AN: I'm literally writing this because the idea has not left my head for days. If parts don't make sense, then just blame Trigger. They punched the Earth with a giant robot- I feel like singing promare isn't a huge stretch lol. Not beta'd.

The last thing Galo expected after being knocked out by the leader of the Mad Burnish was to witness the very same person sing. Although from what he could tell Lio wasn't singing; the flames were singing through him.

How could he tell? Well, for starters, after his offer to provide aid for the dying Burnish girl was denied he watched as Lio tried to revive her himself. He watched as he failed, ashes beginning to rise from the pile that used to be a human being.

"She turned to ashes."

"Yes," Lio soft voice stated. Blonde hair hid his face, which Galo was sure was full of sorrow. "That is the fate of all Burnish."

"I don't understand. You just said you were human. What even makes you Burnish?"

An aura of flames surrounded Lio in response to the firefighter's question. For a moment Galo worried that he'd offended the Burnish, but he quickly realized that wasn't the case. What caught Galo's attention was the way the young leader's body went limp. Magenta eyes turned blue, pink, and white as fire seemed to sweep over them.

And when Lio opened his mouth in reply a canopy of voices came out.

"I could hear the signs calling out from the bottom of the fire. I am like a torch flickering in the wind as the saying goes." He took a few steps forward as he sang, his slender form moving gracefully across the cavern until he was standing before the captive. "Lost all my precious, rage ate me up."

A hand reached out to Galo. The firefighter's eyes were wide as fingers caressed his face, Lio fiery eyes gazing at him patiently. But the flames weren't hot. Galo couldn't believe it. How could the fire, which burned, not be hurting him?

"Endless forlornness has made me numb," he seemed to explain. "I'd rather rise from here, or should I hold on to my past?"

Lio turned and pointed to where the girl's ashes were fluttering into the sky.

"They've burnt to ashes, faded to grey. Returned to the earth; yes it's meant to be." A tiny, sad smile came to Lio's face. It was a look of acceptance. "Uncertain flame of hope I found. Will you lead me back on the right track?"

All at once the flames around Lio vanished. The blonde was left blinking owlishly before realizing his hand was still on Galo's face. A blush crawled up both of their faces just as Lio jumped back, a curse escaping his lips.

"What was that?" Galo found himself asking. "That… wasn't you, was it?"

"No."

"Then who was it?"

Lio sighed.

"We Burnish can hear the flames. Fire is alive, and we hear their voices. For me, someone more connected with the flames than most Burnish, sometimes those voices wish to use me to speak to others. That is who you heard just now."

"The flames were singing to me?"

"It sounds like singing to human ears, but that is just how they speak."

"It was beautiful," Galo found himself admitting.

The leader of the Mad Burnish merely turned away. He could hear a truck pulling up outside the cave; that meant it was time for them to get going. He told as much to his fellow Burnish, ordering Gueira and Meis to escort the injured to the vehicle. It was only when the cave was mostly empty that he turned back to the captive on the ground.

"We're leaving. Don't follow us."

"But—"

"We just want to live in peace. Don't worry though, Galo Thymos. I'm sure we'll meet again. Before that time comes, however, I ask that you speak with your hero Kray Foresight. That girl there?" He pointed to the ashes. "She died because of the experiments he's been doing to the Burnish."

"What? You're lying! He'd never do something to cruel."

Lio let out a humorless laugh.

"You made a mistake putting your hope in that man. Ask him, Galo. Ask him what he does with the Burnish that he captures. Next time we meet if you still believe we Burnish aren't humans just trying to fight back, then I will gladly let you capture me again."

He began walking away, leaving Galo to thrash in his restraints.

"Wait! Lio—"

"Goodbye, Galo."

Then he was gone.

Lio Fotia was dying.

He could feel it in his core. The ice bullet had pierced the skin above his chest, digging in a good half an inch before tendrils of ice began to creep through his body. If he were an average human he would have died instantly. Blood loss combined with the hypothermic properties of the bullet? He wouldn't have stood a chance.

But he was a Burnish. No ordinary Burnish either; he was the leader of Mad Burnish. The other Burnish looked up to him for support and protection. They needed him.

I've failed, Lio thought as he shivered. The more heat he tried to pull in from the volcano around him just made more ice form outside the glacier he was currently stuck in. The Freeze Force used my own kin against me, but it was my own weakness that made that old man help them. He was filled with the same doubt many of the others felt even after being freed from prison. They were hurt. They were scared. Because I never saved them.

And where were they now? Being tortured by Kray Foresight to be used as a power source for his own twisted plans. Lio only wished Gueira and Meis hadn't sacrificed themselves to get him out of there; he deserved to be suffering with them.

Instead he would die all alone surrounded by one of the hottest substances on the planet. It was almost poetic, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything other than despair.

Until he heard the screams.

The sound of thousands crying in terror reverberated through his soul. He knew it was the fire inside of him communicating with his brothers, showing him what horrors they were facing in Kray's containment. Ash filled his vision as he felt the life being burned out of the people he'd been trying so hard to protect.

Save them. Burn bright, and help them burn too. Burn it all.

Lio wasn't sure if those were his thoughts or the voice of the flames inside him, but he knew the cold slowly killing him receded as he let anguish rule him. Within seconds he was pulling on the intense heat surrounding him until he saw the ice containing him shatter. Anger continued to fuel him as he ripped out the bullet from his chest, pain nothing more than an afterthought.

Kray Foresight was going to pay.

His flames consumed him then, and Lio Fotia was no more.

"Can you see the twilight dawning near? Can you hear the thunder rolling in?"

Every human in Promepolis reacted differently when they heard a voice cut into their minds. It sounded nothing like anything from this world. Neither female nor male, neither human nor animal: the only thing to compare it to was a harmony of spirits singing in their ears like an angel of death.

"Time to face your fears. Allow me to cast this spell on you. Pray that you will finally brave the storm, see another dawn."

Galo knew that voice. It was the flames speaking through Lio once more, but this time they weren't sad or forlorn. This time they were issuing an ultimatum.

"Mahari yuware gaaie savanare! Amare dilahi jumaki ganashara! Mahari yuware gaaie savanare! Amare dilahi jumaki ganashara!"

Galo felt the ground shake from his cell.

"What the hell going on out there?"

No sooner than the question left his mouth did the containment chamber tear open. Not the door. A literal third of the building along with the metal of his cell ceased to exist as it was melted by flames burning so hot they danced in hues of blue, pink, and white. From the gaping opening now provided to him Galo gazed out into the night to see what looked like a giant trail of flame.

"Holy crap. Is that a dragon made of fire?"

He squinted, trying to make out more details. A feeling of dread washed over him when he spotted a small form in the head of the dragon which now appeared to be crying.

"Is that Lio?"

"We are here to witness a rebirth," the words were accompanied by the movement of the serpent's jaw, which confirmed Galo's fears. Lio (and the flames) were hurting. "Bare your heart and I'll end your suffering. Cleanse the flesh, return it to the earth. Only then can you truly be set free."

Galo's eyes narrowed as flames ravaged Promepolis. He understood why Lio, as well as the Burnish flames, was so upset. That didn't mean innocent people had to die because of one cruel man. Besides, Lio said Burnish don't kill. That meant Galo needed to remind him of this.

The voice was still singing (speaking?) in their heads when the Burning Rescue Team closed in on the Foresight Foundation. The chants "Mahari yuware gaaie savanare!" and "Amare dilahi jumaki ganashara!" repeated over and over again while another chorus of voices sang over them.

"I'm here!" Galo's heart raced at the passion in the song as he climbed into his mech. "I have risen!" If the circumstances weren't so dire it would have surely made his burning soul ignite. "I've awakened!"

"Now fall deep into slumber," it grew softer for just a moment, "become one with the wind. Your own flesh torn asunder." Then it picked up once more before chanting again. Was the gibberish actually some Burnish language humans couldn't discern? Galo guessed it didn't matter. He was moments away from intercepting Lio from burning Kray alive. "Can you hear the bells ring?"

The dragon was wrapped around the Foundation building now. On top of the tower Kray Foresight stood before it without an ounce of fear, not even the steam coming out of the dragon's maw making him shrink back.

Just when it readied to spit a stream of fire at the man, Galo rammed it.

"Lio! I know you're in there. Snap out of it!"

From where he was lodged in the dragon's face the firefighter saw Lio turn towards him from within the beast's head. His eyes were four times their usual size and burned of pure white fire. The rest of him burned intensely as well, but his usual leather uniform was still visible.

"Let the thunder roll," the flames demanded. "And if lightning strikes me I'll never fall."

"That doesn't matter," Galo argued. "He doesn't want to kill! If you burn Kray Foresight alive, then he'll never forgive himself!"

That seemed to make the flames hesitate. Unfortunately their fury must have been too great, because Lio was shaking his head.

"With this song of mine I'll march through the night. Hello darkness!"

The dragon's mouth opened once more. Heat pooled in its depths.

Galo roared. If talking wasn't working, then he'd just have to cool Lio down until he was back to his senses.

"Then I'll just have to stop you!"

Songs used:

Ashes Returns by Gemie
Kakusei by Superfly (English Version by Sapphire feat. Patrick Bartley of J-Music Ensemble)