28 (UISYA)

Below is the description of Ann and Larie's **28th meeting** (EARTH 5) from the Ed, Edd n Eddy fanfiction series, Until I See You Again.

If you landed here without prior knowledge of the series, please visit its page first.

## Story

>    Mythological creatures are tired of humanity's repeated urge to fight other races and each other, as for the abuse of nature to fit their personal needs. Many creatures decide the planet is better off without them and make a habit out of terrorizing human cities and villages, which inspires the rest to capitalize on it and offer themselves as bodyguards for hire. They advertise to fight for their human customer's safety, but need something "objectively valuable" to seal the contract with.
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> Ann is left by herself after her parents passed away and her father's bodyguard, shared by the entire family, no longer felt obligated to stay. While hiding inside her house in fear, the internet helps her learn of a bar outside the city's borders where magic beings plan a casual gathering. Though dangerous, but out of options, she goes through the trouble of reaching this place to beg for help. Upon arriving, Ann sees she's not the only human trying to get a contract.
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> Though the creatures are open to becoming a bodyguard and mostly tolerant of the desperate humans interrupting their lunch and drinks, none are interested in Ann's offers and make it clear they only wish for payments that will negatively impact her life. After suffering some verbal abuse, she sits down at the bar to mope in the presence of a man seemingly less worried about going home defenseless.
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> He explains to her what she's doing wrong and gives some fairly helpful advice, though the event comes to a halt when a group of pompous fairies enter the building and unknown forces starts attacking them before Ann can even approach them with an offer.
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> Ann falls under the influence of the attack and enters a dark void that seemingly tries to figure out her greatest fear and kill her with it, but then freed after the attacker digging through her mind finds her life too inoffensive to justify the torture. She returns to reality and finds herself in a room full of spooked corpses, with the man at the bar still sitting there unfazed. Because there are no magic beings recorded to look like regular humans, it raises no suspicion with Ann, though she notes on his unharmed state. He decides it's better to keep his species a secret and claims to know how to defend himself from magic creatures, which peaks her interest. Ann asks if he could be her bodyguard.
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> The man thinks it over and accepts, but also wants odd payment; consisting out of her promise to "not fall in love with anyone". She doesn't understand why a human would make a demand and not have money instead, but sees it as the best deal she's been offered so far. The man introduces himself as "Larie", but no last name or further details are given.
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> Larie proves effective in the sense most attackers "collapse by themselves" or run off before able to reach Ann, but it doesn't take long for more intelligent creatures to recognize there's something off about the man. Other people's bodyguards feel generous enough to express their worry over his flawless human appearance; which is an ability reserved to either the powerful or the cursed. Their remarks stick with Ann, and she slowly starts to wonder if there's something about Larie she should know about. She decides to ask, but he says it's better to be ignorant, as she'll regret sealing their unbreakable contract if he told her. When he sees that answer distresses her, he argues he simply wants the experience of a normal human life and a loved one to share it with.
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> The explanation doesn't soothe her by any means, and makes her realize the restrictive deal he set up was meant to make him her only option for a partner if she ever desired to settle down. She's become an element in his personal quest for "a normal life", but she decides not to utter her realization out loud and feigns empathy for the still mysterious creature.
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> Back home, though, she takes a better look at the details of their contract, and sees the threatening message she skipped in her moment of desperation. Death is noted as the punishment if the documented promise is broken.
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> The following days, she tries to figure out Larie's species and determine her own safety with help of literature and the opinion of online forums, but it produces no results and she only has an incomplete description of him to work with. Meanwhile, she aims to stay on his good side by uttering brief pleasantries and fake smiles whenever she can; not really hiding the fact she's afraid.
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> Larie isn't blind for her changed treatment of him and asks her forthright if she's scared of him. She argues she can't be scared of something she doesn't know anything about, but after uttering the sentence, realizes how dumb it sounds. He states her thought out loud, but decides not to press further and keep his careless demeanour going.
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> He performs his duties like normal and turns Ann's way of living into something she's never got to experience since birth. As all bodyguards share their client's home, Larie is always spotted strolling through one particular city and demobilizing enemies, earning him and the place some notoriety among mythological creatures. The attacks decrease immensely, and as the weeks go by, the city itself is deemed a no-go zone for the ill-intended and livens up like never before. Those who could never afford a bodyguard finally feel safe to exit the prison that is their home, and news of this rare safe haven spreads fast.
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> Though Larie is the cause, this information is only shared among the targets that survived him, thus he's not credited or celebrated. At the same time, he doesn't know it either and Ann only recognizes the work he's done for her personally.
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> With things going so well for her and her surroundings, she slowly forgets about her quest of finding out Larie's origin, while a trend starts among citizens where bodyguards are ditched. No longer seeing the point in being following around everywhere, they go out of their way to rid themselves of the unwelcome, predatory company and get their "payment" back in some manner -a concept that does not cross Ann's mind.
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> She relaxes more, allowing for Larie to catch her off-guard more often and finally develop a bond with the distant, neurotic woman. After opening up to him, she sees he's not that offensive, except in his sense of humor. In her eagerness to visit the things and establishments she never could before -who've all optimistically opened their doors in response to the age of peace- her housemate and friend is always given an invitation to join in.
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> But as time passes, fairies start subtly infiltrating the city streets for reasons unknown. When Larie notices their presence for the first time, the irritation on his face isn't hard to miss, but the fairies that pick up on it are taken out before they can form an opinion. The graceful pedestrians fall dead without provocation, confusing and distressing Ann and other witnesses. Since Larie doesn't take the stance of a guilty person, she thinks something else is attacking them and runs over to him in fright. Trying to calm her down, he fabricates a lie and states the victims showed off clear symptoms of a well-known illness among magic creatures. The idea of such a severe virus worries her and she asks if it's contagious, but he promises only stupid fairies can get it.
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> It doesn't take long for more fairies to show up and check on their fallen brethren, making Larie realize the place is overrun and they're likely looking for him. While feeling tempted to attack again, he knows better than to drag Ann into his personal war, and pretends to be an ordinary human being. The fairies don't know who to blame or where to look, and can only leave with the bodies.
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> Fairies are seen at every street corner in the city, but since they're admired by humans and the mythological, no one feels disturbed enough to ask questions and the flattered residents think they've merely chosen their peaceful city as a home for themselves.
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> Larie, on the other hand, complains to Ann about them on a daily basis. Besides the supposedly deadly virus the fairy race suffers from, she also sees no reason to distrust them, since they've always been tolerant of humans. Larie scoffs that tolerance is not a virtue, and genuine kindness comes with acceptance and the bare effort to help a species that's under constant attack. Ann understands his reasoning, but gives the fairies the benefit of the doubt and guesses they might not be strong enough to be bodyguards. He disagrees and reveals they were powerful enough to hunt the oldest and once strongest creatures on Earth to near-extinction, a gripping remark that spawns Ann's desire to hear more.
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> He tells her about about the first lifeform that inhabited the planet, describing them as immortal shadow demons. The fairies were quick to take on the role of ultimate judge -which they got away with under the guise of being the wisest and most learned race of all- and waged wars on creatures they personally deemed "wrong", often based on its natural way of living. Larie comments that their reputation as respecters and protectors of nature is undeserved.
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> Ann says to have never read about any wars involving the fairy race or the existence of these shadow demons, to which he smirks history is written by the winners, who can leave out anything they like. Nevertheless, he adds these events happened an eternity ago, when history was not yet being recorded.
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> The oddness of him knowing this does not go past Ann, who carefully asks him if he's one of these shadow demons. Larie just looks at her, with a measured smile. With hesitance, she continues the questioning and wants to know he's dangerous. He replies not to her.
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> After a short pause, he asks if she'd like to see him.
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> She seeks unneeded clarification and asks if he means his real form by that, but is too nervous to give an actual answer to the offer. Larie requests of her not to be afraid and reassures he'll have the same level of conscience and emotional capabilities, despite what his appearance may convey.
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> After this warning, Ann tries her best to mentally prepare herself, but can't stay calm upon witnessing the abominable demon rip itself out of its human body with little delicacy.
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> The bottom of the smokey creature spreads throughout most of the room, cloaking the floor in darkness, and its body stutters and shakes threateningly, like there's effort involved in keeping itself inside the realm of existence. The demon looks far removed from the jokester that was standing before Ann just seconds prior and the otherworldly sounds coming from its gaping mouth don't help her discern its intentions.
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> Nauseous with fear, she watches it draw closer, her breath stammering and eyes growing moist. A deformed hand spawns from its body with crackling sounds and raises up with her as its target. Her mind tells her to run as the demon's unblinking, light-infused eyes stare her down, and fanged open mouth starts getting too close for comfort. Its lower jaw is seemingly in a perpetual state of detaching and falling on the floor, yet every time she blinks, it's back to where it started.
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> No longer able to stand the sight of it, yet trying to remember what Larie told her beforehand, she closes her eyes and lets its hand land on her shivering shoulder. Its long thumb is felt reaching up to her cheek and rubbing the salty water in an attempt to comfort.
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> Ann opens her eyes again, still seeing the same spectre she hoped to had imagined. She looks at its hand and slowly touches it, then gradually moves over to the rest of its body. She discovers a tangible, physical form inside the blob of gooey smoke, and the more Larie allows her to look him over, the calmer she becomes.
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> When she's feeling up the pair of legs she didn't expect he'd have, the demon recoils and transforms back into a human. Larie apologizes, but says "she was about to pull his dick", turning her face glowing red. To complete the comical end to the horror sequence, he just winks at her and walks off to light a smoke. The traumatized Ann musters the energy to demand him to go outside and stop using her kitchen as his smoking lounge.
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> The excitement left her dog-tired, but seeing Larie acting his usual self helps her get back onto her feet. Though his species is nothing like she's ever seen before and little details have been shared, she accepts he's just one of the many diverse mythological creatures out there, and more importantly, her friend. Their evening of reconciliation is spent well with good food and TV, whereafter bedtime arrives.
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> Larie takes the couch like always and is first to crash, while Ann has some restlessness keeping her awake, thus decides to finish up on a miniature bridge made out of toothpicks. Then suddenly, the door bell is heard ringing.
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> Because of the late hour, she isn't sure if she should open, but when the ringing continues, settles on going downstairs anyway.
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> Upon turning around, she finds Larie standing in her way, who instructs her to keep her voice low as he closes the curtains of her window. No second later, knocking is to be heard on the glass. Ann dashes backwards and asks who's out there, to which Larie replies that fairies are at the door. With so many spies scattered in and around the city, he deems it possible one of them noticed his transformed self through a window.
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> Larie doesn't want to open up and advocates killing them, but Ann is against it and thinks that ignoring them with the lights on will make them look suspicious. She asks if fairies know his kind can transform into people, but since they don't, she concludes it'd make more sense to meet with them and play dumb. Demotivated, but unable to disagree, Larie joins her at the front door where the intimidating fairies are waiting.
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> He pushes Ann against his body and opens up to greet the characters, but without patience or hospitality. The man standing at the forefront apologizes for interrupting their night and informs them of a dangerous creature that's been spotted inside their home, wishing to check it out. Ann wants to play it calm and claims not to have seen anything, while Larie snarls they're not the police and have no right to snoop around. The fairy politely agrees and states that's why they're asking for permission.
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> Because the fairies use scary language that would normally convince the common person -though disguised as concerned and sophisticated arguments- Ann doesn't know how to refuse without looking like they've got something to hide, thus lets them in. Larie gives her a look, but she whispers it not to matter anyway, as they've got nothing dubious lying around.
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> One of the fairies picks up on the couch turned to a makeshift bed, and asks who sleeps there. Ann and Larie both tell the truth, which makes him wonder why one of them is sleeping separately if they're presenting as a couple. Larie's in a humorous mood and calls Ann a prude who doesn't wanna bone until marriage. Her eyes widen and she gives him a powerful stare, but as it managed to chase away the prying fairy, adds nothing to that statement.
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> The tall figures are seen going in and out of doors, leaving no crack unchecked. The spokesman from earlier then approaches to report nothing's been found yet. Ann convincingly fakes relief. His head then slowly turns to her and she's told it's better not to hide it from them if she's seen anything. The veiled threat annoys Larie, who barks they've not even told them what the creature looks like and speak to them like they're guilty and already know.
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> The fairy starts his introduction with the species' name, "multa funera"; claimed to have been adapted millions of years later in human Latin to mean "many deaths". He admits never to have seen one, but the fairy race has ancient, private recordings on the beast, where their ancestors guess they might've existed before the creation of the planet itself. He warns they are immortal beings, with smokey bodies and headache-inducing eyes, that need no food, fun, or love, yet their ruthless nature has them kill and eat other creatures anyway. Larie frowns at the description, but does not interrupt. As the fairy keeps on talking, though, he sees some worry being bred on Ann's face.
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> He places his hand on her shoulder, where it was last time, and stands next to her. He gives her a carefully optimistic smile, and Ann returns one back as assurance and proof of her alliance to him. Larie tells the fairy not to scare his girlfriend, especially if there's nothing in their home haunting them. Ann follows up with the assumption they would've noticed, to which the fairy states they would've been dead.
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> The others begin to assemble in the living room and deem the home safe. Though the group's leader is dubious of Ann and Larie, he sees no reason to stay and does not suspect Larie of being the creature. He gives them a lacklustre bow, and Larie slams the door on them with the message they should try and visit earlier next time if they want coffee with their visit. Ann doesn't know whether to laugh or be shocked by his consistent rudeness, so just releases a big sigh.
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> She hurries over to the window to peek behind the indoor shutters, where she sees and barely hears the fairies discussing their next course of action. They consider searching the entire neighbourhood again, but with the one suspected house ending up empty and its residents not having seen anything, they conclude the funera was only passing through and has long moved on. With that, they return to the heart of the city.
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> Ann turns away from the window and releases a moan of relief. Larie is also satisfied and heads back to his couch, while thanking her for keeping quiet. She says she wouldn't have told them in any circumstance, but he teases to had seen her getting worried. She confesses that the stories shared were not particularly great to learn.
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> Remembering the claims he couldn't refute at that moment, he clarifies his species like to play and feel love just fine. She says not to doubt it, since she knows him, after all. After an awkward pause, she brings up their eating habit, making Larie visibly uncomfortable. He admits his kind doesn't need food to live, but do need it to be "alive", and calls food their fuel like is the case with any other critter. Going without makes them sluggish in body and mind and greatly decreases their living experience. Ann evaluates his explanation and decides it's not unfair.
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> She rubs her face and laments the many horrid life forms Earth holds. Larie doesn't disagree.
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> After the whole adventure -and wondering if more unwelcome visitors will show- the TV is turned on and the two extend their night together. Though peace has returned, Ann keeps giving him looks from the corner of her eyes, which does not go past him. He returns the eye contact and waits for her to express her current worry.
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> Unexpectedly, she asks if she may see his real form again. Larie processes the sudden request, then answers he shouldn't, as there's no certainty a fairy won't see them again. She releases a clumsy smile and tells him he's right, though some disappointment is found in her response. Larie is unsure what to think of it, but doesn't linger on the subject and reverts his attention to the TV.
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> They joke about the horrible late night shows and commercials they're subjected to, until Ann begins drifting off and her heavy head falls left and right. When she chooses Larie as her pillow, he tries to figure out the most appropriate thing to do, despite wanting to embrace. Having earned her friendship, devotion, and trust only helped develop his once trivial romantic interest in her, but he still lacks certainty she feels the same way or is just being her friendly self.
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> After taking off his mask for her and the scare she had earlier that day, he thinks it's too early to say, so shakes her awake instead. Her tired eyes open and look up, where his mouth sits right in her view. Despite leaning on him and so close to his face, she shows no hurry to get up. They exchange a few looks as she calmly shuffles to bed and tells him goodnight.
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> Upstairs, she changes clothes and finally lies down. A few more thoughts run through her head before her eyelids begin to lower again. Then suddenly, disturbing noises are heard approaching. Shivers run down her spine, but she thinks to recognize them and decides to wait before turning the lights back on.
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> Her bedroom door is heard opening, the noises get louder, and a white light is seen traversing the dark, with a red, defective one next to it. They drift closer, until something is felt getting on the bed.
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> The entrance is unsettling, but knowing it's Larie coming to fulfill her earlier request, she doesn't run or make a sound. When his head is near, she reaches out her hands to caress it the best she's able to, her fingers moving along every horrifying feature she's luckily unable to see. His beastly claws return the favour and one long finger slowly makes its way to her chest. As he has no lips in this form and his mouth is always open, Ann leans forward to kiss him on the next best places. Larie lovingly rubs his head against her mouth, while his unnatural body lays itself on top of her. More arms spawn and lock her into an embrace.
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> But as the passion grows between the frail human and the nightmare creature, an item inside one of her drawers is heard burning up, whereafter Ann is no longer responsive. Larie looks at the limp woman in his many arms, unsure on what happened, until he finally realizes.
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> While trying to hopelessly shake her back to life, he utters unholy cries of sorrow, knowing his own sloppily-worded contract killed his loved one. She was not allowed to fall for anyone and no exceptions were listed.
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> Larie's screeches become piercing and shake the whole house, until suddenly, the environment changes and he finds himself in an undeveloped landscape, alone. He looks around, confused about what happened and where he is. He tries looking for Ann and civilizational itself, but finds nothing, besides the many streams of lava.
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> When he comes across other funera, crawling around in numbers he's not seen since an eternity ago, he concludes that time has reset itself to the aftermath of the comet that destroyed all life on Earth *(see: the 27th meeting)*.
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> Unable to determine how or why, he has to accept he won't be able to see Ann for millions of years.
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## See also

* Until I See You Again
* Funera
* An, Ann n Anny
* Ed, Edd n Eddy Working