Hello everyone, I'm here with a new story, fourth story to Welcome to Demon School, but this one is going to be AU, OOC, mentions of child abuse, rated for a list of reasons and please enjoy the first chapter. Also, going to try to use spacers when the scene changes, so this will be a first for me.

Three young women, one with long red hair tied into twin tails, one with short, light blue hair and the third with long, lime-green hair stood in the middle of the street and watched as several people ran and screamed in terror. Looking at the green-haired young woman, the redhaired sighed and shook her head, "Valac, what's going on? You're unusually quiet tonight? Did the Basics find the Guardian of the Shadows or something?"

She went ignored and the other young woman spoke, "Ameri's right, Clara. You're usually energetic whenever we're out, but something seems off. What's bothering our Guardian of the Light?"

"Nothing, Kerori, Ameri…I…I'm fine," Clara answered as she sighed and shook her head and the two looked at her in confusion, "It's just…my best friend had to leave a few years ago today and…I miss him…me and Iruma-kins-"

"Iruma-kins? What kind of name is-"

"I'm the only one who can call him that, Ameri, and anyone else who tried to call him that ended up hurt," Clara warned, glaring at Ameri with narrowed eyes and Ameri returned the glare while Kerori looked at her two companions with a slight worried expression crossing her face, "His name is Iruma Suzuki and we used to do everything together, but one day he told me he had to leave because of his parents, but he wouldn't tell me what he meant.

I later went to mommy and daddy and asked them what Iruma-kins meant and they told me not to worry about it and I was going to go to his parents and ask them, but mommy told me to stay away from them," Ameri and Kerori exchanged looked and Clara looked at them and frowned, "What? Do you know where Iruma-kins is at? Tell me, I want to see him an-"

"We don't know anyone named Iruma, Clara," Kerori frowned as she shook her head, "But maybe your parents didn't want you around his parents is because they've been abusing your friend," Clara's green eyes widened with disbelief, "Think about it, you said that he said he had to leave because of his parents and your parents wouldn't let you around them, so it could be very likely that they've been abusing Iruma until CPS got involved and removed him from his house."

"B-but…we're best friends…why wouldn't he tell me something like that?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to worry, or maybe he was told not to tell you for your own safety," Ameri answered and Clara looked at her with a frown painted across her lips, "Most abuse victims won't talk to their family members or friends just to keep them out of danger and this Iruma is probably no different. He most likely wanted to keep you out of whatever was bothering him,"

"But…but me and Iruma-kins…we tell each other everything,"

Clara hung her head as Ameri sighed and shook her head, "Like we said, people who are being abused will tend to keep it to themselves to protect those they care about," Ameri turned her back towards her and Kerori and began walking away, "Now…we should get going before someone sees us. I still want to cause more damage and we need to find the Guardian of the Shadows sooner or later," Clara and Kerori nodded in agreement before they turned and followed Ameri in silence.

XXX

A young blue-haired man looked up at the night sky with a hardened look crossing his face. Hearing someone clear their throat, he looked back to see a man with long red hair turned into a braded walking up to him, "I'm sorry to bother you, young sir, but Master Sullivan is concerned about you. We both know how you get on this day,"

"I…I know Opera, and I don't want to worry you and grandpa," the young man looked up at the night sky and narrowed his eyes as he tightened his fists, "It's just-"

"Do you have any desire to return to your live before coming here?" Opera questioned with a blank expression crossing his face, "You always seem most distracted on this day than any other. Do you miss your old, horrible life or-"

"No Opera, I have no intention of going back to that life," the young man sighed and shook his head before he looked back and frowned, "The only person I miss in my old life is my best friend. She and I would do everything together and tell each other secrets. It broke my heart when I had to tell her that I had to leave but I couldn't tell her why…she looked so broken when I told her that. I wanted to stay and comfort her, but we were on a tight schedule,"

Opera took a deep breath before standing next to the young man and looked up at the night sky, "Maybe you two will meet again one day and you can reconnect with one another. Who knows? Maybe she misses you as much as you miss her,"

"I hope you're right, Opera,"

"Iruma, Opera," the two looked back to see an older man stepped towards them, "There you are, grandson. I knew Opera would be able to find you,"

"Hey grandpa," Iruma turned and walked over to the older man, "Like I was telling Opera, I'm sorry to worry you two, it's just that I miss my best friend and it broke my heart when I told her that I had to leave and I really wanted to stay there to comfort her."

"I see…but one day you will see her again, grandson,"

"Opera said that," Opera nodded as Iruma sighed and walked past his adopted grandfather, "C'mon, let's get back to the house," the two nodded as the three of them walked down the street in silence.

XXX

Clara stepped through the front door of her head with her head down before she let out a defeated sigh, "Hey, I'm home,"

"Hey, welcome home sis," her younger brothers Keebow and Konchie said in unison, only to have their older sister ignore them. Looking at each other, they nodded before looking up and smirked, "Hey, you're a big dummy, sis!"

The two received a slap in the back of their heads from their mother and they looked up as they hissed in pain, "I told you two and Ran-Ran and Sin-Sin not to bother Clara today," the woman walked up to her oldest daughter and gave a sad smile, "How are you feeling, Clara?"

"Mommy, can we talk somewhere more private?" Clara's mother nodded as the two of them turned and walked into the other room.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, Clara took a deep breath before she looked at her mother and frowned as she shook her head, "Mommy…be honest…was Iruma-kins being abused?" the woman stared at her daughter with wide eyes, "Ameri and Kerori said that that's the only reason why Iruma-kins had to move and why you and daddy won't let me talk to his parents,"

Her mother sighed and shook her head before she sat down at the table and gestured to the other chair and Clara sat down and frowned, "I was hoping this wouldn't happen and that you would eventually forget about Iruma,"

"What? But mommy, Iruma-kins is my best friend an-"

"Your father and I are aware of that, Clara, but we were hoping you'd forget about him, but…every year on this date, it only gets worse and worse, and we should've been honest with you since the beginning," the woman took a deep breath as she leaned forward and shook her head, "Yes, Iruma's parents weren't the best around, in fact, they were downright horrible people,"

"W-what? Why didn't Iruma-kins tell me? And why didn't you and daddy tell me? Iruma-kins is my best friend an-"

"Clara, calm down and listen," her mother said in a stern tone, "Iruma didn't tell you because he didn't want you to worry, and the only reason he told me and you father was because we saw a bruise on his arm, and it looked fresh.

After a while, he broke down and told us what his parents have been doing to him, such as using him as a decoy to catch a bear, forcing him to try and go up against the Yakuza, throwing him into the middle of a lake to try and get some fish…the list went on and on," Clara's eyes widened as all color ran from her face as her mother continued, "He begged us not to tell you, saying he didn't want you to worry or get in trouble,"

Clara's eyes widened as she shook, "But…but…but why?"

"Like I said, he didn't want you to worry or get in trouble and we agreed not to tell you, only because we know how you kids get when one of you were in some sort of trouble. You would've gone over to his house and started yelling at his parents and being the idiots that they are, they would've done something to you and we would've had a serious problem," Clara moaned and frowned, "So we told him we had to call Child Protective Services to help…at first has was hesitant, he didn't want to be taken away from you, but one day, he came to us with the side of his head bleeding and without asking what happened, your father went ahead and called them while I tended to Iruma's injury,"

Clara stared at her mother as her lower lip began to quiver, "It was either that, or we ignore it and allow them to continue what they were doing until your friend ended up dead," Clara's mother stood up and sighed as she frowned and shook her head, "I'm sure you're upset at me and your father, but we only did what we had to in order to keep your friend safe, and who knows, maybe you and Iruma will meet again one day,"

Walking over to her daughter, she kissed the top of Clara's head as Clara sat in silence, "One day you'll understand why we did this and like I said, you and Iruma will probably meet again one day," she turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Clara in silence.

XXX

Ameri stared out of the window of her room with narrowed eyes, "Valac has been distracted all night. She's lucky she didn't get any of us caught, not that it'll matter anyways," inhaling slowly, she crossed her arms and shook her head, "And what's so special about this Iruma person? If he was being abused, she should want him to get away since she said that they were best friends an-"

Hearing a knock on the door, she looked back and heard her father call out to her, "Lights out, Ameri,"

"Of course, father," she turned the lights out and heard her father walk away from the door before she turned and stared out the window again, "She better be her usual, energetic self tomorrow. Her mood brought me and Kerori down," she turned and walked towards her bed with a hardened look crossing her face.

XXX

Kerori laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with her arms resting behind her head, "She said he had to eave a few years ago…how many years ago, and why would she still be this broken up by it?" turning on her side, she faced the far wall with a puzzling look crossing her face, "And if she's this upset by it, couldn't she go out looking for him? She's almost of age and she's one of the Higher Guardians, so outside of her parents telling her she can't go look for him, there's nothing really stopping her from-"

"Goodnight, Kerori," she heard an old woman's voice call from the other side of the door.

She sat up slightly and gave a small smile, "Goodnight, granny," she laid back down and took a deep breath, "Even if it'll take time, she can still go out looking for him, but we also have to focus on other things too…I'm so confused right now," inhaling slowly, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

XXX

Opera and Sullivan peered into Iruma's room to see him sitting on the floor in the lotus position. The older man sighed and stepped back as he crossed his arms and shook his head, "Opera, I'm getting worried about my grandson,"

"I am too, sir, but there's not much we can do," Opera straightened himself up before slowly closing the door, "Every year on this date, he distances himself from everyone and it's only because he misses his one friend," Sullivan hummed, "But sir, there's not much we can do right now. We have no idea where his friend lives or even if she remembers him. It's been years since you've adopted Iruma as your grandson and while he remembers her, there is no guaranteed she remembers who he is,"

"We'll see, Opera," Sullivan turned and began walking away as Opera sighed and followed him, "I'll do everything I can to see to it that my precious grandson is happy," Opera hummed and nodded as they continued to walk down the hall.

Iruma inhaled deeply before he stood up and dusted himself off and walked over to the window. Watching cars drive down the street, "Why did I have to tell them? Why would they call CPS like that?" he turned and began walking towards his bed with his head down, "I don't blame them, they were just being nice, but they knew what could've happened and now I lost my best friend," falling onto his bed, he turned on his back and stared up at the ceiling and watched as the shadows danced from the pale light of the moon shining through the window and he narrowed his eyes, "I'm going to find you, Clara…I promise," turning on his side, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Okay, like I said, AU, OOC and the other reasonings for the rating will come into play as the tory progresses. Again, this is also my first time user spacers to transition a scene and if it goes well, I'll continue to do so, but for now, please enjoy everyone and please let me know what everyone thinks.