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(found a couple fun pics that look like Palian. Here's one of em. ^'^)

A torch's light could be seen illuminating some of the hallway further on ahead. If Ryo squinted he would barely be able to make out Tsukiko's silhouette. The walls were a rough stone and the sounds of dripping water echoed along the passageway.

Tsukiko, who had run head-long into the darkness, almost passed up the opening to her left that suddenly appeared. The torch was set in a eye level holder on the corner where a small chamber emerged. Behind bars, Palian sat slumped. He did not lift his gaze to look at her, or give any sign of awareness at all. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face to splatter onto the floor. His white trench coat had disappeared as had the puffy headset. Clothed in black, he looked even paler than usual. Even his hair looked more transparent like polar bear fur. The flickering torchlight played shadows on his face and body, hiding his eyes behind a tuft of hair.

Ace doesn't reply but continues to lay there uncounces as his wounds can be seen healing quicker than most peoples would asbirdie can be heard giving small chirping noises in his sleep while the light continues to spread off onto her hand and his forehead lighting the room in a sparkling light

"Your sick," Tsukiko asked sitting still not wanting to anger Palian. "Maybe if there was someone to watch you while Nemo slept he would sleep normally." Tsukiko spoke in a hushed voice as she sat and watched the demon in front of her. Truthfully she wanted to check on him, and make sure he was okay, but she didn't dare not when he looked angry. He didn't scare he, no she was scared Ryo who was lurking somewhere would miss understand and attack Palian. So was she scared for Palian or Ryo, both people she cared about a lot. Tsukiko didn't want to take sides, but she did know who's side she take if she had to.

Ryo could see the outline of Tsukiko not far from where she stood. Tucking his wings back he began running toward her. 'She better be okay,' was all Ryo could think. If that demon had harmed his little Kiko a head would come off. He saw her sitting on the ground in deep thought. When he reached her he pulled her up and held her in his arms. "Your okay, thank god he hasn't hurt you."

"He was never going to hurt me in the first place," Tsukiko muttered as she tried to get away from Ryo. She loved her friend, but she didn't want to mislead him, anymore then she might already had.

Ryo's eyes narrowed as Palian laughed. He held Tsukiko closer no sign of letting her go anytime soon. "Don't play games with me demon, because I swear if Kiko gets harm even the slightest, I will make sure personally that you are put in so much pain that you will never want to come to our world." Ryo's voice was a growl he sounded like a wolf about to launch out at something treating it.

"You will not take her away from our world. Not now not ever." Ryo was screaming out of pure anger. "You can't protect her, you can't keep her safe from even yourself. You don't even know her. So quit trying to fool her into thinking you can. Because she isn't going to end up heartbroken, and alone. She will never be like that ever again."

What Ryo didn't know was the her heart was already breaking. It was breaking every time one of the boy's said something it seem. She wanted nothing more to go and hug Palian, to get him out of his prison. "I don't want to control you though Palian, I want you to be free." Tsukiko lifted her head so that she could look straight at him. "You don't deserve to be in a cage, no one in either world does. She knew Ryo was paying her no attention, and truthfully she really didn't care. She was still scared for Ryo, and didn't want them to fight. She was glad someone was wanting her to be safe.

Even if you can't feel pain in dreams the emotional pain would always be there. "Please you don't have to do this either of you." With that being said she dropped her head again, and covered her eyes with her bangs. She wasn't one to feel weak, but she did feel worthless to both sides. No matter how she look at this now someone was going to end up with a broken heart or hurt in some other fashion.

Tsukiko felt her eyes water up again. "If I don't understand then teach me, I want to know. I want to understand everything about you. I know I ask so much of you, but.....I just want to understand." Her voice had started out as a shout, screaming at him. After she paused for a moment she got quieter. Her face was sincere, she felt Ryo's grasp loosen up. Quickly she ran toward the bars not caring if they made room for her. She was getting to him if it killed her.

Falling face forward on the cold ground Tsukiko lifted her self weakly. "You said I wouldn't feel pain," Tsukiko's voice was in a light joking tone. Letting herself fall to the ground again. She was closer to him then before that enough made her happy. Sure the bars hadn't intended on her getting in, but the shock and pain had been more then worth it.

"Have you ever sit with her until it's so late at night you can't remember your own name. Comforted her when she had no one else to go to. Do you even know one thing about her. I don't give a damn if she can protect herself I won't let her." That's when he let his grip on her slip with out his notice. It had been out of pure anger, and now she had gotten away.

"Tsukiko!" He screamed her name trying to reach for her. It was to late she had already entered the cage of the demon. The fear that had entered his eyes was replaced with a fire. "You did this, because of you she's hurt." No he wasn't blaming himself, he hadn't even brought her here. No he was against this whole thing. Because he knew she would get hurt, and anything that hurt Tsukiko he was against. He loved her to much to let her get hurt, and now he might even be to blame this time.

♪ Fyte Ancell ♪

♪ Looking up into the sky, looking for the reason Why I'm here and why you can't be here ♪

"Nemo!" Fyte cried out, smiling as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Are you okay?" she let one hand venture up to his head, her fingers weaving though his hair as she checked for any bumps on his head. She did find a big lump on the back of his head, gently brushing her fingers over it as she examined him. She didn't notice how close their faces were to each other as she made sure he was okay, not until she locked gazes with him. Only then did a heated blush cover her face as she quickly withdrew her hand. "S-sorry Nemo. Maybe we should get something to eat?" She laughed nervously, trying to settle her racing heart.

♪ If you loose me somewhere, and your tears are in the air I will ring a bell until you feel me by your side ♪

"And how do you know what she needs? Have you ever asked her?" He asked quizzically as Tsukiko sat next to him and held his hand. "Can't you hear that soft voice whispering,' I'm strong. I can do it. Just give me the chance to show you.'?" Faltering as she leaned into him, he let his eye trail down to see her hiding face.

"Though sometimes actions speak louder than words." Pulling away just slightly, he tried to keep himself focused on the boy. His anger was settled like a ball of ice in his center, it would not do to be distracted now. The demon really wanted to just say forget the boy and take the girl away. A second passed where he seriously thought about doing just that. Then the notion passed and he sighed. Present matters needed settling. Play can wait.

If he had a breath, it would have been stolen away at Tsukiko's daring declaration. He knew she must be crazy now. How could anyone even think of loving him. Yet, it warmed that ball of anger just enough that he paused before responding to Ryo's comment. And there was that charming blush again. He even reached over with his free hand to brush the fingertips along her high cheekbones before the sting of the boys words hit him.

"Firstly, she is not the only one that I draw energy from," he spat towards Ryo. "Second, she cannot die from what meager bits I glean. It would take a second connection to access any amount that would cause harm. And it's forbidden me that, because I already tried it. I cannot kill anyone from draining their energy, because master has forbade it." He growled then, partly in frustration while the rest was in simple anger. His body tensed next to Tsukiko. He knew the dangers of what he was about to reveal.

"It is why I cannot see the world with both eyes," he ground out, eye tightened shut." My right let's others come to me, and let's me enter the waking world. But my left allows me into others dreams. And through them I can take energy to sustain myself beyond my master's limits." He paused then, biting his lip. Could he really say it? Could he really tell them? If it was the boy, the answer was an easy yes. But Tsukiko made him falter. Would she revolt back and run?

"But there is a danger to that second connection," he managed to force out. "A fatal one." Pulling away entirely, he stood in on fluid motion like a dancer and went to the far corner of his cell. Keeping his back to them, he drooped his head so that it was the only thing touching the stone while the rest of his body was still and straight. His black clothes would have made him disappear into the shadows if not for his white hair.

"Wouldn't I?" he asked to more himself than anyone. His eye was closed, refusing to look at the girl that clung to him. It seemed even if he wanted to escape, there would be no way out. Unlike them, he could not wake in his bed and forget what took place as if it never were. The reminder of his current state both angered and saddened him, which made him tense up.

Spinning around, he faced Ryo who sat slumped to the ground. A look of disgust shadowed his face.

"Then we are all broken," he couldn't help but bark out with a grim laugh. "And I want everything, including what is not mine to have."

In a motion that was more a trick of the eye than actual movement, the pale demon brought himself to the other side of the cell. Crouching low, he leveled his gaze to Ryo.

"Why do I see such defeat in you? Is it possible that with just a few words from this girl, you have begun a spiral of self destruction?" Then he spat off to one side in utter disgust. "How dare you," he snarled. "How dare you squander these gifts in front of me. Rip away preconceived notions of self and wallow in self pity in front of someone who has no notions of self." Grabbing Ryo by the collar, Palian pulled him to his feet and shoved him against the wall.

"That pain you feel here," he said in a voice low and slightly trembling with anger as he pointed to the boys heart. "That pain is yours to bear, because you tried to alter what good you had, even if it was only in your mind. Wasted energy. At least when I take energy, I put it to good use." After a tense moment he let Ryo's collar go and took a step back.

"You want to know the harsh truth?" he said a little louder so that Tsukiko in the cell behind him could hear while he faced Ryo. "The truth is that I've made the second connection several times before coming here. And every time I did, it ended up killing them." A dark smile spread across his lips as he stood there, facing Ryo.

"It doesn't to it right away. More like drives them insane until they either killed themselves, or they died while sleeping." Then he shrugged nonchalantly. "You know what they say. If you die in your sleep." He left the saying unfinished, knowing the rest was playing in their heads anyway.

Nemo winced at Fyte's light touch. The lump on his head was throbbing and his stomach felt sore too, like something heavy had fallen onto it. A light pounding was forming where the lump was, though he bet part of it was due to his need for caffeine.

"Yea yea, I'm fine," he managed before his eyes re-focused. When they did he realized what his brain was trying to process. Fyte had her face perilously close to his, a deep blush darkening her cheeks. In a panic he jerked away only to cry out as he lost his balance and fell ungracefully onto the floor. Then he panicked more, because he didn't understand how he had gotten to his room. Last he remembered, he was walking outside.

"Food. Food sounds good. Coffee sounds better," he managed between the heavy beats of his headache. Holding his face in his hands to ease the pressure, he got to his feet and tried to get his bearings. Inside he was berating himself for sounding like such a buffoon.

Normally, even under stressing situations like what he had recently endured, literacy was a strict necessity. He couldn't stand panicky people who ran around spouting half formed nonsense and expect others to understand them. It was also one of the reasons he didn't normally talk much. Engaging stupidity often encouraged stupidity. He had a feeling Fyte wasn't like that, though he hadn't known her long enough to really make an accurate guess.

(O.O wow long post.)