Girston appeared in a small cabin deep in the snowy mountains, about a hundred miles from Denver. Full of anger, he tossed aside paperwork and flipped over the table holding it. His fists slammed onto the marble countertop and smashed it to bits.
"I gotta pay for that, ya know."
Looking up, he locked eyes with Carlos.
Having shed his humanity and taken on the blood of Girston and the Goddess, his body underwent an intense amount of changes. He grew to six feet six, muscle mass had increased in his torso, arms and legs, but still held a slendertone. His once brown eyes had taken a strong shade of violet, his black hair touching his shoulders and holding silver at the tips.
He stepped around and began picking up the pieces of marble on the floor.
"Why do you insist on living this way? You shed your humanity, didn't you?"
"Doesn't mean I want to live like an animal, or like an Angel. I'm me, and I do what I want to," He replied coldly, standing up and putting the marble back together, before waving his fingers and melding it into one. "I take it things didn't go well."
"They got in the way again."
"I should've went with you. We both can take down their entire gang."
"No," He said simply. "While we could definitely injure them, you would still be a thorn in my side. Your feelings of jealousy towards Takabi would make you lose focus easily. After all, the boy is still far ahead of you."
"Excuse me," Carlos asked, his voice full of venom. "He's NOTHING compared to what I am now."
"In your mind maybe, but us attacking them now isn't what the Goddess wishes. We are bound by her rules. You know that." Girston sat at the second table in the kitchen.
Carlos grit his teeth. He moved towards the fridge, opening it and pulling out a bottle of wine. "I guess you're right. It's frustrating, but if Mom wants that, who are we to argue?"
"Glad you understand that. Shine has awakened her powers, if only faintly. We need to bring her back before she decides to align with those fools."
Carlos chuckled to himself. "Like you imply, Dad. Time, and patience. When it's right, we'll snatch her up from under their feet." He walked over, two goblets of wine in his hands. He handed one to Girston, the two tapping the glass and drinking deeply.
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The Bunker door opened swiftly. Kairas and Takabi stepped in, looking around at the usual busy nature. "Well. At least things are still the same here."
"Takabi." Garuga's voice called to him over the loudness of the people around. "Come."
Shrugging, Takabi slapped Kairas' shoulder and moved up to the second flight, following the Shadow Dragon into the board room. "Where's Shine?"
"Your room. Her friend is in the infirmary. Both are stable, but I wanted to talk with you about something first." He turned around, looking Takabi in the eye. "I… Listen, I'm really worried about you, and Kairas. Both of you boys, your hate towards Girston has grown a lot in the past few months."
"Obviously. He cost me my home town and tormented Kairas' mind for years. Ain't it normal to be pissed?"
"Yes, but…" He sighed, pulling a chair out and sitting down. "Let me rephrase. I'm worried you'll lose control over yourself. The darkness in you both is great, and so far you've shown me I shouldn't worry. You're men now." He paused for a moment, rubbing his chin, "But every man has his breaking point."
Takabi watched him, nodding slowly. "I… I get it, but I've come to terms with myself. I have my anger under control."
"And Kairas?"
"Kai. He…" Takabi looked up to the ceiling, biting his lip. "... He may take some time. He can do it though. I believe he can."
Garuga leaned back and clasped his hands together in his lap. His face, his tone, everything about him was relaxed except for his eyes. His dark eyes were tired. He had a lingering worry inside the orbs that made Takabi shiver. He usually was confident.
Something was bothering him.
"If anything happens, I'll stop Kairas. He's my Brother, and I'd go to hell and back for him."
"Yes. Remember, above all else, Family is more important than vengeance."
Nodding, Takabi turned on his heel and left the boardroom. The door closed behind him, Porrelth watching Garuga with crossed arms. "Why didn't you tell him?"
"He's not ready yet." Garuga looked down. "And I can prolong myself until this is all over."
"But if you wear yourself out," Porrelth began, but Garuga shook his head.
"I'm fine. Really. I can last as long as I don't leave too often. Time flows differently here, so I can remain."
"So that talk about the darkness then. It wasn't for his father, but when something happens to you?"
Garuga remained silent.
"I'm going to tell him." Porrelth said, but Garuga reached out with his Shadows, the dark gripping the Fire Dragon's wrist. "No. Syrreth… She and Saiya will be back with medicine, and things will be fine."
The Dragons watched either silently, before Porrelth sighed and sat down with his friend.
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"This place is… So weird," Shine commented. "I feel like I'm in multiple places at once. Is that normal," She asked. In the room with her was Mia.
The girl smiled, adjusting her glasses and puffing her chest a bit. "I could sit here and explain the whole process to you, Shine, and it still wouldn't make much sense to you. It's really complex."
Takabi entered his room, raising an eyebrow when he spotted the pair. "Mia. You're actually socializing?" He walked over to his closet and opened it up.
Mia threw a pillow at him and puffed her cheeks.
"I can socialize when I want to. Shine is new, so I wanted to be the one to show her around. If that's okay."
He shrugged in response to her, throwing his blood soaked shirt into the wash bin and slipping on a long sleeve one. Mia grabbed Shine's arm and rushed with her out of the room.
Takabi chuckled at the two, his smile slowly fading, replaced with a somber look. He closed his closet door and left the room, heading downstairs, through the cafe and into the infirmary. He didn't see Frannie sitting at the desk with Rose, even as he pulled up a chair and sat next to Nana's bed.
He didn't speak. His mind was too focused on her features. Her chest slowly rising and falling. Her stirring eyelids. Any moment, she'll wake up. He wanted to be there when she did.
Rose cleared her throat. Takabi looked at her and smiled, before turning back. "Takabi, I'm going to get a couple things from the Storage unit to finish Frannie's cast. Keep her company?"
"Sure," He said blankly. Rose stood and left the room, turning back for a moment to watch his back, before leaving completely. Frannie sat in silence at the table. Her eyes were on Takabi, then moved towards Nana on the bed.
Hesitant at first, she licked her lips before speaking up. "Is she a friend?"
He glanced at her then back. "Girlfriend."
"Oh. She's very beautiful."
"Thank you," He said dryly. "How's your arm?"
"Broken, but should be good as new. What's in those painkillers anyway? I can barely feel anything."
Takabi chuckled. "Those weren't painkillers. They were special pills made from herbs from the Canyon. They're designed to heal any and all wounds, so long as they're administered in an hour from the wound dealt."
"Don't you need one," Frannie asked. "You took a pretty nasty… Cut…" Her eyes fell on his chest. He glanced up, noting her gaze, and raised his shirt.
Not a single trace of the cut remained, as if it never existed.
"Whoa. Did… Did you heal that with magic?"
"Nope. It's just my biology. I can heal, unbelievably fast."
"What about Shine? Can she do that too?"
Takabi touched his chin. "Maybe. If she's more physically enhanced than humans, then her healing should be as well. She healed up pretty well in the hospital after all." Frannie blinked and sat back in her chair. "How did you meet Shine anyway?"
"Oh, we go way back. We met eight years ago. Would you believe that girl approached me after school once and basically forced me to hang out with her? I admired that little strength, the will to do what she wanted. We clicked and that was that. Had no idea she'd be… Like she is now."
Takabi shifted his attention then. A look of curiosity came over him. "Would you still be her friend if you knew she was a Fallen Angel?"
Frannie didn't speak for a bit. Her mind was deep in thought. The truth was that she didn't know. The idea would've terrified her, yet she felt that regardless Shine would never hurt her willingly. Being friends taught her that much.
It wasn't in Shine's nature to want to hurt if it wasn't deserved.
"Word of advice," Takabi began. "If you value your life, don't cling to Shine so closely anymore."
Frannie broke her thought and looked at him, wide eyed.
"This life is dangerous. I…" He glanced at Nana. "I know how it feels to lose someone close, so I wouldn't want you, or her to go through that. I don't even know if Nana will ever wake up. She has the chance, but the waiting is unbearable, especially if it's just to hear she won't ever open her eyes."
Frannie watched him. Clutching her fist, she muttered under her breath. Takabi tried to read her lips, but her hair blocked them from view. "What'd you say," He asked her.
She spoke louder, "Not… Not if you train us both. Shine… Shine can use magic now, right? Maybe you can teach me too. Make me strong so I won't have to worry about that."
"I don't think…" He wanted to say no, but Frannie did something he didn't expect. She got to her feet, but dropped on all fours, or threes in this case, lowering her head. "Please! Just train me! Whatever it takes!"
"Why go so far for Shine? Aren't you worried about your parents? Your other friends? You can live normally. Be happy and not go through this hell."
"I… don't know. What I do know though, that all of this is… serious. I'll come up with something for school and my parents… Don't worry. The more help the better, right?" She lifted her head. "I can do this. I can."
Takabi sighed, looking at Nana one more time. His fingers brushed against her hand, before he said, "Fine. Your course will be lighter than Shine's starting out, but you'll get there. Go talk to Garuga. Tell him I'll take responsibility."
"You won't be disappointed, Master!"
Takabi's eye twitched. "Don't call me that. Takabi is fine."
Frannie jumped to her feet, sitting at the table and beaming with happiness. Takabi avoided looking at her.
He hoped to God he didn't just start someone's death clock. With his luck, Frannie would get destroyed if she tried fighting for real regardless of magic or not. The least he could do was give her some guidance in the subject, not that he was a master himself.