This one was suggested to me by SuperiorGhost, and it's about how my two OCs met! And the story of these two OCs was inspired by Oh Raven (Sing Me A Happy Song) by Unlike Pluto!

     "Victory is ours!"

     The men standing around Gabriel Daniels cheered as they raised their blood stained swords into the air, and some clapped each other on the backs. The battle had been long and hard, some lives had been lost, but victory was theirs, and the kingdom was safe.

     Cindy, the only female soldier on the battlefield, smiled as she watched the others around her cheer. She then looked over at Gabriel and watched him for a moment. His unearthly white hair was a mess, and he had scratches on his muscular biceps, but to her, that only made him even more handsome. He was the image of a true hero.

     Gabriel, feeling eyes on him, turned his bright blue eyes to Cindy, then he smiled at her and gave a nod to her. He wouldn't be the fighter he was today if it weren't for the Cinderflame. He looked away and got to work gathering the fallen with the others before they began making their way back to Malum's kingdom.

     After a couple of hours, they all made it back to the kingdom. After burying the dead, many of the soldiers went off to the tavern to celebrate their victory. Gabriel and Cindy, however, chose not to go to the tavern, as neither of them drank, nor did they really enjoy being around alcohol. Cindy left to go to her room, most likely to take a relaxing bath, and Gabriel cleaned up before he sat on a log outside and whittled at a piece of wood.

     "Congratulations on the victory, Guardian Angel."

     Gabriel looked up when he heard the smooth, silky voice of a woman. When he spotted her, he smiled and gave a polite nod of his head. "Thank you. And, begging your pardon, but I don't believe we have met. Who are you?"

     "Oh, simply a traveler." The woman replied with a smile before she curtsied. "My name is Raven. And, if the stories are true, you are Gabriel Daniels, correct?"

     "Yes, that's right." Gabriel replied with a nod. He put his wooden figure down and looked at the woman before him. She was a rather beautiful woman, her hair long, black, and going down to her waist. He could tell that her eyes were blue in the light of the full moon, and she had full lips, as well as smooth, youthful skin. "I wasn't aware anyone outside this kingdom used the same title."

     Raven nodded, smiling softly. "Oh, yes. You are known far and wide. In fact, I came here specifically to see you."

     Gabriel got to his feet after she spoke and looked at her curiously. "Why's that? Can I help you with something?"

     Raven nodded. "Yes. Long ago, you protected my village from Emperor Spriggan's men. I wrote a song for you, but was too shy to sing it, and you had left by the time I gathered enough courage to do so. I know it must sound silly, but I came so I could sing to you, you see."

    Gabriel listened to Raven's little story, then he smiled and gave a nod. "Well, then, go ahead and sing. I'm listening." He mentally cringed at his response. He never knew how to react to such praise, and he was wondering how he should respond after he heard the song. Why did people have to write songs about him?

     Raven smiled, and she closed her eyes as she began to hum. After a moment, she began to sing, her voice soft, silky, and absolutely beautiful. It was the most beautiful voice Gabriel had ever heard, and it drew him to her. It was so beautiful that he almost felt like he was dreaming.

     After she sang, he blinked tiredly. Was he dreaming? He felt so weak, yet he didn't care. This woman intrigued him. Everything about her was beautiful; her looks, her voice, and her personality. She was a kind and sweet girl, so why would he think anything was up. "I... don't know what to say, Miss Raven. Thank you for the kind words, and for the song."

     Raven smiled and curtsied. "Please, just call me Raven. And you need not say anything; I should thank you for allowing me to sing to you." She looked Gabriel in the eye. "I must be finding a place to stay for the night, but I will see you around. Good night, kind sir."

~<>~<>~<>~

     It had been a week, and Raven was still around. She spent every second with Gabriel, it seemed, and Gabriel was always with her. In fact, he almost seemed obsessed with her at times, but he claimed that she was just a friend that he enjoyed being around.

     Cindy had noticed, of course, just as everyone else had. But there was something else she had noticed that none of the men seemed to notice. Whenever she sang, it seemed that they went into a daze. It was very suspicious.

     "Gabriel, I don't think you should be spending so much time with Raven." She told the soldier one day after training.

     Gabriel frowned and furrowed his brow. "Why not? She's causing no trouble, and she's a very kind woman."

     "But haven't you noticed something... off?" Cindy asked, crossing her arms as she leaned back against a gatepost. "Several of the men are drawn to her as a feline would be drawn to Fools Weed. And whenever she sings, you men seem to go into a daze, as if she's hypnotizing."

     Gabriel shook his head. "Cindy, I'm sure you're just imagining things. Raven's harmless." He replied, then he looked over and smiled when he spotted Raven walking towards him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a date."

     Cindy raised her brow. "A date?"

     Gabriel nodded. "She wants to go to the tavern."

     The female soldier's eyes widened in disbelief. "The tavern? But you've never stepped foot in a tavern of any sort! Why start now?"

     Gabriel sighed and made no reply as he walked away from the blonde. Once he was by Raven's side, she hooked his arm around his, then looked back at Cindy with a smirk before resuming her beautiful smile, talking and laughing with the young man by her side.

     Cindy clenched her jaw and fists, watching the two until they were out of sight. Something was very wrong with that woman, and it was more than the fact that the two women liked the same man.

~<>~<>~<>~

     Another week later, much had drastically changed. Gabriel was always late for work- when he did show up. He never talked to Cindy anymore, and Cindy left him alone and chose to keep herself busy with her work.

     "Hey, what's been up with you lately?" James, a fellow soldier of the race of Fauns, asked Gabriel one day. "You and Cindy used to be so close. Now you never talk to her."

     Gabriel sighed. "Why is everyone talking about that? It isn't anyone's business."

     James raised a brow. Gabriel usually didn't sound so defensive. "You're also paler than usual. Each passing day you seem to become more pale."

     "I'm fine, though. I think you all are seeing things."

     "What I'm seeing is someone who's losing himself day by day." James crossed his hairy arms over his chest. "Gabriel, I don't think you should be spending so much time with Raven. She is bad news; haven't you noticed how she seems to affect humans?"

     Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. Now, if you'll excuse me." He snapped before walking away. He didn't stop walking until he was back to his own home, and he began getting dressed in his armor. He ought to get himself ready to go check the borders of the kingdom.

     After dressing, he looked into the looking glass and frowned. He was pretty pale, and it seemed to him that his eyes weren't as bright as they'd once been. His eyes widened when he noticed his hair- it was changing color! The hair that had once been the purest of whites was now becoming black, and his eyes darkened until they were completely black.

     "What- what is happening?" Gabriel cried out, his hands flying to his face. He rubbed his eyes before looking in the mirror again, but nothing changed. He was pale- white as a sheet now- his hair was black, and his eyes were black.

     Gabriel walked over to the door, though that was when he realized that he wasn't walking, but was gliding. His feet were gone, and he no longer even had a human form. He was a wispy being now, having no legs, but something that he could only describe as tail-like.

     He hurried to the door and tried grasping the handle, but his hand passed through it. He took in a deep breath, then he closed his eyes before gliding forward. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the hallway. He had passed through the door!

     As soon as he spotted another person, he hurried over. "Hey, Thomas!"

     No response.

     "Thomas? Thomas, come on!" Gabriel shouted. When he still got no response, he hurried outside and went from solider to soldier, trying to get someone's attention. However, no one responded.

     "They can't hear you, Gabriel, nor can they see you."

     Gabriel turned and looked toward the familiar voice. "Raven? You can hear me?"

     Raven smiled, but the once beautiful smile now seemed to hold a hidden ugliness. "Yes, Gabriel. I can hear you and see you, because I did this to you. Your soul is now mine to control. You should have listened to your friends rather than listened to my happy songs."

     Gabriel's eyes widened, and had he had a heart in this form, he was sure his heart would have skipped a beat. "What did you do to me?"

     "You are now a ghoul, neither dead nor alive." Raven replied, her voice seeming to drip with venom. "And now you will be the cause of many deaths, even though you once saved many lives."

~<>~<>~<>~

     Days passed by, and those days became weeks. Those weeks become months, and those months became years. Gabriel, now known as Ghoul, watched as technology advanced. He watched as those around him died, whether it be from old age or by his own hand. Yet here he was, and Raven was still around, too.

     He had to obey Raven, as if he didn't, then he would die. He wanted to die, but he was afraid to die. Where would he go once death claimed him? He wasn't sure, but her was fairly certain that he would go to the eternally burning lake of fire. After all he had done for Raven, it was logical to assume so.

     Because of his current state, he could only live by consuming the hearts of others. Therefore, he sent many to their graves. He was a murderer, and he was certain that all murderers went to hell. Therefore, he didn't want to die, so he did whatever his mistress commanded.

     Ghoul sighed as he looked around at the snow, then he turned to a black bird beside him. "Oh, Raven, won't you sing me a happy song?"