Story: Dawning Radiance

Genre: Dark Fantasy/Romance/Action

Rating: T

Claimer: I own each and every one of the characters in this story, so please do not use them, as they are my babies...enjoy!

It was odd, being back at the house without her flitting around everywhere with that big smile of hers…if I'd only been a few seconds faster she would've been fine.

But I hadn't.

Everyone was in a haze of sorts, both because of the raid and the loss that accompanied it, and because of Valshe; no one really spoke much, and once dinner came around none of us ate much of anything.

Damien and I had packed our things quickly, and left the bags on his bed for when we left in a few hours. I heaved a rough sigh and shook my head in disappointment before turning to leave his room to find him standing directly in my way with his arms crossed "You haven't gone to see her since we got back" he commented quietly, and I turned my gaze to the window.

"I couldn't get there in time to help her Damien; why would I want to go see her now?" I muttered, trying to push past him so I could go back to my room for a while, but he grabbed my shoulder with a frown "Don't make me drag you up there Xander; you know I will" he threatened, locking eyes with me for what seemed like a long time.

Finally I nodded and he let go with a little smile "See? Now why can't you be that agreeable all the time?" he joked half heartedly as I started towards the room Valshe had been using during our stay and put my hand on the knob, hesitating slightly when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs towards where I was standing.

When I turned, I found Nate standing behind me with an almost surprised expression on his face. "Finally. I was starting to think you weren't even going to come at all" he smiled and moved to stand beside me "You have to turn the knob to get the door open, you know" he teased, and I dug my elbow into his ribs in return before pushing the door open quietly.

She looked so broken and small on that big bed, though it she had been cleaned up and someone had changed her into fresh clothes.

Her skin was paler than before; she'd lost quite a bit of blood from the fight, though there was an Arc Angel woman sitting on a chair beside her bed, fixing up the wounds as best she could.

I moved to sit beside her on the bed and put a hand to her forehead, brushing some of her soft hair out of her face with a frown. "How's it going?" Nate whispered to the Arc Angel woman, who looked up with a small smile "I did the best I could" she told him sadly "I got rid of the wounds without too many complications, but some of them were too deep to heal cleanly, so she has a few scars" she reported and Nate nodded "That's fine; you did your best" he thanked her and she stood up and left the room without another word.

Nate sat down on the chair she'd been occupying and looked at Valshe for a moment or two "So…" I started, and he looked up with his eyebrows raised "What happened anyways?" I asked, and he smiled calmly.

"She broke her wrist trying to catch herself when that woman knocked her over, and she had a couple of cuts that were pretty bad; they wouldn't stop bleeding right away, but they're just scars now, nothing else was really worth fussing about. We're lucky you were there; you saved her" he told me, but I shook my head.

He looked upset at first, but eventually turned his gaze back to Valshe on the bed "Sure I helped but…if I'd been a few seconds faster-" I tried to protest, but the words caught in my throat when a small, cool hand laid itself on top of mine "You did fine…don't be so hard on yourself" Valshe's melodic voice murmured comfortingly.

My head snapped up to look at her dull, honey colored eyes and I gave her a little smile "Right…thanks" I replied quietly, and she stuck her tongue out at me "It's about time you came up here! Even D came up to visit me before you did!" she teased, crossing her arms with a mock pout.

I didn't exactly know how to reply to that one "He's been helping us out downstairs, so he hasn't had time to come up. I told you that, remember?" Nate told her, covering up for me when I'd really been moping most of the time.

"I know…but I can tell he's been avoiding me too; I'm not stupid" she sighed, pushing herself gingerly to lean against the head rest and turning her gaze to me expectantly.

Sighing reluctantly, I shrugged "You don't even have an excuse for that, you know. You can't do the whole traumatic hero thing, because you did save me in the end, and it's not like you can go back and change it! So be a big boy and suck it up, okay?" she lectured with a stern glare, hands on her hips.

She was right. This whole time I'd been avoiding her for nothing, so she had the right to tell me off like that.

Chuckling, I nodded, and earned a confused look from Valshe "What's so funny?" she questioned, looking at Nate, who shook his head with a smile "Nothing really," I replied "I've just never been told to 'suck it up' by a girl before. Not seriously at least" I laughed, and she pushed me playfully "Shut up" she told me.

The three of us talked for a while, joking with each other and waiting for dinner to be ready downstairs, when Valshe suddenly grew quiet.

"Valshe, is something wrong? Are you hurting anywhere?" Nate asked, leaning forward and placing a hand on her shoulder in concern "No, I'm fine, I just…remembered some stuff from earlier is all…" she trailed off and bit her lip gently before glancing over at me "You were really different Xander; it was scary" she told me, and I raised a brow questioningly as I tried to recall the blur that had happened hours earlier.

"Valshe!"

My Oni extended, knocking Kari's sword off track so it cut into Valshe's side, coloring the blade a deep, unforgiving red, causing her to cry out and spasm in pain.

I pulled upwards and briefly caught a glimpse of my Oni that had been dormant for so long before this; a deadly looking scythe had formed, with an orb that was an endless midnight blue at the very start of the wicked looking blade; my perfect weapon.

Swinging an upward arc, I knocked her hand away from her sword, sending it spinning out of my vision. Kari sucked in a surprised gasp and took to the air, swiftly unsheathing another sword and diving at me, figuring if she had speed on her side, that I wouldn't be able to hit her with a weapon like mine.

Typically that would be true, but this was a weapon made especially for me; compensating for her speed was a simple enough task.

I sliced easily to the sky, and she had to pull around me to avoid the blow, and anticipating it, I changed the direction of the swing and threw her to the ground with the bladeless side of the Oni, her collision with the cement ground leaving her breathless for a time.

However, it didn't take her very long to get back up and parry my next attack with some difficulty, and get in a counter attack that I was easily able to block with the handle of the scythe, before twisting her sword out of her hand, where it dropped to the ground between us.

She stepped backwards a few steps, looking as if she were genuinely terrified, and wasn't about to risk her neck by attempting to grab her blade from the ground. "I get it, I'll call them all off! We'll leave, alright?" she shouted, but for some reason, I didn't stop there.

I strode forward with a calm smile and spun my Oni in my hand a few times before I sliced cleanly through the air, making contact with her abdomen, which was quickly colored a bloody red.

Hissing at the searing wound, she staggered before vaulting into the air, but I followed close behind her, and slammed the end of the handle between her wings, hard enough so she dropped back to the ground, twisting and tumbling until she was flat on her back and laid there, limp as I approached her silently.

Kari gasped when she saw me, and moved to pull herself away hastily, but yelped and dropped back to the ground with a sigh, before glaring at me as I moved to deal the final blow.

"A scythe, huh? I've only ever known a few other Demons that've been chosen to wield one as their Oni. That means death follows close behind you, you know; and it'll catch up to you one of these days" she informed me, and I scoffed "So what? That won't help you any" I growled viciously, and swung my scythe at her swiftly.

Of course, Malachi deflected the blow smoothly with a long, shining blade of his own "I think that's quite enough, Little Demon" he told me quietly, turning to look at Kari, still on the ground "That's enough? She's the one who caused all of this! This is your home, you should want her dead!" I protested angrily, preparing to take another swing.

His eyes narrowed as he turned his head towards me again "I said I think that's quite enough, Xander" he repeated, and I stopped in my tracks, returning my Oni to it's sheathed form with a stubborn glare and stuffing it back in the pouch where it belonged.

Damien ran over to me at that point with a shocked expression that lasted a minute or so, before he explained that Valshe had already been taken back to the house by Rey and Nigathiel, and then congratulating me on finally getting my Oni to work.

"A scythe?" he'd exclaimed "I never would've thought you could fight with something like that as well as you did when you're always swinging swords around…I mean, I knew you were a good fighter and everything, but did you see that? Now that's how you take someone down!" he laughed, patting me on the back before catching my disappointed look.

Of course, he knew what that was about; if I didn't get something done exactly the way I wanted it, I wasn't at all satisfied with myself, and Valshe was now front and center in my mind, covered in blood and dirt and grime, with that horribly pained expression on her face.

How could I feel at all proud of myself with that something like that to think about?

I understood what she meant by scary; I'd never been that bloodthirsty, and I was more than a little concerned that Valshe was the thing that had set me off.

Scoffing, I met her worried gaze "Yeah, I know…" I replied weakly "But it's your fault" I accused, sticking my tongue out at her.

She was taken aback by this, and gave me yet another questioning look "I don't see how that's my fault…" she murmured in confusion, turning to look again at Nate, who smiled "I'm going to step outside for a little while, okay Valshe?" he informed us, pushing fluidly out of the chair and walking quickly out the door.

"It's because…well…" I stammered, looking for the right words "Just tell me!" she coaxed, laying back down and stifling a yawn, watching me with tired, golden eyes "It's because…you're important to me, I guess" I told her with an uncomfortable frown.

I watched a small smile slide across her lips "You're important to me too, Xander" she replied quietly, and my eyes widened the slightest bit; I was important to her? The thought felt foreign when it played through my mind.

Her eyes slipped gently closed "Tired?" I asked, snapping out of my little surprise, and she shook her head "Of course not, I'm just relaxing" she murmured, stretching with a pleased sigh "I won't fall asleep" she assured me.

For more than one reason, I doubted that, but I wasn't about to argue with her about it, even if she did need her sleep "Whatever you say" I replied, and she nodded a little bit.

A minute or so passed of quiet, until I finally felt the need to ask "So I'm important to you, huh?" and she nodded again "Of course you are" she mumbled a few seconds later. "But why?" I questioned hesitantly "'Cuz you are! Don't argue with me!" she replied, waving her hand limply at me.

"I'm not arguing with you, I just wanted to know!" I shot back, and she nodded with a yawn "Okay" was all she said in return, and I thought there was a bit of sarcasm in there somewhere.

I sighed in exasperation "Why would I argue with you about something like that, Valshe? I really just wanted to know why you'd feel that way. I just…you're important to me too, and I think…I think I really like you. Just don't freak out or anything, okay? I'm not like Damien, so it's not like I'd try…" I paused in my rambling/confession and listened to her for a second.

She was breathing lightly, sound asleep.

Groaning, I ran a hand through my hair and shook my head "Ugh, seriously? Well, that means she probably didn't hear any of that crap" I muttered to myself, hearing someone in the doorway chuckle in amusement.

Turning around as if I were a kid that just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and with an embarrassed blush, I'm sure, I found Damien leaning against the door frame with a grin that could rival the Cheshire Cats own.

"I knew it!" he laughed as he crossed the room, patting me on the head "You do have the hots for little Valshe! Good thing she was so tired, or she probably…Sh-! Ow! What the Heaven did you have to punch me for?" he rubbed his arm gingerly, and glared at me for a second, before his mouth spread into an evil grin "I'm so glad my baby brother is growing up! A crush on who now? Maybe I should go tell your Angel friends!" he exclaimed, moving towards the door.

Jumping out of the chair fast enough to send it toppling over, I grabbed for him, but came up just short as he barely sidestepped me "I don't care if we're Blood Bonded, I will kill you so violently, a Slaughter demon would be terrified of me" I threatened as he strolled leisurely to the door "Aww, is that a threat? I might just have to test that one out!" he laughed and bolted from the room in a second, leaving me sprinting after his retreating form.

"Damien! Get over here!" I yelled, shoving open the door to the music room, where Nate looked up from his book on one of the comfortable wine red armchairs, and Malachi stopped his piece on the piano to look at us with raised eyebrows.

Running around the other side of the giant grand piano, he dodged to the left or right when I moved to go around and grab him "I'm going to kill you D" I told him, panting a bit "You can't kill your big brother, that's inhumane!" he argued happily "Too bad neither of us are human, huh?" I shot back, vaguely noticing Night enter the room with an amused smirk.

Luckily, Damien broke his concentration for a moment and glared at him, giving me enough time to dive around the opposing instrument and just as he realized his mistake, making a move to run away, I barely caught him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down on the shining wood floor.

"Fine, I give!" he chuckled, trying to get up, noticing quickly that I wasn't about to let him up "Xander, I wasn't going to say anything" he told me reassuringly, but it still took me a little bit to finally stop standing on him and pull him to his feet.

Crashing on the couch across from where Nate was sitting and sharing a sigh of contentment, Nate smiled and shook his head at us before burying himself in his book once more; Nigathiel calmly took a seat by the window and sipped at his drink while looking over the gardens outside.

Malachi however, watched us a little longer, as if expecting us to do something else, before restarting his piece with a practiced grace and presence.

The room was once more filled only with the sound of a relaxing piano movement, as if none of the events from only minutes before had ever happened, proving that this was yet another typical day for our dysfunctional group.

To the Reviewers: indescribable music: Thanks, I was super proud of myself because I got that chapter up earlier than I normally would! As for Damiens chapter, that's going to be the next one, because I have some ideas for it that I can use after this chapter, so it'll fit better. I do have a fictionpress account, and until you mentioned it in your review, I had truthfully forgotten about it. I put this story on there to see which one took off faster, and since this one did, I paid more attention to it that the other one, but now it's all caught up on there too!

A/N: So I put some fluff in this one because I felt as though it needed a little bit, and then decided that it would be better if she just didn't hear it because I have some CRAZY PLOT TWISTS that I may or may not want to use...but yeah, isn't Xandie adorable when he's all flustered? Ah, I love tormenting my characters. I know the ending is a little OOC, but Damien had to hear that for his chapter (which is the next one, by the way), and I decided that he'd probably feel the intense need to tease his unfortunate little bro for it. Until next time, please review, and learn to enjoy your super odd typical days like this awkwardly dysfunctional group.