~- Big Brother -~
She was rolling along the ground, the breath knocked out of her even though she'd tucked and braced for the assault. But then again, had she truly been prepared for the strike? Had she ever thought in the darkest of her visions that they'd be attacked by one of their own?
Her eye's darted around, looking for the others. Just a few feet away, she saw Light touching back down, the small mouse made even more diminutive by the white wings fanning out from beneath her cloak. Light looked stricken, heart sick and pale as the struggle to understand played out in her eyes. The one lying in the dirt could sympathize with the mouse. Never, ever had they thought to have to fight one of their comrades. But they had; they'd fought their mentor, and lost one of their rank to Death's embrace. And now, it was happening again. But now, it was so much worse.
Now they were fighting their brother.
Her eyes moved from the mouse, and she felt the icy grip of fear seize her numb heart. Black wings, so recently sleek and feathered, now leathery and nearly devoid of plumage... these wings cut across the sky, blocking out the light of the moon. Darkness was descending from the sky, dead despair blazing coldly in his blue-grey eyes. Following his gaze, she felt that frozen hand wrench her heart into her throat as she watched him bear down on Dawn. The girl just stood there, her wings at her side, disbelief rooting her to the spot. She couldn't understand this either. After everything that had happened, Darkness wouldn't really attack them, attack her, would he?
But while some small part of Dawn seemed to pray that his inner light would change his course, the numb one wasn't willing to take the chance; especially once she saw the flash of dark light fill his hand. Lifting her own wings, she shot forward, her arms extending as she let her power pool under her skin. Shoving Dawn aside, she had just enough time to twist around to face him, an arcane blade forming in her grip, before Darkness descended on her, striking out with his dagger pistol. She heard Dawn give a small cry, but she couldn't pay attention to the fear in her twin's voice. Ocean green eyes level, she met the blue-grey eyes before her, so reminiscent of a similar set of eyes that it made the wound in her heart bleed fresh.
He must have seen the pain in her eyes, because his own softened just the barest fraction, and for a moment, she could have sworn she saw the man that she'd known. Hoping to reach him, she said softly, "Please, Dark, don't do this. This isn't you."
Despair hardened his eyes again, and he pressed harder, trying to break through the defense of her manifested Angel Blade. Bracing the blade with her other hand, she pleaded, "Please, the Throne..."
"Doesn't give a shit!" He roared, shoving her back. Falling to her knees, she felt the blade knocked from her hands just moments before she felt the tip of his dagger press against her throat. Looking up, she watched Dark as he gulped air, shaking so hard he looked on the verge of convulsions. His eyes blazing, he hissed, "We've been fooling ourselves, Twilight. There's no way in hell to keep the Balance, the nature of all worlds is to be eternally fu.cked up, and the Throne doesn't give a damn about those that have served faithfully. If the Throne cared at all, Death wouldn't have come... he wouldn't be...
The reminder of what they'd all lost burned through her, and she felt the hole in her heart rip further open as Dark's eyes blurred in pain for his lost brother. The ever present exhaustion swallowed her flagging strength, and Twilight sagged, the tip of Dark's dagger drawing blood as it was drawn up her neck. "Be swift," she whispered, her voice so soft only he could hear her. "Be swift, and grant me this mercy. My pain will be over. I'll be with him again. But if you do this..." Some of her old fight glowed in her eyes, warring with the desolation that had taken up residence in their depths, "If you do this, he'll have claimed both of you. Do you really want to do that? Do you really want to give Death the victory?"
A soft snarl rumbled from Dark, a sound more animal than human. "Don't you get it, Twilight? Death's already won." He pulled the dagger back, his face unreadable...
"Who the hell is she?"
"What's this girl doing with you, Cutter?"
"Will you boys just shut-up and give her some space to breath?"
"Leyla? Come on, open your eyes!"
Leyla felt like she'd been run over by a semi. The girl groaned, squirming slightly at the grip that held her in a vice of gentle steel. Finding that that didn't work, she slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the too bright sun. The barrage of dreams, visions, or whatever-the-hell they'd been, had left her disoriented, and it took her a moment get her bearings.
First, Leyla saw Kit, and the ninja released an obvious sigh of relief when Leyla met her eyes. Standing just behind the other girl, Leyla saw two boys, one of which had pale blond, almost white hair, while the other one had obviously blond hair, a gorgeous set of blue eyes, and was slightly taller than his friend. Both of them wore armor, although the way the taller one seemed to be standing, Leyla had the feeling that he was suppose to be some kind of guardian for the other boy. Seeming to guess what Leyla was thinking, Kit pointed to the light blond and said, "Leyla, this is Ceodore, the other blond is Lance, and he's..."
"Rhys!"
Having seen who was holding her, Leyla forgot about Kit and her introductions momentarily as she drank in the sight of the oldest of the Hunter brothers. Launching herself up, Leyla knocked Rhys over, laughing and tripping over herself as she bubbled, "You're okay, you'reokayyou'reokayyou'reokayyou'reokay...."
Leyla distantly registered that Kit had given a surprised giggle as Rhys' low laugh gave a counterpoint to both of the girls. She felt his arms squeeze around her again as he said softly, "Yeah, I'm okay. God, it's so good to see you again, little Rozen."
~- Chains -~
The valley passed far below him, a patchwork of greens shading from emerald to jade to light green and finally the deep green of the jungle. Further on past the tangle of jungle foliage, he could see the rows of fields that made up the farms of a small hamlet, llama drawn carts going back and forth between those fields and the huts that the villagers called their homes. Home... when was the last time he'd been able to claim having something so simple as being his?
Rain pounding against the glass. They raced inside, soaked to the skin. Shirts came off, the chill of the house and the rain a sharp, yet pleasant contrast to how humid the island air had been just moments before. Four of the girls opted to let their clothes dry on them, while the two that had gone to change out of their soaked white shirts came back moments later. He felt his eyes travel over the younger of the two, and a flush of heat crept up his cheeks as his thoughts...
He shook his head, banishing the scrap of memory. That life, that realization that had dawned on him, was four years in the past and dead. The hell he found himself in was his reality now, and he had no choice but to accept his lot. Turning his eyes toward the ground and his thoughts away from that half forgotten afternoon, he spotted a young woman emerge from the jungle and into a clearing just off the village.
She was his contact.
Angling his wings, the eagle spiraled toward the ground, keeping the woman in his sight as he circled lower. Braking as he came level with a tree just over her head, he grasped onto a sturdy branch with his talons. Settling his wings at his sides, he fixed the woman with a steady azure gaze, and waited.
She was rolling along the ground, the breath knocked out of her even though she'd tucked and braced for the assault. But then again, had she truly been prepared for the strike? Had she ever thought in the darkest of her visions that they'd be attacked by one of their own?
Her eye's darted around, looking for the others. Just a few feet away, she saw Light touching back down, the small mouse made even more diminutive by the white wings fanning out from beneath her cloak. Light looked stricken, heart sick and pale as the struggle to understand played out in her eyes. The one lying in the dirt could sympathize with the mouse. Never, ever had they thought to have to fight one of their comrades. But they had; they'd fought their mentor, and lost one of their rank to Death's embrace. And now, it was happening again. But now, it was so much worse.
Now they were fighting their brother.
Her eyes moved from the mouse, and she felt the icy grip of fear seize her numb heart. Black wings, so recently sleek and feathered, now leathery and nearly devoid of plumage... these wings cut across the sky, blocking out the light of the moon. Darkness was descending from the sky, dead despair blazing coldly in his blue-grey eyes. Following his gaze, she felt that frozen hand wrench her heart into her throat as she watched him bear down on Dawn. The girl just stood there, her wings at her side, disbelief rooting her to the spot. She couldn't understand this either. After everything that had happened, Darkness wouldn't really attack them, attack her, would he?
But while some small part of Dawn seemed to pray that his inner light would change his course, the numb one wasn't willing to take the chance; especially once she saw the flash of dark light fill his hand. Lifting her own wings, she shot forward, her arms extending as she let her power pool under her skin. Shoving Dawn aside, she had just enough time to twist around to face him, an arcane blade forming in her grip, before Darkness descended on her, striking out with his dagger pistol. She heard Dawn give a small cry, but she couldn't pay attention to the fear in her twin's voice. Ocean green eyes level, she met the blue-grey eyes before her, so reminiscent of a similar set of eyes that it made the wound in her heart bleed fresh.
He must have seen the pain in her eyes, because his own softened just the barest fraction, and for a moment, she could have sworn she saw the man that she'd known. Hoping to reach him, she said softly, "Please, Dark, don't do this. This isn't you."
Despair hardened his eyes again, and he pressed harder, trying to break through the defense of her manifested Angel Blade. Bracing the blade with her other hand, she pleaded, "Please, the Throne..."
"Doesn't give a shit!" He roared, shoving her back. Falling to her knees, she felt the blade knocked from her hands just moments before she felt the tip of his dagger press against her throat. Looking up, she watched Dark as he gulped air, shaking so hard he looked on the verge of convulsions. His eyes blazing, he hissed, "We've been fooling ourselves, Twilight. There's no way in hell to keep the Balance, the nature of all worlds is to be eternally fu.cked up, and the Throne doesn't give a damn about those that have served faithfully. If the Throne cared at all, Death wouldn't have come... he wouldn't be...
The reminder of what they'd all lost burned through her, and she felt the hole in her heart rip further open as Dark's eyes blurred in pain for his lost brother. The ever present exhaustion swallowed her flagging strength, and Twilight sagged, the tip of Dark's dagger drawing blood as it was drawn up her neck. "Be swift," she whispered, her voice so soft only he could hear her. "Be swift, and grant me this mercy. My pain will be over. I'll be with him again. But if you do this..." Some of her old fight glowed in her eyes, warring with the desolation that had taken up residence in their depths, "If you do this, he'll have claimed both of you. Do you really want to do that? Do you really want to give Death the victory?"
A soft snarl rumbled from Dark, a sound more animal than human. "Don't you get it, Twilight? Death's already won." He pulled the dagger back, his face unreadable...
"Who the hell is she?"
"What's this girl doing with you, Cutter?"
"Will you boys just shut-up and give her some space to breath?"
"Leyla? Come on, open your eyes!"
Leyla felt like she'd been run over by a semi. The girl groaned, squirming slightly at the grip that held her in a vice of gentle steel. Finding that that didn't work, she slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the too bright sun. The barrage of dreams, visions, or whatever-the-hell they'd been, had left her disoriented, and it took her a moment get her bearings.
First, Leyla saw Kit, and the ninja released an obvious sigh of relief when Leyla met her eyes. Standing just behind the other girl, Leyla saw two boys, one of which had pale blond, almost white hair, while the other one had obviously blond hair, a gorgeous set of blue eyes, and was slightly taller than his friend. Both of them wore armor, although the way the taller one seemed to be standing, Leyla had the feeling that he was suppose to be some kind of guardian for the other boy. Seeming to guess what Leyla was thinking, Kit pointed to the light blond and said, "Leyla, this is Ceodore, the other blond is Lance, and he's..."
"Rhys!"
Having seen who was holding her, Leyla forgot about Kit and her introductions momentarily as she drank in the sight of the oldest of the Hunter brothers. Launching herself up, Leyla knocked Rhys over, laughing and tripping over herself as she bubbled, "You're okay, you'reokayyou'reokayyou'reokayyou'reokay...."
Leyla distantly registered that Kit had given a surprised giggle as Rhys' low laugh gave a counterpoint to both of the girls. She felt his arms squeeze around her again as he said softly, "Yeah, I'm okay. God, it's so good to see you again, little Rozen."
~- Chains -~
The valley passed far below him, a patchwork of greens shading from emerald to jade to light green and finally the deep green of the jungle. Further on past the tangle of jungle foliage, he could see the rows of fields that made up the farms of a small hamlet, llama drawn carts going back and forth between those fields and the huts that the villagers called their homes. Home... when was the last time he'd been able to claim having something so simple as being his?
Rain pounding against the glass. They raced inside, soaked to the skin. Shirts came off, the chill of the house and the rain a sharp, yet pleasant contrast to how humid the island air had been just moments before. Four of the girls opted to let their clothes dry on them, while the two that had gone to change out of their soaked white shirts came back moments later. He felt his eyes travel over the younger of the two, and a flush of heat crept up his cheeks as his thoughts...
He shook his head, banishing the scrap of memory. That life, that realization that had dawned on him, was four years in the past and dead. The hell he found himself in was his reality now, and he had no choice but to accept his lot. Turning his eyes toward the ground and his thoughts away from that half forgotten afternoon, he spotted a young woman emerge from the jungle and into a clearing just off the village.
She was his contact.
Angling his wings, the eagle spiraled toward the ground, keeping the woman in his sight as he circled lower. Braking as he came level with a tree just over her head, he grasped onto a sturdy branch with his talons. Settling his wings at his sides, he fixed the woman with a steady azure gaze, and waited.
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