================================

"Maybe trying to act smart
and making up a sudden friendship,
was really not the smartest idea I have come up with."

                                         --Yuna--

=================================

Two weeks later . . .

               Demons . . . They are creatures most try to avoid either out of fear or loyalty to the great creator. . . And standing back at the gates of RAD left me with the most displeasing feeling bubbling inside me. I found myself walking through the hallways. Should I hold my head high, or star at the ground? The mark on my neck tingled, upon catching sight if the stares following me across the hallway. Guess that snake did not fade away, yet. Mummers were muffled in the air, and from the corners of my eyes, I could see some of them smirking. Guess they do teach something useful in such a school.

               Scratching my neck, I wandered through the halls, hoping to sense Luke's aura somewhere around the campus' grounds. It was still morning, but as expected, Devildom was way more dimmer than the Human Realm, and the longer I walked, the more I could sense unwanted attention focusing on me. It was not pleasing the slightest. "Hey! Cat!"an unfamiliar, high pitched voice called out, as a sudden grip took hold of my left shoulder. "Why do you have a snake over here?"

               He poked my neck, and surprisingly; a loud hiss echoed in my ears. My hands found themselves to the daggers on my hips, before I knew it, I was already facing a student with a blade a inch away from his face, ready to poke his sun colored eyes out. He seemed young, about two years older than me; messy-dirty-blond-hair ; fair-peach-skin, and had quite the unique way of casually wearing his uniform similarly to Mammon's. I could not help, but smirk at his wide eyes. " Yeah your magic level isn't that high," I chuckled, holding his hand.

                Simple, but dangerous. I pushed him away, but held his hand firmly. "You haven't been here long have you?" The question left my lips, but the demon did not seem to reply.

                His eyes seemed to shift to my neck every few seconds, but I would not blame him for doing so. Afterall, these dark residents have never seen an angel's familiar . . . Especially not a cursed one. I looked around, most seemed to enjoy the scene instead of stepping in. " Yeah, you got that part correct," the boy smiled, a small-smile making its way to his lips. "Uh, might not want to talk here."

                I eyed him suspiciously, "Agreed."

* * *

                This demon . . . He was still not in control of his powers . . . That was what makes him vulnerable to be killed by those of higher magic power. "Your weak," I blurted out, once we were in the campus' garden by ourselves. " Do you often . . . Test you magic?"

                 He seemed quick to offend, and he certainly seemed annoyed by my comment, by the look on his face. "Is it normal for you to offend others?"he sarcastically asked," Can you let go of my hand?"

                  I did as was told, but did not bother to apologize, "Nope, but this is my way of talking to demons."

                  "Dang lady, what's with the attitude?" He questionably asked, with a troubled look on his face. "You seem to hate us more and more every day! Even though you just stayed one day, before running off!"

                   If my attention was not drawn to the green bushes of Mirage flowers grown perfectly into concerte pots, I would have had him pinned to the ground, with an ugly black eye on either side of his dimpled face. " Well this lady has every right to hate your kind, inwards and outwards," the words rolled out of my tongue as I knelt down next to a pot to take a closer look at the unnatural, rainbowish shades that tinted the petals. "Marvellous . . . How do you have such flowers in your school's garden?"

                  The boy seemed triggered that I was absolutely paying his offensive comments no mind and was thinking completely in another world. With a bitter smile, he stood next to my crouched figure and asked, completely tossing my question away," How can you tell weather my-magic level is high or low?"

                This guy was seriously not giving up, and it was starting to get annoying! "Your aura is so simple and open, it's like your not trying to hide your magic level at all, makes it easy for the other person to specify your magic level," I stated, cradling a single flower at the top of my fingers, before snipping its stem off with my thumb nail. "If you can't control your aura, you cannot hide yourself from anyone, and just like this flower you would have your neck snapped in a chase."

                He subconsciously rubbed his neck, which made a giggle slip out of my lips. "Don't take it too personal, but Diavolo seems to pamper most of the students, which I doubt will fix anyone's manner in this pit of hell," I added, sprinkling a hint of sarcasm. "Rediculous."

                 "Pamper them? Yuna you have quite the tongue," a deep voice interrupted, causing to demon boy next to me to flinch, and for me to just smirk, and admire the snipped flower in my hand. "Leaving Devildom without permission is a great violation of the exchange program Yuna, I hope your aware of that."

               My eyes glanced at the demon next to me, a total panicked mess. It was like staring at a boy, who stole candy from the secret cabnit of the kitchen. "Hey, kid. . . What's your name?" I asked, standing up, but kept my gaze locked on the lovely flower in my hand.

               "A-Alvad," he stuttered, probably out of fear of being in the presence of Lucifer, "Alvad Blood-Bound. "

              "Blood-Bound?" I repeated, glancing at him curiously, but I could sense Lucifer's presence from behind demanding attention and respect. "Funny name Alvad. Were you a vampire in your previous life?"

              The demon did not reply, and continued stuttering. Maybe Lucifer's presence was already getting to his head. Cough cough. I twirled around, and faked a stunned-smile upon catching slight of Lucifer in his neatly dressed uniform, with a familiar blond demon with jade eyes, standing next to him. He smiled and waved at me casually, putting on his face act as expected in front of everyone. "Guess I hoped for too much when I thought it was only you Lucifer," I talked, while making my way towards him, feeling a bit more motivated to lower his pride, after coming back from my small trip to the Human Realm. "Well Alvad, I have some news for you. . ."

                "But I . . . " I slowly placed my hand over the boy's mouth muffling his words, until he got the message, and shut his trap.

               "As I was saying!" I chripped holding back a smirk. "Alvad over here was asking me to help him out with a few casts and summoning rituals, and I was just about to accept  . . . When you showed up." The last few words dripped with sarcasm, and I could spot Lucifer's eyebrow flinch. "Ow my god Lucifer, is there something that annoys you?"

                "Your sense of humour isn't adorable Yuki," Satan smirked deviously, which made me want badly to smack him in that face.

                " Ow no, I was not telling a joke," I shifted to a straight expression, before giving Alvad a pat on his shoulder, confirming his certain doom if to reject my indirect offer.

                 "Uh Yes! Yes! I was asking Yuna if she could help me out, since she . . ." But his words drowned into uncertainty, and he had no idea what to say. " Since she . . ."

                 ". . .Can finally use high level, magic," I defended, raising my hand to reveal a burning flame ignited over my palm, which it barely touched.

                  That took the two siblings off guard, and I was now waiting for a response that would most likely never come. "Well since you have seen me well and all, me and Alvad will be on our way to get ready for his classes."

                 "Hold it right there, Yuna!" Maybe trying to act smart, and make up a sudden-friendship, was really not the smartest idea I have come up with. "You leave without warning! On your first day as an exchange student! Get cursed! Wander around in the Human Realm!  I send someone to bring you back, and you lock them in a storage room, while they are knocked out?!  And two weeks later you show up here without any further notice?!"

                  "Okay first, you stupid brother Mammon got me cursed! Second, it's in my familiar contract that I can visit the Human Realm at least once a year! Third, your brother Satan to be precise, broke into a human's  house and fainted without a proper reason! Fourth, I helped him out the very next morning! Fifth, I clearly remember telling Satan to tell you I will come back in two freakish weeks!!" yelling everything all at once had left me breathless, and I could feel the mark on my neck urging me to itch it.

                   Looking back at Lucifer, he seemed even more displeased with my answer, so I did the smartest thing  . . . " Run!!" I squeaked, grabbing Alvad, by the hand, and dashing out of the garden; towards anywhere safer than  being in the presence of an angry, high ranked demon. "Don't look back!"

                   "I pretty sure I know that part already!" the demon boy yelled, on the edge of tears form fear, which I was finding a pathetic excuse for a demon. . . But who am I to speak when we were being chased, by the Avatar of Pride himself.

* * *

                    We dashed into Alvad's first class, only to earn questionable stares from the students, who were chatting of playing card games. That was when I spotted a familiar short, pink haired boy, seated in the front. Out of reflex, I shifted into a cat, and scurried under the demon's table with Alvad hesitantly tagging behind. "Well well well," Asmodeus frowned, turning his attention away from a conversation with the demon next to him, to my small figure," if it isn't Yuna. How was your stay at the Human Realm for the past two weeks? You should have seen how angery he was!"

                   Though he seemed mad, he managed to sarcastically laugh. Once close enough, he grabbed me by the nap of my neck, and pulled me up to his face. I glared at him, and waited for him to calm down a bit. "Asmodeus. . . " the pink-haired-demon shifting his gaze to Alvad.

                    His light-brown eyes seemed to search Alvad's eagerly. "Alvad was it? You have such a cute face!" He cooed, dropping me on the wooden floor planks, only to stand up from his seat, and study Alvad's features; poking and stretching the boy's cheeks.

                    I clung to Alvad to get his attention, but he seemed too panicked to look away from Asmodeus . . . Until someone picked me up, and flicked the pink-haired-demon's forehead. " Get a hold of yourself Asmo," Satan interrupted, pushing Alvad away from his sibling, before looking back at me. "Thought you don't like demons?"

                  This was rediculous. I leaped out of Satan arms, and towards Alvad, who clumsily caught me, while earning a glare and a scoff of disbelief from the other demon. Alvad smiled awkwardly, before scurrying to a nearby seat. " Yuna why did you pull me into this? I was just told to give you this, by Diavolo," he hissed, once opening the book he was handed by the class' professor, and pulled out a small paper from his pocket; placing it on the table before me.

                    I glanced at the paper, and slightly tugged it closer with my paw to take a look, only to read . . .

* * *

                   To Yuna,

Yuna there has been complains at the river of Phlegethon that a basilisk has been slithering around on the banks, which is causing problems for the clinics near the school. This would be your first task, as a transfer student here at RAD. Please find a solution to this.

Wish you the best of luck,
Lord Diavolo 
          

* * *

                     "Since when was catching fifty meter snakes a task?" I asked, once in human form, earning a few curious glanced from other demons.

                      "What does it say?" Alvad dodged my question by asking another, while taking a few notes from the class board. "You look pretty annoyed."

                      " Basilisk at Phlegethon river," the idea of having to face the creature slightly triggered me.

                       It was no different than hunting missions I would get sent to in the Human Realm. . . Find the beast . . . Purify it . . . And the mission is accomplished. I ran my thumb over the wax seal next to Diavolo's signature, and sighed. " Ow yeah, I heard there was a class for magical creatures there that was attacked," Alvad eyes seem to lighten up upon the thought of magical creatures.

                        Just what did this guy do to become a demon? He is shy and has the curiousity of a cat! I scoffed, before looking back at the note in front of me, before slipping it into my pocket. "Well, you can come if you want, I will find a way to excuse you from your next class this afternoon," he stopped writing, and turned to me with a shy grin.

                       "R-Really?!" He stuttered, his golden, tiger eyes turning to crescents.

                        It made him look . . . A bit cute. I noticed I was starting to stare, once Alvad shot me a troubled expression, with a pink shade reaching his ears," uh, um . . Is there something wrong?"

                        Is this boy really a demon at this school? "Just what type of demon are you?" I asked, unable to hold back the question.

                       "Well it's a funny story, but . . .  I tried killing my step father, after he broke my mother's heart, and. . . She stopped eating, sleeping, and drinking, until she became broken . . ." His words drowned into whispers, that sent a strange aura-arising-around the boy.

                       He lowered his-head, and I could sense the alarming stares of the other students in the room. "She dead . . . Because of her heartbreak . . . She wanted someone to love her . . . And I could not do anything . . . "

                       Even the professor   had stopped, and was glancing irritatedly in our direction. "Yuna, why did not god help her? I prayed everyday, for her to feel at ease, but she died in the end! She died in that hospital telling me she was sorry?! Why did he have to leave us ?!" This boy was drowned in the dispair of another, blaming himself, and allowing guilt to sink him in his mother's sea of misery.

                      He grabbed my shoulders, and asked with a shivering voice," She never hurt anyone . . . But he stabbed her heart with no mercy! He left us! Yuna . . . Why did not god save her?! Why?!"

                    His shivering tiger eyes pierced mine, and his heavy gasps brushed against my cheeks. White horns with the slight shade of green from their core, poked out of his forehead, and in an instant, mossy green smoke devoured him. Once it began fading away I took in the image of his demonic state: two curved sharp horns; slightly pointy, white fangs; a long, chestnut colored sleeved shirt with black, leather body belts strapped over his chest and around his hips; along with black jeans made out of leather. There were two black, leather straps around his left thigh, and colorful tattoos of roses over his right arm. My eyes landed on the two, steel chains strapped to his black belt, and the vudu doll clinging from it. Creepy . . . A bit. He finally broke into tears,and buried his face into my shoulder, soaking it with his bleeding tears of agony. " Alvad," I called out to him as gently as possible, since I could not reach out for my daggers in front of a whole class." Why don't I take you to the nurse's office?"

                   The demon did not reply, and shivered in my arms; dark aura rising around him, and arms cringing to me desperately. "Professor, I hope you can excuse me, and let me take Alvad to the clinic," I spoke in a cold, but polite tone, not really in the most delightful state to ask in a sweet voice.

                 The teacher nodded his head, combing his gelled  moustache with his fingers, before turning his curious gaze back to the rest of the class, and called out in a British accent," Satan, Asmodeus, would you mind helping Yuna?"

                I flinched at the mention of Asmodeus, and spotted him smirk from the other side of the classroom, once locking his eyes with mine. "Fine~" Asmodeus moaned, standing up from his seat with an irritated expression.

               He tried pulling Alvad away from some with little effort, before glancing at Satan for help. "Allow me, " he brushed his older sibling to the side, before placing his hand over Alvad's watery eyes, and chanting a spell.

               His voice seemed to change into a hushed tone like the last time he took care of my curse. Alvad let out small whimpers, until his body eased, and his grip loosened . . . Leaving him unconscious, while leaning on my shoulder. Satan glanced at me, and smiled tiredly, before slowly pulling Alvad off me; slinging one of the boy's arms over his shoulder. He stood there for a moment, and looked at Asmodeus to help, but the boy dodged his sibling's gaze; making his way already to the classroom's exit door. I sighed, and hurled Alvad's left arm over my shoulder. " Shall we?" I asked, with a wry smile, only to earn a sly grin from the blonde.

"Yes, we shall."