"... A Book By Its Cover..."

Discussion in 'Archives' started by 2Foxxie4U, Aug 24, 2008.

  1. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

    Joined:
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    91
    For as long as I could remember, I was… different.

    I couldn’t really understand why I was born that way… I heard from my dad that my mother was some sort of… demon. But just because she was didn’t mean I was!

    One day when I was about nine, I sat on my bed and examined myself in the mirror closely for the first time. The eyes hidden behind my thick glasses were a sharp, golden yellow color and were slitted almost like a cat’s.

    Big deal… I can hardly even see without my glasses on… I thought with a pout.

    My eyes traveled up to my forehead. Two identical, slender horns were starting to form right below my mop of long, wiry hair. I ran my thumb carefully over the tip. They’re not even that sharp…

    Then I turned around and examined the scrawny, maroon wings sprouting from my back and the skinny, swishing devil tail that formed right above my bottom. I can’t even fly with these stupid things… And so what if I have a tail? It doesn’t even DO anything!

    It was true. Despite my frightening appearance, I was completely normal. Completely human, you might say. But people didn’t understand… No matter how much I tried to make friends, I was always shunned because of how I looked. Even my own FATHER started treating me differently. After a while, I got so sick of being despised, I all but stopped going outside of the safety of home at all.

    My twin brother, however, was different.

    Not a day went by that I didn’t envy him… Curse those sweet, baby-blue eyes and smooth, tanned skin and perfect, blonde hair… Not a fang or claw to be seen!

    Even his NAME was normal! John… How TYPICAL!

    Truth be told, John was drop-dead beautiful – I don’t care how weird it is for his own brother to say that. And yet, though the guy looked completely normal, he was the one gifted with the powers! Oh yes – I had seen it a THOUSAND times before. With a small smirk here and a flash of his eyes there… He could easily manipulate anyone he wanted, and usually did. John was extremely proud of his little talent, and showed it off ALL THE TIME. Of course, I was immune to his little trick, but it DID make me awfully jealous.

    Secretly, I idolized John. I kinda wished I WAS my brother. But, c’mon, there was no way that could happen… So for the most part I just acted as… A personal servant to him, one might say. I spent a lot of my time being the invisible boy in the shadows, secretly doing all of his homework and washing his clothes and waiting on his every command. He never offered me any thanks, and to be honest, I never really expected any. It was just the way things were.

    It wasn’t until my senior year in high school did all of that change.

    ********************************************

    “Anishmial…â€

    A soft clatter sounded as the boy dropped his fork in surprise and looked up at his father. He’d gotten so used to being ignored at the dinner table, that it was quite honestly a surprise to hear his name called. “Y…Yes, father…?†he asked meekly.

    His dad was a large, formidable looking man with bleach blonde hair and a neatly-trimmed goatee. Though he had a solid, medium build, if you looked closely, you could see his gut tended to protrude a little – a reminder of his apparent age. Truth be told, he looked nothing like his alleged son across the table.

    He took a sip out of his glass of apple-juice, and continued, “I got a call at work today… It would seem that you were absent…†His icy blue eyes flashed with obvious annoyance. “… Again.â€
    Anishmial lowered his head a bit, biting his lip with shame. He could feel his twin across the table cast him a small, fleeting smirk, though he wasn’t looking up to receive it. “Well… No, I wasn’t—â€
    “Why?†His father growled. “You look fine to me.â€

    Anishmial sighed a bit. “I… don’t get along well with the kids there… I don’t… They’re always making fun of me.â€
    “Hmpf. I’d expect an excuse like that from you. Well, it’s good news for you then that you two are getting transferred to ANOTHER school.â€

    Anishmial’s face brightened instantly, but at the same time, John began to groan. “Awww, MAN! AGAIN, Dad?! And in mid-semester, too…!â€
    The man sighed. “I know how much you hate moving, Johnny, but I got another job offer. This time in the city. You two will be going to a Catholic school—â€

    Now it was John’s turn to grin as Anishmial began to groan. “Catholic?! Oh no – Father, please don’t do this! I HATE Catholic schools! The people treat me like even MORE crap there than in normal schools!â€
    “Well, maybe if you got your freakin’ nose out of a damned book all the ****in’ time and tried to make some FRIENDS for once…~â€
    “Make friends? In a Catholic school looking like THIS?! Please!â€

    “Enough!†their father roared. “There will be no more bickering at my table. Anishmial, you will attend that school as planned AND if I catch you skipping classes again, you are IN for it! Do you hear me?!â€
    Anishmial sighed, looking down. “Yes sir… Sorry, sir…â€
    “That’s more like it…†the man scoffed.

    There was a tensed moment of silence as everyone resumed eating dinner.

    “So, John… How was that football game yesterday?â€
    John beamed a bit and piped up with a mouth full of mashed potatoes and peas, “Oh it was AWESHUM, Dad! We totally PWNED those Bears!â€

    Anishmial sighed as John began babbling about his team’s success, poking idly at his food.

    These next few months would surely be a living hell.

    ********************************************

    The loving family actually waited about two full months before the move took place – Johnny didn’t want to abandon his beloved foot ball season before they made it to playoffs, and whatever little Johnny wanted, little Johnny got.

    It was pathetic, really.

    Anishmial sighed as he watched his beloved suburban home roll away into the distance. He wasn’t particularly attached to it – the memories he’d held at that place were no more pleasant than others. But still… He hated having to leave something so familiar to him behind…

    He took one more lingering glance at the small – cute even – bricked home with the small, stout chimney poking out at the top, the soft black tiled roof, and the aged driveway lined lovingly with flowers and neatly cropped bushes. In the middle of the yard was a small, neatly-kept island containing about six adult pines, maples, and even a large birch. That was always something he’d loved about the house – it was always so surrounded by foliage and trees. Almost the exact opposite from the destruction he was so often associated with.

    Perhaps he WOULD miss it after all…?

    The light from the golden sunrise flickered off the two front windows brightly, and for a second, it was as if they were two, mournful eyes. Sighing a bit, he collapsed back into his chair, and stared off into the distance. Maybe his new home would be even better…?

    After all, wishful thinking never hurt…

    ********************************************

    I stand corrected.

    Anishmial looked up glumly at the raggedy old apartment complex in the middle of a concrete jungle that would serve to be his next home. It was nothing – NOTHING – like the serene, sheltered little house that he’d gotten so accustomed to…

    He scowled inwardly at the rough, cracked pavement, rusty old stair-way, and at the paint obviously flaking off the window-panes. And, if it were even possible, he had to say that the only thing that looked worse than the little shack would be the surrounding area! A steady cacophony rose up around them, fueled by loud, crazy honking, shrill police whistles, blaring trains, barking dogs, and hundreds of other sounds he didn’t even want to think about. The air was so full of lung-clogging smoke that he barely felt like he could breathe, and the sidewalks were always clogged with people EVERYWHERE.

    The only thing he could POSSIBLY think to say was, “This… Is it?â€
    “This is it?!†John echoed, looking almost offended.
    “I know it’s not much, but for a while, it’ll be all I can afford in the inner city. So get used to it, ducklings.â€
    “Oh joy…†John muttered, rolling his eyes and lugging in some of his stuff as he went.

    It was weird to think about. As long as he could remember, that was the first think he could recall them ever agreeing to.

    With a sigh, he grabbed a box, and began pulling his weight. It was going to be a long week.

    ********************************************

    Anishmial stood awkwardly at the bus stop, blowing warm air into his open palms to fend away the cold and fiddling nervously with the tie he was required to wear as part of his school uniform. He sighed, snarling a bit at the cursed thing. Stupid ties… I don’t see why they’d force you to wear this ugly thing anyway – I always feel like I’m about to get strangled…

    As always, John distanced himself from his brother, and was looking off serenely into the distance with his hands casually jammed into his pockets. Anishmial felt a little stab of jealousy just looking at his brother. No brother of mine has ANY right to look so freakin’ cool all the time…

    Luckily, the bus wasn’t far from coming, and the two brothers climbed on board. Before the ride was even over, John was already laughing and joking around with some guys around his age, all of them acting as if they’d been together since kindergarten. Anishmial, being the social butterfly that he was, just sat at the back by himself, calmly reading a book an ignoring any weird stares he’d receive.

    Though the back of the bus was often labeled the section where all the “bad†kids sat, he decided he liked it the best, anyway. He liked being able to watch others… One could say he was an observer of a sort. Besides, sitting in the back made it harder for anyone to stare without him knowing.

    As the bus steadily slowed to a stop and kids began standing up and picking up their book-bags, Anishmial sighed and snapped shut the book.

    Like he’d said – these next few days would be a living hell.

    ********************************************

    SPLAT!

    Anishmial sighed a bit, wiping the mashed potatoes off his face and glared at the group of guys two tables across from him. John and his new pack of mates cracked up and began slapping each other high-fives.

    Animals… Anishmial thought bitterly as he sipped on some of his chocolate milk slowly in the lonely island of a lunch table. He’d tried sitting with a few other students, but they’d quickly moved away. No one had tried to sit there since. Why can’t they just leave me alone…?! I haven’t done anything to them…

    He was used to his brother treating him like dirt out in public. In school, it was pretty much understood that he wasn’t considered anything close to a sibling anymore. In fact, John would humiliate him on a regular basis just to look cool and fit in.

    Which he did exceptionally, by the way.

    Anishmial sighed, hunching his shoulders a bit. It just wasn’t fair… It wasn’t… Why would John do this to him for no reason? They were BROTHERS – he deserved to be treated better than this, and—

    “Hi – is this seat taken?~â€

    Anishmial, startled out of his thoughts, suddenly jumped and looked up to see a girl grinning down at him. Suddenly, his mouth went dry. Her tall, slender, majestic figure was incredible to behold. Her long blonde hair flowed well past her shoulders in graceful waves and her bright blue eyes twinkled with a strange light that was completely alien to him. Her perfect, pale, flawless skin seemed almost radiant with a happiness you felt more than you saw…

    In short, this gal was drop-dead GORGEOUS. He felt hideous just standing next to her!

    He averted his eyes to the ground automatically. “I’m sorry… I-I didn’t know—†he stammered, about to stand up.
    “No – no… It’s fine…†she quickly assured him. “I just wanted to know if this seat was taken, silly!â€
    He blinked, staring up at her. “Y…You w-want to s-sit…? With m-me…?†he stuttered, inwardly cursing at how stupid he must’ve sounded at the moment.
    “Well, is there anyone else sitting here?†she asked with a little laugh.
    It sounds like wind chimes… only prettier… He smiled foolishly, head swimming. “N…No, I suppose there’s n-not…â€

    She giggled a bit, taking a bite into her sandwich. Anishmial stared at her for a while, completely captivated. And she has such pretty white teeth, too… and she looks awfully good in that skirt…

    It took him a moment – a very long moment – before he realized she was staring back. At first, he thought that was strange, but then he realized he’d been doing it as well, and he reminded himself again just how socially awkward he was. He looked away with a slight blush.

    “You’re new here, aren’t you? What’s your name?†she asked, trying to get him to look back up at her.
    “Um… Anishmial, m-ma’am.â€
    “Ugh… Don’t call me ‘ma’am’. Makes me feel like an old lady. My name’s Inaciel.â€
    “That’s… beautiful…â€
    She winked, slurping some chocolate milk. “Yours isn’t too shabby, either!â€
    He blushed again, smiling sheepishly.

    “So, uh… Yeah. What are you, exactly?†she asked, munching on some chips.
    Anishmial blinked. “Pardon…?â€
    “Are you an… elf or something?â€
    “Elf…? Oh…†He blush a bit, unconsciously placing a hand on the side of his head. “You mean by the ears, right…? Well, no, I’m not an elf… Truth be told, I don’t know WHAT I am… But I’m certainly not the most people make me out to be…â€

    She nodded thoughtfully. Anishmial exhaled deeply, happy to finally get that off his chest. He smiled at the strange girl. “Y…Ya know, I… I know this sounds weird, but I really like you… No one ever really cares about what I have to say, and I feel like… you really listen, ya know? Is that weird for me to say? I mean, we HAVE only just met…â€

    Before Inaciel could answer, there was another SPLAT! Anishmial blinked in a dumbfounded manner and removed his glasses to see that they were now dripping with mashed potatoes. John’s posse roared with laughter at the expression on his face.

    Inaciel growled at the mob. “JERKS!†she snapped.
    John hooted rudely about how feisty she was.
    For a second, Inaciel looked like she was gonna go over there and rearrange some faces, but Anishmial caught a hold of her shirt, gently pulling her back down with a shake of his head. “No no…†he murmured with a shy smile. “It’s okay… I’m used to it. No need to make a fuss…â€

    Inaciel huffed, collapsing back down. “Who does that punk think he is?!†she muttered, munching angrily on her sandwich. “Flinging food around like a freakin’ barbarian… But, seriously – who IS that guy?! Haven’t seen him around before… Freakin’ new kids thinking they can just storm in and take over the place…â€
    Anishmial shot her an amused glance. “He’s my brother.â€

    The absolute shock on her face was almost comical. “I… I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!†She gazed across the tables. “I… I mean, he doesn’t look anything like you…â€

    She blinked a bit, watching as John burst into laughter about something one of his friends had said, exposing a mouthful of chewed-up turkey, peas, and bread. Some of it spewed on the table.

    “… And…This is just a wild guess, but chances are, he doesn’t act much like you, either…â€
    Anishmial laughed a bit. “You could say we’re as different as night and day – yes…â€
    “Good – then maybe we’ll actually get along,†the blonde said with a devious wink.

    As always, Anishmial blushed.

    ********************************************

    Lunch came and went. Anishmial and his new friend talked for a pretty long time, discussing various things such as politics, weather, the ugly skull-caps the lunch ladies wore – whatever. Anishmial had to say, it was nice having someone to actually talk to… And for once, being the good brother, too.

    He never saw Inaciel again after lunch, but he decided that it didn’t matter. All he could do for the rest of the day was doodle random pictures, thinking about Inaciel all the while.

    That night at dinner, it was unnaturally calm and for everyone. The twins’ father turned to John, munching a bit. “So, how was your first day at school, Sport?†he asked.
    “Eh – it was good,†John replied smoothly.
    “Did you make any new friends?â€
    “A couple. Nothin’ big.â€
    “That’s great.â€

    Slowly, the man’s eyes turned to his ******* son, full of scorn and contempt. “And what about you…?†he asked grudgingly – as if he had to.

    Anishmial thought about the question long and hard. He considered the fact that he could’ve complained about how John and his buddies teamed up to harass him all day, OR how people would do nothing but stare and whisper about him behind his back all sorts of things he didn’t even want to THINK about. OR that even the teachers would walk him to the principal’s office nearly every period for absolutely no reason and the fact that they held him responsible for everything that happened in the class.

    He thought long and hard about these trials, and then shrugged with a slight smile.

    “It was alright.â€

    ********************************************

    The days flew by like seconds before Anishmial’s eyes. Every day during lunch he and Inaciel would meet up at the usual place and talk. It suddenly put things in a whole new light for the young half-demon. School was no longer a horrible place that he wished he could blow up and do the tango upon its smoldering ashes. Suddenly, it was the center of his life. For once, he didn’t mind the barrages of balled-up paper and spit-balls John and his group constantly sent his way. In fact, he was now welcoming them with a good-natured grin and a laugh.

    He couldn’t understand why Inaciel was so kind to him… How she could see past his horrid appearance and appreciate who he really was, he didn't understand, but he was very grateful and absolutely DELIGHTED to have someone who finally did.

    John, however, wasn’t as thrilled.

    He hated how unnaturally cheery Anishmial had gotten – he wanted things to go back to the way they were. And, more than that, he could feel himself growing more and more envious of his brother. Sure, he had looks, talent, popularity, and hordes of girls at his feet, but how had ANISHMIAL out of all people gotten such a hot babe as hideous as HE was?! The more he thought about it, the more it ticked him off. And instead of Anishmial getting all upset when he threw crap at him to vent off the frustration like he was supposed to, he just laughed… As if he KNEW.

    It drove John insane. Fine… If my stupid bro can win that chick over, it’ll be a piece of cake for me. That’ll show him… the devious twin decided in his mind.

    ********************************************

    Anishmial grinned, approaching his friend at the table and plopping his books down. “Hello, again, Inaciel!â€
    “Hey, Nishy! Where’s your food, man?†she asked, slurping on her chocolate milk.
    “Oh – I’m going to run and get it right now, okay? Hold on right there – I have a funny story about this substitute teacher that came today!â€

    Inaciel laughed and nodded as Anishmial scrambled off. She took out her ham-and-cheese sandwich and began eating with a serene look on her face.

    Time for me to make my move…

    John stealthily slid out of his seat and approached the blonde, slicking back his hair a little. Anishmial stopped on his way to the line and snapped his fingers. “Oh DANG IT! I forgot my money!â€

    He turned around and was about to head back over to pile of books, and stopped short. He gasped a bit. John?! he thought franticly. He watched, horrified, as John tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear, grinning seductively and continued chatting. HE’S TRYING TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!!!

    Shock and pain flooded his senses and he slumped on the wall, pressing his hand over his heart. But… But why would he DO this…?! He already HAS a girlfriend!

    He couldn’t believe it! This was the one possession he had – this one friend. It was his one source of joy and happiness and John was trying to turn her against him!

    He watched as Inaciel shook her head viciously at whatever John was saying and offer a scolding reply. He smiled a bit. Classical Inaciel… Oh wait… He sighed as John gave the little flash of his eyes that would signal the activation of his manipulative powers and began speaking slowly – seductively again with the tell-tale smirk hovering just on his lips. There it is… he thought miserably. He could feel his heart sink with dread at the realization that he’d have to go through the rest of high school in exile now. As always…

    Suddenly, something happened that obviously took them both by surprise.

    Inaciel abruptly jumped to her feet and slapped the FIRE out of John. The poor guy stumbled back a bit, clutching his smarting face and staring incredulously at Inaciel. Anishmial’s jaw dropped. WHAT THE—?!?! She’s immune?!

    Inaciel, not sensing anything strange, proceeded to scream her lungs off at John, threatening to spray him in the eyes with mace if he ever showed his scrawny butt around again. She then continued to throttle him, slapping him and kicking and SCREAMING at him until John eventually retreated back to his posse with his tail between his legs, so to speak. All of them were roaring with laughter by now.

    Anishmial pressed his hand to his mouth and dashed into the line, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing. Too little, too late, though. John spotted him looking at the horridly embarrassing scene and scowled.

    I’ll deal with him later…

    Anishmial came back with his tray of food, looking a bit troubled. Inaciel smiled warmly at him as she HADN’T just been threatening his twin brother with mace a few seconds ago. “Hey, Nishy! How’s about you finish that story of yours, huh? With the substitute teacher and all?â€
    Anishmial shook his head. “Nah… That’s alright… It wasn’t that funny, after all…â€
    “Oh… Well then ya wanna hear about somethin’ funny that happened to me today?â€
    “Sure. Whatever.â€
    “Okay…â€

    Lunch that day was long and awkward, Inaciel noted. Anishmial hardly said a word and would only poke around his food, not really eating at all. And he kept on glancing somewhere across the room from her, too. Something’s up with him…

    After a while of long, awkward, one-sided conversations, she could take it no longer. “Okay – fess up.â€
    “Hmmm?â€
    “Fess up. What’s eating you? You won’t say anything, man! Is something wrong?â€
    Anishmial looked away silently.
    “Nishy? SAY somethin’, man!†Inaciel cried.
    “I saw what happened, okay?!†Anishmial blurted suddenly. “With you and John! I saw it all!â€
    Inaciel suddenly went silent. “… Oh…â€

    An awkward silence followed.

    She sighed a bit. “A…Anishmial, I didn’t… MEAN anything, okay…? I just… kinda lost it… I HATE how your stupid, stuck-up brother treats you like dirt half the time, and all you do is shrug it off! You deserve better than that! And then Lil’ Miss THANG comes up here asking if I’ll DITCH you just like that and become his little PLAYTHING for an hour before he drops me again and I’m all ‘HECK NO!’ and he’s all—â€

    Anishmial blinked. “That’s not what I’m talking about… You didn’t notice him trying to manipulate you…?â€
    She blinked. “Manipulate…?â€
    “You… Didn’t notice…?â€

    He sighed a bit. “Look… I know this sounds crazy, but out of the two of us, John’s the only one of the two of us who has any powers… He can manipulate people against their will. Until today, I thought I was the only one immune to it, but you didn’t even respond…â€

    Inaciel blushed a bit. “… Oh dear…â€
    “What?†Anishmial pressed gently.
    “Well… Uh… This might come as surprise, but I’m not exactly normal, either…â€
    Anishmial blinked, cocking his face to the side, not really understanding.
    Inaciel leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Ya see, “I’m actually kinda an… um… An angel.â€

    Anishmial’s eyes widened. “An… An angel…?!â€
    “SHHHHH!†she hissed. “Not so loud! I’m supposed to be under-cover, okay? We angels have our share of enemies, too! But I think I can trust you…†she chuckled with a wink.
    “B… But I don’t understand…†he murmured, still a bit awestruck. “You… If you’re an angel, then why, of all people, would you sit by someone like me?â€
    Inaciel shrugged. “Angels aren’t as easily swayed by appearances as humans… We can usually look past that and see how people really are by small actions. It’s also the reason why I hate your dear brother so much. Understand?â€

    It took a moment to click. Suddenly, Anishmial began grinning foolishly and nodding enthusiastically. Of course! It all made sense now! The radiant aura always around her, the complete grace of her movements, that pure heart…

    I KNEW something was different about her! Never thought I’d see the day where I’d fall in love with an angel… he thought idly as the two continued their midday meal, no longer bound by words left unsaid.

    ********************************************

    FWHACK!

    A glob of blood splattered onto the floor. Panicked wheezing soon followed.

    WHAM! SMACK! CRASH!

    Anishmial cried out in pain as his head was smashed into the wall, and then as he was thrown into the table roughly.

    “How the hell did you DO it?!†John screamed, his eyes blazing with fury.
    “I didn’t do anything!†the panicked boy insisted, sobbing and trying to crawl away. He HATED it when John was like this. Sometimes the beatings were so severe, he actually feared for his life.

    Still, he couldn’t say it wasn’t expected. On the whole way home, John was sitting on the bus with his jaw clenched tightly, staring off into space. He’d waited until they were home before ever even looking at his brother. Fearing the worst and seeking to appease him, Anishmial offered to do his brother’s homework again. If was as if he’d flipped a switch; before he’d even finished his sentence, John was upon him, swinging and cursing up a storm.

    “BULLSHIT!!!†John spat, not impressed by his brother’s reply.

    Anishmial grunted as he was viciously kicked in his ribs. “You’re the only one who’s immune to it, you *******. You must’ve told her somethin’!â€
    “I didn’t John! I swear! She’s… Inaciel’s just naturally immune!†he whimpered, coughing out some blood.
    John heaved him up by his collar, glaring coldly into his brother’s eyes. “What do you mean by that…?†he asked softly.
    “She… She’s not human…!†Anishmial wheezed softly. “Not human… She’s… an angel…â€

    John froze. “… An… angel, you say…? For real?â€
    Anishmial nodded fearfully.
    “… Hmm…â€

    John dropped his brother carelessly to the ground, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “An angel…†he murmured, slinking out of the house.

    Anishmial coughed up a few more globs of blood, and collapsed, unconscious, onto the floor.

    ********************************************

    Anishmial’s slowly cracked open. He groaned pitifully, clutching his head tightly. Huffing a bit, he sat up and looked around with bleary eyes. What the… What… time is it…? How long was I out…? The whole house almost completely dark by now.

    He struggled to his feet, still aching a bit from the thrashing John had given him. He looked at the clock and groaned. Almost 8 o’ clock… I’ve been out for hours!

    He rubbed his temples with a small sigh, trying to will the pain away. He blinked, suddenly remembering something. “John…? John, are you here…?â€

    No response.

    Fueled by curiosity, the young half-demon wandered around the house, calling for his brother. To his surprise, he was nowhere to be found!

    Anishmial furrowed his brow a bit. But… Where could he have…?! Suddenly, he remembered.

    “An angel… Hmmm…â€
    “I’m supposed to be under-cover, okay? We angels have our share of enemies, too!â€


    The teen gasped. “Oh, I’m so STUPID! I can’t believe I told him! Now she’s in dire trouble and it’s my entire fault!â€

    Without a moment’s hesitation, he rushed out of the house.

    ********************************************

    Inaciel gasped with pain, her huge, impressive wings fluttering pathetically as she struggled to free herself from John’s tight choke-hold.

    The battle had lasted for hours now, and she was getting weary. They’d been all around the city and back, fighting like mad dogs. Inaciel had managed to keep most of the fighting on rooftops where people would be less likely to see, and where she’d have an elemental advantage – the air. But John fought akin to a pureblood demon, and it was almost too much for to handle alone.

    Angel was not bore killers like demons were – they had to go through training. Inaciel was admittedly a few centuries short. It was appalling how she, who had trained for millennia, was still a few critical pegs beneath John’s level.

    After a while, she’d felt herself tiring and tried fleeing from the scene by flight. John, cold-hearted and ruthless as he was, leapt up and grabbed her by the foot. Since the both of them were too much to carry by flight, she tumbled back down with a scream. Without wasting a second’s time, John jumped up and wrapped his strong hands around her neck. He could sense her giving out, too, and, fueled by bloodlust, he only tried that harder to give the final blow. It seemed that this would be it.

    Finally… My ultimate goal… My life-long dream… REALIZED!

    Pretty soon, Inaciel stopped struggling… Stopped thrashing about and clawing pitifully at his nails. Stars burst before her eyes and she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness due to the lack of oxygen…

    Suddenly, the door to the roof-top burst open, and in dashed in…

    “Anishmial…?â€

    The teen was bent forward, and leaning heavily on his knees, wheezing heavily. Sweat dripped from his forehead and fell to the ground. “S…Stairs…†he huffed. “T…Twenty… flights… of stairs… elevator… broken…†I am SO out of shape… Maybe I shouldn’t have skipped gym class today…

    John narrowed his eyes and threw Inaciel’s limp body to the ground. “How did you know where we were…?†he hissed.
    “F…Feathers…†Anishmial panted. “Lots of ‘em… Lead to here…â€

    He stood to his full height, taking a deep breath, and examined the scene. There were hundreds of huge, blood-stained white feathers strewn all over the ground. Slowly, his gave travelled to Inaciel’s motionless form. He’d never seen her in her true form before… If anything, she looked even more beautiful now, despite the numerous bruises and a tiny cut on her cheek.

    “Is… Is she…?!†he stammered.
    “No. Just sleeping,†John answered. “… For now…â€
    “Why are you doing this?!†Anishmial cried. “What has Inaciel ever done to you?! Why are you trying to KILL her?!â€

    John smirked. “Idiot… Are you really that out-of-touch with the world?!†He laughed mockingly. “It’s only common knowledge… If a demon devours the body of an angel, his powers and strength will multiply ten-fold! I’d be completely unstoppable!â€

    “You’re going to EAT her?!â€
    “No, you sicko! I’m going to… Oh – you meant in the literal sense… In that case, yes. Yes, I am.â€
    “Y-You can’t do that!†Anishmial stammered.
    His brother scoffed in reply. “Says who? You?!â€
    Anishmial gave a determined nod. “I… I won’t let you, brother! You’ve gone too far this time!â€

    John snarled. “You know what…?! You’ve been a thorn in my side for a while now… You’re like one of those stupid eyelashes that keep on poking you and poking you and POKING you until you just want to scream! You’re everything I’m NOT! You’re a spineless, weak, hideous little *******, and I don’t care if we DO have the same parents – YOU’RE NOT MY BROTHER!!!†He glared coldly at Anishmial. “I think it’s about time I get rid of you, you little nuisance…â€

    Anishmial gulped, horrified. “J…John, what do you—?!â€

    Suddenly, John shot forward, his fist pulled back. Anishmial, fighting the strong, almost irresistible urge to drop to his knees and cover his head, ducked to the side, pulling his fists into an awkward fighting position.

    John roared with laughter at the sight as Anishmial tried to put some distance between them. “You REALLY don’t stand a chance!†he chuckled, eyes flashing.

    Anishmial gasped as he zipped forward with super-human speed, closing the distance he’d made in a matter of seconds. “H-HOW DID YOU—?!â€
    Suddenly John was behind him. He chuckled a bit. “Oh, dear brother – you didn’t really think I’d let you see the FULL extent of my powers, did you…?â€

    Anishmial whipped around suddenly, but it was too late. John slammed him in the face with a firm right-uppercut to the jaw, which sent the poor teen tumbling to the ground. Anishmial tried to scramble back up, but John just kicked him viciously again, laughing. This was actually kinda fun – a welcome change from the hard-fought battle with the annoying little fluff queen. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to toy with him a bit…

    Anishmial spat out a bit of blood, struggling to his feet, and swung wildly in his brother’s direction. John only side-stepped with a faint smirk and grabbed Anishmial’s fist. The teen screamed, falling helplessly to his knees as he heard a sickening cracking sound.

    I can’t do it…! he thought franticly. I can’t…! He’s too strong – he’ll kill me!

    John smirked a bit. “You look so pathetic… But it’s okay… I’ll give you a second chance, you miserable worm…†The smile grew. “I’ll let you keep your miserable life if you stop this nonsense and become my little pet… Oh yeah – and I’ll need some BBQ sauce for your girlfriend, too.†He cackled shamelessly.

    Something inside of Anishmial snapped. Some feral, barbaric part of his being that had been locked up as long as he’d lived, was suddenly sent free.

    With a terrifying snarl, he glared up at his twin brother, eyes glowing blood-red. Before John even knew what was going on, Anishmial shot forward, head-butting his brother in the gut. His horns impaled deep into his body, sending blood gushing all over the place.

    John screamed in agony, stumbling back and clutching his wound tenderly. Anishmial only growled and with a short, quick motion, he snapped his broken wrist in place.

    John didn’t even see the huge butt-whuppin’ coming. Left jab, right hook, kick, punch, upper-cut… It was all he could do to keep up!

    Suddenly, he lost his footing, and with a gasp realized he was at the edge of the building! With a scream, he toppled off, but with some luck, managed to cling to ledge, staring up fearfully at his twin brother.glared down at him from above, never before looking so formidable.

    John grunted, trying to claw his way back up, but to no avail. Anishmial’s now-bloody horns had done a number on his stomach. To make matters worse, he could feel his grip slipping!

    Cars beeped and honked considerably under him, and he shuddered as a huge gust of air swept below him, almost making him slip. His legs kicked uselessly beneath him.

    He looked up again at the brother he’d tormented and made fun of as long as each of them had lived. The brother he’d beaten, spit on, pranked, and just recently tried to kill…

    John gulped slightly. “Y… You wouldn’t kill your own brother, would you…?†he whimpered.
    Anishmial blinked. He stared at his brother for a long time.

    … I can’t do it… he thought sadly. He may have been horrible to me, but… I can’t… It just wouldn’t be right… He’s my brother…

    With a sigh, he bent down and offered his hand. “Hold on tight…†he murmured.
    John looked up incredulously at him. “Wh… What?!â€
    “Hold on tight or you’ll fall. Hurry up.â€

    Shakily, John took his brother’s hand, and was helped back up onto the roof. Anishmial backed away cautiously.

    John shook a bit, clutching his bloody stomach and looked up at Anishmial with wide eyes. “Wh… Why did you do that…?!†he stammered.
    Anishmial hesitated. “… You’re my brother.â€
    “But… I’ve treated you so badly…â€
    His brother only shrugged casually. “I let you.â€

    There was a long silence.

    John dragged himself to his feet, overcome with emotion. “A…Anishmial…†he sobbed, stumbling over to his brother. Anishmial blinked, completely shocked as his brother gave him a huge hug. “I… I’m so sorry for how I’ve treated you before… You’re… the best brother a guy could ever hope for…â€

    Anishmial blinked, completely startled for a moment. After a while, he smiled, and hugged John back, smiling happily.

    “… And also the stupidest…â€

    Anishmial blinked as he heard a faint clicking sound, and gasped.

    KA-BLAM!!!

    He jerked violently, releasing John and stumbling back slightly. His hand unconsciously went to the bloody hole in his chest as he stared incredulously at his brother. John grinned, blowing the barrel of the smoking gun casually and grinning at him.

    Everything seemed to go in slow motion. He stumbled back a bit, his motions short, jerky, mechanical, even. His body was rapidly going numb. He didn’t feel it… No pain. No pain… Only horror.

    He couldn’t stop his twin brother as he casually walked up and shoved him off the edge of the building. He could only watch, as if he were a spectator.

    Why…?

    The last thing he remembered seeing was his brother waving him good-bye on the way down.
     
  2. Catch the Rain As the world falls down ♥

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    Foxxie, I adore you and your writing.

    Seriously this was amazingly well written. It kept me guessing the entire time as every time I thought I had it all figured out some new twist came into play.

    I actually wanted to bang my head at the end D: what a way to end it @_@ cliffhanger much @_@

    Anyways hun, it was brilliant.
     
  3. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

    Joined:
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    The internet! Duh!
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    I'm so glad it's not as rushed as I feared it was... =w=;;; Before I got back from marching-band yesterday, this story had less than 10 pages. Now it's marked at 27. @w@;;; I had to work my ARSE off to get it done in time. DX

    I know for a fact that sometimes the reader can make the best ending for themselves, so I decided to leave it a little... vague, but i wasn't expecting it to hit you so hard. X'DDD Maybe one day I'll decide on my own ending and finish it myself... TTwTT;;;

    Thanks so much again - this means more to me than you know. TTATT

    *hugs the stuffing outta you*
     
  4. Rosey Chaser

    Joined:
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    Female
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    Holy FECK foxxie Dx

    Your writting never fails to amaze me ._.

    Beautifully written, I wanted to cry at the end D: I was like "NO, DONT DO IT!!!"

    I <3 u and ur writting foxxie *huggles*
     
  5. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

    Joined:
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    The internet! Duh!
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    *hugglez moar*

    Thanks oogls, Rose... |'3 You guys make me blush - really.

    I'm just so glad that it's DONE. DX
     
  6. Chevalier Crystal Princess

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    woah, this is really great.

    but, they live in modern day, right?

    this was so good, i enjoyed reading this a lot.

    can't wait for the next.
     
  7. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

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    Yeah - this is modern day. It mentions cars and busses and stuff. Sorry if the scenery is kinda sketchy - I had to get this done a lot faster than usual. ^^;
     
  8. Chevalier Crystal Princess

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    its not sketchy, actually, i wasnt sure because you normally dont see demons go unoticced and more when they arent hidden, or something.

    its actually very good *reps*
     
  9. Amber PLUR

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    OMG You finished it <333

    That was so awesome 8D

    I almost cried at the end ;~;

    EDIT: Aw... I have to spread some rep around before I can rep you again...
     
  10. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

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    I know you were attached, but you know I'm not one for sappy endings, Amber. X'DDD
     
  11. Pure Beats~ Chaser

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    You are so good at this Foxxie. I loved it.

    This was so well written. I didn't lose interest in it, not once. I actually read it a second time before I replied.

    I noticed a few errors, though.

    You originally had 'think'.

    So, all in all, it was fantastic and I loved it. You are great at writing.
    You are great at this, and I can't wait to see more.
     
  12. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

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    Thanks a lot, pal. X'DDD

    To be completely honest, I don't quite understand your correctings and stuff and would love it if you could explain your angle a bit more, but thanks for the thought. <333
     
  13. Pure Beats~ Chaser

    Joined:
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    You're very welcome. :3

    All right, let's see.

    You originally had "As long as he could remember, that was the first think he could recall them ever agreeing to.'

    I thought that 'think' should have been 'thing'. In my opinion, it makes more sense.

    And the second one, you originally had "Anishmial’s slowly cracked open." You left out the word eyes, and I thought I'd just point that out to you.


    But, I have to say, I really liked this story.
     
  14. 2Foxxie4U ~The Forgotten Crusader...~

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    OK! XD Thanks - i wasn't sure if that was what I'd already written or what. XD THANKS! <33333