String That Ties And Bounds

"That damn Wishing Star...I can't believe she made us do all this stuff..."Allen groaned.

"It was a little overboard,but it's over now,right?"Lenalee smiled.

"I guess...we better sleep early before Komui calls.I don't wanna die so early."Allen laughed nervously.

"I'll tell him we got caught up in a snowstorm.He'll understand."

"As long as you tell him.He won't believe me."

"So...you'll sleep on the bed?"

"No.We should sleep on the bed.There's enough space for two.Besides,Wishing Star might just show up again."

"Good point."

Allen and Lenalee left their suitcases at a side and went to bed.Just as Allen was dreaming about dangos,Lenalee shook him awake.

"Huh?Wha...Lenalee?What is it?"Allen stuttered,rubbing his eyes.

"I can't sleep."Lenalee whispered,tugging at his sleeves.

"Um...all right.Sit down.I'll talk to you,but only for a bit."

"Okay."Lenalee smiled."So...about the notes on the piano,how did you come to know about it?"

"Mana taught me how to read the notes."Allen said,looking up to stop his tears."I didn't know what it meant,but I always remembered.Always...."

"Mana?"

"He's my foster father."Allen smiled,his tears almost overflowed."We were not related by blood,but I loved him more than my birth parents."

So that's why you fight for the akuma so much."Lenalee said."Because you wanted Mana to be proud of you."

"He's always been proud of me."Allen paused."Maybe he's in heaven looking at me with eyes that says,'That's my son,and I'm proud of him.'"

"He is."Lenalee smiled."If you look into your heart."

"I believe you."

Author's Appearance:First Night

"Man...if it keeps snowing like this,we'll never get back home and report in time..."Allen groaned.

"Cheer up."Lenalee smiled."It's not like it won't stop."

"Yeah but..."Allen stammered."What if Komui misunderstood and....HE'LL MURDER ME!"

"He won't.He'll understand."

"I hope so..."Allen said."Anyway,we'll have to stay for the night.It's getting late."

"I guess."

Allen and Lenalee trudged in the thick snow.I followed.DUH.

"Hey!"I waved.They turned around and gaped.

"WHAT are YOU DoINg HERe?"

"Um...HELLO?!I am the AUTHOR!I can make appearances whenever and WHEREVER I LIKE."

"Those shades are not your color..."

"Um...these?No...I borrowed them from Tyki."

"SAY WHAT?!"

"Yup!Or should I say I stole it..."

"WHAT???"

"Sheeesh...don't get so worked up.Or I'll make you do with Lenalee..."

"Do WHAT?"

"Awww...Allen's acting innocent."I grinned."If you get her pregnant,you're dead."

"Um.....how excatly are you gonna do that?"

"I have a pencil,you coconut head!"I said."It makes wonders."

"Prove it."

"Okay."I pulled out my pencil and paper and scribbled out some words.

Allen kisses Lenalee.

It happens.

Allen was kissing Lenalee.

"Don't make me erase the 'kissing and turn it into 'rape'."

"All right!!!!"Allen screamed."Help us find a room!"

"Done."I snapped my fingers."You'll be staying at the inn nearest to the harbor.There will be only one room left,but I made reservations."

"Okay..."

"But..."I started saying.

"Not the 'but'...."

"Only one bed.No arguments?"

"WHAAATTT???"

"Allen?"I said."Again?"

"I got the hell enough of it!"

"Shall I put in the rape word for you,my dear?"

"All right...We'll share a bed..."

"Good!"I'll see you sometime soon..."I snapped my fingers and disappeared.

"Not so soon..."He barely whispered.

"What was that?"My head popped out on Allen.

"GAH!!!N...nothing..."

"All right.But I'm sure I heard something...Anyway,good luck!"I disappeared again.

"Come on Lenalee.Let's go."

"W-wait!"

First Night

"Why do you want me to stay here?"Allen asked.

"I don't want to be alone."

"Yeah but...can't this wait?We could always talk by morning."

"I can't go back to sleep."She whispered,her voice thinner than a piece of string.

"Why?Is it that nightmare again?"Allen asked worriedly.

Lenalee nodded.She clenched her fists as she described her dream.

"I couldn't use my inoocence anymore."Lenalee whispered as she clenched her fists further with tears welling up in her eyes."I saw your innocence destroyed and..."

"I was killed?"Allen said for Lenalee.

"By the Earl."

"That's not really possible,right?"Allen said."Helvaska predicted I was going to defeat the Earl.Even I made preparations for that to happen anytime.You should,too."

"But..."Lenalee

"It's all right."Allen said."You were always the one who takes a death the most seriously.But...I know you could protect yourself.You're still strong,right?Your innocence evolved into a new type.You should be very well aware of that."

"I do..."Lenalee said with tears flowing freely down her face."You always seemed to be stronger than me.I...didn't realise I was this weak...until you came back to me."

"Everyone realises what their weaknesses is.What we should do is to face them,overcome them and believe in yourself more."Allen smiled while drying her tears.

"Yeah,but...now I'm not even sure.I always feel I believe in you more than myself."

"Thank you,but you should fend for yourself,too."Allen whispered,still smiling."You still have a brother to protect."

"True."Lenalee smiled back."It's about my turn to protect him,too."

"I believe you can do that."Allen smiled.

"You're right."Lenalee felt her eyelids getting heavier."Let me rest for a bit,Allen-kun..."

"All right."Allen pulled her towards his shoulders."Rest well.We'll be returning home tomorrow."

"Allen-kun..."

"Yes?"

"When the war is over,can we start over?"

Allen didn't say anything.He smiled.When Lenalee fell asleep,He let his head rest on Lenalee's.Letting a faint smile slowly crawl onto his face,he said,"Of course.Anchor that belief and it'll certainly come true.Someday."

A few finders happened to pass by and giggled softly.They got the the two of them a blanket and laid it on them.The night passed quickly and when a finder told them about what happened last night,Allen almost threw out what he had in his mouth.Lenalee cleared her throat.

"May I have your attention?We would like to announce something."

Allen swallowed his food and had a sick expression on his face,"Don't tell Komui-san."

A Promise Made

I was in a battlefield.The Earl invaded our home.Everyone was trying so hard to fight.So much bloodshed,screams and sorrows.I saw Allen-kun,drenched in crimson blood.Yet his body was pushed past his limits. Every time he was attacked,he pushed himself further,not caring about the consequences.


"Allen-kun!!"I shouted.

I must help him.I con't care if I die!


"Innocence!Activate!"

My blood red anklets won't activate.


"Come on!Activate!!"

It didn't respond.Instead,it turned into ashes and disappeared.I clenched my fists.I was no longer an Exorcist.I saw Allen as he was flung onto a wall and fell.


"Allen-kun!!"I shouted and ran to him.


He smiled and caressed my cheeks with his normal hand.I cried,holding it so tight I wasn't able to let go.


"I'm sorry..."Allen barely whispered as a tear rolled down his blood-stained cheeks."I...."


His eyes closed and his hand slipped out of my hands and watched him turn into dust.


"ALLEN!!!!!"


"Lenalee?Lenalee!Wake up!"




              ~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~




"Lenalee!Are you all right?You were screaming in your sleep.What happened?"Asked a worried Allen.


"Yes...it was just a dream...oh!By the way,why are you here?"


"You were screaming,so I though something happened."Allen said while pouring some water into her glass."Here."


"Thanks."Lenalee smiled as she took the glass.


"You know,I was pretty worried about you.You must have a bad fright."


"I..."Lenalee tightened her grasps on the glass."I don't know what I should do..."


"Do what?"


"I felt like I was seeing the future.You...died..."Lenalee closed her eyes and gripped the glass even further that it shattered.


"Careful,Lenalee!You shouldn't hold it so tightly."Allen removed the glass pieces from her hand carefully."Hold on.I'll get you a towel."


"Allen-kun..."Lenalee muttered as Allen wring the towel from a tub of water.


"This will hurt a little,so please bear with it."Allen said as he cleaned Lenalee's wound.She winced a little.


"Can't you be a little more gentler?"


"Bear with it.It's almost done."Allen said."You really shouldn't worry about me,Lenalee.The future would have to wait.The most important moment is the present."


"I know...but..."


"It'll be fine."Allen smiled."Where's the bandage?"


"It's in the cabinet on your right.The scissors,too."


Allen wrapped the bandage around her hand and cut it when he's done.


"We'll be home tomorrow,so you don't need to worry so much,all right?"


Lenalee nodded.


"I see you tomorrow,then."


"Wait!"


"Do you need anything?"


"Could you....stay for a while?"


"Shouldn't you be sleeping now?"


"I can't sleep.I'm afraid the dream would come back."


"All right.I'll stay for a bit.But promise me you'll go back to sleep."


"I promise."Lenalee smiled.

When I'm With You

The both of them were very quiet.Too quiet,in fact.The only sound that could be heard was the lapping of the waves and the soft flutter of Tim's wings.

"I noticed you were late,Allen-kun."Lenalee broke the silence with her gentle,yet fragile voice."You were never late before.Is something wrong?"

"No..."Allen looked away."It's just that...I don't feel well."Allen said.

Lenalee held back her tears while she stood up.

"Why can't you tell me anything?!I'm your friend.That's what friends do!"She shouted at Allen,tears flowing freely as she broke down and sobbed.

"Lenalee...I-"Allen reached out a hand to wipe her tears when she pushed his hand away.

"Don't touch me!"Lenalee ran for the door when she felt an arm stopping her from going.

"Let me go,Allen-kun."Lenalee's lips quivered.

"Please...hear me out.I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Now you did."

"I'm sorry."Allen said,letting her hand go.He buried his head in his knees."I've just been thinking too much.Everything just goes too fast."

Lenalee sat down beside him,overcame by worry more than anger.

"Thinking about the Fourteenth again?"

Allen nodded.

"I see that figure behind my reflection,then everything came back to me.My past And what the future holds."

Lenalee put a hand on his shoulder.Allen looked up,his grey orbs overflowing with emotions.

"You know,every time I think that way,I was afraid I'd kill you first."Allen smiled slowly.

"Why?"

"Because you are themost important person of my life."

Lenalee smiled.

"That means a lot to me.Thank you,Allen-kun."

"No,I should be thanking you,Lenalee."Allen gave her a faint smile."You made you realise something."

"What is it?"

"You know,I used to think fighting akuma was the purpose God even let me exist in this world.They were all that mattered to me.I used to think it was to make it up for Mana because I was foolish enough to trust the Earl.But I almost got lost on the way..."Allen paused,looking up at the dusty ceiling."Then I met you and the others at the Order.I realized that I was fighting for something else.But above all the people I know,you are the only one next to Mana in my heart."

"That goes for you,too."Lenalee said,sliding closer to him.

"Huh?"Allen's head snaps to face Lenalee.His sudden action made her jolt a little.

"You take up more space in my heart than anyone besides my brother.And I believe you could overtake Nii-san's place."

"Y-yeah....I guess so..."Allen blushed."I just hope he doesn't kill me,then."

"If he does,I'll send him flying with Dark Boots."Lenalee wrapped her arms around Allen's neck."Don't worry so much Allen-kun.I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Yeah,I hope so!"Allen laughed,putting his hands on her hips.

"Do you feel better?"

"With you,I'll always be happy."Allen smiled and gave her a peck on her lips.

"What about our sorrows?"Lenalee asked,blushing.

"Washed from our memories,"Allen Gave Lenalee a hug."forever."