"Yumi!" he screamed in rage and in a sharp thud had punched Ben across the face. I kept my eyes closed but I heard Ben run into the opposite wall from the impact. Then I heard him slide down to a sitting position dejectedly on the floor.

"Yumi! Yumi?" Ulrich walked up to me and grabbed one of my hands with his. "Say something."

"Ulrich," I breathed, tasting the name on the tip of my tongue.

"Yes, Yumi," I heard Ulrich sigh in relief. Inside I smiled. "You're all right," Ulrich said.

Ulrich. His name triggered something in my mind. Oh yes, sweet little Ulrich dear. My eyes snapped open. Ulrich. He was my target.

Ulrich suddenly started back away. "Yumi, your eyes..." he backed up some more. "Their glowing...red."

I reached out and grabbed one of his hands before he could back up more. Then, without a word, I started dragging him toward the open window at the end of the hall. "Odd! Jeremy!" Ulrich was screaming. "Help!" I paid him no heed. Besides, drawing Odd and Jeremy out of the room would help in my cause, since they were next. I smiled wickedly. Xana was going to reward me greatly for this.

My crystal of blue still glowed brightly as ever, as if nothing important had happened. I placed my foot on the windowsill and faced skyward, my hair brushing softly against my outstretched neck. Then I spread my free arm out and out the window I flew with Ulrich hanging on just behind.

I had a glimpse of Odd and Jeremy waving like madmen out of the window but I was far up above them already, soaring rapidly upward to the slanted roof of the building of the dorms. When I reached the top, I landed slowly and turned to face Ulrich.

Ulrich wrenched his hand free of mine. "Yumi!" he cried, the wind whipping his clothes about. "Yumi! No." He closed his eyes against the bitter wind and I slipped closer. He stepped back accordingly. I looked behind him worriedly. He was uncomfortably close to falling off the high building. I would be punished for sure if I let him die.

Ulrich tried again. "Yumi! I'm your friend! Don't hurt me!" He backed up a few more steps.

The red light in my eyes flickered uncertainly. "Friend?" Ulrich saw me falter and nodded. He took one step forward. I gritted my teeth and fought against the uncertain feeling. Friend? As if! What was he playing at?

"No!" I screamed into the wind. Ulrich flinched and stepped back once more.

Suddenly I felt a burning on my chest. I looked down and saw my crystal glowing brighter than before. I reached to touch it, and then yelped when it burned my fingers. My red eyes widened when I realized what it was doing. It was fighting me. It was fighting Xana. Enraged, I tore the crystal and the cord it hung on from my neck and drew my arm back to throw it away. Before I could I was tackled over.

Ulrich was on top of me and was pressing the blue crystal into my hand hard. It burned so much. I screamed in pain. "Sorry, Yumi," he whispered. "Its for your own good."

In horror, I saw him bring out his own crystal. It glowed yellow then flared to life when it neared my skin. He pressed it into my other hand and kept it squeezed between our palms. The crystals' power burned through me, demolishing Xana when it came across its path. Finally, the burning sensation swept through my mind and I blacked out.

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I opened my eyes slightly, but closed them again because my head started to sear with pain. I finally attempted the motion again and this time I forced them open. Everything swirled around for a second and then everything came into focus. I pushed myself up weakly and looked around, reaching up to tentatively rub my aching head.

Where am I? I realized suddenly that I was in Odd's and Ulrich's room. Why? My answer came immediately and flooded my brain, all the memories of last night. It made my head throb even more, if that was possible. I squeezed my eyes shut again to block it out and then opened my eyes once more to look at the darkened room. I recognized that I was in Ulrich's bed with his blanket over me. I wondered where he was. I looked around and found him on the ground, sleeping on a thin spare mattress. His favorite olive green T- shirt was his flimsy blanket.

I stared at his face a bit longer. It looked peaceful but worried at the same time. It looked so nice that I would have kissed him. He had saved me. Saved me from evil Xana.

I slipped the blanket off my body and reached down to take his olive shirt. He shifted slightly but didn't wake. I silently draped the blanket over his sleeping form and watched as he shifted a bit more to get used to the new feeling. Soon enough he stopped and slept peacefully again. I smiled. It was the least I could do for him.

I lay back down, my head plopping on the pillow. I spread his shirt over myself and curled into a tight position. His shirt smelled nice; it smelled like Ulrich. I smiled with my eyes closed and drifted off to sleep.