Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I do not profit from my writing, and write solely for the purpose of entertaining.

Chapter 36 – Til Death Do Us Part

With a wrench, the glass detached, some of the binding runes separating onto it as he used both hands to lift if free. The air inside rushed out, the dirt on the stand billowing out as he transferred the weight of the glass to one hand, moving it aside to reveal…

The Talisman twinkled with an inner light, the bright, almost clear ice blue eye fixed into the face of the wolf staring up at him. He let out a deep breath, the air frosting in front of him as his free hand reached for the amulet. The tug in his mind was incessant, the thrum inside him driving him insane. His fingers brushed its surface, and he gasped as the power overwhelmed him. His hand shook, before he wrapped his fingers tightly around the surface of the charm, lifting it to clutch to his chest. Fire and Ice warred as the two Talismans came so close to one another, before Dranzer retreated, unable to fight the bitter cold that engulfed the red head.

For a moment, one long, unbearable moment, the teen felt as though a knife of pure ice had been imbedded in his heart, before the sensation vanished, and he felt totally at ease. His body relaxed, the constant pulsing now a pleasant, contented feeling

"Tala! Their army marches, and Kai leads them! We must warn Heaven! Tal~"

Rei camp to a stop, his heart freezing in his chest as his eyes locked onto the scene before him. There was the red head, standing before an ancient protection stand, its base encircled with black symbols and runes that glowed with a vivid fire. In one hand he held a glass casing, and in the other…

Drigger scalded his flesh in shock, and he felt the last air he had in his lungs rush out in a gasp.

"A Talisman!" he breathed, his mind kicking into gear. "By the Archangels, I didn't think Hell had any Talismans left down here. How did you find it?"

But Tala wasn't listening. The Phoenix around his neck was glowing, and the silver amulet in the boys hand was icy. As Rei looked closer, he realized that the Ice was spreading up the teens arm, encasing his body. A new sort of dread broke over him; was this Talisman good or bad? Was it…killing the red head?

He stepped forward, his hand snapping out to reach for the charm. With Drigger he was protected, he concluded, and the Talisman could not harm him as it did Tala. His hand brushed the ice cold skin of Tala's before power shot through him, lifting him off the ground and hurling him across the room like a rag doll. He slammed into the door, his wings jarring in pain, before he crumpled to the floor. Drigger roared not just at his pain, but sounding as though he too was hurting. Rei sat up, gasping and swearing. The red head was still standing there, but now the ice had spread even further, and seemed to be moving more rapidly than before. His whole left side was encased in it, and his right leg was about to join it.

"No," the neko snarled, leaping to his feet. He had not come this far to have his only accomplice become a popsicle, and in Hell no less. The irony grated at his nerves as he lunged across the room, wings spread wide. "Drigger!"

Crack!

He reeled backwards, a headache splitting him apart as he fumbled forward with his hands. His fingers found an invisible wall, as though the Talisman had created a perfect barrier. The longer he left his hands there, the colder they became, until he had to wrench his arms to free them.

"TALA!"

Nothing. The red head's crystal blue eyes were wide and unseeing as he stared at the ceiling. The ice had risen, encasing his whole left side and up to the base of his wings. His right hand was still free, mercifully, as Rei could now see the black runes at its base, runes he recognized as binding, security, and alarm.

Growling now, the ebony haired teen reached out, placing one hand on the invisible ice wall, and the other behind it, bracing it.

"Drigger," he hissed, canines bared as his eyes became mere slits, "destroy it!"

A jolt of energy shot down his arm, slamming itself into the wall. A crack became visible to his right, running out towards the far wall, and he gave a feral grin of satisfaction. He glanced up, feeling another thrill of alarm. The ice covered his wings now, and was sliding up his neck. As Rei watched, it covered his head, his crystal blue eyes taking on an eerie glow as they became trapped under the ice.

"Drigger, again!" His voice came out frantic.

Another charge darted down his arm, and another long, inelegant crack spread out from his hand. But it wasn't enough. The ice trailed down the teen's pale right arm, and consumed his hand, officially encasing his entire body in ice. The casing dropped to the ground, and Rei could only watch in horror as it hit the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces, and the room exploded with light.

Tyson reeled, clutching at his chest and the Talisman resting there. Another wave of vertigo rocked him to his core, and he fell to his knees, gasping as tears started to his eyes. His voice escaped him in a croak, as he cried out for help.

In the next room, he heard a glass shatter, and realized dimly that Max had to be experiencing the same thing. The idea forced him back to his feet, and he staggered toward the next room. His wings were shaking uncontrollably, feathers drifting to the floor as he walked. He caught sight of himself in the hall mirror, and saw that his face was flushed red, his eyes dilated.

Another wave of energy engulfed him, and he sank back to the floor, unable to walk any further. His whole body trembled and jerked with the energy running through it, and he thought perhaps the Guardians were punishing him for something. But…

Horror broke across his face, and he pushed back the nauseas feeling to stagger back to his feet. His voice came out in a haggard half scream as he called for help, staggering back toward the stairs. A warrior burst into the room, and at the sight of his Guardian, he let out another cry down the hall that saw countless soldiers bursting in.

"Sir," he cried, running to grab the boy's shoulder and steady him as he lurched forward again. "Sir, what is it? What's wrong?"

But they wouldn't understand. He pushed himself forward, his eyes scanning the crowd until he saw the face he wanted; the face that would understand exactly what had to be done. He had promised.

"Bryan," he rasped, reaching for the teen. The lavender eyes narrowed, and with a sweep of his wings he leapt the soldiers standing in his way, landing lightly by the teen's side. Another ripple of power shifted through the blunette, and he whimpered as it passed, noticing that this wave had been weaker than the last.

"What is it Tyson?"

He looked into the older angel's face, his honey brown eyes, almost brimming with tears as he forced the words out of his mouth.

"Rei…Something…has happened. You… must…" he drew another long, exhausted breath. "You must…make sure… he's alive… I think…"

But he didn't have to say the rest. He saw the horror bloom in Bryan's eyes as he knew it had done his own. Rei could be dead, and the thought alone drove Bryan to his feet. Giving the teen one last, long look, he nodded, before turning, and running from the room.

Rei rolled onto his side as the final wave of painful energy passed over him. Sweat ran down his face as though he had been in a steam room, and his wings trembled as if he had been flying for days. He crawled back onto his hands and knees, then forced himself to his feet. Drigger glowed at his chest, sending a new calming aura to envelope him, and he felt his body relax slightly. He staggered toward the back of the room, and came to a sudden stop.

The Angel that stood before him was not the one he had left there. The image of the red head, his slender, broken body encased in ice, his cerulean eyes glowing with ghostly brilliance, was forever branded to his brain. He'd thought he'd failed, unable to break the barriers and protect the mortal angel in his charge. He was a Guardian, and yet his magick had not been sufficient.

Yet Tala stood before him, tall and proud, his eyes shining with that inner blue fire. His pale body was unmarked, and completely ice free.

A small, inarticulate cry of shock slipped through the neko's lips. "Tala," he whispered, "you're alright?"

The teen paused before answering, glancing down at himself almost as though checking he was indeed unaffected. He looked up again.

"I'm fine." He sounded…amazed. More than amazed, he sounded relieved. "I'm fine." He glanced back toward the container, and then to the floor. A frown lit his face, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"Shit," he sighed, "I dropped it…"

"You don't remember dropping it?" Rei's voice was incredulous. "What do you remember? Cause the last 10 minutes have been some of the worst of my life! You were…frozen."

The blue eyes turned to him, looking confused. "Frozen? But…I felt warm. Hot even."

Rei shook his head, his golden eyes slightly wild as he remembered the teens imprisoned form. "You were…trapped in this ice…" He looked up, eyes betraying his fear for a moment. "And I couldn't get you out…"

The red head's features softened slightly at the distressed look on the other angels face, and he shook his head, almost bemused.

"Relax Kon. I'm fine; just look at me. I've never felt better. But we…"

The teen paused for a moment, and Rei stared at him curiously, before a look of horror broke out over the older boys face. He reached out, grabbing Rei's arm in a vice like grip that stung with frost. Rei winced, while the Tiger inside growled his displeasure. Tala took no notice, his pale face deathly white.

"Do you feel that?" he whispered, eyes gazing into nothingness.

Rei paused, looking at him strangely, before he let down the shield he had put between himself and the Tiger. After the last ten minutes of energetic torture, he had unconsciously tried to protect himself from anything else the Tiger might…throw at him. As he allowed his mind to realign itself with his Guardian, a sense of Darkness washed over him, almost as painful as the energy shocks.

He jerked himself around, toward the door, and remembered why he had burst into the room in the first place.

"Shit, the army!" He yanked his arm free of the red head's painful grip. "Hell's army marches Tala! We must warn Heaven!"

Tala shook himself free of his shock, and nodded. "Let's move."

Both teens ran for the door, throwing it open and darting down the hallway. As they rose through the levels, Rei had an idea.

"Tala," he panted, "I can't carry you from a straight out leap into the air, but if we went off the roof, I could glide you to the gates…"

The red head glanced over. They both knew that at the gates, Tala would have to stay behind. Heaven must be told, and he was dead weight…

"There's the stairs!"

They angled for them, their footsteps light and fast. Rei took the lead, his natural feline abilities taking over as he lengthened his stride. The Tiger within him roared a warning, as the door to roof appeared. Rei's golden eyes glowed, and with a burst of strength he sent the door flying outwards. He burst out into the sulfuric air, almost grateful for its stinging burn to his lungs. He turned, watching Tala run out the door after him.

"Tala, we're almost there, are you-"

"KON!"

Pain exploded through his body as something grabbed him from behind, digging into his spine. A spasm rippled through his wings at the pain, and with a cry he was thrown across the roof. He slammed into ground, his wings shrieking as he rolled over them. He felt the blackness of unconsciousness creep into his vision, and fought it back. Drigger roared another warning, and this time he listened. Rolling to the side, he leapt back on to his feet. Throwing his hand out, he shot bolts of golden light towards his attacker.

Kai blocked them deftly; his dark eyes alight with vicious intent as he continued to walk calmly towards him. His sable wings were held high, the black marks decorating his flesh along with the morbid brandings of multiple forms of torture. His clothes were simple, all dark, and across his back and around his waists were the weapons of demons, each wickedly sharp and designed to inflict maximum damage.

A sick feeling overtook the teen as he backed up. He flung more bolts of energy at the teen, trying not to drain himself, and the dark angel simply laughed as he brushed them aside, as though they were nothing. Rei felt fear twist his insides, before he turned and leapt off the roof, throwing his wings wide as he flew. Behind him, he heard the sound of laughter, before he felt Kai pursue him.

'How is this possible!' his mind screamed at him. Dranzer rested with Tala, and so long as Kai did not possess his Talisman, he should not have the power to do what he did. His powers were phenomenal; Rei couldn't defeat him like this…he needed Tyson and Max, and the power of the Phoenix behind him to even put a scratch on him!

A clawed hand closed around his ankle, and he hissed in shock and pain as he felt the sharp nails pierce his skin. The blunette let out a victorious screech that made the Tiger's ears throb, before using the full strength of his body to rip the teen through the air and hurl him back toward the roof. Rei flung his wings wide, trying to slow his progress, before Kai slammed into his chest, driving him into the cement and sharp stones of the roof, ripping his back to shreds.

Consciousness left him. The world was a sickening haze of red, orange and black as his mind tried to resume control of his body. He could feel his wings, jerking and trembling. His head was throbbing incessantly, while his ankle burned with the beginning of demon poisoning. The Tiger within was roaring its thunderous cry, deafening the inside of his mind and adding to the pain in his head. A small part of his mind begged him not to get back up, to stay in the blackness and leave all the pain behind. And the notion was seconded by his tortured body. Yet he suppressed the desire, and clung to the faint glimmers of light dancing across his vision.

With a flare of reality, he came back to the world, the sulfurous, depressing, fiery world he longed to escape. He tried to sit up, feeling the broken skin at his wing joints split even further, and the blood run down his back. A fist shot out, grabbing him by the throat.

Horror flooded through him, accompanied by panic as he choked for air. Kai's ebony gaze appeared before him, smirking as he gripped the teen tighter. Rei grabbed at the hands that held him, and thought of Drigger. Energy bolts shot from his hands into the Dark angel, and for a moment, his grip loosened, and he bowed his head as though in pain. Rei felt hope bloom in his chest as he prepared to fire another round, his head starting to swim from lack of oxygen, before the dark angel lifted his head.

The hope died. His eyes were bottomless pits of merciless hate. Around his neck, a dark glow, ringed with fire red, appeared. Attached to the chain of dark energy was a Talisman, blacker than the depths of Hell. Faintly, he could see the outline of a vicious looking bird engraved on the surface. The source of his power…

"Your pathetic feline cannot hope to compare to the might of Black Dranzer." Kai's once calm, smooth voice came out in a hiss and a growl, gravelly and deep. His fingers tightened, and with a vicious growl, he unsheathed his claws, digging them into the teen's throat. Rei's golden eyes widened as he felt the poison seep into his veins.

'I'm going to die…' he realized dimly, the darkness of unconsciousness returning, 'and the man I love is going to kill me…'

With a flash of light, an icy cold passed over him, followed by a blistering heat. Kai was gone, and for a minute, Rei thought perhaps he had died, and this was what happened to angel's once that part of their existence was over. Then he saw the red head's crystal clear gaze above him, and with a sickening sense of loss, he realized he was still alive.

"Breathe Kon! Come on!"

Oxygen scraped down the teen's throat, almost burning it on the way down to his lungs. With that first crisp, cold breath of air, Rei felt the edges of reality sharpen. His dizzy vision narrowed into a fine point, and he tried to sit up.

"Thank you! God, anyone would think you wanted to die you crazy shit!"

Tala's hands were moving over him, and he could hear a tearing sound as the teen shredded his own shirt, and began to gently bind it around his throat. The burn, he realized dimly, was not the oxygen, it was the poison.

"Kon, you have to summon Drigger."

His voice came out in a rasp as he spoke. "I…can't…Kai…too strong…"

Tala shook his head, looked up, and leapt to his feet. His face was a mixture of pain, anger and defiance as he took up a defensive position over the neko-jin.

"You don't need Drigger to fight, Kon. I'll take care of that. Drigger has to heal you before the poison spreads. Do it; do it now or you will die."

Rei saw, in his fading vision, that in his hand the red head clasped his newest find, the Ice Talisman, while around his throat, Dranzer glowed with her fiery radiance. The teen looked fierce, and perfectly capable, yet Rei felt dread settle in his chest. Tala was not a Guardian, and the chances of him surviving this fight were minimal at best. He should be up, and fighting, but his body was fast succumbing to the poison being pumped through to his heart.

'Drigger…' his mind called, and he both heard and felt the Tiger respond with a glow and a purr. 'Can you heal me, my friend? I must help Tala defeat Kai, or Heaven will perish…Please…Heal me?...'

Light engulfed him, and he let himself be carried away in the magnificence of the Tiger's energy, as Tala squared off against the only person he had ever let himself care about.

"Kai." His voice came out bitter and tortured, the sight of his dark angel so mangled making his heart break in his chest. The Dark Angel cracked a feral grin, flaring his wings wide and flapping them slightly, mocking the teen.

"Red…" his growl of a voice came out, "aren't you a sight for sore eyes. It's a pity really. I've always liked your eyes. They'd look wonderful on my mantle…"

His smirk was as cutting as glass, and Tala felt his stomach clench. He gripped the Talisman in his hand tighter, and was rewarded with a blast of comfort and confidence. His mind became centered, and he let loose a deep breath, before smiling coldly.

"Unfortunately, I plan to be using them for many years yet. I'd be more concerned about your own good self; if you survive today at all…"

The blunette growled in anger, the vicious glitter of fun swallowed by the blackness of his eyes. "Watch yourself 'angel', if you can even call yourself that any more…"

Tala felt a dull thump in his chest that told him his heart was still beating, and that was good enough for him. He concentrated all his energy on the dark one before him.

"My previous affection for you notwithstanding, if you continue to run your mouth to a Warlock such as myself, I will end your life… as slowly, and painfully, as I know how." His tone of voice told Tala he was perfectly serious, but it was the way he said 'previous affection' that twisted his insides.

"You were planning to kill me anyway," he shot back, trying to use the confidence of his new Talisman and his own anger to make his voice as strong as possible. "Just as you were going to kill Rei."

The ebony wings bunched in a tight curl before flaring out. The vivid black marks on his body became distinctly sharper, and the Beast around his throat glowed like a hot coal.

"All Guardians must die. I am the only one worth keeping. That buzzard around your neck, the Tiger, the Dragon, and the Tortoise will all perish this day, mark my words, and their Keepers will join them."

"Then what the Hell we're you planning to do with me?" he snarled, his anger beginning to win over his calm. "Were you hoping I'd just love you as a monster, rather than my friend and lover?"

The Dark Angel chuckled, the sound sending shivers down his spine. "Please Red. I don't care if you love anything. You will 'belong' to me. You will be my pet, and I will keep you here, for my own… pleasure."

The red head felt his skin crawl at the tone of the teen's voice. His stomach told him he wanted to be sick, but he fought the impulse. His whole being screamed at him that this was wrong, that Kai would never say this to him, or treat him like this, but there the blunette stood, his face as impassive and uncaring as he had ever seen it. Kai had never looked at him like that, and he had never spoken to him like he thought he was nothing. The way Kai held him, spoke to him, and spoke of him, was always as though he was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

This Kai thought nothing of him at all.

Fury ignited in his chest. This was not 'his' Kai. This Kai was a dark, twisted thing, created and spat forth from the bowels of Hell. It bore the markings of his lineage, and his torture, and the soul that had once inhabited it was diminished, if not gone.

"You are NOT Kai Hiwatari."

His voice came out cold and hard, and he felt his whole body tense in anticipation. He looked up at the teen, his cerulean eyes like ice. The Warlock had frozen at the proclamation, but now, his whole body seemed taut with rage.

"How dare you. I am the last of the great Hiwatari line! I am a pureblood Warlock, while you are a pathetic, lowly angel!"

"You are the lowly one!" Tala screamed back. "You are the slimy, black hearted monster that has crawled from the pits of Hell! You are NOTHING!"

The blunette lunged forward, swift as he ever was. But Tala had trained with him since they were children, and he knew every move like they were his own. He sidestepped as swiftly as Kai lunged, and brought his knee up to connect with the dark angel's chest.

A rush of air escaped the teen as his lungs were crushed, but no other sound came out. Moving with the momentum the dark angel swung round and delivered a king hit to the angel's head. Tala raised his arm, barely blocking the blow before his arm crashed into the side of his head with the force. He staggered back, managing to block another jab at his throat, before leaping backwards.

As he did, Kai grinned, the feral twist of his lips making Tala wince. He glanced behind him, and saw why the other teen was happy. He was meters from the ledge of the roof, and the drop to the ground below was larger than he could manage. Without making the jump, he felt his heart drop.

He spun back, facing the teen.

"Last chance angel," Kai spoke, his gravelly voice condescending and saying the last word as though it were dirty. "Kneel before me, and beg my forgiveness, and I won't throw you to the earth and bury you beneath it. The best bones in you are already broken; don't make me break the rest."

The look in his eyes suggested that the one thing he would like more than anything would be to break the rest of his bones, but the red head did not waver.

"Get bent, Kai 'Hiwatari'. I'd rather rot."

The Dark Talisman glowed as it's keeper smirked coldly. "So be it, but you will pray for death long before death will visit you, I promise you that."

He moved forward. It felt as though time was slowing as he watched him. His dark grace was beautiful, he realized numbly, but so was the spring in his step when he won a fight. The flare of passion in his crimson eyes, the flush under his pale cheeks as the red head made him blush, the way his wings would lift unconsciously every time he entered the room…

These were the images of Kai Hiwatari he would frame forever in his mind, as they were the most beautiful. As he braced himself against the onslaught, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

Rei was on his feet, his wings held high. In his hand was the shred of shirt Tala had used to bind his throat, and the marks that had decorated his neck were gone. His eyes blazed as he pointed his fingers toward Kai, and let loose a battle cry. A golden lightning bolt shot through the air, and connected with the dark angel's unprotected chest. He rocketed sideways, his wings wide as he went over the side of the building.

The red head couldn't help a cry of horror as he half lunged after him, almost attempting to catch him as he fell, before Rei grabbed him round the waist, and pulled him backward.

"Ivanov, we have to move, while we have the advantage. Only my neck and ankle are ok, the rest of me still hurts like hell, and I don't think I can do another lightning bolt."

Tala turned his crystal blue eyes on him. "I can fight with you. If we combine our power, we could beat him."

Rei shook his head frantically. "You're not a Guardian, it could kill you."

"It's worth the sacrifice," the teen replied, his eyes on the ledge of the building. "Wolborg, Dranzer and Drigger can beat that black hearted prick," he added bitterly.

Rei glanced at him. "Wolborg?"

Tala looked down, holding out his hand and opening it to reveal the silver charm. Emblazoned across the surface was a Wolf with crystal bristles down its back, the gems of its eyes icy clear quartz. Rei felt a pulse from Drigger, and the beginnings of an idea in the back of his mind. Surely…

A screech ripped the air apart, and Kai rose over the ledge again, a charred spot with burnt material visible on his chest. Black waves of energy rolled around him as he landed, advancing on them with fury on his face. Rei held out his hand, palm facing the dark teen, and Tala copied him, putting up both hands with a Talisman clenched in each. Fire burned in one, while Ice stung in the other, and with a charged cry he pulled the energy from both, and sent it hurtling toward his lover. Before it struck, golden light seemed to wrap around it, binding them together. The energy torpedo struck Kai head on, and they heard that gut wrenching screech as he tried to fight it off. The black energy pulsed close to his body at first, before growing larger, and larger. With another glass shattering, ear splitting shriek of defiance, the teen threw off the energy, making it ripple outwards and slam into nearby pillars and buildings.

The result was destructive, crippling towers and causing small explosions as the different powers hit pockets of sulfur and fire. As the ground shook, energy roiling over the two angels as they tried to maintain their footing, Kai responded. Moving forward, he ripped the Talisman from his chest, and held it toward the ground.

"Contain them," he commanded, and Tala watched in horror as black lines gouged themselves into the roof, and snaked towards them.

The red head backed up swiftly, managing to dart outside of the black containment lines before becoming trapped. Rei, on the other hand, had not been so fast. He slammed into the wall of black energy, before it hurled him backwards, driving him to the floor. Struggling back to his feet, Tala watched him grip Drigger tightly, his knuckles white with the force before sending another energy bolt at the wall. Tala cried out in shock as it rebounded, slicing back into the teen and bringing him to his knees. He wished he could help, but he had bigger problems.

The Dark Angel was advancing on him, and though the Talismans in his hands cried out to him to do something, he was no longer sure he could. Kai was too strong.

"Any last words, Ivanov?" the teen growled, coming to stand in front of him, their faces centimeters apart.

He wanted to tell him he was a monster; that he would be condemned to Hell forever for betraying Heaven, for betraying him, and making him suffer just by looking at him. He wished he could say that the sight of him turned his stomach, and he'd rather be dead than his fuck toy. Everything they had ever worked for had come to nothing, and he had succumbed to the darkness, the weakness within. He was pure evil now, a soulless creature of Hell that longed only to see others suffer. Hell had succeeded in destroying who he was; in making him their slave. He wanted to say that, all of it.

"I love you Kai…"

The four simple words slipped from his lips before he could rethink them. His eyes betrayed him, staring deep into the others eyes and trying to convey a life time's worth of emotion in a single glance. What he did not expect was the flash of scarlet behind the Dark Phoenix's gaze.

A gasp escaped the teen as he took a step forward, now bringing them so close all he could see was his childhood friend. He stared deep into the others eyes, searching, searching for the flash of life he had seen there.

"Kai, please…"

A fist connected with his stomach. At such close range, the blow was almost crippling, and the air rushed out of his lungs as he sank to his knees. A hand gripped the sling that was still wrapped around his torso and his wings, and used it to drag him to the buildings edge. Behind him, he could hear Rei screaming his name, but he could not respond. His body throbbed with the pain of Kai's assault, and he was desperately trying to drag air back into his lungs.

"I'm sure you thought the sentiment would mean something, but Ivanov, I am going to enjoy watching you fall even more than fucking you senseless. When you see God, tell him he's a fucking retard."

He gripped the teen around the throat and lifted him over the edge, holding him there. The muscles in his arms flexed, and the veins stood out as he held the full weight of the teen in one arm, wings and all.

As he lifted high, preparing to drop the teen, a battle horn sounded. It resonated through the cliffs and caves of Hell, bouncing off the mansions, and making Kai pause.

A smirk stole over his face.

"My Grandfather summons me. The time to destroy your home is nigh." A black tendril of power reached out, past the teen's face, and Tala felt it against the joints of his wings, his sling being removed. It bore the emblem of the Healers on it, and the dark angel plucked it out of the air as it fell toward him. He sniffed it, and grinned.

"A memento, as I cannot stay to enjoy your departure from this world." He paused, his dark eyes regarding him thoughtfully. "Goodbye."

He let go, and Rei screamed in horror as the red head's wide blue eyes disappeared from sight. He flung himself at the barrier, barely feeling the jolt of dark energy that shot through him as he stared at the spot Tala had fallen from.

"Tala…" he moaned, wondering if the teen was still alive at the bottom. He didn't even see Kai turn from where he dropped his lover, walking slowly towards him. He stood by the prison he had created, and smirked in at his final captive.

"I'll return for you Kon, and I'll bring you your little gay friends as company. By the end though, you will wish I had shown you the same mercy as Ivanov."

He smiled again, that cold, cruel look that made the neko's insides quiver, before turning, and leaping into the air. He darted through the sky, disappearing into the smoke, and heading towards the sound of a battle horn.

Rei sank to the ground. The Tiger roared at him, but he no longer had the strength to fight back. The negative force of his containment was sapping him dry of his energy, and leaving him broken. Tala was surely dead, and he was trapped in Hell, unable to break this cage. Heaven was to be set upon by Kai, and from his own battle here, he knew they would not win. Heaven would fall, and sometime in the near future, he would die. He closed his eyes, a prayer falling from his lips; a prayer that his death would come as swiftly as Tala's had.

… read and review please?

NC