Rays of the sun filtered in through the window as she prepared breakfast, humming a sweet tune while turning the eggs over and let them sizzle in the frying pan. Going over to the fridge, she opened it up and pulled out the orange juice to pour it in a glass she retrieved from the cabinet and listened for the sounds of her sister getting up. Her wings perking up and flapping slightly, Raspbel chuckled softly as she set the glass down on the table next to a plate of fried eggs she made for the two of them. That was Rawberry's portion; hers was still cooking in the frying pan. Hearing sounds of thumps and creaks when her younger sister descended the staircase, the demon still hummed in peace while Rawberry entered the kitchen and sauntered towards her seat with the usual bedhead. "Good morning, Rawberry," Raspbel gave her an early morning greeting with a smile. "Have you slept well last? I trust you had pleasant dreams from all that tossing and turning I was hearing."
"You bet!" her sister replied, smoothing out her hair before sitting to eat. "I was just doing some thinking about this Saturday when we invite Macarona over. How about I invite her over for a sleepover in addition to dinner? I'm sure she'd like that and would accept the invitation."
Raspbel nodded happily, finishing the preparations for her own fried eggs. "Certainly, that is a wonderful idea. I'd be more than happy to let her spend the night."
"Alright, I'll tell her when I see her at school today," Rawberry commented and took a bite of her breakfast. "Mm, these are good, big sis! You're such a wonderful cook!"
"Thank you, Rawberry. I'm glad you enjoy it."
"You seem well this morning, big sis," her younger sister added, tapping the fork she used against the edge of the plate to get bits of a fried egg stuck to it off. "The pills Dr. Valens prescribed to you seem to be working quite well. You almost seem like a more active individual than usual."
"You think so," Raspbel giggled, glad those pills were of such a big help to her. While the instructions on the labels of both bottles mentioned each other under a section distinguishing which medications to not take with one another, Raspbel nonetheless had one of each together with a cup of water. Although she was worried about the possibility of dying due to that, somehow she didn't feel any different at all throughout the night. The voice that kept demanding she take both, and the tangy taste in her mouth were gone in addition to the nightmares that terrified her before. Raspbel couldn't believe it herself, but she felt that combination of two different pills cured her. Well, that was a preconception since she realized they might not keep those frightening aspects at bay really well unless she kept taking them. "I've only had a few so far, but it appears they're getting the job done so far. I'll be sure to take another later before I head out for work today."
"Good," Rawberry nodded, completely unaware of what her older sister was keeping from her now. "I'm glad you're getting better, but don't overdo anything like I keep telling you. I know your friends likely made the same remark, but it's true." Finishing her breakfast, the young demon got up and went to place her plate and fork in the sink with the glass of orange juice she drank. "I know the pills might not have worked right away as the bottle said, but just keep taking them. You will begin to feel much better if you follow the instructions and have one per morning and night."
Raspbel smiled, thankful to finally return to her normal lifestyle without fear of nightmares, a strange taste, and a creepy voice. "Indeed," she agreed, "I'm starting to feel better already."
"No more odd dreams or that weird taste you've been feeling before?" Rawberry asked as her older sister shook her head to confirm it, still smiling while she shut her eyes.
"Nope, nothing of the sort last night. I'm positive they finally went away for good."
"Well, keep using the pills anyway just in case they only put a temporary stop to them. I'm sure they're probably more effective than the ones Mayumi prescribed to you, but that's something for another discussion," her younger sister replied while heading out of the kitchen to begin getting ready for school. "We'll speak to Dr. Valens about that the next time we meet with him, and we'll also get another opinion from Mayumi too if that's alright."
"I don't mind," Raspbel remarked, finishing her own breakfast before starting to clean up. "I'm starting to think the ones Dr. Valens prescribed are more effective than the others."
"Perhaps," Rawberry nodded, stretching her arms in the air. "In any case, just don't overdo anything for a while. I know I'm repeating it again, though even so you seem to be better. I'll still keep watch over you until I'm certain you're fully recovered. It's good you're feeling okay, and I do trust you because you're my big sister. Still, let us help you when you need it; how could you effectively recover without assistance from people who care for you? It's not something you can overcome on your own; that's what family and friends are for."
"True, I couldn't have said it better myself," Raspbel said while placing the dishes and the silverware into the dishwasher. "Now get yourself prepared for school. The weather channel stated it was going to rain a little later, so make sure you bring your jacket today."
"Alright, big sis," Rawberry commented, bounding over to her sister so she could give her a hug and a light kiss on the cheek. "I love you, big sis," she said before walking out of the kitchen.
Raspbel smiled and returned the sisterly affection. "I love you too, Rawberry."
…
Thus the week passed by peacefully, and Raspbel did not have any horrible nightmares and that taste in her mouth vanished immediately. She didn't even hear the voice talking to her anymore as it too disappeared for good, so the demon finally found the peace of mind she had wanted from the beginning—or more specifically, the time when these aspects started to intensify. Throughout the week she began feeling a lot better and more active than ever before, making the comment she heard from Rawberry to be a valid truth than a hopeful prediction or a casual remark. Raspbel was very grateful for the benefits since this meant she could resume her normal life without fear of any kind of terrifying elements disturbing her as she worked through the week and spent time with her younger sister after work. It was all thanks to the pills she'd been taking—both sets in fact despite the grave risks of such a dosage—and she really believed the two were getting the job done as one pair instead of as a single pill which didn't work on its own. Although the threat of potentially fatal side effects and severe risk factors initially scared her, Raspbel soon discovered they didn't affect her at all. She didn't know why, nor was she even bothered because she got her normal life back.
The week was simply amazing. The Auburn Tulip received plenty of customers who came to buy flowers. Raspbel couldn't be happier since she and her friends contributed to its success.
Eventually the weekend came following an active week of good work, and Saturday finally arrived with Macarona coming over for dinner and the sleepover. She and Rawberry had plenty of fun that evening while waiting for Raspbel to finish preparing their meals. Soon, dinner was ready and the two girls came to the table to find that she had really outdone herself this time. Though the dinner was just enough for three people, Raspbel made buttered biscuits as a side dish alongside a main course of turkey, corn, peas, and gravy for Rawberry and Macarona with some baked ziti for herself. They would've questioned why she didn't have the same dish as them, though Rawberry's explanation about that to her friends earlier in the week seemed to satisfy them, including herself.
Her older sister hadn't been eating meat anymore which was odd at first until Raspbel said she just wanted different food for a while just as a change of pace. They accepted that as something ordinary, nothing suspicious or strange because sometimes a change of pace was alright. Although Raspbel didn't want to eat meat—or even bugs for that matter—ever again since it was due to the experience of encountering the true nature of the ghouls in Moreisineum, she believed it was most likely a nightmare brought on by stress of being lost in the forest. She even began to accept she'd been missing for four days, but thought she was unconscious for that time. She did not ask about the details regarding it since she did not want Rawberry to feel upset about it, so she dropped the topic completely. However, despite the fact she no longer wanted to consume meat herself as that still left some trauma in her mind, Raspbel couldn't deny Rawberry or any of her friends such food as it wasn't right of her to do so because it wasn't her place to instruct them to eat certain foods.
As the three of them all enjoyed the peaceful meal, Raspbel made sure to listen attentively to the story Macarona related to her concerning the previous weekend in another world. The young angel was specifically invited to the underworld Reficul was in charge of where she met Sin again. Raspbel knew of the two from that tour Macarona gave the otherworldly Devil's family once, and Macarona also went on to speak of the fun she had with them and another Devil who received the same invitation, plus three other demons—one from Reficul's underworld, and two from another underworld—who also attended the weekend gathering. Even an angel from Reficul's world was there too. The account took up the entire time they spent eating, and soon they finished their meals.
With a short hum of satisfaction since she enjoyed her meal, Macarona sighed happily and turned to look at Raspbel to give the older demon a compliment regarding her cooking. "That was delicious!" she remarked, closing her eyes and bowing her head in gratitude for the food.
Raspbel also shut her eyes and chuckled, thankful her skills in the kitchen were appreciated by Rawberry and her friends. "Thanks for saying so, Macarona!" she said while clasping her hands together and blushing slightly out of embarrassment. She didn't mind receiving compliments even though it felt somewhat embarrassing sometimes, but she accepted them anyway as it was polite.
"Yes! You're such a good cook, Raspbel…" Macarona went on before pausing to wipe her mouth so it wasn't covered in crumbs or gravy. "It was very tasty!"
Rawberry chuckled in agreement, winking at them with a smile. "Right?" she asked, yet it was a rhetorical confirmation with cheerfulness mixed in that made the angel deadpan a little since she had a good idea of what the demon was referring to. After all, they were both great friends and knew one another quite well, so it made sense for Macarona to get the idea.
"Not at all like the bug jam Rawberry makes!" This comment wasn't meant as an insult in the sense that her friend was merely stating a preference, though it did come across as such because Rawberry seemed to take offense to that. Yet there were no tears of sadness in the younger demon's eyes since she was only pretending to be hurt by Macarona's remark.
"So meeean!" she whined in response, hoping to convey the point that bugs really did taste good and were an excellent delicacy—at least in her opinion. "Bugsies are friends…"
"You turn your friends in jam?!" Macarona inquired, rhetorically again to convey her point that bug jam was disgusting and—rather ironically—that it was mean to the bugs. Though Raspbel felt the conversation took quite an odd turn when they traded comments concerning the morality and etiquette of eating bugs, she remained silent because of how uncomfortable it made her. She used to think of them as a good meal too like Rawberry did before the nightmare of those ghouls opened her eyes to more…grotesque food. Now she was actually in full agreement with Macarona on that topic, reflecting on the times she'd eaten bugs and liked them because they were so tasty. However, her ghoulish nightmare taught her that live food was immoral and incredibly grotesque beyond anything she ever experienced throughout her whole life.
Well, aside from that thing…It sent more chills down her spine than the ghouls, especially since they incorporated that thing into their pantheon. Yet it was only a horrible nightmare, nothing truly serious which couldn't harm her, and it wasn't real to boot. Raspbel took solace in that fact.
Watching the girls ramble on about the ethics of slaughtering bugs and turning them into a nice jar of jam, the older demon smiled happily to conceal her growing discomfort and successfully suppressed a hard shudder that traveled down her spine. Getting up from the table while collecting the dishes, she finally spoke up to put an end to the conversation without sounding too strict. "Now, you two," she said as Rawberry and Macarona listened attentively, taking their glasses along with the silverware and following Raspbel into the kitchen. "It's not nice to argue over anything unless it's a well-mannered debate on something you both can learn from."
"I'm not arguing," Rawberry countered playfully and handed the things she got to her older sister so Raspbel could wash them by hand since the dishwasher was already on. "I'm just showing Macarona a new way of life she's having trouble adjusting to."
"How exactly can I adjust to gorging myself on insects found on the ground in the wild?!" the angel offered a quick counterargument. "Don't tell me I simply have to eat them and like it!"
Rawberry would've spoke up soon to tell Macarona that she would need to do exactly that, but Raspbel made sure to politely interject so her sister wouldn't disgust the angel and herself. "It might be alright for you, but do respect others' perspectives and opinions on the matter even if you don't fully agree with them on certain aspects of the topic. That's a fair compromise, is it not?"
"I suppose so," Rawberry agreed before looking to Macarona and gently seizing the angel's right arm after she had turned over the things she helped gather from the kitchen table. "Come on, Macarona, let's go watch cartoons!" she stated enthusiastically, leading Macarona into their living room so they could watch television. "You pick what to watch first since you're a guest, though I suggest you go for something funny and exciting the two of us will like!"
"Alright, let's see what the TV guide says," Macarona responded, taking up the booklet so she could leaf through it with the demon to find something satisfactory. "If nothing's on right now, we could always watch a movie or a documentary of some kind."
"But we're not in school," Rawberry remarked, seeking to make this a fun evening instead of an academic continuation of school. "Why waste time learning when you could have fun?"
"Then what would be the point of even going to school in the first place?" the angel stated as a counter to the comment. "Rawberry, I know fun and games are good and all, but we require a good education as well. Besides, I'm not saying it has to be documentary; anything should suffice so long as it's not too violent or inappropriate for us to watch."
"Fair enough," Rawberry conceded as the doorbell rang right when she said that. Whirling around out of curiosity, she sauntered into the hallway and stepped over to the front door. "Wonder who that could be?" she inquired, speaking aloud to her sister and Macarona so they could hear it. "We weren't expecting more company tonight, so it might be a neighbor looking for a favor, or it could be a salesman looking to advertise some products or something."
"Hold on for just a moment, Rawberry," Raspbel called from within the kitchen, applying some soap and water to wash her hands even though she hadn't finished washing the dishes. "Look through the little eyehole. Who's waiting outside the door?"
"Let me see…" her younger sister commented, peering through the eyehole and then turned her head to address the older demon. "It's your friends." Unlocking the door and opening it so both angels could step inside, Rawberry held her arms out as she welcomed a hug from Ruby who also felt it fitting to get Serenity in on the group hug. "Hey, girls, good to see you," she said as the first of them to enter whirled around with the demon in her arms as a playful gesture of friendship.
"Same here," Ruby replied after pulling the other angel into the fun. "Nice to see you too." Letting go of them for a moment, her eyes glanced over to the kitchen where she saw Rawberry's sister drying her hands before walking over to meet them. "Hey, Rawberry, your sister's not giving you a hard time, is she? Because if she is, you know I'll always beat some sense into her so she'll start apologizing for any wrongdoing against you! I hope she's been listening to you carefully; you are in charge for a while since she's only been let go from the medical center last Friday, so make sure you don't cut her any slack for not listening to your instructions!"
"Whoa, careful Ruby," Serenity chided her somewhat aggressive sense of playful fun. "We don't want to send her back there. She's already been feeling pretty guilty about missing an entire week of work. I know she's become more active at the shop to make up for her sudden absence, though I don't believe she could handle another week off sooner than later."
"Hey, it's still her fault for disobeying my little friend's directions to stay home and rest!" Ruby argued, taking Rawberry's side in that old debate over Raspbel's health and capabilities. "I'll not have her working her ass off when she would be much better off resting first so she can regain her full strength. It's better to be cautious about these things, Seren, something Rasp must learn."
"I'm not sure a beating will teach her anything," Macarona deadpanned as she interjected.
"Sure it will!" Ruby remarked in excitement, rubbing the palms of her hands together while thinking of a way to make her friend talk after having gone through some excruciating pain. "This is the most effective way of getting suspects to spill the beans. Just watch; Seren and I shall do the ol' good guard, bad guard routine," she giggled mischievously which made Raspbel shiver slightly as she smiled sheepishly with a nervous chuckle, timidly taking a step back and swallowing.
"U-uh, I-I'm sure I-I'll be s-spilling s-something else," she stuttered, feeling uncomfortable with the way Ruby took this conversation. "U-um, b-besides, Rawberry and I-I already had t-this worked out, s-so everything's all g-good. I-I c-can s-still work."
"See, look at what you did now, Ruby," Serenity chided the other angel and lightly smacked her upside the head. "Don't scare her with a threat like that, okay? You could get in serious trouble doing something like that, you know? Do you want to be hauled in front of the authorities?"
"Hey, she knows I'm only kidding, right, Rasp?" Ruby asked with her hands held up since she was now on the defense rather than the offense she took towards her other friend.
"It didn't sound like it," Rawberry chided, stepping between her and Raspbel so she could stand up for her older sister. Normally she would've joked around for a little longer, yet the remark about physically hurting her older sister went too far and now she was mad about it. "I won't allow you to harm big sis, Ruby. We appreciate your support, but don't blow it; she's been through a lot of stress, more than you've ever been in your life. You lay a finger on her, and I'll make you regret it, big time; I mean it." Puffing out her chest and crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes to glare at the energetic angel who started to back away nervously to avoid causing any further trouble.
"Okay, okay, point made, Rawberry," Ruby commented with a small smile that didn't have any malicious intent within it. "Don't worry, I'll stop with that. Sorry if that exchange got heated."
"It did almost escalate quickly," Macarona remarked casually with a slight deadpan. "You really do need to think before you speak, Ruby, otherwise you'll only get yourself into problems."
"True, true, I can't argue with that," Ruby agreed with a nod.
"Well, at least she's honest with others," Raspbel came to the lively angel's defense despite having been on the receiving end of a playful attack against her. "I'd say that's at least a benefit of being friends with her since she speaks directly from the heart and always tells the truth." Although she managed to regain her composure, the teasing still made her feel insecure since it really could have happened had they been enemies. She didn't like the sound of that at all since she wanted her friends to stay by her side as allies instead of enemies opposed to her.
"Tell me you're not saying that out of fear, Rasp," Ruby demanded in a calm voice without even a hint of cruel intentions behind them. "Come on, you know I'd never harm you when I could be harming those who do such terrible things to you. Seren and I are always on your side."
"I'm not; it isn't fear," the demon confirmed it for her to soothe the tense situation as a way of preventing it from getting worse before moving on. "Anyway, what are you girls doing here?"
"Remember the flower Ruby spoke of?" Serenity inquired to jog the demon's memory.
"Flower…?" Raspbel parroted briefly as she closed her eyes to think of it. "Flower, flower, flower…ah, you're referring to the one flower which only grows in moonlight, correct?" Serenity nodded to confirm that suspicion as Raspbel snapped her fingers. "You found where it grows?"
"I did," Ruby remarked as she stepped forward. "I told Serenity about it and she agreed to join me in our hunt for the elusive beauty. That bet of ours is still on, and we're hoping you could come with us to its alleged location. I say 'alleged' because this place is only one of the locations, yet it's the first I've found and the place is mentioned in several texts. It's bound to be there."
With a small sigh, Raspbel shook her head to decline the offer. "If I wasn't busy tonight, I would; though Rawberry and I made plans to have Macarona come spend the night here. If it was on a later date, I could possibly make it, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass this time."
"Plus I'm still keeping a watchful eye on her," Rawberry added. "I know she's independent now even though I'm not really supposed to let her become more active for at least a while, though big sis really has been getting much better at a swell pace. It's only been several days since I gave her official permission to return to work after I found out she left with me unaware, yet she's made a great recovery so far and it literally feels like she's back to normal again. Still, I'd like to ensure she's doing well which is why I'd prefer for her to stay home tonight."
"Fair enough," Serenity remarked with a small smile. "Rasp's been doing well at work, but I can see how such a quick recovery would still require a bit of attention just as a precaution."
"Yeah, so don't worry, Rasp," Ruby commented. "I've got a camera with me to snap a shot of the flower, so I'll bring it to you for your judgment tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure," Raspbel said, nodding since she could agree to that term. "Still, I don't think I need to do that. I told you before that its discovery would decide which of you won."
"Even so, you should at least see the photo," Serenity said.
"I will," Raspbel nodded. "Just bring me the picture tomorrow and I'll look at it."
"Certainly, look forward to it," Ruby remarked as she and Serenity stepped out, though the two of them were stopped briefly by Raspbel when the demon put forth another inquiry.
"Wait, the two of you are going alone?" she asked out of concern for their safety. "Isn't it unsafe to head out for the spot at this hour? I know it's still early in the evening, but at least ensure you have others to go with for protection so you can come back safely." Raspbel trusted her friends, though the accident she'd been in a while ago when she fell down that ravine made her worry. She didn't want the same thing to happen to them, hence why she voiced that concern.
"Oh, don't worry about us, Rasp," Serenity remarked, walking out the door with Ruby. "It is already covered. We also invited our boyfriends to come with us and they said they would."
"Right," the other angel agreed. "We've prepared ourselves for this little adventure, so the two of us—or should I say four of us—are good and ready to go. We'll see you tomorrow, Rasp."
"Yes, tomorrow. Goodbye for now, girls," Raspbel said, waving goodbye to them.
"Well, that sounds like a fun adventure," Rawberry commented after shutting the door. "It might be something we can do sometime once the school year is over, Macarona."
"You mean going camping out in the wilderness?" Macarona replied with a question. "I'd go for that anytime, but please don't eat any bugs while we're out. I'm sure you'd get an illness of some sort from whatever could be out there. If we do, bring your girl scouts' handbook with you."
"Yeah, yeah, I still have the old thing in our room upstairs," Rawberry responded and went upstairs to get it. "It's still got all of those doodles I drew in it whenever I got bored. I'll show you some of them." Watching her sister turn the corner to ascend the stairs while the angel walked into the living room to continue flipping through the TV guide, Raspbel smiled and went back to what she was originally doing. There were still dishes in the sink that had to be cleaned, and she couldn't let them stay there for too long because the stuff would take up space in there.
Turning the faucet on and setting it to warm water, the demon began to hum a harmonious tune while doing her work. Sticking her hands into the soapy water that began to form when she'd been conversing with her friends, Rawberry, and Macarona, Raspbel pulled out the sponge so she could wipe it across the dishes and silverware. Applying some dish soap to it, she then pressed the sponge against a plate and started scrubbing it to get leftover bits and crumbs of food off. Keeping up the process with each dish and piece of silverware, Raspbel eventually finished cleaning them. Going over to a hook on a cabinet, she pulled off a dishtowel and dried the stuff so she could place them where each of the items went before closing her eyes as she began to wash her hands.
Thinking of the flower her friends were talking about, Raspbel sighed in peace while slowly opening her eyes to form a half-lidded expression with a small smile. They widened slightly since she just then realized that she forgot to shut the blinds before when it was starting to get dark. "Oh, silly me," she chuckled softly, shutting her eyes again for a brief moment and chuckling to herself. "I should've closed these blinds before." Quickly drying her hands with the dishtowel, she reached an arm up to the cord attached to the blinds so she could draw them closed. Yet Raspbel gradually opened her eyes during this motion before they widened in a sudden emergence of nervous shock at the sight of something in her reflection of the window. The sight sent chills down her spine since she hadn't felt anything like this sense of dread for a week, though what she saw made her shiver.
Within the window she could make out a reflection of herself—well, most of her figure, at the very least. It looked so much like her except for one detail which stood out from the rest of her reflection. Raspbel's reflection was…smiling; although she had been smiling, there wasn't even a single hint of a smile on her face now. Furthermore, that smile in the reflection…was disturbingly creepy. It gave Raspbel goosebumps as she took a step back out of fear before shaking her head to clear it of any doubts and fears before quickly closing the blinds to block out the reflection. Taking a deep breath and wiping away a bit of cold perspiration that manifested on her temple, she crossed her arms and shuddered slightly as she pondered what that could've been.
"Perhaps it was just a mere trick of the reflection or something," she whispered quietly and sighed in relief, glad to have debunked that mystery despite not having seen the reflection's entire head. Only the bottom half and the torso were visible to her in addition to the arms. "Yeah, it must have been something like that. I'm only seeing things, that's all," Raspbel chuckled to herself.
Hearing the sound of hurried footsteps descending the stairs, she knew Rawberry found the handbook she used back when she was in the girl scouts' program. That revived old memories she had of the time Raspbel was a part of that program herself, especially since she let Rawberry have her copy with all of the important things underlined and notes written in the margins of each page. That idea her younger sister and Macarona had about camping seemed like a fun plan to enact, so the older demon believed it could be a good idea just to get out and enjoy the wilderness. Some of the old camping supplies they had stored in the basement could've probably been thrown out so a few new replacements could be purchased. Maybe she would propose the idea to her friends when she saw the photo tomorrow and let Rawberry inform her friends too so they could all go camping. It sounded like a good idea, so Raspbel nodded and began to leave the kitchen to talk with her and Macarona about it after returning the dishtowel to the hook.
"Ah, there you are, Rawberry," she spoke up, shutting her eyes after seeing her sister in the hallway. "Listen, I've just been thinking about the idea you both mentioned. I think—" However, she was interrupted when Rawberry rudely barged by her and stormed into the kitchen to wash her hands in the sink after setting a satchel on the table. The action was so unexpected and sudden that it baffled Raspbel because her sister was never rude. Sure, she was critical of her older sister when they got home from the medical center and once Raspbel returned from work on Monday; though the older demon felt there was no cause for this behavior, especially when she didn't know why Rawberry shoved her way into the kitchen with a satchel from the hallway closet upstairs.
"Rawberry?!" she exclaimed slightly in surprise, hoping to uncover the reason for this odd surliness. "Is something wrong? Did you find the handbook for Macarona? I can help you look for it." The offer was nice, and she expected Rawberry would confirm it because she started having a few doubts as to whether this was surliness on the younger demon's part, or if she was hurrying to show Macarona the book and wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around her when she came down. Yet the appearance of that satchel was strange since Raspbel didn't know why the thing was carried down instead of the book which Rawberry might've still been searching for, and the retort her younger sister made next completely threw her off guard.
"Just shut up and take your damn pills…" her sister stated in a harsh tone which was quite critical, more so than the previous times she addressed Raspbel with it.
"M-my medication…?" Raspbel asked nervously and took a few uneasy steps towards the satchel, realizing that Rawberry brought it down for her. However, she still didn't understand why her younger sister was acting like this because she didn't expect it. Unless…no, she had to deny it since there was no way Rawberry would've found those because Raspbel hid them carefully. "Oh, those," she commented with a somewhat sheepish smile and took up the satchel to open it. "Thank you for reminding me about that, Rawberry," Raspbel went on as Macarona walked in.
"U-um, sorry for interrupting," the angel apologized somewhat apprehensively. "I've heard an argument from the living room. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but is everything okay? You're not hiding something from Rawberry again, right?" It was a legitimate question that surprised Raspbel because she figured her sister must've told Macarona about what happened with regards to issues she used to deal with for a while. Yet the older demon smiled to relieve the angel of that concern.
"No, of course not," Raspbel said, concealing her own anxiety behind a façade of cheerful kindness she thought would soothe Macarona's concern. "Rawberry just reminded me to take the medicine I've been prescribed, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Yet when she looked inside the satchel after opening it a moment later, the demon went pale and failed to suppress a shudder since her fear was finally validated by the sight of both sets of pills which had been dumped into it along with the bottles themselves. Swallowing a lump in her throat as she finally needed to acknowledge the fact that Rawberry somehow discovered where she hid them—perhaps when she rummaged in their bedroom for the girl scouts' handbook—Raspbel tried to regain her composure in front of the girls and raised a hand to quiet Macarona when the angel tried to say something. "D-don't worry, Macarona," she stuttered slightly, hoping she wasn't scaring either of them. "Everything's o-okay, I-I just need a moment alone with Rawberry, alright? W-why don't you head back inside and turn the television on. We can watch a good movie in a bit, o-okay?"
"U-um, okay," Macarona murmured quietly as she took a step back to head out. She didn't say anything more because she must've realized something bad was going to happen, so she began to make her way as Raspbel turned her attention to Rawberry in an attempt to reason with her.
"N-now, Rawberry, I-I know what this looks like, but j-just let me explain s-so we c-could come to a-a reasonable understanding," the older demon said as her sister dried her hands. Raspbel would've gone on to rationalize what the younger demon found, but was suddenly scared into a brief lapse of silence when Rawberry whirled around and violently threw the dishtowel at a set of indoor wind chimes hanging from the doorway where Macarona was walking. Although her friend was not part of this argument, what happened was enough to startle her as she also turned around because what Rawberry did—and what she did next—caught her off guard too.
"I TRUSTED YOU!" Rawberry screamed in anger and smashed her left fist on the counter. "THREE TIMES! THREE TIMES YOU'VE KEPT ME IN THE DARK! I WARNED YOU TO NOT TAKE THE OTHER PILLS AND ALLOWED YOU TO RETURN TO WORK! AND YOU GO ON TO BETRAY MY TRUST?!" Her rage was justified as she was right, but Raspbel simply swallowed heavily again and held her ground with her hands held up in defense. The satchel in her hands swayed gently as she moved, trembling and taking a step back to give her little sister space.
"W-wait, Rawberry, p-please listen," Raspbel pleaded with her in the hope they could talk this over calmly instead of having one individual screaming at the other. "I-I can explain, I-I—"
"EXPLAIN WHAT?! THIS?!" her sister raged on, storming over to Raspbel and snatching the satchel from her hands in a violent motion. If her hands had claws, she would've ripped into a chunk of her older sister and made her bleed when she seized it. Pouring the contents onto the table to reveal what was inside so both Macarona and Raspbel could see what was inside—even though the latter already got a good look at everything inside of it—Rawberry threw the satchel down and continued raging against her older sister. "THE FACT YOU'VE BEEN TAKING TWO SETS OF PILLS THAT CAN KILL YOU IF YOU EVER HAVE THEM TOGETHER?!"
The sudden accusation didn't surprise Raspbel because she knew it was true. Yet it scared her regardless because she didn't know what to do or what she could say to appease Rawberry and calm her down. She gasped when her sister mentioned it, and so did Macarona as the revelation's reveal unnerved her as well. The angel opened her mouth to intervene, but stopped short since she was entering into territory she was forbidden from entering. Neither of them ever saw Rawberry's anger become this intense before—well, Macarona had a good idea from when she saw the results of the young demon's massacre of flame bats that tried to kill her sister during Ivlis' invasion—so this was the first time they actually experienced the full onslaught of frightening ire from her. Still, there had to be some way Raspbel could reason with her younger sister to calm her down.
"R-Rawberry, p-please c-calm d-down," she stuttered timidly, gazing at Rawberry through tearful eyes because she hoped Rawberry would settle down and be reasonable. "I-I know w-what it looks like, b-but I-I'm s-sure you'll understand once I-I—"
"UNDERSTAND WHAT?! THAT TAKING TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF MEDICINE WON'T KILL YOU?! THAT YOU'RE NOT OVERDOSING ON TWO MEDICATIONS?!" Her younger sister screamed, her face still darkening into an expression of wrathful rage that started to show when she first started screaming. "DON'T TELL ME WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! I KNOW WHAT IT DAMN WELL LOOKS LIKE ALREADY, AND I KNOW YOU DO TOO!"
"O-o-okay, y-you're right!" Raspbel conceded, quickly pressing her hands together as she wished to hopefully calm her sister's temper. "Y-yes, you're absolutely c-correct, b-but p-p-please, Rawberry, let m-me explain! J-just c-calm down a-and w-we'll t-talk this over in p-private!"
"YOU WANT TO TALK THIS OVER?!" Enraged, Rawberry smashed her hands onto the table with the palms facing down. She almost knocked it over and sent some of the pills flying out of control as the impact forced them into the air. The impact they made against the floor was soft, though all three individuals present could hear the little clicks of pills landing and bouncing around before rolling to a halt. "FINE, WE'LL TALK IT OVER, BIG SIS! LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING ME THROUGH! LET US DISCUSS THE VALUE OF TRUST AND HOW WE SHOULD COMMUNICATE PROBLEMS TO ONE ANOTHER! WHY NOT THROW IN THE ISSUES OF DISTRUST AND SILENCE!"
"Rawberry, please!" Raspbel cried out, tears flowing down her face because she could not hold them back any longer. She didn't wish for this to turn out the way it did, but the fight started becoming too intense for her to handle. More than anything she wanted to rationalize this problem with her little sister so Rawberry could understand what was happening. Although Raspbel did not want Rawberry to worry by keeping the issues which bothered her for a while bottled up inside of her, she suddenly became aware of the negative impact that decision was leaving behind since her younger sister had discovered the secret she'd been hiding for about a week. "T-this isn't about an issue of d-distrust! I-I just d-didn't want to upset you, t-that's all!"
"DO I LOOK UPSET TO YOU, BIG SIS?!" her sister demanded, pointing to her face and banging the table again with a fist that made more pills fly. "AM I NOT TRUSTWORTHY?!"
"I-I didn't s-say that, o-o-or even imply a-anything of the s-sort!" Raspbel countered even though she really didn't want to since it would only upset Rawberry further. "I-I know I-I s-should have t-told you everything f-from the s-start, b-but p-p-please t-try to understand! I-I'm your older s-sister; I-I d-don't want to s-scare you and I-I don't mean t-to either!"
"OF COURSE, IT HAS TO BE ABOUT YOU, DOESN'T IT?! ALL ABOUT YOU!" her sister cried at the top of her lungs before her voice died away as she whipped around and sniffed. While they couldn't see her facial expression to know how she was feeling, Raspbel and Macarona could hear Rawberry sniffing as the young demon stormed over to the kitchen counter away from them. Lightly pressing her hands on the countertop, she choked a few times since she was having a hard time trying to control her emotions despite her weeping. Raspbel attempted to approach her to embrace Rawberry in a comforting hug to end the argument, but Rawberry turned around right away to show her face not only darkened, but was also drenched in her own tears. "Four days…" she murmured softly at first before raising her voice. "For four days I worried. I was so frightened that something bad had happened to you. I didn't eat, I could barely sleep, and my stomach was in a terrible knot while my heart leapt into my mouth. Then you returned and I was relieved you were okay and that nothing too serious had happened to you in your absence."
"R-Rawberry, I-I…" Raspbel struggled to speak, but her voice died away because of a big lump in her throat. She swallowed heavily to clear her throat as Rawberry continued speaking.
"I took care of you and kept a close watch on you because I was worried about you." While her tone of voice had decreased in volume so that she wasn't shouting anymore, the younger demon couldn't hide the fact her voice was quivering while she spoke despite the fact she didn't stutter a single word. "I thought you were hurt or had died somehow due to whatever accident you got into. That's why I wanted to keep you safe, to protect you and stay close by so I wouldn't fail to protect you. When that jerk Devil from another world invaded and his damn forces broke in, I slaughtered them all just to protect you. You are all I have left, and I can't bear the thought of losing you." She sniffed again and raised a sleeve to wipe some snot off her face, turning away momentarily to take a few steps to the right before facing Raspbel again. "It was all my fault. My fault for not sticking close to you that night the day we all went on the biking trip. I don't care if others apologize while saying they should've stayed by you too in addition to claiming that nobody could've known what would happen. We should've known—no, I should've known, and yet I went ahead anyway."
"R-Rawberry…" Feeling another lump in her throat, Raspbel swallowed again and tried to approach her little sister again to apologize for everything that happened until Rawberry continued.
"It was my mistake, and I've tried so hard to keep it from happening again. Yet I discover things you've been keeping from me, big sis. Things I, as your younger sister, should know because I have a right to know since I also have a right to worry about you. First it was the pills prescribed to you by that therapist you've seen with me unaware until I found them in your drawer. Then the day you went into work after I specifically told you to stay home and recover for a couple days to get some much needed rest. I forgave you both times because I loved you, big sis. Nothing would make me happier than to make you happy, so I didn't force you to talk until you were ready while I also allowed you to return to work. Yet now…" Rawberry sniffed again, having difficulty getting her point across even though it actually did come across clearly. "Now you've betrayed the trust I had placed in you by buying the pills originally prescribed to you when I specifically said that both types of these pills could likely kill you. How am I supposed to forgive that?"
"R-Rawberry…" Raspbel murmured quietly, feeling very guilty about what she'd done.
"How long have you been taking both kinds of pills, big sis?" her younger sister asked, but Raspbel stayed silent for too long because she feared answering that question could upset her little sister further. It was only when Rawberry raised her voice again that she did. "HOW LONG?!"
"A-a…" Raspbel paused, hesitating to speak since she was reluctant to say it. "S-since this p-past M-Monday night when I-I c-came home f-from w-work late because I-I bought them then."
"So for about a week you've been taking them," Rawberry declared rhetorically, using the somber tone of voice she spoke in to express how upset, angry, and disappointed she was. "In that timeframe you could've died, big sis! I would've had to watch your corpse be placed into a casket and lowered into the ground by our parents' graves! I would've been all alone without you!"
Swallowing yet another lump in her throat as she shuddered, finally acknowledging how a fatal mistake like the one she committed could've ruined their lives permanently, Raspbel opened her mouth to speak up and apologize for everything she unintentionally put Rawberry through. "I-I'm s-sorry, R-Rawberry, I-I…I-I d-didn't mean t-to…h-honest…"
Yet Rawberry rejected her apology outright. "No, you're not sorry! If you were sorry, you would've thought about opening up to me more than you probably already had! You have kept me in the dark three times and even downright lied to me! Why should I accept your apologies?! Why should I believe you now after you've betrayed my trust and attempted to commit suicide?!"
"I-I…" For once Raspbel didn't know how to respond. In fact, she never knew how to deal with this situation because she didn't think it would be this terrible. "I-I…I-I d-don't know, I-I…"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
It was this final question that silenced Raspbel. She didn't know how to answer it. "I-I…" she attempted to speak up, though her voice quivered with her confidence shattered. "I-If I-I knew, I-I would s-say, b-but I-I…" That was when her voice died slightly, and it was with a heavy heart and lots of tears that Raspbel had to admit what she did was dreadfully wrong. "I-I'm so s-sorry, Rawberry…I-I d-didn't want to w-worry you with m-my own p-problems. I-I—"
"You should've thought of that before you betrayed my trust," Rawberry commented in an even harsher tone mixed in with all the sadness, despair, and rage. "Perhaps you should've stayed lost! Maybe you should just take your damn pills and die where nobody will ever find you!" It was a hard thing to say, especially so because it was difficult to even accept what her sister did. Raspbel stepped forward and held her arms out to embrace her younger sister in a hug to apologize for the pain and despair she put her through, but Rawberry jerked away violently. "Don't touch me!" she ordered, shoving the older demon aside and storming out of the kitchen.
Neither Raspbel nor Macarona moved from where they stood, each of them shocked by the feud that took place with Rawberry now storming away in anger. Hearing her go upstairs, a sound of a door slamming shut violently following heavy footfalls of a girl enraged at her older sister for the terrible offense she'd made almost startled them into fright. Minutes passed as the two of them just stood there until Macarona spoke up meekly. "I-I think I-I should go home now."
"Y-yes," Raspbel agreed timidly. "I-it's probably for the best. S-sorry about tonight."
Neither of them spoke up again after that as they headed upstairs as well; Macarona to pick up her things so she could leave and go home, Raspbel to approach her bedroom door. The idea to have the angel spend the night with them originally sounded like a great idea at first, but now there were doubts as to whether it still was because of what happened. This was the first time Rawberry had even been this angry at Raspbel for what she'd done, and it scared the two of them into subdued fear since the context of their argument had been about a major mistake the older demon made, so they both naturally decided it would've been better to call the sleepover off for tonight. Coming to the door while Macarona continued down the hall for a bit to the guestroom she was staying in for the night, Raspbel swallowed heavily and apprehensively knocked on the door a few times.
"R-Rawberry," she called out to her little sister, hearing Rawberry's heavy footfalls inside the room. "R-Rawberry, can I-I come in?" Although she received no answer to her inquiry, Raspbel waited for a couple seconds before working up the courage to enter even though she wasn't given any permission to do so. Pushing the door open and slowly stepping inside to find Rawberry in her sad state which emerged during the big fight they just had, weeping with a hand to her mouth and her face drenched in tears pouring from her eyes, Raspbel blinked and approached slowly. She did try to think of something to say which could please the poor girl, but evidently it seemed like she'd accept nothing but the truth from her older sister—a truth Raspbel didn't know how to explain.
Rawberry didn't say anything as she just paced back and forth between their beds and over to her side of the room which indicated she most likely didn't want to talk. Taking deep breaths to calm herself down so she could hopefully soothe her younger sister's nerves, Raspbel wiped away her own tears and attempted to show her warmest, big sister smile to calm her younger sister since she didn't want to fight with her. "U-Um, I-I know things might not have w-worked out p-perfectly t-tonight, b-but let's not worry about what happened," she shut her eyes and chuckled nervously, still scared of Rawberry's ire. "R-Rawberry, you know I-I love you and would never leave you by yourself. W-what happened i-is—w-well, I-I d-didn't think it was such a big deal. Both k-kinds of pills were actually helpful this past week, s-so I-I didn't think there were any s-side effects." With a few cautious steps forward, she slowly walked towards Rawberry and held her arms out as a nice gesture of sisterly affection in the form of a hug. "I-I'm alright, and n-nothing b-bad happened yet, s-so I-I'm sure everything's a-all g-good. I-If you s-still want t-to t-talk about it, I-I'd gladly speak with you over a-a couple bowls of ice c-cream. W-What d-do you s-say?"
But her offer was immediately rejected when her sister whirled around violently to address her in a negative tone of voice. "Just get the hell away from me!" Rawberry exclaimed, arms down at her sides in a quick motion of body language which expressed how furious she was. "You never said anything to me! I'm not sure I even know you anymore!" She sniffed and turned away because she was still crying over their heated argument in the kitchen minutes ago.
Although Raspbel would've given her space, she felt Rawberry desperately needed sisterly love and took another step closer to provide it as an apology for scaring her younger sister. While that would've been acceptable on any other occasion, she knew it wasn't welcome now because a traumatic incident like the one she put Rawberry through hurt the young demon. Yet she still tried because she was the poor girl's older sister—her only sister—so she needed to comfort Rawberry as best she could. "R-Rawberry…I-I…" she murmured quietly, hoping to apologize. "I-I'm sorry."
"Get out…" Rawberry growled viciously without turning around. Raspbel froze slightly as she shivered a bit, but nevertheless resumed her approach momentarily until Rawberry shouted at her again. "JUST GET THE HELL OUT NOW!" her little sister barked, subduing the older demon in fright which gave Raspbel the message that she didn't want to talk to her about what happened.
Raspbel swallowed and held her hands up in defense. "O-okay, i-if t-that's what you want, Rawberry, I-I'll let you have s-some s-space," she uttered meekly and backed away slowly. Exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her, she sadly sauntered downstairs and went to sit down in the living room, wondering what to do next when Macarona came down with all the things she brought with her for the sleepover. The angel opened her mouth to say something when she crossed by the threshold, but felt she didn't know if anything she said would smooth things over. Although Macarona stood there for several moments longer to watch Raspbel sit on the couch and cry about what went wrong, she eventually stepped out to silently leave with a final glance at the older demon since she hoped Raspbel and Rawberry would make up soon and put this feud behind them.
Unfortunately, Raspbel didn't know what to do. She was unaware of anything which would solve the problem she and Rawberry suffered from—a problem Raspbel knew she was responsible for because she alone caused it. Crossing her arms across her chest and rocking back and forth like a frightened child, the demon sniffed and cried for about an hour while wondering how she would make things better. She had tried to apologize for the horrible fright she'd given Rawberry, yet the poor girl refused to believe her and accept it because the implications and ramifications of this had gone way beyond the scope of lesser incidents like Rawberry's anger on Monday and her discovery of the pills. For the first time, Raspbel realized she had gone too far and went completely over the edge. It terrified her because of what she'd done to get better at Rawberry's expense by keeping a dark secret from the poor girl since she didn't want to scare her. That plan certainly backfired, and now she could truly understand the pain she caused Rawberry and was frightened of it too. Raspbel didn't think it would come to this, but it did and now the demon had to face the consequences she wrought from a decision she made without Rawberry's approval as her sister was kept in the dark.
Their bedroom door upstairs opened after what seemed like quite a while, and Raspbel took a long look at the stairs when she heard it and her younger sister's heavy footsteps. Standing up to step into the threshold, she peered out into the corridor and watched Rawberry descend around the corner as there were two walls on either side of the stairs. Her eyes widened at the sight of suitcases in the young demon's hands, and Raspbel trembled at the thought of what Rawberry was doing. A keen observation on her part, one she didn't want to accept as she wished it wasn't true even though it was a reality before her very eyes. "R-Rawberry…" she said tremulously and stepped forward a couple steps. "W-what are you d-doing? W-where are you g-going with t-those s-suitcases?"
However, her sister refused to respond which frightened Raspbel more, so the older demon went behind Rawberry to put a hand on her shoulder after Rawberry passed her. "P-please, w-wait, R-Rawberry, answer me!" she cried out, feeling more desperate to stop her sister. "I-I'm your big s-sister, I-I—" Yet she was suddenly cut off by a sharp dagger to her heart in the form of words.
"I have no sister. She died long ago just like my parents."
Words that cut into an individual's heart and soul to decimate them entirely.
It was this very statement that chilled Raspbel to the core and shook her nerves completely. Her eyes widened in terror as her pupils dilated. Her face completely drained of color as she went ashen. Raspbel opened her mouth to say something, but her lower jaw locked up and trembled out of fear just like her whole body. Even her heart began beating rapidly in her chest as dread emerged from within her stomach. She felt all of this fear because the revelation horrified her, and Raspbel just stood by and watched her younger sister open the front door.
"N-n-no…" she whispered timidly, falling to her knees, helpless to prevent Rawberry from doing something that would scar both of them forever with a traumatic impact. "R-R-Rawberry…" Her left hand fell to the floor while her right reached out for the young demon as was walking out the front door. "R-R-Rawberry, p-p-please, n-n-no…" Yet Raspbel's crying and whining wouldn't stop her little sister from leaving her behind. "P-p-please c-c-come b-b-back, R-R-Rawberry…" A few moments more and Rawberry was out the door and closing it behind her. "R-R-Rawberry…" The door slammed shut softly, and it was with this final moment that drove a nail into her heart as Raspbel realized with horror that her younger sister would never step through that door again. The reality of this climatic incident in their lives was breathtaking, and it left Raspbel in a tearful mess because she knew what this meant—she knew what she had done to cause this.
Rawberry had walked out of her life for good…permanently. And it was all Raspbel's fault.
Unable to handle the tension any longer, Raspbel finally broke down and sobbed loudly in terror and sadness, wailing in sorrow as she was sorry to have driven Rawberry away…forever.
…
"You know, I feel kind of bad for choosing tonight to go see that flower," Serenity said as she brushed some leaves and a couple branches aside so she could walk effectively without having to hobble through the trees. "We should've picked a better timeframe so Raspbel could go with us too. It's a shame she couldn't join us tonight. I almost wish we could've gone back for now."
"True," Ruby remarked, holding one of the flashlights they brought with them and a camera that dangled from her neck. "I wanted her to come too, but then again this is the region she got lost in a couple weeks back. Though we should've brought that up, I don't think she'd want to return." Ducking under a tree branch to avoid it with the other angel in tow, she kicked a stone in front of her so she didn't trip. "Besides, I wouldn't want to traumatize her by giving Rasp an invitation to come back to this place so soon after her accident, so maybe it's a good thing she didn't."
"What if the same thing happens to us?" her companion inquired out of concern. "Although we brought our boyfriends with us, I still think we should've put a little more thought into this. I'd have much rather preferred this little romp in the forest with some daylight rather than the light of the moon." Her comment triggered a playful laugh from Ruby as the lively angel thought of a joke she could make at Serenity's expense, so she went with it full throttle.
"What's the matter, Seren? Afraid a big, bad werewolf is going to spirit you away to make you his wife? A vampire's going to seduce you with his charming illusions?"
"Stop it, you know those monsters only reside in the Haunted Forest," Serenity countered.
"Yet our boyfriends aren't here to protect us," Ruby argued back. "You do realize we split up twenty minutes ago, right? Besides, you could really impress those creatures with your martial arts, Seren. I should be the damsel in distress here instead of you."
"You took karate too, you know?" Serenity retorted. "If I do get captured, I'm expecting a rescue from you. You'd better get off your lazy ass and do some actual defensive combat with me in the event that happens." She sighed, taking a look at a copy of the map they brought with them. "Now, if I'm reading this correctly despite the glare from my flashlight, we should be nearing our target, or at least one of the spots it's rumored to be located at."
"Hence why we split up so two teams could scour the area," Ruby explained, stating quite the obvious even after the four of them discussed that plan before they went in separate directions. "But in all seriousness, Seren, I would come to your aid if need be. You can count on me for help."
"Great, I'm glad we worked that part out, Ruby," Serenity remarked as they arrived within a glade. Stars shone over their heads as they walked forward, approaching an oak tree in the center surrounded by a flower patch with a river flowing by it through a small pond on the glade's edge. Glancing around the area in question as they split up to search this part of the forest for the flower they came here to find, Serenity looked up at the night sky and turned to address Ruby as the lively angel was kneeling at the base of the tree. "Hey, do you think this is where Rasp was found?"
"Probably," the energetic angel shrugged, taking out a picture which looked like the alleged flower they were searching for. "I heard from a friend in the castle she was discovered in a glade."
"Then it might very well be this exact spot."
"What, you think Rasp got lost on purpose so she could go looking for the flower?" Ruby asked accusingly, though her tone of voice didn't contain any malice. "You believe she planned it from the start and faked her disappearance so she could come out on top of us?"
"Of course not!" Serenity called back, coming to her other friend's defense. "You know as well as I do that she would never think of that. She most likely got lost and wondered into this area by accident while looking for a way home. Besides, she doesn't even know what the flower looks like. How can she go off in search of it when she's never seen its appearance?"
"Hey, come on, Seren, it was just a joke," Ruby remarked sheepishly from where she was. "I didn't mean to point the finger at Rasp for something she didn't do on purpose." A sudden flock of birds from quite a distance away caught her attention and she stood up to point at it. "Hey, take a gander over there. You think the guys disturbed those birds?"
"It's possible," the other angel nodded as she watched them fly away elsewhere. "Although it might've been them, we can't rule out the possibility of it being another animal or a monster."
"I'm sure they're fine. They've got martial arts training too."
Serenity nodded, but still shuddered. "I only hope you're right," she murmured quietly and missed the opportunity to see something else fly through the trees.
"Whatever," Ruby uttered casually, also missing it. "I'm going to search the other side."
"Alright, call me if you find it," Serenity stated, checking by a few stones.
"Will do," Ruby replied, sauntering over to the other side of the glade. Neither she nor the other angel noticed the mysterious shadow creeping towards their position since they weren't even facing the direction it came from. The two angels just continued their search for the flower unaware of what lurked in the shadows of the trees, stalking their movements before waiting for a moment to pounce upon its unsuspecting victims. It was ready for that chance when the time came.
That opportunity was soon revealed, and it darted out from the trees towards the prey.
Hearing the sound of something being torn into and ripped apart from the other side of the glade, Ruby whirled around and shone her flashlight in the direction she heard it from. "Seren, that you?" she called out, curious to see if her companion heard the noise too. Waiting a few moments for a response, the energetic angel cocked her head to the side slightly when she received only the silence brought on as a result of the noise. No sound was made, which was odd as they heard plenty of insects and other ambient noises of this terrain. "Seren, you still there?" Ruby called again and waited for another second before sauntering over to where the other angel was. Going towards the tree trunk, she pressed her hand against it and peered around it to see if Serenity was alright.
Yet there was nothing there when she looked. Shining the flashlight all around, Ruby took a good, hard look at the glade around her for any sign of her friend when a glint of metal from the ground near some stones caught her eye. Taking a few steps towards the object, the lively angel's eyes widened somewhat in surprise because she recognized it as a pocket watch Serenity possessed on her person at all times just to see what time it was. The gleam from her flashlight caught another thing in the grass by it which Ruby saw a split second later as she chuckled. "Boy, Seren, have you become that tired already?" she asked, to which she received no response. "You could've brought a sleeping bag or some kind of cot to sleep in. Well, I guess good girls should be in bed by now."
"Indeed…" came a response from a very creepy voice that giggled maliciously which made Ruby's eyes open wide in surprise before she too was cut down in cold blood like Serenity. As the fourth victim's cadaver fell to the ground with a brief gurgle of blood spewing from her mouth and her body performing one final spasm before her life left her body completely, the shadowy figure's mouth turned upwards and opened to reveal razor sharp teeth. Breathing deeply since she enjoyed the sight of her next meal, the attacker licked her lips and prepared to chow down, snickering evilly and knelt to begin tearing into the corpse. Ripping a bit of the spinal cord out from the back, she teared into it and devoured it voraciously, cackling in the most maniacal tone conceived from such a terrifying figure. "Sorry…" her tone of voice was sarcastically sadistic when she spoke. "But it's your fault, you know?" she added in a threatening tone even though her prey was dead.
Seizing Ruby's head and ripping it off her body, she smiled widely and ate that too. "Good girls should be in bed by now…" she cackled maniacally, her sick laughter echoing throughout the forest as she tore into another part of Ruby to merge it with a piece of Serenity for a darker taste.
…
And so this story has taken another dark turn. To that end, I've incorporated a bit of the dialogue from Raspbel's Secret in the Bonus Room to help set the atmosphere. Enjoy.