Past Lives Chapter 2

The Flame and the Dragon Ch19

Chapter 19: The Gift

The cold wind bit mercilessly at Kai's exposed neck and cheeks. It had been snowing heavily for almost a week and snow blanketed the landscape once the blizzard ceased. Thick icicles hung from the balconies and roofs of the castle, and snow caked the roofs and towers. But the frosted surface, open fields of white hills, and frosted trees created the perfect environment for the playful staff. White, fluffy snow crunched loudly beneath his fur-lined paddock boots.

Harumi gave Kai a new pair of thick leather riding breeches and a long-sleeved, form-fitting, dark crimson turtleneck.

Over the outfit, he wore a long, red fur coat that covered most of his skinny frame. Soft fur tickled his skin and snuggly hugged the warmth to his body while the leather exterior managed to block any wind that dared try and penetrate it. Kai spun around a couple of times admiring the new coat from all angles and wondering what Cole would think if he saw him in it. Flame trotted beside him, overjoyed to see his master again. Nelson was running around the castle grounds with them, excited to see and touch a real-life horse for the first time in over a century.

The stallion was happy to let the boy pet him and ride on his back.

He always loved attention, just like his owner. The horse suddenly snorted into Kai's spikey hair and rubbed against his arms. He sniffed Kai's jacket and started digging through it Kai laughed at the treatment and pulled a juicy red apple from his pocket. He grinned as Flame's dark eyes lit up and he carefully snatched the apple from his master's hand and devoured the tasty treat. When he was finished he licked Kai's cheek, making the teen laugh loudly.

None of them noticed Cole admiring them from the balcony, watching the stallion triumphantly gallop across the snow-covered plains.

A small smile was on Cole's face when he watched Flame play with Kai and Nelson. His main focus was on his captive, though once in his thoughts the word no longer seemed appropriate. He felt a small jump in his chest when Kai smiled and laugh when Nelson tried racing Flame. Cole realized that was the first time he'd ever truly seen Kai smile or laugh. The teenager smiled brilliantly and laughed alongside Nelson as he had never before experienced something so enjoyable in his life.

It was a stark contrast to the feisty character he'd become accustomed to.

Just the sight of Kai's warm smile he'd kept hidden from him melted Cole's frozen heart. His breath hitched being suddenly exposed to the most innocent and blissful side of the otherwise resolute and world-hardened young man. For a brief moment, Cole would've given anything to have Kai smile at him like that. Subconsciously, his hand touched his bandaged torso beneath his opened coat. He hadn't bothered wearing a shirt under it, in case Kai insisted he changes the bandages again.

The wound had fully healed by now.

It had taken much longer than he thought it would have, and had no doubt it could've been a lot worse, had it not been for the teen's persistence. Cole had never felt this way before. His claws subconsciously moved to his chest as if feeling his heartbeat for the first time as it thundered in his chest. He sighed in frustration and started back towards his room, and down the stairs. Cole collapsed into his favorite chair at the head of the dining room table and sank to the seat.

His hands started massaging his temples in a desperate act to help him think but it did little to help.

His attention turned to the wide window, the curtains were drawn open. He could only faintly see the dots of his captive and his servants, but that perfect smile Kai had worn so effortlessly burned vividly in his mind. He sighed and collapsed his upper body against the table. A small stab of pain filled his chest at the realization that he was probably the only one who hadn't had the honor of seeing Kai smile like that. Or maybe he had and didn't realize it.

He had felt this foreign emotion for reasons he assumed was simply because he hadn't had time to focus on them.

When he saw Kai today, playing in the snow with Nelson he'd normally just think it was childish or idiotic when the only thing they'll do is get cold and wet, but he'd never felt this way before. Like he'd do anything to him smile like that all the time. With that thought, Cole rose to his feet, eyes bright with determination. He wanted to do something for him and not as a thank you or a repayment, just for the hell of it. He'd heard through the grapevine that Kai loved books, though the statement didn't surprise him.

It seemed natural that Kai would possess an artistic soul.

An idea formed in Cole's mind, forming a grin. With that, he turned around and burst from the room, radiating an aura that could rival the people playing outside in the snow...

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After putting Flame back in the stables and Nelson had said goodbye because he had some chores to do, Kai had intended to go and find someplace to get warmed up again and rid the cold from his bones. That is until Cole suddenly pulled him aside and said that he had something to show the teen. Kai was confused by that, but his curiosity won and he followed close behind the Dragon Lord as they walked to his surprise. Neither of them said anything.

It was like when Kai first arrived at the castle, but there was now hardly any tension between them.

Kai recognized the way to the ballroom, only instead of entering, Cole continued walking, so Kai followed him. The brunette looked around at the area of the castle he had yet to explore. Large curtains pooled like waterfalls of gold and silver around the enormous windows. The pale moonlight poured through them illuminating the different posed dragon statues standing in between each window. The hallway ended in front of two curved-shaped ivory doors outlined in gold, beneath a glittering emerald tapestry embroidered with a huge silver tree.

Cole suddenly came to a stop and Kai barely managed to stop walking straight into the hybrid's back.

He opened his mouth to speak, but again was cut off, this time by a sudden blackness wrapping around his eyes.

"Cole, what are you doing?" He asked as his hands instinctively moved to remove the blindfold, but Cole stopped him.

"It's a surprise, and I can't have you spoiling it by peeking." He said, loosely tying the cloth securely around Kai's eyes. He kept his paw on Kai's hands. Kai sighed and let Cole guide him.

"Can't you trust me by now? What if I promise not to open my eyes?"

"I do trust you, but I also know your curiosity has a nasty little habit of always getting the better of you." He admitted. The scream of wooden doors opening filled Kai's ears. Temporarily blinded, he let Cole guide him inside the mysterious room. They stopped in the middle of the room, and Cole let go of his hands.

"Can I take this thing off now?" Kai said more impatiently than he meant to sound, but there was anxiousness that didn't go unnoticed by Cole.

"Not yet." He whispered. A swoop sound and a gust of wind was his only warning, followed by the screech of reeling curtain holders. The light brightened the darkness covering his eyes and Kai wondered if that was moonlight.

"Now?" He asked with the anticipation of a child waiting for a birthday present. A loud thump was his answer.

"Now," Cole said as he carefully cut the blindfold and moved so he could see Kai's reaction. Kai kept his eyes closed for a second, momentarily fearing what he was going to see but his enthusiasm won and they slowly opened, then bulged with joy. A gasp of delight escaped his mouth and his cheeks flushed with happiness. He spun around taking in the wonder around him and resisted the urge to pinch himself in case he was dreaming all of this.

"This is incredible!" Kai breathed, his amber eyes alive and bright with childish wonder as they took in his special surprise. He was in the largest, most magnificent library he had ever seen. The room was enormous and rectangular with a roof that curved to a slope. Books lined all four of the walls so tall ladders were placed on them in intervals. The shelves were separated only by two enormous stained glass windows stretching all the way to the ceiling.

The moonlight illuminating them in a way the sunlight never could.

In the corner, an elegant golden staircase with spiral patterns carved into the wooden banisters spiraled to a second floor, an entire open circle overlooking the first floor. The bookcases on the second level, looped together like a giant circle stopping just at the base of a huge mural painted in rich detail upon the ceiling. A midnight blue dotted with silver stars with bigger ones forming constellations, whose true forms were painted in brilliant gold lines.

On the ground floor, globes were dotted around as well as several couches and chairs.

Two or three large desks made from giant smoothed slabs of stone made a suitable workstation on either side of the room. Two bookcases stretched from the walls stood on either side of an enormous white marble fireplace trimmed with gold and interline with black onyx. Just above it behind the banister of the second floor rested another huge stain glass window. Only this one was arched and was decorated with the symbol for the Tree of Knowledge.

But what stunned Kai the most were the books.

They were different from the ones he was used to. Each book was an antique, bound in velvet, leather, or hardcovers with thick hinges. Some had locks while others had jewels embedded in the cover. Older volumes had simple plain leather or velvet coverings with only the title on the side. Others were painted a vibrant blue, red or green. Age had dulled the colors, but none of them lost their wisdom. Upon closer inspection, he noticed each elegantly carved bookcase had a sliding glass cover protecting the books from air and moisture.

Even the second floor has multiple glass doors despite the circular shape, showing him these books had not just been well-used but loved and cared for.

Kai practically jumped with excitement, before bolting around and pouncing on Cole in a hug so sudden he almost fell over.

"I take it you like it?" He laughed.

"I love it! I've never seen so many books in my life, or such an amazing place, I mean look at this!" The teen beamed as he raced around like a kid in a candy store, admiring each shelf, each globe, each desk, the fireplace, then bolting up the spiral staircase and exploring the entire top section. He moved so fast Cole got dizzy following him.

"Thank you!" Kai smiled when he came back downstairs, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"I'm glad you enjoy it." Cole's smile brightened. Kai's face was almost an exact mirror of the one he'd seen earlier. "Because it's yours." He added and Kai gasped in shock. He examined the hybrid's face for any hint of lies, but when he saw none, the brunette squealed in delight as he wrapped Cole in a tight hug.

"Oh, thank you so much!"...

Guilty Pleasures Chapter 1

SUMMARY: A demon Kai and an angel Zane, longtime acquaintances who, having grown accustomed to life on Earth as representatives of Heaven and Hell, seek to prevent the coming of the Armageddon...

****************

Current theories on the creation of the universe stated that if it were created at all and didn't just start it came into being about fourteen billion years ago. The Earth was generally supposed to be about four and a half billion years old. These dates were incorrect. Some medieval scholars put the date of the creation at 3760 BC while others put creation as far back as 5508 BC. But these were also incorrect. Archbishop James Ussher claimed that Heaven and the Earth were created on Sunday, the twenty-first of October, 4004 BC, at nine in the morning.

This too was incorrect, by almost a quarter of an hour.

It was created at 9:13 in the morning. The whole business with the fossilized dinosaur skeletons was a joke that paleontologists haven't seen yet. This proved that God did not play dice with the universe. He played an ineffable game of his own devising. For everyone else, it was like playing poker in a pitch-dark room, for infinite stakes, with a dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiled all the time. To understand the true significance of what that means, we need to begin earlier.

A little more than 6,000 years earlier, to be precise.

Just after the beginning. It started, as it will end, with a garden, in this case, the Garden of Eden, and with an apple. It was a nice day, but all the days had been nice. There had been rather more than seven of them so far, and rain hadn't been invented yet. But the storm clouds gathering east of Eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was on its way, and it was going to be a big one...

****************

Zane fretted as he stood near the lip of the stone ledge, his shining robes shining in the light along with the white, almost glowing, feathers of his large wings. The first two humans off in the distance, Adam and Eve, had barely made their way out into the new world and they were both already in danger. A large male lion made a beeline from nowhere toward them and was now intending on making them extinct. The young angel didn't think this was going to go well.

Thank goodness they weren't unarmed, the angel consoled himself.

Before they left, he gave Eve his shurikens of ice gifted to him by the high angels. He was surprised to see Adam wielding a sword of fire, a weapon not of Heaven, but considering what had happened, he wasn't too concerned about it. Knowing that they had means of protection helped Zane's mind rest, but only a little. The weather was fair, aside from the rapidly building clouds. At least that was a comfort to know. A kind, warm breeze fluttered his clean robe around in a playful way.

It felt wonderful to the angel, but even better how it ran through his unsheathed white wings.

He flexed them out to get a better feel. It felt good to have them free from their confines. He had been practicing getting used to having them put away for his assignment on this new planet. They had warned him upstairs that he couldn't afford to be seen by 'God's Little Projects' down here. Those were their words, not his own. Before Zane embarked, God himself told him they wouldn't be able to handle it due to now learning 'jealousy', whatever that meant.

When he asked him what it was, he said the young angel would find out in time, plus all the other ones.

He still didn't know why God didn't tell him, but God had always worked in mysterious ways. Don't interfere too much. That was the rule all angels lived by. Be ever watchful, a mentor if needed, provide guidance if asked, but that was it. Not too difficult, or so they kept telling him, and already he broke the rule. Now he had more trouble on the mind. There was only so much to do when watching over the birth of a new species. To be so limited to what needs to be done simply wasn't fair.

Not that he condoned rules should be broken.

But this was not going to be easy. His toes curled on the hard surface when he felt that other presence approach closer. It was a sort of tugging sensation that came from deep inside him. He thought it was curious. That never happened before, except when that thing first showed up. He knew it was nearby anyway. At times it felt as though it was hovering just out of sight, watching. But he had hoped it would leave. It felt different than anything he had ever known, and he didn't like it one bit.

Not when everything was so new.

So he promptly chose to ignore it. It was just a lowly serpent demon anyway. Granted, that filthy Hell beast was most likely the reason he had a chance of being fired before he could do his job. Perhaps everyone would understand. They were angels, after all, forgiveness and compassion were at the very root of their cores. Zane rubbed his temple. He had only one job. He hadn't even been here for very long and already he morally mucked it up.

He would be the laughing stock upstairs.

The only other thing he could possibly get wrong now is if Eden caught fire. Then he would officially be out of a job. Zane started wondering if he should have been more aggressive about it and really told that serpent what for. He never was very good at this soldier of Heaven thing or asserting himself in general. Zane truly believed that someone else would be better suited for this than he.

"What do you make of it?" A voice suddenly asked, shattering the silence. Zane jumped, the voice startling him from his own musings. He hadn't noticed he was no longer alone. He was shocked that the creature had yet to attack him, wondering if they were friendly, but that would be outlandish because the very thought is preposterous, blasphemous even. Their kind would never mingle with his. Not without bloodshed, anyway. It simply wasn't done.

The angel turned to his left and couldn't help but do a double-take to the creature next to him.

It was male, dressed in dark red robes, with amber snake-like eyes, beautiful tanned skin, a toned body, and brown hair shaped in a way that reminded Zane of fire. The back of the demon's hands and up his arms were dusted with dark red snake scales. His finger and toenails were incredibly sharp and black. Zane couldn't take his eyes off it, completely transfixed. He almost didn't believe that that was the serpent. He didn't know it had a vessel, let alone a silky pair of feathered, crimson wings with black tips.

When Zane saw the wings he realized that this was not just some ordinary demon.

It was one of the Fallen. That was fascinating to Zane, as he had never met one of them. In fact, if Zane was entirely honest with himself, this dark one was a mixture of striking, exotic, and becharming. Now it was staring at him with those amber serpent eyes. For some reason, they didn't repulse the angel. It was then that Zane remembered that the snake had asked him something and it was probably best to respond. He should also stop thinking of it as an 'it'.

That demon was evidently much more than that and Zane suddenly felt like he was being rude, even if the demon couldn't read minds.

Zane smiled awkwardly, then concluded he had no idea what the creature said.

"Sorry, what?" Zane asked and the brunette pointed out towards the humans.

"That, right there, the whole tiger thing." He clarified and Zane followed the demon's finger.

"That's a lion." Zane corrected.

"Whatever, don't you think it's a bit much? I mean, they just got out, are finding their footing, and the first thing they come across on this big round planet is this aggressive beast?"

"No one said it would be easy," Zane said, even if the other had a point.

"It's trying to eat them!" The demon gawked at him.

"Look, I don't like it any more than you do, uh...?" Zane trailed off when he realized he hadn't gotten the demon's name if it had one. The brunette quickly caught on to why Zane paused and smiled faintly.

"Kai." He answered the unasked question.

"Kai, thank you, but these things are not our decisions to make."

"You're not about to sprout some Holier-Than-Thou jibberish at me are you?" Kai asked as he gave him a peculiar look. Zane wasn't sure how to answer that. That was all anyone ever talked about upstairs. The very idea that someone wouldn't want to, let alone calling it jibberish, preach about it and discuss its many glorious wonders was unheard of. When the angel didn't answer, the dark one rolled his eyes.

"You were, weren't you?"

"There's nothing wrong with that." Zane countered.

"No no, of course not." Kai mocked. "You're within your right to justify a reason as to why God's human race failed at the get-go."

"I'm not trying to do any such thing!" Zane said, growing flustered. "B-Besides, look! The male seems to be fending its adversary off brilliantly on his own! They're obviously capable of taking care of themselves; I only hope that this will be the worst of it, at least for today." He frowned in concern as a roll of thunder broke in, causing them both to look around for the source. Detecting it was from the sky, they exchange looks then went back to watching the battle for survival in front of them.

They stood in oddly comfortable silence before Kai broke it.

"Wait, so that's a lion?" He gasped, almost in awe.

"Yes, It is."

"Never seen one of them before."

"Sorry?" Zane blinked in confusion.

"I said, I've never seen one of those before."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've never seen a lion before, so I would never have known they looked like that." He shrugged and Zane could only stare. "What?" Kai asked in a rather prickly manner.

"Nothing," The angel squeaked as he turned away, a slight blush framing the tips of his ears. He didn't realize he was ogling again. "Just, find it surprising that one dead animal isn't familiar with an equally dangerous one."

"It's not like I was there when they were created, was a little bit busy with another matter at that time, as you well know." Kai returned as another boom of thunder rumbled closer over their heads. Only this time it had been accompanied by a shocking bright snap of light that streaked across the sky. Both of their sets of wings flinched outward and lightly fluffed at the surprise of it. Zane let out an embarrassed chuckle and willed his feathers to settle down.

He could see out of the corner of his eye the other trying to do the same.

He cleared his throat and thought it best to continue where they left off.

"So, therefore, am I left to understand that, based on what you've said, you've never witnessed a tiger as well?" He asked and Kai immediately clammed up.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's a simple question."

"I don't know about that."

"Really? Do tell, I'd love to hear it."

"Has it gotten a bit stuffy out here?"

"No, I find it quite pleasing in all truthfulness."

"More cloudy things are building up."

"Stop trying to change the subject, please." Zane all but begged and Kai eyed him carefully.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being ridiculed?"

"I would never," He said with all honesty. Kai looked around as if someone might hear, grimaced, and leaned in.

"Promise you won't tell?"

"Oh, may the Lord himself strike me down if I should ever utter a syllable to another living soul," Zane promised and he clasped his hands as if in prayer. Kai gave him a doubtful look, but eventually relented and grumbled with an obnoxious huff.

"No, are you satisfied now?! I've never seen a tiger, a lion, or fucking whale!" The demon cried as he closed his eyes and flinched again when more thunder rumbled closer. The sky was turning all below it several shades darker, growing ever so closer to swallowing the bright sun. The angel was oblivious to this, however.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've never seen a whale either." Zane smiled. It took a moment, but Zane noticed the smirk flit across that surprisingly pretty face.

"It doesn't," Kai replied as he glanced at him all the same with those gemstone eyes and once again they slipped into a pleasant silence. Zane suddenly had a thought. If Kai didn't seem to know about other animals, did he know about himself?

"Now Uhm, don't take this the wrong way but, you do know what you are, correct?" He asked carefully.

"You mean besides an angel-turned-demon who's damned for all eternity?" Kai said in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes."

"Then, of course, I know."

"Excellent! Care to say it out loud?"

"I already told you; my name's Kai," The demon grinned. He felt his heart miss a beat, and not in a good way. The thump was alarmingly prominent like his vessel-body was trying to alert him to take note of what this creature was saying. There was no possible way this demon could be this naive. Something else was amiss.

"Yes, I know your name, but I'm asking if you know what you are; do you know what you are?" He asked again and Kai's expression gradually changed from enjoyment to being perplexed. His brow furrowed as he stared off, eyes flicking around as if searching for something but simply grew more confused.

"What am I?" Kai finally asked, getting annoyed by the question.

"A serpent, dear," Zane replied for the demon. Evidently, Kai's face fell back to puzzlement once more and Zane's mouth fell open. It was evident that word meant nothing to the demon. "You don't know what a serpent is, do you?" He asked, almost sadly, Kai shrugged it off.

"What of it?"

"That's what you are!"

"So? What's so important with needing to know the ins and outs of a serpent? Why do you care if I know or not?" Kai snapped, experimenting with the new word in his mouth.

"No need to get upset, I was only trying to help," Zane said as he raised his arms in defense to try to quickly diffuse the tension. He watched Kai focus on the humans again, and it was clear something he had said or done bothered the demon immensely. He felt terrible, and then suddenly that scent came back. Only recently Zane had caught this aroma in the air. It comes and goes with the wind, but the longer he had been here the less deniable it had become.

Never had it been invasive or overbearing, but the angel noticed he could pick it out no matter what kind of stronger scents surrounded it.

Right now, this very moment, it was hitting him stronger than it ever had before.

"Looks like the lion's down," Kai added, noting how successful the humans were doing so far. Another rumble of thunder accompanied by that bright flash pushed ever closer. Perhaps Kai had caught a whiff of the scent?

"Do you smell that?" The angel asked, sniffing the air.

"What?" Kai asked and Zane realized he had made a poor judgment.

"Never mind." The angel shrugged off awkwardly, but thankfully the demon didn't push it. They stood there in silence for a short while, before Kai glanced over at Zane, and his snake eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Wait, where are your shurikens anyway? I thought you had a pair that froze anything they touched?" He asked and Zane froze in fear. "Did you have one, or didn't you? Because now I'm confused."

"How do you mean?" The angel asked as he began to feel uneasy.

"Well, your presence here no longer makes sense, so what are you doing here Snowflake?"

"I'm-"

"Are you lost?"

"No, I'm... you're trying to confuse me." Zane accused as his heart started to race,

"I'm trying to confuse you?" Kai almost laughed, and this made Zane even more defensive.

"Yes! That's what your kind do and I will not be swayed into it!" He stated in the strongest voice he could muster at that moment, his chest puffing out slightly as he did. Zane knew he was being cornered. He knew this whole thing was a setup to get him to lose ground or faith or doubt himself in his duties for the choices he'd made and how thanks to him everything was ruined. But that wasn't what upset Zane. He was upset that he fell for it.

He had failed again.

God must have been testing him early and he has failed another one. Or perhaps not? He may have caught it in time, he could still redeem himself if he stayed strong.

"You're the one who's doing the confusing here," Kai lectured. "You're supposed to have some freezing shurikens, which I could've sworn you had, and that would make sense for a Cherub to have in order to guard the Garden of Eden, but let's face it, you're terrible at guarding, and you don't have your shurikens so I ask you again; what are you doing here?" He scowled and a boom of thunder emphasized the demon's point. Zane took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, eyes closed.

All he had to do was be honest, true, and stop being distracted by the alluring visage before him.

"I...I gave them away."

"You gave them away?!"

"Shh! Not so loud!" He panicked, already forgetting the pep-talk he gave himself. "I don't want the head office to hear! Besides, they're not lost or anything; they're right there, see? The humans have it now." The angel explained and pointed to the humans slowly fading in the distance with a pair of remarkably bright-looking objects in the hands of one of them. Kai looked back to the tiny figures, then to the angel. Then back to the figures, and once again to the angel.

Then suddenly, what Zane could only describe as a ridiculously big stupid grin spread over the demon's face, the creature did an unexplainable thing.

He started to laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. It became so severe they turned into fits, gripping his stomach. That damned thing lost its balance and fell to the floor. He rolled around, it wracking his body to near spasm levels, and during it all, he had the utter nerve to speak to the angel at the same time.

"Oh, I would love to be there for your first report! Glad to know I'm not the only one who interfered." He cackled, and his grin grew when he saw the confusion on Zane's face. "What? Where did you think Adam got that flaming sword from?" He laughed and Zane gasped at the realization that Kai had been the one to give Adam the sword, a weapon of Hell. "I hope it doesn't turn out that they aren't too bright yet when it comes to violent weaponry and the use of fire and ice so they somehow kill themselves!"

Zane's paled, even more, when Kai's words sank in.

The angel finally realized that he could get in a great deal of trouble for this. Everything Kai pointed out was more than plausibly true and may happen once the humans were out of sight. This was serious. Even so, he couldn't stop a giggle bubble up to the surface. Watching Kai, he found out, was contagious. It started small but soon grew to a level that was painful to hold in. He tried to stifle it, tried to bite it back with his teeth against his tongue, but it was hopeless.

Zane covered his mouth and did his best to hide it from the cackling demon.

"That's not funny, I beseech you, stop laughing!" He tried to say normally but cracked on the last word. He clenched a fist and nearly begged the other to spare him. Kai rolled to face him and Zane was almost lost again when he saw tears running down his cheeks. He had no choice but to turn away and fisted his hands tightly by his sides. "No! No, I refuse to believe in your trickery! This isn't a joke!" The angel yelled, not caring what he said so long as this lark would end.

Within time, Kai calmed down, breathing heavily.

"They're going to be fine, Snowflake, I'm only teasing you," He said while a chuckle or two still found its way out. "Look how well they have handled themselves against their first threat, and they've only just set foot out there; if I hadn't given them that sword and you hadn't given them the shurikens they would be torn to pieces by now, we saved them." Zane heard from behind him a tired sigh. The loudest thunder roll cracked out, the very appearance of the clouds above threatening their next level to come soon.

The flutter from inside Zane's chest came back.

But, somehow it was stronger this time around. He turned back to face the other being and took notice of how Kai laid there. Wings relaxed, hands resting on the stomach, one leg bent. He was comfortable. Kai, an evil enemy, was content to lay there in his presence. Zane could easily smite him. He would technically be within reason, for what Kai had done concerning the apple. It would be simple, quick, and clean. But that never even crossed his pure mind.

He strode over to the brunette and reached down a hand with a winning smile of his own.

"My name is Zane; it's nice to meet you." He introduced and Kai's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that. He stared at the hand as if he had never seen its kind before. He appeared unsure of what step to take next. Zane gave him time, not pulling away yet. Soon enough, Kai eventually smiled.

"Hello, Zane, it's nice to meet you, too," He replied and reached up with his own hand, clasped the inviting one, and was hoisted up. Zane nearly dropped the demon, however. Once they touched, the contact was not at all what he was expecting. He cried out, yanking his hand away, and jumped back. His other hand clasped it around the wrist and pulled it close. Zane stared from his hand to Kai in either astonishment or fear. He couldn't decide which it was.

Kai just raised an eyebrow at him, perplexed as to what had happened.

"Oh! Forgive me but, you're so hot! To the touch, I mean!" He stammered as he did his best to explain but not offend.

"Naturally." Kai shrugged. Zane shook his head, confused.

"This is a normal occurrence?"

"Of course," The demon said casually, amused by the reaction from the angel. He crossed his arms, took a deep, over-exaggerated breath. "Being a fallen angel, or more accurate, a demon from the fiery pits of Hell now, so to answer your question; being boiling hot is normal for demons like me," He smiled. The next boom of thunder rumbled on for some time. It was as if the sky was growling its impatience for being ignored.

"Is that all?"

"Yep," Kai replied, but he didn't seem to care. The brunette then opened his mouth and exhaled. The air in front of it appeared to ripple several inches outward. Zane walked up to it, mesmerized, and like a baby who was still testing out the world for the first time, he reached out a hand and ran it through it. It was warm, heated air coming out. It wasn't painful in the slightest. The angel beamed as he wiggled his fingers around it. He kept it up until Kai closed his mouth, grinning at Zane's blush.

Zane was about to agree, then stopped himself and wondered why this was brought up in the first place.

"Anywho, going back to your shuriken conversation with His Almighty, if you can't find humor even in the direst situations, then what's the point of it?" He asked and Zane visibly shook his wings at the way Kai mockingly talked about the Lord. Ignoring that, however, Zaen wasn't sure what he thought of that advice, but he secretly tucked it away in the back of his mind all the same.

"You'll be alright, he loves all of you unquestionably," Kai added and Zane paused. Did he hear that right? Had a fallen angel, a being who willfully rebelled against God just casually admit the Lord adored all of them? Without a second thought about it? What was going on here? Zane turned his head and glanced at the demon. The brunette was rigid stiff. Amber eyes hard, staring intently straight ahead. Jaw clenched. He could see the dark one's fingers turning white from how hard he was gripping his own arms.

So it was a mistake.

He didn't mean to say it. Now at least something about this villain makes sense to him.

"I wonder how far up we are?" Kai suddenly blurted out with a jerk of his head, and then just took off, running over and standing right on the edge of the wall cliff. His red and black wings thrusting out just so as to counter the body weight from tumbling over. Zane gasped and ran after but stayed himself some steps later. For a split moment, he chastised himself for the idea of wanting to save the enemy. But most of the time he was too busy worrying about the brunette disappearing suddenly from his sight.

The wind had picked up some, and was a tad rougher on Kai's clothes and hair, yanking and blowing it around like a dare to take another step.

The demon suddenly moaned, but Zane couldn't tell what he meant. The angel moved fast and was standing next to them once the groan had been uttered.

"Are you alright?" He panicked.

"I don't like heights," The demon mumbled. The eyes were closed and they appeared to be swaying.

"Then get away from the edge, you silly thing!" Zane shouted, grasping the other and guiding him down to safety. When he unclosed his eyes, he got defensive.

"I just wanted to see how far down it was!" He hissed angrily, but Zane just rolled his eyes and neither of them said anything more on the subject. Water from the skies began to fall. When it hit them they shied away from it on the first drops. Zane figured it out quicker than the other one did. Kai seemed a little lost to this experience, unsure of what to do or how to react to it. Kai must have sensed eyes on him, for he turned to catch the angel's icy orbs.

Zane, at this point he stopped trying to reason it, opened an arm, lifted a wing, and beckoned the other in.

To say he was surprised the demon actually moved closer was a hardball to juggle. So many unusual and unexpected things happened in such as short time. He wasn't even sure how he felt. He didn't seem the least bit repulsed when Kai stood so close they nearly touched shoulders, and he could feel the heat of the other's temperature radiating onto him. The demon kept glancing at him, shifting on his bare feet. Eventually, he opened his mouth and asked what seemed to be on his mind.

"No hard feelings between us, yes? After all; I was only doing what I was so ordered to, on pain of repercussion, and all that." He said, looking a little nervous. This made the pale angel go quiet. Unsure of whether to trust what this thing was saying or if he was lying to him and this was planned the whole time. Whichever it was, he hadn't the heart to be cruel.

"No, I daresay, no hard feelings; it's too early for that yet." He replied and another silence surrounded them. Every once in a while, they would both stick their hands out to catch the water droplets on their palms then bring them in under the protection of the angel's wing. Even if they both refused to admit it, Kai and Zane felt at peace at that moment. Where it was just the two of them, huddled together as they experienced the first rainfall with the young planet Earth...

Crystoons AU Scene #3

Jenny (booming echo): You shouldn’t be here! Danny: She sensed us. Spongebob: Jenny! It’s me, Spongebob! [Data gathering. Jenny forms her own face made out of data] Jenny: Go away! Before I make you. Spongebob: But we’re beach-summer-fun buddies! Jenny: *forms Spongebob’s face from data* *as Spongebob* Noooo! Spongebob/Sandy: *gasps* Jenny: *forms her own face again* You’re one of them. One of the Crystoons. Timmy/Jimmy: *growl angrily* Danny: *puts a hand on their shoulders* Easy. Spongebob: What do you mean? We’re all Gems, right? Just let us help you. Jenny: You don’t understand. Just leave me alone… Spongebob: We’re not leaving, Jenny. Not until you give us back our technology! – Aah! Jenny: I said… (She forms a data clone of Spongebob, and the Spongebob clone stretches his arm forward to force Spongebob back.) Leave me alone! Spongebob: Ah! (Data clones of the Crystoons appear.) Jimmy: Jack, kids, you stay behind us. We’ll handle this. Jack: Sounds good to me! *runs away* (Crystoons and the data clones summon their weapons.) Timmy: Ruh-oh. Danny: Stand together. Don’t let them separate us. *punched by data Danny* *pained grunt* Spongebob: Danny! Danny: *pained grunt* *cracks neck twice* (Danny and data Danny engage in combat.) Timmy: (Timmy uses his whip to grab nearby rocks and sling them at his data clone, missing each time.) Aw, come on! Aah! (His data clone grabs Timmy with his whip and throws him down.) *screams* *pained grunt* Timmy: Well, as long as we’re playing fair… *transforms into Magenta Marauder* *yells* Jimmy: *slices his data clone in half with his spear* *laughs* (The two halves each create one data Jimmy.) *sighs and summons another spear* I hate fighting me. Lion: *roars supersonic waves at data Spongebob, which he dodges* Sandy: Come on, Lion! Spongebob: You can take me! (Data Spongebob stretches his arms forward and slams Lion into Jack’s van.) Jack: Oh no, not the van! Spongebob: Revenge! Sandy: Revenge! Spongebob and Sandy: (They yell as Sandy throws a rock at data Spongebob and Spongebob uses a water gun to shoot his data clone.) (Data Spongebob wraps Spongebob and Sandy’s heads in electrical wires in an attempt to strangle them.) Spongebob and Sandy: *muffled screams* Jack: Kids! Sandy: *loses her breath and groans* Spongebob: *muffled distress sounds* (Jack hits data Spongebob with his van, freeing Sandy and Spongebob.) Spongebob and Sandy: *coughing and gagging* Spongebob: Sandy! Jack: Is this a NORMAL magical mission for you? ‘Cause I’m not so sure how comfortable I am with you going on these any-mo-o-o–re!!!! (Jack’s van is picked up and thrown by data Spongebob, along with Jack who is still in the van.) Spongebob: Jack! *runs over to him* Jack: *coughing, pained grunt* *crawls out of the van* Spongebob: Jack! Jack! Are you OK? Jack: *groans* Ugh, I think my leg’s broken. See, this is why we wear seatbelts, kids. Spongebob: Jenny, I don’t want to fight anymore. (Data Spongebob hurls a ball of data at Spongebob.) Spongebob: I said, “I DON’T WANNA FIGHT”! (Spongebob summons his shield and the data hits it.) (The impact makes a metallic noise and the reverberation causes the data clones to disappear.)

Crystoons AU belongs to @nicktoonsunite

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been trying to write a new chapter for Past Lives, but I've got writer's block!

I tried watching cat videos the other day for an idea but that was a mistake! It was too much cute for any one person to handle!

Please send in some suggestions!

Past Lives Chapter 4

I held in a growl as I glared all the hell and fury I could muster towards the beagle across the room. That drooly face asshole was always taunting me, I'm sure of it, and no, it's not just because I'm a cat now. With more effort than I wanted, I managed to tear my gaze from that mangy mutt and turned my attention to Bella and her husband Harry as they did their work around the pet store. During my time here, I learned that I was reborn as a Maine Coon kitten.

I was part of a litter of twelve to a mother cat called Audrey and we were all just over eight weeks old now.

We were living in Bella and Harry's family pet store called Animal Crackers. It was a pretty small store but was almost bursting at the seams with stuff. They sold tons of pet supplies like bowls, toys, beds, and offered pet grooming. They even sold their own homemade pet treats. Bella gave us some and, even though I would never openly admitted, they tasted like tiny pieces of heaven in biscuits. They also sold almost a dozen different pets here.

Most were small animals like hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, budgies, and a few large tanks filled with many colorful fishes.

There were two other cat families in the store and that fucking beagle was the only dog here. Now we were eight weeks old, the lovely couple was putting me and the other kittens up for sale. Four of the other kittens had already been sold, so now there were only eight of us left, but the cage was still pretty cramped. Not that I didn't care about my new brothers and sisters, though. We all got on really well and played together all day, every day.

I almost laughed as I recalled some of the other pets yelling about us to our momma cat for chasing and playing with balls of yarn and loud squeaky toys.

But I knew it wouldn't last forever. The litter was growing smaller and smaller every day. I vividly remembered Bella taking pictures of us to put on the company website in hopes it would help us get adopted faster and she forgot to turn the flash off on the first three times. My eyes still hurt remembering it.

"HEY!" I cried as one of my new siblings suddenly tackled me. I quickly regained my senses and wished I still had my fire powers. It was the demon spawn I had the misfortune of calling my sister. Unlike Nya, this blonde, blue-eyed bitch was a monster. She stole everyone's food, destroyed all our toys, and attacked anyone she wanted. She was probably the only thing I hated more than that stupid beagle. Apparently, I was her new target for today.

"PISS OFF YOU PEST!" I hissed as I tried swatting her.

"MAKE ME!" She meowed loudly before she tried to bite me. As we rolled around and fought, neither of us heard the cage opening until a pair of hands picked us up and separated us. I looked up and saw Harry had picked us up.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked her husband as she approached them.

"These two were scrapping again and I had to intervene." He replied and Bella sighed as she took me from Harry. Good, the further away from that bitch of a sister the better. I missed Nya.

"I wonder what they were fighting about." She said as she stroked my head with her finger. I couldn't help purring, it was so relaxing.

"They were probably just play fighting and it got a bit rough," Harry suggested and I could swear my cat sister was smirking. She was the only blond kitten in our litter, the rest of us were dark brown, and Harry loved to spoil her. "Why didn't Audrey stop them?"

"To be fair Harry, she has got six other kittens to care for, that's why we had to hand rear some of them," Bella replied. Before either of them could say anything else, the bell rang as the door suddenly opened, signaling a new customer had entered the store. Both humans turned, allowing me to see a person wearing a conical straw hat walking over to the owners. For a split second, I thought it was Master Wu. Then the person lifted their head and disappointment filling my tiny, fluffy body when I saw it was Mystake.

She eyed me for a few seconds, before looking up at Bella.

"Can we help you, Miss?" Bella asked in her best customer service voice.

"Yes, I would like to adopt this kitten." She said and pointed at me. Does she know who I am?

"Are you sure? Wouldn't you like to have a look at the other kittens?" Harry suggested but Mystake shook her head.

"No, I must have this one please." She repeated. Bella and Harry shared a look before Bella sighed as she took my sister from her husband and placed us both back in the cage. After making sure the cage was properly locked, she led Mystake to the office to fill out the necessary paperwork and payment while Harry did his rounds around the store. That blond pest hissed at me one last time before wandering off to annoy our other brothers and sisters.

"Well done my kitten, I'm so happy that you're going to your forever home." My momma cat, Audrey, purred as she started my head and back. I purred as I leaned into her touch.

"Momma, how come you don't give us names?" I suddenly asked. All my time as a kitten, I had never heard her call any of us by a name. Audrey paused to think for a moment before she finally answered.

"It's not my place to give you a name, that is for your humans to decide." She said and I frowned. What about stray cats? Before I could ask her, however, Bella returned with Mystake. The old tea lady had a shopping bag that was filled with cat stuff for me. Bella unlocked the cage and I was quickly picked up. I gave my cat family one last look before I was gently placed in a plastic pet carrier. A blanket was placed over the carrier, covering me in total darkness.

I heard Bella gave Mystake some last-minute advice about how to help a kitten adjust to a new home.

Then I felt Mystake begin to walk and soon I heard the loud noises of the outside world. Even though I had a strong feeling Mystake knew something and was hopefully taking me back to my real family, a part of me would miss the pet store and my cat family, mainly my momma cat. Except for my kitten sister. She was literally the worst...

More bizarro au 😔👊

Guilty Pleasures Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Noah’s Ark

It would be over three thousand years before Zane met the strange demon known as Kai again. In those years the human race had grown at a rapid rate and had taken over pretty much the entire planet. Zane couldn't help but wonder if the human's sudden growth was always part of the plan or if the weapons he and Kai had gifted Adam and Eve had had a hand with it and aided in their expansion. Zane shuddered as he thought about the weapons from Heaven and Hell.

After he had sealed the Garden of Eden, the Almighty had only asked him once where the shurikens were and thankfully he managed to convince them that they were in the garden somewhere.

He had tried to find the two weapons in later years but it seemed that they had been lost to time. The angel was standing among a large crowd, watching as Noah finished building his ark. Noah's family had begun to lead the pairs of animals on board. While most of the crowd laughed and jeered at the man, Zane was just barely managing to keep the bile down, knowing what was coming. He wanted so desperately to warn the people, to tell them Noah was telling the truth and that they needed to find boats.

But at the same time, he knew that they wouldn't listen and that it was too late anyway.

Before they finished even a small boat the flood would come and wash them all away. As the angel wrestled with his thoughts, he suddenly felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned to see Kai standing beside him with a big grin on his face. The demon hadn't changed at all since Zane had last seen him. The only different thing was the brunette's missing wings that had been hidden, much like Zane's own wings.

"Hello, Zane." Kai greeted warmly and Zane wondered what had drawn the demon here.

"Kai," Zane replied awkwardly. He still didn't know how to properly interact with a demon, even if this one didn't come off as a threat right away.

"So, giving the mortals a flaming sword and icy shurikens, how do you think that worked out for us?" Kai asked with what Zane could swear was a mischievous purr.

"The Almighty has never actually mentioned it again." He replied, trying to keep his attention on the boat.

"Probably a good thing." He shrugged as he looked around at the crowd and back at the boat. "So what's all this about? Build a big boat and fill it with a traveling zoo?" He asked and Zane had took swallow the lump in his throat as he thought of a response.

"From what I hear, God's a bit tetchy and is wiping out the human race... with a big storm." He stammered, catching the demon off-guard.

"All of them?"

"Just the locals." Zane tried to smile, but it was so strained even Kai could see through it. "I don't believe the Almighty's upset with the Chinese, or the Native Americans, or the Australians."

"Yet."

"And God's not going to wipe out all the locals; I mean, Noah, up there, his family, and his sons, their wives, they're all going to be fine." He tried to reassure, but it had little to no effect on the brunette.

"But they're drowning everybody else?" He scoffed as he looked around at the crowd who were ignorant to their impending doom. His eyes widened when he saw a small group of kids running and playing in the crowd. "You can't kill children." He gasped in horror when Zane reluctantly nodded, snake eyes wide open. Not even a demon would kill a child. Why kill something when they wouldn't go to hell, anyway? Something that couldn't defend itself.

It wasn't logical.

It wasn't fair either, he thought. But only very quietly to himself. Zane had looked so helpless, but he hadn't agreed with the demon. At least he hadn't said it out loud. Although something had been in the angels' beautiful eyes. Kai liked to imagine that it was doubt. Still, he knew that having exactly that could be extremely dangerous. One doesn't simply doubt the great plan. Kai wanted to save the children. He did. The reason why he wanted to do that was far apart from any comprehension.

It couldn't be that wrong or right or whatever.

Only that way the children could grow old and be bad and ultimately go to hell, and that should be hells' only concern, anyway. He observed the Ark from every side. It was huge. Much bigger than a house, and much bigger than a dune, and much bigger than any animal climbing aboard. There should be more than enough space for everything and more. Also, the other unicorn was still missing. Kai wasn't too concerned, they still had the other one.

An idea started to form, as he observed the Ark.

There were a lot of animals and no one was paying as much attention to them as they should. A unicorn had already gotten away, anyway. Maybe, just maybe, this could also work the other way around. There should be enough space...

****************

Zane felt bad. He felt as bad as he never did before. He felt even too bad to listen to his conscience, which tried to tell him something. It couldn't be that important, though. The fresh air didn't make it better. The angel was the first one to discover seasickness. On the third evening, Zane sat outside between a flamingo and a gazelle and tried to keep the contents of his dinner where they belonged.

"Snowflake, are you ok?" Kai asked, suddenly standing between him and the flamingo. The flamingo watched him suspiciously with his head tilted.

"Oh, I'm fine," Zane answered bravely.

"Are you sure? The light makes you look a bit greenish." He said and the angel tried not to stare at the demon's long and probably soft hair in the wind and falling into his eyes.

"Maybe a bit tired." He said, clinging onto the railing.

"Tired?"

"Tired." He repeated. Kai had never seen an angel getting sick before. Maybe it was Gods' anger that made it that way. Maybe it was something entirely different. Either way, the demon was worried. It was a huge ark. There were near to no waves at all. Which meant, the floor was practically not shaking any bit. Zane glanced at him, help to seek. The angel sighed dramatically once more.

"I'll make you some ginger tea." The demon finally said.

"I'll feel miserable till the end of-"

"You'll be fine in two or three days, trust me." The demon assured him. Zane took a step forward, then let himself fall against the railing again and got even greener if possible. "What did you eat?" Kai asked as he took the angel carefully by the arm.

"Some tuna I think," Zane admitted reluctantly.

"Bad idea." He sighed as he shook his head. Zane flinched at the word bad. "Let's go inside, ok?" The demon suggested as he half carried him inside. His hands felt hot, but also his touch was strangely calming, and maybe just a little bit nice. "What do you usually do to calm yourself down, angel?" He asked reluctantly. This made the angel jump a bit. Then he looked to the ceiling with a pinch of guilt, as they slowly walked down the stairs and deeper into the Ark.

"I read or write something."

"You should stop that."

"I will do no such thing!" Zane cried as he ripped his arm away and a moment later he grabbed for Kai again because he almost fell over a big rat.

"I mean you should stop that as long as you feel bad." Kai chuckled lightly as he brought the angel back to his cabin which he shared with different breeds of pigeon and two friendly brown chickens.

"Will you read something for me? Please?" Zane asked as he snuggled into a blanket. Kai hesitated for a moment, but then he grabbed a scroll that was lying next to Zane's bed. How could he say no? The angel looked at him expectantly. The scroll was made of dried leaves and the tiny symbols looked like they were written with blood. Since the demon couldn't read, he had to improvise. He sat down next to the angel, not too close but not too far, opened the scroll from the wrong side, and began to tell a story.

Zane closed his eyes and smiled so sweetly that it made Kai almost forget how words work.

But he took a deep breath and continued his story bravely. Kai kept talking quietly over the singing of some budgies, the yawning tiger, the cheeping degu until Zane calmed down enough to not sleep but dream. After he had made sure that Zane was feeling better, the demon left him alone, although he desperately wanted to stay. But he had other things to do...

****************

Zane had rested for hours and was now refreshed. The angel felt much stronger, although still shaky. But now he was bored and he had been thinking about Kai for a while now. For some reason he couldn't explain, he just wanted to see him again. Preferably sooner than later.

"Kai? Where are you? Could you... Could you read me another story, please?" He shouted as loud as he dared, which wasn't very loud, as he approached the section where there were zebras, some apes, and a few butterflies. It was quite dark. Only a few candles lit this section. There he found Kai, but the demon didn't look pleased to see him.

"Wait a moment, Snowflake; don't come here." He said, sounding nervous.

"Is something wrong, my dear?" Zane asked and went there, anyway. Just then, a young girl that had been hiding in the shadows and he had almost walked into ran and hid behind Kai. He stared at a terrifying demon surrounded by small children, mouth agape. Two were holding his hands and one was sitting on his shoulders, badly braiding his long hair with tiny and probably not very clean fingers. In the background, they heard a hog making some unhappy sounds.

"What did you do?!" Zane almost hissed.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Kai said, trying to act innocent.

"I'm talking about the children! Where do they come from?"

"Oh.. hey... I haven't even noticed them."

"Kai." Zane scowled as he crossed his arms. He uncrossed them again, however, because he needed them for stability. He felt himself getting sick again. Was the floor getting shakier?

"You can't kill children." The demon finally said softly.

"WE CAN'T- can't keep them here." He insisted, trying to keep his tone down as the small girl sitting on Kai's shoulders started crying.

"What do you intend to do? Throw them overboard? Does the ineffable plan tell you to do that?" Kai snarled and for a moment their eyes were locked. Zane then sighed and fixed his gaze on the floorboards as the demon glared at him.

"What now, angel?"

"No, I don't –Do you even know how to take care of children?"

"Do you?" Kai asked sarcastically.

"No, I don't…"

"Me neither." The demon sighed. Zane watched the kids held Kai's hands and hid behind him. He quickly realized that they were afraid of the angel. After a moment of careful consideration, ha decided that he didn't want them to fear an angel. He was supposed to be the good one. "Do you think about snitching?" Kai asked, his voice sounded somehow hurt.

"No, I- I thought, that we both don't know how to take care of children, but maybe we could learn it together." He offered awkwardly. At first, the demon felt like he was petrified, but then he sighed.

"If you want to, yeah, whatever; you look for something to feed them and maybe a bit of clean water and Ava over there wants to see the unicorn so I'll go with her and show her if you keep an eye on the others for a while because I can't take all of them there because Amon over there is scared of horses and I don't know how he will react to a unicorn." He shrugged and Zane nodded. They had never taken care of living beings, before. Okay, not really.

But they learned quickly and all the children survived.

Kai in his snake form would curl around the children to keep them warm. Zane would cook something nutritious for them to eat. He would eat most of it, but they're also would be more than enough for the children. After that, they would talk. Tell stories on a stormy night to calm everyone down. Mostly the angel, because the shaking of the ark didn't make him feel good. Still, his stomach would get upset from time to time.

"I'm glad, you were there," Zane said one night quietly, as they watched over the children sleeping. Kai didn't answer. He picked up a beautiful feather of a parakeet and gently put it in Zane's hair.

"I gave the Mammoths' ration to the children; I mean... it's a huge animal, so it should be fine without one dinner." He said casually after a while. Then the angel wondered, when the last time was, that he fed the mammoths. It couldn't be this long ago. The Ark would have a little fewer passengers when it arrived than when it started sailing. But the children would all survive and grow to be adults. Raised by an angel and a demon, all of them got to be fundamentally human.

Lurking between the goats, there was a second demon which none of the other beings noticed.

Even then he had smelled bad, but to be completely honest, everywhere on the Ark it smelled pretty bad. Between lurking sessions, he enjoyed scaring the birds. There were a few penguins that he didn't like. One had bitten his hand when he tried to pet it. Therefore Morro made the penguin stop flying. All the other birds hated him for that. Sometimes he also scared some children. But weren't there more than there were supposed to be? One time he saw the demon Kai holding the hand of a small girl as she cried.

After a while, she stopped crying as he talked to her calmingly and fell asleep in Kai's arms.

This confused Morro. Why would he do that? This was the first time when Morro suspected something. He didn't like it. Something was going on, something fishy, and it wasn't the fish. He couldn't prove it though, not just yet. He didn't know how to yet. But he was lurking in the shadows, ready to strike. Still, he was new to the job, but he gave his best and already could do an impressive amount of lurking in a day or preferably at night...

The Flame and the Dragon Ch10

Chapter 10: The Bargain

"Nya! Lloyd! If you two are here, please answer me!" Kai screeched desperately, growing more and more worried. "Dammit, where are you two!" He shouted as loud as he could. A loud squeak screamed behind him, and Kai turned around in a flash. A wooden door with iron bolts, he hadn't noticed before, creaked open. Against his better judgment, Kai approached it, caution in each guarded step.

"Who's there!" He demanded. He received no answer but found himself in another chamber that contrasted with the rest of the castle. The room closely resembled a tower entrance, but the stone was not made of marble like the rest of the castle. The light of an oil lamp on the wall faintly lit the room in a pale orange glow, barely illuminating the silhouette of the staircase spiraling to the top of the castle. Shadows danced in the corner as if beckoning him to follow.

Every single thought told him to turn on his heels and go the other way, but the thought of his siblings possibly trapped in such a gruesome place quickly altered Kai's decision.

He grabbed the lamp from its hook and raised it above his head. A complete sphere of orange light surrounded him as he cautiously making his way up the stairs. The tower walls felt dank and wet beneath his hands. The air was heavy with the disgusting stench of mildew. Grime covered the walls in some places while flecks of moss speckled enormous stone blocks in others. Huge blocks formed the steps, built on top of the other in a spiral, so large it was like walking two steps at a time.

Barely any space existed between the two walls except for the width of the staircase.

This caused the uneasy feeling of claustrophobia to creep up Kai's spine, but he forced it away. Shadows danced in front of him, like small creatures struggling up the steps. The second their shadows left his sight, they stopped, as if waiting for him to follow. Kai blinked at the strange shapes but shook his head to relieve his worry.

"Nya! Lloyd!" He howled again, his voice bouncing loudly against the stone of the tower, reflecting a harsh echo. Kai increased his speed as fast as he could up the enormous steps. Once he reached the top he stopped and held his ground at the sound of panting. Once he made sure he had the advantage if anyone attacked him, he turned around and held up the bright lamp, but saw nothing. They made it to the top of the staircase faster than expected.

Both Jay and Ronin faltered until they both collapsed to the ground.

Their legs were very sore from running up such a long flight of stairs and their lungs panted desperately for air. Tox slithered up the last of the steps, shaking and panting with the last of her strength before finally collapsing in a heap on the floor. They had quickly hidden when the loud footsteps of Kai's heavy boots charged up the stairs. The three hissed at the brightness of Kai's lamp. The boy barely noticed, however, clearly too worried about his brother and sister.

Once Kai shrugged the sound off as rats, the lamplight and moonlight peeking through the windows told him he was in the highest room of the tower.

The stone blocks melded into a slate cone that seemed to go on forever. Glassless windows form gaping holes all over the roof allowing moonlight to spill into the room. The moonlight highlighted the iron bolts, locks, and bars upon the heavy wooden door on the other side of the room, clearly marking the tower as the dungeon. The smell of mold and grime hung in the air, creating a revolting stench. The floor was littered with straw and small broken pieces of the wall.

The dim light of Kai's lamp danced across the room.

He moved his hands to cover his mouth in a weak attempt to block out the horrid stench. The sound of crying quickly froze him in place, followed by the soothing shushing sounds he knew by heart. Keys was the first thing that popped into Kai's mind. He searched frantically for any signs of a key. Kai searched around until his eyes spied the keys on the hook. Practically leaping across the room, Kai clumsily snatched the keys from the hook and fiddled with each one until with a joyful click the lock came undone and Kai swung the door open.

Anger, relief, and sheer joy bombarded him all at once.

Nya and Lloyd were sat on the floor of the dark, dank, rancid prison chamber, leaning beneath the only glass-less window in the room. Heavy manacles connected to about five feet of thick chains shackled their ankles to the wall. Both were shivering from the freezing temperature, both the stone and the open window caused. The fact that neither had their coats didn't help to ease the chill. Nya and Lloyd looked up in shock and slight fear when the door opened.

Nya wrapped her arms securely around Lloyd as the small boy cried in her chest and lap.

Their eyes widened even more at the sight of, no their capturer, but their third sibling standing in the doorway.

"Kai!" Lloyd cried out. Wasting no time Kai dashed over to them. The second his knees hit the floor, Lloyd threw himself into his brother's arms and wrapped them rightly around Kai's waist, crying loudly. Unable to do anything else but kneels there, Kai returned the gesture and stoked the little's one's bangs until he calmed down.

"It is okay, I got you." He promised when Lloyd calmed down enough to look at him. The only one not smiling or emotional at the trio's reunion, which they both soon noticed, was Nya. Instead, the only female Smith sibling looked furious, her blue eyes burning with anger, fear, and remorse, and her entire body was shaking like she didn't know whether to strangle her twin or hug him until he burst.

"You should not have come here." She managed to choke out after many failed attempts to speak. It was directed at Kai, but the tone made Lloyd clench his older brother tighter.

"What the hell does that mean? You think I would just leave you two to rot?" Kai demanded. Nya didn't argue with him, instead, she just grabbed the keys Kai dropped when Lloyd hugged him and threw them at him.

"Listen to me; take Lloyd, get out of here, go back to the town, and don't. Ever. Come back." She ordered, her tone held no room for argument, but Kai was never one to follow orders.

"I am not leaving either of you here." He declared sternly.

"Dammit Kai, for once in your life, do what I tell you! You and Lloyd have to get out of here before he gets back; if he finds you here he'll-"

"HE ALREADY HAS!" A booming voice thundered throughout the prison tower. Kai froze as the chilling voice stiffened his spine. Lloyd screamed and buried his face in the safety of Kai's chest and Nya, for the first time in her life, was scared speechless. Even the three people who Kai hadn't noticed were outside started shaking. All three backed themselves against the wall, hiding. Kai didn't turn around. Instead, he slowly got to his feet, holding Lloyd securely in his arms, wrapped in his coat, and held him tightly.

He stood and turned around to face Nya and Lloyd's capture.

The man had hidden in the shadows, only his eyes were visible. Two striking orbs of jade glowing unnaturally in the darkness. He watched as those eyes turned to the three people Kai hadn't noticed before, shivering in the corner.

"Tox, go help, Nelson." The voice commanded. The green-haired woman burst from the room and vanished down the stairs in less than a second. When his gaze met the remaining two, both boys swallowed loud lumps in their throats. "I'll deal with you two later." He stated before turning his frozen gaze to the siblings. Kai felt a shiver run up his spine when those green eyes fell on him, but he held his ground.

"Who are you?" He demanded in a calm, unreadable voice.

"You're in no place to be making demands." The voice mocked, arrogantly. "But if you must know, I am the master of this castle and all within its walls."

"Are you the ones who kidnapped my brother and sister?" Kai demanded. His face was a neutral mask and his amber eyes were hard and unyielding.

"I've done nothing of the sort." The shadow removed itself from the wall and moved towards them without leaving the darkness, extremely cautious of the moonlight bathing Kai and his two siblings. "You're siblings trespassed on my property and entered this castle without my permission; therefore, as the master, I have every right to keep them both here until I decide to let them leave, or until they die, whichever comes first." He spoke in a harsh, arrogant tone.

"Trespassing doesn't warrant such a punishment!" Kai shouted, clenching his free hand at his side. The shadow raised an eyebrow at the fierceness burning in those amber gems, clearly intrigued by the brunette.

"It matters not, ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the laws; if you wish to grant your sister's request, however, I'll allow you take your brother home, but either way, one of you is staying and not even your persistence will convince me otherwise." The shadow stated firmly. Kai was about to retort until Lloyd started coughing in his arms. He'd obviously been trying to hide it, but the loud choking coughs and heavy pants alerted everyone in the room to his condition.

In a second, Kai's expression went from fury to fear as he fell to his knees and rearranged the smaller boy in his arms.

As he did this, the blond boy released the worst coughing fit even the Master of the castle had ever heard. Kai felt like punching the floor.

"He can't stay here, Kai, he'll only get sicker," Nya explained, lying Lloyd down in her lap, as the boy tried desperately to refill his lungs.

"What's wrong with him?" The Master asked taking a step forward, but Kai was on his feet in front of his family before the shadow could get any closer.

"He was born with asthma." He explained. "The doctor said it should work itself out as he gets older, but whenever he has an attack it has to be controlled or he could get worse!"

"Then give him some medicine."

"I don't have it." Kai retorted before turning to his sister. "Where is it? I know you packed some when you two left, I checked three times." He reminded her, but Nya bit her lip.

"We did have it, but... it was in the carriage." She replied and Kai mentally swore. The medicine was still in the carriage. The carriage he untied from Flame's reigns before they rode into the woods. Swallowing his pride, Kai turned back to the master.

"Lloyd can't stay here; he'll die if he does."

"Then take him back to your town." The master ordered. "I won't stop you, I already said only one of you has to stay."

"I'm not leaving Nya here either." He said firmly. The master raised another eyebrow, stepping closer, making his silhouette and eyes visible but nothing more.

"Then what would you propose, I do?" He asked, turning to the smaller boy who was shaking in his older brother's arms. He doubted Lloyd truly was as sick as his brothers feared, but something had to be done about that vicious cough. But first, he wanted to see how the youth in front of him would react. His eyes fell back on Kai. This one intrigued him, challenged him with no fear, met him blow for blow with a spirit that refused to break, and fierce independence.

Even now, despite his obvious fear for his younger brother's life, his sister's freedom, and his anger at himself, the boy refused to show any sign of weakness.

The Master was interested to see just how far that spirit would go, as the master watched the amber-eyed teen calculate a plan in his head.

"How about a deal?" Kai said, at last, lifting his head to meet the Master's eyes. Blazing amber was burning with all the fire the master loved, bore into his orbs of cold green. The master raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I'm listening."

"You said one of us has to stay here, right? But you never specified who." He explained. The Master's brightened curiously as a smile slowly crept across his face.

"I don't believe I did." He admitted and Kai wanted to snarl at the arrogance in his voice. Nya must've figured out where Kai was going because she stiffened and protested immediately, but Kai ignored her.

"Then how about this: you let Lloyd and Nya return to the village and never bother either of them again, no imprisonment, no nothing." He bargained, not a glimmer of doubt or hesitation in his eyes.

"You're terms are steep, little candle." The Master said as he circled him, keeping in the shadows. Kai stood his ground. The master was testing him, looking for any sign of weakness, like a predator searching for its prey's weak spot before making the killing blow. "I assume you're willing to offer me something just as valuable in return?"

"No." He said bluntly. "Nowhere near as valuable but it's all I have got to bargain with."

"Very well, but I can't agree unless I know what it is you are offering me, candle?" He replied and Kai shivered when he felt a claw-like hand brush one of his spikey brown bangs behind his ear. He already knew what Kai was going to say, he just wanted to hear him say it.

"You promise to let them go, no tricks, not double-cross, no loopholes, not nothing, and... you can have me, instead."

"KAI NO!"

"That is an awfully steep sacrifice, candle." He said and Kai could hear the smirk in the Master's voice. "You know you'd be giving up everything right? You'd be trapped here until I decide to let you leave and you'd never see your family or your home again."

"It'd be worth it." He said immediately.

"But that's not all." The master continued. A clawed hand tugged on Kai's wrist pulling him into the shadows despite his struggle, while the opposite held his chin forcing him to meet the Master's eyes. "I saw it the moment I first laid eyes on you; you're a spirit as wild as an untamed falcon, a wildfire that burns vigorously with freedom! If you agree to this, you'd be throwing all that away; you'd never be free again and you'd be confined to this castle and the grounds, or, if I ordered it, this very room." He whispered darkly in Kai's ear.

It was a miracle Kai managed to not shiver when he felt those cold, scaly, clawed hands firmly grasp his shoulders.

He was testing him and Kai knew it. Testing his weakness and exploiting everything he loved, knowing he was requiring the teen to sacrifice everything while he lost nothing. Waiting for him to weaken and refuse. Waiting for him to break. Clenching his fists at his side, Kai closed his eyes forgetting his own desires and focusing solely on his siblings. Lloyd needed medicine and he needed Nya to take care of him. That was how it had always been since Ray died.

Kai and Nya would take care of all three of them financially, but only Nya would take care of him and Lloyd emotionally.

They'd both be safe, free from this nightmarish lord, his dark prison, and all it would cost him was everything he ever loved and cared for.

"Come into the light and let me see you," Kai whispered, without turning around.

"What!?" The Master roared as he released his shoulders.

"No disrespect, I just wish to see who it is I'm signing my life away to before I tell you my decision." He explained. It wouldn't matter either way, but if this guy thought he could keep Kai in the dark forever, he was mistaken.

"Swear to me you won't scream." He said after a moment of silence. Kai nodded and braced himself for the worst as the Master stepped into the moonlight. Immediately, Kai looked up. For all his arrogance and selfishness and harsh deeds, the Master was a breathtaking creature. He was human, yet at the same time, he wasn't. The Dragon Lord was indeed the right name. He wasn't human or a dragon, but both. He stood seven feet tall, easily towering over Kai.

A shaggy mop of black hair on the top of his head revealed two pointed fin-like ears.

His dragon fangs glittered pristine white in the moonlight, protruding from his upper lip, visible when he smirked though his face betrayed no emotion. His human body stood firmly with large muscles. Instead of human skin, a clutter of black and dark orange scales formed a spike at both his elbows to his wrists. Smooth dragon scales looked like armor at first glance. The dragonskin glistened down his arms. Sharp black claws that could easily rip him to shreds were at the end of his long fingers.

Kai shivered, remembering them on his shoulders and holding his chin a few moments ago.

Just below his back from both his shoulders, they appeared. Two enormous dragon wings were as big as he was, membraned and muscled, like a bat's, and were topped with a small black spike. They were strong and more powerful and looked like they could consume the brunette in their leathery grasp. They were glowing the same black and dark orange as his scales. Unable to control his body anymore, Kai scanned the rest of the Dragon Lord's body.

His top half was covered by a sleeveless black jacket trimmed with silver and closed in the front.

Behind him, Kai could see a large, muscled tail, glistening with black scales, moving on its own accord, and the end curled like a whip. Moving his eyes from the lethal abdomen, Kai scanned down the Dragon Lord's legs and feet. Black pants tightly hugged the strong legs leaving little to the imagination. More scaled armor covered his legs from the knees down, forming a pair of boot-like dragon legs resembling his claws, but with stronger paws and shorter nails.

"Well?" The Master asked, forcing Kai's gaze to return to those green eyes. Immediately he was trapped by the paralyzing gaze of those sharp orbs with only black slits for pupils. Dragon claws, dragon scales, dragon wings, dragon eyes. Immediately Kai knew where they were, who the Master was, and what was happening and the realization made him dizzy and unable to move. It took all his willpower not to faint as he tried to remember the hybrid's name.

"Y-You're Prince Cole B-Brookstone, the Dragon L-Lord." He stuttered out eventually. Surprise suddenly filled the dragon's eyes, as if shocked someone knew who he was without having to explain his past. But as quickly as it appeared, a smirk replaced it. Beauty, fire, and brains. He truly was a rare jewel.

"That is correct, my candle," Cole smirked, but his eyes bore into Kai's with no emotion, noticing Kai's fierce resistance as he tried desperately not to show fear or desire. "So what do you say now?" He commanded, seductively. His claws danced under Kai's chin making him whimper slightly. "Do we have an agreement?" He asked, trying to intimidate him, but still, Kai refused to show any weakness.

"Kai no!" Lloyd pleaded, through another violent cough.

"You have my word." Kai choked in a whisper.

"Done!" Cole roared releasing the teen and ordering the servants at the door to release Nya and Lloyd. Unable to hold himself up any longer, Kai's knees give way and he collapsed to the floor, closing his eyes and buried his face in his hands to keep tears from falling. The second Jay and Ronin undid their chains, Lloyd threw his arms around his older brother crying, pleading with him to come back. All Kai could do was hold him. He felt Nya hug his shoulders, not saying a word, knowing nothing she said would change his mind.

"Dammit, Kai." She snarled quietly. She didn't have time for anything else. Cole grabbed the back of her cloak, and called for two other servants, and threw her to the two guardsmen.

"Skylor, Chamille, take them back to the village." He commanded before turning back to Lloyd and Kai on the floor. "Time to go, little one." He said in a more civil voice.

"NO! Kai has to come too!" Lloyd screamed, clenching Kai tighter.

"It's alright, green bean, I'll be fine, just go with Nya, alright?" Kai said with forced a smile but Lloyd saw right through it and just continued to cry. With a sigh, Cole snatched the smaller away from Kai and, with a little more care, handed him to Chamille despite Lloyd's struggling and coughing.

"Get them there as fast as you can, and make sure he gets his medicine," Cole ordered the two monsters, before pointing to Lloyd. The two nodded and left, dragging Nya and Lloyd with them, looks of remorse on their face as they tried to block out the pleads and cries coming from all three siblings. Kai made a dash for the door but Cole already locked it. He wrestling with the door and screamed at the top of his lungs before he gave up. He sprinted to the window and clenched the stone windowsill, looking for the guards.

He finally found them, but could barely see them from the tower prison.

He could see his siblings fighting with them, as the guards held a now blindfolded Nya and Lloyd in their arms and took them to the forest. They would make sure they couldn't find their way back to the castle but could get back to the village. His heart shattered when he saw Lloyd, crying and screaming and shouting his full name. He was so scared, but he had no fear for himself or Nya. His fear was a direct result of his beloved brother's unknown fate as the lord's prisoner.

Kai collapsed to the floor in a shaking heap, curled his arms around the window sill, and buried his face in his arms.

He did nothing to stop the river of tears from falling. They were tears of anger, grief, remorse, and loss. He had always hated crying, considered it a weakness, but it seemed impossible not to cry at that moment. The window served as a permanent reminder of the outside world that was forever barred to him since chances were, he'd never set foot outside his current cell. He had signed his life away. His family, his dreams, his freedom, everything he ever held dear, to a devilish creature who knew nothing of sacrifice.

Now was the perfect time to cry...

UPDATED Ninjago Ship List

B!=Bizarro

IE!=Ice Emperor

Bruise or Geode- Cole x Jay

Plasma- Jay x Kai

Techno- Jay x Zane

Lava- Kai x Cole

Opposite- Zane x Kai

Glacier- Cole x Zane

Polyninja- Zane x Cole x Jay x Kai

Greenflame- Kai x Lloyd

Jaya- Jay x Nya

Pixane- Pixal x Zane

Samurai- Pixal x Nya

Ice Samurai- Nya x Pixal x Zane

Future- Cyrus x Acronix

AmberPhoenix- Skylor x Nya

Llorumi- Lloyd x Harumi

Kailor- Kai x Skylor

Coliel- Cole x Seliel

Heavy Metal- Cole x Zane x Pixal

Moss- Cole x Lloyd

Unique or Popsicle- Lloyd x Zane

Mountain- Kai x Zane x Cole

Scruff- Dareth x Ronin

Garsako- Garmadon x Misako

Wusako- Wu x Misako

Outdated- Cryptor x Zane

Blizzard- Zane x Morro

Destiny- Kai x Morro

Hailstorm- Jay x Cole x Zane

Crystal- Morro x Cole x Zane

Spirit- Morro x Cole

Conya- Cole x Nya

Greenwind- Lloyd x Morro

ElectricStorm- Jay x Morro

Thinkfast- Neuro x Griffin

Ronya- Ronin x Nya

Citrus- Morro x Echo Zane

Greenwisp- Lloyd x Jay

Forgiven- Brad x Lloyd

Morrumi or JadeStorm- Morro x Harumi

Survival- Vinny x Garmadon

AmberPrincess- Skylor x Harumi

GarmaClouse- Garmadon x Clouse

Cryxal- Cryptor x Pixal

Sunshine- Cole x Ultra Violet

Golden Matter- Overlord x Lloyd

User-Friendly- Zane x Overlord

Cake- Cole x cake

ForeverAlone- Wu x tea

Tea- Wu x Mistaké

GarmaKai- Garmadon x Kai

SnakeGlacier- “Snake Jaguar” x Cole

SnakeBlizzard- “Snake Jaguar” x Morro

Dark History- Garmadon x Krux

Inventor- Cyrus x Dr. Julien

Self-Centered- Dareth x Garmadon

Loulien- Lou x Dr. Julien

YingYang- Overlord x First Spinjitzu Master

Ash- Garmadon x Ray

Spell- Master Chen x Clouse

SmokeShade- Ash x Shade

Nightshade- Tox x Chamille

ResonatedGravity- Jacob x Gravis

Dumbass- Jay x Kai x Cole

PolyPonytail- Nya x Pixal x Skylor

Geostorm- Jay x Nya x Cole

Braincell- Nya x Zane

Gunpowder- Kai x Ash

JetFaith- Jet Jack x Faith

Riptide- Nya x Ultra Violet

Ore- Karlof x Cole

Eyepatch- Clutch x Ronin

Supernatural- Snek!Jay x Ghost!Cole x Zane x Anacondrai!Kai

Iceberg- Zane x Nya x Cole

Violent- Harumi x Ultra Violet

Snakecell- Nya x “Snake Jaguar”

DarkThinking- Shade x Neuro

Steampunk- Jay x Echo Zane

TheyDeservedBetter- Show!Garmadon x Koko

GreenCheer- Movie!Lloyd x Movie!Chen I really don’t like this ship tho

Blue- Nya x Jay x Zane

VioletSnake- Ultra Violet x “Snake Jaguar”

GarmaChen- Garmadon x Master Chen

Hurricane- Nya x Morro

JadedSnake- “Snake Jaguar” x Harumi

StolenData- Skylor x Pixal

PlayDate- Nya x Dogshank

Sleet- Kai x Zane AND Zane x Nya (Nya and Kai are both dating Zane; they’re not dating each other)

Slush- Kai x Nya x Zane (this is an incest ship that @dynamicdragonite said they intended the name to be for, as they ship it and got rather upset when they found out I was using it for a healthy platonic ship.)

S’mores- Dareth x Zane

Chaos- B!Kai x B!Cole x B!Jay x B!Zane

DarkPlasma- B!Kai x B!Jay

DarkGlacier- B!Cole x B!Zane

DarkLava- B!Kai x B!Cole

DarkGeode- B!Jay x B!Cole

DarkTechno- B!Zane x B!Jay

DarkOpposite- B!Kai x B!Zane

StoneCold- B!Zane x Cole

BlackIce- Zane x B!Zane

Virus- Zane x B!Jay

GreasedLightning- B!Jay x Jay

Fireworks- B!Jay x Kai

Trojan- B!Zane x Jay

Avalanche- Zane x B!Cole

Magma- B!Kai x Cole

Obsidian- Cole x B!Cole

Inferno- Kai x B!Kai

Eruption- B!Cole x Kai

Pyrotechnic- B!Kai x Zane

Frostbite- B!Zane x Kai

BlackLightning- B!Cole x Jay

Aftershock- B!Jay x Cole

FireStarter- B!Kai x Jay

Blizzaro- B!Zane x Morro

IceStorm- Zane x Nya x Morro

LightningFast- Jay x Griffin

DryIce- IE!Zane x Kai

HowlingWind- Morro x Bansha

Arson- B!Jay x B!Cole x B!Zane x Kai

BrainFreeze- Neuro x Zane

Skeleton- Morro x Ghoultar

Eclipse- Kai x Shade

ThunderSnow- Morro x Jay x Zane

Hellstorm- Kai x Zane + Zane x Morro (they’re both in love with Zane)

TropicalStorm- Jay x Nya x Morro

Turquoise- Harumi x Nya

Holly- Lloyd x Akita

Fog- Nya x Shade

Corrupted- Staff!Kai x IE!Zane

Never- Zane x Vex