Is it actually possible? An update when there is supposed to be one? No, it can't be! But, but, it is! That's right, no stalls because of writers block, or anything else! Okay, so there was a Spanish project that I almost didn't get done in time, but that doesn't count.

Anyways, this is the thirteenth movement of Allegro's Crescendo.

Disclaimer: I do not own D,Gray-Man

Allegro's Crescendo

Allen was never found by Cross after attempting to bring Mana back. Neither did the Millennium Earl or the Noah's take him in. No, a third party found young Allen instead, and from that day on, he wasn't 'Allen' anymore. Instead, the Destroyer of Time gained a new name. That name was…

The Thirteenth Movement: Pizzicato

"It's such a clear day," Rhode sighed in admiration, spinning in a wide circle with her arms out, before flopping down on her back on the sand-dirt mixture that made up the lake's beach. "Makes me just wanna take a nap."

To emphasize her statement, Rhode linked her arms behind her head, knees sliding up. She propped her ankle against the opposite knee, her skirt flaring up dangerously high that would have made more modest women scandalized (after, of course, they got over how short the skirt was to begin with.) Her eyes slid closed and she basked in the glow of the sun while Allegro all but dropped the basket on the ground.

"Sure, sure, make me do all the work," Allegro huffed, voice light in contrast to his actions as his hands settled themselves on his hips in a disapproving manner. "I see how you are, Rhode. What a kind friend you make."

"Anytime," Rhode cackled, rolling over, and kicking her feet into the air, propping her elbows on the sand and settling her chin upon her interlaced fingers. "Anytime."

~~Plucking, like a String Bass~~

He stood at the edge of the tree line, staring down the beach at the two. Staring down at the happy expression the boy held on his face. He had made that promise all those years ago, but there was a darker side of him nagging at him. Asking how he could ruin a kids' happiness out of selfishness. Saying yes, he made a promise- he made plenty of promises back then. But he already broke some of those promises. What would it matter if he broke one more?

But no, he didn't have a choice now. Right now promises didn't matter. Kid or not, that didn't matter as well. What mattered currently was the safety of the world right, as well as the capability of turning the tides of this war. And that wasn't able to happen if he didn't have the key person to changing the tide.

Key. Ha. He smirked at himself at the small pun.

Still, pun aside, this was no joking matter. This was his last shot at getting the brat and still making the deadline, so he couldn't screw up now.

He needed him. He needed the-

~~Thudding, like a steady Heart Beat~~

"Hmm?" Rhode hummed, pulling a cloth wrapped item out of the basket. She had finally pulled herself up and was helping Allegro to finish the set up of their picnic. "What's this?" She didn't recognize it, and that wasn't necessarily a good thing. Rhode had packed the basket completely by herself, dodging questions and inquiries narrowly when harassed by Tyki. She had left the basket alone in the kitchen back at the house, but that was only for barely even a minute. Not enough time for Jasdero or Debitto to mess with it, surely… They were quick, but not that quick.

"How should I know," Allegro responded, pulling some of the other items out of the basket. "You're the one that packed this, not me."

"Really -, how can I give any answers I don't know the questions?"

"R-Right," Rhode stumbled, shaking her head to get rid of the voice. Her bangs bounced, dropping into her field of vision. Like this, she could only partially see Allegro, and if that happened, theoretically, she shouldn't be able to hear-

"Is everything okay Rhode?" Allegro's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Yeah," Rhode answered, a bright smile managing to appear on her face. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, in an attempt to convince Allegro that everything that was okay. If she acted like she normally did around him, it should do the trick. "I just don't remember putting this in the basket when I was getting stuff around this morning."

"Did you leave it setting around this morning?" Allegro suggested. "Maybe one of your family members put it in."

"Nah," Rhode shook her head in disagreement. "I didn't leave it alone at home; you can't really trust my family. They're known for causing trouble."

"Then are you certain you didn't put it in here?" Allegro asked, frowning. "You aren't pulling my leg, are you Rhode? That isn't nice, if you are."

"I'm not," Rhode scowled, punching Allegro in the arm. Allegro blinked, acting as if the hit hadn't even fazed him. Which, knowing her luck, it probably hadn't. Her friend was weird like that. Besides, she hadn't left the basket alone, at all- at least, not until… Oh.

"I left it alone at your house, idiot," This time Rhode pushed Allegro over completely, eliciting a scowl from the other teen as he picked himself up off the ground, brushing sand off himself. "Your mom must have put that in here."

"What?" Allegro blinked. "No way- she wouldn't meddle like that."

"What are you talking about, -? - would never do something like that. Stop lying, it's very unbecoming."

"Wait, never mind." Allegro shook his head. "That sounds exactly like something she would do. Carry on." He waved his hand at her, motioning her to open the item. Rhode blinked, looked down at the cloth wrapped object, and then at Allegro, then back at the item, and then back at Allegro, just for good measure. Following what was previously stated, she immediately pushed the object towards Allegro.

"You open it." Allegro did his own version of the blink, look, look, blink, before pushing the object back towards Rhode.

"No, you open it."

"I insist."

"As a gentleman, I must insist the lady open the package."

"Alright, whenever you're ready, lady."

"Hey, that wasn't nice!"

"Do I look like I care?"

"You open it!"

"I said no!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"For God's sake, I said-"

"Just listen to me for once, and stop acting like an immature, spoiled rotten-!"

But whatever Rhode was going to snap at Allegro was cut off, as a humongous wave reared up from the lake, crashing over both the beach and the two as it slammed back down to the ground.

The two spluttered, curses and garbled words falling from their lips as they tried to make heads and tails of what exactly just happened. Over all their flailing, however, a new noise overcame the din they themselves were causing. A noise that didn't belong. A noise that was both human and inhuman. A noise the both recognized, one from nightmares, the other from dealing with on a pretty much daily basis.

A cackle.

A cackle of a(n)-

~~Pizzicato~~

He was standing at the tree line when it appeared. He had just broached the forest, staring down at the pair, trying to determine the best way to separate the two when the answer came, with the most impeccable timing.

Alright, so, maybe it wasn't exactly necessarily a good thing, what appeared, but, hey, it was better than nothing.

"Well, well, well," He smirked, his practically fresh cigarette dropping to the ground as he crushed it underfoot. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his weapon.

"I guess it's time to get this show on the road."

~~Pizzicato~~

"Ahahahaha!" The… thing cackled. "Puny humans!" Allegro winced as he and Rhode scrambled to their feet, grasping a hand over his left eye. It was burning.

"Gah!" Allegro yelped, dropping to his knees. A sharp, painful throbbing started echoing up and down his left arm.

"Allegro?" Rhode finally tore her eyes away from the monster, dropping to her knees herself in order to kneel by Allegro. "Are you okay Allegro?"

"Y-Yeah," He gritted out through clenched teeth, squeezing his left eye shut tightly. "I'm just fine. It's nothing." Rhode nodded before standing, and grabbing one of Allegro's arms and helping him up.

"You need to get out of here," Rhode urged Allegro, even more so after witnessing the blood that was starting to drip down from the corner of his left eye. "It's not safe. Trust me, you-"

"Yes, I agree completely Rhode." Allegro managed to disentangle himself from the other.

"Great, I'll distract it while you-"

"You need to get out of here." Allegro interjected.

"What?" Rhode was shocked. She needed to leave? What about Allegro? She would be fine; the Akuma wouldn't even dare trying to attack her, but Allegro? He'd be dead before he could even blink if he didn't leave right now. "No. I'm not going to leave. You can't make me Allegro. You cannot make me!"

"You can't make me do anything! You aren't the boss of me! Don't try and control me, like everybody else!"

"I can and will." Allegro's voice was uncharacteristically cold. "Trust me Rhode; you don't want to be dealing with these things."

"You trust me, Allegro, you stupid boy!" Rhode stamped her foot down on the ground. "You don't want to be fighting this- ahh!"

The two were separated as the Akuma evidently got sick and tired of their bickering, firing off a missile in the middle of them.

"Allegro!" Rhode shouted. She couldn't see him; there was too much dust in the way.

"Go, Rhode! Run!" She could hear his voice, a distance away. "Get to the forest! I'll meet you at the clearing!"

"I'm not leaving you!" She could call off the Akuma. She could stop it and save him. She could do what she could not so many times before and save him.

"I said, leave Rhode! I can handle this by myself!"

Tears were starting to pour down her cheeks. She grasped her head in both hands as it throbbed, not able to tell what was really being said and what she was hearing, or if they were the same.

"I can't!" She screamed back, a shriek ripping from her throat as the Akuma fired off another missile.

"You can and will! I'm not going to let you get hurt!"

"Fine!" She relented, only because the throbbing was getting unbearable, and she knew that if she didn't concede, Allegro really would die. "But if you aren't in the clearing in half an hour, I'm coming back for you, whether you like it or not!"

Rhode turned and ran off, not waiting to hear Allegro's response.

But a memory from the past still rang through, resounding and echoing the same thing that Allegro said at that instant.

"I promise that I will be there. I won't leave you alone."

Not again.

~~Allegro's Crescendo~~

And that ends Chapter 13. A bit short, yes, but better than nothing, right? Probably a bit confusing too, but that will get cleared up in time. Maybe. You hope so. Mwuhahahaha. *Coughs* Ahem. Anyways.

Next time on

Allegro's Crescendo: Alla Marcia

"You ignorant little brat. My name is Cross Marian. You, however, may feel free to call me 'Master'."

"Um. Right. 'Master'. You do realize it's a little rude to keep people captive against their will?"

"Rule number one! Don't talk back to me."

"Wha-? Rules?"

"Rule number two! You aren't allowed to speak. Ugly people like you have no right to be speaking with beautiful people like myself."

Until next week, read and review and tell me what you think~! ^_^

~~Paw-Chan Signing Out~~