The warmed presence of the sun began its descent under the horizon. Its beautiful, soft rays penetrated through the throngs of the menacing shadows, yet it would soon disappear. The dark would come and swallow the world with its greedy mouth. It was at this time that the guardians of humanity came rushing into the wretched apartment. Short breathes penetrated the musky air greeted the deafening silence as the Zweilts rested from their treacherous escape.

"We should stay here for the night," Shusei suggested breathlessly against the molding wall.

The others agreed immediately with audible relief and a slump in their wearied bodies. They spoke not a word as they retired for the night. It has been an excruciating day. All day they ran and hid, attack and ran again. The Duras came in an infinite amount. Every time they eradicated one group, another came, again and again. They were lucky, though, that the Duras were only lowly types. It was like someone wanted to play with them like it was a game. However, what had the Zweilts at their wits' end was that the mastermind was hidden beyond their powers. Without a clue who strung all the trouble together was, put simply, dangerous. It gave their opponent the upper hand. No matter how hard they searched, they could not find who was behind it all, yet they could feel its aura wrapped around the desolated city with a tight grip.

"How annoying," complained Hotsuma tiredly, "Since we aren't sure who might be lurking around, how about taking turns keeping watch?"

"I will go first," volunteered Luka.

Yuki asked uncertainly, "Are you sure? You worked yourself so hard today, though."

Luka smiled gently, "Don't worry, Yuki. I'll be fine."

Hesitantly, Yuki nodded and the others quietly settled for the night on the creaky, dusty floor. Within minutes, they were all sound asleep. It was silent as the night descended upon them. The silver moon peeked through the dense clouds as its calm lights surveyed the disastrous city of Chuo. Luka leaned against the wall, looking out through the shattered window. For a while, there was not a sound. It was peacefully quiet. Slight movement came from a corner. Luka looked to his left as Yuki silently sat beside him.

He smiled softly, "I thought you might want some company."

Luka shifted a little to give more space, but their shoulders still bumped gently with every movement. They basked in each other's presence in the serene environment in silence. The grey clouds rolled by smoothly across the indigo sky as the stars danced like partners during a number and the moon watched with tranquility. Yuki breath in the crisp air of the night; a smile danced on his lips.

"Aren't you tired? You should rest," Luka worried gently.

Yuki shook his head lightly, "I'm fine, Luka. Although, I think you should sleep for a bit. All day, you've fought without rest. You're not hurt anywhere, right?"

A slight curve on Luka's pale lips twitched as he answered, "I'm not, Yuki. Only use your energy for more necessary things. On people who needs it."

"And you don't need it?" Yuki mumbled, a hint of sadness hidden underneath.

Luka tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean? I told you, I'm fine."

Yuki shook his head, "No, I don't mean that. What I mean is I can heal, can't I? Doesn't that mean I can heal the inside, too? You always look sad when I'm around. I thought I could help in some way if possible."

Luka blinked in surprise before a warm smile fell upon him. He gingerly wrapped his arm around Yuki's small shoulders and placed his chin on top of his head.

"I'm fine, Yuki. Don't worry," he whispered into his hair.

Yuki's lips thinned in slight frustration, "Isn't there anything I can do? Anything?"

There was a pause as Luka contemplated. After some thought, he murmured softly, "Just stay by my side, please."

A small benevolent smile appeared as Yuki lightly held him. He muttered into his shoulder, "I will say this selfishly, Luka. I won't leave you. I promise."

Luka enveloped him in a tight embrace with elation. He sighed in relief softly. Yuki simply chuckled as he returned the embrace.

"You're not alone, Luka. You'll never be lonely again," Yuki comforted quietly without a thought.

He couldn't see since his face was against Luka's shoulder, but the most dazzling smile spread across Luka's lips. The night passed without incident. Somewhere around the middle of the night, Kuroto woke up and relieved Luka from his watch. Yuki was peacefully slept against Luka's shoulder as Luka held him protectively. The night passed without any disturbance as the Zweilts thankfully got their much-needed sleep.

When the sun rose, it was back to running. The Duras that ventured out dared appear before them were quickly obliterated. The Zweilts worked nonstop to dwindle the numbers of their enemy even as hopelessness seeped into their psyche. From time to time, one comrade would get hurt and Yuki would rush to heal them. As time continued, Yuki began to lose focus. His mind was too tired to stay alert. His body ached from taking the pain from his friends. His steps stumbled more often than usual. He was at his end point, but it was not the end yet. They were far from the finish line.

Yuki slowly took deep breaths to calm his erratic heart. He leaned against the rusty railing heavily. He had barely ran since their last meeting with the Duras, yet he felt he ran a marathon with a 10-ton boulder on his back. His body ached and burned as if he had a fever. Did he have a fever? He reached tentatively to his forehead. His fingers trembled from the small effort of movement. His forehead felt clammy and his hand felt numb from the cold that seeped through him. The light-headedness left him disoriented and his vision too bright which left him with a pounding headache.

With difficulty, Yuki slowly lifted his head to see his friends far ahead of him. They were too focused on their surrounding to take notice of him far behind, even Luka seemed so distant. His hands reached toward his companion with desperation. The black outline of Luka that quickly faded was the last sight Yuki saw before he collapsed.

They leave you behind without looking back. That is... betrayal.


Hello, I'm back! It's been too long! This past month was chaotic, but I'm back with full strength and energy, baby! This chappie seems kind of short, don't you think? Well, you guys tell me. I want your comments and advices because I seriously don't what you guys think of this story. Is it good, bad, iffie-iffie? Please TELL ME! How is it so far? What can I improve on? TELL ME! *ahem* Excuse me outburst, but really guys, I wanna know so so so bad! I will also resume updating soon, so stay tune, peeps!

XOXO you lovely people ;3