Chapter 30: Broken Bond

How is it that it got to this point?

Takabi bit his lip, drawing blood and hopping along the floating platforms exposed from the lava's surface. Carlos was right behind him, smiling with a strange and dark happiness in his eyes.

We were friends.

We were so close.

What really drove a wedge between us both?

Carlos shot high into the air, throwing his palm forward and releasing a blast of magic. Takabi leapt up, avoiding the explosion and splash of lava, continuing to move away. "Why are you running!? Fight me, you piece of shit!"

I would. I thought I could actually force myself to.

I physically can't. I don't want to hurt you, Man. You're family. We've had each other's backs for years.

Takabi's wings shot from his back and he began to soar, flipping and kicking off a loose rock, charging at Carlos.

I don't want to hurt you.

Carlos laughed, his eyes focused on Takabi's face as he landed. "You better fight back! I don't think Nana would like the idea of you pussying out! Then again, she always needed a real man like me in her life anyway."

His hands closed into a fist.

I don't want to hurt you, Carlos. You're someone I could never want to hurt in any sort of way.

He threw a fist forward, sluggishly, allowing Carlos to dodge. The boy didn't notice as he countered his former friend with a heavy knee to his ribs. Carlos followed up with a heavy barrage of knuckles to Takabi's face.

Mom. Am I wrong for not wanting to fight him?

Nana, could you forgive me if I hurt someone close to me?

Would I be the monster, or would it be justified?

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Girston eyed Kairas down coldly. The black haired boy was stained with blood and cuts, but not all of it was his own. Most of the Kult had been cleared out by him.

Most dead, the others injured and incapable of moving. When he finished the last of the Kultists, Girston attacked him, and completely controlled the fight.

Steam rose from Kairas' wounds as they healed. He stood up right, throwing off his jacket and hardening his eyes. Electricity bellowed around him, and from his first step, he was upon Girston in mere seconds. The Angel vanished, reappearing and grabbing Kairas' ankle, throwing him into the ceiling and watching as he fell.

"I thought you wanted to kill me?"

Kairas grit his teeth, willing a slide of ice below his feet. He slid down, leaping at his father, who raised his palm and stopped his ice powered fist with pure light. He uttered silent words of power, Kairas' ice shooting out and swallowing the boy in a massive black sheet.

"It's a hundred years too early for you to challenge me, boy. Understand, I made my choices to keep you safe. You all turned on me, so I acted accordingly, like, gaining one who I could proudly call a son."

Thin gushes of water splashed against his back.

He turned, facing Aqua and the Huntress, both ready to brawl with him. He threw Kairas aside, the boy slamming against a pillar and sliding down. He took deep breaths, standing and brushing the ice from his shoulder as he walked forward.

"We went against you because you turned your back on Mom. She had nothing but love for you, and you know that better than anyone."

"I do." He said dryly. "I spent the last seven years thinking about what an awful thing it was for me to hurt her that way. Doesn't change the fact that she was in the wrong when she involved you two in this mess." He chuckled. "I guess she had confidence that you two would use that power the right way, and even stop her if it ever came to it."

"What are you talking about," Kairas spat out.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Too late now. She's reawakened finally, and for once, I'm going to do right by her."

"You don't make any damn sense." Kairas felt the black Gem begin to twist in his heart. His body tensed greatly as he unleashed the power, black rushing up the right side of his body and eye darkening completely. "I will bathe in your blood today, Girston!"

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Takabi hit the floor, steam rising from his bruises and cuts. Thin trails of blood oozed down his cheek and arms, and a large bump formed over his eye. Carlos stood over him, knuckles bloody from constant use. He had a look of disappointment in his eyes.

When he spoke, his tone was full of bitterness. "What a waste of fucking time. It's not fun when you don't fight back."

I don't want to. Isn't it obvious? Takabi bit his lip, forcing his regeneration to stop slowly.

"You really are a bitch, aren't you?" Carlos asked, walking over and stomping on his chest. "I hit, and hit, and hit, yet you won't punch me back. Didn't you say you'd break me? What happened to all that fire?"

Takabi avoided Carlos' eyes. Glaring, he stomped harder on his chest, until he returned his gaze. "You won't at least scream? Give me some kind of satisfaction."

"I won't," He said finally. "It's obvious I don't want to do this. How could I look at you as an enemy when you've been my friend all this time?"

"I stopped being your friend when you punched me in the face. I had doubts about you from the beginning of that week, to be honest." He rubbed his wrist. "Like I said. All that power, and you waste it. Now look at me, and what I plan to accomplish with my power. Girston taught me so little, and I'm already so far ahead of you."

"So what? I don't care if you're stronger than I am or not."

Carlos fell silent. His eyes. There's no fear. No rage or anything. "Cut the tough guy shit!" He yelled, kicking Takabi over to the edge of the platform.

Takabi sucked in a lungful of thick air, looking back at Carlos. "Beat me as much as you want. Anything it takes to get you back to your senses."

"Shut up!" He slammed his palm down, magic spears rushing up and piercing through Takabi's arms and legs. He grit his teeth, holding in his screams of pain as Carlos walked over, glowing with anger. "Stop acting like we're still close!" His first punch broke a single rib. The bone pierced Takabi's left lung, and white hot pain rushed through the boy's body.

"Don't you get it?! I hate you, I hate everything you stand for and you're stupid goody two shoes bullshit!" The next punch shattered two ribs on his right side. The pain grew, his mind feeling shot and vision spotty. "We're not friends, Takabi! That's over with!" He took a small breath, stepping back and watching. "I don't think you'd understand that, even if I killed you."

A blade of magic formed around his hand. He aimed the tip, pressing it gently into the flesh over his heart. "Do I have to kill your friends in that Bunker place? Or maybe I should wait and bring Nana down here, and fuck her senseless until she forgets all about you? Would you fight me then?"

Steam began to rise from his wounds. Weakly, he looked up. "I don't give a damn what you do… But keep her name out of your mouth."

"Oh, that's how it is? Pussy means more to you than anything, huh?" He lowered the blade, standing back and raising his fingers. Light began to rise from the dirt, taking a body shape all too familiar to Takabi. His eyes widened when the light began to develop facial features, hair, skin and everything.

A perfect copy of Nana stood between the two boys, bare as can be, eyes devoid of light. Her expression was blank. Carlos walked around her, eyes examining the copy and a smirk rising on his lips.

"She's got such a nice figure." His hands ran down her arms, leg sliding between her legs to make her spread them. "This ass too. Damn, you did hit the jackpot."

Takabi began to move, fighting against the spears that held him in place. "Enough! This is between us!"

"Say, Nana." Carlos began, moving to her side. "Tell me, who do you want more? Me, or him." The copy looked between the two. Takabi's eyes slowly began to well up, all sound drowned out.

He forgot where he was, why he was there.

Nana's eyes suddenly lit with a faint light, and she dropped to her knees in front of Carlos, frantically messing with his pants as drool rushed down her chin. "YOU! PLEASE I NEED YOU, CARLOS!"

Carlos smiled, looking Takabi directly in the eye. The boy had stopped moving. Tears were flowing freely, silently, his heart feeling as if it had just snapped in half and smashed to pieces.

It's not really her. It isn't. I know that… But… Why.. Why am I so…

Takabi closed his eyes and looked down, his breathing growing frantically sporadic.

"What's wrong, bro? You're looking pretty shaken. The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Nana…

Nana… I…

"I'm so sorry I'm not enough…" His voice broke, eyes opened and tears dripping to the dirt.

"Broken." Carlos snapped, the Nana copy disappearing a ball of light. "At least I got that out of you. Now, I'm satisfied with killing you. Can't wait till I get my hands on the real Nana though. Gonna be a blast without you getting the way," He shrugged smugly.

Takabi raised his head, looking Carlos directly in his eyes. "Fuck. You. Fuck you, fuck everything about you." The lava began to rumble, shaking the platform.

Carlos looked around, his eyes falling back on Takabi. The boy's body was swallowed in an intense violet light. Tattoos rushed the left side of his body, but it didn't stop there. Once the Gem markings were finished, his body turned completely black and hair lengthened greatly. Feathered wings stretched out wide, magic bursting from his body, shattering the holds on his limbs.

He landed, never taking his eyes off of Carlos. "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED!?" He yelled through his angered tears, shooting forward and slammed his elbow into Carlos' chest. The boy cried in pain, only being muffled by Takabi's palm and the odd feeling of slowed time. The Fallen Angel carried him high, through the floor back into the cathedral.

"YOU WANTED ME TO FIGHT?! I'LL DO YOU ONE BETTER!" His voice was altering. It grew darker and darker with each word, each action he took. He carried Carlos through each pillar, slamming him into the stained glass windows, before flipping over and kicking him behind Kairas.

His twin momentarily forgot about their father, all eyes locked on Takabi. The boy yelled, charging at Carlos and slamming his skull into the floor, pulling his fist back and slamming it into his nose. The marble under his head smashed, and Carlos was out cold. Takabi pulled back, crouching and throwing after punch after punch. "I WARNED YOU! NO MATTER WHAT YOU DID, KEEP NANA'S NAME OUT OF YOUR DIRTY MOUTH!" He stood up, Carlos' face almost unrecognizable from the blood, bruises and welts forming. His body was stiff, and whatever was visible of his pupils was rolled into his head.

Takabi grit his teeth, mana forming in his palm. A clear sphere, which quickly housed a flame. Kairas' eyes widened, and he moved fast. "Takabi, that's enough!��

"GO TO HELL YOU BACKSTABBING BASTARD!"

He threw Nova down.

He wanted to kill him.

He wanted Carlos' blood on his hands.

Kairas gripped Takabi's wrist, just before Nova made contact. He looked at his twin, speaking loudly. "Have you lost your damn mind?! Isn't he your friend?!"

Takabi watched his brother, slowly flicking his eyes between him and Carlos. Nova faded away, Takabi quickly releasing his transformations. He stepped back, sitting on the floor and burying his face into his arms.

Kairas looked at Carlos, sneering and spitting on him. "Disgusting piece of shit."

The older twin looked back at Girston, walking towards him. "That's the boy you took under your wing? The type of guy to steal his own friend's girl before his eyes and make him watch, and turn his back on the realm you swore to protect?"

Takabi looked back. "How do you…" He didn't finish his sentence.

"Being connected goes for more than just Aqua, ya know. Both of us could see what was going on down there." A cold air rushed through the cathedral. "Sit back. It's my time now."

Girston crossed his arms, waving his hand. Carlos' body rose into the air, slowly floating towards the Angel. "I would assume so. However as it stands now, I cannot battle you with my student in this condition. Well done, Takabi. I never expected you to utilize your evil side that well. You have my praise."

"Take your praise and shove it up your ass." He said, wiping the tears from his eyes. He looked even more exhausted than before. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

Girston snickered at the comment, a blue light opening up behind him. He sent Carlos through first, putting a foot inside but keeping his eyes on the boys.

"Listen, your attention is misdirected right now. You should be focusing on the city. It was fun seeing you two again, and I look forward to our later encounters. Maybe with the whole family next time." He waved, and took another step back.

Takabi and Kairas both moved, throwing a blast of magic at the man.

The portal snapped shut when he was inside, and the blast merely ripped the marble on the floor apart. They swore loudly, sitting next to one another. Aqua approached the boys and hugged Takabi tightly, happy he came to rescue her.

And he was happy she was safe.

His mind was shot, and he desperately needed to talk with Nana and get some sort of reevaluation before his mind would think the worst. One question did linger in his mind, even as Syrreth finally joined them inside and surveyed the damage done.

What was he talking about? What's he planning, Takabi thought.