Disclaimer: The butter fly net was a no-go. Apparently, men with angel wings don't take kindly to fan girls with giant nets chasing after them. I own nothing except my OC's, a kick-ass rabbit and my art piece names.
Seventh Theft
Suki cried her eyes out for two days after Krad had sealed Arien inside her scroll. She had told Krad to keep it with him, because it might open when she touched it. When she went to school the next day, she avoided Daisuke like the plague, and didn't speak to any of her friends in any of her classes. Frustrated with her avoidance, Daisuke cornered her on the second day as she was headed home from school.
"Suki, what is with you all of a sudden?" He asked, dragging her over to a section of wall that was hidden from the eyes of the rest of their classmates. "You were about to explain everything to me two days ago, and now it's like I have the plague and you're avoiding me!"
Suki's head hung lower as she remembered that she had been about to tell Daisuke all about Arien, and how she had found her, and how she had ordered her to be more human, and how she had gotten her a rabbit. Her chest hurt just thinking about Arien. Her best friends betrayal had wounded her deeper than any wound she had felt before, even more than the wound caused by her family leaving her in Azumano.
She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform and kept staring away from Daisuke. I don't want to look weak, but here I am falling apart at the thought of her!
"Suki, please tell me what's wrong!" Daisuke begged after seeing her trying to wipe away tears. He reached out to hug her, but she hastily shoved his hands away.
"No, Daisuke, I can't . . ." She said, gasping for strength to continue talking without breaking down into tears. "I just can't. . ."
Daisuke looked at her with hurt and pleading eyes. "But Suki please, this is really important to you and me."
Suki shook her head savagely. "No, Daisuke! I'm sorry, alright?! I just can't say anything, it hurts too much! Just . . . just put it away in the back of your mind. It's all over now. Arien . . . Arien is gone, okay? Left, and she's not coming back."
Suki covered her eyes with her hands and leaned against the brick wall, shuddering with the strength she had trying to hold in her emotion until Daisuke would leave. Daisuke stared at her, imploring her to tell him what had upset her to such a degree with his eyes.
Dark, something really horrible must have happened to her. I've never seen anything get to Suki like this. We have to help her somehow.
"There's not much we can do unless she tells us what the problem is." Dark answered, his eyes and emotions clouded over with confusion and sadness. "And what does she mean Arien is gone? My DNA still reacts to just the thought of her. She can't be far away."
"Is there a problem, Suki?"
Daisuke gasped and stared behind his back, taking in the appearance of Krad. Krad! What does he want with Suki?
Suki wiped away more nearly-fallen tears from her eyes before pushing off the wall and walking over to the blonde angel.
"No, no problem. Daisuke and I are friends, we were just talking about . . . well, we were talking." She said. Hesitantly, she looked back at Daisuke. "I'm sorry if I'm not telling you everything. Just leave it alone, because it's over now so it doesn't matter."
Krad smirked at the red-head from behind Suki's turned face. Soon I will eliminate you, Niwa boy. You shall torment my master Satoshi no longer.
Suki turned back to Krad. "Why are you here, anyway?"
Krad smiled down at her. "I came to walk you home from school. I hope you don't mind, but I thought you might want to, you know, be with people right now."
"Sure, I guess. I have been feeling sick all day." She said. "You didn't have to come though. I would be fine on my own. But thank you, anyway."
Suki started walking, and Krad smirked at Daisuke once more before walking after the short girl and catching up with her fast thanks to his long stride.
"Tell me about yourself. You know about me already, now I want to get to know you." Suki said as she and Krad walked slowly through the woods to her house.
It was at this point that Krad nearly placed himself in jeopardy. He hadn't thought that she would want his history. No one had asked him about it before, and he knew that it was long and full of turmoil and bloodshed.
"I don't know about this." Krad told her. "I'm afraid that something I say might add salt to injury, in your case. My history is not a happy one."
Suki looked at him. "Nobody's past is perfect. We all have something we don't want people to know. Just tell me the edited version or something."
Krad thought about his past, and felt his emotions shift inside of him. While he remained the confident, calm exterior, inside he felt lost. "My family has always hated me. It feels like they have hated me for four hundred years."
Suki stopped walking and gazed behind her, looking at Krad. It sounds like they really do hate him. But why? He seems so . . . nice.
"I have done some things in the past, most of which I thought would benefit the family. It just seems like all of my actions have been for them, and not one of them ever understands that." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I want to show you something."
Suki tilted her head a little and looked at him blankly. "I'm pretty sure I've already seen most of everything."
Krad shook his head. "It's not like that. I just need you to promise not to freak out on me, or become unstable. I hate it when girls faint, it's bothersome."
Suki nodded and turned so she was fully facing the blonde. If I wasn't so smart, I would swear that he's trying to show me what some other girls might love to see. However, I'm not some other girls. They can go stalk Phantom Dark for all I care. Hell, they probably do. Speaking of Dark . . . he and Krad look kind of similar.
Krad closed his eyes in concentration before grimacing as the pain his wings growing from his back caused him. Suki gasped as Krad suddenly hunched over and white feathers started to swirl around him and piece together white wings that attached to his back. Krad grit his teeth from the momentary pain. No wonder Satoshi doesn't like transforming. Growing my own wings takes a lot out of me, much less Satoshi.
When the pain passed, Krad stood to his full height and flexed his wings a little, letting them work out the kinks and stiffness he felt in their muscles. Suki gasped, and would have dropped her books if she had been holding any.
"You have wings." She said, inching towards him slightly. "Are they . . .are they real?"
Krad nodded. "They are a part of the power I have. The feathers that make up the wings have magic in them that I can channel out and seal art with."
Or throw at Dark Mousy, and watch as he shouts out in pain. He contemplated his powers. I always seem to use them for torture and pain. I think that sealing that maid brat into her scroll was the first bit of sealing I've ever done.
Suki walked closer to Krad, near hypnotized by the wings. He really could be Dark's better-looking, more attractive, gentlemanly twin. She reached out to touch on of his wings before her eyes widened. Okay, what the hell was all of that? I don't ever remember making a grudge that big against Dark. I mean, what the hell?
"Is it alright if I touch them?" She asked him. Krad raised a brow in amusement. She wishes to touch my wings. How trivial her wants and needs are.
"If you want to." He said, stretching out the wing closest to her.
Suki raised a hand and gently reached out to brush her fingers against the feathers along the outside frame of his wing. She felt their softness as she brushed her fingertips across them, smiling in spite of all her earlier rampaging emotions. They feel like clouds. Clouds of cushioned goodness. How can his family think of him as so terrible when he has the wings of an angel, and the power to protect people?
Krad was surprised at how her fingers felt brushing against his feathers. Her touch was gentle, something that didn't seem befitting of the tomboyish girl. She ran her fingers over the hollow bone that made up the wing, and felt along the crevices between each jointed vein hidden beneath his feathers. Her touch is smooth and gentle. What is this madness? I have had people touch my wings before, but none have felt like this. What makes this different from all of the other times?
"They're really soft." Suki said finally, breaking the blissful silence that they had been discovering each other. "I can't believe your family doesn't like you, Krad. You seem too . . . angelic, to be hated by so many, and to feel so hated all the time."
Krad's breath hitched in his throat, something he had not expected nor had the will power to prevent. There has never been a person who has called me 'angelic' before. Homicidal blonde has been Mousy's favorite in the past, but never have I been thought of as angelic. He gazed down at the girl, whom was still enraptured by his wings to notice his stares. What is happening to me?
"Um, we should probably get moving. It'll get dark soon, and I have to go feed Onee before she starts freaking out." Suki said, breaking the blonde from his thoughts.
Krad stared after her for a moment, wondering just what he was feeling for the first time.
I had always thought there was no reward for demons. But . . . is there something that even demons can find?
He started after Suki, folding his wings and taking a breath before repressing them again. As he stared after her, he realized that while she might not be falling for him quickly, he was starting to see himself falling for her.
That night, Krad decided that if he stayed in Suki's house for much longer, he was going to do something drastic. Though he knew now that his emotions were near killing him over the short girl, he still felt the anger that could only be lashed out on Dark stir under the brim of his emotions.
I have to go out, otherwise I might ruin the entire plan by doing something violent. Maybe just flying around will let me sort out all of these rampant emotions.
He sat up from his bed (it had become his bed when he had sealed Arien away into the scroll and had told Suki he would stay with her until she got over it) and wrenched open the window that led to the flat part of the roof. He closed his eyes in anticipation for the pain and let out a hiss when his wings finally emerged from his back. After working out the kinks in his muscles, he took off into the sky.
The night air calmed his emotions like he suspected it would. The wind that blew through his wings caressed his feathers like Suki's fingers had. I can barely believe how her touch can create such feeling in me. Krad banked left and flew over the main section of Azumano. As he stared down at the city lights, thoughts running through his head, he spotted a dark shape flying towards him.
"Dark Mousy? How odd, he did not send out a warning letter today." Krad mumbled before coming to a halt in the air as Dark approached. "How is the failure-thief tonight?"
Dark hovered near Krad over top of the city. "Just fine, Krad. How's the world's favorite Homicidal Blonde?"
Krad smiled maliciously and held his hands up in a comical gesture. "Better than I've felt in four hundred years, Mousy. Now, I'm assuming that you want to talk to me for once, otherwise the feathers would be flying right now."
Dark nodded, but his dislike for the blonde angel showed on his face. "Three days ago you ran into that art exhibit and didn't bother to dodge that attack I threw at you. Not that I'm the one complaining, but what with you being such a murderous ass, I expected more."
"You know the trick about being such an inspirational devil?" Krad taunted. "Steal other people's tricks."
"You know what, I could care less about whatever you're talking about. I only have one question, Krad, and you better answer me truthfully." Dark said, flying up into Krad's space and grabbing the front of the blonde's shirt. "Arien saved your pathetic ass the other night. Where is she now?"
Krad blinked in astonishment before a manipulative smile crossed his face. "This is better than I thought. You care for that red-head, Dark Mousy." My plans will go smoothly now, thanks to this bit of information.
Dark's grip was broken when Krad threw one of his white feathers towards him.
"Good luck finding your sacred maiden, Mousy." Krad said, turning and flying away leaving an angered Dark behind him. You'll never find her.
Suki couldn't sleep, for the third night in a row. She sat up in her bed and crossed her arms over her knees. I'm tired of crying, but I can't seem to stop. I need something to help me pass this by. She opened her mouth, to ask for a book, when she remembered that the only one who would hear her was a flight of stairs below, and fast asleep. I never realized how attached to her I am.
She got out of bed and wrapped herself up in a house coat before stepping out of her room and heading down the stairs. She stopped at the second story landing, and quietly made her way to the Zaiaku family library. I have a genealogy assignment due for my history class. I might as well read one of my ancestor's old journals or something. Anything to help me pass the time.
Suki reached up as high as she could and selected one book at random. She took it in her hands and walked silently out of the library and up the flight of stairs back to her room before even looking inside what she found. There was no name on the cover, but on the first page she flipped open to, she found out the name of the journal's ancient owner.
This is the journal of Cedric Zaiaku.
She flipped open to the first page and began reading.
Krad landed on the flat roof outside of his window. He folded his wings and felt them disappear as he climbed through the window and stepped inside the room. His golden irises flickered around the room, searching for something. He heard the flipping of pages above him, so he conjured a feather in the darkness and placed it on the back of the bedroom door. Now she won't hear what I'm about to do.
He walked over to the bedside table and opened the drawer. Reaching in, he pulled out the jewel covered scroll he had sealed three days previous. He conjured another feather and mumbled some words to make it glow bright white. As an afterthought, he placed the scroll down on the table and threw a feather onto the window before picking up the scroll and continuing his incantations.
Soft bell chimes and a bright light began to come from the scroll. It hovered from his hand and glowed brighter, until the light faded and Arien stood in its place.
Her eyes narrowed at Krad, and she sprinted for the door so that she could warn Suki about his treachery. She grasped at the door handle, but it wouldn't open. Arien looked at the door and spotted the feather placed on it. She turned and scanned the room past the white angel and saw that there was a feather on the window as well.
"If you think that because you managed to summon me back from my scroll that you can command me, you are mistaken." She said angrily. "I only serve the Zaiaku bloodline."
Krad shook his head and walked over to the girl. He stopped just a step away from her and looked deep into her eyes.
"The only way you will get to see your master again is if you do exactly as I tell you." He said, picking up a strand of her hair and twirling it between his fingers. "You must protect her by any means, or so you say. Just in case you haven't noticed yet, I've placed a seal on this room that keeps you in here. You can't be summoned out of it, and you can't break it with the power you have. The only way you can keep the Zaiaku girl from harm is to obey my commands explicitly. Otherwise . . . "
His grip on her hair tightened to an incredibly uncomfortable pull against her scalp. She tried to lean forward to lessen the paining, but Krad kept her in place trapped on the wall with his shoulder as he pulled. He leaned forward and made to muzzle her cheek with his chin.
"I will break her spine with my bare hands, and there will be nothing you can do about it."
Arien's breath caught in her throat as Krad released her hair and released her from the wall. Her gaze traveled down until her eyes met with the floor, away from Krad's cruel sneer and manipulative eyes. Her voice came out in strangled gasps.
"What . . . do you ask of me?"
Krad smiled, pleased that his little talk was getting her to see reason. He didn't want to have to make good on his threat, by any means. But he knew that if he hadn't threatened Suki, he would have lost the battle.
"I have an enemy that I need to crush, both physically and emotionally." He stated, crossing over to the window. The sun was beginning to rise over the ocean, covering him in new-morning light. "You and I are about to become really close to each other. You must go out with me today, and you must act as if you are having the happiest day of your life. It will last until midnight, and then you will return here to this room."
He sat down on the bed and smirked at the girl in the corner. "I have plans for you, Jewel of the Scroll. Plans that are about to become realized."
Krad would have laughed if he had been feeling like himself. However, his evil schemes just weren't helping him keep his mind off of how horrible he was being to the girl who stood like stone across the room. What has happened to me? He gazed out the window as the sun rose up past the waves. He thought back to Suki's face when she said he was 'angelic'. What will happen to the devil in the angels disguise?