-Stay Strong-

"Hey... Hey, are you there?"

The monster rumbled its usual purr, and Sky grinned. Like always, he rolled over and slid to the floor, taking the covers with him. "I've got so much to tell you."

"Sky?..."

He nodded and reached out his hand. The tongue wrapped around his fingers. Sky smiled and said, "So remember that boy that I was telling you about? The one that Ty had found?"

The four eyes blinked in acknowledgement.

"Well he woke up today! He did try to kill Ty, but hey! He woke up!"

The beast rumbled and reached out an arm, pulling him closer. Sky sighed, setting his forehead against the soft black skin. "But it's another mouth to feed. And we're starting to grow desperate, too."

The beast crooned, coiling closer. "My... My Sky..."

Sky nodded, running his hand across the golden-tipped tendrils that grew from its chin. "Yeah. But I don't know how long we'll be able to stay together. We might have to move. Unless we can get enough money up to pay off the house, we're screwed."

"Sky?"

Sky turned around, chocolate-gold eyes wide as Jason cracked open the door. "Who are you talking to?"

Sky sat up, knowing he wouldn't fool the spaceman. "I-I, uh..."

Jason took a few steps into the room, reaching for the light switch. The bulb flickered on, and the beat hissed in pain. Sky staggered to his feet, tangled in blankets. "Jason! What are you doing up?"

Jason looked tired, bags heavy under his eyes. "I've been up," he mumbled, rubbing the side of his head. "I was talking with Seto. Dude, he must be a vampire or something. Didn't look tired at all."

Sky shrugged, throwing the blanket halfway into the bed in an attempt to keep the beast hidden. "Really? I don't think he's a vampire, though."

The fourteen-year-old spaceman shrugged, walking over to the window. He frowned, pulling open the blinds. "Why are these covered?" he asked, knowing it was highly unusual for Sky to block out the... sky.

Sky shrugged, biting his lip. The beast under the bed had always been hiding in the darkness; it wouldn't come out if it was too bright. "Um, uh... I-I-"

Jason looked over at him, standing there with his shoulders hunched and his eyes darting down to the bed. "What are you hiding, Sky?"

The spaceman went towards him, frowning. "I-I'm not hiding anyone- thing!"

Jason frowned and froze upon hearing the rumble from beneath the bed. Sky paled, and after a few minutes he went over and flicked the light off. He anxiously walked over to the bed, lifting the covers.

The beast's head poked out, bright eyes glaring up at Jason. It raised the ruff on its head, golden webbing glowing.

"What is that?" Jason whispered in shock, stumbling away. He reached for the doorknob, but Sky quickly ran to the door and blocked him from getting out. "You need to keep it a secret, okay? I don't want to lose her."

The beast, which Sky had identified as a she, slid out from under the bed. She padded over to him, sixteen legs moving in unison. The frills running down her back had golden webbing connecting them, rippling with the same color. Her claws were also gold, and so was the fur at the end of her tail. She crooned, nudging Sky's hand. "Sky. My Sky."

"I-it talks?" Jason stuttered, walking backwards until his back hit the wall. "Sky, I don't think-"

Suddenly the monster padded forward, standing up on her back four legs. She stared at him, frills rising and falling with her breath. She blinked once and Jason crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

[...]

"Hey, are you there?" Sky whispered.

She warbled and squirmed out from under the bed, crawling under the covers. Sky smiled, rubbing his hand over the soft frills on her head. "So guess what happened today."

She blinked an eye at him, tapping a claw against the side of the bed. Sky grinned at her. "Seto traded that staff in, and now we're rich."

Her frills rose up, illuminating the room in a soft golden glow. He nodded. "Yeah, we can pay off the house and still have enough money to last us a few years."

She smiled and flicked her tongue out. Sky held his hand up and the tongue wound around his fingers. "Jason was complaining of a headache today, but he seems fine. But don't do that ever again, okay? I don't want you to hurt someone. You know perfectly well how catastrophic that memory erasing thing is."

She crooned and bumped his forehead with her nose, snuffling at his hair affectionately. "Sky."

"Yeah, I know you only want to protect me. But Jason's my friend, you know? He wouldn't hurt me."

"My little, little Sky."

"Not so little anymore, you know," Sky said softly, rolling onto his side and scooting over so she could do the same. "It's been two years since we ran away. I think I'm more grown up."

"Little."

Sky smiled as draped an arm over her. The beast set her chin on the top of his head, sighing that airy, soft sigh of hers.

"Yeah, alright. I'm your little Sky."

[...]

"What is this?"

The white-winged mother looked at her husband, brown eyes brimming with tears. "It is our child, Antonio."

"He is no son of mine," the man spat, curly brown hair ruffled by the breeze from her wings. She held the small child close, looking down at the peaceful face. The mother landed, reaching out a hand.

"But Antonio, I thought you wanted-"

"I wanted nothing!" Antonio snapped, backing up a few paces. "I love you, Maria, yes. But I did not want a child. Do you realize how much trouble we're both going to get into if anyone else finds out?"

"He doesn't have wings," she said softly. "So does it matter?"

"What difference does it make? He's still half angel. I thought you said at the beginning that angels can't have children."

"Well I was wrong!" she shouted, holding her child close. "I was wrong, Antonio! I'm sorry, but please! He is our child."

A soft warble came from the shadows. A small black body was curled up, golden eyes sad as she stared at the scene before her. She crooned and uncurled slightly, but a glance was shot her way, courtesy of Antonio, and she remained where she was.

"Antonio, please," Maria whispered, thumb gently stroking the baby's pale cheek. "Don't you have just a little compassion?"

Antonio shook his head, scowling. "You know I didn't want a child, Maria… Good luck."

With that, he turned and walked away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Maria stared after him, then looked up at the sky as the clouds opened up and spilled the rain. She sighed and looked down at her baby, tugging the white blanket closer around him.

"I'm so sorry, my baby," she said softly, glancing around the empty street. She swallowed and hurried over to the awning above a window of a bakery. She sighed and looked back down at the baby. "I can't keep you," she said, biting back tears. She glanced to her left as the black monster slid out of the alley.

"Melenctha, come here please?"

The beast quickened her pace, standing up on her back four legs. She warbled, snuffling at the soft tuft of hair on the babe's head.

"You need to take care of him, okay Mel?"

The four golden eyes blinked, and she bobbed her head in a nod. "My… My little?"

"Yes, Mel, your little. Come with me, there is the orphanage down the street." It hurt her heart, saying those words. But she couldn't raise a child, not in the Aether and no down here.

"N-name?" Melenctha slurred, forked tongue giving her a bad lisp. Maria looked down at her baby and shook her head. "No, I cannot even name him. If I were to, he'd wonder about me. He cannot find out."

Mel dipped her head down, frills drooping slightly. She stopped as Maria turned into the walkway to the wooden doors of the orphanage. The angel fluttered up the steps, gently setting her baby down. "I love you," she whispered, running her thumb over the boy's head. "Grow up strong, okay? Be proud of yourself, never give in."

The baby yawned, stretching his little arms. His eyes fluttered open and he stared up at his mother, flashing her a toothless smile. He giggled, reaching for her finger and curling his little hand around it. His chocolate eyes, pupils ringed with gold, shown bright with innocence and curiosity. His mother sighed and smiled, kissing his hand before standing up.

Melenctha padded over to him, looking up at Maria. "Fare… Farewell?"

Maria nodded and rapped on the door, quickly jumping into the air. "Yes. Take care of him, Mel. Protect him with your life, but don't let them see you. Be there for him. Be the mother that I can't be."

The door creaked, and Mel quickly slid into the bushes next to the walkway. Maria flew up, watching from a distance as a woman dressed in black and white took a few tentative steps outside. She gasped and bent down, picking up the boy and bringing him inside. Mel slipped in behind her, quiet and undetectable as a mouse.

"Be safe…"

[…]

"Hey… Hey, are you there?"

She rumbled her greeting and he rolled onto the floor, not bothering to bring the blankets down with him. He glanced o the door, listening. After a moment he turned back to the monster and scooted under the bed, burying his face in her neck.

She crooned, wrapping two sets of arms around him in a comforting hug. "I don't get it," he whispered, tears pricking his gold and brown eyes. "I just don't... Where did they go? Did... Did they just not want me or something?"

The golden eyes blinked at him and she set her chin on the top of his head, huffing slightly. He shook his head, curling closer. "I just want to know where they are, or if they even care... D-do you think they're dead?"

The hug loosened and she pulled away for a moment, staring at him with sad eyes. He sniffed and rubbed a hand across his face. "I know, I know. Fifteen years, and I never really cared. Why am I so special, though? Jason lost his parents in a fire, and Seto goes silent at any mention of a mom or dad. Ty's the only one here who has a mom. I think…"

She crooned softly, holding him close. He sighed, pressing a hand against the heartbeat in her chest. Ba da-dum... Ba da-dum... Ba da-dum...

She hummed a small lullaby, nosing his hair affectionately. He smiled and sighed, quickly falling into a peaceful sleep to the sound of her soft heartbeat.

"Sky… St-stay strong, Sky…"

So. Here it is, that promised continuation of The Monster. Halfway through this, I had an idea. And I absolutely loved that idea. (Maybe I'll look into it a bit more than I did here, hmm?) So yeah. Sky's mom was an angel, and his dad was mortal. This was rather unexpected of my inspiration, but once again I gave in and wrote it. yeah, I think I'll definitely look into it.

And the beast? Yeah, totally going to explain her. But I'll let you wonder...

Hope you guys enjoyed. Leave a prompt, review, or whatever. Thank you guys,

-Cold

Edit: So apparently spellcheck has something against the name Antonio. If any of you have read this and noticed that Sky's father's name was Antony, it's wrong. I didn't catch it because it didn't have the red squiggly under it, and at a distance it looks like Antonio. (Slightly?) But yeah, sorry about that. Antony from Fallen and Antonio from this are two separate people, completely sorry about the confusion.