Pika318: Oh my god…there was this drabble lying around in my computer which Moko-chan written a while back and I never posted it! She probably forgotten about it right now, seeing that it was written on 14th July, 2009 ORZ I'll just post it now. This drabble is based off "Before Allen Came" and "Black Flower and Butterfly", so if you have not read both of these fics, please don't read this first, or else you'll be confused. This does not take into account Hoshino's version of Kanda's past because this was written in 2009, okay?

Disclaimer: -man belongs to Hoshino-sensei.

Chapter 26: Broken Promises

I hate naïve people like you!...

He did it again. He let his anger get the better of him. Twice in one day too. When he'd never done so for years. There was something about this existence known as 'Allen Walker' that irritated the hell out of him.

'Allen Walker' was naïve. He thought that as long as he believed, tried his best and gave enough of his goodwill, everything will end well. That irritated Kanda. Reality never worked that way, when reality decided that you were their next target, they would do everything in their power to rob you of all you have, and wring you dry. Kanda knew that very well.

But even more than that, I hate people who break their promises!

Now why did he say that? Oh yes, because that baka moyashi was saying how he would protect Lala and Guzol but fell short halfway and almost got himself killed. That disgusted Kanda. If you had the heart to promise someone something, then you better have the ability to back it up. Did that guy even have any idea how hurt people can be when the promises to them were broken? Kanda knew, he knew very well.

I promise I'll be with you and protect you, Yuu. I'm your older sister remember?

Why was he thinking of this now? He didn't want to remember this. He didn't want to remember that this was the first promise to him which was broken, that in fact he had an older sister.

Had.

She ceased to be his older sister when she joined the Noah family and sold him to them. But he didn't think of it like that at that time. At that time, even when he was the Noah's 'pet', even when was forced to watch many people die in the hands of the Akuma, even when he was punished, he held a small hope that his sister still loved him, even if she never came to save him. Thinking about it many years later, he realized that he felt disgusted at himself, for believing in something that wasn't there.

We will protect you, we promise.

Now when was this? This was the time when he just arrived at the Asian Branch after leaving Japan. He didn't trust anyone. He was afraid of getting hurt again. That was when someone told him this. He didn't want to believe that person at first, but somewhere in his confined heart, he wanted to believe. To believe that not everyone was like the Noahs, or his sister. He gradually opened up to them, accepting their care and protection.

But like always, reality was harsh.

When he grew a little older, he was picked to be one of the experimental subjects for the 'Artificial Apostle Project'. He was deceived by their honeyed words. "You'll be able to destroy akuma, you want that, don't you?" was what they said. He accepted, not knowing the truth. It was only after the experiment did he realize that he had lost more than he had gained. And the people who had promised to protect him? They couldn't do anything about it. He had decided to stop trusting people so easily after that.

We'll be friends forever, okay?

When this third promise came, he was hesitant, unwilling even, to accept it. But he wavered. His mind told him that it would be no use. This person would betray him eventually as well. But his heart told him to trust her. His mind eventually complied, reasoning that all the promises broken to him were made by adults, people older than him. A promise made by someone his age, younger than him even, can't have any bad intentions or results right?

Wrong.

"I hate you!" she had yelled at him. She was depressed at that time, so Kanda wanted to deny it, that she didn't mean what she said. But after the person she was waiting for came, she stuck so close to him and Kanda was sure he wasn't wanted anymore, like a toy she kept around for entertainment and threw away when what she really wanted finally came. It was then he realized it. Up till now, he had been blaming the other people for breaking their promises to him. But now he knew.

He was the one who should be blamed for everything.

He should be the one at fault. He was the naïve one, who believed when no one else would have given the same circumstances. He was the one who thought that everything would turn out fine, when all the hints pointed towards disaster and despair. He was the stupid one.

Having realized that, Kanda had forcibly put everything that had behind him and changed. He stopped trusting people easily and kept everyone at a distance. There was no need to repeat past mistakes anymore. Or remember what had happened. That was what he thought.

Until 'Allen Walker' came that is.

And that was what led to Kanda venting out his past frustrations on the person who reminded him so much of the past self that he wanted to forget.

But Kanda knew. Someday, 'Allen Walker' will change. Reality will make sure of that.

Pika318: I hoped you like it. Please don't think of this update as a sign that I'm going to continue this drabble series. I'm just posting what I seemed to have neglected posting.