A/N: and chapter 2. I skipped quite a bit but I will be going pretty close to the timeline from now on. I try to do scenes where the 14th is present beyond doubt. How am I at writing the 14th? It's a little hard to get inside his head as I have so little to go on. Do you think I catch the right personality? I try not to make him out and out evil because he didn't side with the earl and I think he was capable of affection (case in point Mana) Please review even if it is just a 'hi! Your story was…' that took me all of 5 seconds to type. I welcome all comments and reviews with the obvious exception of flames. You flame and I pretend you don't exist and I'll leave it there so people can see exactly who flames.
Disclaimer: the only thing I can tell you I'm weird / strange in Japanese, unfortunately that doesn't qualify me to write an amazing story like -man so yeah I don't own it.
The Hidden Room
I was once again conscious, after a fashion. I wonder why, certainly I knew I was beginning to breach the boy's walls. I saw more from his mind than ever before but this felt different somehow. I glanced around, intent on taking my bearings and for a second sock froze me. This room, this place, from so long ago. Mine. My view was different somehow. The familiarity, the nostalgia a by product of returning to this place. My birth place, mankind's birth place. It held my sanctuary. I knew we were in the ark, knew the danger that had been present because the earl was downloading it. After all these years he had figured out how to thwart my curse. I'd even been conscious of the rage I felt at being in the presence of my most hated enemy. I'd lost control and allowed some of my rage some of my hatred to flow over into the boy. It had been foolish of me, a rash decision one they could have killed us both. If I could not deal with the earl, at the height of my power, how could I expect this poor boy to? His rage had been present too but his for friends lost. But to expect him to succeed where I'd failed when he was little more than raw putty, still being formed. It would take a miracle. Then again this boy had seen his fair share of miracles, he was truly on of those loved by God. Yet how did the saying go? Those loved by God die first? Something like that, I cannot remember anymore. Certainly I was a devil, here to steal his life away, no matter what God wished.
From the couch came a gasp. My poor tattered host laid there, flat on his back, one arm across his forehead. Lay as I once had, reclining on the couch. Detachedly I wondered if I would look like that when I completed my return, or if I would twist that face beyond recognition. He sat, searching for someone, no someones. Master and Lenalee, Lenalee who had wept for him in the dream the last time I had seen him. Who was his master? I would need to find that out see if he had had a good education.
"Am I still inside the ark?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else. Then again are we not the same person?
This is the secret room of the fourteenth, not even the earl knows about it.
No I had not been that much of a fool, the earl had never known how to find my little hide away. Part of me expected him to hear me so I was unsurprised when he reacted. I had not been ready for him to see me, I did not show it. It was not in my nature.
"You're…"
He looked at me, straight in the face, in my eyes as he had never looked before. I knew I was distorted, part of me longed to remind him of the way he had appeared in the dream. Longed to remind him that I was without a body, I would one day have a face again. Have a true form. I realised why the room looked so strange. I see it from the glass, from his reflection. Maybe there is truth in what people say, that a mirror reflects the soul, certainly it showed both of ours. He was remembering our first meeting, why I was aware of that I know not. I felt some strange emotion well up inside of me. I knew he needed guidance and I knew it needed to happen quickly. Slowly I gestured to my piano. It was easy to forget, to relax in this world of mine, that existed apart from all else. Not all of my slowness is ease, I do not wish to scare him. How strange. How unlike myself I have become.
My key
"Key?"
Timcampy lay in wait on the piano, ready to produce the score, all was as I meant it to be.
"Timcampy"
My Timcampy. Allen. Timcampy. These two have the power of the musician.
I questioned myself, could he hear the pride in my voice. I think not, I do not know if that pride would make him feel good, or if it would just alarm him.
"Timcampy belongs to Master. He's not yours! Who are you?"
Despite the gravity of the situation part of me wanted to laugh. He had guts this pup. Marian, Cross Marian was his master, unless he had passed Timcampy to another, but no I thought not. The player interested him, he asked me about him but I could feel that part of him was still apprehensive, still worried about the dream, where I had held him back.
"Who are you?"
He asked me again, softer this time.
"Are you the fourteenth"
As he drew closer I knew that through the mist and flowing that was my body he could see himself. See what we were, but I doubt he understood. A tacit image, a silent allusion. He reached his hand out, almost as if he would try touch me, touch his warped reflection then he jerked back and the fear returned to his eyes. His warning from a dream.
A course shout broke his concentration. Cross, in his typical, flagrant, superfluous manner was issuing instructions. A voice that interested me came through his earring speaker. The one of the girl from the dream. Cross quickly cut across them, determining whether or not there was a piano. Good, he had not forgotten. He still seemed incapable of dealing with men as he quite bluntly ordered the boy to play it. An internal sigh of exasperation nearly escaped me. From what I knew of the boy, no Allen, he'd been called Allen, he did not know how to play. He quickly validated my deduction. Cross gave him an ultimatum, play the piano or get into more debt. The concept seemed ridiculous to me and I failed to see the link between the 2. In distress he pointed out that he could not even read music. But you can read this music my Allen, this is our music, yours mine and Mana's. Desperation stole over him, stealing his energy as Cross' voice faded into static. He moved to the piano but the insecurity was still present. I entered a realm I was a novice in and attempted to encourage him.
Allen must play, the score belongs to Allen.
See Allen, it is our music. Let me teach you to play. Let me lead, let the reflection make the first move and maybe in this inverted world of mine the body will follow. It did, we did. I used what I had left, to return what had been, undo the download. Our memories made a world, mine of what had been and his of what he had seen, of the people. Here, this is the melody but as for the words. They are within you Allen. Let me show you the sweet memory from my birth.
And then the boy falls asleep
"Who is singing inside my head?"
The flame inside the breathing ashes. One then two.
Rise up and expand into that beloved face
Thousands of dreams, dreams, pour into the earth
On the night when the silver eyes swing. You were born shining brightly
Millions of years
No matter how many million of years, return the prayers to the earth
"I continue praying"
Yes, sing with this which is innately yours.
Love for the last
Some one was interrupting us, interrupting the music. But he was right I had lost the ability to hold this place and there was nothing in my heart that we do anything but give an outside form. Much like this form that was the only memory of what I had once been. I cannot help you here my Allen. I silently voiced my regrets as he tried to find his wishes.
Wish
I felt it when he found what he sought and once again we played our duet, a duet of reality and fantasy. It was different now though, his heart was woven into it like it had not been before and together we undid the Earl's work.
And then the boy falls asleep
The flame inside the breathing ashes. One then two.
Rise up and expand into that beloved face
Thousands of dreams, dreams, pour into the earth
On the night when the silver eyes swing.
You were born shining brightly
Millions of years
No matter how many million of years, return the prayers to the earth
I continue praying.
Love for the last
Kiss for the joined hands
Maybe together we can do what I never could even if the ending is somewhat discordant. I laugh as he slams his hands down on my piano, but we have won.