The Typical Fan-Fiction Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima or any related characters, the +Anima series is owned by Natsumi Mukai, Tokyopop, and various other parties that have to do with the creation and publishing of the series. As I probably don't need to say, this is purely a fan work.

Finally, here's the next installment! I apologize again for the even longer wait this time…I had both a busy work schedule and a bit of difficulty with this chapter… Like the last, this is another long one, though.

Anyway, at long last, on to the twentieth full chapter!

Chapter Twenty: Invasion

Evening was closing in. The gray winter sky was still illuminated by cold sunlight, but it wouldn't be for much longer. It was already starting to fade, the dark, wispy clouds that were drifting on the breeze beginning to hide its bright face. It looked like it was going to snow again that night.

Cooro walked with his head down, absently watching his feet crush the frozen blades of grass blanketing the field. He could see them move, but he could hardly feel them anymore.

He could hardly feel anything. None of it felt real.

The dark-haired boy instinctively had his arms wrapped around chilled body as he padded forward, but he was barely aware of the icy air penetrating fiercely though his wet clothes. The voices of his companions seemed muffled and faded, too, their words not completely registering in his mind.

"It'll be getting dark soon, and judging from those clouds, it looks like it's going to snow again. What are we going to do about shelter? I'm freezing here!" Husky complained, his own clothes soaked.

"I don't know…" Nana admitted, looking worried. "We can't stay out here with you two completely drenched, and we don't even have any blankets or supplies anymore! We have to keep walking until we find another village! We have no other choice…"

The four of them had fled down the ruined streets of Willowind's farming district, leaving the forlorn old town behind. While most of the village was surrounded by woods, the area extending from the abandoned crop section remained as a single flat field for a few more miles – they had yet to reach another forested part of the mountain base. The truth was, they hadn't gotten that far for the length of time they'd been walking. Cooro was only vaguely aware that he was dragging in the back, slowing down their pace as he struggled to make his feet keep moving.

"There's another small village just a little ways past the next bunch of trees… I remember it…" The crow +anima commented without looking up, his voice distant and quiet.

The other three fell silent, turning and looking back at him – it was the first he'd spoken since they'd left the village. He didn't even seem to even notice their gazes, though. A brief frown appeared on Nana's lips, before she quickly pushed it away. "Good. Then let's keep moving, if it's not too far we should be able to make it easily."

They'd been forced to leave most of their supplies behind in Willowind. Aside from the few things that they'd taken with them to the well, all the rest of it remained at Nadia's inn, and there'd been no way they could've gone back there!

Nadia's inn…

Cooro sighed, feeling his body tremble as he exhaled. Images of that inn when it was new drifted back into his mind once again – when none of the windows had been broken, when the voices of visitors had filled its active halls…when Elizabeth had waved at him from the top story as he'd passed by…

The boy turned and looked back, gazing over at the old village as it began to vanish in the distance.

That inn, the mayor's house where Elizabeth had spent her older years, the willow trees that swung in the sea breeze, the worn port along the ocean, and the empty, forgotten house hidden in the woods at the village's border… He would probably never see those places again. After what happened, he would likely never be able to return.

My…home…

A voice within grieved. It almost didn't feel like his, but it ached dully in his chest and stirred up the new emptiness that was growing inside of him.

The more what Nadia had told him sunk in, the more everything started to feel like a dream.

After all, that's what his life there had become, right? What made the life he was living now any different?

He thought he understood now. He was Mirka, he was Tilah, he was all those other name's he'd heard in his sleep…but at the same time, he was nobody. He was nothing but a demon. That's all that would remain of him when he finally woke up from his dream…

Cooro… That was just another name, that's all – a label placed on his seventh body.

And it was an identity that was getting harder and harder to hold on to…

"…Cooro?"

He whipped his head back quickly as the name suddenly sounded aloud, startled out of his thoughts.

It was Nana, her clear green eyes tainted with concern as they met his. She'd padded back over to him, with his other two companions watching anxiously from a few feet ahead. "Come on…" She prompted again, her voice gentle but pleading. "You're freezing. We have to keep moving…" She reached out, taking his right hand in hers and intertwining their fingers.

There was still distance in his gaze, but he moved it just slightly, to meet hers. …At least the warmth of her palm against his felt real.

That's right. This is what he was fighting for. She was the person most dear to him, and Husky and Senri were his treasured friends – the closest thing he'd ever had to a family.

He wanted to stay with them. He was going to find a way to keep this life.

And indeed, they did need to keep moving. He needed to get away from here – away from that inn, that cabin in the forest, the familiar streets weaving through the run-down houses. He couldn't let himself sink into thoughts like that again.

Cooro paused a moment longer, still struggling to make the emptiness go away. It never did, but, eventually, he just nodded.

Nana gave a slight smile, but instead of continuing ahead with the others, she kept her hand clasped around his as she started walking. He followed along with her without resistance, forcing himself to move forward as they continued moving towards the forest.

The group of four had only taken a few more steps, though, when a voice suddenly rose from behind them.

"Wait…! Please…stop!"

Everyone but Cooro spun around, turning to look at the white-haired woman dashing up to them. She was moving as quickly as her legs would carry her, with a few bags slung around her shoulders.

The crow +anima tensed. He'd recognized the voice instantly – Isabel.

"Oh, good…I managed to catch you! I'm so glad you're all alright! I was afraid that…" The woman's eyes trailed off to the dark-haired young man who was still turned away from her. She didn't say anything, just biting her lip. She could understand if he didn't want to see her. "I saw that witch take off from the distance, and I came looking for you." She continued. "You left all of your bags back at the inn…and you can't be out in wet clothes and without blankets in weather like this!"

Isabel took the familiar-looking bags down, holding them out to the group. "There isn't a whole lot in the next village over, so I packed some extra food from our kitchen inside, too." She commented, a warm smile gracing her delicate features.

Nana grinned back, in spite of herself. She couldn't say that she'd enjoyed meeting Isabel, but all the same she didn't dislike her – it was quite surprising that the younger innkeeper had come all that way just to return their belongings. She couldn't say the same thing about Nadia herself, but her remaining daughter seemed like a kind woman. "Thanks, Isabel!" She beamed gratefully, her and the others eagerly taking back their bags.

"It's the least I could do after the torment my mother caused you… I'm so terribly sorry…" She repeated, recalling when her own mother had threatened Cooro and held a blade to Nana's neck. "I can hardly believe what she did…please…believe that she is not usually like that…"

A brief, rather awkward silence fell upon the group, until Isabel all at once reached down into her own bag, suddenly remembering something.

"Oh!" She started, pulling out what looked like a small book. "I almost forgot! I found this laying out on a table downstairs, too. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but…then I saw the name inside, and figured that it was yours…"

The woman held it out specifically to Cooro, waiting for the boy to finally turn around.

Hesitantly, he did, forcing himself to see her all too familiar face. His eyes quickly widened, though, as he took what was in her hands.

He opened it to the front page, running his fingers delicately across the name written on the faded paper. Tilah. This was 'Tilah's' journal! He must've left it at the inn lobby the last time he'd been there.

Isabel just smiled, watching the amazed, distant look on the young man's face as he gazed over the small book. "Well…I guess you all better get going if you want to make it to shelter before nightfall. Please…" She paused, managing to catch the crow +anima's eyes again. "…Stay strong, all right? I know that's what Elizabeth would want for you, too…"

"…I will, Isabel. Thank you." Cooro answered, keeping her gaze for just a moment longer, until the woman herself began to move away with a last, pleased smile.

She waved as the group of +anima began to leave, and all four of them briefly returned it, before turning back towards the trees and continuing farther into the field and away from Willowind.

This time Cooro didn't look back, fighting the lump in his throat and holding the journal close to his chest as he left the village behind.

"Goodbye…Tilah." Isabel mouthed, too quietly for anyone to hear as she watched them vanish into the distance.

Nana took a sip of tea from the cup in her hands, smiling as she felt the warm liquid work its way into her cold body.

They'd been traveling for three days now, and had already passed the village neighboring Willowind. There had indeed not been much there, and now that they had their supplies back, they'd had little need to stay there more than a single night. It was hard to tell exactly where they were at the angle they were approaching from, but if they traveled quickly, they figured there was a good chance that they could finally reach the old war fortress in a matter of hours.

Husky suddenly got up with a tired sigh after a quick glance at the fire in between all of them, placing his own cup of tea on the ground next to where he'd been sitting. Carefully, he reached over and pulled a bowl that contained warm broth away from the flames. "It looks ready to me…" He decided, already reaching back inside their main bag for extra cups and utensils.

"I'm glad you remembered. I would've forgotten to check it…" Nana admitted as he handed her a full bowl. She put her tea down and instead took a sip of the soup. The food Isabel had given them was all they had left, and she'd only packed foods in their bag that would keep. The rather forced together ingredients made a soup that tasted a bit odd…but at least it was warm – that was something indispensible in the weather they were traveling in.

Senri eagerly took his, too, wordlessly starting to swallow it down as soon as Husky handed it to him.

Cooro, though, didn't even look up as the silver-haired boy padded over with his share.

Unlike the others, he had his limbs splayed out across the ground near the fire, lying down underneath his quilt. In one hand was a familiar small book, his eyes focused on it as if it was the only thing he could see.

"Cooro, here's yours. You should eat something." Husky instructed, staring down at him with a frown as he placed the bowl beside him.

No answer.

"Cooro!" He repeated louder, a note of irritation sharpening his voice.

"…Huh…? What…?" The crow +anima finally glanced up through his dark hair, his eyes still distant and groggy. "Oh…" He continued, suddenly noticing the bowl of soup. "It's okay…I'm not hungry."

"But…" Nana interrupted, looking over in his direction from her place by the fire. "You have to be – we've been walking for days and you've hardly eaten anything! You haven't even touched your tea, either – it'd be good for you to have something warm."

"I'm fine under the blanket." The boy assured with a fake smile, replying to the second part of her statement and completely ignoring the first. His eyes went right back to the journal in his hands as soon as he finished speaking.

Nana sighed in frustration, shuffling distractedly under the quilt wrapped around her own shoulders.

That stupid book.

She knew that it wasn't her fault, but right now, she hated Isabel for bringing it.

It'd been three days, but all he'd done was sit silently and read it whenever he had the chance. It was as if none of them were even there anymore.

The boy wasn't the same as he had been when they'd first arrived at Willowind. This Cooro was even emptier than the one she'd met in front of her old cabin on the orchard.

He didn't show any fear, or any deep sadness. Just…nothing.

At first, it'd seemed like he was going to recover from the incident at the village, but ever since he'd gotten the journal returned, it was as if the pages had slowly sucked him into a trance he couldn't escape from. Or rather, it was the memories that went with those pages, she realized. They were consuming him.

Nana glanced over again in his direction, biting her bottom lip. Cooro had lived another life. More than one, actually. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that might feel like. But that didn't mean the one he had now wasn't important, did it?

The girl swallowed hard as she realized there was a lump in her throat, feeling an emptiness starting to nip at her own chest.

She missed him.

"Hey…Nana."

The young woman quickly snapped her gaze away from him at the sound of her silver-haired companion's voice, startled out of her thoughts. It was only then she realized that she'd let her own spoon go limp in her hands. "Y…yeah?" She answered, trying not to let her worry show on her face.

"We still need to decide if we're going to try making it to the fortress before dark or not… Would you mind flying up and seeing just how close we are when you're finished eating?" Husky asked, taking another sip of his own soup.

"Oh…sure." She nodded, forcing down a spoonful herself. She suddenly glanced back at where Cooro lay next to the fire, a thought coming to her head. She finished her share of the food in a matter of minutes, before getting to her feet and padding over to him.

The girl kneeled down beside him, giving the crow +anima a playful poke in the shoulder when his eyes stayed glued to the book, getting his attention as he startled slightly.

"Cooro, Husky asked if I could fly up and see how far the fortress is from here. Do you want to come with me?" She asked eagerly as he looked up at her, passing him a hopeful smile. "You have the pendant, so you can fly whenever you want again now, right?"

The dark-haired boy just blinked. "I'm comfortable right now, actually… I think I'd rather just stay here…" He answered simply, already looking down once more.

Nana's face instantly fell, her hurt and disappointment undisguised. It only deepened, too, as the boy failed to even notice.

"But…" She tried again, the enthusiasm sapped from her voice. "You haven't flown at all since you've gotten the pendant – I would've thought you'd be excited to be able to use your wings again… Come on, don't you want to come…?"

"I just…don't feel like it right now…" Cooro insisted sternly, letting his gaze drop again.

Nana felt the lump start to well up in her throat again. "Cooro… Even after you worked so hard to get that pendant…?"

This time the young man didn't look up. "People died because I went searching for it…" He stated dryly, his voice hardly more than a pathetic, meek whimper.

The girl paused, biting her bottom lip. He was talking about the villagers Catherine had killed in order to protect him from Nadia, she realized. Her own gaze fell slightly. "But that wasn't your fault… Nadia and Catherine, they…"

"I'm sorry… I just want to rest, Nana…" Cooro interrupted, only pulling the quilt he was laying under up a bit higher.

Nana stopped, her eyes staring blankly ahead now as they suddenly started to dampen.

She forced herself to hold back the tears, her face turning slightly red in embarrassment as she realized that Husky and Senri were both watching.

Her hurt abruptly started to morph into irritation and impatience, the girl abruptly getting to her feet. She suddenly grabbed the blanket that was shielding Cooro from the cold, snatching it off of him roughly.

"Hey!" The boy protested in surprise, rapidly sitting up and wrapping his arms around himself. "What're you…?

"Fine!" Nana spat. "Stay here and read that stupid book, then! But I'm taking this with me!" She announced, holding up his blanket as well as her own, so that he couldn't grab hers himself. "You've been lying under it far too much lately!"

"But…Nana, that's…" Cooro just blinked in surprise, taken aback. "It's…cold…"

"If you want it, then why don't you come and get it?" She taunted, changing into her +anima form and taking to the air in a single motion, blankets still in hand. She beat her wings quickly, lifting higher off the ground as she looked down at him expectantly.

Cooro passed a bewildered glance back at his other two companions, as if hoping they'd simply offer to share one of theirs with him, but Husky just shrugged, already having decided not to get involved.

The boy looked back up at Nana with a hint of irritation appearing in his own eyes, getting to his feet. He hesitated a moment longer, touching the pendant on his neck to make sure that it was there.

Flipping a switch inside of himself, the crow +anima all at once felt a warm rush rip through him – something that had long ago felt very familiar. Huge, black wings suddenly extended from his shoulder blades, complimented by the dark feathers that spread down his arms.

His pendant now glowing a beautiful, deep purple, Cooro gave a jump of his own, struggling to sustain himself in the air through a series of messy, uncoordinated flaps. Loose feathers scattered everywhere as he struggled, the boy ultimately only stumbling ungracefully back down to the ground with a thud.

Feeling slightly embarrassed under the gazes of his three companions, he tried again, beating his wings slower and with more focus. Eventually, he managed to get the flapping into rhythm, his feet leaving the soil as he started ascending.

This really doesn't come naturally anymore…

He thought to himself, struggling to keep his motions balanced. A subconscious smile appeared at the edges of his lips, though, the boy enjoying the sensation of the wind beneath his powerful wings as he moved through the air in spite of himself. He looked back up at Nana, taking his eyes off of the slowly distancing ground. The girl was grinning triumphantly, only ascending up higher.

At least…not to my human self.

Cooro added bitterly as he managed to pick up speed, recalling that the last time he'd actually used his wings to fly had been that awful morning in Astar. No… He pushed the images of that day away. He didn't want to think about that right now.

Before he knew it, he'd suddenly cleared the tops of the trees as he followed Nana, his breath all at once catching in his throat as he looked down.

The ocean bordering the forest stretched on endlessly, painting the horizon blue as the cold winter sun reflected of its glassy surface. The trees that had towered above his head were below him now, their tips and branches dancing and swaying in the same light breeze that made the waves lap restlessly against the pale, sandy shore far below.

He'd forgotten how beautiful and alive the world looked from up here.

This was the highest he'd been in the sky for a long time, he realized, his heart starting to pound as a part of him he'd thought he'd lost long ago suddenly started to return.

He swallowed hard, his eyes widening in wonder as he hovered, still staring down in amazement at the world below.

"Hey, Cooro!"

The boy spun his gaze to his left, the familiar female voice snapping him back to reality.

Nana hovered to the side, a playful smile on her face. "Come on, try this!" She invited, all at once dipping down to the level of the tree tops in a single swoop. She gracefully turned and flipped herself completely around a thick branch extending from one of the trunks, tucking in her wings and landing on it as she finished her circle.

Cooro just blinked, staring at her for a moment before the edges of his lips upturned just slightly again.

Following her movements, he dove down and flipped his body around the branch in midair, tucking in his wings as he maneuvered under it and beating them again to bring himself back up, before landing next to her with a slightly more awkward thud, successfully repeating the trick.

The girl giggled slightly, her own grin widening. "Not too bad!" She admitted, a teasing note still in her voice. She set the blankets down on the branch, tiring of carrying them. The boy didn't seem to notice, though, or at least, not care, his eyes watching her expectantly as he managed to return the smile. She just stared at him a moment longer, the ache in her chest fading just slightly.

Nana abruptly dove from the branch again without warning, managing to find a few even branches in a row. She weaved between them, landing again on the fourth after flipping around it.

Cooro did the same as he continued the game, careful to keep his large wings from catching. This time he barely had time to land beside her, the girl quickly taking off again and dropping down with another giggle just as he set his feet down. She flipped around three more different branches in her descent, landing on a final fourth as she gazed back up at the crow +anima.

After a last moment of hesitation, the boy launched himself into the same controlled fall, twisted under and then back over the first two branches before letting himself drop again.

It was as he was under the third branch that he felt something suddenly smack against his right wing, jarring his flight. He realized too late that it was the trunk of the tree – he'd unfurled his wings again too early, not giving himself enough space to change direction in midair.

With a startled cry, he started freefalling, unable to twists around to catch himself as he hit the surrounding branches. In a matter of moments, he smacked loudly against the ground below.

"Cooro!" Nana gasped, immediately descending after him. "Cooro! Are you all right?" She called frantically as she landed next to him, her feet hitting the grass and layer of light snow covering the soil. "You weren't supposed to fall…" She bent close next to his face-down form worriedly, suddenly feeling guilty for pushing him into her game. She'd been trying to cheer him up, but she'd almost forgotten that he hadn't had the same years of practice in the sky that she had…

Relief flooded through her as her old friend let out a groan, the boy pushing his face out of the white powder with his palms a moment later. "It's okay – I'm a little bruised, but I'm fine!" He assured, his lips still upturned in spite of the fall. "Luckily I was already fairly close to the ground when I fell…" He commented more dryly as Nana reached down a hand, helping him to his feet.

In truth, both of his bruised legs ached in protest, and his ankle gave a renewed, but bearable sting as he stood. He still felt better than he had back by the fire, though. The blood moved more quickly through his veins and the beating of his heart was livelier. His senses were awake now, too, making him more aware of the crisp forest air as it flowed deeply into his lungs. It felt…good.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She fretted, still feeling guilty as she looked him over.

He nodded surely, letting his dark eyes met her nervous green ones. He smiled, warmly keeping her gaze. "Thank you…for making me come."

Nana grinned in spite of herself – his eyes looked so much brighter than they had when he'd been huddled up with that book. He looked like himself again.

The young woman suddenly felt her own eyes start watering once more as a wave of relief swept through her, but she just let the drops come this time.

Without warning, she launched herself towards the boy, wrapping him tightly in her arms as she pulled his form close to hers. He blinked in surprise, feeling her hot tears on his neck and shoulder as the girl held his face against her own. "I just don't want to lose you…" She chocked out. "Not to Catherine… Not to anyone… I don't want to lose you to this 'Tilah' person, either…I was scared that I was…"

I never want to lose you, Tilah. You'll be with me forever, won't you?

Cooro winced as the image passed through his mind, Elizabeth's desperate face once again looking up at him in his memory.

You won't. That's what he wanted to say. But…he'd made promises just like before, hadn't he? Just like the one he'd already made to Nana, and the one that he wanted to make now. He'd spoken those same words with different tongues, but in the end, they'd all been meaningless…

He could suddenly feel his body start to tremble, his own eyes abruptly starting to water as he returned Nana's tight grip. "I don't want to lose you either! I don't want to lose you…" He pleaded desperately, tears streaming down his cheeks. "But… This isn't the first time I've tried to save myself… I've tried six times before, and it all meant nothing in the end! Nothing I've ever done before – none of the other lives I've lived – ended up meaning anything! The only thing I've ever caused others is pain… I'm scared that you'll only end up getting hurt, too… What makes this life any different? What makes 'Cooro' any less meaningless? It's just another label placed on a masked demon. I'm…nobody…"

Nana didn't answer at first, just letting him sob as he buried his face into her shoulder. "That's not true! You're life isn't meaningless – even if it didn't to anyone else, it has meaning to me! Even if I…even if I end up getting hurt in the end, I won't be sorry that I met you… And don't be ridiculous, you are somebody! You are Cooro! I know that much for sure!"

The boy chocked on his own tongue, not knowing what to say as a hot, delicate warmth soothed his chest. He moved his face, letting his amazed, but almost disbelieving eyes speak for him as they found hers. "But…you've seen what I can become! You've heard about what I've done before 'Cooro' was even born! After everything, how can you still say that?"

She paused before answering again, taking a small step back. "Because…" She started. "That's who you are to me. That's enough, isn't it?"

This time Cooro said nothing at all, teardrops still falling from his wide, thankful eyes as a smile slowly took over his lips. Maybe that was enough.

Nana just ginned again herself. Carefully, she reached over and plucked a few dead leaves that had clung to him during the fall off of his clothes. "Come on…" She finally started gently as she removed a last one from his hair. She let her hand linger by his face for a moment longer, her own gaze brightening as his slowly did again. "Let's go back up and see if we can find the fortress like we were supposed to, and then go back to the others. I'm sure they're wondering what became of us by now."

Cooro just nodded warmly, the smile still on his face as he wiped his cheeks.

Another moment passed, before the two turned back in the direction they'd come from, ready to resume their search.

Nana effortlessly lifted off the ground, hovering just above it as she waited for Cooro to manage to get his feet off the soil. Just as he started beating his wings, though, the bat +anima's sensitive ears twitched. The girl quickly spun her head, looking farther into the forest behind them.

The crow +anima immediately tensed, pausing in his efforts as his gaze moved to follow hers. To him, everything seemed quiet, but she was clearly listening to something from over there. "…What is it? Is something there…?" He asked, his voice somewhat unnerved.

Nana nodded, turning to look back over at him with her ears still twitching. "I thought I heard another, approaching pair of wings beating for a moment, but…now I only hear someone…crying…" She explained, a note of bewilderment entering her voice at the last word.

"Crying…?" Cooro repeated, his eyes widening in surprise. What would someone be doing out in a forest like this? Was someone hurt?

The young woman nodded again, before all at once taking off urgently in the direction the sound was apparently coming from.

"Hey, Nana, wait!" The boy called. Not having time to struggle getting airborne, he ran after her on foot, fighting to keep pace.

He didn't have to move long before he could hear it, too. A small, despairing voice coming from up ahead.

The source of the cries became visible as they circled around a last, large tree, both of them instantly stopping in their tracks. The gazes of the two +anima stretched wide.

A young girl was looking back at them from where she sat hunched on the ground just ahead, her eyes betraying her startle at their sudden appearance as she momentarily fell silent. She had reddish-brown hair kept in two braids on the sides, green eyes, and looked to be no older than nine.

There were two things that stood out about her, though. Bat wings extended from her shoulders, along with a matching set of ears sticking up through her hair. And crimson. Crimson liquid painted the front of her dress, dripping down and tainting the grass beneath her.

Cooro could feel his breath catch in his throat as he heard Nana gasp, momentarily freezing in place. Though the reddish color of her wings and her slightly more rounded ears suggested that her features had come from a different species than his companion's had, the young girl was another bat +anima, meaning that she'd most likely come from the fortress. And she was injured.

"…+An…+anima! More +anima!" The girl suddenly breathed, her eyes briefly falling on Cooro's black, feathered wings before staring at Nana's similar ones in surprise. "P…please…! Please! Help! Please help!" She wailed unexpectedly, her voice rising as she struggled to get to her feet. Her body swayed unsteadily, even as she all at once broke into a run towards the other two winged +anima.

Nana took a few quick steps forward to meet the girl, holding out her arms to balance her as she practically charged her. The smaller bat +anima wrapped her sticky, sweaty fingers around the hem of her skirt as she reached her, turning her face up to hers with desperate, frightened eyes. "Help! Please! My friends! Save them! Please…save them… Please! Please help…" She pleaded repeatedly in a cracked, terrified voice, her cheeks newly dampening.

The young woman put a hand on the girl's head, kneeling down to her eye level as the dark-haired boy hurried up to them. "Calm down…" She urged gently, giving a gentle stroke to the girl's hair – if they couldn't get her to explain to them what was going on, there was no way they could help at all. "What's your name? Tell us what happened."

"M…my name's Telly…" The girl, apparently named Telly, sputtered. She kept her eyes up at Nana's, clearly straining to keep control of the tears threatening from behind her eyes. "We're under attack! The fortress is under attack! People came… men with chains and sharp, horrible knives! First on boats, and then they came inside! The +anima… They… They're killing them! They're taking some away in chains, saying they'll make them into slaves like in Sailand, and killing the others! They're hurting everyone! Please…do something… Do something! Make them stop! If…if you don't…all my friends will be…" She stopped talking, breaking back down into sobs as she buried her face in the older bat +anima's dress.

Cooro and Nana passed each other a wide eyed, horrified glance, what they were hearing hardly registering.

The fortress…had fallen under another assault? It'd actually been invaded? People…were dying? Even as they stood there, people were being killed?

"Please…" Telly pleaded again, her eyes wild with desperation. "Please!" She begged in a rugged sob. "Only some of us with wings managed to escape – they have all the other entrances blocked off! I had to leave my friends behind… They were trying to hide down one of the corridors, but I'm sure the people will find them! I have no family – they're all I have! I promised them I'd find help! Please, you have to save them! You have to!"

The two older +anima stared at each other with trembling gazes as the girl's painful cries tore against them. But…what could they, the two of them alone against the whole army, possibly do? Running in by themselves would be nothing more than suicide, wouldn't it?

Neither of them said anything, at a complete loss for words.

The ears of the two bat +anima suddenly twitched again, almost startling Cooro as their bodies instantly tensed. They frantically gazed around, looking again for something only they could hear as the lone crow +anima uneasily tried to let his eyes follow theirs.

"It…sounds like someone's coming." Nana whispered nervously to him, catching his confused, alarmed eyes.

All at once, she flinched as her ears gave another dramatic twitch, Telly suddenly yelping and clinging tighter to her dress. Cooro instinctively took a few steps back from the direction they were looking, jumping himself as he was suddenly able to hear the clicking of what sounded like a bow nearby.

Without thinking, he instantly outstretched his palm in the direction of the brush in front of them, feeling something rip through his veins.

A loud, male voice screamed as the sharp blade of wind pierced through the air, slamming into his legs.

The guard fell back with a quick splash of crimson, gripping his right knee. He stared in stunned, scared confusion at the group for a moment, before his eyes settled on Cooro. Alarm all at once pierced them, the man starting to tremble as something clicked in his mind. He wasted no more time, frantically forcing himself back to his feet with a suppressed scream and darting away as fast as his painful limp would carry him.

Telly stared with her breath still coming heavily, watching the wounded guard retreat in equal shock and bewilderment. "Huh…? W…what just…?" She suddenly averted her gaze from Nana to Cooro, blinking up at him. "Did…you do that, mister?"

The dark-haired young man flinched, almost surprised himself. He'd reacted purely on instinct, not having even been thinking about his abilities.

"Umm…" He sputtered. "I…"

That was all the girl needed to take his reaction as a yes. Her gaze stretched even bigger. "What…are you?" She breathed, staring at him in a mixture of wonder and wariness, as if she was looking at some dangerous, bizarre creature.

"Err…" Cooro fell completely silent, stiffening under her wide gaze. What could he say when he didn't even know the answer to the question himself?

"It doesn't matter!" Apparently, though, the girl hadn't necessarily been waiting for a response. "You can help us! You can help save my friends!" She beamed, her expression shifting as she abruptly let go of the other bat +anima and snatched the crow's hand.

That's right… I can use my abilities freely now, as long as I'm wearing my pendant. Maybe…I can do something after all!

The thought of using his power to protect people was something new. He'd used it once to protect both himself and Nana from the cougars that'd been lurking in the underground mind they'd gotten stuck in nearby, but even then he'd been struggling to fight against succumbing to the demon in his mind.

This was something completely different. He felt the pendant pulse hotly against where it rested on his chest.

His human self had complete control over his inhuman power. Could he…use it now to help instead of kill?

"Come on!" Telly pressed, making the boy stumble over his own feet as she yanked him forward a few steps. "The fortress isn't far! I'll show you where my friends are! We have to hurry!"

Cooro hesitated a moment longer, before suddenly turning back to Nana. "I'm going with her!" He announced determinedly. "Go back and tell Husky and Senri what's going on."

"What?" Nana shook her head incredulously. "No way! If you're going, then I am, too! I can help you…" She may not have had the strange abilities that he did, but she did have her sonic screech and heightened senses, as well as the two blades at her belt.

"I know." The crow +anima nodded. "But if no one tells them anything, they'll be vulnerable just sitting out there….and especially if they wander closer in search of us." That was true…but a part of him just wanted a reason to keep her from coming. None of his companions were the demon he was – they didn't have power he did. It would be dangerous for her to come, and he couldn't bear it if anything happened to her…

The young woman bit her lip. "But…I'm not letting you go alone!" She insisted fervently. "Not against all those guards! That's crazy! What if…what if they…?"

Cooro forced a confident smile. "I'll be fine, Nana. After all…it's not that easy to kill a monster."

He looked down slightly as he finished with a tint of self bitterness in his voice, the girl falling silent as her own eyes fell downcast. "But you're just a human. I don't care what you can do – you're just another fragile human… Please…be careful…" She insisted, her voice pleading as a slight, worried dampness already started to appear in her eyes.

The boy blinked at her in surprise, his words caught in his throat before Telly gave him another frantic pull. "I will. I'll be fine." He repeated with a voice that sounded as confident as he could muster. "I just…I have to try to help…"

Nana held his brown-eyed gaze a moment longer, before hesitantly nodding.

"Come on, let's go! Now! We have no time for this – we need to hurry!" Telly complained loudly, giving a yank so hard that she almost knocked him down.

"R…right…" Cooro sputtered, turning back to Nana one last time as he started following the smaller girl. "You be careful, too! I'll see you later!" He assured, before frantically beating his wings in an attempt to take to the air once more. They did need to hurry.

Nana stayed there for a moment, anxiously watching him leave as the younger bat +anima stole him away. She giggled slightly in spite of herself as he ended up stumbling back to the ground in a mess of black feathers following his first, rushed try at a take off again, earning a frustrated, confused glare from Telly. He made it the second time, lifting into the air as he followed the small shape of the girl. Her smile abruptly disappeared.

The young woman hesitated even after she could barely make out his silhouette anymore, wondering why she felt so sad.

What if…this is the last time I ever see him…?

No! She quickly scolded herself. She couldn't think like that! He really would be fine, wouldn't he? She'd been worried about him before, and he'd always come out okay in the end.

This time, though, she had a bad feeling about letting him go alone.

All at once, she quickly turned away and bolted off, up into the sky. Beating her wings as fast as they could go, she hurried towards the place where her other two companions should still be waiting, a new sense of urgency making her heart pump faster.

"C'mon!" Telly complained again, still pulling on Cooro's arm. "You're not that good at flying, are you?" She observed in frustration, trying to drag him more quickly through the air as her own wings pulsed rapidly.

Cooro frowned, but didn't say anything, panting for breath. He understood the urgency, and was giving it everything he had as he struggled to keep pace with the girl that was pulling him along.

"There it is!" Telly suddenly announced, her voice startling the crow +anima in midair as he moved his eyes to follow her gaze.

The once abandoned war fortress spread in front of his view, finally visible as they cleared a corner around a seaside cliff.

He blinked in surprise. It was indeed quite close to where he and his companions had set up the fire earlier that evening, closer than he'd thought, in fact – the cliff had been merely obscuring its visibility.

It didn't look the same as it had, though, when he and Nana had first set out on that supposedly short, simple trip to gather supplies those few weeks ago.

Three armed ships came into view along with it, bordering the stone building from the sea. On them were cannons, just like the ones that had taken the lives of nearly everyone else who had set out on that same trip with them. Cooro cringed, hearing the merciless banging and the desperate voices once again in his mind as he looked at them.

And there were signs to show that these cannons had already seen a lot of use – many walls of the fortress on the side that bordered the sea had caved in, leaving messy, desolate piles of rubble.

The boy jerked in midflight, momentarily dipping in the sky as one of the cannons suddenly went off without warning, a ferocious crack splitting the air as another wall along the fortress crumbled.

He flapped his wings frantically, a few moments passing before he managed to resume regular flight. He forced down a deep breath as he did, his heart thudding as he continued scanning the area.

Many people were on those ships too, more so than there had been on the ship that had attacked before. And it looked like the fortress had its own cannons prepared for use. It appeared that the fight had been going on for a while.

Looking away from the side of the fortress on the sea, though, he could see that there was also movement down below, just in front of the main entrance. Astarian guards, he realized – they had to be. They had set up watch by the opening, keeping anyone from going in or out.

Cooro suddenly started descending towards them, Telly looking down as she felt the pull on her arm. "What are you doing?" She accused. "I'll show you the roof opening where me and several other winged +anima got out."

"But the entrance needs to be cleared, so that everyone else can get out, too." The young man decided. "Otherwise, how will all of your friends get out?"

Letting go of her hand, he all once purposely dipped down further before she could say anything else, outstretching his palm before he even landed.

The guards noticed him too late, the sharp wind blade smacking into them before they could react.

He'd aimed it low, the attack hitting their legs instead of their chests. It sent them to the sandy ground in a series of thuds, though, littering the air with dust.

"What in the…?"

"What was that?"

"Quick, get your weapons!"

Cooro ignored them, dropping out of the sky and into the center of the squadron as they struggled to recover.

He outstretched his hand in front of him, letting a small, blue flame spring to life in it as he glared over the soldiers.

The eyes of the guards stretched wide in disbelief and fright as the black-winged boy let the fire increase and flare wildly in his fingers.

"W…what is…?"

"Fire? How can…?"

"…Magic?"

The soldiers murmured nervously amongst themselves, already taking a few steps back.

Cooro glared over them with the coldest stare he could put on his face. "If you don't run now, and leave this fortress, I'll reduce you to nothing but ashes." He threatened, trying to hide the fear in his own voice as he struggled to imitate something like his demon self.

He wasn't going to kill anyone, though, not this time – he wasn't going to rob anyone else of their life. He'd promised himself that when he'd agreed to help. He wasn't going to let the monster inside him take over.

…They didn't need to know that, though.

The guards hesitated a moment longer, quickly glancing at each other and then warily back at him in disbelief.

A bold arrow suddenly split the air, the boy hearing the creak of the bow just in time to spin around and snap it with a wind blade from his free hand before it reached him. The guards reeled back even further.

Cooro frowned as they still lingered, holding his arm out as he let the flame blaze even higher, the tips of it licking the air above his head as the heat washed over both him and his enemies.

This time they were off with nothing more than a few started stutters, leaving the entrance unguarded.

The black-winged +anima sighed in relief, finally letting the flame in his palm diminish as he slowly pulled his fingers back into a tense fist.

Still hovering a good distance away in the air, Telly looked down at him with eyes that were equally as wide as the soldiers'. She was trembling, he noticed, even though she was trying not to look afraid.

Cooro just let a smile reappear on his face as he returned her gaze. "Okay, now show me where your friend's are hiding, Telly."

The girl nodded, suddenly snapping back to her rush as he spoke. "R…right. Come, this way!" She prompted, leading him inside. The boy took to the air himself again, managing to take off on his first attempt this time as he followed.

His eyes widened in horror as soon as they moved inside, a shiver running up his spine. Several unmoving bodies were spread out along the stone ground, lying in sticky pools of crimson. The still forms of a man with the ears, tail, fangs, and claws of cougar, another with those like a wolf, and a woman with those of a lynx lay alongside two other men lacking in animal features. None of them were breathing. A fight between the Astarian forces upon entry and the +anima who were supposed to guard the entrance had probably broken out here…and the small group of +anima had been able to do nothing to stop them… Cooro felt his own body start to shake, going cold as he stared down at them, unable to take his eyes away as unwanted memories assaulted his mind.

"Hurry!" Telly prompted again, snapping him back to reality. Right. He wanted to prevent as many people as he could from becoming like those on the floor here, he had no time to waste with shock.

The small bat +anima led him down the residential hallway, the horror in his eyes only continuing to swell as they passed the rooms.

For as far as he could see, the door to every single room was open. Things were knocked over inside, and crimson spilled out into the hallway. Every so often he would the shape of another lost +anima or defeated soldier tucked behind the entrances to the room or dragged out into the passage. He tried to stop looking, feeling a lump in his throat when he saw their lifeless, agonized faces that made his wings threaten to freeze and stop beating.

Telly finally came to a halt as she reached the second, thin hallway branching off from the main residential path. "They ran down here…" She started, shaking anxiously. "It's a hard to navigate passage, but we know it well because we always go down there and play… They thought that it might be a good place to hide…"

Cooro bit his lip. Further ahead along the main hallway, he could hear screaming now, as well as the continuous thunder of cannons. They had yet to come across anymore live guards, though – it seemed like this area had already been almost completely cleared out. He prayed that they weren't too late to save Telly's friends – hopefully they had indeed found somewhere to go unnoticed.

Urgently, he followed her down the new, desolate passage, following the girl's gaze as she searched desperately for any sign of her companions.

"A lemur +anima, hmm?"

Both Cooro and Telly momentarily tensed as a cold, male voice all at once reached their ears.

"Unusual. And it should have high agility." It continued, a small hint of amusement in its tone. "I suppose this one could be useful as a slave to the right person."

"Agreed." Another male voice decided. "Chain him up."

Telly's mouth fell agape as she registered what she was hearing. "Salu!" She screamed, suddenly rushing forward with all the speed she could summon as she heard her companion shout in protest.

Cooro frantically fought to keep up, his muscles aching in protest as he forced them to make the large, black shapes connected to his shoulders move as fast as they could go.

"And now, what about this one…" The first voice started again, an angry snarl from someone else following. "Looks like a fox."

"Hmm…" A similar, but new third voice piped up. "Well…a fox should have slightly increased combat capabilities and somewhat enhanced senses…but it doesn't particularly specialize in any area. It's rather average…"

"But this is quite a cute one!" The second voice commented mockingly.

"True." The first man agreed. "But, we've already taken some real beauties already. This one seems mediocre all the way around, to me."

"Fine. We don't even have room to take them all back to Astar if we wanted to. Let's just dispose of this one." The second guard decided.

A female voice screamed, followed by the sound of growling and thrashing claws scrapping against the stone floor.

"Amira! No, Amira!" Telly shrieked in horror, along with two other voices that sounded like they belonged to children.

Cooro's heart jumped in his chest, some of his once natural flying instinct coming back along with the rush of adrenaline that hit his veins. His wings propelled his body down the hallway desperately, his palm already outstretched in anticipation as he strained to see any sign of the guards.

All at once they came into view – three men in Astarian armor surrounding three children, with one of the guards holding a knife over the chest of a trembling, wide-gazed girl with messy blond hair and the features of a red fox.

Barely having time to aim the attack, he sent another wind blade straight for them, knocking the three guards away as crimson spilled over their legs.

The soldier with the blade was hurt worse than the others by the awkward attack, placing a hand on his left side as it leaked red. The girl quickly scurried away, going to stand by her other two friends as she wrapped herself up in her fox-like tail and stared up at the black-winged boy in shock.

"Amira! Salu! Kayah!" Telly cried in relief, flapping passed him to embrace her companions. "See? I told you I'd bring help!"

Cooro landed and took a few steps forward, preparing to summon the fire back to his palm again. It turned out, though, that he didn't need to.

A look of absolute terror was in the eyes of the man clutching his side, his whole body shaking as his gaze fell on the black wings of the boy ahead of him.

"It…it's…!" He sputtered, fighting to even find his voice. "It's the murderer!" His voice raised, the guard frantically shuffling backwards. "The murderer from Astar! The black-winged demon who slaughtered almost everyone at the guard station!"

Cooro flinched as pain struck his chest, but he tried to not to show it on his face, staring at the three men coldly as he simply gave his powerful wings an intimidating flap.

The soldiers were all up on their feet instantly, turning and running back down the hallway. "We have to tell the captain about this!" One sputtered, his voice mixing with his frantic footsteps.

Cooro swallowed hard as they disappeared, trying not to think about what he'd done that morning in Astar as he turned back to Telly and the other children.

The young bat +anima was standing by the fox girl, along with another, darker-haired girl having the features of lizard who was helping the lemur +anima boy out of the chains that'd been put on him.

They all paused and returned his gaze as he moved his over to them. The three children he hadn't met still looked a bit nervous, but Telly's eyes were beaming, her blue irises filled with gratitude.

"Thank you so much, mister! …Thank you so much!" She cried, the crow +anima able to see now that relieved tears were dampening her cheeks.

"Err… Y…yeah…thank you, for saving me…" The fox girl started. Her voice and eyes betrayed her unease, but there was also a thankful, shaken relief written on her face.

The other two young +anima nodded, looking up at him in a combination of both gratitude and wariness. The nervousness had completely vanished from Telly, though, despite what she'd probably overheard from the guards. "What's your name, anyway?" She asked, slowly starting to calm down now that the immediate danger was over.

"It's Cooro." The black-winged boy answered, his lips upturned.

"Thank you, Cooro!" She repeated, returning the grin widely as she wiped a hand across her cheek.

The young man just kept the smile on his face, his own eyes bright.

They reminded him a lot of him and his friends when they were younger, he thought as he looked down at the group of the four small +anima.

He felt a rare moment of pride, a warmth welling in his chest at the thought that he'd saved them. He'd used his power to keep the young group from being broken – he'd consciously used his abilities to protect their futures, instead of taking them away. It was a new feeling.

There wasn't time to enjoy it any longer, though, he realized. He needed to see if there was anything else he could do to help with the fighting up ahead. Maybe he could save more people – if nothing else, he had to try.

"Telly…" He bent down, closer to her height. "The entrance is open now and the main hallway seems clear, lead your friends back the way we came and then get as far away from the fortress as you can for now, okay?"

The bat +anima nodded. "But…aren't you coming with us?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm going to see if I can help anyone else. You'd better hurry and get out of here, though. Be careful, alright?"

Telly frowned slightly. "Okay…" She agreed reluctantly, already taking a few steps forward as she gestured for her companions to follow. "Just…don't get hurt. It would make me and the other girl with bat wings sad."

Cooro blinked in surprise, before smiling again. He just nodded, moving too as the girl took to the air and dashed down the hallway with her friends following on foot. He stayed close behind them until they once again reached the residential hall.

Their paths branched off there, Telly and her shaken friends waving a goodbye as they hurried towards the exit. He returned it, before turning and heading the other direction, directly towards the screams and shouts of the conflict.

Catherine flitted with ease through the wooded area along the coast, maneuvering her large, but graceful wings and nimble body up and down through the braches.

The black-winged woman could sense that her target was somewhere close by, being careful to follow the familiar trace of his presence as she moved forward. He was still a ways ahead of her, though. It seemed like the faint sensation was coming directly from the cliff along coastline ahead of her.

She blinked, trying to pick up her pace.

The fortress? It has to be.

So the boy had made it back there after all, huh? To that cold, stone place, where she too had spent several weeks.

Every so often, though, in the distance, she caught silhouettes of what looked like other winged +anima in the skies. Their wings beat frantically as they tore through the sky, flying erratically in a way that could only represent fear. Was something going on at the fortress?

"Husky, Senri, come on! Cooro is all by himself in there! I told you, we have to hurry and help him!"

Catherine paused in midair at the lightly familiar female voice, silently moving over to and setting herself down on a branch at the sound of rapidly approaching wing beats. Hoping that she couldn't be noticed from her perch among the trees, she looked down, watching an airborne figure propel itself forward in almost the same direction she'd been heading.

Her eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of desperately flapping bat wings and light-brown hair being kicked up by the wind. It was that girl.

"I know, Nana!" Another, this time male, voice piped up. Catherine's eyes followed it, the woman noticing two other familiar figures hurrying on foot a ways behind the girl. "We're coming as fast as we can! Don't forget that me and Senri can't fly like you can!"

It was all of those +anima her target called his companions. The bat, the fish, and the bear. They weren't with him, this time? Apparently they were trying to change that, though.

The girl didn't say anything in response, but she didn't slow down either, dashing passed the forest as quickly as her bat wings could possibly take her. Even from her perch, Catherine could hear her tense breathing and see the fear in her wide, green eyes as she passed underneath without ever noticing her.

"Great!" The silver-haired fish +anima spat, giving a few ragged breaths as he struggled to keep racing forward. "She's getting way ahead of us, she'll probably reach it before we do! I hope she doesn't rush in after him and get herself killed!"

He just kept running with his bear companion, the two forcing themselves to head towards the fortress as quickly as their legs would allow.

A small, cold smile suddenly possessed the black-winged woman's lips. Perfect.

Catherine suddenly leapt from her perch, quietly soaring passed the two wingless +anima as she headed after the bat. With her own powerful, controlled wings, she passed her from a distance, overtaking even her in the rush to the stone fortress.

Cooro hurried through the hallways. He was further in now, right in the middle of the building. It was darker here – many of the torches that lit the building had been knocked over along with almost everything else. It was the pulsing, vibrant light coming from the pendant around his neck that let him continue to catch glimpses of motionless bodies and crimson tainting the hall. The voices hitting his ears had grown louder, too – he had almost caught up with conflict.

"Keep your hands off me, filthy humans!" A man shouted only feet ahead of the crow +anima, making him come to a sudden stop.

Cooro hesitated in front of the door to one of the rooms, noticing more voices and sounds of struggling coming from inside. Wasting no more time, he forced himself to swing it open.

There were four older men inside, two +anima and two guards. They were in a stalemate, the stronger of the two men with animal features struggling to hold back the blades of the soldiers with his own.

Aiming carefully, the dark-haired boy sent out another wind blade, lightly smacking the two guards. They feel to the ground, falling unconscious as their heads hit the stone wall on the way down.

The two stunned +anima turned and gazed over in the boy's direction in a mixture of gratefulness and incomprehension, but he was practically already gone.

Cooro didn't linger there this time, hurrying further down the passage as another voice suddenly screamed from one of the rooms.

This time he found a young girl a few years older than Telly and her companions as he burst in. There was a single guard, who was quickly thrown against the wall by a sharp blast of wind. There was a gash along his ribs, the man gazing at the black-winged boy in disbelief before dashing passed him and retreating, abandoning the girl.

Cooro was gone again quickly, repeating the same procedure to save a dog-like young man near his own age, and then a slightly older woman with rabbit features as he continued up the hall.

This time he lingered in the last room as the woman hurried to the exit, slumping himself over one of the wooden chairs with his knees on the ground and chest against the seat. His arms hung limply off as his huge, heavy wings drooped awkwardly behind him in a pathetic attempt to rest.

He didn't have time for this! He couldn't stop! The guards wouldn't wait for him! But…

Cooro gagged and coughed, spitting up slightly on the floor as he struggled to steady his breath. His whole shape jerked raggedly with the movement, sending fresh rushes of pain down his limbs.

Every fiber in his body ached, his muscles stinging and throbbing. The ones that controlled his wings stung so much that he wasn't sure that he could move them anymore, now that he'd stopped.

He tried, gritting his teeth as he forced them to beat up and down. His entire form shook as he fought to control the movement, making the boy give another chocking, exhausted cough.

All of his strength was suddenly gone. He'd already felt worn out after simply flying with Nana. He hadn't really been ready for this, he realized now. He wasn't strong enough to fly for so long, and every time he used his abilities it seeped any energy he had from his body.

His vision blurred slightly, warning the boy that he was on the verge of falling unconscious if he didn't resist.

Why had he ever let himself become so frail? …And that bit of dinner he'd been offered back around the campfire wouldn't have hurt, now, either. He cursed himself inwardly, frustrated at his failing flesh and oftentimes feeble mind.

He couldn't stop here, though. Even if it hurt, he couldn't stop. He had to keep going. He had to.

Cooro slowly pushed himself off the seat of the chair with his shaking arms, about to force himself to his feet when his eyes all at once opened wide.

The unpleasantly familiar haze in his mind suddenly flared up uncomfortably, threatening to overtake him in the instant before the pendant around his neck pulsed brighter. Its warmth increased, helping to fight away the coldness that tried to attack his spirit.

…Catherine?

The young man's already pounding heart lurched forward even further. What if she tried to attack him now, when he was already so tired from the conflict? What if her presence became so strong that not even the pendant could fight off the increasing haze in his head? What if he was forced to withdraw his +anima? Without it, without his abilities and his wings, he was nothing more than a frail, helpless boy.

Catherine, no, please! Stay away, I can't deal with you now! I can't…

No… He had the pendant he'd worn and fought her with as Tilah now. Even if his body was weak, his human mind was strong enough to protect itself. He would make it be. He just hoped she wouldn't stir things up in the middle of the fight.

He finally stood up, the new rush of anxious adrenaline helping his tired, aching wings beat as he moved back out into the hallway and continued further up.

Nana swooped down and landed on the sandy ground as she finally neared the entrance of the fortress. She approached it cautiously, clinging to the side of the cliff that housed it as she slowly moved her head to peek inside, bat ears perked. She didn't hear anything, but…

Her gaze all at once stretched in horror as she saw what awaited her just inside the entrance. She spun around in shook, her mouth falling agape as she turned to face the gruesome scene.

She wanted to bend down and help the three +anima lying on the ground, but she stopped herself – she knew that it was already too late. No breath, no movement at all came from their shapes, and the floor was stained red from the liquid pooled beneath them and the fallen guards. The girl instinctively stepped back, noticing that the crimson ooze had gathered around her feet as she looked down.

Her eyes started to water, her heart thumping sickeningly in her chest as she stared at the people who's lives the conflict had already claimed. And moving her gaze as far she could see into the extending hallways, it looked like things only got worse.

"Cooro!" She suddenly screamed aloud in spite of herself, fear for her old friend taking over as she all at once propelled herself into the grim passage.

Nana kept her eyes down as she flew, the girl not wanting to look at the scene around her. Instead, she kept her ears swiveling, straining for any sign of her companion's familiar voice or the clumsy, but powerful wing beats she'd come to associate with him from earlier that evening.

She wasn't really aware of whether or not Husky and Senri were still behind her, but she didn't have time to stop and wait. She had to find him! She had to know that he hadn't ended up like all those motionless shapes spread lifelessly along the hallway.

Her eyes were set straight at the middle of floor beneath her as she flew, but a single, black feather suddenly appeared in her view, kicked up by the breeze from her flapping wings. Taking in a sharp, surprised gasp, she immediately dropped down to her feet, stumbling clumsily in her rush to stop.

The feather landed lightly at the edge of her shoe, the girl able to see now that others were also spread out over the ground. With trembling hands, she picked up the dark, airy shape by her foot, scanning it over. It was still warm, and it sure looked like his…

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to swing her gaze over to the side, scared of what she might see.

There was nothing but an open doorway to one of the rooms. She felt slightly relieved to see nothing else of him on the ground, but, as she continued to stare at the room, she caught sight of more black feathers spread out across the floor inside.

"Cooro!" She suddenly screamed out without thinking, flinching as her voice echoed noisily down the hall. It probably wasn't wise to be so loud in the currently situation, but she prayed to hear a response, her muscles tensed and her ears perked forward as she waited.

It never came. Not from the feathery room, and not from the passage up ahead. The girl's heart jumped into her chest with a sickening lurch.

Maybe he'd simply gone into the room for a conflict and lost a few feathers. Maybe he was now already too far ahead to hear her. After all, the fortress was huge, and he would've been in here alone for at least an hour.

But…

Nana bit her bottom lip anxiously, taking a few tense steps inside the room. "…Cooro…?" She whispered more quietly, glancing around just to assure herself that he wasn't there.

The loose feathers seemed to lead into one of the closet-like spaces that held the beds, the girl nervously approaching it and hesitantly moving inside.

Something heavy all at once smacked into her from behind before she even had a chance to look, knocking the wind out of her lungs as she let out a started scream. She fell forward, but was held up by arms that suddenly wrapped around her chest, gripping her tightly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of black wings hovering over her, but she knew instantly that they weren't Cooro's.

Catherine!

Her pulse thudded in panic. Had the killer purposely set this up? Had she just fallen helplessly into a cruel trap?

She screamed again, this time more loudly as she recovered her breath and tried to force the black-winged witch's arms away from her.

The two young women were near the same age, but Catherine still managed to overpower her as she forced her arms tighter against her ribs.

With her own free hands, Nana instead reached for one of the knives hidden at her belt. Gripping it tightly, she slashed the edge of the blade down the back of her captor's wrist, making the other woman instinctively pull her right arm away in pain as crimson started leaking from the gouge.

The bat +anima used her other hand to force herself out of the hold, stumbling away. She quickly whirled to face Catherine's dark winged form with her pulse pounding, grabbing her second knife as she let out a screech.

It stunned the killer in spite of herself, giving the girl time to maneuver around to her backside and wrack both of the blades down her spine. Familiar rage tore through her, making her forget to be afraid as she ripped the knives through the killer's flesh.

This was the person who'd killed Niomi. This was the person who'd been destroying Cooro's life for years. The person who wanted to turn him in to someone else. The person who'd already taken so much from both of them, and still wanted to take him away from her.

"You witch! You demon! Don't you touch me!" She spat, an icy venom in her voice that rarely left her mouth. "Get out of here! Leave me and Cooro alone!"

Wincing as the pain rushed down her back, Catherine slammed a hard elbow into Nana's stomach, making her fall away, off balance.

The raven-winged woman turned to face her with dangerous, narrowed eyes, instantly slamming a wind blade into the bat +anima's legs that sent her to the ground with a startled yelp.

"Your words hold no meaning to me, human girl. Know your place." She stated in a voice that was as steady and calm as ever, sending another sharp rush of wind at the girl to accent her words.

Nana flinched as the attack connected, but she hardly felt the pain through her fury, still forcing herself back up onto her feet.

She let out another screech, charging the black-winged woman with her blades extended. This time, however, the raven +anima managed to stumble to the side and spin to face her again.

The witch formed a flame in her palm, the fire stretching into something like a whip as she flung her arm towards the girl.

Nana stumbled backwards, stifling a sharp shriek as it connected. It stung, burning her skin where it hit on her upper arm and chest.

"You can't save him!" Catherine insisted, smacking her again. "You can't save something that doesn't exist! Like Elizabeth before you, you've brought this upon yourself by trying! No matter how long you manage to prolong it, you are only fighting for an illusion that is destined to fade! You'll never truly mean a thing to the being inside that body! He's mine… He belongs to me and he never will to anyone else! He's mine!"

Nana opened her mouth, but it was another scream that came out as the witch's flame whip smacked against her once more, this time leaving burn marks across her face.

Catherine wasn't letting up this time, the girl's heart pounding desperately as the killer's whip struck again and again.

There were throbbing, crisscrossed singes all over her body now. Pieces of her clothes were burned away where she'd been hit, and the wounds extended all the way to her wings.

She made a frantic, feeble attempt at another screech, but the sound was stifled in her mouth as the black-winged woman gave another strike to her face.

"Shush, child." Catherine stepped forward and knelt down over her before she could recover, finally letting the flame in her palm fade as she placed it instead over the trembling girl's mouth. "I'm not simply going to kill you. That would be such a waste – I think you might actually be just the tool I need to help break that illusion you tried so hard to protect."

Nana flailed a leg, trying to kick the witch away.

Catherine didn't seem bothered as the bat +anima's foot knocked against her weakly, the woman instead bending down even closer.

Nana's eyes widened as the killer's face came mere inches from hers, the girl able to feel her breath.

The black-winged witch suddenly moved her second hand to the young woman's forehead, making her shiver in repulsion as she gently caressed her skin. There was a soft, cold light emanating from the hand that lingered on her face. "Stop struggling. Sleep now."

Nana fought to pull away from the palm on her forehead, from the face of the killer that was so near to hers, but any strength she had left suddenly started ebbing away. Her eyelids felt heavy, her consciousness starting to slip away.

She desperately tried to hold on to it, but the blackness overpowered her. The last thing she saw before slipping into sleep were Catherine's triumphant eyes staring straight down into hers as they closed.

The dark-winged woman watched with satisfaction as the girl's forehead fell away from her hand, her body collapsing limply to the cold floor.

She didn't resist anymore. Her fierce green eyes were shut, and her wings, limbs, and light-brown hair were spread motionlessly over the stone beneath her. The only sign that showed that her life hadn't been extinguished was the rhythmic, almost deceivingly peaceful pattern of her breath as her chest rose and fell.

A pretty girl. Catherine decided, though she still couldn't see what made her so important to the mask her target wore. She was just another worthless human. But, ironically, every time that mask had come close to breaking had been because of this single girl, she realized, not because of her herself. Even if she didn't completely understand, she would be a fool not to take more advantage of such a powerful tool. That was something she'd learned from that pathetic woman, Nadia.

Something caught the killer's eye as she continued staring down at the still shape of the girl – a simple, black and lilac scarf tied around her neck. It seemed like she'd been wearing it every time she'd seen her, and it was similar to the one that the boy himself seemed to have taken to always wearing.

A strange, cruel smile appeared on the raven +anima's features as a memory suddenly clicked in her mind. That's right… When she'd first found her target's current form, he'd been wearing that same scarf that he was again now around his neck. He'd told her about a friend – a girl – who'd made if for him before she left, and how he was having someone teach him how to make one because he'd promised to in return for the next time he happened to see her.

The black-winged woman knelt down further, untying the scarf and removing it from its place by the sleeping girl's throat without resistance. She looked it over. Was this the one he'd promised to make for her as a small child? It didn't matter. Either way, it would likely be something that was easily recognizable as hers.

With a satisfied, cold smile on her face, Catherine tied the scarf around her own neck, letting it come to rest against her chest as she started gathering up the feathers she'd left to attract the girl.

When she was sure that she'd catch no more focus for now, she reached down again and scoped up the form of the bat +anima. A slight glow came to her hands – using her power, even the weight of a girl close to the age of her own body felt like nothing.

With Nana lying limply in her arms, Catherine spread her dark wings, moving back out into the hallway and hurrying towards the exit of the fortress. It would be best to take her tool out of there for now.

Cooro finally came to a halt as he reached the doors that he knew led out to the balcony. He'd finally reached the end of the long, residential hallway. But…he didn't see anyone else.

He'd only come across one more fighting set of guards and +anima after forcing himself to continue on, but he still heard the screaming and shouting of conflict echoing from what sounded like somewhere below him. It was louder now, but the balcony ahead of him itself seemed quiet. He glanced instead at the several doors alongside the exit to it. He'd never actually gone through any of them before, but judging from their look and placement, he guessed they led downward, into the deeper reaches of the old war fortress. That had to be where the sounds he was hearing were coming from…but, he was unsure of which to take.

The boy just stood there a moment, still panting as he tried to catch his breath. He noticed something else as he lingered. The telltale haze of Catherine's presence had faded and disappeared from his mind. She'd left the fortress. He sighed in relief, but somehow still felt uneasy, even though he wasn't quite sure why. Even she felt anxious around huge crowds of people – perhaps she'd simply been intimidated by the conflict and had decided to back off for now. Something about her brief appearance struck him as strange, though…

He shook his head. He didn't have time to think about her right now.

Realizing that he'd already wasted too much time, he forced his aching form to move to one of the doors, opening it and peering inside.

Just as he did, though, loud voices suddenly rose from somewhere behind him, making the boy jump as a different door abruptly slammed open.

"Filthy scum!"

He quickly spun around, just in time to see a guard tumble backwards through the opening with liquid red spilling from a gouge in his chest. A girl with a long tail and rounded ears who looked to be only a few years older than him followed, swinging an axe-like weapon at another soldier slashing a blade behind her.

She didn't turn quite fast enough, taking a hit to her left ribs before she managed to block the swipe. She followed it with a slash of her own, finally making the second guard fall back.

But a third man had moved around her in the struggle, holding up a knife in the direction of the back of her throat.

"Look out!" Cooro suddenly screamed, momentarily startling both the guard and the woman as he bolted forward and outstretched his palm.

He couldn't make a direct hit without risking hitting the girl, but he still managed to shot a wind blade at the man's side. The guard stumbled backwards and away from the +anima as it grazed his ribs, looking up at this new, second +anima with a mixture of alarm and confusion.

The girl scrambled out of the way, watching as the boy knocked the guard into the wall with another hit to his upper legs. This time the guard did nothing as he slumped against the stone, unconscious.

"…Who…are you? What…?" The woman stared at him wide-eyed with one arm over her wound. She didn't look any less disturbed than anyone else had, the fervent anger that had been in her eyes largely replaced by bewilderment and fear.

Cooro, though, just forced a smile. "It's okay, I'm a +anima, too. I'm here to help. My name's Cooro." He answered briefly.

The girl narrowed her eyes – it was clear that she realized he certainly wasn't any regular +anima, but she said nothing else about it, some of alarm slowly fading from her gaze as she looked him over.

His own gaze stretched wider as he suddenly caught sight of the badge on her shirt – the symbol that marked an officer of the fortress! She was the first she'd seen. "Oh!" He blurted aloud. "You're a fortress official!"

This time the woman smiled. "Indeed." She announced proudly, seeming both pleased and slightly less tense at his reaction. "The name's Lucia. I'm an elite soldier here at the +anima fortress."

So that was why she seemed so skilled. Cooro looked the officer over again. She had a strong build, with a few old scars as well as new wounds that had likely only recently been inflicted during the fight. It took him a moment to place her +anima, but judging by the shapes of her ears and tail along with her claws, he realized that it was probably that of a fossa – a creature with weasel-like features and wolverine-like strength. And, like Senri, she also appeared to have kim-un-kur blood in her veins. She certainly looked like a weathered, capable fighter, but that didn't change the fact that most of the crimson staining her clothes appeared to be her own. What'd happened to the rest of the fortress' own soldiers?

"What exactly is going on?" Cooro asked desperately, realizing that an official like her might know. "Why did the guards attack? Why did they come here?"

The woman, Lucia, frowned angrily. "A man with a ship brought +anima who'd escaped from Astar here a couple of days ago. The soldiers arrived this morning in their own ships, saying that they would back off if we handed them back all of the refugee +anima. Naturally, we refused – the fortress exists for us to protect our own kind. But we didn't know there were forces waiting to invade the fortress from land, depending on our answer." She grimaced. "We were caught off guard… They're taking +anima they consider useful back with them to turn into slaves like those in Sailand, and they're…getting rid of all the others."

Cooro swallowed a gasp, feeling his stomach twist. The +anima from the Astar prison! Apparently they had arrived safely after he and his companions had departed the boat, but…

"Their numbers are much bigger this time…" Lucia continued grimly. "Most of the remaining +anima have gathered by the other officials in the room where the cannons are fired from, but so have most of the guards now. I'm one of the few who tried to leave to look for anymore +anima that might still be out here, but…you can see how that went…" She commented flatly, her eyes briefly moving down to the fallen soldiers. "I was ambushed before I even reached the main hallway… There's simply too many of them – I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here…" The official looked the young man directly in the eyes. "Look…I don't know what you are, or what you just did, but will you help us get the guards to back off? If we lose that room, we're finished."

Cooro nodded urgently. "Show me the way. I've been through the hallway, and I don't think there are anymore +anima out here."

"…Alright…follow me." The woman decided, quickly turning back towards the door she came from. She gestured for him to keep pace as she moved through the network of tunnels.

The huge, expanse of a room where the cannons were located had gone to chaos.

Cooro could feel himself tremble as he gazed out at the scene. More motionless bodies lay on the ground, under the feet of countless sparring guards and +anima as both fought for their lives.

Many more +anima were crouched at the very back of the room, behind the protection of those that desperately struggled to keep the soldiers away from them.

At the front of the battle were most of the other officials, their faces naught in determination and pain as they clashed weapons with the oncoming guards.

Kazana!

The boy stared at the familiar eagle +anima – probably the only one who'd chosen to remain in the fortress with wings besides him, as he knocked away one guard with an axe of his own.

More officials were struggling to sustain their grips on the cannons, trying to keep their offense going on Astar's ships.

Lucia ran in without another word, using her axe to block an attack to another official who'd been caught off guard. "Disgusting humans!" She spat, reentering the fray despite her own wounds.

Cooro watched as the movement of battle swallowed up his view of her, hovering at the edge of the entrance alone for a moment longer.

Steeling himself, he all at once knelt down and sent out a sharp, swift wind edge at a group of guards in front of him, sending them tumbling down as it hit their feet. The other +anima wasted no time in pouncing on them.

Furious footsteps all at once started approaching him from behind, the boy taking in a stunned gasp as he turned his gaze to find a man holding a blade over his back. He barely managed to move to the side, rolling away as the sword hit the ground with a loud, merciless clang. He countered quickly with another wind blade. It sent the guard to the ground, but it was only seconds before two more were over him.

He frantically managed to push himself into the air above them with his wings, before this time hitting them with a wave of fire. They fell back in shock as they struggled to avoid the flames, but a third man scraped a knife down his leg, making the crow +anima tumble back down and scramble backwards to avoid another onslaught of slashes.

"It's the monster from Astar! The escaped murderer who killed the guards at the prison!" A terrified voice rang out, from one of the soldiers who'd narrowly avoided the flames.

"Kill him! Kill him!" Another bellowed, both alarm and rage flaring up in the eyes of the other surrounding guards.

Cooro could feel his heart pound wildly in his chest as he threw himself backwards and hit a couple of guards from behind with another wind blade, only to take another small slash to one of his wings. Power did not necessarily equate to skill, he realized now, as the squadron of guards bore down on him. At least…not to his human self.

He screamed as a knife suddenly pierced the skin of his cheek and left a line of red across his face, the boy having barely managed to fall back in time to have it miss the center of his head.

All of his bravery was suddenly gone. He didn't want to be here now. He didn't want to be in this situation he didn't know if he'd ever make it out of. Nana had been right. No matter what ability he had, unless he gave in to the terrifying, killing instinct his demon self had, he was as fragile as anyone else. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to be with companions back at the campfire. He wanted to be with her.

His whole body shaking now, he managed to send out another wave of flames, buying himself a brief moment to recover as he got a few yelps out of the soldiers. Fighting the urge to panic and cry, he followed up with another wind blade to the group in front of him, but he barely turned around in time to see that a whole new squadron had approached him from the side, weapons drawn.

He only had time to shriek as they thrust their blades down…slamming his eyes shut as he braced for the worst. But they never hit. Instead, the weapons of those in front dropped limply to the ground beside him.

Cooro opened his eyes to see Kazana standing over their fallen bodies, blood spilling from a huge slash wound that ran across each of their backs.

The black-winged boy couldn't get his tongue to work. He just stared up at the official with scared eyes, trembling.

Kazana frowned. "So it's true. You are alive. I must give those two friends of yours credit – I never thought they stood a chance at saving you. But you have to get up and help me fight if you don't want their efforts to be useless!" He ordered sternly, turning back and slashing at another approaching group of guards.

Cooro gritted his teeth determinedly, trying to get his fear back under control as he forced himself up again.

He stood back to back with Kazana as a wave of guards approached from the opposite direction, driving them away with a wind blade. He sent a rush of flames at another as they kept coming.

"That's the Astar murderer and one of the highest leaders of the +anima rebels. The prices on their heads are ridiculous – take them out and you'll be rich!"

"The crow has been freeing +anima along the residential hallways. He's dangerous, but we have to get rid of him!"

"That eagle +anima is one of the officials that holds this facility together, without him, the rebels will start to fall apart."

Cooro struggled to keep his shaking form steady as the guards swarmed them. Other +anima fighters tried to keep them away, locking many into conflicts with them, but the boy kept sending out as many wind blades as he could without hitting allies, while Kazana tried to cover the front with his axe.

The number of guards that were able to fight was slowly starting to dwindle, he realized with an abrupt twinge of hope. He was making a difference!

Maybe…if he and the other +anima there could keep this up, they could force a retreat!

Swallowing hard with his pulse still racing, he kept fighting, sending out more flames.

It was when Kazana suddenly let out a scream behind him that he jumped and span around, taking a hard slash to his chest as an especially large axe knocked both him and the official down.

The guard with the weapon, probably one of the captains, was about to bring it down on them once more, before he suddenly shrieked and fell to the side himself. A new figure was revealed behind him as he collapsed with a thud.

Cooro's eyes instantly shot open wider. "Husky!" He could hardly believe his eyes. What were any of his companions doing here? "What're you…?"

The familiar silver-haired boy glowered down at him, crimson dripping from the seethe-like weapon in his hands. "You idiot!" He spat. "What were you thinking, going off alone like that? Nana was right – you should be glad we came when we did! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Cooro shrunk under his stare. "But…I…"

"There's no time for this!" Kazana reminded harshly, already back on his feet.

After another glance at his old friend, the dark-haired young man quickly forced himself back up onto his legs, whirling back around and sending out another attack.

As his gaze traveled around the conflict, he caught sight of Senri slamming his claws against a couple of guards near the entrance. Both him and Husky were there. But did that mean…? Where was…?

"Don't get distracted!" Kazana instructed sharply, catching the boy's eyes traveling around.

He released another batch of flames at the official's words, knocking back a few more soldiers.

The fight continued like that for a few more minutes, until the voice of one of Astar's captain's echoed though the immense stone room. "Retreat! We've taken too many casualties! Gather up the wounded and head back to the carriages! I repeat! We're calling a retreat!"

Cooro's mouth gawked open in disbelief as the guards whispered amongst themselves and quickly withdrew with a few final curses. He fell to his knees as they started to disappear from the room, practically collapsing onto the floor in his exhaustion.

"Hurry, they're already weak! Go find the carriage they put the captured +anima inside and stop them from taking it!"

"Right!"

The black-winged young man felt like he didn't even have the strength to look up as he heard Kazana quickly give out the order. Several other officials ran passed him, rushing to the task. The guards didn't have much fight left in them for now – the +anima weren't going to have any problems.

It took a few moments before he was even aware of the countless stares focused in on him.

"What is he?"

"That wasn't natural power!"

"No +anima can have abilities like that!"

"He's like…some sort of…monster!"

"Don't say that! He saved us!"

"Right! It doesn't matter what he is! His power turned the battle around!"

"They went at us full force this time! This was a critical victory!"

"A lot more of us would be dead now if it wasn't for him!"

"He saved us! He's a hero!"

Cooro finally managed to force his gaze up to meet those of the awe-struck onlookers, not sure what to do with all of the crowd's eyes trained directly on him.

A…hero…?

He was definitely nothing like that. He never could be. He was a murderer. No matter what he did now, it would never make for what he'd done in the past. What he'd done could never be erased. But…maybe his power didn't have to be entirely evil. He felt the foreign tinge of pride he'd felt earlier return as he met the gazes of the crowd, the feeling of warmth welling up even bigger in his chest.

The boy stayed like that for a while, boxed in by the gathered +anima. Even those that had escaped or been captured started to return, he realized with relief, as he noticed more of them enter the area curiously.

He saw Telly and her friends enter, smiling in her direction, before passing it in the direction of Lucia and the other officials. He saw Meora, too. There was a look of shock in her eyes as she stared at him. It almost stung at first, but it was natural she'd be surprised – she'd never known about his abilities before, either. Cooro passed her a wave, and a smile appeared on her face a moment later, the woman waving back as she beamed proudly at him.

The crow +anima could feel Kazana still staring at him, too. That's right. Kazana hadn't known about his power anymore than anyone else had. He hadn't really even known for sure that he was still a +anima. But he didn't say anything. Maybe he thought he owed him that. Cooro was glad.

He felt a light prod on his shoulder, looking up to see that Husky and Senri were standing beside him again as the eyes of the gathering slowly started to drift away. He took the hand his silver-haired companion offered, the fish +anima finally helping him up to his feet.

It was when he stood up that Cooro noticed that the attention of his two companion's was focused elsewhere, their gazes anxiously scanning the crowd as well, as if looking for someone.

The boy all at once realized who as the thought came back to him with a jolt. Nana!

"Cooro…have you seen Nana?" Husky asked, just as the crow +anima had been about to open his own mouth.

His heart instantly lurched. "You mean…you don't know where she is?"

The silver-haired boy shook his head anxiously, his eyes betraying his own worry. "She came back and told us what was going on and where you were, but… She ended up flying ahead of us on the way here. We'd already lost her by the time we got to the fortress… We thought that maybe she'd already found you, but…"

Cooro's tired muscles tensed, his heartbeat picking up speed again as he flung his gaze around the room, desperate to catch sight of her familiar figure. But she wasn't there. She wasn't in the crowd, and she wasn't in the groups of returning captured +anima, either…

But… All the +anima that had been fighting were already in the room, and it seemed like all the others who'd escaped or been captured had joined them. Where else could she…?

No! He felt a shiver go up his spine, all at once feeling a sickening jolt in his stomach.

"Nana!" He screamed aloud in panic, all at once bursting away and back into the main area of the fortress.

"Cooro, wait!"

He heard the footsteps of his other two old friends behind him as he raced down the hallways, frantically calling out her name. What if she was injured somewhere? She…had to be… He swallowed hard. Otherwise…

What if…? What if she'd been…? What if the guards had…?

And, somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that Catherine's presence had appeared again… It was actually growing stronger, making the haze in his mind flare up uncomfortably. Not having the strength left to deal with it, Cooro withdrew his wings, continuing his search on foot.

He screamed out her name again, a terrified lump starting to ache in his throat. He couldn't take this! He had to find her now!

"Cooro, calm down! We need to go back and tell everyone what's going on! With all of those people, we'll definitely be able to find her!"

The boy barely heard the voice of his silver-haired old friend, feeling nauseous with worry as his eyes frantically scanned each room they passed.

He ran on ahead, not stopping as his two male companions tried to catch up.

"Looking for someone?"

It was that voice that made him halt in his tracks, with Husky and Senri abruptly coming to a stop behind him.

The words came from a familiar female voice, but not the one he'd been hoping to hear.

Cooro's gaze stretched even wider, the boy taking a few steps back as the figure of a black-winged woman emerged from one of the rooms, coming to stand in front of them.

"Ca…Catherine!" He sputtered, the pendant around his neck flaring wildly to protect his mind, even without his +anima activated.

It was only a moment before the breath caught in Cooro's throat, making him choke on his own gasp as his mouth fell open. His heart dropped sickeningly inside of him, his whole body going cold.

A few seconds passed before he could speak, hardly able to hear his own voice over his rapid heartbeat. "Where did you… Where did you get that scarf?"

The edges of Catherine's lips upturned as a cold, emotionless smile appeared on her features. "Hmm… I wonder. Where do you think?" She taunted, a strange brightness in her inhuman eyes as she watched his.

It was Catherine. Nana was missing because of Catherine, not the guards.

Cooro felt his palms twist into fists as he narrowed his eyes, his whole figure shaking. "Where…is she?" He whispered quietly, before his voice all at once rose to a scream. "Where is she? Where's Nana? Where is she?"

Nothing in Catherine's eyes changed as she watched him. "The poor thing." She started coldly, her voice casual and empty. "She was so worried about you that she went on ahead to find you, but…she found me instead."

"Where is she?" Cooro demanded again, his fear making him feel dizzy as he awaited her answer. "If you've even touched her, I'll –"

"You'll what?" The black-winged woman interrupted, mock curiosity in her voice. "You'll save her like you did Elizabeth?"

Cooro opened his mouth to speak, but it came out as a shrill, angry scream, the boy all at once rushing her. He momentarily let his wings appear again, managing to comfortably keep control just for a second as he sent a wind blade her direction.

Catherine dodged it with nothing but a flap of her wings, countering with her own. It smacked him right in the chest, sending him to the ground with a violent thud.

"Worthless." She glowered down at him, unmoved. "You'll never be able to fully harness your abilities as you are now."

"Where is she…? Where is she?" He repeated again, ignoring her words as his human gaze met her straight in her demon-like one. He was still keeping his voice threatening and loud, but she could see water starting to spill from underneath his anguished eyes.

She just stared at him for a moment longer, the same smile still on her face. "I still don't understand, brother. What do you see in human emotions? What do you see in love? Look what it's done to you."

Cooro said nothing, but never once moved his gaze away from hers, his human irises filled with a mixture of fear and rage.

Husky and Senri didn't say anything, either, the two of them just watching and listening with wide eyes.

"Human emotions. Human love. It's all weakness. It all brings pain. We are above pain. Why do want to have it? If you take off your mask, the pain will disappear forever. You will be complete, as you were meant to be." She continued, staring back just as steadily.

"I have no mask!" He spat. "I've decided that this is who I am! I would never be complete any other way. I won't let you take that from me!"

Nothing on Catherine's face shifted. "If only you realized how strong the illusion you are trapped in is, brother. You're mocking yourself with every word you speak. She's the one that built it up that way, isn't she? No matter. It's only a dream, and dreams always end. You will wake up again."

"Where is she?" Cooro screamed again, ignoring her words.

This time Catherine moved her gaze away, tiring of taunting him. "The bat +anima is alive, if that's what you mean." She answered.

Cooro instantly felt a wave of relief, finally able to take a breath. That didn't stop his heart from pounding, though.

"I'll be keeping her with me for a while, though. And her heart just might not stay beating for much longer…" Catherine added threateningly. "You have five days. I still don't understand how a single, worthless human girl can be so important to your mask, but if she truly is, come to me and take off that mask before then. Otherwise I will return her to you as a corpse."

The woman reached for the scarf currently around her neck, untying it. She held it up lightly with two fingers, before retracting them and watching it fall to the stone floor below. "Wouldn't that pain be too much to bear? Even for someone who craves it like you?"

Catherine turned away, passing him just one last look before spreading her wings and taking off down the hall. He would be able to seek her out just like she could to him. She would be waiting.

None of the +anima did anything for a few painful, silent moments, before Cooro all at once got back to his feet and padded over to the scarf.

His hands shaking, he reached down and picked it up, feeling the familiar, soft material against his palm.

He stared down at it, salty drops of water starting to dampen its surface as they leaked from his horrified eyes. He held it close to him, unable to stop his chest from throbbing.

"Nana!" He wailed, his helpless cry echoing all along the stone hallway.

Well…their long sought return to the fortress wasn't exactly peaceful…

Please review and stay tuned!