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______" I’m sorry Allen-san, but I can’t be your girlfriend," nine-year old Micheru said sadly, " I’ve already promised Seth I’d be his. I hope you understand…here’s your ring back." She dropped a small brass ring into his hand and gave him a small smile before running off to play with the other girls. Allen looked down at his hand and frowned. Seth? The only thing that made him popular was the amount of money his father actually earned from being a good merchant and he was able to manipulate people into liking him with that. But he wasn’t handsome or anything, just filthy rich that’s all. I'll bet if I had just as much money as that creep she’d come running after me instead, Allen thought sulkily as he walked through the town square.

______" Allen! Allen, wait up!!" A tall boy, a few years older than him called out while running to catch up. Allen turned, an irritable expression on his face. " What’s up?"

______The boy panted a bit and shook his head. " Sorry pal, I just came to tell you that we don’t need any more swordsmen for the game. Thanks for volunteering though…"

______" Wait a minute, I thought you said you were short of two men?" Allen demanded, anger welling up inside of him. The boy looked around nervously and nodded, " Yeah we are…I mean, we were, but Seth decided to fill the position out. We really need him , y’know, for provisions and stuff, and his friend Taki says he’s been to many jousting tournaments so we figured he’d be better for the team. Besides Allen, you don’t look like the type who’d be good with the sword anyway; it’s best that you stay out of our way."

______Allen balled up his fists and glared at the boy angrily. " Are you saying that I’m not good enough?! I don’t think this is quite a good day to be telling me this stuff, Lance!!" The boy backed away a bit. " Woah, woah, calm down Allen! It’s not my fault you weren’t picked! The whole team agreed on it, okay. Don’t throw your anger out on m—phmf!!" He wasn’t able to finish what he was about to say as Allen’s fist registered heavily on the side of his face, grazing his cheek. He stumbled back a bit as blood trickled down his chin.

______" Idiot! What did you do that for?!!" Lance grumbled, cursing. Allen continued glaring at him and launched another punch his way. " I’ll show you who’s not good enough!" he screamed. Lance dodged each of Allen’s reckless punches and slammed his fist hard on the blonde-haired boy’s stomach. Allen groaned and stumbled forward. Lance took the opportunity to bash him to the ground. Allen jerked him back and began wrestling with the older boy. They were causing quite a commotion in the marketplace when someone suddenly wrenched Allen away from the other boy.

______" What do you think you’re doing, you street rat!" the man screamed at Allen as Lance slowly pulled himself up and dusted himself off. Allen just stared at the man and pointed a finger towards the taller boy.

______" He started it!"

______" I don’t care who started it, I don’t want to see a dirty hoodlum like you messing around with a good customer, you hear! If I ever catch you causing trouble again I’m going to have you arrested!" The man shoved Allen away from him and walked back into his shop. But Allen was only aware of the large smirk on the boy’s face as he rose to leave, tipping his hat as a mock salute to the loser. Allen looked down at his fists and considered running after Lance when a voice stopped him.

______" I’m disappointed in you Allen," a stout man said, angrily shaking his head. " If that’s how you’re going to be, going round and causing trouble for folks, I’m going to hire a new boy for the job! I don’t want to lose my customers because of you!"

______Allen’s eyes widened and he pleaded with the storekeeper. " Please sir, don’t do that! With my father gone and all I need—"

______" Your father was a fool and, as I have realized now, so is his son! I’m not going to have you around here, ruining the business. You had your chance and you lost it yourself. Get out of here, Allen. Nobody wants a street rat like you!" The man shouted before slamming his door closed. Allen just stared at the door until he felt his eyes sting with tears. He turned and ran away as fast as he could to the harbor, a place where he knew nobody would disturb him or would be there to see him cry.

______Slumping against one of the wooden sheds, Allen put his hands to his face, tears slipping down his dirt-lined cheeks. Why was everything going bad for him today?! It just wasn’t fair! It was all Lance’s fault that he had lost his job that his family depended on so much for him to take. And it was all that stuffed-shirt Seth’s fault that he was there now. Why couldn’t he have been born the rich one? Why couldn’t his father have stayed where he was instead of going on some estranged cruise for some stupid lost city! Allen banged his fist against the wooden boards. Damnit…damn it…DAMN IT!!

______Blood trickled down the side of Allen’s knuckles as they came in contact with the wood one after the other. He couldn’t seem to stop. Punching the boards was draining all the anger and frustration that was gathering up inside of him and he had to admit, it felt good. He slammed his fist into the growing hole at the side of the shed, almost breaking his fist in the process.

______" Onii-sama, what are you doing?"

______One small voice. That’s all it took to drain Allen’s unspent anger away. His hands dropped to the sides and he looked up to find Serena staring at him, her eyes wide with innocence. She saw the blood on his hands and rushed quickly to his side, stumbling a bit on the jagged rocks. She ignored the pain though as concern for her brother overshadowed her own concern for herself. " Onii-sama, what happened?"

______Allen looked down at his hands and wiped the bloody mess behind his back. " I got into some fight at the square, Sera-chan. Nothing to be worried about… so, what are you doing here?"

______Serena bit her lip and replied. " I passed by the marketplace and heard about everything that happened. I’m sorry about your job, onii-sama. I know how much helping mother meant to you. Someone saw you heading here so I thought I’d come look for you and cheer you up. " Allen slumped down once more and avoided his younger sister’s gaze. " I’m alright. I just need some time…to be alone…that’s all."

______Serena put a hand to her brother’s shoulder. " Please don’t cry, onii-sama," she whispered, putting her arms around his neck and looking up at him sadly, " I hate seeing you so sad." He took her hand from his shoulder and gave it a small squeeze.

______" A smile from you is all it takes to cheer me up, Sera-chan," he told her softly. Serena smiled. One of her wide, toothless grins that Allen found so adorable. Allen couldn’t help laughing as he commented, "Your husband’s going to be one lucky guy having you for a wife someday, Sera-chan. I just hope he’d take good care of you." He ruffled his younger sister’s hair affectionately and Serena looked up at her "onii-sama" with a questioning look in her eyes, " Will my husband take me away from you, onii-sama?"

______Allen brushed his roughly scraped hand against his sister’s cheek and nodded, slowly, a sad smile on his face, " I’m afraid so, Sera-chan. You’re going to be building your own family by then."

______Serena cuddled closer to her brother and hugged him tighter, " Then I’m never getting married. I want us to always be together, onii-sama. Always…"

______Allen looked at his sister in surprise and smiled, patting her head. " Okay, Sera-chan. Let's make a promise that we'll always be together....no matter what happens. I promise I'll always be here when you need me; to care for you and protect you."

______" And I promise, onii-sama, that I'll always smile for you so you'll never, ever be sad," Serena said happily, deep in mid-embrace.

______They stayed there for a while, brother and sister holding each other, till Allen finally sighed and said, " Well, we had better get along home Serena. Mother will be worried. Thank you…for coming to look for me."

______Serena smiled " I’m glad you’re feeling better, onii-sama!" she said and laced her hand through her brother’s as both proceeded to walk home in the fading afternoon light.