Allen shot straight up in his bed as a stabbing pain resonated throughout his body. The screaming pain seemed to start at the red pentacle on his forehead and work its way throughout his body, burning his heart, his chest, his legs. His chest felt as if it was being stabbed over and over again, jabbed in many directions, too many to count. Another wave of pain came and he screamed out, squeezing his chest where is heart was with both hands. His left arm was growing and shrinking, activating and returning to its original red form, as if the innocence was trying to escape the pain. Slowly the pain started to subside, with each wave becoming less and less fierce.

Allen, by that time, felt was if his heart had exploded. Suddenly he felt queasy and barely managed to learn off the bed before he vomited on floor. Slowly lying back down on his pillow, he stared at the ceiling in the almost complete darkness. It was a new moon, so there was no light.

"What," Allen thought, "was that?"

He turned over slowly and painfully. "I'll just ask Hevlaska if she knows anything about it." He thought as he tried to drift back to sleep.

--

"Oh, ho, ho." The Millennium Earl chuckled gleefully. He was sitting on the bench in front of his massive organ, playing a melodious tune. Swiftly his not-too-chubby fingers ran over the keys like pixies, pressing each key perfectly in sync with another. Road had been lying on the ground with her chin on her hands and her feet swinging in the air, listening to the Earl's playing.

"What is it?" Road asked, the swinging of her legs never stopping.

"It seems that a child is awakening." The Earl just continued to play his organ, his fingers moving faster and faster. "It also seems to be within one of our enemies." As he did so, the pleasant tune became more violent and full of hate. Soon the Earls hands were near a blur, and the song was an evil one, full of hate and wrath. "It seems to be Allen Walker." Suddenly he slammed to a stop on two high minor chords, sending a hissing scream throughout the room.

"Really?! Maybe then he'll stay with us!" Road said happily as she jumped up, unperturbed by the Earl's frightful melody.

"Maybe so, but don't get your hopes up. You know who he is with. At least until they chase him out, that is." The Earl stood up from the bench and walked towards the doorway.

"We'll, when those exorcists chase him out, I'll take him in with open arms." Road smiled, spreading her arms to emphasize as she followed the Earl.

"I have work to do now, Road. Why don't you go see what Tyki is doing?" The Earl said suddenly as he looked at a pocket watch that appeared from nowhere.

"Aw, do you have to?" Road whined.

"Yes, sorry my dear Road. I'll play with you when I get back, okay?"

"Ugh, fine." She said as she went through the doorway and down the halls. "Tyki!" She shouted. As she ran down the endless hallways, she looked in each and every door. As she threw herself through one door, catching the door frame to keep from falling, she ran face first into Tyki, who at the time was currently leaving, or trying to leave the room. Sprawled on the ground, the book that Tyki had had in his hand was on his face and his cigarette was burning a hole in the back of Road's shirt.

"Hot!" She jumped straight up and ferociously rubbed her back, trying to dislodge the burning tobacco. Standing up, Tyki grumbled and took the open book off his face.

He marked the page he was on and placed the book between his arm and side, holding it in place. Tyki then reached into his back pocket and brought out a pack of cigarettes, took one, then reached for his lighter. "And what, might I ask, were you running for?"

"Come play with me!" Road said happily and eagerly. She had finally managed to brush the cigarette off of her shirt.

"No," Was Tyki's flat out reply.

"What?" Road whined, her smile dropping into a pouting frown. "You owe me! Your stupid cigarette burned my back!" she pointed over her shoulder and down at the hole burned in the fabric of her shirt.

"That was your own fault." Tyki took a drag on his cigarette. Slowly he started to walk in the direction that Road had come from, the Earl's organ room. Road followed shortly behind, angry at Tyki and trying to get him to play.

"Maybe you shouldn't just randomly walk into people's way!" She huffed.

"Maybe you should look where you're going." Tyki replied as he opened his book and started to read. Even with his nose buried in his book, he continued on at the same brisk pace.

"Maybe you should look at your surroundings!" Road was getting angrier at Tyki. Each of her footsteps became steadily heaver, until it seemed that her goal was to put dents in the floor.

"I shouldn't have to, because you should be looking at where you're going. Do you have to stomp so much? You look so uncivilized like that," Tyki said, calm as ever. He took another drag and flipped a page. Without looking up, he turned right into one of the open doorways, and sat down on the single deep purple chair in the room. With his head on his fist that was propped up on the arm rest, he flipped another page and took another drag. The fiery orange ring steadily crawled up the shaft.

Sighing, Road just plopped down on the floor on her stomach and waited for Tyki to give in. Acting as if he had forgotten that his sister was there, he flipped another page.

"Are you actually reading that book there?" Road said.

Tyki looked at Road, a blank, uninterested expression on his face. "What?" He stared at her.

"That book," She pointed, rolling to her side some to make it easier for her to point from her lying down position. "You're changing pages way too fast to actually be reading it."

"I read fast." He went back to his book, and flipped another page. His cigarette was getting short.

"That fast isn't possible."

Looking up from his book again, Tyki scanned the room and saw Relo sleeping in a corner. "Go play with Relo." He flicked the butt of the cigarette to the floor and ground it with the heel of his shiny black shoe.

"Ugh. Fine, seeing as you won't," She said as she picked up and swung a half-awake Relo around.

Barely awake, Relo cried, "Wha-? Help! Earl-tama! Waah! Relo."

--

Allen couldn't sleep. After his strange pain attack he hadn't been able to fall back asleep. So he sat there on the edge of his bed at four in the morning and mumbled his thoughts out loud to himself.

Miranda wasn't sleeping, as usual. So she had been in Jerry's kitchen getting herself a late night snack. She was walking slowly on the way back to her room for fear of tripping and making a big noise when she heard the mutterings coming from behind Allen's door.

Why would Allen-kun be up at this hour? Miranda thought to herself. She looked left and right in the almost non-existent light, and listened for any other sounds, other than the murmurings in Allen's room.

Hearing no one else, Miranda looked back to the door and raised her hand. She got ready to knock, but hesitated a moment. Should I intrude? Allen-kun might not want me here, and he might only be talking in his sleep. Miranda fretted.

But suddenly the murmurings stopped. Noticing the sudden change in volume, Miranda placed her ear on the door, listening for any sound.

As she listened, she tried to be as quiet as possible by breathing gently through her nose. Suddenly, she felt a sneeze coming on.

Oh no! Not now! She thought frantically. She tried to hold it in, but much to her dismay, it only became stronger. "Ah-ah-ah-CHOO" Her sneeze seemed to resonate throughout the entire castle, bouncing off every wall, nook and cranny, only growing louder and louder to Miranda's dismay. She thought that all of the Dark Order must be awake by now. Then suddenly it stopped. Miranda sighed in relief, and turned around to have her face two inches from Allen's. Miranda shrieked, and jumped almost two feet in the air, only to land wrong on her feet and fall flat on her back, knocking all the wind out of her. Allen cringed at all the noise the older woman was making.

"What? Miranda!" He said in a hushed voice. "What're you doing here?" He helped her up as soon as she had finally gotten her breath back

"Sorry, Allen-kun," She whispered back. "I was on my way back to my room, when I heard your voice coming from inside."

"Oh. Well, come inside and sit down. Then we'll have some light and we'll be able to talk a little louder," He turned to the side and held out his arm as to gesture Miranda in first. After she went in, Allen shut the door softly behind him.

Walking into the room, Miranda surveyed the contents. It was her first time in his room, after all. She looked first as his disheveled bed, a mess from his attack earlier. The next thing she went to was the painting on his wall. She thought that the Moon and the clown made for an eerie atmosphere. The small wooden desk and chair in the corner livened up the room a little bit – made it seem more homely.

"So is there anything you want to talk about?" Allen asked as he pulled his desk chair over and offered it to Miranda who accepted. Allen himself went and sat down on the edge of his bed. He looked down, and tossed a bit of his sheets over the mess he made on the floor.

In the light, Miranda could see Allen better, and the first thing she noticed were the bags under his eyes. Allen was almost always clean kept. His clothes never have any crinkles in them, he was -- for the most part – well groomed, and she had never seen him look so tired and defeated. He had big, black bags under his bloodshot eyes, and his snow white hair was a mess. It looked as if Allen had been thrashing around at some point or another. "It would explain the bed" Miranda thought.

"No, not really. I'm sorry to bother you like this, Allen-kun." Miranda apologized. "It's just I heard some noise from here and wondered if everything was alright."

Allen looked a little startled at this, then regained his composure and smiled faintly. "Oh, it was nothing. Just a bad dream." Somehow, to Miranda, the smile looked fake. She also noted that it seemed that, even though Allen was looking at her, he wasn't seeing her.

"Well, I've wasted too much of your time. I have to be off to bed!" She said hurriedly. For some reason, she felt the strong urge to leave the boy alone for awhile

Allen stood up and opened the door for her. "Good night, Miranda," He said gently as she walked though the door.

"Yes. Good night, Allen-kun," She hurriedly said in a hushed whisper as she gently closed the door behind her. She took a step forward and her foot caught on a little nook in the floor, causing her to fall flat on her face. She scrambled up and dusted herself off quickly, but just before she left, she heard him mutter:

"All just a bad dream..."

Hello, all. For those who were with me before, and for those of you who are new, welcome. Welcome to my fanfiction, welcome to my story. Welcome to my own tale, following the events of the defeat of the Level 4 Akuma in -man. I hope you all will come to like and enjoy my story, as I know some of you already do. I won't force any of you to review, but they would be appreciated and will be replied to if you choose to do be kind.

I shall be updating every Saturday night or Sunday morning. I have 25 chapters typed, but that does not mean they they cannot be edited. Constructive criticism very much appreciated, as I am well aware that my writing is not the best.

Welcome to my realm, and I hope you enjoy the ride.