IMPORTANT NOTE:

This story can be read without reading the main story; "Monster High"

"Monster High" Is found in my published stories, on my profile.

The character stories don't have any significant importance to the main story, but some references to these character stories may be added in future chapters of the Main Story.

Disclaimer: Any likeness to angels, Overworld's, Demons and other things is purely coincidence. It would be neat to meet a kind demon boy though! I don't own Hetalia, Hidekaz Himaruya owns it.

Arthur's Story

-Fallen Angel-

Little Arthur looked up at his mother uncertainly, staring at the soft clouds under his feet.

"Mummy? Do I have to go?" Arthur asked, watching the other young angels play in the small enclosure. It was made of extra soft clouds, perfect for little six-year-old boys like himself. After all, even young angels had their times of roughhousing and active running.

"Yes dear, it's only for a bit. Your father and I have to go do our jobs, but we'll be back for you." Arthur's mother said, letting go of his hand.

Arthur stood still as his mother gave him a kiss on the head. He knew how this worked already, but he still didn't like being left alone.

Arthur was a Cherub, which was just a name given to all the young angels who were born here. His mother and father however, were full angels and always had to go to Earth and perform their assigned tasks each day, leaving him in the care of the Elder angels. They watched the young cherubs teaching them the way of being an angel and informing them of the various dangers and sins they must never commit.

He had a habit however, of questioning things that he was taught. Such as why angels couldn't live on Earth, or if demons looked like them, why were they a bad thing?

Dangerous thinking, as the elders would tell him, but something inside him told him that he shouldn't be so hasty in making these solid choices of right and wrong. Still, he was a young cherub, so most angel brushed it off as a youngsters thinking. In time, he would understand.

"Hi!" a voice said, breaking through Arthur's train of thought.

Arthur looked up to see another young Cherub, she was looking at him with curious eyes.

"Oh, hi!" Arthur said, not recognizing her face. It was always strange seeing a new face. He came here more often than the other Cherubs, meaning he had by now, memorized all the faces.

"I'm new here. Where's the books?" the little cherub asked.

"Ah, over there." Arthur said, pointing at the corner. "You're new here?"

The girl nodded, "Yup. But my momma and poppa aren't here... They had to go back to earth... I came from the south place!"

Arthur nodded, understanding what the girl meant. The way she was speaking about them, as well as the tone she used, meant that her parents had most likely served their time here. They were probably granted permission to be reborn on Earth. It was a rule that the youngest of Cherubs learned.

In this world, people who die on earth are often guided here to serve time here as angels. After a period of good service, depending on what task is set, they gain The Favor and are free to go back to earth and be reborn.

After gaining The Favor however, some angels, like his parents, prefer to stay and continue their service, forming their own family and living here. Sometimes though, angels like this cherubs parents, would leave despite having a child here or they may wait for their mates and leave together.

It was all too complex for Arthur's six-year-old brain to comprehend, but he understood that her parents were gone.

"That's too bad. Then who are you staying with?" Arthur asked, following the girl to the books.

"My mummies sister." The girl replied sitting with a picture book and saying nothing more.

Arthur sighed, he was hoping to make a friend, but it seemed he had lost her interest. Oh well...

Arthur didn't have a lot of friends in this place. That is, human friends, as the phoenix in the forest behind his home counted. The little fairies didn't really count, but they did visit occasionally.

It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make a solid friend. He wondered if there was something wrong with him perhaps, but his mother assured him that in a few years he was bound to make friends.

Arthur looked around the large, cloud playpen. He didn't see anything in particular that really interested him, so he decided to walk around instead.

After walking around the entire cloud encasement three times, Arthur gave up and sat against the far wall. He considered looking at one of the available picture books, or listen to the Elders stories, but he had read and heard them all... He would try flying, but as a Cherub, he needed to attend an actual flying class. His small wings gave a little flap, he didn't know where to begin...

As Arthur pondered what to do, he looked through the playpen bars, into the forest beyond. The playpen was an outdoor one, made from soft clouds from the east and was surrounded by a large forest. No one had a lot to worry about in the open-ness of the place. The most you could see in any forests in this world was a few fairies, or maybe the occasional rabbit.

As Arthur walked, he noticed an odd thing in the side of one of the playpen walls. It seemed lower than the others, something he might be able to climb up and over if he tried...

Well, no one would notice, right? Arthur thought, slowly getting closer to the wall.

With a bit of effort and a small flap from his little wings, he successfully made it over the wall.

"Haha~" Arthur giggled mischievously, smiling at the sight of everyone in the cloud playpen. It was as though they were animals on display and he was the observer. He gave one last giggle and ran off into the forest.

After a short walk, Arthur had found some local fairies. He approached them and within ten minutes, they had invited him to play in their clearing.

"Haha! Missed~" Arthur said cheerfully, dodging the small pink glow. The fairies were so small, the only way you can tell where they were is by the colored light they gave off.

Arthur ran in the clearing, dodging the other colored lights as he tried not to get tagged. He skidded to a stop near the edge of the clearing, ready to dodge the incoming pink glow, when the bushes rustled.

At the sudden movement, the fairies scattered, leaving Arthur in the clearing alone as he looked at the bushes. Maybe it was a unicorn? He loved unicorns, but they were very shy creatures...

Arthur jumped back, crying out in surprise when a head popped out of the bushes.

It was a boy, probably a few years older than him, judging by height. He had light blonde hair and a round face. On the boys right hand was a small, golden ring that glowed in the sunlight, a red gem affixed on it and various engravings decorating Arthur, he would be nothing more than an older boy, if not for the small horns at the top of his head and the red eyes that were staring at him.

"Hm? What are you doing in my forest?" the boy asked. His voice was rough, but Arthur sensed no hidden intent, only confusion.

Despite that, Arthur trembled, moving back a foot. He had fallen on the ground when he was taken by surprise.

All angels knew of the existence of demons. In fact, Guardian angels primary objectives were to defend both Earth and the Holy world from the demons.

However, all angels hear tales of demons, even the youngest angels know not to go searching for one. Demons are said to be sly and cruel. They eat little angels and live on pain and tears. They trick people into contracts or cause mischief and chaos wherever they go. It was only natural that Arthur knew of these stories, and now he was compltetely terrified.

"Hey, what'cha shaking like that for?" the demon asked, inching closer.

"'M-'M not shaking..." Arthur replied, standing his ground. He had his pride after all, even though he felt like running, he wouldn't give up easily.

"Yes you are." the demon replied, stopping right in front of Arthur. "Are you scared or something? Is there something behind me?" the boy looked behind him, shrugging when he saw nothing.

"Y-You're going to eat me, right?" Arthur asked.

The boy looked at Arthur for a moment as a smile slowly appeared on his face.

This is it! He's really going to eat me! Arthur thought, shutting his eyes. Just get it over with then. He received another shock as he heard laughter in place of the expected sound of crunching bones.

"Ahahaha! Eat you? By god, that's a really bad idea! You probably taste terrible~" The boy laughed harder, dropping to the ground as Arthur looked down. Now both boys were on the ground, and Arthur was tempted to make a dash for it. Still, he decidided not to, as the boy stopped rolling on the grass and looked at him.

"I'm not gonna eat you. Where'd you get that idea?" the boy asked.

"The stories, and my parents... They all tell me things about demons..." Arthur mumbled, actually feeling a little foolish for thinking this boy would eat him. He had a bright glint in his eyes that was nothing more than amusement...

The boy sat up and frowned, "Stories? Like what?" he looked at Arthur curiously. It seemed he wanted Arthur to tell him.

Arthur sighed, telling the boy all he knew, which actually was very little. He watched as the boy's expression varied from shocked to annoyed then to sad.

"Hmm, lot's of that stuff isn't true though..." The boy said after Arthur finished.

Arthur looked at the boy confused, "Not true?" he asked, disbelieving. The Angels would never lie about that...

"Yeah! I mean, I was told to do lot's of things, but it doesn't mean I am bad, right? Stuff we do is for fun! Though, theres lots of really bad demons, they're like what you told me, but not everyone is that way. Contracts are good things, my papa said it binds us to someone and keeps us... Uh... In line? They share our power and we protect them! In return we live a longer time becuase our life forces, or something like that, are connected! Only, if one of us dies, it means that the other does too... Does this make sense?" the boy asked, looking at Arthur whose face was showing nothing but confusion.

Arthur shook his head, not really understanding as the boy nodded. "Yeah, I don't really get it either, but I know that all demons aren't as bad as you think they are."

Arthur nodded in agreement. After meeting this boy, he could see that his words were true.

"Hey! Y'wanna play a game? It's called tag, but I never have enough people to play with. That, and the faries here are a bit slow..." The boy said, jumping up suddenly.

Arthur stood too, "You can see the faries?" he asked.

Although he was an angel, it seemed that only Arthur could see the magical creatures in the forest. He felt overjoyed to know someone else could see them too!

The boy nodded, "Yep! It took a lot of berries to get them to be friendly though." he said smiling as a green glow came out from the forest and circled around him. Now that the initial fear had passed, the clearing was starting to fill up with little glowing balls of light.

"So, I'm it!" the boy called, smiling mischeviously. Arthur wasn't sure what to do though, but the boy just snickered and called out "Run and don't get tagged by the person who is it!"

Arthur laughed happily, enjoying himself. They played for a good two hours before they both needed a rest.

"Heh, it's a lot more fun with another person." the boy said, lying in the grass.

Arthur nodded in response, both boys out of breath.

"Hey... Why are you in the forest?" Arthur said, sitting up. It was a question he had been wondering for a while. He heard the boy take in a sharp breath. Was this a touchy subject for him? Perhaps he shouldn't have asked.

"Ah... Well...l guess I just was, left behind..." the boy mumbled.

"Huh? Won't your parents miss you then? They would come find you, right?" Arthur asked.

The boy shook his head, looking down at the ground. "My parents are the ones who left me here..." he mumbled.

"What!" Arthur was appalled, the boys parent's left him here? That was terrible! Why would anyone leave their child?

"Heh, yeah... It's not so bad. A lot of demon parents leave their children actually. It's kind of like survive or die, I think. Dad told me it's like a test... Maybe he was lying though..." the boy replied, a sad look in his eyes.

Arthur said nothing, he couldn't imagine living alone in a forest; his parents abandoning him...

The boy smiled then, shaking his head and clearing his mind of memories. "It's okay though, I've gotten pretty used to living alone. That was a few years ago."

"Wow... Really?" Arthur asked, surprised. Since the boy seemed to be only a couple years older than himself, he must have been fairly young when he was abandoned...

"Yeah! You learn a lot when it comes to staying alive." the boy replied. Arthur saw a proud smile on the boys face.

"Don't you get lonely though?" Arthur whispered, not wanting to bring the boy down, but also curious.

The boy gave a small sigh, "Maybe a bit, but it's not so bad..."

"Well... Then... I'll be your friend." Arthur said, looking up at the boy. "You won't be lonely now!"

The boy looked at Arthur in shock and then laughed. "Haha! Just declaring like that. Kid you've never seen an angel with a demon in this place, have you?"

Arthur frowned, not pleased to be laughed at. "Well, you'd be my only friend, is it that funny?"

The boy stopped laughing, instantly changing to serious. It was funny how he did that... "Well, you would be my only friend too... After playing with you though... Weren't you already my friend?" the boy asked, tilting his head. He had a slight smile on his face, but it was a warm one.

Arthur thought about this for a moment, then laughed. His heart beat at the excitement of finally having a friend. "Yes!"

Both boys stood up, ready to play one more game of tag before Arthur had to go, slipping back over the play enclosure.

Usually frowning when she picked him up in the evenings, his mother wondered why Arthur had a smile on his face as she greeted him.

A week had passed by quickly since Arthur had met the boy. They had to be more careful, as the angels were a panicked mess when Arthur returned one day, arriving later than usual from his playtime with his new friend. He managed to sway any questions by saying he had fallen asleep in one of the cloud tunnels, but the angels were keeping a closer watch on him nonetheless.

Still, he was very good at being sneaky and hiding, managing to slip out of sight and into the bushes, crawling through them to meet the boy. Today, it had dawned on him that he hadn't learned the boys name, nor had he ever told the boy his name!

I'll fix that! I'll tell him once I see him. Arthur thought, running out into the clearing.

There he saw his friend sitting on a rock looking at the glowing fairies flying everywhere.

"Hi!" Arthur called cheerfully, running over to his friend.

The boy looked up for a moment, waving at Arthur before going back to watching the fairies. "How's it going?" he asked, not looking at Arthur as he continued to watch the glowing lights.

"It's hard to sneak out... They keep looking at me all the time." Arthur said, sighing as he moved closer to his friend, sitting next to him. "It's okay though, I'm really good at sneaking and I hid in bushes to get here!"

"Hmm... I see..." The young demon sat there in thought, absently touching one of the light green glows. Arthur watched him, feeling a little uneasy. His friend seemed down, or maybe he was just really quiet? Nonetheless, his behavior seemed different today. He began to poke at the grass nervously, wondering if perhaps he did something wrong?

"My father once told me, with every action, comes a consequence, and the consequence can either be bad or good, but we still end up winning... I never understood that..." the boy mumbled, clearly lost in thought.

Arthur looked up from his spot in the grass, his eyes swirling with confusion as he thought about it...

"I don't get it..." Arthur said.

The boy sighed, nodding. "It is confusing, but I think I'm starting too understand..." he replied, looking at Arthur.

Arthur was still confused, but nodded his head, thinking that was the best thing to do.

"You know, I've been wondering... Maybe we shouldn't... Shouldn't sneak around like this anymore..." the boy said suddenly, not looking at Arthur in the eyes.

The comment hit Arthur hard; he wasn't expecting that at all.

"What! But why! If it's about me coming here all the time, I can come less! How about just tuesdays! O-Or, if I'm playing too rough then I can stop!" Arthur cried, his voice higher in his panic. He didn't want to loose his friend! They had just met!

The boy shook his head, "That's not it, it's not you at all... It's me..."

Arthur shook his head, not believing his ears. "Why is it you? You haven't done anyt-"

Suddenly the bushes near them rustled, causing both boys to jump to their feet. Out emerged an angel, clad in long white robes. His short brown hair waved in the wind as he stepped into the clearing, and his light green eyes darted around the clearing. Arthur recognized him immediately.

"D-Dad?"

Arthur father looked at Arthur in surprise, then frowned as he saw Arthur's companion. Immediately, he took an offensive stance, looking directly at the boy.

"Get away from my son, filthy demon!"

Arthur watched his friend take a step backwards in fear. He saw his father jump forwards, ready to attack.

"No! Stop!" Arthur cried, jumping in front of his friend. He wouldn't let his father harm his friend, even if his friend didn't want to be with him anymore.

Arthur's father stopped, confusion on his face as he saw his son blocking his way to attack. His face then changed from confusion to rage as he took a step backwards.

"You... You devil! You have, you have brainwashed my son into protecting you! You coward! Hiding behind someone innocent to protect yourself!" Arthur's father cried out in anger.

Arthur shook his head vigorously, "No! That's not true!" he cried, his father was taking the situation and turning it into something completely different.

Arthur's father growled as he heard Arthur's words, his expression softening as he looked at Arthur for a moment, "Don't worry son, as soon as I take care of the demon, you will be okay!"

Arthur frowned, but before he could react, his father lunged forward again. Panicking, Arthur thrust his hands out, desperately hoping something, anything, happened that would give his friend time.

It shocked everyone in the clearing when a blinding flash of light appeared, covering the clearing in white as Arthur shut his eyes to the glare. He saw his father cover his eyes, momentarily stunned and turned to his friend who was also rubbing his eyes.

"Quick! Run!" Arthur said desperately.

The boy looked up at Arthur, his eyes full of fear, yet... There was something else... Something in his eyes that made Arthur wonder if he should be confused or worried.

Arthur jumped as his father moved, still momentarily blinded, but nonetheless, he was moving. Now more worried for his friend, he gave him a gentle push towards the other direction.

The boy turned around for a moment, looking into Arthur's eyes sadly. "I'm sorry... No matter what, you'll always be my friend..." he said, before running into the forest.

Arthur nodded, watching as his friend ran into the forest. His father stood up, blinking.

"What was that? That demon used some trick to blind me..."

It seemed that his father didn't know he was the one responsible. Arthur watched as his father looked in the direction the boy ran, and began sprinting in the direction, calling for back up.

I thought I saw... Acceptance in his eyes? What does that mean? Arthur wondered, praying his friend escaped safely.

The next day, Arthur was back in the daycare. Sitting forlornly in the reading corner. When his father finally came back, he brought him back to the daycare. He claimed the demon boy had brainwashed him into defending him, and how they were still chasing him. The staff declared they would keep a closer eye on him from now on.

Apparently a cherub from the daycare saw Arthur leaving the cloud enclosure and alerted the staff, who alerted some of the local Guardian Angels; his father being one of them.

From there they tracked Arthur to the clearing and now they knew of his demon friend. They were chasing his friend, sending all available units to capture the demon. Any demon that could "brainwash" a young angel was extremely dangerous and was top priority.

It was two days later that Arthur learned of who ratted him out. It was the new girl who had asked him where the books were that first day. He took it too his own accord to show his displeasure. Knocking over her block tower and quietly hiding her books. He needed someone to direct his anger and sadness, and the girl just seemed like the right one. He had finally gotten a friend and within a week, lost him...

Arthur went back to the clearing once, having snuck into the bushes and waited in the middle, sitting on the grass. No one was there; not even the fairies. After two hours of waiting, he gave up and went back to the daycare, sitting in a corner until he was picked up by his mother.

Three days later, the news came.

Arthur couldn't miss it, there was no way he could ignore it either; it was everywhere... All of the angels were talking about it, even the cherubs...

News about a young demon, who was caught by a guardian angel. The boy had light blonde hair and red eyes, a round face and small horns.

Apparently he was found in a small clearing, not far from the daycare Arthur was at. He was discovered by Arthur's father, Arthur apparently under the demons influence.

The guardian angels chased him down and the demon boy nearly escaped, but apparently he had run back to the clearing he was discovered in.

The guardian angels found him leaving behind a little piece of paper. They suspected it was a summoning spell, probably to summon more demons to the clearing. After catching the demon, they destroyed the paper. No one got a chance to read what was on it.

The day the angels caught the demon, they executed him immediately. It was, after all, the rule. All demons were evil and were to be exterminated as fast as possible. That day, the clouds covered the sun, leaving a dark haze over the light world...

Upon hearing the news a few days after during daycare, Arthur immediately stood up, walking over to the far wall of the cloud enclosure. By now, the angels had fixed the wall, no longer could Arthur slip out. He was watched constantly too, in case the demons magic that corrupted his mind still lingered...

Arthur stared at the newly fixed wall, the reality crashing down on him. His first real friend... That boy... He was gone now; dead. What did the boy do? Why did he get hurt just like that? He was kind; even the fairies loved him. So why? Why was he dead?

Arthur looked at the forest through the bars, wishing his friend would just pop out from the bushes and say "Surprise, they lied! I'm alive."

It didn't happen of course, but Arthur still waited.

Half an hour of waiting, Arthur gave up, sliding to his knees, tears starting to form.

It's not fair... It's not fair! Arthur thought, the tears finally falling onto the ground. They left dark stains on the ground, forming a larger stain as more tears fell.

Arthur continued to cry quietly, his sobs barely heard in the large play area.

I... I never even knew his name... Arthur thought, as the dark clouds that had been hovering in the sky for the past few days at last opened up. The first drop landed softly on Arthur's head, followed by another, then another.

No one knew the demon boy was Arthur's friend. They didn't know he, upon his own free will, tried to protect him. Now, Arthur learned he couldn't tell anyone. That they wouldn't believe him, or they would turn him in and he would get into trouble. No one would ever know.

With the light blocked out by the clouds, a dark haze covered the area. Arthur continued to cry as the rain fell, drenching his thin, white tunic and making the wings on his back feel heavy as the feathers absorbed the water. He felt truly alone as the water droplets fell faster from the clouds.

It was as though the sky was crying with Arthur.

The next few years for Arthur was hard. After learning of his friends death, he never really made as much effort to make friends in the daycare.

It wouldn't matter anyways, as most of the cherubs had heard of Arthur's encounter with the demon and stayed away. It was like he had the plague and they constantly gave him distance.

Now ten years old, Arthur had grown from cherub to an angel in training. He now went to the small school next to the daycare, where he was learning about the angel laws and ways. The memory of his demon friend was distant, and he had never gone back to the clearing since.

Since then, Arthur never believed what the angel elders said about demons. He sometimes defended them, speaking up when something untrue was mentioned. This gave him have a poor reputation with his peers, though the elders passed it of as lingering demon magic in his brain.

There was one thing Arthur still remembered, what that demon boy had said before they were caught...

"My father once told me, with every action, comes a consequence, and the consequence can either be bad or good, but we still end up winning... I never understood that..."

Arthur sighed, he still didn't understand either. From what he knew right now, he was the reason his friend had died. If he hadn't found the demon boy, then he wouldn't have gotten killed. His father wouldn't have discovered him. It was his own actions that ultimately led to the bad consequence of his death.

How is it that you can still win when something like that happens? Arthur wondered, looking up at the blue sky.

Sighing, Arthur stood up. The bell had rung and break time was over. He entered his class slowly, immediately hit by the excitement in the air.

That's right, we are getting our first training assignments today. Arthur thought, sitting at his desk.

The assignments were fairly simple, go to Earth and help guide someone to the Otherworld.

Arthur chuckled, it was only recently he learned that the world he lived in had an actual name. Humans called it heaven, but he preferred the name Otherworld.

Humans think that Heaven is a paradise and everything was happy and all were free...

Arthur snorted, "If that were true, they would have let him go..."

Arthur didn't like being so pessimistic and moody, but it was either that or lonely and unhappy. Of course either way, he felt all four of those emotions and then some, but he would rather not be known for his depressive aura than his short temper.

No matter what, he still had no friends. People were either scared of him or didn't bother. Some thought he was just weird. He could still talk to the fairies and see the other magical creatures, but no one else could and when they saw him, they just gave him space...

Sighing, Arthur sat up straight as the teacher walked inside the room. Despite his cool exterior, he did try to stay within the rules. He excelled in his studies as well, almost like a dictionary. If anyone had a question, he knew the answer. Usually... He was fairly poor at sports, but that seemed logical to him. After all, he didn't have others to play with.

Yes, Arthur was growing into a bitter angel indeed. It was any wonder how he didn't start growing devil horns and a spiked tail...

Listening carefully as the assignments were listed off, Arthur waited for his name to be called. He received a simple assignment; go to Earth and guide a young boy to the Otherworld.

Arthur nodded; he was to go down to Earth tomorrow. The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and he stepped out of the school doors, looking down the path.

Although Arthur was excited, his first assignment would be completed solo. Normally two students would go together, but because there were no requests to be partnered with him, he was assigned to go alone. It was times like this he wished he had a friend.

Arthur chanced a small glance towards the forest. He hadn't been back there since that day; always walking right past it on his way home. Today though, he felt like doing something different. After all, who knows how long it may take to complete his mission. At least he could visit the fairies, right?

Shrugging and slipping his messenger bag over his shoulder. Arthur walked towards the forest; everything seemed exactly the same as when he came all those years ago. Although, everything seemed more lower now that he had grown.

Arthur stopped when he reached the clearing, looking at the places they had played. The time he spent with the demon boy was short, but it was probably one of his best memories… Then again, he didn't have many to begin with.

With a sad sigh, Arthur moved to the middle of the clearing, vaguely wondering where all the fairies went. They were such fun to watch, but there were no glowing orbs of light to be found.

After a few minutes however, Arthur's question was answered. Slowly but surely, little orbs flickered in and out of sight, darting in and out of the trees. The clearing soon filled with fairies as they floated closer to Arthur, curious of the newcomer.

Arthur smiled, a rare occurrence, as a green orb went up to his face. He could actually see a face in the light, if they came close enough. It was a small fairy girl, her face held a look of confusion, until it changed into something else. Recognition perhaps?

The green fairy suddenly darted off after taking a closer look at Arthur's face. He was tempted to follow it, as many other fairies followed, but they soon came back, this time in a collective glowing ball of light. They floated up to Arthur and as soon as they reached him, they dispersed, flying into the trees and disappearing.

Arthur looked down, his eye catching a small flash as something reflected the sunlight. Kneeling down, he reached forwards, carefully touching the object. After he was sure it wasn't dangerous, he wrapped his hand around it, holding it in his hand as he examined it carefully.

To Arthur's shock, he recognized the object immediately. It was that ring the demon boy wore on his right hand, the gold reflecting the sunlight as the red gem glowed. Even the engravings on the ring seemed to glow vibrantly in the piercing sunlight… His eyes watered slightly as he looked up, the green fairy had returned.

"Y-you? W-what?" Arthur stuttered, words failing him right now. He didn't know what to think about the ring, only that it was the demon boys…

"When the boy came back, he left it. There was a letter too, we saved it for him and replaced it with an old piece of paper! He wanted to give it to you, but he was caught…"

Arthur gasped when he heard the voice resonate in his head. It was a light female voice, one that was high pitched and bright. He could only assume that the green fairy was somehow talking to him.

"Don't look so surprised Arthur. We can talk, but we only choose to do it with people we like~ Or trust. You're his friend and ours too! You should come visit us more, though. It's awfully boring floating here all day"

Arthur smiled, rubbing his eyes and nodding. "Y-yes, I'm sorry. I've been a bit busy… I'll come back then… Th-thank you."

The fairy floated down, picking up an old piece of paper and handing it to Arthur. "I'm glad you will. Don't forget us here!"

Arthur nodded, taking the paper. He decided to read it later, as a quick glance at the darkening sky told him he should hurry home. He waved goodbye to the little fairy, unsure when he could return, but he was going to come back. They were his friends, after all…

After a few weeks, or was it months. The time Arthur spent on Earth had blurred together in a large blob. He returned, his mood even worse than before.

His first assignment went poorly, and in his despair Arthur had run to the clearing; the little fairies trying hard to console him. Sitting crouched on the grass, letting his tears fall, he quietly cried as the sun began to set. It was almost midnight when he at last looked up, wiping his eyes and staring at the stars that shined above him.

It's not fair… Arthur thought, looking at the stars. Always... Every time! It seemed to him, that every time he made anything remotely close to a friend, they left him one way or another.

Is it just that I'm destined to be alone? Arthur wondered, looking at the ring on his hand. He had worn it ever since he received it.

Library books showed it was a special ring for demons and that it heightened a demons power. There was nothing more he could learn about it from angel book. Upon learning that it increased a demons power, Arthur wondered why the boy didn't keep the ring? Why didn't he use it and escape?

"Bloody hell… Why didn't you save yourself you git…" Arthur mumbled under his breath. He had picked up an English accent during his time on Earth.

Taking a look around the clearing, the flowers and grass seemed to glow in the moonlight, sparkling unnaturally as the fairies began to come out of their hiding spots. Standing up, Arthur was about to leave the clearing, when something just beyond the trees rustled.

Arthur sighed, not even turning around. He was tired of hoping, of expecting anyone, to come out. If anything it was probably just a rabbit.

It was only when Arthur heard a small snort did he turn around. He gasped in shock when he came face to face with a majestic unicorn. Its mane shimmered in the moonlight and its horn almost seemed to glow. It had a bright white coat and the air around it was full of a strange mystical energy.

Arthur stared in awe until the unicorn moved towards the forest. It motioned at him, cocking its head and shuffling its hooves on the ground impatiently, as though it wanted him to follow.

"Y-you want me to follow you?" Arthur asked hesitantly, unsure if he should…

One quick up and down motion of its head told Arthur the answer, and hesitantly, he stood up, cautiously following the unicorn into the forest.

They walked for a for a long time, the unicorn in front as Arthur followed behind, ducking past twigs and branches as the unicorn simply plowed through them. He nearly crashed into the mystic animal when it made an abrupt stop.

Peering from behind the unicorn, Arthur saw something that made him gasp in shock. Sitting on a tree stump, right in front of him was a little boy. He had bright, nearly-white hair and piercing red eyes that looked at him suspiciously. He had small horns on his head and a frown on his face, his plain grey shirt flapping in the night breeze as his tattered shorts clung to his legs.

In the boy's arms was a red egg-shaped object, it seemed to be giving off little flares of fire and must have been incredibly hot. It made Arthur wonder how this boy wasn't a blackened crisp. He was holding it close to his chest in a protective manner; clearly it was very important to him…

"Wh-who are you!" The boy asked, his voice hoarse and tired sounding. It seemed to Arthur that he was in dire need of help. He could see the boy was malnourished and weak, despite the straight posture he had and the strong, suspicious glare he gave Arthur.

"My name is Arthur. This unicorn brought me here…" Arthur replied, motioning to the unicorn. The unicorn nodded, or at least, moved its head in an up and down motion, before walking off.

The boy looked at the unicorn for a moment, watching it leave before darting his eyes back to Arthur. "I-I did ask for help… Maybe something finally listened…" he whispered.

Arthur nodded, crouching down and smiling softly, he didn't want to scare the boy. "Unicorns are supposed to be very good luck. They're very kind creatures."

The boy looked at Arthur a moment longer, not saying anything but merely seemed to be examining him carefully.

"H-hey, you look hungry, would you like something to eat?" Arthur asked, breaking the silence. The boy thought for a moment, but nodded.

"If the unicorn brought you here, then I can trust you." The boy replied. "You don't seem mean anyways."

Arthur nodded, smiling as the boy declared that he wasn't a mean person. He reached into his bag and passing the boy what was supposed to be his lunch. Well, it was really late anyways; he wouldn't eat it.

The boy eyed the food hungrily before taking it and beginning to eat. It was gone in seconds.

"Thank you. It was good." The boy said, hugging the egg-shaped object closer to him.

Arthur looked down at the object, tempted to ask what it was. He assumed it must have been an egg, but of what he wasn't sure. Was it a phoenix egg, because it did seem to radiate heat… Though, it was fairly big…

"I-I don't know what to do now" The boy whispered to Arthur after a period of silence. "My head hurts, this isn't awesome at all…" he mumbled.

Arthur sighed, "I don't know what to do either… but… I'll come back later, okay? I have to go, it will be too suspicious if I stay out any longer."

The boy nodded, as though understanding. "Okay…"

Arthur stood up, looking behind at the boy, taking note of the location and leaving for home. His parents were worried, but he made an excuse that he was busy and took a walk. They seemed to believe him, but he knew they would be watching him…

The next couple of days, Arthur visited the boy, giving him food and talking with him. He learned a bit about the boy, that he was around seven years old and had been both abandoned and run away, strange as that seemed. The boy also explained that the egg was a special egg that he made a promise to look after. He wouldn't say anymore on the subject however.

Arthur told the boy a bit about himself, as well as the Otherworld. They shared stories and they were quickly becoming friends. This development however, had more than Arthur worried however.

It was getting harder for Arthur to sneak out to see the boy. His parents were keeping a watchful eye on him ever since the first night. It was only four days later that he sat at the breakfast table, listening to his parents talk.

"Arthur, you have certainly been going out a lot… Where are you going?" His mother asked.

"Um… Just to the forest. I like to walk." Arthur said hastily, swallowing his breakfast and nervously poking at the plate.

Arthur's father looked at him suspiciously. "I see… Well, please be careful in there. There have been reports of increased demon sightings. In fact, we're going to do a thorough inspection today, it wi- Arthur?"

Upon hearing his father's words, Arthur had immediately jumped from the table, his parents watching as he ran out the door. He heard his father calling after him, but ignored it, running straight to the forest.

Bloody hell! Not again! Arthur's mind screamed as he ran, He's going to take him away, just like before… he thought, running faster. He didn't think he could stand to have it happen again… He felt like screaming as he ran, when a flash of light caught his attention.

Arthur suddenly stopped, standing in the forest panting heavily. He looked down at his hand, where the light came from. It was the demon boy's ring. The gold metal reflecting the sunlight as he ran. His eyes filled with tears as he leaned against a tree, realizing that it was hopeless.

No matter what he did, he couldn't help the other boy… The little demon would be hunted, his face known by all the Guardian Angels… It was the same for the first, the last and the next demon that came…

"There is nowhere for him to go…" Arthur whispered, realization hitting him. He sunk down, sitting on the ground. Then, it's all pointless, right?

"Damn it… No matter how much I try, I can't help any of them… I'm really just useless…" Arthur mumbled, burying his head in his arms as he curled against the tree.

There was a sharp poke in his side as he curled up however and it began to bother him as it dug into his side. Frowning, he lifted his head, reaching into his tunic pocket for the source. It was a small piece of paper and upon closer inspection; he realized it was the letter the demon boy had left him. The one the green fairy delivered him.

"I still haven't looked at it… Heh, I forgot all about it.." Arthur said, carefully unfolding the paper. It was probably some scathing words. After all, what else would you say to the person who was ultimately responsible for your death… Even now, his father was probably searching for him. He was bound to find the other boy too…

"Might as well get it over with then." Arthur said, smoothing out the paper. It was in messy scrawl, fitting for a young boy. Though, somehow, there weren't any childish mistakes in spelling and it seemed almost like a young teenager was writing the letter…

Dear Arthur,
So your name is Arthur? Haha, it's a nice name. I'm sorry our time was so short… I really enjoyed playing with you. I'm really glad I met you, it made my last days less lonely.

Actually, I should probably start by saying I'm sixteen-years old! Haha, I'm really old! I suppose you could say that demons age in strange ways, not quite like you do. A young boy can be an old man, just as an old man can be a young boy, in the demon world. Heh, it's often different for each one. I do have child-like qualities though!

Anyways, I don't have a lot of paper, so I should get to the point. I never told you, but there was another reason I was abandoned. I had a short life expectancy, not sure why even now, but either way, by the time I reach eighteen, I'll be gone. Don't worry though, I've already accepted it. Still, I was afraid to tell you… I'm sorry for keeping it a secret.

Remember how I told you that thing? Those words my father told me? "With every action, comes a consequence, and the consequence can either be bad or good, but we still end up winning... " I said I didn't understand it, but I do now…

As an example, take the action of meeting you. The consequence was that inevitably, we would get caught… I figured it out after a while and I just hoped I could prevent you from at least getting in trouble. Everything we do has the potential of both outcomes, of good and bad. It's hard to explain, but I think you'll understand eventually.

That said Arthur, we still end up winning, no matter what the result was. In the end I got to meet you, and you made my last week fun. I've never really had any friends, even in the underworld. In just a few days, you became my friend, and I wouldn't give those moments up for anything. You won too! You know more about demons than most angels I'm sure. You also know not to trust everything you hear, right? You learned from the experience.

I'm leaving my ring, it's not much use to me after all, I was never a strong demon. Give it to your next demon friend maybe?

You'll make more friends Arthur, be them demon or angel or anything else. Everyone has the potential to be a friend and being lonely sucks, so try hard for both of us.

Don't give up Artie!
Demon boy, Thomas

The last few lines were blurred in Arthur's eyes as tears formed, not falling but hanging there as though even they weren't giving up.

Rubbing his eyes, Arthur stood up, folding the paper shut and slipping it far into the bottom of his pocket.

"Bloody hell…" He whispered, frowning at the forest path. He stretched out his wings, flapping them a few times as he lifted off and flying above the trees as he looked for the place the other boy was. He hadn't flown in ages, not that comfortable in using his wings. His parents said he would get used to it eventually.

I'm not losing him… There is one place he can go… Arthur thought, flying north towards the boy's location and soon landing lightly on the forest floor. He ran the rest of the way, jumping over tree stumps and ducking under the low branches. He had to reach the boy before the Guardian Angels did.

To Arthur's relief, the boy was still there, sleeping in a small pile of leaves. He ran over, gently shaking the boy awake.

"Ngh, Arthur? What's wrong?"

Arthur shook his head, he had no time to explain. "I have to get you out of here… There is a search happening in the forest, and you'll get caught." Arthur said hastily.

The boy's eyes widened as he clutched the egg close to his chest in worry. "W-what? But where will I go?"

Arthur shushed him, trying to calm him down. "It's okay. I have a plan. Do you trust me?"

The boy looked at him with his red eyes, and after a moment's hesitation nodded.

Arthur smiled, "Okay, my plan is to take you somewhere where the amgels won't find you."

The boy held a look of confusion on his face, "But there's nowhere angels can't reach! They can get to the Underworld too!"

Arthur nodded, it was true but- "Earth. I'm going to take you to Earth. Angels still can reach it, but I think you'll be okay there. You'll have to hide for a while, but it's the best chance we have…"

The boy gasped, surprised at such an idea. Still, he nodded silently, he seemed to trust Arthur enough, and certainly didn't want to be caught by the Guardian Angels.

Arthur took a fast look around, making sure it was clear. "Okay, I'm going to fly us to the transportation site. From there it's fairly easy to go."

The boy nodded again, clutching the egg as Arthur wrapped his arms around the boy, lifting them both up into the air. Together they flew towards town, yet as they flew, Arthur had a strange suspicion that he was being followed. Every few minutes he would turn, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone, but there was no one there and he quickly brushed it off as a random feeling. He was too focused on the demon boy and getting him to the transportation site to think otherwise.

I have to protect this boy, that's my only concern right now. Arthur thought, tightening his hold on the boys waist as they flew. I won't let him die.

Once Arthur finally landed, the two boys were outside of a large building. It was made out of glass, both the walls and ceilings, while the ground was made of white cloud. Inside were many angels, running in and out of large capsules.

The capsules looked like grey tubes, a small opening on one side. Arthur watched as an angel ran into the opening in the tube, soon disappearing in a quick shower of white sparkles.

"Woah, where'd he go?" The boy asked, his face against the window.

"Those things transport angels to places. It's actually kind of fun." Arthur said, laughing at the boy's curiosity.

"Oh! That's awesome!" the boy said, looking at Arthur. "So what about that?" he asked, pointing to a different capsule. Arthur watched as an angel struggled as two more tossed him into the capsule, red sparks falling over the struggling man as he vanished.

"That's where angels who are banished go. The red sparks stain them, making them unable to come back here. They're sent somewhere, but I'm not sure where." Arthur mumbled, leading the boy away.

"We have to get you into one of the things. Those ones over there, they take you to Earth. Come on." Arthur whispered, trying to keep low so they weren't caught.

"Okay… But what will I do! I don't know anything about Earth!" The boy said. He was standing calmly, but his eyes betrayed his real feelings. Arthur could see the fear and worry in the boys red eyes…

"You'll be okay. I know it…" Arthur whispered, kneeling down.

The boy looked at Arthur, tears starting to appear in his eyes. "B-but. I-I don't want to be alone anymore…" The boy sniffled. He didn't like showing his emotions like this, but he was really scared…

Arthur nodded in understanding. "I know… But you're not alone… For one, you've got whatever is in that egg, though I suppose it will take patience for it to hatch. You've still got me as your friend too." he said, patting the boys head. He felt the same, even if the boy was safe, it still felt like he was loosing a friend. Who knew when they would meet again, if they ever did...

Why do I always get close to those who will end up leaving me? Arthur wondered absently.

"But I won't see you… How is that any good?" The boy sniffled, dropping his gaze to the ground to hide his tears.

Sighing and shaking his head, Arthur gave a small chuckle. This scene almost seemed familiar to him… "Listen… We'll meet again, I promise that… I've lost many friends, I'm not going to lose another.." he whispered, looking at the boy.

The boy still didn't seem convinced, and vaguely, Arthur wondered about him. There was a lot of mystery behind the child, he was certain of that, and it made him wonder about what the demon had gone through already. Still, though he only knew the boy for a few days, he had grown close to him. For a moment he wondered if a parent felt like this when leaving a kid behind at daycare? His situation was a bit different though.

Like hell I will allow this child to go the same way as Thomas… Arthur thought stubbornly. I'm not letting it happen, I won't give up…

"Here. Take this." Arthur said suddenly, passing his little friend something.

Looking in his hands, the boy gasped as he saw what Arthur gave him. "But this is a demon ring! Why do you have it? I thought it only works for a demon?"

"heh, you're not wrong. It does only affect demons. It's something a friend gave me and it's very precious to me. Take good care of it, and I'll get it back some day, okay?" Arthur said, smiling at the boy.

Nodding, the boy slipped the ring on his finger, it seemed slightly big for him, but Arthur trusted him to care for it. "I will! I promise I'll take care of it!"

Arthur was about to respond when-

"Arthur!"

Arthur looked up in surprise, seeing his father and a teenage girl standing with him. The girl was familiar, and it took only a moment to realize it was the girl from before. She was the one who had asked where the books were so long ago. The one who ratted him out to the other angels and cost him his friend…

Immediately, Arthur's eyes narrowed and with nowhere to run, he knew it was now or never. Grabbing the boy, he made a mad dash across the building, towards the transportation area. Stopping at the gate, he nudged the boy forwards as his father ran towards him.

"Cover your eyes and keep running straight. Don't stop and don't look back, okay?" He whispered.

The boy nodded, "Thank you Eyebrows~ Please don't forget your promise." he gave a slight giggle and turned, running towards the tubes.

"My eyebrows aren't that big.." Arthur mumbled as he turned around, facing his father, who had caught up with him.

"Arthur! What is the meaning of this! Who is that boy!" His father said angrily. "Kyla has told me she saw you with a demon boy! Is that true? Was that him!"

The girl stopped near Arthur, looking at him with scathing eyes. "I saw him. I can't believe he did such a thing… It was in the forest; I saw him flying with the boy! He was talking to the demon too!"

Arthur's eye twitched. This… This girl! He could feel his rage building but tried hard to withhold it. His attention however, was diverted to his father as he spoke.

"Arthur! I'm surprised… Tch, then that demons magic hasn't worn off after all these years… I should have taken more careful precautions instead of assumed the magic would wear off."

Arthur frowned at his father's words... Not this again… No, he wasn't going to let this go. Ever since that day, his father was continually saying rubbish. Claiming his son would never willingly protect a demon, that he was being controlled. He didn't know if his father was just in denial or had actually believed that. Nonetheless, he had enough of it.

"Damnit! I wasn't under some spell! I wasn't tricked either! That boy is NOT controlling me father! Neither did the first! He was my friend! I am choosing this upon my own free will! I am choosing to protect this demon!" Arthur yelled angrily.

As if they didn't have enough attention already, everyone in the building stopped as Arthur's words hit their ears. Even the little demon boy stopped, looking in Arthur's general direction.

Arthur could feel angry tears building up at the corner of his eyes. He hastily wiped them away. "The demon boy in the clearing was my friend... You killed him father, you didn't listen to me and you killed him! He didn't even do anything wrong..."

Arthur's father frowned, his facial expression changing from surprised to confused; soon growing red with anger and shame. "Arthur… That's not true, my own son wouldn't-"

"It is! He said it! We all heard it!" The angel girl called, Arthur rounding on her and glaring. He had about enough of this; of this whole god damn place.

"You… You bloody, annoying hag." Arthur hissed, taking one step towards the girl. "You think you know everything, that you're superior… That you have the right to speak in this argument? You're the main reason all this happened! You told them! Keep spewing rubbish from that insolent mouth of yours and no doubt you'll find a happy home in the depths of the underworld!"

The girl backed up fearfully as Arthur's bright green eyes burned with intense anger and pain. He didn't know what possessed him to do it. What inside him snapped and convinced him it was the right thing to do, but he knew he would never, in a million years, regret it.

A loud crack sounded through the building, the sharp sound of skin hitting skin as Arthur's hand made contact with the girl's cheek. All of his rage and pain was in that one slap, every terrible memory and feeling of collected pain.

The girl held her cheek, angrily looking at Arthur as it began to turn red. His father was looking at the two children in shock, both appalled and shocked at his son's actions…

"Any violence towards other angels was punishable by death, piled on top of harboring a demon…" the words of the elders rang in Arthurs ears as time seemed to stand still for a split second; the ghost sound of the slap echoing in his mind before fading.

They might as well have a law against free will… He thought, watching as the shock was beginning to wear off. With that last action, he had sealed his fate.

"There is nothing left for me here father." Arthurs whispered, cutting through the silence as he gave his father a quick, sad glance. He prayed that the demon boy had escaped as he gathered any energy he had left. A split second later he released it in a giant burst of light that filled the building.

The last thing Arthur remembered as the angels cried out in panic, being temporarily blinded, was his father whispering a reply.

The words echoed in Arthurs head as he ran towards the nearest machine, the only one that was close to him. He watched as blinded angels stumbled around as his view of the building blurred and dissolved. The last thing he saw was the bright red sparks that sparkled and surrounded Arthur before he felt himself plummeting downwards into dark emptiness.

"Honhonhon, Arthur? What are you doing here?" A voice cut through Arthur's thought's.

Jumping, Arthur spun around, coming face to face with Francis. Taking a quick look around, he realized he had been lost in his thoughts, subconsciously wandering around the upper dorm hallways.

"N-none of your business frog!" Arthur said hastily, shaking his head and trying to side step the French mummy. How he would love to grab hold of those bandages and tug them. Maybe then Francis would be too busy trying to rewrap himself to bother others.

"I think it's my business when I see you stumbling through the hallways and mumbling to yourself. Actually, you look ready to cry, mon ami. Are you okay?" Francis asked, examining Arthur, his tone was softer now. Any hint of playful smugness was gone after he saw the angels troubled look.

"I'm fine, don't get your wrappings in a bunch…" Arthur mumbled, looking down.

"Are you sure? You look just like when we first met. You remember? I was in a ship heading to America and I had just gotten my casket open! You fell right on top of me~ Just appeared from thin air. Honhonhon, it was like we were destined to be together~" Francis said, his eyes shining, attempting to lighten the mood.

Arthur made a disapproving face, "If I remember correctly, I fell on top of you and knocked you out."

Francis sighed, "Ah, oui, your spontaneous beauty knocked me out cold."

Arthur couldn't help but snicker slightly, but then fixed his amused expression, changing it back to a frown.

Francis smiled slightly, more amused than anything else. "You should smile more Arthur, one day your face will freeze that way."

"Certainly not, I'm a gentleman, I can't just flounce around like you and show random emotions of happiness and carefree." Arthur replied.

"Mon amis, you said the same thing when I first met you too. Then you broke down and began to cry, getting my bandages all soggy. We had a long chat during the trip and we ended up here when the workers delivered my casket to the school." Francis said, shaking his head disapprovingly, "Now tell me what's wrong."

Arthur frowned, he hated the serious Francis. It made him realize that the frog was more than just a pompous and flamboyant fool.

It was true however. After he stepped into the machine, he was transported onto earth and ended up dropping in a ship's cargo hold, right on top of Francis's casket. The French mummy had pried off the lid and Arthur landed right on his head. They had spent the entire boat trip together, and eventually, after they docked, they both ended up at the school.

"Ugh, I wonder if he was right…" Arthur mumbled, not looking at Francis.

"Pardon?" Francis asked, snapping his attention from a passing female student back to the angel.

"Just, something my father said… It's not important." Arthur muttered, not looking at Francis.

"Oh? Well, okay… But if you need to talk to someone Arthur, I'll be here." Francis said, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder.

Arthur just looked out the nearby window, he couldn't seem to make proper eye contact. "Yeah. I know... Anyways, if you don't mind, I'm busy showing Alfred to his room."

Francis raised an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on his face. With the subject dropped, he went back to tormenting the little angel. "Alfred you say? Is he another invisible friend of yours, Arthur?"

Arthur frowned, "Really Francis, insulting a boy right when he is in front of you is rude, even for your standards."

Francis snickered, bowing to the empty air beside Arthur. "Oh, my apologies, monsieur. I just didn't see you."

Arthur frowned, "What the devil are you doing Francis? Alfred is over th-" Stopping in mid-sentence as he turned around. He did a double-take and the frowned. ". . ."

Francis laughed, "Honhonhon! Arthur, is Alfred next to me now? Or perhaps he decided to stay beside you? Shy perhaps!"

Arthur spluttered, realizing that he just looked completely foolish. His face turned red as the frowned. "Y-You bloody wanker! Both you and the frog!" he yelled, feeling rooted to the spot, unable to move. He didn't know whether to be worried for Alfred, or extremely ticked off that Alfred left him and was probably causing some kind of havoc.

I'm always with the rowdy, mischievous ones...Arthur thought, ignoring Francis's laughing. "Ugh, I'm going to go find him..." he said, not caring whether Francis heard him or not.

Francis continued to laugh as he watched Arthur stomp off. He loved getting under the angel's skin like that. Not that he wanted to be a complete bully, but he knew Arthur would definitely do the same. Despite their spats, they were friends. Or at least, that's what he thought. He wasn't sure of Arthur's opinion, but he hoped the angel knew.

Francis knew that the angel was stubborn and seemed to have trouble trusting people. From the small things Arthur told him in the ship, he wasn't at all surprised. The angel seemed to prefer keeping to himself and not showing anyone just how scared and delicate he was inside. He kept a tough facade to prevent people from seeing the real him.

"Ah, mon lapin Arthur… He needs someone he can really trust… Someone to make him smile, non?" Francis mumbled, turning his attention back to the female student and staling off.

"Even a gentleman has to smile sometimes."

Already meters away, Arthur never heard Francis, though even if he could, he was too angry at Alfred to care. His recent memory trip was still fresh in his mind, and like Francis had said, he really did feel like crying.

Like hell I'd cry in front of him... Arthur thought, not trusting Francis one bit. He would probably use it as an excuse to grope me...

Turning the corner and walking down the hall, Arthur retraced his steps. He hoped Alfred had the common sense to stay where he was, though he sorely doubted it.

As soon as he reached the large window, Arthur knew his assumption was correct. Alfred was nowhere to be found, and after a long walk around the entire Upper dorms, he still couldn't find the boy. The last place to try was the Dining Hall. His mind was on fire as his anger stewed. He was literally fuming, almost picturing angry clouds of steam coming from his ears; he was ready to give that American an earful...

"Bloody wankers, all of them... Sodding gits..." Arthur was cursing under his breath. Arthur thought back to that day, when he landed on Francis. He did say he was a gentleman that day, one who was well mannered.

"Why did I say that…" Arthur mumbled, stopping for a moment and leaning against the wall. He wasn't that gentlemanly, especially not when he got angry like this...

"Arthur, no one would be friends with you, and I understand why now. Your actions have shown me that you are not an angel. You're not a demon or a human... You are nothing, not even a fallen angel, and you are not my son."

"No…" Arthur whispered, sinking down the wall and sitting on the ground. His father's words were echoing in his head, a constant reminder of why he can't trust people, why he can't make friends, why he could never be happy. He really was destined to be alone, his past experiences just confirming the obvious... tears were forming in his eyes as he buried his head in his arms, curling up in a ball.

Arthur thought back to that one time in the clearing, when he first learned about how Thomas was abandoned by his parents. He remembered thinking he couldn't imagine it happening to himself. Yet here he was, not only abandoned by his family, but by his entire world; now completely alone...

Artie… That's not true… Do you really believe that?A sad voice cut through Arthur's thoughts.

His breath catching, Arthur lifted his head, looking up and peering down the hallway. Was he hearing things?

"It is true… I… I'm nothing… I have no place here… The red sparks… They do more than just prevent you from going back to the Overworld… They taint your soul so that when you die, you won't be reborn…" Arthur whispered, his voice heavy. He didn't know why he replied, after all, if someone saw him right now they would think he was crazy.

So? That just means you gotta live your life even better, right? To them you're a fallen angel, but think about the others Artie!The voice said, sounding confident. Arthur's eyes widened as he realized he recognized he voice.

What the bloody hell? I'm hearing Alfred's voice in my head...Arthur thought, almost groaning. He was hearing the boys voice in his head. He only hoped it didn't mean Alfred was actually doing this on purpose. Then again, if he wasn't, that would mean he had some inner voice that just so happened to sound like Alfred. Fantastic...

"The hell is he doing in my head at a time like this…" Arthur mumbled, rubbing his temples.

I dunno. I'm like a conscience maybe? Friends can be consciences, right?Alfred's voice said.

"Look voice, I mean Alfred voice, I mean conscience. Ugh, I must be insane… I don't know if consciences can be friends voices, but I-" Arthur stopped, realizing something.

Heh… Friend's voices, huh?Alfred's voice sounded triumphant and Arthur could picture the boy with an ear to ear grin...

Alfred had called him a friend, right? He even gave him that accursed nickname... The boy had been extremely annoying, but somehow Arthur knew it was a normal occurrence. They had only known each other for a day, but they were acting like... Like friends.

Matthew too... He was his friend, even if he sometimes forgot about the boy. Arthur had always thought of Matthew as an acquaintance, someone to guide around and help. Yet, though he never talked much to the boy as well as occasionally forgot about him, they hung out sometimes and even during that time before Matthew came to the school...

Even the bloody frog was, more or less, a friend. Sure they fought all the time, but... Just now, that worry was a friend-like worry...

Standing up, Arthur made his way to the Dining Hall, feeling just a bit lighter now. Stopping in front of the Dining Hall doors, he placed a hand on the handle; not yet ready to open it.

His father's words suddenly rang in his head again, and Arthur winced, his grip tightening on the door handle. As the voice resonated in his head, something else sounded…

Arthur, it's not true, eh?Matthew's voice rang in his ears, it was soft, but held a determination that Arthur immediately respected...

Non, I don't believe it, neither should you!Francis's voice was next, Arthur could hear the un-voiced scoff, as though he was making fun of him for believing his father. Bloody frog... It made Arthur smile.

Don't believe him Arthur… You're smart enough to know it's not true! Don't let him win again, Artie!Alfred's voice rang, loudest of all. That buffoon, trying to be louder than them all...

There were other voices, more faint, but familiar. It was his friends voices, they were growing louder in his head, seeming to talk over his father's voice until it was just a small murmur.

"With every action, comes a consequence, and the consequence can either be bad or good, but we still end up winning... "The demon boy's words echoed in his mind as he walked.

I will learn from my mistakes… My actions brought me here, and I don't intend to lose. I will prove my father wrong. Arthur thought, shaking his head against his fathers voice and smiling as it disappeared. I do have friends... I may not be close to them yet, but maybe... Maybe this time it will be different? Arthur thought. Maybe the frog is right… I need to trust them; I need to trust myself...

The past was, after all, the past. He had trouble before, but he can't linger on those events, not now at least. They were distracting him from the present, making him miss these simple things that have been staring at him in the face.

Arthur moved his hand to his pocket, feeling the familiar piece of paper there. It was the only thing that he had when he stepped into the tube.. A paper and a promise.

With some new confidence, Arthur pushed open the doors and stepped inside the room. It wasn't hard to miss Alfred, who was sitting at the table, noisily eating a burger. As he approached the boy, he heard a familiar sound, it was faint, but he recognized it immediately. It was Thomas. He was laughing, just like in the clearing before.

Turning his head, Arthur saw a faint glow near him. It made him feel light, his heart soaring as he heard the boys voice.

"Everyone has the potential to be a friend and being lonely sucks, so try hard for both of us Arthur. You can do it."

Arthur nodded, the glow fading as he opened his mouth to call to Alfred. He wouldn't let his friend down and someday he will find the other boy too. He had new confidence and would try hard. He couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on his face. Still, he put out his best effort to turn it back into a disapproving frown. Just because Alfred was, or… Has been, his friend, doesn't mean he was letting the git off lightly. He may be a gentleman, but

"ALFRED! Where have you been?"

Author's Note: Phew! All finished! Arthur, you're really hard to write! This is only part one of Arthur's character story by the way; part two will be his experience on Earth. Which I will add later as the main story "Monster High" progresses.

I'm not sure about this one. I tried to highlight the main problem; being why Arthur is so hard and untrusting. Friend issues as you can see. Except that I think I over stressed it... Meh, I really don't know if any of this fits his character, but I suppose it's better than nothing. Alfred's gonna have to try hard for Arthur to trust him, but seeing as how Arthur seems to trust him a bit already, maybe he'll have an easy time. (^_^)~

Bleh, I should re-visit this later. *sighs and head-desks* Mixed feelings about this story indeed...

Anyways! A bit about Francis at the end. His story is going to be hard. I'm thinking of some love story mixed with tragedy... Cheesy... *face-palms* (=n=)

I suppose I'll start on Ivan's story next. I have a full plan for his, but I don't know... *sighs* Technically, Ivan's story is also Natalia and Katyusha's story too, as they're a "happy" family!

Heh, I love writing stories. My aim is to get tears. *happy ones or bittersweet ones at least." Or an "Awh, poor them." Most stories I think of aren't really tear-jerkers, but I do want to write a good well meshed story. One that's long! Meh, probably not doing a great job, but at least it's a good hobby. (=w=)

So, good luck Arthur! I hope he get's some good luck this time around. One can only handle so many losses before you give up, right? (~_^)

Reviews are welcomed, tell me what you think! Flames are used to roast marshmallows~

~SERF
(SoulEaterRomanceFan)