Wanna Trade Wings?

Chapter 1: Meet Me, Heal Me, Leave Me.

~A Part of You will Remain in my Grasp for Eternity~

As he walked over the rugged, rocky earth, his wings pulsed, and his white cloak easily conformed to the land beneath. "Ahh, I suppose I must pay my dues before I start getting nicer tasks," he sighed as he stepped over a human skeleton. "This place is such a wasteland." Dino then paused, for before him stood a cloaked being who's hood drenched his face in shade. The black material immediately alerted Dino to a demon, however, so he knew that he had to be wary. "Who are you?" he asked, stepping back. "Are you with Satin's force?"

"I refer to him as Lord Xanxus," spoke a rasp of broken voice. Dino frowned.

"So you're one of those demons," he muttered. "All right, then! As custom dictates, we simply must fight! See, this land was claimed by the angels for scavenging!"

"We don't care what the angels' claims may be," the demon hissed. "We do not care what you want."

The hood remained, but arms were drawn, and Dino saw that this particular creature's weapon of choice was a set of tonfas. Immediately, he drew out the leather whip that was useful in close combat. "Come. We'll settle this for our elders right here, right now!"

"Tell Byakuran he owes my father a soul," the demon snarled, before smashing the steel weapon into Dino's ready defense. Dino grunted as he was pushed back in the dirt, then turned and lashed the whip over the demon's shoulder. The black-cloaked being groaned in pain, and as he stumbled backwards from the force of the seemingly harmless lash, his hood fell off of his head, revealing small horns, as well as a face that made Dino stop dead. Aside from the abnormally pale skin, there was dark black hair that fell around his face in messy, blood-soaked clumps, darkened color beneath his eyes, and several scars across his face.

As one trained to forgive and pity, Dino knelt down beside the demon, but he knew better than to touch something so cruel and ruthless. "I can heal you," he murmured. "If you're okay with that..."

The demon's gray eyes widened with shock, and he shook his head. Dino sighed in turn, because he knew just as well that doing as he wanted to would be a grave sin, for both sides. "You can't!" the demon said. "We'd be killed for sure! Besides... you... we're enemies!"

"But this is just awful!" Dino protested. "You shouldn't have to deal with all those hideous scars!"

"These scars are from my Master!" the other returned. "You haven't a clue what discipline it takes to tame a creature such as myself."

"What 'Master'?" Dino asked. "Do you serve Xanxus?"

"No!" the creature shouted, before settling, "Oh, well... yes, in general terms, but my Master is someone else..."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you," the demon answered, the lightest blush tinting his pale cheeks. "I'm not allowed to speak of him."

Dino, sighed, held out his hand, and a white scar his palm began to glow- the only scar on his entire body. "I'm going to fix up your poor face," he murmured. "You don't have to live like that."

"I... I choose to live like this," Hibari muttered, looking away. Dino shook his head, and the other bowed his head, and waited, and, while Dino was attempting to heal him, he said, "My name's Hibari, by the way..."

"Dino," the angel replied. There was a moment of silence, and soon after, Dino stopped. "They won't heal... why?"

"Maybe we're too different," Hibari grunted, waving his hand to indicate for Dino to back off. When the angel didn't move back, Hibari placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to push him back, but then a sharp pain sliced through his hand where he'd touched the pure being. "Ah!" he yelped, withdrawing his hand as Dino stumbled back. Panting, the two stared at each other, both equally shocked by the pain of touching. A feather fell off of Dino's wing as he trembled, and a scale from Hibari's black demon wings, which were hidden beneath his coat, fell to the ground without either of them noticing. "We shouldn't stay here," Hibari said. Dino nodded, then stepped back, and ran away, leaving the demon alone. Hibari glanced at the feather that fell from Dino's wing, then picked it up. Immediately, the swan-like, white feather changed color, becoming as black as a raven's as Hibari's dark hatred blackened it. Hibari paused, then placed the feather in his hair, before standing, putting his hood back on, and heading towards the portal back to the underworld.

Later, in the kingdom of Hell: ~Right now, all I can do is remember your kindness...

Hibari held the feather in his clawed hands, observing as the underground breeze ruffled each delicate hair. This was a pure object which he had dirtied with his own energy, and it painfully reminded him that every rose wilted beneath his touch, and every bird blackened through his corrosive hate. The crow that had perched beside him cawed dangerously as Hibari glanced at him, and the demon sighed, drawing his eyes away from the bird. That annoying bird used to be a beautiful, brown skylark, but since Hibari now kept it as his pet, it had evolved into a more demonic species.

After all, those of a demonic class almost always took to the darker shade, including those of such beautiful appearance. Deep down, Hibari despised his 'tainting ability,' but he couldn't help having it, as a demon. "Kyouya," spoke a deep voice from behind the door. Hibari flinched.

"Yes, Master?"

"Did you collect the oxygen atoms Lord Xanxus wanted?" the other asked.

"Um... only in the form of water...," Hibari answered, picking up the flask of water that he had collected from Earth. He knew it wasn't what his elders were looking for, but that was all he had.

"... Come outside, Kyouya."

Hibari stood, and, knowing that his Master didn't want to see him covered, took off his cloak, leaving on only a thin, black shirt and pants. This way, his chipped, scaly wings were exposed, ready to be used against him. He walked outside, and bowed to his Master. "Lord Rokudo...," he greeted. Immediately, the older demon grabbed him by the back of the head, and dragged him up to eye level, causing the younger to have to stand up on his toes.

"Do you know why we collect the elements?" Mukuro hissed. "It's so that the Angels don't possess them. If we were to take a certain number of elements, and apply them to our bodies, we could become mortals, and populate the earth as living beings. But if you fail to uphold his wishes, you will be punished, and eventually eliminated."

Hibari closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." Mukuro turned him around, slamming him into the wall, and Hibari gasped as the older man grabbed and twisted his wings harshly. "Ah!" Hibari cried, clawing at the wall. "Please, Lord, have mercy on me...!" The words that he spoke were unlike those that any demon should speak to his master, and it only infuriated Mukuro further.

"Mercy? We are demons, you fool! We show no mercy! And why are your wings chipped? It's hideous, and disgusting! I'll bet you touched an angel! Fool! I'll have to report your immaturity to Xanxus, and see that HE has 'mercy' on you."

With one last yank on Hibari's demonic wings, Mukuro stalked away, and the young demon reentered his room, fighting back tears of pain. Kurou- Hibari's bird- cawed obnoxiously when the demon returned, and flew from his perch, landing on the demon's shoulder, and cawing again. "You hungry?" Hibari asked, sitting on the bed. "Hmm... well, I suppose Xanxus won't need this...," he sighed, holding up the flask of water that he'd collected from Earth. He uncorked the small bottle, and held the water towards the crow's beak, and immediately, Kurou snapped his beak around the flask and threw his head back, letting the water of Earth wet his parched throat. Hibari sighed, taking the empty vial from the bird, and setting it in his cloak, then stroked through the black feathers, hoping to himself that one day, Kurou could be a beautiful, brown skylark again.

Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Heaven: ~I want to forget, but I don't think it'll be easy...

"I'm sorry, Lord Byakuran... I'm afraid I've been touched by a demon," Dino apologized, bowing to his master. Byakuran sighed, and signaled for his angel to come closer. Dino pulled back his robes where the touch was, and the lord of angels observed in silence, then reached out to touch the wound.

"Mm... this isn't good," Byakuran sighed. "Is this a creature that you decided not to hate?" Dino shamefully nodded, and the other sighed, shrugging. "Well, try not to pity any more demons. They're tainted and hateful beings. By showing sympathy for one, you open yourself to attack. You just can't show your pretty compassion towards them."

Dino sighed, and gave another nod to show that he understood. "Yes, my Lord," he murmured.

"Now, on more important matters, did you obtain the carbon I was looking for?" Byakuran asked, smiling as normal. Dino sighed.

"My utmost apologies, sir. Due to the encounter I had with the demon, I was unable to obtain any natural substances..."

"Hmm... that's a bummer. Well! Go on out again tomorrow, and give it your all then."

"Thank you, sir," Dino said, heading away.

-End Chapter

Well, chapter one is up, as promised! :)

Hope this story doesn't flip-flop. DX That would be bad. But there's a way to avoid that outcome...

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