A/N: ZEE HERE! I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THIS UNPRECEDENTED HIATUS. RECENTLY, MY LAPTOP SCREEN BROKE, SO I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS MY FILES FOR LOST AND FOUND...LUCKILY THOUGH, I REALIZED I HAD POSTED THE UNEDITED VERSION OF THIS CHAPTER IN THE DOC MANAGER HERE, WHAT A STROKE OF LUCK!XD THE EDITED VERSION IS ON MY FILE, SO THIS CHAPTER DOESNT CONTAIN THE EDITS AND IS SHORTER THAN THE FINISHED ONE ON MY CURRENTLY UNUSABLE LAPTOP, WHICH SUCKS, BUT THAT MEANS I'LL HAVE TO ADD THE REST AS A PART 2 FOR THIS CHAPTER. MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES, GUYS!
I'VE STARTED WORKING ON THE LOST AND FOUND DOUJIN, SO I WILL AT LEAST HAVE HAOF OF THE FIRST CHAPTER FINISHED BY THE NEXT 5 MONTHS, SINCE ILL BE ESSENTIALLY DRAWING EVERyTHING BY MYSELF. HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY THIS UNPRECEDENTED CHAPTER!
"I'm cold…."
Through the veil of darkness, Allen opened his eyes.
"… I'm colddddd…"Why did he feel like this was familiar somehow?
Had…
HAD HE DONE THIS BEFORE?
A hacking cough erupted through his chest, causing him to keel over.
… Where was he?
… Why was he so cold?
So many questions, yet Allen felt like there would be no answers for him. All he knew was that he was in darkness…
"I-I'm colddddd…"
His eyes burned now, gasping at the wetness on his fingers. Ghostly, he traced rough dry patches on his cheeks, and realized they were his tears. That puzzled him. Since when had he been crying?
… IT HURT TOO MUCH TO THINK…
… The darkness was suddenly replaced by the warm, familiar scene of the Order's Exorcist Lounge…
"!" Allen blinked. "This- this place…" His breath hitched, feeling the strings of Déjà vu pulling at his memories. "Why is it so familiar…?-" It was like an annoying migraine, only it felt as if it were centered somewhere deep inside his mind. Allen knew this place, but how, from where, and why- they all seemed to escape him-
"- IRTHDAY, ALLEEEEEN! ~" A chorus of cheers, and party whistles bombarded Allen. Shocked, he peered to his right, and gasped.
… Lavi, Lenalee, Alistar, and Miranda smiled back at him…
Lavi slung an arm around him as he chuckled. "Come back to ussssss, birthday boy! ~" Lenalee giggled along with Miranda.
"!" The waves of déjà vu suddenly became clearer now. They were his family, and he was back home. Tears threatened to fall again. He was overwhelmed with joy at seeing their lovely faces again. Lenalee seemed to also be on the brink of tears, the girl clasped his hands with teary eyes, adorning a big smile.
"Allen! Happy birthday!" Said boy reflected her smile back. "It seems like it's been so long since we all got to hang out like this, but I'm happy we did get to do this on such an important day for you- ah, for us too, haha! Because we love you Allen, and don't ever forget that."
"Yes. Lenalee's right. It's been rather sad without you." Alistar quipped in.
Allen blinked. "Without me?"
Lavi raised a brow, perplexed. "What's up with you lately, bro? You okay? Link and Central stressing you out?" his concern suddenly turned to lighthearted humor. "… Orrr, maybe that Akuma on our last mission together really got you good, eh? ~" Allen only continued to stare, causing Lenalee to start to worry.
"Allen, what's wrong?" The Chinese girl asked from her seat next to Miranda and Alistar.
"N-no, that's right…" His head hurt again.
['It's been rather sad without you.']
He remembered now. He had left them…. Here he was, surrounded by the very people he had abandoned! His eyes trailed to the redhead boy, glistening over as his friends crowded over him. "L-Lavi..? Is that really you?!" Didn't the Noahs kidnap him?
… How had he forgotten he had left them all behind…?
"? Oi, maybe that Akuma did hit you a bit hard on the head…" Allen vaguely heard Lavi comment.
"I'm still in the Order…?"
"Allen, you came back from a mission this morning, remember? You were sent to Egypt, and a couple of Level Four's attacked when you found the Accommodator." Lenalee said.
Lavi briefly glanced at Lenalee. "Buddy- you've always been here all this time! What other place would you be in ~" Allen suddenly laughed.
"… I'm going crazy…"
"M-maybe y-you should go to the Head Nurse, Allen." Miranda said suddenly, causing everyone to look at her. "From what Lavi said, i-it seems The Akuma gave you some kind of concussion."
"Miranda's right. I'm worried." Lenalee said, walking up to the white haired boy. She leaned down to look at him directly, a small smile on her face. "… You don't have much time, after all."
"?" Allen's brow burrowed. "Lenalee? What do you mean by I don't have enough time?"
Lenalee's small smile grew wider, stretching over her ears as the wall behind her seemed to melt off. "… I mean that you don't have much time left as 'Allen' I'm afraid!"
"!" Lavi joined in beside her.
… Allen screamed.
… THE SKIN WAS MISSING FROM HIS FACE.
It had been peeled off roughly; the lone eye that usually shone brightly was now a hollow hole, as if the whole socket had been caved out with a spoon. Allen made move to look away, but found that everywhere he looked, he saw the faces of his friends.
… Lenalee's twisted body drenched in blood on the floor….
"YOU DID THIS…"
… Miranda's beheaded body nailed to an upside down cross…
"IT'S YOUR FAULT…" Allen was shoved out of his seat. He let out a wail of pain.
… No…
Lavi loomed over him, a dark shadow over his mutilated face. "I DIED. BECAUSE. OF YOU!"
… NOOOOOOOO! Allen's lid clenched shut, as he curled in deeper. They all loomed over him, taunting him with their words. "No, no, noooo! You're not dead! YOU'RE NOT DEAD! YOU CAN'T BE!"
"IF ONLY YOU WEREN'T THAT NOAH'S VESSEL!" Lenalee's words cut through him like a knife.
"IF ONLY YOU WERE DEAD!"
"WHY DID YOU LEAVE US?!"
His tears flowed freely, "I'M SORRY! IM SORRY! I-I, I-I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT YOU GUYS BY LEAVING. I JUST WANTED ALL OF YOU TO BE S-SAFE. AND I-I T-THOUGHT THAT MEANT AWAY FROM M-ME, BUT I WAS WRONG, SO WRONG, IM SO SORRY-"
"I HATE YOU…."
A familiar voice suddenly spoke out from all the chaos. Allen's eyes shot open. That voice… It wasn't his friends. Slowly picking his head, up, Allen looked to see who had spoken.
"M-Mana…?"
...
... Mana looked back. "… You were always like a bug that wouldn't go away… YOU'RE BETTER OFF DEAD!"
Allen shook his head roughly. "THIS IS A DREAM. I'M DREAMING, AREN'T I?" He muttered to himself with a smile that was out of place with his tone. "BECAUSE I LEFT THE ORDER. And you left me…. This isn't real…" His voice rose as he came more to his senses. "THIS IS A DREAM! AND I'M READY TO WAKE UP!"
Nothing happened. Instead, Mana's laugh rung all around him. "What an irony of life is it not? Eh, Allen-boy?" Mana eyed him up and down, bursting out into nonsensical laughter, a sound that resembled more a hyena than the soft lulling tilt Allen remembered of the man he loved so much. "Such an ironic situation our time together was, eh?"
Allen curled up into a ball. "While I wept, drove myself mad- tore my SOUL out in my tears over the death of Neah, life decides to one-up the Campbell brothers again by bringing him back in the form of YOU. A useless 6 year old boy! Ah, nothing could content me and my misery, and then you come along... The same fierceness in my brother's eyes, how could I not be drawn to you… At first I hallucinated that you were my brother, and we were back to the good old days.. And then when you would tell me those dreams you had at night, dreams that were actual memories of me and Neah, and I realized he was back! Just like he promised." Mana shook Allen, his face gleaming with glee as the boy whimpered out pathetically.
"Did you ever love me? Was the only reason you took care of me was because you knew Neah was with me…."
Mana paused the shaking, looking down at Allen with a blank look. "What other reason would there be?"
Allen's heart felt like it was ripped out of his chest, only to be put back in and be pierced.
… Black enveloped him again.
/88888***-~~***-_-*****888~~*****88888/
Light enveloped Neah again…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHHHHH!" The Noah's fist collided with something, but Neah was to out of it to bother knowing what.
…
He was seething.
Hot white rage blinded the corners of his eyesight, gold orbs landing on the familiar throne he inhabited. He was back, but it didn't matter.
ALLEN WAS LOSING.
"I have the worst of luck, don't I, brother..?" He muttered, running a hand through his unruly locks as he made his way to the throne. "It's not like I want to lose…" Neah's voice carried along with the wind. He closed his eyes.
For a second, he imagined his brother next to him, offering that smile that always made Neah's heart warm. "… It's not my fault! Right? He asked to be my host. But. … W-what the hell?!" Neah slumped over, nearly knocking the throne over. "…. And then- a-and then Auron. No, Allen came along—he messed everything up!" He yelled.
...
"… No…"
"….. No, no, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" With a deafening roar, Neah, stood up, his teeth grazing his lips as he scowled. "FUCK you!" Neah looked up, as if he were being watched. "Nothing is going to stop me from becoming the Earl. I'm not losing. I'll kill every last one of those damn Noah's even if I have to kill myself a million times over again in the process, but nobody- not you or Allen's gonna stop me!" Only the silence greeted him. That's when Neah made a drastic choice. As much as he loved his darling 'nephew'…
…
….
…. 'ALLEN WALKER' HAD TO GO….. NO EXCEPTIONS…
"No mercy."
… YET WHY WAS HE CRYING…?
/-***-***-/
Christopher burst into the room. "What the HELL is going on?! Nayami scoffed, about to speak, but Chris cut her off before she could even utter a word.
"What the HELL is going on?!"
"Fucking let go of me first, and we'll talk!" Chris let go, closing the door. He was already frowning, but it seemed to get worse as he looked behind Nayami, pointing out towards it blatantly.
"… What the- Did Allen do that." Chris asked, referring to the numerous scratches on the wall. Each mark was deep. If Allen somehow managed to engrave those marks with as much power it would have taken to make marks that deep, Chris couldn't help but feel a small sliver of fear creep up his skin like goose bumps. "Nayami, did Allen do that?!"
Nayami sighed. "Maybe. Or maybe he didn't, and it was Neah…" Chris cursed.
"… As if our situation couldn't get any worse…"
"I've been too reckless. This wouldn't go by unnoticed if I had been around."
"?" A sigh escaped the noble's lips. He looked towards his sleeping friend, distraught crawling onto his features. "You weren't reckless, Nayami."
She turned to Chris, a serious look on her face. "Walker hasn't moved an inch or reacted to anything since I met you guys. So it's my fault for assuming everything was okay, and not staying with him longer…" Chris grinned at her, although it didn't seem as bright as his usual ones.
"You're only one person Nayami. It's not like you can be in two places at once, besides, it would be easier for you to do your job if you let me and Helga help you." He saw that she was about to protest, so he continued before she could. "Think about it. If we're ambushed by Noahs, or Akuma's. Separated? If you're gone, they could sneak right in here and that Millennium whatever his name is gets, well- that might as well be handing Allen over to him with a big, fat red bow, and a greeting card! Nayami…. I know I can't do much, but at least let me help-"
"- Besides the fact that you'll be getting in my way, the Noahs already recognize you. You've been traveling with Allen, and they know that. The Earl most likely knows it too and sent out a tracking squad after you guys." Timcannpy darted out from his hiding spot under Allen's bed. The Golem whirled over Chris's head, before perching itself on the brunette's shoulder, who in turn eyed it suspiciously before looking back at Nayami.
"We're more than halfway to Shanghai-"
"- There used to be an Akuma factory near Shanghai. It's been wiped out by the Exorcists in the Asia Branch, but it's gonna be very risky to get close to the city. On top of that, the land around Shanghai's been getting more brokers, and supporters of the Earl, so we'll be basically surrounded by the enemy when we get there."
Chris frowned. "So then why the hell are we heading over there if it's so dangerous? I don't like it. It sounds like we're walking into a trap."
Nayami suddenly smirked. "We're heading there because it's the perfect hideout. Shanghai's strategically located about 20 miles from the Asia Branch of the Black Order. It's completely surrounded by deserts and thick, condensed forests of trees and bamboo. It's dangerous, but also the only place the Earl wouldn't think of looking for Mr. 'sleeping beauty' there. And I gotta good feeling about my friend being able to help Allen's situation, even if it's only a little bit."
"… Did Allen have something to do with Helga…."
88888888-/-/-888888888
(Nayami P.O.V)
"- Did Allen have something to do with Helga…. Don't lie to me…."
I looked at the noble. I started to speak before I was even aware of what I was saying. "No… Allen didn't."
… I just lied.
Chris's eyes didn't look like they believed me, but there was no way he saw through my façade. "Show him Tim." I looked over at Timcannpy, and the golem hovered over to me to my grasps, shook his head, before opening its mouth to reveal an image of Allen.
"See for yourself."
The scene played out no different than the norm: Allen remained on the bed unmoving, looking as if he were just asleep and ready to wake up at any moment. The image blacked out, and Timcannpy returned to sit on Chris's shoulder. "There you go. That was of today. If Allen had done it, Timcannpy would've seen it." That seemed to do the trick, because Chris let out a small intake of breath, running a hand through his hair.
"Okay.. Okay." It almost seemed like he was reassuring himself. "I'll go and talk to Helga to see if I can get her to remember anything more about it. S-sorry- I don't mean to seem like I'm trying to put a blame finger on Allen or anything-"
I nodded a sign to let him know I understood what he was trying to say. "I get it. Better safe than sorry…" Chris's mood seemed to sadden at this, and for a second, I thought about trying to phrase my words differently.
"… I trust Allen."
…
…..
This caught me off guard. "Umm, okay?"
'What was he getting at?'
Chris looked at me, walking up until we were face to face. "Without a doubt, I trust Allen 100%. No exceptions. Ever since I met the guy, my life's been crazy. Before, I led a life that was meticulously planned out, ya know? Dull, and boring, typical noble life full of rules, and following those stupid rules." A wide grin adorned his face. "I'm gonna have Allen's back no matter what happens, because we're friends, and he's doing me a huge favor. Even though it doesn't seem like I'm any closer to finding my brother, I'm not gonna give up. Allen wouldn't want me to either. Cuz he's a good guy, ya know?" His smile sobered up again. "… I've seen him help people for no reason. I don't think a guy like that can ever hurt anyone, or do bad. So I trust him…"
"….."
"Do you?"
"Do I what."
"Trust Allen."
I scoffed. "You obviously know my answer to that."
Chris shook his head. "Right, cuz anybody would be sooo willing to help out someone they say to hate so much. You know what; I think you don't actually hate him. If you really did, you wouldn't have taken up your father's job after he passed awa-"
"HE'S NOT DEAD!"
Chris looked taken aback. He mumbled an apology, but I just shook my head. "I already told you- I made a promise with the idiot Exorcist that I would kill him if he ever turned to Neah, and I plan on being the one to do it. My Father's stupid bull shit with the Order or Neah has nothing to do with this!"
"What are you talking abou-"
"NO. I don't trust Allen. Nor am I interested in whatever his fucking martyr complex bull shit caused, or how he tried to 'save the masses'. At the end of the day, Neah's still there with him, and that makes him dangerous… Allen's not just anybody. He's a very powerful Exorcist. Now imagine just how more powerful he'll be if Neah got full access to that..."
"Dammit Nayami, you can't just keep things to yourself! I gotta know!"
NO YOU DON'T. END OF STORY!"
"Master Chris..?"
We both looked at the door to see Helga peering through, a worried look on her face. "… Is everything alright?"
Chris gave the old maid a smile, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Just peachy."
The old maid seemed to doubt his words, but she soon left. I shook his hand off, glaring daggers at him. "You make it sound like I'm just itching to kill Walker, Welt."
Said boy scoffed. "Well, you've said it before. Wouldn't be surprised if you'd try to off him while we're all asleep, actually…"
I sighed. Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I walked out of the room, heading towards the front door.
/8/8/8/00000/8/8/8/
"So annoying…" I saw Timcannpy following me from the corner of my eye, and for a moment, I imagined the oversized golem doing the very same with my Father. "Tim." The golem must've thought that I didn't know it was following me, because it froze, and made move to dart behind a tree. "I did see you, Tim."
After a second, it came out, making its way to quietly perch itself unto my palms. I smiled at the warmth Timcannpy brought with him, the strings of déjà vu pulling at my thoughts. "Tim… You miss him a lot don't you…?" The golem's wings brushed softly against my face as I stopped walking. "It must hurt, doesn't it? That I look so much like him..." Realization seemed to hit it, because its wings quivered and drew closer to its oversized body. My eyes closed, and the strings of déjà vu seemed to break loose as I did so.
"…"
"… I want you to trace him. You're designed to trace the person who made you, because a sliver of the maker's aura is in you. Show me the aura of Marian Cross." Timcannpy refused to look at me. Instead, its claws dug gently into my palms, shaking its head as if it were sad. "Do it Tim." I ordered the golem.
…I needed to know…
After a short pause, Timcannpy opened its mouth, only to reveal a blank image. Its wings glowed black, and a static noise could be heard.
"… Where is this." I whispered my voice cracking. Timcannpy didn't reply. So even it didn't know. "…" I let out a yell.
"… This doesn't mean anything. The connection between you two could've been broken by anything, but there's no way he's dead." Large tears were flowing out of Timcannpy now, and I looked away. "… He's fine. He's not dead."
But…
… why did I feel like crying..?
-888/
A/N:
Want a spoiler for 'Lost and Found?' ;D
Everyone's favorite pirate and panda may or may not be premiering in the Next 2 Lost and Found's chapters… *Author's lips are sealed…. Unless you bribe her with chocolate, errr I mean*
Lol. Well, until next time my DGM Nakamas! Ciao! ;)