Ashes And Rain

DGM

Chapter 2

A Dream; A Boy

Lenalee stared at a clown. A white clown. She thought it was strangely familiar. Lenalee didn't know why, it just was. The face-or so she thought was the face-was the oddest part. There was a shining silver mask, however, it appeared with no face behind it. The white cloak floated with the secret wind. Little unsharpened tendrils around the mask and the bottom edge of the cloak were the only areas which moved. If there was someone wearing that clown cloak, Lenalee couldn't tell.

"Hello?" Lenalee softly asked, hardly able to hear her voice. So, she tried again, but when she repeated her greeting, she couldn't even hear herself. "Wha. . . . . ?"

Confused, Lenalee put her hand to her mouth to make sure her mouth was moving when she spoke. It was. So how come no voice came out?

The clown got further away from Lenalee. Noticing the gap between becoming larger, she took a few steps. She tried reaching out her hand and screaming wait, but he took off. It vanished in the dark. In fact, Lenalee couldn't even see her hands anymore. Darkness was overlapping everything. . . . Then she hadn't noticed anything other than herself and the clown. Lenalee couldn't even see the ground when she thought about it.

"Careful. . . careful. . . careful. . . .ful. . . ful . . . l." A soft, indescribable voice said, words echoing each time he or she spoke.

"Careful? For what?" Lenalee asked, this time hearing her voice.

"Danger. . danger . . .danger. . . ger. . . .ger. . .er. . . . . ." It said.

Lenalee spun in circles, trying to find the bright clown. "What danger? Where's the danger?"

"Danger. . danger . . .danger. . . ger. . . .ger. . .er. . . . . ."

Lenalee was lost. She was taking advice from this stranger, though not being the first time she has, it was fishy. What was the danger? Hell, where was she? "Where are we?"

"Dark. . . dark. . . ark. . . rk. . ."

Frustration grew. Whatever she asked she got a one-word answer. It was annoying at how clueless she was being left. "Please clarify. . . What danger?"

Was he talking about the war? If so, there's always danger. Maybe there was something specific. She was going to ask one more question, but before she got to, a light blinded her. Covering her eyes, she flinched. Barely, she moved her arm and saw a figure of a person holding out his hand for her, standing before the light. "Come with me. . .me. .e."

Lenalee had a strong feeling welling in her chest. Something told her she could trust him. Lenalee held out her hand, walking towards the boy. Who was he?

With each step Lenalee took it seemed the boy got further and further away. And it hurt. Tears formed and fell down her face as she began running, reaching her hand further out. He was leaving. Or she was leaving. For some reason it was bad. Terrible! This was so confusing, but she couldn't let him go! It made her extremely sad. Before she knew it, she screamed out a name. A name she couldn't recognize. She cried out again. "*****! Wait, don't go, *****! Come back!" Why couldn't she hear the name?

The light started fading and Lenalee almost grabbed his held out hand-of course having to use her innocence to catch up-but then it deactivated on its own and she began falling. Unknowing what to do, scared, and alone, Lenalee screamed.

Lenalee jolted awake, her upper body swinging up in the air. She didn't yell, thankfully, but she had this wrenching feeling. She gripped her chest tightly and wiped a single tear from her eye. "Who. . . who was that?" She paused. "Was that. . . just a dream?"

Mana raised her head from his newspaper and took a few moments to stare at his loving son who was sound asleep still. He looked at rest and happy. Then, nowadays, he always was happy. Well, mostly. Lately frustration and irritation roused him. It was natural with him here. He treated Allen so poorly.

He contemplated over waking his son now or let him sleep a bit longer. They had a performance today. It wasn't as early as most for their first performance today, but it wasn't that far off schedule.

Putting his newspaper down and leaning forward just enough to put his hand on Allen's shoulder, gently shaking him, smiling. "Allen, wake up." he softly said in an almost whisper voice. "Come on, we have work to do."

Allen opened his eyes. His Father's scent immediately filled his senses and he smiled back at him, knowing Mana was already smiling at him. "I'm awake." he mumbled.

Mana sat back a little and ruffled his hair a little. Allen never did have a problem waking up in the morning. That was good. "Is he still here?" Allen suddenly asked.

Mana's saw Allen's smile drift away, eyes turning cold. He sat up, but without the answer he didn't look at Mana. He never could stare at him with mean eyes. That there was an unbearable thought, the unthinkable! "Yes, he's still here. I reckon he's out there flirting with the ladies right about now." Mana answered grimly.

Allen scowled, eyeing the bright light coming in from a small hole in the tent beside his bed. Actually, it wasn't much of a bed, but it's comfier than the ground. It was just a mattress on an old rusty spring layout with a single sheet and a thin blanket for warmth. Mana did give Allen his own blanket from time to time, but normally he was warm enough. However, that was going off his point.

The light kept him distracted. Small tension grew in the air, but Mana naturally fixed that. "Oh, Allen, he isn't that bad. Violence is sometimes a way of showing affection. You've learned that by now."

Allen turned his head just enough so he could see Mana in the corner of his eyes. "That was totally different. That man is cruel and mean, completely defiant and crazy! He thinks of everyone so bitterly and himself so highly."

"Why, who does that remind you of?"

Allen blushed, twisting his body around so he was on his hands like a child in protest. He leaned forward so he was closer to his Father. "But I had reason! I mean, I was. . . That's different!"

"How so?"

"Well I. . . I. . . . I don't know, it's just different!" Allen complained.

"If you can't back it up, then maybe it isn't so different Allen. Cross is just himself. He may not of had a personal reason like yours, however, he's been through a lot in life. It's just something I can't explain to you." Mana said.

Allen lightly rolled his eyes, muttering, "Maybe you should follow your own advice. What happened to backing it up?"

Mana's smile faltered a bit. "Allen, I can give you details why, but I don't think you'd understand. Maybe you would, but it's really none of your business, now is it?"

Allen apologized. He put his feet over the side of his bed and they touched the ground. It was cold and rough since it was earth. Mana was beaming, as expected, of course. He was always cheery. It was ironic in way. You'd think without his outfit he would make the perfect clown. Oddly enough, that was his choice of career. To entertain children as a clown. It must've been funnier the he chose to agree with Mana and learn to become a clown himself. Allen HATED clowns, but now look at him. He was one. One of the biggest clowns, might he add. "I still don't like him." Allen told him.

"I know, Allen. Most people don't, but he is a friend of mine and he is your-"

"I know, I know, but I never agree with him. We have a hard enough time paying for meals and he drops off debts to us and. . .and I can't stand it. He could be considerate enough to give the debts to the Order!" Allen roared.

"Shhh, don't speak loudly about them." Mana hushed.

Allen shut his mouth and pulled the blanket off him. He got up and got a change of clothes and pulled his shirt off and slipped on a new, clean one. "Sorry, I just don't want him here. I feel. . . ." Allen couldn't find the courage to speak about Cross in front of Mana. He was afraid it hurt Mana's feelings. Cross and he were such good friends in a bizarre way. "Forget it."

"Allen. . . . Hurry up and get ready, you wouldn't want to miss breakfast." Mana said as he walked out of their small tent.

Nodding, Allen finished changing his clothes. He had a little longer until he had to get ready for the performance which he has come so used to. It was nothing to be nervous about as long as he was punctual. Which he was.

That, thought, wasn't what he was thinking about. He had an odd dream. A woman was in it, endlessly wandering around, confused, upset, distressed. "I wonder what it was about. . . ." Allen whispered, looking in a mirror. His hair was brown and face normal, though pale. "I should forget it."

With that said, Allen jogged outside and hurried to breakfast. He was starving. Hopefully there would be some eggs this morning. He was craving those for the past week. He didn't know why, it just seemed good. Besides, it was an easy hope that could be fulfilled.

Here's another chapter and if I say so myself, I'm quite proud of it! I wanted to add a little more, but it seemed best to end here. I don't want to make the chapters too long at first. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! Please continue to review. I'd appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!

~ Anon Novelist ~