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Author notes:
I want to answer each and every review, but doing that takes longer than writing the actual chapter...TT^TT
I thank you in advance for your lovely review and kind words!
"Before we get there, can I ask one thing?" The child looked up to the nurse with large silvery eyes as he clutched the infirmary blanket securely to his chest.
The nurse looked at him with piercing eyes that sent shivers down his spine, but he didn't show a hint of fear.
"Wher' the hell are my clothes?" His personality had quickly changed.
The nurse looked forward, not bothering to answer him.
"Dammit! Don't ignore me!" He stomped his foot in frustration. He despised being ignored.
"Shut up. People are asleep." The old woman jabbed.
"I don't care! I'm tired of bein' bloody' half-naked!" He retorted angrily.
The nurse stopped walking, causing the fuming child to bump into the grayed woman.
Her head turned, the glare somehow flaming and icy at the same time. He felt them burning in his soul. His jaw clamped shut.
The rest of the way they walked was in complete silence. Allen quickly learned to mind the nameless strict nurse.
The moment they opened the doors to the infirmary, the medicated stench assaulted the child's nostrils. He scrunched his nose in disgust. He could deal with dirt, trash, and rotten food, but this smell was beyond comparable. It was the highest level of clean it could possibly be.
He wanted to comment and complain, but knowing the nurse, he knew she would scold him again. Annoyingly enough.
He prayed to the God he didn't believe in that he wouldn't have to see her again any time soon.
Although the time was late, he was wide awake. The grumpy nurse shooed him off into his room
Before the high amount of boredom he held could kill him, he had an idea.
Since everyone's asleep, he could have fun.
He felt a rare grin creep up on the corners of his mouth. He slowly got up, the springs groaned loudly in protest against the shifting weight.
"Where do you think your going?" A voice came from a shadowed figure in the corner, causing Allen jerk away from surprise. Although. His injuries weren't very happy about it. He held his stomach in pain, the quick movement contrasted severely against the weak pain medicine.
"Just who the hell are ya'!?" Allen spoke through painfully gritted teeth, his eyes beholding a menacing silver glare.
"No need to get so worked up, Walker." The deep voice grew closer. The figure was now a bit more visible. A tall man.
"I asked you a question, ya' bloody wanker!" Allen was readily prepared in a fighting stance, ready to fight off the unknown intruder. It was a bit of an unusual sight to see, actually.
The voice sighed, "Relax. My name is Howard Link, I was sent here by the Order to watch over you in case something happens. You may call me Link." The figure was now clear. A young man with blonde hair worn in a braid.
The child gave him an untrustworthy look. "Shut it, dot face. I wasn't tol' by anyone 'bout you!" Allen defended.
Link didn't look fazed in the slightest. "When they said you were a bit more rough mannered than the current Allen Walker, they weren't kidding." He said in a monotone voice.
"Well SORRY I got bloody turned into a fuckin' child, ya dumb ass!
I'm no' the 'ever-so-polite Allen Walka' you were expecting! But it's not like I TRIED to turn into THIS!" The redhead pointed to himself, the gray orbs pouring out hatred. The child grew more furious by the second.
"Keep it down. It's late." Link scolded. Though, it definitely didn't help the case.
Allen seethed, "I don't know who's worse. You, or that ogre wearing a dress that calls herself a nurse!"
"Well, since you're so awake now, why don't I ask you a few questions?" Link said.
"Not into dum' surveys." Allen popped back.
"It's not a survey, and you don't have a choice."
"Like HELL I don't!"
"Where do you think you are?"
"An insane asylum." The redhead said sarcastically. "And CLEARLY you're one of the patients."
"How old are you?" Link ignored the obnoxious answer.
"I don't know when my birthday is, twat."
"Do you know who the fourteenth is?"
"Are you asking me if I ca' count to fourteen, you bastard!? I'm no' entirely stupid!"
"Moving on..." Link commented.
Allen sighed begrudgingly. He wasn't a fan of being interrogated.
"Who is Mana Walker in relation to you?" The young man's eyes scanned across a paper clipped to the clipboard he held, wearing a bored expression.
"He's a clown from a circus that I'm travelin' with. I'm waitin' on him to come back from whateva' the hell he's doin'."
Link looked up, observing the child's face. Allen stared back blankly.
There was a small pause during the exchanging of glances.
"I see."
"Wha'? Is he not comin' back for me?" Allen half accused.
Link thought for a moment. He knew it wasn't his job to break Allen, besides, even if he had told the truth, he wouldn't be able to get any more answers. As cold as it was, he was just doing his job.
"We'll see."
Allen had a bad feeling that made him grow uncomfortable just sitting there, answering such personal questions.
"Do you know who Neah Walker is?"
A swirl of confusion mixed with the child's innocent silver eyes. The name almost sounded familiar, like he had heard it before.
"Mana's brother." The words escaped his mouth with his own realization. His eyes widened. But how would he know that? Mana had never spoken about having a brother!
Link looked as startled as he could be, which meant his eyes were slightly wider than they normally were, but only for a moment.
"How do you know that?" Link studied.
"I..I don't know." Allen stuttered.
Link didn't look like he believed him.
"We're done here. I'll be back in a moment, I need to have a quick word with...Someone." Link walked out from the room, leaving the child to his thoughts.
He sat on the bed, pondering what had just happened.
The thoughts consumed his mind, easily tiring him out.
Allen curled onto his side, careful not to disturb his injuries.
Sleep had finally consumed him.
But not in a way he had wanted it to.
He remembered the night so clearly. His legs were frozen from the freezing weather. The clothes worn on his back, which was a simple clown outfit that had been a gift, was made of a thin cloth that hadn't helped defend the cold as well as he had hoped.
Although the rest of him was cold, his left hand was thoughtfully kept warm, both by a large oven mitt, and also being held by a much larger hand that belonged to none other than Mana Walker.
There travel was meant to be short, the building wasn't even a mile away by now.
Allen felt miserable. His legs were going to give out on him at any minute, but he didn't dare let them. He wasn't going to be weak anymore.
The sky was well passed dark, but the roads were no where near clear of the carriages.
Each place he stepped was either the crunch of half-melted snow, or the soggy squish of a wet leaf.
Mana had begun to ramble on about how the next circus they went to would be much better, even if Allen didn't believe him.
Allen.
It felt so strange to be called Allen.
All his life, he had been called a demon, monster, freak, demented. He had finally picked up on a name he hadn't seen to be as hurtful as the others.
Red.
Just like the disgusting, deformed arm that had given him the names he hadn't wanted to hold onto. The name itself would be considered unusual by the average bystander, but to him, it was so much more than that.
But the name itself hadn't lasted long, before Mana Walker had come into his life.
Losing the name hadn't been a large loss, considering it wasn't his given name, even if he didn't have one.
But the smallest part of him almost felt guilty, like he was taking away a part of himself by being called Allen.
The reality had begun to swirl around him, engulfing his senses.
The slow trotting that came from the multiple hooves, the inconstant words that came from the passing strangers, and of course, Mana's talking. Which he had finally begun to listen to.
"...You'll see, it'll be much larger, which means there'll be more people, which also means we'll make more money." Mana rambled.
"For food." Allen popped back.
"Of course! It'll be wonderful." A smile graced the man's face.
"It's getting really dark. Will we be able to take a break soon?" Allen thought aloud.
"Yes. Soon. Even I'm getting a bit tired." Mana chuckled.
A soft smile took over Allen's grubby face.
"What are you smiling at?" Mana teased.
"Nothing! It's just tha' I'm too damn' tired! I jus' wanna sleep!"
"Allen, children shouldn't curse."
"I don' give a shit."
The clown rolled his eyes at the child's loose behavior.
"Mana.. Look out!" The child cried out.
Mana turned where the child had been looking, his eyes met with the petrified eyes of the driver.
Allen watched in utter horror as the cart forcefully collisions with his father, a painful cry escaped the clown's lips.
"M-Mana!" Allen called out, tears had already begun to seep from his eyes.
"Allen..." The injured man spoke through his pain.
"Mana.. Stay awake! Help's comin'!"
"Allen..Come here.."
The child rushed over as last as his short, trembling legs could carry him.
"Y-Yes?"
"Never stop..Keep walking..until the day..your own life comes..to..an..end." The light began to fade in and out of his amber eyes, until it left altogether, the dull eyes stared blankly at the darkened sky.
"N-No! Mana! Wake up! Please don't leave me alone..!" Allen cried out, earning pitying stares from the crowd of people.
"Mana..Please.." The child held onto his fathers decreasing warm hand.
Tears streamed down his face at a rapid speed.
Mana Walker was dead.
Yay! Finally! A new chapter has been written! I was actually going to split it into two, but then I decided against it, since neither chapter was all that long. I guess it's a good thing I did that since it barely made it past 1000 words. Why can't I write a good, long chapter? T^T
Also, prepare for major angst in future chapters! I'm working on the next chapter write now!
Don't forget to review!