Another transitional. Sorry. Next chapt, we'll get an actual plot moving, but I really wanted to get the piano in here, cuz I love Allen playing the piano! We need more clips of it...

Am I THAT obvious with my plots lately?? I had a lot of it worked out pretty early with writing this... like, first-sentence early... 7.7 and yet I have already been caught... but I shant say by who, you'll have to wait for that u.u'

Good news!... I'm only coughing as of now... I was able to get to school on Thursday... haha, I missed almost all of the Presidential Fitness Exam in gym!! Yay for being bedridden for three days!! 8D

And I'm sorry for not replying to everyone, especially everyone who gave me long reviews! I swear, I read them and I absolutely adore every review I get, but sometimes I have problems deciding what to write in them, so if I havent replied to you... I'm sorry!! I'll try to reply to as many of you as I can, so if I don't get to you, please don't be too angry with me!!

I decided to update this one first because a) As We Are Found is supposed to be sorta complicated, since I'm basically writing DGM and b) ...well, I put my entire music library on shuffle, and if it was a Love-ish song, I would write this, if it was Rock (aka, most of my non-love-ish songs) then I'd write As We Are Found, and I cam up with "My Hero" and "Here we Go Again", both by Paramore, so you're stuck with the love for this update XD

disclaimer: ...man, third chapter and I'm already tired of saying it! D.Gray-Man is property of someone who's gender we thought was resolved, but then took a 360 and we still don't know!!

Allen slumped against the wall, breathing hard as his manufactured lungs pumped his chest up and down, air going in and out of the plastic tube that ran through his chest and into his mouth to act as a wind pipe. His eyes bled supposedly artificial blood, as with the flesh wounds covering his arms and legs. Scratches dotting his face.

The blood was actually as real as it could get. The original blood cells from the body were still functioning well enough to reproduce, clot and bleed as blood cells are supposed to do. He instinctively hacked as Road kneed him in the stomach, her skirt, much too short to be legally called a skirt, flew up momentarily. He slumped to the floor, blood dribbling out of his mouth now from when he bit his tongue on the contact.

The pain sensors in his stomach registered he should have at least five broken ribs and cracked several smaller bones, possibly even bruising some internal organs. He shortened his breaths to half-pants, his chest jumping up and falling back down. Almost no exhale, almost no inhale. Small croaking sounds resulted from the tightening and release of his voice box. His pupils were supposed to dilate at that point, though he had no idea if they had or not. She may have easily broken that particular machine while crushing his head with the Akuma several minutes earlier.

His steel-plated cord of a backbone arched him forward as the nerves in his eye received a violent shock from one of her pointed candles plunging into the manufactured cell tissue. The vocal cords scrunched together with a friction that made his metallic body almost vibrate with the strain and pitch. Road grinned joyously. Allen stopped himself from twitching the nerves and miniature rods serving as muscles in his mouth upwards.

It went on like that for several more minutes until the sensors in Allen deemed him dead and his body slumped over in a grand impression of lifelessness. Road giggled happily and nudged him a few times in the ribs, sending out small clicks of broken 'bones' rubbing against each other.

"Road! Supper! You're not missing it for the doll!" Tyki's voice echoed around the vast hall of Road's dimension.

"But Tyki! I wanna stay with him!" She wailed back.

"So bring him along!"

Road blinked and looked down at the doll slumped over on the wall. She wondered exactly how fast the healing process would actually take. "Well, you heard him," She said impatiently, "Get better."

The doll shuddered, his legs suddenly straightened and pulled his body up. His skin seemed to ripple over his frame as the cuts and scrapes and even his empty eye socket slowly pulled themselves together, seemingly sewing themselves up. The cuts melted together and smoothed over, smooth skin returning. Unmarred. His eyelids closed and opened again, revealing his eye once again moving and working properly, it's silverish gray shade unchanged.

And he was standing up again as though nothing had ever happened other than him tearing his clothes occasionally. The blood smears faded into his pale skin and within moments, he was revived.

Road whistled. "Wow."

Allen smiled calmly. Road turned and he followed loyally, exiting the dimension and following Road to where the Noahs were awaiting Supper.

000

Lenalee and Lavi sat at opposite ends of the compartment. The train rumbled quietly as it jolted down the tracks. It was usual for exorcists to go in pairs by taking the train, but something seemed off.

"I'm getting a bad vibe about this mission," Lavi muttered, looking over his file.

"Me too," Lenalee replied, "I don't know why though, I just think something's going to go off..."

Lavi nodded. The town was coming closer and he could see it by looking out his window. The finder rapped on the door, sticking his head in and reminding them that they were going to depart soon. Lenalee cast his a look and he nodded back.

Something was wrong. They would make find out what part of the mission if they had to.

000

"Fodder, my dears!" The Earl squeed. Tyki frowned at the word in particular, but ate along with his family nevertheless. After all, he was the one who didn't care what it was as long as it kept him full. Still, Road was beside him, turning her head back to look at her new toy so often it looked like she had a bad twitch. Tyki reasoned she was contemplating what to do with him after the meal.

Thankfully, the Earl noticed, and decided to take pity on Tyki.

"Road? Would you like Allen to entertain us?" He asked. Tyki's face fell. He didn't want to have blood all over his food while he was eating! Well, yes, he was the Noah of Pleasure, and his pleasure tended to involve killing people, but it wasn't as though he enjoyed the blood. It soiled his gloves far too often...

"Yes!" Road screamed. "Yes, make him—"

"—Play some music!" Sheryll interrupted. Tyki breathed a sigh of relief that was mistook for exasperation. Road looked at her 'father' disbelievingly. Sheryll just smiled and shrugged. "Is there anything better than music while having a supper?" He asked.

"But I don't want music! Music's all boring and bad!" Road wailed.

"I'll give you some extra candy after supper..." Sheryll teased. Road stiffened and weighed her options. On one hand, she could have some blood and screaming right then, or she could have it later, and do it while eating candy as well... Maybe even compare his blood to the candy to see which one was sweeter.

"Okay!" Road cheered, agreeing instantly after the options finished scrolling by. "Allen, play the piano!" She cried, pointing to a grand piano at the far side of the room.

I never thought it'd happen, but I owe you, big brother, Tyki thought as Allen promptly made his way to the far side of the room and sat onto the piano bench. He lifted the lid on the keys and the piano cover to expose the strings and hammers inside before running his fingers swiftly over the high keys.

And there was music.

Dancing, playing and sweeping through the room. Light, high sounds, fast and in a pattern impossible to make out. Deeper sounds joined in, mixing in water. Smoothly, liquid. It seemed more as though there was a full orchestra playing rather than a single piano, the music moved so powerfully.

The words the boy sang softly along with the melody were etched into their skulls forever, even though they could not make out a single word. The soft tap of gloves on wood was in the background, along with the soft whispers of breath and heartbeats, mixing along in with the music.

Everything was a music. It cut off very suddenly, then picked up again smoothly. The story it told was hanging in the air, a melody of artificial flowers.

And before they knew anything, it was done. It's echo lingered in the air, purifying everything. Road glanced at the robotic boy.

And there was just something a bit different she couldn't place. But there was definitely one thing she knew.

"Allen, play another one."

"As you wish it, Road."