"Alright Anne," Yuri said, watching his daughter, "Are you ready?"

            Anne nodded.  "Ready."

            "Today we're going to see how well you can fuse.  Alice, you got the leaves?"  He looked over to the right of the store's door where Alice was standing, Pure leaves gathered up in her apron.  Isaiah was standing next to her, watching with curiosity.  "I guess that's everything…"

            "Daddy," Isaiah called, "Is it going to be the same monster?"

            "Yeah.  We'll stick with Raging Tiger for a while.  It's a bit hard to get the others, so since she's already got him…"  Yuri shrugged.  It was the easiest way to do this.

            "But…"  Anne was less certain now.  "Daddy, last time I fused I almost hurt Isaiah and Locke.  I don't want to fuse with Raging Tiger."

            Yuri sighed.  It was understandable, but right now Raging Tiger was the only fusion she had.  There was no way he was bringing her in the Graveyard to earn another one; partly because she wasn't strong enough and partly because the last visit was still fresh in his mind.  "Look Anne, I'll show you.  You can control him, you just have to learn how."

            So saying, he concentrated and fused into Raging Tiger.  Anne gasped, seeing her father disappear into the fusion soul.  She took a step back.

            But the tiger simply stood there.  Even though the eyes were red, they were her father's eyes, watching her patiently.

            Slowly Anne moved forward to meet her father.  She traced a finger along the deadly claws, then looked up at the ruff of white fur.  "You got a beard, daddy," she said, beginning to smile.

            Alice laughed at the remark and then encouraged Isaiah forward.  She wanted him to be reassured as well that fusion souls were not necessarily dangerous.  Both children touched the fur on his arms, though Alice noticed Isaiah was much more cautious about it, even after a few minutes.

            Yuri disembodied and then said, "And when you master all the fusions, I'll let you get the best one.  You want to see?"

            Anne nodded and then stepped back again as there was a bright flash.  Now the Seraphic Radiance was standing in her father's place.  She only looked for a second at the more human-like fusion before shouting, "Daddy, you're indecent!"

            Alice couldn't help it.  She doubled over, laughing so hard she started crying.  She could barely hold on to the Pure leaves in her apron as she shook.  Anne was steadfastly looking away and Isaiah, being young and a boy, couldn't see what the fuss was about.  Yuri disembodied, very put out by his daughter's reaction.  He gave Alice a sullen look but the exorcist only continued laughing.  Maybe in a few years Anne would have some respect for the fallen god.  'Indecent'.  Yuri rolled his eyes.

            "Alright, ready to try?"

            The girl quickly nodded, eager to begin her own fusion.  Her small hands balled into fists as she closed her eyes and concentrated.  A minute passed.  She began trembling with how hard she was trying, but nothing happened.  "Come on Anne," Alice called.

            Finally she shook her head and opened her eyes.  "It's weird.  I did it before, but now it's really hard."

            "Are you concentrating on Raging Tiger?  Remember how I looked?"

            "Yeah, I'm picturing him, but he won't come."

            Yuri thought and then smiled.  "Wait a sec.  I think I've got something that'll help."  He went into the store, leaving his family waiting.

            "Mom?  What's dad getting?"

            Alice shook her head.  "I'm not sure."

            The children distracted themselves by drawing figures in the dirt.  Isaiah drew lines and circles while Anne drew kitties with long whiskers and large eyes.  Isaiah crossed over one of the kitten's eyes and Anne made a cat face with one of his circles, each destroying the other's drawings.  Neither of them minded though.

            "Mommy, what's taking him so long?" Isaiah asked.

            "He's operating on daddy time."

            "Add on fifteen minutes?" Anne said, making a tabby cat, with wide bands down the back

            Alice smiled at how well her daughter knew Yuri.  "So about ten more minutes."

            Ten minutes later, Yuri emerged with a broad grin.  He tossed a small object to Anne.  She stared at the brooch as it glowed in her hands, coating her skin with red waves.  "What is it?"

            "It's called a Flare Brooch," Yuri told her.  "Specially made for us harmonixers.  It makes the fusion souls easier to control.  Now hold onto that and try again."

            She gripped the brooch tightly and closed her eyes again.  Her small muscles tensed as she felt the tiger rising within her.  The Flare Brooch fell from her hands as she changed into the tiger form, rolling along the grass to rest in forget-me-nots.  Isaiah picked up the Flare Brooch, pouting when he noticed its shine was gone.

            "See, you can do it just fine," Yuri told his daughter.  His proud smile faded when she looked up at him, growling.  Shit.  She'd lost control that fast?  "Alice," he shouted, and caught the Pure leaf thrown to him.  At the same time, Anne lunged at him, her claws aimed to disembowel him.  He easily caught the slower girl though and twisted her arm behind her back, careful not to harm Anne.

            Isaiah looked up, seeing his sister squirming in their father's grip.  Yuri tried to feed her the Pure leaf but she turned away with a contemptuous snarl.  He released his grip briefly to grab her jaw, forcing it open, and stuffed the leaf into her mouth.  After she had calmed down, he instructed her to disembody.

            "Alright.  When did you lose control?" Yuri asked.  "How long were you in control?"

            Anne thought about it, then, very red, answered, "I don't think I was in control at all."

            Yuri sighed and patted her on the head.  "Alright, don't worry about it.  You'll get the hang of it.  You want to try it again?  Know what you did wrong?"

            "I think so.  I just have to remember," she said.  Her stomach tightened in her nervousness.  She shook her head, trying to clear it, and then looked around.  Isaiah was holding the Flare Brooch, examining it.  "Isaiah, I need that."

            Her brother looked up in surprise and came over to her.  He gave her the Flare Brooch, starting when it instantly began glowing in her hands.  Alice noticed the change and wondered if it meant Isaiah was not a Harmonixer at all or if he had yet for his gift to awaken.

            Anne closed her eyes again.  This time the fusion came faster.  Yuri took that as a good sign—though he reconsidered when she darted towards him, rather quickly.  His eyes widened when he realized she wasn't going towards him.  He turned and shoved Isaiah out of the way, catching Anne as she tried to get past him.  "Alice, can you give it to her?" Yuri asked, holding onto his daughter with both hands.  Anne was struggling to get at Isaiah, who only stared up at her with wide, crystal blue eyes.  If he lost his grip for even a second, the fusion soul might hurt Isaiah.

            Alice fed Anne the Pure root and Yuri sighed with relief as she disembodied.  "Are you alright Isaiah?  I didn't push you too hard, did I?"  Yuri turned to his son to discover him in tears.  "Hey, hey, I'm sorry—"

            "You didn't hurt him," Alice told him.  "He's just scared."  Unlike the other night, Isaiah had not had any Pure roots and reacted to a scare as any normal five-year-old would.  He rubbed his eyes with his messy hands, getting his face all dirty, and continued sobbing.  The fall had given him some small scratches, but even healing didn't calm him down.  Alice picked him up, letting him cry into her blouse.  "I'll take him inside.  You'll be fine right?"

            Yuri nodded.  "Yeah, that'll be better."  It'd actually make it easier, since he wouldn't have to worry about Isaiah getting hurt.  He watched as they went back into the store, then turned to Anne.  She was looking at the ground.

            "Sorry," he thought she whispered.

            "It's not a big deal Anne.  You just need to learn how to control it."

            She shook her head, still staring at his boots.  "I can't do it."

            "Don't say can't.  I know you can do this.  I just want you to try one more time.  If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.  But I want you to try."

            "One more time?"

            "Three's a charm, right?" Yuri said, smiling.  Anne looked up at him, rubbed a stray tear from the corner of her eye, and nodded.  He bent down and picked up the Flare Brooch, handing it to her.  "Alright.  Concentrate."

            "You want to help me make dinner?" Alice asked Isaiah after cleaning him up, trying to distract him from what had happened.  She started the stove and set down some water to boil, planning to make some pasta.

            Isaiah watched as she got out the ingredients for a sauce, humming a short tune to herself.  "Mommy, am I a Harmonixer like daddy and Anne?"

            "Who knows.  You might take after me."  Alice took out a tomato and began chopping it up.

            "An exorcist?"  Isaiah frowned.  "But I don't want to work with ghosts.  They're really scary."

            Alice smiled.  "Well, yes, some of them are very scary," she said, "But you don't have to be an exorcist.  I meant you might be Light-classed, like I am, or you might have Demon Eyes."

            "Oh."  Isaiah mulled over this for a while, in the meantime helping his mother by pulling out food from the pantry.  "I think I have Demon Eyes, mommy."

            "Why do you think that?" Alice asked, intrigued.

            "Cause my eyes are the same as yours."

            Alice laughed at his plain logic and corrected him.  "Demon eyes doesn't mean these eyes."  She pointed to her light blue eyes.  "It means you have extraordinary spiritual sight.  It doesn't have anything to do with the color of your eyes."

            "Oh."  Alice had lost Isaiah in her explanation; he was left wondering how a person could have more than two eyes and where his mother's Demon Eyes were.  Maybe she really did have eyes on the back of her head.

            "What class do I have?" he asked instead.

            "Hmm…I'm not too sure.  Let's try something.  Put your hands together."

            Isaiah cupped his hands together like he was expecting candy.  "Like this?"

            Alice paused in her cooking to face him.  She nodded.  "That's right, like that.  Now try to make a light."

            "A light?"

            His mother cupped her hands together in the same way he had.  With barely any thought, a ball of light burst into existence, brightening everything in the small kitchen.  The contrast between shadows became starker, more startling, and the grain in the wood counters seemed to move with every flicker.  "Like this.  You might not be able to make a light, but—well, give it a try."

            The little boy stared at his hands, imagining a ball of light just as big as his mother's, maybe even bigger.  It took a few minutes and a small prayer, and he was disappointed by the results: a flicker just along his right hand, lasting only two seconds before disappearing.

            "There," Alice said.  "You're a Light class."

            Isaiah tried to bring up the flicker again, make it stronger, but it wouldn't come back.  The light had gone.  Finally he gave an aggravated sigh and Alice shook her head.  Both Anne and Isaiah were so impatient when it came to getting better; she wondered why.  Maybe it was because Locke could use magic so easily, but they should know it was a natural talent for a vampire.

            Outside Anne was disembodying.  She'd lost control again, but she'd lasted a little longer than the first two times and felt encouraged by the improvement.  "I want to try again," she said.

            Yuri's eyebrows rose, but he shrugged.  "Sure, go ahead."  He didn't see the harm in it.  The more practice she got, the faster she'd be ready to face the masks and the more likely they'd be able to stop them…if they even had a chance in the first place.  Yuri pushed away the thought.  The Masks could not win.

            Raging Tiger had been easier to control with fewer people around…maybe if it was just she and her dad, Anne could control him.  At least, that's what she thought.  She fused again, but this time, it felt different.  Raging Tiger knew there were fewer people now, and it was even angrier knowing she was trying to control it this way.  Its rage was directed at her, it felt like someone was shouting at her, but the words were muted into a wave of fury.

            She held the fusion for a few minutes, struggling to keep control as he became angrier and angrier…and she could start to hear individual words, most of them curses…they were so hateful that she lost control and struck at her father.

            Instantly Yuri grabbed her and she felt her mouth being pried open as the rather foul-tasting Pure leaf was put in.

            "That was good Anne.  Ready to head in?"

            She shook her head.  "One more time."

            "Alright, but that's it.  You look kind of tired.  You don't have to push yourself…"

            "No, I want to!" Anne insisted.  Yuri was doubtful that another try was wise—she really did seem tired—but if she wanted to, he wouldn't stop her.  He nodded and she started again, hoping the Flare Brooch would calm Raging Tiger down enough.

            It wasn't enough.  The fusion soul was swearing at her again, its language becoming fouler when she didn't stop her attempt.  She could do this.  She could keep control.

            Yuri was watching his daughter with some concern; she hadn't yet fused and she was whispering to herself with a cross expression, rebuking the fusion soul.  He wondered if she needed another Pure leaf and hoped sincerely she did not take after her mother in this regard.  Alice, much as he loved her, would make an abysmal Harmonixer.

            Anne began seeing things in her mind, violent scenes.  She saw a fist coming for her face and then felt blood gushing from her nose.  She was beating the other person, punching and kicking him, then digging her boot into his stomach.  It was dark, and a knife in her callused hands glinted, and there was a girl with long dark hair and she was dragging her into the alleyway…

            She yelled suddenly and the fusion took place.  But even after the fusion was complete, she continued screaming as the scene continued, quickly drawing both Alice and Isaiah's attention.  The front door banged open as they came to see what was going on.

            "What's wrong?" Alice demanded.  She put a hand on Isaiah's head, keeping him away from the howling tiger.

            Anne disembodied, kneeling when her legs refused to support her.  Yuri hovered over her, watching her anxiously.  "Are you alright?"

            "I don't. feel good," Anne whispered.  Tears started falling down her face, but when Yuri bent down to pick her up, she backed away from him and then ran into the house.

            "Anne!"  Alice walked into the house, passing the store counter and heading upstairs, where the bedrooms were.  She heard a banging noise as Anne slammed her door shut.  "Anne, what's wrong?"

            "I don't want to be a Harmonixer!  I can't, I CAN'T!"

            Alice looked at her husband who had joined her at the door, but he was just as baffled as her.  "Yeah you can, Anne, you did all right," he said, thinking she might be upset about not being able to control the fusion.

            "I don't want to fuse!  I'm never going to fuse again!"  Inside her room, Anne yanked her blanket over herself, wiping her tears with it.

            "You need to learn—"

            "I don't want to."

            "Anne," Yuri pleaded, "you have to."

            It was silent in Anne's room for a moment.  Yuri hoped that she was calming down, but then she choked out, "I hate you daddy."

            Yuri stared at the wood as what his daughter had said sank in.  Hated him for what?  That he had doomed her to the service of the masks, or that he was making her fuse so she could avoid that destiny?  Either way he deserved her loathing.  He had to be the worst father in the whole history of the world; what other father had damned their kid?

            "I'm sorry," he told her.  Not that it changed anything, but he was.  He turned slowly and walked downstairs, hearing Alice's footsteps behind him.

            "Shouldn't we talk to her?"

            "She's already mad," Yuri mumbled.  "She doesn't want to talk."

            Alice watched his back as he started to gather cooking supplies in the kitchen.  He wasn't actually doing anything useful, just trying to occupy himself; she realized that when he took out both brown sugar and oil and vinegar.

            "Yuri, put those back," she directed him, shaking her head.  This was why he wasn't allowed to cook; he couldn't even pretend he knew how to.  How he had survived on his own without giving himself food poisoning was beyond her.

            Alice took the onions from Isaiah, her eyes still on her husband.  He was idle at the counter, looking down at it morosely.  She leaned over and brushed her finger over his eye, startling him out of his no doubt depressing thoughts.

            "You're crying," she said quietly.

            Yuri quickly swiped at his eyes, muttering, "It's those stupid onions."

            "I haven't cut them yet."

            The Harmonixer quickly realized she was right after seeing the whole onion and said, "Yeah, but I know it's coming.  My eyes are getting ready."  He chuckled, again wiping at his eyes.  He wasn't sure if there were more tears but didn't check.

            "I think we got more roots today.  Would you sort them?  They're in the hallway," she said.

            "Oh, yeah.  Sure."

            Alice sighed as Yuri left the kitchen.  He would never admit when he was depressed, forgetting that she could read him like a book.  And she felt it was pointless to press the issue with him, since he was as obstinate as a mule.

            Anne didn't really hate him; she was just upset.  Why didn't he realize that?  Why was he letting it bother him?  She began chopping up the onion with more force, blinking rapidly as the fumes made her eyes tear, then tossed the chunks in.  The smell kept bothering her as she cooked, and finally she put the knife down, deciding to check on Yuri.

            Their house was both a home and a store; the store was in the foremost part and the kitchen and dining room in the back.  A staircase in the hallway led to the upstairs, which had the children's rooms and theirs.  Alice found Yuri on the staircase with a large box pulled up next to him.  Thera, Mana, and Pure roots lay in piles on the floor, all sorted appropriately.  He was already a third into the box.

            "Dinner should be ready soon," Alice announced, busily wiping her hands off on a yellow rag.

            "I can smell it," Yuri said, looking up briefly to smile at her.  His smile seemed pained, and it quickly disappeared.

            "She's not mad at you Yuri."

            "Oh? Yeah, I know."

            Alice knelt down and looked him in the eyes.  "Then why are you moping?"

            It seemed like there was a rain cloud in the house, centered on Yuri, who wouldn't make eye contact again.  Alice shook her head.  "Look, I'll go talk to Anne and get her to calm down.  Trust me, she's not mad at you."

            "She should be."

            "No," Alice said.  "You only did what you thought was best.  I would have done the same thing at the Trial.  It's not your fault," she insisted.

            "You would have done it too?"

            "Of course I would've!" Alice insisted.  "I'm going to take some dinner up to her, and we'll talk.  She's probably calmed down by now.  You and Isaiah can start eating—but say grace first!" she reminded her husband.  Well, even if he had forgotten, Isaiah would have probably reminded him.

            So with a plate of spaghetti covered in meat sauce, Alice headed upstairs.  She knocked on Anne's door.  "Anne?"

            "Yes," came a muffled reply.  Alice wondered what her daughter was doing.  She opened the door and found a large lump in the bed sheets.

            "Anne, I have dinner for you," she said, trusting it would tempt the girl out.

            "I'm not hungry."

            Alice sighed and set the meal down, then raised the blankets.  She saw Anne's back turned to her.  "I think we need to talk Anne."

            Anne maneuvered underneath the blankets so her mother could see her face, which was still red from crying.  "Yes?"

            The exorcist reached under the covers and easily pulled her daughter out, setting her on her lap.  "Why were you crying?"

            "Because—because I don't want to fuse anymore."

            "Why not?  Daddy showed you.  It's perfectly safe once you've learned it."

            "Why is he making me fuse with him?  I hate that tiger."

            Alice had a feeling that this was why Anne was really upset.  "Did Raging Tiger do something?"

            "I think he killed someone."

            It shocked Alice when she heard that.  But then, as she thought about it, why should it be so surprising?  The vice of Earth classes tended to be rage, an emotion that could easily lead to violence.  It was only surprising because Yuri hadn't told her first.  Why hadn't he said anything?  "What makes you think that?" she said with a soothing voice.

            "The last time I tried, I started seeing things.  He was showing me something.  There was this girl with really pretty hair.  It was really long.  And then, he grabbed her.  I know it was him, because he had different hands.  He had hands like Daddy's, all hard.  And he had a knife."

            "And then?" Alice asked.  But she already knew where this was going.  And she did not like it one bit.  Yuri couldn't have known about this, or he would definitely have told her.

            "Then I fused, 'cause he let me," Anne said.  "And I thought it would stop.  But it didn't.  He started hurting her, and then he took his knife and cut her—he was cutting her up.  And I didn't want to see it anymore, so I tried to look away, but he wouldn't let me," Anne said.  She was crying again, starting to shake in her mother's arms.  "And I can't fuse again, but daddy says I have to—I don't have to, right Mommy?"  She looked up into Alice's blue eyes, which were also starting to tear.  "Please?  I don't want to..."

            "We won't make you fuse again," Alice said reassuringly.  "Just get some rest.  You'll feel better after you've slept."  She left the plate, thinking her daughter might be hungry after a nap.  Anne disappeared again, covering herself up and making sure there were no holes in her blanket defense.  The blanket was wrapped tightly around her little body as she tried to forget what she'd seen and sleep.

            Isaiah and Yuri were clearing their places downstairs.  It was clear from the amount of spaghetti there was left that neither of them had eaten very much.  Without a word, Alice served both of them another plate, then served herself as well.  She set to eating, cutting a portion of spaghetti and then wrapping it around her fork.

            "Mommy?  Is Anne feeling better?" Isaiah asked.

            "Yes.  She's taking a nap right now."

            Both of the boys cheered up at this, and dinner proceeded not quite normally, but close.  Alice did most of the talking, though she didn't feel like it.  She felt though, that Isaiah shouldn't know what had happened.  They had only begun to tell the children what had really happened on their adventure, adding on to the fractured train story.  Their abilities and their consequences had rarely been brought up until Anne's fusion; must they go through all that right now?  Isaiah was only five, and probably wouldn't understand anyway.  He wouldn't understand that Anne might have to fuse with a murderer for survival.  Alice shook her head, banishing the thought.  It was unlikely Anne would ever fuse again now.

            They were only children.  They couldn't tell them everything about their journey because they wouldn't be able to understand yet.  Precept upon precept, line upon line, the scripture said.  People had to learn slowly.  Anne had enough to deal with, and had to learn so much so fast if they were going to save her; her mother could see that there would be much confusion and trouble for Anne.  So at least, for Isaiah's sake…could they just be normal?

            Yuri could tell what she wanted, and helped her keep up a steady conversation to cheer Isaiah.  He also wanted to keep his son out of this as much as possible, to protect him.

            "I'm done!" Isaiah announced.  He swung out of his chair and picked up his plate, carrying it over to the counter.  "Can we play a game?  Do you think Anne'll want to play?"

            "Mmm…have you done your reading yet?" Alice asked.  The little boy shook his head, seeming embarrassed.  "Finish your reading and then we'll play a game.  Daddy and I have to talk."

            "Okay!" he said.  Isaiah ran through the hallway to retrieve his book before going upstairs.  Alice turned to Yuri, seeing he'd cleared his plate.  She smiled to herself, knowing as long as Yuri had a healthy appetite, everything was fine.

            "So, is she mad?"

            Alice shook her head.  "I told you, she was just upset."  She set down her fork and folded her hands in her lap.  "She still doesn't want to fuse anymore."

            "That's fine."  Yuri looked so relieved; he was smiling, almost laughing.  "I think if I talk to her about it—"

            "First, we need to talk."

            Alice noticed how although the smile didn't vanish, Yuri's expression became a bit more apprehensive.  He had not gone through eight years of marriage without learning 'We need to talk' meant something was wrong.  "Yes?"

            "What do you know about Raging Tiger?"

            His eyebrow rose.  It was not the kind of question he had expected.  "He's Earth class, he can heal himself.  I don't understand.  What do you mean?"

            "Personality wise."

            Yuri shrugged carelessly, tipping his chair back.  No matter how many times Alice had warned him about breaking the chair legs, he still did it.  "I don't know.  He's got a fierce temper.  I always thought he was kind of like me."

            "Like you?"  His wife had not expected a comparison between him and a murderer.

            "Yeah, you know.  I've always had a short fuse," Yuri said, using Margarete's favorite expression for him.  The spy liked showing how Yuri and explosives were similar.  "So I thought we were alike."

            Alice looked down at her hands, seeing that she was gripping the skin rather tight.  It had turned completely white.  "I think there's a big difference in how you manage your temper."  She wondered guiltily if her words on his temper had formed his opinion.

            Yuri nodded.  He thought he had it figured out.  "This is about what Raging Tiger did to Anne?"

            "It's more about what he showed her," Alice said.  "Yuri, he's murdered a woman.  And he showed Anne how he did it."

            The chair legs crashed back on the floor; Alice would not have been one bit surprised if they'd cracked that instant, but the wood held.  Yuri was on his feet, gripping the table with both hands.  He stared at her before shaking his head roughly.  "I'm such an idiot!"  He stormed past the table, but Alice grabbed his arm before he passed her.

            "No, it's fine!  She's calmed down.  She's sleeping, don't wake her up.  She'll be fine in the morning," Alice promised.  She could feel his arms trembling and rose out of her chair, slipping her short arms around his waist.  "She'll be fine."

            "But she's never going to fuse again," Yuri said.  "How the hell am I supposed to save her now?"

            "We'll think of something."  Alice nodded against his back, trying to reassure both herself and Yuri.  They could still do something.  They just needed some time…a little time…in seven days they had saved the world, why couldn't they save their own child?

            Yuri had already thought of something, but he didn't tell Alice.  Instead he took her hand and led her upstairs to their bedroom, where they both changed.  Alice put on a nightgown while he simply stripped down to undergarments, and they both lay down on the bed.

            "You think she'll be alright?" Yuri said.  He doubted it; the first murder he had ever seen had haunted him for the rest of his life.  Not just because it was his mom, but because he had seen those blank eyes, and the blood that slowly seeped out…how much had Anne seen?  He wondered, and the more he thought about it the more he wanted to rip Raging Tiger apart.  How could he have done that to Anne?

            Yuri frowned at the ceiling.  Why had Raging Tiger—or any of the other fusions—why hadn't they ever tried to do that to him?  They only talked—more like yelled at him; they had never tried showing him anything.  Did they think it wouldn't affect him?

            That didn't matter right now though.  Yuri closed his eyes, aware that Alice was still awake, looking at him and then away uneasily.  He went to the Graveyard and stormed up to the masks.

            "Ohohoho…what are you here for boy?" the Staff Mask asked.

            Yuri folded his arms.  He felt a rush of fear, but fought it down, knowing this would be able to save his daughter.  "I want to make a deal.  My soul for Anne's."

**

Author's Note:  And there we go!  ^^

Yuri:  o.o  I'm not having children now…

**

Reviewers:

Araschid:  No, Fox Face is not Yuri's dad, he just pretends he is so he can scare the daylights out of him.  In the game Fox Face is Yuri's other half, and the 'tearing in half' thing is just an idea on why Yuri would be in halves.

Hm…unfortunately, I don't think this fic lends itself well to loving scenes.  I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises.

The Pure leaves came from when I read the in-game description and started thinking about real life drugs that are supposed to be beneficial when taken the right way.  Pure leaves, take 'em when you don't need to and you're high.  ^^  I'm also thinking of using them again this way.

Darkness featurin' Kitty:  ^^;;  This update is really really late.  Oops…

MikoNoNyte:  Bad Kim!  You're giving me ideas!  Now I want to develop the dilemma further…which means an additional chapter…and you also made me change the ending.  And now I'm trying to plan a sequel to this.  Bad Kim.  ^^;;

Greyfriars:  Originally it was planned that all characters would be okay at the end of this fic.  Thanks to Kim and the idea I got from her review, that's not happening anymore.  There's going to be at least one character dying by the end.  ^^

I've never seen the Exorcist, so I don't know what the kids are like in there.  But I know what you mean:  most kids in fanfiction are either annoying or shallow (actually, both).  I'm glad you think mine aren't.  And yes, your reviews do make sense, and they're very helpful!

Leels:  It wasn't that the reviews didn't show up, but at the time I couldn't get to them.  You got a double detention?  Why?