This is it. I'm done for.
These were the words going through my head as I watched the massive ball of light heading right for me. Even through the attack, I could see the hatred in my opponent's eyes. He would never forgive me for hurting his precious boyfriend, and therefore planned to kill me. I shut my eyes, the light blinding me, and waited for my death. But the attack never struck. I could hear its impact, and the light dimmed, but I had a feeling that I wasn't dead, or even unconscious. Daring to open my eyes, I looked up from where I lay.
He looked like an angel. The attack he was blocking was creating a halo around his body, the energy tugging at his messy golden locks like a violent wind. He looked different. He was still shirtless (a fact that pleased me), but in place of the dark stripes, there were what looked like orange cracks that covered his body, seeming to originate from the eyes. For some reason, they didn't seem to be painted on, like his stripes were. In his hand was what looked like a double-bladed sword with a hilt in the center just barely big enough for his hand. He was using the blade to block the attack, which would have undoubtedly killed me. He was truly a sight for sore eyes.
"Tweek." I called out to him, though my voice came out as little more than a croak.
"Craig." he replied, his voice terrifyingly calm and…emotionless. The cold tone he used to say my name brought tears to my eyes and, for the first time in the history of forever, I, Craig Tucker, cried. I didn't sob noisily, but I couldn't stop the tears from escaping my eyes, or the constant hitches in my breath. I kept looking at Tweek long enough to see him turn to me before I had to turn away. I'm the one who betrayed him; I shouldn't be the one crying. Tweek turned back to Professor Chaos' attack and swung his double-bladed sword, deflecting the blast into the floor like it was nothing. A cloud of dust rose from the impact crater, and it circled us, refusing to disperse. Hidden from view, I curled up, burying my face in my arms. Frost still covered my body and my burns hurt like hell. I felt Tweek kneel next to me, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.
"You stupid asshole." he said, his tone more emotionless than mine. I flinched as he grabbed my shoulder, lifting me into a sitting position. I refused to look at him until I heard him sigh, which brought my reluctant eyes back to him. What I saw broke my heart, what was left of it.
His beautiful brown eyes were misty with unshed tears. He wasn't twitching like he usually did; he was trembling. He had a healing potion in his hand, and he was looking down at it.
"Drink this. It'll help." he said, his monotone beginning to fail. He was shaking so much that it was difficult to grab the potion. Once I actually did manage to take hold of it, I drank quickly, easing the cold and the burns at the same time (something must have been done to it, since a regular bottle of water couldn't heal these injuries). I smiled at him, but he just looked away, focusing on healing my wounds. I felt my heart break…again.
"Tweek. Please look at me." I begged him, not caring how pitiful I sounded. He ignored me, seeming to think that treating my injuries was the most interesting thing in the world. I knew he actually hated treating wounds of any sort, much less ones as serious as mine. "Tweek." I pleaded again. He looked at me this time, his eyes conflicted. I could see how desperately he wanted to trust me. I could also see how terrified he was of trusting me. It hurt more than those burns.
"I'm sorry." I said pitifully, knowing that a single apology would not be nearly enough, "Please forgive me."
Tweek narrowed his eyes, silent, not willing to consent to my pleas.
"I know I hurt you." I continued, seeing that he wasn't going to speak, "I know that what I've done to you is unforgivable. I abandoned you when you needed me, and that shame and regret will be with me for as long as I live." Tears began streaming down my face as I said the next part. "I know that you will hate me for this. I know that you won't forgive me. There's no reason you should. But please listen to me now." I took a deep breath, unable to continue. I noticed that Tweek was watching me closely, looking vaguely curious.
"I love you, Tweek." I said sincerely, "I've loved you for a long time. Ever since we first met, I've felt an irresistible urge to protect you, no matter how stupid any of your fears were." I looked up at the blond caffeine addict. His eyes were wide as saucers, but he didn't look mad, so I continued, "You are the only person who can make me smile. The only person who can brighten my day, no matter what. You are my life, and though I won't try to make you love me, just know that you will always have my heart."
I lowered my head, my sobs rendering me unable to speak. I clenched my fists, clutching my cloak as I tried futilely to contain my tears. I expected him to yell at me, to say that he hated me and never wanted to see me again. I expected him to cry, even threaten suicide, or to wish for my death. What he actually did, however, I was not expecting.
I gasped as I felt a pair of thin, yet surprisingly strong arms wrap around my body, pulling me into a warm embrace.
"Don't cry, Craig." I heard Tweek say, his voice no longer trembling and a smile coloring his tone, "I forgive you."
I pulled away and looked at the unusually calm caffeine addict, unable to contain my astonishment.
"B-But I betrayed you!" I stuttered, exasperation temporarily overshadowing my relief. Part of me cried out that I shouldn't be arguing, but the other, more ethical part, knew that I didn't deserve such kindness. "How can you forgive me so easily?!"
"Because I love you too." Tweek said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. My heart skipped a beat as my mouth opened and closed wordlessly. Seeing my obvious shock, he continued, "Yes, you betrayed me, and it hurt terribly, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you. You usually follow Clyde, so when he turned traitor, it's only natural for you to do so as well. He's your best friend, after all…" He trailed off, sounding a little sad. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"But you mean more to me than anything!" I yelled, unable to stop myself, "I should never have abandoned you! You need me a hundred times more than Clyde does, and I need you a thousand times more than I need him. You should hate me! Nobody should be this selfless and forgiving!"
"Angels can be." Tweek replied softly, his eyes turning upward.
"Angels?" I asked, confused.
Tweek didn't respond. Instead, he continued to look up, as if waiting for something. I followed his gaze, trying to discern what Tweek was looking at. Suddenly, a pair of glowing red lights appeared through the still-lingering dust cloud. They looked a little like a pair of eyes.
Wait...red eyes…it couldn't be…
"Tweek…is that…what the hell?!" I cried, the sight before me sending fearful shivers down my spine. Tweek's eyes were glowing too, a bright orange color that illuminated the dust cloud, making it look like it was on fire. The markings on his body, which had disappeared after he deflected Professor Chaos' attack, reappeared as well, glowing the same orange as his eyes. The red eyes flashed, as if in response to some unknown signal, before disappearing completely. I looked back at Tweek, who was smiling, the light in his eyes still present.
"Thank you, Dragonborn." he whispered, turning to me. I could almost feel the sparks coming from his eyes. They had me paralyzed.
"The Dragonborn has given me permission to tell you." Tweek said to me, the glow in his eyes radiating a mixture of relief and guilt, "I am not human."
My eyes widened further (if that was possible) and I swear I stopped breathing for a second. Tweek closed his eyes, releasing me from their spell, and continued.
"I am what is known as a Sacrificial Angel. I am a spirit being that absorbs the suffering of others into my own body, so that they may have a more comfortable life in this realm."
"Absorb their…suffering?" I asked, finally locating my voice, which had fled at the sight of the orange glow of his eyes.
"Yes." Tweek replied, opening his (still glowing) eyes again, "Unfortunately, each Angel can absorb only one ailment of the soul. I chose to absorb fear."
I thought that my eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. "You absorb fear?!" I meant to yell, but it came out as little more than a gasp.
Tweek nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately, even I can't take away all fear from the mortal realm. It would destroy me. Even so, every time I see fear within others, I can't help but feel that I have failed them."
"Forget that!" I yelled (successfully, this time), catching the caffeine addict off guard, "You suffer from paranoia, causing you to become addicted to caffeine, all to lessen the suffering of OTHER PEOPLE?!"
Tweek blinked at me, looking confused. "Of course. That's what Sacrificial Angels do."
"And you CHOSE to do this?!" I cried, exasperated.
"Yes. Sacrificial Angels always choose their path." Tweek replied, clearly not understanding the reason for my anger.
I stared at him, speechless. After a few minutes, Tweek began twitching, looking uncomfortable.
"Craig?" he called uncertainly, starting to sound more like his usual self. I didn't respond. Instead, I stood up, staggering slightly, and latched my arms around the twitchy blond when he moved to catch me.
"Tweek." I muttered, never wanting to let the other boy go, "Please, give me some of your pain. Let me help you."
"I cannot do that." Tweek replied apologetically, "I can transfer my pain to others, but only through curses, and that doesn't lessen my pain for long." I started to cry again (my head was starting to hurt from crying so much), but then Tweek added, "However, if you truly want to help me…" He lifted my chin so that I was looking at him, "…you can do so by staying by my side."
I looked at him with tears in my eyes, and I saw the most beautiful being standing in front of me. And when he smiled at me, wordlessly begging me to stay with him, I couldn't stop myself from leaning forward, pressing my lips against his. An indescribable joy filled me as I felt his smile widen at my unspoken answer, wrapping his arms around my neck as he kissed me back. I snaked my own arms around his waist, pulling the smaller boy closer to me, never wanting to let him go. I didn't hold him too tightly, knowing how afraid he was of being trapped, but when I opened my eyes and looked into his (they had returned to their normal color, finally), I saw no fear, only love. I smiled, resting my forehead against his as we separated.
"I'm sorry I left you." I whispered sincerely, staring directly into my new boyfriend's coffee-colored eyes, "I promise, I'll never do it again."
"I know." Tweek replied, a rare trusting look in his eyes. He then looked around, noticing that the dust cloud was starting to disperse, revealing angry little silhouettes at the edge of it.
"The Pirates." I muttered to myself. Tweek nodded, moving to my right side and wrapping an arm around my waist to support me. Suddenly, remembering my weakened state, I collapsed against him.
"We need to get out of here." Tweek said, his tone calming as his eyes began glowing again.
"What about Clyde?" I asked, remembering his plans to destroy the world (I've known him long enough to know that he was serious), "We have to stop him."
"Don't worry about Clyde." Tweek replied, looking up to where the red eyes had appeared a short while ago, "The Dragonborn will take care of him."
"The Dragonborn? You mean…" I asked, suddenly unsure of how to word my question. Tweek, apparently sensing my uncertainty, smiled and answered.
"His current human name is Sage Amsel, although most people know him as Douchebag now, courtesy of Cartman." Tweek explained, snarling at the mention of Cartman, who he disliked (hell, EVERYONE disliked Cartman), "He is the Angel of Unity."
I stared at Tweek, unable to believe my ears. "A-Angel of Unity?"
Tweek nodded. "The Angel of Unity is a powerful angel whose spirit usually takes the form of a dragon, hence the name "Dragonborn". He gave me permission to reveal myself to you." So those WERE his eyes after all! "He is a powerful spirit being. He'll take care of Clyde." He then lowered his eyes as his voice darkened. "Or at least, he'll protect Clyde from the wrath of the Antichrist he's called down upon himself."
I looked at Tweek as my breath caught in my throat. "T-T-The Antichrist?" I remembered the kid who had come to our school a long time ago, claiming to be the Antichrist, and he certainly had power enough to back his claim.
Tweek nodded again. "Damien. When he found out that Clyde had called himself the Dark Lord, which is Satan's rightful title, he vowed revenge. I'm sure, if he had his way, then Clyde would be spending many centuries in Hell." When I gulped, suddenly fearing for my friend's life, Tweek smiled comfortingly at me. "But don't worry, Sage won't let that happen. He may still let Damien take Clyde to Hell, but it won't be for more than a few days, I promise. Damien may be pissed, but I doubt Satan himself will be that offended. He's pretty easy going. Besides, he owes the Dragonborn."
"Satan owes Douchebag?!" I exclaimed, my mind blown. Tweek just smiled, shaking his head.
"The Angel of Unity can be very useful in Hell. But that's a conversation for a safer place." he said, looking again at the Pirates, who were getting closer.
"Yeah." I agreed, somehow knowing that Clyde's fate was in good hands, "Let's go home."
"I can only take you as far as Clyde's house." Tweek replied apologetically, "As a Sacrificial Angel, I serve under the Dragonborn, so I must remain nearby, in case he should need my services, as unlikely as that may be." His confidence in Dou- I mean, Sage's abilities lifted my spirits, reassuring me that my friends, and the world, would be safe.
"That's alright. We'll wait there, then." I told Tweek, who nodded in agreement. I then looked around to see that the dust had completely dispersed, and we were surrounded by pirates. I looked at Tweek, who merely smiled, holding up his double-bladed sword, which caused the pirates to back away in fear. He laughed (a wonderful sound) as the two blades flashed in a blinding display. As I felt myself moving through space at a high rate of speed, I sensed Tweek beside me and closed my eyes, letting the thrilling sensation fill my mind.
Thank you, my precious angel.