Bastion: ... Wow, it's been a while since we've been up on here.

Chazz: I know, I've been loving the break in the insane chic.

*silence*

Jaden: Huh, I thought that would've gotten a responce from her.

Syrus: Nah, she's too busy with her new Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.

Jaden: NEW CARDS?

Chazz: Yeah, she got our promo set.

Bastion: Then had a fangasm because she got Ruby Carbuncle and two Cyber Dragons and passed out afterwards.

Jaden: ... I'm still stealing those cards.

Syrus: Neither Cali nor Black Die own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX.

Chapter Eighteen: Holy Twist

Cienna threw her arms around the spikey-haired demon's neck, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'll miss you, Father." She murmured, making up for the hug she'd missed in the morning. "It was fantastic to see you though." She relinquished her hold on the last of her family-members, smiling fondly at them all. "I love you guys. And I'll miss you." She chuckled. "Don't kill anyone until I get back, okay?" As an after-thought, she added, "And no pidgeon-fights either! From what Syl's said, I've already missed a lot!"

"I REGRET NOTHING!"

"Bakura, Yami had us sleeping on the couch for a week," Mariku pointed out.

"… I regretted that…"

She laughed. "Seriously, though! I want in on the pidgeon fights!" It never crossed her mind how odd (and sadistic) this may sound to Zane. In her family, it was normal.

The demon in question, however, merely shot her a raised eyebrow, having already understood that her family was pretty much a complete mess of psychopaths, with the exceptions of Sylvia, Ryou, Yugi, and maybe Yami. "Come on, tenshi," he pronounced. "It's lights out in five minutes, and I'd rather not be locked out of my room tonight."

"All right." She said slowly, threading her fingers through his and turning her back on the ones she loved. She called over her shoulder one last time, "I love you guys!"

"Love you too!" Came the chorus from Ryou, Yugi, and Sylvia. There was a pause, followed by the sound of smacking and faded repeats of the phrase.

She chuckled and leaned against her mate. "My family's insane."

Zane hummed in agreement, scooping her up into his arms and striding back towards the dorms. He wanted her sleeping with him tonight, no arguments.

She leaned her head against his chest, already relaxing. "Determined tonight, are we?" She giggled sleepily.

"I have gone all day with your insane family and friends," he stated. "I want my alone time with my mate, dammit!"

She smiled at that, stretching up to press her lips to his. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied when they finally broke, panting for air. "Now let's get some sleep, you're exhausted."

She snuggled closer to him, resting her head against his chest. "Goodnight, Zane." She fell asleep before he could respond, slipping into the land of dreams.

Lucifer looked troubled as he sat on her bed back in the Ra dorm, playing a white feather around in his fingers.

"Dad?" Cienna questioned. "Are you alright?"

He sighed. "Yeah, just… curious."

"About what?" Gabriel asked, striding through the door and sitting beside his demon mate.

"That girl you picked… Branwen… she has two soulmates."

Cienna's eyebrows rose, though the pieces connected easily in her mind. "Ash and Atticus."

"Yeah," he murmured. "I'm worried about them… The boys don't realize what they're planning on doing is only going to tear her in two, and what's worse, something doesn't seem right about their destiny."

Gabriel's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about, love, they seem fine."

He sighed, trying to explain it. "It's almost like… there's something that still has to happen before they can fully accept each other, but I can't figure out what…"

Cienna shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll do what I need to for Ash. It's the least I can do."

The angel frowned at her. "From the sounds of it, Cienna, you shouldn't be taking any sides here."

"He's my best friend." She shot back. "I have to."

"Loyalty to your friends is a good thing, honey, but not when it hurts someone else!" At the sight of normally-composed Gabriel quarrelling with his daughter, Lucifer pulled a container of popcorn out of thin air and avidly began eating it as he watched the two go at it.

"Hypocrite!" She yelled. "You two are the reason Bastion and Chazz can't be anything without keeping secrets! So don't give me that bullshit!"

Gabriel's eyes narrowed dangerously, his ivory feathers bristling. She had crossed a line there. "I KNOW WHAT I DID WAS WRONG, OKAY, BUT I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM WHEN HE WAS STILL AN ANGEL! FEELINGS DON'T CHANGE JUST BECAUSE OF WHO A PERSON IS!" Lucifer offered no comment, mainly because he had choked on the popcorn and was now attempted to catch his breath. "And besides, if it hadn't been us, it would have been someone else!"

"My point is you made a choice on loyalty and said damn the consequences. I have every fucking right to make the same choice." Her gaze was surprisingly steady.

"I never chose him based on loyalty, I chose him because it was the right thing to do!"

"Gabriel," Lucifer murmured quietly, catching both of their attention. "You… thought I was doing right?"

The angel's expression softened and he nodded. "The Council of Elders is corrupt and xenophobic. They needed to be taken down."

Cienna sighed, keeping her defrnsive posture. "Is there a point to this? Because if there isn't, I'd love to get back to sleep."

"Just please, honey, try to stop whatever it is those two are doing before they break her completely." Gabriel's eyes begged her to listen to him just this once.

"I wasn't planning on letting them hurt her." She returned evenly, still in a bad mood from their fight.

Lucifer opened his mouth to defend his lover, but Gabriel shook his head. "Let her go," he murmured softly. "It's about time we let her grow up on her own…"

She softened under his words. "I love you, Daddy. I do. I just... disagree."

"I know that honey, but you're mated now… You don't need us so much anymore," Gabriel murmured softly. "It's about time we moved on in the afterlife. We've put off our eternal rest long enough."

Lucifer smiled, waving as the dream faded. "Fare well darling… and don't forget that if you ever need us, we'll be there for you, even if it's not exactly what you'd expect…"

Tears filled her eyes. "No, don't leave me!"

"We love you so much, Cienna. Never forget that."

She jerked awake to the sound of her own sobs, tears streaming down her face as she buried her face in Zane's chest. She shook with her sobs, the sheets tangled around her limbs to the point where she couldn't move. Terror consumed her and made her cry harder. The demon, normally groggy when first awakened, ripped the sheets off her, bundling her into his chest and petting her blonde hair and stormy wings. The last time she had awoken in tears, she had told him something that pained her heart. He hoped that something bad hadn't happened, but until he could calm her down, he wouldn't know for sure.

She clutched at him, fingers sliding off of him as she shook. She pressed herself as closely to him as she could, crying harder than she ever had before. She choked out strangled sounds between sobs like she was trying to talk. "Shh, tenshi, shh," he soothed, pressing a loving kiss onto the top of her head. "Wait until you're ready, okay?" Searching frantically in his mind for the little knot that was their mating bond, he poured every comforting, warmth thought into it that he could think of, hoping to calm her with it.

The calm washing through their bond was a startling contrast to the turmoil she was feeling. Soft words fell strangled from her lips. "They're gone. They're... they're gone."

"Who's gone, tenshi?" he whispered, still worried as he watched and felt her suffer. More than a little concerned, he began sneakily taking her sadness into himself, content to bear the burden if it meant she would calm down and smile again.

She felt the draw—a slight tugging on her soul—and put up a barrier. He didn't need her sadness. "Luci and Gabriel." She whispered into his neck, soft tremors still shaking her.

Her refusal to let him in hurt his ego and his heart, but he pushed aside the lump in his throat for her sake. "It's okay, tenshi, it'll be okay. They wouldn't have left you if they hadn't thought you able to bear it."

She pressed a long, searing kiss to his lips, hoping it'd heal the gaps left in her heart. He kissed back, opening his mouth slightly to let her in if she wanted, and rolled over so that she straddled his waist, his wings spread on either side of him.

She groaned softly, weaving her fingers into his hair. "I'm sorry I hurt you." She whispered as if she was aware she'd hurt him with her block.

"Make me forget, tenshi," he requested softly. "Let me make you forget your sorrow and your loss, my worry and my pain. Make us forget the world outside of us." She reached down and placed his hands on her hips as she pulled her shirt over her head, crashing her lips to his the second it was off. She pulled on the buttons of his shirt, slipping it down his shoulders in determined caress. He moaned, tugging her skirt off, fingers skimming over whatever skin he could reach before he had to break for air. "I love you," he whispered, staring lovingly into her hazel eyes.

"I love you too." She whispered, running her fingers along his torso. "God doesn't even understand how much I love you."

He snatched her mouth in another kiss. He loved her so much, and since there wasn't any taboo against loving her, he had no regrets about showing her how much he loved her.

Bastion opened his eyes blearily to the sight of something he certainly didn't expect. Branwen Ravenwood was nestled between him and Chazz, eyes swollen. She'd obviously been crying. He softened for her, pulling both her and Chazz closer. Chazz let out a purr, squirming closer to his mate, while Branwen made a face, curling closer to herself and swatting at the loose black feathers that had come from her bare bone. She twisted about, trying to escape the sensation against her face only to yelp when the tender wings rubbed against the sheets. Bastion let out a small hiss of pain for her, noting the state of her wings with sadness. Holy water? Gods...

"Bastion?" Chazz muttered sleepily, his eyes only half-open.

"Hey," the angel whispered softly. "It's still early. You can sleep if you want."

The demon squirmed over again, shifting Branwen back so that she lay on his other side. "She'd likely be freaking out in the morning if she knew she was right there next to you," he explained tiredly, kissing his partner's collarbone. "I just wonder what scared her enough to want to come sleep with us."

"I don't know." He said with a small sigh. "But I'm going to say it's safe to assume it has something to do with her wings."

Chazz shook his head. "It's not physical pain that scares Branwen or those who cause it," he explained. "It's the emotional pain she hides from."

"I wonder..." Bastion said quietly.

"Wonder what?" The Obelisk was curious.

"If it has anything to do with Aster..."

"It would make sense," he conceded with a yawn, settling himself down. "After all, from the way she acts around him, she really likes him, and considering the fact that the last time she slept with me was back when she split with Atticus, I'd say something went down tonight that made her think she might lose him."

"Hmmm... Well this'll be interesting."

Chazz let out a sleepy hum of agreement, already barely conscious. Deciding to follow his example, Bastion pulled him closer and fell asleep too.

"You wanted to talk?" Syrus asked quietly, snuggling closer to Jaden.

The brunet nodded. "Um, Sy," he murmured softly, "I have a confession to make. I'm not a demon, and I wasn't an angel. I'm a half-blood."

The angel spluttered. "Wha-what are you talking about? You feel like an angel. Sure, your wings are a little small, but they're too big for a half-blood..."

"Syrus, my dad was human. The only reason I even have the aura of a full angel is because Cienna swapped mine with Bastion's." He grinned wryly. "I mean, think about it. It would explain why I'm not so good with magic and stuff, right?"

A full smile grew on the angel's face. "That's fantastic! Now we really can be together!"

"Jaden!" Professor Banner cried, having been attracted to the room by the lights they'd left on. "You're supposed to be at the Obelisk dorms!"

The half-demon cradled his angel closer to him. "No! I won't leave Syrus!"

The blue-haired boy turned pleading eyes on the teacher. "Let him stay the night, please? I promise he'll behave himself."

The man sighed. "I have to escort him back to his dorm, Syrus, it's my job. But I'm almost ready to go to bed, so if a certain individual managed to sneak back in here and was out by dawn tomorrow, no one would be any the wiser."

Jaden offered a small smile to the angel, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'll be back." He whispered.

"Oh yes, and Syrus? You have a new roommate who should be here any time now."

"All right." The angel replied softly, staring forlornly after his boyfriend's exiting form.

Jaden waved forlornly as he was being dragged away, the hand on his collar keeping him from running back to the angel, although he kept eyeing Pharaoh, who was in Professor Banner's arms, with a certain glint in his eye that would only mean trouble.

"He really loves you." The voice whispered in her ear, a slim, familiar hand gripping her own.

Cienna turned, jaw hanging loose. "D-Damian?" She whispered.

A sad smile formed on his face, "Hello Princess." Her jaw clenched to fight the tremors shaking it. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you." He replied softly, free hand tracing her face. "I've missed you, Princess."

His words jerked her venomous words free. "You wouldn't be if you hadn't hung yourself."

He flinched, royal purple eyes glazing. "I didn't want to leave you." He whispered as she jerked her hand from his.

"But you did." She growled. "You left me and I blamed myself."

"It wasn't your fault." He whispered.

"THEN WHY, WHY THE HELL, DID YOU KILL YOURSELF ON OUR ANNIVERSERY WHEN I ASKED YOU TO MATE WITH ME?" she screamed, the very slightest hint of tears pricking at the corners of her vision.

"It wasn't about you. It was never about you." He stepped forward, trying to bring her into his arms.

"Don't touch me!" Zane. Zane. Zane. She wanted Zane.

"Please, Princess, listen to me. It's not your fault. Just let me explain." His dark eyes wavered worriedly. "Just please let me explain."

"You won't be explaining anything to her."

She looked up, eyes searching. "Zane!"

The demon had slipped into her dreams through the mating bond and now stood before her, his dark wings bristling dangerously. For some reason, he was clothed in all black with a long black trenchcoat rather than his usual Obelisk uniform, and as if that wasn't enough, he had some kind of electrodes wired to him as the shadows slunk towards his wings.

His eyes narrowed. "I just want to talk to her."

"I don't care," Zane growled. "You're scaring her." Around him the shadows chittered, a handful of metallic shapes becoming apparent for a moment before they were gone again.

Cienna tucked herself close to him, resting her head against his chest. "I don't want him here, Zane."

"No, Princess." Damian said quietly, pleadingly. "Just hear me out."

A mechanical snake came out of the darkness, growling dangerously as its companions, two kinds of dangerous bug-like machines, accompanied it, clinging close to Zane and his shadows even if they avoided Cienna and the little halo of light she gave off. "She does not want you here," he growled. "Leave this place spirit, before my shadows decide to nibble on your soul."

Cienna shrank away from Zane. He was starting to scare her too. Damian saw that and smirked. "Looks like she doesn't want you here either."

Cienna opened her mouth. "He's my mate."

"Yeah, but he scares you right now, Princess. Am I right?"

She looked away, afraid to answer. "I love him."

"But he scares you."

"It doesn't matter." She insisted. "I still love him."

Another mechanical creature came forward, larger than the others and akin to more of a dragon than anything, but this one was definitely less threatening. The faux dragon curled around her protectively, its eyes almost daring the spirit to deny her statement.

The dragon felt more like Zane than Zane did and she relaxed slightly. "Damian, if you care anything for me at all, you'll leave."

The spirit gazed at Cienna, purple eyes shimmering. "You'll regret it, Princess."

Her jaw firmed. "I think that's up to me."

"Fine. Just remember one thing, Cienna. I do love you." And with that, he faded out, gone before he could see the pain and tears in her eyes.

The three bug-machines welded together, forming one jagged dragon-like machine that was now equal in size to the smooth one in her arms. Zane reached out to stroke the broken creature, his eyes refusing to betray his emotions. "Come," he commanded firmly, turning his back on her as if expecting her to follow.

In her arms, the soft whirring sound of movement could be heard as the dragon looked up at her with an expression that, in spite of its uniformness, seemed to softly plead for her to follow it instead.

"I don't follow orders." She murmured, turning her back on him just as he did on her. But she paused. He seems so broken... he doesn't feel like Zane. She whimpered softly, torn between trying to fix part of Zane and being comfortable with the Zane she knew. She stroked the neck of the smooth dragon. "Come with me?" She whispered.

It nodded at her, looking as if it enjoyed the caress. The message inside those eyes, however, was one that seemed more like Zane than anyone else. Always.

Atticus groaned and dropped onto his bed. "Dammit. Why does this Phoenix guy have to put her in this position?" It's going to hurt her. But there's no other option. He sighed again. "Gods, Wren, I love you. Why can't you see that?"

Right outside his door, he heard a scream of "WHY THE FUCKING HELL DOES THAT CAT ALWAYS CLAW MY HAND OFF?" Looks like the new roommate Branwen had gotten for him was none other than Jaden Yuki.

He raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Well this'll be fun."

Jaden was thrown in, and the instant he perked back up onto his feet, he blurted "HI-THERE, NICE-TO-MEET-YOU, I'M-JADEN, GOTTA-GO, BYE!" and ran off again.

Atticus laughed outright. "This Yuki kid is going to be fun."

Syrus sighed, lying back on his bed. He knew Jaden was coming back—it thrilled him to know that he could be with the brunet without breaking taboo—but he still couldn't believe Professor Banner had kicked him out, especially since the man practically knew Jaden'd come back anyway.

A soft knock resounded through the room, obviously not Jaden since he wouldn't give a rat's ass about knocking. It could only be his roommate.

"It's open!" he called, not bothering to get up.

In stepped Aster Phoenix, a suitcase in one hand. He smiled weakly. "Hello. I'm Aster."

Syrus gave him a small smile in return. "You're Cienna's friend, right?" He suddenly shook his head. "Where are my manners?" He offered his hand to the other angel. "Hi, I'm Syrus Truesdale, and I'd like to welcome you to the rickey cockroach-infested over-sized toolshed… I mean, the Slipher Red dorms."

He laughed. "Yeah, I'm Cienna's friend. And it's nice to meet you." He dropped his suitcase at the foot of the bed. "Truesdale. Would that make you Zane's little brother?"

"Yeah," he answered shyly. "You know him?"

"I've heard of him. And Cienna talks about him a lot." He plopped down on the bed beside Syrus. "Sorry." He said quietly. "I'm just tired. That's incredibly rude of me. I'll climb up to my bunk."

The blue-haired angel grinned. "It's fine," he reassured. "Jaden and I shared all the time, I'll just go up to his."

"Are you sure?"

Syrus nodded, already moving. "Jay's coming over anyway, so it's probably a good thing he'll be in his own bed tonight."

"-NANANA, JADENMAN!" All of a sudden, the door burst open, revealing a beaming Jaden with his hands on his hips in a vague parody of a superman pose.

"I assume this Jaden." He laughed.

"Sadly, yes." Syrus then turned to his boyfriend, pouting. "JADEN, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU DON'T HAVE SUPERPOWERS BEFORE YOU STOP DOING THAT?"

The brunet demidemon giggled, throwing himself up on the bed beside his love interest. "Silly Syrus, I don't have superpowers. I just go out and save the world with amazing technology I invent myself!"

Aster laughed. "Wow."

Jaden cocked his head to the side. "Why do you smell like my feather?" he asked, pulling out the black item from his pocket.

"What do you mean?" Syrus asked.

"Not you, Sy," he answered, gesturing at Aster. "Him."

"I don't know." He muttered. "I've never even met you before."

"Jaden, that's not even your feather!" the Truesdale exclaimed.

"Yeah, well I found it, so that makes it mine!"

"Jaden, it's Branwen's feather!"

"That would explain it." He murmured.

Jaden's mouth fell open. "You mean you… and her…" He fell over, Syrus scrambling to catch him even if he would have only fell onto the bed.

"Well not yet. Atticus and I are fighting for the right to her heart." He said, offering a sigh.

"Aw, that's so romantic!" Syrus cooed. "Do you think she'll choose you?"

"I don't know." He mumbled. "It's pretty even, admittedly."

The brunet demon stared at him in shock. "You mean you accepted the challenge without even knowing if you were going to have a chance at winning?" he yelped, green eyes wide.

"It's a three-round challenge. One of his choice, one of mine, and one of Bren's. Hopefully I can win at least two. But either way, Bren picks the winner." He shrugged. "It's not like I could turn him down."

Syrus cocked his head to the side. "Do you know what the first challenge is?"

"Singing."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's it? No requisites, no idea what you're singing, nothing?"

"I'm working on it." He said. "I just got the challenge half an hour ago. All I know is that I'm singing against Rhodes and the school decides the winner."

Jaden looked thoughtful. "Yes Jay?" Syrus asked, staring at his lover.

"Well…" he said slowly, "knowing that Branwen and Atticus had a history together, he'll likely be trying to sing something to her to try to convince her that he wants what they had before, which would mean that you're trying to sing something to really win her over." At their looks, he flushed self-consciously. "What? Just because it's the school deciding doesn't mean that Atticus won't play to her… or that the students won't take her own opinion into their vote."

"Any suggestions?" The angel asked. "Music isn't exactly my forte."

"A love song!" Jaden declared, bouncing. "Something to reach her sitting there in the front row and remind her exactly why she likes you!"

"But you should probably be a little careful," Syrus cautioned. "From what I've seen of her, she's really shy, and since it's known that she and Atticus used to be together, she'll likely be a little more allowing for him than she would be for you."

"Yeah. You're probably right." He sighed, running his hands through his hair worriedly. "I can't screw this up."

"Hey," Syrus soothed. "She and Atticus must've broken up for a reason, right? I mean, she wouldn't have given you a chance otherwise."

Jaden was still hyped up on the idea of the love song. "There should be rose petals and glitter, and ooooh, a guitar would be perfect!"

"Jaden?"

"Yeah?"

"SHUT UP!"

"Okay!"

Aster chuckled. "It's all right."

"Well in that case then," Jaden said, sobering up slightly, "why not use the same song my dad used to woo my mom?"

"Which is?"

"The Way You Make Me Feel!"

"That's a good try there, Jaden," Syrus allowed, "but I don't think Michael Jackson is really Aster's style."

"Thanks but I don't think so..." He murmured, suddenly brightening. "But I think I have an idea."

Aster: Hey, where's Die?

Chazz: We just went over this in the intro. I'm not doing this again. *stomps off with Bastion following*

Atticus: Huh, wonder what got into him.

Aster: Hell if I know.

Zane: STOP STEALING MY CARDS, WOMAN! *chucks Die out from his room*

Die: *lands on her butt* Ow! *turns to make sure her new deck made it*

Atticus: Please review! If you do, we'll give you whatever cards we can steal from Die!

Aster: And be sure to yell at Cali, she's been slacking off again.

Die: Have a happy Valentine's Day everyone! May you shoot lots of couples with arrows!

Atticus: You mean love arrows right?

Die: ... Yeah... sure... whatever...

Atticus: Right?

Aster: *ends the chapter before Atticus' childhood innocence can be lost*