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"All lives are sacred, even yours," she quietly asserted. The angel should not be drawing so close- adequate warning had been given. Despite the poor judgment, she would not let the life be forfeit. Her figure fluttered, vanishing in a flash of light and reappearing behind the angel. With a firm but gentle grasp she embraced the divine being from behind, one slender arm encircling the waist and her cheek mere inches from the other.

"My shield of faith is impregnable; I have seen the darkness and kissed it, but I will not be tainted, I will not be swayed, I will not be seduced. I know its strength and I am not scared." Blinding, ethereal wings spread from the base of her other four, curling around the pair before the blow could critically injure her charge. They were summoned sparingly not out of concern for the power they consumed but for their effect: looking at them was like gazing at the sun. Very few could gaze at them unafflicted; her dear friends like Kane could easily be made blind.

Rei stayed aloft, through both blows. They pushed her back several feet, but neither penetrated her defense. As condensed as it was coalesced around her, it was as if he were beating on a fortress with a toy hammer. When she was spread out there was much more vulnerability- but she had unwillingly played him into her strength.

"I am sorry for all the pain you have endured, but I can not allow you to endanger others. I forgive you for your wrongs, but I can not permit you to go free," she whispered, those beautiful blazing eyes gazing down at him with only compassion. It was surely maddening for the demon to not be able to gleam even a hint of anger, frustration, or hatred from the seraphim. Many had tried and only one had even dented the strength of her convictions.

The wings unfurled in one deft, graceful movement. Feathers of flickering light and questionable composition darted towards the demon, trailing luminescent threads. They circled slowly and with a wide berth, spiraling down towards his feet. Although the light was not meant to be harmful, the pure strands of what was becoming his cage was no doubt searing to his touch.

At the same moment that the glowing lines connected and started to slowly contract towards him, Kane appeared. She was by no means awake or conscious, still in what looked like a crystalline prison of topaz. Eyelids were closed as if in peaceful slumber, but her form was in suspended animation of turning. In no way had she been harmed by being thrust in this state, but Rei supposed the appearance might still unnerve the possessed fallen.

"And Kane dearly misses her daughter, but there are things that are right now out of her control. I wish for there to not be bloodshed, so she will stay in this state for both of your sakes. You know not what will happen if she is swayed as you are and you have not discovered her triggers."

No overt reaction came from Kane within the crystalline prison. Her stance did not shift inside nor did her eyes suddenly flutter open. She remained unmoved, deep in the divine slumber she had been induced into. If his words had been heard, there was no reaction other than one that could be merely a side-effect of a waning spell: hairline fractures. They spread slowly and quietly appearing like iridescent cobwebs. The golden structure remained intact regardless- perhaps the strange rifts were merely cosmetic?

Rei turned towards the nearest angel, her lips curling into the slightest of a modest smile. Her face was slightly flushed from the short battle, making her face aglow with warmth like the sun she worshipped so faithfully. "I am afraid I must ask you to bring me one of your superiors. I may be unworthy to converse with him or her, but I am afraid it is very necessary. Would you be so kind as to ask if he would be so kind as to make a moment for one such as I? I hope it is not too much to ask."

The seraphim was nothing if not humble. Despite her previous display of power, she seemed sincere in that she was concerned she was unworthy of the attention of the other high-ranking angels. It was not self-doubt, but a humble nature and the understanding this was not her home. Regardless of what position she held with others on her planet, here she was merely a divine visitor. Winged and deft with the light as she was, her strength did not derive from their entity. In a sense she was intruding- albeit with the best intentions.

"Oh please, do not bow to one such as I. I am unworthy of such gestures." Rei could have hovered near Dazriel in the sky, but she was comfortable where she was on the ground. Unlike her ego, Rei was hardly a diminutive woman. She was at least 5'9", more likely 5'10", barefoot- which meant that dislike it as she may often she was looking down on people in the literal way. "I ask for no undue respect, but only a moment of your time."

"I only have time to spin this story once, and I only tell it because I find myself unable to depend on the two captured here to relay it properly and quickly. My name is Rei, Seraph of the Gracious Sun. I came here initially because of Kane here, but not to hunt her as your kind does. They are imprisoned here because I find myself unable to take a life, no matter how vile it appears on the surface. My apologies if these presences make you uncomfortable. Kane's twin sister, Ashley, is my charge. They fled their own world because they began to fulfill a prophecy that all demons feared: that those born into evil could ascend into the clarity of light. As you can see, Kane still struggles with the forces. She embraces the light and defends it with the depths of darkness. It is not something I condone, but her existence is of great importance to me because her sister is under my protection and because she a sign of hope, however undeveloped."

"What lingers now on the horizon is the arrival of a demon who I can not turn back. I may escape with this dark angel, but he will still come- come for the demon she has grown some attachment to, regardless of size, and the chance of mass murder. He despises the divine with all his heart and he will seek you out to twist your splendor into wretchedness and break all resolve. I am sure that your ranks are swollen with the strong, but you must still beware. I plead with you to stop your attacks on the two before you, bound by the sun's radiance, and...."

The golden crystal encasing Kane thundered as a long fracture trickled down the side with haste. It splintered in many directions as pieces tumbled off. Rei seemed genuinely surprised at the sudden movement, and doubly so as the large chunks of glassy amber dissolved into what appeared to be glistening sand. It swirled in the tempest, obscuring whatever was happening to the woman inside. A gentle throbbing of power reverberated. Rei's magical essence mingled with Reis' conflicting aura and another- a sinister inky black.

"A welcoming party? For me? How kind you are, Seraphim." Malik stepped out of the shadows, a smug smirk dancing on his lips as the coalescing darkness created his long, lean form. He was not as obvious as Gabriel was in his demonic nature. Slick onyx horns curled from his temples and over his ears, twitching upwards slightly at the tip. Eyes were more of a tranquil brown than burning red of rage, but the two colors intermixed freely. His hand was many times darker than the angelic counterpart he addressed; a rich earth tone, singed with smoke at the extremes. Black lids closed a moment in contemplation as he approached, blasphemous runes etched across his chest and left arm. Pin-striped pants and luxurious leather shoes adorned his legs and feet.

"Your time of interference is over. Your husband may be my superior, but it will only stay my hand for so long." Eyes slid open and narrowed as they peered at her. "Should I call him for you? With all these angels here, even his life would be in danger of their wrath. Even a hellspawn such as he can only fight off their horde for so long."

"What a shame. I do love the screams of the damned in unison. Isn't it a sin to be suicidal, or do you know the creeping taint could so easily permeate that veil of justice they carry?" The grass beneath his feet was twisting and contorting as it seemed to choke on his presence and die. Blades wilted, hunched over defeat as he took a step forward. The crackling and crunching of his movements echoed in the silence between his sentences.

"I was very sad to find, so many years ago, that the perfect mother for my b*****d children was climbing to the light. I was so worried I fear the attempt to end her life was an overreaction. I admit, there is some mild regret there- had I predicted her fall correctly, it could have been of use. You, my lovelies, have made it so much the easier though. Your condemning attitudes and mixed emotions have created a perfect planting soil for my seeds. For this, I offer you a chance to walk with me in shadow- as my inferiors, of course, before I dispose of you."

Another collected smile. His arrogance was overwhelming; the inflection of his voice and the slight upwards angle of his face made everything he said sound patronizing. Although he was not their great superior in combat or raw power, his demeanor had ever appearance of projecting he was.

-----

The dark angel's swirling vortex had disappeared at the same instant she had been transported. Trails of energy snaked down the mountainous landscape as she reached for Rei's arm. The seraphim was glancing off distantly, staring a the place they had come from. It would not surprise her if the angel was able to sense everything that was been said and spoken.

"Keep Gabe's prison intact," Kane said hurriedly. She jerked the creature of light to her. To the stranger it would have seemed doubly awkward. The crimson-eyed blonde was holding the slightly taller divine being to her as if they were lovers in an intimate embrace. Rei knew it was nothing of the sort. She sucked in her breath, gingerly trying to push the other away.

"Kane, I must protest! It would be reckless..."

The black feathers were quickly becoming oily and slipping off her wings, drifting down the peak and carried off by the winds. Leathery skin was apparent beneath, glistening in what sunlight they had. "You haven't the heart for this and it's safer if you're here. It has to be done." she breathed, her voice raspy.

And then Kane kissed her. The attempts to stop her were half-hearted at best. Kane knew the gesture would not influence the pure creature before her either- her friend had a demon lover, one greater than even Malik. Energy seeped out of Rei, unwillingly, churning and protesting as it entered the darker being. The influx of light was enough to halt the molting of the limbs adorning her back. For now anyway. The lesser being wouldn't be able to take much- and wouldn't try to. All she needed was to take enough to transport herself back; after that she was on her own.

"Malik," Kane whispered as she closed her eyes. A moment later and she had materialized again in front of Dazriel a moment after the light had left his fingertips. A glittering shield fell to the ground in sparkling dust that quickly disappeared, leaving her intact. "You shouldn't fight him," she whispered to the angel behind her, her voice husky and seductive despite the lack of attempt to be as much. It was obvious she was changed without even a glance to her physical appearance. The darkness she had always harbored had swelled until it had all but consumed what light she had inside her. The only reason she was able to hold steady and not give in to the violent cravings was the reasoning and purpose she gave herself- I soil my hands and heart so they don't have to.

As the pillar around Malik dropped, it became apparent that Dazriel alone could not kill him; well, at least not trying to keep up a shield as well. The weakened attacks had all hit him, but the spirals of light had been twisted and blackened with his filth, slipping around his fingers deftly. The spikes behind him had been blocked in their entirety by what looked to be armor that was as corrupt as he. An aura of indescribable malevolent intent now clung to his skin and clothes underneath. Only his fingers, neck, head, and long hair were free of its strangling embrace. It moved slightly with each breath as if it were alive as he, absorbing all light around it. The third attack had hit at full strength- intentionally. A small trickle of blood poured out of the demon's mouth and he licked it lazily as it slid down. Although it had damaged him, the masochist had delighted in taking the blow. His anger and wrath had doubled. He was burning with desire.

"Five minutes, my love. You shouldn't drink something that's not compatible with you... and if you do, you should at least be capable of taking their soul," he mused aloud. As if on cue Kane heaved noticeably, although she kept her mouth closed. A tiny bit of Rei's light had to be kept inside. It was not enough power to be significant; it was but a glimmer of hope. No matter how badly her body wanted to expel it, she clung to it and tried to bury it somewhere to keep her so-called 'humanity.'

"You're going to need your armor if you want to last longer!" he yelled as he waved his arm. "So the angels like fire, do they?" Blackened and blood red flames left up, sweeping over the landscape inside Dazriel's shield and consuming everything in its wake like a famished beast. Kane seemed to anticipate and turned towards Daz. Her features were clear and distinct now; black edged around her eyes like smoky eyeshadow and liner. Skin was now a rich almond instead of a pale white. Her hair- that lovely white gold- remained intact with the emotional red eyes. Her wings spread and curled around the pair protectively, mottled feathers and rough skin. The plumes became ash against the heat of the flame.

Gabriel could see through the conflagration that Malik had a small victory: Kane now appeared fully demonic. Her wings were no different from his own or her ex-lover's. Even if the attack was not injuring her directly, indirectly it had an effect.

And then Malik lunged. It was unclear what he was doing as he dashed through his own attack unharmed. At the last moment a sword was drawn off his back and thrown directly between the exposed limbs. It slid swiftly through the flesh it encountered, slipping between ribs and out the other side. If Kane was to protect Dazriel, Malik would have to go through her- literally. The end of the blade protruded from what had been a dark angel moments before and was aimed directly at the archangel. Its sickly blade, dripping with corruption, would definitively have a worse effect on those of the light than ones steeped already in the dark should it strike true.

Thump.

Thump thump.

The black filth mixed with crimson liquid seeped out of the wound. Kane's eyes fell slowly down to the blade which had so cleanly impaled her and then passed through Dazriel. Her heart thudded in her chest as the stream started to slow to a steady drip. Vivid ruby lifted and looked towards the angel, clutching his chest as he tried desperately to push away what was spreading through him. Soon it would be coursing through his veins, blackening his organs until there was nothing clean and good left inside. Mailk's breath behind her was as deafening as the sounds reverberating in her chest. And Gabriel... Gabriel was....

Malik let out a deep breath and feigned distress at the newly divine being's words. Hints of a smug smile were still tugging at the edges of his mouth with his half-hearted attempt. He had not moved much since he had thrust his weapon through his once lover and her friend, so he took the opportunity to lean forward. He knew she could feel his silky tresses softly falling over her shoulder as he whispered in her ear. It was calculated- the memories of those locks brushing against her always brought out fond memories and would distract her from noticing the pulsating, malevolent armor he was wearing.

"So this, this life of suffering? This is why I was so wrong that she had to die?" He kissed the edge of her ear and then stood erect, turned halfway towards Gabriel with his hand still on his sword's handle. Eyes narrow slightly, their stare malicious as the rest of his face remained condescending but civil. "How interesting. Moved into a transformation because of a couple casualties, and yet you make threats that could very well result in one of their deaths? Tell me, are you willing to let your friend here turn so that you can duel with me? Are you willing to throw that light around and risk injuring my lovely black rose here? Even the most noble of angels are ready to make such sacrifices?"

Thump.

The first step was jerky, but the second was swift and the third a blur. Physically she was superior to Malik; they had always been a potent team because their differences complimented each other. When they were battling each other the different focuses made things... complicated. Instead of concentrating on her magic, she had pushed herself harder and harder to be more agile, stronger, a better swordsman. It was because of this that her once-lover was caught completely by surprise. By the time he had shifted his eyes to evaluate why the sword had moved, she was quite literally no more than an inch away from Dazriel, her eyes burning like angry blazes.

"My apologies, but I am no angel," she smirked. Taking advantage of the fact that he was absorbed in cleansing himself and weakened (and considering that time was of the essence) she leaned forward and kissed him. It was not romantic- not in the least. She was doing precisely what she did before with Rei. Giving power was a simple matter, but taking it was much more difficult; because of this when she was demonic she had to resort to more 'practiced' methods. There simply wasn't the time, nor had she the desire, to find a more chaste way to drain others.

Kane's draw was strong. Unlike Dazriel, Rei, Gabriel, and Malik she had expended no energy before this point. The writhing, twisting shadows screamed in protest as they were pulled from that which they wished to turn, but their attempt to linger was fruitless. Alone Kane might have had some issues, but as she drew out the corruption, she also forced the small gift of light she had retained from Rei. The hope was that he would be uninjured- relatively anyway. There was no way from keeping him from turning of his own accord- the sweet whispers, while gone, could still allow him to fall from grace.

As quickly as she was upon him, she was gone. She strode away, an arm outreached and two fingers pointing into the distance. Uttering a low curse in a sultry voice, small beams of fire and twisting nether burst from the ground and arched over her and Malik, quickly forming a dome. She knew how it looked. It looked like she was....

Thump.

She stumbled forward a step into the other demon who let his sword fall limply to his side, an eyebrow raised.

Thump.

The thumping wasn't her heart. She knew as much subconsciously; as soon as she had pulled herself off the sword, the wound had started to mend, slowly knitting together with tar-like threads. Malik had purposefully avoided running her through in any particularly nasty areas- he wanted to reclaim Kane for purposes that required her to be alive. Her life was not in jeopardy and that small, beating organ deep in her chest was never in danger. The thumping that resonated throughout her torso was an echo of the pulsating darkness. The distant screams of the damned reverberated through her skull and dark desires rose in her throat. Expelling the last of Rei's light had caused a flood of sadistic visions to cascade through every inch of her being. It thudded against her sanity, hammering at the door of her mind.

Thump.

Is this what I wanted for her? What if Mercy had succeeded? Would angels and demons unite to try to crush her as she crawled towards the light? Would these angels she could feel fluttering above Dazriel's dome judge her and pursue her? Would she struggle for her entire life against her conflicting feelings? Would demons hound her, eager to eradicate any notion of ascension and have a rare trophy?

There was no time to think. A flash of light. Enemies all around. Which to trust, which to protect? Rei was still in the distance, Dazriel dazed and feeling his first taste of taint, winged vengeance aloft lusting for demon blood, Gabriel shrouded in light. Who was sane, who was on her side? Everything was changed, everything was uncertain, everything was converging and compressing until she was suffocating. Brief claustrophobia from her dome coupled with the seizing panic so many around could harm her choked all rationality.

They're going to kill me. Who? She was in front of him. This was a bad habit, standing in front of people. A blow to the back, again, but this time it was on purpose. It burned, sizzled, hissed like a serpent. Gabriel would be angry. Malik was surprised- but not as surprised as Dazriel had been. The movement was graceful and numbingly fast- the moment her barrier had been pierced, she was in front of her ex-lover, her wings spread to absorb the attack. Kane had not been that fast before when she was in pursuit of Gabriel with the gray wings, nor when she had been attacked by the first angels wishing to dispose of him.

Malik was thrilled. Absolutely thrilled. It had never been his intention to fight Gabriel directly right away. That would not have had much of an effect on Kane and he did intend to take her back. No, he had always hoped he'd be able to manipulate the chess pieces in such a way they'd attack each other, carelessly lashing out at each other until there were only bloody, sobbing egos left behind. No one was there yet, but somehow his choice words had managed to deflect a strike without much planning. Now his mate's leathery limbs were mangled, charred remains of their former glory.

With three powerful angels closing in on him, loathe as he was to leave in the moment Kane seemed to be somewhat trusting, he was no fool. Masochistic certainly, but not suicidal. As Gabriel reached for the corrupted woman, he started to dissipate into a fine mist. A tactical retreat until at least one of the higher angels abandoned her...

"They're going to kill me," she said calmy to Gabriel as he touched her, echoing the earlier thought. The injury to her wings was not a mortal one; besides being slightly delirious, she would suffer no ill effects. She was lighter on her feet without their burden (as she was unaccompanied to having them out) and they would regenerate. It was much easier than taking a blow to something more impairing like an arm, leg, or lung. Once more her eyes were violet. It was like a mockery of all that was divine- that she was clearly a demon but still had the eye and hair colouring of those enlightened. No matter the form, they remained the same. The flashes of red in her irises were gone.

Normally a delirious person was considered a bad thing. Void of most inhibitions, such an individual might say embarrassing, shameful things. Because Kane was socontrolled, despite first appearances, her delirium was somewhat refreshing. At first blush a shrew such as herself might seem completely uninhibited- but she had pride and a desire to control the forces within her. Her life was full of choices, plunging headlong into danger and screaming at others before she was forced into a situation or a fight. As she lay there, though, pain ebbing quietly across her back and down her spine, she was somewhat vulnerable. A certain soft honesty overcame her, rising in the wake of waning pride and walls of self-preservation.

A hand reached out as she blinked slowly. The chair was a bit of a stretch, but her fingers could carefully touch and grasp a locket of hair. This seemed to be something of a comfort. She had done it at least once before, before the first-kiss-he-apologized-for. As strands slipped through her digits, lazy lavender eyes looked at him and she murmured, "I like you."

Simple. Concise. Honest. Previous displays of affection could no longer be attributed to random bouts of lust and carnal desire; no, the words she uttered now carried a certain weight and depth to them. It was not so far-fetched- she seemed most irritable about those she most deeply cared about. Her tone with strangers was dismissive, but Rei pressed her into temper tantrums predictably. It was simply the way that Kane could deal with people most honestly; anger was genuine. It was only when her contempt for the unjust was blurred with a thick haze of the mind that a more gentle approach was appreciated and understood.

Her arm fell back down against the bed listlessly. "She'll be here soon, to help Dazriel." Her lids fluttered momentarily as she danced between consciousness and slumber. The latter would not win; the very notion of falling asleep and encountering Malik in her dreams was enough to keep her awake for many hours. Her vision dropped to his hands, studying the elongated nails intently for several long moments as her thoughts drifted in and out of the clouds, contemplating the claws numbingly.