Ta daaa! Here you all go :] This chapter really took a mind of its own, and I hope you all find this well worth the wait :].

Warning: I'm insane, nuff said!

Onwards!

+Lyrica: Come Dance with Me+

Kengo kicked down the door that was standing between him and talking to Akira about the good news. He felt so alive! The feeling was amazing! Ever since he'd received his golden wings he felt so much… lighter. No pun intended. He felt this certain energy flow through him, coursing in his veins, and giving him a certain edge to every thing that he did.

The only thing that could derail him on his hyped up power boost was finding Akira snoozing on his bed with a book covering his face.

"Lazy ass," he muttered and stalked over to the bed. He adjusted his black gloves just right before cracking his knuckles one at a time. "Of course he decides to sleep now five hours before the ball." Doing what any other best friend would do, Kengo took the book from off of Akira's sleeping face and smacked him in the head with it.

"Rise and shine, Akira!"

"What the hell?" Akira's face had a lovely little bump forming from where he had just gotten hit. He glared at the blonde, grinning madly like he was happy that he got to smack him wide away. 'He better have a good reason for waking me up."

"You do know what today is right?" Kengo completely ignored Akira's rage and plopped himself on the bed beside his friend. Akira, still highly irritated from being woken up from his nap, gave Kengo a good kick to the hip as revenge. The blonde yelped and grabbed his injured hip bone. Jeez, Akira could be very childish when he wished to be.

"It's Friday." Akira deadpanned and grabbed his book from Kengo's clutches. He found what page he was on last, placed the book over his face, and lied back down on the bed. "This means that I get to take a wonderful afternoon nap without any disturbances from an annoying blonde."

Kengo frowned. Alright, so maybe waking Akira up was a bad idea. That didn't stop him from completing his goal. "Akira, will you at least listen to me?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"I'm ignoring that." Kengo huffed, "Tonight's the ball. And since you've obviously forgot about that, I'm here to remind you!"

Akira removed the book from his face so he could give Kengo a raised eyebrow. That's why he had woken him up from blissful sleep? Just so he could know about some freaking dance party? Akira shook his head in disbelief and scoffed.

"I'm not going."

"What?" Kengo grabbed Akira by the shirt collar so that they were staring face to face. "Um, hello, are you fucking insane? Hell yeah you're going tonight!"

"Why should I?" Akira smacked Kengo's hands away. "I don't have a date. I don't have a costume. I don't even have a freaking mask. Going would be pointless."

The blonde smiled wickedly, a gesture that sent Akira's stomach into knots, and went for his book bag. After a few moments he produced a white mask adorned with black swirls near the eye slits. It was a simple mask, neither highly outrageous nor too flashy. He threw the mask and Akira caught it.

"There. Now you have a mask."

"Wonderful," Akira replied dryly, although he did put on the mask for a few seconds just to see what it would feel like. It molded perfectly against his face, shielding the world from the vast emotions held in his eyes. In some crazy way, Akira decided he might as well be worth it.

"Damn, Akira, what a heartthrob." Kengo playfully swooned, batting his eyes and giggling like a girl madly in love. Akira scowled, throwing a pillow at his cackling friend while he went to pry the mask off his face.

"Do you have a costume in that magical bags of yours or am I on my own?"

"Sorry, Akira, you're screwed for a costume."

Akira grimaced. Perhaps staying home would be the smart thing to do after all. "Wonderful…"

Shirogane came into the room moments later, bags under his eyes and looking even paler than he normally did – if that was even possible. Akira shot up from the bed instantly. A million questions were swarming his mind.

Why is he late?

Why does he look so tired?

Why do I care?

There were a lot of whys, but not enough answers to satisfy them.

Shirogane nodded meekly, too tired to feel embarrassed by the excessive staring. His bed was calling out to him! It wanted him to collapse on those fluffy white sheets, voluptuous pillows, and just fall into that blissful world of sleep. After a good, long shower of course.

"Good evening," Shirogane mumbled as he maneuvered his way towards the bathroom. He was so close to gripping onto the bathroom handle and entering into the world of pure white when Akira's hand shot out and grabbed his elbow. On any normal day Shirogane would have blushed vividly and used the opportunity to throw in a casual flirt or two.

Not today, though. Today Shirogane was in no mood to deal with Akira's attitude.

"Is there something you wanted, Akira-kun?"

Shirogane's words, they were colder than usual. They held no life, no teasing remarks, and no dash of femininity. His words were just empty… like his eyes. Akira dropped his grip on Shirogane's hand and mumbled, "Nothing." He watched with hopeless eyes as Shirogane disappeared into the bathroom, completely shutting him off.

"Okay…" Kengo said, looking back between Akira and the bathroom door. "What the hell just happened here?"

+Lyrica+

"Shit." Shirogane fell back against the shower wall, the water running down his scarred, snow white skin. Every fiber of his body hurt. He felt like someone had run him over with a steamroller, reversed, and did the process all over again. A painful jab danced along his spine, almost sending Shirogane on to his knees and a groan to escape his lips. He felt bad blowing Akira off like that. Those lost eyes were forever engrained in Shirogane's memory, and he wished he could have gone back in time and changed it.

Fatigue had taken him over more than he wanted to admit. Pain had clouded his mind and screwed up his judgments. Explaining the reason for his appearance was the furthest thing from Shirogane's mind. But he knew Akira would prod for answers eventually. Although he never expected to get that expression from him.

'What does this mean?' Shirogane sighed and dropped his head forward; the water from the shower spray rushed down his hair and clung to his skin in the form of water droplets. His heartbeat was pounding loudly in his ears; he felt like it could burst any moment. 'I can't get my expectations up. I just… I can't. No, not again.'

Shirogane bent down and turned off the faucet. Normally water cleared his head and allowed him to gather his thoughts, but today was different. Akira was constantly on his mind and the pain that emerged around his abdomen seemed to intensify. Trying to sort out his feelings right now was brining more pain than answers, so he simply washed off and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a fluffy white towel around his waste, Shirogane decided he would let his turbulent emotions until after the ball. Something was screaming at him that he would need all his energy for tonight. And worry about mixed signals he was getting from his favorite brunette wouldn't help him at all.

Once he stepped outside the bathroom, he was pushed roughly against the door. A pair of arms held him still, and green eyes refused to relinquish his blue ones from their gaze.

"You wanted something?" he had to keep his voice calm and evened in fear that the littlest crack would shatter the illusion he was desperately attempting to create.

"Yes. Answers," Akira answered simply. His eyes were searching for some sort of hint, a clue, as to why Shirogane was acting so… strange. Usually the man would have used this opportunity to make some sort of sexual advance, or a flirty comment, but none of that came. All he got was icy blue eyes glaring daggers at him.

"Answers to what? I have nothing to tell you." Shirogane replied gruffly, attempting to break free from his captor's hold. But as always, he was always weak whenever it came to Akira…

"Don't give me that bull. Tell me what's wrong."

"Like I said: I have nothing to tell you."

"And like I said: Don't give me that bull. I'm not moving until you spill."

The two were at a stalemate, neither side willing to give up. They were both stubborn oxen refusing to budge. Akira was hoping that his intimidating glare and body position would crack the barrier Shirogane had put around himself. While Shirogane was praying that his icy demeanor would be too cold for even Akira to handle and he would back off. Surprisingly, instead of Akira moving away as he wished for, Akira was moving closer and a pair of lips pressed tentatively against his own.

What… the… hell…?

The kiss was shy and hesitant, almost as if Akira had acted on the spur of the moment. Which probably was the case since Akira's brain had refused to operate properly after his lips brushed Shirogane's. He could feel his translucent wings start to flutter, wanting to break free from their glamour and materialize into the open. This kiss was different from the last one they shared. It got his blood boiling, yes, but for all different reasons. It wasn't because his inner guardian was awakening. No… it was like something… deeper was starting to breakthrough and Akira could do nothing to stop it. The feeling wanted him to press his lips harder against Shirogane's, permanently mark the man as his own. It wanted his body to completely embrace the man that acted so tough but in reality was as fragile as glass. And his mind… hell, his mind had flown out for vacation it couldn't comprehend the contradictions that were going through Akira.

One part was screaming at him that he was being stupid, a moron, a bloody idiot for acting so impulsive. That the kiss was wrong. So, very, wrong, but it felt oh so right. Akira found that he couldn't stop himself. He know longer had any control of his body. Instincts took over as his body pressed closer to Shirogane's, feeling every squirm, twitch of desire, and throbbing heartbeat his captive made. A sly tongue sneaked out and teasingly licked a rosy, plump, lip. Akira relished in the reaction he was able to draw out from Shirogane. The man's hips bucked upwards, rubbing against his slowly growing erection. His body wracked with tiny tremors of pleasure. A moan – so seductively sweet – escaped those devilish lips, leaving them wide open for Akira to mark and map with his tongue. He coaxed Shirogane out to play. At first, Shirogane made no reaction whatsoever except for his body stiffening, but slowly he started to melt in the pleasure he secretly longed for. He gave into his selfish desires and wrapped his arms around the brunette's neck. Akira sighed in bliss when Shirogane's tongue finally came out to play. Their tongues touched, electricity danced along both man's spine causing them to moan.

Akira needed more contact. He needed to feel Shirogane against him, withering and squirming in pleasure that he was inflicting. Wrapping his arms around the man's lithe waist, he pulled him even closer, grinding against him. They swallowed each other's moans and devoured one another until the need for the air was becoming obnoxiously apparent. Reluctantly, the two pulled apart. Shirogane's face was colored red, and Akira's was pretty much the same. Both had bruised and plumped lips from their make out session, and their heartbeats were quickening too much to be healthy.

For a split second, Shirogane felt at peace…

And for a second… Akira felt something stir inside of him. But what is was he couldn't place. Automatically his hand reached out to stroke Shirogane's blushing cheek. He didn't know why, but all he wanted to do was touch Shirogane. Just… touch him, mark him, and get a feel of that beautiful body he always hid. He wanted Shirogane more than he could admit… and that scared him. Abruptly he pushed himself away from Shirogane, the contradicting emotions becoming too much to bear. The look of pure confusion and hurt that flashed through Shirogane's beautiful blue eyes was more than Akira could handle. Without much of a word, Akira dashed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Shirogane was all alone now. Alone to face the confused and swirling emotions Akira had left in his wake. His legs trembled violently and Shirogane slid to the floor unable to support his weight. His heartbeat was threatening to explode from his chest. Why did Akira make him feel so… defenseless? Like a love-struck teenager? It wasn't fair! None of this was fair. Yes, he would admit he had some feelings for the brunette, but until recently he had associated those emotions with mistaking Akira for his brother. Now, though, after that kiss – and a lot of time – Shirogane was certain that his feelings for Akira were not based solely on the resemblance to Ryuko. Instead… they went much deeper than anything superficial Shirogane could think of.

And that's why it hurt so much to see Akira run away…

+Lyrica: The Ball+

Akira was leaning against a column, watching the students mingle with one another. Every once in a while a smirk found its way onto his face as he spotted a creature not of this world float in and out dancing or causing mischief. It was weird, seeing two different worlds converge with one another. He was certain that no one else could see the world of Lyrica for what it really was, and that just added more of the magic to it. That, and Akira was feeling rather smug about himself.

He chuckled watching a sprite – probably proficient in the art of producing weapons – float over to an unsuspecting student and swipe a strawberry from underneath his nose. The student's expression, though masked, was still hilarious as he wiped his head back and forth in search for the missing strawberry.

'There is no way he'll be able to figure it out.'

"You see it too, huh?" Kengo asked, joining Akira in his 'I'm-an-outsider-looking-in' spot. There was a smile on his face as he watched the shock cross Akira's face, followed by a million questions being shot out rapidly. "Whoa! Too many questions at once." The blonde raised his hands in surrender, only to have them slapped down by a less-than-happy brunette.

"Since when were you able to see them?" Akira actually sounded… offended. They were best friends, right? Well, as Kengo liked to believe and attempt to sway Akira to believe. So that meant they told each other everything, right? 'Though I shouldn't really talk since I never told Kengo about my wings…' Speaking of wings, Akira narrowed his eyes at the golden wings fluttering into his view. At first he thought they were translucent, invisible to the human's eyes, and that's why he wasn't able to spot it. Until he realized it was the act of his own carelessness. The wings were very much present, and very, very, real.

"Baka!" Akira hissed, cuffing Kengo on the back of the head. "What are you doing flaunting those around out in the open. Do you want everyone to know you're a guardian?"

"Ow, first of all that hurt, you bastard." Kengo rubbed the back of his abused head, using the rest of his strength to shoot Akira a glare. "And secondly, no one's going to know they're real. Everyone thinks it's apart of my costume."

The brunette widened his eyes a fraction, before scanning the crowds for any sense of mass hysteria. He only got a few gapes and mutters of awes as people passed by to give their appreciation to Kengo's costume. People truly were blind…

Akira shook his head in defeat. He really couldn't win against Kengo's logic this time. Though there was a sick, twisting, feeling in his gut telling him that things were going to turn a lot worse by the end of the night.

"So is that you're guardian outfit?" the brunette asked, taking into account Kengo's costume. It looked vaguely familiar, until Akira remembered that it was the same outfit Kengo had worn in his dream when he… died. The same golden yellow tailored with black. It was almost like his costume, except it lacked the ribbons and, in Akira's opinion, the sheer elegance his black and white costume held.

The blonde nodded. "Yup! Kou thought it would be funny if I went in my actual guardian uniform." A stray blush conquered his face at the very recent memories of his transformation. The feeling of Kio's canines sinking into his neck was still new, and his hand unconsciously went to the spot Kou bit in order to bring out his inner guardian. Oh yes, it had taken a long amount of protests, pushes, and promises but Kengo had finally got Kio to relent enough for him to actually attend the ball tonight.

Akira scoffed, "Figures. That guy is nothing but trouble." And again, Akira couldn't really talk since he pretty much activated his Guardian Blood by himself to transform for tonight. You couldn't blame him, though! Buying a costume last minute was not how he rolled. And his Guardian outfit was rather tempting…

"Speaking of trouble… how's Shirogane? You sort of forced me out of the room before I could ask anything."

"He's… okay." He added silently. Glad that he had the mask on to hide the hurt that shined proudly in his eyes.

"Really?"

"Yes." Akira answered curtly. He was in no mood to talk about Shirogane when the man was the only thing on his mind, at the moment. And that irked him immensely. He wasn't supposed to be feeling and acting this way over him. Not at all. The man was… weird. No, that's not the word to describe it. At first he couldn't stand Shirogane. The man was just so, different. And his personality drove him up a wall. Always flirtatious, giving round about answers that were never solid. And now… after the kiss, his Guardian Blood activating, the moment on the rooftop… Akira's initial feelings of hate had progressed into something… more. What it was, he really didn't want to acknowledge. Whether that was out of pure fear of the unknown or simply his stubborn streak coming into play he didn't know.

"I don't believe you." Kengo stated.

"What's not to believe?" Akira shot back. "We talked. Nothing got answered. I walked out. Simple."

"Knowing you, Akira, nothing is ever simple. So spill. What really happened?"

Before Akira could answer, the lights dimmed and Homurabi stepped out onto the main balcony. His hair was tied into a ponytail and thrown over his shoulder. That weird, diamond mark stood out prominently on his skin. For tonight, he was dressed in a simple black trench coat with a white H adorned on the chest. Just like Kengo, Akira could see the man's red wings tainted with black at the tips. Now you must understand that if it was one thing Homurabi absolutely detested about humans it was their inability to actually see. To the man, humans were blind creatures that only wanted to acknowledge what they wished to see and know, and not what they could see and know. That's why, tonight, he had decided to play a little game and materialize his wings out into the open. It was a risky move, one Homurabi would never play under normal circumstances, but tonight was different.

Because tonight he was going to make all Hell break lose.

He passed a glance to his two minions that flanked his sides: Lulu and Sawaki. Lulu's tail wagged in anticipation, much like a dog's waiting to eat its favorite treat. She didn't have wings because she had no Guardian Blood in her. Shame, really. But she was still immensely powerful and that's why Homurabi kept her at his side. Sawaki on the other hand has his pure, gray, wings standing at full attention, flapping to the beat of their own music. Sawaki was off old blood. His line went back for generations, ever since the beginning of Lyrica's monarchy. He was powerful, had connections, and a strong sense of awareness when it came to things of a more… magical nature. So that's why Homurabi kept him by his side as well.

They would be key pawns in his plans later tonight.

"Everyone, I am pleased to announce that this years Lyrica's ball has gone on without a hitch!" Roars from the crowd echoed around the ballroom, and Homurabi soaked in all the praise. His wings fluttered lightly from the attention. "This year's ball holds many new and old traditions, such as the costumes you must wear and the classical music being played. As for new traditions, we will be spending time giving thanks to our wonderful Muse in the form of a sacrifice…"

The lights dimmed eerily and Akira and Kengo were instantly on the alert. Their wings ruffled with the anxiety that something bad was going to happen, and soon. Unconsciously Akira searched for Shirogane in the crowd. He didn't know why but something inside him wanted to know the man was safe. Then something clicked. Ever since he left the room, he hadn't seen Shirogane at all. Not even when he returned, the room was empty. And at the ball too, not one single sight of that snow white hair…

"Shirogane," Akira whispered into the darkness. Fortunately the crowd was hushed by the atmosphere and magic of the whole event, thinking it was just a little act the headmaster had come up with to make the night more memorable. Silly humans…

"Tonight, we offer the Muse the essence of a Guardian in hopes of a Resurrection! The veil that you blindly let cover your eyes shall be lifted tonight, humans, so you may feast upon the ritual with your own sight! Too long you hide yourself under that blasted safety net you are too scared to remove. But not tonight… Tonight I shall show you first hand the world you have been too afraid to see…"

The light came one again, but this time it was a spotlight centered on slab placed on the balcony. A man, with snow white hair, eyes closed, and body tied to the slab was the main attraction. Akira recognized the body immediately.

"Shirogane!"

Homurabi chuckled darkly; a wicked grin scarred his face. "Under the guidance of the full moon, I offer this poor soul up as a sacrifice for the Muse's Resurrection!" the man unsheathed a small dagger decorated with runes on the blade. He stared at the blade intensely, before licking the object from top to bottom. He had been waiting for this night for the past thirty years and finally… the time has come. Though the Resurrection surely wouldn't be for the Muse everyone believed it to be.

"Akira, something is seriously wrong here. The creatures… they're freaking out."

Fairies had random spasms, flying into the air only to plummet like a rocket to the ground. The creatures that walked on two legs were running around like mad animals with no sense of direction. The room was in chaos. And soon the humans started to freak out as well seeing as the veil was finally lifted.

"I offer this Innocents blood to you, my Muse! May you accept it with open arms!" the dagger was about to plunge into Shirogane's chest when Akira shot forward, wings beating haphazardly in an attempt to reach the man before he… No! Akira couldn't think like that. He refused to think like that. He didn't understand what was going on, what Homurabi's plans were, but he would stop them before they even got started.

Shirogane's name fell from Akira's mouth over and over again. Time seemed to slow to a turtle's pace with Akira's hand outstretched for Shirogane's still form. He was so close… so very close… just a little bit further…

"Noooo!"

Akira was frozen in mid-flight, eyes wide in fear as the knife plunged into Shirogane's chest. The blood flood immensely before a blast of blue light escaped the wound. Followed by music lines and musical notes flowing the air. The music that escaped the cut was dark, depressing and eerily demonic. It sent visible shivers wracking Akira's body and plunged the world in a hazy purple. This was not the Resurrection of a Muse that was supposed to be benevolent and majestic being. This was the Resurrection of a beast that had no soul… no kind bone in his body.

This beast's stench reeked of pure evil…

"Akira, get down there!" Kengo screamed and attempted to fly up there to bring Akira down, but Kou was holding him steady. His wings, though small, were fluttering from the fear and anxiousness of what was happening today. No matter how much he had worked from behind the scenes, nothing could prepare him for tonight…

An earthquake erupted, releasing fumes and clouds of smoke. A few students were swallowed by the hole, but Homurabi merely smirked. Just another pair of offerings to his Muse. His plan was going rather well. So well. He simply had to watch the story play out before him until tonight, and no one suspected a thing. Sure, things were a little quicker than expected but… world domination waited for no one. And if he was supposed to purge the world of incompetent humans and allow Lyrica to rule he needed to start the process as quickly as possible.

Wicked laughter filled the room; screams were the music that pumped through the beast's veins. A terrifying smile found its way onto the beast's face as he began his ascends to Earth. Too long he was trapped in that prison. Far too long had it been since he'd heard the screams of human's quaking at his power, the sight of the fear flashing before their eyes. His black wings streaked in blood ruffled in pure pleasure of finally being able to stretch and fly.

The beast's ascend was slow, but all the scarier. He was wearing nothing more than a black suit. A red rose pinned to the chest. His eyes were closed, for he did not wish to open then until there was the perfect scenery awaiting him to see. Once his ascend was complete, his eyes slowly cracked open… scarlet red. A dark chuckle escaped his throat at the beautiful chaos surrounding him. It was so… intoxicating. He wanted more. With a flick of a wrist the glasses shattered and even more screams filled his ears. He trembled from the pleasure of the screams floating around his body.

Beautiful.

"My Muse!" Homurabi bowed to the creature before him, an obedient look glazed over his eyes. His two lackeys looked at one another in shock and fear. This wasn't their beloved Muse! No… this man was much… much worse!

"Homurabi, you lied!" Sawaki hissed. A magical sword found its way into his hands as he got ready to attack the liar. "You said we were bringing back the Muse! Not this… this… heathen!"

Said "heathen" chuckled humorlessly and allowed his eyes to wash over the twit who dared to call him such words. "I was hoping the welcoming committee would be a little more… hospitable."

"I am sorry, my Muse. I will dispose of them quickly if you wish."

"That won't be necessary. They will bow to my spirit once enough. As will everyone else." Cold eyes gazed at the two, scared, creatures and with a smirk they were on their knees bowing to him. See? Simple. His eyes then gazed on the body covered with runes and musical notes on the slab. A strange emotion fluttered through him, one he stamped out and threw away into the deepest regions of his soul. It was him. He had to give his subject credit – when he said he had found the suitable sacrifice, he was not kidding. 'Our reunion was long overdue anyway… Shirogane.' The name still sent a shiver flooding down his spine, but it was small and barely noticeable.

A gasp brought him out of his thoughts, and another presence made itself known. It was weak at first, that's why he never pinpointed it. But now that it was out in the open… a small smile found its way to his face and his wings fluttered in anticipation. It seemed like this was the night for reunions…

"Y-You…" Akira's voice was broken – music to the beast's ears. "You are…"

The beast turned, his scarlet eyes dancing with devilish mirth as he gazed at the form of the boy he knew all too well. "It's nice to see you again… little brother."

Ohhh my. Is that who I think it is? 8D. Mwahahahah!

Till next time. I don't know when the next chapter will be out... but I'll try to make it speedy :3.