Okay, okay. I know I said I was making this fic a one-shooter, but because Kawaii-Ishi-chan01 came into my life, I couldn't help but make this a thing that happens in my DS storyverse. So, yeah. Opi and Duleb are now a thing! like a prelude to my ROTP fic, I guess. *le shrugs* meh?

anyways, I hope this doesn't suck too hard! Lol, thanks for the positive feed back, Ishi-kohai!

*Tackle hugs*

If there was one thing Duleb could count on when seeing her friend arrive from her studies, it was the flash of her white gloves to cover her blushed cheeks while she smiled. She never took those gloves off, ever, at all. Not for anybody, which Duleb thought strange. Ophelia was such a pretty pink thing! And she was always so happy to see Duleb at the end of every school day. The Akuma felt pleased to have always been the cause of that pretty smile whenever the angel saw her.

"I hope you like amber crème cake!" Ophelia sang as she swept out a sheet-covered basket that smelt of freshly baked goods.

Duleb rubbed her hands together. "I very much do! Don't tell me you've baked some?" The demon then frowned subtly. "And I didn't bring you anything..."

The angel shrugged her tiny shoulders, not seeming to care about that fact. She instead lifted the powder blue sheet off of the oblong basket, which puffed out steam like an angel's breath in Lostlight's winter. She unfolded the sheet, shook it out, smoothing it over the grass and setting the basket right in the middle.

"I had Ignatius add some scopuli and a few other things he had about." She glanced at Duleb's form. "I thought you could use some substance."

Duleb's cheeks heated and she smiled a little as she leaned over to peer into the basket. Not only was there cakes and cheeses, but there were fruits, wine and breads, and the scopuli, which Duleb hadn't known was a fish. This demon hardly ever ate meat, but when she was given the privilege, she would have always preferred fish. They all smelt lovely, everything in the basket made Duleb feel she was to start drooling.

"Thank you, Ophelia." the demon murmured. The whole basket, small as it was, was more food than Duleb in a week. "This all smells delicious."

Ophelia looked up from inhaling the smell of her cakes, curls springing, and smiled again. She reached inside and pulled out a thick slice of fluffy white amber crème cake, placing it in the akuma's outstretched hand. She thought Duleb looked so hungry, she would have devoured the morsel before it had been completely handed to her. Poor thing. She watched as the demon took a huge bite, humming at the flavors she encountered. While the angel poured a small cup of wine, she suggested the fish right away, saying it was great with the bread, and the demon heeded her words.

Duleb had never eaten so much fish before now, and now, every other fish was ruined for her. It was all the best food Duleb had in days. Her traveling rations were plain and had become boring over the past few years. She often grumbled about how Vulgrim and her superiors ate much better than she, and were quite smug about it. It was never good for a demon to be smug with you. Never.

The demon looked up and slowed as she all too soon came near the end of her fish, cake and bread, to see her friend beaming. She was smiling so hugely, watching the other eat, and her eyes twinkled so brightly. She was so pretty, Duleb thought, and she probably had no idea.

"Ophelia," Duleb spoke around a mouthful of fish, then drank her cup greedily. "must you be so pleased about a basket of food?"

"Well, this poor akuma is practically starving," the angel leaned over and poked Duleb's belly. "Just look at yourself! I'm just happy to help give you a meal, my friend."

Duleb put off the last few bites near the end of her second helping of fish and bread. She quickly realized that all of the cooked fish was about gone. She could have eaten that entire basket if she wanted. But, she realized Ophelia had hardly had any to eat. That, and she had only one cup of wine so far. Duleb probably had three or four. he really didn't want to seem greedy to her friend.

"Ophelia, I'm sorry-"

"What for, silly?"

"For not saving any of the scopuli for you."

The angel blinked a few times before sucking her lips through her teeth and stifling a long laugh. Puzzled by her laughter, the akuma waggled a hand at the basket.

"What's so funny, here? Ophelia, I was being serious-"

"This was all for you. Just for you. I thought I made that pretty clear. I helped bake and cook everything here for you and I bought the wine from big brother Ignatius, because he's the only adult who lets me drink with him. Nevertheless, this is all for you. I wanted you to enjoy it. Eat it all if you like. You work hard for very little. You deserve this."

Duleb furiously twisted the strand of hair at the end of her long tail. Rarely did she ever receive such praise. She blinked about several times like she seemed to run it through her mind again, trying to make herself somewhat comfortable with what had been implied there.

"I feel like I'm taking it from you, Ophelia."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You keep giving me nice things, clothes, books, food, and I have not a thing to give in return. As a friend, I shouldn't be so-"

"Duleb, please. It's quite alright. I understand your situation. You have nothing more to give me but your time and friendship. That's all I need. I don't ask anything of you. I can get by. But I am fully aware of the fact that you are not as lucky as I

"I'm not giving you all these things in expectation that I may receive some material item in return. I give you gifts because I know you have very little to call your own, and I want to see you happy. I like giving you things that you need. It makes me happy to see you happy. Therefore, I don't need anything in return. You give me enough, like letting me see your smiling face every afternoon."

This angel somehow always knew what to say to make Duleb's stomach flutter. She was lucky she wasn't standing up, otherwise her knees would have felt like jelly. Ophelia always had a way with words, especially when it came to flattering someone, so Duleb thought. If there was one other thing the demon could count on, it was Ophelia's kind and sweet words.

The two had been seeing one another for the past two months, each sneaking off t their respective hiding spot to socialize and draw and paint and laugh together. While Ophelia read aloud to Duleb about the structure of literary content, the demon would sit and scratch away at her canvas. It became clear that Ophelia was becoming the source of all of Duleb's inspiration. The little demon was drawing the angel more and more every day, and getting even better at capturing her likeness with all the practice she was getting.

Ophelia was improving herself, finding a fondness in drawing still life, and birds. She loved to draw birds.(1) The two loved to share stories about their work and the course of their day, what their plans were for the following day, what was happening in their little towns and such. Ophelia became especially chatty once she got used to talking to Duleb, and it often reflected in her time away from her secret friend. Rather than being scared to talk to people in the White City, Ophelia become more open and prone to sharing her opinion.

The change was noticed by many of Ophelia's peers. Including her brothers and sisters.

One morning, before their morning lectures, Ophelia, Marcia, Luden, Verdell, Idella, and Samandriel were walking out toward the bridge, waiting for Jophiel to come and let them into the Ivory Citadel for their schooling. She always spent time with the children before she went off to the Crystal Spire to do whatever it was the High Counsel did. Ophelia often wondered what all the grown ups had to do in their spare time. (She hoped it wasn't boring...)

Jophiel was by far, the tallest and most beautiful angel Ophelia could say she had ever seen. She must have been about eight feet tall. Her skin was as dark as oak, eyes as bright as stars and sparkled a beautiful spectrum of different colors. Sometimes, Ophelia could see all of the colors of the rainbow in her eyes. Her white hair fell to the center of her back, but also looked to have multiple colors when in the right light. Her wings, though, proudly displayed all of the colors imaginable, some bold, others faint. Nevertheless, Jophiel was quite the spectacle, and was such a marvelous and colorful individual. Her personality was just as bright as the rest of her, but most people were often distracted by her outward beauty to notice her inner beauty.

Ophelia normally trailed behind the rest of her group when being guided into the Citadel, preferring to simply sit and listen to everyone else talk about things, but until recently she had been cantering about more quickly and openly talking to her brothers and sisters, as well as Jophiel. To some, it was a huge difference to see their baby sister suddenly so talkative and open, as well as very opinionated and honest. Jophiel loved the change, however, and encouraged the opinions of her dearest Ophelia more than anybody else.

To some, the change was a bit too sudden for their liking.

"-I just think that if everyone was to stop leaving the partons out where the Sphinx could see them, they'd all stop coming and gnawing at the ropes. I know we need the partons to help in setting up new greenhouses throughout Lostlight, but we should also consider what we're doing to the habitats of the creatures who were in the area first. That's all I'm saying." Ophelia commented one morning after Luden had complained about the numerous Sphinx that had recently destroyed the partons used in pore-construction.

"There first? We were there first. Everyone knows that, Ophelia." Idella scoffed. "Those pests wouldn't even be a problem if people would just stop keeping them as pets! They're filthy beasts who belong out in the wild, not in our homes and offices! It's just unbecoming to start worrying about them now."

The red-haired angel crossed her arms over her chest, huffing a breath and blowing her hair out from her bold yellow eyes. Idella was a bit of a stiff, so everyone thought. Always cranky and bossy, always upset about something. She treated her little brothers and sisters in a way that wasn't exactly favored among her peers, but that never stopped her. She claimed that her younger siblings were all "troublemakers," and "irresponsible."

"But they have no say in what happens to their homes! We're building our gardens right on top of them, forcing them all to leave! How do you think they feel?" Ophelia spoke up all of the sudden. Marcia, Luden, and Nathaniel all stared. There was a first. Ophelia never spoke up about anything, especially when Idella was involved.

Another scoff. "They're dumb beasts, Ophelia. They don't have feelings."

Smugly. "Maybe to them, you're a dumb beast with no feelings."

Silence. Golden eyes peeked out from behind amber red hair, glaring at the springy-haired youth as she sat on the edge of the bridge and sketched.

"Doesn't feel too nice, does it?" the youngest continued.

"I think you need to shut your mouth, Ophelia!" Idella hissed, straightening in her spot against the head of the bridge. "Or I'll-"

"Or what?" Ophelia snapped, from out of nowhere, not looking up from her canvas. "You have no authority over us. You're just a bully! Aboddon said you need to learn to control your temper, but I think you need to learn your place!"

Luden spoke up, but Idella yelled over him. Marcia said she was going to tell if Idella started throwing a fit, and Verdell kept telling Ophelia to stop arguing. She would give in, though. She, as well as all of the younger angels were all tired of Idella's behavior, and she told her big sister as much, and it was then that Idella just walked over, yanked the canvas right from Ophelia's hands and slapped her real hard, right across the face.

There was no tears or crying, if anything, Ophelia looked surprised. As did everyone else, save Idella, whose golden eyes blazed brightly with anger.

"How dare you!" the eldest spat. "I am your elder, and you are to have respect for me!"

Idella's gloved hand rose up again, preparing to deliver another slap, when another much larger hand grabbed at hers and spun her around. Ophelia watched as Aboddon gave her a slap right on her mouth and grabbed at her arm, yanking her aside. He looked angry, more so that Ophelia had ever seen him be in all her life.

"And who do you think you are, Idella?" Aboddon growled as the redhead covered her mouth with her other hand. "That is your child sister, your responsibility! And I see you here putting your hands on her like this!?"

Idella looked just as shocked as all of the other children were. Her lips moved all crazy like, but no words other than dumb gibberish came forth. Aboddon sent Idella over to the West Wing Chapel to tell Raphael what she had done, and receive a punishment from him while Aboddon led the other children inside the Spire for their schooling.

Nobody spoke the entirety of the trip up the spire. Since she felt like the whole escapade was (more or less) her fault, Ophelia hung back behind the rest of the group, watching her shoes as she walked up the seemingly endless flights of stairs and corridors to Azreal's study where they usually received their lectures.

Pig-headed Idella, Ophelia thought sourly. She was an awful person to deal with, and she and her brothers and sisters had no choice other than to deal with her. Oh well. After much observation and analysis, Ophelia had discovered that warriors like Idella were hardly the brightest. It was scholars and scribes like herself that actually had a lick of common sense. The only muscle she preferred to use was her brain. Unlike her bellicose sibling, though, she actually cared about what was going on with the people and things around her, other than herself.

The group passed an ornate bridge in sight of where their dear friend Nathaniel was standing guard with Luke and Nazarius. As was their little habit, every young angel called over to them and waved. The soldiers stood tall and proud at their posts, as they normally did, and upon hearing their names being called, he turned his attention to the children and offered a wave of his own. Ophelia didn't wave. Rather, she just stared from beneath her brows over to the soldiers. They would never notice her, after all. Why should they?

Oh well. It wasn't like their waving every morning and afternoon was such a spectacle to behold. They would never notice her lack of participation. Besides, it wasn't like she had always waved to them every day. That had only gone on for a few weeks, since Ophelia met Duleb.

Immediately, the angel thought about her best friend. She wondered what she could possibly be up to. She had said the night before that she was on her way to the outskirts of Sophia to deliver a parcel of Pewter and Nightfringe to a dealer who had finally earned Vulgrim's attention in distributing business. She was just going to deliver the contraband to the Sprite man and, as she heard from other messengers, the Sprites tipped ridiculously well.

That must be frightening, Ophelia thought, delivering things to another country that would kill you if you were caught with it. Apparently, Nightfringe was a substance that was highly toxic to Sprites and was not to be dealt with at all. Nightfringe was easily slipped into drinks and foods as a poison, and it had a very distinct smell to it. The smell, once airborne, was just as deadly. The Pewter stones, on Duleb's account, could be ground into a fine powder to cover up the smell. Then, that there was a quick way to assassinate someone.

As she thought more and more on it, the angel felt her stomach begin to turn. She prayed in her mind, prayed that her friend would be safe and deliver what she needed to with no trouble. Then again, what was she thinking? This was Hell she was going to be running around in. Trouble was everybody's one and only friend.

"I thought that my customers were people of logic and reasoning, not fear and superstition..." Vulgrim grumbled as Duleb stuffed the remaining packs of sealed leaves and stones in her rucksack.

"It seems as though you are he only one willing to deliver these products to Onyekachukwu on your own," his gnarly hands passed a final sack of tightly packed stones onver to his servant with a contemptible grin, which was a normal thing for him, since that was just his face. "Your courage is admirable, young one. I should see to it once you return, if you return, you will be rewarded."

The akuma child said nothing more than a "Yes sir" as she packed the rest of her provisions and made sure she had everything that she needed for the day long journey. Something to eat, something to shield her face and body from the sun, and something discrete to carry water. In Sophia, water was like gold, and was stolen every chance any party had.

"Now," the demon merchant started, waggling a finger at the child before she made to depart this store. "You had better see to it that these parcels arrive safely at their destination, whether it be by your hand, or another. And I expect all of the proceedings."

The tone of his voice was menacing, if not threatening, but that was to be expected of him. After all, he had been robbed by deliverers in the past, and he could not trust a single one of them. Duleb had known a few of the others who had stolen from Vulgrim, and she didn't know them long. Vulgrim had many connections and favors that he called in whenever he saw fit, and when someone stole from him, whenever the merchant went without making a profit, there was always hell to pay.

"I understand, but you know the Riggers are all over that desert, especially in the scrublands where I'm headed." Duleb said as she itched her face.

"You're taking the shortcut?" he asked her. "You normally go the long way about when I send you here."

Yes, Duleb had been to this crackhouse in the desert before, and it wasn't really normal for Duleb to take the short way to her destination, but there was more trouble on the roads less traveled than the common streets. Bandits, robbers, riggers, lepers, all those fun things every demon wanted to avoid.

"I don't plan on sleeping in the desert over night. I want to return as quickly as possible." Duleb slung the sack onto her back and wiped hr brows with the back of her hand. "You know how hot it is there. I'm covered in fur. I don't wish to stay long. Who would?"

A raspy laugh. Duleb had been told that she was the one of few demons who could make Vulgrim genuinely laugh. Perhaps it was her ignorance, or her blunt point of view on things. She did not believe she was at all funny, but whenever she happened to say something, anything, somebody thought it amusing.

On her way out, Duleb looked up to where she would sleep in the cranny above the rock overhang to the entrance of Vulgrim's store. Her canvases were up there, as well as her few reading tablets and tomes. The things up there made her think of her dearest friend in Lostlight. Her friend that was probably expecting her to return to her safely back to their floral hideaway back in Lostlight, if not tonight, tomorrow afternoon.

She wasn't much of the praying type, Duleb had no God or higher power to call upon for help, but she couldn't help herself from silently asking for some protection, from nothing in particular. She knew what she was to do now was dangerous, and there was a good chance sh might not make it back alive, but she had discussed it enough with her angel. Both knew that what needed to be done absolutely had to be done. Demons were punished for not fulfilling their orders.

So, off she went, out toward the dark tower. The blasted realm's black sun and fiery crown of light was the best light source the Black Stone could get, and had been the only thing Duleb could have known as a sun for the longest time. After all of her travels, through, she had seen a whole lot more than just that one sun. She had been to many other worlds and had seen her fair share of beauty and turmoil. Nergal seemed to have no sun past the bleak dark clouds that spilled snow and ice without end, the Frge Lands seemed to have the most tranquil and calm scenery Duleb could ever imagine, Sophia had six suns, one of which was the black sun of the Black Stone and each one setting in turn.

It wasn't that far to the tower for Duleb to go off to, but she still dreaded going there. The gatekeeper always made Duleb pay a different fee every time she needed to pass, and whenever she came up short, she was always hurt somehow. This time was no different. He charged her eleven knotts just for her to pass on her own. As was custom, he asked what she was carrying with her and where it was going. It was all medicine going to The city of Rüzvan in Sophia. That place was always needing medicine, since so many people there ate and drank things they shouldn't.

She paid her fee and was allowed to pass, but still dreaded the experience. Traveling by any other means than a Serpent Hole or laylines always made her sick. The heat that was to greet her would be even more unpleasing.

After the white void of rushing wind and spinning currents of cold dissipated, there was brightness and heat. Miserable heat. The desert sky shone clear and pink above the platform where demons came and went from this world, but out from the platform was nothing but desert sand. This Transport platform was the only shaded thing for miles, Duleb knew. She was more than glad now that she had bought herself a new pair of moccasins to tread the white-hot sand with rather than her bare feet. She had heard tale of people foolish enough to walk around the desert bare-footed, and the skin of their feet were burnt right off. Blooded, charred, and blackened to a crisp, all from the sand alone.

Duleb, being covered head to toe in fur, made it so she wore just enough to cover herself, and nothing more. Too much cover could kill her. Too little could burn her. She made sure she had something to cover her face, to keep her out of trouble. Outsiders were not allowed to show their faces in the city.

when at last the demon was ready to move on, she took the first step outside of the platform and onto the desert sand. It still burned her through her moccasins, but only a little. That was good, she supposed. She had a whole lot of walking ahead of her.

And she had a whole lot of desert to go through to get there.

So far so good, Duleb thought as she ducked and weaved through the crowded streets full of cloaked demons and colorful winged Spirites. It had been about nine hours since she left the platform and entered the desert and so far, the only trouble Duleb had was with a huge Legion soldier who had tried to rob her when she entered the well into the city. She had to get through them to get to the underground city.

The hulking demon demanded any money she had, which was none. He tugged at her arms and legs, pawing at even her most private places, searching for a purse of some kind and throwing a fit when he didn't find one. He ripped off her shoes and threw them away, growing more enraged when no coins fell out of them. His fist hit her in the gut real hard before he shoved her off into the well. She vomited twice after that, but luckily, her parcels were still in tact.

Now, all she had to do was get to where she was going without getting trampled by all these demons. Some people tried to stop her and steal her things from her, and she couldn't bite them all off, her face was concealed. Rather, she simply held up the one and only thing that was to keep her things safe in times like these: the pendant that resembled Vulgrim's chimes that he had outside of all of his outposts. When people saw those, they tended to back off. Not many thieves lived to brag about stealing a profit form Vulgrim. He had many connections.

In this city, full of its fair share of carts and merchants trying to pedal their goods or services, prostitutes trying to make a few knotts for whatever they needed, (Duleb never really cared for those women) and the occasional crazy person who people were cursing and stoning in the street. A few dead bodies lay in the streets. A few younger children ran naked past the carts and things, stealing what they could. Duleb did her best to avoid everyone.

The crowned violet and bronze shining plaza then came into view over the shapes of all of the taller people. The building where the demons made and distributed their drugs and whatnot. She didn't want to stay here long, so she hurried on over to the stairs to get in and get what she needed sold already.

She knocked nineteen times, with some pauses between them, and waited to be let in. It was awful loud, maybe they would not hear her.

The door opened only just to reveal the image of a large black eye and a purple skinned man. "What you want?"

"I come to deliver a parcel," Duleb shrugged her pack on her back. "From Vulgrim."

The black eyes wouldn't seem to stop blinking, but they looked her over and over. When at last the man seemed to have come to a decision, the door quickly swung open and she was ushered inside. "Manol waits for you upstairs. Get in, get out. Go, now."

He didn't need to tell Duleb twice. The last thing the akuma wanted to do was spend any more time in this crackhouse, and for good reason. Sprites scared her. The black eyes, colorful skin, gossamer-like wings, and strange customs. They were all crazy, if you asked her. All they cared about was their liquor, women, shiny bits, and the clouds. They were superstitious about the clouds delivering messages from the Dark One. The smallest image, which could be interpreted different ways, could cause great joy to the nation, or invoke civil war.

Without looking at the harem of beautiful winged women and twitching, morbidly skinny men, Duelb darted up the steps to the one-roomed layabout area where Manol normally waited. He was a pretty docile customer. Always paid in full, never a fuss, never a problem. This visit was to be the same way.

As was expected, the Sprite man sat shirtless in the center of the floor, meditating as it seemed. His wings lay limply on the floor behind him, and a huge square was drawn freshly on the floor. He sat in its center, a candle at each point. He sat there silent, his jawline twitching, making inaudible words. Duleb stood patiently and waited for him to finish. She never asked what it was he had said, or what he was meditating about. She never spoke to him at all, really. She just delivered his drugs and received the pay. Sometimes, he would give her extra money, and she would keep that much for herself.

"You 'ave the Pewter, yes?" his breathy, almost whispering voice asked after the droning silence between them came to a halt when some women started laughing like crazy downstairs.

"And the Nightfringe. Like you requested." Duleb stated quietly. She knew he hated things too loud. That's why he stayed up here.

His slender frame stood slowly off the ground. He was a lean man, not too muscular or brawny, with nicely squared shoulders and supple looking pale blue skin. He was kind of handsome to look at. "How much I owe you th's time?" he asked softly, stretching his arms.

"One-hundred-sixty-four knotts."

Manol turned his head only so that Duleb could see his one burning amber eye. He was a mutt. Purebred Sprites have coal black eyes. This Sprite had amber eyes, like that of fire.

"I don' carry knotts anymore," inaudibly, his voice came. "Only gilt."

"Then that's ninety-seven."

He fingered about in his pockets slowly, and in an almost graceful fashion. He made a sound in his throat that sounded like he hadn't found was he was looking for, then leaned over to blow out a candle. He repeated the process with the remaining three candles and then over to a large cluttered vanity. He pulled open the thin wire drawer and shuffled around in there. Duleb heard things clatter about like glass on metal, or perhaps the money. She would never question him about it.

"Here. Take dese. I 'ave four packs o' twenty, and ano'er o' ten," He tossed the packs over to Duleb and waggled a hand at her, mentioning for her to hand over the contraband. "You can just take wha'ever's left. I don' feel like counting 'em all."

"Yes sir, Vulgrim will be pleased with this." the akuma muttered with a deep bow of her head.

Manol pulled a wrap out of his drawer and stick it in his mouth. With a match from his pocket, he lit the wrap and gave it a long drag. "Tell your masah I'll be reques'n ano'er shipment in the next few moons. Have a few tings set aside for me, yes?"

Another bow. "Yes sir. I'll tell him."

"Good. Be on your way then."

And that was that. Things normally went down like this, short and sweet. Ophelia had no reason to worry, Duleb thought. In fact, when she got back, she might want to hear about her little trip. Might wanna hurry, then.

It was almost past curfew when Duleb finally showed up at their hiding spot. Ophelia had done everything she could to keep from screaming when she saw her friend's face in the dark after the whole day of dull schooling and drab routines a young angel student had to deal with.

"What took you so long, Duleb! I've been worried sick about you!" the angel cried as she took her dirty friend into her arms in a long-awaited embrace.

The little demon wrapped her tired arms around her friend, finding comfort in the softness of her ruffled dress and curly feathers. She inhaled a deep breath of the angel's sweet scent and gave the faintest chuckle. "It was a long walk through the desert. Instead of going the long way through the scrublands, I decided to try and go through the trenches. It got me there faster, but the hills and drops killed me."

Soft laughter and a smile came from the angel as she pulled the demon down to sit with her on the cool grass. "Well, you're alright, yes? You got there safely?" she asked in that breathy voice she got when she got excited.

"It was fine. Had a run-in with a robber, but thankfully, no Riggers."

"What the bleeding hell is a Rigger?"

Duleb sighed. She didn't really want to have to explain to her angel what a Rigger was, lest she worry more about her whenever she went for a run to Sophia. "Maybe it's best if you didn't know, Ophelia..."

"Why not?" she laughed.

"Because you worry about me too much. I can see it in your face whenever I tell you about my leaving for a delivery." A clawed finger poked at the angel's chest. "Like yesterday. You were frantic about this trip."

"Was not," Ophelia denied.

"Liar! You looked like you were on the verge of tears when I told you about it."

Silver springs bounced about while Ophelia laughed and carried on as to how she was not worried all day, but eventually Duleb wore her down and forced her to confess her fears. They both talked about their day, but the time was short lived. Curfew came quicker than expected and Ophelia had to hurry back to her loft.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" she asked as she prepared to make her way back to the town.

"As far as I know, nothing. I might have to help sort and pack things, but other than that, It could be my day. What about you?"

The angel shrugged. "The same as always. School, language, arts, and then it's back home to sit and do my normal chores." She hugged her friend again and made sure she hugged her real tight, since she had missed her so much.

"Ophelia-" Duleb started. "Before you go, we need to get something out of the water..."

"I beg your pardon?" the angel asked as she pulled back and looked into the glowing violet eyes of her akuma companion.

"We need to try harder to keep this a secret." her concerned voice whispered over the chirps of crickets and the whistle of the wind.

"A secret? You mean us, right?" Ophelia asked, still having not moved from the hold she had on the furry demon. She seemed to have forgotten how close she was to her.

"Right. I think we should be more careful. I mean, I wander off here every day, and Vulgrim has asked me no questions. He's suspicious. As should any angel close to you should be."

"Well, Enariel has asked me why I have stopped sewing like I normally do, and she asked where I had learned sketching from. I had to lie to her about it. I lied and told her I just started teaching myself." Her golden eyes looked sadly at the demon's arms around her waist. "I felt terrible for lying to her. I never lied to anyone before..."

Oh no, did I do this, Duleb thought, is it my fault that she is being forced to lie? I never wanted her to have to do anything she didn't want to do...

Duleb, thinking of nothing better to do for her friend, leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. The angel looked stunned at first, a rosy sheen beginning to smother her usually pale face. Both girls stood frozen and quiet, like they were thinking of something to do or say to ease the other's tension.

But there were no more words.

Both girls knew that what they were doing, their friendship, was a crime of the highest degree. They were fully aware of that. They had talked about it many times. But, it was a risk that was worth taking. They loved each other, and it should matter not what blood ran in their veins, or what species they were; that love and friendship should mean that they would do anything possible to look out for one another. No matter what.

Another promise was made that night, by that tiny kiss shared from the Kingdom of Hell to the Kingdom of Heaven: that they would be friends forever, and nothing; not threat from superiors, or fear of death would change that.

Not even Death himself would tear them apart.