Sitting at a table in the cafeteria Falla and Rin were eating their breakfast, both of them keeping quiet as it was nearly silent in the large hall within Yokai Academy. There were a few students spread about at certain tables making small talk, however it was mostly depressing conversations about possibly being trapped in the monster world forever or the humans coming to wipe them all out. A few rays of sunlight were coming through the windows as Falla and Rin ate peacefully, with Rin tapping her headphones every few minutes to remember where she was and who she was eating breakfast with.
"Those things really are on the fritz, aren't they?" Falla asked as Rin blinked a few times and looked around with a puzzled expression. After a pause Rin held one of the earpieces with her hand and nodded.
"Yeah, they keep cutting out randomly, it's really getting annoying," she complained, then started to hold some noodles up to her mouth before shaking her head again with an annoyed expression. She looked at the food for a moment then resumed eating.
"I almost forgot what I was eating even, I wish I could get these darn things fixed," she muttered with defeat.
"Isn't there anybody here that can look at them for you?" Falla asked. Rin shook her head while looking down at her food with a remorseful expression.
"Dark managed to fix them the best he could, but this was all he could do with them after they were nearly destroyed," she said regrettably. Falla nodded then looked down as well. Rin hit her headphones with an annoyed grunt then set down her chopsticks.
"Damn things. Hey, you guys mentioned Pandora's Box can grant wishes, right?" she asked. Falla glanced to her and nodded again.
"So then couldn't we open that box and wish for my mind to be cured?" Rin asked curiously. Falla looked at the headphones for a moment then shrugged.
"I suppose that could be done, but we're going to use the first wish to go after my sister when everybody comes back, we need the keys to save her," she said softly, trying to hold onto hope that Luna wasn't being raped by the monsters in the darkness yet.
"But couldn't we go and open it before they get back? You have all the keys; can't we just make a wish quick so I can cure myself?" Rin asked worriedly. Falla looked at her for a moment then down again.
"It's not that simple Rin, trust me. Besides, it's dangerous to open the box alone. All the worst monsters of the world are sealed away in that thing, we'll be in for a serious fight before any wish can be made," she reasoned.
"But you all said it was ok to open didn't you? So why can't we do it ourselves first? I mean, I can charm anything that comes out and you have your time magic again don't you?" Rin asked curiously.
"We said it was ok because it's our only chance at saving my sister, despite how dangerous it will be. And Ceal is an experienced hunter with opening it, he knows what to expect and how to defeat what comes out, he managed to defeat what came out of it last time. We need to wait for them to come with us; we can't risk damn-… um…" Falla said before cutting herself off, glancing to Rin cautiously as the siren watched her curiously.
"Can't risk damn what?" she asked. Falla hesitated for a moment before quickly looking down again.
"Uh… never mind. The point is we need their help with opening it, we have to wait until they get back," she said assuredly. Rin showed a saddened expression and tapped her headphones again.
"But what if they… what if they can't come back? What if I'll never see my sister again, or you with your boyfriend?" Rin asked worriedly. Falla closed her eyes and lowered her head, praying that her friends and loved one would find a way back to her somehow.
"We don't have a choice Rin, we have to wait, it's all we can do now," Falla said with remorse. Rin looked down with sorrow for a moment then jumped a bit.
"Hey, you guys mentioned Pandora's Box can grant wishes, right?" she asked looking back to Falla.
"Did you forget that already?" Falla asked with sympathy. Rin shook her head and looked towards the window.
"No, at least… not yet, but what if we used the wish to open the gateway for them?" she asked hopefully. Falla looked at her with wonder as the siren smiled at her.
"If it can grant any wish, then we could wish for an open gateway into the human world, we could bring them back ourselves," she said with a bright smile. Falla sighed and shook her head.
"Again, we can't open it ourselves, it's too dangerous. Even with my magic unsealed there's no telling exactly what we'll be up against when it opens, we need our friends for support," she reasoned.
"But what if they can't find a way back by themselves? My sister is trapped in that world, so are your friends. Your boyfriend even, don't you want to bring him back?" Rin asked worriedly.
"Of course I do Rin, it's just… opening the box without Ceal here isn't a very smart thing to do, trust me," Falla said shaking her head.
"Why not? We have to try, what if we're their only way of getting back here? If we don't wish for that gateway to be opened again we might never see them again," Rin said with concern.
"She has a point," a girl's voice said from next to them. Falla looked over to seeing a girl sitting on the table near her, causally looking around with a bored expression. She wore black sandals, a dark blue miniskirt with black swirls around it, a white sleeveless shirt, and gray fingerless gloves. Her hair was silver colored with thin streaks of black running through it, held in two long messy pigtails with dark blue ribbons. She was the same height as Yukari, with her left eye being yellow while her right was blue. She glanced over to Falla with a smirk and nodded.
"It would be an awful waste for you not to use those keys, especially when you already know exactly what you want to wish for," she said with a shrug.
"What? Who are you, how do you know about the keys?" Falla asked carefully. Rin looked over in the direction of the new girl then back to Falla.
"Who are you talking to?" she asked. Falla looked at her confusedly then over to the new girl, who was leaning back playfully and shifting side to side casually.
"She can't hear or see me, after all, you're the only one who has all my keys," she said with a twinkle in her eye. Falla looked at her carefully while slowly moving her hand down to her pocket, feeling the four keys to the legendary artifact at her side.
"Your keys?" she asked quietly. The girl nodded as she looked at Falla with a smug grin. Rin looked around puzzled then back to Falla.
"Um, are you ok? Whose keys?" she asked. Falla glanced to her then back to the new girl.
"Who… are you?" she asked cautiously. The girl giggled and leaned closer to Falla with a coy smile.
"Why, I'm the one who can grant any wish you desire my dear little girl. Anything you wish, so long as you open my lovely little box for me," she said with a wink. Falla looked at her carefully then showed a bit of surprise.
"Pandora?" she said quietly. Pandora giggled and nodded as she leaped up onto the table, her body seeming to weigh nothing as she floated up and touched down on the table gently before giving a graceful bow.
"At your service. I couldn't help but overhear your little plight, such a bad thing to be separated from somebody who you love so dearly," she said looking back to Falla with a saddened smile. Falla looked at the girl with wonder while Rin glanced over to match her eye line then back to Falla.
"Should… I get the nurse?" Rin asked worriedly. Falla shook her head as she pointed to something that Rin couldn't see.
"Pandora, she's… it's…" she stuttered. Rin raised an eyebrow before Falla shook her head and looked down to her pocket.
"Are you alright Falla?" Rin asked. Falla looked to her then over to Pandora, the girl smiling curiously at her.
"Don't you want to see him again? Don't you want to bring him home so you can give him lots of kisses?" she asked sweetly. Falla stared at the girl with wonder and disbelief, questioning if her dementia was returning. She glanced to Rin then back to Pandora while slowly reaching into her pocket and bringing out the four keys. Rin looked at her puzzled as the chronofly set the keys down on the table.
"Rin, hold your hand on these with me," Falla said cautiously. Rin looked at her with confusion then to the keys.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because… you have to see this," Falla said carefully. Rin looked over to where Falla was staring with wonder then back to the keys. After a pause she shrugged then reached out and rested her hand on the keys, with Falla then holding her hand gently.
"Ok, now wha-" Rin said looking over to the side, freezing in place while seeing a girl standing on the table smiling at her.
"Hey," Pandora said with a twitch of her eyebrow. Rin blinked then screamed as she pointed to the girl, drawing the attention of others in the cafeteria.
"Wha… who… who are you?" Rin cried out. Pandora giggled then moved down onto her hands and knees, crawling closer to Rin with a calm smile.
"You don't need to shout, I can hear you just fine my troubled siren. Such a shame, having your mind cursed with such a bad spell, I'm sorry about your difficulties," she said with a sad smile. Rin looked at her with wonder then over to Falla. Falla glanced around, seeing other students staring at them before minding their own business again, then looked back to the new girl with awe. Pandora giggled and rolled onto her back, her body phasing through the trays of food as if she were a ghost.
"You know, I could help you, both of you actually. It's kind of what I do after all, I'm a merciful guardian of desire," Pandora said holding a hand out and examining her fingernails casually. Falla and Rin looked at each other with wonder then back to Pandora.
"You're… you're the one who made that box, aren't you?" Falla asked softly. Pandora blinked then glanced to her with annoyance.
"No, I did not make that infernal pris-… I mean, yes, I did," she said, quickly showing a bright smile again. With a playful giggle she rolled over and landed down next to Falla, leaning against her elbow on the table while tilting her head curiously.
"It's sort of a little chest of wonders of mine, with the power to grant you any wish you desire," she said with a purr. Falla looked at her carefully then narrowed her eyes.
"A chest of wonders filled with monsters that were sealed away by the Almighty himself. We know what's really inside that box," she said firmly. Pandora giggled then licked her lips.
"Now you're just splitting hairs. Tell me, what is the one thing you want more than anything? I heard two desires from each of you, but I can't tell which is more important," she said playfully. Falla and Rin watched her carefully as the girl looked up thoughtfully.
"You wish to seek your sister, in a far away world, to rescue her and bring her back home safely. But you also seem to desire your friends and boyfriend to return to you, who are all trapped in the human world. My my, which wish is more precious to you?" she asked looking back to Falla. Falla showed a frustrated expression for a moment then looked down with worry.
"Well… both," she said softly.
"Sorry, no can do. One wish is all that can be granted should you open the box, I cannot do two," Pandora said shaking her head. Falla looked back to her with a careful eye as Pandora glanced over to Rin.
"And you, you desire to have your memory restored, for that pesky spell over your mind to be removed forever. That, and you wish to see your sister again, the one who is also trapped in the human world, correct?" she asked curiously. Rin nodded while looking down with worry. Pandora smirked and shook her head again.
"Well, I'm sorry, but opening the box will only grant one of those wishes. I cannot do more than that, no matter how touching the desire may be," she said gently. Rin looked at her with pleading eyes.
"But… can you at least bring my sister back to me? I'll settle for that, really. I don't mind living like this, just please bring her back safely," she begged. Pandora smiled and gently held out a hand onto theirs, although the girls couldn't feel anything touching them.
"So caring and loving to your own kin, I can respect that in others. If you open my box then I can bring her back to you," she said softly.
"No, you can't," Falla said narrowing her eyes at the girl. Pandora and Rin looked to her curiously as she shook her head.
"Ceal told me about the limitations of your wishes, how you can't transfer a living being from different worlds. You could create a body that looked like Rin's sister, but it would be an empty shell, a lifeless doll and nothing more," Falla accused harshly. Rin looked to Pandora worriedly as the girl showed an annoyed expression.
"Ceal? Ceal Erres? Oh yes, him. I know that boy, very well, very well indeed. Actually I've gotten to know his whole family, one relative after another, all with the same desire that never seems to be met. I know that name very well now. How is he doing by the way, is he still chasing after that silly dragon?" Pandora asked with a sly smile.
"Yeah, he is. Especially now that he's cursed to because of your damned wish," Falla said with anger.
"My wish? No no, it was his wish girl. I granted exactly what he requested, if he isn't satisfied with it he should have been more specific about his wish, after all, I'm not a mind reader," Pandora laughed with a cruel smile.
"Ceal was right, you twist whatever wish is made around just to screw with those that open your box. You're nothing but a liar, a deceptive little rat," Falla growled. Pandora giggled and looked at her amusingly.
"That's not very nice to say such things so wrongly. I only did what was asked of me, just as I always have by those who open my box. Besides, if you're so mad at me and don't like me, then why are you holding onto all of my keys? Why are you hoping to open the box yourself if you don't want me to grant you a wish?" she asked with a smirk. Falla growled then looked down at the keys with a glare.
"We need them; I need them to save my sister. But you won't be twisting that wish around, I won't let you ruin my only chance of getting her back," she declared looking back to Pandora with discontent. Pandora laughed and shook her head.
"I'm not a bad girl my dear, no need for such trivial threats, and if you know exactly what you want then by all means come and claim it. The keys are all in your possession, the wish is yours so go and make it," she said waving her towards the nearby door. Falla narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
"We're waiting for our friends to return, so we can all go together. We know about what will come out of that box when we open it, all those accused, wretched, vile monsters that-"
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY LOVELIES LIKE THAT!" Pandora roared, her voice causing Falla and Rin to jump with surprise. It was as if the Almighty himself had shouted at them, her voice echoing in their heads to a deafening degree. Pandora glared at Falla with cold eyes, causing a horrible chill to run down the chronofly's spine. Extreme fear and dread washed over Falla and Rin as they saw Pandora's rage, both girls feeling their mouths quivering.
"What… what are you?" Rin breathed out fearfully. Falla stared at Pandora speechless, stunned that she felt even more terrified than when a chrono wraith was trying to devour her alive.
'I… I can't stop shaking… what the hell is she?'
"Don't you ever speak about my lovely babies like that again, do you hear me?" Pandora growled with malice. Falla breathed out something, unable to form any audible words. Rin started to cry softly, staring at Pandora with absolute fright.
"What are you?" Falla asked shakily. Pandora growled then leaned in closer to her, with Falla feeling like death itself was breathing on her.
"I am Pandora, the goddess of chaos and calamity. I can grant any wish you desire, I can break the laws of time and space if need be. Should you wish to be immortal, you shall live forever. Should you wish to be rich, you'll have more gold than you could possibly know what to do with in any number of lifetimes. Should you wish to be powerful, you'll be a god amongst all others. I can grant you the impossible, I can bestow upon you the inconceivable, I am the ultimate treasure to seek in this pitiful world, I am all that is horrible and beautiful with fortune itself," she declared, her voice causing Falla and Rin to freeze in place. Pandora smiled coldly and slowly reached over to Falla, holding her ethereal hand near the girl's cheek. Falla felt her heart stop as the chaotic god gazed into her eyes, the world around them seeming to fade away as an overwhelming sense of fear filled Falla and Rin's minds.
"You wish to see your beloved sister again, don't you?" Pandora asked coldly. Falla only squeaked out a small response as she trembled before the chaotic god. Pandora smiled wickedly as she leaned in closer.
"I can be a merciful god to those who seek me, granting any desire you may have. You want me to be your shining ray of hope, your golden opportunity to bring those you cherish close to you once again. I can do that, I can grant you that and so much more my dear girl," she said softly. Falla whimpered as her hand over the keys trembled on the table. Rin slowly shook her head as she prayed for her headphones to glitch out again, so she wouldn't remember seeing the terrifying specter that was likely going to be giving her new nightmares now.
"Please… stop..." Falla said quietly. Pandora giggled, her voice echoing out in Falla's mind.
"With the turn of four keys, you can see her again. You know you need me, you want me to help, and I can do that for you. All you have to do… is open my box," Pandora said with a cold smile, her eyes giving off a faint glow. Falla breathed out slowly, the chaotic god's cold expression sending chills down her spine. It was almost like looking into the eyes of Alucard himself, the chronofly feeling nothing but sheer evil coming from the young looking girl. Falla trembled then quickly yanked her hand away from the keys, throwing them off the table as she shut her eyes tightly. Rin watched with surprise as the keys dropped onto the floor, along with Pandora's image vanishing instantly. Falla tried to steady her breathing then looked down to the keys on the floor.
"Oh… my… god," Falla said quietly.
"What… what just happened?" Rin asked while shaking her head. Falla caught her breath then looked down with a hand held to her head.
"I've never been so frightened in my whole life, what the hell was she?" she shakily asked.
"That… that's Pandora? That's her box we're planning to open? Maybe… maybe we shouldn't open that box, ever. Never ever," Rin said fearfully. Falla slowly knelt down next to the table and started to pick up the keys. She grabbed hold of three and reached out for the fourth, stopping herself before slowly retracting her hand. After a quick glance to the keys in her hand she set them down on the table then picked up the last key, making sure not to have them all in her possession at the same time.
"The goddess of chaos and calamity, Pandora. I've never felt anything like that before, it was… it was like I was staring at death itself," Falla said softly as she sat back down at the table, looking at the key in her hand with wonder. Even though Pandora only appeared as an ethereal apparition, her mere presence when angered was overwhelming.
'That wasn't a normal monster, wasn't anything like a monster of any class. She… she's not a monster at all, she's an actual goddess.'
"Maybe we shouldn't open that box after all, that girl scares the hell out of me, way worse than your boyfriend's tentacle pet," Rin whimpered while shaking her head. Falla showed a worried expression as she looked at the key in her hand.
"But… we need the wish to go after Luna. It's our only way of saving her from the darkness. And Ceal said he's opened it before, he managed to kill what came out just like everyone in his family did. Ceal…" she said before looking back to Rin.
"She knew him, she remembers your boyfriend," Rin said worriedly.
"Yeah, something tells me Ceal knows all about her as well. Knowing my boyfriend though I doubt Pandora scared him at all," Falla said looking back at the key with a careful eye. After a moment's pause she handed the key towards Rin.
"Here, you hold onto this one, I'll keep the others with me," she said before Rin shook her head wildly.
"I'm not touching that thing; it's giving me the creeps just looking at it. I don't want to see that… that… whatever she was again," she said fearfully.
"You won't, as long as the keys aren't all together. I'll keep three with me and you hang onto this one, as long as they're separated… hopefully she won't show up again," Falla said looking at the key worriedly.
"No way, I'm not holding onto that thing. I don't want anything to do with Pandora's Box anymore, whatever that girl was seemed just as bad as my old master. I don't want anything to do with her at all," Rin said holding her hands up defensively. Falla shook her head impatiently then grabbed Rin's hand, placing the key into it and closing the siren's fingers around it.
"There, see? No visions or anything. Just hold onto it alright?" Falla said while Rin stared at the key with wide eyes and a pale expression. She glanced around fearfully then gulped and nodded slowly while Falla put the other three keys back into her pocket.
"But… what do we do now?" Rin asked shakily while still staring at the key with fright. Falla sighed then looked to the windows with worried eyes.
"We pray that Ceal and the others can get back here soon. I really need him right now, in more ways than one," she said softly. Rin nodded as she reluctantly put the key into her pocket, trying to calm her mind and heart before it burst out of her chest. She looked down with a worried expression for a moment then back to Falla.
"Should we tell Kyouko about this?" she asked softly. Falla shook her head and glanced to her.
"I'd rather we didn't, you know how easily she scares. If she knew about… this right now, she might have another freak-out," she said with concern. Rin glanced to the side then pointed at something.
"I think she's already freaking out about something though," she said as Falla looked over to the side. They saw Kyouko racing outside along the building in a panic along with a few other adult faculty members, with somebody being carried on a stretcher. The human girl was saying something urgently to the three with her, with Ms. Nekonome and Ms. Ririko being among them along with a third female teacher.
"Kyouko? What's going on out there?" Falla asked as she and Rin stood up quickly. The two girls ran out of the cafeteria and saw Kyouko and the others racing down the hall further away from them. Falla and Rin ran after them, with Kyouko and the others not seeming to notice them. As the two girls started to catch up to them they saw the group heading into the infirmary with Kyouko calling out something in a panic.
"Kyouko! Hey, what's going on?" Rin called out. She and Falla got to the door and looked inside to seeing Ms. Nekonome and Ms. Ririko running around quickly along with the other female teacher, and with Kyouko standing by a bed that had a sheet pulled over in front of it. Kyouko looked over to Falla and Rin then jumped in surprise, then quickly darted over in front of the sheet and pulled it over slightly as the two ran up to her.
"Kyouko? What happened, what are they doing?" Falla asked as the three teachers ran over behind the sheet to look at their patient.
"What? Oh, um… somebody… was hurt, so I-… they… brought him here," Kyouko said hesitantly while glancing back to the sheet.
"Somebody was hurt? Who?" Rin asked puzzled.
"Oh my, meow. He's in horrible condition, there's blood everywhere," Ms. Nekonome said worriedly. The three girls looked back to the sheet, only seeing the silhouettes of the teachers standing around the bed.
"Where are the nurses and doctor that are supposed to be here?" Ms. Ririko shouted out at the other teacher.
"I'm sorry, they're not here at the moment; I was the only one stationed here for today. But… I'm just an assistant, I'm not… ready for something like this," the woman said shakily while looking down at the bed.
"Oh no, is he going to be ok?" Kyouko asked quickly, peeking in from around the sheet.
"Who's going to be ok? Who is that?" Falla asked as she started to move towards the sheet. Kyouko jumped back and shook her head while holding her arms out to her sides.
"Nobody, it's nobody Falla, just… somebody I found outside," she said nervously. Falla looked at her puzzled while Kyouko smiled weakly.
"If it's nobody you know then how come you're so worried about him?" Falla asked.
"Worried? I'm not worried, who said I was worried?" Kyouko asked franticly.
"Get something to ease his pain, move! And you, get some bandages, he's losing a lot of blood," Ms. Ririko called out. Ms. Nekonome ran over to the cabinet and started to get a syringe, quickly filling it with a clear liquid while Kyouko looked back behind the sheet.
"Oh god, Ta-… I mean…" she shakily said, glancing back to Falla as the other teacher ran over to get some bandages from a nearby drawer. Falla and Rin looked at Kyouko carefully then to the sheet.
"Kyouko, who is that?" Falla asked cautiously. Kyouko stammered something as she looked back to the patient while Ms. Nekonome ran over with a syringe. Falla darted over and yanked the sheet aside, with her and Rin gasping as they saw Talon lying on the bed. His wings and blades were still extended out, with him appearing to be unconscious. Blood was dripping down one of his arms that was hanging over the bed, the drops trickling off his wraith blade while his shirt was cut up and bloodied as well.
"What the… the Fairy Tale killer!" Falla shouted out. The teachers all looked to her with surprise as Falla pointed to Talon with a shocked expression.
"Wait Falla, don't hurt him, please!" Kyouko pleaded loudly, jumping in front of Falla and holding her arm.
"Fairy Tale… killer?" Ms. Nekonome asked looking down to Talon. Suddenly Talon's eyes opened, glancing around quickly as he came to his senses. Everybody looked to him as he quickly looked around franticly, his expression of surprise and frustration. He glanced over to see Ms. Nekonome holding a syringe near him, the boy then quickly rolling off the bed and darting behind her. In a flash he grabbed her from around the waist and held another blade up to her throat, holding the stunned teacher from behind while looking around quickly.
"Talon stop!" Kyouko cried out.
"Wait, please!" Ms. Nekonome cried out as she was held firmly by the boy, his blade resting against her throat as she trembled with fear.
"Let her go now!" Falla shouted out as she tried to push aside Kyouko. The human held onto her arm and shook her head.
"No Falla, don't attack him, please!" she begged.
"Let her go this instant," Ms. Ririko demanded as she watched Talon with narrowed eyes. The other teacher trembled in fear, having frozen in place as she watched the boy hold Ms. Nekonome captive. Talon looked around while breathing heavily, his arm still bleeding while Ms. Nekonome whimpered in fear.
"Get off me Kyouko, how could you bring that monster here? He's a goddamned murderer!" Falla yelled as Kyouko wrestled with her, the human not letting the chronofly go so she could shift into time.
"Please, he was hurt, he needed help! Don't hurt him Falla, he's not evil!" Kyouko begged.
"He's going to kill her!" Falla yelled out. Kyouko shook her head and looked back to Talon.
"It's ok Talon, they were just trying to help you; they're not going to hurt you!" she called out. Talon looked to her intently while holding his blade firmly, his wings twitching a bit behind him. He glanced around quickly to the others while they watched him carefully.
"Easy boy, she was just getting you something to help ease your pain," Ms. Ririko said cautiously while slowly holding a hand out to him. Talon held Ms. Nekonome firmly while breathing heavily, looking around at everybody franticly as he backed up with her.
"Please… I wasn't going to hurt you," Ms. Nekonome said softly.
"It's ok Talon, they're going to help you, it's ok!" Kyouko called out. Falla struggled to push her off then watched Talon with frustration while Rin was watching with worried eyes. Talon glanced to Ms. Nekonome then to the needle. Kyouko glanced to it then quickly shook her head.
"Drop the syringe Ms. Nekonome, he doesn't want you to give him anything," she ordered. The teacher quickly let go of the needle, holding her hands up defensively as Talon watched her carefully. Falla glanced to Kyouko then back to Talon as she tried to yank free again.
"Where am I?" Talon demanded.
"You're at Yokai Academy, in the infirmary room where they treat the students here. I found you out by the cliffs, you were severely wounded. I was worried about you, so I got them to bring you here to help you," Kyouko explained.
"Kyouko, let me go, now," Falla hushed out while glancing to her.
"Only if you swear you won't hurt him," Kyouko said looking over to her with a stern expression. Falla looked to her with disbelief.
"He's going to kill her, let me go now Kyouko," she said expectantly. Kyouko looked to Talon then back to Falla with worry.
"If you harm a hair on his head I'll never forgive you," she said softly. Falla looked at her with surprise then back to Talon. Kyouko slowly let go of Falla's arm, the chronofly glancing to her as the human held her hand out slowly towards Talon.
"Please Talon, you're safe here. I swear, nobody is going to hurt you," she said gently. Talon looked to her with a small glare while holding the teacher firmly still. Kyouko shook her head and gestured around the room.
"This isn't like it was with Fairy Tale, they're not going to do anything bad to you here, I promise," she said gently. Talon glanced to the teacher then back to Kyouko again, breathing heavily through his nose as he wavered slightly. Ms. Nekonome closed her eyes and whimpered softly as she felt the blade pressed against her throat.
"It's alright. Just calm down, and lower your weapon," Ms. Ririko said cautiously.
"It's ok Talon, please," Kyouko pleaded gently. Falla glanced to her with frustration then back to Talon with narrowed eyes. Talon looked around the room then wavered slightly, taking a shaky breath as he blinked a few times to clear his vision.
"You're not in any condition to be standing right now. Please, let us treat you," Ms. Ririko said carefully. Talon glanced to her then back to Ms. Nekonome. Slowly he retracted his blade, the metallic looking extension sliding back into his arm as he carefully let go of the teacher. Ms. Nekonome scrambled away and looked back to him with fright while pressing against the cabinets. Talon looked around wearily as he wavered off-balance.
"Talon, you're hurt. Please, let us help you," Kyouko said gently as she took a step closer to him. Talon looked to her with a weary glance before dropping back, knocking over a table and collapsing down next to the bed.
"Talon!" Kyouko cried out, running over to him along with Falla and Rin.
"What have you done Kyouko, why did you bring him here?" Falla demanded. Kyouko quickly knelt down next to Talon and held his head up worriedly, looking at him gentle eyes.
"He's not bad, he's not," she said looking back to Falla.
"He nearly killed Ms. Nekonome!" Falla shouted out.
"He was scared, you know what doctors did to him in his past; he was reacting on instinct. He didn't know that we were only trying to help," Kyouko reasoned while shaking her head. Falla looked at her with a narrowed stare then to Talon, the boy out cold again while he was breathing quietly. Ms. Ririko walked over to look at the boy carefully while the other teacher was trying to calm down Ms. Nekonome from her ordeal. Kyouko looked down to Talon as she held him in her arms.
"Please, give him a chance, he's not evil," she said softly. Falla and Rin looked down to him, with Falla breathing out with annoyance.
"When this turns around and bites us in the ass Kyouko, I'm blaming you," she said flatly. Kyouko shook her head as she watched over the wounded boy.
"Talon… what did you get yourself into this time?" she asked quietly. Rin tapped her headphones and blinked a few times, then jumped in surprise as she pointed to Talon.
"It's that guy again, the one with the wings!" she cried out. The teachers looked at her with confusion while Falla merely rolled her eyes, the chronofly then looking towards the window with worried eyes.
'Ceal, please come back to me. I really need you.'
Inside the infirmary within Fang Fang's family estate a few nurses were running around quickly while a snow angel was lying on a bed, unconscious with blood dripping from her bruised jaw. Dark was standing at her side watching his angel with worried eyes, holding her hand gently while her frosted wings remained limp on the bed. A nurse ran over and started to clean the girl's mouth and face with a wet cloth while another opened her eye and shined a light in it, getting only a small flicker from the iris.
"Arial…" Dark said in a pained voice, feeling heartache from both seeing his angel like this and having watched his fiancée mercilessly beat the angel into this state a little while ago. Arial groaned quietly as the nurses tended to her injuries, while from the open doorway Mizore was peeking in. She bit her lip lightly as she watched Dark guard his angel with heartbroken eyes. After a moment he looked back to her with a narrowed glare, the snow maiden backing up quickly with a whimper realizing he detected her presence. She stepped away from the door moments before Dark walked out, the demon staring into her eyes with anger.
"Mizore… explain yourself right now!" he yelled out. Down the hall the group was listening from around the corner, all dressed again in casual clothing. Fang Fang, Yukari, Ahakon, and Ran however were not present while Complica had run off to try to find Ceal in hopes he could speed up Arial's recovery. The rest had opted to follow Mizore and find out what would happen rather than wait outside in the courtyard or try to explain to Fang Fang what just occurred in his home.
"Dark… I…" Mizore said quietly, feeling fright for the first time at seeing her fiancé glaring at her with anger that she knew he would of course be showing.
From around the corner nearby the large group of monsters were glancing to each other with worry, listening in to the conversation and waiting to see what would happen next.
"If he strikes her out of anger… I'm stepping in," Render said looking to Apoch carefully. The witch shook her head while looking down with worry still.
"He won't, I don't believe it's in his power to willingly harm her. He has his code about always treating women properly," she said softly.
"Dark won't hurt her… I hope," Moka said glancing to the corner. Ruby looked around quickly then to Moka.
"Hey, where are Yukari and Ran?" she asked.
"Not sure, Ahakon's missing too," Rason said looking around curiously.
Mizore looked at Dark worriedly while holding her hands together down in front of her, fearing how her demon would react to hearing what Arial was really like.
'I'm going to hurt him no matter what I do. Either he learns the horrible truth about Arial, or he sees me as somebody who attacked his precious angel. Dark… I'm sorry.'
"Dark… the truth is…" Mizore said softly. Dark watched her with a narrowed stare, his anger more than apparent. She hesitated for a moment then slowly shook her head.
"I need to tell you something, about Arial. I… didn't want to, I didn't want to tell you out of fear how you might take it, what it would do to you," she said softly. Dark watched her carefully while crossing his arms before him. Mizore took a slow breath then looked down with closed eyes.
"I wasn't shot yesterday," she said with remorse. Dark looked at her with a raised eyebrow while Mizore's hands fidgeted slightly.
"What do you mean you weren't shot?" he asked sternly. Mizore looked to him with worry, fearing what would happen next.
"I mean, I wasn't injured by a human soldier. I… the truth is…" she said, trailing off as she struggled to form the words to continue. The group around the corner waited and listened closely, all knowing Mizore was no doubt having trouble telling Dark the truth.
"The truth is what Mizore?" Dark demanded. Mizore sighed and looked at him with worried eyes, slowly holding up her left hand. Dark glanced to it then to her carefully.
"Where's your ring?" he asked. Mizore glanced to the infirmary room door then back to Dark.
"Arial stole it from me last night Dark," she said shaking her head. Dark looked at her carefully then glanced to the doorway.
"What do you mean she stole it?" he asked looking back to Mizore.
"Here we go…" Kurumu said closing her eyes.
Mizore walked towards Dark with a remorseful expression.
"I mean she stole it Dark. She doesn't want me marrying you, she… the truth is she's…" she said before pausing, looking down with closed eyes while Dark watched her carefully.
"She's what?" he asked. Mizore rolled her lollipop over to the side of her mouth then looked back to him.
"She's in love with you Dark," she said softly. Dark just looked at her with a careful eye, not showing any further reaction. Mizore breathed out and looked down to her body.
"She's in love with you Dark, she always has been. She didn't want me marrying you, so… yesterday when you were unconscious… she attacked me," she said softly. Dark looked at her with a narrowed glance then back to the doorway.
"She attacked me, tore me apart in her rage. If it wasn't for Ceal I would have been dead back there after what she did to me," Mizore said with remorse. Dark just looked back to her with a cold stare. After a long silence Mizore looked back to him.
"She-"
"Enough!" Dark yelled out, with Mizore jumping back with a squeak.
"How dare you accuse her of such a thing, how dare you speak about Arial in such a way. First I witness you beating her nearly out of existence then you approach me with such wild accusations about her," Dark said walking up to her.
"But Dark, it's the truth, she's in love with you. She thinks you're her soul mate, she wants to be your wife," Mizore pleaded.
"I said enough! I don't want to hear any more of your lies!" Dark shouted out. From around the corner Moka and Kurumu ran out followed by the group.
"She's not lying Dark, it's the truth," Moka said shaking her head.
"Yeah, ask Gabriel, he'll tell you just how crazy Arial really is," Kurumu said waving over to Gabriel. Dark looked to her with a glare, causing her to jump a bit.
"Don't you dare call her crazy!" he yelled out.
"Um, but she is dude," Render said with a shrug. Dark growled and glared at him, the battlemage then tensing up with a cautious expression.
"Dark… it's true," Apoch said softly. Dark glanced to her as the witch shook her head.
"We're not lying to you, we were surprised and skeptical at first when we heard, but what Ms. Mizore said is the truth. Ms. Arial tried to kill her yesterday, right in front of all of us," Apoch said remorsefully.
"That's a lie. That's a lie!" Dark yelled out at her. Mizore whimpered and shook her head.
"You think I would lie to you? That we all would about this?" she asked softly. Dark looked back to her as she held her hands together over her chest.
"I know how important Arial is to you, we all do. She's your guardian angel, the one who you led your life in honor of. I know how much she means to you Dark; you've told me all about her when we were together. I prayed at night to her, thanking her for what she did by setting you free. She was an angel to me too," she said with a few tears forming in her eyes. Dark looked at her with disbelief and anger then to the infirmary doorway. Mizore shook her head and looked at him with pleading eyes.
"Please, I'm your wife Dark, please believe me. She doesn't see herself as your angel; she wants to be your wife. She tried to kill me when she found out you were with me, then she stole my ring and threatened me to stay away from you or else she'd try again. Arial's in love with you, she wants you to marry her and not me," she said holding her hands out to her sides. Dark shook his head as he looked back to her with frustration.
"What is the meaning of this, how can you all say such a thing? None of that can be true!" he shouted out.
"It's the truth Dark," Gabriel said looking down, with Dark looking over to him with anger. The angel breathed out then looked back to him.
"That's why we were so nervous about you seeing her, about her finding you and Mizore. We didn't want her image in your eyes to be tainted. The truth is she's been in love with you ever since she died. She saw what you did Dark, how you killed your master for her. She's obsessed over you in heaven, to the point that if she ever thought somebody else was in love with you she would lose her temper. Really badly," he explained. Dark shook his head as he backed up a step.
"You're lying, that can't be true," he said with frustration. Mizore stepped closer towards him and reached out towards him with pleading eyes.
"I'm not lying to you Dark, please. It broke my heart to tell you otherwise yesterday, but I didn't want to defile Arial's image for you. I wanted to avoid this, I wanted to spare you knowing that she… that… that she isn't what you think she is!" she cried out.
"Shut up!" Dark yelled out as he covered his ears while looking down. He shook his head with frustration then looked back to Mizore with anger.
"She would never do such a thing, never!" he yelled out.
"She tried to murder me yesterday Dark, and again today when I tried to reason with her. She hates me, wants me dead and gone because we're together. I'm not lying to you, please, believe me," Mizore pleaded. Dark shook his head as he backed up.
"No, that can't be true, it can't be!" he shouted out. Mizore glanced to the doorway then back to him.
"Then see for yourself, she probably still has my ring with her, keeping it all to herself because she doesn't want anyone else to have it. Dark… she's obsessed with you, possessive of you, and in love with you," she said softly. Dark growled then looked to the doorway. He ran into the room with Mizore rushing over to the doorway, the others then running up behind her as Dark approached Arial. The snow angel groaned quietly and opened her eyes, slowly looking over to him as he looked down at her with heartbroken eyes.
"Dark…" Arial said softly. She flinched then slowly sat up, holding her head while Mizore stood in the doorway watching her carefully.
"Arial…" Dark said quietly, watching his angel as she looked around in a daze. She blinked a few times then looked to him with wonder.
"Dark," she said with a soft smile forming. Glancing over to the side she saw Mizore, the snow angel then glaring with anger at her.
"You!" she shouted out.
"Tell him… tell him the truth Arial. Tell him how you really feel about him," Mizore demanded. Arial looked at her carefully then up at Dark, the demon shaking his head slowly.
"Arial…" he said softly, trying not to believe what the others had told him. Arial looked at him worriedly as he stepped back, the angel then sitting over on the edge of the bed while keeping her eyes on Dark.
"Dark, what's wrong?" Arial asked. Everybody looked to Dark as he stared at the angel with saddened eyes. He closed his eyes for a moment then looked down.
"Arial… do you have Mizore's ring?" he asked slowly. Arial glanced to Mizore then back to him. There was a long silence before Dark looked back to the angel.
"Did you… did you take it from her?" he asked in disbelief. Slowly Arial reached into her pocket, and then pulled out the crystal ring. Dark stared at it with a stunned expression as he backed up a step.
"No…" he said quietly.
"She doesn't deserve it Dark, she's not worthy of being your wife," Arial said shaking her head.
"No…" Dark said softly.
"You can't marry her, you're my demon, we're supposed to be together," Arial pleaded, standing up again next to the bed.
"No… Arial…" Dark said with a pained expression.
"Please Dark… I love you," Arial pleaded while reaching out for him. Mizore looked to Dark as he stared at the snow angel with disbelief and sorrow.
"You… you're… no…" he said quietly. Mizore showed a worried expression then looked to Arial with anger.
"It's true… what Mizore said… you really… you…" Dark said while shaking his head.
"Dark please, you can't marry her, you belong with me. We're soul mates, destined to be together. I know we are, I love you!" Arial cried out before running over to him, hugging the demon closely as he stared ahead showing no further reaction. The snow angel cried into his shirt as she held onto him tightly.
"I'll be a good wife for you, I promise. I've been waiting and dreaming of being that for so long, just give me a chance, please," she begged.
"Arial," Mizore growled out quietly.
Arial cried while holding Dark then looked up to him with worried eyes.
"Dark, I love you, more than anything in the whole world. Please, mark my heart as yours, make me your wife, please!" she pleaded loudly. Dark slowly looked down to her with a stunned expression, remaining silent as Arial wiped her tears away. He then slowly looked back to Mizore, the snow maiden showing him a remorseful expression while shaking her head. Dark looked back down to Arial with a stunned expression.
"Dark?" Apoch asked. Dark remained silent for a while then gently removed Arial's arms from around him, turned around and slowly walked away from the snow angel who watched with worried eyes, passing Mizore and heading out into the hall while looking down with disbelief.
"Dark?" Moka asked softly.
"Hey, say something man," Rason said worriedly.
Dark just kept looking down, remaining silent as everybody watched him with concern. His eyes slowly darted around slightly, the demon trying to process what he just heard. After a while he closed his eyes then slowly walked away, passing by the group that watched him in silence.
"Dark? Where are you going? Dark!" Arial called out before she tried to run after him. Mizore grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her, glaring at her with fury while the others looked over to the snow angel with discontent.
"How could you? How could you say such things to him? Do you have any idea what you just did to him?" Mizore yelled out at the snow angel, shoving her back towards the bed. Arial regained herself and growled at Mizore with anger.
"Get out of my way, you won't keep me from my husband!" she shouted out.
"You stupid girl," Apoch hissed with anger. Arial glanced to her as Apoch shook her head.
"You just don't see, do you? You don't see how badly you hurt him just now do you? You're not his wife, you could never be his wife after scarring him the way you did," Apoch said sharply.
"I didn't do anything wrong! And I am his wife! I am I am I am!" Arial shouted out.
SLAP!
Arial recoiled from the strike to her face by Mizore, the snow maiden trembling with anger and frustration.
"You were his angel, his guiding light in this world. He looked up to you, idolized you, and worshiped you. You were his guardian angel, the one soul in this world that he led his life in honor of," Mizore said through bared teeth. Arial looked back to her while holding a hand to her cheek. Mizore shook her head and looked down with tightly shut eyes.
"Do you have any idea how much you hurt him inside just now? Do you have any idea what you just did to him?" she demanded shakily. Arial looked at her carefully before Mizore glared at her.
"You know NOTHING about him Arial! You have no idea what he likes and doesn't like, you don't see how he feels about anyone, and you just destroyed him inside by taking away his precious guardian angel! You took everything from him!" Mizore yelled out. Arial looked at her worriedly then to the others by the doorway, all of them watching her with discontent.
"You little bitch, look at what you've done to him," Kurumu hissed at her.
"You crushed his spirit, you did more harm to him than anything else in this world could have," Ruby said shaking her head.
"You're the furthest thing from his wife Ms. Arial," Astreal scoffed in discontent.
"The Almighty will not be happy to hear about this Arial, you've gone too far this time," Gabriel stated while crossing his arms.
Arial looked around at them then back to Mizore, the snow maiden on the verge of tears. Arial growled with frustration and put the ring back in her pocket. Looking down with closed eyes Mizore took a steady breath before glaring at Arial again.
"I'm going to go find him, and try to soothe his pain that you inflicted upon him," she said with hatred. Arial opened her mouth to speak before Mizore pointed to her accusingly.
"As for you, stay the hell away from him, do you hear me? You may have been an angel to him before, but now you're nothing but a wretched little demon. You don't belong in heaven, you belong deep down in hell for what you've done to him," she said with malice. Arial looked at her with a stunned expression as Mizore walked up to her.
"I'm going to go calm down my husband, then I'll be back for my ring, and I will get it back one way or another," she threatened sternly. Arial just stared at her in silence before Mizore turned and ran out of the room, running past the others in search of her demon. The group then looked back to Arial as she looked down with worried eyes.
"How does it feel Arial?" Moka asked. Arial glanced to her as the vampire narrowed her eyes at the angel.
"How does it feel knowing you just crushed the demon you love?" she asked before walking away. The group then followed after, leaving Arial and the stunned nurses who watched everything standing in the infirmary room in silence. Slowly Arial held a hand to her heart, a few tears welling up in her eyes.
"Dark…"
Running down a hallway Complica was whimpering while shaking her head, the chronofly clad in only her towel still as her bare feet ran across the carpeted hallway with haste. She ran past two guards who watched the butterfly angel curiously, the girl stopping and looking back to them.
"Do you know where Ceal is? Where did he go?" she asked urgently.
"Ceal Erres? I believe he was heading towards master Fang Fang's private washroom earlier," one of the men said with a shrug.
"I still can't believe Fang Fang would allow that slayer anywhere near this estate, let alone into his home like this," the other scoffed while looking away.
"Where is he? Tell me quickly!" Complica cried out. One of the men pointed down the hall.
"The washroom is down that way, third hall on your left. What's wrong-" he started before Complica vanished instantly, a trial of distorted air rippling away down the hall from where she was just at. The men stared at the sight with surprise then looked to each other.
Further down the hall Complica appeared as a rippled wave of torn space wavered behind her, the chronofly running down the corridor as fast as she could.
"Arial, you went too far, you went too far this time," she whimpered as she ran up to an emblemized doorway, the silver plated door having a waterfall design on it.
"Ceal! Ceal we need your help!" Complica cried out as she quickly opened the door and ran in. Inside the washroom a thin veil of mist floated around as it was a comfortably warm temperature all around. There were two dragon sculptures on either side of a luxurious bath, both acting like fountains with a small gentle stream of warm water dropping down from them into the pool. Sitting in the bath against the edge Ceal was leaning back while looking down with closed eyes, his arms resting on the edge of the bath casually. He opened his eyes and glanced back to Complica, the girl standing behind him while staring at him with wide eyes.
"Complica? What are you doing here?" he asked. Complica's eye twitched slightly as she stared at the boy, his lower body obscured by the water which rippled gently from the twin fountains. A blush formed on her face before she quickly turned around, gripping the towel around her body tightly as she tried to gather her thoughts.
"Um… Arial… Mizore… fight… hurt… you… uh…" she stuttered nervously. Ceal looked at her for a moment then back down with a sigh of annoyance.
"You already promised you wouldn't ask more of me, and besides I'm not their personal medic," he said simply. Complica nodded slowly and looked down with worried eyes.
"Arial got hurt, really badly," she said softly. Ceal hesitated for a moment then shook his head.
"I'm not going to step in this time, not when it's not my fight or concern to begin with. If those two are fighting over that shadow demon again, then let them settle it themselves," he said calmly. Complica nodded then glanced back to the boy.
"I'm sorry; I was just worried about her. I'm sorry for bothering you," she said quietly. Ceal shook his head while still looking away from her.
"Don't be sorry for worrying about your friend Complica. However this is her matter to deal with, and there are bound to be consequences for her actions. Her getting physically hurt is the result of her own decisions," he said simply.
"I know, I had a feeling something like this would happen. But she's impossible to reason with, she loves Dark so much," Complica said looking down with worry. Ceal remained silent for a while then glanced back to her.
"She got into heaven didn't she? That must mean the Almighty himself saw a good soul in her. She needs to figure this out for herself, and she may get hurt along the way. If she's a good friend of yours Complica, then stay by her to help her see the truth, she'll be alright," he said calmly. Complica nodded slowly then looked back to him, her breathing becoming quiet as her wings fluttered once. He looked at her for a moment then raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked. Complica gulped quietly then shook her head.
"N-Nothing. Um… sorry for… disturbing you," she said softly. Ceal looked back ahead with closed eyes.
"It's fine Complica. Did you at least enjoy your bath with the others?" he asked. Complica stared at him as her blush grew.
"Um… well… sort of… until…" she said softly.
"Until the snow angel ruined it?" Ceal asked flatly. Complica considered telling him that wasn't the only thing that had been distracting her from relaxing earlier, with the other reason being her thoughts about him.
"Um… something like that," she said quietly. Ceal nodded then looked off to the side, grabbing a towel nearby. Complica turned back around with a squeak as Ceal stood up, wrapping the towel around his waist before stepping out of the bath.
"Sorry to hear that. This bath is quite relaxing actually, just what one needs to keep their mind focused. Why don't you stay here and enjoy a private bath, hopefully it'll make you feel better," he said casually. Complica slowly turned to face him, trying to only look at his face and not his bare chest.
"A private… bath?" she asked softly. He nodded and walked past her towards a new pair of clothing he had set aside near the wall.
"Let your mind unwind Complica, and just relax. It will help you see clearly," he said taking his clothes with him into the changing room nearby. Complica just looked at the water with wonder while standing there, her breathing quiet as she tried to focus her thoughts. That was something that she naturally always had a hard time doing, of course this time it was even more difficult as the multiple thoughts racing through her mind were all about the same thing. After a long pause she slowly dropped her towel down onto the floor and walked into the bath, sitting down against the edge and closing her eyes. Not too long after that Ceal walked out of the changing room, dressed again with black pants and t-shirt along with white socks. He glanced to the chronofly then walked towards the door. Complica glanced behind her at him, seeing him leaving and closing the door. All that was heard then were the gentle sounds of the fountains and her breathing, the girl looking up with a distant gaze.
"Stop thinking about him like that, he's like your brother, you're like his sister. You're not falling in love with him, you can't fall in love with him, don't fall in love with him," she said quietly to herself. She sighed and shook her head as her mind continued to run its own course, the girl's blush intensifying before she looked down with worry.
"Oh no," she said softly, her mind unable to stop thinking about Ceal in ways that she was sure a sister shouldn't be thinking about him in. She breathed out and slumped back against the edge of the bath, gently holding a hand to her cheek as she looked down at the water with a longing gaze.
"I'm… a bad, bad little sister."