Cold

Chapter twelve: Why should one do such a thing?

 Kai watched the Variel stare at the pond, wondering what he was staring at. It seemed as if nothing happened, yet Variel was shaking. He stared at the pond with wide eyes, as if he were trapped in a nightmare he couldn't wake up from.

"Variel?" Kai asked. "You okay?"

Variel stared at the water as it filled with red. No, not red, blood. It filled the pond until he could make out faces.

Jess.

"I would advise against that, Princess." Lucifer drawled, suddenly out of bed and at the foot of her bed. The girl looked at him, at his emotionless face.
"And why is that?" She asked.

"Because I don't want an angel to see the devil." Lucifer responded.

Her screaming face begging Variel to shatter.

Alice.

"Hey, don't be sad." Lillian said, "There's nothing to worry about."

"Why are you smiling?" Alice asked,
"Because the sun is shining, we're alive, and we're going to go on a great adventure!" Lillian said, grinning. "It might be scary at times, but we can make it through!" Alice just blinked.

Her tearstained skin screaming for help.

Josh. Kip. Castel.

"It doesn't make sense. You're the only one of us who can even get close to the Reaper without dying." Kip said, chewing.
"You're not trying to get him killed, I won't allow it." Josh said, gritting his teeth. Three shrugged.
"It was just an idea. If you won't allow it, then it doesn't need to be discussed further." Three said.

Their pain seeping into his mind. The look on Josh's face as he met Lucifer's eyes and went insane. The fear on Kip's face as she rushed to Josh's side. Castel dying because three made the choice to change.

Paige.

"What does this stand for?" Variel asked the girl, crouching to get on her level as he pointed to the circles.

"Well the pink stands for girl." Paige explained. "Nice, loyal, calming. Honest."
"What does the blue stand for?" Variel asked. Paige grinned.

"The blue stands for boys, with their cooties." She continued. "Brave, confident, strong."
"And these?" He asked, pointing to the white circles.

"It's supposed to be like a ying yang, showing that someone can be both." Paige explained.
Her grin at his praise.

Who do you seek? Paige mouthed from the pond. Variel knew it wasn't her, but he still blinked. He knew that if he asked, he could bring Jess, Alice, Kip, or Josh back. But if that's what he asked for, he would let Kai down. He looked back at Kai, who was looking at him concerned.
"Variel?" He asked. Variel turned his attention back to the pond. Gritting his teeth, he spoke.

"I want Ellen Argentent Boo, the compsognathus dinosaur that belongs to Kai." Paige nodded, and gave him a small smile as her face faded from the red pool.

Variel felt as if he had put his heart in a box and buried it. He could have brought someone he cared about back, but he didn't. He had Kai. He realized that none of them knew him as well as Kai did. That they didn't know all the fragments and the part of him that makes him who he is. They each knew a part of Variel, but Kai knows him. And Variel would do anything to make Kai happy. He wasn't sure if Lucifer would have put Kai's happiness before his, but he knew that he would. Variel- him. He would. 

"Well aren't you a lucky duck?" A voice chuckled. Kai's eyes widened as a teenage girl rose from the pond, clad in a midnight black tux. Her blond hair came down over one eye as she grinned at them. "I honestly didn't think you'd make that choice, my pet." Variel growled and stood up.