Disclaimer: -Man is the property of Hoshino Katsura.

Chapter Nine: The Bride, DIY Heroine

When Allen woke up, he felt the ground beneath him tremble. No...It wasn't the ground. Startled, Allen looked around. It was inside a storage of some sort, and it was moving. The boy stood up and looked to the entrance. Familiar butterfly wings met his sight. "...The healer...Where am I?!" To Allen's demand, the cart suddenly stopped, causing Allen to lurch forward, but the healer caught him.

"...You are awake, milord..."

"What did you do? You're not a healer, are you?" Allen questioned, suddenly suspicious.

The healer shook his head. "I am a healer...I mean you no harm, milord, not even if you wish it...I have a reason for removing you from the palace."

"And what would that be? Please, your name. I missed it since you obviously drugged me," Allen reminded a little resentfully. He had only gotten back to the castle and here he was, away from it once more. Kanda would be very angry once he found out, of that there was no doubt.

"I am Shin-Il. I've served at the palace for thirty years. But my loyalty comes to my lord before the palace. And long ago, I was given an order, as all others who bear my lord's mark were. The order was to seek and retrieve a certain individual...You are the one we have been ordered to retrieve."

"But how can you be sure? A long time ago for you must mean a very long period. How can you be sure it is I whom your lord seeks?" Allen questioned.

"Ah...Unlike us lesser beings, our lords and Mazoku in general, cannot sense the aura or wavelength of a person. Therefore, we were perfect for the task of searching for someone, even if we have neither scent nor sight to remember. While yours is not entirely the same as the one we have been sent to find, it is the closest. You must have been related in some manner. Unfortunately, my lord does not seem to recall...Thus my only course of action is to send you to the guardian of my lord. He will decide what to do next," Shin-Il answered.

Allen silently contemplated for a moment. At least Shin-Il did not mean him harm. However, there were so many questions left unanswered. "Who is your lord? What is he that your loyalty to him is stronger to the palace?" Shin-Il slowly shook his head.

"We cannot reveal anything of our lords or their origins. We are bound to them in such that should we try, our tongues will rip themselves out of our mouths and we will die a slow, painful death. Because of this bond, we are under their control, and we have no choice but to obey, like now...I mean no disrespect to you, because you are one of our lords' brethren...But I had no other option if I have to deliver milord back to your family safely."

"My...family...?" Allen couldn't hide his shock. He was a born orphan, with no one to depend on, not until he met Mana. How could it be, that he would have family, on the lands of the demons no less. "No, you're lying...I don't have any family..."

Shin-Il gently smiled. "That was why we were sent to look for you, milord. You have family now. And it is my task to bring you to them. Please trust me, milord...Let us continue our journey." Allen certainly doubted the fact, still too shaken to believe anything to be said. But...something in him yearned to know. Was it true? Could it be true? Allen chewed on his lips; was it right to leave without telling Kanda?

"But...Couldn't you have told Kanda about it first?"

The Majin shook his head once more. "...It's not an option. If the prince knew your family...He would throw you away without a second glance."

A cold shiver shot down Allen's spine. "Why?!"

"You will understand if you meet the lords...Now come, milord."

Hesitant and scared...yet curious, Allen couldn't control himself as his feet led him back into the cart, and Shin-Il continued the journey.

"You stupid Prince-cho!"

Kanda barely looked up when a girl barged into the room, roaring for him. He narrowed his eyes at the intrusion. "Know your place, servant," he ordered, not moving from where he sat. The girl scoffed at him, and marched up to his desk, banging it repeatedly and upsetting several documents in the process.

"Who's your servant, stupid Prince? We have a major trouble-cho and you're still sitting here like nothing's wrong?!"

"Get away before I skewer you," Kanda threatened. He did not like this girl, coming in to disturb him. Who was she to act impudently before him?

The girl stared Kanda in the eye. "Oh. So you don't care if your wifey has been kidnapped right under your nose-cho?"

Kanda stood up faster than lightning. "What do you mean?"

The girl clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "My gosh, and Marian-sama had been so kind to remind you that our dear Allen-chama was a prize worth protecting. What were you doing, leaving him alone?! Listen up, stupid prince! Timcanpy-sama has left to report to Marian-sama, so I'm here to fill in his role as Allen-chama's guardian-cho! But when I got here, some people thought I was a new maid and dragged me off to do some chores. I got so busy I completely forgot why I came here, but it's okay since I have like, an Allen-chama radar-cho to keep track."

"But just now, I realised that his aura is missing; I subtly felt it leave through the gates. When I asked the guards-cho, they said only a healer passed through with a horse-cart. So obviously, the healer kidnapped Allen-chama. I'm a bit to be blamed-cho since I only noticed it, but we may still be able to catch up! So hurry up, stupid prince!"

Kanda's knuckles turned white, his hand gripping the hilt of his katana so tightly. This was enough; he had enough! When was his bride going to be left alone long enough for them to spend time together?! This time, he was going to personally make sure his bride be brought back and put under watch. "Lead the way, girl," he ordered, sheathing his weapon to his side.

"It's Chomesuke, stupid prince. And I'm a boy-cho."

"Um...How far are we going? It's going to be nightfall soon."

Shin-Il slowly pulled the cart to a stop. Studying the sky for a while, he slowly decided to himself that they could go no further. He lowered his head to Allen, reporting, "The lands that your family preside over are far...It may take almost three weeks."

"Three weeks?! Why is it so far?!"

Shin-Il obediently inclined his head towards Allen as he answered, "The lords...are most unwelcome in many kingdoms and lands. Thus their territory are far removed. We shall be crossing the Borders of Death before we arrive at the closest town of your family's rule."

"Borders...of Death?" Allen echoed quizzically, hoping he wasn't about to find out something unpleasant, but then again, the mortal was often too optimistic. Shin-Il patiently began to explain, "Yes...The Borders of Death is a forest that forms a natural border between the common Mazoku kingdoms and the lands ruled by the lords. As relations between them are tense, hardly anyone ventures into this forest. Additionally, this forest houses a myriad of aggressive beasts and the occasional man-eating shrubbery, but we will be safe. They know whenever a lord passes through, and will leave us be."

Allen fell silent, and Shin-Il wondered for a moment if he would be struck for the insolence of kidnapping a lord without giving him any knowledge. However, Allen merely alighted the cart and smiled. "Even now, I find your story difficult to believe, but your eyes only hold truth in them, and to solve this doubt in myself, I must see the truth with my own eyes. Who I am...I may be able to discover in this journey, and it will be you I have to thank. Now, let's go find something to eat. I'm quite hungry."

"Timcanpy, are you there~?"

A boy, barely in his teens by the look of his adolescent features, took a peek into the room. Another person was in it, though it was hard to recognise it as a person, for he was heavily cloaked, a veil upon his head with a scarf that covered even his nose. Only pensive golden eyes stared curiously at the boy. The boy smiled nervously, striding into the room to approach the man.

"Lero…I missed you."

Lero's nervous smile relaxed into a softer smile as he sat next to Timcanpy. He hadn't seen the golem in a long time, though a few years to the pumpkin spirit was nothing. To see Timcanpy appearing on their doorstep again after a while was a pleasant surprise for Lero. He had always admired the golem for his calm temper and grown-up behaviour, despite being slightly older than Timcanpy himself.

"L-Lero missed you too! What brings you here today?"

"Just visiting for today. It is my job after all to take care of my master's social relations."

When Timcanpy said master, he referred to Cross Marian. To this clan after all, Cross is another important member. Though he was a womaniser who could not bother to sit still in one place for a long time, he still counted in this circle, so it was up to Timcanpy to make his rounds for him.

"You mean Uncle Cross? He's always flying around, entertaining himself with humans, isn't he?"

The new voice which made itself heard came from the door, and Lero leapt to his feet upon seeing who it was.

"Road-tama!"

"Hello, Road. You've grown prettier."

ToTimcanpy's greeting, Road grinned and pounced on the blonde. Timcanpy easily caught the girl, who seemed to be younger than him in looks though he knew it was otherwise. Road made herself comfortable on Timcanpy's lap, oblivious to Lero's expression, which obviously stated his desire to be in her place, not that he could say anything to Road about it.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Tim~ Though it's just a few years, what have you been doing?"

"Well…Let's say I've been busy with child-rearing."

When Timcanpy answered her with such a vague sentence, Road perked up in interest.

"A child? Has Cross finally thought to settle down? Unbelievable!"

Timcanpy's lips curled into a smile, though no one could see it as it was hidden behind the scarf that covered more than half his face.

"It's not Cross. I think you'll be pleased to meet him…You have all been waiting for a long time, haven't you? Though I guess twenty-five years isn't that long a time for our kind, is it?"

Road stood up in shock upon Timcanpy's words.

"You found him…?"

Timcanpy slowly shook his head and stood up as well.

"Not him…But you will understand when you see him. You feel it, don't you?"

Road fell silent. Timcanpy was right, she did feel something. It was precisely because she felt something that she came looking for Lero to go investigate with her. What she had felt was a presence, one that she did not know yet sense an overwhelming nostalgia. Only Majin and lower demons could sense wavelengths and such, but Road's manipulation over space and in turn, complete mastery over her five senses enabled her to be in tune with certain sensations that could be completely bypassed by the normal Mazoku.

That presence was still distant, but it was slowly moving towards their direction. Whatever that was coming, Road could not wait for it to arrive. She had to move out to meet it. Even more so when it was related to a beloved presence which had left their family for twenty-five years. Though the brief time meant nothing to the Mazoku, to Road that quarter of a century felt long.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Road…But he's gone. He has been for some time now."

Timcanpy's hushed words pulled Road back into reality. Her childish smile gone, colour drained from her face. Lero had never seen his mistress like that; Road lived long enough that much did not faze her. Yet with this news that Timcanpy had delivered, Road looked almost like a doll if not for the intensity of her now chrome-coloured eyes. Lero looked curiously at Timcanpy.

"I-If the lord has passed some time ago, why did Timcanpy not inform us, lero?"

"We were busy preparing a surprise in return. Now, I'll be leaving. Whether or not you like the surprise, I am not sure. But you should go take a look, Road. At the least, I am sure you will love him regardless…"

Leaving enigmatic words behind, Timcanpy set Road to her feet and swept out of the room. Lero looked on forlornly at the man's retreating back, pondering on how little time he managed to spend with him. But as Road summoned her Door, Lero knew now was not the time to be thinking such trivialities. Someone was waiting for them.

It had been ten days since the kidnapping. Despite the rumoured viciousness of the forests that border the land, nothing untoward had happened to Allen. This he considered his best stroke of luck yet, barring the rather predictable reaction Kanda would have to discover him missing. Shin-Il, despite being the kidnapper he was, treated Allen with utmost respect and loyalty.

There was about six more days until they reached town, apparently…

Allen used his resting time to think a little more. His family… His real family. But if they lived on the demon's continent…were they demons, as expected? But he himself was human…Did it actually make sense? Come to think of it, he never actually asked Kanda what happened if a child between human and demon was born. If…Allen blushed a little at the thought, but if he really was going to have children, he worried a little at how they might turn out born from a human and demon's union.

A sudden chill blew out all those thoughts; Allen's heart abruptly seized by a foreign anxiety. Something was coming, he felt it. The forest went deathly silent along with his mind as a brightly coloured heart-shaped door materialised before them. Shin-Il was immediately on his knees, just as the doors swung open to reveal a young girl, pale ivory skin with violet-black hair that brushed just above her shoulders; who carried in her hand a pink umbrella that was crowned with a pumpkin.

"Milady," Shin-Il murmured, acknowledging the girl's presence. Allen's thoughts immediately registered her as someone possibly related to his so-called family since Shin-Il was showing such reverence towards her. The girl observed Shin-Il momentarily before her eyes came to rest upon Allen's face. Though she was rather young, Allen felt chills run down his back; the girl's expression lacked the innocence of a child.

As her young, plump lips curved into a wide smile, Allen felt himself rooted to the ground. Why was there such familiarity, as if he KNEW the girl? The girl allowed a squeal of joy to escape her before she pounced on Allen, arms wrapped tightly around the larger frame in an affectionate embrace. "It is true, you've returned to us! My darling, darling family~" The child proclaimed her joy without hesitation, genuine was the sound of her laughter.

"I'm sorry...But I'm confused. I was half-kidnapped here by Shin-Il, he said I would meet my family...Who are you?" Allen couldn't help but to choose his words with care lest he offended her. To be able to come through a door which suddenly appeared, she could only be Mazoku to perform such magic. But she had certainly called him family, putting a valid claim on the bonds Shin-Il purported that he had in these cursed lands.

Like a sweet child with her favoured relative, she hung off Allen's arm. She peered up at his face, before suddenly letting out a shocked gasp. Allen flinched a little as she reached to touch his curse mark. Were they too, appalled at this...?

"How could he do such a thing to his own child! Putting a seal on your pretty face like this...Did he think it would stop admirers from gawking at such a lovely child?" She trilled, not only calm, teasing even.

"A, seal? But I heard from Miss Yuuko that-" "So you've met the Time Witch?"

"Y-Yes, well...We won't be getting anywhere with this sort of conversation. My name is Allen Walker...May I know yours?" Allen tentatively introduced himself, wondering how on earth was the girl related to him.

"You may know me as Road Kamelot. Oh, how we've spent years looking for you!" She gushed happily. "Come on, Uncle must be waiting! He will be sad to know Neah no longer exists in this realm, but surely the sight of his son will bring him great joy! You've finally come back to us!"

Road started pulling Allen towards the door, but the mortal resisted, still unable to take things in stride. "Wait, I can't just follow you, I have too many questions!"

"Then come with me and I'll answer them~"

"No, Road! I'm sorry...But until you answer a few of my questions I am not budging."

Road turned around to Allen, frowning at how stubborn the boy was, but she nodded.

"Alright, ask me now, so that I can answer you and bring you home."

Home. Perhaps it is because this is his first visit here, but Allen could not think of this place as home. For now at any rate, home would be Kanda's domain. Hastily brushing aside thoughts of his so-called betrothed, Allen listed down his questions plainly. The sooner he had his answers, the better.

"First of all, how am I related to you? You mentioned a person named Neah...Is he my father? And this mark on my face, Miss Yuuko said it was a curse, but you call it a seal. And you said you've been searching for me all this while, how?"

Road smiled coyly, mentioning in playful tones, "What's this? You really don't know? They've never told you, I gather? But then he did say it was a surprise...Well then, you deserve to know, dear. Neah is your father, and the brother to dear Uncle. He went missing twenty-five years ago, prompting us to send all our pact beasts to search for his wavelength. And no wonder they've failed, seeing that Neah has passed on...But then, he had you. You are his son; I know, because your wavelength is similar to his. Mazoku may not be able to tell, but I can."

"All your pact beasts? I've been on the human continent all my life, I don't think I've even...Wait, what are your pact beasts?" Allen warily queried. From what he was told, he had no pact, but avian class were all bound to him somehow.

"There are quite a few to list. Lulubell's are felines, mine are snakes! But it seems that Tyki's butterfly folk found you instead. We did give them all express orders to bring you back upon sight, and we do have a number of those we left in the human continent. You've really never encountered them?" Road questioned, finding it most strange. However, should the boy have been travelling with Cross, that question was answered easily as Cross was most talented in getting by unknown.

"...Felines include lions, right...?"

"Of course, silly!"

Allen remembered that bizarrely coloured lion that had attacked him right before he was whisked off to the demon continent. And all those other times when those Mamono had attacked him before...Could it be? The young teen almost turned white at the conclusion he came to. They had not intended to hurt him, but as Road ordered, to bring him back immediately.

"And this seal...You might call it a curse if you wish to, dear, because to such a ranked Mazoku as you are, this seal is nothing but a hindrance to you," Road let the words roll off her lips slowly, though she was just as tempted to spit them out. She did not want to risk intimidating her dear brethren.

"Mazoku?! But that can't be right, I'm-" "Human?"

Allen's words were cut off. But reading his face was more than enough, the boy thought himself to be bona fide human. Road shook her head, allowing her fingers to trace the pentacle. Ah, the mark of the Akuma. Such familiar magic symbol.

"The star is the official magia insignia of the Noah family. None but our clan may use this symbol, and the methods of inscribing the pentagram into magic is all but lost to the rest. No wonder those who see it do not recognise it. I credit the Time Witch for being able to identify it, she can utilise only the sun and the moon insignias after all. You see, Allen, this seal can only be performed on you by a Noah, and that means Neah did it. This seal is designed to oppress all forms of magic from leaking and being detected. I do not know why, but Neah intended to prolong your time as a human," Road scoffed at the mere idea of it.

Sorrow filled Road's eyes for a moment, but all too quickly it turned into poisonous hate. "Why did he have to have a child with a human? But still, you are here and that is all that matters. Had this seal not been in place, your powers would have cleansed you of the filthy blood and helped you shed your human skin faster. And then, we would have found you more quickly than before."

"Shed my human skin?!" Allen yelped, not believing what he was hearing. It hurt a little to have Road so blatantly rejecting and treating humans as trash, though Mazoku were all mostly that way, if Allen had to venture a guess with all the negative insinuations regarding humans in the eyes of the Mazoku. He held slight fear that he may be rejected at Road's vehement display of hatred for humans, but her following words completely threw him into a loop.

Though smaller in stature, Road was lovingly patient like an indulgent mother. For the child of their beloved brethren, she had all the time in the world. "Cut a deal with the devil, have you ever heard of this?" Allen nodded dumbly at the question.

"Humans can become Mazoku. The method is by making a pact with a pure-blooded Mazoku, who will make an oath to spill his blood upon the human and sever the human's ties to mortal life to grant him powers and long life which only Mazoku possess. In exchange, the converted human is forever bound to that Mazoku. Should he ever violate the laws appointed to him, then the powers are forfeit, and his soul be cast into the depths of the Underworld.

In your case however, it is because the magic in your blood is too strong. No matter if you are born a half-blood. Plebeian halves are usually halves for the rest of their lives, but not a Noah. Your magic will purify every drop of human blood in you, destroying any form of mortal weakness in your body. When the process is complete, you become a full Mazoku. Were you free of the seal you would have awoken in a mere few years, but now...You will awaken upon the passing of the sixteenth moon on your birthday," Road declared, trying to gauge Allen's reaction.

Said human, half though he may be, was reeling from the revelation. He, a Mazoku? And regardless of any human parentage, he would be a full-fledged Mazoku once the inherited magic purges his veins of any mortal traces. It wasn't just that; Allen has no knowledge of his own date of birth, but he was fast approaching his sixteenth birthday, of that he was sure. Sensing the uncertainty enveloping Allen, Road gently took his hand. If one was to compare similarity, Tyki's features certainly echoes Neah's more, but those silver eyes. Now there was something that would not be found elsewhere.

Though Allen's scent was still unbearably human, it wouldn't be for long. He simply needs to bide his time until he is sixteen and then he will bid farewell to his loathsome human heritage. After that they would always be together for the centuries to come, as family. Road relished the thought. Her heart ached and wondered how Neah's passing came to be, but suffering eased at the sight of his offspring. Road noted with minimal satisfaction that at least Neah had the sense to conceive his child through the Life Tree despite possessing a human consort. Allen's white hair was more than enough proof. Spirits of their land deign to bless only those born of the Life Tree after all.

"You must have more questions, but come now. Uncle dearest will answer them all for you. You're home now." For a moment, her smile to Allen was sweet and innocent. Had there been no interruption, she would be content to smile that way for longer. A hot white gleam flashed, and Allen was separated from her as Road pushed him out of the way. Silver eyes watched in muted horror as a gaping cut made itself visible on Road's abdomen.

All questions forgotten, the boy hastily rose to his feet and to Road's side, worried sick about the sudden wound. But his concern was all for naught as Road sneered at her ruined shirt, glaring into the thickets. "You should know that these paltry means of attack hold no weight against me, princeling," she drawled, removing her hand from her so-called wound only for Allen to see that it was rapidly regenerating. There was no blood even to prove that there had been a wound, only a tear in the girl's shirt.

"Get the fuck away from moyashi, witch!"

Allen forgot his horror temporarily, now closing his eyes in another brand of terror. Having to see Kanda rampaging with his blade drawn definitely meant worse things to come. For Kanda himself to come was actually a surprise, but Allen wasn't sure he could honestly be happy about it. Judging by the prince's look he could probably kill everyone present on the spot, yours truly included.

"And why should I do so? How is my dearest any of your concerns?" Road mocked, brandishing the umbrella in a challenging motion. Kanda visibly bristled as Road claimed Allen as her 'dearest', taking it as a direct challenge to his status as Allen's mate. Marriage or not, Allen was his to have and no Noah wench was going to change that!

"That one is mine, Noah witch. Touch my wife again and you won't LIVE to tell the tale," Kanda threatened, his blade poised to strike once more if Road tried anything funny. But Road froze upon those words, throwing Allen a look so shocked, it made her all the more child-like in Allen's gaze. She shook her head in disbelief, retorting, "No, I won't let that happen! For him to be yours? You dream too big, princeling!"

"All I need to do is kill you and take Allen back!"

After all this was over, Allen wouldn't be able to remember what prompted him to do so. All he knew was the moment those words left Road's lips, he had stepped up before Kanda without hesitation. Old instincts in him screamed at the danger that Road could potentially wreak and he was loathe to have Kanda bear the brunt of it. Road stopped short of her advance, perplexed at Allen's actions.

"You would defend the princeling, Allen?"

"I'm sorry, Road...I'm still confused, and everything you've told me is too much for me to take in at once, but I believe your words. If you really do think of me, please spare Kanda. He is my benefactor. I owe him, and I can't let you hurt him."

"Do you think I can't beat her, moyashi?!" Kanda exclaimed, indignant at the mere thought. Allen mildly glared at him over his shoulder.

"I saw what your attack did on Road. Do I think so? No, I know so."

"Allen makes sense, unlike you...Fine, for Allen's sake I'll leave you be. Come on, Allen. We should go home now," Road mentioned, holding her hand out. But Allen merely looked at her with sad eyes. He had once dreamt of a family when he was a child, optimistic and foolishly wanting to believe he was not abandoned. Such cruel irony, to have that very family which cherishes him now to hold out their hand, and Allen could not take it. He had already taken Kanda's hand.

"I'm sorry, Road...I'm going with Kanda," Allen quietly made his decision known, stepping towards Kanda's side. For once, Kanda wore an expression of pure surprise. Never had he heard Allen speak his name with such softness, and he realised that he didn't dislike it. Gloating opportunities however, were lost when he was faced with Road Kamelot. For all that he could prove with his strength, an outright confrontation with her was best avoided. Road was very unhappy, if Allen could put it mildly, livid didn't seem to do justice to the icy anger that enveloped the little girl.

"...If that's what Allen wants, then fine," Road sulked, darkly adding, "But you'll come back to us. I know you will." Her eyes glimmered with a hidden emotion, adding to the sinister feeling that she was hiding something from Allen. But as she promised, Road retreated through that bizarre Door she conjured, taking Shin-Il along with her. Allen almost sighed in relief, until an irate voice behind him grated, "I think it's time to tell me what the hell was going on."

The poor bride had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Sorry for the late update...After long contemplation, I have decided to discontinue most of my current fics, except this one and The Walker Syndrome. Also, after these two fics are completed, I will buck up and move to AO3, which will be the new home for all new fics. I am currently contemplating whether I should import this series over to AO3 as well.