Disclaimer : I don't own -Man
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Chapter 9
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Why... does the tree give birth now?
My people were cheering so loudly behind me, as the leader, how can I break this news to them?
A flower that is born from a dying tree... Can't protect us at all.
After such long time without a presence of a flower in our leaf tribes, we endured everything. The passing of our people, the insecurity in us when humans passed through this wood. We were fine for so long, so why does the tree only present us a flower now?
"Tiedoll, a flower! It's a flower!"
My people were so excited for you, dear flower. I wanted to break it to them, I wanted to tell them that you can't save us. With your deformities, you can't. However, when I turned around, I was faced with their hopeful looks. The words were stuck in my throat.
My people wished for your appearance for so long.
Even those on their dead bed came to see you, hope shone so brightly in their eyes.
Then, an idea came to me. If I pretend to find out you are deformed in some ways and pointed it out, then they will understand that you can't save us. I was so happy with my idea, until I gently peeled off the protector layer off you.
"A... white flower?!"
"White flower?!"
The more beautiful the flower, the stronger they are, these were passed down from the past.
You are plain white, a not so beautiful flower to the others. But I know it well, you will be a powerful flower. Not many knew that a flower with monochrome color is stronger than a usual flower.
Even so, you are deformed, so you may not be that powerful after all. I could just let the leaf tribes thought that you were a weak flower, but I could not.
You are connected to Yuu.
As much as I hate to admit it, your everything were linked to Yuu.
Between my son and my people, who should I choose? If I choose my people and let this be, Yuu will be hunted down by my people after this flower dies off. They will surely find out about the relations between Yuu and this flower after this flower die.
"Tiedoll, the flower is white!"
If I choose Yuu— That's it. If I choose Yuu, no one would know this secret. Yuu may be able to force this newly-born flower to use his magic soon. My people will be safe as well.
"Everyone, listen to me. Our flower is indeed powerful..."
I could only hope that I did the right choice.
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Tiedoll
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Am I... going to lose him again?
His hand reached out to the glowing white flower as he yelled out to his flower. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Leenalee reaching out to a red-haired leaf on the ground. He ignored them and focuses entirely on his speed, hoping to reach Allen as soon as possible. Allen placed both his palms on his head, gripping hard on his own white hair as he screamed out in pain. Those once-smooth white strands of his attacked from all angle, using Allen as the centre as they ignored the painful screams of their owner. Kanda bit his lower lips, his eyes narrowing at the sight.
"Tch!"
Rejection was starting.
Unable to withstand the great amount of magic losing control from his frail body, Allen lowered his body to the ground due to his legs that no longer willing to function for him. He gripped harder on his hair, trying to lessen the pain he felt from his inside by creating a larger amount of pain from the outside. He knew it was all in vain, but what else could he do to stop the pain? It hurts so much— So much more painful than the time he lost his legs.
He was a flower without magic. He was a flower that matured so slowly. He did not even manage to speak back then.
So what? At least he tried to do something for his leaf tribes back then. At least he tried to live for them.
True, it was a failure. He still failed them in the end.
But at least he tried.
As he matured slowly in the human society, his body slowly came to understand the leader of his leaf tribes. His mind was still confused; yet his body understood. Now that he remembered the past, he could only trembled in fear when he remembered what false hope he gave to his leaf tribes back then.
Why do I only remember now?
When the leader held his hand out, Allen accepted his hand. Why had Yuu looked so happy when Allen did that? He never did give much thought about it until now.
The connected hands, securing the protection of a flower towards that leaf tribe.
He accepted the leaf tribes as his leaf tribes.
He accepted them and promised to protect them from any death.
Yet, he did nothing to save them from death.
That was the thought that was eating him up from the inside. Every cell in his body was blaming him for the death of his leaf tribes, none of them willing to carry out their respective function for Allen anymore. Erythrocytes in him turning against each other, engulfing everything in contact with them, not even sparing the organs. Allen could feel something feeding on his organs from the inside so roughly, creating intense pain everywhere.
He did not even realize when he lost his voice. Before he knew it, no sound escaped his vocal chords no matter how hard they vibrated against each other. Did he lost his hearings instead? Focusing on his sight once more, he could only see the ground before him. So I can't even lift my head now, huh? He was in a half-squatting position with his head down. He could feel his back sitting up straight, his hair lashing out around him, slowly blocking the world from him.
"Allen Walker!"
Was that Kanda's voice he heard?
He lifted his heavy head, trying to have a last look at his only remaining leaf tribe, but his hair was in the way. His lips opened and closed, yet no words could be heard. Ah, isn't this the same as before? It was the same as back then. Back then when Yuu communicate with him by mouthing words out to him. He could do the same, if he could see him again one last time, that's it.
"Yuu... You waited for me, did you not?"
A smile slowly formed on his face, tears flowed down his cheeks.
"Thank you."
No one could hear his unvoiced words, none of the wind particle were willing to pass the message out.
"And... Goodbye."
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"No way... Allen's going to self-destruct?"
Lavi leaned on Leenalee as the both of them witness everything from a safe distance. They knew they could do nothing to help, so they decided to get out of Allen's way. Watching from a safe distance was the best answer for them. Lavi knew that Allen may went mad after killing leaf tribes, but he certainly did not expect Allen to commit suicide.
"... He did betray his leaf tribes after all." Even their time together was short, Leenalee knew that Allen actually cared for his leaf tribes a lot. He may lose his memories, though the reason why Allen could not remember his leaf tribes remained as a mystery to her, she could see that he actually love his leaf tribes. Well, if he doesn't, he won't be choosing suicide now, would he?
Lavi on the other hand was trying his best to patch the puzzle pieces together. Another flower had appeared when Allen healed him, mentioning that Allen left his own leaf tribes, resulting in the destruction of the leaf tribes of that other flower as well. So Allen... abandoned his own leaf tribes? No, it just does not make any sense! He, Lavi Bookman, was just a random leaf tribe that come across Allen and look how much Allen do for him! That must be a misunderstanding somewhere regarding Allen leaving his leaf tribes. He was sure of it. He will support Allen and stay by the white flower's side.
None of the flowers were willing to take him in anyway, so why not staying with a flower that does not mind your ability to use magic? With that in mind, Lavi nodded to himself and looked at Allen once more. I still need to stop him from killing himself first...
Right, what can a leaf tribe do to stop a flower from committing suicide?
Nothing.
Oh great, what to do now.
Deciding to loosen the mood, Lavi started, "... This may not be the best timing, Lena. Don't you think Allen look beautiful from here?"
From their view, Allen was acting as the core, with his hair blooming outwards, just like a beautiful blooming white flower. The glowing just added to his beauty, creating an illusion where the flower looked so pure.
"Beautiful... Yet lonely." Leenalee agreed and added her own comment on her view.
"To think a dying flower could be this beautiful— Is that the leaf tribe named "Kanda" over there?" Lavi widened his eyes as he spotted a familiar-looking leaf tribe near the dying flower. When he received no answer from the female leaf tribe, he turned around to find an equally shocked Leenalee.
"That idiot! Did he not know it's dangerous to get close to a dying flower?! He could be killed!"
"Wait, Lena! This does not seem right."
Any leaf tribes that get close to Allen right now should either be dead or weaken to their worst state, so why does this "Kanda" leaf tribe looked stronger as he approach the flower?
"...!"
Both leaf tribes never thought they would live to witness such sight.
It was a taboo for them, something just as serious as leaf tribes manage to use magic.
"Did you... see that just now, Lavi?" Lavi could only nod in response.
The blinding glow from the flower dimmed down slowly. They were shocked to find no sign of destruction anywhere. Even the flower that tried to commit suicide was safe in Kanda's arms, appearing to be exhausted from the amount of magic he handled.
"Lena, just a while back then..."
"... Their hair connects."
Leenalee's confirmation was all it need to prove that it was not an illusion Lavi saw.
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"Bless protection unto us, dear flower!"
I held my trembling hand out for you, silently praying that you will not take it into your hand.
You did not, I was so relieved and troubled. Troubled because I could not stop the passing of my people; relieved because I hate tying a flower down by force.
Accepting the hand of the leader of a leaf tribe, was a contract between the flower and the leaf tribes. A contract that connects the flower with his leaf tribes together till death of every single last one of the leaf tribes. When a flower was born, they belong to no one. They get to choose who to protect as their precious ones. However, when a flower accepted the hand of the leader of leaf tribes, the flower belonged to that leaf tribe forever. Only death could break the contract. In other words, leaf tribes tied their protector to them all the time by holding their hand out to their protector and wished the flower to accept their out-stretched hand.
For my people, no matter how much I hope not to do this, I still need to.
My people are too weak to defend themselves now.
"We will wait for you, flower." A promise that exists only as a decoration, perhaps I should not have said it?
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Tiedoll
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"What do you mean by "good bye", Allen?!"
I can hear? Allen snapped his eyes open and was greeted by a raging Kanda before him. The pain was becoming somewhat bearable out of a sudden. And what's this warm feeling I'm feeling? His exhausted body was still in no shape to get up. Reading the situation, Kanda forced his way through his hair and embraced Allen tightly in his arms. He could feel his hair merging with something similar.
"...Huh?"
Kanda took a strand of his cobalt-colored hair to Allen, slowly turning them around to show Allen the silver strand that merged together with the cobalt hair perfectly.
"This—"
"Rest for now, moyashi."
Why did their hair merge? How did Kanda manage to push the pain out of his body? He had so many questions he wanted to ask Kanda. Yet, Kanda's annoyed glare shut him up.
"Rest, we'll talk when you wake up."
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Today, I held my hand out once again. Again, I expected you to ignore my hand.
I was wrong.
You accepted my hand.
I was so shocked I was immobilize, the loud cheering behind me was the one that shook me awake. Looking up at your face, you appear to be clueless. I wanted to yell at you. I wanted to cry out so badly.
If you are clueless, why accept my hand?
Why did you accept it?!
"...With these joined hands, I now demand protection of this flower among my tribes."
Now that you are tied to us, how can I slip you away with Yuu when we all die in the future?
How can I secretly let you live with Yuu as we die off?
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Tiedoll
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TBC
A/N : Tiedoll's POV this time. Seems like Tiedoll figure out your relationship between Allen a looooooong time ago, Kanda xD He even planned to let the two of you live together in the future! ((What a good father, he can even accept his son in love with a flower TVT )) But we can't blame Allen too. He's deaf back for Kanda, he knew nothing about his father's plan.
REVIEWS
inuyashamunkey : Glad you enjoy this fic~!
cutiepie120048 : xD Did you forget that you're a human too? (( actually I too forgot about it sometimes when I read supernatural novels ^0^lll ))
Akiraki : Thanks for the review! Hope this chapter is nice too~!
Faith : Oh my god... I'm so not looking at "moyashi" the same way anymore xD ((ROFL)) Oh, and thanks for reviewing~!
DarkestWritterEver : I'm really sorry, but Tyki will not be appearing ((YET)) QAQ You might need to wait a few chapters to see him entering the story like a boss.