I stood against the darkness of the room, Tevin beside me, my heart pounding. I had no idea that we had rallied so many... The children, the teenagers, trudged through the heat, some more lively than others, but all had obviously travelled a long way. I watched as a particulalry young boy with large eyes looked at me. I shuddered. They were almost pure white. Tevin had noticed the child as well, his arm snaked around my shoulders in protection, watching the crowd, picking out the ones who were too far gone, and those that were eager.

I looked around, at the shadow along the hill line, the way the air around the shadow moved...

"Tevin!" I screamed, bowling him over as the hawk sliced through the air where Tevin's head had just been. I writhed on top of him, the blood gushing from the new wound on my shoulder.

He sat up, fear and curiosity in his eyes. He took my arm gently in his hand, ripping his shirt, wrapping the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Some members of the crowd had stopped, one older girl offered me water from her pouch. I was amazed. A person was wounded, and yet all these children... these zombies, could notice was the pull, the electric pull, of our RAVE. "What a smal world..." I whispered, disgusted. I was like them. My world revolved around one thing... and that one thing could be my death. I looked at Tevin, who had called Shi out of him.

"JOHN!" He screamed to the air, defiant and angered. The shadow just dissapaited into the heat of this hell hole. Tevin was shaking from his anger, but also from the deep sense of betrayal. John was the one man who had ever tried to treat Tevin with the love and respect a child his age should know.

I tried to smile as Tevin looked my way, but he stole my breath. The sun glinting off his sculpted body, the tiger winding around him, the erethreal glow coming off his body. The way the sun caught his hair, the vivd scar against his dark skin, and his enchanting eyes. He crouched beside me, touching my arm, looking intense. I guess he felt my eyes upon him for he met my gaze.

"Kriss?"

I couldn't pull away, I couldn't avert my eyes. "I-I think I'm in-"

"Light Demon!" The messanger from earlier bowed, eyeing my wounded state, "Dark Angel!"

I laughed it off, "I've had worse skateboarding!" I lied though, I've never skateboarded. I couldn't keep patient enough to learn how to. It didn't matter, they didn't know about skateboarding in this world, the boy gave me a look.

"It's because she's from a different world." Tevin reminded the boy, as if apologizing for my behavior. I growled low in my throat, standing. The move was a mistake, I immediatly crashed to my knees rather ungracefully.

Tevin rushed to my side, a small crowd was gathering. The leader was hurt? Rumors went around the crowd. Old news. I snorted, pissed. "Man, this sucks." I smiled, "I can't even walk away from you."

He giggled, tucking his head into his shoulder. His tiger curled herself around me, purring with a deep growl that I was sure shook the world. A colective sigh from the crowd reminded me we were on borrowed time. I motioned to Tevin, who had no idea what I was saying. Exasperated I stood on my own. "Everyone, into the RAVE now! You have five minutes, anyone who is late will be punished with extra exercises. Understood?!"

A collective "ma'am" was all the answer I needed. I sat back down, feeling weak. "I don't think I give this much blood at a donation." I smiled at Tevin, who looked a little pale.

"I should have helped you stand." I rolled my eyes as he wrapped himself in guilt.

"Don't be stupid." I hissed, "Besides, now you get to help me to the room." Shi growled as he lifted me into his arms. "No, Tevin! NO! I didn't mean like this!!"

I was clinging onto his neck, pressed against him the most I could, trying not to move. "Do you not trust me?" He teased, spinning around slowly, carefully.

"TEVIN!" I yelled, digging my nails into his skin, closing my eyes tightly.

He stopped, "Sorry." he whispered. His voice sounded different. I looked at him, startled by the emotion I saw in his eyes. He began carrying me to the RAVE, towards our room, when a tear escaped his eye.

I wiped it away, "Does it still hurt to think about your Partner?" I asked, watching as he took the steps into the RAVE.

He laughed, "You just don't get it, do you?" He set me down. I had to go through the portal alone, it wasn't big enough for two at the same time... well, not of our size anyway. Children could probably do it though.

"What don't I get?" I asked indignantly, standing right in front of him as he slid into our secret place.

He sighed, grabbing my arm roughly, but careful to make sure it wasn't the wounded arm. "Just go sit down, I'll treat our troops. Maybe I can get a nymph in here to heal you... or give you medicines."

"I can be healed here? Kind of like a 1 up in a video game?" I sighed, plopping onto the couch, feeling grimy and dirty. "Insane."

I felt his gaze but ignored it. He was acting so immature... I thought anyway. I brought my head onto the supportive fabric after he had left, dissapointed he didn't force me to say more, force me to accept his company, but releived at the same time. "I miss home." I whispered to no one inparticular.

"Where is your home?" A small voice asked, one I hadn't been expecting, but was used to.

"Hey Ann. My home is somewhere outthere." I waved my arm vaguely around me. "We have cars and television and radios. We have McDonalds and ice cream and... I miss my family, my friends."

"You have friends here." The voice responded. I sighed, "But it's not the same, right?"

The tone in her voice was like a kick in the gut. "No, it's not. I like this place too, but I have something back there that... that I miss..."

"We're going to war soon..."

I nodded, "Yeah... Tevin seems to be very anxious for it."

"Do you yet have your angel?" Her hand was cold upon my wound. I flinched.

"No, not yet."

"And Tevin thinks that by putting you on the front lines, you will aquire this angel?" Her hand began vibrating, it was warm too. So warm I almost couldn't stand it.

"Yes."

She pulled away, my arm was healed, though I was still woozy. I sat up. "What do you think of that?"

She hung her head, her short red locks attempting to hide her pale skin and freckles. "I think you will die."