"I see nothing in your eyes, And the more I see the less I like, Is it obvious, In my head? I know nothing of your kind, And I won't reveal your evil mind, Is it obvious, I can't win?" -Breath, Breaking Benjamin

Rin was kneeling in front of the toilet, panting. Her throat was searing, her stomach churning. Her breaths came in ragged, choked gasps, each placed carefully between deep, hacking coughs. She spit in the toilet again, trying to get the foul taste out of her mouth. Her fingers grasped the edge of the toilet bowl, but she wasn't worried about the potential germs. She closed her eyes and rested her chin on her knuckles.

Her skin was coated in a thin film of salt water, a sticky second skin that chilled her with every good-natured caress of the slight breeze. Her cheeks and torso burned savagely, as did the rest of her skin, and while the salt water should have been a welcome comfort, it was cool to the point of being unpleasant. She shivered.

She rested her head on her forearms, keeping them pressed against the cool front of the toilet, in an attempt to ignore the pounding in her skull. She kept her eyes closed, relying on the darkness to keep the pain from intensifying.

Such hopes were fruitless, but hopes weren't her focus.

Her concentration was fixed on the beckoning that seemed to pull on her very soul. She felt its insistent jerk within her, just below her sternum. It was as though a fish hook were lodged in the protective cartilage above her heart, only without the painful sting. She dug her fingernails into the soft flesh of her palms. Ignore it, ignore it.

Then, a violent, opposing urge pulsed through her, driving into her skull like an ice pick. "No," it hissed. "Don't go chasing after unimportant, irrelevant feelings."

But this calling...it was so intense...How could she possibly resist? Asking her to defy it was like asking her to fight the grip of a riptide, one that had the strength to drag her down into the depths of the ocean. No matter what she wanted, the ocean's determination would overpower her. The water would whisk her away and suck her head beneath the surface. Her fingers would try to dig into the cold, wet sand, but they would only stir it up in clouds instead of providing traction. Then the sand would be gone, leaving her to sail through a pure water-world alone. And as soon as she was pulled from the ocean floor, she would be on her way with no possible means of resisting, much like the situation she would surely find herself in should she give in.

The voice persisted. "Feelings are deceptive. Logic is all you can trust."

Logic…. Yes, logic. Logic was easier to deal with. Logic made sense where feelings confused. It could be trusted much more than a random sensation in your chest. Logic told her what was and wasn't realistic; what was and wasn't safe. If the logic was sound, then everything else added up. Everything was clear cut and obvious. Everything was in order. That was the job of logic.

But somehow, she knew logic had nothing to do with it. She knew it like she knew herself. It wasn't involved.

"Don't be ridiculous," came the voice, the voice that was not her own. "Logic is all you have, Rin. Logic is all that exists."

"Logic..." she breathed, wrapping her arms around her belly (as if applying pressure would immobilize the flip-flopping of her stomach). "Logic is all I have…all that exists…."

"Yes, Rin…" Rin swallowed hard. "You understand. Logic is all you can trust. Logic. Logic."

"Logic... Logic..."

But... if logic was all that existed...all that she could trust, why was this feeling so intense? Why did it beckon her so? Why did she feel she couldn't resist?

What could happen if she decided to follow it just this once?

"Don't be foolish, Rin." She could sense voice was becoming angry. "Are you going to follow whatever whim floats into your mind? Are you going to chase after foolish, impalpable ideas?"

"But..." Rin breathed. "But...this has to be something..." It was too intense to be nothing.

How could she just ignore this? What was it?

"Stop thinking about it, you stupid girl!" The voice shot through her head with surprising insistence. Rin grimaced, an awful, shooting pain coursing through her temples. It felt like the fishhook had raked across her brain and torn through the tissue. A hand flew to her forehead while the other tightened around her stomach. She groaned. It hurt. "Get it out of your head! You have no choice!" Rin sucked in air like it was her job. "Don't delude yourself any longer," ordered the voice. "Feelings have no meaning!"

Suddenly, Rin was angry, furious. How dare this voice, this voice in her head, try to tell her what to do? It was her decision, and she sure as hell was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"You...are not...the boss of me!" she shrieked, punching the wall beside her as hard as she could. Pain shot through her fist. "This isn't physics! This isn't calculus! Get out of my HEAD!" Immediately, her headache vanished. The nausea subsided and the bipolar hot-and-cold sensations faded.

The voice was silent.

Rin sat up, rubbing her hand. That was going to bruise. Apparently, there were times when stubbornness came in handy, she thought with a wry grin. She paused for a moment, wondering where the thought came from and why it reminded her of a white tiger, but she pushed the thought from her mind. Thoughts like those were a nuisance, and the train of thought she devoted to unraveling them just led in confusing circles, so she let it be.

She was on her feet barely three seconds later, reaching for her cape and adjusting the headband on her head. Quickly and easily she secured the length of fabric to her shoulders, pulled her mask in front of her nose and mouth, and was out the door.

Once in the hallway, what to do was as simple as following the path of a daydream. An internal compass seemed to exist within her, pointing out which turns to make and what doors to pass through. She hardly needed to pay attention to what she was doing; it was so natural for her to simply follow this direction. It led her onward, through long, dark corridors and random lighted hallways.

More than once, she felt it direct her toward one door, then a sense of urgency would come over her. She would know that she couldn't stay there, and she would follow the feeling's directions to a different hallway. What was waiting for her on the other side of that door or around the bend she bypassed she had no idea, nor could she explain her aversion to it. Once or twice, she swore she caught a glimpse of a pinprick of rainbow light disappearing around the corner she was urged to turn, but as soon as it faded from view, she forgot it was there.

She came to a staircase and ascended quickly, finding a metal ladder at the top. She didn't question it. Immediately, she began to climb, loving the strain on her muscles by the time she reached the top.

The awareness that a trapdoor was above her pierced her like a spear. Without hesitating, she looped one arm around the top rung, hoping to keep herself from falling, then ran her fingers over the metal door above her head. After a few seconds of searching, her fingertips found a metallic sensor. A blue light flashed from it, nearly startling Rin in the darkness, and then a few beeps rang out.

Part of her wondered why there was a way out that wasn't secured by a pin code, and for once, the thought wasn't whisked away. It was strange, having a thought she could actually dwell upon, and for a moment considered dwelling upon the fact that she could dwell upon something rather than the actual thing upon which she had originally begun to dwell. This is thinking, she realized. The resistance she put up earlier-was that thinking? Or was it herself manifesting her desires through words within her head? Had she been speaking that whole time, or entertaining a private conversation within the depths of her mind?

Did everyone do this? Did everyone have the same confusing train of awareness bouncing around their heads as to why they could think when they normally couldn't? Is this why she usually opted not to think, so that she could avoid this never ending chain of questions?

But was it really her choice not to think in the first place? She wanted to think, didn't she? Even though these questions and this confusion was strange and hard to follow, wasn't thinking what she wanted?

Didn't it feel...almost...normal?

She was saved from further headache when the door above her head let out a shrill beep, different from the rest, and slid to the side, allowing the cool, night air to rush over her. Her veil danced lightly in the breeze, as did her mask. It lightly traced over the healing burn along her jawline, bringing with the delicate touch a sharp sting. Rin grimaced, lifting her left shoulder as if to shield that side of her face from the feather-light touch of the fabric.

A bright red flash of light poured in through the hole in the ceiling, surprising her. Sounds of fighting flooded her senses, nearly splitting her ears after the near-silence of the halls she had traversed. A roar rose from the outside, a world she only now discovered existed. Bursts of orange light flashed above her and several explosive bangs assaulted her eardrums. She winced.

Those pains robbed her of any pleasure she might have felt at the deceptive kiss of the night air. She clenched her fists and finished her climb, emerging upon the rooftop of the building she called home.

The walls must have been thick if she hadn't heard this ruckus before, especially as close as she had been to the roof. Wasn't the roof usually thinner than walls on most buildings? Or was that some misinformation she had picked up…

Picked up from where?

While she pondered that, she glanced around. She stood atop a dark, smooth roof below countless stars and a single, enormous moon. The horizon was far off; the building appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. But a bang brought her focus back where it was required.

She turned just as a huge gust of hot wind nearly blew her off her feet. Rin gasped, crossing her arms over her face in an attempt to protect it from flying embers. After a moment, the wind subsided, but this was punctuated by a loud cry of, "Ability, activate! Titanium screen!"

Another roar (it sounded so familiar, it was almost unnerving) ripped through the air, and Rin dashed to the edge of the roof to get a closer look. Below her, just as she suspected, a battle was raging. Two young men were fighting; one she recognized as Anubias even from the distance between them, but the other she was certain she had never seen before. He was closer to her than Anubias, so defining features weren't too difficult to discern, but it wasn't easy.

Shaggy brown hair, unkept and somewhat matted, framed his pale face. It lit up periodically like the face of a limestone boulder, shining with the light of whatever attack was directed toward his Bakugan. His arms were bare and glistened with a liquid sheen. Around his left forearm was an white bandage. His pants were also white, seemingly without any stains, and his bare toes were scrunched. Around his left wrist atop the bandage was a black band, one that Rin recognized as a BakuCollar. She had one herself; a souvenir of her recent trip to Bakugan Interspace.

The boy had a wide stance, his arms held defensively in front of his face. A card glowed in front of his wrist, almost as though he were defending himself, not his Bakugan. She raised an eyebrow at him. How odd.

As soon as the attacks ceased barraging the shield before his Bakugan, a humanoid, Pyrus dragon, he loosened up and shifted his stance. "Ability activate! Dragon hard striker!"

Lightning blazed into being, flashing harshly through the air. The dragon Bakugan arched his back, letting loose an earsplitting roar that nearly drowned out the jarring crackle of electricity. The Darkus Bakugan, who Rin recognized as Horridian, howled in broken spurts. It froze in place, just barely choking out it's cry, as it fell to it's knees.

"Horridian!" Anubias shouted. Rin glanced at him, noticing that his legs were spread, too, but his hands were fisted in front of his chest. He was tense.

The lightning fizzled out, allowing shadow to once more cloak the field. Rin stepped forward eagerly, straining her eyes for some clue as to what was transpiring.

A bright purple glow repelled the shadows, illuminating the surprised, gray face of her comrade. Rin's eyes widened and a spark of smug satisfaction lit up within her. She grinned as a red glow joined the purple one and then spiraled out of existence. Both Bakugan returned to their owners, leaving Rin in her darkness.

Was that the last round? Or is there once more? she wondered, settling herself on the edge of the roof. Her legs dangled against the side of the building and she supported her back with her hands, grinning contentedly. As soon as she realized she was smiling, she frowned, confused. Why am I happy right now? I should be upset; Anubias is losing. Her forehead creased as her perplexity grew. I want him to win, don't I?

"I'm impressed," a voice rang out. Speak of the Devil. "You didn't even use your Gate Card. You caught me off guard, your Highness."

"Highness?" the opponent questioned cockily. Rin could hear the smirk in his voice. "Last I checked, I wasn't royalty."

"Oh, don't tell me you don't know your reputation precedes you," Anubias replied smugly. He was smirking, too, Rin realized. "Did you know they call you a king, Kuso?"

Kuso?

"A king?" He sounded confused, then chuckled. "Is that why you challenged me?"

"Not exactly," Anubias answered after a pause. "You could say that…your friend fueled my hunger for a real challenge."

"Shun?"

"I suppose 'friend' is a rather misleading term. Let's go with the plural."

It was silent for a moment.

"Could you give me a straight answer for once?"

"Now, now, where's the fun in that?"

"You know what?" Kuso said, "Like Shun says, 'talk is cheap.' The only language that matters to me is the language of brawling."

"At last, something we can agree on. Gate card, set!" A purple rectangle revealed where the two were standing; the distance between them akin to an acre. "Bakugan, brawl! Rise, Darkus Horridian!" The Bakugan emerged amidst a burst of light with a roar. Rin smirked, trying to summon some patriotism, and felt relieved when she felt a spark of that feeling. Good, her loyalties were in the right place. Mistress Kazarina would be proud.

Kazarina…why did that name suddenly have a negative connotation?

"Bakugan brawl! Let's go, Pyrus Titanium Dragonoid!" Another roar split the night. Rin stared, transfixed, as flames filled the air. The hot winds toyed with her hair and mask. She frowned, briefly wondering why she was wearing it anyway. She didn't have anything to hide, not here. Nothing she was aware of, anyway. Bakugan Interspace she could understand, because people feared the unknown, and fear gave her an advantage in battle. Maybe her Mistress had a reason. I'll have to ask her about it later…

"Haaa, Ability activate!" Anubias cried. "Mangler claw!" Horridian glowed purple while a distorted sound caused a ripple in the air. He crossed his arms over his chest, growls emanating from his three heads, as long golden claws jutted out of his bracers. He roared like a jaguar before leaping toward the dragonoid, prepared to strike with everything he had.

"Ability activate!" Kuso cried, spinning and then holding his arm before him. "Titanium hummer!"

The slash Horridian had lifted his arm to take fell upon empty air as the dragonoid disappeared, then reappeared two hundred feet away. Horridian turned in seeming confusion, growling, before leaping in the dragonoid's direction again. He flew through the air powerfully, one arm raised, three golden blades shining in the glow the dragon gave off.

Rin stiffened, an image surfacing.

A white tiger clad in armor, standing upright was locked in a fierce battle against a royal purple centaur. A dragon roared above, snaking around a humanoid salamander with purple skeleton hands for wings. Blade against blade rang out, and it was hard to believe it might be possible to win….

Rin shook her head to clear it, banishing the vision. Damn it, she thought she left the presence in her head behind when she banished it. It looked like it wasn't completely gone after all.

Still…something about this image seemed different. She couldn't explain it, but this one felt…kinder. Different from the oppressive voice she heard before. It almost seemed like...a memory...

The dragonoid avoided the Horridian's slash expertly, appearing behind the Bakugan with ease. "Behind you!" Anubias cried, frustrated. Horridian whirled around, catching the dragonoid with a glancing blow as it attempted to dodge.

"Drago!" the opponent shouted, but when Rin glanced at him, he appeared to be just as frustrated as Anubias. She frowned, barely realizing that a lost, conflicted expression had taken over his face. Drago?

"Your Drago isn't here, Kuso!" Anubias shouted. "You need to get your facts straight. Maybe this will help clear your head! Ability activate! End guardner alpha!"

Horridian howled and smoke filled the air. Rin leaned forward, frowning, as Horridian disappeared inside the smog. Kuso took a startled step back, crying, "What the—?"

That was when three Horridians appeared, each launching themselves at the dragonoid with claws outstretched. "Get out of there!" Kuso shouted, but it was too late. The slashes made contact with the scaly body of his Bakugan, eliciting a loud cry of pain from him.

"End guardner alpha is an ability that splits Horridian into three different parts," Anubias explained with an almost sadistic amusement. Kuso growled, shooting a frustrated glare at his opponent. "The only downside is that Horridian's power level is divided by three, but I think that's a necessary sacrifice for triple the speed, don't you?" Another slash connected with the dragon Bakugan. The ensuing cry hurt Rin's ears, especially when it was joined by Kuso's.

"Hold on! Ability activate! Dragon hard striker!"

That seemed to give the dragonoid a boost; he soared into the air where Horridian couldn't get to him, let out another roar, and filled the area with lightning. Rin gasped, shielding her head needlessly from the electricity. Horridian howled in pain, all three parts bouncing off the ground in different directions.

"Horridian!" Anubias shouted. He hissed. "Okay, fine then. Ability, activate! Deadly nightmare!" Three differently shaped blasts erupted from Horridian's mouths, shooting straight for the dragonoid.

"Ability activate! Revolutional!" Kuso held his arm up above his head as the card floated out, lighting up his face. The dragonoid arched his back, snarling, as a burst of red and white energy tore from his mouth. It hit the first magnifier with a sizzling sound that only increased with the next two it passed through, erupting from the third one as an energy burst almost as large as the Bakugan itself.

The two energies collided in mid air, and the resulting explosion lit up the field like a firework. A thunderous bang shook the building, forcing Rin to hold on to the edge of the roof for dear life. Kuso and Anubias were both straining against the force of the hot winds, the same ones that were beginning to tear at Rin's veil, and Rin had to squint just to make out the red-and-white clad boy on the ground below her.

The light died down after a few moments, as did, thankfully, the wind. Horridian had returned to his singular form, looking tired. Neither boy wasted any time with the counter attack, something that struck Rin as odd, but she didn't know why she thought it was strange.

"Ability activate!" they shouted.

"Deadly nightmare!"

"Titanium hummer!"

The dragonoid avoided the shots expertly, gliding between them with the grace of a hawk. It's graceful, isn't it? Rin thought, thinking of Mistress Sellon. But what's so great about graceful? It sounds so stuffy...

The dragonoid then shot into the air, far out of Horridian's reach. Kuso smirked. "Got you now!"

"Not so fast, Kuso! Gate card, open! Darkus Nebulous!" The dragonoid cried out, his wings suddenly buckling, as he was pulled to the ground. Kuso hissed while Anubias smirked. "What was that you were saying?"

"Stuff it!" Kuso snapped. He spun, throwing out his left arm with a wince. "Ability activate! Dragon force striker!"

Lightning once again filled the air, this time joined by a powerful beam of white-hot energy. Anubias hissed.

"Get out of there! Horridian!" The Bakugan dove to the side but was not quick enough to avoid a scalding encounter with the beam. It howled in pain as it crashed into the ground. Anubias growled. "Get up!"

Kuso rested one hand on his hip while Horridian got to his feet, a tired sheen to it's eyes. He was smirking as his own Bakugan shook out his wings, flicking his tail. Rin raised an eyebrow at her superior's opponent. Why wasn't he finishing the fight while he was ahead?

Anubias was apparently thinking the same thing. "Why are you just standing there?" he demanded, agitated. "You could have finished me!"

"Are you kidding me, dude?" Kuso asked, chuckling. "This is the most fun I've had in ages!"

"Fun?" Rin watched Anubias' tense figure, then smirked as he did. Something told her that this was typical of the brunette. She wasn't sure what told her, nor did she care, as this battle was just what Kuso had described it as. Fun.

"You're one strange kid, Kuso."

"Heh, tell me that after you've met my girlfriend." Rin thought she saw Anubias smirk at that, apparently amused. "Ability activate! Titanium hummer!"

"Ability activate! Variant commando!"

From that point on, the battle grew more and more heated. Kuso was smiling broadly, sweat coursing down his face and staining his shirt. Anubias looked about as amused, although a tad bit irritated as the battle went on. It wasn't long before he was completely on the defensive, dodging one assault only to find himself ensnared in another. Rin gave this turn of events a cursory thought, aware that this brawler's style was different from what she had been expecting, but not finding so much fault in it to warrant all of her attention. It was hard enough keeping track of which hits landed and which were simply dodged.

It wasn't until the sky had begun to lighten when the battle's victor truly emerged. Horridian had finally been barraged with more hits from Kuso's dragon than he could handle, and despite Anubias' angered cries, nothing more could keep him standing. The Bakugan dropped to his knees, then pressed his face into the dirt. "Get up!" Anubias shouted, but to no avail. The cerberus groaned as light encased it, creating a reverse silhouette of it against the shadows of the ground. Royal purple obscured it's features, and then it had swirled into a minuscule dot, shooting back toward it's master.

It came to a stop at Anubias' feet, or so Rin assumed, and then the Gundalian had dropped to one knee. His chest seemed to heave as he drank in large gulps of air. His eyes were hidden from his opponent and the Haos battler on the rooftop by his dull gray hair, which was now beginning to reflect a faint blue-green glow.

Rin snorted as the dragonoid swirled back into ball form and returned to Kuso, who caught it expertly. He smiled, opening his hand to look down at the lifeless game piece before him. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but a moment later, seemed to catch himself. Duh, Rin thought, rolling her eyes. They're not alive, you moron— She froze.

But…weren't they?

Dan caught himself just when his mouth opened. His vocal chords seized uncomfortably in his throat, the air initially reserved for that purpose not passing through them to make sound. His face fell. This wasn't Drago, no matter how inclined he was to believe that.

He stared at the game piece for a moment, wondering if it was sentient at all, before he sighed, closed his fist, and tucked it into his pocket. Maybe it would come in handy later, he told himself, though in his heart, he knew it was a lie. Anubias would never let him keep it, he knew that. Especially not now, after he'd beaten him. Maybe he should have thrown the match, made Anubias think he wasn't a threat. Maybe then he could have done something to free his friends.

But the damage was done, and Anubias knew his rank wasn't just a sham. Nothing he could do now.

Speaking of Anubias…

Dan lifted his gaze, taking in the motionless kneeling figure across the field. He had dropped to one knee, hair almost invisible due to the angle his head was bent at. His shoulders lifted and fell noticeably, but not rapidly, to Dan's mild chagrin. One hand reached out then to retrieve Horridian, and his eyes lifted, taking in his opponent with a dark look.

Even so, Dan could feel no remorse for his victory. He grinned at his beaten opponent, an action that registered in the back of his mind as something liable to get him punched in the face later—not that he cared too much, since this was worth it—and stretched his arms out. His fingers locked together behind his head as he leaned back, for the first time in an eternity of two weeks feeling somewhat content. Not even the searing, pulsing pain of his burns could take this moment from him.

A breeze chilled the drops of sweat on his face, lifting his hair as though trying to carry it to freedom. As if the wind knew that Dan was a captive, as if it desired nothing more than the liberation of the universe's protector. Perhaps it knew that with the boy in the clutches of such a tyrant as his captor that not even it would be free.

He turned to face the wind, closing his eyes. It buffeted his closed eyelids and face, kissing him forcefully, caressing him intimately. A long lost lover, it was, rejoicing in the short-lived, but no less overdue, reconciliation of its consort. It pushed past the barrier of his clothes and made sure to trail its feather touch along his chest. Pressing against each cell of his skin, it was sure to let the captive know that freedom did still exist. Freedom is here, it whispered. Come, follow me; join me in my dance.

His eyelids parted and light trickled in. The sky was lightening above the field, revealing stout, plateau-like mountains in the distance. The press of the wind grew less insistent, the roar in his ears becoming a whine, then a whistle, then, as his bangs fell against his forehead, silent altogether.

He couldn't join it; he knew that in his heart. Joe was here. Mylene and the others were here. And someone else, someone he surely loved, was here, too. Leaving to enjoy freedom on his own, while his friends suffered the horrors of captivity—or, perhaps, worse—would be selfish. Cruel.

He would never forgive himself.

The carefree grin had fallen, a stoic, tired expression taken its place. But he forced it away as soon as he noticed the change. He was going to smile while he could, enjoy the air while he could, enjoy the feeling of freedom. Outside, beneath the sky, where he could extend his arms and reach and imagine that the sky was a liquid through which his fingers could trail, he was as close to free as he would feel for who knew how long.

Savor it, he told himself.

He dropped to his knees and then stretched out on his back, splaying his arms and legs out spread-eagle on the ground. He nearly choked on the pain, sitting up immediately. Grimacing, he grit his teeth against the hellfire that burst into being on his back. Oh geez…

He flipped over onto his stomach, trying to block out the pain. Instead, he pressed his forehead into the grass, into the dirt. He stretched out his arms before him, as far forward as they would go, and dug his fingers into the dirt beneath them. He closed his eyes and drank in the air.

With his nose in the dirt, all he could detect was it's musty odor. He turned his head to the side, and more revealed itself to him. The air's sweet scent washed through his nose, it's crisp, slight menthol tang chilling it like a leaf of spearmint. Cool dewdrops from the grass that tickled his cheek and sent shivers up his spine. Goosebumps covered his arms. He drank in the feeling of freedom as though it were champagne.

The silence of the breaking dawn was interrupted by the sound of a footfall to Dan's left, but he didn't open his eyes. They didn't open even when he heard the impatient shifting of the Gundalian's feet. Instead, the face surrounding his closed eyes smirked, and he spoke.

"You know, the air here is sweeter than Earth's," he said. "New Vestroia, too. Not quite as sweet as Nethia, though."

He took Anubias's silence for surprise at his speech. He kept his eyes closed.

"Doesn't smell like anything even close to what Gundalia smells like. No offense or anything, but that place kinda smells like the basement at Shun's dojo."

"Hmph. Wouldn't know. Never been there."

"Shun's dojo? Good. Trust me, if you value your life, you'll never go there."

"No. Gundalia."

Dan opened his eyes, surprised, and propped his head up on a hand. He lifted an eyebrow at Anubias, who was standing above him. His eyes were fixed on the lightening horizon, a serious look on his face. Dan frowned.

"Why?" Anubias guessed the question on his tongue. "The Master has never sent me there."

"The master?" Dan repeated. Anubias didn't acknowledge his speaking. "I thought you worked for Barodius. Emperor Barodius."

"Titles are unimportant," the Gundalian said gruffly. Dan knew enough conversational cues to know he didn't want the matter pursued. He didn't press it, hoping that keeping his guard in a good mood would further his time in the open.

"Whatever, man." He sat up and crossed his legs. He glanced up at his captor. Anubias was frowning at the horizon with an intense look in his eyes. His lips were pressed in a firm line, and Dan likened the glare to that which he himself often gave to a situation that needed a quick solution. He raised an eyebrow. "Have you never seen a sunrise before or something?"

Anubias glared down at Dan. "Why do you care?" Dan shrugged.

"Just asking. I mean, if you were raised on Gundalia, I'd understand never seeing a sunrise. It's not like you can see much there."

"Hmph. I know what a sunrise is," Anubias said curtly. "Come on, you've had your fun. Time to go back inside."

Dan didn't move, instead turned his gaze back toward the horizon. "Knowing what a sunrise is isn't the same as seeing one." He could feel Anubias' eyes boring into him, but he didn't meet his gaze. The sky was beginning to turn orange.

"Get up." That was an order. An order Dan disobeyed. A second later, electricity was running down Anubias' hand. Dan whipped his head around to glare at him.

"Oh, for goodness freaking sake, just let me watch the goddamn sunrise," he snapped. Anubias's eyes narrowed.

"I don't take orders from you, Kuso."

"I don't really care. I'm not moving." His glare morphed into a frown, and he turned back to the horizon. Anubias growled. He grabbed Dan's shirt collar and yanked him to his feet, eliciting an intake of breath from the teen, but nothing more. The fabric pressed against the whiplashes, sending waves of pain up his spine. He refused to show it. Anubias then pushed Dan from him, forcing him to catch himself or fall in the wet grass. He caught himself, sending the pseudo-Gundalian an annoyed look.

"You're in no position to say what you're going to and what you're not going to do," Anubias growled. Dan folded his arms over his chest.

"Don't you think I know that? I'm a hostage." Anubias' glare intensified. "You're going to use me so your 'master' or whatever the hell you call him can take over the universe. And we all know I'm gonna stop you or die trying."

"You're awfully optimistic."

"Nah. Not really." Dan dropped into a squat. "If things go the way I think they're gonna, then this'll be the last sunrise I ever see." His statement was met with silence. "I know Barodius," he continued, keeping his face carefully blank. "Once I'm useless, he'll get rid of me. He'll do the same to you. Already did it to Stoica and Ren."

The sky had taken on a brilliant red glow, the most intense than Dan had ever seen. The red bled into a pale orange, which in turn faded to lavender and then receding indigo. A few distant stars were still visible on the far side of the sky, apparently intent upon sparkling until the glow of the closer star erased them from view. The few clouds present were lined with an ethereal luminescence, immediately differentiating them from the surrounding sky. Wispy feathered clouds trailed a fuchsia pink through the different layers of watercolored sky, transcending each separate zone.

This is what he was protecting.

Was he prepared to die for it?

"I know that."

Dan shot a glance at Anubias. "You do?" The Gundalian was glaring at the horizon again, but turned it back to Dan. He was still clearly agitated. "Why do you work for him, then?"

"None of your business, Kuso."

"If he's gonna screw you over, then why—"

"Shut up, will you? Just watch your goddamn sunrise."

Dan snorted. "Fine, fine. Whatever." However, he did allow a small smile of satisfaction as he turned back to the rising sun.

With that, the sun peeked over the horizon, adding pale golden rays to the palette of brightness. Dan breathed in the morning air, savoring it's crisp chill. A few insects buzzed nearby, and somewhere, a bird chirped. Displatis was awake, it's sun revealing it's unique beauty.

This time, he didn't allow himself to frown. He smiled and stared into the light. Into the light of all he was protecting, that which gave life to all it touched.

It was like the Infinity Core: it gave life. Nothing could survive without it's energy. It gave Hydron a second chance. It gave Mylene and Shadow and Lync and Volt and even Sid a second chance.

Dan wouldn't be the one to take it's power away.

Suddenly, a shiver shot down Dan's spine, and before he knew it, he was turning. In fact, his neck snapped around so quickly it spasmed, and he grimaced. He wasn't sure what he was looking for or even why he had moved, but the figure on the roof caught his eye. His mouth dropped open in shock, a look mirrored on the half of her face he could see.

There was a girl there, dressed in a mid-length skirt and white knee high boots. A golden cape flared out behind her in the wind, as did her veil and face covering. Her veil was white turned gold by the sun, and the tiara on her head glinted harshly.

Her eyes were wide, too, locked on his, but neither could see them. The distance was too great, but both knew that feeling of recognition. It was like that moment you see a person at the store, someone familiar and yet not, and you're certain you know them but can't remember from where.

And then the moment was gone, and the girl was running, fleeing, and Dan didn't stop her, for calling out would alert Anubias, who somehow had not already noticed his distraction, and Dan knew that by speaking, he would break the spell. So he turned back around, puzzled but distracted by the marvel that was the sun, and resolved to consider this new development later. For now, he had the sun, he had the world, and the freedom of the sky before him.

Oh gosh, long chapter. Looooong chapter...no wonder this took me a...year...oh geez.

Well…sorry for the lack of updates. Uuugh…procrastination…

So many people have been favoriting and reviewing this lately…I'm so sorry. I keep thinking about this, planning the next chapters, and even drawing art for this that probably won't ever wind up finished…I mean, I tried making a graphic novelization of the first chapter. It's coming along. Slowly. Sorta. Not really. One page is done...one...page…

ANYWAY

I have the next 3 ish chapters written. Written, not edited, and there WILL be editing. Why is it that I'm most productive when I'm on the other side of America? I don't understand. I get stuff done when I'm on the West coast but definitely not the East coast. Actually, a lot of it gets done on the plane...the first part of this chapter was actually written a year ago...on the plane...oh gosh. I'm a horrible person. Urghhh...I'm gonna try to get this stuff coming along more consistently…

I'm sorry! I'm soooo sorry! It's summer now and I have a ton of AP stuff to do but uuuugh, I'm gonna get more chapters up…. probably one a month or something.

OMG! EMPRESSPYRUS! I LOVE YOU! She beta-read this for me and is just awesome and kyuuu, I love you EmpressPyrus! I don't know what I'd do without her; you guys should REALLY send her a thank you note or something because she keeps reminding me to do this! I LOVE YOU!

Deadlines. They kill me. And then revive me and kill me again. Ugh.

Um...if you'd be so kind as to tell me what you thought (and hopefully not brutally murder me), please start typing down below...