"This is so weird."
The grass bent under Takabi's bare feet. The wind was calm, dancing around him, blowing leaves from trees. The blue sky above held the sun at the perfect angle, its rays beating down overhead in a rejuvenating nature.
To his left was a lake, clear and clean as day. Koi fish dashed along the weak streams, leaping up from under the water surface only so faintly before relaxing and swimming further away.
"Where am I," He questioned. His body felt odd. Hollow, if he had to describe it. The air felt ripe with mana and humidity. He looked at his hand, pondering the different ideas running through his head. The harder he thought, the more his mind felt like something was blocked out.
"Ah, there you are," A familiar voice called to him. Takabi turned, eyes locking with Garuga's. He was holding two fishing rods, handing one to the boy with a bucket is his other hand. "Come. Let's fish."
"Fishing," He repeated. "You fish?"
"No, WE fish. It's perfect to ease the mind and relax." He smiled, before sitting in the grass, placing the bucket down and casting his line into the lake. Takabi looked between Garuga and his own fishing rod, before sitting next to the Shadow Dragon and casting his line after him. Once it dipped under, Takabi kept a firm grip and took a deep breath.
"I never fished before. Never had an interest."
"And now," Garuga asked.
Takabi paused for a moment, drumming up a description for how he felt. He felt at peace, which while it was nice, it felt wrong currently. Something kept poking at the back of his brain, something important, but the more he focused on it, the more the thought seemed to fade away.
"Not sure," He answered honestly. "It may be an acquired taste."
"That much is very true," Garuga agreed. They sat in silence, watching, waiting for Koi fish to tug on their lines. All the while, Takabi flicked his eyes back and forth between the lake and Shadow Dragon.
--------------------------------
"Mom, where's Dad?"
Myra flicked through a magazine, before raising her eyes to look at Kairas. The boy had peanut butter on his cheek, and bread crumbs on his clothes. "He's at work, honey. He'll be home later."
"Really," He sounded disappointed. "I wanted him to teach me a new spell."
"Oh, really? What kind?"
"I wanna learn how to change the shape of my ice. I was thinking about making swords and stuff."
"A little ambitious, aren't you," She giggled, before standing. "I'll teach it to you so Dad can rest when he gets home. Okay?"
His face lit up with excitement, so much that he jumped on the counter top. "Okay!"
-----------------------------------------
Church bells rung overhead.
Nana felt woozy, a strong, nauseous feeling striking her stomach hard. She was sitting in one of the pues, watching Takabi and Raia gaze at one another lovingly. They already spoke their vows, and the pastor continued speaking on. It hit her hard, but her mind felt numb. A massive twinge of jealousy ripped in her core.
She wasn't happy, and it showed. Not only in her expression, but her aura. The men she was sitting nearby scoot away from her, watching with worried eyes. She glanced at them both, raising an eyebrow. Who were they?
As a matter of fact.. Who are most of these people? Wait, this isn't…
"Now, if any may object to the union of these two, speak now, or forever hold thy tongue." The pastor held a tone of authority, and spoke as if this moment was beautiful and proud.
It wasn't.
It was an ugly thing that shouldn't exist. Nana bounced her leg, feeling herself heat up in anger. She bit her lip, eye twitching faintly. She gripped her arm, trying to hold in place and keep herself from doing something stupid.
"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
And he did. So strongly, so swiftly, that it made Nana's stomach twist in an unbreakable knot. As she watched, the sound of applause was drowned out. When they broke their union, they moved down the aisle, waving at everyone. Once they moved by Nana, she looked and locked eyes with Takabi. He smiled warmly at her, but it wasn't the same.
It wasn't how she remembered. None of it was.
And that's what caused her to snap.
Her eyes went wide before she realized what she had done. The air that cut through church, the blood the spew high into the air, and Raia's head that rolled the rest of the way down the aisle before her body slumped to the floor.
It all ceased suddenly. Takabi wiped her blood from his face, hands shaking and eyes wide. All eyes fell on Nana, and none of it was approval. "She… She killed her…"
"WHAT!" A feminine voice chirped angrily. "You can't stomach someone having his hand so you kill them in cold blood?! Some angel!"
"N… No… I…"
"Just leave you whore," Takabi spat. "How dare you! How dare you take someone so special from me! And for what! Because you're jealous of what WE had!?" He looked her up and down. "I should kill you where you stand."
Nana was silent for a moment. She stood slowly, grabbing her bag, squeezing through person after person, feeling their burning gazes on her back. Once she reached the door, she stopped. "No… No, actually, I won't leave." She snapped her eyes back. "This isn't real. This isn't reality. Takabi we…." It hit like a dam had burst. The air around her began to rush. A light emitting from her body, but it wasn't pure.
It was dark. A dark, and powerful mana. "You're not him."
"Excuse me?"
"You're not him! You're not MY Takabi!"
"Fuck off, Nana," He said with spite. "I never was."
She screamed, of anger, of power. It burst, rushed around, the air dancing to her whim. He was her target, and swiftly she attacked. So swiftly, that once the air severed his throat, and his head flew into the air, his body hit the floor before anyone realised it. The guests all screamed, and tried to make it past her through the door. Nana cracked a smile, a smile so dark and twisted Satan himself would shudder.
She stepped forward, plowing through everyone, and making a line. She leapt and twirled, driving her hands and feet through body after body. Blood coated her dress, her hair and splashed on her face, but she was not phased.
Mana danced in her palm, and she twirled it, summoning a scythe of air. With a laugh, she swung, current of wind cutting through body after body. Before she realized it, there were only a handful of people left standing, and all of them were female. She stood up straight, cracking her neck and kicking off her heels. "Who's next?"
The women stood straight, faces of fear all replaced by a united tone and hazy, grey light. They moved into one another, light engulfing their bodies. Once it died down, a single man stood in front of Nana. Youthful skin, with dark hair and a blank face.
"This was a very unexpected turn of events." The voice was deep, youthful, powerful. "I hadn't thought it possible for an Angel to willingly kill innocents like this."
"Anyone who supported that relationship is not innocent." She rest the handle of the blade on the back of her neck. "So, who are you? And where the hell am I?"
He was quiet for a long while, before stepping over the bodies and puddles of blood, and clapping his hands. "I am Julius."
"Okay then, Julius. Where are my friends?"
"All in their own trials. None may pass up the mountains without passing. Of the ones I took, however, you are the first. I'm amazed at how strong your soul is, to commit murder this massive and not feel guilty. I can feel it. You view your relationship with the Fallen Angel as fact. Something that cannot be replaced or replicated. Is that what love is?"
Nana remained silent, but took her scythe off her shoulders.
"Either way, I cannot let you go. You've shown a strong will and belief, but you must defeat me first."
"I killed a fake with my man's face. Killing you doesn't bother me in the slightest."
"Cold. So cold hearted. However, I vastly surpass that of-" He couldn't finish his sentence. Nana had sent a wave of air so strong and wide, it severed his head from his body, and split the remainder of the church in half. His body twitched on its feet, then dropped to the floor, blood spewing from the exposed throat.
"I'm going back."
And that she did. Nana vanished, the carnage the only evidence of this dream.