Falling Rain...Forest [Misson]

The girl saw the silver cat's hesitation and pulled herself to her feet. Despite having tucked her wings away, there was a phantom of the pain on her back. She strained to keep her balance, her ears rung and her stomach felt nauseous. Aleta frowned, she had hit her head as she fell, hadn't she? Her eyes had trouble focusing on the monster. The Spring student knew that she had to make a move soon. The creatures eyes did not leave her person.

It was waiting for her.

A feeling of despair crossed her mind. What was she thinking when she signed up? There was no way she could beat anything like this. What good was she? Aleta truly felt useless. With what felt like a concussion, and an overwhelming feeling of anger and fear. Her dark eyes looked down hill. Lips pressed together, the girl gathered what remaining confidence she had left. Throwing knife in hand, she threw it in the cat's direction. Her dizziness not doing much to help her aim. But it was an attempt. Moving fast, she resupplied herself with another blade.

The Silver Cat easily stepped out of the way of the blade, its eyes drifting to watch the throwing knife whizz past before it turned to look at her. Already, the girl was holding another one. A snort escaped the creature as it started to move slowly forward, its eyes narrowed.


Cold rain pelted Devin’s body, finally stirring him from the darkness as he shivered, slowly opening his eyes. His whole body ached as he lay sprawled out among the mud and grass, his head pounding as he attempted to recall the fragmented memory of the last few moments. With a groan of pain, he attempted push himself up from the mud, but his arm quickly gave out from the effort. He fell back to the ground with a small thud, suddenly wincing from the pain that flashed through his chest. Pain pulsed through him, mostly though his arms which felt cut up and his head which throbbed with every heartbeat.

He reached slowly toward one of his raincoat sleeves, pushing it up only to grimace at the blood that oozed from his wounds. Pulling the sleeves back over the wounds to hide them, he moaned softly as he allowed his whole body to go limp. His green eyes stared unfocused at the canopy above, gritting his teeth at the pounding of his head and the aching of his chest. As he laid there, the rain striking his pain-riddled body, taking deep breaths in a vain attempt to somehow lessen the pain and remember what exactly happened.

Everything was...Blurry when it came to his memory. The splitting pain that flashed through his skull every few moments didn’t help and caused him to conclude that he must of hit it somehow. But how? That was the question. His eyes narrowed as he focused on what he could - remembering arriving at the rainforest with Aleta. They had been walking through the forest when...When...Oh...

In that quick second, everything came rushing back to him and his pupils shrunk to pin-points as the air left his lungs in a quick gasp. Aleta. He lifted his head, his eyes turning toward the hill that loomed before him. A few feet in front of him was his mud-splattered scythe - having somehow  managed to reach the bottom with him - a faint indent in the handle from where he had intercepted the creature’s blow. But his arms had given out and he had slipped...And now he was here while Aleta was up there.

His pain didn’t seem to matter in that moment as his wings tensed up at his side. The only thing that did matter was Aleta. What was he to do? His head still ached and his limbs felt sluggish, as if the rain and mud were weighing them down. His whole body shivered uncontrollably, the cold droplets of water seeming to piece his raincoat and chill him to the bone. His eyes drifted up the hill - knowing that he couldn’t climb the hill like this...But he had to try anyways.

With a small groan, he pushed himself up - making a bit more progress until his arms became like limp noodles and he fell to the ground with a painful jolt. He opened his mouth to say something, but there was a lump in his throat as he stared pitifully at the giant slope above him. His breath came in quick gasps as his chest heave with emotions that threaten to drown him. Was this truly it? Would he be stuck down here while Aleta fought against that...That beast? He blinked past tears that started to form in his eyes that mixed with the rain that poured down his muddy face.

He...He was terrified. He swallowed as his wings fell limp at his side. He didn't want to be stuck down here while Aleta battled for her life, he wanted to be up there protecting her! His hands clenched at the ground as he shook his head as he fought back the tears and the emotions that rolled through him, not noticing the darkness that started to linger at his fingertips.

He felt...Angry. Angry at the beast, this mission...Himself. He was useless wasn't he? He was a young child with a gift that he couldn't control and instead it controlled him at times...He was useless in a fight and yet he had decided to take this dangerous mission. Because he was in it, Aleta had joined and now he was stuck on the bottom of a hill in the Congo rainforest. He had been knocked out of the fight before it even started, leaving Aleta to fend for herself. Useless. Useless, useless, useless. He gritted his teeth as he stared down at the ground as his wings curled tightly at his side. This had been a mistake, a stupid mistake and now Aleta was going to pay for it.

The next emotion that consumed him was grief. Aleta...He didn't want admit but he rather liked her. Sure, they didn't hang out much but she always seemed so...Stable. At least compared to him and his gift. She wasn't afraid to tell the truth, and he respected that. She was the type of friend he really need amidst this all. Leo was great in all, but the natural hatred for each other did make bonding a bit hard. But he didn’t have that same hatred for Aleta... And now she was alone fighting a dangerous beast.

What did Aleta think of him, being knocked out so easily? Was she still alright? He hoped so, he had to. Otherwise... Tears started to stream down his face, but he barely noticed as his green eyes started to pulse with light. He gritted his teeth, his whole body tensing up as the darkness around his fingers started to intensify. The last emotion he felt was a simple one to describe. Rage. Pure, unbridled rage.

It felt like the anger he had felt moments before but it was much more intense. Everything seemed not to matter in that moment - not even the pain that he felt. He had to do something, anything to help Aleta. He didn’t care what it was. The pain seemed to lessen as he heaved for breath, his eyes flickering down to his hand only to see the darkness that danced at the ready - waiting to be called upon. For a second, he felt wary about it but all of the emotions that brewed inside him pushed that way.

His eyes started to glow brightly as he sorrowfully accepted what was to come of it before he threw his head skyward and clenched his fists. In that moment, he let out all of his emotion as a shout - a cry filled with sorrow and anger at being unable to do a thing. At that sound, the darkness leaped forward in an exciting rush like hunting dogs on the tail of prey. As the darkness covered his muddy, bloodied body, he kept his shout going as long as he could until the coat of blackness consumed his face. For that quick second, the cry shifted into something beastly - unnatural before going silent as Devin allowed his power to consume him and succumbed to its cold, numbing kiss.


The Silver Cat's paws rooted to the ground as the sound of a cry echoed in the silent rainforest, causing it to turn its attention to the source of the sound - the direction it had knocked the winged human down. Its ears quickly folded back as the cry took an inhuman sound for a brief second before going silent. It couldn't see, but at the bottom of the hill was now a black mass of where the human had been, shifting and morphing into a new form. A snarl of fear and confusion left its lips before it shook it head. Its red eyes quickly flashed back onto Aleta as it leaped forward - feeling that it needed to end it now.

Aleta's eyes widened in shock as the cry rang throughout the forest. The cold rain was but a distant memory, considering she had bigger problems than becoming soaking wet. She quickly glanced down at where Devin had fallen. Her heart leaped in her throat. What was happening? What was he doing? Was he okay? Her bottom lip quivered as she looked back at the cat. It didn't seem like it was going to let her get away. Despite anything that Devin was doing.

She began to take steps back, continuously glancing between Devin and the cat. Her knife glittered in the minute light that the cloudy sky and canopies offered. She gripped the object tightly, her hands shaking at the prospect of taking this monster on with a three inch blade. It didn't seem like it wanted to wait, as the creature leaped forward, ready to go in for a kill. There was a scream, and the girl fell towards the ground, knife pointed upwards in a desperate attempt to wound the creature.

'Devin!'

At the sound of Aleta's scream, glowing green eyes flashed open on the forest floor below.


A snarl left the Silver Cat's mouth as it landed on Aleta, the knife digging into its chest. It wenched itself backwards, attempting to dislodge the weapon from it when its ears perked at the sound of something moving toward it...Wings? Its red eyes flashed toward the bottom of the hill where it had knocked its other prey down, but there was nothing there. Eyes widing, it leaped backwards as a shadow crashed though the tree branches above - the silver blade of a scythe slicing the air right above Aleta - where the Silver Cat had been moments before. Backing away, it hissed as the black being settled down right in front of Aleta - standing between the two as it held the scythe out.


Devin stared numbly at the creature before it, not even glancing toward Aleta as he stood between her and the Silver Cat. His tail lashed as he bared his sharp fangs at the creature, a growl of his own raising from his throat. Devin wasn't in control anymore, instead his basic emotions drove his demon form forward as it flared his wings and charged at the Silver Cat. The scythe sliced though the air once more, the blade coming straight down on the Silver Cat.


The creature dove to the side, the blade nicking its side causing blood to gush forth as it howled in anger and pain. It stumbled, quickly regaining it balance as it stared in mixed horror and rage at the thing before it. It had been so close to getting its prey, yet this...Thing had robbed it from it. Was this the other human? It was not sure, but it did not care as it dove forward with slashing claws.


Having almost completely missed its target, the scythe's blade had buried itself into the ground. Devin was about to pull it out when the Silver Cat leapt toward him, causing him to have to release the handle to dodge away. His green eyes narrowed as the cat-like creature parked itself between him and the blade but neither made an attempt to attack. Instead, they both watched each other to see who would move first.

Aleta had been certain she was going to die. There was nothing she could have done but accept it. Yet when the cat landed on her -and her knife- it reared backwards. Her knife ripped from her hands, still in the animal's chest. The girl didn't move, instead she reached for another knife. Fighting such a thing, she couldn't be caught unarmed. That was when the blade sliced the air right above her. The spring student froze, mouth agape.

Was this Devin? This was his power. Aleta couldn't bring her self to be terrified, she was only in awe. Slowly, she sat up. It would be bad to get caught up in this battle.

The Silver Cat frowned as it flickered an ear, its crimson eyes narrowed as it paced slowly toward Devin - deciding to take first move. It had to plan its movement carefully, it didn’t know what it was against and its only goal was to come out the victor. The being before it stood still, not even moving until the Silver Cat quickly spun on its heels to send its tail straight toward his new opponent.


Devin reacted quickly, raising an arm up in an almost bored manner to protect himself. The tail rammed into his arm, causing him to waver slightly as it tore into his blacken skin. As the Silver Cat attempted to turn away to get out of range, Devin snatched forward with his other hand and grabbed the monster’s tail. Digging his claws into the creature’s flesh to draw blood, he growled before yanking on the creature’s tail - swinging it with all of his might.


A yowl left left the Silver Cat’s mouth as claws dug into his tail, almost not believing that it was being pulled to the side until its paws left the ground. When Devin finally let go of its tail, it was only because the Silver Cat had slammed into a tree. All of the air left the creature in a gasp as it collapsed in a heap but after a quick shake of its head, it gathered itself to its paws and spun, darting at Devin.


Devin blinked his glowing green eyes, seeing the attacking come. He almost frowned at how simple it seemed, quickly stepping to the side to dodge the attack. But the moment he did, the Silver Cat shifted in its path - having expecting him to dodge and came straight for the demon. Devin didn’t have time to dodge again as claws slashed down his chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

Blood started to drip down his chest as he raised a blacken claw to it. He barely felt the pain, but the wound...His breath quicken for a second, the glow in his eyes dimming as his body started to shake. Staring at his claw that was now covered with his own blood, he didn’t see the smirk that flashed on the Silver Cat’s face for a second. Until his eyes suddenly darted up, narrowed and glowing even brighter than before as he let out a howl of rage as he flared his wings and lashed his tail. Then, he flew across the battlefield and slashed his own claws across the Silver Cat’s face.


Having been proud of seeing his opponent's moment of weakness, the Silver Cat hadn’t been expecting the sudden burst of rage and following attack. The demon’s claws ranked down its face with such force that it barely caught itself from falling over. It backed up with a howl of its own. One eye was forced to remain shut as blood gathered around it but it didn’t let it slow it down as it bounced forward and sank its teeth into the arm that had just blinded that eye.


Another blow traded, another howl split the air as Devin shook his arm in an attempt to dislodge the Silver Cat, but it dug in with its front claws in an attempt to stay on. Green eyes flickered around in some way to remove it, finally landing on a tree near the two. Devin pushed his way to the tree with the Silver Cat hanging on all the way. Once he reached it, he slammed his arm with all of his might into the tree - thus slamming the Silver Cat into it as well.

It worked as the Silver Cat opened its mouth in a gasp from the sudden pain, its claws reacting as it slid from Devin’s arm and onto the ground below as the demon backed up. Devin’s chest heaved, the lost of blood starting to get to him as he glanced back at the scythe that was still in the ground. He took another step backwards as the Silver Cat started to stand up, its red eye burning with hatred as blood dripped down its face and tail.

Devin didn’t waste another moment, spinning and darting across the field to grab his weapon - the Silver Cat bounding after him. The moment he reached the scythe, he gripped both of his claws onto it and yank it from the ground - just in time to hear the Silver Cat jump at him. His green eyes flashed as he spun to intercept the creature with his weapon - only for it to be followed by a sicking noise as the Silver Cat crashed to the ground.

The creature let out a pitiful cry as it attempted to scramble at the ground as blood pooled around it. Devin stood there, watching numbly and without emotion. He had managed to spear the Silver Cat in mid-air, his scythe now buried into the creature’s side. Finally, the Silver Cat grew silent and still as the final breath of air left its body. Devin coldly stepped forward, gripping the handle of his scythe and pulled it from the dead creature’s body.

Then...He simply stood there. His whole body quivered with anger and adrenaline, but he also felt weak. Blood oozed from his chest and arm, along with other cuts he had managed to gather from his fall down. But he still stood there, staring at the dead creature’s body as if unsure on what to do. His mind suddenly felt conflicted and the emotion that rushed through him didn’t help.

The entire battle between the two felt like years. She hadn't moved from her spot, and instead watched with a mixture of horror and fascination. The battle itself was terrifying to be near, the two fought without so much as a glance at her. They both were going in for the kill. The Silver Cat, and what must have been Devin. In fact, it had to be him. He came from the bottom of the hill- and to her aid. Now he stood over the body of the creature. Aleta hadn't seen his transformation before, it was a bit of a shock. Someone as nice as Devin, having the powers of a being that was historically...not nice. Evil even. But even in his demon state, Aleta didn't think that he was purely evil. Despite all of the dark energy around him, it was still Devin.

After a moment or so of staring up at him, the girl noticed blood seeping out of his wounds. Eyebrows knitting together, she pulled a few first aid supplies. There wasn't too much she could bring with her, but Aleta figured she had enough to help him. Her scratches could wait. With supplies in hand, she strode to a stop a few feet from her transformed friend.

"Devin, you got hurt didn't you?" Aleta asked. It was rhetorical, there was no hiding the blood that fell. "Show me where so I can patch you up, okay?" Despite the easy sound of the words, the brown haired girl knew better. She could tell that Devin was shaking. From what, she was unaware. Yet, she knew to be gentle. They had just gone through a terrifying event after all.

His whole body stopped the shivering when Aleta spoke up, suddenly whirling around with a snarl as he raised one of his bloodied claws. But the moment his green eyes locked onto her, he stopped. For a moment, he wasn't sure why. His mind practically begged for a reason to attack her, going though all of the emotions he was feeling but...None of the anger or rage was directed at her. His snarl stopped as he blinked, almost looking unsure as his tail lashed and the grip on his scythe started to loosen.

The glow in his eyes started to fade as he stared numbly at her, unable to - or unwilling to - form a response. His eyes shifted back and forth as his mind was racing. And it was. His emotions and thoughts clashed with each other, one of them the amplified darker feelings; his rage, anger, bloodlust...Even his sorrow and terror where mixed in there. Then there were his warmer and more rational feels - what could be called the 'true' Devin.

Finally, after almost a minute of silence, it was broken by the clattering of his scythe as his eyes widen - the glow fading even more as he took a started step back away from Aleta as everything came rushing back to him. "No." Was the first words to leave his mouth, and they felt and even sounded...Strange. There was an unnatural sound to them and were deeper then Devin had ever spoke before. His chest started to heave as panicked green eyes glanced around the bloodied field - lingering on the dead body of the Silver Cat before he snapped his gaze away and shook his head.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he repeated as his hands flew up to his head and shut his eyes as he allowed himself to collapse to his knees. The moment he hit the ground, his form burst into black, green and some red smoke. The ever falling rain quickly disposed of it, revealing Devin back in his original, human form as his wings curled at his side. He had stopped talking, but his mouth still moved rapidly - silently uttering a bible verse over and over as tears started to form.

He was a fool! He had allowed his emotion to take control again and so he had lost control. He had...He had...He couldn't even bring himself to think about it as he started to shiver as he forced himself to repeat the bible verse over and over. He knew Aleta was there, ready to bandage him up but he couldn't even bring himself to look up at her. What did she think now? She had seen him as what he could truly be - a demon though and though. Sure, he had saved her - he could recall everything that had happened in his demonic rampage with perfectly clarity but at what cost?

Tears streamed down his face as he shook his head, almost forgetting about the fact that he was still bleeding. His mind was almost completely focused on the single verse. 'The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.' He repeated over and over without a sound.

Her heart leaped in her chest, but she didn't move. Wide eyes studied Devin, the waver in his eyes. As if he was fighting against some unknown force. She stayed still, despite a demonic claw being held up, ready to attack. Aleta knew her friend was too sweet of a soul to attack her. Well, in his right mind. Despite that comforting knowlage, the girl was still scared for Devin. Being in this...form of his. It scared not only him, but her as well. It scared her because he was in pain.

The spring student was rooted to the ground, her eyes staying on Devin as if she looked away he'd disappear. She didn't move until all the smoke had been dissipated by the rain. Leaving behind the emotionally wrecked from of her friend. As softly as she could, Aleta drew near. She took a moment to look at his wounds before setting to work. Once one wound was bandaged, she would pause to look for another before setting to work on that one. She didn't want to make him quit his bible verse if that was what made him feel better.

Soon, he was bandaged up and the supplies were back in her bag. A sad look crossed her face as she looked back at Devin. Moving closer, she wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled him close. Her head rested between the crook his neck and shoulder. Her wet hair slipping out of it's bands and down to the side of her face like curtains. The rain continuously pored. The droplets slipping past the canopy of the jungle hitting the ground below. Aleta did not move despite the many that fell on her head. She would stay there for as long as Devin needed her.

He refused to look at her as she started to bandage him, even if he did help by moving slightly to make the process easier. Perhaps if he had any idea of what to say, he would of but instead he just kept repeating the verse over and over to help him calm his nerves. By the time she had finished, he had finally stopped but yet still refused to look at her. He stared at the ground, shaking slightly until suddenly her arms wrapped around him and he was pulled into a hug.

Fresh tears started to form as Aleta rested her head on him, and he started to sob once more as he accepted her hug, almost going limp in her grasp. "I'm...I'm sorry," he uttered between choking back sobs. "I-I'm sorry for being so weak and getting knocked out...I-I'm sorry for losing control and..." he didn't finish. He was thankful that he didn't hurt her. In fact, he almost thought it was a bit strange when he thought about it. He had attacked Leo without a second thought, and he knew he wanted to attack Brant when the older student knocked him to the ground. But...Why not Aleta? He wasn't sure, but he simply shook his head as he hugged her back. "I'm so sorry."

Aleta  did not move from her position. Did he really think that all of this was  going to make her hate him? "You must have hit your head on the way down. " She whispered, a soft smile on her face. "You are definitely not weak, and there is no reason I would ever be angry at you."  Her voice was certain,  despite everything  she was proud of him for coming to.  For remembering, and holding himself back from hurting those who were not his enemies.  She was sure that neither of them expected this outcome.

Somehow, she knew that he would not hurt her. How? She was not sure but, she has never been this confident about being around someone before. Aleta didn't want to let go quite yet, memories of him falling down the slope were too fresh in her mind. What if he had actually died? Aleta didn't want to think about that...

Devin managed to bring his crying to a small sniffle as Aleta continued to hug him. He listened to what she said, almost laughing when she stated that he must of hit his head. He however found himself frowning when she stated that she could never be angry at him, almost doubting her for a second before remembering that Aleta didn't like lying. Not when others lied and not lying herself. He managed to hiccup a small laugh as he rested his head on her shoulder. "I-I guess you are right," he said before winching softly at a faint throb that echoed though his head. "I...Might of hit my head on the way down thought," he sighed.

Of course, all of the doubt didn't stay away and he found it crawling back into his mind. He...He really had made a big mistake. His emotions always seemed to get the better of him. The anger, rage...Everything he had felt in his demon form had felt so...Right until he tried to direct it onto Aleta in an effort to bring himself to attack her. But even before that, when he was on the bottom of the hill. All of his emotions had blinded him. Sure, a deep part of him had known that allowing his gift to overtake him would lead to such...Darkness but the rest of him didn't care. Aleta was in danger, and nothing else mattered then protecting her. Part of him almost wondered...Why? Why had in that moment, not even his own safety mattered over Aleta. Well...Maybe he did know. He just didn't want to admit it.

Rainwater slipped down Aleta's face, mixing with the salty tears that flowed from her eyes. It had taken her a second to realize that these were in fact tears. She had begun to get so used to the rain, that she didn't recognize the feeling of tears. Aleta didn't want to be the person to let go. Instead, the Spring student leaned back just enough to see his face. She brushed away a splatter of mud with her thumb, observing his face mutely. Her face probably didn't look any better than his.

"Hey...let's go home?" The fallen angel asked, tilting her head to the side, and a ghost of a smile on her face. Aleta was certain that they would be better when they got home, when they got to a place so familiar to the both of them that it would be easy to call it their home.

Devin glanced back at Aleta as she pulled away slightly and brushed away a bit of mud from his face. He blinked as she spoke up before he mutely nodded his head. He started to push himself upwards, glancing at his bloodied scythe as he grabbed it from where it had fallen next to him. But the moment he stood up, he wavered. Perhaps he had stood up to fast...Perhaps it was the lost of blood catching up to him but his head grew light and it felt everything was spinning. He quickly planted his scythe firmly on the ground, leaning on it as he let out a small moan as he shook his head. Finally, his eyes flashed toward where Aleta was and he gave her a weak smile. "I might...Need help...Getting back..." he managed to say with a faint smile as he fought against the wave of darkness. He was sure he could keep himself from fainting but he wasn't moving from this spot without some help.

She was quick to follow him to stand up, cringing at the pain in her own wounds. The cat had managed to scrape down her back, but nothing as bad as Devin's. She bit her tongue, and moved to support him. She ignored the pain she felt, and instead focused on moving forward. "I'll help you. I'll be right here." Aleta responded comfortingly, her dark eyes on the ground. making each footstep deliberate. She had to find solid ground where she stood. Aleta was Devin's crutch after all. "How does a nice nap sound once we get home?" The spring student asked, imagining how nice it would feel. She could sleep for months if she had the chance.