Pea skillfully guided Lua towards the city, occasionally taking a moment to let him catch his breath and captivate him in her hypnotic gaze once more. Soon the wildflowers and trees had long since been left behind, the lush green landscape was replaced with crumbling concrete and the stench of death. Passing the first corpse, the dainty boy had screamed and nearly fainted. After a couple more bodies, Lua had developed a faraway look in his eyes.
He had seen the decimation in action, stepping foot into the middle of a war zone once upon a time. He had taken cover in the forest, escaping the death and destruction so many unlucky souls had succumbed to. How could Potato cause all of this suffering and get away with it? The former villain had created so much hate, destroying all the love in the world and yet he got to ride off into the sunset with Mike Tyson? It wasn't fair! Lua had done nothing but help save humanity and look fabulous doing so. Why was he the one miserable?
Why did Pea want to come to this city anyway? It was so depressing walking past all these lives lost, so many dreams as blown up as the surrounding buildings. Sensing Lua's unease, the catgirl turned around and caught his gaze with a reassuring smile. "We're almost there," she told him, her glowing eyes comforting the dainty boy in such a strange way. Lua shoved his feelings deep inside, dragging his broken suitcase across the cracked streets. The feline faced forward, her wild orange hair cascading down her back as she skipped on ahead.
The small girl turned down the approaching street, cutting into a neighborhood that seemed untouched by the bombs. Houses stood in perfection condition, grass neatly trimmed. It was as if this place were frozen in time, completely safe and sound. People waved at them as they went past, friendly faces happily greeting them. The dainty boy noticed that the strangers all seemed to recognize Pea. Was this her home? Why had she been taking shelter in the herd when she lived at such a nice location?
At the end of the street sat the nicest house and Lua surveyed the front yard. There were beautiful flowers and gifts strewn out along the lawn, offerings spotted across the grass. The dainty boy's eyes traveled over the giant cross that stood out amongst the decorative items, standing tall and authoritative. Pea looked behind her with a warm smile, catching Lua's eyes in her glow. "We're here," she revealed, walking up to the festive house and climbing the porch steps. The dainty boy followed behind obediently, pulling his luggage up the stairs. Was this her house? Why were there so many presents outside? And what was with the cross? Lua didn't stop to question his new friend, he just entered the home right after her.
The living room was dark. That was the first thing Lua noticed once they stepped foot into the house. The front door slammed behind him and the only source of light came from the glowing green eyes of his feline friend. Lua clutched his suitcase for comfort as he strained to see through the shadows. "Why are you always sitting in the dark?" Pea scolded, pulling open the dark curtains hanging heavy on the windows. "We have a guest." A ray of light cut through the room and the dainty boy was able to make out a figure sitting on a couch. Lua's eyes adjusted as he focused on the stranger's features. He was lanky, long arms and legs that seemed to stretch endlessly. The boy's skin was a greyish color, his cheekbones prominent below two sunken red eyes. Atop his head were horns and behind his back were large dark, wings that seemed to wrap around the slim boy.
He was a demon! Lua inhaled sharply, angling his suitcase in front of him. It was a silly attempt at protection as he cowered behind his luggage. Pea stood in front of the monster, too close for Lua's comfort. Why was she acting so casual? This being could drag her to hell! His mind raced as he tried to come up with a way to keep the catgirl safe. "This is Lua," his feline friend said to the demon as she gestured towards the frightened diva. "His suitcase has a broken wheel." Slowly the demon's gaze traveled to where Lua stood, trailing up the dainty boy's form before focusing his attention on Pea. He stared blankly at the small girl and she narrowed her green eyes at him. Why was he being so unresponsive?
"Aren't you happy to see me?" She pouted playfully. When the demon still didn't reply, she frowned and kicked his foot with her own. "You're being rude," she scolded, reaching down to take his hand and pull him off the couch. Once the demon was standing, Lua suppressed a gasp as he tilted his head to look up at the tall boy. The demon took up so much of the room, his head nearly reaching the ceiling and his wings spanning from one wall to the other. "You can at least introduce yourself," Pea persisted.
He relented, slowly walking towards Lua and closing the space between them. "I'm Pando," the demon mumbled, red eyes staring straight through the dainty boy. Pando looked down at the luggage held protectively in front of Lua. "What's wrong with it?" He asked, his voice hoarse. The dainty boy's eyes widened as he stuttered a reply, "t-the wheel br-broke." The demon nodded curtly, an easy fix. He wasn't quite sure why the catgirl had deemed this such an issue that required bringing a stranger into his house.
Pando looked over at Pea, raising a single eyebrow. His expression evoked an eyeroll from the girl as she sighed dramatically. Was he not paying attention? Why was he brooding in the dark anyway? "This is Lua," Pea repeated herself, trying to spark the demon's memory. "He's from the herd." The mention of that dreaded place brought Pando up to speed as his eyes widened and he stood up straight. This was the boy with the magical suitcase? She had managed to bring one of the degenerates here all on her own? Maybe he really could trust the girl. She had proven her loyalty, delivering this boy to his doorstep. And now he was one step closer to completing his grand plan. He already had caught Bran and Mike Tyson. How many were left now? Pando forced a toothy smile at Lua, trying to appear friendly. "I can fix your suitcase," he revealed.
The dainty boy looked around nervously, his eyes darting between the two. Pea's glowing gaze reassured him again and he hesitantly pushed forward the luggage with shaky hands. Pando smiled gently at the act of trust and looked down at the damaged goods, blinking once and repairing the broken wheel instantly. It had happened so fast, Lua hadn't even registered the fact his suitcase had magically been fixed and Pea had to gesture towards his bag. "Look," she pointed, "it's like brand new." The dainty boy examined his luggage and gasped; the demon hadn't even touched it. "It's perfect!" Lua marveled as he looked up at the demon boy in amazement. "How did you do that?"
Pando chuckled lowly, everything was going much smoother than he had hoped for. One by one he could cleanse the sinners and integrate them into society. And this little diva seemed easy enough to brainwash. It truly was perfect. Pea stepped forward and clung to Lua's arm, purring as she cuddled close to him. "The people he was staying with weren't appreciating him," she informed the demon, looking up at Pando with her glowing gaze. The dainty boy in her grasp stood almost frozen by her touch as he watched the demon's reaction nervously. "I was hoping he could stay here," the catgirl mewed, her green eyes captivating Pando as always. "That seems fine," he agreed, falling once again into the girl's spell. Why did he ever doubt her before?
YOU ARE READING
Unlikely Friends: Volume Two
HorrorA group of unlikely friends work together to save the universe.
