A/N: I own nothing
Loud snoring echoed through the cabin, ringing through her ears as she attempted to sleep but too little success. She just couldn't get to sleep. Sitting up, Clio slid on her glasses before looking at Abrax and Phaeton, who were sitting on the bench across from her, leaning against each other as they slept, their snores indicating that they were soundly asleep. Clio stood and quietly exited the cabin, sliding the door closed behind her without a sound. Sighing softly, she started walking down the hallway of the first class train car, hoping that a walk would help her get to sleep. As she walked, she wondered why Adam was sending her ahead to Venice via train instead of using an Ark Gate to take them both at the same time. Now that she thought about it, Adam hadn't even allowed her near the Ark since she had returned from Hogwarts. It was strange and almost as if he was keeping something from her. Sure, he still had secrets that he kept to himself but it was incredibly frustrating that he was keeping her from the Ark and not telling her why. Clio covered her face with her hands as she felt her frustration bubble to the surface. She just wanted to scream until her frustration was gone but she couldn't at the moment. A torrent of emotion not her own nor Adam's suddenly assaulted her and she pulled her hands down just as she crashed into someone. They both tumbled to the ground with Clio landing on top and when she looked up, she found herself staring into a pair of familiar silver eyes.
"Allen?"
"Clio?" The two of them just stared at each other for a moment before quickly pulling apart and standing, Allen helping her to her feet. There was a moment of awkward silence.
"Hey." she said as she brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Hey." he replied as he fidgeted with his left glove before Timcanpy popped out of his sleeve "How've you been?"
"Alright." she said before giggling as the golden golem nuzzled her cheek "Hello Timcanpy." once Timcanpy had settled on her shoulder, she looked back at him "And how have you been, Allen?"
"Fine." he said.
"Are you sure?" she asked as she looked at him carefully "You seem... out of sorts." Allen's shoulders slumped.
"I've been living in hell since we've parted." he admitted "Or something close to it."
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"Not out in the open." he said. Clio glanced around, sending out a pulse of magic as she did so. Sensing an empty cabin, she grabbed Allen's hand and pulled him over to it.
"This one is empty." she said as she opened the door. They entered the cabin and she slid the door closed, placing a nonverbal, wandless privacy ward on the cabin when Allen wasn't looking.
"I don't even know where to begin." said Allen as he sat down "It feels like everyone has turned against me and I haven't done anything wrong unless existing counts." Clio sat down next to him before gently grasping his hands.
"I know how that feels, Allen." she said softly "I know that feeling all too well but as long as one person is willing to stand beside you, all hope hasn't vanished."
"And are you?" asked Allen.
"I will stand beside you until the worlds ends." she said.
"Thank you." he said quietly as he leaned against her, his head coming to rest against her shoulder. He seemed weary, almost as if a great weight rested upon his shoulders.
"You smell nice." he muttered "Like the sky." Clio wrapped her arms round him and her one hand moved to stroke his hair as she began to hum. Allen sighed softly, feeling oddly at peace. Nea's heavy presence in his mind lightened and slid to the very back of his conscious thoughts, though a faint hum reminded him that Nea was still there and still aware. As he was drifting into a content sleep, Clio began to quietly sing a very familiar song.
Then the boy went to sleep,
And one or two embers alive in the ashes,
Flared up in the shape of your beloved face.
Thousands of dreams spread over the land.
Stars like silver eyes twinkling in the night...
You shining ones fell to earth.
Even though the eons turn many prayers to dust,
I will keep praying.
Please love this child,
And kiss the hand you're holding.
Clio had a very pretty and soothing voice but he couldn't help but wonder where she had learned that song. He'd just have to ask her when he woke up but, for now, the realm of peaceful dreams was calling to him. So, with a content sigh, he allowed his consciousness to drift away with the song she was singing.
Then the boy went to sleep,
And one or two embers alive in the ashes
Flared up in the shape of your beloved face.
Thousands of dreams spread over the land.
Stars like silver eyes twinkling in the night...
You shining ones fell to earth.
Even though the eons turn many prayers to dust,
I will keep praying.
Please love this child,
And kiss the hand you're holding.
I will keep praying.
Please love this child,
And kiss the hand you're holding.
-line-line-line-
He finally managed to wriggle his way to the forefront of Allen's mind after nearly three months of patient waiting since Allen's almost complete awakening. Patient, torturous waiting. Of course, he hadn't been expecting to wake up to find his and Allen's shared body in this position, cuddling a beautiful girl with their limbs entangled as they laid on a bench in a first class train compartment.
What the hell?
He had fallen asleep for a few hours and this is what he wakes up to?
Well, it wasn't all that bad of a thing to wake up to, even if they both (disappointedly) still had their clothes on. He stiffened when she moved slightly before cuddling closer to him and Nea felt his face heat up a bit.
Why the hell was this so awkward?
Oh right, wasn't this girl Allen's soulmate?
Since he and Allen shared a soul, wouldn't that make her his soulmate in some way too?
And wasn't she also Adam's soulmate too?
Nea sighed heavily, his arms reflexively holding the girl (Clio, Allen's memories supplied) closer. He didn't know if Adam had warned her of the danger she was in but he knew the danger very well. He remembered the story Adam had told him and it didn't take an idiot to figure out that he wasn't the true reincarnation of the First Musician. For one, he never had any of her memories, save for the memory of Eve's suicide. It had taken him a long while to figure out that he wasn't the true Musician, even if he was a true member of the Family. His power, the power of Destruction, stemmed from a splintered part of Eve's soul, the torture she had experienced at the hands of Apocryphos, and her eventual suicide. It was rather ironic, he decided, that this girl in his arms held the soul of the woman responsible for his existence as a Noah. If he ever had the chance, he was going to find out why Apocryphos was so obsessed with the power of the Musician. Not for his own selfish reasons but to protect this girl, who he could sense was still very vulnerable despite holding so much power. Burying his nose in her hair, Nea inhaled her scent and he found that he like it very much as he began to drift back into Allen's subconscious.
Allen's lucky. thought Nea He gets to spend time with Clio while they're awake. I only wish that I could as well.