Chapter 3

'Remind me again why we must do this, Allen?' Neah ponder deep inside as Allen worked hard to wake their 'terrible of an excuse of a master' Louise out of bed, Allen was ordered to wake his master up just before dawn so that they will be able to go to the town without anyone bothering them.

The event that happened the day before yesterday was still a hot topic among the students in the academy, a familiar defeated a mage without much difficulties and a master in the act of swordmanship. Nealy all the females in the academy blushed whenever they see him walking around with Louise the Zero, some of them even show pity to him in their eyes that Allen caught while wondering around the academy grounds.

'Because Master Louise told us to. While, mostly to me.' Allen replied as he was shaking Louise lightly, he sweat-dropped when he saw Louise's face that was drooling with her eyes close so peacefully. 'How could she still be asleep after all the shaking and noises?'

'Beats me. Why don't we just blast her up? No one will know that it was us and it might knock a few marbles back in place in that big head of hers.' Allen could have sworn that Neah wanted to get rid of Louise with every possible chance that he could get. Taking a deep breath, Allen ready his lungs. If he could not wake her up his way, then he'll use the one and only way that he used to wake his previous master up. He hated using that method to other people but since it was the last solution, worth a try. 'ALLEEN! DON'T TELL ME! ARE YOU REALLY…..YOU OF ALL PEOPLE! YOU DARE!?'

"WAKE UP, MASTER!"

The whole academy was awaken by the sudden shake of noise that seemed to be coming from one of the dorms. It was so loud that by the time it reached to the nearest town which is few miles away, it could be heard as a soft whisper. No one had any idea what caused the mysterious noise, but it was soon followed by a cried of anger which was nearly as loud as the first. Nearly.

An angry Louise got dressed by her familiar who felt very sorry for using that method to wake her up. Neah was just glad that Allen had done it on Louise and not on him, being in Allen's mind sometime benefited as a santuary from those painful incomes.

"So, Master. What are we going to buy in town anyway? Do you have enough for the goods you want to buy?" Allen wasnts to make sure that he was not going to be the one to pay all the debts, learned from experience and better prevent it from happening again.

"Why, of course. I am a noble and as your master, I cannot allow you to be without a weapon if you were to be my familiar. It is my responsibility afterall." Louise stated as Allen finished dressing her up. She was statled when she saw the looks in Allen's eyes and a small smile on his face as well. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that it makes me happy that you care that much to someone that you just met and it was only few days ago. It had been a long time since someone cared about me." Allen quickly turned so that Louise won't see the single tear that was coming down from Allen's right eye. Louise was confused by the sudden change of his behaviour but shrugged it off before going out of the door which Allen had opened for her.

'You are not alone, Allen. Timcampy and I are always by your side.' Neah comforted him and Allen managed to smile at his uncle's kind words. 'Speaking of Timcampy, where is he?'

'Don't know, I hope he wasn't eaten by cat.' Allen merely stated as he followed his master through the hallway.

Once after finishing their breakfast along with the whole academy's storage for the next few months, they got out to the front gate where the carriages would be waiting. Unknown to them, Kirche had been watching them from her window as she couldn't went back to sleep after those loud shouts that took place earlier. She then got an idea and went to get Tabitha for her plan.

They arrived town few hours later and the street was already busy in the morning, the carriage took them to the middle of town before dropping them there. Allen took in all the scenery, it looked like the town that was near Black Order Headquater when he still works there. All those happy memories brought a smile to his face, but also awarness as he unconsciously put up his hood to cover his white hair. He doesn't want the townfolks to stare at him because of his weird appearance. After that battle with Guiche, he was instantly given many new cloths by the servants of the academy as a sign of their new found respect for him for having to defend their rights among the academy. So he took the cloths that he found were more concealing to his liking.

Walking behind Louise wearing a black cloack with a large hood, dark blue shirt with long sleeves, a pair of white gloves, a pair of long black pants and finally a pair of high ledge boots that ends as his knees. The boots were liked the ones he wore when he was in the Black Order so it had a comforting feeling.

Louise just went around the market place as Allen kept his distance fairly close as he was famouse in getting lost. After being alive for 100 years, one would think that one could already overcome such a small weakness. WRONG! This is one weakness that even the great Destroyer of Time couldn't even overcome. Such a shame.

"I knew it was somewhere around here…." Louise muttered to herself as she walk pass a few store before she gone into one. When Allen entered the place, he was greeted by the many weapons of ancient war; swords, spears, shields, armours and much more. All in all, it was basically a normal weapon shop.

'Do these humans really that dumb to buy these cheap junk?' Allen agreed with Neah, all these weapons may looked tough to the human eye. Because of Allen's battle experiences, these stuff will never last in battle.

"I see you have a good eye on my work," a rough voice greeted them from the counter, it was an old looking drunken man with a big nose and alcoholic breath, due to Allen's sensitive nose. This man really needs a bath, and a long one too. "Come here, miss. Tell the old man what you need."

Louise pondered the thought for a while and said to the shopkeeper that she wanted to purchase a sword for her familiar. "I want to best sword that you could offer."

Before the man run off to the back, he showed Louise a sword and claimed that it may not be much be it may be a good one because of its quality. Allen saw this and knew instantly that it was an old rusty sword that was recently painted, but Louise agreed with the comment made by the shopkeeper as she stare at it to wait for the shopkeeper to come back with the sword he promised.

'Uncle, that man's tricking Louise and I'm willing to bet that she was not the first one to get tricked.'

'Agreed, that new power of yours allowed you to see their true intentions and you have seen his greedy soul. Maybe it is time to make a deal with the Devil ~ ."

'Poker again? Nah, Master Louise is here and it is bad to gamble infront of kids.'

'You were a kid when you started gambling. And you were doing labour work just to pay off that man's debts!'

'Please, uncle. Don't bring up Master Cross, I will get a headache just thinking about him.'

While Allen was battling the pain in his head, his runic started to shine and the cogwheel appeared again. Louise was still busy with inspecting the sword so Allen scanned the shop and found a soul inside a barrel. He went over it and found that it was attached to a rusted sword, but somehow it was nothing liked the other swords that were present in the shop. Allen could already tell that this was a sword that had gone through war because of the smell of faint blood and an energy was flowing around it.

'Uncle, I think this sword is somehow alive. But its soul is in deep slumber, is it an Akuma?'

'I don't feel any ill intentions from this one and its soul was not trapped. Maybe it is just a magic sword. My advice, take this sword instead the lousy ones lying in this shop.'

'You always have something to say, don't you?' No comment from his uncle, Allen went to the counter with the sword just in time to see the shopkeeper came out with a fancy looking sword and Allen knew just by looking into it that it was a mere decoration. However, Louise was too naïve to know that. She awed at the shiny sword and asked the shopkeeper the price of that sword.

"3,000 new gold coins." The shopkeeper stated after teling Louise how the sword was made and its history.

"But you could a nice house and a garden and a forest for that!" Louise was shocked that it was that expansive. The shopkeeper merely stated that a good sword is compatible to a castle because of its value. Louise looked at her purse and saw that she only had 100 new gold on her. Allen saw the troubled face on Louise and he felt bad, he then showed the shopkeeper the sword that he just got and said that he will take the one he was holding on.

"You want to take that junk?" The shopkeeper asked in disappointment, he was going to cash big with this scheme. Allen nodded as he saw the looks on the man's eyes. The shopkeeper then said : "Just take it, I was going to throw it away anyway."

Allen smiled warmly and exited the store with Louise who was both dismay and relieved with Allen's choice. When they were out of earshot, Allen bend down and whispered into Louise's ear.

"Master, that man tried to trick you into buying a fake weapon. I saw it through with my left eye; that man is greedy and all of his weapons are nothing but fake. You should be more careful around people like that, Master." Allen sounded liked a mother that was teaching a child. Louise was surprised that Allen was really sharp with his surrounding. And speaking of his left eye, he hasn't explaind to me about that thing and the mark above his left eye. Louise thought as they continue on their shopping. Maybe he'll tell me everything after he felt like it. After all, he is quite secretive, even around me, his Master.

Behind them and hiding in a corner, Kirche and Tabitha had followed them and saw the sword that Louise got for Allen. Kirche was chuckling as she thought that Louise bought that rusty sword just to save cost. Tabitha was quiet the whole time, reading her book and only looke up to observe Allen.

"Secretive." Tabitha said. Kirche thought that Allen was too kind and allow Louise to do whatever she wished. Kirche then recalled that the sword that the shopkeeper showed Allen and Louise and she smirked as she dragged Tabitha and went into the store.

At one of the academy's forbidden halls, a figure was seen to be inspecting a lock on a huge door. The figure was experimenting with magic to the lock but failed, then noises were heard and the figure fled the scene without anyone suspecting a thing. As the figure fled, a plan was already formed as it fled to one place where no one will suspect to look for.

After Allen and Louise retured with their goods and left them in their room, the day had already reached late afternoon and it was dinner time. As always, Louise will be eating her exclusive meal while her familiar will be inhaling a full course that could feed an army within minutes. The academy had took note to order more supply if they were to keep their students away from starvation. No matter how much he eats, the staffs were still grateful for his courage and strength. If only they knew. The students however, felt that their appetite were gone on the sight of Allen's inhuman speed in devouring and were wondering does he has a Black Hole for a stomach or his stomach is a bottomless pit.

That night and after Allen finished his daily chores (according from Louise), Allen went for a walk around the academy grounds to look for his golem. On his way, he found Siesta staring at the two moons. He smiled to himself and walked up to her, just behind her without her knowing.

"The moons are really beautiful tonight." Allen stated and a surprised Siesta jumped. She calmed down when she saw that it was only Allen.

"Yes, they are. They remind me of my hometown because I had always watched the moons every night before I went to bed. Don't get me wrong, I love working here in the academy. The staffs here are like a family to me." Siesta blushed as she explained. Allen knew how that felt, he felt liked that during his line of work in the Black Order. Just thinking about it he felt that his heart hurt. No matter how he wished to go back and be with his friends and family, he just couldn't because they are all dead because of the Holy War.

Atleast now he could stop people from suffering the lost of that, and he would make sure of that. Siesta has become someone he wanted to protect from that same fate that had fall upon him. Siesta stopped as she saw that Allen's eyes were near in tears and she asked if he was okay.

"Oh?" Allen used his gloved hand and touched the only liquid that was flowing down from his eye. "It's nothing, Siesta. Just thinking about the past." He smiled again and told Siesta that he can imagine her love among her friends. She blushed even more and was about to say something but decided not to. She said that she had other chores to attend and bid him goodnight and thanked him again for defending commoners from nobles.

'She seems to be hiding something, nephew. And she was a terrible actress for hiding that fact, knew what it was?' Neah asked innocently.

'If she wants to tell me, she'll tell. It's not right to force someone to tell you things if they don't want to.' Allen answered then he looked around. 'I wonder if I could still control the Ark here.'

'You never knew if you never try. And we will be sleeping there and not the hay that brat gave you, she doesn't deserve your kindness. She can't even do proper magic since we came and we never saw her did any.' Neah whined angrily.

Allen ignored his uncle and closed his eyes, playing the 14th song in his mind. Expectedly, a crystal shaped light appeared rising from the ground with a number 12 on its top crystal. 'Looks like it still work.'

'This means that you could travel between worlds now, Allen. How wonderful is that? Even with the gates all around Earth, no mortal will be able to enter unless they have the License (which they don't) to use the Ark. Let's go back and forget about that pipsqueak!' Neah exclaimed excitingly.

'Neah.' Allen warned.

'Just kidding, mostly.' Neah whispered the last part.

Allen thought about a few fact and then he entered the Ark before the crystal gate shattered into pieces and its dust disappeared. He walked around the white city and went to the Musician's Room. There, he walked towards the Ark's control, the piano, and begin playing the 14th music again. Allen was planning to hide a gate in an isolated place in the academy where he has access to, serving as a mean to escape if anyone found out about his ability. After he was done, he used that gate and was immediately came out of an abandon room in one of the deserted halls. He thought that was a great idea as the hall was the only one he remembered how to walk back to Louise's room without help. And he only managed to remember this only way, blamed his terrible sense of direction.

While walking back with Neah trying to convince Allen to sleep in the Ark, a flying ball of gold with a long tail came to his direction and gently placed itself on Allen's silky snow white hair with its tail lightly circling around Allen's neck.

"Tim! Where have you been? I've been looking for you" Allen asked just before he heard tumbling noises and saw Louise and Kirche both running towards him. They stopped just in front of him and were facing each other before they started arguing again.

"Kirche! Get that thing off my familiar now! I don't know what it is and what it does but if it's coming from you, then it is bad!" Louise shouted angrily. Kirche looked offended and she puffed her chest, revealing her huge breast to insult Louise's flat ones.

"My, Louise. That was pretty accusing since that thing doesn't belong to me. I think that you were planning to frame me in this plot of having two familiars as it is against the school rules. How low of you, Louise." Kirche answered back and before anyone of them could continue, Allen step in to stop the fight before it gets out of hand. And he should know, a battle between women is not something you want to mess with.

"Ah, Master? May I introduced Timcanpy, he is a golem and he's always been with me since he was created by my uncle. He's also with me when you summoned me but he is not a familiar." Allen smiled at the two girls as Tim show them his rows of razor sharp teeth. Both girls jumped back in shock and Allen smiled warmly, Timcanpy then chew some strands of white locks.

"Let's go back to the dorm, Master. It is getting late and I know that there are classes tomorrow." Allen said as he gestured towards the direction to the girls' dorm. It was that moment that Kirche showed something long and was wrapped in cloth towards Allen and asked him to see what it is. After carefully unwrapping the cloth, Allen saw the same golden sword that the shopkeeper tried to sell.

"Hah! Buying something that my familiar clearly d-" Louise wasn't finished when Allen cuts in to avoid another spat between the two. He is too kind to hurt neither the girls' feelings, and being a gentlemen he will have to take on Louise's wrath soon when they are alone.

"It's beautiful, Kirche. Thank you." Allen lightly pull Louise closer to him and they were making their way to their dorm but was stopped by Tabitha, who mysteriously came out from a corner. She had a small box wrapped with a blue ribbon and handed it over to him.

"Gift." That was all she said and Allen was being cautious around people who don't talk much, liked that certain person. As he slowly open the box, he secretly took a peak at Tabitha. The girl was normal enough to a another straight A student but he also noticed her watching his every moves, liked the time when he was dualing with Guiche. He had to be extra careful since he had a feeling that this girl might be the one to figure him out.

As soon as he opens it, he was speechless. It was an ear piece and it was awfully similar to the communicator that Komui had gave him a long time ago. The golden piece in the shape of an irregular rectangle that he hangs on his left earlobe brought back memories from the past of his days when he first walk to streets of the Ark. Noticing that he had space out, Allen quickly snapped out of his daydream and thank her.

"Sylphid." Tabitha merely pointed outside a window and a blue dragon appeared. It shrieked and gently bowed its head towards Allen. These actions confused both Louise and Kirche but Allen knew that it must be the Noah that the dragon sensed, offering gifts to be on the Noah's good side.

'So they could sense your powers as an Exorcist and a Noah, that can be useful. Hmm, what will be your first command to the dragon, my lord.' Neah chuckled while joking the last part.

'Funny, uncle. If it was even possible, then it would be to find a way to stop Louise and Kirche from disturbing the entire dorm.' Allen thought as they bidded Tabitha and her familiar good night and were going to got the bed themselves. But they argument started again, he watched them continuing their fight even when they have entered Louise's room. There, they were still arguing and Allen was even considering to jump out of the window and hide in the Ark till things settle down.

"WOULD THE TWO OF YOU JUST SHUT UP! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"

A foreign voice spoke out, shocking the two girls while surprising Allen. They turned towars him while he looked around and found the rusty sword had unsheathed itself halfway to reveal its mouth.

"So it was your soul that I saw in that shop, you are alive." Allen stated before taking the sword out.

"Yes, I am alive. Being asleep for thousand of years led me to shops that don't even recognise me. Say, you're a weird fellow to be able to see the my soul. Does that have to do with your runic or that curse?" The sword stated the obvious. By then Louise and Kirche were staring at my runic and scar, thinking that by staring that they can get their answers that I have been avoiding for the past few days.

"Both, actually. I'm Allen Walker by the way. What would the name be of this humble sword of mine?" Allen asked politely and managed to dodge the question. He could practically hear Louise's frustrations and Kirche's chuckles, Kirche might be complementing him for his cunning way of answering things.

"You're polite, kid. I'll give you that. Name's Derflinger, but you can call me Derf. Usually, my weider is Gandarf. But your rune is not the same, but I recognise that rune." Derf said and then silent came. The sword must have felt that that piece of information must be important as seeing Allen not wanting to let another soul to know. After the awkward silent, Allen began talking again about other things and the two of them became friends. Kirche left the room, thinking that the familiar wouldn't be spilling any more secrets. Louise just ignore him after ordering him to wake her up at dawn and had him change her to her night grown.

Atleast now I know that scar on Allen's face is a curse, but what does it have to do with the runes? And why won't he reveal what rune my familiar has? If he won't tell me, then I will find it out myself. Louise thought to herself as Allen was done with her and he went to lay on the hay. Louise crawled onto bed and was about to fall asleep, but decided to sneak a peek on her familiar. She saw a rare smile that was not liked the ones that he had been showing in his sleep, a small tear was leaking out from the corner of his eye. He did said that the gifts did brought back his past, maybe it meant more then what he lat us know. Louise went back onto her pillow and fell onto a dreamless sleep.

Just before the first light of dawn touches the academy, a carriage was seen packing and a young maid was seen holding onto her bag tightly. She looked back at the academy with tears threatening to fall.

"It was nice to have met you, Allen."