Note to darkdragoon88: I’ll put up the character profiles for the story later. Just wait and see.       

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Kawaru is what anyone would call…well, an oddity. Not that they minded unless he let loose his violent streak. The Nagisa family has met every odd type (humans, demons, mixed species) there is to meet; some were quite interesting, others were very…well… To put the descriptions lightly, others were very…rancorous, trenchant, sharp, conniving, petulant—the very type and more that a rebellious teenager would show to his/her parents to scare the living daylights out of them. Or have a heart attack. Or suffer long-term insanity.

            Anyway, wherever Kawaru went, trouble starts and fear manifested into something poignant and cruel. He looked like death in disguise; blond hair gone astray, eyes purely blue and piercing, skin that is paler than Yuusuke’s, and dressed in a pop rock star’s outfit. He smelled like moist earth and grass. No matter how he looked, he is always heartbreaking fabulous.

            As for Zephyr, Yuusuke’s best friend, he looked unlike himself and possibly sported several injuries from wherever he went to last night. Zephyr, like the name suggested, is a black whirlwind of power and wealth. Elegance molded his features; risks made his life all the more attractive. Never mind that he tried to kill Yuusuke twice after their first meeting, he trusted the boy more than his own group.

            Which would explain why Kawaru went to the Nagisas. But it does not explain why he just busted their front entrance. Or why he demanded food in exchange for sparing them from his bad mood. Or more importantly, why Zephyr is hanging like a limp doll, broken and boneless, over his shoulder.

            Yuusuke could sense danger on a twenty-mile radius. Kai could see auras and interpret them very accurately. They used their abilities to examine him and exchanged looks when they came up with nothing, but intense, material hunger, annoyance and curiosity. Feeding him is the only compromise that he would explain Zephyr’s situation while harboring a non-violent attitude towards animate and inanimate objects.

            For the time being, Rene was forced to cook. Enough said.

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            Zephyr lived a spoiled, comfortable life. Splendor and recognition surrounded him daily; there was nothing he could not attain. Everything came natural to him. There was a seemingly never-ending, clouded past he came from, which he could hardly remember. All he knew is one day, an orphan clothed only in a white shift walking down the streets only to capture the sympathy of one man. That one decision, the adoption of a child hit by strong amnesia, changed his whole aspect of life…whatever his old aspect was, he did not know.

            His greatest purpose after the adoption was the squash the insecure personality of his into a black, empty space. Easy enough because his foster father taught him to gain confidence. After father’s death, he began his next biggest ambition: overpower his weaknesses. However, he realized day after day with sickening speed, these weaknesses never seem to vanish around a young boy. A certain silver-haired pony tailed, five feet seven, lithe teen.

            And he lived only to make his ambition true, not idealistic. The solution, as he soon realized, did not relay on determination or strong will, but in the young boy.

            But from what he saw last night, he began to doubt for the first time and certainly not the last time, where his future led. At the moment, he was partially unconscious, swamped in blankets which did not relieve the internal coldness, his mind craving for light.

Silver. Gold. Bronze.

            All that he saw were those three colors. There were movement and voices, but nothing stood out except these three. They blended into the dark background behind his eyes and lightened the darkness consuming him.

            It was unfair. They shone innocently without the naiveté…like gods untouched by corruption. And how he envied them. He is obsidian and can never be shining because he lacked light. Yes, obsidian is strong, unmoving, but he is human. Heartbreakingly human with the noticeable attributes of a demon.

            Prideful. Risky. Painfully hazardous to anyone’s health.

            No, he did not belong with them. Obsidian can never become silver, gold or bronze…

            Yet they are always together.

            Zephyr was grateful for this.

            [Forgive me first. Then free me.]

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            “He said something.” Kai announced brightly and Rene found himself wishing that the government would put a law banning such cheerfulness. “The kid is off his bonkers.”

            Apparently, anyone would be in his shape, but Tooya did not say anything and happily stuffed another pancake into his mouth. Rene’s left eyebrow jerked up in distaste at the maple syrup making trails down Tooya’s chin.

            “Well, what did he do?” Yuusuke said from his position from the living room couch. “Jumped off a cliff? Fought a gang of monsters disguised as priests? Almost ran over a civilian, challenged him to a duel, and lost? Watched the Brandy Bunch the Sequel reunion?”

            “I’m surmising he went into all that trouble and you saved him in that order?” Rene countered.

            “I assure you good health if you do not question me further.”

            At times like these, Rene was happy he was part vampire. A demon would have better survival chances with Yuusuke than a human. He turned to Kai, but looked not directly at him because he feared Kai’s smiles would blind him. “Well, what did he say?”

            “He called me bronze.”

            Tooya spit out his orange juice. “Bronze? The…the…” Poor Tooya could not say any bad words about Zephyr, whether conscious or out cold, when he and Yuusuke are present. “He called me gold.” He finally said in a frustrated tone.

            “Sudden epidemic of color-blindness?” Kai proposed.

            “More like twilight zone got color,” Tooya mutter.

            “It’s a sign that he’s regaining conscious, I mean, he could call both of you after animals, dead celebrities…” Yuusuke paused and leaned over to hear Zephyr’s soft words. “Ok, crazy it is. He called me silver. And something about him being obsidian.”

            They looked at each other. “Our hair color.”

“Well, should we keep him here?” Kai asked the one question looming eagerly above Tooya’s and Rene’s heads. Both males, despite the fact Rene is the charge, looked at Yuusuke, who pursed his lips in an innocent schoolboy way then grinned almost shamelessly, wryly at them.

“Yes.”

Satisfied with the answer, Kawaru pushed his plate of untouched food away, then unceremoniously wrapped an arm around a startled Yuusuke and dragged the unwilling hunter to the yet-to-be-repaired door. The young teen was too shocked to even lift a finger to crush Kawaru down with inhuman strength, but his momentary stupidity was saved when Kai lunged at the older boy, wolf form and all.

Only to feel the smack of the boy’s fist, body soaring backwards from its attack. Rene braced for the sickening thud of flesh colliding into a wall. He was not disappointed.

“Oi!” Tooya ran towards Kai, stopped midway, turned and dashed at Kawaru. “You crazy--!”

 

It was half past one.

            Aden let out a frustrated sigh. Looks like he would spend another afternoon Zephyr-less. But these wasted afternoons have got to stop. He respected and admired his boss, however, he usually fail to come to their scheduled events. When he asks for reason, he replies back with excuses less believable than previous ones.

            Why can’t Zephyr just—ah, what is that?

            A dull yellow…something…landed on the building’s rooftop beside the café Aden was in. He squinted  at the speck through a café window, unbeknownst that other customers were doing the same.

            Yellow…no, gold. Gold hair, dark clothes. Is that speck a person? And…ohmigod! There’s another person. Silver hair, white and blue clothes, expression agape and furious. Is that…is that…?

            Yuusuke Nagisa!

            Aden’s body seems to react faster than his mind. Before his mind could register what was happening, he slammed the money onto the table, feet rushing to the door, and cellular phone in his hand. He dialed the only other number on his cell—the number of the very person Zephyr trusted the most and is scoring across the town.

            “Hello?” came an agitated voice at the other end. “Sorry, but I am busy now…”

            “Nagisa?”

            “Eh?”

            “Nagisa!”

            “Which one?”

            “I don’t know…the silver guy! Get me the guy with silver hair!”

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What just happened?

            Let’s rewind here, Yuusuke told himself. Kawaru is a human. Completely human. Absolutely one of homosapiens species. Yes, some humans have achieved spiritual powers. Some learned to use the elements; some are even better psychics than any demon. They achieved higher mental capability, yes. Astral projection, yes. Absurdly higher vocal tones, definitely yes. Strength to bend steel, no. Leaping up to thirty feet, no. Supersonic speed, absolutely no.

            Ok, think. Breathe. Bring some oxygen to the brain. Meditate.

            Kawaru lives in the graveyard. He buries his victims alive. He has no sexual drive, does not read, hates kids, laughs at movies with themes of death, sleeps during the day usually, not the cleanest guy, and has a big trust issue. He is astonishingly generous, very sharp, accurate, smart enough to become a scholar, and understanding at times. But of the one year Yuusuke knew Kawaru, he did not a)effortlessly knocked a full-grown, overprotective wolf out cold…b) closed the ten-mile distance between the cemetery and the Nagisa residence by jumping building to building…c) stick to walls…d) zoomed out the door in a blur.

            The word “impossible” would cease to exist in Yuusuke’s mind.

            Kawaru released his grip on Yuusuke when he reached his destination. The half-breed let out a somewhat thankful grunt on the ground and straightened to his full height.

            “How did you do all that?” was the first question out of the youth’s mouth. “Are you human? If Kai is hurt…” he added.

            “Fang boy is in better condition than Zephyr.” Kawaru pointed out. “No, I’m not one of you. And if you didn’t know, Zephyr has the same ‘un-human’ abilities as I. If he realizes that, of course.”

            Yuusuke had his mouth open, but try as he might, he could not get one word out. Finally, he gasped out, “Why can’t you tell him?”

            “Won’t, kid. I like having the upper hand. Now follow me. I’m taking you where the dolt went last.”

            “But why me?”

            He gave her a stunning, blood-curdling smile. “Because you’ll still be sane after this.”