Author's Notes: I feel like I completely changed my writing style in this and I don't know why or how. Half-way through I was kicking myself to try and get out of present-tense. You can call it subconsciously artsy but I just call it me not agreeing with my brain. I'd apologize for this chapter being so short, but I'm an asshole. The next chapter will either be up tonight or tomorrow because it's either write this or write college essays and LOL who wants to go to college? (joking. yeesh.)

Her lips are like the sweetest tasting candy. Zelos lets his tongue wander longer than she likes, but she lets out a moan of acceptance. She doesn't mind his lingering tonight. Zelos's lips curve into a smile. She's starting to get used to the idea of this scene- the cuddling that leads to the kissing which will soon lead into more. Her hands lift up to feel those long red curls, but, after a second of fondling, she finds herself pulling away.

"Oh, hunny, don't do that. We haven't even gotten started tonight," Zelos gives her a sad expression. His eyes were as wide as possible to complete his image of innocence. As though making out on the cot of the little cozy home in the middle of the night was the picture of purity.

Her brown eyes are framed by eyebrows that are pulled together in a tight line.

She's like every other woman on the planet. The last thing on her mind is the first thing on his.

He leans forward, trying to kiss the tension out of her neck and she pulls away, refusing.

"You're so stubborn sometimes," Zelos sighed.

"I could say the same for you," she replies tersely.

He leans back so he's to the wall and she's the only thing in front of him. His head tilts, sending his hair cascading over one shoulder, and he smiles warmly in her direction.

"What's on your mind, pumpkin?" he asks.

"Did you come back to save us that day at the tower of salvation because you felt guilty or because you knew that you'd never be let back into our good graces if you just let us all figure it out on our own?"

That voice of hers is so accusing and- and- and-… Damnit, so fucking chief-like. He can hardly handle it when she gets like this. She's used to bossing these ninjas around. She's not his boss. Nobody is his boss.

He lets it go though. Because what she's talking about is far more unnerving than the tone she's using to talk about it with.

"A little of both," he says, deciding honesty is the best policy with her.

She stares at him now. Sex probably won't happen tonight, Zelos decides.

"Don't ever do it again, Zelos," she finally orders.

"Don't ever do what again?" he asks quietly, his face softens as he realizes that this has been on her mind for a long time. Probably the entire time they were cuddling and the kissing that had followed.

"Don't ever betray anybody like you did us. I know you don't think we were hurt, but it was devastating… Don't do it to anybody else, okay?"

She's pleading with him.

"I won't," he assures.

"Zelos, I'm serious," her voice is shaking and fades at the end of her confession.

He smiles and leans forward, his hands wrapping around her's so their engagement rings clink together.

"I'm serious too, Sheena."

xXx

Darkness. Even after he opens his eyes in the cell, there's only darkness.

The teenager moans and then with a grunt his body lifts slowly up so he can lean against the wall. "What the hell happened, Zelos?"

His eyes dart around but there is no Zelos.

He betrayed him.

Zelos let him get captured.

He has no sword or shield anymore and he feels strangely naked without them.

No Zelos either and it's suddenly very lonely.

Zelos betrayed him.

Why did he betray him?

Lowering his head, Fang shut his eyes, figuring that he might as well rest considering that the only thing that can possibly follow this cell of darkness would be eternal darkness.

He misses Max. He misses Nudge and Angel and Iggy and Gazzy and even that annoying little dog, Total.

This would be one of the few times he would wish that he was with them again so intensely that he could swear his heart was wrenching out of his chest.

xXx

"Why does this always happen? Why? Because I'm the only person with more than half a brain and any agility to get things done? It must be that," Zelos was babbling to himself, pacing back and forth at the abbey as he tried to figure out what to do.

Fang was captured again.

"Why can't he look over his shoulder for big bad scary people? I would think that, given our current situation, that he would be used to doing that by now!"

Zelos turned so fast he could hear the wind wisp around him in disarray.

"This isn't faaaair!" he whined.

Grabbing his sword, he began to hack away at the side of the abbey angrily.

"I trained him and he can't even get his damn cloak off," chink chink SLAM! chink "what a fucking joke!"

With a loud bang, the building's foundation began to crumble. Zelos felt his eyes widen before he backed up. The building was shaking with tremors before it slowly gave in to all the pressure it had felt over the years of the dark over-lord.

After two minutes passed, the abbey was no more; just a heap of debris.

"Damn it, Fang. Look what you made me do," Zelos stared down at what had once been his sister's home.

'Don't ever betray anybody like you did us. . . Don't do it to anybody else, okay?'

"Sheena Fujibayashi, even in death you're nagging me to do shit I don't do by instinct," he found himself saying.

Slowly, Zelos sheathed his sword and took a deep breath.

"Alright, King Dickhead… Here I come."

And he took a step away from the abbey towards Meltokio.