Aoki sprinted after Hitomi, following her into the smoke filled house. He tried to follow her, searching room after room, shouting at her to get out! It wasn't safe! She finally reached her room, but recoiled from her door, then sent it crashing inwards. He ran into the room after her…stopped…choked.

There was the guy who he had seen in the Kanzaki's door. His white blond hair shined red in front of the blaze and cast shadows and insane eyes and a grotesque scar. He was whispering and grinning sickly at the fire the had taken hold of Hitomi's bed and was catching on to the curtains.

But the boy didn't scare Aoki. Hitomi did.

She wasn't Hitomi any more. The smoke…he must be going mad… There were two people, overlapping each other!

There was a boy with dark hair shadowing the outline of Hitomi and her tawny hair, and both of their hands were wrapped around a deadly sword. What was most shocking was the huge pair of blinding glowing white wings that arched up from their back, making the room glow.

Aoki gaped. The sword seemed to burn.

"DILLANDUA!" the person? in front of Aoki roared. He/she brought their sword up in a lightning quick practiced move. They whipped the sword forward and charged …Dillandua? With sickening ease, Aoki saw the blade slide through the place where that boy's heart should be.

Aoki unconsciously took a step backwards when the boy smiled and instead of collapsing, twisted the sword and pulled it farther into his chest. He laughed. Sparks and smoke surrounded them.

"You can't kill me," he taunted. Hitomi shook her head violently, when the boy's blood splashed onto her hand. Part of her seemed to come back to reason.

"Van! We can't----no! Please! VAN!" There was a huge gust of wind. The tarot cards blew around her in a flurry. Everything was bathed in a blue/white light that shot through the falling rafters of the house carrying Hitomi and Dillandua with it. Suddenly, they were gone.

Aoki stared, turned and ran out of the house.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

As carriage wheels beat the ground furiously, Van arched and cried out as wings erupted from his shirt, ripping it to shreds. Brilliantly glowing feathers surrounded everything. Van seemed surrounded in an unearthly fierce light. The captain and Lady Aronic gasped and stared. The captain dragged Aronic back when Van flexed the massive muscles in his wings on a shockwave of power erupted around his feet.

A column of blinding white light pierced the sky. Van's massive wings beat once and Van soared upwards in a blur.

The rage, the pain was gone now. Van poured all of his strength into reaching the light. His heart pounded painfully. His muscles tensed for the briefest moment, then he saw a slack form falling to the ground. He dived, gaining speed, faster and faster. Please, please, please. Time seemed to be standing still. Each ragged breath he took, each heartbeat seemed to take eternity. Please. Please. I need her. Please. I must---Please. HITOMI!

"Hitomi!" He caught her gently in his arms and tried to slow down before they crashed to the ground. The seemed to fall in slow motion. Van wrapped his pure white angel's wing around Hitomi's slack form, enveloping her in their protection.

They impacted hard, and he wrapped her in his arms, shielding her with his body to protect her. For a second, they were both still, then he slowly sat up and laid her gently onto his lap.

"Hitomi. Hitomi!" She slowly opened her beautiful forest green eyes.

"Van?" she whispered weakly in disbelief. "Van? Van!" Her eyes filled with tears that brimmed over and she threw her arms around his neck, hanging on to him for dear life.

She suddenly went limp and collapsed against him, unconscious. Her last thought was still ringing in his head, "I love you"

"Hitomi." He whispered and wrapped her tightly in his arms, afraid to let go, slowly rocking them back and forth. Back and forth. He slowly stood up, gently cradling Hitomi against his chest. He turned and saw Millerna, Allen, Selena, Dryden, Eris, Merle, and Aronic staring at him, speechless.

………………………………………………………………………………..

That's right, folks! The end of this chapter. Sigh…don't you just love all that really romantic stuff?

Anyway, next chapter's already up and I can't wait to hear what you think of both of them! Please review!