Mizu: *bows in sorrow in front of all readers* I am so sorry I haven't updated this story in so long! College sucks, living in a new apartment sucks, looking for a job sucks, and internet companies suck. There, that's all of my pitiful excuses before I present myself to you with a dagger that you may use to cut out my heart due to my lateness with updating! And yes, yes I am being a bit to overdramatic. Disclaimer: I don't own -Man. All I know is that if I was, I probably would have had some sort of flash to Lavi in the past couple of chapters so I would have fangirls breathing down my neck in their worry for them *one of my best friends included*
Hidden Demons: Pieces to the Key
"Why haven't we found it yet!" Kanda snapped two weeks after the attack on the base as he stomped into his room.
"We're trying to, Yuu," Lavi sighed as he and Lenalee followed the fuming teen into the room.
Allen looked up from his spot on Kanda's bed. He had been condemned to bed rest since the attack to allow his body to fully heal. That had been three weeks ago. And for some unknown reason, he had been condemned to Kanda's bed…He found it very strange to say the least.
"Still no luck?" Allen questioned.
Kanda just glared at him before hoisting him out of his bed, tossing him limply onto Lavi's. The said redhead rushed over to check on the demon as Lenalee took to scolding their friend. Allen just chuckled to himself. This was the normal routine for everyday now. The four of them would all walk down to the cafeteria for breakfast. From there, Kanda would leave to search for his weapon. Lavi and Lenalee would take Allen back to the boys' room where Lenalee would force him to lay down in Kanda's bed…even though the futon that the nurses brought in for him would be just fine for him.
Then the Chinese girl and the redhead would depart until lunch when Kanda came storming back in, with or without the other two. Kanda would then sulk and brood as Lenalee and Lavi went back down to the cafeteria to fetch them some food. After they left, Kanda would proceed to glare at the white-demon, as if he stared long enough, the answers would just magically appear. Of course, Allen would try to create small talk but Kanda would just go back to brooding. Thus leaving the poor demon alone to his own thoughts.
"Every day!" Kanda snapped, plopping down on his bed, "We go out every single fuckin day and still haven't found anything that could even hope to be a weapon!"
"Just calm down, Kanda," Lenalee sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "We'll find it."
"Yeah, Yuu," Lavi chuckled, dodging a roughly tossed pillow, "You heard Hevlaska. Your weapon has to be somewhere nearby. It's just a matter of narrowing down the area's to search."
"Whatever," Kanda grumbled, lying down facing away from his friends.
"Big baby," Lenalee giggled under her breath, "Come on, Lavi. We better go get these two some lunch."
"Right," Lavi nodded, ruffling Allen's hair a little, "Be right back."
"Wait!" Allen exclaimed, "Can't I come with you guys? The nurses said that I would be able to start walking around the halls again soon!"
Lavi and Lenalee exchanged a nervous look.
"It's not that we wouldn't love for you to come with us but…" Lavi started to explain.
"We can't chance for you to be found by the Head Nurse again," Lenalee finished, causing all the men to shudder, "We'll be back soon though, Allen."
"Darn it," Allen whimpered as he was left in the room with the brooding teen.
"Oi," Kanda growled, glaring at the white demon.
"Yes?" Allen blinked, shocked to hear Kanda actually speaking to him.
"Do you know anywhere that my weapon might be?" Kanda questioned, glare still in place.
"Um…well, where have you been searching?" Allen asked.
"Everywhere," Kanda spat.
"Yeah, that narrows it down," Allen said, rolling his eyes, "I mean, where have you gone that you feel something different?"
Kanda just looked at the demon weird.
"You mean you haven't tried sensing for it?" Allen gaped at the raven haired man.
"What are you talking about?" Kanda growled out as he sat up.
"Nobody told you that you could do that?" Allen questioned, "Cripes, just what do these idiots think they're doing."
"So you're telling me that I'll be able to sense my weapon if I get near it!" Kanda snapped.
"Pretty much," Allen sighed, "But if you haven't felt anything, it's not in here at least. Maybe you should check around the border of the barrier."
Kanda scoffed one more time before grabbing Allen by his collar. Before the demon could say anything in protest, the raven haired man had already dragged him out of the room and down the hallway. The scientists and finders that were all out in the hall way were in for a shock when Kanda passed them for not only was he dragging the white demon around, but the white demon himself was not acting like himself. Allen was screaming and cussing at the other, struggling to be free, all the while not really putting too much into either. What surprised all of those in the halls was the twinge of happiness in the demon's eyes as they continued down the hallways.
"Can you please stop dragging me around with you now?" Allen asked, a little uncomfortable as they approached the barrier, "You know that I can't follow you much farther anyway."
"Damn it," Kanda cursed, "What the hell is it supposed to even feel like!"
"I've been trying to tell you I don't know!" Allen snapped, "It's not like I would remember even if I did have all my old memories! I've always had my weapon!"
"Tch," Kanda sounded, walking right next to the barrier, "It has to be somewhere around here. It wasn't anywhere else. It has to be."
"Why couldn't you bring Lavi or even Marie with you?" Allen sighed, trying to ease his way away from the barrier.
"Shut up!" Kanda snapped.
Allen pouted angrily as he walked alongside the fuming man, "I was just asking."
"I said shut up!" Kanda snapped again as he suddenly stopped, eyes wide and body shaking, "Is that it?"
"Huh? Do you feel something?" Allen blinked.
"I think so," Kanda nodded, "I think it's inside the barrier."
"Well then? Go get it," Allen sighed as he pushed the man into the barrier, "I'll be right here waiting for you to come back."
"Che," Kanda sounded before hurrying through the barrier.
"I know that you're around here somewhere," Kanda growled, "I can feel whatever that idiot demon was telling me around here so why won't you show yourself already."
"Really? A demon double crossed us?" a young female's voice sounded from in front of him.
Kanda froze. His eyes quickly flashed towards the source of the voice. In front of him stood a girl who could be no more than twelve to thirteen years of age. Her hair was a dark bluish black and see was dressed as if an English Lolita Doll. He narrowed his eyes when he noticed something that Allen had shown them all what seemed long ago now. The girl before him had the tale-tell signs of being a Noah. Her skin was a charcoal like color, had amused amber eyes, and a line of crosses across her forehead. Growling, Kanda quickly jumped back.
"Noah…" Kanda growled, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Tyki told the family that he managed to kill Allen," the girl sighed, "I wanted to come and make sure he wasn't lying."
Kanda growled even angrily, "He wasn't lying."
'If she takes back the news that Allen's dead, then maybe we could more freely search for his memories,' Kanda thought to himself, eyes darting around, searching for any sort of weapon.
"So he really is dead," the girl sighed sorrowfully, "My dear, sweet Allen-kun is gone…"
Kanda slowly stepped back, trying to reenter the barrier to a point that the demon would not be able to reach him. He figured that the only reason the girl had yet to attack him was due to the fact that she had entered the barrier slightly and had been weakened just as Allen had when they first came through the barrier.
"Well, I might as well head home then," the demon sighed yet again, her heartbreak sounding in her voice, "But first…"
Suddenly, Kanda felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Jumping forward, he narrowly dodged the downward slash of a sword. At least he thought it was a sword. It turned out to be a sharpened extension from a demon's body. Rolling out of the way, his eyes locked on another demon that seemed to have sparks colliding onto its body, some bouncing back off. It grimaced as it moved through the barrier toward the weaponless hunter. His midnight blue eyes narrowed, focusing on the face of the demon. Something seemed familiar about the demon…
"I might as well take out a stray hunter or two," the girl laughed before pointing to the demon, "You, I want you to kill this hunter and rip out his heart to present to the Earl in our dear fourteenth's place~!"
"Yes, Lady Road," the demon said before charging toward Kanda.
"Shit!" Kanda cursed, quickly dodging the demon.
'Not good!' Kanda shouted in his head, 'I need a fucking weapon! Anything! I don't care what it is, but I need something! I need my weapon!'
Just as the demon was going to impale the young man, a bright gleam of light flashed between them just before a pure black Japanese katana embedded itself in the earth in front of the hunter. Both demons stared wide-eyed at the weapon. Neither knew were the blade had come from. Kanda gulped as he stared at the beautiful blade. His heart pounded against his chest as a feeling of wonder and pure childlike joy filled him. Reaching out, he carefully grasped the handle of the weapon. Raising it up, he jumped when the sheath clattered against the ground beside him. Picking it up, he slowly read the words that were inscribed into the metal carrier.
"To the one for whom I cannot wait to join me in this world that we will share," Kanda read, eyes widening at the name at the end of the phrase, "Allen Walker."
"Allen? What is does this sword have to do with him?" Road asked, confused at the turn of events.
Kanda looked back at the sword and noticed, at the very base of the blade, they was a word forged in with the metal, "Mugen…"
He could feel the sword in his hand pulse within his hands. It was if the blade was just another part of himself that had been missing most of his life. Gripping it tighter, he quickly took up a stance to face the demon in front of him. A dark smirk drew across his face as the Noah's eyes narrowed. Without even worrying about it, Kanda slid two fingers along the blade from base to tip. As he did so, the sharp edge of the blade began to glow a bright blue.
"So, that sword is your weapon is it?" Road sneered, waving her hand, "This should make things interesting."
Suddenly, Kanda found himself standing in some sort of sick and twisted child's play room. Shaking his head, he looked around trying to regain his bearings. He had been warned about something like this. Allen had told all three of the friends about the powers of several of the Noah, this girl included. What the demon had said of this girl even made Kanda nervous. She had the power to create her own world in which she can manipulate what happens to match her will. Taking a deep breath, the stoic man tried to calm his racing pulse. He just had to fight long enough to find the girl's hiding place or until she got bored with it all.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Kanda smirked.
Allen kept pacing back and forth from his spot next to the barrier. He kept trying to look into the barrier, jumping up and down occasionally. Every minute or so the demon would reach his hand out only to be shocked from the town's protective cloak. Growling, he returned to pacing. He did not like this one bit. No siree, he did not like it.
Kanda had been gone way too long. He had never been very good with telling time, what with him being such a young demon and all, but he knew that Kanda had been gone too long. His hair would stand up and lay back down, over and over. There was a tight, nervous knot in his stomach. He had never felt that before. He had never been so nervous that he could actually feel it in his body. Swallowing to moisten his mouth and throat, Allen was trying to figure out what he needed to do now.
He could go tell some of the hunters that Kanda went into the barrier searching for his weapon. They would definitely go out and find him. After all, Kanda had some of the best potential at being a great hunter so they would do anything to keep him safe. However, if he told them, the backlash that would descend upon the demon's head would be great. The higher ups would blame him if anything happened to the raven-haired man. Growling, Allen ran a hand through his hair. This was not good. What was he going to do?
"Allen?" Lavi asked as he walked up to the pacing demon.
"What!" Allen snapped, far too tense to realize who was talking to him.
"Easy," Lavi nervously laughed, "I know that you're probably tired of being cooped up but try not to take it out on me."
"Sorry Lavi," Allen whimpered, letting out a sigh, "It is just that I am beginning to truly worry for the wellbeing of our friend, Kanda…and I'm starting to talk like an old Englishman again! That stupid BaKanda is messing with me I just know it! He wants me to get so worried that I do something stupid then he's gonna laugh that deep, barely there laugh and call me Moyashi and then I'm gonna get pissed at him and then we'll fight and then I'll get in more trouble and he'll laugh again-"
"Allen!" Lavi yelled, shaking the demon, "Snap out of it! I don't know what the hell you're talking about but calm down!"
"Huh?" Allen blinked, snapping out of his rant, "Why are you shaking me?"
"You were freaking out about Yuu," Lavi sighed.
"Yuu?" Allen asked, confused.
"Kanda," Lavi tried.
"Kanda," Allen repeated, eyebrows furrowing, "What about BaKanda?"
'What's going on?' Lavi asked himself, 'Did he accidentally step into the barrier and get disoriented or something?'
"You were just ranting about being worried about the guy and how he was doing something just to get you to do something stupid," Lavi explained.
"I did?" Allen questioned, confusion clear in his eyes, "What was I saying…it was important…"
"I have no idea, Allen," Lavi sighed.
"Kanda," Allen said again, looking over to the barrier, "Something important about Kanda…Oh right! Kanda went into the barrier to look for his weapon a while ago and has come back yet!"
"What?" Lavi blinked.
"Kanda! He went into the barrier cause he sensed his weapon somewhere near here!" Allen explained, running back over to the barrier, trying to see the missing man, "But that was a while ago and he still isn't back yet!"
"Why didn't you say so!" Lavi gaped.
"I did!" Allen exclaimed, previous confusion gone.
'No, no you did not,' Lavi sighed to himself.
"That's it," Allen growled, startling Lavi as his hair spiked up and he released the glamour over his left eye, "I'm tired of waiting."
"A-Allen? Wh-What are you doing?" Lavi asked nervously.
"I'm going to locate that bastard and then send the guards after him," Allen growled.
"Locate him?" Lavi repeated.
"Just one of my many powers," Allen explained, eye's narrowed, "Though it is pretty hard to see through barriers."
"I see…I think?" Lavi said.
"Where are you, jackass?" Allen growled out, not paying attention to what he was saying.
'I've never heard Allen talk like this…At least, not this Allen,' Lavi thought to himself, watching Allen closely, 'When we were all together all of those years ago, sure. He and Yuu cursed each other out but could laugh together. They strived to cause each other embarrassment so long as the other didn't get hurt or in trouble. It was weird. They were friends but if you didn't know that, you'd figure that they hated each other. I mean, the way that they tormented each other, it was hard for me not to think that myself sometimes.'
"That stupid BaKanda is messing with me I just know it! He wants me to get so worried that I do something stupid then he's gonna laugh that deep, barely there laugh and call me Moyashi and then I'm gonna get pissed at him and then we'll fight and then I'll get in more trouble and he'll laugh again-"
'Wait…' Lavi thought, eye widening, 'That's why Allen seemed so out of it…When he was ranting, he wasn't thinking as his demon self. He was thinking as if he was back in the past! As if he was his old human self! I don't know what he's going through right now, but I do know one thing.
'He's starting to remember things,' Lavi thought with a small smile, 'He doesn't even realize it but he's starting to remember. His memories are starting to squeeze back out. Maybe…Just maybe, that means we're getting close to the key-'
"Oh god no," Allen whimpered, face pale as his eyes trembled.
"What, what, what?" Lavi exclaimed, "What do you see?"
"K-Kanda," Allen stuttered, drops of sweat forming nearly instantly.
"What about Yuu?" Lavi demanded.
"H-He got caught by Road," Allen whispered, voice nearly breaking.
"Road?" Lavi repeated.
"The Noah that can create and destroy "worlds" at will," Allen explained, "She's one of the most dangerous of the Noah."
"What? Fuck!" Lavi cursed, "What do we do!"
"Go round up some other hunters!" Allen snapped, white cloak suddenly bellowing all around him before his arm changed into his giant broad blade sword.
"Right! Wait…What are you gonna do then?" Lavi asked.
The redhead never got an answer because the demon charged through the barrier, no regards to the horrific pain that shot through his own body in doing so. The only thing that now mattered to the white-haired demon was saving the life of someone he cared for. Which if you spoke to any of the higher ups and you'll hear that this in itself is unheard of. Most demons, while capable of feelings, do not feel such devotion as to risk oneself with death. This is even more so when they are faced with the idea of dying one of the most gruesome deaths. But then again, what did the higher ups know? They thought that a demon could never be born of a hunter and how wrong were they with that?
"Allen!" Lavi screamed as the demon disappeared beyond the barrier.
"My, my, my," Road smiled at the non-moving Kanda who still gripped the sword tightly in his hands, "This hunter has a strong mind and a stronger heart."
"Road, my dear," a man's voice sounded, "What on earth are you doing here?"
"Oh, hi Tyki," Road beamed.
"Hm? I know this hunter," Tyki blinked, "He was with the kid just before I killed him."
"Really? Huh, what a small world," Road laughed slightly.
"Perhaps," Tyki shrugged, placing his head on his niece's head, "Time to go kiddo. The Earl doesn't want us too rough up by this barrier."
"Right," Road nodded, rolling her shoulders, "I was getting ready to leave anyway. I can't stay here much longer without worrying about really getting hurt."
"What are you going to do about him?" Tyki asked, motioning towards the man.
"Other hunters should be coming out to search for him eventually," Road shrugged, flicking her wrist, "I think I'll just allow them to find him doing some…fight exercises."
With that, the two Noah's disappeared as Kanda regained control over his body. Or so it would seem like that to anyone who had been watching. But it was not as it seemed. While his body was now able to move, his mind was not connected to the any of the movements consciously. Instead, he was still stuck inside of his mind where he had been busy fighting all of the creatures that Road saw fit to send out. His body would swing the sword just as his mind was, cutting down nothing even though in his mind he could feel the blade cutting through the flesh and bone of monsters.
"Kanda!" Allen cried, pain whittling away at his strength, "Dammit all, where are you!"
"Allen!" Lenalee's voice rang out.
"L-Lenalee?" Allen questioned, "You got out here fast."
"That's what my weapon entails, remember?" Lenalee smirked before her face turned serious, "What are you doing out here?"
"L-Looking for BaKanda," Allen said, eyes darting everywhere.
"That's not what I mean," Lenalee sighed, "I mean what are you doing inside the barrier? Isn't the pain of it killing you right now?"
Allen ignored the woman, his left eye focusing on several flashes of a blue light. Narrowing his eyes, the demon quickly rushed toward the light. When he drew close enough, he could make out the form of the missing hunter. He let out a sigh of relief as he quickly approached the other.
"There you are," Allen sighed, a relieved smile firmly in place on his face, "So did you find your weapon?"
The response he got was a downward swing of the sword that the other held in front of the both of them.
"Is that it?" Allen asked, eye's wide in amazement, "Awesome! You finally have your wea-"
The demon was cut off as the very same sword descended upon his right shoulder Letting out a yelp of pain, the white-haired teen jumped back to get away from the other. Growling, he gripped at his wound, finding himself actually grateful to have the slash to fall over where he already held a scar. His eye's pointed a glare at the raven-haired male.
"What the hell, BaKanda!" Allen snapped as Lenalee finally made it over, "I know that you and I don't always get along but come on! Was that really necessary?"
'Don't always get along?' Lenalee asked herself, 'That's not right. These two haven't fought at all since we found out this Allen was the same Allen we knew way back when.'
Allen growled again when Kanda didn't say anything, "Well say something, dammit! I'll have you know that I didn't have to come out here! I didn't have to come out here and risk my life just to find you swinging a piece of metal around! So say something dammit!"
Again, silence was his answer. The demon gritted his teeth. What was wrong with him? He kept saying the weirdest things, things that he wouldn't remember seconds later. They just flew off his tongue so fast that his brain couldn't register what he was actually saying. And why was seeing Kanda like this bugging him so much? What could it be that just felt…off? He let his left eye scan over the hunter, ignoring Lenalee and her questioning. Gripping his head, Allen tried to force his head to focus. Why was it so foggy now? It was like there was someone messing with his thoughts, rearranging them.
'Fuck…My head hasn't hurt this bad since Road got a hold of me,' Allen groaned to himself, eyes widening.
"Road caught you, didn't she!" Allen shouted, suddenly remembering what he saw from behind the barrier.
Now that he looked closer, he could see that Kanda's midnight blue eyes appeared to be glazed over. He had to resist the urge to smack himself. He knew that! He even saw that before he forced himself into the barrier. So how could he forget that? Shaking his head, Allen let his sword return to being his arm.
"She's got him trapped in some sort of mind game, Lenalee!" Allen warned, charging forward, "Go tell Krory that Road was the one here!"
"But what are we going to do about Kanda?" Lenalee asked.
"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of him!" Allen snapped, narrowly dodging the sword.
"R-right," Lenalee nodded before hurrying off to find someone.
"Snap out of it, BaKanda!" Allen shouted, clawed hand and sword clashing, "You've got to break free of her control!"
The two continued to clash for the longest period of time. Not that either was paying the slightest amount of attention to that. They were too busy going at it to notice their fellow hunters return with Lenalee and Lavi to the spot that they were having their dual. Everyone watched in shock as the two seemed to almost bathe in each other's blood. Allen was constantly calling out to Kanda, trying desperately to get him to free himself from whatever hold Road had on him, but it was becoming harder and harder for him to do so. The longer he stood inside of the barrier, the more strength he lost. Added to the fact that Kanda, at least at the moment, had to problems with injuring him, Allen was at a huge disadvantage. However, whenever a fellow hunter would try to get in to help, the white cloak that surrounded Allen would push them back.
"Stay out of it!" Allen shouted, shoving Krory away, "This is our fight!"
"What the hell are you talking about!" Daisya snapped, "That's our brother!"
"I know that!" Allen snapped, clashing with Kanda once more, "But this is just something for me to do!"
"What kind of logic is that!" Lavi shouted.
"Honestly, I don't know!" Allen shouted back.
"Something's different about him today," Krory stated, eyes carefully watching for an opening.
"I think…" Lavi paused, eye locked on the battle, "I think Allen's starting to remember bits and pieces of his past."
"What makes you say that?" Marie asked.
"He was talking about Kanda like he always used to," Lavi explained.
"You noticed it too, huh?" Lenalee sighed, "I just thought it was a fluke before he sent me away but now I'm not so sure."
"What does that have to do with any of this?" Link asked, "Knowing some of his past isn't going to help him fight right now."
"No but it will explain why he's fighting and why he won't let anyone else get involved with it," Lavi stated.
"What do you mean?" Miranda questioned.
"Well you see, before Allen left on the trip to Japan with his family, he came to us with a strange confession," Lenalee said, violet eyes simply staring at the two, "Now, you first have to understand that these two have always gotten into fights. They tease and taunt, kick and claw but they are extremely protective of each other. Nothing that could hurt the other was allowed near them."
"We could never figure out how this worked out so well but never really questioned it out loud," Lavi added, "But then Allen answered part of the silent question. The day before he left, he pulled us aside while Kanda was being chewed out for tossing an eraser at some kid's head. Anyway, he asked us a question that we never would forget…"
*Flashback*
"Hey…um, d-do you guys know anything that I could get for BaKanda while I'm in J-Japan?" a younger Allen asked.
"Huh?" the two other friend's blinked.
"I need to know what I should get Kanda while I'm gone," Allen rephrased.
"L-Like a gift?" Lavi stuttered.
"No, Lavi. I'm searching to find the perfect bomb to use to blow the idiot up," Allen said, rolling his eyes, "Of course like a gift~!"
"S-sorry, it's just that it's a little weird that you're asking this," Lavi apologized.
"Yeah, why are you going to be shopping for Kanda anyway?" Lenalee asked.
Both were surprised to see the boy's nearly flawless porcelain skin break out in a dark blush. He fidgeted slightly as the two stared at their friend as if he had grown a second head. Which was a distinct possibility if Komui had gotten a hold of him during one of his crazed moods.
"I-It doesn't matter why. I just need to know whether I should get him a real Japanese katana or if I should be looking for something else!" Allen suddenly squeaked, face still bright red.
"Allen, buddy, what's wrong?" Lavi asked, terribly confused, "I know that you and Kanda are friends but you guys never get each other gifts. Not even for you birthdays or Christmas. So why are you going to now?"
Allen sighed, "Before I tell you guys, you have to promise not to tell anybody, got it?"
"Spiders, snakes, and a lizards head," Lenalee giggled
"If we tattle-tale, we'll die till we're dead," Lavi finished, smirking. (A/N: Anyone who gets what movie this little oath is gets a cookie~!)
"I guess that works," Allen chuckled before taking a nervous breath, "There's two reasons I want to get something for Kanda while I'm in Japan. One, wasn't his family originally from there? I mean, if they were still alive, don't you think that Kanda would have grown up in his home country? So I just thought it would be nice to get him something from the country he was born in."
"That makes sense," Lavi nodded, "After all, Yuu-chan is always trying to find ways that he can connect with his original home country."
"Right," Lenalee agreed, "So what's the other reason?"
"Well," Allen said, fidgeting just a bit, "…I'm starting to think that I really like Kanda."
"Well, duh, Moyashi-chan~!" Lavi laughed, "You'd have to like him if you allowed him to be your friend~!"
"Not that kind of like, Lavi," Allen stated, overlooking that the redhead had just called him his unwanted nickname.
"You don't mean-" Lenalee gaped while Lavi stared at the other strangely.
Allen nodded, "I think that I really like like him, guys…"
The two just stared at the boy for a moment. His face was still slightly flushed but his eyes held the truth. More emotions than either of them could ever know swirled inside those silver irises but two stuck out the most. Trust towards his friends and love for the stoic teen they were talking about.
"F-For real, Allen?" Lavi gaped, losing the nickname for the other, "You're really not kidding us, right? This is for real?"
"Of course it is, Lavi," Allen stated, placing his hands on his hips, "Why on earth would it not be?"
"Well…" Lenalee started, looking over at Lavi still in shock, "Let's face it, Allen. You're only thirteen years old. You're still a little too young to be proclaiming that you truly like someone. Hearts can and will change, you know that right?"
"Mine won't," Allen shook his head, "I don't care how old I am. I know for a fact that I do like Kanda and nothing will ever change that."
"You sure?" Lenalee asked, worried for both of her friends.
"I'm positive, Lenalee," Allen smiled.
"…You do know that you're admitting that you're gay and you haven't even had a chance to like girls yet, kiddo," Lavi pointed out, "Don't you think you should wait and decide this for when you get a little older?"
"Not a chance, Lavi," Allen shook his head again, "I know that my feelings won't change, but the same can't be said about Kanda. Heck, I know that he probably doesn't like me that way but I don't care. So long as I can see him happy, I'll be happy."
"Holy shit…You are serious," Lavi whistled.
"Allen," Lenalee sighed, pulling the younger boy into a hug, "Listen to me. By admitting this, your life is going to get so much harder cause you're not going to be looking at Kanda as a friend. You'll be looking at him through eyes clouded over with love and that's not always a good thing."
"I know, Lena. I know," Allen smiled gently, "And as I said earlier, I don't care."
"Right," Lenalee nodded, "Well then, I'd go with the katana."
"You sure?" Allen questioned.
"Definitely," Lavi laughed, "You know how big Yuu-chan is with threatening people with the idea that if he ever got a sword, he'd cut them clean in two~!"
"You know, I don't think I've ever heard him phrase it quite like that," Allen laughed.
"What are you idiots still doing here?" Kanda's voice sounded from behind them.
"We thought that since you were being held back for an extra "lecture", we'd wait and then we could all walk home together," Lenalee beamed.
"Che," Kanda sounded, quickly heading off to his locker, "Whatever."
"Hmph, you could at least be a little happy that we didn't leave you here all by your lonesome self, BaKanda," Allen sneered.
"I'd be happier if you had, Moyashi," Kanda shot back.
"What was that?" Allen growled.
"Eh…Is that really him liking Kanda?" Lavi questioned as the two of them walked on ahead.
Lenalee giggled, "Well, you know what they say. Little boys are always mean to the ones they love."
*Flashback end*
"Of course, after that day, we never saw Allen again until he found us as his demon self," Lenalee whimpered, wiping her eyes slightly, "He never got to tell Kanda how he felt and now his memories are locked away."
"But whatever is holding back those memories is now starting to crack," Lavi stated, eye still locked on the battle, "That's why he won't let anyone else fight Kanda. He is probably so angry to see that the idiot got caught by Road so easily. He knows that all Kanda needs is a good ass whooping but that connection between the two of them won't let him allow anyone else lay a finger on him."
"I guess that makes sense," Miranda nodded.
"Maybe that means Kanda's the main part of the key," Marie stated.
"Or maybe the sword that Allen wanted to get Kanda in Japan is the key," Krory thought aloud.
"Huh?" the rest blinked.
"Kanda came to me the other day, asking if Allen had anything to do with some kind of sword. He said that Allen remembered something about a sword and thought it was some kind of clue," Krory explained.
"I see! Allen remembered the sword that he was going to give to Kanda because he liked the guy!" Lavi exclaimed, "So the sword could be the key to unlocking his memories because it was so close to the person in his heart!"
"Maybe but," Lenalee said, eyes refocusing on the fight as the sound of clashing metal was heard yet again, "But how are we going to find that sword now? We don't even know if he was able to find a sword or even bring it back with him…"
"You're right," Lavi sighed, eye closing for a moment as he listened to the fight, "So much for that idea."
"Dammit Kanda!" Allen screamed, his shirt nothing more than shreds now, "I know that you're still in there, BaKanda! Wake the hell up!"
Kanda's eye twitched slightly this time. When Allen noticed he finally got himself some sort of reaction out of the other, a smile broke out on his face. Ignoring all of his pain, he deactivated his weapon. Dodging the many slashes directed for him, the demon grimaced as he felt his muscles screaming at him. His breath came in short, ragged intakes of air as he tried to find in opening in Kanda's stance. With the simple twitch of the other's eye showed that he no longer needed to fight. No, the fighting was done. Instead, he needed to try a different tactic. He had to get close to the surprisingly strong hunter.
He didn't know how it happened. His mind barely registered the movement of the hunter or the screams of all the others standing by, watching. The only thing he knew was that one moment he was a good couple of feet from Kanda and the next he was nearly face to face with the man. Pain erupted from his stomach, piercing him all the way from the front to the back.
'Oh wait…that's not the pain,' Allen thought, grimly, 'That's Kanda's sword…"
Allen coughed up blood as he tried to look up into Kanda's eyes. Growling, he saw that the hunter was still trapped in the mental world Road placed him in. The demon, ignoring the blood that flowed out of his wound, snarled in the face of the man that he once unknowingly adored. A sudden rush of emotions that he could not name flowed through his veins as he pulled back his right arm.
"That's it! I'm tired of waiting for you!" Allen roared, punching the man square in the jaw, "Would you wake up already, BaKanda!"
Somehow, the punch didn't send either flying. All it did was force Kanda's head to turn away from the seething demon. Panting, Allen waited for some kind of sign that he managed to get through to the man.
"H-huh?" Kanda blinked, eyes unfocused on the now blurry world.
"Oh thank goodness," Allen groaned, falling to his knees with the sword still through him, "You've finally snapped out of it…"
"M-Moyashi?" Kanda gasped, finally able to see the demon, "Wh-What the hell…"
"R-Road managed to catch you," Allen hissed out, fighting to stay conscious, "Whatever was going on in your mind, you were fighting out here too…C-Can I ask you a favor?"
"What?" Kanda asked, kneeling next to the demon.
"Would you be so kind as to take your sword out of my body?" Allen groaned, a weak smile on his face.
"Shit!" Kanda cursed, just now noticing the blade.
"E-Easy now," Allen whimpered, falling to the ground once the blade was gone.
"Allen!" many of the hunters cried out, rushing towards them.
"Why the hell didn't anybody stop me!" Kanda bellowed, grasping the sword tightly.
"We tried to but Allen wouldn't let anybody get near," Lenalee sighed.
"He was determined to save you himself," Lavi added, "I gotta admit that he's still has stubborn as before if not more so."
Before he could actually respond to the comment, Kanda's sharp eyes caught something that didn't quite look right.
"Hey, is the Moyashi's skin supposed to be turning charcoal?" Kanda asked.
"What?" the hunters all blinked, looking at the demon.
It was turn. Starting from the stab wound, Allen's pale complexion was quickly changing to that of a Noah's. There were a few moments of silence before chaos broke loose.
"Allen!" Krory cried, hugging the demon close to him, "Don't turn yet! Hang on little buddy!"
"Link! Link! Do something!" Miranda wailed, clinging to and shaking the blonde.
"I would if you would just release me!" Link snapped.
"Miranda! Please, just let him do his job," Marie said, trying to free the blonde.
"Oh crap! Oh crap! Oh crap!" Daisya and Komui screamed, running around in circles.
"Wh-What's going on?" Lavi questioned, "Why is everyone freaking out?"
"Remember how he told you when you guys first arrived here how he nearly lost control?" Krory whimpered.
"Y-Yeah," Lenalee nodded.
"Well, this is how it started!" Bak shouted, "He reverts to his Noah appearance before losing his conscious mind to the demon's hunger!"
"…WHAT!" the three friends screamed.
"Great Yuu! Stab the only demon that can get through the barrier around here!" Lavi shouted.
"You could have used your own weapon to get him out of this damn barrier before the fight got out of hand!" Kanda shouted back.
"Move!" Link snapped, shoving people out of his way, "Honestly, you all know that he can't control it forever."
Kanda couldn't watch. The second Link knelt next to Allen, the demon began screaming bloody murder when the blonde's hand touched his skin. His midnight blue eyes squeezed shut as he tried to erase the image of Allen bleeding upon his blade. As the screaming continued, the raven-haired man eventually opened his eyes as he quickly stalked over to way the sheath of his sword laid. Running his fingers over the words found, Kanda dared a look back at the demon.
'Why is his name on the sheath to this sword?' Kanda thought to himself, 'Even if he brought it before he changed, what's it doing here of all places?'
Sighing, the now wannabe samurai slowly sheathed his new weapon just as the cries of the white demon finally died down.
'Where's the key in all of this?' the three friends each thought as they slowly made their way back into town with the wounded demon in tow, 'We keep finding pieces but…But how do they all fit together?'
Mizu: *sighs* I'm is just a funky mood. I'm bored, sad, tired, angry, and happy all at the same time. I don't even know how I can be sad and happy at the same time let alone sharing those emotions with anger…Someone explain this to me.
Allen: Maybe if you'd explain why you always hurt me.
Mizu: We've been over this. You are the main character in the story so something has to happen to you otherwise it does not make sense or flow very well.
Allen: It's still not fair.
Mizu: Oh well. Anyway, remember that I love all reviews and suggestions. I'll try to work on this more but no promises. Ciao for now.