She had always been there for them, protecting them when they were weak, supporting them when they were strong. They knew that they could come to her at any hour, any time they were in need, and she would answer their plea.

When they pushed her away, she knew that they needed her all the more. She would be even more resilient in her attempts to aid them. She smiled, silently supporting them even when they no longer wished help. She slowly would bring them back from the brink of anguish.

When they left, she would sigh in relief, letting her mask slip. Though all they saw was a smile, she was in pain. She who gave them hope had very little herself. She could not submit herself to the scrutiny of others, could not ask others to bear the pain of listening as she had for so long. It seemed contrary to her duty.

She was their angel in white, though she did not know it. She was their guiding light, leading them back to life's secure path. She was a gentle leader, showing them the way. Now the angel stood in front of a mirror. Her feathers were molting, falling to the floor. Where the feathers lay, they were dyed a deep crimson. Blood flowed from open wounds, pooling around her feet.

To them, she was an angel. To herself, she was a demon. Her skin was as red as the feathers now. She closed the door to her sanctuary, going where they would not, could not, follow. She lay down, seeking the peace and solace that so often eluded her. The demon found her first. What was supposed to be solace turned into tears of bleak despair as the demon tore at what remained of the angel's heart.

They began to worry for their angel. Too late, they saw the pain their angel had hidden. They had done nothing for her, and so their angel had fallen to demons.

A/N: The purpose of this extremely short story is threefold. You need to realize that the worst demons out there are the ones inside yourself. Sometimes the people with the biggest smiles are the ones who hurt the most. Lastly, sometimes, even though you are there, the hurt person thinks they have been abandoned. Sometimes they have. If you feel like it, you can substitute 'he' for all the 'she's. I just work better with female characters.