Of Hearts and Mirrors
Ch.11-Here We Are

A/N: Only the plot, Angela and Angel belong to me. The following OC's belong to my friends:
Holly: supertoilet
Ryan: HeartlessSlayer
Maylee: maylee
Kreoss: Kreoss
Eva: Kitty-Kat-Miao
Jenna: Cy-san
Nick: N2hobbes
Jaymz: DarkJaymz
Tommy John: toonboy92484
Walden, Fanny: Invader-Lobster
Aiden: Pyokolee

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"...I'm getting worried...I haven't seen Angela or Ryan so far..." Wanda said as they walked through the crowds, searching for the two teenagers. Angel ran up to the group and huffed a little.

"...Angela and Ryan went home." He said, taking a breather.

"...But weren't they having fun?" Timmy asked. Angel bit his lower lip and shook his head.

"...A few things happened...and well...they're both upset. That's all I know." Wanda looked concerned.

"...We should check up on them...something tells me that whatever happened is bad news." Cosmo nodded.

"Yeah! Who knows what they're doing, like destroying the castle!"

"Uncle Cosmo, they wouldn't do that!" Holly pointed out as they poofed away. Inside the castle, the fairy boy was still sobbing at the door. He punched the ground and sunk even deeper into depression.

"...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry..." He whispered repeatedly.

"...All you wanted was to be my friend...and I drove you away..." He slightly trembled and lowered his head. POOF! PING!

"Ryan? Are you okay? What happened? ...Is something wrong? Why'd you guys leave without telling us?" Wanda asked.

"...Angela's...gone. And it's all my fault." He murmured.

"...Gone?" Cosmo asked.

"...She's gone? Why?" Holly questioned. Ryan squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as he was helped up and sat at the table.

"I don't want to talk about it." He whispered as he buried his face in his arms.

"...Did you guys get into another fight?" Wanda asked softly as she patted the older boy's back. He swallowed and nodded.

"...But this time I really screwed up..." He filled them in on what happened, leaving out the incident at the fair.

"...I called Angela a bunch of names and told her she was better off dead." Timmy stared at the fairy.

"...Why?"

"...I didn't mean to...I...I have poor judgement when I'm angry...and now I feel terrible inside." Ryan whispered again. Cosmo shined a flashlight on him.

"It's the magic of guilt! I know, because Wanda makes me remember the last time I had it!" He said proudly. Ryan shuddered sadly.

"...What really made me feel bad...was the way I made her cry..."

"...It felt like your world was torn apart." Angel added. He looked up slightly.

"...Go ahead Angel...hit me... I know it's my fault." The hybrid shrugged.

"Well it's normal for fairies to give us pixies a hard time, but still...HOW COULD YOU CALL HER THOSE NAMES? I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!" Angel snarled. He was held back by Cosmo and Timmy as he tried to lunge at Ryan.

"Leave Ryan alone! He's not in the mood!" Holly fumed.

'"No, I deserve it, Holly." Ryan mumbled.

"Angela might be a pain in the rear, but she has a good heart! And was only trying to be your friend! Sure, you guys have your differences, but...but why? She doesn't deserve those names...not after what she went through last time...and I don't think she still managed to get over it..." Angel trailed off and sighed. Cosmo gently let go of the hybrid.

"...W...what do you mean?" Ryan asked.

"...No matter how miserable you are, there's always someone worse off than you..." Angel looked up.

"...Have you ever, truly...asked her about her past? And have you ever told her about yours? About your curse?" The fairy boy shook his head.

"N...no...I didn't...why?"

"I think Angel means that if you HAD gotten to know each other better, you might've avoided this argument. You probably assumed things about each other, and that caused a bit of irritation between you two." Holly pointed out.

"...But this isn't some kind of pity party...I don't want to tell her about my past..it's too painful." Ryan sighed.

"No matter what, someone's gotta give in. Nobody's an island." Cosmo added.

"..."

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"...Are you okay?" Maylee asked. Ryan shook his head and kept staring at the food on his plate. Despite the fact he was miserable, he came along on the group lunch. Jaymz, Kreoss, Holly, Nick, Angel, Jenna, and Eva were amongst the group. The others hadn't arrived yet.

"...Did something happen when you were on Earth?" Kreoss asked. Ryan nodded.

"...Did Trixie and Veronica try to strangle you with love again?" Eva asked.

"...Maybe they tried to touch him in his special spot?" Nick suggested.

"That sounds wrong." Kreoss said.

"Well what would YOU call it?" Nick asked.

"...He saw some huge phallic object like the Eiffel Tower and got depressed." Everyone looked at Angel.

"...What? I'm trying to make light of this." He muttered, still irritated with the fairy boy. Ryan shook his head.

"...It's something I did to a girl...a pixie girl." Everyone snapped to attention.

"...A PIXIE GIRL?" He nodded.

"Well this sorta changes...things...I mean, he's coming to us for help. That should count for something, right?" Maylee asked.

"...Maybe that pixie girl meant something to him." Jenna said as she scratched Angel's head.

"..." Ryan refused to talk.

"Guys, this depressing side of Ryan is really scary." Nick sighed.

"It's like...not him at all."

"Make him stop it then. Heaven knows that it's HIS fault." Angel snorted.

"Angel, stop, please. What's done is done. We're focusing on this problem." Holly said.

"...Whatever." Angel grumbled. Kreoss rapped the glass for attention.

"Well guys, considering none of us really knows this Angela girl except Angel, since he's her nephew. So...any ideas on how to find her?" Kreoss pointed out.

"...Do you suppose that this will show up in Da Rules? You know...going into Pixies, Inc. without permission?" Eva questioned, fingering her wand nervously.

"We can't be too sure if it will because if what Ryan told us is right, she just went back home. It's not like she was breaking her world's rules or anything...but she was in hiding..."

"True, but what if she wandered to somewhere else to throw Ryan off if he came looking for her?" Jaymz asked.

"Possible, but she has nowhere to go. No home on earth, she can't come here obviously, she can't enter the anti barriers, so it's logical that she'd go back." Maylee quietly thought about this, and perked up.

"Maybe Cupid can help." She suggested.

"...Why Cupid?" Ryan asked quietly. Maylee just smiled and gestured for the other girls to gather around her and whispered in their ears.

"Oh, I knew that already." Holly smirked.

"...It's one of THOSE problems..." Eva giggled.

"Huh?" Ryan asked.

"...They're just in denial." Jenna said casually. Jaymz, Kreoss, and Nick just grinned to themselves. Poor Ryan had no clue what they were thinking of.

"I'm not! I...I...I just feel terrible and I just want to apologize." Ryan whispered.

'It'll take a lot to get a girl like Angela to forgive you.' Angel snorted to himself.

"I...I wish..." Ryan said as his hand came across a utensil. He was feeling hopeless at this point in time, and felt that there was only one thing to do...

"...You wish?" Jenna asked.

"...I WISH I WAS DEAD! THEN NONE OF THIS WOULD'VE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE!" He yelled and proceeded to stab himself. Everyone's eyes widened.

"DON'T DO IT!" Plates, glasses, and food flew off the table as Jaymz and Kreoss tackled Ryan to the ground. Everyone else either watched in concern or was trying to figure out what hell was happening.

"He's gonna SCOOP HIS EYES OUT!" Someone shrieked. The three fairies fought wildly on the ground.

"There's NO FREAKING POINT TO WISH YOU WERE DEAD!" Kreoss yelled.

"LET ME GO! I WANT TO DIE! I HATE MYSELF!" Ryan screeched as he tried impale himself with a spoon. Jaymz wrestled the utensil from his hand while Kreoss held him down.

"Don't be a fool! I know you don't want to kill yourself!"

"...Especially with a blunt object like a spoon!" Jaymz added as he slipped the remaining silverware into his pocket.

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"Huh...I know I'm supposed to be somewhere...but where?" Tommy John thought as he walked down the sidewalk. He saw a girl flying over him, and recognized the gray school uniform.

"...Angela?" She didn't hear him as she flew as fast as she could. He caught up with her as he poofed in front.

"Whoa whoa...where's the fire?" Tommy John asked as he stopped Angela.

"...Leave me alone!" She sobbed.

"...Well I just want to know why you're crying..." Tommy John said as he led her to a bench and sat down next to her.

"..Stuff happened, okay?"

"Like what? You can tell me...I'm your friend now." He said. Angela couldn't speak clearly as she cried harder.

"It'll be okay, trust me..." He said as he rubbed her back in comfort.

"NOit'snottttttttt. Isawhimkissingsomechick,andIsaidthathewaslikemyex,andwecalledeachothernamesandwegotmadandI toldhimIhatedhimsoIneedtogohomeandforget himbecausehe'satotaljerkandIdon'tknowwhyIhurtinsidewhenIsawhim..." Tommy John blinked.

"Uh, can you repeat what you said after, 'leave me alone?'" He asked. Angela cried again and shook her head.

"...I'm sorry kiddo...I wish I could do something to help...but I couldn't understand a word you said."

"...I got into a fight, so I left the house." She said as she wiped her tears. He reached out and hugged her.

"It's okay to cry...you don't have to tell me what's going on..."

"..." He poked her nose.

"Come on, give me a smile...you look cuter when you're smiling." Angela shook her head before Tommy John pinched her cheeks and forced her mouth upwards, giving her a horrendous teeth-baring smile.

"...Grr." She mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"Hahahahha! See? You look better already!" He grinned. The pixie scowled a little before she snorted in laughter.

"You're so wierd." The DJ shrugged.

"Better to cheer people up, I say." Tommy John said as he ruffled her hair.

"...Huh...I guess." She said. The DJ sat back on the bench and looked at the clouds floating by in the pink sky for a moment.

"...Angela?"

"...Yeah?" She looked up and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"...What made you run away in the first place?" She shrugged.

"...A lot of things...mostly the fact I was feeling like I was suffocating in my world."

"I see. You're one of those that are born different?"

"Pretty much. My parents love me and all, but I'm not really..."

"Really what?" Tommy John asked.

"...You see, my older brother, Edward. You fairies know him as Sanderson, they happen to favor him over me...mainly because he was a hard-working, dull pixie and that they believed he would do great things. Even though my parents don't really like HP, he's still our leader and we firmly put our trust in him. Anyway, HP liked Eddie the moment he applied to the business, and promoted him to his assistant. My parents think I'm not capable enough to achieve like him, because I'm a girl, and I'm not dull. ...I wanted to prove that I can also be as good as him, so I was working hard at my studies at the Pixie Academy, but it overwhelmed me too much..."

"And you ran away from it all and came to Fairy World..." The DJ finished. Angela nodded sadly.

"...It seems no matter how hard I work, it's not enough for them...I'll always be seen as second best.." She started to tear up and let her hair fall over her face.

"I...It's not fair..." Tommy John patted her shoulder.

"...I think I know what the problem is...if you're trying to be your brother...don't." She looked up.

"Be yourself, and don't let anybody tell you what or who to be. You'll find it a lot easier on yourself if you just do what you do best." Angela sniffed and nodded.

"That's what Ryan said..."

"Well there ya go. If two people say the same thing, chances are they know what's best for a depressive pixie chick like yourself." The pixie nodded once more.

"Y...Yeah...but that still doesn't help me when I saw him kissing her..." She whispered.

"...What?" Tommy John asked. She shook her head and stood up from the bench.

"N..nothing...I better go before I change my mind."

"...Drop me a line then, okay Angela?" Tommy John asked. She nodded as she floated into the air. He grabbed her arm gently as she started to go.

"...Wait...would you like to go out when you come back? You know, like a get together? You can tell me what goes on in Happy Smiley Dull Gray World." She sighed again.

"...I...I don't know whether or not I want to come back at all."

"Oh...well...it's your choice. I'm not forcing you...you probably have a lot of things to think over." Tommy John said. Angela shrugged.

"It depends...I'll think about it...though I can't gurantee anything." The DJ perked up.

"Oh, that's not a problem...here, I'll give you my phone number...you have a cell phone, right?" The pixie nodded. The fairy grinned and handed her piece of paper with a number on it before she could say a word.

"Here ya go. Call when you feel like it."

"But..." She started.

"It's okay...go and have it. I don't mind." The DJ said as he stretched.

"If things aren't working out between you and him, there's always me to come to."

"Huh? ...What do you mean by...?" She started again. CRASH!

"Hmmm?" Tommy John heard a loud racket coming from a resturant nearby. He looked to his left and saw a scuffle forming in the patio part of the resturant, where a whole bunch of fairies were gathered.

"...Sorry about that, I have to go and see what's going on...maybe it's worthy to stick in the newspaper. See you later!" He then left a confused Angela holding her things. She stared at the piece of paper.

"...I still don't get what you mean, Tommy John..." She murmured to herself.

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"Hey hey hey...!" Tommy John peeked over the bushes and noticed his pals. Then he remembered that he was supposed to meet them there an hour ago. Cursing his forgetfulness, he casually slipped through and walked over.

"...Is it dogpile on the fairy or a game of Twister gone wrong?" He greeted. Kreoss looked up and noticed Tommy John.

"Oh hi...about time you got here. Ryan's trying to commit suicide with a spoon." Ryan wiggled and kept wailing something about the world being a better place.

"...Suicide? How do you commit suicide with a SPOON?" Tommy John asked in confusion.

"That's what I wanted to know." Jaymz said as he came back with silverware sticking out of various places on his body, including under his hat. Tommy John held out his hand.

"If you're gonna steal, Jaymz ol' buddy, give me a fork at least."

"But it's mineeee...I stole it firsttttt...get your ownnnnn." The orange-hatted fairy whined as he hugged himself. The DJ just smirked at him. Jaymz eventually scowled and gave in, handing over a fork.

"Focus here!" Kreoss interrupted, snapping his fingers to get their attention. Suddenly, someone started strumming Spanish guitar, and everyone looked to see a glowing ember in the shadows...which kinda looked like black bedsheets.

"...Focus...life is at stake...he is naught but guilt at what he has done...apologize...is the best thing to do..." A voice purred as smoke blew out. There was a pause, and then caberets clicked in rhythm to the music. Angel blinked.

"Uncle Walden, is that you? You're not fooling anyone." He said flatly. There was a screech of a record being stopped, and the bedsheets fell, revealing little Fanny and Aiden.

"...I knew someone would figure it out." Fanny pouted. Walden said nothing but look down at Ryan.

"...Boy, if you truly cared for whoever it is that everyone's screaming and yelling and stealing silverware about, all I will advise is this." He started to sing some dialogue from South Park, changing the words to fit.

O/"I was just standing here...and Ryan is trying to commit suicide...I ask myself, why won't Ryan just get over himself and apologize...nobody has no answers...so I pull out my gun!"O/ Walden pulled out a gun as everyone except Ryan screamed and ran for cover.

O/"Someone tell me why Ryan won't be a man...or I'll shoot someone!"O/

"No violence! No violence!" Fanny shrieked. Ryan looked at the pistol, then up at Walden.

"...All right...I will."

"...Good." Walden poofed away his pistol and then walked off with Fanny and Aiden, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

"Wellllllllllll...at least he knows how to get things done." Eva joked.

"I swore he was aiming to kill." Nick said.

"Nah, Walden's not like that...he just knows to convince people." Holly said. Angel pinged up a toy gun.

"So do I!" He smirked. Everyone stared at him before they shrugged.

"You're a schizo...so it's normal for you to go nutso. Well at least Jenna knows how to handle you." Tommy John smirked.

"...As in man-handling?" Jenna asked hopefully.

"Wellll...with a name like Angel, pretty much." The DJ snickered. Angel stared at him.

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. You guys are meannnnnnn! My parents thought I was gonna be a girlllllllll...like when Jaymz thought I was a girl and tried to hit on meeeeeee." He whined. Jaymz blinked.

"I was drunk at the time...I think...?" Everyone laughed and fixed up the table and started chatting again. Nobody noticed Ryan sighing and staring off into space, thinking about anything that drifted into his mind. Not even when a paper football flew past him.

"TOUCHDOWN!" Jaymz yelled triumphantly as Kreoss flicked another paper football over Tommy John's fingers. The girls sighed as Angel kept whining about being mistaken as a chick.

"Boys will be boys."

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Pixies, Inc...

"...I'm home..." Angela said as she pinged up beside the sign with her things.

"...It may be dull and boring...and gray...but it's still home..." She whispered as she flew into the city.

"...As long as I can forget...him..."