So far... this is the longest chapter I made for this story. Hooray for that~! Hahaha. Thank you for the reviews guys. Yep, I'm enjoying the anime and still waiting for a good soul to suggest more. : )

Enjoy!

: )

Night twelve

One early morning when the sky was painted blue and thin clouds scattered everywhere, a scream of horror and despair erupted from a house that visibly shook. Every sleepy heads was surprised at this and rushed to the source of scream. There, at the living room, they found a desperate and miserable Tidus.

oOo

"Knock it off, will you!?" Amy smacked her brother on his shoulder. "She's probably feeding the hens at that house! Geez!"

Tidus started to cry whilst rubbing the sore and red part where his little sister had smacked him. For a 17- year old young man, he was such a cry-baby idiot.

"You didn't check her there yet, did you?" placing his hand on his hip, Loki asked.

"... Yes-"

WHAM!

Loki punched him on head making him cringed painfully and slowly, he kneeled down as he clutched his pounding head. Another set of tears welled up on his eyes.

"That...hurts...!" Tidus looked up and was about to say something when paled.

This time, Loki showed much emotion as his face could allow him. His eyes turned into slits with burning passion of fire to kill. He fisted his right hand; you could practically see multiple tick marks surfacing it. There was also a black aura that engulfed him.

"You do know it isn't time for me to get up yet, don't you?" Loki asked menacingly.

"... Ye-ye-yes..."

"You do know I'm still asleep, don't you?"

"... Yes..." Tidus quivered.

"Are you aware that I'm going to kill you...?" Loki snarled.

"... Ye...s...?- what?" he replied, dumbfounded.

If there was another thing Loki hated so much he could kill, that was when someone disturbed his sleep. He can take it when someone talks to him a lot to the point he gets irritated and choose to flee and hide and when someone teases him whom he can just ignore it, but not when his precious beauty sleep was disturbed by some idiot. It was quite okay to mess a drunken man, but not someone who just woke up.

"KYAAAAAH!" Tidus screamed in horror when he saw the oncoming punch, and so he bolted up and run for his life. Rubbing her temple, Amy just sighed. She wished that her brother would act his age and not like some girls screaming in a horror movie.

As far as Amy could remember, Tidus had been acting like that since the day Yuna was abducted by those thieves who killed their parents. Tidus was a much braved young boy back then who dared to take on head. The memories were still fresh as if it was just yesterday. That night Amy stood outside their house and in front of the burning wagon with their parents caught by the fire. Loki was knocked unconscious on the sideline to protect Amy and Yuna, but a thief snatched Yuna away from her. Out of rage, Tidus picked the knife on the ground that one of the thieves had dropped when Loki kicked his hand. He wasn't thinking rationally that moment and just dashed forward, stabbed the man who had Yuna on his chest, and snatched his crying twin sister back.

"Ti... Tidus..." Amy's voice quivered. She was staring at Tidus drenched in enemy's blood.

"What is it, Amy?" he asked coldly, but Amy didn't respond to that. She was silently crying. Then, on Tidus embraced, Yuna screamed.

"KYAAAAH! YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR FACE AND HANDS! GET OFF! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Yuna didn't mean to hurt her twin brother's feelings when she pushed him away, but then, Tidus noticed he was still holding the knife and his hands soaked in crimson blood. His eyes widened, terrified at the amount of blood. He looked at the thief on the ground that he just stabbed then to his sobbing twin whose beautiful pink dress stained by the blood of enemy. Shocked at what he saw and did, he dropped the knife and he broke into four.

"Tidus..." walking closer to him, Amy said softly and reached out for him, however, Tidus stretched out his bloody hand and yelled, "Don't get near me! I... I murdered someone! I killed him! I'm a murderer!"

"But... You did it to save Yuna..."

"..."

They forgot that there were two remaining thieves. The thieves took their miserable state as they silently walked closer to them with knives on their hands.

Amy didn't want to see her brother and sister like that. She wanted them to be happy, but... How? Their parents died, Tidus killed, Loki was knocked on the ground, and Yuna was crying. She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and started crying again.

Tidus on the other was still crying because their parents died and because of the crime he did that he didn't noticed the two thieves neared and overshadowing him with knives held up ready to strike until two gun shots echoed, silencing everything.

Yuna stopped crying so as Amy and Tidus. They all looked at the men stood in front of Tidus, not moving, then they fell on their kness and dropped on the ground with a thud. Behind the fallen thieves they saw Loki pointing a gun at Tidus' direction, or rather, to where the men stood a moment ago. They couldn't believe how Loki killed those two without hesitation nor regret in his eyes after what he did. He wore nothing but an apathetic look towards the thieves and steel sharp eyes. He was just a 5- year old kid, but was skilled with guns. Where did he get it anyway?

"I won't let anyone to hurt my family again." Loki said suddenly to the shocked- face siblings and smiled tenderly for the first time after a year he was found by Mr. Alberts.

"There is one rule in this world, though. Kill or get killed."

"-my... Amy! AMY ALBERTS~! Are you there?" Allen waved a hand in front of Amy. Upon waving his hand, Amy snapped back and found herself in the sink. How did she got there anyway?

"Oh." she chuckled lightly as she rubbed the tears that welled up her eyes away. "Allen, you're hungry? Wait, I'll cook something for breakfast." Amy ramaged through the cup boards to get the materials and ingredients she needed to make sunny side ups and pancakes.

"Are you okay? You look so sad and was on the verge of crying..." Allen asked, concerned.

"I'm fine." she insisted and whispered, "...really..."

Allen knew it was a lie.

"Was it... Was it about last night?" he asked hesitantly.

Amy got the pan he needed and the ingredients. She set it on the stove and heat.

Amy was silent, her eyes covered by shadows, then sighed.

"I thought... I'm okay with it, but it appears I'm not..." she said without looking at Allen.

"What do you mean...?"

"I mean... This was the first time I talked about my parents death even it was a little. After that incident we haven't talked about it yet and it is painful to see my brother and sister trying their best to look happy for my sake. I could see part of myself in you and part of my siblings, too. So, I thought if I could talk about it with you it would make me feel better. I know this is a bit selfish, but I couldn't help it. It did made me feel a little better than before...and...sorry if I used you as an output. It wasn't the whole story, but it helps me a lot. I hope I could share this feeling with them." she explained.

Allen smiled genuinely at her even though she wasn't looking and said, "Same here. I didn't tell you everything. In fact, yours was longer than mine. I thank you because I felt lighter after our short talk about the past though it still hurts."

"Yeah... I know..." she said upon turning her head to him and smiled brightly. "Where is Mr. Marian by the way?"

"Uhhh... About that..."

oOo

At the living room once again on the couch sat a sobbing Tidus at the middle, Amy on his right, and Loki to the other side while Allen sat on a comfy chair next to Amy.

Loki closed his eyes and folded his arms. He was calm and collected once again after the chase and breakfast. Amy sighed a gigantic sigh, feeling hopeless to shut her brothers cries.

"So... They eloped, didn't they?" Tidus asked between sobs.

"Uhmmm... I said, Master isn't in his room..." what Allen was trying to say is that his Master was an early riser and probably out somewhere. And even though he had manly interest, he couldn't do some things like eloping. He still respected the women.

"And at the same time Yuna isn't here, too." Amy added.

"So in other words... They eloped." Tidus concluded.

"Idiot. I'm sure she is feeding the hens at the barn like she used to." Loki sighed.

"And that bastard is there taking advantage of my defenseless sister?" Tidus asked, finally he stopped crying.

The three stared at him blankly with one thought in mind.

What is he imagining?

"I've been travelling with Master for quite some time and I know he has a liking to ladies, but whatever you are thinking, I'm sure he couldn't do that." Allen explained, hoping to convince Tidus that nothing bad had happened to Yuna.

"...Do you know that I don't believe you?" Tidus asked Allen coldly.

Allen cringed at his question. He wasn't so sure what Cross had been doing this morning, but he knew he was telling the truth and nothing but the truth.

"Why don't we go at the barn and see if Yuna is there with Mr. Marian." Amy suggested. They all nodded and ventured outside to the barn.

The barn was 10 minutes of walk away from the house. The group was silent during the walk, thinking several of scenarios they might see once they reach the barn. Allen thought Cross hugged Yuna, Amy couldn't come up with anything since she barely knew the man and decided not to judge him based on what he heard from Allen. She thought they were simply talking. Loki, in contrary, didn't care at all. Whatever that man did was none of his business while Tidus was hysterical at whatever he was imagining. We can say it wasn't a pleasant imagination.

"We are here." Loki informed the dazed and lost in thoughts. Tidus visibly jumped at this and dreaded the moment when Loki carelessly opened the door. Afraid, he covered his face with his hands waiting for Amy to tackle the man or any yell of accusations, but nothing came. He decided to peek. Slowly, he released his hands from his face and rested it on his sides, and then he stood straight, staring at the scene.

What they saw was Cross embracing Yuna.

Hooray for Allen! He got it right!

Yuna's back faced them so they couldn't if she was sad or not.

Cross noticed their arrival and looked at them. Yuna felt the slight movement, so she looked up to see Cross was looking ahead. She followed his gazed and saw her siblings, Loki, and Allen watched them blankly.

"Oh. You're here." Yuna let go of Cross, wiped the tears, and smiled at them. "What are you doing here? Are you hungry? Sorry I didn't cook the breakfast."

"We are done with breakfast, Yuna. Why are crying? Did he hurt you?" Tidus asked, concerned, as he walked closer to Yuna and pulled him in an embrace.

"No. Actually, he helped me." she said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yup!" she beamed. "By the way, we should get going and deliver the eggs and fresh cow's milk to the town." she said and turned to Cross and Allen. "This way, Mr. Marian and Allen can go with you to the town faster. Don't forget to give them the foods I prepared for them in exchange to the ones Loki had accidentally gone to waste. Okay?"

"Understood." he smiled.

oOo

Cross sat on the balcony leaning his back against the wooden wall. He fished out his pack of cigarette, lit one stick, and inhaled on it.

Cross watched the smoke he puffed disappeared before him. He then held his head up to stare at the vast sky as two domestic birds flew across and disappeared in his sight. He was still thinking about what happened not long ago.

"... Uhmmm..."

Cross turned to his right to see Allen. The boy stood there as if his hands caught in a cookie jar and couldn't look at his Master directly.

"You have something to say?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"There are bottles of wine in the room where you slept."

"I know."

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"Did you... Used the remaining money we have to those wines?"

"Nope." Allen sighed in relief at this, however... "I will never use money for wine, but for gambling and beautiful angels only."

If possible, Allen would have collapse right there and then as he felt his heart sunk, his whole frame froze, and his world broke into pieces.

"Does that mean..."

"Debt."

No way! Allen yelled inwardly. Not just a week had passed since he was chased by debt collectors down to an alley where he was cornered and barely escaped. It was his first to experience such a thing in his life as far as he could remember.

"Why...? Shouldn't I start training now?" Allen asked.

"You body isn't ready yet for that kind of training. As of now, you have to learn different kinds of works be it washing the dishes or carry barrels. Once you got used to those kinds of works I will allow you to train. Your body must be prepared before that so you can activate your anti- akuma weapon without pushing yourself too much." he explained.

"I see... I understand. I will do my best!"

"That's the spirit."

"Mr. Marian, Allen. Everything's ready." Yuna informed from the door. "Tidus and Loki will be delivering the stocks to town, so you can ride with them."

"Thank you for the help, Yuna. We appreciate it."

"No problem. It was us who inconvenient you after all, Mr. Marian."

"But thank you, anyway. Let's go get our things, Allen."

"Right."

Well, that was quite a background story for the siblings. Up next will be Loki's past. Just a bit, though. And something about what happened to Yuna, why was she crying when they found her with Cross and a man- to- man talk between Cross and Tidus. Allen and Loki will join them of course!

I hope you like the chapter~!

Thanks for reading.

See you!

#CBA