Headphone does not own. ; w ;

Rubber band

My breath was frozen to the walk to school on this fine winter afternoon. My knees chattered and the scarf my mother forced me to wear was itching at my throat. My bare hands had turned pink at the slowing of blood from the cold, along with my face. My name is Saphir Wyon Neis, I am eleven years old, and I live in central Keterburg.

Sitting down in my usual seat, I stared intently at the black board that Professor Nebilim was now writing today's assignments on. My class included a few people, Me, Peony on occasions, some kid that just stayed in the back of the room, Nephry, and her older brother Jade. Jade was the one reason I hated this class, not only because of his high intellect that made him a formable rival to my own brain, but the one thing he did to me day in and day out. He would snap some stupid rubber band at the back of my neck no matter how many times I told him to stop. After about thirty rubber band snaps, I got used to them and couldn't feel the continuous bruises that they would create on my pale skin after a while. Though every new one was put on my skin in just a way so that when he would hit me it would have a domino affect and they would all hurt.

Looking around only to see that I was the first one in class today, minus the kid in the corner, I sighed in a little bit of relief, that way I could focus on the work on the board instead on the light red markings that stung on the back of my neck. Seeing that today was Gnomeday, I sighed again due to the fact that on Gnomeday there was group work. Professor Nebilim knew I didn't like working with Jade so she never put me with him, but instead his very nice sister who really felt sorry for me. Nibbling on my nails, I looked at the work I was set in for today, building a small fontech machine. That would be a piece of cake for Nephry and I, seeing as how she enjoyed studying the ways that I could build fontech dolls with ease. I had made one for her once, as a birthday present.

Hearing the door of the small room open and shut with the addition of a few muffled whispers, I could tell that the young emperor and demon had arrived. The reason I called him demon was because of the rumors that were afloat the large tourist city, about how Jade had already done terrible things, like break people's limbs, and how his fonic artes were powerful enough to kill a man, and that he had killed a bandit that tried to steal from his parents large snow colored house then used the body for experiments. The ideas ran shivers down my spine every time they escaped someone's lips.

Hearing the desk behind me squeak, I assumed that Jade was here like any other and that he was going to add another bruise or two to my already sore neck. Putting my head down on the desk, I really hoped that I could keep my scarf on the entire class without it itching too much and ending up with a rash, or something just as awful. Continuing to read the words that my teacher wrote down, I relaxed a little bit as I learned that she had already set up Jade with Peony and that I was to be with Nephry like every other Gnomeday. I looked around the room, seeing only Jade and the silent kid were in the class. Wondering what the previous whispering was, I assumed that Jade had most likely been saying something to himself, or a quiet greeting to our teacher. He raised a pale, bare hand, which was caught by Professor Nebilim's attention.

"Yes, Jade. What is it?" She acknowledged him, her calm, crisp voice breaking the silence that had been previously enveloping the room. He set his hand down on his empty desk, opening his mouth to talk, he closed it, trying to think things over, but then spoke.

"Nephry is sick today, and Peony couldn't go to school today, because he was being watched very closely by his maids." That was very, very bad news to my ears. That only meant that I was either going to have to work with Jade, or the Professor. I didn't mind working with my teacher but the kid in the corner was anti-social to anyone his age, so he was forced to work with her. That left me with only one other option; Jade. I really didn't want to work with him, not that I really needed to. Gnomeday was the only day I ever got to work with anyone who had to listen to my ideas, but I did not want to work with him. I could already see the new rubber band he had laced around his sleeve-covered wrist. My neck ached at the sight of those stupid things.

"Well, I guess you and Saphir will have to work on today's project together, then." She sounded unsure, and I gave way to a sigh that meant that today was going to be a long day. After the breath escaped my lips, I regretted it, and tried to cover it up with a muffled cough. Adjusting the scarf around my neck, I inquired back to my teacher as she thought about what to do with him and me.

"I can work alone, I know how to make a fontech doll." Saying that made my teacher look up at me, almost surprised that I would rather work alone. She had never heard me talk about working alone, but considered it for a second, but then choose which was best.

"No, you and Jade will work together, if I see any problems though, I will split up the both of you." I could almost feel the satisfied smirk on the demon's pale face. I tried to find words to argue back about how Jade had been hitting me on the back of the neck with a rubber band, but gave up, as if I did tell her, it would only increase. Waiting for her to tell us the goal of assignment the thought crossed my mind of me doing all the work while Jade sat back, watching, waiting to take all the credit for it.

Twenty minutes later, she started to explain the directions of how to make it, which I didn't need as I could make a much more advanced doll with less instructions as she was giving.

"Placing the correct incantation on it accordingly will allow it to work, but if you say it wrong, or use it at the wrong time, you will have to start over. Make sure that you use mostly forth fonons to get it to work, otherwise you might accidentally break it." When she was done explaining, she took out the materials we were allowed to construct it out of, most of it consisting of scrap metal, and other such fontech machine parts and pieces. Turning around to face Jade, I noticed that he was staring at me, almost waiting for me to go get the parts we needed.

"Can you build it? I'm no good at fontech." That was all he said, and my mind rushed at the thought of him admitting that I was better at him with at least something or another.

"Sure, but you have to put the basic incantation on it when I say to." I replied, earning a quick irritated nod from him, showing that he just wanted to get it over with. Going through the box, I found a bunch of aluminum foil and started to crunch it up and pieces and parts together and the occasional mess-up made me go back in the box to dig for stuff to fix it.

Three hours went by of me constructing the now finished machine; Jade had just now put the final fonic glyph on it, and Professor Nebilim was highly impressed at my high level of knowledge towards fontech dolls, machines, and other such mechanical stuff. My scarf had long since fallen off, but I didn't care about it all that much, seeing as how Jade had yet to snap me with the new rubber band that was still firmly placed on his wrist, I assumed the only reason he hadn't hit me with it was because today Professor Nebilim was paying very close attention to us.

"I will give you two an A plus on this amazing machine." She told us when she was done inspecting it. I smiled and nodded but on the inside, I was ecstatic. Jade acknowledged her with a smirk followed by a curt sign of gratitude. The small school's bell rang and our teacher dismissed us. Packing up my bag with the few things I needed for the rest of the day, I left, hoping that the park had no one in it so I could sit and watch the always-clouded sky in peace.

Walking up the few stairs to the park, I heard the sounds of other kids around my age playing around with snowball making devices that were produced by Sheridan. I decided to turn tail and go home, walking about five or six meters, I stopped dead in my tracks. Jade was strolling towards me, a slightly grim expression on his face. Going around a small bench area, I continued walking to my house, noticing that my feet were going a little bit more quicker then I had planned. I slowed down, only to hear footsteps behind me. Assuming it was Jade, I didn't bother looking behind me at the fear that it would be him. Seeing my house, I quickened a little bit, opening the front door and closing it with a small thud. Being welcomed in by warm air and the familiar scent of my mother cooking dinner, I gave way to a thankful sigh as I sat down on the chair that sat in the living room, adorned by festive colors of the thankful time.

New Years day was the first day of Lorelei-Redecan, when people are most thankful for the coming of spring to come after the harsh winter. It was normally celebrated by people giving each other gifts and cards, and other such nice things. My family was always nice and gave gifts to all of our neighbors and friends. Though this was, the first time that thankful day would come and I be forced to get something for Jade. That thought hurt my half-frozen brain.

Hearing my mother start to hum as she prepared whatever we were to have tonight was soothing, but it didn't help the raw aching of my bruises as they brushed against the cloth of the chair. Cringing in pain, I sat forward, hoping to reduce the stress that was placed on my now bare neck as I pulled my scarf off, trying my hardest not to touch the red marks on my neck.

Hearing a knock at the door, I brushed a strand of silver hair from my face, hoping in everything in my mind, that it wasn't Jade. My mother stopped her humming and went to open the door for whomever in was. I lightly cocked my head to the side and turned it around, hoping to see the face of the person who knocked. Opening the door, my mother asked the person in her usual singsong voice,

"Hello, who might you be?" It was Jade and I sat back up straight, hoping for my mom to make something up for me. Instead of sitting there, I quickly crept up the stairs that attached the living room to the upstairs. Going into my white and cream colored room, I left the pale door open just a little bit open so that I could hear their conversation, there was also a small microphone I had attached to the lamp that adorned the space next to the door, so that I could listen to amusing conversation's my mother would have with solicitors that would come to my house every once in a while. Turning the headset I used to listen on, I could now hear Jade talking.

"Is Saphir here? He forgot something in class today so I thought I would bring it to him." His voice sounded a bit puffy from either running or the cold, or maybe both. I sat on my bed, feeling the weight of myself bring the area around me down a little. I hadn't forgotten anything today, Jade was probably just making up an excuse to come to my house and use his rubber band to snap the back of my neck with it, seeing as how he hadn't done it today.

"Oh yeah, he's here. Do you want to come in? He's in his room right now. It's upstairs and the first door on the left." She said, giving away my last hope of safety to a demon himself. I quickly hid my headset on it's normal place of in my closet while I heard a couple of footsteps climbing the stairs, getting louder and louder. My heart sped up and all I could do was wait for Jade to come in and give me the dumb rubber band bruise that he had forgotten to give me that day. The door opened the rest of the way and Jade was the only thing I saw. His cheeks still a slight shade of pink from the cold.

"You forgot something." He said. I looked at him and tried to look in the slightest bit shocked, but failed, as I was never the actor of my family. He held out a little folded up slip of paper that I hadn't seen before, but guessed that he was giving me something and that this was as close to saying 'Have this, I made it for you' as the demon was ever going to get. I unfolded it only to see something very unexpected from the boy that was now sitting on my bed next to me.

It was a thank you card, most likely since it was only two days away from Thanksgiving Day. But it still surprised me to see that Jade even had a heart for a long enough time to write a short little something about anything nice to anyone.

Saphir,

Thank you for being nice to Nephry. People are normally mean to her or take advantage of the kindness in her heart because they were jerks, but not you. Normally I wouldn't thank anyone for something like this but Nephry insisted that it be done. Maybe she feels I wouldn't write one of my own free will, which I wouldn't but still.

Thanks anyway,

Jade.

It was more so a letter than anything, but I didn't care. It was the only thing nice that Jade had ever done for me. Though it probably took him much more time to even think of being nice than to actually do it.

"Well, you're welcome." I replied to him, as if he was reading the letter aloud. My voice was a bit nasally from the cold weather clogging it up, but Jade still made the response that I had never thought he would do in a million years, due to his lack of emotion span, and confidence. He blushed, and it wasn't the same pink that was on his skin from the cold either. I looked back at the letter, not so much as noticing the weight on the bed shift slightly until I felt the same sting that I had felt every day of my young life for the past two and a half months. I let out a small cringe at the pain that now shot through my neck. He had pulled the stupid trick on me again, and snapped the rubber band at my neck once more.

Snapping up to look at him, I glared. "Would you stop doing that?" I hissed with a little bit of pain laced through my voice. He thought about it for a second and then replied to my pain with a smirk that had been very common on his face as of late.

"I will if you can promise me something." I got really curious due to his word choice, but I tried to keep from getting panicked. My hands got clammy and my mind just thought of all the directions that his 'promise' would go in.

"Even if I do something awful you have to promise me that you'll still never forget about me." That was easy to do, seeing as how he already had done something awful –abuse me that is- and I still haven't forgotten about him.

"Sure." I nodded with my reply, that way so he would leave sooner. He left after that, not even saying good-bye, which he didn't need to because I would see him again tomorrow and the day after that and etcetera. The unfolded piece of paper still laid in my hand, only moving from my shakiness that was now in every part of my body.

The day after, Peony was back at school, which was okay, along with Nephry, and Jade was being nicer. Though what caught my eyes wasn't that Nephry was wearing the new skirt she was flaunting, but the fact that Jade didn't have a rubber band on his wrist this day. Everything was nice, and I finally started to actually like Jade, and it was almost funny, that a simple thing like a rubber band would change how I felt about him.

Though that charade didn't last long, and I realized then, that thankful time, was never the best time of the year, and that this year was the worst of the pile.

My eyes were now clouded by the tears that emanated from the holes located on my eye-lids, and it was hard for me to focus on anything but the demon. He tried to make her come back to life with a spell he had acquired from a book in the library. Though it did work, but that was the start of his nightmare, and what would soon be known as the end of the golden age.

What became of her was not the same Professor that would help him and me on everything we needed it on, but a clone of her. A purely heartless clone that would kill anything that came close to her. Just setting eyes on her was a sin, but I had to. For Jade and I were still hiding from the beast that had become of our Teacher's clone. Him and I were now in the area right outside of Keterburg, just between the tourist town and the port. We were hiding in a little dugout and knew that if we didn't go back into town and tell the police about the mass-murderer that was right outside the city then Keterburg and maybe even other near-by areas would come to an end from this creation.

"What are we going to do?" I whispered to him, trying to keep a watch out for her, seeing as she could rip both of us apart in a mere second. He gave me a worried look and said the most easily understood plan he could think of.

"Run to town and tell the police." He placed his hand in mine, a serious expression plastered on his face. "I may not ever see you again because of this but you still have the promise, so you can't forget." His voice was uneasy and I slightly stood up, showing that if there were any time to run, it was now. He took the hint and we ran to Keterburg, trying to catch our breath only for seconds at a time, there was no one around us, for long. That's when I panicked I saw the clone. Flying towards us at incredible speed was the true demon. It was no longer Jade. She had taken on a form that was weird and awkward. She had grown six wings, three like that of an angel, and three like that of a demon. Her white hair sparkled in the dim light that peeked through the clouds. As she came closer I now saw Jade spin around as he summoned upon one last chance to fight back, a large light blue and white field surrounded his small feet as he started to call out the words to use a high level arte.

"Jade, no!" I called, but it was too late, as he said the final word, the monster he had created was upon us and she looked as if her hunger for people was not yet satisfied by the few people she had already killed in Keterburg.

"Ground Dasher!" He called and a large chunk of stone came up for the ground, piercing the creature in the stomach, causing her to spew blood from her now open mouth, and a look of agony from her wide open eyes. I turned to Jade to see him tense, a shocked replacing his normally calm face. He fell to the icy floor on his knees, I ran over to him, only to have him push me away. The stone that had supposedly killed the creature had now been absorbed back into the snow-covered ground. And the snow that now started to fall was red with the blood of the monster that was once Professor Nebilim.

"Go get the police!" He called to me, a light, tearless sob choking his voice into fractions of what it normally was. I didn't want to leave him alone, but was left with little choice.

After that police arrived at the scene, Jade and I were interrogated and I was left with little to no choice of not talking about what happened. To the police Jade was calm and collectedly seeming, but on the inside I knew he was as rattled at the life threatening experience as I was. Once we were escorted back to town, I learned that Jade was to be disowned by his family, which was no real surprise, but seeing him go for some odd reason made me in the slightest bit sad. I suppose that in the last few hours I had learned that he wasn't just a demon that could hurt people, but instead an actual person that could be trusted.

That was almost twenty years ago, and now that I think about it, it's all a bit delusional. Nothing I did back then made sense, why hadn't I loved the kid more, why didn't I prevent him from that level of insanity. None of my questions had answers, or more so, answers I didn't want to believe. It was awful, I hated how everything was, but that's life.

I wonder how I even did some of those things, as they were just plain weird, and aloof, totally not how I am these days. I remember things I don't want to remember, and things I didn't know I ever did.

But it's too late to change how Jade thinks of me, as I'm currently locked up in jail, a place I don't deserve to be in.

But at least I have the Colonel's visits to look forward to, but if he does the same thing to me that he did last time, my body is going to be more sore then from just the awful support that the beds give me.

End