Disclaimer: I do not own Servamp or any of the characters
"Licht Jekylland Todorki, you are on trial for disobeying our Lord's word. You were to wait for the council to decide the fates of the demons yet you took it upon yourself to purify them. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The angel's voice was even but there was a hard edge to it. Licht wasn't intimidated by it and glared at the angel.
"I don't need a defense because I was right to hunt down those demons and kill them. They killed countless angels and more would've died while you took your time on your council meetings and arguments." Licht refused to feel guilty for his actions. He didn't care what punishment the council would give him because he knew that it would be less painful than the regret of doing nothing.
Mahiru watched his friend with a mixture of admiration and worry. While he admired Licht's dedication to his ideals, he also knew that the council would only tolerate his defiance for so long. Licht was a skilled and powerful warrior so he knew that they wouldn't kill him as punishment but Mahiru still worried over their decision.
"We cannot risk angering the Demon King any further and he is demanding a trade for the lives you took. We would like to resolve this without violence." One spoke and Mahiru dearly hoped they didn't ask for Licht's life. When they told him what the Demon King demanded, Mahiru was relieved. Licht was furious.
"They want your piano."
"How dare you suggest I give them my piano?" Licht screamed and Mahiru rushed forward to hold him back before he could attack a council man. "I'll fucking break his fingers if he dares to touch my piano. If any of you try to take it, I'll do the same to you!"
"Licht, please calm down!" Mahiru knew how important his piano was to Licht but he didn't think that it was worth losing his life. "Just calm down and let me deal with this!"
It was obvious that he wouldn't be able to convince Licht to part with his piano so he tried to appeal to the council. He stood in front of them and bowed. "Please don't take his piano. Taking it won't solve anything or teach Licht patience. I believe that I know a better punishment for him."
"And what would you suggest?" One asked.
"We make him a guardian angel." Mahiru declared and everyone in the room turned to him. Guardian angels were tasked with guiding and protecting a human on the edge of turning into a demon. The role required patience and a kind understanding that they didn't believe Licht had. Mahiru knew that it would be difficult to convince the council but tried.
"I'm having trouble with a certain human and I believe that Licht would be a better guardian for him. Thinking simply, Licht might learn a lot from becoming a guardian angel and his piano will help lull the hurt of a human. And he won't be able to hunt demons if he's in the Human Realm so we won't risk angering the Demon King further."
"And how do we pacify the King's current anger?"
"I'll negotiate another trade." Mahiru volunteered and the council began to whisper among themselves. While he appeared to be a simple angel, he was a talented guardian and his words could sway conversations. He hoped that it would be enough to help Licht.
"Mahiru, what are you doing?" Licht pulled him a side and whispered harshly. He wasn't trained to be a guardian and he never interacted with a human before.
"I'm trying to save your life." Mahiru told him harshly. It was rare for Mahiru to be so stern and Licht looked down at the ground while he went on. "Right now, we don't have much of a choice if you want to keep your piano. Do you know the destruction the King can create with it? So, please, put aside your pride for once and try not to anger the council further."
"Licht Jekylland Todorki, we have decided your fate." The angel leading the council stood. "You will be assigned to purify the demon within the human under Mahiru's watch. But you must do so within a month and without using violence. If you fail to do so before the month is over and if Mahiru fails to sway the demon king, your piano will be forfeited."
"An angel such as I will be able to cleanse any demon with little time and effort." Licht said confidently despite his earlier reservation of becoming a guardian. "Tell me the name of the human."
"Hyde, lets go out to dinner! I'll pay!" World End screamed as he persistently knocked on the door but his brother refused to open it. A part of him wanted to break down the door and drag him out of his grief but another part of him knew that he couldn't do anything but wait for Hyde.
"He's not going to come out tonight either?" Kuro walked into the hallway with a takeout bag. Hyde had locked himself inside his room for days now but Kuro made sure to bring him something to eat. While everyone in their family wanted to help him, none of them knew how. He placed the bag on the doorknob before knocking. "I brought dinner but you're still free to come down to eat."
"I'm not hungry." Hyde's voice was small but it was more than he had given them for days so Kuro was relieved. "I'm busy with my next play so don't worry about me."
"Alright." Kuro knew that Hyde was lying but didn't say anything. "Hyde, I know this is tough on you but we're here for you. If you want to talk to us about it or cry, we won't judge you."
"I said I was okay so leave me alone! I can't write when you're constantly talking and distracting me!" Hyde screamed and Kuro winced slightly. But the angry screams were better than the somber silence to them. "I'm sorry. Just go on and eat without me. Thanks for bringing food, I'll eat it."
Inside the room, Hyde listened to his brothers' footsteps leave before he forced himself out of his bed. It was noon but the drawn curtains blocked the light. He couldn't stand the sight of the sunlight because it reminded him of her bright, golden hair. Everything brought back memories of her and he didn't want to leave his bed and be reminded of everything he lost.
Hyde couldn't sense his brothers on the other side of the door and opened it cautiously. A bag full of ham and cheese sandwiches hung on his door and he smiled to himself. They were his favourite but it was the small gesture of Kuro's kindness that made him smile. His family clearly cared and worried for him so Hyde wondered if he was being selfish.
Something painful clutched at his heart and he closed the door as he returned to his desk. He went through the motion of eating the sandwiches without tasting them. Hyde pulled his knees to his chest and tried to console himself but failed miserably. How did one work past their grief? He read so many books and articles but he couldn't rid himself of it.
"What would better men do with their grief? Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak; whispers the o'erfraught heart and bids it break." Hyde quoted, hoping that it would help him but it all sounded hopeless and pointless to him. What did it matter? She was gone, dead and gone, as all humans were destined to be. "Sweet Ophelia, what am I going to do without you?"
Hyde looked at the scripts littering his desk. He was a playwright but hadn't been able to open his laptop and write since his muse left him. How could he write without her? How could he live without her? He pushed aside the sandwiches and paper so he could rest his head on his desk. He closed his eyes and could almost hear her soft voice that sounded like piano notes.
A piano? Hyde sat up when he realized that the sound wasn't a figment of his imagination. No one he knew could play the piano and his family didn't own one. He looked around the room but he was alone. Did his grief finally turn to madness? When he stood, he noticed a feather on the ground. Hyde picked it up and turned it between his fingers. "What the hell?"
"Die you demon!" Hyde felt someone kick his back and he went flying forward. He caught himself on the ground and turned sharply to see a man standing before him. At first, Hyde was shocked and didn't know how to react. Firstly, the man appeared suddenly and without warning. Secondly, he had large white wings. Despite his angelic appearance, his eyes sent him a dark glare.
"Who the hell are you?" Hyde cautiously stood and tried to find a weapon he could use. His mind was racing, trying to think of how the man could enter his room.
"I'm an angel and I'm going to purify the demon within you." He declared and raised his hand. Piano keys appeared before him and Hyde stiffened when he began to play. Feathers began to swarm around him in time to the song and Hyde felt as if the song could touch his soul. When he touched his cheek, he realized that he was crying and memories began to surface with those tears.
"Stop!" Hyde screamed and rushed forward. He punched the man and sent him stumbling back. The weight and memories lessened and Hyde felt relieved for a moment. Then the man regained his footing and glared at him. He didn't know why but he could feel a threatening power beneath the man's scowl. But Hyde found himself laughing slightly.
"Well, if my madness personified my grief as you, I have free reign to beat the crap out of you. Come at me, Angel Cakes." Hyde picked up a rapier. It was a prop for one of his plays but it could still hurt him. He waved it threateningly at him. "I'll pluck those wings of yours so you'll never bother me again."
"How dare you threaten an angel's wings?" The man easily fell for his taunts and flew forward to attack him. Hyde dodged his attack and pulled back his rapier to stab him. The angel turned in the air and was about to kick him again. But neither were hurt when someone appeared between them and blocked their attacks.
"What are you doing, showing yourself to a human?" The second stranger screamed and Hyde was shocked that the angel stepped back as he was being scolded. "The council said you can't use force to kill the demon within him! What kind of guardian angel fights with their human? We're supposed to help them by drawing out the light within them to purify the demon naturally. I explained this to you already."
"Wait, you're my guardian angel?" Hyde couldn't make any sense of their conversation but tried to.
"Unfortunately," The dark haired man huffed. "I'm Licht Jekylland Todorki and I am your guardian angel."
I originally posted this on my tumblr but I decided to post it here as well because I'm losing inspiration on my other projects and I didn't want to let my ff account become inactive.
