Chapter 29: All Friends Argue

The portal opened up in the sky.

Takabi free fell face first, quickly taking mental notes of the scenery.

A massive cathedral on top of a mountain. Below it, a pool of lava and molten rock so intensely hot Satan himself would want to move away. The air was thick with smoke and gas, along with the scent of aged blood and burning flesh and brimstone.

Kairas came out the portal next, then Syrreth a few moments after him. The three dropped like rocks, looking around at the different platforms they could land on if they wanted to sneak inside unseen.

Takabi narrowed his eyes. There was no time for that. They had to act fast if they were going to do this and get Aqua out alive. "Syrreth," He yelled through the winds, looking back at her. "Can you change and smash the roof in!"

"Look at you taking charge! Why not just sneak in!"

"We're low on time," Kairas answered her. "I'm sure Takabi knows that!"

"Very well." Her body began to plummet faster than the boys, slowly growing in size. Her skin covered in scales completely, clothes fading away as two webbed wings burst from her back and stretched out. Her body matched the size of a large plane currently, neck stretching out miles ahead.

The twins landed on her back, holding onto the hairs that were growing out from under her white scales. Syrreth opened her Dragonized jaw, a beam of white blasting down into the cathedral center. Once it stopped, Takabi and Kairas let go and allowed themselves to fall fast, Syrreth using her wings to circle around and provide support from the air.

The twins crashed down onto a rugged floor, shattering the marble underneath and looking up.

Just as Takabi saw in his vision, Aqua was standing back to back with the Huntress. Both had quickly noticed the twins, and smiled brightly.

"Takabi! You're here," Aqua beamed. Her body was decorated with arcane blue markings. Her Gem was active.

She had been fighting all this time.

The idea made Takabi smile. "Sorry we're late." He said, standing up and approaching the men. Kairas straightened himself, eyes snapping to the second floor of the cathedral. He reached out, ice shooting out and bursting up in a wall that Takabi smacked face first into. Before he could ask why, the floor caved in, the light of the lava under the cathedral shining through.

"Damn. Thought that might've worked."

Takabi froze, feeling the heat and nervousness build up in his gut. He was hesitant.

Denial hit him first, then the long seconds that would feel like an eternity. His eyes slowly moved to his left and upwards. They locked gazes first, but the second he caught a glimpse of the man behind him, all sense of his friend was gone.

Kairas and Takabi both felt their eyes burn with an intensity that could only be summed up as pure hatred. Tears welled up in Takabi's eyes as he trailed the man's features. His face was so similar to his. The way his hair was styled, the clothes he wore, even his height and overall general appearance had such a strong impact the pair couldn't find any words.

Girston greeted his sons with a simple wave, back against the wall, his hand that had raised lowering so he could brush the burn scars on his face.

He remembered the night so vividly as if it had just occurred last week. The feeling of being rejected by his own children, the children he had such high hopes for, stung his pride.

It stung his soul.

"To what do we owe this family reunion? Takabi. Kairas." Girston's voice seemed to hold a false sense of fatherhood over the two. "I haven't seen you in seven years. You grew well."

"Shove it!"

Takabi pointed to Carlos, who was kneeling down with his knuckles against the floor. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket and red shirt. His baggy sweatpants had gold zippers running down the sides and on the back. "What the hell are you doing! Running around with a deadbeat like him!"

"Deadbeat?" He looked at Girston and back. "Takabi, you should understand this situation." He stood up straight, removing his jacket. "If you paid attention to more than just yourself, you would know things wouldn't stay the same forever."

"Man, quit talking nonsense. Get down here, let's get Aqua and go home already. Everyone's waiting to see you."

"Everyone? Everyone who?" He gave a small chuckle. "Why am I even talking to you now?" He looked at Girston. "May I?"

"Feel free." Girston replied.

Carlos leapt off the second floor, his dark eyes shining violet as he tackled Takabi, and the two smashed through the floor. Takabi slammed his knee into Carlos' stomach and threw the boy into one of the falling marble stones. Carlos licked his lips excitedly. "I've been waiting to try this power out on you!"

Takabi landed, looking down at the distance between the lava and them. As exhausted as he was, he was sure he'd be able to survive if he fell in the lava. "Carlos, stop with this! You don't want to get involved with this kind of life!"

"You're wrong," He replied. "This life is the perfect life I've been searching for! I'm unhinged from pain and love! I'm free to be myself, to live how I want to, to do what I want to!" His body began to glow in a red light. "No one can tell me what I can and can't do now. Not even you!" He yelled, an aura of crimson bursting up around him.

The force blew away the other falling rocks. Carlos jumped, the platform he was standing on breaking apart under his feet. Takabi dodged his friend's fist, gripping him by his shirt and slamming him into the marble they stood on.

Growling, Carlos opened his mouth and released a beam of magic from his throat. It knocked Takabi into the air, dazing him enough for Carlos to jump up, grab his ankle and drag him down to slam his back against the platform.

Ignoring the pain, Takabi took his free foot and kicked Carlos off their foothold, breathing in deeply. Upon realizing what he had done, he quickly ran over and hopped off, throwing an arm of fire forward to catch Carlos. With his free hand, he used another flame palm to grab a platform and throw themselves through the closest wall, tumbling outside from under the cathedral.

Syrreth let out a roar overhead, Takabi and Carlos picking themselves up.

Carlos' eyes were full of hate.

Takabi's was full of worry. Worry for his friend. Worry for Anna.

"Why did it get this bad?" He asked. "I know Carrie's death messed you up, but to this point?"

"It wasn't just Carrie." He clenched his fingers against the soil, before leaping to his feet and throwing his hand to the side, magic explosions ringing out between the two. "It wasn't just my parents, either. Not school, not Ariel, not even you." He said, running forward and throwing a punch.

Takabi ducked under it, countering with his own fist. Carlos knocked it aside, spinning and throwing a kick, his foot connecting with Takabi's chest. "I was tired of it. Tired of being human." He ran forward, two blades of magic forming around his hands. He swiped with his left first, catching Takabi's cheek and drawing blood. The next one came down at his chest, drawing a line of fresh red that stained his top.

Both wounds sizzled and steamed, closing almost instantly.

"I wanted something more than what I had. I had the thoughts for a while now, but never the means to act on them. Once I saw you though, I knew it was possible. Just needed a way to figure it out. Could you believe my luck when I ran into your father by sheer accident." Carlos spun around, throwing a blade forward.

Takabi moved aside, catching his arm and glaring at him eye to eye. "You threw away your old life just for something like that!?"

"You don't get it!" He yelled back, jamming the left blade into Takabi's gut. The boy coughed up blood, but kept a firm grip on Carlos. "How could you anyway? You were never human! You always had these powers! Always had the strength! The speed! You had everything!"

Takabi grit his teeth, slipping his foot under Carlos' and knocking him off balance. Then, he tackled his friend to the ground, throwing punch after punch. He couldn't bring himself to seriously hurt him, but maybe he had enough self restraint to at least make sure he wasn't conscious.

"You act like I asked to be this way, Carlos! I hate these powers! I hate being something like this!" His punches stopped after the tenth connection. "I have blood on my hands because of who I am."

"Ungrateful ass bastard." Carlos rose up, slamming their foreheads. Takabi stumbled back dazed, but quickly regained himself. "Enough with the talking. I'm sick of hearing your voice."

"You're not serious. We're best friends, man." He gave a forced smile.

Both knew that it meant nothing now. Carlos watched him, clenching his fists. He didn't speak, just allowed his power to rush to the surface. "Never again. I'm done with you, and the whole human world."

Takabi's smile faded. "Carlos. I'm really trying to help you here."

"I don't want your help." He pointed, beams of magic shooting from his fingertip directly at Takabi.

So that's how it is.

The truth hurts sometimes, and he wanted to reach inside Carlos' heart and pull out some piece of his humanity.

"Fine. Have it your way, Carlos." The beams crashed around him. An aura of white erupted at Takabi's feet, dancing around him. "Don't blame me if I break you."