Rose was dusting off her violin when a knock was heard at her door. it was weird. How she now had her own room, and it was bigger than she would have ever imagined. and it was small compared to Sky's, Leaf's, and Melody's rooms!

"Who is it? If it's you Leaf, don't even bother"

Leaf cursed on the other side of the door. Was the girl phsycic? The young prince cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Delivery for Rose Rosaceae"

The violinist rolled her eyes. "I know it's you Leaf. No you cannot come in"

"Pleeeeaaaase Rose! I apologize for last time. Please let me in Rosy" Rose's heart pounded in her chest. He sounded so desperate and he called her by that nickname....

The young girl walked over to her door and opened it, letting Leaf fall......onto her.

Both were blushing furiously, not from embarrassment but from the compromising position they were in. Rose's hands were on his chest and The young prince's hands were on her sides, his thumbs slightly touching her bosom.

Their eyes were wide with shock and Leaf immediately got up and dusted himself off. He reached out his hand for her to grab a hold of and pulled her up.

"Geez Rosy! Warn a guy before you open your door!" Rose was still blushing when she answered the boy.

"Who told you to lean against the door anyways?!" She quickly walked back to her vanity and began to brush her hair, leaving her dusted violin on her bed.

"How did you know it was me?" Leaf asked as he sat down on the girl's bed.

He was rewarded with silence.

"Rosy? I asked how did you-"

"I know what you said" Leaf blinked and silently got off the bed and wen behind the girl. As Rose watched his movements in the mirror she felt her heart beat faster and faster. She was afraid that he might hear it. Why did he make her feel like that? Soon she felt a weight on her head and he wrist was being held by his strong hand. She looked into the mirror and found that the prince's chin was resting on top of her head.

"Are you still that angry at me? I apologized. I really am sorry. I just don't get you" He relaxed his grip on her wrist and gently took the hairbrush away from her. He put it down, then he put his arms around her shoulders, and moved his chin from her head onto her shoulder.

Okay Rose calm down. Calm down. He always does this, he doesn't mean anything by it. Stupid heart stop beating so fast!Rose calmed down slightly. "Do you get anyone?"

"Yes I do. I get Takeshi, he longs to see, he wants to protect us, he wants Sky to love him the way he loves her, and he wants her to be happy. I get Sky, she innocent, and kind, and brave, and she loves us all. I even get Devil. He's hurt and he's still healing, emotionally I mean and he won't admit his true feelings to anyone. I just don't get you. You're a puzzle to me, and every time I try to solve you out, you lash out at me."

"I thought you liked puzzles. What makes me different?" At this Leaf pressed his cheek against hers.

"You're warm." He listened to her breathing. "You're breathing," He placed a finger on the pulse on her neck. "Your heart's beating, You're a perfectly healthy human, definitely not a puzzle. Hard to figure out, not a puzzle. I never considered living beings to be puzzles, Rose. You're no different, don't get me wrong, I still like you, you're one of my best friends. I Just can't......I don't get it. It's like everyone knows something that I don't" Leaf sighed and walked back to the bed, leaving an almost breathless Rose. The girl knew how much Leaf hated not knowing things. He had a thirst for knowledge, he had to know how everything worked, and the truth about things. He was a good guesser most of the time, in most situations but definitely not in love.

"Well, no one knows everything. I'm just one of those things you can't figure out. Just go with the flow"

"Go with the flow? And that would mean?" Rose shrugged.

"I don't know. Follow your instincts?"

"Follow my instincts?" Leaf looked at her and then looked at her. "Believe me, if I followed my instincts, then there would be so many things that I would've done by now" Was it horrible that Rose felt a little...turned on? Yes it is. I'm only 15! Thomas would be so disappointed in her. He was becoming a sort of a father figure to the girl.

"Okay so instincts are bad. Find another way to go with the flow."

"Kay. So how did you know it was me?"

"Remember when we were little? When you tried to make yourself sound older? Yeah, that's how I knew" Leaf laughed. Rose loved his laugh. It had a nice sound to it. "So why did you come here in the first place?" Leaf snapped his fingers.

"I almost forgot!" Leaf opened Rose's door and retrieved the forgotten black back pack. "Uriel got stuff from our old house. Go through it and find what's yours." he tossed the bag to the girl. Rose began to pull out some of her clothing and some other items. Then a thought hit her. She looked at Leaf who had his head turned and was looking around her room.

"Leaf?"

"Huh?"

"You went through this stuff before, didn't you?"

"Uh...yeah....."

"You didn't happen to see....uh...my....uh"

"Underwear? Yeah" Rose's face went as red as a ripe tomato.

"What?!" Leaf turned to her.

"Well, it was an accident, I thought I should tell you now before you find out later from Devil."

"Devil saw too?!" There was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"A little" Rose hit the boy. "What?"

"You perv!"

"I said it was by accident!" Rose put her hand at her hip. She raised an eyebrow.

"And your eyes didn't linger?"

"Okay maybe a little" Rose hit the prince again and he laughed. The two began to reminesce on memories and they joked around. If it wasn't for the neat, beautiful room, it would've felt just like old times.


"Devil? I brought lunch for you, Takeshi made a..... I think he called it a 'vegieburger'. Devil?" Melody called out into the room. She walked in and found found the boy, with his head bent over a book, his hair in his face, sleeping. She quietly walked over to his bed side and placed the platter of food on his nightstand. She was going to walk out of the room, when Devil's hair moved a little from his cheek and she caught a glimpse of a couple of red lines. Out of curiosity she removed the stack of books on the chair, next to his bed and sat down She reached out a a hand and gently pushed Devil's hair from his face, so she wouldn't wake him.

Melody observed the lines and saw that they looked fresh cuts and her eyes trailed to the boy's hands. His fingernails were grown and sharp. And there was dried blood them.

"Symphony......." Melody froze. She saw Devil grumble a bit more and he leaned back in his sleep. His head hit the headboard of the bed and his hair was away from his face. Melody was puzzled. When you were asleep, weren't you supposed to look....peaceful ? Devil looked like he was in pain and he reached up a hand to his face. Melody saw that when his nails touched his skin and he applied pressure. When he broke skin Melody grabbed his wrist and pulled it. Devil's eyes shot open and he saw Melody. "Symphony?" He sounded hoarse.

"Devil, are you okay?" she let go of his wrist.

"Huh?" It was then Devil noticed the crimson liquid beads falling onto the book in his lap. He put a hand to his face and touched the puncture wounds. He winced. "Yeah I'm okay. What are you doing here?" yeah, his voice gets stronger when he demands why people are in his room!

"I came to bring you lunch. Were you having a nightmare?" Melody stared into his one visible eye.

"I guess you can call it that. Oh yay! Leave it to Takeshi to find a way to make veggieburgers in this era!" Melody smiled but then it faltered when she noticed the book he was reading.

" 'The History of Wars' ?! What the hell Devil? " Devil snatched the book from the princess's hands.

"Watch your language! I'm also reading 'Forbidden Love' and 'The beginning' " Melody looked at him like he was crazy.

"Devil, those books are all graphic with the killing! Why are you reading Forbidden Love anyways?"

Devil looked at the book in his lap and lifted it up, he licked his fingers and leafed through a couple of pages. He cleared his throat. "Her eyes were the brightest of blue at the moment and all of time seemed to stop as she held my rough, callused, hands into her beautiful slender ones. Her eyes were bright, but they held tears. As they fell, beautiful crystals, they landed onto my bleeding chest. They were lost in a sea of red. 'I love you, so much Henry, please don't go' her words hurt me. They also healed me in a way. I could do nothing but tell her how I felt. I loved her too, and even more when she said those words. How could I say good bye? I figured, it wasn't my problem anymore. Death could do that for me " Devil looked over at Melody who had tears in her own eyes.

"How could you read that?"

Devil closed the book. "It's funny. Whenever love is not to be, someone always has to die. If it's not the lovers, then it's someone related to them, if it's not a relative, it's a bad guy, and If it's not a bad guy, it's some random guy no one gives a second thought about. No one evers wonders about that dead guy. What happens to his or her family? What was their story about? I like tragic stories because it tells the life of people. In real life, Melody, there are no 'Happily Ever After The Ends ' because life will go on, and not everybody lives happily, think about that sad people who die."

"Well thanks for crushing my dreams. I was hoping for a happy ending." Devil laughed at her.

"Maybe you will. You might die married, with lots of great grandchildren, and really old......in your sleep. Personally, a happy way for me to die is when I'm really old and my wife and I die within a day of each other."

"Why are you planning your death? Isn't better to focus on the things that happen during the present?"

"Yesterday is history, thats why it's called the past, we don't know what'll happen tomorrow, that is why it's called the future, and today is a gift, that is why it's called a present. I'm not sure if I got that right, but it's basically true. So yeah...it's why we should cherish the moments in life. Every moment, even the bad ones, because when the worse gets you, it could only get better right? But then again it maybe can get worse....I don't know. All I'm saying is that we should cherish the good moments and life and hold them close to your heart. Get rid of bad memories. It means nothing compared to the good memories."

Melody looked at Devil again. It was like she was seeing a whole new person. But while he talked, she couldn't help but think of Lucas. She really missed him. Devil was right. What was bad times compared to good times? "But wait, what if the bad things led to some of the best things in your life?"

"Then cherish those moments. Maybe during those moments you met the most unlikely of friends."

Wow.Was all Melody could think. They sat in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was the kind of silence that people would welcome.

"I know I made some unlikely friends." Melody met his eyes. Those crimson eyes had some sort of glint. "I'm friends with mermaids and dragons for crying out loud." Melody's jaw dropped. Devil laughed with that same glint. "Oh I know Symphony. It's not a very hard thing to figure out. You're the one with the red tail right? I think there was a penguin and a walrus with you that day. Plus, that day I told you about my past, I saw you talkin to those friends of yours. I think they helped Scarlet rescue me. Don't looked so surprised, you'll catch flies in your mouth." Melody immediately closed her mouth.

"B-but- I -uh......do you think it's weird?" Devil ruffled her hair.

"Nah. If I've seen weirder things. Plus you're not a scary Atlantian out to kill me." Melody giggled at that.

"Oh, Leaf's going to bring you dinner later. I'm going out tonight."

"Ah, right, your new bf. Time for 20 questions!"

"20 questions?"

"Yep I ask you answer. What color is his hair?"

"A beautiful sandy blond" Melody sighed dreamily. Devil pretended to gag.

"Eyes?"

"The most beautiful Sapphire blue...."

"Hieght?"

"A little taller than you."

"Age?"

"16"

A mental record scratches in Devil's head. 16?! He set Melody up, unknowingly with a 16 year old?! Oh good god, Pretty boy was going to kill him!.....And those features sound so familiar. "What's his name?"

"Um...Cody" Alarms went off in Devil's head. He looked back to the book.

"Dump 'im"

"What?"

"Dump him"

"What why?"

"He's too old for you." Melody scoffed.

"Only by two years! Besides when I get married my husband will be two years older too." Devil shrugged.

"So. Doesn't matter, you'll be way better off without him"

"Last time I checked, you weren't my father, nor my brother."

"Look just dump him. It'll be safer" Devil pleaded.

"Safer?! What are you talking about? It doesn't matter Devil, I'm going! I'll see you later" Melody got upa nd quickly exited the room. Devil made a quick room to follow but then a sharp jolt of pain went through him and he clutched his stomach.

"Shit"


My Special Words ( or not )

Run Devil! Run to her! Protect her from the evil Cody!

Review now (go on! Press the button) and I just might kill Cody in the next Chapter!