"Angie? What are you doing here?" Tyrell demanded as he stumbled up from the ground that he had fallen on. The girl rose from Dominic and walked over to him, seeming unusually graceful and alluring. She moved with liquidity, legs prancing upon the ground like some grazing doe. Tyrell gaped at her as she stood before him, her amethyst jewel burning violet against her chest.

"I told you to call me Amethyst, young Key," she purred, tracing a hand through her cousin’s tousled bangs.

"Angie? What’s going on? You seem different," the boy protested, shying away from her advances. "Tell me what happened."

"I simply found my answers and have come to save my cousin like any other caring friend," the silver-haired youth replied, moving behind Tyrell and capturing his shoulders in her embrace. "What’s the harm in that?"

Dominic leapt up from the ground, charging over to the pair and setting a condemning look on Angelique. "The harm is that you cast some wretched spell on me and had me and that Chimera drowning in our own fears," he spat as Tyrell nodded his head.

"He’s right, Angie. Why did you do that?" the youngest boy asked as Angelique flashed him a sweet smile.

"I only meant to get the Chimera. But the power decided that it was hungry for more fear. I think that’s what the amethyst Shard feeds on. It’s its medium. It’s most unfortunate that the Sun Guardian was affected. I was not aware that his fears where so strong. Perhaps they result from a tormented past..." the violet-eyed girl tried to describe the Amethyst to her cousin.

"Stop! That’s enough! They understand!" snarled Dominic, clearly not wanting Angelique to reveal any more about his personal nightmares. "You don’t need to tell them everything. Of course, you still haven’t told us how you were able to get through the shield."

Erik stepped up, placing her gun back in her pocket, as she studied Angelique for a moment. "Solanis has a point. I was already within the shield with Tyrell when the Chimera jumped him so I was affected. Solanis broke the shield by using his wolf form. And Ambrose was only able to enter once the magic field was down. So how did you get here?" she questioned the other girl, raising her eyebrows.

Angelique shrugged her shoulders in an innocent gesture as she unwrapped her arms from around Tyrell. She glanced at the Guardians with cool lilac eyes as she grazed the Shard with her fingers. "I truly don’t know. I just wanted to help Tyrell so much that I was able to just walk right in. I’m just getting the hang of my powers to start off with. This must be what you were going through Tyrell. Is this why you didn’t tell me?"

Tyrell had been standing quietly after hearing Angelique’s explanation for what had happened to Dominic and the Chimera. He didn’t like the unconcerned manner in which his cousin was delivering her words. Angelique wouldn’t normally attack a friend of his and take it so lightly. Well, Dominic wasn’t exactly his friend, but he did know him quite well. But it wasn’t just her words; it was the hungry look in her eyes as well. He had never seen her give that look, least of all to him.

How could see even be involved in this in the first place? Where did she get that Shard? Or was it even a Shard to begin with? It reminded him more of the amulets of the Guardians because of the way it had an actual shape. A tear. What was that supposed to symbolize? Whatever the answers were, he didn’t want them. Nor did he want his precious cousin involved in any of this. She had enough suffering in her life with her family constantly lying to her about everything. He had not intentions of letting her fight by his side and cause her further pain.

"No. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to get mixed up in this," Tyrell responded in a harsh tone. "I still don’t want you involved. Forget the Shard and forget your power. I just want you to go home."

"But Tyrell, who will protect you?" Angelique cautioned with a sly smile.

Dominic pointed to himself and then to Lucian, who was still reeling from the knowledge that there was a being who possessed a Shard but was neither a Guardian nor a Key. After a couple of seconds, Dominic begrudgingly decided to point to Erik as well. "We will. We are the Keys’ Guardians. We don’t need additional help."

"Yes, you seemed to be doing so well by yourselves. Weren’t you about to get your throat ripped open, Sun Guardian?"

"His name is Dominic, Angie. I would appreciate it if you would address my friends by their names like you usually do," Tyrell reprimanded her as he put a hand over hers. "I don’t know where you found that thing, Angie. Or what you think you have now. But it’s not you. I don’t want you to fight. I don’t want anyone to fight. Fighting just leads to pain. I don’t want to do that to you."

Angelique pulled away from him with an uncharacteristic sneer. "What do you know, Tyrell? You can’t possibly understand the emptiness that has been inside me for so long. Well, now I’ve found the one thing that takes that feeling away. This Shard. This Amethyst. It called to me and it’s mine. I need this power, Tyrell. And there’s no way, I’m going to let you take it away from me," she snapped, eyes beginning to fill with angry tears.

"Angie, I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. But you don’t even know what you’re dealing with. What if it’s bad?" her cousin pleaded, moving toward her.

"How can it be bad? It makes me feel better than I’ve ever felt in my life. It completes me. How can such a thing be bad?" Angelique shouted at him, holding out the dazzling gem for him to see.

Lucian sighed softly from beside Dominic and lifted his eyes to hers. "It could be a trick. You know what they say. You can make poison taste good," he murmured as Dominic elbowed him for opening his mouth.

The silver-haired girl hissed and spun around to face him. "You’re one to talk, Hell Guardian. You’re only involved in all this because you get high off the danger. It makes you feel alive. Without it, you feel like you’re nothing."

"What makes you say that," stammered Lucian, spitting out the words as a feeling of shame crept up him.

"Anyone could see that. You’re far too air-headed to be a part of this in the first place. You’d never willingly put your life on the line like this unless you were a little messed up in the head. And let’s not even get into the way your carefree attitude changes whenever you’re flirting with danger. You’re addicted to it," Angelique continued as the redhead ground his teeth and fixed her with a livid glance.

"Go to hell! You’re just saying that to trick Tye into following your method of reason which, may I add, is insane!"

"Are you so sure, Guardian? You’re not going to tell me that you don’t take some enjoyment out of risking your life? You don’t leap at that moment where you can decide where you live or die? You know you do. So why deny me my source of happiness? It’s no less twisted than yours."

"Shut up!" screamed Lucian, ready to lunge at the girl as Dominic caught him by his collar. "You’re making that shit up!" His heart was racing and he felt sicker than he ever had around Kat. Angelique was revealing to the entire group his personal secret. How could she even know any of this? He tried to tear away from Dominic but his partner just yanked him back, tossing him to the ground. Lucian looked up at him with wounded yet flaring garnet eyes. "She’s lying!"

"I don’t care what she’s saying. You’re not attacking a fellow Shard holder, especially one who’s a girl. What sort of coward are you?" the dark-haired boy said as he loomed over him.

"But she’s just saying that to trick Tye. It’s not true! I’m not addicted to anything! I’m not addicted to danger!" Lucian denied, trying to get back on his feet.

"Leave her be! Tyrell will handle her," Dominic commanded, letting the younger boy know that there would be a serious reckoning if he disobeyed him.

Lucian was not in the mood to be ordered around like some undisciplined child. He kicked at the older youth and shot him a defiant glare. "Screw you!"

"Stop!" yelled Tyrell as he saw the fury flash though Dominic’s eyes at Lucian’s curse. "Please stop! Don’t hurt each other! I’ll take Angie home. We’ll talk about it together in private. This doesn’t have to involve any of the Guardians. For now, Angelique can claim to be part of the team."

"But I am part of the team, Tyrell," Angelique pressed, watching the heated gazes between the Guardians with something resembling anticipation.

"Fine, Angie. You’re part of the team. Now let’s go home, please! My neck really hurts and I’m tired," whimpered the youngest boy, motioning for Angelique to come to him. His cousin smiled and skipped over to him, grabbing his hand, and allowing him to lead her out of the alley.

Erik stared at the departing cousins and then turned back to the other Guardians with a stern face. "Well, providing that you two don’t kill each other in my absence I do have some schoolwork to finish so I’d better get going as well." The blond nodded to the boys and began to walk off in the opposite direction of Tyrell.

*~*~*~*~*~*

After she left, Lucian lowered his eyes and looked up at his partner, who appeared to be struggling to contain his rage. Dominic refused to look at him and clenched his fist as the younger boy pulled himself to his feet. Not caring whether the dark-haired youth was paying attention to him or not, Lucian cleared his throat. He thought about saying something flippant but decided that Dominic was most likely bound to slug him for it and backed up. As he stared at the boy’s back, the mangled condition of Dominic’s shoulder stood out in plain view to the younger Guardian. It looked much worse than before. Whatever Chimera had been fighting with him when Angelique had cast her spell had sure done a number on him. The idea of the Chimera trying to kill his partner brought his mind back to a similar incident, one that had involved him. He still had a tiny score to settle with Dominic before they could call it quits for the night.

"I guess I forgot to ask if you were all right amongst all the confusion," he remarked, shattering the silence between the two.

Dominic snorted at his comment and turned his head back, giving Lucian a derisive glance. "I’m fine."

"Good," Lucian replied as his eyes darkened to an even deeper red. Before Dominic could even notice, the red-haired youth leaned over and struck him with his fist just hard enough to push the older boy backward a bit. Dominic put a hand to his tender jawbone and gawked at the boy as if he had grown a second head. Instantly, his amazement transformed into pure ire as he glared at Lucian with menacing amethystine eyes. He grabbed the other youth by the shirt as Lucian regarded him calmly, somberness gleaming in his eyes.

"That was for trying to choke me back there," the redhead informed, disinterested with the fact that Dominic was keen on beating the crap out of him.

His cool words reminded Dominic of what he had done earlier, the recklessness he had shown. He released Lucian and stepped back, repentance crossing his features. Shifting his eyes from the other youth, he sighed roughly. "I wasn’t trying to hurt you."

"No? When someone goes for someone else’s throat, they’re usually planning on doing some serious damage and causing some severe pain."

"You were pissing me off," grumbled Dominic, knowing that his explanation failed as a logical excuse for his actions.

"Yeah, I do that a lot, don’t I?" Lucian snickered, catching an irritated look from his partner. "I admit I do. So sure I deserve to get yelled at and maybe even smacked around once in a while. I don’t care if you do that. You’ve got a bit of a violent streak in you Nicky, so I’m ready for that sort of stuff. But I refuse to let you outright threaten my life. We’re not playing that game."

Dominic moved his eyes so that they were once more level with Lucian’s. "I had no intention of killing you."

"Sure didn’t sound like it at the time. You looked like you had every intention of breaking my neck. Words are one thing but actions are another entirely."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" snapped Dominic, still trying to pretend that he wasn’t bothered with this whole situation.

"Promise me that you won’t do it again. I want you to be my partner, Nicky, but I also want to be able to trust you. I can’t do that if I think you’re going to put my life in immediate danger like that. So just tell me we’re cool on this. I’ll take your word for it. I know a person like you doesn’t abide dishonesty," the younger boy posed, feeling at the slightly bruised flesh on his throat.

"But I thought you liked danger?" noted his partner, eager to get away from this disturbing topic.

"We’re not talking about that now. I need you to promise me, Nicky," Lucian urged, batting away Dominic’s attempt to revisit Angelique’s theory.

"Why? Why do you need me to promise? Can’t you just walk away and we’ll dissolve the partnership right now?"

Lucian’s serious look turned anxious as he shook his head with as much force as possible. "No! I’m not breaking up the partnership! I need you on my team! So does Shira. I want to know I can trust you. Please! How can we be friends if we can’t trust each other?" His voice sounded disjointed and hurt as if he was truly worried about the idea of Dominic refusing his request.

"You haven’t seemed to grasp the facts yet, Ambrose. We’re partners, not friends. You and I could never be friends," Dominic answered in a hostile tone.

"Whatever. Have it your way. Yes, we’re just partners. Now tell me you won’t go psycho on me again. Cursing and threatening is fine, just promise you won’t do anything like what you did earlier," Lucian persisted, trying to keep the growing misery out of his voice.

He didn’t even understand why he felt so bad about Dominic taking off on him. For once, it wasn’t his wild side talking either. He really wanted Dominic to stay as his partner. In this respect, the older boy’s words had injured him as Dominic had declared his simple refusal to be his friend. To Dominic, he was just someone to help him protect Tyrell. He was using him. But Lucian didn’t care. He wasn’t about to give up the intriguing teenager without a fight.

Dominic took in the crushed expression on his companion’s face as he realized the coldness of his words. Lucian’s plea wasn’t that difficult. All he had to do was hold back on letting such strong anger get to him next time. Wanting your partner to promise not to try and kill you wasn’t asking that much. Lucian had even accepted the fact that he didn’t want to be his friend. Granting him one request couldn’t be too awful.

He looked back at the expectant boy and gave a subtle nod. "If that’s all you want, then fine. I promise not to do that ever again. I guess tailing Tyrell is easier with a partner anyway, albeit a careless one."

Lucian considered Dominic’s promise for a couple as seconds before shaking his head and showing his partner a hint of a grin. "Lousy delivery but good enough for me," he quipped as he reached into his pocket and tossed Dominic a set of keys. "But you’re still getting nailed for taking too long. You get to drive the car home."

"I really don't see how that's much of a punishment. I consider it more of a reward to avoid your maniac driving skills."

"Must always get in the last word, mustn't we, Nicky?"

Dominic just stared at him with emotionless violet eyes though a tiny glimmer of satisfaction seemed to shine within them. Lucian growled at his partner's refusal to respond and dragged him back to the car, throwing himself in the right seat. He pushed up the flap on the car mirror and checked out the bruises on his neck, cursing softly. His partner was starting to turn on the engine when he spied Lucian's actions out of the corner of his eye.

"Does it look bad?" he asked unexpectedly, keeping his eyes on the rear view mirror so as to pull the vehicle out without damage.

The strange question drew Lucian's attention back to him. It almost seemed as if Dominic was worried or at the very least feeling somewhat guilty. "Not any worse than usual," he consented, closing the mirror and leaning back into the seat. "Shira's still going to have a fit."

"She usually does."

"I think she actually believes that if she threatens you enough, it'll dissuade you from kicking my ass on a regular basis."

"Well, maybe she should try to convince you from wearing on my nerves and then I wouldn't have to," retorted Dominic as the car backed out of the parking space and turned down the street.

"Wouldn't do her any good. I enjoy pissing you off. You're just too much fun," Lucian boasted with a zealous grin. The dark-haired youth ignored him, apparently trying to focus on the act of driving. As if if were that hard. From his reluctance to answer, Lucian determined that Dominic had had his fill of the topic and was no longer going to play. He decided to change the topic, remembering what Kat had told him the other day while they were at the movies. "What do you think about naming the swords?" he mused, receiving an indifferent glance from Dominic's side.

"What are you going out about now? I can't talk to you and drive at the same time," the older youth griped, still trying hard not to look at his passenger.

"Well, Kathy and I were talking the other day...."

"That explains it."

"Shut up! And watch the road. That was a red light you just ran," noted the redhead, pointing out the window toward the blaring traffic light behind them. "You shouldn't do that. The last thing we need is the cops on our case. If we get arrested, it's going to be mighty hard to explain why an eighteen-year-old is shacking up with a pair of parentless minors."

Dominic knew he was right. He should pay better attention to what he was doing. But it was so hard when Lucian had to keep babbling around him. Mentioning Kat had not helped his situation much either. Something about that girl just seemed to irritate him lately. Hearing her name had drowned out everything around him. He hadn't even seen that light when he sped past it.

"I could drive better if you would stop talking!" he barked, hoping to place the blame for his misjudgment on the younger boy. "It's the most distracting thing in the world."

"Hey, I drive just fine with music and Shira and a cell phone. Distractions are just people's excuses when they don't know how to drive properly," Lucian admonished. "Anyway, where was I? And this time, I hope there won't be any interruptions. The faster I get this done, the faster you can drive in silence."

"Yeah right. There's no such thing whenever you're around."

"Funny. So we were just saying that maybe we should name our swords since both of the Key's swords have names. I hear a lot of warriors back in the past used to name their swords. It gives them a sort of personality."

"You want to befriend your sword?" mocked Dominic with a raise of his eyebrows.

Lucian swore and jerked away from the dark-haired youth, leaning his arms and head against the window. "Forget it. It was stupid. I don't know why I even brought it up."

"Aurora."

The redhead turned his eyes back to the boy in the front seat. "What did you say?"

"I'm the Sun Guardian so my weapon should have a name that reflects that. I chose Aurora," his companion replied as if it were the most trivial thing in the world.

"You said you didn't want to name..." Lucian began objectingly and then lifted his head of the windown and shook it in a chiding manner. "Never mind. One can never tell what you're going to do. But isn't Aurora a bit...I don't know...girly?"

"You should talk, Ambrose. After all, you're the one who skips about in a ponytail. Besides, Aurora means dawn. I'm not so insecure as to need some butch name for my sword just so I can feel more tough."

"Hey! I've seen plenty of guys in ponytails. It's in style."

Dominic glared at him through the rear-view mirror and then turned to look back out the side mirror before making his turn. "Whatever."

The younger boy reached inside the glove compartment and grabbed a handful of coins. He selected a quarter and threw it at his partner's arm. "Fine! Keep your sissy name!" Dominic didn't even blink as he crossed an intersection and continued down the road. Lucian tossed the rest of the coins in his hand, making a great deal of noise with all their jingling. "My sword is going to have a bitchin' name. I'm going to call it Hades. Works well with Daemon, don't you think?" More silence from the right side. Dominic had quit listening to him. Jingling the coins even louder in his hand, Lucian continued. "And Shira's can be Elyssia since she's supposed to be the Heaven Guardian and Elyssia is the name some give to heaven."

"Big on Greek mythology?" without warning, Dominic's voice came from his side.

"Just the Underworld stuff. You know Tartarus, and Orpheus and Persephone and the like. Never cared too much for the rest of the gods or the lame heroes. Even Hades himself is written to be a real ass."

"So why name your sword after him?"

Lucian shrugged, still juggling the handful of money in his palm. "Well, you consider me an ass. I consider him an ass. I guess it works out."

The dark-haired youth shook his head. "It would kill you to give me an intelligent answer, wouldn't it?"

"Yep."

*~*~*~*~*~*

When Tyrell and Angelique returned to the house, Angelique had suddenly become quite subdued. The excited sheen in her eyes had faded and she looked to be very much her normal self. Tyrell was grateful for that much. He didn’t know how much longer he could stand seeing Angelique sashaying around like she was some highbred spoiled-rotten child. He hated seeing her talk to his friends in such a vicious manner and he hated feeling her wrap herself so possessively around his body. Such actions were not the customs of his faithful cousin. Angelique was modest and reserved. She would never do such things under normal circumstances. Something must have been influencing her.

He had had suspicions that it was the Amethyst but after watching Angelique assume her general demeanor without removing it, the fear had subsided. Perhaps, her reactions were just a result of being unused to her power and feeling the need to use so much of it so soon. Both he and Kat had been placed in a similar situation yet they did not share the same attitude and anxieties that their cousin did. Maybe her usual personality had clashed too sharply with that of the Shard and it had forced her to become more callous in order to use its power efficiently.

Tyrell couldn’t be one hundred percent sure because he wasn’t even sure what the Amethyst or Angelique had to do with the Keys or the Guardians. Her power seemed to rival theirs yet she didn’t seem to serve any significant purpose in their group. So why had she been given such power? And why was her power so dark? She had mentioned something about being able to make people see their worst fears or nightmares. Such a power was terribly unnerving to Tyrell. It shouldn’t be used by anyone, let alone his gentle Angelique.

The only thing that he was certain of was that he was still determined to see that Angelique did not involve herself in this any more. She had experienced her taste of power and that should have suited her well enough. She was not met to join up with him or the others. If she was, then he was sure that one of the Guardians would have known something about her. Yet none of the Guardians had been aware of her presence before her arrival. They had never heard of her. Something just wasn’t right.

He nudged her lightly as she sat beside him on the couch, watching the television as if she was in a trance. Angelique blinked and turned to him with frightened, jerky movements. Tyrell patted her shoulder and gazed up at her with forgiving eyes. "Want to talk?" he asked as she shook her head softly.

"No," the girl whispered, pushing her cousin’s hand away and slinking down to the other side of the couch.

"I’m not going to yell at you Angie. I just want to know where you found the Amethyst. I think it may have made you act so weird a while ago," Tyrell assured, scooting closer to her.

"You think it made me say those horrible things?" Angelique asked in a trembling tone, still keeping her head away from her cousin.

"Yeah I do. You’re not used to the power and it just didn’t mess well with you. So the result was that nasty bitch-lady that we saw a few hours ago."

"I didn’t mean to be a b-bitch."

Tyrell laughed, putting a hand over his mouth to prevent from offending Angelique. "I know. We all know you’re not really like that Angie. It was the Amethyst. My own Shard makes me think I’m a lot tougher than I actually am," he admitted as the girl lifted her head from the couch and slowly turned to him.

"Really?"

"Sure does. Now tell me where you found the Shard?"

Angelique plucked at the loose fibers on the couch as she kept her eyes to the ground. "You know that box mother always told me to stay away from?"

"Uh huh..."

"I found it in there. I know I shouldn’t have taken it but it just seemed to want me. I don’t know. I felt like it was mine all along," she murmured, her voice picking up a distant quality to it.

Tyrell drew close enough to her so that the tops of their shoulders touched and he reached out for the Amethyst. Angelique saw his action and jerked away before he could grab it. She covered the gem with her hand and pushed him to the side. "I don’t want you to touch it. I’m sorry. But I want to think it’s mine."

"But it could be dangerous," argued Tyrell, giving his cousin a stern look. "You saw how it made you act. Do you want that to happen again?"

"Look, I swear I won’t interfere again. Just leave it alone. I need it for now. I know it means something to my past. I just want to try and figure it out for a few days. That can’t hurt, right?" Angelique asked her companion in a hopeful voice, eyes flickering from the tension.

"But Angie..."

"Please Tye! Please try to understand."

Tyrell brightened at her use of the pet name and he placed his hand back on his lap. "You don’t know how good it is to hear you call me that again. Hearing that other you refer to me as Tyrell just wasn’t the same. It wasn’t you." He stared at her, observing how she was still clutching the jewel to her chest. "It’s okay, Angie. I won’t try to take it again. I don’t know what it is or what it does, but if you really want it, then I have no right to take it away. Just be careful with it from now on."

The silver-haired youth dropped the relic back inside her shirt and raised her eyes. "I will." As she lifted her eyes, they fell upon the ugly marks encircling Tyrell’s neck, a lasting reminder of his encounter with Lionelle. She held up a hand and touched the bruised skin, gently. "Did those people do this to you, Tye?"

Her cousin nodded as he tried to back away from her, ashamed by the fact that he had been too weak to stop the Chimera from hurting him. But Angelique placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back to her. "I knew you were getting hurt," she said ruefully as she moved her hand back up to brush against the bluish flesh. Then she placed her hand over the Amethyst underneath her clothes and closed her eyes.

Tyrell was about to say something but was stopped by the warm feeling flowing through his neck. It was an intense heat but it did not burn. Instead it laced through the skin and expanded to curl around the hideous fingerprints surrounding most of his throat. It made him feel strangely peaceful and lulled him in its healing thrall. He didn’t want to break away. In fact, he didn’t want the relaxing feeling to ever leave him. He tipped back his head in a languished motion as he gasped breathlessly. He had never known such strong and passionate power before. It was indescribable, as if he was embraced in unadulterated ecstasy.

Then as quickly as it had come upon him, the feeling was ripped away from him. Angelique lifted her hand from his throat and let her other hand slide away from where it had been resting against her Shard. Tyrell moaned and blinked his eyes at her in a sated fashion. Still unsure as to what had just happened, the mahogany-haired youth traced his fingers across his neck, noting that the tenderness had disappeared. Surprised, he leapt up from the couch and rushed into the bathroom to check himself in the mirror.

As he had suspected, all signs of bruising had vanished and his skin looked just as clear as before. Nobody would even be able to tell that he was in any sort of fight. Somehow Angelique had healed the injured flesh. It was remarkable.

He ran back to her, finding her very nervous at learning that he had run away without saying anything. She glanced up at him with apprehensive eyes. When she realized that he didn’t appear scared or angry, she calmed back down and gave him a tiny smile. "So it’s okay now?"

"Yeah," gulped Tyrell, pushing his stubborn bangs away from his eyes. "It’s perfect. How did you do that?"

"I don’t know. Somehow I just knew that I could though. Something in the back of my mind told me to try it," responded Angelique as she tapped the couch, encouraging Tyrell to sit down again.

"Maybe that Amethyst isn’t as dangerous as we thought. I should go talk to the Guardians about this. They would know more about it than us," the boy stated, heading toward the phone.

"But Tye, they’re just kids like us. I doubt they’ll be able to tell you much."

"Maybe but one’s got to know something," her cousin yelled back from the other room as he dialed the number to the Ambroses'. "In the meantime, I think you should try talking to Aunt Ciara about this. Maybe she could tell you something."

At the sound of her mother’s name, Angelique started, and then she regained her composure and turned back to Tyrell. "I’ll think about it. About the Guardians, I say you start with that Lucian."

"Why him?"

Angelique rested her chin on her hand and gave him a musing look. "There’s more to that boy than meets the eye." Tyrell was startled by the girl’s answer as he listened to the ringing on the other line. What did Angelique mean by that? What was so special about Lucian?

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dominic hated waiting. He was not too happy with what he had heard Lucian explaining to him as he chatted with Tyrell over the phone. Tyrell was convinced that they had misjudged the powers of the Amethyst and that it was actually a relic used for healing. What did Tyrell know? He hadn’t been the one trapped in that hellish illusion. He hadn’t felt the helplessness that he had. He hadn’t been forced to see those who had brought him so much pain tormenting him sadistically. Tyrell knew nothing. So what if Angelique had somehow managed to heal his bruises? They couldn’t automatically assume that the Amethyst posed no threat to them. He had seen first-hand the extent of the Shard’s power and he wasn’t planning on underestimating it just yet.

As usual, both Lucian and Tashira were very supportive of their Key’s new idea. Though Lucian had seemed a bit flustered when he had to mention how Angelique had used her power to erase the marks on Tyrell’s neck. Come to think of it, Tashira had also done a double take when she had overheard the boys talking. Nonetheless, both had agreed to coming here to listen to Tyrell explain his theory of his cousin’s newly acquired power.

"So anyway I think that we should consider finding out more about this Amethyst. I’m not saying that I want Angie to jump into the fray right now. I’m just saying that maybe we could use her on the sidelines. As a healer of sorts whenever thinks get bad. And let’s face it, they usually do," Tyrell went through his rhetoric as Dominic rolled his eyes.

"That’s not that bad an idea, Tye. Maybe she could even help Nicky. His shoulder is looking worse than ever thanks to that crazy Lupe," Lucian concurred, looking over to Dominic. "You know buddy, I think that woman’s got it in for you. She really wants to see you dead. Not good."

"For her," hissed the dark-haired Guardian, shooting a superior glance at his partner. "The more she tests her luck with me, the higher the chance that it’s going to run out."

Tashira tossed her head and leaned against her brother, batting her silver eyes at the eldest youth. "Well one of you is bound to run out of luck sooner or later. Just pray it’s not you Dominic."

"Shira," warned her red-haired twin as he gave her an annoyed look. Tashira laughed sweetly and ruffled his hair as she twirled away from her sibling, choosing to get closer to Tyrell. Lucian shook a disapproving finger in her direction and then turned to grin at Dominic. "Don’t let her get to you, Nicky. I think you can take on that blade-happy witch any day. You just need to come up with a better strategy."

His sister coughed noticeably and turned her head to the side as if it had been an accident. "So Tyrell, what’s your suggestion about Angelique again?" she asked the green-eyed boy, hoping to change the subject before Lucian could get too angry with her.

Tyrell rubbed his hand over his face to free himself from the daze that he had been under as he watched the trio argue amongst themselves. Tashira waved a hand in front of his face and he snapped back to attention. "Oh yeah. I think we should consider tapping the Amethyst’s capabilities for our own use. Lucian is right about Dominic being able to benefit from it."

"Forget it!" refused the dark-haired Guardian as he crossed his arms over his chest. "There’s no way I’m letting that cousin of yours use any unknown power on me."

"But Nicky, it could help you," pointed out Lucian as Dominic glared at him.

"How do you know that, Ambrose? Who’s to say that the Shard doesn’t choose who it heals and who it hurts? I’ve had enough of that blasted gem to last me a lifetime. I’m not about to take any more chances with it."

"Come on, Nick. It’s not as if you were under the spell for that long. Shira was hexed into attacking me for way longer than you were affected."

Dominic’s eyes became as cold as the lifeless jewels that they resembled. He charged over to the younger boy and grabbed his arm in a vise-like grip. Lucian bit back a cry of pain as Dominic drove his fingers into his skin with as much force as he could manage. Hurting Lucian did not matter to him at the moment. Right now, he just wanted to make sure that the redhead knew the pain that he had felt when he was under the illusion. He didn’t even seem to mind that his hold was producing yet more bruises on his partner’s pale arm.

"You don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about, Ambrose! You weren’t in there! So don’t you dare tell me it wasn’t that bad!" he spat, jerking Lucian’s arm to the side.

"Ow! Damn it, Nicky, you’re going to break the skin if you keep pressing like that! Let go!"

Tashira noticed what the older boy was doing to her twin and stormed over to the pair. She slapped Dominic across the face with her nails, barely grazing his cheek with the tips. "You let him go right now or I’m going to make you regret it," she promised, seething in anger. Dominic didn’t react to the blow in the least and continued to stare back at his partner with infuriated eyes.

"Tell me again how I felt!" he shouted at the other boy as Lucian fought to free his arm. "You tell me how it feels not to know if your worst nightmares are real or not!"

As the words spilled from Dominic’s mouth, Lucian began to slump in the hold, his own eyes widening and trembling in shock. He stopped pulling away and grew still. Only a small shiver running down his back showed that he was still conscious. He dropped his head to his chest, letting his long bangs shroud his crumpled features.

"You’re right. I had no right to say that. I don’t know what you went through. I’m sorry," the redhead apologized, feeling the pressure on his arm lessen as Dominic backed away. Tashira shoved the older youth away, hurrying over to examine the damage he had done to her beloved twin.

Tyrell spoke up from the silence he had been in during most of the scuffle. "Dominic, you have no right to treat him like that. You’re not his master. You should show a bit more respect to someone who has offered you his home, especially if that person is your partner," he reprimanded as Dominic shifted his eyes to him.

"And this coming from somehow who suggests that we allow a potentially dangerous Shard to heal our injured. A Shard, which we know nothing about, except for the fact, that it is very powerful and is based on something very dark. A Shard that we just recently learned was in existence. A Shard that might even be a gift sent by the enemy. Is that the same person who’s ordering me around?"

"Yes," asserted Tyrell, offended at the tone in which Dominic was addressing him. "I’m right about the Amethyst just as I’m right about your abusive relationship with Lucian."

"What relationship?" hollered the dark-haired boy as he approached Tyrell. "I have no relationship with Ambrose!"

Tyrell began to back up, cautious of the older youth’s wrath. "I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you shouldn’t always haul him around like a dog."

"You sure like telling people what to do, don’t you Tyrell?"

"I just think that people should treat each other with respect."

"Yeah. Well, let me tell you what you also think. You think people shouldn’t fight, you think that we should trust everyone unconditionally, you think that I should be at your beckon call, you think that Kat should let Lucian be, you think that I should return to live with Nadia, and you think that the Amethyst is safe just because it helped you. Now, it’s time you know what I think. I think that you should give me one good reason why I should even listen to you," challenged Dominic, violet eyes flashing ominously.

"Try because I know a hell of a lot more about common curtsey than you ever will," Tyrell replied, trying to keep his cool when facing off against the dangerous youth.

"How interesting. All I see is a whining child. A pretty boy who’s afraid to dirty his hands with blood. A weakling who preaches righteousness but is unwilling to stand up for his own beliefs," the dark-haired youth challenged as he glared at the horrified teenager.

"But...I...I.."

"Stop this! Nicky leave him alone!" pleaded Lucian as he rushed forward to drag his partner out of this tension. Dominic’s eyes darkened as he shoved the younger boy to the side and pointed toward the Key who was now shaking with fear and frustration.

"No! I’m not going to let you get him out of this one! If he wants to tell me how to live my life, then he should be able to fight back himself."

"That’s ludicrous and you know it!" snapped the red-haired youth, snatching the eldest boy’s wrist and jerking him backwards. The older youth cursed under his breath and pulled back against the grip on his wrist.

"So I guess you’re going to tell me that you’re willing to listen to someone who can’t even defend himself? Now I can’t decide which notion is more pathetic. Him leading or you blindly following like a helpless sheep."

"Shut up! It’s our mission to watch over Tyrell, have you forgotten? Or are you so determined to win authority that you’d overlook that little stipulation?"

"If it means I have to listen to a sappy child like him, yes I’d gladly fight for leadership," barked Dominic, twisting his arm out of Lucian’s hold and throwing the other boy viciously to the ground.

"You’re power hungry," accused Lucian as he pushed himself to his back and wiped a dab of blood off his chin. Dominic whirled around and snatched the younger boy up by his collar, almost lifting him off the ground.

His eyes narrowed as he uttered sinisterly, "Care to press that point, Ambrose?"

"Stop!" Tyrell yelped as he managed to recover from his daze and began to try to force the two combatants apart. "Stop this stupid fighting! Do you want to kill each other?"

"No, but he might want to kill you," Lucian spat as he smirked at the furious look in his partner’s eyes. Dominic hissed as he tightened his grip on the other youth’s shirt and lifted him further off the ground.

"Oh really? What if I decide to change my target?"

"Damn it! I said stop! Why are you two fighting over me? Why does everyone always have to fight because of me? Why am I so damn important?" Tyrell screamed as he forced his way in between the pair. He slammed into Dominic, causing him to crash into the ground taking Lucian down with him. Lucian leapt to his feet and stood above his partner and his charge, waiting tensely. The dark-haired boy started to get up as Tyrell grabbed his arm and turned his head to face him directly.

"I may be weak to you. I don’t care. But you will listen to me because I will not have you lunging at each other like a pair of bloodthirsty dogs! Now stop!"

"Why should we listen to you?" Dominic growled, offering a final challenge to the green-eyed boy’s orders as he brushed him aside and climbed to his feet.

"That’s it! You need a reason to listen to me! I’ll prove my strength. Let’s go right now!" exclaimed Tyrell as he leapt to his feet and set his hand at his throat, tearing free the crystal cross. He closed his eyes for a second as an elaborate sword with an onyx blade materialized in his hand.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"You offer a challenge to my right to tell you what to do? As someone who calls for you obedience, I have no choice but to accept. I offer a test. My skill against yours. Are you game?" he called out, holding the Divinity at arms-length.

"Any time," the oldest youth replied, catching his sun amulet and summoning his own weapon of orange radiance into his grip. "But do you honestly believe that you stand a chance of winning. I’ve seen you fight. Good start but bad execution. You’re just going to get hurt."

"Back away if you’re afraid," taunted Tyrell, actually relishing the chance to teach Dominic a lesson for his behavior.

"You’re mine, Tyrell."

"Wait!" yelled Lucian as the pair rushed at each other with their swords. But the sharp look from Tyrell’s eyes warned him not to interfere and he resigned himself to watch. Tashira scampered to his side, holding a hand to her mouth as she gazed at the two boys who had begun their contest.

"You’ve got to stop them, Luce! Dominic might hurt Tyrell by accident. I know he knows better than to injure our charge, but people lose their inhibitions in the heat of battle. Do something!" the silver-haired twin begged as Lucian shook his head in refusal.

"If I try to do something, I will not only infuriate Nicky, but I will shame Tye as well. He wants this chance to prove himself, Shira. He needs to believe that he is not as weak as he thinks he is. I have faith in his ability. Determination can be a powerful ally."

His sister groaned and tugged at his shirt, singing him with her heated gaze. "He’s going to get hurt. And you’re going to have to stop Dominic anyway. This is too dangerous!"

"Give the boy a chance," responded Lucian as he pried Tashira’s clawed fingers from his shirt and focused on the battle ready to ensue before them. "Let’s see what you can do, Tyrell."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Tyrell lunged at Dominic with his sword as Dominic swooped over and parried the move with ease. He forced the blade back against the younger boy, jet-black hair scattering across his eyes making him appear as animalistic as ever. The green-eyed youth flicked his weapon to the side, catching the broadside of Dominic’s blade and flipping it upwards, breaking away from the stalemate. Not giving the dark-haired youth a chance to react, he swung Divinity down, slamming it into the other sword hard enough to cause the blade to shake in Dominic’s hand.

Dominic cursed loudly and whipped back his sun-kissed blade, spinning around the other boy to make a quick thrust toward his neck, planning on trapping him. But Tyrell caught the shine of the weapon as it approached him and held up Divinity to block the attack. He pushed the older boy back with his sword and leapt backward, bracing the weapon in front of him. The expression on Dominic’s face told him that he was a bit surprised to see his charge fighting back with some display of skill. Then, the violet eyes of his opponent lit with inspiration as he charged him, Aurora tilted on a downward angle.

Leaning his sword to match the angle, Tyrell received the attack, hearing the two blades hiss as they clashed against one another. A few bright sparks burst from the screeching weapons as both boys tried to free their weapons without leaving an opening to their rival. Pitch-black onyx tore through luminous silver, as the blades ripped apart. Tyrell faltered a bit on the withdrawal, giving Dominic ample time to swipe his sword across his arm, managing to graze the flesh beneath the cloth. A few drops of dark blood meandered down the mahogany-haired youth’s arm as he clenched the hilt in his hand. He wanted to place a hand on the cut in effort to stop the bleeding which was dying his white shirt a steady brick red, but he new that Dominic would not ignore the opportunity to strike him again.

"Had enough yet?" gibed the older boy, keeping Aurora aloft as a tiny rivulet of crimson formed a dark line upon the magnificent blade.

Tyrell’s eyes followed the trail of the blood along the silver surface, studying Dominic for signals of another attack. He bit his lip to take his mind off the stinging ache where Dominic had nicked him. Dominic was making a fool out of him. He hadn’t truly counted on the older boy drawing blood and now was regretting his decision.

"Not fair, Nicky!" cried Lucian from the other side as he prepared to put an end to this duel. "You’re not allowed to make him bleed."

Dominic glanced at his partner with a wicked gleam in his eyes. "Nobody ever said we’re not allowed to actually cut each other. As long as we don’t inflict mortal wounds, I don’t see why bloodletting should be outlawed in a duel. After all, we are using real swords. What do you expect?"

"You’re cheating Dominic! Tyrell wasn’t trying to hurt you, he was just trying to disarm you," accused Tashira as she moved forward to stand with her brother.

A harsh laugh flowed from Dominic’s lips as he turned back to Tyrell, still keeping his sword in the guarding position. "Did you hear that, Tyrell? They think I’m cheating. Should we quit right now and announce my win?"

Tyrell glared at him, fiery gray-green eyes taking on an unnatural glint of fervor and conviction. "NO!" he roared at his combatant, "We’re going to finish this. You want blood, then that’s how we’ll play it."

He saw Dominic show him a sliver of a smile as the dark-haired boy rushed him again. This time, Tyrell was ready. Something long forgotten seemed to resurface in his mind as he twirled his blade around and caught the other’s. He hit it with such force that the tip jabbed into Dominic’s right shoulder. Dominic hissed and slapped the blade away, feeling the cool liquid drizzle down his chest. Tyrell pulled back and slashed at the other blade again, this time pushing it upward with his own so that it spun in a half-circle. The older boy choked up on his hold, trying to maintain his slipping grip on the weapon. The other youth continued to spiral Divinity around the sword, managing to jostle the blade from side to side making it increasingly hard for Dominic to hold.

Unsure how to retaliate to the attack, Dominic leapt backwards as the other sword caught his by the handle, the force tearing it from his grip. The blade resonated deeply as it flew from his curled fingers and crashed to the ground a few feet away. Not realizing yet that his opponent was effectively disarmed, Tyrell made an attempt to complete his onslaught, simultaneously whipping back his weapon and arcing it down toward the other youth’s chest. Having felt the weapon leave his fingers, Dominic accepted the grim fact that he would never have enough time to block the attack and sought to dodge it by dropping to his knees, but the sword’s movements were too fast.

Divinity sliced smoothly through the air, intent on connecting with its target. As it did, there was a loud screech and both combatants halted their assault to determine what had caused it. Dominic felt his knees scream in protest as they slammed into the ground. Raising his eyes, he noted a panting form standing between him and Tyrell’s sword. Narrowing his eyes, he discovered that the form was actually Lucian brandishing his own sword before his body and warding off Divinity’s blow. But his block had been hasty and therefore Divinity was in fact closer to his left side, barely sliding against the other blade. The sword had just managed to skim his body, ripping through his clothing and leaving a light blurred line similar to one caused by rope burn.

"Lucian?" questioned Tyrell as he stared at the figure holding off his attack. His bright gray-green eyes looked perplexed as he ran them over the two figures before him. Then the cloudy emerald orbs grew extraordinarily wide as he realized that Dominic was kneeling on the ground without his sword anywhere in sight. Lowering Divinity, he back-pedaled on his feet and looked at the oldest youth with horrified contrition shimmering in his eyes. "Dominic, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t paying..."

Dominic pushed himself to his feet and shot the Key an amused look. "It’s all right. Forget about it, you were just concerned with doing what needed to be done to win. In battle, you never worry about what handicap your opponent may have or you simply use it to your advantage. That’s basic strategy."

The green-eyed boy nodded faintly as Lucian lowered his weapon and grinned. "That’s right. Besides, I bet we can all safely say that you already won the fight by disarming Nicky. Not bad for a novice, huh buddy?" the redhead commented as he turned back toward Dominic.

Shrugging nonchalantly, the dark-haired youth stepped away from his companion and walked up to Tyrell who was still unsure about the whole conclusion. He ran his gaze up and down the youngest boy and then crossed his arms over his chest in a satisfied gesture. "Well, I guess you’ve proven your point for now, Tyrell. But one thing still bothers me. How did you do that? The way you were fighting was nothing like your usual offense against the Chimera."

"When I was younger, my father used to teach me how to fence. I never knew I picked anything up from it though. I guess I might have been able to test it in my fights with the Chimera, but those jerks are always disarming me before I can really get involved. For some reason, in order to use the acquired skill though, I have to get into a sort of fighter mentality. Meaning, I have to be angry. Dominic was kind enough to aid me in that endeavor," Tyrell offered, adding the last line in a more mirthful tone.

"I get it. So you know how to fight, but you have developed a fail-safe that only allows you to access the skills when you feel that you’re in significant danger. Of course, you have to have a weapon at the time if you want to call upon the skills," paraphrased Lucian, patting the injury on his side. "Powerful stuff, isn’t it, Nicky?"

Dominic changed his observation point to judge the severity of the wound that Divinity had left on his partner. Both the youth’s words seemed to roll over his head, not truly registering among his hearing. All he could focus on was the torn flesh on Lucian’s side. He had gotten the mark by protecting him. Lucian had stood against Tyrell to defend him. And all this time, he had thought that Lucian cared more about their charge. Had he been wrong?

"Hey Nicky, are you zoning out on us?" Lucian chuckled; noting the way Dominic was standing before the group so motionless. "Losing to Tye can’t be that heart-breaking."

"You know, it’s too bad that Tyrell can’t be permanently pissed-off, like Dominic here. If he could, then fighting the Chimera would pose no problem," Tashira joked from beside her brother, amused at the defeated look on Dominic’s face.

Dominic ignored her and turned back to Tyrell, trying to clear his mind of the condition of a certain redhead. "Yes, it is too bad. Isn’t it?"

"Yeah," murmured Tyrell as he looked up at the steady cool violet eyes regarding him methodically. "Um, does this mean that you no longer think I’m weak, Dominic?" he added after a moment.

"For now."

Lucian laughed and rushed over to the pair, slapping Tyrell on the back. "Well you’ve certainly won me over. And to think I thought you were just some spoiled little rich-boy."

"Lucian, you didn’t really..."

"Calm down Tye. I was joking. Unlike Mr. Serious here, I know how to have a little fun," the red-haired youth jested as he motioned toward the stoic Dominic.

Dominic hissed in reply and then began to walk away from the group, bending down to retrieve Aurora in his departure. Lucian was too busy congratulating the prince and cracking sarcastic jokes to even notice his disappearance. Tashira was also crowding around young Tyrell in awe to express her admiration for his obvious skill with the blade. As the eldest youth left the scene, he turned his head briefly to have one final glance of his partner.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why did he do that? Why did he jump in front of me?" Dominic pondered to himself, walking away from the group.

The thought truly baffled Dominic, as did the strangely elated feeling he was having despite having lost a fight to a much younger boy. Shouldn’t he feel frustrated or at least vengeful? Yet he felt relaxed and oddly content.

That idiot boy had protected him. Him. The guy who was constantly telling him off and intent on trying his best to ignore Lucian’s simple existence. Why should he even give a damn if he was hurt in that melee? It’s not like he’d have bothered to risk his hide had the positions been switched. In that case, it would have been a matter of honor and even Dominic’s reluctance to watch any of his own get hurt wouldn’t have allowed him to interfere. He knew Lucian was aware of this fact, yet the youth had still willingly placed himself between them.

He was both delighted and seriously bothered by Lucian’s decision to ward off Tyrell’s attack with his own weapon. This wasn’t like the time when the younger boy had come to his aid before. At that time, Lucian hadn’t even possessed a clue of who he was rescuing, only that it was a fellow Guardian and it was his sister’s wish to find others like them. He had merely helped Dominic out of the simple notion of honoring Tashira’s wish. Well, that and the potential to face off against a Chimera. There had been no friendship involved then. But now, this was different. This time, Lucian had placed himself in danger under the pretense that Dominic was his partner. The red-haired youth had wanted to protect him for that reason alone. He had even indirectly challenged his charge with this gesture and Dominic doubted that the thought had ever crossed Lucian’s mind.

Damn it, he really hated him at times like these. He though he could just befriend the world and everything would turn out all perfect. How dare he think he could control his life? Dominic had been on his own for three years and been just fine. Who did he think he was? He couldn’t just win him over by throwing himself in the line of fire every little chance he got. Stupid boy! He didn’t need his pathetic protection. As far as Dominic was concerned, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Lucian had no right to interfere in his affairs. Wasn’t that what he had always preached to Tyrell?

But if Lucian hadn’t intervened, Dominic knew that he probably would have been badly injured. Tyrell had known how to work that sword and he had known how to make every attack count. Still, he couldn’t understand how he could be content one moment and then ranting about how much he despised the intrusive youth the next. It seemed that all of his hatred toward Lucian was spurned by his brief feelings of familiarity toward the boy. A boy who he scarcely knew anything about except for the fact that he was an orphan and a fellow Guardian.

He hated feeling like he should depend on someone. It wasn’t as reliable as only believing in one’s own abilities. Believing in others meant having to grant them trust and that was one thing he was determined not to impart so easily. That was what drove him insane about Lucian. The youth was constantly trying to get him to reveal stuff to him. He was always prodding for more information. Information about his past, about his family, and in about his life in general. It seemed as if he was extremely curious about Dominic’s existence.

Lucian was set on turning the Guardians into an actual team who depended on each other and worked together. At least, that’s what he claimed to be doing. Dominic hated him for it. It was more pathetic than Tyrell’s dreams of defeating the Chimera without taking any lives. Both of the morons had ridiculous visions of a perfect world where everybody was happy. Neither understood the true reality that only one person will always be there for one--oneself. Their basic naiveté was sickening.

In the midst of his fuming, Dominic noticed that Lucian had apparently figured out that he wasn’t around and was staring a few yards away, cocking his head to the side and staring at him.

"Mad about the fight?" he posed, not making any attempt to get closer to the older youth as he placed his hands behind his head and leaned back.

"It’s none of your business. Go away!" Dominic growled, averting his eyes.

Yes, the boy was determined to piss him off. Couldn’t he take a hint? He couldn’t stand him when he tried to taunt him this way. The only reason he was still there was because he had no other place to go at the moment. Because if he did, he sure as hell wouldn’t be standing there listening to Lucian’s prattle.

"He had an advantage, you know. He has some instilled knowledge of swordsmanship," Lucian’s persistent voice broke through his train of thought.

"What the hell are you babbling about now?"

"I’m just saying that you shouldn’t go beating yourself up over this. You’re good. I mean, you’re one the best fighters I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot. You just have got to accept the fact that you weren’t raised to handle swords. Tye was. It’s as simple as that."

Dominic was confused by the response. Wasn’t Lucian hanging around here to pester him some more? Hadn’t he come to gloat and tell him that he had deserved what had happened back with Tyrell? Shouldn’t he be laughing his head off now at the sight of him abashed like this? Yet Lucian didn’t appear to be trying to provoke him for once. He was acting as if he was trying to cheer him up. What was his game this time?

"I don’t care about that. I want him to be strong so I don’t have to constantly rush in and save his miserable person," snapped Dominic, glaring at the other boy distastefully as he watched him for some sign of a trick.

Lucian looked annoyed at his words but didn’t make any attempt to retaliate. His intentions were leaning toward pure. Perhaps, he really wasn’t looking for another fight with his partner. The redhead swallowed a gulp of air and continued. "Oh. I just thought..." he began in a soft voice before a cold smirk from the older youth cut him off. Now Dominic understood. Lucian didn’t want to poke fun at him, he wanted to patronize him, something that Dominic considered far worse. He was not about to take pity from some flighty teenager.

"Just thought what? That I needed some of your annoying support? That I wanted a friend to talk to? That I was looking for someone to vent on? Grow up! I’m not all needy and angsty like the rest of you teenagers," he drawled bitterly, turning his back on Lucian and walking away, smiling inwardly at the look of hurt etched in the youth’s visage.

He barely got two feet when a hand clamped down on his shoulder and yanked him back. Before he could respond, he felt himself whirled about-face and lifted his head to see a pair of enraged crimson eyes boring into his own.

"You’ve got some nerve!" snarled Lucian as his fingers dug into the older boy’s injured shoulder. "I come out here to make sure you’re all right and you get all bitchy with me. I didn’t just come over here to see if you wanted to talk, I wanted to know if you were hurt. Tye nicked you pretty high back there and I wanted to know how bad it was. Yes, I understand that you’re all tough and independent and all that. And you don’t need anybody’s help, but you’ve got no right to tear into me like that just because I bothered to give a damn!"

"Then don’t bother next time! I don’t need your pity!" Dominic yelled back in the other youth’s face as he wrenched himself away and shoved at Lucian.

"Believe me, I won’t! See if I care if you get yourself impaled because of your stupid pride!" raged the redhead, emphasizing his comment with a harder shove against the dark-haired youth.

"And I don’t need your protection either!"

"You know you sound like a whiny little kid. I guess I wasn’t that wrong when I chose Nicky for your nickname."

"Go to hell Ambrose! You’re just pissed because I’m not falling for your Mr. Nice-Guy ploy. Did I hurt your fragile feelings?" baited Dominic, finger-combing his hair as he glanced at Lucian in indifference.

"Shut up! You’re so full of it. You’re just pissed because I forced you to realize that you can’t always do it yourself. Sometime you do need some help. Face it, the only reason you’re even fighting with me is because I wounded your precious pride. Dominic Solanis, the World’s Biggest Jerk, had to admit for just one second that he couldn’t cut it," assailed the younger boy crossing his arms over his chest.

"Take that back!" hissed the older boy as he flung himself at the unsuspecting boy and hurled him to the ground.

"Oh hit a sensitive spot, huh...Nicky?"

Dominic grew incensed at the obvious mocking tone of this nickname. "When are you going to listen? My name is Dominic!" He slammed Lucian’s head against the ground as the other youth laughed in a hysterical tone.

"Nicky! Nicky! Nicky!"

"Quit calling me that, damn it!"

"Make me," challenged Lucian, his eyes slanting and seeming to glisten with the idea of toying with the dangerous youth, the junkie mentality taking over. Forget trying to cheer Dominic up. He was back in his element now. If Dominic wanted to play, he was more than willing game.

"I will," the dark-haired youth replied coldly as he grabbed Lucian’s jacket collar and lifted him halfway of the ground.

The younger boy twisted around, snatching Dominic’s arm and throwing him over his back. Dominic growled in fury and then lunged back at the boy, forcing both of them to collide with the ground. The two rolled around, swiping at each other and cursing profusely as they fought for the upper hand. Rage boiled inside Dominic as he swung at his opponent, at the same time kicking for all he was worth. He wanted to really hurt the boy. Yet he didn’t know if it was to make him sorry for testing his patience or if it was to just let him know he wanted to be left alone. Lucian too was fiercely battling with the older boy, landing kick after kick with his more agile legs as well as hissing at his ineffectual swings. They continued their scuffle until Dominic managed to land a strong kick to Lucian’s already injured left side. The red-haired youth cried out before he could stop himself as Dominic flipped him onto his back in a fluid movement.

Lucian’s breath hitched and he tried to bite back the pain-induced sobs in his throat as agony radiated up and down his left side. Dominic placed his knees over the other boy’s and then pinned his wrists to the ground, effectively immobilizing him as he prepared to deliver a blow to the face. Gritting his teeth and turning his head, Lucian waited to feel the thud of a fist against his jawbone. But it never came. Nonplused, he turned back to Dominic who was still kneeling against his legs but holding back his fist. His violet eyes struggled to hide a look of concern as he realized that Lucian was obviously suffering from his kick. In that split second, he realized he hadn’t meant to hurt the boy that bad, especially in the same place where he was injured from protecting him. Lowering his hand, he lowered his eyes and mumbled something under his breath.

"I’m sorry."

Before the statement had time to sink into Lucian’s mind, the dark-haired teenager rolled off the youth and stood on his feet. "Get up."

Lucian just stared at the dark-haired boy in absolute shock. Wasn’t he trying to tear him apart just seconds ago? And now he had given up? That wasn’t Dominic’s style. He never gave up a fight without some attempt to get in the last word or, in some cases, the last blow. Was this just a rouse to get him to let down his guard so that Dominic could really pound him? Uncertain of how to react, Lucian remained where he was on his back, heaving deep breaths and blinking his dark red eyes.

Dominic’s own eyes darkened as he spoke in a more gruff tone. "Ambrose, get up." Coming out of his daze, Lucian shook his head and attempted to sit upright. As he did, a sharp jolt of pain shot through his side and he yelped again despite himself. The same look of guilt and worry creased Dominic’s facial features. He bit his lip, his mind unwilling to conceive what he was about to do. Then he bent over and slowly offered his right hand to the fallen youth. "Here."

His mind wondering about miracles that never cease, Lucian hesitantly took the hand and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. He stood there for a moment, holding his throbbing side, and watching Dominic in curiosity. "Why did you give up?"

"I told you, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kicked you like that. I completely forgot about your...injury," Dominic replied ruefully.

"But what about what you said to Tye about utilizing your opponent’s weakness?"

"Forget that. What I did was weak and dishonest. You got that injury because of me and even if I don’t feel any gratitude, I should at least refrain from making it worse."

The redhead rubbed his aching side and then returned his gaze back to the older boy. "Um...Nicky?"

"Huh?"

"I’m sorry for what I said. You know about you being the world’s biggest jerk and all that other crap. I was just mad. And yeah, it kind of hurt when told me you didn’t want my help. I know I shouldn’t have gone off on you like that. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting you to react to my condolences like that. I probably should have figured that you would assume I was just trying to act all condescending to you. No, you’re definitely not one to accept so-called pity. I guess the thought just slipped my mind. I just didn’t want you to feel weak. You know what they say, partners have to stick together," Lucian explained as Dominic brushed off his dirty jeans, trying his best not to meet the other boy’s eyes.

"Yeah...well...I..um....I guess I kind of started this whole thing," grumbled the older boy, shoving his hands in his pockets. Then his pride kicked back in gear. "But you know, you shouldn’t be constantly bothering me. Remember what I said before, we’re not friends." Immediately, he felt an inward cringe at the quick look of misery on the other boy’s face before he forced himself into an awkward grin.

"Yeah whatever. It’s good that we’re not screaming at each other anymore. I bet the others are too busy with Tye to even care about our not being there. I’d better get back and see what Shira’s up to. She’s probably going ballistic since I disappeared on her so suddenly. We’re going to be heading back home soon. Shira mentioned something about a new plan to deal with this Amethyst. So you better head back up in a couple of minutes," the red-haired youth bantered with blatantly false cheer. Then he turned from Dominic and began to run back to the rest of the group, limping ever so slightly.

After he was gone, Dominic still stood there running over the whole incident in his mind. ‘Not friends.’ Well, it was true, right? Even if it did hurt the younger boy, it was the truth. Yet he hadn’t meant for it to come out like that, so cold and nasty.

Why did he even care? It wasn’t like he liked the hyperactive moron. Sure, he did look genuinely upset about his condition, but that didn’t mean anything. He was just attention-starved. But why was he still so angry with himself? Hell, he had kicked Lucian in his injury. He had kicked him hard. As hard as he could. He had wanted him to hurt. He had wanted him to feel pain just like all those other times he had lashed out at him. It wasn’t just frustration either. If he hurt him, he might be able to understand what he was going through. Then maybe he wouldn’t be such an annoying freak. Then maybe he wouldn’t have to dislike him so much.

He wouldn’t be so bad if he would just act a bit more mature and quit being so nice. Nice. Like Nadia. Like Aiden. Being nice got you nothing. It got you hurt. Hurt like he had hurt him so many times already. But he had wanted to hurt him. Didn’t he? Damn it, Lucian was making everything so damn confusing. He hated that. He hated not being in control.

Still he didn’t have to have done that. He shouldn’t have attacked him like that. It was childish. Why did he make him act this way? He had never acted so recklessly in his life. He was used to thinking things through and planning, not just blindly jumping into fights. He had been doing that a lot lately. Something about Lucian just made him want to teach him a lesson or two. It was as if it was beyond his control and he did not like that at all. He did not like not knowing what he was doing. Lucian just made everything so impossibly difficult. Hell, he couldn’t even apologize right. ‘Not friends.’ That was a stroke of genius on his part. Worthy of the World’s Biggest Jerk. And he was supposed to be apologizing?

Why did Lucian look so upset by the words? It was obvious that Dominic didn’t care for him in the least. Couldn’t he tell that he couldn’t stand him? Wasn’t it extremely obvious when they usually ended up bickering at least once in every conversation they’d ever had? They weren’t friends. Hey, the truth hurt. Lucian would just have to live with it.

But if they weren’t friends, then what sort of relationship did they share, if any? He didn’t absolutely hate Lucian. It was stronger than just being ultra-annoyed, but he still didn’t want to see the other youth dead. He just wanted him to wake up and realize the truth that everything wasn’t a game. Life wasn’t fun. Every time he saw him, he just wanted to slap that smart-assed smirk right off his face. Aiden used to smile a lot too. Of course, his smiles had always been sweet and kind. Lucian’s were devilish and clandestine. But despite all of Aiden’s good-natured smiles, where was he now? It angered him to see Lucian always trying to be so energetic and cheerful and friendly. It kind of reminded him of someone he had known before...Forget it! What was he saying? Was he claiming to be jealous? Jealous that Lucian didn’t have to cope with things? That was vicious. He wouldn’t wish what had happened to him on anyone, even Lucian.

But even Lucian must have had some misfortune in his life. Everybody always had had something go wrong. And that thirst for danger, which wasn’t something acquired during a normal childhood. Not to mention, his unusual method of waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Did all orphans share those characteristics? He had no idea. He had a family once; at least that’s what it would be known as in the traditional sense. He wasn’t so sure that the man who had raised him would actually qualify as family. Even his stepmother never really seemed to fit the mode of the customary female figure. Lucian was lucky had didn’t have a family. At least he didn’t have to go through what he had gone through in his so-called family. So what was Lucian’s deal anyway?

Man, was he still thinking of him? What was wrong with him? He was seriously obsessing over this. He couldn’t that believe someone could make him wonder about him so much. It was insane! But why was he so concerned? It had to be his need to know that there was some reason for Lucian to be sad in his life. But if it wasn’t self-gratification, then what was it?

*~*~*~*~*~*

Comment: Another really long chapter. It's because of all the fight scenes. These kids sure like to beat the crap out of each other, don't they? My favorite fight would be Lucian taking a whack at Nicky for once though. As far as Tashira's plan goes, it will be known in the next chapter. Much more shonen ai hinting ahead. ^_^