???

He really thinks he's ahead of me right now?

He actually thinks, that just because he got there before me, he's a few steps ahead of me?

Oh...how wrong he is...

Because I SENT HIM THERE!

Wasn't expecting him to show up, but not unwelcome, as it gave me a chance to pull the reverse card on him.

A clause that you lot so vehemently follow by it was so easy to exploit.

Procrastination is the thief of time...and you're about to learn that the hard way.

But speaking of thieving...

I guess you could say we took more from him 5 months ago.

Been taking it absolutely delightfully horribly in his department...

He hasn't even managed to show his face to a new being ever since!

Trying to hide behind that mask so nobody sees that we've gotten to him...it's pointless when you're in our world...when we can literally sense your pain where it is.

Try to mask it, 'Skyfall', but search your feelings...

Your pain is still there...

And I will soon relish in it...

Whenever your loved ones are there...

So will I be...

Nazuna Hiwatashi

Sequence begin

All I see is the city destroyed. Bodies of Beastmen, laying everywhere with burn and slash marks on them. The whole ordeal looking like the aftermath of either a battlefield...

Or a civilian massacre.

I can't help but feel compelled to walk through it all, even with my conscience telling me not to. With every step it feels like my heart sinks just an inch further, and with each life I witness that was snuffed out my tears threaten to break through.

Marie, Jackie, Mrs. Melissa?

Right at my legs is one of the most disturbing sights I've seen in my life...

No...Y-Youta?!

The young boy Michiru saved from Gran Grandma?!

He...he was so young...

He didn't deserve this...

But what I see once I get to the end of it, is what almost pushes me over the edge.

Shirou in his wolf form, crying profusely with...with...

Michiru's...body... in his arms.

It's when he bit her in his Ginrou form.

After I left her because I wanted to be a celebrity...

I chose fortune and fame over friendship.

But... I was there!

I'm not, now...

W-what's happening?

Shirou looks to me, the tear marks matting down the fur on his face.

"Where the hell were you?" He asks in grief.

"I-I didn't want this to happen...I-I didn't know..." I try to utter, but I can't continue.

"She was your friend for life..." He replies through his teeth. "You did this...you left her alone...TO DIE IN VAIN!!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I DID!"

"Yes, it is." I hear a voice coming from his chest area.

It's Michiru, she turns with her neck gut-wrenchingly cracking, with a bloodied face and mouth, her organs are almost showing.

"You said it yourself. You're Déesse Louve, not Nazuna." She says in a monotonous tone, her dead fisheyes piercing into my soul.

"N-No...I abandoned that life!" I try to say.

"Your decisions speak for who you are." She says, her eyes unnervingly twitching.

"I'll never do it again! I promise!" I exclaim.

"What was that about us being 'best friends for life'." She tilts her head eerily.

"I-I..."

"With friends like you...who needs enemies?" Her eyes widen.

"NO, PLEASE!!"

I-I can't handle this!

I didn't want anyone to get hurt!

"Even if you didn't, you're so useless you can barely protect the ones you even remotely care about."

S-She's right...

What good have I ever done in my life? What have I ever done for anyone else other than for myself?

I-It's all flooding back...

Suddenly, my vision shifts to that of Michiru, standing right in front of me. She's not shifting, but... 'glitching' between her human and her Beastman form, still alive, but frozen in place, watching someone not familiar in any way looming above her.

Some...being, wielding that one long katana Skyfall had in his hand when he came here. But this one is tall, about 7 and a half feet. It wears a long black trench coat with obsidian pauldrons, black boots and black trousers, and a white under-cloak.

Wait...

Sinister feel, uncomfortable in my own skin, inwardly cold feeling, even tingly in the bad way...

IS...IS THIS A DEMON?!

It-It's so powerful!

I can't...I can barely even move...

Michiru's eyes are locked onto me as it shifts to and from her human brown eyes and Beastman blue eyes.

I feel the cold slithering of Boris Cliff's serpent-hands crawl over my body, leaving much to my imagination, as a reminder of the one I affiliated myself with. Yet my focus is still on my friend.

"Michiru...I'm sorry. For everything."

IT LUNGES AT HER.

"NO!!!"

In my panic and despair, everything goes black when it's a hair's length away from her.

Did...did it kill her...?

It stays eerily silent, for me to anticipate in fear for what the nightmare holds next for me...

Almost as if the darkness itself seems to move like it's alive...

A gold and white eye opens up, staring into me and almost piercing my soul.

Soon, an omniscient voice emerges from it.

"You still have a chance."

Sequence End

I jolt awake in the cold, tears going down my face, sobbing.

I... I'm alive...it's...all just in my head. It's one of those 'it's just a dream' tropes...yet...

All so bizarre, why did that feel so real?

Too real...even the feelings of power from that...I'd have to assume as a Demon...I felt as well...

Even then, it's all coming back now, even before this 'Divine Intervention' involving, I don't know...heaven and hell?

Everything I've done, the things I've caused, and for what?

Fame? Fortune? Power? A lasting impact? Some impact I left, a near genocide of the very people I am now a part of, and I even helped conspire to do so.

What in God's name kind of person even am I?

I sit myself up on my bed, remembering that soon after we spent the day talking on top of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, we all went home after dropping off Nina. Mr. Flip was more than glad to have her back, at least slightly early.

I have to take a second to calm myself down and dry my tears. I'm currently still in my fox form right now.

Dry your tears, hide your scars...

Like we all do...

I reach over to my nightstand in my apartment to grab my phone, but I also feel 2 other cold foreign objects on there too. One of which slightly cuts me, waking me up from the brief pain. I carefully pull all 3 to my form and observe the other 2 as I suck on my finger to ease the soreness.

It's the marble, and the metal piece that Skyfall gave us, I should've looked where I was grabbing.

Why's the piece sharp? It's basically a knife.

For me, they're both what remind me of what happened no more than a couple hours after our last adventure ended.

I'm not overtly religious, but after yesterday, I think I'd already consider me a believer myself.

I don't even think my Ginrou II form would've done anything against Skyfall. Boris, maybe...but the power demonstrated by our alien friend almost made me REVERE him.

People think they would've worshipped me? I shudder to imagine how they'd treat either him, or whatever beings he may serve.

It also makes me wonder how powerful these 'Higher Beings' are compared to them. I mean, this 'Mister Negative', is their leader, how strong is he?

Apparently, the matter is so urgent to the point where someone from that kind of world wanted to teach us so we would have a fighting chance.

For all we know, there's beings out there who could wipe us all out with either a glance or even a word. Half of me thinks that whole vision with the 'Demon', was...

I shudder at the mere thought.

To take my mind off it, I put away the piece and the marble, soon turning on my phone and pulling up Facelook for the first time since Michiru and I ate yesterday.

Far as I've seen? Kids my age couldn't go a single hour without even checking their phones.

Skyfall's already trending, people have been speculating where he comes from, who he is, or what's to come since he's arrived.

Because he came from the sky, people are calling him the 'Angel of Anima City'.

Is that how quick people are making labels or nicknames now? Seriously...wait...

I think I might've asked this before, but...what even IS Skyfall?

He said his superiors were 'higher beings'...so...

My mind suddenly snaps back to young Youta in the dream...vision...I don't know what it was.

The mere thought of him even getting hurt just puts me on edge, I quickly replace my thought with my next one, as it is too disturbing of a topic for me to think about.

Where even is Alan now, anyways? I know Shirou spared him, I saw it, but still, I fear that...

Wait, he should be in prison now. Mayor Rose said the other day.

Either way...some people just don't change.

Speaking of, I need to talk to Michiru about what I did, and I want to apologize to her.

I get up from bed, wearing my robe, walking over to the door leading to the balcony. It's still somewhat dark right now, but I can see the sun getting ready to permeate above the horizon.

This is the kind of atmosphere I love, the air is crisp, in the low to mid 70's, a light breeze brushes up against my fur, accompanying the nature of the view I already have on my high-rise apartment.

Mayor Rose assigned me this place until I can find a permanent residence.

The song 'Living Life in the Night' is rent-free in my mind right now, which somehow adds to the feel of the now.

I hum and quietly sing the tune to myself as I watch the midnight-blue sky gradually lighten slightly. I never had the attention-span to be able to do so, I mainly just let myself be surprised that the morning would be already halfway-over.

But I still can't shake what I saw, whether it be from the city being destroyed by that 'Demon', or watching my best friend die. Even if it was a dream, it was all too real.

Moreover, it's reminded me of my mistakes, and the things I've let happen because of my pride.

Pride is the deadliest sin, after all.

I decide to make my way back inside. I remove my bed robe, and walk into the bathroom, and soon after stripping down I step into the shower, turning on the water and letting it flow.

"EEK!" I exclaim.

I paid no attention to the fact that it needed a moment to heat up and I suffer the consequences with about 10 seconds my fur standing on end being shocked with icy cold water.

How observant of me.

It'll be a little difficult to clean myself with me in my Beastman form, but I'll manage it.

The water soon heats up, and though still slightly shook, I relax a little. My mind soon wanders again.

Again, it's just a dream, but...

What if it isn't?

Could it be a vision? A sign that things must be amended as Shirou said I must do with Michiru?

Or a sign of things to come?

I proceed to efficiently wash myself all over. As I'm finishing up, I hear my phone go off, soon shutting off the shower to dry my hair and my hands as I go to see what's going on. I'm currently covering my body area with my towel right now.

I grab my phone.

It's Michiru.

I text her as I gradually get myself ready in my casual clothes and grey hoodie.

'Morning.' She messages.

'Morning, what's up?' I reply.

'Not much.'

'Same.'

'I had fun yesterday. Well, after the whole 'invader from another world' thing.'

'Same. You wanna get breakfast at Kim and Kuro's?'

'Yeah. Should we invite Skyfall? It's so weird calling someone that...'

'He basically saved our lives against Boris, and it'd be the least we could do. I think he'd like it.'

'You hear anything from Shirou recently?'

'He said that sometime soon, he'd go talk to Mayor Rose before we went home yesterday. Something about other matters involving plans.'

'You know, I just realized that Mr. Kuro and Shirou's pet crow have the same name.'

'Hey, that's funny. LOL.'

'Alright. I'll go get him and we'll meet you there at 8.'

'K.'

I put my phone in my pocket as I walk over to my nightstand to put the marble in my pocket, and my piece behind one of my ears like a Native American tribesman, being wary of the bladed nature of it. I decide to leave my Firebull bottle here because I don't want to lose it. I move outside to the balcony once more, closing the door and taking in the fresh morning air. I climb up on top of the safety railing before activating my wings and flinging them wide.

I gaze below towards my town, thinking of all the innocent inhabitants of every single window of the buildings in the concrete jungle.

I've grown to love this place, and the people too.

Especially after what I did to them, all I can ever hope to do is make it up to them by ensuring that no other threat does to them what Alan, Boris, and their lackeys did alongside me.

It's why...I'm seriously thinking about joining Skyfall...to fight the new threats like the Demons.

I'm taking this chance to redeem myself.

I turn to face my dwelling, and let gravity pull me off into a freefall. As the wind friction brushes against me, I let my wings gradually take the pressure while tilting them slightly up.

My nerves stand on end as I make some extra effort to get a good angle to glide, and then make myself soar up due to my velocity. I breathe a sigh of relief as I elevate higher, allowing myself to fly to an optimal altitude before turning back into a gliding position, soon making my way towards Kim and Kuro's.

I still can't believe I have wings.

Even though I've done it many times before, I can actually fly!

It's a blessing that I still cherish to this day.

The restaurant isn't too far from my home, so by the time I get there, it's already about 7:55 and the place opens at 7. I land, and I deactivate my wings in their signature sparks, leaving the space where they once were completely absent. I walk through the glass door of the place, the ringing of the entry bell sounding off as the familiar homey feeling hits me.

Mr. Douglas Kuro, is now behind the counter this time, witnessing my arrival.

"Ah, young Nazuna, Idol of Animacity! How are you this fine day?" The well-built Dalmatian Beastman, husband of Mrs. Delilah Kim, calls to me with a goofy fatherly smile.

"Hey, Mr. Kuro. I'm doing good. You?" I ask, returning the smile.

"I'm doing just fine!" He replies. "Just you today?"

"No, actually. Michiru and, well, you could say a new friend of ours will be coming today. Should be arriving in about 5 minutes or so." I say. I look around, noticing that no one else is in the restaurant yet. "Slow today?"

"It's the first hour of opening, like yesterday, you're the only one here right now. Though careful during rush hour, a prominent figure like you is bound to get media attention."

"The fact that I HAVEN'T since yesterday just baffles even me."

"Well, you can find solace and security here, make yourself comfortable! Just give us a call and we'll get you situated!" He says, but soon notices my feather, and his smile widens. "I'll make sure today is special for you guys."

"Thanks, Mr. Kuro." I reply, but soon look around in confusion. "Hey, where's Mrs. Kim?"

"She's in the back preparing the ingredients I got yesterday. It was difficult with the initial earthquakes, and suddenly the storm? Don't even get me started on that." He says.

"You saw it on the news?"

"Yeah, I saw it soon as I got back. I can't even find the words to describe what I was looking at besides the fact that you and your friends were there." He says, but soon gestures to my piece hanging out. "I think I know who your new friend is."

"It was...new...to say the least." I say. "But we kind of owe him our lives, he didn't have to help us, but he did."

"Well, if you don't want to go into detail, I won't force you to. You can just take a seat and wait for your friends as long as you need. You, and any of your friends, are always welcome here." He says, still sporting that signature smile.

"Thank you. Sir." I say as I go to take a seat in the same booth we were in the other day, in my exact same spot.

Even with the cushion being the same, it still feels strange to be in the spot where I once was less than a day ago. Same reason why it was strange sitting on our bench back in high school after our accident, yet Michiru pushed through and told me we can be anything, and to climb to the top of our respective ladders.

Superhero origins, much?

I chuckle to myself at the joke that was made previously, good times, indeed.

It was one of those moments where I admired Michiru, she's bold, energetic, and loyal to a fault. Proved so even after I abandoned her, though obviously she was torn by it, she still came back for me.

You know, when she said we can become anything...

I really did prove to her we can truly become ANYTHING.

And at that time, I became a monster, and it took almost losing my best friend to make me see for who I was, and what it led to...

Yet I never actually atoned for it, yeah, I helped avert the crisis, but like I said, I need to redeem myself.

To find a way to ascend past who I once was and become greater.

Why else would I be following a literal Angel on this path?

I chuckle to myself.

"What a wonderful life we live." I mutter.

Michiru Kagemori, 1 hour earlier

"NO!" I scream as I shoot myself awake, horrified at what I just experienced, tears going down my face.

IT KILLED THEM! IT COULDN'T HAVE! It...it just...

My room, I'm back in... familiar territory...

It was all in my head...

'Thank goodness!' I put my hands to my face as I put my head back onto my pillow, being conscious to not fall back asleep in fear of returning to that literal nightmare.

First, Marie, Melissa, Jackie, and...Y-Youta, were all dead. Murdered by that...'Demon' in cold blood, I can still picture the blood on its blade. Then, suddenly, I'm confronted by him. I feel like I can't control my human form, 'glitching' to and from that and my Beastman form.

What is that supposed to symbolize?

I've accepted my identity as a Beastman, but is it meant to remind me I'm still a human at heart?

It tries to kill me, but...

All I see in the last moments before he does is Nazuna standing to the side, being held at bay by Boris Cliff's snake-tentacles...

Worst of all, I saw her 'glitch' into her human form as well, including the one with her high school uniform, orange hair and everything.

Difference being is that she seemed too paralyzed, shell-shocked, even...

My make-believe sorrow lasts for a few moments before I get a sudden realization.

Is this what Nazuna felt when Shirou bit me? The kind of shock that makes you realize what you're about to lose?

Side Note: I'm fully aware I might've died if I didn't have gorilla arms, they took the brunt of the force, so it wasn't as bad as it would've been.

I think that whole sequence took a heavier mental toll on me than I thought it did.

I'm gradually convincing myself that it was just in my head, but I still feel the impact of it regardless.

To take my mind off it, I reach over to my nightstand, soon feeling the metal piece, almost cutting myself on it, and the marble that Skyfall gave us the other day.

I only pull my phone towards me.

Facelook is trending with both Skyfall, and even some with eyewitnesses involving Boris. It was evidence of the last vestiges of the Silver Wolf Order making its dying attempt for resurgence, but with our intervention, they're done.

Repairs are already underway with the Square, where the incident took place, so that's good.

I just realized that the other day, Nina was hanging out with her dad before the storm, he must've brought her home at one point and kept her there while he went off to take care of business until he came home to check up on her. I still wonder what became of that pelican guy who abducted me and brought me into the Flip home...

Even before all this new drama, my life was WHACK.

First, I basically get a superhero origin story to become an anthropomorphic super powered shapeshifting Tanuki, and then proceed to aid in averting a plot that might've ended an entire group of people as we know it. I now work alongside Shirou to protect them, and now may potentially have access to higher power because of literal divine intervention.

The fact that I haven't crumbled from all this drama and pressure is nothing short of a miracle.

I need to think.

I get up from my bed, currently wearing my tank top that I like to sleep in and open the door to the balcony right outside my kitchen. The cool, crisp air, and the serene atmosphere gives me a brief respite from the disturbing images I saw.

I'm only 18, yet both me and Nazuna have both seen and experienced things that only kids my age in the Japanese Self Defense Force would see.

However, even with me and Shirou facing Alan, why did that 'Demon' scare me so much?

I know I'm only making the conclusion based on what Skyfall told me, but still...

He was certainly more elegant than Alan, preferring to use a weapon as compared to just brute force, even going to far as to loom over me like a predator that's found his prey...

But it seems that these Demons have mastered not only the Art of War and intimidation, also being able to shock their enemies with what they can do seems to be their specialty.

Do some of them have some form of, I don't know, toxic fear aura?

Even if they're not here, it's like the paranoia is already setting in...

If so, it's working like a charm.

Even though it was a dream... I felt so...weak.

I want to properly patch things up with Nazuna, I can't help but feel like she's carrying guilt on her shoulders, but it's kind of difficult if we're all dead on the streets.

We need Skyfall's help, and we need a plan.

He said he would help us by showing us his people's secrets, but he never specified how he would, or what.

I mean, on terms with just each other, we're already strong, but against THOSE forces?

What's he going to do? Put us in increased gravity?

"..."

I just chuckle to myself at the level of craziness of my imagination goes to. I go back inside to wash up for the day. I strip down and make sure to heat up the water before I step in.

As I let the water mat my fur down, I move on to cleansing my body, the shower thoughts suddenly appear.

Though in hindsight I also should've shifted into my human form, I'll just take a little extra effort to dry off my fur.

If there are such things as Demons, what could be the 'Higher Beings'?

Do GODS exist? Is there a monotheistic god in Abrahamic beliefs? Are there different forms of gods that serve a One Above All? If there could be a One Above All, is there One Below All like an actual Devil? Would there be a difference between Deities and Gods and/or a God?

Hypothetically, would other gods exist? Like Odin? Thor? Loki? Would they know about a One Above All? Or would they just think they live on their own in their own region of the world? What about Greek? Roman? Japanese gods like Amaterasu? Same for Angelic beings. Are there different kinds of Angels? Do other types of spirits exist as well? Including the Demons? What counts as being a god? How would you be able to attain this? Can NORMAL PEOPLE rise to become god-like beings?

Obviously if there's a One Above All, he has to be omnipotent, and likely even transcends the Omniverse.

Too many questions, too little time, and maybe not-as-important details for the time being.

Especially the thought of the whole 'infinite universe'...

I soon wrap up my time in the shower, dry off my hair, and cover myself with a towel to let myself dry off. I walk over to my phone to check up on Nazuna.

I text her, and after some back and forth banter between us, we agree to meet up with our alien friend at Kim and Kuro's.

Wait, I forgot...

Where does Skyfall even live right now?

I didn't see what location he chose for residency, so I don't know...

As much as I'd like us to hang out with Shirou, he's likely busy right now, so we'll let him take care of what he needs to.

I step out of my bathroom and get myself ready, putting on my favorite outfit of my red jacket, clean grey tanktop, shorts, and sneakers. I grab my marble and my piece, putting both in my pockets. My Firebull bottle will be better off here, I don't want it to get stolen like my wallet, of which I stick in my pocket alongside my phone.

I walk out to the balcony once again, and I look up towards the roof, where I can get a good vantage point.

Let's do a little warmup.

Instead of just using my wings to soar up, I use my Beastman-enhanced strength and agility to parkour my way up. Similar to how Shirou scaled Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals the other day, I leap off the poles supporting the balcony roofs to gain altitude. In the static-nature of my arms, I stretch them at...well...the final stretch, towards the top of the Anima City Co-op complex. I let gravity pull me down briefly, but as my stretchy arms bounce slightly, I use it to slingshot all the way to the top.

I land with a roll as if I were making a dramatic entrance to a battlefield.

I stretch my body once more as I have officially woken it up, outside of having already washed it.

But what I'm met with...

Takes me aback...quite a bit...

Right in front of me is a house.

No, seriously. A literal HOUSE.

On top of the apartment complex.

Where...where'd this come from?

I suddenly get the impulse to walk towards it.

It seems to look like one of those 'project' houses where they built it out of shipping containers.

Strange...

I look towards the elegantly makeshift residence of our alien friend, and I soon find myself pressing the doorbell to the shipping container house.

Never thought I'd say that...

I'm left with the silence of the rising sun gently beating down on me, only to hear a distinct sound and feeling I experienced yesterday.

VRRRREEEEEEE-WHOOOSH!!!!!!

I feel a sudden influx of energized light right next to me, the spontaneous tingling sensation that I already have semi-PTSD from, causing me to have a reaction like a cat jumping when it randomly seeing a cucumber.

I turn to see the white and gold masked Skyfall. He's still wearing that armor from yesterday.

"Dude, what the heck?" I ask him.

"Apologies. You okay?"

"Where were you? And how'd you know I was here?"

"I was just getting back from checking out the city for places we could train. Mainly either abandoned areas or just empty fields. The beaches could also be a good option, as hardly anyone's there right now. The cave seems more like the best option, though I have some others in mind as well. I also saw you at the front door, so."

"Yeah...okay. Also, do you by chance know of this place?" I ask, gesturing to the house right behind me.

"In hindsight, I probably should've told you."

"Wait...THIS is the place you chose?" I ask, instantly putting 2 and 2 together.

He nods.

"Wha-eh...huh?! When I came here, all I could get was an apartment! Since when was this available?" I ask, flabbergasted he was gifted this.

"If I'm to be honest, I chose it because Mayor Rose told me it was closest to, at least a couple of you guys."

"Why?" I ask.

"Well...someone has to watch over you."

That's...oddly heartwarming.

"Oh...uh...thanks?" I unsurely say. "Actually, wanted to see if you would be open to talk with me and Nazuna today. Maybe we could elaborate on more on what's going on? Maybe even make a game plan?"

"Would you be ready to head out now?"

"Yeah, actually." I nod.

"Then let's go."

We walk to the edge of the building, gazing upon the concrete jungle.

He looks to me, chuckling.

"What's up, Danger?"

Is he opening up a little right now?

He smiles, to which I return. I face him and leap off, putting my hands over the back of my head in a relaxing pose before...

FFFSSSSHHHHH!!!!!!

I transform my arms into my wings mid-air, catching the air in them and allowing them to carry me higher towards Kim and Kuro's.

I turn to watch Skyfall do a similar stunt by sprinting to the end, doing an elegant backflip as he falls, soon defying the laws of gravity once more as he speeds below me. He overtakes me in altitude right in front of me before back-looping to slow down to my speed. I give him a smile, to which he returns, and we soar through the city to meet up with my best friend.

We continue to glide as we make small talk.

"So, what's the place we're going to?"

"It's a place we were planning on hanging out literally right before you arrived. Kim and Kuro's, a family-owned restaurant Nazuna and I like." I say.

"Nothing better to remind you of home than a home-cooked family meal."

Oh my gosh! He's right!

It's the kind of childhood experience you grow to appreciate as you get older in life. I grew up with a loving mother, so I know. Her fluffy rice omelets were just TO DIE FOR.

Wait, now that I think about it...

What happened to my Dad?

He was almost always working out of the country, so I hardly ever saw him. Mom was the one who mostly took care of me, but always made sure to acknowledge that Dad was the true breadwinner.

He was the reason I was able to afford to go to Reiwa High School, it was a prestigious school, so it must've required insane financial backing.

What kind of job did he have?

She always spoke good of him, how he was kind, loving, determined, and was willing to make his sacrifices for the family, even if it meant having to spend time away from us.

Dammit, if I contact Mom, I have to ask her about Dad.

Single-parent families tend to not work out so well, and I'm glad that I, at the very least, did.

"You good? You looked like you were staring off into space."

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just thinking." I reply. "Reflecting..."

"About what?"

"My family...my mom..." I say, somberly.

"You want to talk about it?"

"Appreciate the offer, but I don't think I can...not right now..." I utter.

"I understand. When you're ready. I'm here."

"Thanks, man...means a lot-wait..." I cut myself off.

Wait...the temperature dropped...

At least for me...

I suddenly freeze mid-air, hovering in the open.

My friend seems to be scanning the place for something...

"Dude...do you...feel tha-"

"Yes...get to the ground...now."

I quickly follow his order as we dolphin-dive in the same manner as I did with Nazuna, making it more elegantly than we did last time.

I shapeshift out of my wings, Skyfall holding his hand on my back, covering me.

We look around, catching only the eyes of awed and confused people at his flying abilities. He scans the area again, looking for any sight of the source of the feeling.

Are we supposed to be looking for a single wing?

Like it was in my dream?

Maybe even that sword he had as well...

Wait...why's Skyfall looking...

Up...?

I slowly, and hesitantly follow his gaze to the sky...

My eyes go wide, and my pupils shrink.

In the middle of the air, a black being...

No...

THE black being...

Not from my dream, but my NIGHTMARE.

It's just there...looming over us, like the hawk overseeing the mouse, just daring it to make a move.

My armored friend looks to me.

"Stay. Here."

I heed his bold orders, taking this time to begin quietly warning passing civilians to start moving away.

As I do...

The dark one descends, and our light friend goes to confront it.

When the being lands, there's a miniature crowd, all of whom witnessed it's descent.

They move away, giving the two room for anything that's going to go down.

But what happens as they start walking opposite to each other, staring each other down, is what haunts me...

Its Voice

"Kin."

"Demon."

"So...how have these mites been treating you?"

"Well. Thanks for giving me the privilege of meeting them."

"I would say you're welcome...but...you actually think you can protect them?"

"I may not be able to protect them from all of you...but I can protect them, from just YOU."

"Fly too close to the sun, you'll get burned."

"Says the one whose pride caused him to fall from cloud 9 to hell's 9th circle, traitor."

"I only saw the futility in our efforts. My eyes have been opened. Let me help you, and everyone here, see...Skyfall..."

"Try, Fallen Angel."

It's...it's voice...

It's just so...electronic!

Guy sounds like he's in his 30's, whereas ours sounds like he's in his 20's.

But...

That's what it's called?

He literally called it a Demon...so at least I know that for a fact...but...

Fallen Angel?

Is it just a codeword that he was given? Or does it mean something else?

Wait...it also called Skyfall...Kin? I doubt that's his name...but is that supposed to mean something as well? I'd have to imagine so.

Before I can process any more, suddenly, in a flash of light, Skyfall has his golden double-sided sword again.

Wait, did he Warp that thing to him?!

Last I saw he had it, as well as the other sword embedded in the rock back at the caverns...

I'll have to ask him, kind of looked like the same thing, at least felt like it...

He holds it out, spinning it like a staff before bending his legs, holding the weapon slightly above his head, one blade pointing towards the 'Fallen Angel', and the second facing the other way.

"So, you've shown yours...here's mine..."

The tall dark being holds out his arm.

The temperature drops a few more degrees, and the air gets a little thinner.

From its hands, and in black and white particles from which he grips like a handle, and in a terrifyingly graceful swing, it MATERIALIZES into the other longsword, the odachi, from the caverns.

In that moment, as I release a small gasp in shock at how the creature suddenly has the sword again, I swear I can hear a grunt of surprise from Skyfall as well.

Did he not know this Fallen Angel could do that?

It gazes upon its, admittedly, magnificent weapon that my friend once held. It swings it twice more, slicing through the air, as if it were getting a feel for it again.

It holds it closer to its face, staring down Skyfall, as the nightmarish feeling intensifies...

"Good to be back..."

The only things I can think of right now, are the two beings preparing for mortal combat, the events that are to follow, and the people that are at risk at this very moment...

Oh, this isn't gonna be good...

Chapter End
(Input is appreciated, thank you.)