[M] Gelid Seraph [Ashen & Argon Jaden]

[Ashen]

Iggy got ready to sleep under the starry sky, but even as he propped an old shirt under his head as a makeshift pillow he knew he was not going to get sleep that night. He had far too much to think about. What did Shion think of him now? What would happen when they got to confront the fire mages for the first time in years? Just how much would change after tomorrow? He knew thinking about those things would serve him no practical use, so Iggy shed those thoughts for battle strategies. With his eyes closed, he pictured the battlefield they would be entering, the fiery land that neither he nor Shion wanted to return to. They were at a disadvantage; the entire tribe of fire mages had magic at their disposal, while Iggy and Shion were using twin swords and a bow. What could they possibly do by themselves to halt this band of tyrants?

Time absolutely crawled that night. Iggy thought and rethought their plan far more times than necessary. He heard the snoring of their dog and horse, the uninvolved beasts who shouldn't have been brought into this. Maybe, if the worst happened, Shion could at least escape with the two of them. Iggy was sure he heard Shion's snoring too. He shut his eyes and let out a long sigh. It was almost like old times, Shion falling asleep after Iggy had kept him out too late. As he thought of that, more memories flooded into Iggy's mind, memories of Gelid Seraph and the tricks they had all gotten up to over the years. At least thinking of those helped to soothe his mind, and though he didn't quite fall asleep, he managed to stay content until sunrise.

The sun's beams landed right over Iggy's eyes. He groaned and rolled over, not wanting to get up. He was exhausted, and that much was clear in his dull, dropping eyes. He sat up and looked around. Shion was still lying beside him. Silver was nearby, still sleeping, but Igshi was looking up at him, as if asking, What do you want? Iggy debated trying to sleep for the umpteenth time, but then he saw it. In the distance, wavering in a direction towards the town, was a trail of smoke. Soon the smell met his nostrils, the unmistakable stench of char. The fire mages were coming.

He didn't have time for subtleties; Iggy shoved at Shion in an effort to wake him. His voice, level and unnerving, said only one sentence: "They're here." He threw himself up and grabbed for his swords. Finally, it was now or never.

[Argon Jaden]

Thankfully, his sleep was an undisturbed one. Shion's eyes fluttered open, naturally awake as soon as there was movement from Iggy. Quietly, he made an inventory of how he was feeling. There was no grogginess and his limbs no longer shook. His body didn't feel like it wanted to fall off. He sighed softly, squeezing his eyes shut once more as he curled into himself. He was well-rested in a sense, but not filled with energy.

The smell wafted over and he forcibly opened his eyes, slowly sitting up. His back arched slightly as he cracked his sleeping bones. Silver whinnied softly and he glanced at the rising plume of smoke. He yawned slightly and stood up, dusting himself off. "Leaving the animals here." He said softly, rubbing the back of his head as he attempted to shake the remnants of sleep off. He wondered about weather or not he should think about breakfast first, but the hollow weight in his stomach warned him that anything he eats might end up being regurgitated at some point. He shuddered.

"Let's move?" He asks, but was already fastening his boots on. The quiver rested on his back as he reached for his bow, the warm wood sitting in his sweaty palm. Shion made a face, gunmetal blue eyes flickering down at the ground before looking up at Iggy for a response.

[Ashen]

Iggy was already on the move, his intentions to surprise the fire mages threatened. He left everything but his weapons and urged Shion to follow. The kid still looked tired, but what could they do? They had to move; there was no time to waste on getting a few extra minutes of sleep.

The duo arrived in the town before the fire mages. The bastards were coming towards the main gate of town, so Iggy stood there in waiting. He watched Shion with a wavering gaze, not quite making eye contact. "Are you ready?" he asked, even though it was obvious they couldn't be. He turned his gaze back to the path before him, and it was then that he saw them coming.

A tall, broad man led the group, his black hair tied behind his neck and his dark eyes filled with fiery passion. He held his hands up, a flame in either of them. Iggy could tell this was their leader, the one who wanted this most of all. He was followed by an older man, a family resemblance strong. Beside them was a young woman who looked ready to fight. The rest of their clan followed, flames held high, ready for war.

When they were just outside the gate, Iggy stepped forward, right into their line of sight. The leader seemed irritated. He glared at Iggy, then at Shion. "Get out of the way," he snarled.

Iggy was steadfast. "No."

The fire mage seemed taken aback by this. He prepared to throw a ball of fire towards his obstacle when suddenly the older man stopped him. The elder stepped forward, an eyebrow raised. "Ignatius?" he murmured.

Iggy didn't move. He didn't dare turn around to see Shion's reaction to this man's recognition. He didn't know that he could take this.

Another man stepped up, this one from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. "Ignatius," he said, his fires dying away as he stepped towards Iggy. "How you've grown. You look just like your mother. Is that really you?" The man moved forward to touch Iggy, but he batted his hand away.

"I don't look like anyone," Ignatius said flatly. "I'm here to end you. It's about time someone did. You can't keep destroying the world like this." He moved his hand to his side and bent it at his elbow, then sharply called, "Shion!" He hoped his friend would get the cue to fire his bow, to act even though nothing at all could have made sense in that moment.

[Argon Jaden]

Shion had always been a quiet person, so it was nothing out of the ordinary when he merely answered Iggy with soft grunts and nods. Not a single word slipped from him as he hefted his bow higher, standing a step behind Iggy. As the mages came into view, he felt something settle at the pit of his stomach. His wounds felt feverish, but he did his best to ignore it. Right until they were in front of the mages.

But of course, they recognized Iggy. Shion's eyes twitched slightly, but he otherwise remained expressionless. His clan's brooch helped keep his hair up. He took a step back, eyes on his opponent as he readied his bow. The cue was given and Shion took off running, putting distance between them before nine arrows flew towards the group in rapid succession.

His breathing was calm, eyes focused. There was neither trembling nor fear in his bones as he let volley after volley loose. He ran around in spontaneous directions, each bow aimed at a vital organ, and always flying with a backup not far behind.

What Shion wasn't doing wasn't hunting. One could feel how coldly his rage and anger burned on the tips of his arrows as they flew. He didn't seem to mind when one was shot down. He merely repositioned and charged back in. It was a dance, it was madness, it was a signature style that Shion had hid for so long. There was nothing magical about his fluid movements, they were all from hard earned practice as one deadly shot after another flew out, while the archer ran in and out of sight.

[Ashen]

There it was, the rage Iggy had been hoping to see in his best friend for years. He watched in shock as Shion let loose his arrows, attacking the fire mages seemingly at random. There was a method to this though, Iggy realized. Shion had been planning this for so long; of course the kid was ready. Iggy had to dodge arrows himself as they flew into the fire tribe, fatally wounding some, just missing others. As the mages fell to the ground before him, the elder again spoke up. "How could you?" he asked, preparing a blue flame. "Ignatius, please, what went wrong with you? You were our prodigy, and we can still help you realize your full poten--"

"Enough!" Iggy yelled. He unsheathed both his swords and ran at the elder. The mage, startled and helpless, tried protecting himself in a wall of flames, but Iggy ran through it and shoved a sword through the man's chest. He could not bring himself to watch the life drip from his eyes as he fell to the ground. Iggy ripped his sword from his corpse and turned to the rest of the mages. They had fires ready, and many of them were sending balls of flames to Shion. Iggy attacked those who appeared to be a bigger threat to his friend, all the while listening to the chorus of people calling his name, begging him, shattering his psyche.

Iggy had been just a child then, though he remembered everything too perfectly. He remembered his father, the astonished look on his face. He remembered his mother, the way ash turned her hair grey. He remembered his grandfather, his idol, who had laid dead by his own hand. He remembered so many of the other children, some who had made fun of him, most who avoided him, now all gone. He remembered the smell of soot and death, a permanent affront to his nostrils. He remembered how the ashes fell like rain, blanketing a land that was supposed to be home. He remembered leaving, vowing to never return.

Iggy was pulled out of his reverie as he saw a woman making a wall of flames. It snaked from the ground by her feet, a small divider, and as it made its way to Shion it grew in length and intensity. Iggy panicked; it was going to hit Shion, and the kid was too busy firing away to notice. So, Iggy did the only thing he thought he could: He betrayed himself.

A wave of fire crashed below Iggy. It burned a bright white, the hottest flame on this steaming battlefield. A few gasps were heard from the fire mages at the sight of the flames. The white fire fizzled away just as quickly as it had come, and as it did, Shion would be able to see his best friend, the creator of his fiery fortress. There were a million apologies in Iggy's eyes, but there was no time to explain now, or perhaps not ever. Conjuring another flame, he hurled it at the girl who had attacked Iggy, charring and killing her instantly.

[Argon Jaden]

The flash of white momentarily distracted him, but one glance at the sneaking flame told him what happened. Shion moved out of the way, limbs fluid as he ducked from sight. His eyes darkened with a negative emotion he couldn't place as he counted the living mages. Twelve. Had he really shot down that much? A quick glance at the dead bodies was enough proof. Arrows were protruding from eye sockets and foreheads. One was sticking out of someone's jugular, another, her chest.

He breathed, feeling his fingertips throb a little. His quiver was almost empty. He moved out from his position and let the arrows soar. They whizzed through the air, landing om their targets. Bodies dropped as Shion stilled, gunmetal blue eyes narrowed with something unreadable as he lowered his bow. His breath came in soft pants, but was regulated from constant practice that it barely looked like he was breathing.

"It's done." He said, voice cracking as he stared at the bodies. His frame trembled. He didn't feel good. No, he felt numb. It curled inside his stomach and settled there. Some mages were probably still alive, but Shion had already exchanged his bow for his hunting knives. His eyes seemed to be glowing, despite it being morning. He stared at the dead bodies around him, squeezing the hilt of his blades.

He stood there, head bent as he flicked his blades. He was numb and confused. The youth just wanted to curl up and cry, exhaustion creeping up on him. He slowly walked towards Iggy, stopping just an arm's width from him. "Are we done?" Again, there was that soft, quiet voice. It had no emotion behind it, awkwardly flat as he spoke.

[Ashen]

Shion was in a blind rage, and all Iggy could do was keep the mages off his back. Iggy hated seeing his best friend so traumatized like this. Was this what he wanted? Was this the revenge he had dreamt of? Iggy imagined things in the near future. Shion would be able to relax, knowing they were all dead, that they would never hurt anyone else. It was worth it, Iggy told himself. Of course it was worth it.

As bodies continued to pile, Shion grew more and more exhausted. He was slashing like a madman, and Iggy admittedly let him do the work. Maybe then Shion would feel this accomplishment, like he deserved to. The number of living decreased, and soon Shion and Iggy were the only two standing on a disgusting battlefield of shock, disappointment, and death. Iggy looked over the bodies of his family members. Some were still alive, clinging to the life they did not deserve. With Shion's words, Iggy nodded slightly. He put his hands to the ground. Soon, the ground caught fire, torching all around them. The fire did not touch Shion, nor did it stretch to the buildings of the town they were in. Instead, the white-hot flames burned intensely enough to turn all of the bodies to ash. Iggy did not even stop to listen to the inhumane screams that emerged from this fallen tribe as he took care of the evidence of his family.

So caught up in the chaos of the battlefield, Iggy did not realize the townsfolk gathered behind them. They were terrified, their eyes showing the horrors they had just witnessed. The elder in the front of the group--a mayor of sorts, probably--did not know how to react to the two boys. Iggy approached them, and he tried not to be hurt at the way they backed away from him. "You are safe now," he said. "The world is safe now. Please, get back to sleep, and start your days as you normally would."

He started off then, back to the clearing he and Shion had slept in that night. He assumed Shion would follow. Once he got there, he dropped his swords at his feet and gave his hands, palms up, to Shion. "We're not done," he said softly. "You're not done. The fire mages live within me." He looked into his friend's blue eyes, his own a dark brown. "I'm sorry, Shion. It was not fair at all for me to keep any of this from you. But... I'm one of them. They raised me, for the first seven years of my life, to be just like them. Except I was stronger than any of them. I was the prodigy, the white flame, and they adored me. I wiped out half of them when I left." He turned to the sky, tears threatening. "I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't want to kill anymore. So when they refused to let me leave, I forced my exit. I... It was because of you." He turned back to Shion. "After burning your family to the ground, I just remembered your eyes. I don't remember when I saw you, and I don't know how you slipped from our grasp, but your eyes burned into me, and I had to give it all up then." He picked up one of his swords and motioned it towards Shion. "Your family remained unavenged until you finish me."

[Argon Jaden]

By the time his blades were soaked in red, he was stock still, body trembling slightly as his eyes dulled. It was hard to know what he was thinking, his usually expressive eyes bleak and unseeing. Casually, he flicked his blades until all the blood had splattered off before sheathing them. The crowd had approached, and he let Iggy deal with them.

Then, they walked back.

Shion made no attempt to approach, his expression dead as he walked. His body was exhausted, mind blank. Brushing his fingers trough his hair, he paused when they knocked against his mother's pin. Something cold settled in his stomach. He felt like throwing up. As they approached the clearing, he greeted the animals with quick pets, before looking over at Iggy.

And as the man apologized, bringing up that terrible night all those years ago, Shion's eyes dulled even more. He listened, quietly, patiently, like he always did. His downcast head betrayed none of his inner turmoil. At the sound of steel scraping against the ground, he looked up, staring at the blade and taking it.

It was too heavy. It left a sour taste in his stomach.

"You want me to kill you too." It was a statement, soft, tone gentle, as if he were afraid Iggy would hear. His body trembled.

The sword weighed heavily in his right hand, making it awkward to hold. His head was downcast, to avoid looking at the person he once considered his best friend. He stepped back, stance similar to when he slaughtered those mages. Two steps back, three, five. Then his eyes were bright again, filled with fury far colder than ice. He grit his teeth and charged, sword raised as he aimed for the head, and swung.

The butt of the sword collided solidly with Iggy's head, hopefully giving him a concussion as the younger whacked him before tackling him to the ground. The sword hitting the dirt was merely a dull thump in the midst of his screaming. "You asshole!! You fucking idiot!!!" Every word was punctuated by a punch to Iggy's face. Shion's eyes were blurry as he screamed and yelled, swearing so hard that it was almost hard to believe it was the same, mild-mannered, pacifist Shion who barely talked.

After a while, his blows grew weaker, and he leaned forward, sniffling loudly as tears dripped down from his cheeks. "I hate you. I hate you so much." He said in between tears. His hands were curled around Iggy's neck, but they weren't putting in any pressure. He was too busy trembling and sobbing to do anything else.

There was a clatter as Shion leaned forward in exhaustion. The pin fell to the ground, and his blue eyes focused on the heirloom. He leaned forward, glaring at Iggy's bruised face. It was enough to hurt, but not far from killing him. At most, Shion just broke his nose and split his lip. With nothing to hold his hair back, it slipped over his shoulder, causing him to scowl as he hit Iggy on the head once more.

"Do you really want me to kill you too?" He asked, once his tears had paused, though he made no move to get off Iggy. "Do you want to leave me here alone?" His eyes watered again and his body trembled. "You're an ass. Why would you make me do that?!" All the pent up emotion spilled out as he removed his hands from Iggy's neck so he could rub at his eyes, trying to atop the tears. "You're the only family I have left. Why do you want me to kill you?! Why do you want me to be alone?! That's not fair. You're not playing fair. I hate you."

He was crying again, all those emotions he had bottled up over the years spilling out. "I wanted to protect you. I went after them to protect you. I don't want to be alone. And you're making me live alone again. Do you hate me that much?"

He was tired, exhausted, drained emotionally, mentally and physically. "What more do you want from me?" Shion asked in between sobs. He hadn't cried this much in a while, but with the way his body was trembling, it was obvious that he was more than upset. His watery eyes seemed to glow from behind his hands as he mourned, for the family he lost and the family who wants to leave him behind. "Why would you want to leave me too?"

[Ashen]

The silence was killing him. Iggy watched with blurry vision as Shion processed all he was saying. His friend's quiet nature often left him irritated, but this was an all new frustration. But then he finally spoke, and his words were icicles. Iggy parted his lips to say something, but nothing came out. Instead he just stood there, waiting for Shion to finish it all. And, as his own sword came at him, the exhausted fire mage didn't even flinch.

He was surprised to find Shion using the pommel of his blade. It made contact with his skull, instantly causing a severe headache. He remained still as Shion tore into him, and blow after blow Iggy only stood and took it. He could feel blood begin dripping from new, burning wounds. It would be so easy to light his skin on fire, to burn shut the wounds and prevent infection, but what did it matter? He could use all the fire in the world, but it would all be for naught. Today he was going to die, and he couldn't help but think there was some peace to that.

Though his friend's words tore into him. The chorus of I hate you seared him, causing a pain only rivaled by that of leaving his family the first time. So distracted by his immeasurable pain, he didn't notice Shion's attacks grow weaker, nor did he notice the tears blinding his friend, too. When Shion did start to speak, to question Iggy, the older man found it difficult to concentrate. The physical pain was bad enough, but the emotional turmoil was agony. He clenched his fists, trying to focus on something. "Shion," he murmured, though he didn't know what to say, didn't know what could be said.

Iggy knew this would be coming eventually. He knew it nine years ago, when he first saw that Gelid Seraph was taking in another foster kid. He noticed those eyes, the eyes he had seen just a couple years prior, the eyes of a child too broken to be right. Iggy had tried to barricade himself, but he couldn't hide forever. So, he befriended Shion, vowing to make it up to him somehow, not knowing what exactly that would entail. In the past nine years Iggy had been planning to get his revenge, to end the tribe that had borne him, and he knew with that, he would have to come clean to Shion, and to himself. He'd used his ability only minimally in the past decade; he'd have to come to terms with it eventually, and he knew it would be bloody.

He just hadn't been expecting this. Iggy, who often knew what to say, was at a loss. "Shi..." he started, then paused to wipe blood from his mouth. "I understand, I do, I know you hate me, I hate me too. You have every right to despise me. I took everything from you, and I don't deserve this life. That's why you have to be the one to take it from me. It will never make up for any of the pain I caused you, I know, but... maybe with all of us off this earth, the world can start to heal."

Iggy took a shaky step back and wiped off more blood from his face. "You won't be alone," he continued. "The guild will welcome you back, I'm sure. And maybe now they'll like you more, since you won't always be tied down by me. They never did like me all that much, huh? Maybe they could tell all along." He stifled a sniffle. "I... I don't hate you at all, Shion. I want what's best for you, and if that means I die here today, I am giving you every right, every blessing, to end me where I stand."

[Argon Jaden]

Stupid. Stupid. Very stupid. "You fucker." He was trembling again, rage and sorrow building up in his chest. It was suffocating as he wailed, bloodied knuckles rubbing over his eyes. Never again. It was that night all over again. The despair that curled into him when he had to bury the crisp remains of his father, his mother, his family. The longing, the ache, the sadness. He was crying like a child, all loud sobs and incoherent babbling as he tried to get his feelings across, trying to cut through Iggy's words. Those words fueled him, and suddenly, he was on Iggy again, blue eyes sharp.

"WHICH PART OF I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKING BLESSING DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND, YOU FUCKING COWARD?!" He snarled, shoving at the one person he had trusted. Betrayal. That was what seeped into his chest. Anguish. "FUCK THE GUILD! FUCK YOU AND YOUR STUPID DECISIONS!! YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE ANDーAND…" His voice cracked, before he broke into sobs once more. Shion slumped on the floor, lower lip trembling as he looked up at Iggy with pleading eyes.

It was like he was a child again, watching in horror as the people he loved were taken from him. "Please don't do this to me. Please don't make me do this. I don't want to do this. I don't want to lose you too." He sobbed, dark hair sticking to his wet cheeks as he cried. The usually silent, unreadable youth was crying his heart out.

He squeezed his eyes shut. "You're my only family left. You know that. You know I love you and I don't want you gone. I don't want to be alone again. Don't do this to me. Don't make me do this." He whispered, choking on another sob. His eyes slid open and he looked up at Iggy once more.

His face was stained with tear tracks, blood and dust smeared on his cheeks. His eyes were red-rimmed, and full of tears. Shion felt his lower lip tremble. "You're only hurting me more by making me kill you. Don't make do this. Do you really hate me that much? You say you don't, then get your head out of your ass and take responsibility!" Shion's teary words ended in a snarl. Rage. That was the other emotion bubbling in his chest.

"You're not omniscient. You're just an idiot with too much guilt that you're begging for a death wish! And you say you care, and you think you're better off dead?!" His voice was rising again but his breath hitched and he quieted down. "Why don't you get it?" The sound was nostalgic to his ears. It was the same, old pleading tone he used when he asked himself in the solitude of his room. Then there was silence.

"I'm going to the river." It was a cold, cold dismissal. "Talk to me when you've got your head out of your ass. Not everything will go the way you want it to." There was a crisp anger in his tone, as bleak as it was. He was very upset, and he didn't know how to get it through Iggy's thick skull. His knees trembled as he walked, eyes downcast.