"So," Kent leaned back, and yawned, "the Demon Lands aren't far now, just another half day walk and then we'll be there."

Keaira nodded, and wrapped a blanket tighter around her shoulders. "How did Ka-um- Dad find out that Zirrach was there?"

Kent looked uncomfortable. "Well.." He said slowly. "You know that black band that Zirrach always has around his neck?" Keaira nodded, "it does two things. First off, it dampens his powers, so that when he gets pissed or something, he doesn't kill someone when he only meant to hit them. The second thing it does is whoever put it on him- dad- can find him just by concentrating."

"Oh." Keaira thought about this. "Why was it even put on in the first place? I mean, it's sort of like a dog collar- those kind that shock..." she realized that she had lost her twin. "Never mind."

Kent shrugged. "At first Kannaen wasn't worried or anything- I mean, Zirrach always used to go off places- but after he saw how worried you were, he thought it might just be better to look. And Zirrach was in the Demon Lands. We aren't sure why- but..." Kent sighed. "I dunno. As big as a butthead that he is, Zirrach's probably one of my best friends, along with Ro." He glanced at her, and grinned. "And what about your feelings for him? Did you know that he once told me that he had never heard you say anything mean to anyone?"

Keaira blushed. "Oh, well, I have. I mean, to him at least."

"Really?" Kent raised his eyebrows.

"I called him a pervert,' Keaira explained.

"Why?" Kent asked.

Keaira paused. Oh well. "He kissed me," she said, blushing.

Kent fell over, laughing loudly while his twin blushed even more, and hid her face.

"Why? I can understand- um- why?" Kent finally asked.

A bit self-consciously, Keaira told him the story, leaving out most of the embarrassing parts, however.

"Wow. That is absolutely wonderful. Well, whatever, I'm tired. Goodnight." He fell over, and apparently instantly fell asleep.

Keaira sighed, and laid down too, yawning. Sleep sounded good, but what Kent had said about Zirrach.. She smiled, and closed her eyes.

******

Zirrach yawned, and seemed to fall asleep beside Cyarja.

"Wake up!" The queen hissed, prodding him with her scepter.

"Whatever for?" He asked a lazy eye opening.

"We are at the high council, you fool!" She snarled, speaking out of the corner of her mouth.

"Oh. Excuse me." Zirrach swung his feet onto the table, and closed his eye.

The Council stopped talking, and all eyes turned on Zirrach. "Should we attack him?" one wondered quietly to her neighbor.

"I wouldn't if I were you... but, it's your life, not mine," Zirrach tapped his black gold, still looking completely at ease.

Cyarja snarled, and said, "You know what, Prince? I don't believe you! I think that you're just telling us the black gold will break when we attack it to keep us off you!"

"Really?" Zirrach looked delighted, something that didn't seem to work with his usual sarcasm. "However childish it sounds..." he seemed to be struggling with Cyarja's name, ".um... I dare you to try. Come on- smack me with some healthy demon magic, hmm?"

The other demons turned to Cyarja, who seemed to be struggling within herself. "We will hold a council on the matter," she said finally. "You are dismissed Zirrach."

Zirrach jumped to his feet, and giving the high council a mocking salute, strolled out, kicking up his long green and black robes in front of him.

They watched him, hearing him swear when he came to the stairs, a crash, and then him asking one of the guards if he ever had to walk in these maddening robes.

The council looked at each other.

*********

Keaira glanced at Kent, and he grinned. "We'll be okay," he assured her, smiling. "Trust me, I'm a good magician- we'll be fine."

His twin sighed. "Alright," she said with a sigh, nervously looking around.

Kent winked, and hurriedly cast a spell on them, almost making them invisible- more like a lurking presence than actually not being there.

"Come," his hand wrapped around hers, and they walked into the city, uneasy despite the protection.

However, the demons that milled around them paid them no attention, and they snuck up to the large palace at the top of the hill.

"Here we go," Kent whispered, stepping up to the gate.

The guards on duty were medium power demons- they had more fur than humans, and they looked like they'd be more comfortable ripping something apart with their long clawed hands than holding spears, but they were powerful enough to notice that there was a blob of magic in front of them.

"Who goes there?" One asked in a low growl.

Kent dropped the magic, and he and Keaira stood in front of the demons, wrapped in rags and cloaks.

"We have a special delivery for Duke Hizrah," Keaira said, naming off the only high power demon that Kent knew.

"Names?" The other guard snarled.

"Jiikjari and Kiuran," Keaira replied, keeping her face low, hoping that they wouldn't ask to make sure that they weren't demons.

"House?" The first one asked.

The twins gave each other blank looks.

"Whatever." Kent drew his sword and cut down the first one, freezing the second with his magic. "Forget this ever happened," he said quietly to the demon, stepping past the dead one, pulling Keaira along with him.

"Hurry," he whispered, dragging her behind him as he bolted for the large front doors, blasting the four guards on duty there with more magic.

"Ah." They pushed on the doors, and ran inside, not really looking where they were going until Kent dragged Keaira into a small, dark, empty room.

"Right. Do we want to spilt up- or no?" Kent asked, trying to catch his breath in-between words.

Keaira shrugged. "Alright. I'm not sure how I'll defend myself.. I mean, I know I have magic and stuff, but.."

"You'll do fine. Zirrach was telling me all about your magic when I was a statue." Kent said, tweaking her nose.

Keaira tried not to blush. That was right. She had to apologize to Zirrach. "Alright. Whoever finds him first should.."

"Here." Kent pressed something small and shiny into her hands. "Say my name and squeeze this if you find him. If I find him first, you'll hear your name, and it'll lead you to where we are."

"Okay." Keaira swallowed nervously, and together, they walked out of the room, splitting off when Keaira went up the stairs, and Kent continued to stay on the first level.

Keaira took in a breath, and quickened her pace as she climbed, trying not to think of what would happen if she was caught. Kent had warned her that humans weren't welcome in the Demon Lands, especially the palace.

She kept her head down whenever she passed people, and she was half frightened to ask anyone if they knew where Zirrach was. Perhaps he was a prisoner- or he might be the King, sitting there without a care about her or Kent.

She sighed, and collided into someone who had just rounded around the corner in front of her.

The collision was a hard one, and they both toppled over- Keaira landing heavily on the floor, her feet tangled in long, clean and colorful robes.

"Sorry." A familiar voice said as the other person tried to straighten himself.

Keaira's head shot up.

Zirrach stared at her.

They gawked at each other for a few stunned seconds, and then Keaira gasped, "Zirrach! You're alright!" She threw her arms around him, not really thinking, and laughed.

"Keaira!" Zirrach hugged her back and whispered, "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Kent and I came to rescue you-" She said, tears forming in her eyes.

Zirrach choked out a laugh, and he pulled himself slowly away from her. "Came to rescue me? Whatever for?"

Keaira shrugged. "Kannaen- my dad- got worried when you didn't return after a few days. He said it wasn't like you. He was going to just send Kent, but I-" She suddenly blushed, and looked down.

Zirrach smiled, and helped her to her feet. The smile was so unexpected from him that Keaira blushed even more. "Thanks, then," he said, not bothering to straighten out his robes- only his hair.

"They didn't do anything to you, did they?" She asked, now bright red.

Zirrach shrugged. "No. Not really. They seem to want to use me as some sort of pawn- I even got a marriage proposal, but no, they didn't hurt me."

Keaira stared at him, and then shook her head. "You didn't accept the proposal, did you?"

Zirrach raised his eyebrows. "Of course not. It was from the Demon Queen, Cyarja. She's too much of a control freak."

Keaira nodded, and then paused, before saying, "Zirrach- I'm-I'm really sorry about what I said to you... I thought that you weren't Zron and..." She began to cry.

"Keaira!" Zirrach stared at her, shocked. "It's alright- I perfectly understand how you felt- Keaira?"

She continued to cry, and Zirrach sighed before pulling her hands away from her face. "Keaira," he said, "stop crying."

Keaira suddenly found that she couldn't cry, and she looked up at Zirrach, surprised.

He winked, and said, "apology accepted. Should we look for Kent?"

"Oh! I totally forgot!" Keaira pulled the shiny thing out of a pocket and squeezed it, saying, "Kent."

Zirrach suddenly stiffened, and said, "uh-oh."

"What?" Keaira looked up at him.

"Cyarja." With out explanation, he took her hand and hurried down the hall, tripping over his long robes every so often.

"Who's-?" Keaira began, but Zirrach shook his head, and dragged her into a bedroom.

"I'll explain later," he said hastily, looking around half frantically. "Aw crap. Where can you hide?"

"Under the bed?" Keaira suggested.

"No. there's not enough room- I might have to hide to. Ah- er-" his eyes scanned the room, and then moved up. Green eyes gleamed. "The rafters," He said.

Keaira looked up, and then at Zirrach.

"Close your eyes," he advised, closing his own.

There was the feeling of wind brushing her face, and suddenly she was sprawled on a rafter, clinging on for her life.

Zirrach rolled up his long robes just as the door opened below them, and the beautiful demon from Keaira's dream entered.

"Zirrach?" She asked in a sing song voice.

Keaira glanced at Zirrach. To her surprise, he rolled his eyes.

"Zirrach?" the demon queen called again, looking around the room. Her eyes narrowed, and she turned to unseen people in the hall. "He is not here," she said steely before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Zirrach swung himself so that he was hanging from the rafter, and then he let go, landing softly on the ground.

"Can you jump?" He asked Keaira, looking up at her.

"Ah.." Keaira swung herself over, shutting her eyes, and then let go, landing much more heavily on the ground.

"Easy enough." Zirrach smirked at the closed door, and said, "she won't be coming back for a while. It'll give me time to explain things."

Suddenly, the door banged open, and Zirrach was on his feet in a flash, only to discover that it was Kent, who was breathing heavily and looking a bit stressed.

"Zirrach!" He gasped, surprised. "Why the heck are you wearing a dress?!"