Woo, back for another competition!

My metamorphoses competition? I feel unloved - only Tala-baby and Phoenixandashes made entries (a few couldn't because of various things).

So i've split up the competition into two yaoi ones - one KaiTala and another BryanRay. Follow the rules - you'll be fine. (you may enter both competitions if you wish - they are seperate competitions)

---------------------- KaiTala ----------------------

· Theme is 'in the past'. Meaning, of course, it MUST be set in the past.
· It has to have some form of conflict - a battle, argument…
· It can be any rating
· Must contain KaiTala as the main pairing but you may include various background pairings. You must not, however, concentrate on these background pairings. They may have a short scene together, but the focus must be on the main pairing.
· Can contain OCs, but they must not be main characters.
· Can be any genre but must, must, must contain romance. So it can be humour, supernatural, angst – whatever, but romance is a must.
· Also, characters can be demons or other spiritual characters
· Any queries, questions or worries, please don't hesitate to PM me. I'm on the computer at least once a day!

If any of these regulations are broken or skipped, I will be a very kind goddess and send you an email/PM warning to change or add one of these rules with a lot of time to do so. If you do not change your story, it will not be entered.

---------------------- BryRay ----------------------

· Theme is 'Legends', Meaning, of course, it MUST be set in a legend (e.g - legend of King Arthur, legend of a famous war leader, etc - PM me if you are unsure of your idea)
· It can be any rating
· Must contain BryRay as the main pairing but you may include various background pairings. You must not, however, concentrate on these background pairings. They may have a short scene together, but the focus must be on the main pairing.
· Can contain OCs, but they must not be main characters.
· Can be any genre but must, must, must contain romance. So it can be humour, supernatural, angst – whatever, but romance is a must.
· Also, characters can be demons or other spiritual characters
· Any queries, questions or worries, please don't hesitate to PM me. I'm on the computer at least once a day!

If any of these regulations are broken or skipped, I will be a very kind goddess and send you an email/PM warning to change or add one of these rules with a lot of time to do so. If you do not change your story, it will not be entered.

Prizes

Prizes (though they are totally crap) will be given to two runners up and the winner. The entries will be judged by me, but I will look back on reviews given to the entries for what others thought

· Third – A drabble; concept, genre and characters chosen by the runner up.
· Second – a full oneshot; concept, genre and characters chosen by the runner up.
· First – a short fic (2 – 5 chapters); concept, genre and characters chosen by the winner.

Ending date is the 30th March, so you have plenty of time! I will accept entries from now until the 30th. You are to PM them to me and then I shall post them in one big glob with the others, like I did with 'Does This Jumpsuit Make Me Look Sexy?', so please don't post them on your area and then give me the link.

After the competition entry is finished and the runners up/winner is picked, you may then post your entry in your area.

A note in warning: if any entry receives mindless flaming, I will not be a happy bunny – got it?

Remember, email me with any questions or worries about the competition.

And please spread the word around! The more entries, the happier I'll be!


Entry #1 - Phoenixandashes
Competition - BryTal
Legend - Gengis Khan
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Warnings: Yaoi (Bry/Rei Tal/Kai)

Notes: The past versions of Rei and Bryan have different surnames that are similar to their real ones. These are not spelling errors – it is deliberate to distinguish between the two times.

The past version of Tala is called Yuuri, Ian is Ivan and Spencer is Sergei. But Kai… is just Kai. XD


Bryan Kuznetsov scowled at the dreary ceiling of his Abbey room, his back stinging from a hundred lashes, his body aching from the bruises and cuts sore as they oozed.

How do I know you?

He winced as he moved but remained lost in thought, golden eyes still staring at him defiantly from under black locks and the claws of an angry tiger coming towards him.

Bryan shivered and turned on his side, pulling the covers to his chin.

How do I know you… and more importantly… how do you know me


About 800 years ago…

Rei Khan reached up to stroke his beloved horse before tying his long black hair back. He glanced around at the various other tents in the vicinity where the Horses of Genghis Khan had set up camp on the border of the Mongolian Empire.

Tomorrow they would attack the Russian Principalities and claim them as their own.

Rei was surprised at how easily the Republic of Novgorod fell, but then they had not long defeated the Jin Dynasty in China – a formidable feat, enough to strike fear into the hearts of any self respecting man.

Rei sighed and twirled his black hair around his wrist, thinking about how well it was going. He was seventeen years old – the youngest of his brothers and the youngest of Genghis Khan's children. His mother was a refugee from Tangut, and many of the Horde despised him because of his mixed origin between Chinese and Mongol.

Sighing again, Rei patted his horse and went through the flap of his tent, tossing his belt, sword and quiver of arrows onto the soft cushions. He had an early start and would need as much energy as he could get tomorrow.

xXx

Bryan Kynetsov sighed as he looked over the Russian tundra from his window, the camp of the Mongols not that far away.

Behind him, his sister lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "There must be a god who hates us."

Bryan turned around and leant against the stone rail. "We underestimated them, Alana. That's all."

Alana sat up and glared, her blue eyes flashing dangerously. There were slashes on the left side of her face, some reopening as she scowled. "Underestimated!" she snapped. "Do you think so little of my leadership skills? Was Yasha and his section not strong enough?!"

Bryan drifted quickly to his sister's side and caught his flailing hands and she clawed the scratches on her face. "It's not that at all," he said quietly, reaching for a soft cloth and dabbing her bleeding wounds. "We Russians in general have underestimated the power of united Mongolian tribes. Had we united with the Novgorod earlier it may not have been so bad, and Yasha may have still been here." Bryan paused to wipe away his sister's silent tears and pulled her into a light embrace. "I will never be able to thank him enough for protecting you."

Alana pushed her brother away. "Protecting me?" she spat out. "If it weren't for my duties as a Princess of the Realm I'd be throwing myself in front of the Hordes horses as they charge on the morrow!"

"Don't talk like that!" Bryan ordered.

"He was my husband, Bryan!" Alana choked out. "And I loved him more than my life on this earth. You'll only understand this when it's too late."

"What do you mean?" Bryan asked, standing up and pacing. "Now's not the time to be prophesising in riddles, Alana!"

"That's all I can tell you and you know it."

"Then I'd rather you didn't tell me at all," Bryan threw back as he strode out of the room.

xXx

"The capture of the Prince is important," Rei heard his half brother say. "We need the Prince alive to help us control his principality."

"Help us?" a horseman scoffed. "We do not need his help!"

"You are forgetting," Rei drawled lightly, "that our fellow brothers who can speak fluent Russian are few in number, and they are occupied in controlling the Novgorod. Also, the loyalty to the Prince by his people is surprisingly strong. You heard of this when our spies were quickly whittled out and killed."

"Thank you, Rei, that is enough," Ogedei said quietly. Rei bowed his head respectfully and remained silent. His half brother was the third of Genghis' sons and a strong commander. "Dawn approaches, brothers," Ogedei continued. "Saddle your horses. We ride as the day breaks."

xXx

"We can't possibly win over them."

Alana ignored her friend's pessimistic comment and peered through the bleary light at the advancing horde.

"Lana? Did you hear me? We can't possibly win-,"

"But we can try, Alexei," Alana said. "There's no point in giving up without a fight."

"And if we die trying?"

"So be it. I for one am not going to be a puppet to their clown."

"And Bryony?"

"Bryony is different," Alana said, thinking about her baby sister. "She is a child."

"That won't stop them killing her."

"It will if I can get her out of here."

"What?" Alexei said.

Alana grabbed him be the shoulders. "Listen to me, Lex. Go to the stables now and there's a horse saddled with supplies enough until you get to the Holy Roman Empire…"

"Alana what are you doing? You can't send me away!"

"I need you to take Bryony there!" Alana finished. "You the only one I trust with her now."

"Have you run this past Bryan?"

"What do you think?"

Alexei scowled. "I'm not leaving you here. They'll kill you!"

"I'm already dead!" Alana snapped. "Can't you see that?"

Alexei swallowed, his eyes watering. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It wasn't your fault, Lex. Now go. Go!" Alana shoved him away and watched her friend run to the stables. She turned to go inside the palace and went up to her sister's room.

Eight year old Bryony was sat on her bed, humming happily to herself as she drew a horse on a scrap of paper. She looked up as the door opened and she grinned. "Lany!" she cried, jumping off the bed to hug her sister.

Alana grinned and held her close for a second or two. "Alexei's going to take you on his horse, sweeting," she said. "You're going to go for a picnic."

"Yay!" the little girl shouted.

Alana took her sister's hand, feeling awful for lying to the girl. But she didn't need to know yet. She was too young.

Down in the stables, Alexei had the horse out of the stables and was stroking its nose gently.

"Lexy!" Bryony said happily. "Picnic time!"

Alexei shot a look at Alana who just shrugged.

"Are you coming Lany?" Bryony asked when she was sat on the horse, nestled safely into Alexei's body contour.

"No, sweetheart. I'm off to see Yasha."

Bryony nodded, not knowing that piece of information either. Alexei was swallowing back a fresh set of tears when Alana grasped his hand.

"I will see you again," she said vehemently.

"Farewell," Alexei whispered, turning the horse around and cantering out of the courtyard.

There were heavy footsteps behind Alana sometime later as she stood there watching the shape disappear on the horizon. "Who was that?" Bryan demanded. "Who's run away?"

"Alexei," Alana replied, still looking across the tundra.

"And you let him go?!"

"I made him go."

Bryan grabbed Alana's shoulder and twisted her around. "And pray tell what crazy reason you have for doing that?"

"He's taking Bryony to the Holy Roman Empire. I sent a runner ahead yesterday informing the nearest nunnery that a Princess of Russia needed refuge and schooling."

Bryan was livid. "You what!?"

Alana's eyes flashed. "You would have just left her here to await her death?! I know what these Mongols can do, I've seen it, heard it and last night I saw what would happen if Bryony stayed here! They wished me and Bryony to be used as bribery for you to join them willingly."

"So are you saying I should send you away too?" Bryan asked, relaxing slightly, realising his sister had done right.

"No."

"And what will happen?"

"We are going to lose Bryan. Whatever happens we will be defeated. But we can at least make things a little more awkward for them."

Bryan sighed and walked past his sister to the barracks. Alana didn't even watch him go, just looked at the empty stable, one tear rolling down her scarred cheek.

There was so much I should tell him, she thought. The pain he will feel, torn between love and hate for the golden eyed Mongol… and I won't be here to see it happen.

Alana's face hardened and she wiped her face, stalking to the armoury and pulling out her sword and knife.

I will be dead before the day is out.

xXx

It was around midmorning when the two armies clashed, arrows raining hard on the Russian barricade, men falling thick and fast.

The horses hit sometime after, hooves shattering the wooden blockade and heading towards the walls of the castle.

"Fire!" Alana shouted, her purple hair tied back in small braids, her cloak whipping in the strong winds. Arrows rained from the keep and the outer walls, horses and men falling below.

"The tar!" she shouted down the line to her right. "Pour it now!"

The Mongols that had reached the wooden gates were submersed in hot tar. If that was not enough, a single flaming arrow shot in front of Alana's face and set the tar alight, fire spreading through the foremost attackers.

Alana looked over and grinned at the archer. Yuuri gave a thumbs up, his helmet long discarded and his red hair in a scruffy wind-blown heap. Yuuri was supposed to be in command, according to Bryan's orders, but neither Yuuri nor Alana ever did what Bryan said. Yuuri believed in his previous commander's wife and his princess – she earned the respect of every man in the regiment when she led the survivors from Novgorod back home.

Yuuri fired another few arrows, concentrating on the battle rather than the memories. Alana at the moment was slightly scary – she always was when she was at war, as if some Higher Power's blood pulsed in her veins rather than that of a human. Everyone knew of the Princess's power of foresight and Yuuri didn't doubt that it wasn't the only unearthly skill she had.

There was a crash and the whole earth seemed to shake as a barrage of rocks crushed part of the wall further down. Alana pushed herself off the floor from where she had fallen. "Pull back!" she shouted. "To the keep! The wall's been breached!"

Yuuri looked over the wall and his eyes widened as a single rider jumped the fallen walls, around some of the advancing horde and towards the Mongolian siege engine.

"Kai, you crazy bastard," Tala muttered, picking up his bow again and moving to a better place to watch.

On the field, said crazy bastard was ignoring the burning in his hands as he carried the cauldron of tar. "This better work," he muttered to himself. He threw the cauldron on the siege engine, tar sticking to the wood and seeping into the cogs and gears. Kai quickly turned his horse its heel and headed for home, grinning as a flaming arrow soared overhead. The satisfying sound of a roaring fire echoed in his ears as the horse leapt the wall again and he slid off agilely to run to the barracks and retrieve his sword.

He was just running down the corridor when a strong hand grabbed his wrist and spun him around, a desperate kiss slammed on his lips.

"Don't scare me like that," Yuuri gasped into his ear. "Riding off without a sword and only a tub of tar – you bastard!"

Kai kissed his lover back, a grin playing on his face. "Someone has to continue Ivan's crazy antics."

"Maybe, but not you," Yuuri said, grabbing him and kissing him again. "Don't do that again. Please."

Kai didn't have time to answer as boulder crashed into a wall nearby. "Let's go," he said.

On the top of the precarious wall, Alana's legs wobbled as it began. Her archers had the sense to listen to her orders and run, but she stupidly hung back. The wall keeled over and she took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing," she said and jumped from the battlements.

Pieces of stone flew by with her and she landed in the mud at the bottom, quickly scrambling out of the way. Her eyes widened as she saw a soldier in the corner of her eye.

"Sergei!" she yelled. "Run!"

The shout was too late. The wall bowled the tall man over and crushed him as easily as stone through a snail's thin shell.

Alana swallowed her unshed tears and took her own advice, running towards the keep. She slipped behind a crumbling wall and looked left and right. Her arms twitched and she froze in horror.

Time seemed to slow as arrows flew in precise course, a sickening thud echoing as they hit Kai. The man crumpled and fell in a graceful arc to the floor, ruby eyes dimming with each passing second. Alana let out a choked sob, and reached out fruitlessly to the passing red blur.

"Yuuri," she said, material slipping in her grasp as she lost hold of the commander. "Yuuri!"

The man didn't even look at her as he sped past to his fallen lover, but as he grabbed Kai's cold hand Alana watched in dismay as he was showered with more arrows then cut down by a speeding horseman.

Alana bit her lip, glaring defiantly ahead. Screams of death died down as the Mongols took over her town. She watched icily from where she was sitting: no one had noticed her yet, but they would.

Bryan showed no emotion as he was forced into line as a prisoner. Each ounce of grief and despair was corralled into one corner of himself where he didn't dare look. His hope sparked amongst his questions of why they were keeping him alive when he saw his sister climbing onto the highest pile of wall remnants.

"The end of the Mongol rule will come soon!" Alana shouted. But it wasn't Alana's voice – it was deeper, more rugged, the voice of a prophetess or a Higher Power..

"My gods," Bryan muttered, blood oozing down his face. The hand on his arm squeezed tighter and he glared at his captor, wrenching his arm from the Mongol's grasp.

"Prepare for the end," Alana continued. "Your father and leader will die before the year's end, and not even the new leader will hold for long! Go home now! Back to your families and homeland." Blue eyes looked over the Horde, Alana's purple hair flowing in the wind and a silhouette cast against the setting sun.

Bryan's ears twitched at the ominous twang. Three arrows whistled through the air and landed with sickening thuds in Alana's chest. She stumbled backwards a little, a smile playing on her face as her death was laid before her.

"No!"

Strong arms caught her as she fell, Bryan out of breath from shock and the run to her side. The spark of life dimmed slowly and Bryan rocked her side to side in desperation.

"Alana… don't go… please… I'm sorry…"

"Take care brother." Blood trickled through paling lips. "I will see you again," she finished in a whisper before the haunting death rattle of her last breath and her eyes were snuffed out.

Bryan looked down the hill to the rows of Mongol soldiers in his city. Only one stood out, his bow arm stretched at the string still quivering. Golden eyes looked straight at him, black hair tied back and his face full of regret.

Bryan's face twitched in suppressed grief. His eyes moved from his sister's killer across the ruins of the outer walls. Sergei was just about visible, his blond hair flecked with mud and half of him still submersed in rock. Not far from Alana was Kai, studded with arrows, blank red eyes staring at the darkening sky. Next to him was Tala, red hair unmistakeable in the dying light, his face lying on Kai's chest and dark blood still seeping onto the icy ground. Another look down saw two hands clasped together, the grips slack now life had left both lovers.

Bryan looked up as a hand was laid on his shoulder. He looked up into the eyes of the golden eyed Mongol, and he was sickened to see the same regret he saw earlier.

"I am sorry," the dark haired man said. Bryan spat on the floor and shrugged his hand away. The Mongol remained, squatting beside Bryan and sighing.

"I've been sent to take care of you."

"You can fuck off."

Rei wasn't shocked – he was surprised the Prince hadn't tried to kill him. Instead he continued to sit there with the cold body of his sister in his lap, pushing strands of purple hair from her pale face.

"Why does it look like she's sleeping?" Bryan asked aloud in a dull kind of whisper. "And why is she smiling?"

"Did she want to die?" Rei asked gently.

Bryan smirked slightly. "Yes. Her fiancé was killed yesterday. She must have been looking forward to it." He rested his forehead against Alana and swallowed.

"Come," Rei said, lifting Alana carefully from Bryan's arms and setting her on the floor. "You must rest."

"Stop telling me what to do," Bryan snapped, "and don't touch her!"

"She will have the burial that is due to her as a Princess," Rei said calmly as he stood up. "I will see to it that my father allows it."

Bryan stood up quickly – too quickly. His vision blurred, but he remained conscious enough to tell the dark haired Mongol exactly what he thought.

"You good for nothing son of a bitch," Bryan growled. "You and all the rest. You're nothing but a bunch of greedy monsters…" The Prince doubled over and fell in a graceful arc towards to floor – at least until Rei caught him.

"I know," Rei whispered quietly, lifting the handsome man into his arms. He brushed away some of the dry blood on the Russian's cheek, wondering what an earth he was feeling. "You're right. But there's nothing I can do."


In a hospital in Russia, Ray Kon stared at the ceiling of his room.

"So… this is what the call karma?"

He sighed, sitting up in the darkness and looking at his reflection in the mirror across the room.

Back then, he thought, it was me who hurt Bryan. He sighed and glanced out of the window.

He'd had similar dreams before, and Sensei had explained that reappearances of the past were not uncommon. Ray sighed again and glanced out of the window and the clear starry sky. His eyelids drooped with fatigue, but snapped wide open as his ears detected a small creak in the corridor.

He recognised that silhouette against the wall…

"Bryan?"

The door was shut with a small snap. "Why are you in my head, all the time?" the Russian asked. His voice was small, confused – nothing like it was usually.

"What do you want?" Ray asked cautiously.

"To make sure… history doesn't repeat itself."

Ray sat up and swallowed. "The past is the past, Bryan. I don't even know your sister in this life…"

With lightning speed Bryan was suddenly at Ray's beside, so close that their noses brushed and their hot breath mingled.

"Not that!" Bryan snapped. "My sister is already dead… I think… no… I'm talking about the other things… how… why… it's not right… it's…"

Ray swallowed as the dam of his forgotten dreams suddenly burst and he remember a dream he had after he first set eyes on Bryan…

The silk sheets were tossed back and two sleek male bodies tumbled to the bed. Hands roamed and fierce kisses were exchanged, almost forced on each other, but each participant not regretting it.

Tan hands slipped down a sleek pale body, brushing scars and blemishes. The Russian gasped as hot hands crept lower and he growled half in anger, half in desire.

"I hate you," he spat out. "I have to hate you. You killed her!" The fierce statement was accompanied by the Prince grabbing the Mongol's hands and forcing them away.

Rei crashed his lips downwards and his hips jerked against Bryan's leg. "I know," he said regretfully against hot, moist lips. "I know… I'm sorry…"

"You're not," Bryan gasped out as nimble teeth nipped along his neck. His grip loosened and Rei took advantage of the lapse in concentration, freeing a hand and rushing to where he was interrupted. Bryan let out a choked shout and arched his back in sinful pleasure.

"One day," Rei said, his hand fuelling Bryan's desire, "one day you'll love me as I love you. I swear it..."

"I never hated you."

Ray was suddenly pulled from the memory and he swallowed, licking dry lips. "What?"

"Back then. Whenever it was. I never hated you. I just couldn't bring myself to say it."

Ray cocked his head and looked thoughtfully at Bryan, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim moonlight.

"What?" Bryan snapped defensively. "What are you staring at?"

Rei darted forward, grabbing Bryan by the back of his head and pulled the Russian down for a sharp and almost fearsome kiss. He smirked against pale lips as the icy Prince began to respond, at last feeling whole for the first time in this second lifetime.

Many things change, but some things are destined to remain the same.


Ending was tres rushed. Sorry everybody :S

Phoenixandashes xxxx


Demi: Givva round of applause for Phoenixandashes! XxX

Please, remember, flaming does not make me a happy bunny. Review and give your thoughts to help me decide the future winner .

(P.s. the ending date has already been changed twice - i will not change it again. You have two weeks to get your entries in - that is more than enough. Harsh, yes, but i can't keep postponing it)

XxX