Of Devils, Angels, and Heartbreak

Ivan's story

(A/N I'd like to (kinda?) apologize for the brief Russian in this chapter because I didn't type it using Cyrillic (my computer hates it and messes up some of the letters computer y u do this) so I literally just typed what comes out of my mouth when I speak Russian so it might not be exactly correct)  

"Not that long ago, Ivan lived with his two sisters, Katusha,"

A tall girl with rather large breasts and short platinum hair entered the scene that was playing in Arthur's mind eye, her round face alight with laughter and joy in her eyes.

"And Natalya. Ivan was the middle child, and was loved dearly by both his sisters."

A very pretty girl holding Ivan's hand came into view. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a ribbon in her hair, along with a dark purple dress with a white apron.

"They were farmers in Russia during the Soviet Union. While Katusha and Ivan farmed, Natalya studied alone in the small house, as her older siblings were determined for her to get an education."

"Pryvet Natalya!"(Hello Natalya) Ivan called, entering the room where Natalya sat, hunched over a book with a fountain pen in her hand. "Shto ty delaesh?" (What are you doing) he asked, leaning over her. His long coat was stained with dirt at the end, and he held a shovel in his hands.

"Uroki." (Homework) she sighed, sitting up straight. Her dark blue eyes traveled down to where she saw the dirt stains, and she noticed how tired her brother looked. "Ya mogu vam pamoch?" (Can I help you guys) she asked eagerly, standing up and rushing towards the door, grabbing her coat.

"Nyet kaneshno!" (Of course not) Ivan gasped, stopping her in her tracks.

"Pochemu?" (Why) Natalya asked, turning around to face her brother, hand still on the doorknob.

"Tebe nado uchitsa. Yesly budesh uchitsa ty naydosh harshyu rabotu a patom poyedish v Ameriku." (You need to study. If you study you will find a good job and then go to America.) He answered firmly, leading his younger sister back to her seat and handing her a new worksheet.

"Horosho..." (Alright) she sighed, resting her head in her hands. Ivan kissed the top of her head and walked out the door.

"They dreamed of getting her to America, where she could find a better life. Her brother and sister worked all day in the fields so the girl was often left alone, in the dark house. She could see ghosts and demons, and it drove her to insanity. She loved her brother with all of her heart, but the demons twisted it."

Natalya crept down a dark hall, skin almost glowing. It was clearly several months later than the first scene, and Natalya looked much different. Her cheekbones were almost popping out of her face, the skin pale and translucent looking. She entered a small room and sat down in the middle, holding up her hands. Whispers of a strange language filled the air, and a bright red fire blossomed above her open palms, reflecting off of the glassy blue orbs that were her eyes. She stared at the fire for a couple seconds, entranced, before her expression changed to fear and she curled up into a ball, ignoring how the fire burned her skin.

"There are some souls from long ago that belong to neither heaven nor hell, ones that the kings of each kingdom have been trying to eliminate for millennia. Those souls were drawn to her, trying to make her like them. She was strong, and fought them for as long as she could, at the cost of her sanity. Her love for her brother was the only thing keeping these spirits at bay."

Natalya was standing in the kitchen, peeling potatoes. Ivan walked in, hugging Natalya before joining Katusha where she was standing. Neither of them noticed how Natalya got into a knife throwing stance before, with a horrified gasp, broke free and sliced the knife over her own palm. Ivan and Katusha didn't notice, walking out the door and leaving their little sister in the house. They didn't notice the tortured look in her eyes, the bandages covering her arms and hands.