Kyoya saw the dragon's head as it broke through Leone's strongest Special Move yet. He heard its triumphant cry as it raced towards him. He felt a stabbing pain as it pierced his chest. And then…nothing.

Is this what death is like? Kyoya asked himself as he took in the pitch-black and dimensionless landscape. If so, it's pretty dull.

You wish, a voice – three voices – said together.

Kyoya jumped at the sudden noise. Or at least, he would have if his feet had been against a solid surface he could jump from. Who are you? Where are you? Show yourselves! Kyoya yelled into the darkness.

Suddenly a wave of what he could only call the Dark Power – fearhatredwrathgreeddespair – struck him, sending him reeling backwards. L-Drago. I, L-Drago. You, prey. Food within me. Feed me. Feed the darkness. Darkness will conquer all. The blackness pulsed with each word, sending wave after wave of Dark Power towards Kyoya, who couldn't help but flinch with each strike. Oh yeah? That's…that's nothing, Kyoya retorted. Even from inside, Leone and I – Kyoya paused. Where was Leone? Shouldn't Leone be with him? Wasn't Leone always with him? Leone? The darkness that was L-Drago repeated. Leone. Leo. Within me. Feed me. Like you. Will be gone soon. Like you too.

Gone soon? Kyoya pushed down his rising panic and called for his partner. Leone? Leone! No answer from his lionhearted partner. This wasn't good. Leone? The last time Kyoya had been separated from Leone… Kyoya couldn't remember a time when Leone hadn't been by his side.

The darkness took advantage of Kyoya's growing terror and rushed in, spinning him around and trapping him in a whirlwind of fear and confusion. The winds – was there wind in this crazy place? – spun him around and around and around and around, shrieking and howling and tearing at his clothes like wolves. For the first time in a long time, Kyoya felt truly afraid.

Yes. Be afraid. Be very afraid, L-Drago/the darkness growled. Let the dark winds blow you into nothing.

Wind? Kyoya thought. He knew wind. The wind was something he and Leone had always had control over, since the very first time they created their first Special Move. If Leone were here, he wouldn't have to worry over wind. If Leone were here, they could fight back together. He had always believed in Leone. Leone had always believed in him. Leone wouldn't have given up on me that easily.

The wind began to die down.

L-Drago roared, causing more intense pulses of darkness. Fear me! Have fear! Each pulse hit Kyoya dead-on. Yet this time Kyoya didn't flinch. Even as the winds screamed and spun, Kyoya remained undisturbed in the center. Why are you not afraid? L-Drago demanded to know.

I'm not? To be honest, a part of Kyoya was still scared. But deeper down, a part of him wasn't scared, because he knew that Leone was still here and as long as he still had Leone everything was going to be okay, because he believed in Leone and Leone believed in him, and he knew that Leone was fighting as hard as it could for Kyoya just as Kyoya was going to fight as hard as he could for Leone. Because that was how they always fought together. Always. That's a fact and you know it.

The darkness hissed in annoyance as it tried to break Kyoya. It was as effective as wind trying to wear down a mountain. What made Kyoya so difficult was that as corny as it was, Kyoya had truth in his heart that he believed in. And that was enough to stump L-Drago. Truth wasn't a positive feeling that L-Drago could destroy. Truth wasn't a negative feeling that it could take for power. Fear could snuff out hope. Fear could spark anger. But fear couldn't change truth, and so the darkness was forced to circle tirelessly around Kyoya while he held on to his truth, his belief that Leone wouldn't give up on him and he shouldn't give up on himself.

Kyoya clenched his fists so hard he would have drawn blood if he were in his normal body. He tried to focus on the things he knew were true instead of the whirlwind of fear surrounding him. I am Kyoya Tategami. My partner is Rock Leone. Leone and I are strong. Strong enough to defeat even Gingka and Pegasus one day. Each truth was another stone to the ballast that kept Kyoya from being sucked into the storm L-Drago wove around him. I have always believed in Leone. Leone has always believed in me. We have never given up on each other. Never. We never will. Ever. Kyoya repeated these words over and over again while the darkness screamed and howled and tore at his mind. It was his mantra, the one thing that kept him going. I am fighting for Leone, and Leone is fighting for me. I know this. I know this. Outside the Dark Power hissed and shrieked and roared as it tried to break into his haven. But it couldn't touch Kyoya. He wouldn't let it. Leone wouldn't have let it. As long as Kyoya kept his emerald-eyed lion in the front of his mind, he was going to be okay. Everything would be just fine.

Leone. I know you're out there somewhere. I know you're fighting as hard as you can. And if - when - you find a way to reach me, I know you'll take it. Leone. I know you'll come. Please come…

(A/N: I've always loved and hated writing Kyoya. Love, because Kyoya's such a complex character with so many mysteries and contradictions that tantalize the imagination. Hate, because writing him is like walking a tightrope between making him a sexy, improbably tough god-like jerk and making him a woobie kittycat who who didn't get enough hugs as a kid, and it's very easy to fall off. I hope I've gotten Kyoya's character right.)