X – Shatter

The silver-haired man extended one hand to each side as though to embrace him, but the coldness in his eyes said that his intention was no such thing. "Well, what will you do? Teito Klein."

His eyes opened slowly. Teito… Klein? The name seemed to be chafing against some part of him, a battle-sklave with no surname. The boy sat up, touching a hand to his own face as though to check for fever. I collapsed. Strands of sweat-dampened hair fell across his forehead, and he realized that his heart was pounding.

Something was wrong.

As though there was someone crying out, telling him so, Teito knew that something terrible was about to happen. He placed bare feet on the cold floor and stood, looking out the window to where the lengthening shadows could be seen stretching across the lawn. A man stood there alone, dressed in black. He looked up and smiled.

Hyuuga. Teito stepped back, running into the bedframe. He wrapped his hands around the metal as he leaned against it, feeling its solidity. This was real. Again the drum-beat called from within him. Flee!

But he didn't run. Rather, he pressed his hands firmly into the frame of the bed as though to anchor himself. Another call, just as strong, no, far stronger, was ringing from this place. There were no words, only a feeling of belonging, and strains of music like the music he heard when he first awoke here. Teito could feel it in the very essence of his being: he had been here before. Something had happened here… something important.

A single, skeletal wing.

A smile that did not belong on that gentle face stretched thinly across the youth's lips. "If you destroy this wing, this boy will die."

Teito bit his lip. For a moment, he had almost remembered. But now was not the time. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. When he opened them again, those brilliant green orbs were calm. He was going to fight, in order to remain in this shining place. No matter what, regardless of who he was or wasn't, Teito was not going to allow himself to be dragged back into the darkness.

With that resolve he made his way down to the courtyard, where he stood facing the waiting soldier. "Hyuuga," he said, and realized only just then that he had never been told this man's name. Teito clenched his fists at his sides. It doesn't matter now.

"From that face," Hyuuga observed with a grin that was just a little too wide for his face, "I'm guessing you plan on making this difficult."

Teito called a zaiphon to spin around his hand.

"Perfect." Hyuuga smirked over his glasses. It would seem he wouldn't have to get bored. He was glad. Around his feet a dark aura began to gather, and Teito felt the sudden urge to vomit.

It was defiling him everywhere it touched, poisoning him. It was as though every sense he had was being muted, until his only awareness was of the warsfeil that invaded his defenses like a never-ending wave of pain and sorrow. He could hear Hakuren calling for him. "Teito!" There was panic in voice of the golden-haired youth.

And then even that was gone.

Teito drew a shuddering breath, one hand over his mouth as he felt bile reach up his throat, coating his tongue with its sour taste. He felt as though a knife was digging into the back of his skull, the point resting just behind his eyes. The boy sensed Hyuuga's gaze on him and glared.

The dark-haired soldier gave again that thin, mocking smile.

Teito swallowed, straightening the back that had instinctively curled in on itself. Once more he called his zaiphon, and he threw it towards his enemy with a growl. The words whipped through the air towards his target. I will not give in.

"Frau!" Castor met the blonde bishop in the hallway.

Frau was already wearing the dark blue coat. "I felt it." His eyes were narrowed. "How did it get in?"

"It's one of Ayanami's men," Labrador said softly as he glided from the opposite hall. "It seems that we are not the only ones who have been growing our powers in these past years."

"Tch!" Frau took off at a run, glaring at the opponent he had yet to reach. Like hell I'm letting you take him!

Like a spear of darkness, the Wars sliced through his sleeve, barely missing his arm. Teito landed crouched, one hand reaching up to be sure that none of that vile substance had entered his body. He was still glaring, but now he was slightly less focused. Images continued to flash across his vision, making it hard to keep track of where he was and what was coming towards him.

He threw the zaiphon towards the hovering man, letting out a growl of frustration when he missed. The possessed gardener only laughed, flapping those skeletal wings.

"I told you," Frau yelled. "Your power will only hurt the host!"

He threw another, more powerful zaiphon. Growling in frustration when it was deflected by the dark aura writhing around the soldier, Teito darted to the side in anticipation of another attack.

The hood fell back, and Mikage gave him that teary-eyed look, just like the night before exams. "Teito!" The yellow-haired boy threw his arms around him, nearly knocking him over. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Mikage…"

There was no chronological order; each vision seemed to be picked at random from the sea of images roiling in his mind. They were thrown out before him, each accompanied by another jab from the blade in his skull. Teito felt as though his eyes should be bleeding. But he forced himself to keep moving, to throw another zaiphon, to dodge another dark spear. Even though he was breathing heavily, and had begun to stumble slightly when he landed, he kept fighting.

Hyuuga gave a small sigh. "Won't you just quiet down? I'd like to bring you back to Aya."

Teito growled, throwing the zaiphon with everything that he had. His attack was deflected, and the boy's reply was seared into the ground beside the soldier. NO!

The explosions that rocked the church were a sound he had never wanted to hear in this place. They didn't belong. The faces of crying children, and the screams of people also did not belong here.

His sanctuary was shattering. And with it his heart.

Teito cried out as, finally, a shallow cut was made on his arm. He clutched the wound, feeling the writhing of those dark threads as they tried to enter his body, his one sanctuary that had never before been defiled. The boy fought their invasion with pure instinct and will, denying them entry as though his life depended on it.

And perhaps it did. His very soul seemed to be crying out, warning him. Flee! Flee! Do not be taken, do not give in. But he was fading, and he could feel it. He could not continue this way for much longer.

Something gently touched him, brushing against the very fibers of his being. Peace, it whispered. I will protect you.

There was something familiar about that voice. Unconsciously Teito relaxed, and his eyes drifted closed. The last thing he saw was his own hand, extended, and the crimson stone shining within.