A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the lengthy wait! I was really stuck on this chapter, but then it suddenly came to me!:D Haha, as cliché as that must sound.(x Anyway~! Thank you very very much to my wonderful reviewers! You're the greatest! Thanks to DarkAngelAnise, Snipperita, TOOLAZYTOLOGIN, Ennael, bougainvillea blossom, Celestial Wolves, kickassdani, CallmeEevee, Sakura Hyuga, ShimmeringCrimson, the3leonine, Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime, NirvanaFrk97, Yana5, Parvana, hobozrule, Guest, theindestructablecuestick, Guest #2, Senju Serena, CloudCarnivore, Vein's Simply Tired, and XzDaFelixZ for your amazing reviews~! And of course, a big thanks to all those who follow and favorite!n_n I seriously love you guys!(:

Anyway, here's the next chapter!:D Enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I do not own a thing, except for the occasional original character!(x Hehe.

Chapter 7

Time Frame — Late Afternoon of May 20th, 1895

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

Allen released a deep sigh, as he lazily continued to toss and catch Timcanpy—who thankfully didn't punish Allen's limbs with his razor sharp teeth—while lying back on his bed. Thunder boomed and swift flashes of lightning occasionally split the masses of dreary clouds engulfing the skies, which were the few instances that his room was lit up. The oppressive castle was feeling even more gloomy than usual with the current power outage. Allen didn't dare leave his room for fear of stumbling into some of Komui's experimental rooms, knowing he could barely get by in broad daylight. Nalei had stopped by his room earlier, offering him a pile of food and a lantern—both gone courtesy of Allen's stomach and Timcanpy accidentally crashing into the lantern at some point, causing it to shatter. The Matron and those who worked under her were trying to make sure everyone was okay, considering a lot of the golems had recently malfunctioned which made it difficult to communicate.

Because of the current situation, Allen was extremely and utterly bored. With Nalei busy and most of the Exorcists occupied with missions, Allen was completely alone, with the exception of Timcanpy. This fact didn't bother him as much though. Keeping up facades could grow tiresome. Despite the lack of activity, Allen tried to relax as he finally released Timcanpy and closed his eyes, listening to the roaring skies and torrents of rain harshly slamming against his window as Timcanpy settled on his pillow with a gentle flap of his wings.

As he continued to take in calming breaths, Allen almost succumbed to sleep. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before he was dragged out of his hazy state, much to his confusion. Slowly sitting up, and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Allen frowned as he continued to hear a harsh banging against his window, which was distinctively different from the pounding of the rain. Shaking his head to rid him of his befuddled state, Allen slowly stood up and began to instinctively slip the glove off his left hand while slowly making his way towards the window. Allen cautiously tugged at the bland curtains, and slid them farther apart once he realized he could barely make out the figure on the other side. Despite the fact that the figure was practically a blur, the tiny fist speedily thumping against the glass and the small head and shoulders revealed to the fact that the person must be female.

Gentlemanly instincts kicking in, Allen swiftly slid the window up, and was soon falling back as the small, drenched figure immediately fell into the room with a couple small coughs and splutters. Rubbing his slightly throbbing head caused by the sudden fall, Allen absentmindedly patted the girl's back as she gasped and shivered. After a moment of composing herself, the girl finally sat up, revealing herself to Allen, who in turn, almost had a heart attack.

"R-Road?!" Allen shouted, and if he weren't already on the ground, he would've probably fallen back in shock.

Beaming at him, Road exclaimed "Hi!"

"W-what are you doing here?!" Allen demanded, still shocked at the Noah's audacity to show up here of all places.

"Visiting you. Duh!" Road replied as she combed at her wet—and for once flat—hair.

Allen sighed, suddenly feeling tired again and wondering if he should just kick her back out the window, as he reached over where his dresser was and pulled out at towel. Allen tossed it at her, mentally wondering what on earth she wanted from him this time.

"Thank you, Allen~!" Road grinned as she begin to dry herself off, and suddenly piped up, "So what do you wanna do~?"

Allen's eye twitched slightly, and he stiffly replied back, "You are leaving! You can't be here, Road!"

Road crossed her arms with an upset pout, and whined, "Aww! Why not?"

Allen glared at her, but before he could point out her Noah status, he remembered that he wasn't supposed to know. Allen shook his head, realizing the huge mistake he almost made, and decided to instead say, "Because you're an outsider."

Road frowned for a second, before breaking out into a wide smile and suggesting, "Well then, how about we both leave?"

"I'm not going out into that," Allen deadpanned, as he pointed out to the raging storm. At this, he suddenly realized that the window was still opened, and quickly scrambled over to shut it. Allen stared at the surrounding area that was now soaked with a dismayed sigh.

Road finally stood up herself, and discarded her squeaky shoes and damp socks with a wrinkle of her nose. Not bothering to even ask, Road dug through the drawers in the nightstand and finally pulled out a pair of clean, warm socks which she slipped on with a satisfied smile. Allen just shook his head in exasperation and didn't say anything.

Plopping onto his bed—thankfully not disturbing the still slumbering Timcanpy—Road decided, "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to find another way~!" And with a snap of her fingers, Road's vibrant, heart-shaped door suddenly popped into existence, much to Allen's surprise. He didn't think she'd reveal her powers. It was obvious she wouldn't be revealing her real nature for a while (until ordered by the Millenium Earl he guessed), so for her to take that risk was a bit shocking. Then again, it was Road.

Realizing that Road was now staring at him, expecting some sort of reaction, Allen simply blinked and asked, "Why didn't you just come in this way?"

Road sweatdropped, having expected some sort of amazed reaction from him. "Well, first, I wasn't planning on actually showing this to you. Second, I was punishing Lero for being such a tattle-tale!"

That's how she must've gotten up here! Allen realized, and swiftly scanning the room, he finally noticed where Lero was, soaked and passed out in the corner of the room where he must've landed when Road threw herself through the window. Allen ruffled his hair sheepishly at the fact that he hadn't even thought to question Road's form of arrival. She was just so odd. Allen hadn't thought it out of the ordinary for her.

Trying to regain his attention, Road exclaimed, "Anyways~! Where do you wanna go~? It can take us wherever you'd like!"

Allen gave her a dubious stare and shook his head, "Understand it, Road. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Please?" Road stressed the word as she begged, "I'm so bored, Allen!"

With a sigh, Allen leaned back against the wall and wondered what to do. He wasn't sure anything he could say would get rid of her. Maybe a little bargaining would do? Slowly, Allen began say, "Alright Road, if I accompany you for the rest of the day, you have to promise me that you won't ever bother me again!" The terms weren't the greatest for Road, so Allen expected her to immediately argue them.

Narrowing her eyes, Road replied, "I won't bother you for the rest of the month!"

Knowing it was almost the end of the month, Allen didn't fall for it and said, "For the rest of the year!"

Crossing her arms in an annoyed manner, Road gave in, "Fine! But you have to hang out with me for the rest of the day and night, since the day's almost over."

Allen nodded with a relieved smile, and agreed, "Till dawn it is then."

Road somewhat relaxed and lied back on his bed with an enthusiastic bounce. "So where should we go?! I heard Tyki said you enjoyed poker, so maybe we could go to one of those big, fancy casinos."

Shaking his head, Allen replied, "I'd rather not." Allen wasn't sure where General Cross was currently staying, but money and women seemed to call to him like bees to honey. He wasn't sure that showing up at a 'big, fancy casino' would be the best idea. Actually, he was positive it was a terrible idea.

Road shrugged in reply, and continued to contemplate the matter. She suddenly sat back up with a huge smile. "I know! You can go to a ball with me!"

"Eh?!"

Road clasped her hands together and gushed, "Yes! It'll be great! Some nobility over in France are having a huge celebration, and with Daddy as the prime minister, we were of course, invited! But of course, Daddy is currently busy with Millenie, and Mother is feeling too sickly for any sort of traveling, so Daddy said that I was allowed to go as long as I had some sort of escort!"

"And it's tonight?" Allen questioned her with a suspicious gaze.

Road jumped up from the bed, and went over and snatched Lero as she squealed, "Yep!" Road then skipped over to Allen and began to drag him back towards her door.

"W-wait—" but before Allen could finish his protest, Road had already yanked him through her checkered-designed door.

Allen tugged at the silky and tight black bow with a grimace. The strict maid had refused to let him use his red ribbon, which he'd immediately tucked into his pocket before she could throw it out with the rest of his "ratty" clothes. It was his only one after all. Thankfully he hadn't been wearing his boots—being the only pair he had—or his Exorcist coat when Road had pulled him through, and he had shirts and trousers to spare. After arriving at Road's mansion, a maid had been assigned to him with strict orders to make him look as presentable as possible for the ball, which he slight resented her for.

After forcing him to thoroughly bathe himself—fortunately she was satisfied enough with his work that she hadn't attempted to help—and brushing his hair back away from his face with the exception of couple stubborn strands that framed his face, she had forced him into dozens of different suits! In all honesty, it had been nightmare. Some of those suits had been so ridiculous with the colors and designs that he'd wanted to gag! In the end, she had fitted him with a tasteful black suit, with an elegant tailcoat and a deep blue, silky vest that had subtle designs across the shiny fabric and brought out his moonlit eyes. The white button-up underneath had thankfully been plain, unlike some of the absurd, ruffled ones he'd tried on earlier. The black trousers were actually somewhat comfortable, though he couldn't say the same for the fancy dress shoes.

The moment the maid had brought that giant powder brush to his face though, was the moment that Allen had drawn the line, absolutely refusing to get that stuff on his face. He'd remembered how it had felt when he was a clown, and he wasn't going to deal with it when it certainly wasn't needed. The stuff was so itchy! The old maid had lectured him, telling him that his face would look too shiny, and that the hideous scar must be covered up as effectively as possible.

"I like my scar," Allen had growled, which had finally made her back off. Though it wasn't completely true, it was the only thing he had left of Mana, and no matter how proper he had to look, Allen wasn't going to start covering up the mistake he'd made anytime soon.

Gazing into the full-length mirror, as he slipped on the brand new white, silky gloves onto his hands, Allen decided he didn't look too bad. Though he was certainly glad that he'd forgone the top hat. With his cherubic face, he'd looked utterly foolish. Smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles, Allen finally moved away from the mirror, and carefully sat on one of the couches. He wasn't sure how long he'd been in here, but he was starting to get antsy. Sitting around in the stiff clothing while waiting for Road wasn't what Allen would exactly call fun. Fortunately, it wasn't long before the door to the sitting room was finally opened.

Glancing up, Allen's eyes widened slightly as he took Road in. She was dressed so unlike herself that it had him taken aback. The normally punkish pre-teen was enclosed in a beautiful, deep blue gown to match his vest. The subtle designs on the fabric suggested it was made of the same fabric. The gown was very extravagant, covered in ruffles and ribbons that were occasionally lined in silver. Then again, Road wasn't known for being subtle, so the elaborate dress suited her perfectly. In addition, her hair was actually dry and sleek with a thin silver ribbon tied in it; she also had on elbow-length, white gloves, and a diamond bracelet atop one of them. Allen was also pretty sure she was wearing heals, because she seemed a bit taller, though it wasn't enough to surpass his height.

With a wide grin, Road twirled and asked, "So~! How do I look~?"

Allen offered her an indulgent smile, and easily responded, "Very lovely Road."

Road suddenly paused, and gave him a contemplative stare. Cocking her head to the side, she murmured, "There's something missing."

Allen raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond as she continued to inspect him with a critical eye. She suddenly seemed to receive her answer because she was soon digging through some of the drawers on a small side table. Allen wasn't sure why she thought she'd find whatever she was looking for here of all places, but didn't argue as she continued to search. After a couple minutes she finally stood back up, and was surprisingly fixing a silver pocket watch to his vest, allowing the chain to hang on one side, and tucking the watch itself into a pocket on the inside of his coat.

"There!" Road exclaimed with a satisfied smile, as she stepped back to admire her work. "The only thing missing now is a top hat, but I think you might still be too young for that."

Allen rapidly nodded in agreement, a grateful smile across his face.

Picking up a small blue clutch Allen hadn't noticed her drop on the couch earlier, Road summoned her large, shimmering door and announced, "It is time!"

Allen let out a small sigh as he followed and muttered, "Dear Lord, have mercy on me."

Allen raised an unimpressed eyebrow when the door disappeared behind them and he fully took in his surroundings. Glancing at Road, he commented, "Nice alleyway, Road."

Road gave him a pout, "It's just temporary."

Allen shrugged and replied, "What? I'm serious! The alleyway I ended up in with Lenalee when we were in India was definitely worse!"

Road crossed her arms with narrowed eyes, "Really now?"

Allen was confused at her sudden change of demeanor. "Err, yes?"

Road replied in a smooth voice, devoid of emotion. For some reason, Allen found this terrifying. "So why were you in an alleyway with Lenalee?"

Allen scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to reply, "Umm…"

"Ms. Kamelot?" Road glanced up, conversation suddenly forgotten to her. Allen released a small sigh of relief, though he was unsure as to why.

"Ah, perfect! Our ride is here! C'mon Allen~" Road giggled, as she daintily lifted her dress up and exited the alley, Allen not far behind her. Allen blinked in surprise, unsure of what was transpiring. Soon he received his answer when he came face to with a beautiful carriage being pulled by a pair of elegant and well groomed horses. Allen clenched his teeth as he attempted to hold back the onslaught of memories. Since Mana's death, Allen hadn't been very fond of carriages.

"Allen?" Road called, already inside the carriage. Shaking away the memories and forcing them back, Allen tried to relax as he finally stepped in and sat on the comfortably cushioned seats, next to Road, who was either oblivious or decided to ignore his stiff smile. Fortunately, the ride was only a few minutes, though it felt like a painstakingly long process for Allen who practically flinched over every bump in the road, unwanted memories resurfacing. Road raised an eyebrow in question, but decided not to actually look for answers.

As they slowed to a stop, Road quickly instructed, "Carefully step out and hold your hand out for me!" Allen was thankfully shaken out of his stupor, and regaining his composure, he slowly opened the carriage door to bright lights and a soft thrum of voices. With a charming smile, Allen gracefully stepped down and was soon helping Road down from the carriage, being his gentlemanly self. Once she was safely on ground level, Allen held his arm out for her, which she graciously took. Soon enough, they were led through the large, arching doorway, and towards a magnificent hall that was extravagantly decorated.

Before they could go in any further, they were greeted by an extremely large woman dressed in a bright, emerald green dress, who welcomed them—specifically Road—with a thick, French accent, "Ms. Kamelot!"

Acting in a poised and proper manner that was befitting of her station, Road gave her a slight curtsy and offering her a lovely—and certainly fake—smile, she responded, "Oh, hello Mrs. Beaumont! How are you this fine evening? What an exquisite gathering! I apologize, but my father was unable to make it. I do hope your son Alexandre is having a wonderful birthday. Speaking of which, I doubt with this amazingly large gathering of people, I'll be able to find him. Please, give him my best wishes and give him this." At this, Road pulled out a small, neatly wrapped present from her clutch and handed it to the woman. "Anyway, I'm sure you have many other guests to greet! Thank you for the invitation!"

"Ah, yes, yes!" was all they heard from the French woman as they both swiftly headed away from her, which wasn't too difficult, considering the size of the room—if it could even be called that.

"What a cow," Road muttered under her breath, once they were a safe distance away. Allen, not being at all surprised, discreetly rolled his eyes. Not being too fond of nobility himself, he didn't bother scolding her. Not that she would've bothered listening to him anyway.

Road abruptly perked up and declared, "Let's dance, Allen!"

"Ah, alright," Allen easily agree, figuring the sooner they got to it, the sooner the night would be over. With such a huge crowd, Allen was starting to get kind of hot and claustrophobic. He came to a short stop though, when he was about to lead her into the throng of the other dancers. Despite his lack of height, Allen hadn't been much intimidated by anything. Until he came to face with an enormous group of waltzing grown-ups.

Easily picking up on his thoughts, Road blandly suggested, "Or we could dance with the other snot-nosed brats…"

"Food table it is!" Allen decided as he began to head over to where the delicacies were placed, a gleam in his eye. Unfortunately, Allen's little mission didn't last long as Road forcefully yanked him towards the middle of the dance floor. "Road!" For once, it was Allen pouting.

"Let's dance!" Road commanded as new song began to play by the musicians. Allen frowned in disappointment, but gave in and began to lead Road in a slow, but elegant dance to the soft resonance of the violin, along with the other guests.

As they continued to dance through many songs, Allen decided that this wasn't so bad. He wasn't exactly sure how to feel about "cohorting with the enemy", but there was really no avoiding it at this point. Road was just an oddity that now seemed constant in his life. In any case, it was certainly better than getting his eye gauged out with a razor sharp candle and having his arm agonizingly bolted to a wall.

"Hey, Allen? Isn't that one of your idiot friends?"

"Huh?" Glancing up, Allen followed Road's gaze and blanched. What was he doing here? Allen was honestly shocked at the fact that he hadn't noticed him earlier. He stuck out like a sore thumb! Allen finally spoke up, "It's definitely time to go get some food."

Road shrugged, not caring one way or another, as she had gotten her fill of dancing with Allen. Unfortunately, they hadn't even taken one step, when they heard someone calling out, "Yo! Twerp!"

Allen cringed slightly at how loud that'd been, but knowing there was no backing out now, Allen offered him a smile, albeit a slightly nervous one. "Ah, hello Daisya."

"Hey, what are you doing here dressed like that, you little runt?" Daisya asked as he neared them, wild brown hair flopping everywhere. He had yet to take notice of Road.

That of course, didn't last another second, because Road moved closer to Allen's side and claimed with an enthusiastic grin, "He's my escort!"

Daisya's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to look at the extravagantly dressed Road. Obviously, she had been the last thing he'd expected. Allen cringed as a mischievous smirk began to spread across Daisya's face. "Wow, twerp. I didn't know you had it in you to break the rules like this. My, my! What would Komui and Lenalee say~?"

"Shut up, Daisya!" Allen scowled, knowing the lectures he would receive from both parties.

"And all so you could take out your midget girlfriend dancing," Daisya snickered.

"I'm not a midget!" Road glared at him, and before either knew what was happening, Road had sucker-punched him in the gut.

Surprised, Daisya bent forward with a gasp. "Y-you're right," Daisya wheezed, causing Allen to raise an eyebrow. Daisya wasn't one for easy agreement. Of course, Daisya wasn't finished. After a small cough, he straightened back up and giving them a toothy grin, he continued, "You're both midgets!"

Apparently, Daisya wasn't one for learning form past mistakes, because not even a second later, he was being punched again by a pair of fists. And he still had yet to learn, as he coughed but still continued to talk, "What?! It's true! I bet one day, you'll have midget babies! They'll be so tiny, we won't even be able to see them!"

Daisya began to hop around on one foot after Road managed to give him a good kick in the shin. Taking advantage of his distraction, Allen swiftly pulled Road through the crowd, soon losing the other Exorcist. Though Allen still managed to distinctively hear a, "Damn midget!"

After managing to squeeze themselves through the thicker part of the crowd, Allen made a beeline for the food, stomach rumbling, with Road skipping alongside him. Of course harming an Exorcist—no matter how non-life threatening—would brighten her mood Allen mused, as he began to practically inhale the rows of fancy foods. Road simply watched happily as she nibbled on a little of it herself. Allen hummed happily as he continued to enjoy the scrumptious foods, somewhat slowing down.

"Who invited the pig?" A voice snickered behind them.

Both Allen and Road blinked as they turned and were faced with a tall, gangly kid. His slick hair was a dull, mousy brown, and he was wearing the brightest, orange apparel that Allen had ever seen. He refrained from rubbing his eyes at the sight.

With a wrinkle of her nose, Road sneered, "Who invited the carrot stick? You look like one of those disgusting vegetables Millenie makes me eat!"

The boy flushed a bright cherry red, as he spluttered, "T-this is my party!"

"Oh," Road blinked. "Well, if you'd like, I could fix your outfit for you. Maybe a nice and pretty crimson?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Allen noticed a jagged candlestick appearing in one of Road's hands that was held at her back—thankfully not lit. With wide eyes, Allen immediately put an arm around her, for once surprising her, as he nervously spoke, "Ah, we're sorry we bothered you! I hope you're having a great time!" And with this, Allen speedily led Road to a different part of the enormous hall while muttering under his breath, "Well that escalated quickly."

With a pout, Road crossed her arms, candle still in hand, and whined, "You're such a party pooper, Allen!"

"Just put that thing away!" Allen demanded, gesturing to the candle with a frantic wave of his hands.

With an exasperated roll of her eyes, Road finally conceded, vanished the thing back to her dream world, and muttered with another pout, "It's not like I was going to kill him…"

Allen raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well, not on purpose anyway! I was just going to mess with him for a bit for being so mean to you!" Road defended herself.

"Err, mean to me?" Allen blinked.

"Yes! Didn't you hear him call you a pig?! I'm going to castrate him! I'm going to dig my hand down his throat and rip out all of his intestines! I'm going to make him feel sorry for being such a jerk to my Allen!" Road passionately declared. Allen wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or creeped out by her possessiveness. Maybe a little bit of both? Allen promised himself to keep a closer eye on the deranged girl. There was no telling what she'd do when someone called him a worse name!

"Um, okay?" Allen awkwardly replied, scratching his cheek.

"Yes!" Road beamed.

Not having had a great experience with the people here so far, Allen decided that leaving would probably be for the best. And it couldn't hurt to play along with Road's game one time, so putting on a charming smile, and offering his arm to her, he suggested, "Why don't we go for a walk in the garden, my lady?"

Road burst into giggles and taking up his offered arm, she replied in a soft voice, "Of course, my gentleman."

Unexpectedly, a bright flash of light interrupted their moment, causing Allen to rub the spots from his eyes. He then glanced up to see a triumphant looking Daisya who was having a bit of trouble holding onto the enormous camera. "Aha! Now I've got proof!"

"Damn it Daisya!" Allen grumbled as he continued to see bright spots in his vision. "Can't you just focus on doing your job?"

"Nah! Suman's got it covered," he snickered.

"Where'd you even get a camera?!" Allen exclaimed with exasperation.

"Huh? Oh, from the pudgy guy over there," Daisya casually replied while pointing over to a small, rounded man who was extremely red in the face. And was also making his way towards them. Shaking his head, Allen once again pulled Road away from the commotion, as he heard Daisya's fading voice. "Hey, you think you could give me a copy of this?"

They arrived to the beautiful garden, blooming flowers of all types with their surrounding greenery being just barely visible under the moonlight. As Allen and Road strolled around in a comfortable silence, he mused that it had been the most relaxed he had been in a while, despite the unlikely company of Road. Sighing softly in contentment, Allen wondered what the rest of his friends were doing. He sure hoped they'd all had a safe mission. And hopefully none of them would miss him, just in case any of them returned early, though he doubted it. He'd be back by dawn, and then everything would be alright.

"Hey, Allen?" Road said in a thoughtful voice.

"Hmm?" Allen simply hummed.

"I can't wait for next year!" she exclaimed.

Allen chuckled in response, and then reminded her, "Well you've still got the rest of the night."

"Ah, that's right!" Road gushed with a clasp of her hands, as she twirled around. Unfortunately, this move turned out to be a mistake. The path the duo had been strolling down was set along a long and steep hill that led down to the surrounding forest. Road's gown unluckily got caught on shrub, her twirl coming to an abrupt stop as she was pulled back.

"Road!" Allen shouted, surprised as he grabbed her hand, but was unfortunately pulled along with her. They both yelled in shock as they tumbled down the hill. Thankfully, the rest of the hill was simply thick, luscious grass, resulting in them coming out unscathed.

Once their descent had finally come to a stop, Allen blinked, trying to regain his composure. Brushing his hair back in place, Allen slowly stood, pulling Road along with him. He then began to smooth out the wrinkles on his suit, as well as helped Road remove the lose clumps of grass that stuck to her dress.

"Oooh!" Road squealed. "Let's go take a walk in the forest, Allen!"

Allen blinked at the suggestion, and then shrugged, following her as she skipped under the canopy of trees. Their walk through the forest didn't turn out to be any different from their walk through the garden, as they could both easily see in the darkness, managing to avoid slamming into any trees. It turned out to be a lot shorter though, since it wasn't long before they broke out into a small clearing that was lit up by the moon, wildflowers and long tendrils of grass swaying with the soft breeze.

With a tilt of her head, Road listened and then murmured, "I can still hear the music."

"Me too," Allen agreed after a moment of listening for it himself. It was faint, but still carried by the wind.

"How about another dance?"

Allen didn't reply, as he simply began the slow dance with her.

"Wasn't this great?" Road asked with a grin.

Allen blinked, and referring to the ball, he asked "You actually like this sort of thing?"

Road cocked her head slightly and replied, "Well, to be honest, I usually loath these sorts of events. They're so boring, and humans are all the same. They sicken me."

Allen was perplexed. She could be so human and not, at the same time. "Then why do you always seek me out?" It was a valid question. Unlike last time, when Road had found his thoughts on the subject amusing, she had no real reason to be interested in him this time.

Road stayed silent for a moment as she continued to follow his steps in the simple dance to the faint music. Finally she answered with a question of her own, "Allen, how did you get that scar?"

Allen responded in a soft voice, "I think you know."

Road narrowed her eyes for a moment, but then said, "You're different, Allen. I've known it since that day that you bumped into me in town. Don't think you could easily hide that scar from me with that silly hat of yours. I knew what it meant from the moment I saw it."

"And what does it mean?" Allen asked with a small frown.

"It means you're not like them."

Allen raised an eyebrow. "All because of this scar?"

She stayed silent for a bit, and then slowly began to say, "How many of them have selfishly lost themselves in their despair? Willing to hurt anything and anyone to get what they want? All of them, including you Allen. Some of them weakly fought back, some lost it, others tried to run away, and then there're the ones who did absolutely nothing. But you, Allen… You did what none of them could. You survived."

"And?" Allen scoffed with an empty laugh. "So what? I was the only one with the fair advantage, Road! Just because I had the power to destroy it…" Allen slightly chocked, but forced himself to continue, "Doesn't make me any less human."

"Maybe…" Road trailed off. "But you are better. You're stronger. You're different."

His frown deepened. "Road, there must be something else stemming from this. You can't feel this strongly all because of a scar."

"Can't I?" Road simply asked. They had stopped their dance long ago, the music having faded with it.

"There is something else," Allen stated.

She hesitated.

"What? What is it? What else could there possibly be?"

Though Allen hadn't thought it impossible, Road actually seem to be losing her composure. It was still somewhat intact, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be staying that way for long. Road finally spoke up in a small voice, "I stumbled into something, Allen. Something even I think I wasn't supposed to know about. Something I didn't want to know about."

"You're not making any sense," Allen gently replied. Though in truth, he wanted to bombard her with dozens of questions, he knew that would only cause her to babble more.

Road took in a deep breath, and carefully begin to explain, "Do you remember that incident from a couple months ago? The one where you were turned into a little boy?"

Realization lit up in his silver eyes, and Allen nodded, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, I don't know if you actually have the memories from when it happened…" At Allen's shake of a head, Road continued, "At one point, your teammates took you into town, but soon lost track of you. That's when I found you, and Tyki and I decided to watch you for a while. It was fun! We stuffed you with all sorts of cakes and candies. Anyway, when we finally retuned you to them, you looked so exhausted that I thought it wouldn't hurt to give you a dream or two. Now children's minds… They're quite different from adult minds. They're very colorful and open. Practically nothing can be hidden."

Allen's eyes turned as wide as saucers. She must know! How could she not? She clearly pointed out that children could hide nothing. She must've dug all his future knowledge from his brain, and he hadn't even realized it!

Having no clue as to what Allen's thoughts were, Road simply continued, "At the time, I hadn't honestly cared about your thoughts on anything. It's true, I did think you were different because of your scar, so I sought you out. But I had no actual intention of reading you like book. I mean, to do it would have been so easy. The words were right there. All I had to do was lean closer and I'd know everything about you. I didn't bother though. I simply planted those sweet dreams and was about to exit."

"But…?" Allen prodded her, stiff as a board.

"Two words, Allen. Two simple words that my eyes froze over before I could leave. I didn't think two words could be so significant. It's all I've been able to think about." Road's composure was finally shattered as she trembled slightly in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Road softly continued, "It came as such a shock. I haven't even told Millenie, if you can believe that. I just…"

After a moment, Allen—having an idea as to what she had discovered—simply asked, "What do you plan to do about it?"

Road shook her head. "I don't know."

Allen frowned again, a bit puzzled. He hadn't expected that being a time traveler would upset Road this badly. And he was sure that with this sort of information, she would've gone straight to the Millenium Earl. Sure, she was smart enough to make the information useful for herself, but he also knew without a doubt that she was also loyal to the Maker.

"Road, what were the two words?" There was no hurt in double-checking. Allen absentmindedly felt a warmth on his back. It was almost dawn.

She didn't immediately reply, but then leaned closer to him, placing her lips near his ear, as she hesitantly began in a small whisper, "Allen you're…" Road trailed off, but then, as the sun finally broke out from the horizon and bathed them with a golden light, she continued with the words that Allen hadn't for a moment suspected, "The Fourteenth."

A/N: Whoo! Am I only one who thought that was a good ending?:D Haha, I loved it! And sorry if Road might seem a bit out of character towards the end, but I thought it made sense, since all her memories of Neah murdering her whole family, and then seeing him get killed himself by the Millenium Earl probably dredged up a lot of awful emotions. At least, that's how I saw it.:d

Well, I hope all those who were asking for Allen/Road are satisfied, since she can't see him for the rest of the year in the story!(x Hehe. Obviously it's not an official pairing for the story, but I thought it couldn't hurt.(: If there are any Allen/Lenalee fans who'd like me to do something similar for them in the future, just say the word! There's no real official pairings in the story, so it'd be fine. And for any anti-Lenalee people, you can't complain! I already gave you Allen/Road for a whole freaking chapter! As for the slash fans… Haha, sorry! I don't do slash.(x Guess I can't please everyone!:d

Review please~!

P.S. Haha, NirvanaFrk97 clearly pointed out that didn't thank him in the last chapter. xD Now let's all thank the silly boy for helping me with the last chapter! If he hadn't, you probably wouldn't have received these last two updates, so he deserves it! Thank you NirvanaFrk97!:3 You're the best~!

NOTE: One last thing! I was wondering if anybody would like me to publish the story that gave birth to Timely Mishaps. You see, before this time travel story, there was a whole different time travel story that I originally wrote when I was younger. It's very different from this one, and it's not at all completed (I only ever wrote two chapters), so I'd probably just work out some kinks and make it into a one-shot. So just say something if you're interested!(: Now review!