I don't own FY

Sorry it took so long to update. My schedule has been full since day one of school O.o Seriously. I've been in school for… what, five weeks now and every weekend has been packed with homework (and masses of it. By that I mean I work ALL day. I'm not joking, it's ridiculous how much stuff I have to do!) I'm hoping to get my animations up on the net by the next update, so those of you who are interested can see what I've been slaving over.

And some of you might be going, "I didn't get an e-mail!" I know and I'm sorry. I've had very little time (as it is I should be doing homework now, but I feel bad about not updating in so long) and I thought that writing the chapter with time I have instead of reply's to review was something you'd all appreciate (I hope I'm not wrong T.T)

But thank you for reviewing everyone who did!

Hopefully Silent Hope will be updated soon, but I can't promise anything, I haven't even started writing it. I'll jump on that ASAP.

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Chapter 25

Byakko stared up at the tortoise god, half shocked. "Was that what I think it was?"

"Yes" was the response, "but I'm not sure as to why."

Lily brought her gaze up to Genbu, only to have her attention captured by something behind him. Her brain hadn't even registered what it was until Byakko yelled a warning. In an instant Genbu was gone from her sight and in his place was the fuming Fenrir, his fist outstretched.

"You pests have been allowed to live for far too long."

Byakko, while worried for Genbu who had just been ruthlessly hit, growled loudly, "the only pest I see here is you Fenrir."

"Is that so?" Fenrir questioned with narrowed eyes as he moved towards him. "Am I to listen to the opinion of a flea ridden, untamable wild cat?" A hideous smirk appeared upon his lips as he looked at Lily, "or perhaps you have been tamed."

"I'm a god, not a crazed wild animal such as yourself."

Fenrir's smirk quickly turned into a strait line as his expression became dangerous. The comment had apparently hit a nerve, a very sensitive on at that. Usually Byakko wouldn't have been worried, but given his current predicament he would have been a fool to not be. But even beyond the worry of what might become of him he was greatly worried for Lily, who still sat at his side clutching her wound. All he could do was hope he had forgotten she was there because of his anger.

He got his wish. All of Fenrir's attention was on him, not Lily, but that unfortunately brought a world of pain flying his way in the form of a kick. The blow smashed into his already damaged chest plate, causing it to dig into his skin and break several ribs. It also knocked the wind out of him and sent him to ground as his arms giving out.

"You're place is in the dirt," Fenrir growled and he further pushed on the god with his foot. "Remember that."

Byakko growled from deep in his throat as only one with feline background could. Between the snide comments, being stepped on as if he were a weak creature and the ever vexing pain caused by his crushed breast plate, the tiger god's was ready to sink his fangs into the wolf before proceeding to rip him limb from limb.

Things began to look even grimmer for the god as Fenrir raised his hand high into the air. He was more than ready to rid himself of the pesky god once and for all. No more games or entrapments were necessary, he's just kill them all off and have the moronic human being bowing at his feet in fear as he cast devastation upon their lives. It was a perfect plan.

A sudden movement caught the would-be god off guard and he stumbled backwards quickly thinking he was at threat. Instead the one behind the movement was none other than Lily as she came to lay against Byakko in a protective manner – her arms wrapped around his strong shoulders.

"Lily?" Byakko was just as surprised as his enemy. The girl was gravely wounded and yet she refused to lay still and, more importantly, remain unnoticed. She was hurting herself to save him.

She was dying in order to save him.

"You never learn do you girl?" the wolf seemed almost amused.

Lily's fingers tightened around Byakko's shoulders. She refused to let him go. She couldn't let go. The gods needed her and she was going to do all she could for them.

A fresh batch of tears welled up in her eyes. Her skin was raw from all the crying she had been doing and the tears only stung as they trailed down her face.

A single tear let go of its bond to her skin and elegantly fell away from her, glistening brighter than any tear before it. As it fell it seemed to almost have a life of its very own. A life meant for giving hope.

Byakko flinched ever so slightly as the strange sensation of something wet, warm, and surprisingly soft met his cheek. Looking up through the corners of his eyes he knew immediately what it was.

Lily her jaw tightly clenched and those majestic tears flowed from her closed eyelids. This did not startle him however, what caught his attention and made his eyes widen was the blood caked on her lips and chin. It was a sure sign that blood had fully risen within her throat.

"I'm sick of this pointless drama," Fenrir began forming something within his hands. Just as so many times before however he was stopped before he could finish. This time it was through a jettison of flame sent by none other than Suzaku.

With Fenrir now distracted by his fellow god, Byakko could concentrate on Lily. The girl was locked in what he would call a comatose like state, even if she continued to cry. No matter how he tried his words just could not break her from her state. And with his arms to pinned to the ground by the netting he couldn't even attempt to take her hand.

"Lily, please say something," he was nearly begging by this point. Her silence was unnerving.

No words emerged from her however. The only signs that she was in fact still alive came from the air that brushed against Byakko's cheek as she exhaled, even if her breathing was very uneven, and the constant flow of tears streaming down her face. How much longer she would be around was the real issue. It was one that seemed to have no correction, or rather, one that Fenrir would give them enough time to fulfill.

He watched as yet another tear trailed down to the very tip of her nose and dangled for a few moments. But this time when it fell it did not land on him, instead it struck the constricting net around him. Immediately following came horrid hissing noise as the place of contact bubbled and spitted ferociously. It seemed almost as if the tear had invoked a battle with net – one in which the net would lose.

With a great snap the strand broke from its hold. It might not have seemed like much at first glance, but because of the nets nature – to constrict – it put ample force on the surrounding strands. One by one the stands surrounding it began to break, causing a domino like effect throughout the net.

Byakko, who had initially be shocked at the horrendous noise the net was making, ripped the would-be cage off of himself as soon as he had a hand free. He was mindful of Lily's placement however as he did so, knowing that shifting her too much too quickly would bring even greater harm to her.

"Lily," he carefully and slowly twisted himself on the ground, gently removing her tightly clenched fingers from his shoulders as he did so. In the end Lily came to rest upon Byakko's chest, where upon he carefully sat up with her in his lap. Her head rest against his shoulder, one arm in her lap, the other on his legs, hair strewn in every which direction and clothes completely caked in blood.

"Lily," he repeated as he took her hand in his, his voice becoming lighter with each syllable, "say something – anything."

Silence was once again his answer and her messenger. "Lily," he murmured softly, mournfully, as he held her close to him. Her pale face, scare breathing and unyielding tears ripped at him as nothing ever had before.

Here was a girl, not of their world or the one to which they governed, dying because of something they had asked her to do. She had been shy, quiet and withheld when she had arrived, but she had grown strong and courageous because of them, but more importantly because of the friends she had made - friends who had been at her side the entire time. She had even found love in one of Suzaku's seshi and even though it still remained unsaid it was understood.

And when the final task came down before her she strode ahead without hesitation. She had walked right into a danger to which she could not understand nor possibly combat. Fearful as she may have been she never let it overcome her.

She had done all they had asked and more. Not only had she freed him and his fellow gods, an act she had scarcely survived through, she had saved him… twice. She had been told to run, to get away, but she had only partially listened. They knew she was capable of helping them further, capable of releasing them completely from Fenrir's bond so they could have all their natural skills and even their forms back, but none of them had been willing to put her in any more danger.

And yet danger was where they had placed her from the very start.

Byakko's resolve could no longer hold itself. The pain caused by his breastplate digging into his ribs was forgotten and the sounds of battle became unheard. All he knew was the shattering of the barrier around his emotions and the tears that streamed down his fair face.

All he could feel was the raging pain in his heart as he cradled Lily's lifeless form helplessly.

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