Once upon a December

Author’s note: The lyrics Lief sings are from D’espairs Ray’s Garnet, I do not own the song, but I think its what the song he sang sounded like. An that note the title does refer to the song from Anastasia, I felt this song fit the song, no the fic takes place more in like September/late August not December.

Once Upon A December

Akiha wandered the city streets rain falling freely onto her bare golden brown hair, her hands clenching her velvet jacket shut. Her green eyes holding a blank expression as she placed one languid step in front of the other. Recent events replayed continuously in her mind.
"Garred!" one arm reaching for the dark figure just out of her reach, the other pressing against the arms holding her back at the waist. The dark figure faded into the shadows, his crimson eyes catching with and idle, bored expression.
Akiha finds herself drawn to the calming music inside a dark building. She pushes past the many bodies of strangers and seats herself on a stool at the quiet bar. Slithering shadowy creatures hide among human hosts. Many feeding on the drunk and drugged, others are swirling along the dance floor. Akiha too lost within her own mind to notice them.
"You know the penalty Akiha! You are lucky you were not infected… by him. Your punishment is banishment, your rank lowered to an…," it was decided, the last word a whisper, "an… Angeth," Two guards came to her as she struggled crying to her brother for help. The other angel stood shaking his head, her punishment for falling for a Lucifen, a fallen. Many in her shoes had been executed and some… left to the fallen in hell. She lowered her beaten head all she had relied on, had left her low and cold. She whispered the fallen's name less as a summons more as a sobbing plea for help.
The black creatures seemed to notice Akiha now, sensing the dark feelings she carried. The cautiously crawled, sleeked closer; her eyes not catching them. They fastened themselves at her feet, encouraging her negative emotions.
Her heart leapt as the dark figure appeared before her, kneeling before her. Her tears flowed more freely, whispering, "I knew you'd come for me," He grabbed her chin softly lifting her eyes to see his face. He was sneering, her expression turned to confusion.
"I knew your game from the start, I bet this is part of it isn't it?" His black leathery wings spread out around him, his tail curling along the floor. His hair tougher like fur, pointed ears and two small horns, his true form, "They put you up to this," he snarled. What he was thinking dawned on her, he thought she had betrayed him! He believed that she had pretended to be in love with him to give him up to the archangel, she shook her head.
"no… never…"she sobbed, "I love you more…" He stood up turning away from her outraged.
"Only, one other time have you seen this, my true form. Do you think any angel has ever truly loved the beast?" He cackled making her shiver, "life's not a fairytale, and I'm not falling for yours," he disappeared.
"Garred… I…" She pulled her knees close to her chest, "I'm… sorry," she whispered.
The creatures up to her thighs consuming her, she shivered. She looked down seeing the creatures mouths like leeches around her; she started to scream. Akiha pushed at them, her holy abilities a fleeting memory. She tumbled to the floor, her hands yanking at them. Their shadowy forms slipping through her fingers reveling in her fear. The rest of the humans in the club too consumed in their substances saw the scene as humorous, some starting to yell with her. Others with creatures feeding on them chuckled or left it as "not their problem"
A young man had gone unnoticed for sometime, had taken interest in Akiha's scene. His black-blue hair containing lines of an almost glowing purple, his bangs falling in front of his deep violet eyes. Nothing unusual for the setting, nothing that made him stand out.
~ plagued relentlessly by feverish nightmares, a sleepless melody 'Save me from the dark...' An unstable pulse, a pleasure and release below the lethal dosage Believed in you...' I'm falling, praying, bleeding and screaming... Fake... bite... vice... blame voice... if I were to just come out and say what I was thinking...Days... I wanna die… lost my way in life, where should I go? Days... I wanna die... This is a chaotic garden covered in wounds, Days... I wanna die... I'll keep crying until my voice gives out. be going to life ~
His voice carried on still blocked out by the blaring music, his voice moving from words to notes. The un-navigable crowd let him maneuver through it, the creatures starting to hiss and slink back, leaning up like snakes, claws raised. His voice didn't waver or change volume. Akiha still shook, almost to the point of tears. The shadowy creatures, lesser demons, slithered back to their previous meals as he got closer. He pulled her to her feet, silent.
Many of the humans now glared at him, the demons still hissing. Akiha blinked as if coming out of a dream, a feeling resembling hope had flashed through her. The young man's calm expression unnerved her ~ what had just happened? Why did the demons release their hold?~ The young man matched her gaze with his own, catching her attention. She pulled her wrist from his hand.
"I believe we should leave," She followed him out feeling eyes with burning gazes watching Akiha and the young man leave. Once outside Akiha took in a deep breath of the fresh Earth air, enjoying every second of it.
She turned to the young man and whispered a weary, "thank you," He turned to her with warm eyes.
"Your welcome, my name is Leif," He told her, she was startled by the sudden change in him.
"I'm Aki… are you… like me?" He shot her a smile combined with a light chuckle. Her expression turned ecstatic as he slowed his pace to walk next to her.
“This is Earth Aki, remember to literally watch where you step,” Leif told her before falling silent again. Akiha, matching his stride, smiled noticing his soft grayed aura along his back in the shape of wings.