Miracle on Devil Street

Ok, to start this off, I'm a new writer. I'll appreciate constructive criticism when it's appropriate, and I'll try my best to upload new chapters as quick as I can. Flames, however, will be used as firepower for a flamethrower/machine gun combo weapon (puns not intended) on Ganondorf.

Anyways, my story is on a surprisingly little known series in the English-speaking world called 'Devilman'. It's an anime that came from Japan, and it, to me, is a symbol of how the beauty of the anime style was improving. Whether or not you get the gist of what's going is if you decide to look up some episodes of the show. Now, for my story to fully kick off, I'm just going to assume that it's been two months since the final episode; so, without further ado, I present to you my story.

Disclaimer: All rights to the Devilman series belong to Go Nagai.

To anyone who looked at first glance, Akira Fudo was your average teenager living in Japan. He was periodically deemed a slacker, periodically did something to annoy the teachers, and periodically caused some kind of havoc, even if he wasn't meaning to (just ask those close to him). But he did have a good heart, and was kind, if one looked closely enough. In general appearance, he had an athletic build, nicely tanned skin, and defining facial features. He had dark brown eyes, which seemed to be the most intimidating feature on him, and a mop of messy black hair, which could make one either think that it was untamed and natural, or styled to make parts stick out at random angles. Think bird wings.

He was often seen sporting jeans with a belt, dark brown mid-calf boots, and a bright yellow t-shirt with red accents and a red 'A' on the left breast. On his right arm was a silver bracelet, like the ones that you'd usually see on a Greek God, with a red orb adorning the front. But, to those who didn't know him well, they wouldn't know that he's living a complicated life.

To anyone who looked at first glance, Devilman did appear to be an entity you did not want to mess with. He has many abilities (for combat purposes), and was born to the Devil Clan. But you'll learn about that later. He was assertive, protective, and a born fighter all in one. He's depicted as a light-blue humanoid figure, possibly around fifteen feet in height. He was muscular, his features defined, but it was his eyes that held the most intimidation. They were a golden colour, the pupil the same shade, but the iris's and accents on the outside were a bright red. A 'helmet' of sorts topped his head, the sides resembling bat wings, and two adjacent horns on the top.

There was a red stripe that started on either side of his chest area, both looping over his shoulders and ending at his upper back. The only thing he wore was something akin to a square-leg swimsuit, a darker shade then his skin, with a belt at the top boring a D-shaped logo. And as weird as this may seem, dear reader, don't let this fool you into underestimating him. To many of his people, and one human he knew, they knew he led a complicated life.

You see, Akira and Devilman were more then you average human and demon – they were, in fact, the flipside of the same coin. Due to events in past months, the former became the alter ego of the latter. Devilman has full control over Akira's body, and can decide on when he wants to switch forms. In his Demon form, he went by his own name, but in human form, he took the name Akira.

Our story begins in mid-November…

Akira sighed heavily in relief upon entering his room in the Makimura household. Ever since he'd been christened a traitor by his fellow demons by falling in love with a human, it seemed to him that Lord Xenon was sending out warriors who seemed to get trickier with each battle. Of course, he'd also get his fair share of cunning and battle experience with each win. But most times another demon came looking for a fight, some innocent bystander usually ended up either injured or dead. Depending on the motives of the demon itself. And of course, who gets away scot-free in an all-out brawl? This last demon managed to get in a few good lacerations on his back; but it was nothing he couldn't handle, since he'd been attacked from behind many times, and dealt with the pain.

He closed the door behind him, sat on his bed, prodded his back gently and winced. Looks like he won't be sleeping on his back anytime soon. The sound of footsteps alerted him that someone was coming his way, and breathed a bit easier when it was only Miki who opened the door. She had a womanly figure, her face was a bit on the childish-side, but to Akira, it only seemed to add to her beauty. She wore her trademark red knee-length dress with a white stripe down the middle of the front and white cuffs, and lately took to wearing a sort of green ribbon necklace with a red bow sewed on one side. Light brown hair, with the sides curled forwards, was like a crown on her head, and chocolate brown eyes gazed curiously – albeit worriedly – at him.

"Akira, what happened this time?" she asked softly. He didn't answer immediately, and Miki knew that a demon had left its 'mark' on him. Her eyes narrowed sternly, noting his posture and his behavior, and simply said, "You'll stay right where you are", before turning on her heel and out of the doorway. The Lord knows how much he loved her, and was exceedingly happy when she requited his feelings. Was it her looks? No. Her behaviours? No. Her personality? Yes. It was her no-nonsense demeanor, which was softened by her compassion and kindness.

She returned a few minutes later with antiseptic and a roll of gauze, setting them down on the nightstand beside the bed. She signaled for him to turn around – whom he obliged to, but still worried, about her reaction. He couldn't exactly see the damage, but surely –

She gasped, hands flying to her mouth in horror

– it WAS that bad. Great.

She knew about his battles. She knew about his wounds. She knew that he healed faster then average. But Miki still didn't like it when Akira strained himself too far, so the next fifteen to twenty minutes was tribute having his wounds cleaned and dressed before she finally let him be. Even despite his protests he still gave in to her caring. That night, while everyone in the household was asleep, a snowflake fell from the heavens, followed by a few more. The next morning would be the start of questions running through the head of one Akira Fudo.

November 30

He'd seen snow before, and knew that some demons could control the weather, but how a simple snowfall could incite people to have the city transformed was beyond him. It was just one of those days on the town – Akira, Miki, and Tare (Miki's younger brother whom they 'agreed' to bring with them) were just having one of those casual strolls through the streets. Snow was covering everything it could land on. Everyone was always heading somewhere. Miscellaneous decorations and such were strewn along the buildings while music hung softly in the air. (Hey! That rhymes!) Even the Makimura's were affected, doing something similar with their home.

Casting a sidelong glance, Miki was humming softly to the music, Tare seeming much happier then usual. Oh, Tare; that boy could cause trouble without even realizing it. He'd even seen Akira transform into Devilman at one point, but considering he fainted when they were attacked by demon-possessed plants at the past time, he was convinced otherwise. Still, he held his doubts… The scenery seemingly changed in a split second before his eyes, jolting him out of thought.

He blinked bemusedly. So time really does fly quickly, Akira mused to himself, staring at the grounds of the snow-laden park. A little to the left, a group of people were hanging random decorations on the branches of several trees, chattering animatedly. Akira managed to make out a snippet of conversation.

"…Can't wait for the new year. How do you think it's going to turn out?"

"Patience, my friend, we still have Christmas to go through. The New Year can wait for now."

Akira blinked in confusion. Christmas? What was that? He then sighed inwardly. Human traditions, he thought, there always seems to be a new one everywhere I turn. It was bad enough when I first started living with the Makimura's. A tiny smile formed from the memories.

"Akira?"

Miki was gazing at him curiously – Tare was currently occupied with observing the people at work. "Is there something the matter?"

Should he voice his curiosity now? Or do it when they're in a more private space to talk? Hmmm… Eh, he can always enquire later.

"No, nothing's wrong. We should be heading back soon, though."

December 19

School had been let out the day before, so Akira found himself lying on a sofa, quite bored. To a point, he did miss the constant chatter of other students around him; alright, and messing with his teachers. He cracked a smile – he could still remember being told to leave class one day just because he was eating a bento in class. But then, another, more familiar thought invaded his thinking. What was Christmas about exactly? He'd heard enough talk to know that gifts were given on a specific day, but what was with the guy in red sneaking into someone's home just to put gifts under a tree?

He needed to be somewhere else to think. "I'm going out for a while!" he called out to no one in particular, getting up and heading out the back door. Akira didn't really want to be in human civilization at the moment; he walked to the back of the Makimura household, stopping at the base of the nearby lake, his body starting to glow. Devilman took the place of Akira, his red wings forming behind him as he kicked off into the air, the cumulus clouds providing the perfect cover. For a few minutes he flew North, traveling towards the mountains. He didn't mind the cold, and he wanted to be able to think without the prospect of someone (unintentionally) interrupting him.

Snow was whirling by the time he got to a relatively peaceful (to him) looking spot. Wings retracted, Devilman sat near the edge of a Cliffside that was partially immersed in the clouds, giving it a foggy setting. He knew a good portion of humans wouldn't have the will to come how high up he was, but honestly. A past human managed to climb Mt. Everest, but todays' would consider this too dangerous. He shook his head to clear those thoughts out of his head; that wasn't what he was here for. There was one thing he wanted to straighten out.

In his view, humans giving other humans a gift had to be a sign of friendship. Was that limited to just family, or could it also go to other people as well? No, he thought, other people could be included. What significance did the 'gifts' really hold? Caring? And how did some know what the other wanted? If he was going to do something special for Miki… He silently mused for what seemed like an hour, before his eyes began lighting up from an idea. He took flight back towards home, his idea still on mind.

This time, he flew a little lower when he reached the outskirts of town, enough for him to still be hidden, but enough for him to see below. Wow – the city was actually quite nice from above now that he got a good look. And that he wasn't fighting another demon. He'll have to take another look when it was night. There's where my last fight was. Ooohh, really hope no one was there that night. There's the school now – whoops, nearly missed home. He dived down to where he first took off, reverting back to Akira. Big mistake, the cold immediately sent a shiver through him. Blasted human body, he thought bitterly, taking off in a dash to cover. The tiniest of smiles tugged at his lips. Ah well, his new idea kept him from a bad mood.

December 24

It was 11:48 at night, Akira tiptoeing silently down the hall of the second floor to Miki's room. Why? Well I ain't telling you. Yet. Akira slowly, carefully, opened the bedroom door, and slipped inside. Something was clutched in his hand, and he intended to have it on Miki's nightstand, so that she'd see it when she woke up.

Squeeeaaaak!

He flinched at the noise of the loose floorboard, glancing up to make sure she hadn't woken up. She shifted slightly, but stayed asleep. Akira waited a few seconds before setting the item in his hand on the nightstand, turning on his heel and lightly stepping out. He let out a breath he had been holding in relief – he was lucky that Miki was in a deep sleep. Speak of the devil – (where did THAT come from?) – he should be doing the same right now.

The Next Day

The light from the sun slowly filtered through the curtains in Miki's room. Her alarm clock began ringing, and a hand tiredly reached out from under the blanket to turn it off. Only to feel something fuzzy. Miki's eyes snapped open; what on Earth – oh. Miki sat upright on her bed and discovered a light brown teddy bear, with a green bow around its neck, perched on her nightstand. She tentatively picked it up, observing it, and noticed a note taped on its back.

"This is only part one. I found something a few days back that I think you'd enjoy. I'll meet you in the backyard tonight at seven. Dress warmly."

She had an idea who gave her the bear, but she wondered how he even got the bear in the first place. She gently placed the toy on her pillow, humming softly, before grabbing a pencil and writing "Thank you" on the back of the note. She then carefully peeled off the tape and stuck it onto the side she wrote on.

Akira saw it when he passed by a few hours later.

Snow drifted lazily while Miki, clad in a long jacket, scarf, gloves, and boots, waited the last three minutes for her 'mystery person' to arrive. Her thoughts were on the past months, starting with how different Akira seemed to become after that trip to the Himalayas. He used to be so mild, but then became the class troublemaker. Alongside came the demon trouble. Henka was the first demon to attack them. Now that she thought about it, Akira knew the name, which should've clued her that he wasn't who he really was. But maybe, maybe it was best that she didn't know until the Godman incident. Because now she knows just how much he cares about her.

She heard footsteps coming from behind. Speak of the devil – no pun intended – here comes the object of her thoughts. Akira strolled casually towards her, periodically observing the cloud cover, and was in his trademark attire with a scarf around his neck, acting as if the cold didn't affect him one bit. He stopped a few feet in front of her, nodding in greeting.

"Akira?" Miki asked. "Why exactly did you ask me to come here?"

"Just wait", was all he said, his body beginning to glow as the transformation began. Miki still couldn't believe that the one protecting her from demon activity all this time was the same boy who lived with her family. But then again, there were many signs, but she chose to ignore them. Devilman towered over her a second later, bright yellow eyes looking down at her. She didn't even respond as he knelt down slightly and picked her up bridal style in his arms, before taking flight with his wings unfurling behind him.

"Hold on tightly."

The air stung her face as they climbed to higher altitude, eyes closed from the sudden rush of vertigo. She could feel a minute later that they had leveled out and were flying at a leisurely pace before she dared to look down. She gasped. The town was glowing from all the lights that were set up; the glow of the setting sun seemed to add to the beauty. She'd never seen her home in this way before.

Devilman knew just how Miki was feeling, and smirked in satisfaction. His idea was to give her an aerial tour of town, and intended to end it by checking out the park. Hmmm, might as well go for another roundabout before heading to the park. It was needless to say that the lights seemed to be more dazzling as the sun went down further, but part of the scene was if you looked to the sky itself. The clouds were strewn across the sky, revealing spots of the sky itself in burning reds and oranges. Definitely photo worthy, if the view was good.

I guess it can be said that something can hold its beauty, no matter what distance away. Such as the trees in the park that Devilman landed in, reverting back to Akira (after putting Miki down, obviously). Akira had only seen the trees when they were in the process of being decorated a few weeks prior, but even he seemed at peace now with how calm it all appeared. Snow lightly dusted the many branches, which held up strings of lights colourful bulbs, reflecting the shining sparks. There was no one else around to enjoy the sight except they.

Akira shivered suddenly – oh yeah, he was only wearing a scarf for warmth. He cursed internally. Dammit! Why did I think it was a good idea to not even bring a coat myself? Miki noticed the discomfort and put her arm over his shoulders in a one-sided hug. He blushed slightly at the action, and then put his arm around her waist, annoyance forgotten and content. To anyone who happened to look, all they would see were two teenagers walking in the park together, with the clouds starting to break away, and the light of the rising moon poking through.

The happy pair was enjoying being together, and it wasn't before long that they found themselves underneath one of the trees. But this wasn't an ordinary tree. Miki, apparently, noticed that little factor when she happened to glance up. And as Akira glanced at Miki, he noticed a light blush settling on her face. He followed her gaze and noticed what appeared to be a small green plant resembling alfalfa with tiny white bulbs hanging above them.

"What's this sprout doing up – Miki?"

She'd turned her attention back to Akira. The question almost caught her off guard; it was easy to forget that the Akira she knows hasn't really lived with human civilization until now. Though she knew what her answer was going to be.

"…Well, there's a Norse legend involving this plant, and when two people stand underneath it…"

She didn't finish, instead opting to lean towards him and peck him on the lips. With how red his face got, you could swear he was glowing brighter then the tree they were under. Well, he didn't expect that, obviously! His blush died down a tad, while a smile was starting to form. Christmas was still confusing to Akira, but this was one human tradition he could understand perfectly. He gently lifted her chin to have her looking up at him, which at that point, he repaid the favour with his own, but longer.

They were a happy – albeit odd – couple.

Sooooooo, what do you think? Hopefully, when I get another story idea, I'll be able to concoct a story that's just as good – or better! In fact, another idea formed a few days ago, but I wanted to finish this before I could even start on it. Man this was fluffy…