Disclaimer: I don't own -Man or any of the characters.

Chapter 3 - Dreams around the corner

The Ark was too quiet.

Road Camelot, or rather as she was known to a select few, the ninth Apostle, enjoyed chaos. Not like there existed a lot of people who knew about this anymore. Especially since that event thiry years ago.

Her family was all but gone, the Noah memory so damaged that it took them decades to reincarnate. Till now only three of the Noah had returned to the Ark. The siblings Sheryl and Tykki as well as the all too quiet Lulubell who was mostly preferring to stay in her small cat form.

The Earl though was gone most of the time especially in the last two to three years, utterly mad with grief. Road had tried, oh god how she had tried, to fix what was broken in the massacre thirty years ago, but…

Her dreams were useless. Regardless if they were tinged in lies or the truth, everything was equally redundant. Leaving the Earl space had seemed to be the best decision, though Road despised denial. She had all but given up on things returning to the way they were before. They would gather again, she knew that. The Noah would all return, memory damaged but otherwise unchanged. But the Earl would not return. Rather, Mana would not return.

So why was she feeling this way? Why was her inner Noah trembling with those foreign emotions?

Road knew only of one being that could influence her this way. And only one other being could influence the Earl this deeply. Her emotional state that had not truly changed in years, rippled. Unbidden something like hope emerged.

A door emerged in front of her, and Road Camelot stepped inside.

Allen was tired. His head and throat and… his whole body ached in a pulsing rhythm that Allen found distinctly unfamiliar. He didn't get sick often.

Only occasionally and then he always healed quickly. It was the only blessing his arm ever gave him. How he instinctively knew that, he did not know. The Earl had been hovering over him the last two days. Not moving from his side unless it was to bring him the few bites of food Allen had managed to force himself to eat. Allen would never vocalize how much it meant to him, that there was someone willing to accompany him.

It was like salvation. He wasn't alone. Allen Walker was wanted.

The Earl's voice washed over him, by now familiar. Allen wasn't well enough to pay attention to what the Earl was reading to him. Only that he did. Hour after hour, spending time on him when it was plainly obvious that he had better, more important, things to do. The only time he had vocalized that thought, the Earl had stilled and with tenor so grave that Allen had stilled on instinct insisted that nothing was as important as Allen.

Allen Walker was wanted.

It was still a foreign thought. Suddenly the Earl stopped his words, head tilting to the side before turning to the middle of the room. Allen couldn't help but stare at the door that had just literally appeared in the room. Even though he knew, with absolute certainty, that nothing like that had existed there only seconds ago.

The girl with spiky violet hair exiting the door was perhaps not as surprising as it should have been. It should have freaked him out, made him doubt everything but… it was difficult to care with the Earl right beside him.

Had humans – except Mana – ever given him anything but scorn and violence? They only treated him as if he was lower than them, as if Allen was nothing more than an abomination that they needed to prod and twist and hurt.

Allen didn't want to be like them. Human. He wanted to be…

''Road?'' The Earl sounded surprised, but Allen felt like there was something else lurking behind that single emotion, darker and vaguely threatening. It instantly made Allen feel safe when normally just hearing that tone would cause him to bristle defensively as he shielded himself from the world. But it was the Earl speaking and that made all the difference. Even if he was still perplexed by his own behavior, Allen just… wanted to stay here by that being's side.

''Millenie… welcome back. Did you bring a new member of our family home?'' Smiling slyly that girl peeked at Allen curiously, and Allen felt the Earl relax in front of him.

The child vaguely felt as if he missed something important, but then his headache revisited with a vengeance and the thought was forgotten.

The large being lowered himself into the armchair next to Allen's bed and only now did the child realize that the Earl had risen half out of his chair at the new arrival. ''This is Allen~pon. He isn't feeling well yet, so I haven't had the time to introduce him to the family yet.''

''How cute.'' The girl – Road, if Allen remembered correctly – grinned at Allen, a small squeak escaping the ninth Apostle's lips as he saw the small child turning silvery round eyes at her in alarmed confusion. ''He's so precious, Millenie.''

''Isn't he?'' The Earl chortled merrily, before turning back to Allen. ''This is Road Camelot, she will be your sister in the future.''

''Sister?'' Allen mumbled confusedly, voice stull scratchy and raw – and the traces of pain present in this voice made the Earl instantly return back to fussing over him. A small blush formed on Allen's face as a glove covered hand instantly checked his forehead, golden eyes studying him carefully as if the Earl could discover how to ease his pain that way.

''That's right. From now on we will be family.'' The words were spoken lightly almost teasingly but Allen could read the sincerity in the girl's eyes as she slowly skipped forward. ''I am your elder sister, and from now on I'll protect you.''

That's right. Eyes flickering reassuringly to the Millenium Earl, she nodded her head imperceptivity. The first Apostle probably knew that Road had recognized as which Noah this child would one day awaken, but Road of all people never carried a grudge against the Fourteenth. How could she when she was the only one among the Noah who knew the truth that even the Earl in his madness had forgotten?

Hearing the Earl's voice in her head. I have erased Neah's memories, Road felt a pang of pain that twisted inside her head, deeply buried memories playing inside her mind. Smiling almost wistfully Road contemplated that it was probably better this way. Neah would no longer have to spend his life fighting the being that he actually wished to protect. And the Earl would slowly recover with his other half by his side.

This time Road would not fail. She would protect them. Both of them. From any- and everything that might hurt them again. Her most precious person.

Everything that was broken thirty years ago…

''Welcome home, Allen.''

Road would make sure it would never break again.

A/N... Oops... been a while? Thanks to all of you who commented on this story and sorry for the delay. Enter Road! I think she's a fascinating character... and I will enjoy exploring her. Regarding my other stories, they're not abandoned either. I just haven't had the time or interest to write lately. I'm quite busy with real life, but I think I'm getting a bit more motivated again.

C'ya hopefully soon,

AriesOrion