Repetition: The Final Act
The night was clear, a bright moon floating gently above a grassy meadow, hills rolling in the darkness. Oak trees surrounded the area all around, yet they looked like huge shadows guarding the place like knights guarding a castle. It one entered the area, they would see two glowing orbs in the air, one white while the other was black, slight purple tints inside it. There were no stars.
On closer inspection, one could make out a human form in each bulb of light in the night sky. Each was granted a pair of wings bursting from thief backs: These were not just balls of light, but angels. One sharp bark rang through the air: "Dark!"
This came from the lighter orb, which was known by only one name: Krad.
The man surrounded in the black aura shot a glare at the white-winged angel, purple eyes ablaze. In his black gloved hand he held a small, golden round object, with a large smooth ruby in the center. Engraved into his ruby were two small pairs of wings, which were bound by very detailed chains.
"It's over, Krad!" spat Dark, clutching the jeweled piece "This will end the war between the Niwa's and the Hikari's forever!" He looked down. "Daisuke, Satoshi! Get out of here!" Below the scene, two human boys watched, one with red hair, the other blue. The red-haired boy's matching eyes were transfixed on the scene, his mouth hanging open slightly, as if hypnotized. Is this really how it's all going to end?
"Daisuke, come, we must find safety in the forest." The blue-haired boy known as Hiwatari Satoshi tugged at his sleeve, which caused the young Niwa to follow his friend.
Making sure the two were well out of harm's way, Dark's attention snapped towards the blond, eyes filled with hatred. "This little beauty was created by the first Hikari, especially for you Krad." He smirked, his eyebrows arched downward. "With my magic, I can activate it, and seal up away forever!" His grin grew as the device glowed with purple. The dark angel gripped it, black magic generating through his fingertips like static electricity.
As Dark occupied himself with this ever-important task, he did not notice the golden sword that his enemy withdrew from a sheath, which dimly glowed in the silky white moonlight. "You're right, Dark." He said, a bit of trickery playing its way into his sickingly sweet voice. "This would indeed be bad for me…if I didn't to this." With that, Krad took the sword to the base of his own wing and, with one swift motion, drove the sharp edge of the blade straight through it, white blood instantly spurting out from the wound.
Catching the wing delicately in his hand, he smirked. "You seem to forget, Dark, that a dark room is no match for a beam of sunlight!" With that, the angel took his own wing and thrust it with all his strength at his enemy, which hit Dark square in the chest. The sudden rush of bright energy through the dark angel's body caused him to yell out in pain, his entire body feeling like he had been whipped with an electrical wire. "Damn!" he yelled out as he felt his own wings buckling under Krad's power. No longer able to function his body, Dark fell from the sky like a rock being dropped from a cliff and crash landed into the ground.
"Dark!" This cry came from Niwa Daisuke, who watched from behind the oak trees. He stood from his crouching position and began to dart out into a run, when he felt a grab at his arm, causing him to fall backward onto his butt. He looked up with eyes glassy with tears at the one who held him back, Satoshi. "Satoshi, please! Let go! We have to do something, or Dark's gonna—"
"We can't do anything, Daisuke." Sighed Satoshi, adjusting his glasses over his eyes, as blue as the ocean. "I can't really explain it, but this is the fate of the two creations Krad and Dark. I'm sorry, but this must happen, and no matter what we do, our efforts will be in vain." The other boy only nodded eyes full of a new understanding.
"Oh…" he said quietly. " Okay, Satoshi."
Meanwhile, the angel clad in white slowly approached his fallen enemy, who lay eagle-spread on the ground, shallow breathing racking through his chest, entire body paralyzed. Through some miracle, Dark was alive after such a fall. Krad, one wing gone and empty of energy, relied on the remainder of his magic to take him safely to the ground. He approached Krad with delicate steps, a sick killer intent gleaming in his cat-like, yellow eyes.
"Well, Dark, it appears you were, indeed, right. This game is over-" He bent over Dark, golden sword tucked away as he lowered himself until each knee was placed firmly on the ground, his face close to Dark's as his hands winded their own way to Dark's throat. "For you."
Yet Krad did not kill Dark.
A glimmer of surprise ran through the thief's purple orbs, shimmering like the many treasures that he fancied. He could be dead at any seconds by Krad's hands, yet the blonde did nothing. "Why…" Dark coughed violently, feeling weighted by the closeness of Krad's face to his own. "Why are you doing this if you're not going to kill me?"
This caused Krad to give a low chuckle. "Why Dark, don't be so naïve! Of course I'm going to kill you!" He frowned, his yellow eyes growing cloudy. "But…" he asked lowly "Do you dare to pretend to not know why I'm doing this?" With a darkened expression, Krad continued without giving the other man a chance to speak. "This might have never happened if it were not for the horrible mistake you made almost four-hundred years ago…"
The day was bright, the warm sun's rays hitting a nearby babbling river, seemingly causing it to glow, slowing clearly the pebbled bottom. Across from one of its banks was a large oak tree, plentifully leaved, casting a long, cool shadow. In the tree's shadow lay a sleeping man, two white wings folded neatly behind him as he dozed. Short blonde hair was worn in a ponytail. On his body he bore a flowing white robe over a white linen wrap and an elegant long-sleeved white shirt, a golden necklace gracing his neck. Short white boots with periwinkle laced weaving across them. He slept peacefully, but the state of slumber was not to last.
"Kraaaaddddd…." It was a playful call from the branches of the tree. Two violet eyes glistened from the leaves. "Come on Krad, wake upppppp…" The man below did not open his eyes, but instead a cocky smile played its way on his perfectly shaped lips. This caused the figure in the tree in give a small "Hmph!" It leapt from the trees, two black wings jutting out of his back. "Now c'mon Krad, that's no fun!" He was lean like the blond, except a shock of dark purple hair matching his glinting amethyst eyes. He wore a robe of black over indigo pants and short-sleeved shirt, wearing purple gloves coming up to his elbows, a purple belt worn over his waist, and black boots to top it off. His appearance matched his name perfectly: Dark.
Suddenly, the man gained a brilliant plan, and mentally chuckled. He approached the 'sleeping' blond and went on his knees, tugging at sleeve of his white robe. He leaned over to whisper into Krad's ear, his lips practically touching it. "Krad." He said softly. "Open me."
Golden eyes shot open.
"WHAT?!"
"Aha! So you WEREN'T asleep!"
"Dark! You pervert!"
The dark angel grinned with triumph, making his lighter counterpart, Krad, chuckle slightly. "At least I'd get to be on top that time, right?" Dark laughed out loud, his lean body slightly shaking with his joyous rumble. "Yeah, maybe in the next two-hundred years!" "Well." Krad commented. "I'll make sure to keep count or tha- "He was stopped abruptly by the force of Dark's lips on his own, surprising Krad with a warm kiss. Krad closed his eyes, kissing him back. "Mmmmm…"
Dark slowly pulled away from his lover, savoring every moment of the splendid kiss. Dark spoke in a low voice to the man. "Nice, huh?"
"Very." Responded Krad s he opened his yellow eyes, putting his hands around Dark's waist, the shock slowly melting off of him. "I'd love to do it again sometime." With this, he pulled Dark closer to his own body and planted a kiss on his forehead, making a bright blush to creep onto Dark's cheek. He brought his own body forward, embracing Dark into a hug, burying his head into the dark angel's shoulder. "I love you." He murmured to Dark simply, every word dripping with honesty. Dark ran a hand through Krad's hair. "I love you, too. A lot." He smiled. Aww, he's so cute when he gets like this. Thought Dark.
"Now come on Krad, you're going to make me hard." Pulling away, he smirked at Dark, yellow eyes glinting. "I think I already did." "Huh?" Dark looked down, then back at Krad, grinning. "Oops." The blond laughed, and pushed long purple bands out of Dark's well-sculpted face. "You should consider growing your out like Me, Dark. You'd look good." He paused, rethinking what he just said. "Well, better."
"Nah, I like it like this, you look better than I would. Plus." Dark smirked. "The one with the longer hair is always on the bottom." Krad gasped. "Hey, that's not fai-!" He was once again caught off guard as Dark tackled him, ever cautious as to make sure Krad did not hit his head on the tree trunk. A blush as red as rubies covered Krad's face as he looked up at Dark with scared yellow eyes. "Dark, control yourself!" Yet, even as he spoke the words, Krad knew that deep in his heart, he wanted what Dark was about to give him.
And he got it.
During this, a candle slowly burned.
"I never thought it was going to end." Commented present-day Krad as he came out of the memory. "I used to be so happy in these days, Dark. So very happy." Dark stared up at the man, his eyes wide. "Candle? Yes, I remember a candle. But Krad, what does a candle have to do with our past? Did you never really get over it?" Krad glared at him, a little confused. "Have you really forgotten?" He withdrew the sword from his side once more, his body weight firmly weighted on the fallen angel. "Our master- The first born-Hikari, if you remember that, told me about this candle. He said that if it ever went out, then something bad were to happen. I was so stupid and young back then, thinking that nothing was so bad that I had to relight a stupid candle ever two years. Although, I was never supposed to tell you about it, as then it would have gone out instantly." He sighed. "I should have listened. If I did, we'd still be together."
The day was moist, yet no rain fell from the sky. A grey sky, however, lined the world that the two angels lived in. The blonde, angel, Krad, looked around frantically, seeming like he was nervous or scared.
The candle had gone out the night before.
"Dark?" he called, his yellow eyes scanning the area. Krad pumped white magic into his wings, allowing flight. He flew upwards into the sky, yellow, catlike eyes scanning the area until he caught it. A glimpse of black walking along a long, twisting path. The path that neither he nor Dark were supposed to go down.
The portal to the human world.
What is he doing?! Krad thought frantically, racing to his lover. He can't be…He wouldn't! With another call, Krad screamed pout the name again. "DARK!" Finally, the man turned around. Krad had gained his attention at last.
Flying over, he landed behind the dark angel, out of breath. "Dark, what are you doing?" he asked as he took a breath. "You know we can't go down this way! Come back with me, we can go—"
"I can't go with you, Krad." The answer was sudden, short. "I'm leaving this place alone. And I don't want you coming with me." Shock ran through the angel's body as Dark spoke those words, rain gently beginning to pour from the sky at long lat. "What do you mean, Dark?"
"I mean what I say. I don't want to be here anymore. Master Hikari told me about a human family, known as the Niwa Clan. His clan and that clan are enemies, and he wants me to…" he trailed off. He couldn't tell Krad what he had to do. Master Hikari wouldn't allow it. Krad gave a small smile. "But, you'll come back, right? We're two sides of the same coin, I need you here." He reached out to take Dark's hand. Suddenly, Dark withdrew without a moment. "Krad…" he trailed off, eyes darker then normal.
"I don't love you."
And without another word, he gathered his own magic and flew off, leaving a very stunned Krad, fighting the tears that were going to come, one way or another. Finally, as a blot rang through the sky with a crack, the white angel known as Krad finally wept.
These tears were present in Krad's eyes now. "The candle did indeed destroy something, Dark." He said, his voice neither cracked nor wavy from the tears. "It destroyed my own happiness. Master Hikari planned this all along. He was playing with us Dark, don't you see?" He was unknowingly raising his voice. "And we both fell for it! Like mice! The joke's on us, Dark: The happiness and love, IT WAS ALL A BIG JOKE!" He clenched his teeth, the last tear sliding off his cheek.
"Over the years, I still foolishly believed you'd come back, but you never did, and I grew cold. Finally, I had a plan. I contacted the Hikari and proposed it. I said that, on his son's fourteenth birthday, I would generate myself into his bloodstream, into his body, and become a different alias for him. And, for four-hundred years, I would keep appearing in the males of the Hikari Clan until I destroyed all the Niwas. Because…" he gripped the edge of the sword tighter. "I somehow knew that you, Dark, were inhabiting the Niwas. So, when his boy became fourteen, I appeared." He chuckled. "The stupid old fool thought I was doing this for him. Well, I believed I was entitled to my own little joke. I killed him and his wife." He smiled down at Dark. "And all this pain was for you. Now, don't you feel special?"
Dark looked into Krad's eyes. "Do you really believe I hated you, Krad?" A surprised look ran onto Krad's face. "I didn't want to do it. Master Hikari said that I had to kill the current Niwa family, or he would kill
Dark looked into Krad's eyes. "Do you really believe I hated you, Krad?" A surprised look ran onto Krad's face. "I didn't want to do it. Master Hikari said that I had to kill the current Niwa family, or he would kill you. And, you know me, I really hate to kill. So, I instead came to the heir of the Niwa family- who had just turned fourteen a week prior- and told him that I would protect himself and four-hundred years worth of heirs- if he let me co-exist in his body, and that I would help him become a Phantom Thief, which was quite a step-up from just being a burglar."
The paralysis winding off of him, he pulled his head up close to Krad and kissed him softly. "I still love you." He whispered. "I really do."
A wave of different emotions hit Krad at once: Anger, frustration, and relief. Yet, the one that hit the hardest was frustration, with a mind-blowing fury of it. He raised the sword high above his head as he glared down at the man with purple eyes. "I'm sorry Dark." He said with a smile. "I've learned not to trust filthy liars like you. Now, I'll make sure you never utter another one again!" With that, he took the sword of gold and thrust the weapon straight into Dark's throat, warm black blood spilling as the dark angel suffered a painful, automatic death.
"DARK!" Daisuke leapt up from his hiding position and ran onto the scene, tears stinging his red eyes. "Dark, no!" The water that ran from his eyes blurred his vision, yet he could still make out the two figures. Yet, Daisuke caused no interference to Krad as he dropped the blood filled sword on the ground, bending over for his lips to touch Dark's neck, the blood spilling from the side of his neck.
He came up, the blackness covering his lips. "I'm sorry, Dark." He said, his eyes clouding with his own demise. "I just don't love you like I did four-hundred years ago." With that, Krad toppled over to the side and died, his one wing folding over. It was then that both Daisuke and Satoshi reached the scene.
The red-headed boy kneeled to Dark's other side, putting his head down on Dark's chest, sobs racking through the entirety of his body. "Dark…" he whispered again and again, the sobs taking over him. Satoshi knelt down beside his friend, putting an arm over Daisuke for comfort and support.
"You know something, Daisuke? When I was little, my mother told me that when an angel died, one-hundred people lost their innocence." He looked over at his friend, who looked up from Dark's lifeless body, sniffling. "So?"
"So." Satoshi continued. "That means that one-hundred ninety-eight people out there feel the same way we do now." He gave a sad smile and helped Daisuke up to his feet.
"Come on." He said. "Let's go home."