A/N: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. It is a little longer then usual , cause I am not writing for 10 months. It was Betad by Evide and any mistakes are my own.
Late evening was already approaching when Allen and Lavi decided to fall back for the remainder of the night. The area around them had become noticeably dense with undergrowth, their beaten path all but disappearing with the ragged tendrils of ancient roots and dead leaves
With each passing minute, the night was starting to awaken more and more. The haunting call of the loon, reverberating croaks of small frogs and toads alike, chirps of the crickets and the raking noise of the large trees branches hitting one another from the wind.
With no hope of finding a clearing within this particular portion of the forest, the two set up camp on the path. Allen dropped his physical baggage unceremoniously to the forest floor. With a heavy sigh he plunked himself down beside it.
"You sound like an old man, Allen. Sighing all the time," Lavi joked as he unrolled his sleeping bag."That is something you can't afford to do, already looking like an old man with your white hair."
Allen smiled weakly - he wouldn't deprive his friend completely of anyone to talk to."Lavi." Allen sighed."How far do you think the town is supposed to be?" Allen questioned, as he began to prepare his own bedding for the night. The other's face squinted in thought. "It shouldn't be too far. The finders should be there."
Allen hummed in agreement, shrugging of his heavy outer jacket. "Maybe the villagers will know about a cave or something... you know, underground." Allen thought aloud, his mind still on the topic of finding Kanda as soon as humanly possible. However, Lavi wanted Allen's mind less on the missing exorcist and onto something less troublesome.
"Ne, Allen-kun," Lavi paused, ensuring he had the other's attention. "Is Yuu the only guy you've liked? Or do you completely play for the other team?" It was a simple question on Lavi's part, but one that could be considered ulterior motivated. For he was friends with the stoic Japanese exorcist, and although they had a rather touch and go relationship, Kanda Yuu had confided in him on certain matters. So with this in mind, his decision to question Allen was born.
Allen choked on the abrupt personal question. It wasn't unusual for the red-head to be spontaneous-heck, it was almost a given with Lavi. "Dou… W-what do you mean?" He rasped out, peering inquiringly back from the edge of his sleeping blanket at the other. He heard Lavi click his tongue before rolling over to face him.
"Well I mean, I swing either way really. Cause I'm man enough to admit when I find another man attractive," He paused. "But Allen, are you more of a woman's man or a man's man?" Lavi chuckled at the constipated look on Allen's face."Well.. I uh... I'm not sure. I mean... I haven't really liked anyone before Kanda..." Allen mumbled, casting his glance away.
Lavi smiled, closing his eye in thought. "Love at first sight, perhaps?" It may be a shallow statement for some, but when put together with the white haired boy, it genuine. With that thought seeping into the back of his mind, Lavi gave a yawn, half-heartedly waving the conversation away with a gloved hand."Oh well, tomorrow is a new day."
Allen knew almost immediately that the other had fallen asleep, after the dismissal of the awkward conversation the redhead himself had started. With another sigh he turned on his back and stared up into the leafy tree canopy. The light had all but faded, but if you looked close enough through the population of leaves surrounded by blackness you could see the tiny, twinkling white dots of the stars.
The tiny stars reminded him of themselves. The exorcists. The Black Order. The only active source combating against the darkness that was the Millennium Earl. Allen scowled with renewed hatred. If the Earl hadn't set out all those akuma, Kanda would still be with them.
He turned onto his side roughly, shoulder scraping against a protrusive root in the process. Biting his lip from crying out, Allen shifted away from the object that caused him pain. But the pain had taken his mind away from Kanda... If only for a moment. But he rolled back unto it, thinking that he shouldn't allow himself comfort while Kanda was with the akuma in what could be a deadly situation. He let these thought flow through his head, eventually falling into a restless sleep.
When the early morning rays filtered through the dense trees, the two sleeping companions began to shift awake. The forest was unusually quiet, but given the early hour the lack of noise was plausible at best. That was until the gentle silence was interrupted as the red-headed exorcist awoke with a loud yawn.
Allen was much more quiet in his awakening, letting out a yawn while rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes. As he rolled himself up into a sitting position, Allen could hear Lavi mumbling about it how anyone up this early couldn't be rightfully sane. Allen shimmied himself out of the sleeping bag, and upon standing gave an upwards stretch.
"Ohayoo Allen." Lavi mumbled through another loud yawn and a wide stretch. Allen smiled back, pulling on his trousers before replying.
They packed up their small encampment and with a few complaints from Lavi were on the road again. Walking for what felt like hours, Allen began thinking that this trek was going to be much like its predecessor; long and arduous.
So he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a whoop of joy puncture the air.
"Allen! Look! Tell me that's what I think it is!" Lavi grinned, grabbing his shoulder with one arm and pointing forward with the other. Allen looked past the pointing digit. Sure enough, a little ways off from their standing point were small roofs peaking through the shrouding embankment of mist.
Allen couldn't help the smile that worked across his face. "It's a village!...The village!"
He couldn't understand how the quaint village bore such a welcoming sight. But as they got closer to the forest enclosed town, he especially became aware that his stomach was whirring in excitement in hope that they would find news about akuma sightings, and perhaps a cave or something where they would hopefully find Kanda.
The second thing he could not suppress also came from the depths of his stomach, it was the unmistakable groan of hunger.
He held his stomach, trying to hush it's cries was a very hard thing to do. The more he held it the louder it sounded, and each time it did he flushed with embarrassment.
Lavi, patronizing him from further on ahead, would turn around with a huge smile on his face each time he heard the low grumble.
"Idiot Lavi! Stop looking at me!" Allen shouted as their feet left the path and hit worn cobblestone.
"But it's so loud!" Lavi exclaimed grinning.
Allen sighed. Deciding to save himself any further embarrassment at the expense of his stomach, he changed the topic.
"Do you see anyone?" He inconspicuously glanced around for signs of life.
Lavi grunted a negative response to the question as he peered into a dark window.T
hey delved deeper into the village, and still there was no sign of any life. While Lavi had resorted to loudly announcing their presence and asking for anyone who could hear them to kindly come out.
Allen, on the other hand, was about to give up on his more subdued version of their search, when he suddenly froze in mid step.
Was that...? There was no mistaking it, as he smelt the air again - the gentle smell hitting his nose. That was definitely Lemon pie! His nose had never lied to him thus far about food, and his stomach seemed to agree with his other sense that indeed something to eat was nearby.
The notion of feeding and possibly filling is ever hungry stomach drove Allen to abandon the small house he was about to check. Smelling his way along the houses and past Lavi who had not given up his shouting, he soon turned a corner and came across a startling sight.
There crowded around one small little shop, could have possibly been the entire village occupants.
He kept his eyes on them, not sensing any akuma out of the milling people, then backpedalled over to Lavi.
As quietly as possible he took Lavi around the corner and into the group of people."Umm.. E-excuse me." Allen spoke, lightly tapping someone on their shoulder.
As the person turned around, Allen couldn't make up his mind on what to ask the woman first. But Lavi saved him. "Can you please help us? There are some questions that we would like to ask."
Allen smiled as the woman turned her eyes on him. "Can you please tell me where I can find some food?" He blushed as both Lavi and the woman let out laughs.
--
The woman had led him and Lavi down to a small restaurant just a little ways away from the stand, leaving them with the few words, "They will take care of your hunger, and can answer anymore questions you may have."
Lavi slouched back within his seat as Allen eagerly anticipated the waiter.
Allen beamed as the waiter appeared within a few moments. A small menu had been handed to them with barely any words exchanged, until Allen started rattling off the dishes he wanted. The waiter, needless to say, although astounded by the sheer amount of food being ordered by the slight teen, had been diligent and caught the entire order down on paper within seconds.
As each plate was served within moments of each other, Allen wasted no time inhaling each dish. Lavi finished quite awhile before Allen finished the last slice of pie. But it was Allen who spoke first.
"Can you tell us if there are any local caves or underground passages around here?" He asked as the waiter had begun to precariously place dishes on a tray.
Pausing briefly, the waiter continued stacking dishes before replying. "Yes. There is an old mine shaft just north of the village. But it hasn't been used in ages..."
Upon the request of Lavi, a map to the mine was carefully drawn for them. Allen thanked the waiter and paid the bill.
--
They had been following the map for awhile now. It had led them right back out of town. Currently they were walking slowly on a overgrown path.
Lavi had taken to sighing, already complaining that everything was too far from where it should be. Allen on the other hand was scouring the land with his eyes. Searching for anything that gave a sign to an abandoned mine.
They continued further into the sparse woods, "The map says that the mine should be right around here..." Lavi complained while looking at the map.
Allen was looking at the map closely, trying to assume just where on the map they were, when he felt an all to familiar twinge.
He looked up quickly his eyes scanning his surroundings. As his gaze reached south-west his curse whirred into action.
"Lavi! Akuma!!" Allen shouted catching the other exorcists attention quickly.
It didn't take long for the akuma to acknowledge the two, a malicious smile growing across it's laughing face. "So you are the pretty exorcist's companions." It grinned again as he reached down and stroked the shiny black blade. "If you can defeat me, you can go see
your friend," with the pause it's face took on a psychotic grin "If he's still alive by then… or if you live for that matter."
Seeing the monster toying with mugen, Allen attacked the grinning, dancing akuma, Lavi not wasting a breath as he fell into step with Allen.
A/N: sorry if it was left off on a cliffhanger...and if it didnt satisfy you. m(--)m See you sometime after July 2009!