Chapter 3

The human and spirit made their way up a staircase which, (surprisingly,) was beginning to fall apart. The friendly household spirit warned Richiru to stay close to the wall. For some strange reason, the house was beginning to deteriorate extremely fast. Richiru admitted to Leafy that it was a bit creepy to be in a "Haunted house" like this one, but Leafy said he didn't mind too much about her opinion.

"Free speech," as he called it.

Everything living and exists deserves to have it's own opinion about things. Leafy said cheerfully as Richiru took another gruesome picture of the 7th room. The 8th actually wasn't that scary. It was only a bathroom, after all. Only a small sprinkle of blood decorated the door.

They continued to the attic.

The reason why Richiru was taking the pictures even though she actually did abandon the dare, was just because she wanted to preserve everything and teach herself that there were, indeed, many cruel persons existing in the world.

Oh yeah, Richiru? The small sprite asked nervously.

"What is it?" The 13 year-old questioned, smiling as the glowing globe of white fire.

I-I honestly just remembered something...

Richiru stopped on her way to the attic door. "What is it, Leaf-chan?" The sprite shut it's large eyes and squirmed a little in the air.

W-well, the attic isn't a very safe place- for a human, that is.

"Okay?"

S-so I don't think you should go up there. I don't want you to get hurt...

Richiru laughed, and Leafy looked up at her in confusion. "I'm not scared of spirits or ghosts! I'm braver than those boys outside! Well, brave enough to actually be talking to you..." She stared at the floating sprite, which was only a little bigger than her fist.

She grinned, giggling again. "You're my friend now! I promised to help you pass on, because I want you to have everything that I never got! It'd be selfish of me to leave you here like this!"

Leafy burst into a shower of ghostly, glowing tears.

Th-that is the nicest thing I've ever heard somebody say t-to me since I died! The ghost blubbered out, it's tears falling only to land onto the old, creaking wood floor. Richiru stared at the spirit for a second before smiling sadly to reach out and grab it. She continued to smile, rubbing it lovingly against against her cheek.

Richiru was very surprised to notice that the glowing globe was warm, in a good way. It smalled like vanilla. The fire didn't even try to leap onto her instead. It just continued to stay connected to the small, floating sprite. It cooed again, but only this time it sounded a little more hopeful.

"You know," Richiru said a a small sigh, holding it an arm's length away. "You were probably a really good pet. You were always loyal to your family members and chose to stay in the house,-"

The girl pointed to an open window across from her, the satiny, white curtains billowing in the chilly breeze. "-even when there was an open window right there." Richiru looked back down at the sprite in her palms, then frowned at it's confused expression.

Before I went downstairs to check who opened the door and came in, I was on this floor. That window was closed...

The teen's eyes widened. "M-maybe-"

No, there's no way somebody could've come in, not a human anyway. We are currently on the second-highest floor...

The two froze when they heard light footsteps on the flooring above them, and a sort of light humming. "It might be another spirit, Leaf-chan!" Richiru whispered excitedly. The sprite shook it's head fiercely, floating out of her hands and away from the attic stairs.

Don't be so naïve! There's a demon up there, a very powerful one-

"Demon?" Richiru questioned, confusedly. "I always thought that ghosts and and those other little black things outside were the same." The sprite frowned even more so and shook it's head even more violently.

No, no! It's not the same at all-

There was a sudden loud snapping noise, like that of fingers, and something swiftly moving to catch the sprite. Leafy gasped, moving quickly next to the shaking and pressing itself against her hands, which gripped it and held the sprite against her chest.

Richiru blinked and heard a sigh come from the darkness.

"My my, some just don't know how to keep their mouth shut." A man's smooth voice spoke from the darkness. "Either way, child, can you please hand over that sprite? I need to, well, interrogate it-"

"No!" Richiru interrupted, taking several steps backwards. "You must be that demon Leaf-chan was talking about! I'm not gonna let you take him! Never!" She shouted, the bright glow that Leafy gave reflected off of her startlingly sharp, turquoise eyes. She tried to see the demon that her friend had been so worried about. What did it look like? Did it have huge, sharp claws? Gigantic fangs that dripped poison? Did it look like a gargoyle of some sort? Why did she even want to know?

The demon's noticeable outline which formed in the window it stood in front of was rather... surprising to Richiru. It was of a normal man, his hands appearing to be folded behind his back. What confused her the most about this figure was the curled piece on it's head.

What was it? A stray piece of hair? Richiru mentally shuddered. She hated those annoying pieces of stray hair that would always stick up in the morning, although everything was okay once she brushed it down. Maybe it was an... antennae?

Richiru's hand flew up to her mouth to cover an unmistakable laugh and keep it from escaping. Too late. It was heard. The outlined figure in the window shifted from having it's hands behind it's back to having them crossed over it's front. It was either annoyed or just... disturbed.

"What's so funny?" It asked, annoyed.

Yep. Definitely annoyed.

What do you think you're doing? Shush! You don't want to make him mad!

Richiru let out a loud laugh, again. "Th-that thing on your head." She giggled. "Is it an antennae?" At this the figure froze. She could just imagine a toothy grin forming on it's face.

"Oh, this?" It questioned, reaching up and patting it.

The girl laughed again.

"You seem like the sort that rarely laughs, child."

"I barely ever do! Only when I'm around creatures, like you, do I feel content!" Richiru smiled, looked fearlessly at the outlined figure.

"What happened? Just moments ago you were screaming to stay away from you and the house sprite. Now you're calling this eccentric piece of hair an antennae? How brave of you to insult a demon such as me when I have the upper-hand in both physical and mental strength! I enjoy a human who has a sharp witted tongue, truly amusing!" The demon laughed, clapping his hands.

Richiru blinked in surprise. "So you're not gonna hurt or kill me?"

He laughed again. "Ah, I haven't such a good laugh in a while! Of course not! I'm not barbaric like my brothers and sisters are! I'm just... tricky."

"In what way? I mean the tricky part."

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm excellent at making a mortal's wish come true is all... quite indeed."

"What sort of wishes?" Richiru questioned, interested. The sprite squirmed uncomfortably against her while the conversing continued.

"All kinds! Say, would you like one to- oh! I know the perfect one! Let's make a bargain!"

"A bargain? What kind?"

The demon paused, his green eyes flashing in the darkness as he thought. "How about~"

He put a finger up in the air and put one of his hands on his hip. "I know! How about I give you luck for three whole years," He held up three fingers in the air, gesturing towards her with a swift movement of his arm.

"And for every one of those years," He spread his arms out wide."You have find one of these." The tall, male demon flourished and flicked his wrist towards her, revealing three pieces of yellowed paper with an intricate circle drawn on every one.

"What happens if I find all of them by the time three years is up?" Richiru asked, determined.

"Then you get good luck for the rest of your life, of course!" He crowed, crossing his arms again and smiling down at her from across the room.

"What happens if I don't find all of them within three-years time?"

"Not telling~!" He sang mischieviously.

"Hey! That's not fair! It's only fair to tell both the pros and cons!"

"Well~" He bowed down to her in a rather gentlemanly pose. "Do you agree or not?"

Richiru thought for a moment, frowning. "First, what's your name?"

The demon looked up from his stance and smirked. "Mephisto Pheles. Yours?"

Richiru narrowed her eyes at him before replying. "Richiru Corvus."

He nodded, standing up and awaiting her descision.

"Well?"

"I'll do it."

…

Oh mai gawd~! I finally managed to type all of this out in one day~! Yayayayayay~! *achievement won* Yeessss!

This it so far the longest chappie I've ever typed out! I hope I have enough inspiration to make another long one like this! Thank you for all the hits~! TT^TT you guys are sooo awesome~!

Yes, it's a cliffhanger ^.^'

But no worries, I'll actually try to upload another chap later today. If I don't get to, then oopsies. Mah fault XP. It'll probably just be on tomorrow.

Just so you know, there's gonna be a timeskip. I don't actually plan on typing out three whole years fileld with Mary Sue-ness *shivers* Okay, not really too Mary Sue. Just, very lucky snuff TT=TT

Sees ya~!

~TPB