Chapter V: Kiss From A Rose

FD: Hey, I'm back with a cute little song that my boyfriend, Bo, and I love. In fact, almost every night Bo sings it to me on piano, and I love it. Anyways, this song inspired me to write a chapter about the relationship between Alara and Tala, like how the song represents the love between Bo and me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy.


There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea

You became the light on the dark side of me

Love remained a drug that's high and not the pill

But did you know,

That when it snows,

My eyes become large and

The light that you shine can be seen

Tala was lying in the grass under the stars, his mind wondering to the clouds over him, flying elegantly in the darkened sky. In his hand was the picture of Alara of six years ago. He wanted to see her again.

"I've been waiting for you, Tala. It's boring here…."

"Tala, you wanna beybattle?"

"Hey, Tala, that's not fair! You cheated!"

"Tala, what are you saying? Are you saying I get on your nerves?"

No, you don't. I do. I should have told you how I felt that day. I should have come over to your house and told you I loved you. And then you would have lived. And we'd still be together. As Tala thought this, he wiped away more tears that were appearing. What could he do? He had lost his true love. And what made it worse, he couldn't let her go.

Up in the trees surrounding the land, an angel-goddess watched him carefully, hiding herself in the shadows, so he would not see her. Her black hair billowed in the wind that brushed across his face. The moonlight that entered into her eyes welcomed him within it. She sighed, hugging the trunk next to her, her heart fluttering endlessly as she looked at him. Who was she to turn away from love?

Tala looked up at the moon, memories flying through his mind. He was back at the abbey seven years ago, waiting for someone to arrive. And there they came. A girl. Alara. A smile wide and proud on her face. Then he was inside the darkened laboratory of the abbey, scientists working at computers, wires hooked up into his body, Alara fighting with Boris. Tala couldn't move. He was numb. He couldn't help her.

That's why she died. When Tala was young, he wasn't that good of a blader, so they did experiments on him, try to make him stronger and more powerful. They were life-threatening experiments. And Alara found out about that and tried to stop them. And she did. She used the Dark Angel to destroy the computers and free Tala. But when she did, she threatened Boris that she would tell everyone.

That was the reason she died. It was because of that. And the fight they were having was about that. Tala was asked to try some experiments, yet he didn't know they were life threatening. Alara did. And she had tried to warn Tala. But he did the worst imaginable thing. He threw it all back at her. Told her to shut up and to get bent. He shouldn't have done that. He should have listened to her. If not, then she would have still been alive.

Baby I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray

Ooh, the more I get of you

The stranger it feels, yeah

Now that your rose is in bloom

A light hits the gloom on the grave

You have to quit blaming yourself for my death, Tala, Alara thought. It's not your fault. I chose to reveal that secret. I chose to threaten Boris. It's not your fault.

Reading her best friend's mind, the angel-goddess sat on the branch, watching her friend with at most care and concern. There was so much she wanted to do. So much she wanted to tell him, the love of her life. But she couldn't. She could only allow the wind to whisper what she wanted.

And it wasn't true that Tala didn't feel the same way. He did. Right then, he sat up and looked out into the trees. This was where they had first met. This was where they had battled. This was where their lives had changed.

"Hey, I bet I can beat you with my Dark Angel!"

"Dream on! No one can beat me!"

"You so sure about that?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself?"

They were so little, so innocent. They could have explored the world and cause no sin or wrong. But they did sin. They did when they joined the abbey. Now Tala was regretting it. He shouldn't have tried to convince Alara to come. She was more than just a friend to him. She was everything. She was what kept him alive. She was what told him to hold on, and to never give up. When she died, almost all of him did.

There is so much a man can tell you

So much he can say

You remain my power, my pleasure, my pain

Baby, to me you're like a growing addiction I can't deny

Won't you tell me, is that healthy, baby?

But did you know, that when it snows

My eyes become large

And the light that you shine can be seen?

Tala stood up. He knew what Alara would say if she was here right now. She would probably tell him that it wasn't his fault. She would probably say that it was meant to happen, that it was one of fate's many misunderstood tricks. She would probably tell him not to worry. But if she were here, he wouldn't have to worry about it.

Up in the tree, tears fell from the silver eyes belonging to the goddess. She could only watch helplessly as her friend began to feel sorry for himself. She couldn't do anything. If she did, she would be revealed. And then she would have to go back. At that moment, as the tears fell, a light shined on her from the moon, and she then saw what fate had in store for them.

"We can't go back to what we once were, Tala. We have to face it. This is our life now. This is what and how we must live. We have to accept it. Our lives have changed. Our destinies have changed. And how we once were can never be the same. I'm sorry," she whispered gently to the wind, hoping her message will be received.

As Tala looked up at the moon, he closed his eyes, and imagined Alara. Suddenly, something warm brushed against his lips, like as if a gentle kiss was placed on them. But when he opened his eyes, he could have sworn he saw someone. Someone beautiful and white, standing in the branches over him.

But that image quickly faded when something hard hit him from behind. His vision at first went crimson, then black, and he felt his body hit the ground hard.

Up in the trees, an angel, Alara, watched helplessly as a group of men hit Tala from behind across the head with what looked like a metal pipe, and they grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him away. She had to help him.

She was so busy with reliving the moment, she had failed to notice the men. They were the same men from the other night who Tala had beaten, a few new of them. Alara had to save Tala. But could she risk being revealed?

Baby, I compare to a kiss from a rose on the grey

Ooh, the more I get of you

Stranger it feels, yeah

Now that your rose is in bloom

A light hits the gloom on the gray

I've been kissed by a rose on the grave….


FD:Sorry if it seems a little short, but I had to rush it up a bit because I kept losing the idea for the ending. So, if you like, review. Tiky, my apologies about the last chapter for making Tala get drunk. I'm sorry if that was a turn-off, because for me, I thought it was cute. Anyways, peace!