.Gray-man. Katsura Hoshino Sensei does. Let's move on then. Review after you read this chapter please! X3
Chapter 12-I Promise
The truth is, nobody wants to say goodbye to their beloved people, since there's no time on earth is enough to prepare your heart to say it, knowing that you won't be able to see those you loved anymore, which means forever.
Allen woke up at the sound of birds chirping and the sudden feeling of pain on his cheek. Timcanpy was chewing on his cheek to wake him up. Allen took the golem and threw it away. Tim however managed to balance itself and didn't fall, instead, flying back to its master. The white haired boy yawned and came face to face with a broken window. He suddenly remembered that it wasn't his room anymore. He had fallen asleep in Kanda's room last night.
The thought sent flush to his pale cheeks and he glanced to his side, only to find the bed was empty. Kanda had woken up. A scribbling on the wall explained everything to the white haired exorcist.
I have to depart at seven so I left first.
Allen sweatdropped. Why did he choose to write on the wall instead of just leaving a single note wrote on paper?
The white haired exorcist laughed quietly when imagining Kanda writing on the wall. Where did he find a pen anyway?
"Let's go to the dining hall, Tim." Allen said to the golem and then went out from the room after erasing the scribble his lover made on the wall. Tim followed loyally by Allen's side.
"Allen!" Lavi called, waving his hand as he did so. "Here! Sit here!"
"Lavi, good morning." Allen greeted. He took the large pile of food and sat in front of the orange haired exorcist.
"Morning. Got news for ya." Lavi said. Allen looked up to him confusedly. "Lenalee has been sent to a mission just this morning. The finder who guided Miranda reported to Komui that he lost the track of that girl. Her partner said she went to toilet and didn't come back. The finder suspected she might be lost. So Komui sent Lenalee to help find her."
"That's just like Miranda-san." Allen laughed briefly. "Hey, wait a minute, does that mean I'll be going alone today?" Allen asked. Lavi nodded.
"Apparently so." Allen sighed. "Ya'll go to Liverpool, right? To meet your master's source of information, umm, who's that again?"
"Mother." The white haired exorcist replied. "Her name's Mother."
"Yeah, that." Lavi said. "Hey Allen, are you sure it's okay?"
"What's okay?" Allen asked confusedly.
"Yeah, you're going to be away from Yuu-chan for quite a long time, right? Just after you two got together too." Lavi said, sipping his coffee a bit. Allen stopped eating for a while and shook his head sadly.
"I know that. But I mustn't be selfish, right? I mean, we are all exorcists. The path we must take is clear. Mission comes first, don't you always say?" Allen forced a smile, but Lavi could see that was a bitter smile.
"You're too unselfish, moyashi-chan. I personally think it's okay to be selfish sometimes." Lavi said, scratching the back of his head. "Don't worry, I'm sure you will see Yuu-chan again. This mission won't separate you, at least not forever, right?" he grinned. Allen smiled back.
"Thanks Lavi. I hope you're right." Allen said.
"By the way, it's almost nine. Shouldn't you get ready to depart, moyashi-chan?" the rabbit asked, looking at the clock. Allen flinched and looked to the clock.
"Oh shit! 8.55?! I haven't finished eating at all!" Allen said, stuffing all the food he could to his mouth. Lavi sweatdropped.
"O-oi, calm down, moyashi-chan." He lifted up his wrist. Allen ignored him and kept eating. Lavi sighed. "You can just take a few food to go and eat them on the train." He suggested.
"Oh, okay." Allen agreed, taking a few slices of bread and stuffed them inside his uniform. "I'll be going then Lavi." He said, running out of the dining hall and waved to the older boy as he did. Lavi waved back before continued to eat from his plate.
"Whew, I made it on time." Allen sighed as he sat on the gondola. A finder rowed the boat for him but then left him to get on the train by himself. He didn't get escorted by a finder so he'd need to find Mother's house on his own. Allen ate the bread he brought on the train while enjoying the view of the lakes all along the way to Liverpool. There were a lot of beautiful lakes there. Not long after departing, Allen fell asleep on the train. When he woke up it was already in the station.
"Whoah, such a long and boring journey." Allen sighed. "Now, if I can find Mother…" He walked away from the station.
Soon, he arrived in Keswick city. The city had a new shopping district that he had never seen before three years ago.
"Whoa, there's a new shopping district here, Timcanpy." He said to the golem. Tim flew around its master's head. "It wasn't here three years ago, was it?" he asked the golem. Timcanpy nodded and landed on his head.
"Hey boy, you look good!" a man said, surprising Allen with the sudden call. "Your shoes look a bit dreadful to me. How is it? Want to trade your old shoes with a new one?" he asked with a smile. That man was tall with a dark green bandanna covering his head. He had a little brown beard and he wore a white apron. The cursed boy glanced to the store behind the man. Richard's shop, it said.
"Eeh, no thanks I think." Allen laughed briefly and waved his hand refusing the offer.
"Oh, so." The man laughed a bit. "Well then, if you changed your mind, just come back here and I'll trade your old shoes for a new one." He said.
"I'll think about it, thank you." Allen said, waving back a bit and went ahead, he glanced back and found the man asking the exact same question to another man.
'I think that man will ask every passing people the same question, won't he?' Allen chuckled. 'Oh well, let's go to Mother's house then.' Allen thought to himself and continued to walk away.
"If I'm not mistaken, then Mother's house is near a small lake, right Tim?" Allen asked. The golem nodded. While he was walking along, he found a funeral going on a graveyard.
'Somebody died…' he thought. That's when suddenly his left eye reacted. The dead man's mourning wife was an akuma! "No! Get away from there!" he yelled and ran towards the group of mourning people when the woman suddenly changed into an akuma. Situation turned to a ruckus as everybody there screamed and ran here and there. The akuma fired a few bullets containing akuma virus to them.
"Please escape everyone!" Allen invoked his arm into the huge white claw, shielding the people from the akuma's bullets. Every people panicked and ran away from the place as fast as they could while Allen destroyed the level I akuma hurriedly. That's when a lot more level I akuma came.
"Oh shit, there's more?!" Allen cursed under his breath. "Take this, Cross Grave!" he jumped and slashed every akuma, leaving a trace of light in form of a cross in every akuma. The akuma exploded and the souls inside them were released. Just when Allen sighed in relief, a few more came. "Oh no! Just how many are here?!" he asked himself.
"Kaichuu Ichigen!" suddenly a voice he knew very well cried. A bunch of bug-like creatures came out of nowhere and crunched every akuma, leaving none left. Allen glanced to the right. A certain raven haired exorcist came out from the bushes. Both of them gasped upon encountering each other.
"What are you doing here?!" both shouted at the same time.
"Now, let me get this straight, you're going to meet someone in this city who might have information of your master's whereabouts." Kanda said, holding his brow. Allen nodded. "And I have to get to Mittenwald by the train from here."
"So you're here on your way to your own mission too?" Allen asked.
"Hn. Never thought I'd end up meeting you again here." Allen sighed. "I doubt this is just a coincidence." He said, clenching his fist in irritation.
"You mean Komui-san might be behind this?" Allen inquired.
"Hn. Obliviously." He said, a vein of annoyance pulsing on his brow (Komui in headquarter was currently sneezing). "Where are you going from here?"
"I've got to go to Mother's place now. Now that there's a lot of akuma here, I'm worried they might be after her since she was an acquaintance of the Black Order…" Allen said. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere. My train is four days from today." Kanda twitched his eyebrows in annoyance. "That fucking Komui is really making fun the hell out of me." He said angrily.
"Then…how about going with me to Mother's place?" Allen asked. Kanda sent him a questioning look. "I mean, you're not busy, then why don't we go there together?"
"Why? Can't you go there yourself, moyashi?" Kanda asked coldly. Allen sent him a cheery smile.
"Of course I can. I just want to be with you, is that so wrong?" Allen asked confidently. Kanda sighed.
"Alright then." He gave up and Allen's smile widened.
"Thanks, now let's go!" he said. So, thanks to Komui's cheekiness, Allen and Kanda wound up going to Liverpool together. Allen secretly thanked Komui for his naughtiness (secretly, Kanda did that too of course ). They found a house with an average sized flower garden outside.
"Is that it?" Kanda asked. Allen nodded. His smile widened upon seeing Barba on the flower garden, taking care of them as always. Barba was the tall big man living with Mother.
"Barba!" Allen called as he opened the gate to the house. The man looked up upon hearing the mention of his name and smiled.
"Allen!" he called happily. "Allen, it's been a long time! Three years hasn't it?" he ran in haste towards Allen, arms wide opened.
"W-wait, Barba, calm down—" Allen held up his wrist in front of his chest as an attempt to stop the man, but only to prove to be in vain, since Barba immediately crushed into him and sent him flying. Kanda sweatdropped at the stupid looking reunion.
"Ouch…" Allen groaned when Barba reached out his hand to him.
"What are you doing, sleeping there will make you catch a cold." He said with a big smile. Allen took his hand and stood. Kanda walked towards him and stood beside the smaller exorcist.
"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. Allen flushed a bit and shook his head.
"Eh…somehow." He laughed briefly.
"Whoa, who is this, Allen?" Barba asked.
"Ah, yes, Barba, meet Kanda. He is a fellow exorcist from Black Order." Allen said, introducing his newly found love to the man. Kanda stared at the taller man in his usual scowl, receiving a wide grin from the older man.
"Welcome, welcome, Mother will be glad to see you again, Allen!" he said. "Let's go to meet her." He proposed.
"Oh Barba, how is Mother?" Allen asked.
"She's fine as usual." Barba sent him a cheerful look. "By the way, why are you here?" he asked.
"Oh, it's just that I wanted to—" Allen said, but cut by Barba's sudden yelling. Kanda twitched his eyebrows at the annoying man. For Kanda, almost all people in the world are annoying anyway.
"OH, CAN IT BE THAT—MOTHER, MOTHER! IT'S TERRIBLE! ALLEN IS BACK AND HE BROUGHT HIS HUSBAND!" Barba yelled and ran to the house. Allen flushed madly while Kanda swore he almost did an anime fall thanks to that.
"Barba, wait it's not—" Allen tried to call, but the older man ignored him and entered the house in haste. Kanda sighed in annoyance.
"Has all the fucking people in this town gone mad? First I was asked by an idiot in the town if I wanted to exchange my shoes, and now this!" he mumbled infuriately. Allen sighed.
"Well…that's Barba for you…" Allen said. "Let's go inside…Kanda?" he asked. Kanda sighed. He really doubt he could stay at least for five minutes inside the house with that annoyingly yaoi-fanatic man, but Allen's inviting face he couldn't reject.
Allen sat on the wooden chair next to Kanda, who was currently putting a very annoyed face. He didn't like people who smoked. Mother, the old woman Allen was looking for, who was shorter than the beansprout was smoking a pipe. Her brownish hair was tied up, making a tuft on top of her head. She was definitely a very old woman.
"So, it's like what Barba said." She said, puffing out smoke out of her wrinkled mouth. "You came here to introduce me to your husband aren't you? I always knew that you were not the one chasing after girls." She laughed flippantly. A vein of annoyance pulsed on Kanda's brow while Allen blushed madly.
"Not you too, Mother!" the cursed boy said. "Kanda is not my husband! He's a fellow exorcist from Black Order." He said, explaining. Of course, Kanda wasn't his husband. A husband, no, lover? …yes.
"Of course I know that, you idiot. I was just teasing you." Mother laughed happily. "I see you're wearing an exorcist's coat." She said.
"Yes, I became an official exorcist half a year ago." Allen said proudly.
"I see. My little beansprout has grown so much." She said, analyzing the boy.
"Beansprout?" Allen asked. Kanda chuckled, which sounded mocking of course. So everybody thought so too, huh? Good then. That meant Allen was really a beansprout after all. "What are you laughing about, Kanda?" he pouted.
"Nothing." Kanda said, averting his gaze and hiding a smile from the younger boy. Allen sulked while continued his pouting.
"Allen, you must be hungry, right? I made a batch of my special stew! I know you like to eat a lot! Now, now, eat." Barba came in suddenly, bringing a pot of stew and a few plates.
"Ah, yes, thank you." Allen smiled.
"Mr. Husband, please eat too." Barba said, smirking. Kanda's hand inched towards Mugen and a vein of annoyance appeared again on his forehead.
"I told you already, Barba, Kanda's not my husband you see…" Allen said, trying to explain before Kanda lost his patience and murdered the infernal man. Mother only chuckled a bit.
"…so. General Yeegar has…" Mother said, staring out of the window. Allen nodded.
"Yes. We split into four groups to protect the other four generals." Allen answered, sipping the stew as he did that. "I'm currently looking for my master, and the reason I'm here is that I thought you might know something about it, Mother."
"How should I know?" Mother asked confusedly.
"Huh? Well, I mean, you're my master's sponsor and all, so…" Allen said.
"I don't give a crap to that man who leaves nothing but debts in his wake." Mother said coldly. Allen dropped his spoon.
"Eh? Debts? Somehow that word always makes me lost my appetite." He sighed. Kanda sat quietly, arms crossed on his chest.
"You've eaten a lot already." Barba said happily, lifting the empty pot.
"Oh, that's right." Allen stood abruptly. "On the way here, we found a lot of akuma around. I was afraid that they might be after you, Mother."
"No, as you can see, I'm fit as a fiddle." Mother laughed.
"Thank goodness." Allen smiled. "But I wonder why there are so many akuma around here." Allen held his chin.
"Well, about that—" Mother stopped upon seeing a woman figure came closer to the house. "Oh, can you guys wait in the next room?" she asked.
"What is it, Mother?" Allen asked.
"I want you to listen to this, but she might be a little uncomfortable speaking to strangers." Mother said. "Now hurry and go." She instructed. A gentle knock was heard on the door. "I'm coming!" she answered.
"Let's go, Kanda." Allen said. Kanda obeyed by following the boy to the next room.
So, Allen, Kanda and Barba waited in the next room and listened to Mother, counseling the girl who just came. She was named Liza. She had a short brown hair and her height was average. The girl was wearing a green dress and a white stripped apron. She looked pretty troubled. Mother used to give the people there counseling whenever they had trouble and apparently she's still doing that.
The girl talked about a man named Lenny who was currently sick in the hospital in the middle of the city. He was her lover. She cried, saying she couldn't imagine a life without his boyfriend. It seemed the doctors said that the sick man didn't have a long time. Mother encouraged her to keep him happy as long as he's still alive. After she left the house, Mother talked about her to our two exorcists.
"That girl's called Liza. Her boyfriend is currently sick. She said he's going to die in a few days. She works in the hospital as a nurse." Mother said, explaining things to them. Allen and Kanda listened carefully to her. "She probably can't handle this alone…"
"Such loss would give an unbearable grief to her." Allen said.
"Something the Earl of Millennium won't just pass." Kanda added. Allen nodded.
"Exactly. I was wondering if you two can help her." Mother said.
"Why should we waste time to—"
"Kanda!" Allen scolded.
"Fine, fine, whatever." Kanda said, giving up.
"We'll do anything we can, Mother." Allen said, satisfied with the swordsman's answer.
"Good then." Mother smiled.
"Can't sleep?" Allen asked. Kanda sat on his bed, leaning to the wall silently.
"Hn." He snorted.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked again, sitting up.
"No." Kanda replied plainly.
"Then what's bothering you?" the white haired exorcist asked, getting down from his bed and sat next to his lover.
"Nothing." Kanda said. Allen smiled softly, detecting the small white lie.
"You're lying." He said. Kanda sighed.
"You're pretty perceptive." He commented. Allen sighed and leaned to him.
"Such grief won't come soon, right? You told me yesterday." Allen said, smiling softly. Kanda sighed. Since when that beansprout can guess correctly what he's thinking about? "I choose to believe you, Kanda. You know yourself the best." He added.
"Hn." Kanda snorted. Allen closed his eyes.
"It's strange." He said. Kanda sent him a questioning look.
"What's strange?" the raven haired exorcist asked, circling his arm around the beansprout's shoulder.
"Whenever I'm with you…I feel strangely calm." Allen smiled. "But it's also feel somewhat…painful, remembering that this moment will not last forever." He said sadly.
"I know that it's our duty as exorcists to save the world and humanity from the Earl, but…I can't help wishing that I can have a plain, happy life with you. I'm so selfish…aren't I? I want to save humanity and akuma, but also want to be with you…" he stated. Kanda went silent. He patted the white haired exorcist's white head gently. Timcanpy sat on Allen's pillow, watching the romantic conversation and secretly recorded it.
"I'm the same." Kanda said. Allen looked up, surprised at the sudden statement. "I wish for the same too. Too bad that I probably can't live longer past this war." He said coldly. Bitterness echoed a bit in his voice. Allen noticed that and grimaced.
"I thought you said you'll never said that again." He sulked.
"I never said that." He sneered.
"Liar." Allen pouted.
"Maybe I am, aren't I? You'll see that I'm much more selfish than you." He said, pulling the younger boy to a kiss. If Tim wasn't a golem, it would've turned around in embarrassment, but since it was, well, it recorded it all. Everybody at the H.Q. would've gotten a kick out of this.
"Bastard." Allen smiled. Kanda snorted. A warm smile formed on his usually cold straight face. It was dark, but Allen noticed that and almost died from the shock. "The bastard is smiling." He mocked. Kanda turned around abruptly when he said that. Allen however, held the bastard's face and turned it around to face him.
"C'mon, don't be a cheapskate with your smile." Allen asked with a charming smile. Kanda sighed and gave him another look of the smile. "There, that's better." Allen said lightheartedly, kissing the bastard's cheek gently.
"Baka." Kanda said, kissing him back. Faint blush creeping to the younger boy's cheeks as Kanda caressed them gently. "Got you back." He said. Allen mock-pouted.
"Idiot." He said. Kanda chuckled briefly.
"Sleep." He ordered. "If you're going to visit that who's-her-name tomorrow in the hospital, then you'll have to sleep now."
"Her name's Liza." Allen said, correcting the stupid ignorant bastard. Kanda snorted.
"Whatever."
"I'll sleep here." He said, taking a place on Kanda's bed. "So Tim can have the whole bed to himself." Though it was only so he could sleep next to the irritable swordsman.
"Che. Golem freak." Kanda said knowingly.
"Bastard." Allen bit back, then fell asleep soon after saying that. Kanda snorted and patted the younger boy's head gently.
"…baka moyashi." Kanda mocked back. Too bad Allen was already asleep, so it seemed Kanda won that round. The two of them seemed to enjoy the contest of mocking each other. Whoever was at lost at nicknames to give was the loser. Apparently they never ceased to tease each other as another form of affection.
The next morning came so fast. Allen had to explain for hours to Mother and Barba why he slept on Kanda's bed when she and Barba had given them separate beds. Mother and Barba merely smiled understandingly. Apparently Barba's presumption wasn't completely wrong after all. Kanda remained ignorant and paid no attention to the stupid conversation between the three.
"Please give these flowers to Liza, okay?" Barba said, giving a bucket of flowers to Allen. "These are the flowers I grew myself."
"Okay. See you later, Mother, Barba!" Allen said, waving to the both of them. He and the raven haired exorcist came to the hospital to visit the nurse called Liza from yesterday. They met a woman named Sara, another nurse at the hospital. She was the wife of the man named Richard from yesterday.
"You came here to visit Liza? It's nice to have good friends, isn't it?" the long brown haired woman said.
"Ah, not really. We've just come to know her yesterday." Allen said.
"There she is." She pointed to the corner of the room. She and a fat doctor with brown moustache and small tuff of brown hair on top of his head were talking about something. The girl suddenly sobbed softly and the doctor left her alone.
"Liza!" Sara called.
"We'd better leaver her alone now." The doctor said.
"Who's that, Sara-san?" Allen asked.
"That's the director. He's the head doctor of this hospital and was the one who donated the money to build this hospital into a big successful hospital like now. He's really a kind man. He even accepts patients who don't have money at all." She explained. "I'm sorry. But I think he's right, we'd better leave Liza for now."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Allen said. "Please give these to her." He gave the flowers to the woman.
"I'm sorry, you guys came here for nothing…" she said.
"No, it's fine." Allen shook his head.
"It's not doing her any better." Allen sighed. Kanda walked silently with him.
"It was a total waste of time. Just as I thought." Kanda said coldly. However, before Allen could scold him, he continued. "But there's something that's bothering me."
"What is it?" Allen asked curiously.
Suddenly a scream erupted from behind. Both looked behind and found a berserk horse carriage ran amuck toward them. The two exorcists jumped away to avoid it just in time. But the carriage didn't stop and hit a store. Richard's store. Just when the man was out, offering shoes like usual.
"Richard-san!" Allen yelled.
"Shit!" Kanda cursed. "Take him to the hospital, hurry!" he yelled and the people around gather to help the crushed man.
"Richard!" Sara yelled upon seeing her husband being carried by the stretcher to the emergency room. Allen and Kanda followed suit from behind. "No, what happened to my husband?!" she demanded.
"Please, Sara-san, calm down. It was like this…" Allen stayed by her side for a while, explaining things to her. After it, she stayed outside the ER and Liza accompanied her.
"We're so powerless…" Allen cursed under his breath. Kanda stayed silence. "Do you think he'll survive?" Allen asked hopefully.
"…don't ask me." Kanda said coldly.
Suddenly the doctor came out from the room. Sara and Liza hurriedly stood up hopefully. "Doctor, how's my husband?" she demanded. The doctor shook his head regretfully. Sara gasped and her shoulders began to tremble.
"Sara!" Liza called out. But before she could approach her, she stopped her.
"Don't come! I'm fine…I'm just fine…" she said, concealing the sadness imprinted in her voice clearly. The doctor held her shoulders comfortingly.
"Sara, please come with me. I want to help you…" he said, and then took Sara to his room.
Liza sat back on the chair and began to sob quietly, hands covering her face. "I'm not as strong as Sara…what will I be if Lenny were to die?" she asked sorrowfully. Allen kneeled in front of her and smiled comfortingly.
"Please don't worry, Liza-san…" he said. "Don't forget that you will always have us." He gave another smile. Liza looked up to the comforting stranger in front of her and smiled, drying off her tears.
"Yes…thank you." She said.
In the morning, Allen and Kanda left the hospital in silence. Liza had gone better since it was already morning. Lenny's condition didn't go better, but he'd do better in the daytime.
"…in situation like this, I wish that Lucius-san is with us…" Allen sighed. Kanda snorted. As much as he hated to admit it, he did hope that too. That monster's healing ability would come in handy in situations like this. "But I think Liza-san will do better now that it's already morning, won't she?"
"Moyashi, let me ask something." Kanda said seriously.
"What is it?" Allen asked curiously.
"Didn't yesterday that woman named Sara said that the director also accepts people who needs medical attention but don't have money?" Kanda asked. Allen thought for a while.
"Yeah, she did say so…what's with that?" Allen asked.
"…weird." He mumbled. "Let's go there again later. I want to investigate something."
"If you say so…" Allen answered confusedly. "Let's go to Richard-san's funeral first, okay? I won't accept 'no' as an answer." Allen ordered.
"Hn." Kanda knew better than to argue.
They carried the shoe salesman's corpse inside a coffin carried along the street, passing along his shop as it did so. Allen and Kanda stood formally in front of the store. When Allen opened his eyes, they widened in astonishment.
"No…it's impossible…!" the red left eye of his reacted. The soul of Richard, the shoe salesman was tied to the body of his wife, Sara. "We stayed with her all day yesterday…!" he said in disbelief.
"Apparently we missed something, didn't we?" Kanda said coldly. The body of the woman ripped apart suddenly and became a level I akuma who immediately went berserk. Allen invoked his arm and hurriedly jumped to destroy the akuma.
"I'm sorry…! It was our fault that you became an akuma…! I'm sorry!" Allen murmured painfully. He could feel tears of regret and sorrow filled his eyes as he destroyed the akuma. After the akuma exploded, he landed gracefully on the ground and immediately yelled to Kanda. "Let's go back to the hospital! Now I'm convinced that there's something wrong indeed!" he said. Kanda nodded.
"Liza-san! Barba?!" Allen called out confusedly upon seeing the tall huge man standing in front of Lenny's room. He looked like he was about to cry.
"Allen!" Barba yelled, running to the white haired boy with full speed.
"Barba, w-wait, please calm down—" too late, he hit him. Kanda sighed. That man didn't know his own strength…Allen was thrown backward about 3 feet away. He landed on the floor with a painful 'oomph!'
"Allen!" Barba called, tears overflowed from his eyes as Kanda kneeled down next to the cursed boy. "Lenny has…Lenny has…" he stammered. Allen gasped, knowing what he meant.
Allen and Kanda followed Barba to a dark silent room. A dark brown coffin lay there innocently. The brown haired girl kneeled in front of the coffin, hands burying her own face. She was crying. Barba sobbed sorrowfully. The doctor was there too. The fat man with moustache who was the director of the hospital. He was talking about something to Liza.
"Please think about it Liza, I just want to help you. I just thought you might need my counseling. I'll come for the answer later. I'll leave you alone for now." He said before standing up and left the girl alone. "Who are you guys?" he asked upon seeing Allen and Kanda with Barba standing in front of the room.
"Ah…I am, umm, I'm Liza-san's acquaintance. Could I please see her?" Allen asked.
"I want Liza to be alone now." The doctor was about to shove them away when Liza spoke.
"Allen-kun, is that you? It's okay, doctor, let Allen-kun and his friends be here. I'm fine if it's them…" the girl said.
"As you wish." The doctor said, leaving them alone.
Allen sat on a chair inside the dark room. He decided not to repeat the same mistake by leaving Sara alone even for just a while. The Earl of Millennium would not ignore a woman's sadness. No way. That's why, he was gonna make sure that the fat man would not gotten into Liza. Kanda didn't like sitting around with nothing to do, so he walked around the hospital alone. Allen was not sure what was bothering that swordsman. He was quite suspicious about something he didn't know what and why.
"Hey Allen-kun…" Liza spoke quietly. Allen glanced at her sadly. "Why do you think Lenny die?" Allen sent her a questioning look. "…at first…it was just a light pneumonia. He was supposed to be okay after a week, but his condition got worse everyday. I first thought it was because of my bad care, but Lenny never blamed me for that…he got even more caring to me. He always smiled to me. When I asked him, he said he became intrigued to me from that time. And I was too…"
Allen listened to the girl patiently. He would just stayed there and be there for her. Liza continued, "Right after the two of us began to love each other, the director declared that Lenny was terminally ill…but Lenny accepted his fate gracefully instead of cursing it…it was normal for people to feel worried when they're about to die, but instead, Lenny got even more caring for me…he was…he was…" Liza began to cry as tears fell one by one to her lap.
"I'm sorry, all I do is cry…I'm really pathetic aren't I?" the brown haired girl said bitterly. Allen stood up and kneeled next to her. Unknown to them, Kanda was standing behind the door. He was about to call the beansprout to say something, but decided not to when hearing his words of consoling.
"It's okay. Sometimes it's okay to cry. When the dearest person in my life died, I cried a whole night long. No, I cried longer after that. Even now, it's still painful to talk about him…" the boy said comfortingly.
"Whom did you lose?" Liza asked curiously. Allen gave a slightly sad smile.
"Mana. My foster Father Mana." He said. Liza flinched but then she asked again.
"How did you manage to overcome such sorrow?" the girl asked. Allen closed his eyes briefly and replied.
"Like I said, even now, it's still painful to talk about Mana right now, but as long as I still remember about him, he will still live inside me. As long as I have wonderful memories about him, he will still stay beside me forever. I'm sure Lenny does too." Allen said, smiling comfortingly.
"Lenny too? He will stay…in my memories?" the girl asked unsurely. Allen nodded.
"Yes. Of course." He answered.
Liza smiled. "Umm…But am I wrong to assume…that you might be…a little close to that friend of yours?" Allen's face reddened. Was he really that transparent that even a stranger knew about something like that?
"Oh, I'm very sorry, I guess Lenny's death really brought a deep pain to me. I guess I'm just a bit delirious now…sorry." She apologized. The white haired exorcist stared at her warmly and decided maybe it was best to tell her about that too.
"No. it's not your fault." The cursed boy shook his head. "I mean…you…were on the right track." He said, feeling a certain warmth brought back into his heart. Kanda outside the room listened carefully. Allen was surely very, very soft. He would admit that to almost all people whom he thought needed to know. Kanda sighed. That's Allen, of course. He couldn't complain.
"Kanda is…he's very…important to me." Allen admitted. "I don't know since when, but he has become my entire world." He stated, closing his eyes. "I once promised my father…Mana…that I will continue to walk, even in the world without him…but even I began to doubt…could I still walk…in a world without Kanda?" the white haired boy asked. It was more like he was asking himself rather than the girl.
"…I feel the same about Lenny…" Liza said sorrowfully.
"…I know…that…Kanda has a special condition." The boy murmured. "But still…I don't want to give up on him. I mean…maybe…that's what love is all about isn't it? I can't forget about my love for him…even though he once rejected me…for my own good. Yet, the feelings never changed. I just love him, and I'll always do. Like you too, to Lenny."
"Like me?" Liza inquired. Allen nodded.
"Both Kanda and I are exorcists. Our job sometimes separates us. But still…I can't help but wish to stay with him. I am selfish…aren't I, Liza-san?" he laughed bitterly. "I still wish…in this world filled with war…that I can have a peaceful life with him. I'm such a dreamer…"
"What I'm trying to say is, Liza-san…don't ever give up. You're a strong girl. Stronger than me I believe. Lenny will always live inside you forever. Just like Mana does. And I'm going to walk forward too. I will not give up on my most important person. Just as you, will not give up on your life…right?" Allen smiled warmly.
"Allen-kun…" the girl stated, amazed by the fifteen year old boy's maturates. "Yes…yes, you're right. Lenny…will always live inside me. He will not go away. Never…as long as I still remember him." Tears began to pour out again. "I'm sorry Allen-kun. I feel better now, thanks to you. Thank you so much…for staying with me and sharing your story with me." She smiled.
"No. I should thank you too. For listening to me. I needed that." The boy grinned. The brown haired girl smiled back. Kanda sighed behind the door. He walked away from the room. He'd tell the boy everything he had found earlier tomorrow.
In the morning, they all attended a funeral given to Lenny. It went well just like a normal funeral. Allen was relieved for that. The past two funerals ended up in chaos because akuma ended up messing up the funeral. After the funeral, they took Liza back to hospital. Kanda stayed there even though Allen had persuaded him to come too. He said he had something he'd like to do there while Allen was away.
"It's hard that you have to work again right away." Barba said. The girl shook her head and smiled softly.
"No, it's fine, if I work, I can calm down my emotion anyway." She stated. "Thank you Allen-kun, Barba."
"Oh yeah, Mother asked me to give this to you. It was left in Lenny's bed yesterday. It's addressed to you." Barba said, handing a letter to the girl.
"For me?" Liza asked. Barba nodded. "Okay…thanks Barba. See you later."
"Will she be okay?" Barba asked uncertainly. Allen sighed and smiled.
"She will. She's strong." The boy stated. "Now, I've to get Kanda." He smiled.
Kanda stayed inside the hospital. The thing he was curious about was that how did that hospital got so big when the director accepted people without money inside it. From the record he found in the books, the director was the one who gave money to reconstruct that hospital. The amount of terminally sick people also increased a lot since then and most of them died.
'Not only that, even the formerly sick people who merely suffered from normal cold can end up dying. What did that man do to them? And for what?' Kanda thought. 'If all those money came from him, then…he might just be…a broker. But with whom? And how did all those deaths bring money to him? Could it be…'
"Oi, you, what are you doing there?! This room is reserved only for the crew of this hospital! What are you investigating there with the report book?!" a doctor came in suddenly. Kanda glanced at him coldly. "You're suspicious! I'm going to take you to the police!"
"I've got no business with you." Kanda said coldly, throwing the book to the man's face and fled.
'I've got to tell that beansprout about this. Something's not right with this hospital. This is not a normal hospital. No hospital should have about 90 of its patients dead in a year.' Kanda thought as he ran. That's when he bumped into a woman who came from inside a room.
"Sorry, excuse me." Kanda said but before he could continue running, the woman screamed and her body ripped apart. Then a level I akuma appeared in front of him. The doctor who was chasing him before shouted in horror upon seeing the akuma before passing out.
"So that's what happened. This hospital is a factory to make akuma. Then that freakin' director definitely has a connection with the Earl. Who else could do something like this, right, akuma?" Kanda sneered coldly, unsheathing his katana and invoked it.
Kanda cut the akuma and it exploded, making the glass window broke and shattered in pieces. That's when a lot of patients with pale face like zombies came out from the rooms and turned into akuma. Allen who was currently outside looked up in surprise and found the sight of Kanda fighting an akuma. He immediately jumped in into the room and joined the fight. The boy invoked his hand to form a huge white claw and sliced away the akuma.
"Kanda, what the hell is happening here?!" Allen asked in panicky.
"Apparently this hospital is a plant to make akuma. That's how the director of this hospital made this place a huge and successful hospital although he accepts people who don't have money. He has a connection with the Earl!" Kanda said, slicing away an akuma body.
"That can't be! Such thing exists?!" Allen asked in disbelief.
"That's the first time you've ever heard of something like this, wasn't it, beansprout?" Kanda asked while cutting away another akuma. "The Earl of Millennium gives money to those people who want to be a broker for him and as the exchange they sell souls to him!" the older boy explained.
"No way! Then Liza-san is in danger!" Allen said, destroying the last akuma. "Let's go! We have to get her!" the white haired boy yelled while taking Kanda's hand and pulled the raven haired boy. When they were about to open the door to the director's room, it was locked.
"It's locked?" Allen asked confusedly.
"Shh, someone is inside." Kanda whispered. The cursed boy leaned to the door and put his ear on the door. There was really a sound of people talking. It's the director's voice, talking to Liza.
"So how about it, Liza? The preparation is ready. All you have to do is make a reservation from the phone and we can call back Lenny's soul to this world!" the director said confidently.
'Call back souls?' Allen thought.
"Then it's true." Kanda said. "That freakin' bastard has a connection with the Earl."
"Wait Kanda, listen." Allen whispered. It was Liza's voice.
"I do want to meet him again, director, I really do…but…" she paused. "I don't need to call back his soul to this world. He's alive here, inside my memories. As long as I remember about him, he will always stay here. He'll never go away." The girl smiled.
"What the—" the director asked angrily. "Then I have no choice but to force you!" he said, taking out a handkerchief and covered the girl's mouth with it. Liza felt dizzy and sleepy upon breathing in from the strange scent of the handkerchief and then her world went dark. The doctor laughed insanely.
"I have no more time. I have to give him another material as I promised," he said. "Day by day I made Lenny weaker and pretended to befriend with you, but it's all over now. You can meet him again, aren't you happy?"
Allen clenched his fist tightly outside and then invoked his left arm. He smashed down the door with the white claw and burst in angrily. "Who are you guys?!" the director yelled.
"So it was you who sells the people's souls to the Earl, wasn't it?!" Allen yelled. The director stepped backward in fear upon seeing Allen's left arm turning into a huge white claw. "Why did you do it?! Don't you value fellow human's life?! Isn't the reason you became a doctor is to save lives?! How can you step in so low like that?!" he yelled furiously. Kanda had never seen the boy so mad before, but it was indeed disgusting. A human, swayed by money, selling fellow human's souls to the Earl. The director took out a gun from his pocket.
"Humph! You'll never understand!" the director bit back. "If you ask why, it's for this city of course!"
"For the city?!" Allen asked confusedly.
"A countryside town like this has no other way to develop other than building a big hospital and collect patients! I will make this city more prosperous." He said, taking in two big piles of money into his pocket.
"Will you give it a rest?!" Mother suddenly stepped in.
"Mother?" Allen inquired confusedly.
"Humph, get away you darned old woman! You have no business here!" the director ordered. Mother suddenly jumped and kicked the man, making him fell to the floor and passed out. Kanda stared in disbelief. That old woman was sure strong.
"I got her to come here when I saw you guys fought akuma." Came Barba's voice.
"Barba!" Allen turned around and found the man standing behind them.
"I figured if Mother is here, it will be okay since she's still as strong as ever." The man laughed.
"I'd say she's stronger than she used to be…" Allen sweatdropped.
"I knocked him out, but it's still not enough. I will make this man pay fully for his sins. I will make sure he realizes what kind of crime he has committed all this time." Mother said. "Listen, you two needs to remember this as well, the Earl of Millennium doesn't only make akuma. He uses the desire and greed within people's heart and turns them into his accomplices"
"Yes." Allen replied. Kanda nodded.
"It will be a hard battle indeed, but we mustn't overlook that there are girls like Liza. She kept her strong resolution until the end." Mother said.
"Yes. We know." Allen smiled. "She's a strong girl."
A phone rang inside a dark room. A fat man with crème colored coat and a tall silk hat came and picked it up. He held his wide smile wider than a lake.
"Yes? Yes, it's me? Oh, really? Okay, I'll investigate it soon! Thank you." He said, hanging up the phone. The Earl of Millennium smiled cheerily. "Even if one or two people disappear, it's fine, since there are a lot of humans who want to become brokers." He said and laughed maliciously.
Liza, Mother, Barba, Allen and Kanda stood in front of the grave. They stared at the girl patiently when finally Liza began, "I'm not that strong either. A lot of time I thought I was going to break. But this letter you gave me gives me strength, Mother. Thank you." Liza said.
The letter was from Lenny. The one he wrote before he died. It was written there for Liza so she wouldn't feel sad. Lenny wrote that he would always stay by Liza's side in her memories as long as she remembers him. That letter had given the girl an incredible strength. She managed to get out from trouble even if the offer was pretty hard to refuse. Allen was right. Liza was strong.
"She's going to be okay from now on, right?" Allen asked. Mother nodded and smiled warmly. "Thank goodness for that."
"Oh yeah, there are something I'd like to give you." Mother said. "Come with me."
Mother took them to her house. She gave Allen a pile of letters. Allen stared at them confusedly. "What, are these letters for me? What?! It's receipts from a lot of stores addressed to my master!" Allen stared at the bills and sighed.
"If you look to those stores, then you definitely will find clues about your master's whereabouts." Mother smiled. "Good luck, my little beansprout." She said.
"I guess we'll have to give it a try, right Timcanpy?" the golem hovered above Allen's shoulder.
"My train is tonight. I will have to go now. Thank you for your hospitality." Kanda said coldly as usual and bowed down his head a bit.
"I'll go with you to the station, Kanda." Allen said.
"Take care." Mother said, waving her hand to the swordsman.
"The train's pretty late." Allen said. Kanda sat on the station's chair calmly, waiting for the train with the white haired exorcist. "Hey Kanda, where are you going from here?"
"To Mittenwald. I am to meet Daisya there. Then we'll meet Marie in Alheim." He answered plainly. Allen sat down next to him.
"I'm going to Beijing again from here." He said. "I'm going to meet Lenalee there." Kanda nodded. "I wish I could go with you though…" he said. Kanda stared at him.
"Something's bothering you." It was not a question but an order. Allen sighed.
"Indeed." He answered. "I mean…we won't meet each other again for a long time. I will definitely miss you…" the younger boy leaned to the older boy's shoulder and rested his head there.
"Then bear with it. You were the one who said that we can't be selfish since we're exorcists." Kanda said coldly. Allen sighed. A tiny smile formed on his lips.
"I know that, bastard." The younger boy said. "You never stop to be a bastard." Kanda snorted. "I wish I can stay with you always…although I doubt we can…in a war like this." Kanda patted the boy's white hair.
"You'll have to be patient then. After this war ends…I'll stay with you as long as you like." Kanda said, planting a kiss on the boy's pentacle mark. Allen flushed madly at that but then smiled happily.
"You'll have to promise." Allen stated.
"I promise." Kanda declared. "I won't die. Not before I can meet you again."
"If you die…" Allen whispered. "I don't know what will happen to me." The tone sounded sad and full of anguish. Kanda noticed and frowned. He had repeated it again. He said the word the younger boy hated so much. "I can't live without you…"
"You'll have to." Kanda said, holding the younger boy's waist gently. "You did when your father died." Allen looked away.
"I doubt I can. Losing Mana…losing my father is more than enough to me. It's already one too many…I don't want to lose anyone anymore…not you especially." Allen said forlornly. Kanda sighed and undid his hair. The rich black river of hair flowed on his shoulders and back. Allen flushed upon seeing it. He liked it so much when Kanda wore his hair down. The raven haired exorcist took the younger boy's right arm and tied a white tie to it. His hair tie. Allen looked up confusedly.
"You want a proof of my existence, here it is." He said charmingly. Allen blushed again. Kanda had never shown this side of him to him before, not until now. "This is the evidence of my promise to you. I'll come back to you no matter how. This mission isn't the last of our missions. We'll return home and go for other missions. Our journey has yet to begin, understand, idiot?" Allen smirked. He returned to the normal Kanda at the last word.
"Yes… We'll return home. No matter what. We'll keep on walking, together." Allen smiled, looking at the white tie tied to his wrist. "Thank you. I'll keep a good care of it." Kanda snorted. "But what about your hair?" Allen asked then.
"I'll just find another tie. Big deal." Kanda said sarcastically.
"You're not sincere when giving this to me are you?" Allen frowned and then pouted. Kanda chuckled. Then soon after that the train came.
"I'm going then." Kanda said. Allen smiled.
"See you again soon." The boy said.
"Hn. I'll see you again. Remember. It's a promise." He said, taking Allen's left hand and kissed it gently, making another blush crept to the younger boy's cheeks. Satisfied at the result, he smiled and went to the train and departed to his mission. Allen sighed.
"Bastard." He said. "…the bastard of a stupid idiot ignorant person I love." He smirked to himself and then returned to Mother's house. He would depart to Beijing tomorrow and rendezvous with Lenalee tomorrow and then start looking for Cross.
A/N:
At last, this chapter is finished. I'm soooooo tired…well, how was it? Personally, I think all other than the romance part was pretty boring, so I ended up inserting the scenes unavailable in the anime. I mean, I just wanted them to have some fun before going to look for their masters. I hope you like the 31 pages of it. X3
Finally! The Earl makes his appearance! He will appear again soon enough I'm sure! XDD I'll try to make next chappie more enjoyable! Maybe Lavi x Tyki? X3
Oh yeah, if any of you guys wondering why Allen already has the Gamma form of his Innocence before Yeegar's death, the truth is I want to make it different even though there are a few stories similar to the original manga/anime. Well, enjoy please. The next update will be soon enough.
Review please! Reviews are the only things that can make me happy in school days like now! XDD
