:Yes. Remember last time? The power of two hosts is needed to defeat it. Daisuke knew that:
:Oh my god...:
:Hold on: the demon whispered.
Satoshi didn't get the chance to think even one more thought as Krad launched himself at the... beautiful young woman who was staring at him from terror wide eyes? Where before there had been evil, cold and sadistic eyes watching them, there were now wide, dark eyes, impossibly deep, filled with despair and fear. The face had undergone a softening, growing pale and beautiful, a mere girl with the innocence to match the outer appearance.
:It's a fraud. Remember:
Power gathered, magic churned through Krad's system, and Satoshi was just a backseat rider, a spectator, as all that energy was unleashed. He was in awe, in terror, in wonder, and part of him had to hold on to his very self not to be drowned in the mass of power.
And then Krad hit with everything he had which was a lot now.
°
In another dimension, Daisuke fell limp on the couch. A whimper, barely more than a whisper, escaped his ashen lips.
Kosuke stroked over his son's face, his own scrunched up in shared suffering.
Hopefully, it was over.
°
"Who are you?" Krad asked coldly, looking down on the beaten female figure.
He was towering over the fallen creature, his features a mask, his eyes without emotions.
The 'girl' stirred, large black eyes turned toward the demon.
"I'm Hel," the voice wasn't that of a man any longer, no magic was wavering around her form any more she was defeated.
"Why did you do this to us?"
"You're pain is my nourishment."
It was so simple.
'I believe it targeted them because of their power, their individualism,' Daikii had explained to them when he had researched this thing.
Once the Mugen Light, now just a caricature of the beautiful piece of art it had once been. A twisted and jaded piece, something so far removed from its original condition, it was no longer anything but a... monster.
Krad gazed at the girl, Hel. He saw in her everything he might have turned into. He saw in her everything twisted and cruel and dark, everything that his soul had started to turn into. She was a mirror of what could have become of him, his possible future. Like him she had been manipulated by humans, though they had never known what they did. The Hikari had known. They had chained him, tortured him...
The dark memories threatened to overwhelm him and Krad pushed them away.
"I just wanted to live," Hel whispered brokenly.
"Life is not the pain and death of others," Krad snarled.
Her eyes bore into his, searching and finding, and she smiled dimly. "You had my fate, demon. You escaped it, but it nearly killed you and your host. How can you judge me?"
He smiled coldly. "You tried to kill me, Hel. I'm not a forgiving person."
"I'm not begging forgiveness for my deeds. I enjoyed what I did."
Inhuman golden eyes met soulless black ones. She felt no remorse, no mercy, no regret. There was only one way to end this.
Krad raised his hand, and Satoshi froze when he saw the light reflecting on the sharp blade of the sword -
:Krad:
and with one swift move brought it down onto the creature, ignoring the shocked gasp from his other half, when the head was severed from the torso. She didn't have time to struggle as the inevitable happened her energy was dissolving, and Krad reached out, absorbed the glittering sparkles as they appeared in the air. It wasn't Hel anymore, nor was it in any way good or evil, just energy. And he knew better than to let it pour all over the realm she might be able to restructure herself. And there was someone who needed it a lot more, who was fading, who was dying. Krad closed his eyes, felt the energy soak into his body, twirl through his very soul, and he tried to see what Hel had once been, but it was no longer there.
He didn't see the dazed violet eyes, filled with horror and pain, gazing at him.
°
After only a few seconds the golden eyes opened and looked around the now empty realm. Even the illusion of a storm-swept, rocky landscape was dissolving, turning into the gray nothingness that was the basic material all illusions in here were made of.
Krad walked over to where his lover was laying on the ground. Dark hadn't moved throughout the entire fight and appeared to be very much out of it. Dry blood was clinging to the shredded clothes, the feathers of his wings stained with the vital fluid. It was painful to see the open fractures, the white bones poking out of the bloody mess, and Krad tried to ignore it. He knew the pain; he had felt it so many times before, at the hands of the Hikari.
Something suddenly touched him, brushing over his still shielded mind, and he glanced at his host. Satoshi appeared pale but composed and there was a steely resolve in the blue eyes that had Krad smile a little.
:Soon: he whispered.
It was an apology, a request, and a promise. When this was over, when they were home, he would let Satoshi in again. Even now he felt the first slivers of need for the strength of his host, but he wouldn't give in. There was too much he still had to do.
Kneeling beside the kaitou, Krad gently cradled his head and bent down, pressing their lips together. It was more than just a kiss. It was a breath of life, a way to transfer energy. It could be done by a touch, but this way was faster, channeled more of the vital power. The demon didn't stop until Dark moaned under him, slowly regaining consciousness.
"Dark," Krad whispered, smiling a little as he combed blood-matted hair out of his lover's face.
Dark's eyes blinked dazedly. He was still weak, very much in pain, and confused. Krad interlaced the fingers of one hand with his, squeezing it reassuringly.
"K-krad?" came the faint whimper, sounding weak and broken.
Krad smiled, cradling Dark in his hold. "Yes, it's me. You're safe."
"Safe?"
"Yes."
Krad held Dark tightly, feeling the lean body tremble uncontrollably. He rested his chin on the dark head and continued to softly reassure his partner that he was safe now, that everything was going to be okay. He didn't want to think about the injuries in detail right now. The general look was bad already. Dark was in the worst possible shape right now.
"What are you doing here?" Dark whispered. His eyes were closed and Krad felt Dark's good hand curl around his own wrist.
He smiled. "Saving your sorry butt."
A dry chuckle escaped him. Blurry eyes fell on his face.
"Thank you," his partner breathed, slumping against him.
Krad protectively laid his hand and arm over the dark head, feeling the tremors increase. After some time, Dark quieted down, going limp against him, his ragged breathing still a bit uneven. They simply sat together for a while. There was no more danger. All that counted was that Dark was alive, that he was here. Krad had no intention of ever letting go again.
"We need to leave," Krad said after a while. "I've got to carry you back. Can you take in your wings?"
The only answer was a muffled moan of pain and denial, and Krad sighed. He had known the kaitou was in no condition, but he had had to ask.
"Okay, I'll do it for you. It will hurt."
Dark swallowed and nodded weakly. "Do... it..."
Krad lowered him back to the ground, so very, very careful, laying half on his side. He concentrated, focusing on his energy, then placed a hand against the bloodied back. The black, ruined wings shimmered with the golden light, bristling, crackling like alive, and began to dissolve slowlyand then Dark jerked, screaming. Krad tried to tune out the agonized cries, focusing only on doing away with the wings, but it was almost impossible. Dark spasmed once, then the wide, violet eyes rolled back in his head and the very next second Dark grew limp.
:Krad...: Satoshi sounded shaken and weak.
Somehow, through it all, the shields had wavered more and Satoshi had felt and seen more than Krad had really wanted him to. Things were leaking, and not just what had just happened with Dark.
:He lost consciousness. It's better for him:
Krad carefully cradled the torn and bloody mass that was his lover's body in his arms, holding him as gently as he could.
:You killed her: Satoshi whispered, shell-shocked.
Yes, things had leaked, much to Krad's dismay. He hadn't wanted his host to be a witness, but he had been unable to keep it from the sharp mind.
:I had to, Satoshi. She would have come back. There is nothing left of her former self. There was only hunger and mindless instinct:
:We could have found a way...:
:There was none: the demon answered emotionlessly. :She had to be put down. She had passed the point of no return a long time ago:
Satoshi swallowed, moving away from him, trembling with what he had witnessed, with the rage and darkness boiling up inside Krad, with the murder...
Krad closed his eyes and steeled himself against the remorse he felt for having his host see him like this. Not now. Later maybe.
"Let's go home," he murmured and spread his wings.
It was time to leave this place.
° ° °
Krad materialized in the basement of the Niwa home, the torn figure of Dark in his arms. Emiko's mouth opened in a silent gasp, wide eyes on the multiple injuries, the gruesome wounds, and she made two steps toward the pair before Daikii stopped her. Krad ignored the woman and quickly climbed the stairs, dimly aware of Towa coming back from the art world as well, of Emiko demanding to know what had happened, but he couldn't care less about anyone but the man in his arms.
Walking into the living room the golden eyes of the demon fell on the semi-conscious form of Niwa Daisuke. Kosuke was kneeling at his son's side, looking up, dark eyes meeting feline ones. The older man rose fluidly and stepped aside, very much aware of what was asked of him without anyone having voiced the question.
Dark stirred slightly, moaning a name that could have been Krad's, and the demon smiled dimly.
"You're home," he murmured as he approached the bruised and battered host.
Daisuke sat up with a lot of difficulty, his face pale and drawn, sweat beading on his brow, and inside Krad, Satoshi radiated his own despair at the sight of his lover.
Krad would hand control over to his own host soon, but not just yet. Carefully, he went down on his knees where Daisuke was clinging to the edge of the couch, brown eyes dilated, breathing harshly, gasping with the pain that raced through his body.
"Dark," the young man whispered, one hand reaching for the injured kaitou.
Violet eyes opened and met Daisuke's, and Krad almost felt the raw need radiating off his other half. Host and symbiote seemed to establish a link without even touching and then Daisuke touched the dark-haired demon, gently pulling him toward him. Krad relinquished his hold and watched as with a sob, Dark melted into his host.
Daisuke stiffened for just a second, then his eyes fluttered shut and he collapsed.
Krad caught the once again unconscious man, cradling him in his arms, aware of the rest of the family close by. He felt Emiko coming closer, hesitant, wary of his so very fearful and aggressive presence. It was time to retreat.
And he handed over control to Satoshi.
His host only listened to the soft breaths of his lover, felt the warmth and the life, and he thanked whatever power there was that they had survived.
tbc...
