Arya looked around the park quietly as she stretched. She looked over and gave Zal a smile before stepping onto the path and starting to jog.
"Why did you want me to join you?" He matched her pace as he asked the question.
"Just thought you'd like some fresh air. It's nice out today," she answered. "You didn't have to come with though, if you didn't want to."
"It's not that. Just surprised, that's all." He sighed as he jogged.
"We don't spend a lot of time together since you've been out being a hunter. Maybe we could go work together a bit sometime? I miss working full time."
"Are you angry that I became a hunter? I've avoided asking out of fear." He said quietly. "I know you were unhappy when it was first mentioned."
"I'm not angry. How could I be? I decided to become a cop in a mob family," she chuckled. "I just worry about you because I care. It's not that I don't want you to do it, I just am worried something bad might happen. Though, it seems bad things keep happening anyway..." she trailed off.
He stopped, eyes on the ground. "I want to be helpful in gratitude to the life you and Dad have given me. If you wish it, I will do something else. I do not wish to worry you."
She stopped and looked back at him, putting her hand on his shoulder gently, "If being a hunter makes you happy, then I'm happy. All I want is your happiness and I wouldn't ask you to stop doing something that makes you happy."
He looked up at her for a moment, then nodded. "I am happy hunting. But I am even happier being with you."
She smiled softly, "I'm happy being with you too." She let go and began moving again.
She stopped a minute later, feeling eyes on her. Her eyes darted around trying to find out where it was coming from.
"Mom?" Zal moved up beside her, his body tense.
She was about to speak when a few arrows came flying forward. She attempted to dodge, but one embedded itself in her shoulder.
"MOM!" Zal screamed as he kept her from falling.
More arrows appeared, one hitting Zal in the leg.
Soon, a tall man appeared with a smirk on his face.
Arya tried to throw lightning toward him, but he moved quickly toward her, avoiding the hit and injected them both with something. He grabbed onto their arms and teleported them away.
They arrived in a small room and the man shoved Arya into a wall. She tried to fight back but her arms were chained up so she was facing the wall. He pushed her forward into it, the arrow that was still in her shoulder going deeper making her scream. He turned back to Zal with a smirk, "Ready to watch the fun?"
"Let her go, you bastard!" He aimed his hand at the man, confused when nothing happened.
The man continued to smirk, moving quickly and putting chains around Zal's hands. Zal was now attached to the wall, though he had more movement than Arya. He was facing her and watched as the man pressed a few spots on her back, her wings appearing and unfurling.
Zal kicked out at him, gritting his teeth at the pain from the arrow. "Get away from her! Don't touch her!" His vision was blurry, but he kept trying to protect Arya.
"Don't worry, you'll have your turn next." He smiled before grabbing a few tools. He ran a hand over her wings gently before brushing them. When he was done, he took one of the tools and began pulling the feathers out.
"Stop it!" Zal thrashed desperately, pulling on the chain that bound him. He managed to get a hand partially free and tried to grab the tool.
The man turned and kicked Zal in the face, knocking him back before continuing his work.
Arya stayed still and quiet, knowing it would hurt worse if she began fighting. She also knew, if he was focused on her, Zal wouldn't be in as much trouble.
Zal lay against the wall, only semi conscious. The blood streaming down his leg was slowly turning gold. His eyes blinked slowly at her.
What felt like hours later, her wings were finally stripped of their feathers. The man grinned at his work and the bucket of feathers. He then tightly grabbed her wings and twisted them, multiple snaps heard over her screaming. He reached up and pulled the chains a bit looser and turned her around. He grabbed a syringe full of blue liquid and injected it into her. He then looked at Zal, "I'll be back later for you. Have fun watching the light in her eyes die out." He disappeared from the room.
Arya hung from the chains, weighing hard on her wrists. She couldn't lean back though, as it bumped her wings and she couldn't manage to turn herself back around to lean forward against it. She stared at the floor silently, the drugs in her body making her feel weak.
"I'm going to kill him slowly and painfully. I swear it." Zal's voice was low and angry. "He will regret ever having touched you."
Arya looked up with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry... If I hadn't asked you to come with me you wouldn't be stuck here..."
"It's alright..Dad will be looking for us. Just don't die, okay?" He shuddered slightly before closing his eyes.
"I feel like no matter what I do, I'm putting you guys in danger. All the changes I'm making at Court, being a hunter, being the Queen, and even just little things like asking you to jog. I just keep causing trouble for everyone around me," she whispered as she looked back down at the floor.
"You stop that right now! If you weren't Queen, my siblings would be in a living hell still. You can't control what some lunatic does, so stop blaming yourself." Zal's eyes blazed as he glared at her.
She stayed silent, half unsure what to say, half losing the energy to talk.
He took a deep breath, praying the plan he had would work. He aimed his semi free hand at her chains and unleashed his gift. Red flames flew from his fingers and he concentrated on trying to melt the chains.
Arya felt heat above her, but she couldn't pull her head up enough to see what was happening. Everything began feeling more and more fuzzy and she knew whatever he'd given her was doing it's job.
Zal's hand began to flicker out and he cursed. "Mom? Can you get free yet?"
She weakly pulled at the chains, finally hearing them snap before she fell to the floor.
Zal inwardly cheered. Outwardly, he aimed his hand at his own chains with a silent prayer.
Arya pushed herself onto her knees and scooted closer. She held onto a chain and melted it through. "You can get out of here now.."
"Not without you." He tumbled to the floor, biting back a scream as the arrow in his leg moved. He struggled to stay conscious, blood loss making him dizzy.
"If our powers are back, I might be able to contact Shouma..." She said as she sat down. "Hey... can you make a portal? I don't think we have the strength.. Zal needs help..."
"Arya! Where are you?"
She looked around for a moment, "No idea... small room..?"
"Hold on. There's a barrier. Trying to break it."
She didn't answer him, just sat there. A moment later, she whispered to Zal, "Shouma is trying to help.. You'll be alright soon."
"You're coming too." Zal forced his eyes open.
She shook her head, "He gave me a poison, Zal."
"Ryusei can help. I'm not leaving you." He moved over to her and held her close. "If you go, I go."
She nodded slowly, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad I know you.."
"That goes double for me." He gave her a small smile, his eyes becoming unfocused.
Soon, the sound of a portal opening was heard. Arya didn't move at all.
Zal held her tight as he struggled to stand. He finally got to his feet and began to limp toward the portal.
The door quickly opened and the man who had taken them growled. He pulled out a pistol and worked on loading it.
Zal cursed vehemently, then pushed Arya into Ryusei's arms. "She's been poisoned. Help her." He waved his hand and closed the portal, then turned to face the man. "Do whatever you want to me."
The man smirked, aiming the pistol at him, "Get against the wall."
Zal swallowed hard before complying.
He was chained facing the wall. "Put your wings out before I make you."
Zal closed his eyes, his purple wings manifesting.
The man brushed them gently before taking his tools and beginning to remove the feathers.
He growled as the sound of a portal opened, pulling the pistol out and preparing to shoot.
Ryon snarled as he came through, slashing at the man's hand viciously.
The man dropped the pistol but kicked out at Ryon to try to push him away.
The teen grunted, but didn't back down. He stabbed the knife out as he forced his way closer to Zal.
The man tried to avoid the knife but Ryon was quicker.
"You made the worst mistake of your life hurting them." The teen whispered coldly as the knife lodged in the man's chest. "Now you can regret it in hell."
The man fell back, his eyes slipping closed.
Ryon pulled the knife out, cleaning it on the man's shirt before turning to Zal.
The hunter hung unmoving from the chains, a large puddle of gold blood under his feet. Several feathers were missing from his wings and Ryon winced in sympathy.
The teen unlocked the chains, cradling his brother carefully.
Zal's head fell back and Ryon grimaced at the pallor.
"Hold on. We'll fix you up good as new." The teen whispered as he headed for the portal. He paused as he saw the bucket of feathers. He adjusted his grip on Zal and grabbed it before walking through the portal and disappearing.
Arya woke slowly, staring up at the light above her numbly.
"Hey Princess. Feeling better?" Tomoya leaned over her, his eyes worried.
She gave him a confused look, "I'm not dead?"
He chuckled softly. "No, you're not dead. Daigo neutralized the poison and Ryu healed everything else."
"My wings.."
"Ryon brought your feathers. Ryusei was able to restore them. Said they'd be sore for awhile, but they're back to normal." Tomoya brushed her hair back gently.
"Zal?"
"Unconscious. He lost a lot of blood in addition to some wing damage."
She nodded slowly, staying quiet.
"I'm sorry." Tomoya dropped his eyes.
"Don't be. None of this was your fault."
"I should have been here. I should have protected you two."
"You can't be with us everywhere though. It's my fault for wanting to go jogging and for inviting him with."
"It is not your fault! You didn't know there was a maniac with a wing fetish on the loose. You didn't plan on this." Tomoya growled.
She just nodded in response.
Tomoya ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. "Just rest, Arya."
"I love you."
"I love you too. More than I can say." He leaned close and kissed her softly.
She smiled and slowly closed her eyes.