Birds chirped as they flew overhead in the clear, blue sky hanging over Gray Village as the inhabitants, both angels and demons alike, went about their business on this fine, Saturday evening. Kids were out late getting together to play and chat while adults had their own conversations. The shops which opened on weekends were beginning to close down for the day so the employees who worked at those establishments could head home to see their families. All was relatively quiet for the Gray Garden, even after the previous invasion undertaken by Ivlis, a powerful devil who failed in his endeavor to achieve his goal of slaying Kcalb to steal his power. The Gray Garden recovered completely by now from that catastrophe, and now it was as if the peace had never been disturbed.

Families and friends were all getting together for dinner together as the good cooks of each home prepared meals for everyone to enjoy. There were many good cooks in Gray Village, though few were excellent chefs who could do more than the average cook. Wodahs was one such person because his snacks and treats tasted better than normal delicacies produced for others. Dialo was another whose skills nearly rivaled that of Wodahs, and she was famed for making such exquisite apple pies she shared with everyone because Yosafire usually brought her so many apples to bake with. Wodahs was clearly cooking something in Blancblack Castle tonight with his brother's help as they had time on their hands to work with the castle chefs because Etihw was still working as her laziness cost her the opportunity to join their fun. However, Dialo wasn't making anything to eat since she was over at a friend's house for dinner as the friend's older sister prepared the meals with her help. It was a relatively normal get-together like any other.

Chelan and Froze were busy setting the table while Rawberry was showing Macarona and Yosafire some neat antiques she and her sister purchased at a local flea market that day. The hungry demon couldn't help but salivate at the smell of dinner throughout her explanations of every item, making the other two chuckle softly since it appeared Rawberry was daydreaming more about the food than actually trying to share information. She nearly chomped down on a few plants her sister brought home from the florist's shop where she worked with a couple angelic friends.

Fortunately, Rawberry didn't have to wait long until Raspbel called them downstairs for dinner once it was ready. As her younger sister flew down the stairs with Yosafire and Macarona behind her heading down at a normal pace instead of simply running down like Rawberry, Raspbel chuckled since she thought Rawberry's love for food was cute. "Careful, Rawberry," she chided her little sister gently for having done something dangerous, "don't rush down the stairs. You could hurt yourself if you trip on them like last time. We don't want you missing out on dinner tonight."

"Alright, big sis," the pink haired demon said while hugging her older sister and giving her a light kiss on the cheek as thanks for the meal. "I'll be more careful next time."

"Because I'm sure you'll be having a healer feed you next time when you do get hurt over a quick jog downstairs," Froze remarked blandly while taking her seat near Yosafire and Dialo. "I understand your obsession with food can make you into a beast, but try to act more refined in the presence of others instead of behaving like a child. Really, you could stand to act more mature like your sister since she's a good role model for you to follow, especially at the dinner table."

"Indeed," Dialo agreed as Chelan chuckled quietly, "it would be a bit of trouble bringing a lot of your sister's food over to the castle in the event we had to have dinner there." She smiled as she turned to look at her angelic housemate sitting next to her. "I know Chelan concurs with us as she herself is more graceful in her gait when it comes to stairs."

"Yeah, yeah," Rawberry laughed happily as she sat down. "After all, food is my cure."

"And one of mine too!" Yosafire giggled as she and Macarona entered the dining room to take their own seats at the dining table. "I'm so looking forward to your sister's food, Rawberry. I just know it will be delicious as always." She looked up as she felt a pat on her head to see Raspbel standing over her with a warm smile on her face.

"Why, thank you, Yosafire," the older demon remarked with her eyes closed as she herself sat down at the end of the table next to her younger sister and Froze. "It means a lot to me to know my cooking is greatly appreciated by one of Gray Village's well-known gourmets." Her comment made the green haired demon giggle as Froze sighed with a small smile.

"Yes, her appetite is certainly becoming quite famous as of late," she said, referring to that last all-you-can-eat doubles contest Yosafire and Rawberry participated in together as a team. They ate a lot of food at the event a few months ago, and had emerged victorious in first place. It was a shame they had to go on a diet afterwards, but the victory was worth it. "I think she and Rawberry appreciate this more now that they can actually start enjoying food again."

"You bet we sure do!" Rawberry remarked cheerfully, glad to have put those few months behind her. "Now we can really dig in! I'm so going to sink my teeth into this!"

Macarona chuckled as she closed her eyes. "That's the Rawberry I know, always thinking of putting her stomach where her mouth is," she remarked as everybody chuckled before they went on with dinner and had their own separate conversations amongst each other. Yosafire, Macarona, and Froze were all on one side with Dialo, Chelan, and Rawberry on the other while Raspbel was at the end. All of them were enjoying the tasty food she and Dialo prepared for them as they spoke at great lengths of what was going on in their lives and what they were looking forward to.

Yosafire and Chelan were both enjoying their ravioli while Dialo ate her steak and mashed potatoes like a refined lady. Froze and Macarona consumed their spaghetti in the same manner as Rawberry nearly shoved her face into the plate of stuffed shells to inhale everything. It was a good thing her older sister spoke up to restrain such bad manners from exhibiting at the dinner table so the others wouldn't feel disgusted by the hungry demon's voracious appetite. Raspbel smiled and closed her eyes, chuckling softly while enjoying her own meal, a beef taco with a nice salad from a large bowl in the center of the table. The other girls could take some, so they ate salad with their respective dinners as well until everything was gone. With the main course finished, the time had come for one final portion of their dinner: dessert, the course many people loved and enjoyed since dessert was like a slice of heaven. They were the specialty of anybody who knew how to make the good treats everybody loved, so it was only natural to have prepared a special dessert for them.

This was Raspbel's cue to shine as she stood up and walked back into the kitchen to acquire something she made for the occasion: a delicious cheesecake of multiple flavors including vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, apple, and various others. It could only handle that many because each slice consisted of a specific flavor to match everybody's taste buds. "Here we are, everyone, something of mine I've prepared for us to share," she announced to the group while displaying the cheesecake as everybody leaned forward slightly to gaze at it in awe. "Go ahead and take whichever slice you like, but please do finish your first before seconds."

"Wow, this is amazing!" Macarona commented as she took a mint flavored slice.

"Yeah, it's incredible!" Yosafire agreed while claiming a vanilla slice. "I don't know how you do it, Raspbel, but your food is always so amazing! It's the best!"

Raspbel chuckled happily to show her appreciation. "Oh, it's nothing much, really. I work hard and practice it with the club I'm a part of," she said modestly since this really wasn't a lot of effort on her part. It was the much more difficult meals she would be tackling soon. "Those lessons certainly paid off, and I'm glad to see the results of my effort appreciated."

"Don't be so humble, big sis!" Rawberry said while clapping her hands. "You deserve the credit and our applause for all your hard work in the kitchen." At that the others began clapping as well while the older demon merely blushed in embarrassment as she chuckled sheepishly.

"Oh, thanks, really, it wasn't that difficult of a meal to prepare. I feel like I've not actually done anything special yet to warrant the applause; it's kind of embarrassing," she said while taking a chocolate slice for herself. Everybody else chuckled while giving her some more praise until the conversation broke off into several directions again. Raspbel stayed out of it for now, a bit relieved that the attention wasn't foisted onto her anymore. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace while hoping this would last forever as she cut a piece of her slice and raised the fork to her mouth for a bite. Raspbel then opened her mouth and stuck the piece in while biting down on it…

Before her eyes suddenly jolted open with her wide awake in bed at six in the morning, her breath catching in her throat with Raspbel somewhat disorientated. She blinked as what happened left a slight imprint on her mind, adjusting to the fact she wasn't sitting with the others at the dining room table. Closing her eyes again and turning over in bed, Raspbel breathed deeply and opened them partially as the early morning sun shone while rays were sent through the glass of the closed windows in the bedroom she and Rawberry shared. Gradually she began to become more aware of her surroundings and fully opened them, turning her head to look around before her eyes rested on the sight of her younger sister still sleeping peacefully.

Rawberry was obliviously immune to her older sister's current status, sleeping soundly as she nearly devoured a pillow. No doubt thinking of food even in her dreams, but that wasn't crucial to the here and now even if it did help establish the settings. The covers had also been thrown off while the young demon slept, her tossing and turning kicking them off earlier that night. Clad in blue pajamas, Rawberry looked peaceful murmuring quietly in her sleep, an imagined conversation she appeared to be having with Macarona taking precedent. "Oh, come on, Macarona," the demon uttered softly in her sleep, "you just have to try these. You'll love how tasty these ants are with a bit of ketchup and mustard like hot dogs on potato bread buns. Don't be shy, I know you crave the ants too—and the caterpillars, moths, cockroaches, and the like." She giggled softly while sleeping and dreaming of the angel finally amassing the courage to devour bugs.

Yet they were snacks Macarona would've cared to avoid. Raspbel liked eating bugs like her sister, but dreams of delicious insects were the least of her concerns right now. She slowly sat up in bed and took a few moments to rub her eyes as the scene registered to her, the grogginess of sleep slowly dissipating as Raspbel pushed the covers aside with a small sigh while she swung her legs over the bedside. Getting up, she stretched her arms in the air and yawned, her eyes shut briefly before she opened them again and quietly left the room as a clock on a nightstand in between their beds ticked the time away. Rawberry wouldn't be awake for some time, at least a half hour longer, so Raspbel had part of the morning all to herself for the time being. She sauntered through the second floor corridors of their home en route to the stairs, the red walls complementing her green pajamas quite nicely as a high contrasting color. Paintings, photos, and several tapestries adorned the walls in addition to a mirror by a little table at the second floor landing.

Walking downstairs, Raspbel closed her eyes and took in a whiff of the crisp, morning air while crossing another corridor to the kitchen so she could prepare herself some breakfast. She did not really feel like having something too big and hearty, so some toast or cereal would do because they weren't too wholesome. A light breakfast would satisfy her after a glass of refreshing water washed that tangy taste down. Taking a glass from a cupboard, Raspbel put it within a large socket of the refrigerator and pushed a wide lever back with it to fill the glass. There were other fridges like this one that also acted as water coolers, and Raspbel was glad she and Rawberry purchased one last year. It provided ice cubes from a similar mechanism, but Rawberry's comment last night about cleaning the tray by unclogging the bottom of ice remained fresh in her mind which forced her to grab several pieces out by hand. They were quite cold to the touch and they made her hand damp, though Raspbel simply wiped it on a paper towel and tossed the towel into the garbage pail over in the corner of the kitchen when she finished drying her hand.

Stepping over to the window with the water in hand, Raspbel reached her free hand towards the blinds and pushed a couple aside to peek outside. It was clear day out today while the weather would be high temperatures of a sunny day with some clouds. Pulling her arm back, she crossed it across her chest and blinked as she recalled the dream last night. Rawberry's friends had come for dinner and they had a great time up to the dessert course she prepared, a multi-flavored cheesecake. Raspbel had taken a bite of her work and was then suddenly awake, so she felt that about wrapped the matter up in a brief summery. She'd been having similar dreams for the past three days as each one differed slightly concerning the time of day and the settings, but meals were always a common factor in each one as was the end when she actually took a bite of something.

Come to think of it, Raspbel ate other foods during these meals and she was fine until the abrupt awakening, so the notion of specific foods causing it occurred to her after the third dream of stuffed shells. It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the first, and a slice of Dialo's apple pie within the second; this time it was a slice of cheesecake she herself cooked. It was so strange that she'd been having these odd dreams for about a week now and she still hadn't figured out the meaning they delivered. Were they just telling her to avoid certain foods? Would the drinks she liked—tea, coffee, water, and milk—have the same effect too?

Raspbel sighed as she took a seat at the table while she drank her water, pressing a hand to her forehead as she contemplated what was happening and pondered whether it was a good thing or bad. She was confused as to why she'd have good dreams pop so suddenly like that. Running a hand through her bright, pink hair, she opened her eyes and continued looking around the kitchen to gaze at the granite countertops and cedar cupboards. There was no particular reason for selecting these objects as those which caught her attention, but Raspbel was lost in thought over yet another aspect of the dreams which she felt as an aftereffect left behind when she woke up. It was by far a strange component, something she couldn't explain away logically.

Each day there had been a strange, tangy taste in her mouth whenever she woke up, and a good glass of water always rinsed it down to clear her throat. Raspbel wasn't sure why that would be there since the taste was odd as well. She clearly knew what she had for dinner last night—that leftover couple of pizza slices she purchased from the local pizzeria the other day with Rawberry. That tasted like cheese, marinara sauce, and the pizza dough used to make the whole pie they had bought, and Raspbel was positive she didn't eat anything else that night unless she somehow took up sleepwalking without even realizing it. That could explain it, but the past few times there wasn't anything missing from the fridge or the closet where anything that didn't belong in the fridge went. Perhaps it really was just a slight byproduct of those dreams, so she merely shrugged it off.

Finishing up the rest of her water, Raspbel then proceeded to retrieve the bread and butter from the fridge before casually sauntering over to the toaster and plugging it in. She opened up the bag and pulled out a couple slices to set them in it, pushing the switch down to heat them. Returning to the fridge to put the bread back, Raspbel walked back to the toaster and waited a minute for the bread to cook. Once both slices popped up she carefully took them out and set them on a plate she got from a cupboard, taking a butter knife from a drawer to cut some butter and smear a bit on her toast. Depositing the knife in the sink, Raspbel took her breakfast and put the butter away while a piece of toast hung from her mouth. She chewed it and felt the taste of bread meeting butter was a lot better than whatever that tangy taste was. It certainly tasted okay, and it slowly started replacing the tanginess with a taste she recognized and preferred over the other.

It didn't take long for her to finish eating, and once Raspbel finished her breakfast and put the plate and knife into the dishwasher she then pondered what to do with her spare time. The time was six fifteen now and there was only a quarter of an hour left until Rawberry woke up. Her little sister thought it was somewhat odd for Raspbel to be up before her when the older demon usually didn't wake up unless Rawberry prodded her to. It was not all that unusual as a matter of fact since there were rare occasions when she did find the motivation to awaken on her own, but nearing the full week sort of set off some kind of red flag that something was wrong. Yet Raspbel felt fine, so the thought of feeling any different in a negative way instead of it being positive worried her. Still, it wasn't too bad and she really did feel alright, so maybe this was just a one-time thing that started to temporarily expand into something slightly larger and longer until it ended soon. Hopefully the dreams would stop waking her up each morning so she could get some shuteye and savor moments she enjoyed in those dreams without concern for them popping in the morning.

Today's paper wouldn't be delivered until around seven, so Raspbel decided to turn on the radio and listen to the news from it. She sauntered into the living room and laid down on the couch by the electric fireplace while pressing the power button on the radio. Some music played, though Raspbel knew it was the right station. Acquiring a small remote from a table right in front of the couch, she pressed a button on it to turn the electric fireplace on as the news slowly started to filter in. Nothing much was going on today according to the newscaster. Aside from small occurrences and events like discounted sales at stores, there weren't special occasions or anything noteworthy. There was also the weather reaffirming the fact that today was going to be a nice day outside.

Raspbel would've taken a brief nap to try and get some more sleep, but she opted for some reading instead by going over to the bookcase and choosing a book she already started three days ago back when the dreams first started. There was no particular reason for choosing this book over the others on the bookcases, and it was a completely random choice. It was merely a novel about an individual going on an adventure to find the land of his heritage along with the people who had lived there. Nothing too special, so it had no impact on the dreams or how they affected her. While a bit of shuteye could do her some good, Raspbel didn't feel tired anymore and she knew Rawberry would come downstairs to find her sleeping on the couch. That in of itself wasn't concerning since she would finally get in that extra shuteye she normally slept through, but she wasn't sleepy. Naps were out of the question, so with a small sigh, Raspbel immersed herself in the book until the clock showed six thirty. A couple minutes later she heard the soft footsteps of Rawberry's feet against the hardwood floor upstairs and sat up, turning her head to see her sister come down.

"Morning, big sis," Rawberry yawned as she entered the kitchen with Raspbel following a slight distance behind her. "You're up early again. It's beginning to feel like you don't need me to act as your alarm clock anymore." Raspbel smiled at the remark, wondering if she really was going to lose that trait of hers which kept her asleep without interruption aside from Rawberry.

"Seems like you'll be retiring from that role soon," Raspbel chuckled as her younger sister went to the food closet for some cereal before retrieving some milk from the fridge. At first she'd considered telling Rawberry about her dreams, but opted not to. They hardly meant anything, what with their cryptically vague messages that were actually absent. Raspbel didn't know what to make of them, but they weren't important because they had no repercussions or results that affected her. To be fair, there was that brief moment of fearful shock in her eyes each morning upon awakening, but she attributed that to the disruption of the dreams when she emerged from sleep. "I take it you slept well, haven't you?" Raspbel inquired, pointing at Rawberry's messed up hair.

"Like a log!" Rawberry smiled while bringing her bowl of cereal to the kitchen table as she smoothed her hair prior to sitting down. Having bedhead while eating wasn't good manners. "You have been going to bed pretty early lately, big sis. I guess that's why you're starting to get up early before me." If only she knew about those dreams, she would be attributing her sister's lack of extra shuteye each morning to them. Still, Raspbel didn't want her to worry; she was Rawberry's older sister, so that concern should have been the other way around. Although Rawberry did explain the invasion Ivlis caused a while back and how she saved her from a bunch of flame bats while she'd been sleeping, Raspbel felt she wasn't in any danger as she was capable of defending herself. She was more worried for her younger sister because she and her friends fought Ivlis and was knocked unconscious during the battle, so Raspbel was clearly more concerned for her than her own safety.

She merely shrugged in response to her sister's remark. "Perhaps, so maybe I should get in some more shuteye at night every so often. I can handle a few more things when I wake up early," Raspbel said while walking to the counter and retrieving a plastic bag from a cupboard while also going for the bread and some tuna with coleslaw and lettuce in the fridge. Taking a plate out from another cupboard, she began preparing a tuna sandwich—the kind Rawberry liked—while heating up the stove to cook the tuna as her younger sister finished eating and deposited her things within the dishwasher before stepping over to give Raspbel a light kiss on the cheek as a gesture of sisterly affection. The display was cute, and Raspbel appreciated it because they were so close.

"Alright, I better go shower now and get ready for school. I love you, big sis," she said as she jogged out of the kitchen and went upstairs to prepare for the day.

"Okay," Raspbel responded as Rawberry was leaving, "I love you too." She shut her eyes and smiled warmly, glad to have such a cheerfully, sweet girl as a little sister.

The tuna started to boil while she had gone into the living room to place the book back on the shelf, and the smell was beginning to waft into the hall as Raspbel closed her eyes again while inhaling the scent of tuna cooking. It was a good scent, and she also liked the taste of it as well. It was also a lot tastier than whatever that tangy taste in her mouth was, but Raspbel decided she was not going to dwell on such trivial matters. It was Thursday, so Rawberry only had today and Friday left before the weekend started. Just two more days of school and they could go on that biking trip Yosafire and Macarona planned. The two of them had invited the others including Raspbel for the day of their event, this upcoming Saturday, and she was looking forward to spending some quality time with Rawberry and her friends. They were always welcome company, and Raspbel did enjoy having them over for dinner on occasion since it meant she got to share what learned in the cooking club's lessons which Dialo also participated in for the same reason: to learn how to cook different kinds of meals. That was pretty much what everyone in the club wanted.

Raspbel sighed, thankful for the peace this world offered. It was so much different than the way it used to be from what she learned. Back then there was always constant warfare between the angels and demons that both sides suffered until peace was established. Now everyone lived within the peaceful harmony they created and enjoyed the cherished friendships made with one another. She had hoped nothing would threaten to destroy what her people and the angels had worked hard to create and preserve, though she knew this peace would definitely be everlasting. After all, peace was the Gray Garden's core value, the virtue advocated by everybody.

She could vaguely hear her sister humming in the shower, and she smiled while she finished preparing Rawberry's lunch. Putting it in the fridge so it could cool and be ready for her, Raspbel went to another cupboard for her sister's lunchbox and placed it on the table before getting a light thermos from the same cupboard and filling it with some nice, cold water and ice cubes before she stored it in the fridge by the sandwich. With Rawberry's lunch done and out of the way, Raspbel's next objective was to get her own snack ready for the day. She and her friends had already planned to go out to eat for lunch at a restaurant the other day, so she didn't need anything heavy. A simple granola bar would suffice as a midmorning snack to tide her over until then because the toast was not very filling even though it did fill her stomach somewhat. Yet that was merely good for now.

For the time being until Rawberry got out of the shower, Raspbel killed time with a bit of reading from that novel she had. Getting it back from the bookshelf, she opened it to the page she left her bookmark in and continued where she left off while lying on the couch again. It truly was a fascinating book, one which captivated her the moment she first started reading. It was beginning to become one of her favorites, so Raspbel decided to savor it. Each page was marvelous, and she took her time scanning them with her eyes to acquire every detail and the messages within the text. She had read many books in her life and liked a lot of them, but few were ever reread by her since some weren't really as captivating and enjoyable as others.

As the clock went a little past seven, Raspbel's ears perked up as the bat wings on her head curled slightly and flapped wide open as she heard the bathroom door upstairs open to let her know Rawberry was finished in there. Standing up and putting the book back, Raspbel stretched her arms in the air as she proceeded to head upstairs. Taking a trip to their room, she found her little sister already dressed and ready for school while making some finishing touches.

"Hey, big sis," Rawberry greeted her as she finished brushing her long hair at their shared desk with the mirror above it while Raspbel began gathering her own clothes. "Preparing for work now?" she asked as the older demon nodded to confirm the statement.

"Yes, I'll be going in the shower now," Raspbel answered while getting her clothes before making her bed. "Will you be leaving shortly before I get out?"

"Yep, I just need to make my bed first and then I'm gone."

"Good, your lunch is in the fridge and the lunchbox is on the table," Raspbel replied while sauntering over to give her little sister a tender kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later and we can make dinner together when I get home. How's that sound?"

Rawberry smiled at the prospect of preparing a good meal with her big sister. "Great, I will look forward to that," she said while returning the gesture before going to her bed as Raspbel went to the closet to finish getting her things before heading out of the bedroom. "See you later, big sis," she then commented while pulling the covers of her bed up and straightening the pillows. "I love you." Raspbel smiled and gave her younger sister a friendly wave with closed eyes while walking out the door en route to the bathroom down the hall.

"I love you too, Rawberry."

And thus a new Gray Garden project has begun. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while because Raspbel is my favorite character in the Gray Garden. As I said in Complexity in Alchemy, this is not the only alternate scenario fanfic of Raspbel's Secret. Crack-jouchan's one-shot, Redemption, also depicted an alternative scenario as well, but I won't spoil it since that would be rude towards Crack-jouchan. To briefly reiterate, this story shall actually be a lot darker than Redemption since it will contain some themes you'll likely recognize from well-known horrors that are firmly established in society. It'll also be longer as well as you'll probably infer from this first chapter; it may even be as long as Seven Nights at Clarabella's if possible. In any case, I hope you enjoy reading this as I enjoy writing it.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Gray Garden; it's owned by Mogeko.