Disclaimer: I do not own Dazzle (a.k.a. Hatenkou Yuugi) or any of its characters; I do, however, own Azeria Rosemary Shawspue (my OC), and this fanfiction.

Rebirth, Chapter Seven

"Indignant Ultimatum"

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Azeria hastily scribbled a note for the still-sleeping Rayborn, glancing over as she signed her name at the bottom to make sure she hadn't woken him up. She hoped she didn't wake him up, because she was not much of a morning person as it was, so she didn't want to accidentally snap at him in the case he fussed about not being able to go see his friends even though they were so close. Grabbing some of the tasty cheese bread they'd bought at the market after she'd explained her heritage to a semi-shocked Rayborn (though more about her parents' relations to his friends, rather than her parentage itself), she quietly slipped out and shut the door behind her before chowing down on her breakfast, feeling especially ravenous seeing as she'd hardly been able to pick at her food the night before. She tended to lose her appetite whenever she was upset about something.

Truth be told, that whole day had made her upset.

…Scratch that.

Their entire trip had made her upset.

Azeria paused mid-chew as she strode out of the hotel and into the pre-dawn, gray morning, the bread seeming to turn to ash in her mouth as she bleakly remembered all that she had been upset about the day before. Because, if she was really honest with herself (which she usually tried not to be, but often failed in doing so), even just mentioning that woman's name aloud was enough to set her off her food for almost a week. She forced herself to chew and swallow the last couple bites of her breakfast before heading to a nearby convenience store she'd noted the location of to purchase a drink to wash the food down with. She needed to kill some time before heading to the house to speak to Serateed, anyways; after all, showing up on their doorstep before the sun had even risen would be seen as very bad form, and she had been taught better than that.

However, she would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised to suddenly be pulled into an alley by an unfamiliar pair of hands, one hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming, and the other around her torso, locking her arms at her sides. She resisted the primary instinct to struggle, seeing as in most cases, it only served to piss off the kidnapper and make matters worse. Besides; she wanted to check and see if her suspicions had been proved correct.

And, as she was shoved against the brick wall of one of the buildings lining the alley, hidden from view of the road by a dumpster, she caught sight of who her attacker was; an unfortunately familiar face.

Suspicions confirmed.

Seeing as she was currently being pinned to a wall in a back alley by none other than Kiara, she supposed that Alzeid Jr. must have informed him of her existence, after all, despite the fact that he had seemed not to think of her as all-bad by the end of their meeting. She inwardly cursed. He probably sold her out for Rahzel's sake.

Why is it that I always seem to get the short end of the stick? She griped inwardly, but maintained an apathetic outward appearance until Kiara gave her a cold, emotionless smile and removed his hand from her mouth, keeping his other hand clenched around her wrists as he'd pinned them against the wall above her head, rendering them useless.

"What do you want?" Azeria stated blandly, staring blankly at the smiling individual trapping her.

Kiara tutted, wagging a finger at her condescendingly. "Now, now, that's very rude. I would've thought your parents taught you better than that." His smile widened as he noticed her muscles tense slightly at the sly jab. "Of course, you know who I'm talking about, don't you? Not that your family seems to care about you much. Even your 'oldest brother' sold you out, after all."

Azeria finally broke from her placid expression, glaring at him viciously despite the fact that there was precious little she could do in her current situation. She hissed wordlessly, saying nothing. She had learned over the years to choose her words very carefully, and seeing as she was currently at Kiara's mercy, she doubted saying anything would prove very helpful at the moment.

"Rude little girl," Kiara said, cold smile never leaving his face. "I don't suppose you would be willing to take me to see your mother, hmm?" he said, staring into those same red eyes he hated so much.

Azeria stared defiantly back. Despite the gap in their abilities, she was not one to give in just because she was unsure if she would be able to win. She wasn't fond of the idea of doing something to set Kiara off, because she thought of him as somewhat of a ticking time-bomb that could blow up at the smallest of things, but she had to respond. And it wasn't going to be the answer he wanted to hear.

"You know what my answer is," she calmly replied, appearance unruffled once again. She resisted the urge to flinch as Kiara's expression tightened along with his death grip on her wrists.

"My, my," he said airily. "It would seem you gave me the wrong answer, little girl." He released her wrists suddenly, but before she could do anything, he had his hands wrapped around her throat, lifting her up and choking her. "Perhaps this will convince you to change your mind," he smiled easily, as though he wasn't threatening to kill her.

Azeria sputtered and choked, her air supply almost completely cut off. But still, she glared back at him defiantly, refusing to give in even as she grew light-headed and Kiara moved one hand to snap her wrist back at an awkward angle, the fiery pain that shot through her at that moment signaling it was broken. She thought she heard the tell-tale sound of someone teleporting nearby over the sound of her own heart pounding in her ears, but couldn't be sure.

All of a sudden, she was on the ground, Kiara's attention focused on someone across the alley from them. She blinked and coughed a few times, undamaged hand rubbing her sore throat, before she was able to focus on them as well.

"Azeria! I need you to…" they trailed off as they noticed the other person in the alley. "…Ah. Hello, Kiara… I don't suppose you'd be willing to forget you ever saw me here, would you?"

Kiara's face was turned away from Azeria, but she didn't need to see his expression to know that he was absolutely furious. But even as he charged, she made her decision.

Even as she hauled herself to her feet, she was teleporting in front of the other person, Kiara's ribbon whip descending in a flash. She barely had enough time to raise her arms in a block to protect her face from the attack before the weapon was upon her.

It was a sickening sight to behold. Azeria watched in an almost detached manner as the whip sliced clean through her left arm just a couple inches below the elbow, leaving a deep gash on her right arm beneath it and laying it open to the bone. As the whip arced down, it also sliced deeply into the right side of her stomach and her upper right leg. As the whip drew back and she dared look down, she could see the blood splashing out and the exposed muscles as her leg gave way, and she fell to the ground in a pool of her own blood, her severed arm lying mere inches away from her face. Still feeling dizzy from lack of air and coupled with the severe loss of blood she was suffering, she knew she was going to faint as black began to creep over her vision. And yet even as she wondered if Kiara would finish her off before she could regenerate, she didn't regret a thing.

After all, she thought, I would gladly give my life to protect my father.



"Azeria!"

The word tore itself from Second's throat as his daughter literally fell to the ground in pieces, blood staining the cobblestone alleyway. His thought process froze from the shock, and all he could think was, Not again. Don't tell me it's happening again.

A sudden burst of anger washed over him, and he glared venomously at Kiara, who wore a look of vague disappointment and scorn as he gazed at the fallen girl lying between the two of them. Second's good judgment overruled his anger, though, and he quickly moved to grab Azeria so he could teleport them to safety, but as he reached out to her, a whip ensnared his hand, locking it in place.

"Ah-ah-ah," Kiara said, earning himself another nasty glare from Second. He smiled placidly in return. "Unless you want her dead, I suggest you take me with you… old fool."

Second's glare wavered, and after a moment, he looked down at Azeria's battered form, torn and limp like a ragdoll that had been played with too roughly, despite the fact that he could see a new left arm forming itself already from the stump left by Kiara's ribbon whip. Needless to say, it was hard for him, seeing his own flesh and blood in such rough shape, and with the threat of death looming over her head if he didn't offer his compliance…

"…Fine," he relented bitterly, continuing to look at Azeria as he spoke. "Go get my clone who's traveling with you and meet me back here. I'll take you… to see her."

Kiara smiled faintly in triumph, retracting his whip and casually leaving to fetch Alzeid Jr. He didn't bother asking questions now that he knew he was going to see Natsume once again.

Finally, he thought as he left Second behind. Finally, I can go see her again.

Second, however, remained stock-still for a few more moments before shifting Azeria so she was out of sight from the main street. He was unable to do anything about the blood at the moment, though it should seem just like a particularly dark area of shadow in the already-shady alleyway at first glance. He quickly placed a protection spell on her so that she wouldn't be moved or touched before he got back, and he cast one last glance at her over his shoulder before he left to retrieve the other clone. The missing portion of her arm was already halfway regenerated by that point.

Not good enough.

Second placed a hand over his face as his face screwed up with agony and apprehension.

What if, for all my efforts, I still can't achieve what I set out to do?

Teleportation, Second had found, was not always the most convenient of things. Although it was very helpful for finding people, as all you had to do was focus on a memory of the person and you would teleport to them, there was also the fact that you never knew where that person would be—in the shower, in a crowded store, swimming in the ocean; etcetera, etcetera. Unfortunately, teleporting was the only way that he could possibly find Alzeid in time. He shook his head. Thinking of his younger clones using his own first name had always felt strange… but then again, he supposed having clones to begin with was stranger than that.

The teleportation always made him feel a bit queasy, though he'd grown more accustomed to it over the years. Unfortunately, though, using any of his powers nowadays left him in pain. He quickly teleported to where Alzeid was, fighting to focus on a memory of him rather than the pain that sparked and shot up from his extremities as soon as he activated his powers. He squeezed his eyes shut tight to the pain, only opening them when he felt his feet back on solid ground, his stomach doing a little flip-flop from the sickening motion of the magic.

He was surprised to find that he was in what appeared to be a girl's room. Since when did Alzeid have interest in anyone aside from himself, his brother, and Natsume? Though, of course, neither of the clones had been outside by that point, so it made sense that Alzeid would meet new people and make new connections after he discovered the outside world. A small smile touched Second's face. He was glad his younger clone had found people to take his mind off of the revenge he had most likely been planning when he had found Second "dead". Looking around the room, he spotted a girl lying in bed, covers drawn up around her chin, and Alzeid in a chair beside the bed, his head resting on his arms.

He might have found the scene endearing… until he realized who the girl in the bed was.

Inhaling sharply, his eyes snapped to Alzeid, who had reacted at his intake of breath. He seemed to have been reaching for his weapon until he realized he didn't have it, settling to look for the intruder instead. His eyes landed on Second in a moment.

It looked like he had seen a ghost… Second reasoned with himself that it was to be expected, since the boy had seen him "dead" before, but… it kind of hurt, for his abilities to be doubted so much by his own clone.

Alzeid's jaw went slack. "You… You're…"

"Alive; yes, I know," Second said in a bit of a rush. "Sorry, but I don't exactly have enough time to spare to let you be shocked a few moments longer. Come with me," he said, holding his hand out for Alzeid to grab. "There's someplace I need to take you… and the girl will be fine."

Alzeid looked back at Rahzel's sleeping face, slightly apprehensive about leaving, before sighing exasperatedly.

"Stupid chick," he muttered under his breath before taking his "father's" hand and allowing himself to be pulled up from his chair. She'll be fine. She's just sleeping, he reassured himself as he left, giving her one last glance over his shoulder before Second teleported them both to the alleyway, the familiar nauseating feel of the magic making his stomach turn for a moment, but otherwise making no tangible reaction. The one thing that made him raise an eyebrow slightly when they arrived in the alley was the large pool of blood, visible in the gray light of the dawn now arriving. A small trail led from the blood to the young girl dressed in a fancy, but torn, lacy knee-length dress, propped up against the wall of one of the buildings lining the alleyway.

He couldn't help but notice the similarities in her features to his father's "killer", though… although, he supposed, he couldn't really call her Second's actual killer anymore, seeing how he was standing right next to him now, alive and healthy as ever.

Alzeid watched as Second knelt before the girl, disregarding the half-dried blood that got on the knees of his brown slacks, and dispelled the protection magic he'd placed on her before gathering her in his arms and standing back up again. For some reason, this simple action set Alzeid on edge.

"Who is she?" he demanded, eyes slightly narrowed as he tried to figure out if he would have known her from the time before his father "died", though he knew it was highly unlikely that he had.

"She…" Second trailed off, seeming to think about how he should word it as he glanced down at her face, his face relaxing into an expression of decided calm. "She is my daughter."

Alzeid was taken aback. Daughter? Definitely not a clone, or she would have white hair, like himself, rather than the black hair she had. He didn't see any white roots at her scalp, so highly unlikely that it was just dyed… besides, a clone would have to be male, right? And she definitely wasn't male (he quickly averted his eyes from her chest; he didn't want to be thought of as a pervert). So that would mean…

"…By blood," he stated rather than questioned. He looked blankly at his "father". "With who?" He didn't even need to ask; he already knew the answer to that question. It was the only thing that made sense.

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to; it only makes you look stupid," Kiara said in an airy voice as he walked towards the trio, Alzeid Jr. close behind. He smiled coolly at Second. "Now, let's get on our way, shall we?"

Second's face was void of expression as he held Azeria out for Alzeid to hold so that he could teleport them, but Alzeid made no move to touch her, balking at the thought of holding someone his father seemed to hold more dear than himself. It brought a tiny spark of jealousy to him that his father had picked her up with such gentleness. He hadn't even seen his father's face in several years, and there his father was, with a blood daughter, someone whom he obviously had with a woman he cared about. No, he decided. He would not touch that girl.

Alzeid Jr. stepped between himself and Azeria, throwing a glare back at Alzeid over his shoulder as he took her from Second without a word. Second nodded and ruffled Alzeid Jr.'s hair before motioning for everyone to come closer so that he could teleport them. Alzeid grit his teeth. It was like nothing that he did could please his father now.

Why? He thought, even as the familiar magic swept a brief wave of nausea rolling over him for the second time that day. Why does it feel like I'm losing him, even though I've only just found him again?



The room they arrived in was very plain, only holding a couch, a side table, and a television, with several lamps fixed to the walls and not a window in sight. There was a faint, earthy smell lingering in the room that suggested perhaps it was an underground structure. Second confirmed this when he first spoke.

"This place is underground. The only way in or out is to teleport, so don't be expecting to be able to come back anytime you want, Kiara," he said, looking at him through narrowed eyes behind his glasses as he took Azeria back from Alzeid Jr. and placed her carefully on the couch, seeing the only things that hadn't grown back yet were her fingers. His brow furrowed, however. She should have been fully healed by now.

"…You two," he said, motioning for his clones with a jerk of his head. "Follow me." He paused a moment as they stepped forward to follow him with sidelong glares at each other, staring at Kiara with an unreadable expression. "I would tell you to stay here and not touch anything… but I doubt you would listen, anyways." He turned to lead the way out of the room. "She should be down the hallway to the left."

Kiara didn't bother acknowledging anyone's presence after that, making a bee-line for the hallway to the left and leaving the albino trio to head down the hallway to the right.

No one spoke as they strode down the hallway, only pausing for Second to fish a key out of his pocket when they reached the heavy steel door at the end of the hall. When they entered the room, the younger clones noted that it was a vast laboratory, with lab rats on one side of the room and several flasks and beakers sitting on the wide, long stainless steel table, more than a couple containing what appeared to be human blood.

Alzeid's gaze snapped back to Second.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

Second was silent for a moment before he brought his hands up before him. He was wearing white gloves, but he took the edge of one between his teeth and pulled it off. Allowing the material to drop forgotten to the floor, he held his uncovered hand out for both of his clones to see, eliciting sharp inhales from both of them.

His fingertips were extremely discolored, the discoloration fading into normal pigmentation towards his wrists. He then removed the glove on his left hand to show that it was the same, but the discoloration crawled up further, the normal pigmentation starting about two inches up his arm from the wrist.

"Why… are your hands like that?" Alzeid asked quietly, though Alzeid Jr. was staring at them with a blank expression.

"It's from overusing your powers," Alzeid Jr. stated, looking Second in the eye. "Isn't it."

Second nodded.

"That's why I brought you both here," he said, moving behind the table to take something out of the storage fridge there, setting it on a clear spot on the end of the table and motioning the two over as he took some clean syringes out of a drawer beneath the table to fill them with the bluish-gray liquid in the beaker he'd brought out. "I haven't found anything that could reverse the effects of the decaying process caused by overuse of our powers yet," he said, glancing at their expressions and noticing a small hint of something akin to fear deep in their eyes. "I have, however, found something that can prevent any decaying from this point onwards, with regularly-administered doses. Hold your arm out on the table and make a fist," he said to Alzeid as he rolled the young man's sleeve up and knotted a rubber tie around his upper arm before injecting him with the syringe and swabbing the area as soon as he removed the needle. He handed Alzeid a bandage to put on it before moving to do the same to Alzeid Jr.

"How… did you find this, er, I suppose you would call it an 'antidote'?" Alzeid asked. "Wouldn't it be difficult since all our DNA is the same? There would be no real way to locate what genes would give us access to our powers, or that would cause the decaying, right?"

Second gave a small smile as he swabbed the spot where he'd inserted the syringe in Alzeid Jr.'s arm, handing him a bandage as well. "That's where Azeria comes into play."

"Who?"

"My daughter."

The words still stung a little. 'My daughter.' He must be a sore loser, to be so jealous over his father's affection for the girl.

"When I told her I needed to stop your decaying process before it began, she practically ordered me to take samples of her blood." He chuckled at the memory before sighing. "That girl… all she wants is a family," he said, placing a hand over her face. "And I… I can't give her that. Because Natsume… just won't have it.

"That girl," he said, looking between his two clones, "she'll want to be near you two. Because she thinks of you two as her siblings." His gaze hardened. "And if either of you betrays the trust I believe she'll blindly put in you because of her way of thinking… I can promise you, I will not forgive you."

It was that moment when Alzeid actually began to despise Azeria's existence.


A/N: Phew! Almost didn't get this one finished in time... yesterday, I only had a little over 2,000 words on it and I was like, "Oh crap, panic attack! I'm only halfway done the chapter!" But I just couldn't write at ALL. It was like, the words wouldn't come out. But thankfully today was a good day writing-wise and I got dang near close to another 2,000 words on it. I wanted to make it about 5,000 words without the author's note, but I felt like this was a good place to end the chapter. Kiara's meeting with Natsume will be covered next chapter, along with what went down when she and Second "died".

Next update is due April 15th. Till then, ciao~!

(Also, I've noticed I've got several more hits and visitors than reviews. I would like to hear my readers' thoughts, and the only way to do that is by PM or review! So... review!! xD )