A/N: I told you I am determined to finish this story. Be warned though as this chapter has implied sex. On to the chappie!
Chapter 19 - 24
The night seemed so serene. Peaceful.
An illusion to the nightmare that had just befallen them in the last few hours. A reminder of the past, of happier times back then they were a team and Tyson would always try to sneak into Kai's mansion to raid the pantry.
Of course, those were different times.
Kai never thought he would wish for those times again. After what had happened with Cain, they had retreated back to his mansion to take care of the injured and to recuperate and regroup. Ozuma had gone off to alert his team of the recent change in their situation while Faith was releasing all her pent up frustration on the punching bag in his training room down the hall. He counted them fortunate to have escaped relatively unscathed with Jade as the only one really hurt.
But Max is…
After all they've been through, after everything they have fought to prevent, in one blink, Cain had snatched that all away and vanished, taking with him Max and any hope they had of saving the world.
No. He forced himself not to think of it. Not now. Not yet.
A soft grunt brought him back to the present with his hand pressing a gauze a little too hard to Jade's wounded shoulder. "Sorry." he muttered as he continued his administration.
She shook her head and continued to stare out into nothingness from the window seat, her head rested on her folded arms. She hasn't said much since they got back. Her ribcage had been carefully bandaged earlier with Hilary's help and other than a fractured rib and her flesh wound, she was still in one piece. All that mattered to him was that she was here, alive and with him.
"No…I am sorry." she muttered. "I couldn't…protect you guys. And Max."
"It wasn't your fault…" he replied. "It's no one's fault but Cain's."
His hand lingered on the bare skin of her back, feeling her heat pulsed. He could feel the muscles in her back stiff slightly at his touch and he turned his hand, allowing his knuckles to glaze the dip between her shoulder blades.
A shiver ran through her and she almost gave in to the warmth of his touch, her eyes sliding close in contentment. Then he withdrew his hand and rose to clean up the bloodied bandages and gauzes that littered the floor.
Recovering quickly, Jade straightened as well, although not without wincing from the pull of her injured shoulder. "Thanks." she muttered still not looking his way.
A yelp from the other end of the living room drew their attention to where Ray was attending to Tyson's minor cuts and abrasions.
"Tyson, keep still." Ray admonished as he applied antiseptic to the cuts on the other boy's face.
"It smarts." Tyson protested.
"Only for a while." the Chinese blader replied.
The door opened to admit Hilary and they could hear the sounds of punches and kicks echoing from down the hallway before she closed the door behind her.
"So I called Kenny." she said.
"What did you tell him?" Ray asked.
"That we're fine and are staying over at Kai's place for the night." Hilary sighed, folding her arms in front of her. "I didn't tell him about Max."
"Why not?" Tyson asked. "He could help us."
"Or become a liability." Kai interjected bluntly. "There isn't much Kenny can do to help us or Max."
"Knowing the Chief, he'll insist we call the authorities." Hilary said, shaking her head. "Who'll believe us?"
"No one, that's who." Ray muttered as he continued his work on Tyson.
"Well." Tyson said batting the cotton bud aside. "We can't just sit here while Max is still out there with Cain! Cain could be hurting Max right now and we're doing nothing?"
"Cain won't do anything to harm Max. At least not until the ritual." Jade finally spoke up. All eyes turned to her and she sighed, weary to her core. "Besides a blood sacrifice and your Bitbeasts, the ritual also has to take place on the night of a full moon."
"So we have time to think of a plan to rescue Max and get our Bitbeasts back!" Tyson said excitedly. "When is the next full moon?"
"Tomorrow."
"What?" Tyson's head shot up to stare at Faith as she rejoined the group. "You're kidding me."
Any other day, she could have had a few sarcastic retorts but not today. Not after what happened. "Why else would Cain have attacked you morons now of all times?" she snapped. "I trusted you to keep your Sacred Spirits safe and you just handed them right over."
"Because he had Hilary!" Tyson protested. "What were we supposed to do? Just let him kill her?"
"Yes!"
"Still standing here, by the way." Hilary deadpanned with a glare directed at the dark-haired female.
Faith shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her. "I can't believe I trusted you."
"Faith…" Jade began quietly.
"I should have just taken your Bitbeasts when I had the chance." she grumbled. "Now Cain is gonna invoke their powers, sacrifice Max, regain his powers and destroy the world as we know it."
"Thank you, Dr Doom and Gloom." Tyson said snidely.
"Enough!"
Surprisingly that had come from Kai who looked positively livid as he glared at the two of them. "What's done is done! There's nothing we can do to change what happened. So shut the hell up!"
Everyone stared at the usually stoic captain with wide-eyed, amazed looks. Jade even looked a little surprised.
"Well, she started it." Tyson murmured childishly.
"Seriously, dude? You wanna start with that?" Faith sheered.
"Guys…" Ray warned in exasperation. Once he was sure they weren't going to start arguing again, he turned back to the matter at hand. "So what do we do now?"
"We are going to stop Cain before he activates the spell." Faith said, nodding at herself and Jade. "The four of you are leaving town at least until this blows over."
"What?!"
She fixed her steel gaze on Tyson who stared back at her in shock. "You heard me. You're staying out of this."
"I heard you fine the first time, Faith." Tyson snapped, bolting to his feet and stalking up to her. "Who are you to tell us what we to do? Well, guess what! I am done listening to you! Most of all, I am done running!"
"Tyson…" Faith began in frustration, looking as though she was ready to deck him.
"Listen up!" and now he wasn't just addressing the girl in front of him. "I am done with the running! We never used to run from people after our Bitbeasts! We would fight them! And beat them! Well, this is no different! I refuse to run from Cain. I wanna fight him!"
"You and what army?" Faith said. "You'll be killed the moment Cain sees you."
"That's a risk I am willing to take to get Max and Dragoon back." the dragon snapped. "Nothing you say will change my mind. The best you can do to help me is to tell me what you know about Cain and how I can stop him."
"We." Ray corrected. "How we can stop him. Tyson's right. We're friends and friends don't leave friends behind. Am I right, Kai?"
When his teammates turned to him for affirmation, the duo-haired captain sighed. "It can't be help, I suppose. There's no stopping Tyson once he has an idea."
"Kai!" Faith stared, dumbfounded. She tossed her hands up in defeat. "I can't believe where this conversation is going! You guys are morons. Jade, please talk to them!"
Jade shrugged carelessly. "My hands are tied, Faith."
"Why are you taking their sides, J?" Faith exclaimed in disbelief, whirling on the other girl.
"I am not taking anyone's side." Jade explained. "We only have until tomorrow to come up with a way to stop Cain and save Max. You saw how much damage our wolves inflicted on him and yet he withstood them. We need all the help we can get."
"But what can they do!" she said, pointing at the boys. "They don't have their Bitbeasts!"
"Hey! Are you implying that I am useless without Dragoon?" Tyson protested vehemently.
"Well, even with Dragoon, you're pretty useless." Hilary muttered under her breath, tapping her chin.
"SHUT UP, HILARY!"
While the two broke into another argument, Ray turned back to Faith. "We're going through with this, with or without your help. But with you and your knowledge on Cain, we stand a better chance of getting out of this alive."
She glared at the neko-jin, hating how much sense he and the rest of his team of morons were making. "I suppose you leave me with no choice then." she flopped down in a sofa, crossing her arms in front her and pouting like a child. "Man, if Shifu was here, he'll have my head…"
Been given 24 hours
To tie up loose ends
To make amends
His eyes said it all
I started to fall
And the silence deafened
Head spinning round
No time to sit down
Just wanted to
Run and run and run
Be careful they say
They brought him here while he was still unconscious but Max recognised the BBA stadium anywhere even in its under-construction state. Most of the seating have been taken out of the side lines. The roof of the stadium has been removed allowing him to see the moon above and now the same moonlight spilled down on the empty crate where the Beystadium once was. Cain stood in the middle, admiring the patterns the writhing shadows on the floor made.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said conversationally. "My little puppets at work. How are you feeling over there, Maxie? I hope my shadow demons weren't too rough with you."
Squirming a little in his seat, Max tested the ropes around his hands and ankles. "The ropes are a little too tight for my liking but I'll live."
Cain laughed. "I knew there was something I liked about you, Max. It's a pity that I would have to kill you for this to work. Ah, well." With a wave of his hand, the shadows at his feet began digging groves into the ground. "You should be honoured, Max. Your blood and your Bitbeast will be catalyst to opening the gateway to unlimited power."
"Then what? What are you going to do?" Max asked.
"Why, I plan to destroy the world as we know it and remake it in my image." Cain answered. "…although the gateway will do most of the initial work for me so I guess rebuilding it is all I have to do."
"The gateway…? Wait! What do you mean? What will the gateway do?"
And I can't believe
How I've been wasting my time
"We only have one shot at this." Faith announced, staring at the teens in the living room. "Once the gateway is opened, it will unleash numerous demonic dimensions and destroy our world. The only way to close it is by another blood sacrifice. Therefore we have to stop Cain before he starts the ritual."
"And before he can sacrifice Max." Tyson reminded her dryly.
"Ah, yes and that too." she said in an afterthought.
"So what's our game plan to stopping him then?" Ray asked. "As you so helpfully pointed out earlier, we don't have our Sacred Spirits."
"Not quite…" Kai muttered.
"Kai?" Tyson looked at their captain in confusion. "What are you -?"
Kai held up something small for them to see and a gasp sounded from Hilary. "Black Dranzer!"
"You can't seriously be thinking about using that damned Bitbeast!" Tyson shouted.
"Hn." Kai's fist curled around the Bit before he pocketed it once more. "We don't have a choice. Cain doesn't know about Black Dranzer. That will work to our advantage."
Faith tilted her head, rubbing her chin in thought. "Hm, that's actually not a bad idea coming from you, Kai."
"But Kai, what about you?" Hilary asked in concern. "Would you be able to control it?"
"I'll be fine." Kai said dismissively, not without glancing at a distracted Jade from the corner of his eye.
Ray stared at his captain, catching the look between he and Jade and he sighed. "Alright. Now that we got Black Dranzer as our backup, what are we going to do about Cain? We still need to stop him."
Faith's phone rang then and she answered it. "Ozuma, what's the status?...Ah, I see….No, they're still here. Stubborn and idiotic as you mentioned... Alright. Keep me posted."
"Has the Saint Shields found him?" Jade asked when she hung up.
The other wolf wielder nodded. "The BBA stadium. Max's alive for now. Ozuma's team will monitor their movements and make sure that Cain doesn't try anything funny."
"Cain's ritual takes place tomorrow night. That doesn't leave us with much time." Hilary said anxiously.
"No, it doesn't." Faith agreed absently. "So here's what I propose. Kai will use his demonic fried chicken to hold off Cain's forces and to draw Cain's attention. The Saint Shields will be his back up. Tyson and Ray, I leave it to you two to get Max and your Sacred Spirits."
"Got it." Tyson nodded. "What about Cain?"
"I'll take care of that." Faith said darkly. "He may be a sacred spirit but he's trapped in a corporal body. There is a way I can momentarily strip him of his powers and weaken him. That should allow Jade a window of opportunity to kill him."
Jade nodded.
"What about me?" Hilary piped in, half raising a hand.
Everyone looked at her hesitantly but as expected, Faith was the one to pop the bubble on the girl. "You, my dear little liability will be going home where you'll be safe and away from playing the role of the damsel in distress." she said sweetly. "Get it?"
That elicited a protest from the girl. "Are you kidding me? You're grounding me?"
"I am looking out for you." Faith replied. "Let's not forget that you were the reason the Guardians had to give up their Bitbeasts."
"Faith!" a chair was pushed back suddenly and a hand hit the table hard, startling everyone. "That has gone too far! It was not her fault. I would have given up Dragoon all over again for any of my friends!"
"Tyson, that's enough." Kai said, unfazed by his outburst.
"Kai!"
Hilary blinked as Kai turned to her. "Faith's right, Hilary. If you're there, what's to stop Cain from threatening you again? We can't afford to give him that leverage."
Taking in the truth in his words, Hilary then looked at Faith and sighed. "Alright but if I don't hear from you by morning, I am coming to look for you!"
Faith smirked and it wasn't a nice sight to behold for it was a grim dark look. "Then let's hope it doesn't come to that."
In 24 hours they'll be
Laying flowers
On my life, it's over tonight
I'm not messing no I
Need your blessing
And your promise to live free
Please do it for me
After everyone had adjourned to their selected bedrooms to get some rest before the big fight, Kai found himself wandering the empty hallways of his mansion. Although his body was weary, his mind was active as it ran through all the possibilities of what could go wrong during the fight. Anyone of them could be killed. The world will spiral into chaos. He could lose Dranzer forever…
Then let's hope Faith's plan works, he thought as hesilently checked on his teammates before heading back to his bedroom.
He was in the midst of removing his scarf when the door opened and closed with only a tiny sound to indicate that someone had entered the room. He need not turn to know who it was.
"Black Dranzer...I never thought I would hear that name again." Jade muttered. When he had brought up the Bitbeast, it surprised her and while the others seemed to concede to the idea, she knew she had to talk to him in private, having seen first-hand what the dark phoenix could do.
He glanced at her, still not saying anything as she approached him with an agitated look. "Using Black Dranzer against Cain is different from a beybattle. How sure are you that you can control it this time?"
"Funny. You weren't this concerned the last time I used Black Dranzer." he said.
"The last time…" memories of their past flooded her mind, unexpectedly as she remembered. It had been the World Championship in Russia the previous year and back then Kai had also told her of his plan to use Black Dranzer to take on Tala and Biovolt.
Back then….
Is there a heaven a hell
And will I come back
Who can tell
Now I can see
What matters to me
It's as clear as crystal
The places I've been
The people I've seen
Plans that I made
Start to fade
The sun's setting gold
Thought I would grow old,
It wasn't to be
"I'm going to use Black Dranzer."
All she did was nod, the shadows of the dim hallway masking the exhaustion and sadness on her face from his sight as she looked down.
Kai seemed surprised at her approval but he didn't dwell on it even though he knew something was disturbing her. There was no time now. He paused before he continued. "And I'm gonna need your help."
She glanced up at him, puzzled by his request. "What can I do?"
"I…I need you to be my anchor." he said quietly. "In case anything happens…"
Her eyes widened, understanding what he meant. "Kai, are you sure about this? I don't know if I can..."
"I know you can. I have faith in you." he told her.
She told him grimly. "But, Kai…I just don't trust Black Dranzer."
"I know. Neither does the others. That's why I need your help." he said, his voice assuring her, telling her that he has confidence in her, that he believes in her…
She agreed, nodding solemnly. Yes, she'll do whatever it takes.
And I can't believe
How I've been wasting my time
Back then, they had prevailed. But things were different now. They were not the same two people who stood in that hallway a year ago. Things between them have changed.
"What's changed, Jade?" Kai asked as though he could read her thoughts. "You trusted me back then. Why can't you do the same now?"
She paused in her answer, wrapping her arms around her. "I trust you, Kai. But not Black Dranzer. So, please….just this once, don't be the hero. Please."
Kai stared at her as though trying to find the cause of the desperation in her green eyes. There was so much pain in them. It was a look he swore he never wanted to see again. But yet… "You know I cannot promise you that."
"Why?"
"Because… I already promised to protect you and our friends. I'll do everything in my power to get Dranzer back." he murmured, staring at the unholy Bit in his hand.
His love for you, child, will be his undoing…
"No." she grabbed his wrist before he could return Black Dranzer to its safe keep. "Not at the expanse of your life."
"Jade, you know there is no other way to stop Cain. Black Dranzer is our only advantage." he said, gently pulling his hand free and smirked as a thought occurred. "How ironic. The very weapon my grandfather created to take over the world is now the one thing that could save it."
"Kai…." she could sense the concealed bitterness in his voice and it saddened her that he could never escape the past moulded by Voltaire.
"I can control it." he told her, his eyes snapping up to meet hers. "I just need you to believe in me."
She gazed at him and finally nodded. "You always were stubborn." she muttered with a sigh.
He scoffed. "Kettle calling the pot black."
She made a face at him, causing him to chuckle under his breath at her. A heavy sigh at her lips, she stared off into the distance, her eyes gazed over in thought. "Do you realise something? If our plan tomorrow fails…today is our last day on earth."
He looked as though the thought had just occurred to him as well. "Then we should not let it go to waste."
"Huh?" she said intelligently before she was swiftly pulled into his arms.
His fingers tangled in her hair as his lips descended on hers and muffled any protest she might have made. She gasped into the kiss, startled by the intensity of it. The kiss was passionate, fuelled by the time lost between them and the sheer thought that this moment could be their last together. He devoured her like a man deprived for so long and finally she was his prize. A light moan rose from her throat as they parted slightly, breathing heavily.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." he breathed against her lips. His arms around her tightened. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too, Kai." she whispered, resting her head against his chest and closing her eyes on contentment as his warmth surrounded her. It has been so long since she remembered what it was like to be in his arms, to feel the rest of the world just fall away, leaving only them behind.
To be truly happy again. Even if it was for the last time.
His hand brushed her cheek, tilting her face to him and their lips met again, this time with a growing fierceness between them. Her hands clutched at his jacket, suddenly finding the layers of clothes between them constricting and bothersome.
Sensing the urgency and desire in her movements, he hurriedly removed his jacket and shirt before trailing a line of feathery light kisses along her throat while her fingers slid across the span of his shoulders, leaving blazing trails of heat in their wake. Fighting a groan, he returned to her awaiting lips, drinking in her sweet tenderness.
Gently, without breaking the kiss, she pushed him back into the bed and straddled him. He let her as his hands slipped under her top and began to re-familiarise themselves with the tantalizing flesh that was her body. The shimmering heat within them grew ablaze, fed by unhindered emotions as it rapidly consumed them like the flames they both wielded.
In 18 hours they'll be
Laying flowers
On my life, it's over tonight
I'm not messing, no, I
Need your blessing
And your promise to live free
Please do it for me
Fingers entwined together as two bodies writhed in the throes of passion and desire for the other, two individuals finding their way back to each other. They've been apart and incomplete so long that nothing mattered now.
Nothing mattered to her except the boy who taught her how to forgive herself and to love again.
Nothing mattered to him save for the girl in his arms now, who showed him that his past was to be accepted and that he had a future. Maybe with her.
Their desperate gasps for air and soft moans were all that filled the room in that moment as his arms cradled her to him with the promise of never letting her go again. Her hands traced every curve and turn of his chiselled body, committing it all to memory. When he thrusted into her, it was all she could do to not cry out his name as her body instinctively arched to meet his. Even in the heat of passion and unbridled lust, he was mindful of her injuries, holding her tenderly as though she were a china doll.
"Don't." she whispered when she sensed his concern and hesitation. "Don't treat me like something delicate and fragile. Just…touch me, Kai."
Her words of assurance filled him with ease as his muscles relaxed. With effort, Kai opened his eyes, wanting to see her face and was rewarded with a sight he will never forget. Her skin flushed and sleek with sweat, Jade looked simply beautiful with her hair fanned out around her and her lips parted slightly to draw in air. He stilled to gaze at her until her own emerald pools opened to look at him in question.
"Kai?" she whispered, blushing as his intense gaze drank her in. "What's wrong?"
Mesmerised, he slowly shook his head. "No. It's just that I…want to remember how beautiful you are."
She smiled and reaching up to caress the back of his neck, she drew him down for a long deep kiss. Their hearts raced in sync with each other as they consumed each other completely. Tonight nothing else was important except each other.
In 13 hours they'll be
Laying flowers
On my life, it's over tonight
I'm not messing no I
Need your blessing
And your promise to live free
Please do it for me
His hands traced her back, drawing her from her euphoric-induced daze in the afterglow of their lovemaking. He sat against the headboard of the bed with her cuddled against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He had pulled their covers over their entwined naked bodies to fend of the cold but it seemed that their body heat sufficed. Kai wished that they could stay like this forever.
"All those days and nights away…" she muttered, lazily running her fingers along the contours of his chest and stomach. "You were the only thing in my mind that kept me going. I just kept telling myself that if I could stop all of this from happening, I could come back to you. Because you were waiting for me."
"I did promise to wait for you no matter how long it took." he whispered, tenderly tucking her locks behind her ear and stroking her cheek.
She closed her eyes and sighed softly, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Kai's arms encircled her, pulling her close as though he was afraid she would disappear if he stopped touching her.
"I shouldn't have let you leave." he continued. "Waking up without you by my side was one of the hardest things I had to do. And it made me realise what I had and I don't ever want to lose you again. Jade…you're the only woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."
She blinked, once and twice at his words as her dazed mind tried to grasp the meaning in them. Looking up at him, she studied the certainty in his eyes, blood red in the moonlight and her breath caught in her throat.
"Kai…"
"I love you, Jade. And I am never letting you go again."
She couldn't reply, her emotions rising too close to the surface all at once. Relief that he had forgiven her, happiness from the implications of his words and dread that none of this would come true after tomorrow.
He inhaled softly. "And even if we fail tomorrow and the world ends, none of that would matter because - ."
"No." she kissed him, refusing to let him continue because she knew if he did, she would break down and she just could not allow herself to do that. Not now, not before tomorrow. Not just yet. "We'll survive, Kai. We always do. Cain won't win and the world will continue to turn like it always has. Because we're the good guys and we will get through this."
Detecting a hint of the conflicted emotions in her eyes despite the strength in her words, Kai sought to calm her worries as he gently rested his lips to her forehead, nose and finally her lips. "You're right. We will get through this." he muttered. "I believe you."
I'm not alone, I sense it,
All that I said, I meant it,
And I can't believe
How much I've wasted my time
Rain pelted down on her face, drops hanging off her lashes as she inhaled softly. The scent of freshly dug ground dampened by rain hit her nostrils and her eyes opened. She already knew where she was and the black gravestone in front of her merely confirmed it. However the untarnished surface was empty.
And laid out before it, was an open grave.
She stared down at the emptiness below, puzzled. No, this wasn't right. This cemetery was where her mother was laid to rest. She knew it because she has revisited to that cemetery many times in her dreams as a child and a few times in reality. But never once had her dreams shown her an empty grave.
Draizer appeared beside her, its golden eyes focused intensely on the ground. It sniffed at the ground and settled on its hind legs.
"Draizer?" Jade asked.
Ears dropped as though sad, the wolf turned its amber gaze to its mistress and licked her hand affectionately before resuming its initial position.
"Well, that's new."
Jade knew that voice well and need not turn to face the speaker. Ivy Raven drew up to her, a slight frown on her face.
"Whose do you suppose it is?" Ivy asked.
The last time she saw her mother was when she laid in a coma, on the verge of giving up on life altogether. Her mother had appeared, coaxing her to find her will to live and reminding her that she was no longer alone in the world. Now, having her here again, it should feel surreal or different but instead, Jade was unmoved as she shrugged. "No idea."
"Something's…off." Ivy muttered. "There's an emptiness here. It's not right."
"Maybe it's Cain, just messing with my dreams." Jade suggested.
Her mother shook her head. "No. He's a powerful spirit but he lacks the power to walk in dreams. But if he succeeds, the power he'll obtain will allow him to do that and so much more."
Rain continued to pour on both women and the wolf but they paid it no heed. Jade turned to her mother. "This power he seeks, what is it?"
"It's darkness and light." Ivy said a matter-a-factly. "Darkness created by light and light breaking through the void abyss. It's life and death and its power cannot be tamed, not by one like Cain."
Her words made no sense and she had just too tired to decipher it. "You speak in riddles, mom." she muttered in annoyance.
"Riddles to which you have the answers." Ivy said, clutching something tightly in her pale hands. "It's in you, child. And when the time comes, you'll see and understand. The choice will then be yours to make. Because, in the end, my dear sweet Jade, love will bring you to your destiny."
Those words, she has heard them before.
As Jade watched, her mother threw whatever it was she held into the grave and caught in the rain and wind, she realised they were cards. Tarot cards.
And a voice, not her mother's but rather of the future, of what could be or will be, whispered through the torrent rain.
"Love will bring you to your destiny. That's all it will take to stop it from happening."
The echoes of that little girl's voice ringing in her mind like a comforting promise, Jade roused from her sleep. Her eyes blinking as they tried to adjust to the darkness, she took long deep breaths to still her thumping heart. Beside her with an arm loosely wrapped around her waist, Kai slumbered peacefully unaware of her awoken state. The warmth of his body so close to hers enticed her to return to sleep but Jade resisted the urge as she spied the first rays of dawn spilling across the darken sky from the window.
In just 8 hours they'll be
Laying flowers
On my life, it's over tonight
I'm not messing no I
Need your blessing
And your promise to live free
Please do it for me.
The rising sun was glorious to watch and the thought that it could be their last made it all the more special. Jade found that she wasn't the only one up as she joined Faith standing on the balcony overlooking the mansion's front garden and the seemingly peaceful town. Unsurprisingly, Faith held a half-finished cigarette in hand.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Faith mused aloud, taking a long drag of her cigarette. "Nothing like the end of the world to make you appreciate the finer things in life."
"No, there isn't." Jade agreed.
Almost challengingly, Faith held out the cigarette pack to the other. "Cigarette?"
Rolling her eyes, Jade peeled one stick from the pack and lilted it much to Faith's satisfaction. She inhaled the nicotine, relishing the minty scent in her lungs before exhaling. For a long moment, both girls simply stood side by side in silence, watching the smoke vanish with the morning breeze.
"So, what do you think?" Jade asked calmly. "Can we win this?"
"No." Faith answered bluntly. "Cain is too strong. Too powerful."
Jade nodded slowly. Yes, that was the truth but she had to believe they could defeat him. She had to. That was all she had.
In just 1 hour they'll be
Laying flowers
On my life, it's over tonight
I'm not messing no I
Need your blessing
And your promise to live free
Please do it for me
A/N: Song is 24 by Jem. Thought it seemed fitting for their last day on earth. R&R!