Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 01:01:31 -0700
From: Darc Blackwind <arboc969@hotmail.com>
Subject: TRANSGENDER ARCHIVE Fallen Angel by Darc Blackwind Chapter 4

Hello, friends ov old!

Here's chapter four ov Fallen Angel, revised and ready to see the light
(or darkness) ov day again! Hope you like it!

Also, in case I haven't mentioned it, I love feedback from those who read
my work! If you believe it could use something more, possibly in a sequel
(hint hint) feel free to tell me about it! The only limit is the limit ov
ones imagination, yes? Yes!

Regards,

Darc

Chapter 4: Life as an Outcast

Once outside, Cal dropped the shopping bag and stepped away from the glass
window. Althea noticed a very pained expression on his face. "Evan," Cal
began, "why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?!" Evan asked offensively. "You're being stupid, Cal."

"Stupid?!" Cal repeated, planting his right foot for a speedy lunge if Evan
decided to throw the first punch. "You called me an idiot for no reason and
we've not spoken in two months! What the fuck have I done?!"

"Simple. After your getting together with Aria, you've behaved like a
dumbass ever since!" Evan replied, his legs tensing up as well.

"What do you mean?" Cal asked. "I've behaved around her just like I've
behaved around you since we first became friends!" Growling, Cal shot him a
look of pure venom and said, "Admit it! You were the stupid one! First you
left, then Aria, then all my other friends! All because of something you
did or told them!"

They were about to lunge at each other when someone stepped in the way. It
was a woman, with soft, silky golden brown hair and snowy-fair skin. Her
eyes were dark, like the color of cherry wood, and she had an incredible
figure. "Stop it, both of you!" she said angrily, looking at Cal and then
at Evan.

"A, Aria!" Cal stuttered.

She nodded, looking coldly at Cal. "Why are you picking a fight with Evan?"
she asked coldly, her glare chilling Cal's spine. "He's done nothing
wrong!"

"He has done something wrong, Aria. You're just too blind to see it," Cal
replied equally as coldly, the pain in his heart growing excruciating with
the look she gave him. "Why are you behaving this way towards me? The both
of you! It is as though you don't care whether or not I live or die
anymore!" he growled, his eyebrows forming a vee. Aria looked away
slowly. "What?!" He grabbed her about her shoulders, squeezing gently but
firmly. "What have I done?! You used to be so warm to me, Aria. Now it's
colder than ice! What happened?"

Not getting an answer out of her, Evan stepped forward and took Cal's hands
off her shoulders. "Leave us alone, Cal. Go back to the dark hole from
whence you were sired from!" Evan said, glaring at him.

Althea could sense the tremendous emotional pain Cal felt. It was so
powerful that her knees buckled and she had to throw her hands against the
side of the jeep. Stabilizing, she then walked up to Cal and put an arm
around his shoulders. Evan looked at this beautiful woman in
confusion. "Jen's right, Cal," Althea said gently, loud enough for both of
them to hear. "You should consider making new friends if these
insignificant wretches are what you call 'friends'. Look at the girl! She
won't tell you why she's abandoned you because she's afraid!" Althea said
encouragingly.

"Who the hell are you?!" Aria asked offensively, her glare full of
anger. "Who are you to judge Evan and I?!"

Althea raised an eyebrow in shock. "Well, Aria, I'm a friend of Cal's and
I'm friend enough to know the kind of pain you're causing him by ignoring
him and saying those things and turning your head when he asks for
reasons. And you, Evan," she spat, glowering at him. Cal motioned her to
step back and let him handle this.

"Who's this, Cal?" Evan asked curiously, a scowl ever present on his face.

"Her name's Althea, and she's more of a friend than you are. The reason for
this is, she knows what's important and you don't. We've been best friends
for what? Five years? And, all of a sudden, you throw all that away and say
that I'm an idiot?" Cal sighed, looking away from the two. "You're the
idiot. At least I can tell what's important. You can't." Althea looked at
him compassionately. Picking up the shopping bag, he handed it to her and
took off walking. "You should have all you need in there, Althea. I have to
think some things through." With that said, Cal took off walking, leaving
the jeep in the parking lot.

"The hell's his problem?!" Evan asked offensively as he watched Cal cross
the street, moving towards the outskirts of town.

Althea wanted so desperately to punch Evan in the face for what he
asked. Aria looked at Althea and sighed. "His problem is that, suddenly,
he's all alone, thanks to you two! He thinks no one but me cares for him
anymore! His parents don't, you don't, and his other friends don't! I hope
you guys are happy with the pain you've caused him." Althea growled
angrily.

Aria sighed again. "There's just . . . just so much I . . . forget it." She
handed her an envelope. "Give that to him. He's invited to a party after
the school Halloween dance. You're invited to go with him if you
want. . . ." With that said, Aria walked off towards her cherry-red
sportscar and took off. Evan, however, stood his ground.

"Why'd you defend that loser?" he asked as he sat down on the curb. "You
should know that he's pathetic because he makes himself out to
be. . . . Shouldn't you?"

Althea glared down at Evan angrily. "If you must know, I defended him from
a loser like you because I love him, and if you could sense the intensity
of the pain that he endures daily, you wouldn't be so quick to judge
him. He's right. You don't know what's important," Althea said, insulted.

Evan thought about it for a second. Changing the subject, he said, "What's
with the demon getup? Did you come like that because Cal wore his stupid
ninja outfit?"

"If you don't stop talking bad about him, I'm going to force you to! You
don't want to piss me off, Evan!" Althea threatened angrily, her eyes
having a crimson glow to them.

Evan looked up curiously. "So you did, I take it. . . . Besides, what're
you going to do to me? Slap me?"

Althea shook with the effort to keep from skewering this asshole with a
bolt of lightning or circle of fire. Looking up again, Evan
laughed. "You're angry, I can tell. But I still think you're wasting your
time with Cal. I certainly was."

Althea couldn't stand it anymore, so she lifted him up by his shirt
collar. "Do you want to say anything else bad about him to me?" she asked.

"Let go of me, bitch!" Evan screeched.

With that said, Althea spread her wings, flapped them and was up at about a
height of fifteen feet. She then dropped Evan on the ground and said,
"Think about what you're doing to him! How would you feel if you were
abandoned by everyone you know and love?!" Not waiting for a reply, Althea
sped off towards the direction where Cal went, fearing that this may have
been the last straw for his heart's agony.

* * *

Cal stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the small fast-moving river
that rushed on fifty feet below him. Should I jump? he asked himself
silently as he looked down at the frigid waters. Sitting down, he sighed
sadly. "I could've done without having to deal with Evan and Aria
today. . . . I didn't want Althea to get involved," he said aloud. "And
Aria's

indifference to my questions. . . . Why are they doing this to me?! What
have I done to them, DAMN IT!?!" He looked over the edge of the cliff
again. "No one cares whether you live or die. That was proven today. What
have I to live for? What keeps me bound to continual suffering, day in and
day out? The hope that they'll change? The hope to relive that one single
moment when Aria's and my hearts were beating as one when we hugged for the
first time? . . . No, I don't think so. . . . I doubt I'll ever live that
wonderful moment again. I've got a new lover now, and this one can somehow
sense how much pain this is causing me. . . ."

Sighing, Cal chucked a rock over the edge of the cliff. A quiet sploosh
sounded from down at the river fifty feet below. "Althea's a better person
than Aria. . . . Aria, though she was warm when I finally got up the
courage to follow my dreams, is now cold and very painful to be around."

The noise of beating wings sounded behind him and he turned to see Althea
flying towards him, a look of concern on her face. She landed next to him
and sat down, putting a comforting arm around him. "Thank you for saying
those things, Althea," Cal said happily, glad that she had her arms around
him. He felt more peaceful with them there. "At least you're on my
side. . . ."

"Cal. . . ." Althea said, feeling relief that he didn't jump off the cliff
like she had thought he might. "Why do you even bother with those people?
They mean nothing! They're stupid, immature, and very, very poor choices
for friends." She held him tightly, trying to make his pain ebb at least a
little.

Cal slid his arms around her and held her too. "Because they weren't always
like that. . . . They used to be better people than now. Aria used to be so
kind-hearted, I would have given my life if it were to save her. Same goes
for Evan, because I knew Evan would do the same for me if the situation
called for it. Now, I imagine they would be on the giving end of the pistol
and I would be on the receiving end." He sighed, resting his head against
her chest. She kissed his forehead, letting him snuggle up to her for
comfort.

"It's okay, Cal. . . . I won't do anything like this to you. . . ." she
whispered, sensing his pain. She then remembered the envelope that Aria
gave her to give to Cal. She pulled it out of the inner folds of her sash
and handed it to him. "Aria gave me this to give to you."

Cal took it curiously, sliding his index finger underneath the tab and
ripping it open. He then decided to read it aloud. "'Dear Cal,'" he began,
"'This is an invitation to a party at my house after the Halloween
dance. If you're going to the dance, you should drop by my place
afterwards. We need to discuss matters. Aria Lockheart'" Cal put the letter
back in the envelope and looked at Althea curiously. "What d'you think? You
wanna go with me to this Halloween dance and then to Aria's place to find
out what she wants to discuss? I'm sure you'll fit right in, perhaps even
getting kudos for the best costume! What d'you say?"

Althea thought about it for a second. "Sure!" she then said happily. "I've
never been to a Halloween dance before . . . so it could be fun!" She
smiled and kissed Cal on the forehead. "Are you feeling better? I could
tell that meeting your so-called friends was quite painful for you. The
expression on your face when you saw that insignificant piss-ant Evan was
like that of slow death and disease. And it worsened when Aria stepped in
to keep the two of you from fighting."

Cal nodded, getting up and helping Althea to her feet as well. "I feel a
little better," he said absently, gazing over his shoulder at the drop-off
of the cliff's edge. "I was contemplating jumping off and ending my
suffering, but the thought of you alone in this world with no one held me
back. I don't want you to have to endure what my 'friends' are putting me
through." Althea started from hearing him talk about contemplating
suicide. Seeing her look, he added, "No problem. I won't kill
myself. That's the coward's way out."

Althea seemed to be able to breathe more easily after hearing this. She
gently hugged him and then said, "What shall we do now?"

Cal, holding her around her taut stomach, shrugged and said, "Well, what
say I show you around town? Would you like that?"

Althea smiled. "Sure!" And so, the two walked off towards the direction of
his jeep. Sure enough, Evan was in the shop, conversing with Jen. Cal waved
at her and Jen smiled, and Cal and Althea then continued, getting in the
jeep and pulling out of the parking lot.

"So, where d'you want to go first?" Cal asked.

Thinking about it, Althea replied, "Why don't we go check out Town Square?
There is a Town Square, isn't there?"

Cal nodded. "Town Square it is, then!"

* * *

The two of them had quite a lovely time touring the town. Althea was like
the perfect tourist, always asking questions, always listening and
learning, always being polite. The sun was setting now, casting a gentle
crimson light upon the two of them. They were out at the Devil's Backbone,
Althea sitting on a smaller boulder overlooking a drop-off of about two
hundred feet into a rushing, boulder-strewn whitewater river. Cal stood
beside her, looking off into the distance. He set a hand on her dainty
shoulder. "This is where I come to think. It's really a good place for one
to find out answers about things that're troubling him."

Althea nodded. "It's so beautiful down here. . . . Really a jewel in the
universe, all created by God. . . ." she said, gazing at the sunset
dreamily. "This is the first sunset I've shared with someone I love. . . ."
She looked up at him and smiled. A gentle zephyr fanned out her loose
robe-like toga, getting under and making her skin break out in
goosebumps. Her nipples hardened with the assuasive sensation. Cal looked
back down at her and smiled.

"Ah. . . ." he sighed, enjoying the breeze. He sat down beside her and
looked up at her. "It's my first sunset with my love, too. . . ."

She sighed as well, sliding down the boulder to rest on the dusty rock face
beside Cal. "I fear we may have some troubling times ahead of us, lover,"
she whispered, resting her head against Cal's shoulder. Cal slid an arm
around her and nodded. "I'm still transforming into a demon. . . ."

"No matter what, I'll stick by your side, Althea. I know the kind of pain
that occurs when someone you love abandons you. I refuse to cause that kind
of pain on a good person like you." The sun slowly sank below the skyline,
the landscape around the two of them turning a cold shade of pewter. The
stars were just beginning to venture out of their hiding places in the dark
cerulean sky, twinkling gently. The moon rose up from behind a chain of
mountains to the east, its creamy beige surface coming into view. Sighing,
the two sat there, watching the moon slowly rise into the night sky, just
enjoying each other's company. "What did you do to get kicked out of
Heaven, Althea?" Cal then asked curiously after about ten minutes of
silence.

Althea sighed and looked off of the cliff. "Cal. . . . I don't know why I
was thrown out of Heaven. . . ."

Cal sensed some of the pain that Althea felt. She shuddered sadly beside
him, remembering the tremendous shock she received when the clouds opened
up underneath her feet and she fell through dimensions all the way to
Earth. "You okay?" he asked gently, setting a hand on her shoulder, gazing
into her silver eyes.

"I'm afraid of what's to come. . . ." she whispered, snuggling up to Cal's
side, enjoying his comforting hands around her. Darkness descended upon
them, beckoning the coming of nightfall. "I've already transformed into a
demon, but I don't know what else will happen. . . ."

Cal held her gently, his heart beating in sync with hers. "Who can predict
the future?" he asked lightly, his eyes closed and his hands squeezing her
tightly. His right hand stroked her mane of silky maroon hair gently.

Althea smiled, her fear seeming to recede with the failing
light. "Yeah. Who can predict the future? . . . However, you seem pretty
sure of the future," she commented, a hand resting on Cal's left knee.

Cal chuckled softly, his eyes reflecting the light of the moon. Looking her
in her beautiful eyes, he said, "Me, I try to live my life one day at a
time. I believe there is no future or past, only the now. Why should I
waste my time worrying about things that aren't certain? What will be, will
be, and there's nothing I can do about changing that. . . ." he said,
smiling and looking pensive all at the same time.

They just held each other in the consuming darkness, not saying a word,
merely reflecting on what was just discussed. Ten minutes passed like it
was ten seconds and suddenly, Cal found that there was no more sun left to
guide them back to the jeep. Hmmm. . . . I wonder how we're gonna get back
home without any light? he thought, looking down the drop-off. A shooting
star streaked through the night sky, its fiery tail illuminating the
landscape gently before it vaporized high in the atmosphere a hundred miles
above. Althea smiled with its beauteous appearance.

"It's odd. . . ." Cal said after a moment of reflecting on the shooting
star.

"What's odd?" Althea asked.

"The way of darkness. . . ." Cal said absentmindedly. Taking Althea's
silence for confusion, he elaborated, "Its power to heal your wounds is
uncanny, and its shroud allows you to let your tears free without anybody
seeing you. . . . It's peaceful and hidden, when you're shrouded in
darkness. . . . It eases your pain away and fills the wounds with its
essence."

Althea thought about this statement for a moment and realized, much to her
surprise, that this was the truth. "Yeah. . . ." she whispered, looking up
at him. She yawned luxuriously, stretching out some kinks in her lower
back. "Sometimes I wonder, is this all nothing but a dream, the eye of an
enormous tempest that leads to a far greater nightmare. . . ?"

Cal smiled down at her, his silhouetted appearance somewhat startling in
the blackness of the night. He patted her gently on the head and sighed. "I
don't know. Who can tell?" he asked, looking up at the moon. "I've been
having some disturbing dreams involving demons and other dark creatures
lately, though. The one last night was the worst one by far out of the
whole set of them." Sighing, he got up and lifted her up by her waist. "We
have to get back. It'll be tough getting down the rock strata without the
light, so . . . what is it?" he then asked, looking her in the eye and
noticing a smirk on her face.

She then grabbed him around his waist and spread her wings, taking off the
ground and flapping them roughly. "Where's the jeep?" she asked as she flew
over the rock face and dived down a hundred feet before leveling out. Cal
smiled at her ingenuity as he felt his weight drop and suddenly float.

"It's over by the highway." Cal pointed the way and the two of them flew to
the derelict jeep on the side of the highway.

* * *

"Where have you been?!" his mother's voice shouted, shattering the quietude
that had descended upon the estate. "I've been worried sick about you, Cal!
And who's that?!" She gestured roughly towards Althea, who flinched under
her furious stare.

Cal's mother was an elderly lady in her early fifties with salt-and-pepper
hair and several visible wrinkles on her face. One who knew her would
definitely consider her a real battle-axe of a woman. Cal shrugged. "I went
out because I couldn't stand it here and your constant bantering of how
imperfect I am compared to my older brother any longer. And, I'm two feet
away from you, so you don't need to shout," Cal replied coldly, his eyes
narrow slits. His mother looked taken aback by this statement. "And, for
the girl, she's a friend of mine. You know, from the note."

"Well, why is she here this time of night?!" her mother asked, more calmly
and quietly, but with a razor edge still ever present in her voice.

"Because she's living with me. She has no place to stay, she has no one to
depend on, besides me. And, if you have a problem with it, I'll move out of
this damn house straight away! Then you can be the old witch that lives in
the abandoned house that scares little children and eats them when they
venture too close!"

She put things in perspective. She and Cal's father had gotten a divorce
three years ago and ever since, Cal's mother had treated Cal like a
poisonous spider she desperately wished to get rid of. His father was
merely indifferent to him and just ignored him whenever the two of them
were together. It was safe to assume that Cal was the black sheep of the
family. Sighing, she looked at Althea in a would-be genial way, but there
was still that evil glint in her eye. "Hello, there!" she said, trying to
welcome Althea graciously into her house. "What's your name?"

"It's Althea. . . .Sorry about all this. I'm new here. . . ." she said
apologetically. She knew she was getting her friend into trouble.

 "Well, it's no trouble at all. I'm sure Cal's been a gentleman to you?"
she asked, her eyebrow raised suspiciously.

 "Of course he has! Why wouldn't he be?" she asked offensively. Cal has to
come home and endure this, after having to endure his friends? No wonder
he's so depressed! Althea thought passionately as she walked through the
door.

 "Yeah. . . ." Cal said. "Come on, Althea. It's late. I've got school in
the morning." He gestured towards the downstairs, then kissed his mother on
the cheek. "G'night, mom."

 "Goodnight. . . ." she said, walking to her bedroom.

 Cal and Althea walked down the stairs and clicked off the upstairs lights,
then clicked on the downstairs ones. "Sorry you had to see that. My
mother's not the kindest old woman in the world. . . . She always says that
my older brother, Cloud, made something out of himself and I never will."
Cal sighed, his shoulders heaving greatly as he entered his bedroom. He
took off his tabi boots and set them by his desk. Sitting down in his desk
chair, he kicked his feet up on the edge of the bed, his eyes closed
tightly and his arms folded over his chest. Althea sat down on the edge of
his bed and gently stroked his feet, lightly tickling them with her
fingernails. "I envy you, Althea. You didn't have to deal with people like
that while you were up in Heaven, did you?"

 Althea shook her head. "No, It was complete serenity and bliss up
there. But, down here, I have to endure what you do. . . ."

 "Yes. We all have to endure trials and crucibles of unfathomable
difficulty, but at least now I don't have to deal with them alone, and so
long as there's a breath in my lungs, you won't have to deal with them
alone either. . . ."

 Cal got up and undid his blackbelt, folding it neatly and setting it on
his desk. He then untied the strings to his robe, making it fall
open. Gingerly taking it off, he then undid the tie-downs on his pant legs
and then the drawstrings. He took those off and then his sleeveless shirt,
and was naked. Althea had started to do the same thing, thinking that the
two of them were going to have sex. She walked up to him and slid her arms
around him and he hugged her tightly. "You're all I have left in this
world, Althea."

 She kissed him on the cheek and then her hand slid down to grab his
penis. "You're all I have too, Cal. . . ." she said gently, looking him in
his eyes passionately. Grinning evilly, she then said, "And I still owe you
one for this morning and another one for at Eclipse!"

 Cal put a finger to her lips and whispered, "Tomorrow. We'll make love
tomorrow until we pass out from exhaustion." Cal kissed her on the nose and
smiled. "I promise. But, I've got school tomorrow. I've got to get up at
six in the morning." And so, the two went to sleep in each other's arms.

 * * *

The shrill, infernal racket of the alarm clock awoke Cal from his dreamless
repose. Althea was still holding onto him in her sleep, so Cal just lay
there for a few minutes, stark naked with an equally nude demoness clinging
onto him in her sleep, enjoying the hypnotic rhythm of her gentle breath on
the side of his face. It was still dark outside, a reddish orange glare on
the horizon. Cal sighed and slowly sat up. Althea blearily opened an eye
and watched him silently hop out of bed. He looked back to see her staring
at him lovingly. "Sorry, did I wake you?" he asked as he got on a pair of
black jeans with a thick black leather belt. He then slid on a black
t-shirt and got his combat boots on.

 Althea shook her head gently. "No. . . . I sensed your movements. And your
alarm clock."

 "Ah. . . . Sorry about that. Why don't you go back to bed? Sleep in today
and have yourself a late breakfast. I'll be back around two o'clock."

 "Two o'clock?" Althea echoed curiously, bundled up in the covers.

 Cal smiled and, taking out his pen, he grabbed a scrap of paper from his
desk. "When the clock reads this, it will be two o'clock." He drew a two,
followed by a colon, and then two zeros. "I should be back then, and then
we can have some fun for a change!"

 Althea studied it with bloodshot eyes and then set the paper down next to
her. "I'll be waiting for you, lover!" she said, feeling a pleasant warmth
reach out and brush the silky bed sheets.

 Cal walked back up to her and kissed her gently on the lips. "So will I,
darling. So will I!" He hugged her beautiful form gently. "Now, go back to
sleep. I'll see you soon."

 Althea nodded and Cal tucked her in to the covers. He smirked and waved as
he grabbed his wallet and keys. "Have a good day," Althea whispered as she
drifted off to sleep.