Aki was surprised and stopped walking to feel her forehead. Everything felt normal, but her face had turned bright red and she seemed fidgety. He smiled, knowing what was wrong. But how to explain it without sounding weird? He thought quickly, smiling to show that there was nothing bad happening to her. "I think what you are feeling means that you like me a lot. And I like you too. You are the first friend I have had since coming to this city and you are the only one that knows of what I am." He ruffled her hair and continued towards the large stone building.

He had never been in love before. He may have seen a few beautiful Demons when he was younger, but he had never felt the passion of love. Was the way he wanted to care for Haru love?

She looked at him confused for a moment. She clearly didn't understand it. She had never experienced this before. But if he said she was fine then she would trust him. She slowly collected herself again, turning back to her normal self. She didn't know exactly what he meant by liking him a lot but she felt slightly embarrassed. Her like for him seemed like it was deeper than the one when she liked him as a friend. Somehow she couldn't help but look at Aki. Now that she thought about it, he really did look better without that silly cloak. Even once inside the large building full of things she had once been curious about, it was hard to take her eyes off of Aki.

Aki led Haru up the marble stairs of the museum, barely hiding his own excitement. Maybe he could meet another one of his kind at this exhibit? He paid the entry donation and rushed through the old artefacts towards the Demon Exhibition, in the large room reserved for special temporary exhibits. He gazed longingly at the items behind the glass cases. It was like looking through a window into his past. They had clothes, weapons, nick-nacks and toys. He was smiling as they turned the corner to the main part of the exhibit. His smile slowly faded as he stared in horror at what was in the middle of the room.

A large golden coffin sat inside a glass box, next to the throne and crown of the Demon King. Gulping, Aki moved closer. He started to shake with rage. Inside the coffin was the preserved body of the Demon King. He felt tears well up and turned away, finding it unbearable to look at. How dare they? The King had only died a year ago, this was hardly historical. He hated the humans staring at his beloved King in awe. He hated how they laughed and joked. He felt fire burning deep in his heart. "How... dare... they..." he growled under his breath.

Haruka quickly followed him, glad to see him excited. She wanted to see the demon artifacts too. Once there she looked through the glass in amazement. The skills of a demon were no lie. They had created so many wonderful items. Haruka could feel her head throb in pain as she looked at the coffin. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back and pressed her hand on her forehead. It was like there wasn't something she could quite recall, as if she had locked it away. It hurt to try and push the memory so she soon gave up. Some part of her said it was best to forget. She noticed Aki and slowly moved over to him. "Aki..." Wait... She had knew that name from before. Before he had even told her his name, she had known it. Then a fragment of a memory seeped into her. In disbelief she turned to the coffin. "The king... He isn't in there... The angels would never allow any chances of bringing the king back. Putting him here is like asking for him to be brought back. They would make someone into a seal that would stop any demons from getting even one hundred feet close. The angels aren't foolish enough to put the king on display."

Aki understood what Haru was telling him, of course this couldn't be real. Yet, he couldn't stop his rage from boiling over. He left the room in a storm, growling at startled on lookers. He ran from the museum, stopping when he came to a small bridge that crossed the deep river below. He covered his face and cried in rage and pain, his tears falling onto the railings. Everything he had felt since he had discovered his family seemed to burst through. He had been strong and hid his emotions like any adult Demon would, but now it was hard to stop crying.

He missed the smell of his mother's baking in the morning, the sound of his father laughing at a joke, the feel of the hot moonlight on his back as he worked the fields, the beauty of his sister, the innocence of his younger brother... All of it was gone and he would never be able to have it again. He cursed the Angels for destroying his life. He cursed that the Gods would give him a friend in the Princess. He should skin her alive for revenge, yet all he wanted to do was hold her. Love... Demons can't love Angels... he thought, feeling sickened that he had even felt those emotions.

Haruka ached to chase after Aki, but she couldn't. "Why won't my legs move?" Haruka wondered. Maybe she knew it was best to leave him alone. There wasn't anything she could do. She was just a useless angel right now. She couldn't help but feel guilty. Her kind had done this to Aki, and she wouldn't blame him for hating her. He should hate her more... "Wasn't it your fault after all, Haruka?" A voice seemed to whisper deep down. Then she suddenly recalled all those years she had locked away. Without a second thought Haruka dashed forward.

Haruka didn't even know where she was running. Her long hair slipped from it's boyish style as she sped to the out doors. She didn't know where or how she knew but she continued onward. Somehow her feet lead her through the streets. Her heart said it was the right way too. So Haruka went on for a long time, not even sure how long. Then her feet stopped in the middle of the town square. That was when she recalled a locked away memory...

... In the memory Haruka was still very young, too young to understand what was going on. The demons were all dead now and Haruka curiously tried to find the answer. Her father spoke of her rejecting something, but what? Her curiousity ached for more details. But that just got her in trouble. During the night she was kidnapped and when she awoke she was bound up. Adult angels stared at her in pity as she sobbed and a seal burned into her back. The seal of the demon king. But it had a bad effect, something they didn't expect at all. For a few moments Haruka transformed, but she couldn't recall what. The memory slipped form her, fizzing from it's colors into all black.

Aki stayed in his deep depression, ignoring passerbys who asked if he was ok. He wished he could tell someone, anyone about this pain deep inside of him. But of course if he revealed himself to a human, he would be killed immediately. The only person he could talk to was Haru...

He sniffed and glanced around. She hadn't followed him and now he felt alone. Maybe she was going to the King now to tell him who Aki was. He shook his head. She wouldn't do that. Maybe she just got lost. He sighed and wiped his eyes, realising that his hot tears had burned the metal. He hoped no one had noticed and left to find Haru. He would apologise and hope that she wouldn't hate him. He would tell her everything about himself. Tell her everything about Demons and the War.

Haruka dropped to the ground as the memory came back to her. She had the seal of the demon king. All that was needed to bring the king back was to kill her. The only way ti break the seal was to break her body. So Haruka was locked up because of the seal. Is wasn't her mother's death or even the threat of demons, it was the seal that was on her back. When she thought about it, she could finally be useful. If she told Aki, he could free the demon king. That was what would make him happy. Haruka couldn't do anything for Aki, but the demon king could. Aki could finally smile for once and live the life he wanted. Haruka slowly stood up and glanced around. The only problem was that she was lost again.

Aki walked until he ended up back near the museum. He glanced around and realised he still couldn't find his friend. His anger and sadness had melted away into worry. He walked down another street and another, searching for her. He hoped that everything was ok. As he searched, his thoughts wandered to the kidnappers and rapists of the city's underbelly. This just made him panic as he still couldn't find her. If only I could fly... he wished in his mind. Demons, being creatures of the earth, never developed wings like the Angels did. A few had small ones and the King possessed large bat-like wings he could glide with. He then thought of his magic. He gritted his teeth, trying to remember the spell of Finding. His mother had been very good at it, so he never really bothered to learn it.

A man wearing a black hat approached Haru, helping her up with a toothless grin. He saw her running past before, and noticed her beautiful hair. She was wearing a strange outfit, but the man could see that she was indeed a pretty young woman. Just perfect for the slave trade. "You alright there love?" he asked her, trying to act like a kind person. "You need me to help with something? Perhaps you need a place to stay. I have a house just down here."

Haru twitched as a cold hand snapped her put of her thoughts. Without thinking Haruka pulled her hand away and backed off. She didn't even know this man but something about him scared her. She wished Aki would find her soon. Shaking her head, she rejected his offers. "Sorry but I already have a place to stay. I have to get back to my friend now, sir. But thank you anyways." Haruka had to escape and found herself talking quickly. She tried to keep away from the man as best as she could. If the man got any closer she would run.

The man went to grab her, when a bright light shone suddenly, temporarily stunning him. Aki appeared next to Haru, panting slightly from the effort of the spell of Finding. He collapsed onto his knees, his cloak slipping and his face showing to the man. He gasped and pointed at Aki with a shaking finger. "De-DEMON!" he screamed, running from the couple with the speed of a man being chased.

Heart beating loudly, Aki watched him go, cursing his luck. Now the man would go tell everyone about what he was. Hopefully no one believed him. If only he had been faster in stopping the man. He shook his head, he wouldn't be able to kill someone in front of Haru. She would become scared. He stood to his feet, quickly putting his hood back over his head. "Damnit..." he said quietly before turning to Haru. He touched her shoulder lightly, and asked if she was ok. "I'm sorry I ran off like that... All the emotions I have kept bottle away exploded out of me..."

Haruka screamed as the man had grabbed at her. She didn't want to be locked away again. A bright light appeared and saved her. Seeing that it was Aki and not an angel brought her much more relief. She was shocken up too much to chase the man. She hoped that everyone would just call him crazy. Once Aki stood up she ran right into his arms. She hugged him tightly, her body shaking as she began to cry softly. She was still a little scared and shocked so she just let it out on him. "Aki... I'm so glad you are here. Thank you." After crying for a while she looked at him and remembered about the seal. She wanted to tell him. "Aki... Can we go to your house now?"

Aki nodded, knowing that it was probably a good idea for them to leave the streets. He took her arm and lead her quickly towards his little garden shed he called a home. It sat near the river in an empty lot that once held a large home. The shed itself was the size of a one roomed house. He unlocked the door by touching it, having locked it with a spell. He led her inside and closed the door behind them. Inside the room was a bed, a chair and many shelves. It was big enough for two people to stand in comfortably.

"I have something I need to tell you," he said, offering his bed to her. "Firstly, do you want some tea?" He rummaged in one of the tall cupboards, pulling out some leaves and an old kettle.

Haruka followed Aki all the way to a shed. At first it surprised her, for she had never seen a house so... small. But it looked really pretty too. The house was even more cramped in the inside. Haruka didn't complain, even though it was small. She was glad to be in a place she could be much safer. Not that it really mattered at this point. She knew that she planned to break the demon king's seal. Sure she would miss a great chance to discover the world, but Haruka wanted the best for Aki. If he could smile even once then she would die happy. She wouldn't even regret not being able to stay in the human world. She looked at Aki and smiled. "Some tea would be nice and I want to tell you something too."

Aki went outside briefly to get some water from the river, returning with a kettle full. He put the kettle onto a metal bench, placing the tea leaves inside the water and placing a small flame under it to boil. He didn't bother to hide his magic from Haru this time. He was sure that she knew all about it by now. He took off his cape and stowed it under his bed, and then loosened his ponytail, letting his frayed red hair flow freely.

As the kettle boiled, he found two mugs and sighed. "Well then, do you want to tell me first or should I?" he asked her, staring out the small dusty window.

Haruka relaxed on the bed as Aki was making tea. Somehow she felt like this would be her last time to see things. Somehow it made her feel a little sad to know that she was going to have to die for Aki. Not because she didn't want to die, but she would really miss Aki. He had been so nice, even after finding out who she was. Her heart wanted her to hold him close and never let go. Maybe she could atleast die in his arms. It sounded nice in a sense to leave with a little happiness left. As Aki returned she looked at him happily but her heart ached. What was this feeling? "I really love Aki... Wait, I love him?" She thought and then she looked away in the truth she just realized. Haruka... was in love with him. She spoke softly, still trying to sort herself out."You can go first."

Aki noticed her tone, but didn't ask why she sounded so sad. The tea had finished boiling and he poured it carefully into the two mugs. He passed one to Haru apologising for the lack of sugar. That was a privilege that only the rich could have. He sat on the chair next to the bed and took a sip, enjoying the hot water. He didn't get burned, as his body had very high tolerance when it came to heat. He sniffed in the herb smell of the tea, a particular type that he used to grow on his farm.

"Ah, this reminds me of cold winter nights on my farm," he said suddenly, smiling sadly at the memory. "This isn't as nice as my mother used to make, however." He set the mug down on a shelf near him. "Haru... I haven't been entirely truthful... You see... I was an Imperial Soldier... I was the King's right-hand man when it came to battles... I killed many Angels..." He looked away, feeling ashamed to tell her this. "My hands are stained with their blood." He glanced down at his hands, expecting to see the blood still there. "After the battle we returned to our homes. My house was burnt to the ground. My little brother was decapitated at the gate, my parents and sister lay inside... Dead..." He felt his eyes start to water. "I found that my King had been killed while we were fighting those Angels... That it had been a trap... Those Angels had sacrifised themselves so that the real fighters could destroy our city... I killed innocents... Just like your father..." He went quiet now, feeling his hot tears fall down his cheeks. "But I would never hurt you, because I..." he couldn't bring himself to say it. It was silly to think that a Demon was in love with an Angel. "I care about you a lot. I am sorry your mother died."

Haruka took the cup of tea and gently blew off the steam and sipped. It was bitter, but very good. The smell and taste made her smile sadly. Somehow she felt like she was about to cry, but she couldn't. She couldn't do that to Aki. She listened to his story, shaking her head. "It's not your fault Aki. The angels knew that they were going to sacrifice their own people. They didn't even care who died. Angels like us are the ones to blame. You were just protecting your family, while we carelessly threw out our own. Aki... Wouldn't you bring the king back if you could? It's what the angels deserve after all. We sinned the greatest and the demon king should destroy us for it. My father needs to be punished for what he did. That is why I wanted to talk to you Aki. The seal, once broken, can finally bring justice. I know where the seal is." Haruka looked at him and smiled sadly. He just liked her after all. Her love was one sided but she would still gladly die for him. She turned away from him and let her white wings out and they tore the back of her shirt apart. On her back was a very strong seal in the Immortal language. It was very complex but just seeing it and any demon would know it was the seal that kept the king from returning. "I have the seal Aki. All I need to break it is to tear it away. But in doing so... I will die."

Aki stared in shock and horror at the seal marked on her beautiful pale skin. He knew what it was as soon as he saw it, even though he had never seen it before. He touched it, feeling the power of the seal under his fingertips. He could tear it from her, and then the Demon King would arise and take revenge on the Angels... He grabbed at it, as if he was going to do as she said, but then his hand slackened and fell by his side. "I can't..."

He turned away and covered his face, feeling like he was betraying his kind. "I can't kill you." He realised that he was still crying and sniffed loudly, wiping the tears away. "I love you." He blushed as he realised what he just admitted, quickly looking away from the girl. "I'm sorry."

Haruka closed her eyes as she felt Aki's hand. So this was how it felt to be touched by the one you love. It felt so wonderful and yet so sad. It was like tasting Aki's bitter-sweet tea. The taste was really sweet but you can't ignore the bitter at the end. A sharp pain rang in her heart as she thought of her last moments. But then Aki let the seal go and she almost felt too happy. But what really made her happy was his next words. She looked at him and without a word she gently brushed his cheek with her small hand. Moving as close as she could, she kissed his lips. After a few moments she pulled away, blushing bright red. "I love you too Aki."

Aki blinked hard as she pulled away, still feeling those soft lips against his own. When she admitted her love for him he smiled, the first true smile he had done in ages. He was so happy he felt his inner fire burning in his chest and it hurt slightly. "I'm happy. I am happy you said that." He sat on the bed next to her and hugged her tightly, so that she could feel the burning of his fire through his chest. "And I vow to you that I will never let harm come to you." It was a powerful bond he created and he hoped she could feel his magic work between them. "I have only met you for a day, but it feels like I have known you all my life."

Haruka was beyond happy to see Aki feel joy. While she had always wished to of see him smile she was also glad he loved her. She had been sure it was just her that had felt this way just moments ago but now she knew it wasn't true. He loved her and she could feel it burning, bringing him to life. Her own heart was warm like sun rays and when their hearts bounded she knew that her heart would always be Aki's alone. If she was ever taken from him, she would be lifeless. She realized now that Aki was everything to her and that she would even give up the whole world just to be in his arms. Leaning on him, Haruka smiled. She was happy as she could be in this moment. If only it would last forever. "I don't want to be without you, Aki... but my father will come looking. You know what he can do when he is angry. He doesn't want the demon king to return and he would even lock me up for eternity to keep the demon king from ever coming back. I wonder what happened to me that day. All I can recall is the pain of the seal burning into my back and then something went wrong with the seal. But when I try to remember what went wrong my head hurts a lot."

Aki sighed. He wished he could give her answers, but he didn't even know of the power of the seal, and to have it put on the skin of an Angel? He kissed her cheek softly, still not knowing how he could love something as pure as her. He felt filthy as he remembered all the innocent Angels he slaughtered in the name of the King.

He finished his tea and poured some more, heating it to a boil once more in his hands. He found the use of his inner fire easy now that it was burning so brightly. "Tomorrow I will show you more of the town if you want," he told her, knowing that they couldn't be together forever. The Angel King will find her, but he would have to go through Aki to get to her. He had placed a powerful spell between them. If Haru died, Aki would too. He didn't tell her this, in case she got frightened. "As for now, we could get something to eat. I haven't got anything we can have for dinner in here."

Haruka continued to lean on him as he shifted. She didn't want to part just yet. She felt selfish for it but she couldn't help it. There more she was with Aki, the deeper her love seemed to go. Without Aki, she might just go crazy. She wrapped her arms around him as she closed her eyes and smiles. He was so warm she could easily slip off into sleep. His calm tone made her feel even more tired. But she wouldn't let herself sleep now. She wanted to spend every last moment with Aki. She smiled as she listened to him talking. Haruka loved the sound so much now. "I would love to walk around town with you. I want you to share your world with me, Aki."

Aki frowned. "It is impossible to show you my true world, Haru," he replied sadly. "But I can show you this one. Who knows, one day you might be able to show me yours... I'd very much like Angels and Demons to be friends again... We come from the same bloodline, after all." He sighed and lay down, resting his head against the wall of his small hut. Sometimes he wished he could afford a better place, but he really disliked using his fake money trick on people.

"Haru, did you learn any magic?" he asked. He had always wondered what sort of magic the Angels could do. Since most of their energy went towards flight, it seemed they only had limited powers.