I love how a large part of the fanfiction community is writing about recent tragic events, and I'm still here expanding the backstory of side characters. It's Helbram's fault. He's just too fun to write.

Enjoy :)

Helbram's wonderful dream was falling rapidly into consciousness, and he clung valiantly to the fantasy. Still, it slipped even from his memory, and Helbram was left hollow. Then, he smirked.

Because who else would be waking him up right now? That silly fairy King could sleep for days (quite literally) with no one bothering him, but if he wanted to see Helbram, well, he needed Helbram now. Helbram was apparently quite popular like that.

But today, he felt far too lazy to give his friend attention right now. His body felt raw and unused, as if he had been asleep for quite some time. He was surprisingly achy and sore, though he couldn't imagine what he had been doing to put himself in such a state. He decided to pretend to sleep until Harlequin went away.

"Helbram. Open your eyes."

His eyes shot open of their own accord. That was not Harlequin.

"Who are you?" Helbram asked as he glanced around his surroundings. Wherever he was, it seemed to be the furthest place from his home. There was little light or life, and everything smelled old, moldy, with a strong scent of rotting flesh. He laid on something cold. Stone, he confirmed with his hand.

Rip, snap.

Oh, what was that horrible sound his head!? What was that? Panic welled, and Helbram began to thrash around. He quickly learned that there were restraints on his limbs, and when the metal started to dig into his flesh, the pain finally made him stop. He lay on a stone slab in who knows where, wincing.

Something about this setting, about being held prisoner, seemed deeply, unnervingly familiar, but he couldn't grasp how. When in his life had he ever been in such a miserable place?

"I apologize. I wasn't sure what sort of mood you'd be in when you awoke, so I took some necessary precautions."

Helbram craned his neck to see the speaker, but the restraints prevented his view. His fear grew. He wished his friends were here, and at the same time he was glad that they weren't present to hear his shaking against the metal reverberating back in the darkness.

"I- I said, who are you?"

"I'm a big fan of your work, Helbram. I've heard some impressive tales."

His work? What was that supposed to mean? His duty was to protect and serve his best friend, and maybe if Harlequin ever agreed, to become an ambassador to humans.

Humans…

"I hate humans!" A voice raged in his head, and it took the confused fairy a moment to realize that voice belonged to him.

"Wh… What's going on? …Where am I?"

The speaker finally decided to answer one of his questions. "You are beneath the palace of the kingdom of Lioness."

Lioness? In the human world? Why on earth would he be here!? Why would a human want to keep him captive? And most importantly… Why hadn't Harlequin come to rescue him? Why wasn't the Fairy King here? …He must be on his way! He had to be! Helbram just had to sit tight and act strong until his friend came and saved him.

Helbram tried to smooth the tremors from his voice. "Let me go, or the fairy King will come and you'll be sorry!"

The man laughed at him. "I doubt that. Harlequin the Traitor, the Grizzly Sin of Sloth, is on the run with his fellow criminals after plotting to overthrow Lioness."

The words meant little to Helbram as much as he tried to understand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Much has passed since your death hundreds of years ago."

What? What was he- did he just say-…the ghost of pain fluttered at his chest, and he gasped instinctually. The scent of roses, definitely not coming from himself, and a white projectile shooting towards his chest that quivered from so much pain, and the feeling of something warm and wet spreading over his body, and then there was a crying face. It was Harlequin's face, and Helbram wanted to soothe his friend's tears, until he understood that the deadly flower had come from Harlequin. But… Why?

Rip, snap.

"I don't understand." He said weakly.

"Then understand this, fairy Helbram. I am the Holy Knight Grandmaster of Lioness, Hendrickson."

Holy Knight? Yes. He had fought those before. Killed some, run from others- the only humans who had really been a challenge for him. Oh! That's right. Then…

"You're a human." Helbram hissed, and a cacophony of emotions beat on his brain and struggled to escape. Fear, dread, panic, rage, hatred. Towards humans, towards this human, and to his surprise, towards Harlequin. Because he had gotten in his way, because he couldn't understand. Harlequin could never understand what Helbram had experienced, but that didn't mean he had to kill him! Why had he killed him?!

"Why am I here? Let me go!"

"Don't worry, I won't harm you." Say that to these restraints. "I only come to make a deal with you."

Helbram laughed darkly, "why would I ever be foolish enough to make a deal with a human?"

Hendrickson stepped closer to him, and Helbram could finally see the white-haired man. He had a faint smile on his face, a smug smile, and otherwise looked casual as if locking up undead fairies in a palace dungeon was a common activity he enjoyed every Tuesday. Not that Helbram had any idea if this was Tuesday. "Because I know what you want, and I can help you achieve it."

"What I want?" He lowered his voice, trying to sound as threatening as possible, "what I want is every human dead -that includes you, everyone you know, and everyone you care about." But Hendrickson barely reacted, as if Helbram had only made a passing comment about the weather. This only infuriated the fairy more. "LET ME GO!"

Hendrickson sighed. "I could do that, but you'd only be put down, maybe even by the Grizzly Sin again."

He snarled at the words, "put down", used as if he were a rabid animal. But what was this Grizzly Sin business he kept hearing about? "What are you talking about?"

"As I said before, a lot has happened since your death, Helbram. For example, the other Grandmaster and I are starting a Holy War. I'm sure you can understand what that would mean for you."

Helbram licked his lips. Oh yes, he could certainly do a lot of damage in wartime. "So if you're not just going to let me go and do what I want, what's the catch?"

"I want you to help us start this war as one of my Holy Knights."

Helbram thought for a moment. "I suppose I'd have to follow your orders, then?" He wanted to kick himself for asking, even considering. This was a human! He couldn't let himself be fooled by one again! But still… It was definitely an interesting offer.

"As my holy Knight, yes. But if you do well you might have your own knights to command someday. You would be bringing about a destructive war, which would certainly help you reach your goals. And if you wanted to go 'off books' every once in a while, I would look the other way."

"Isn't your job to protect your people?" Helbram raised an eyebrow.

"I am in no way obligated to disclose my plans to you. If you decide to assist me and then rise to a high enough rank, you might earn some of that information."

Wasn't that just like a human, using trickery and curtains to hide the truth even when it appeared they were offering something? Even worse that the human was plotting to kill his own people. As disgusted as he was, though, Helbram could definitely value this as an opportunity. It was true. If he continued to act on his own, someone would eventually stop him. He barely avoided the Holy Knights before. Hundreds of years ago, he had to remind himself. But if he was one of them, if he was able to butcher the human race under the orders of these Knights…

He looked at his restraints, and wondered if he was really being given a choice at all. His wings felt painfully crumpled between his skin and the stone, and the thought of his wings only brought back that sound. Rip, snap. The screams of his friends being slowly murdered for something as insignificant as money. He had to keep avenging them. He had to make the screams silent even if for only a moment, and he had long ago found what that secret to silence was.

"There's one more thing." The Grand Master interrupted his thoughts, "part of your job will be to search for and detain the dangerous criminals, the members of the order called the Seven Deadly Sins. The Fairy King is one of them."

Helbram shuddered as he recalled the disappointment on Harlequin's face as he tried to explain why he was killing the humans. Was it disappointment in Helbram, or disappointment in himself for choosing to end the life of his best friend in the world? How could he do this to him? And then, how could the fairy who warned him to never trust humans join an order of Knights in the human kingdom? Why wasn't he protecting the forest? Apparently there was a lot he needed to learn about this future and the one who he thought was his friend.

He wanted to see him. Oh, he wanted to see Harlequin so bad! Because when he did, he would hurt him. Devastate him! Let him know what it felt like to have the one friend who hadn't been murdered kill you! Make him understand! And if he still didn't, Helbram would destroy any new friend Harlequin had made, human or otherwise! He would make sure that, just like Helbram, Harlequin would have nothing left.

"An answer, Helbram." Hendrickson ordered, and the fairy realized he had clenched every muscle in his body. He let out a slow, shaky breath and forced himself to relax. Even smile.

"Okay. I'll join you."

It took Helbram years to understand that his reactions and concerns that day, though genuine, were instigated and exacerbated by the man who was now his Grandmaster. But by that point, Helbram didn't have a choice. He was a Holy Knight, or else he would lose his life for the second time.

In my defense, I actually had the idea for this fic two weeks ago. Then I got the idea for Little Gil and Co.'s adventures, and I just had to write that first. Then I became very sick, and wasn't able to do much for about a week and half. But, you see, when I get an idea for a story, I have to write it as soon as possible, or it digs deep into my head just begging to be let out. What I'm trying to explain is that I've had this psycho fairy in my head bitching throughout the entirety of my illness. Like the following conversation:

*A feverish Orca climbs into bed after much ramen and yummy tea. She begins to fall asleep*

Helbram: HAAAARLEQUIIIIIIN HOW COULD YOU DOOO THIS TO MEEEEEE?

Orca: Helbram? What the…go to sleep.

Helbram: And HOW do you expect me to do THAT? You left me chained to a stone altar in a dungeon with this creepy white-haired guy-

Hendy: *waves*

Helbram: -staring at me all the time! So how am I supposed to sleep, huh?

Hendy: I have better things I could be doing right now, too. Demonic orders to follow, kingdoms to ruin, you understand.

Orca: Go to sleep and I'll write you both out of this mess tomorrow.

Helbram: YOU SAID THAT THREE DAYS AGO!

Orca: Well, I promise I'll do it tomorrow! Now go to bed, both of you! *throws covers and pillows over head*

Helbram: *sniffles* Harlequin, whyyyyyy….?