A/N: Ugh, I was rereading the first couple chapters and realized how much this sucks. If I were more invested in this story, I'd probably be tempted to go back and rewrite it, but alas, it already takes so much out of me to muster up the energy to write more chapters… In any case, I can't believe I actually did write another chapter! lol Be grateful! xD

Thank you to Kuroi Rin, jy24, Sol's Darkness, Guest, Ginshi-chan, Sakura Hyuga, Takei Daloui, Galskab, NekoYullenDragonAssassin, Lena-luvs-cats, ToscaThorCat, Celestial Wolves, RavensStag, blood rose, RaNDoem, Candy Crackpot, caity (x4), Luce-san, RAGNOROKgirl564, xXxPhantomxXx, Guest #2, author12306, Kurosora-chan,AnimeWarrioress, justafreakinweeb, , Dhea30, NoToLogins, Tokoyonokuni, PipeDream (x2), Pippalina, Baloogablue, TheBizarreHairTrio, YumikoWantsCake, 0Book0Worm0, ALB15, and pikaree1 (x3) for reviewing!

On the bright side, you guys waited only half the length that you needed to wait on the last chapter! :3

And sorry if anything looks too odd. I wrote each of the scenes I wanted out of order, before smashing it together into the chapter you have here. I edited of course, but I'm not perfect, so sorry for any mistakes.

Also, please be patient with this chapter. :)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: De tin marín de dos pingüé. Cúcara, mácara, títere fue. Yo no fui, fue Teté. Pégale, pégale, qué este mero fue. In other words, I don't own anything, lol.

Chapter 4

Time Frame — Night of April 4th, 1886

—3rd Person POV—

~Lavi~

Lavi cursed under his breath as he was forced to duck around the shrieking guests evacuating the mansion. But once he'd pushed his way into the main hall that lead towards the ballroom, the issue was evident. A mass of a Level 2s had invaded, crawling and slithering after all those incapacitated by the first, massive explosion that rendered a good portion of the manor to mere rubble. It was a slaughterhouse, but at the center of it all stood Maria and Cross, defeating wave after wave of Akuma. Lavi was relieved to find that they appeared to be handling it just fine and readied himself to return to Allen, but paused, becoming almost numb as an Akuma stabbed its pincer-like limbs into a shrieking woman, permanently silencing her before tossing aside her shredded corpse.

The sight wasn't anything new to Lavi. After recording a good number of wars with Bookman, he'd seen even uglier corpses, more grisly deaths. The old Lavi, the old no-name, wouldn't have had an issue with stepping over her corpse and skipping off on his merry way. He'd been readying himself to become a Bookman for the past year, closing off all emotions to the best of his abilities in preparation for his apprenticeship with the old man.

But meeting Allen and Maria… spending time with them… it had opened up a floodgate of emotions he'd worked so hard to keep under lock and key. And the thought of seeing Allen's face while knowing that he'd mercilessly sentenced the deaths of these innocent civilians—

Lavi gritted teeth. What was he thinking? They weren't innocent. None of them were.

His single eye narrowed as he quietly observed a man ruthlessly shove a woman in the way of an oncoming Akuma before frantically making his own escape. As the man stumbled past him, Lavi didn't make a single move to save him when another Akuma swooped down and snatched him up, instantly piercing the man with its jagged claws, blood vividly spraying in a shower of red.

With a heavy thump, the corpse landed beside Lavi.

Gingerly stepping over him, Lavi began to make his way out of the wreckage, confident that the pair of older Exorcists would easily be able to take care of the dwindling Akuma. Already the numbers were so low that the few left were finally converging around the two Exorcists. Not that there was anyone around left to kill. Only the first wave of guests that evacuated had made it and Lavi had been careful to keep himself hidden among the rubble—

BOOM!

Dazedly, Lavi blinked open his dust-covered eye, choking and coughing out the ash in his mouth. Rubbing at his stinging eye and wiping away the tears, he stumbled back onto his feet, gaze flitting about. Fortunately, the small detonation had not caught him head-on. But it brought a whole other predicament to Lavi's attention, because it wasn't until that moment that Lavi began to question the reality of the explosion he and Allen had witnessed earlier.

His first assumption had been the likelihood of Level 1 canons being the cause, but it was clear that the majority of the Akuma were Level 2s, and from what he'd gathered, it was safe to say that with their individual powers, not many of them made much use of the Blood Bullets.

So then, that begged the question: What had caused the first, massive eruption and why were explosives littering about?

Lavi silently crawled forward, peeking around a torn slab of concrete. Through the dust and shrieks of dying Akuma, it was hard to make much out, but once Lavi knew what he was looking for, his eye snagged onto the single Akuma not attacking Cross or Maria. In fact, Lavi was sure that if the pair of Exorcists weren't so distracted, their attention would've instantly been drawn to this particular Level 2—it wasn't remarkably discreet, after all. Even from his distance, Lavi could clearly make out its distinct pleasured shrieks and cackles.

"Hihihiihii~! I am Pyro!" screeched the bright and colorful Akuma as it jumped about the side of the manor that wasn't completely wrecked. Lavi couldn't make out what it was that the Akuma was placing throughout the hall, but he could guess, especially as the Level 2 cried, "AND YOU WILL ALL BURN!"

Oh no! He's going to blow this place down! Lavi anxiously glanced in the direction of Maria and Cross, hoping they'd at least taken notice. But no. Just as before, Maria calmly stood at the core of the battle, untouched, red lips opened wide as she sang the song of Innocence, easily tearing through the Dark Matter conveying around them, while the General watched her back, Judgment continually snapping back in his hand, bullets shooting out.

Lavi hesitated for only a second, before bolting in their direction, hand fisting around his Iron Hammer. As an unexpected variable, the Akuma didn't have much chance to even contemplate attacking him, before Maria and Cross finally spotted him. Fortunately, for his sake, they manage to curb their attack long enough for Lavi to make it to their side.

"Lavi!"

"No time to explain!" Lavi interrupted with a gasp, briefly wondering what sort of sight he must've made, clothes ragged, drenched in blood, and single eye bloodshot from the debris of the small explosion. "But we have to get out now! The Level 2 down there set up more explosives and the place is about to be blown up once more! We're going to be crushed!"

"Maria! Magdala Curtain!" Cross barked, and though Lavi did not know its significance, they were soon concealed from the Akuma, Cross treating him almost like a rag doll as he snatched him up. In mere seconds, the trio had departed from the mansion—

BOOM!

The aftershock waves flung them mercilessly to the ground, the heat a thick wall at their backs, with only Cross managing to drag himself up quickly enough to block them from any flying debris.

The aftermath was a bit disconcerting for Lavi as Maria frantically fussed over him. And then, the question.

"Lavi, where's Allen?"

Time Frame — Evening of April 5th, 1886

~Allen~

It was absolutely miserable. The alleyway in which Allen had spent the night and better part of the day in was dank, the smell pungent; he was filthy and so achingly sad; and he was so hungry he felt dizzy. He'd already tried eating an old, moldy apple from the garbage can beside him, but soon after, he'd retched it back up. Shaky and desperate, Allen stumbled onto his feet, warily making his way towards the edge of the alleyway, where a bit of light from the street lamps spilled onto him. Dejectedly, he watched as a boy near his age walked with his parents, and Allen hiccupped as more tears spilled out.

Oddly enough, it seemed many families were passing through the normally deserted street. Peeking around, Allen's moonlit eyes grew wide as the top of an enormous red and white tent came into view. Though most of it was hidden by buildings, its height was enough for even Allen to catch sight of it. Soon after the streets became deserted once more, Allen scramble out of the narrow alley and curiously followed the path that lead to the outskirts of town.

No one that passed took much note of him as he slinked towards the circus grounds. Wide-eyed and expression inquisitive, Allen walked along the massive tent while eyeing the trail of carts and caravans lined up on one side. As he followed the path alongside the tent, he realized that the show wasn't over quite yet. Weaving his way around the crowding adults, he broke to the front, head craned up in order to catch sight of the large man standing atop a small platform.

The man was rotund and jolly with his crinkling blue eyes, bushy mustache, and bouncing ginger curls poking out from beneath his top hat. His overcoat was a brilliant red, coattails trailing dramatically behind him, a shiny cane was gripped in one hand, and he wore a pair of funny-looking striped pants. Unfortunately, Allen couldn't understand a word as the man drew the crowd's attention with his booming voice, accent a bit thick as he spoke in French. But once the man used his cane to motion towards his right, Allen's gaze was drawn to the line of barred caravans. A rickety sign nailed above designated it in English as the Freak Show.

At his reading level, Allen easily made out the words.

As the crowds dispersed to get a closer look, Allen trotted over to the nearest cage, carefully mouthing the words on the sign: Nellie the Dog Child. Curiously peeking up, Allen instantly recoiled in disgust. The child sitting in the dank and grimy cage was incredibly hideous and reeked of moldy garbage and piss. The features on her face were all smashed into squashy lumps, greasy hair lying in clumps along her lopsided forehead. Allen wrinkled his nose, as he continued to stare… until, after a long while of staring, realized how downtrodden the child appeared. Behind him, adults passed, sneering in disgust, shouting insults.

"Don't stick around too long, kid," one older, English gentleman patted Allen gently on the head, offering him a kind smile, before his face contorted into an ugly sneer as his gaze flickered back to the child in the cage.

"I'm sorry," Allen whispered, holding his left arm close to him, recalling the jeers that not even his parents could keep at bay when someone caught sight of his arm.

Backing away, Allen hurried off, and caught sight of the next caravan. It read: Rubber Skin Man. A thin, greasy-haired man with a demonic grin was terrifying people as he pretended to peel his skin off. Stomach twisting at the sight, Allen hurried on. Next was The Fat Lady and Allen once again felt repulsed at the sight of the fleshy woman who could barely fit in her designated cage. Layers upon layers of fat hid whatever appearance she may have been born with. Not daring to even glance towards the rest of the prisons, Allen trotted off until he'd rounded back towards the back of the circus tent, where the rest of the carts and caravan were stationed. Already some of the circus workers were heading towards their designated quarters.

Allen practically jumped out of his skin when he felt a sharp tap on his shoulder. Stumbling around, he anxiously observed what appeared to be a grinning clown. Uneasy, Allen staggered back as the clown leaned down towards him, grin not abating for a second. The clown spoke up jovially in broken French.

"I-I'm s-sorry, sir," Allen mumbled, trembling and near tears.

"Oh! You speak English, do you, lad?" the clown instantly switched over.

Lips clamped shut, Allen nodded silently.

The clown then made a silly face, but when Allen did not react, he pouted. "Why do you not laugh? Children love clowns! You… you are a child, are you not?" the clown gave him a dubious once-over.

Meekly, Allen nodded once more.

"Then why are you not laughing? Is something the matter?" the clown asked, expression and tone becoming a bit gentler. "Have you lost your parents, little one? Would you like me to help you find them?"

At the reminder, Allen burst into tears. Frantically, the clown attempted to calm him down, but to no avail. The painful reminder had burst open the dam within Allen once more, and he could only cling onto the slightly panicking clown. "A-alright, come along, lad," the clown stammered, and Allen allowed to himself to be carried away. In moments, he was brought into the tent in which the clown resided where he was gently set down on the cot. Curling up beside the clown, Allen could only hiccup and sob until he fell into an exhausted sleep.

Grumpily, Allen blinked open his aching, gritty eyes and licked at his chapped lips. Warily sitting up, the small boy tensed, eyeing the unfamiliar surroundings. He appeared to be in a small tent with the majority of its space taken up by the cot he'd slept on. Beside the entrance flap stood a body-length mirror, and in between that and the cot, a suitcase lay opened. Allen peered over curiously, eyeing the messily folded clothes, what he thought might've been make-up or face paint, and a large colorful suit that he found to be hideous.

It was after a few moments of sitting there, that Allen finally recalled the previous night when he'd stumbled upon the circus and its Freak Show, before the weird clown had found him.

Even so, he instantly tensed up when the tent flap was shoved aside by a haggard-looking man who stepped in. "Sleep well, did you, lad?" he asked cheerfully, but when Allen could only back away, the man pulled a silly face reminiscent to the clown. "It's me, the clown! Don't tell me you already forgot!"

Relaxing slightly, Allen shook his head mutely.

"Well, it's nice to meet you face-to-face, little one," the man smiled down at him, and held out a hand towards him. "My name is Mana. Mana Walker."

Cautiously, Allen offered his tiny hand and Mana shook it firmly as if he were a real grown-up. He giggled. "I'm Allen Cross."

"It's a pleasure!" Mana beamed. "Now, would you like to help me out? The circus is leaving today, and I need to pack everything up or I'll get left behind!"

"Okay," Allen nodded.

"Good boy," Mana grinned, ruffling his rusty red hair. Thoughtfully glancing around, the older man offered, "Would you like to pack my suit case? I'm sure you'll do a great job with that!"

"Yes, sir," Allen agreed, hopping down from the cot and quickly getting to work, much to Mana's surprise. But Allen was good at this. He knew how to pack his own suitcase after all. His mama always told him he did such a good job, after all…

"Allen, why are you crying?"

Blinking rapidly, Allen realized he, in fact, was crying, and getting the man's clothes wet in the process. "S-sorry, sir," he stammered, wiping away the tears before continuing to neatly fold the large articles of clothing.

"It's no problem," Mana smiled as he folded up the cot, "But what's the matter?"

"I… I miss my mama," Allen admitted quietly. And my papa. And big brother.

"I see," Mana murmured. "But that's okay, so do I!"

Allen paused, brow furrowed. "You miss my mama?"

"Hm? No! I miss my mum."

Allen scrunched his face up. "You have a mama?"

Mana chuckled and explained, "Allen, everyone has a mum."

"But… but you're so old," Allen pointed out.

"Thanks for the reminder," he muttered, and Allen realized that what he said might've been rude. Before he could apologize though, like he'd been taught to, Mana grinned once more. "Come along, Allen! We need to get this stuff loaded onto the carts and then fold up the tent! Would you like to keep helping me?"

Allen nodded, and "helped" Mana carry the folded up cot, suitcase, and mirror onto a nearby cart. Soon after, they took the tent down and loaded that onto a different cart. By the end of it, Allen felt as if he were about to pass out from the hunger. Fortunately for him, Mana shared his lunch.

"Say, Allen, you were a real great help today," Mana grinned, as Allen greedily bit into his half of the sandwich. "Would you like to continue to be my little helper?"

Allen paused, expression dimming. The ache in his heart returned once more, because as nice as Mana was, he wanted his family. But, did he really have a choice?

"Yes, sir."

Time Frame — Night of May 9th, 1886

~Lavi~

The guilt was crushing. To the point where Lavi felt that he could hardly breath as his throat constricted and his single eye began to sting with unshed tears. Was this worth it? Was deserting the Bookmen Clan really worth all the pain and misery? At this point, the only thing that kept him going were the few precious memories of the months he'd spent with Allen, with the hope that he might one day regain that. But it had been a month already and no luck.

After practically turning the town upside down for a whole week only to come up empty-handed, they'd followed every lead; searched every orphanage and church in the surrounding towns; asked every family that seemed willing enough to take in a child, and even those who weren't. But to no avail. He'd done everything he could; everything Cross and Maria had asked of him, and nothing. Not one damn thing.

Lavi stayed still and silent as a statue, remaining in the shadow of the doorway. Maria had already sent him off to bed, and for her sake, he'd complied. But he was uneasy, restless. It was only the two of them. She was so distraught and exhausted that Cross had gone off in order to complete her mission before she could even protest. Unable to sleep, Lavi had nervously peeked into her connected room, but the sight of her had only squeezed the breath out of him, his guilt settling like a rock in his chest and crushing his very soul.

Despite the dimness, her familiar silhouette was unmistakable as she kneeled before the tiny suitcase that could only belong to Allen. And it only took him a second longer to recognize the stuffed rabbit she clutched to her heaving chest, her body quivering with quiet sobs. "My baby," she whispered brokenly, "I want my baby back."

Lavi stumbled back as her weeping turned so wretchedly forceful, face scrunching up and tears spilling out as she curled further into herself, because her sobs could not abate the agony.

Soundlessly, Lavi shut the door. He slid down with a muffled thump and for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to shed tears. For only a small amount of time, Lavi allowed the darkness to consume him in a hole of misery and regret. But only for a moment.

He was no longer a Bookman, but he'd been taught to think like one. For too long already he'd placed the fate of Allen's rescue in the hands of Cross and Maria, and though they'd done the best they could, it clearly wasn't enough. They'd missed something. Something big.

Straightening up, Lavi rubbed away the trail of tears and shut his single eye in concentration. Within his thoughts he mapped out the town in which Allen seemed to have vanished from, placing the image of his little brother where he'd last seen him. The final explosion is what sent him running, Lavi decided after a moment's thought, meaning he most likely ran in the opposite direction. From there he plotted the different routes Allen could have possibly taken, before eliminating all the places they'd thoroughly searched. That leaves… that only leaves the outskirts of town. If that were the case, we would have already found him! What am I missing?

And Lavi's perfect recollection came through for him as he recalled a brief memory.

"Mama!" Allen exclaimed, grin wide with cookie crumbs dusting his cheeks as he waved around a colorful flyer; an advertisement for the circus. "Take me! Take me!"

Lavi's eye snapped open.

"Bingo."

Time Frame — Morning of July 18th, 1886

~Allen~

"Mana? Where are we going?" Allen asked, craning his head around to get one last glimpse of the circus tent and caravans. Soon, it would completely disappear from sight. But with Mana's large hand incasing his own, Allen continued to trot along the deserted road.

"They've been skimping down on our wages, and I make a lot more as a traveling clown, so we'll be on the road on our own for a while," Mana explained patiently, though even then, Allen was still a bit puzzled.

"If you say so, Mana," Allen shrugged, not particularly caring one way or the other, as he skipped alongside his new father-figure. But after a few hours of doing so, his small legs began to drag. "Mana," Allen whined, "How much longer?"

Casting a careful look around his surroundings, Mana mused, "Hm, we should be arriving to the next town by noon." Glancing down and catching sight of Allen's sour expression, he chuckled. "Alright, alright. Hop on, I'll give you a piggyback ride."

Eagerly, Allen clambered onto Mana's back once the man had crouched down. "Thank you, Mana!"

"Yeah, yeah," Mana grumbled good-naturedly.

Fortunately for the duo, it was only after another half-hour of trekking that they finally arrived to a large town. As soon as they had, Allen was keen on getting back onto his own two feet. And though he'd been allowed to, Mana kept a firm hold of his hand, preventing the small four-year-old from scampering off and getting himself into trouble. Rather, Mana hauled the energetic boy along in order to get settled down in a cheap inn.

"Think you can help me out with my performance, today?" Mana turned to him as he set his suitcase down on one of the twin beds.

With an eager grin, Allen nodded rapidly. "Yeah, yeah! Can I dress funny too?"

"You mean like a clown?" Mana chuckled, before placing a hand atop Allen's head and ruffling his hear playfully. "Of course!"

Without wasting another second, the duo got dressed in the bright, colorful suits Mana had bought off the costume designer from the circus. "Don't squirm so much," Mana had to scold when Allen kept twitching beneath the makeup he was applying.

"It's itchy and stings my eyes," Allen grumbled, but still attempted his best to remain still. Once they had finished getting ready though, Allen hopped around excitedly. "I look as silly as Mana!" he cheered, giggling.

"Alright, little clown! Do you remember our routine?" Mana asked with a grin of his own.

Having performed it plenty of times, Allen nodded as confident as any four-year-old could. "Yes, sir!"

"Then let's get going!"

In a matter of minutes, they'd marched down towards the main street, catching the attention of a couple pedestrians and children. Humorously, the duo remained completely serious and business-like, setting up Mana's top hat before them for tips, and readying their equipment, before finally turning towards the curious eyes of passing townsfolk and bursting into bright grins.

With practiced ease, Mana and Allen launched into their act; Mana jumped atop a giant rubber ball he'd blown up back at the inn, balancing atop it while seemingly lugging out a series of smaller rubber balls out of thin air and juggling them; beneath him, Allen, the miniature clown, burst into a series of flips and cartwheels.

And so, the show continued, gradually gathering a larger crowd as the duo continued to amaze the townspeople with their acts and tricks, sometimes pulling in audience members and playing silly hoaxes on them, much to everyone's amusement.

At one point, Allen allowed another child to squeeze his red, rubber nose. But to his misfortune, the child snatched it and ran off with it, forcing the redheaded child to chase after her in order to retrieve it! By the time Allen got back, Mana had completed the rest of the routine without him and was basking in the applause of the crowds.

With a pout and the mean streak of a child, Allen jumped in there, seized the top hat filled with cash, and rushed off. Mana only took it with a grin, and played it off for the crowd by chasing after him.

But over all, it had been a fantastic performance.

"We made a lot more than I expected," Mana remarked, later in their room after they'd dressed in their regular clothes and removed all the make-up. "How about we get a treat? What do you say, Allen?"

Allen beamed. "Ice cream?"

"You got it, little guy!" Mana grinned, snatching up the giggling child and strolling out of their room. After ten minutes of strolling around the bustling town, they came across an ice cream parlor. "What flavor would you like?"

"Vanilla," Allen easily decided, greedily snatching the cone once it was offered to him. But he hadn't forgotten his manners. "Thank you, Mana!"

"You're welcome, little clown."

Time Frame — Afternoon of August 10th, 1886

~Lavi~

For a while, Lavi had contemplated whether to act like he was enjoying himself, and though he'd always been a good pretender, the thought of pretending to enjoy himself while his brother was missing felt utterly wrong. Even if he only thought to do it for Maria's sake. Ultimately, he ended up sitting stoically between Cross and Maria as they watched the circus acts. Lavi might've been more impressed if he hadn't spent the past couple months battling evolving demons, all the while discovering that his Innocence weapon was actually made up of elemental powers.

But that was a story for another time.

As Maria began to lose hope of managing to locate Allen on her own, she'd become more lenient of Lavi deciding their next location. It had been extremely frustrating that it'd taken him months to track down the damn circus, but at last he had. (He could've probably explained his theories to the two older Exorcists, but Lavi felt uncomfortable giving them hope, because what if he was… wrong? Lavi couldn't stand the thought, so he'd kept silent about it, all the while going off on his own to track down the whereabouts of the circus.)

And he'd successfully used the date of his birthday as an excuse to come to the circus. At first, he hadn't thought it necessary, but after scouting the circus members earlier that morning, Lavi realized that Allen was nowhere in the vicinity. For a moment, he'd sincerely doubted himself, but after rehashing the events of that night, Lavi couldn't see what other scenario could have played out other than Allen somehow joining a ragtag group of circus freaks.

(And he wouldn't dare contemplate Allen's chances of survival after all these months.)

Lavi wished he could've found them sooner, but at this point, he could only presume that Allen had only been with the circus for a small amount of time. Where he'd gone after that, he had no idea, but he was going to find out.

Which was the only reason he wanted to have Cross, (his gun), and Maria nearby, just in case he needed backup this time around, because at this point, Lavi wasn't planning on wasting his time with interrogating workers that might not have even spotted Allen. No, he planned on going to the main man himself.

For now though, he simply had to sit through these ridiculous acts.

A small hand suddenly landed atop his head, ruffling his spiky hair. "Are you enjoying yourself, Lavi?" Maria asked with a small smile.

"Of course, Mum," Lavi nodded, offering her a brief smile. Despite Allen's absence, Lavi hadn't refrained from referring to her as "Mum." It felt as though he were somehow keeping a promise to Allen. And it made Maria smile every time without fail. (And maybe a small part of him secretly enjoyed it.)

"I'm glad," she murmured, pulling him close to her as they watched the next act come into play.

His expression dimmed once she'd take her gaze off him. Impatiently, he wondered how much longer he'd be stuck here, and finally, finally it was over! As they exited the tent with the rest of the families that had attended, Lavi purposefully lost himself in the crowd before sneaking back in. Hurrying across the stands and center stage, Lavi snuck into the backstage section of the tent.

It took a while, but he eventually caught the ringleader alone and unawares.

"W-what the hell?!" the large, ginger man demanded as he was painfully trapped between a nearby prop and Lavi's enlarged Iron Hammer.

"You're the leader of this circus, are you not?" Lavi asked calmly.

"Y-yes, now would you be as kind as to release me?!" the man demanded, becoming extremely red in the face.

"No," Lavi remarked bluntly. "I need you to answer me a few questions. By chance, did a small, redheaded boy join your circus in the last couple months?"

"How on earth would I—"

"You're the boss around here, are you not? You must keep track of everyone because you owe each worker a wage, and you would instantly know if some brat or orphan snuck their way into your circus, because you would never allow such freeloaders," Lavi stated brusquely. "Now, I'm going to ask you again and you better think carefully before mouthing off. Was there, or was there not a young, redheaded boy who joined your circus in the last couple months?"

This time, the ringleader remained quiet, before answering, "Maybe. Maybe not. How much are you willing to give for such information?"

With a growl, Lavi very nearly crushed him with his weapon. "Listen here—"

"Lavi!"

"What's going on?" Cross demanded as he and Maria finally located him. Though he didn't think they'd have found him so soon, Lavi was relieved.

"Why are you hurting this man?" Maria asked gently, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder. It wasn't until then that Lavi realized he was trembling.

"This man," he spat through gritted teeth, "He knows where Allen is."

And like that, the temperature dropped. Within moments, Cross had grabbed a hold of the rotund man, the barrel of his gun pointed beneath his chin. "You're going to tell me everything you know, or I'll slaughter you," the General snarled.

Quaking, the man relented. "O-okay! Okay! I-I'll tell you everything I know!"

Cross eased up on the gun, but the circus ringleader was still faced with a set of three, identical glowers. Gulping heavily, his Adam's apple bobbled. "The kid… h-he was around for a couple months, but he left just three weeks ago. He ran off with some clown by the name of Mana Walker."

"Oh. Oh fuck," the General cursed.

Time Frame — Morning of December 25th, 1886

~Allen~

"MANA!"

"I-I'm so sorry! I-Is he… alive?!"

But Allen couldn't care less about the woman Mana had pushed out of the way. The déjà vu hit him like a battering ram as he staggered towards Mana. Though he could hardly recall why it was that the dread in his gut was so familiar, Allen knew he couldn't allow it to reoccur. But maybe… maybe it was too late.

Stumbling to his knees beside Mana, Allen tried with all his might to push away the steel beam that had crushed the man, ignoring the gathering crowd of townspeople and construction workers. But it was no use, and to his horror, Mana's blood was smeared across his small, quivering hands.

"M-Mana…?" Allen forced out through the lump in his throat, fat tears spilling down his cheeks.

Eyelids heavy and face deathly pale, Mana murmured through blood-coated lips, "A-Allen…" He lifted his hand a fraction of an inch, before it fell limp, as he whispered, "K-keep walki…"

Mana never completed his final message, but Allen was familiar enough with Mana's beloved phrase.

"Mana…? NO! Come back! I can't! I can't do it… not without you," Allen pleaded, clutching Mana's limp hand between his own.

"H-hey! NO! LET ME GO! STOP!"

But Allen's cries didn't deter whoever it was that was dragging him away from Mana's remains. And it happened much quicker than Allen could think. By afternoon, a small funeral was held for the man who'd saved a woman's life. And though said woman's family attended in gratitude, they did not linger, unlike Allen, who remained inconsolable and refused any of their kind words and gestures. Firmly, he remained beside the cold gravestone bearing Mana's name.

"P-please come back…" Allen whispered, eyes downcast as he curled into himself in a failed attempt to fill the gaping hole in his chest. He was on the brink of being swallowed whole, but nothing could abate the anguish that consumed his heart and soul.

The sky steadily grew darker, until the graveyard was blanketed with the night sky. But not even the gloom could chase Allen away from Mana.

"Mana Walker…" a dark sinister voice whispered, on the verge of laughter. "Shall I resurrect him for you~?"

Anything. Anything to gain Mana back. He'd do anything.

The dark frame of a skeleton unexpectedly came into existence before him. Allen stumbled onto unsteady feet, staggering forward.

"Your loved one's soul can be called back~," chuckled the ominous man. "Just call his name~."

Mana. Mana could come back. Allen took a deep breath, and with a mighty cry, shattered the silent cemetery. "MANA!"

The skeleton flared to life in a thunder of mauve flames.

"All… en…"

Relief taking a hold of him, Allen heaved a sigh and smiled, stepping forward. "Mana!"

"How dare you… turn me into an Akuma…?!"

Before Allen could fully register Mana's pained shouts, his left eye flashed with burning pain as Mana's dagger-like limbs sliced it open.

"I curse you! I CURSE YOU, ALLEN CROSS!"

In his blind rage, Mana reeled forward in order to seize him, but before Allen could be strangled, Mana's skeletal frame was crushed and shattered to pieces beneath the weight of a massive hammer.

"A-Allen?!"

The older boy's face was so achingly familiar, it left Allen in a daze.

"W-who are you?"

A/N: Sorry if you guys are upset that Allen forgot about his family, but it's pretty legitimate. And I say this from experience. One time, when my little brother was around three or four, my dad and I took him on a week long trip with us. When we got back, mom was excited to see him, but my brother just hid behind my knee! He didn't recognize her! So yeah, a whole year for Allen at that age would definitely be cause for forgetting.

So what did you guys think about everything? I know Mana's supposed to be kind of crazy in the head, but meh, I was too lazy to incorporate that. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a bad and lazy author, but whatever, at least I got something done! So yeah, review if you'd like!

P.S. ALLEN'S HAIR IS STILL RED! :)

P.P.S. I'm out of ideas, lol.