Author's note: Thank you all for the amazing reviews and to the new followers of the story. I hope you all enjoy reading the new chapter. A massive thank you to my beta Hanashi o suru ɷɷ

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Warnings: animals get injured/ killed

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Allen found himself screaming, as he tried desperately to knock the wolf off of him. His efforts were in vain, as he couldn't get the large beast off of his struggling form. Was this how he was going to die? No, no, no, no, no…he'd be lying if he said the thought didn't freeze him for that moment.

A moment, as it appeared, was all the wolf needed, and the young Bearer realized his mistake too late. He screwed his eyes shut, the last image he had seen were the sharp teeth of the hunter. He waited for the final kill…

One that never came. Instead an enraged roar filled the wooded area, Allen jerking up bleatingly realizing the weight that kept him down was no longer there. Instead, standing before him, his posture poised as a true predator, was the Beast. All around them were a pack of wolves…of course there was a pack. Wolves didn't hunt alone.

"W-why are you…?"

"Shut up." The Beast growled, never taking his eyes from the foolish dogs that dared hunt on his grounds. "You will be explaining a lot when I take you back, moyashi."

"M-M-moy…? I'M NOT A BEANSPROUT!"

"Che. Shut up, and stay back." The Beast warned. He was certainly pissed off. That being definite, Allen decided against egging him on…

A fearful whinny caught Allen's attention, and he grabbed the first thing he could find. A fairly heavy stick…branch, actually. He stood, and raced to his faithful steed. One of the wolves were stalking near Timcanpy, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Allen called out, readying to attack the wolf, though he was only hoping to scare it off.

A snarl was directed at him, and the wolf that tried attacking Tim, was now preying on Allen. This…was probably the stupidest thing he had ever done in all his sixteen years. Or ever for that particular matter.

In a blink of an eye, the branch was torn from his grip, the wolf's powerful jaws snapping it from where the tree limb was gripped. The silver-eyed male gulped. There was just no way these were normal wolves.

"N-nice d-doggy…?" Allen tried, as he took a step back. The wolf, and Allen felt this was actually the alpha, shadowed him.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM." The Beast growled dangerously. He was challenging the alpha wolf.

"Don't be an idiot!" Allen called out.

"The only idiot I see is you, Moyashi." Came the animalistic response. "I'm going to tear this mangy mutt to shreds."

He…wouldn't really do that, would he? Allen watched in still terror as the Alpha wolf's hackles rose, its body responding seamlessly to the fight or flight response imbedded into its very being.

The Beast, similarly, was ready to kill if need be. There was a standstill that could've lasted hours, if not only minutes before the wolf raced towards its opponent, only to fake a right. The larger of the two combatants seemed to have expected the action, and grabbed the wolf, flinging it with great momentum towards the nearest tree behind them.

The Alpha cried out in pain when its back hit the rough bark. It didn't stay down, however, and howled. The wolves that had apparently been lying in wait somewhere attacked Allen's savior from higher ground, biting at the dark-furred monster.

The beast howled in pain, but never quit. His clawed paws grabbed for two of the wolves he was easily able to reach, and toss them aside like rag dolls. The one directly on his back had a tight grip on his shoulder, and was harder to get off. "GET THE FUCK OFF!" He roared, soon finding something of the enemy animal to grasp, and fling it off.

"WATCH OUT!" Allen cried out, just moments too late as the Alpha the Beast previously threw, had attacked him again.

This time, the beastly master of the castle was anything but merciful…if he had been that way while originally fighting. He knew he heard Tim whining in fear, but the fight before the young teenager was oddly captivating to the point he couldn't look away.

And he should've.

The Beast bellowed in fury, and his claws extracted, becoming a little longer and situated for a fatal blow. The leader of the pack let lose howl, both it and its pack also ready to kill.

For the wolves, Allen fearfully realized as each pack member was attacked, it was an uphill battle they wouldn't win. Even with the Beast exhausted from his previous wounds, the natural hunters of the woods had no chance.

In the end, the wolves retreated when their alpha was unable to fight, most were limping away with their tails between their legs, and other wolves were lifelessly splayed on the ground.

The aftermath left the white-haired boy sick, and he scurried to the nearest bush before losing the lunch Jeryy had made him earlier that day.

It was carnage. But…the Beast had saved him…still panting, he didn't miss the soft thud of a final body hitting the snow. Allen's breath hitched, and he turned to where the Beast had stood, only to find him passed out on the ground. Tim was still frantic, and by instinct, Allen rushed to calm his bay's frayed nerves. "Ssh, ssh, it's okay, Tim, we're okay now…"

It took a little while to calm down Timcanpy. When he did manage to do that, Allen sighed, trying to ignore the wolves that had fallen to his savior's claws. His eyes landed on the Beast, before eying the exit that would lead him back home.

But his good nature wouldn't allow him to leave the one who saved him to the elements. Giving in to his better half, Allen kneeled before the Beast, and placed a hand on his uninjured should. "You're too big to carry by myself…can you stand at all?"

"Why would I…" The beast grunted in pain, "Ever want your help…?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Allen evenly answered back, helping the beast who saved his life. "Let's get you back to the castle. You'll catch a cold out here."

) * (

Days later, Allen was tending to the Beast who, as he had thought, had caught a slight fever from the cold and his wounds. The West Wing, as Allen was, and he had been told when he returned, actually the master's room. As he placed a damp cloth over the older male's forehead, he couldn't help but wonder…

Why did he save me? Thought Allen, He had every right to leave me to those wolves…and yet, he rescues me instead?

"Allen are you injured too?" Asked Lavi, clearly worried for his little buddy. Allen wasn't exactly sure why he was the little buddy, but thought it probably didn't quite matter at the moment. "You didn't exactly come out unscathed yourself."

"No, I'm alright but what about Tim and Neah?" Allen inquired. "It was a mess back there, but when I think about it, Neah hid in the bushes until Kanda killed most those wolves…"

"Neah's quite fine." Answered Miranda, "He himself is resting in your quarters."

"Oh, thank gods." Allen sighed.

It was then the large doors opened, and as though summoned by his very namesake, Neah hopped right in, molten eyes somehow glaring as he saw Allen.

"Um…hi?"

. . - * - . .

Mana groaned as he came back into consciousness. Just what had happened? He could recall being tied to a tree, being left for dead by Kamelot and Mikk…so how did he get to a new place?

As his vision came back to him, he could soon make out his current surroundings. He was in a cabin, a fact he was more than sure of. The walls around him, as well as the ceiling above him were made of logs, sturdiest he'd perhaps never seen before. He was currently rested on a comfortable cot, fur-lined blankets were pulled over his form to keep him warm. He slowly sat up, taking in the room he was in. Besides his bed, there wasn't much else. It was…quaint. Perhaps a little more so than the home in the center of the village he and Allen resided.

The door opened, revealing the man's apparent savior. "Oh, good, you are awake."

"Hevlaska?" Of all people, the widow of the village was the last person he would've expected…actually, not many people he could name right off the bat would've ventured into the woods at all. "What…why are y—"

"Calm yourself. Your time here on this earth is far from up." She calmly told the man before her. "Your son just found his destiny. You must support him at his time of need."

Mana knew from past experiences with Hevlaska that her comments were often cryptic. It wasn't often to find anything the woman said to be untrue in the end. Her prophecies, as they were called, were never wrong, it was only trying to figure them out which had most people simply confused.

It was also why many tried to have as little to do with her as possible.

Mana and Hevlaska were similar in that aspect. Both were viewed as the crazy members of the small town.

"Then, I think I know what I should do." Mana said with certainty. Oh, Allen, my sweet child. We'll be back together I'm sure. But it's time I returned to the village and have Tyki exiled from the village.

Whether or not it was a plan that would work, he wasn't sure, but like hell he wouldn't give it a shot.

. . - * - . .

The beast grumbled in displeasure, as he slowly opened his dark eyes. So, he was back in his chambers, was he? Did the kid bring him back? It seemed the most plausible answer, and if that were the case, did that mean he left?

He began to sit up, only to feel a light weight on his arm.

That was…odd. He turned his head to his left, only to be me with the sleeping form of the young male that was supposed to be in the dungeons. He felt something fall from his forehead, and using his right paw, picked up a mostly dried cloth. He looked to the sleeping boy, before looking back to the cloth.

Did…this child of all people nurse him back to health?

"Oi. I know you two are there. Get the fuck over here." He hissed, carefully removing his arm out from under Allen's head. "Explain. Now."

"W-well master, it was because he looked cold and needed somewhere warm to sleep." Stammered Reever

"But, we also believe he's the one who will finally free us of the curse." Said Komui "And my precious Lenalee will be human again~!"

The remark caused all of the servants and the master to roll their eyes as they all knew Komui has always possessed massive sister complex towards his beloved little sister.

The boy who had fallen asleep previously, groaned, and slowly got up wiping the sleep from his eyes as he did. "Somethin' happen…?"

"He's up!" Lavi giddily exclaimed. "Finally, it was boring."

Allen blinked, before looking around, and changing a healthy shade of red as he realized where it was he had been sleeping. "Oh gods, I'm sorry!"

The Beast only sighed, "Shut up for five minutes."

"But I—"

"Moyashi."

"Allen." Huffed the younger. Why the hell did he have such a weird nickname now, anyway?

"Don't give a damn." The beastly master of the castle proclaimed, "Che. Listen up, I'm only saying this once. I want to say thank you for helping me."

"…it…wasn't a big deal." Allen found himself muttering. "I only did it because you saved me…even if you had no reason to actually do so."

"Don't make me regret it."

"Then…do you have a name?"

"What?"

"A name. I want to know if you have a name." The beast looked incrediously at the small human. "Well?"

"Kanda."

"No last name?"

"That is my last name." The newly dubbed Kanda growled out. "Take it or leave it, my first name is off limits to you."

"Oh."

"Do you feel like you're indebted to me, after I saved your ass from those guardians?"

"Guardians?" Allen asked in confusion. "You mean…those wolves? They're guardians?"

"No, I mean the annoying rat that you brought into my damn castle."

"He's a rabbit." Allen huffed. "And…I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you after what you've done."

Kanda hummed to himself, before looking — really looking — to the young man before him. Gears were slowly turning, looking to every visible parcel of skin that his eyes were able to physically see, to the barely seen lithe form hidden beneath clothes the white-haired boy donned. "If you really feel you need to repay me…" Kanda's words were calculative as he spoke, "Then we'll get…better acquainted."

"…like be your friend?" Allen asked. "Is…that all?"

About to retort, he was interrupted when something hot was thrown right at him, Kanda glared over at the coffee pot, who was giving him a stern look. Her expression clearly stating that should Kanda correct the innocent, she would do more than dump hot water on him. "Yes…be my friend."

A bright smile graced itself on Allen's face, "Of course then!" He eagerly said, "I would be glad to, if that's all it'll take to repay you, Kanda." His smile fell, s he looked to the area where he was doused in hot water, courtesy of Miranda. "Um…are you okay? Miranda had hot water…"

"I'm just great."

If Neah were still human, he would've been laughing his ass off. He smugly watched the exchange, enjoying how easily his little nephew had unknowingly friend zoned his employer. These two are very suitable for each other. Not that he wouldn't enjoy Kanda's dismay along the way.