Hey everyone! Sorry about the slow update on chappie 21, I had it done 2 days ago...hehe. OKAY, now, here's chapter 22!

Chapter 22: Torn between Love and Hate

Ladir flew through the trees, not minding the bushes that whipped their leaves and sticks in his face. 'Juria!!' his mind raced as he saw the hospitable come into view. 'She can't be...!' he speed faster and landed, running into the place with speed and toward a room where people were petrified with fear. He ran into the room, stopping with a gasp.

There he was, the man who was a henchman of Raoul, holding Juria above the floor, her eyes staring off into space and her body glowing different colours.

"Let HER GO Gitaia!" Ladir yelled, his eyes becoming cat like.

"Ah, Ladir...just the man I wanted to see...you see, Raoul wants you back on the team, he saw your power and wanted to have someone like you join...so unless you don't...little guardian Juria is going for a soul fall...hehe..." Gitaia muttered holding Juria higher above the ground, choking her.

"Stop it!" Ladir hissed, taking one step forward.

"She's your only weakness besides Raoul, hehe..." the man whispered and threw Juria onto the ground, her gasping for air as she convulsed.

Ladir ran over to her and glared hotly at Gitaia. His eyes still had the same evil look in them...and they seemed to have a glowing power about them as well. The man Gitaia smiled evilly and held out his hand, "Come on...if you re-join, I'll save you're..."

Before Gitaia could finish the question, Dart and Naomi burst into the door. Dart holding his weapon up, in dragoon form, and Naomi with a pissed off face. "Leave him alone you freak of nature!" Naomi yelled out, taking out her weapon.

Ladir looked at them and yelled. "Get out of here NOW!" he told them, his eyes going over in a shine then back to normal. Naomi looked at him, then back at Gitaia. "Ladir...you can't fight him alone..." she whispered.

Gitaia looked at Naomi then at Ladir. "Oh, two timing now are we...hehe, going for younger kids now...bad of you Ladir, what would Juria say if she were alive..." he mumbled, and then smiled.

Ladir's eyes were wide and staring down at Juria's pale face and distant eyes. "W-what..." he whispered, barely audible. 'No...She can't be dead!' he shook her shoulders lightly, only though, her head rolled back.

Naomi stared, her face paling. Dart growled a curse, and stood staring at the new man with poisonous eyes. "Y-you...you monster!!" he yelled out, raising his sword and flying up to him, casting flame shot. "FLAME SHOT!!" he yelled.

Gitaia raising his hand he cast a fire spell. "Flame Dario..." as flame flew from his hand, and running around Dart, holding him still and making him fly all over. He finished as Dart fell to the floor, burns all on his body and steam rising from it.

Naomi shuddered, and stared up and the now moved in front Gitaia stared at her with a smirk. She tried moving back but he grabbed her shoulders and kept her still. "Aww, where are you going miss? Don't you want to come with me...?" he whispered in her ear.

Ladir lowered Juria's cold body and glowed a red colour. "Let her go...or I will not spare you..." he growled, a ball of magic flying just above his hand.

Looking behind him, and grinning insanely, Gitaia held out one hand and little lightning bars flew out, Sending Ladir hanging on a wall, being shocked. "AHH!!" he yelled tightening the grip of his hand on his sword, which then dropped as Ladir fell unconscious, his head lowering and little blue and yellow electric lines running all over his body.

Naomi gasped and began to run to him but was stopped as she got pulled back into a grip. "Let me go! Ladir!!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, trying to get away.

Gitaia smiled, and lowered his face to her whispering into her ear. "You'll be coming with me..." and then ran a hand up and down her arm, then her back. Naomi stared and shivered, mouth gaping. "Y-you...wouldn't..." she mumbled.

Gitaia pushed her closer to him and held her chin up to his lever as he lowered his lips down and went close to hers, then pressing them hard against them. Naomi trying pushing back, punching him hard in the shoulder. "MMH!!!" Naomi tried to stop him, but...stopped moving as she floated in mid air, her eyes going wide as the lights of a field went around her petrifying her body, but not her mind and eyes or head.

"That's better..." he said, moving a hand over her shoulders and to her hair, combing it.

Tears ran down Naomi's eyes and she lowered her face, her golden hair falling over it. "Don't ever LOOK DOWN FROM ME!" Gitaia yelled, forcing her to look up, but was merely thrown back into a wall as somebody with strong arms held Naomi's body in them.

"Naomi...it's alright..." a man's voice said. Naomi opened her eyes and looked up into Hiecaro's as he smiled down at her with sympathetic ones. Then the steel blue eyes going hard and staring at Gitaia's body on the floor, getting up.

"Don't ever touch her like that you bastard!" Hiecaro shouted out, putting Naomi to the ground and right in front of the others who arrived.

Any placed her hands on Naomi's shoulders and muttered words, un-petrifying her body. Naomi just fell back into her, crying with face her hands. Anya pulled her into a sisterly hug and glared at Gitaia who was standing fully up and surging with power.

Ladir's voice entered the room as the others looked at him. "You...will...never live or die with peace..." as his hair went full silver and his eyes totally white. He broke the bonds and speed up to Gitaia and held him above ground, power going through his arms, and sucking the life out of him. "AHHHH!!!!!!!!" the man yelled, his scream piercing everyones souls as it ended and Ladir dropped his body on the floor, white eyes staring straight at it.

Naomi looked up, Hiecaro took one step forward. "Ladir...?" he muttered, his eyes wide.

Ladir's face looked up from the body, his eyes coming back, but his lips moved in a small but normal voice. "Juria is dead..." he whispered, before hitting the floor unconscious.

Hiecaro walked up to him and held him up, then stared at Juria's body. Her face glowed with paleness, and her open eyes showed no response at all. Gitaia had killed her. "No...One of the guardians...Setria..." Hiecaro whispered, then stood up, lifting Ladir as well, and walking into a different room, the people becoming un-petrified again and helping Naomi, Dart and helping Hiecaro with Ladir.



: That night:

"Go away..." Naomi mumbled, her closed eyes becoming watery with tears. She pulled the blankets closer to her shivering body. "Dun'...just go away...mom...help..." her past nightmares had come again...from when she was a little girl; tormenting her.

A soft hand went on her forehead, and pushed some hair from her burning face. Hiecaro placed the other on her shoulder, shaking it slightly. "Naomi...wake up..." he whispered.

With a gasp, Naomi sat up in bed, her golden hair reflecting in the light, and her breathing rapid. "Are you alright?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. Naomi shrugged it off and wrapped her arms around herself. "Leave me alone..." she whispered.

Hiecaro looked at her with wide eyes. He placed a hand on her forehead and frowned. "You're sick...lie back down...Naomi..." he told her in a calm voice and pushing her back down on the bed.

"Don't...let me go!" she struggled, using a weak voice. Knowing the fever came from the petrifactions magic, Hiecaro knew Delirium and a fever was in store, as well as nightmares. Naomi went down on her bed crying and rolled on her side shivering.

Hiecaro placed the covers back over and continued combing his hand through her hair. "It's alright...that guy is not here anymore, he's gone Naomi, he gone..." he smiled as the distressed girl soon went into a comfortable sleep finally without any nightmares. 'Poor girl...something like must have happened during the past...that made her barrier crack...' his mind went through different things as Hiecaro soon nodded off into a sleep in the chair beside the bed.

Ooh...looks like Hiecaro cares for somebody besides his buddy Ladir. Hmm, another romance maybe...I'll think about it. Now...how's about I start working on DM okay? Please review.