Disclaimer : I don't own -Man
.
.
Chapter 5
.
That Kanda child is interesting.
Even though he lost his flower before his eyes, he did not went crazy just like his other tribes. He just sat there quietly and observed everything in my clan.
"Enjoying the view, Kanda?"
It was the tenth day after the massive death of his clan. And also, the tenth day after my first failure in protecting the leaf tribes.
He never spoke since he woke up. He merely stared at us as his tears streamed down his cheeks. That's it. He did not screamed or yelled in grieve like how a leaf tribe would react after losing their flower.
"You-!"
Oh? He spoke.
"I'm Neah D Campbell. You are to stay with us from now on."
His eyes still stared at me in shock. Was there any dirt on my face?
"So, Kanda-"
"Neah, did you see that child Eastern Leaf Tribe- Oh, here he is."
I turned away from my leaf tribe quickly and dragged Kanda with me to the tree.
"Neah?"
"I'm taking care of this child so shut up."
I felt the child staring at me, then to the leaf tribe and back to me. His eyes appeared confused for a while before he shaped his mouth into a small "O".
"...You-"
"Shut up, Kanda. You do not tell anyone this. Get it?"
"...Yes."
"Good boy."
He never told anyone about it, for that I was surprise. After all, my case was abnormal to most of our species... It was later that I realized he was the same as me.
He warned me about the dangers he felt, but I never did listen to him, thinking that I'm strong enough to protect what I held dear.
.
"...Will it bloom?"
"Hm?"
"You," Kanda then glanced at the one walking past my window just then, "and him."
"Oh, that."
"...Will it?"
"I don't know. Perhaps. I'm not putting much hope in it. If anything happen, I'm letting it go."
Or maybe, I did hope for it. I really hope it would bloom. Perhaps that was why the chaos broke out in the end and created a chance for humans to attack us.
Perhaps, it was really my fault.
Even so, I will still blame Allen Walker for everything.
.
Neah D Campbell
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
He screwed up.
He thought he hid it perfectly. He thought that there won't be a second Neah to see through his feelings for his flower. But no, that leaf tribe named Leenalee had to figure it out on the first night they met.
Great.
Fucking great.
"Nothing will come out of your feelings and you know it. A love between a flower and his leaf tribe is—"
"I know."
Why did she think he hid it from the beginning?
He knew the consequences, he knew it all.
He once thought that maybe he could create a miracle with his feelings, but he quickly discharge that thought as he witnessed the death of Neah's leaf tribes that day. Perhaps that was why he stayed with Neah for a while even after the death of their clan.
Neah and him, they are too similar in so many ways.
None of the leaf tribes realised, but he did, just like how Neah realised Kanda was the same as him.
Neah was in love with a leaf tribe.
"There are humans here. You really need to leave."
What he tried to inform Neah back then, was that he saw something coming for them. Something dangerous. Something that would kill off his clan in a split second.
No, it was not the humans. Humans were merely a tool.
"Neah will protect us. Don't worry, child."
The surrounding leaf tribes did not even took his warning seriously. They were so sure of their flower, but for how long?
How will they act when they figure out that Neah was in love with a leaf tribe? Will they still be with Neah?
Well, he did not need to wait long to see the results.
Screams were everywhere. The once comrades turned their weapons against each other. The words of their flower that used to be so powerful to the leaf tribes lost their shine. Chaos broke out without any warning, not including his warning to them of course.
Ha, so this is what happen to a love between a flower and a leaf tribe.
Neah screamed out in grieve, holding onto his love one last time.
What if that was Allen and him in such situation? He shivered inwardly, refusing to picture the possibility.
"It's forbidden." Leenalee's words rang loudly in his mind.
He had thought Neah was strong enough to break that supposedly forbidden rule, yet Neah failed and paid such a heavy price for it.
So pray tell, will anything be possible between Allen and him?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Did he... Missed anything out when he slept?
Staring at the silent interaction between Kanda and Leenalee, Allen could not help but to wonder. Kanda kept sending death glares at Leenalee, while Leenalee just stared back at him with a challenging stare.
"Erm... Are you guys okay?"
"Heck no." An unison answer.
"So... What's the problem?"
"Nothing." And again, same answer from both of them.
He could see their lips moving as they stared at each other, but no words reached his ears. The wind? He tried to control the wind to carry the voices to his ears, but Kanda stopped him. Since he was still new to magic, it was no wonder he could not control them as perfect as Kanda and Leenalee. Still, why would Kanda stopped him from using magic? He always encourage him to used more! As the curiousity get the better side of him, Allen focus more onto the magic and tried controlling the wind once more.
Flowers are the protector of leaf tribes, as long as he put more effort into it, he would be able to win against Kanda or Leenalee in magic.
And he did, he saw Kanda and Leenalee stared at him with panic-filled wide eyes for a split second before Leenalee joined forces with Kanda to repel his control against the wind.
"What's that for?!"
"That, is my question to you, moyashi."
"I'm with Kanda this time, Allen."
What? He could not believe it. The day before, Leenalee and Kanda was at each other's throat; now they are helping each other out?
This does not make any sense!
"What were you guys talking about?"
"We did not talk about anything."
"You did!"
What were they trying to hide from him? Somehow, he did not like the feeling of Kanda hiding something from him... What was that feeling? He never felt it before. It was like something squishing his heart in the most painful way ever, he could hardly breathe. That aside, he was starting to lose his calm.
"Seriously, what were both of you talking about?"
Why was he feeling so damn pissed off? Everyone kept secrets from him all the time and he never gave a shit to them. So how different it is this time?
"Drop it, Allen. We were not—"
That was the last straw. Without any hesitation, he chose to listen to his instinct then.
He ran away.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"Who do they think they are?!" Allen screamed out as he stood on a cliff.
He felt his eyes getting wet as time passed though he could not understand why. "Tears" only flow out when one is sad or when one was feeling extreme happiness. He certainly was not feeling happy about anything, so that left the "sad" option... He was sad? Sad of what?
He slowly sat down, burying his head deep into his knees then, allowing the tears to flow freely from his eyes.
"...I hate my life." he muttered.
"Yeah, me too."
"..."
Raising his head as slow as possible, he saw a red-haired male sitting next to him. Another leaf tribe? The red-haired male is certainly a leaf tribe, with that sharp and flawless features. How did Allen knew it was a male? Simple, he was wearing pants. Guess not all leaf tribes wear leaves huh?
"Go on, yell in frustration just like you did just now. Don't mind me." The male smiled at him.
"..."
"I don't particularly enjoy the silent treatment, you know?"
He should be freaking out. He really should be.
"Hello? Earth to flower boy?"
Just who the hell is this stranger beside him?! And how long had this male stayed beside him?!
"...Stop poking me!"
"Ah, finally speak, I see. Name's Lavi by the way."
"... Allen."
"Are you crying?"
"No, I'm not!"
"Why are you crying?"
"I said, I'm not!"
Snorting, Lavi placed his palm on Allen's head and petted it.
"You can tell me anything, Allen. You may not be my flower, but I respect other flowers too."
"..."
"I did mention I don't like silent treatment, didn't I?"
Allen remained silent. Sensing this, Lavi sighed and turned back to the blue sky before them.
"...You healed Leenalee's arm didn't you?"
Allen froze.
"Thanks a lot. She was so helpless when none of the flowers we met were willing to heal her."
"... You knew Leenalee?"
"You bet I do. I was actually the one who taught her magic... You don't mind, do you?"
Allen shook his head and turned fully towards Lavi.
"So, will you tell me what make you this sad?"
"..."
"Hey, I told you one of my secret! You should tell me something back in return!"
"Your secret is that you know magic...?"
"Yep, so tell me! What makes our dear protector so sad that he shed tears?"
"...Well."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"They are in love."
"Huh?"
"Kanda and Leenalee, they might be in love."
Allen could only stare at the red-haired male before him with trembling eyes.
"But but they fought on the first day they met. They hate each other!"
"Love-hate relationship, heard that before?"
"I- I guess you are right..."
True, why would Kanda and Leenalee stopped him from eavesdropping, as much as he hated to admit it, their conversation? They must have been exchanging sweet and embarrassing words among themselves.
You should be happy for them, his other voice whispered to him.
Indeed, it was a good news. So why can't he bring himself to curve his lips upwards at the thought of Kanda and Leenalee sharing any... intimate moments? Shaking inappropriate thoughts away from his head, Allen felt worse than usual. He wanted to hate Leenalee, but why should he? Leenalee did not do anything wrong...
"Lavi... What do you think about this?"
"Do you want the truth or do you want the truth?"
"... Is there a difference?"
"One hurts, one does not."
"... The hurting one."
"I feel like hating that Kanda guy."
Allen glanced at Lavi silently, Lavi felt the same as me?
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just want to hate him."
"That's kind of harsh."
The wind blew beside his ears, Allen could hear the familiar voices calling out his name in the wind. Turning his head back to the direction he came from, he erased all evidence that could give away his current position from the other two leaf tribes.
"They are searching for you, Allen."
"I'm not deaf."
Lavi stared at Allen for a while in interest, and nodded in approval to himself.
"Well then, Allen. Shall I be your "kidnapper"? I won't let them get near you."
"..."
Should he do this? Staring at Lavi's warm smile, Allen hesitated. Kanda saved him from his village and taught him stuff, Leenalee could tell him more about flowers, Lavi... What could he do? Lavi was like a complete stranger to him.
"Moyashi, where are you?!"
"Allen, come out already!"
They sure are worried about him. Even so, Allen did not want to meet them yet.
At least, not now.
"Well? What do you say, Allen?"
"... You may."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I once heard a quote like this : Be like a leaf tribe as they are kind and never betray their own family.
True, we are kind and loyal.
But are we really?
.
Someone spread the news around.
Slowly, the leaf tribes were turning their back to that particular leaf tribe.
They were scheming something, I could feel it.
"There are humans here. You really need to leave."
The leaves were still ignoring me. Damn, how should I send this message to Neah in this case?
I ran to that particular leaf tribe, asking him to send my message to Neah, but he stared at me in shock.
"Neah... really loves me? I thought that was just a rumour..."
"Well, not anymore. Anyway, you must tell Neah my message, it's getting really dangerous here."
He nodded and rushed to his flower.
But the warning came too late, I guess.
Your clan fell apart in a split second.
.
"...Will it bloom?"
"I don't know. Perhaps. I'm not putting much hope in it. If anything happen, I'm letting it go."
.
You lied, Neah.
You can't let it go.
That's why you only tried to save him from the humans when you realized you could not save all of your tribes.
Even so, you failed.
You screamed and tried to reach out to him, but I had to stop you. You would die too if you get out there.
Screams were mixed up from all direction.
I, who was half dragging you away from your love one, finally realized one thing.
Leaf tribes are kind; they do not attack on the outside.
Leaf tribes are loyal; they tricked humans to do their dirty work so as to maintain their reputation of being loyal.
When the humans left, I let you go. I saw you crawling back to your love one in such speed. You threw on magic onto his body, hoping to heal him up even though you realized he could not be saved anymore. You ignored the other leaf tribes around you, you were only focusing on him.
Leaf tribes are weak without a flower's protection, they say. True, we are weak without our flowers, just like a human without their weapon. Even so, we are dangerous, as we could destroy one's mind completely.
Neah's leaf tribe manage to stop their flower from continuing his forbidden love, with the cost of their lives.
That was the worst punishment for a flower—Losing your own leaf tribe before your eyes.
I knew it well, as I was the witness of the whole incident.
Neah lost his mind totally.
.
Such cruel species we are.
.
Yuu. K
.
A/N : I wonder if any of you noticed, but the supposedly forbidden love between a flower and a leaf tribe is similar to the society's POV against people with different races. Truth to be told, I first thought of this story when I saw how races and religions separate couples in the current society. Besides, I was really hooked up with the character "Gong Hwa" from the novel "Flower Of Animosity" back then. Gong Hwa was a flower that understand nothing about the world. Humans taught him about love and hate. He loved the humans, yet he hate them for snatching his only family from him. His separation with Casie, his only family left, caused Casie to turn insane mentally. ((I kind of like that Casie though)) And all he wanted from the human were revenge. At the same time, he was being hunted down as a target of revenge by Casie.
Well, hope you enjoy this chapter as well~!
REVIEWS
Silent Death Walker : Enjoy this new chapter~
Cutiepie120048 : Sankyuu~ Glad to know that you enjoy my story ^0^
The Fourteen Noah : Thanks a lot for the compliment~
DarkestWriterEver : Yup yup yup. KANDA LOVES ALLEN *V*
.
R&R