(Chapter 6. Tara!)

Jerry ran up in the storm.

"Professor Wolf, i heard that you were ill, so i bought you these." He held out a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. "Get well soon, miss wolf, and congratulations on your new child. Ive got to go and see Madam Pomfrey. I think there is something wrong with my metamorphagus powers. Well, bye the-aargh!" A part of the roof fell on him and he was buried under the rubble

"NO!"
Ahriman watched helplessly as Ms. Wolf threw him out of the way of the tree and as the roof collapsed over the boy. He had to find the professor, but he had to help the boy, and he couldn't be in two places at once. "DUMAS!" he shouted as he got to his feet and began lifting pieces of the rubble. He had to call for the demon, she would sense him above the sounds of the storm. Hurry you damned demon! he thought as he continued to lift pieces.

From a second story window, a figure fell from the sky and landed beside Ahriman among the drops of rain. Landing silently on her feet, she looked at the downed tree and the debris, and knew what had happened. Wearing a fitted black coat with scarlet tracings and the swords on her hips, she scanned the surroundings.

"Get the boy! I'll find the girl!" she barked at him though he was already digging in the rubble.

The demon ran up and lept over the trunk of the large tree, landing in a puddle of mud on the other side. Standing still, the drops of rain beating her face like needles, she closed her eyes and searched for a feel of the woman...

Jerry was unconcius as Mrs Dumas and Professor Ahriman went through the rubble to find him and Ms Wolf. If he was concius, or at least able to speak, he would have called out.

Tara tryed to open her eyes but couldnt. the pain in her arm was so powerfull it almost knocked her out. she tryed to call for gage anyone who could help her. the pain got deeper and deeper and she let out a small cry. she had her arms over her stomach and they where holding up alot of broken wood. there was a very sharp long peace of wood stabing into her arm deeper as the wood sunk over on to her. it was sinking into her arm deeper and deeper. no...it'll hit the baby... she though and she tryed to push the wood away but that only made it sink deeper into her arm and she let out a cry of pain again. Gage...please...help...me... she though. she wished she could speak yell for him but her mouth wouldnt make the words. her breathing got slower and slower...she was runing out of air!

She heard a soft cry, she felt the panic of another, she could sense the child...There!

She turned and looked behind her to the fallen tree, the many broken limbs and branches, the splintered wood. Walking over to the downed tree, she stepped along the edge of its trunk. When she came to a fork in the main trunk, she felt the life force there. "Lady Wolf!" she called out, knowing the woman couldn't answer.

The demon placed her hands under the bark of the tree and proceeded to lift...She couldn't lift an entire tree, and she wouldn't be able to get the woman, but she could get the weight off her at least. Straining against the bulk of the mass, it came up several inches. "Ahriman, hurry with the boy! I need you!"

Ahriman hurried his efforts...he had to find the boy! Frantically, he removed the rubble, his hands getting cut on the stones and shards. He finally found the boy buried under the rocks, and proceeded to quickly move the debris off of him.

"Jerry?" he said to the boy. There was no answer. Carefully picking the boy up in his arms, he ran fast for the hospital. "Poppy!" he shouted as he entered the wing. "Poppy!" When he saw the woman, he breathed relief. "See to him," he said as he laid the boy on a bed. He would have stayed, but he had to help Dumas.

He ran back out in the storm where the demon attempted to hold up the large tree. He knew she had found Ms. Wolf, and he knew she couldn't hold the tree up forever. He knelt down in the mud by the demon and looked under the branches. There she was, the half-demon, pinned beneath its weight and struck by a splintered wood.

"I need it up further, Dumas!" he shouted over the thunder. "I can't get her like this!"

The demon gritted her teeth as she reaffirmed her grip on the trunk. As she strained against the mass, she managed to get it up further. Her brown eyes began to change, the round pupil began to elongate, it transformed into a slit pupil, like that of a cat...she could feel herself begin to take on new form, but she fought it and stopped lifting.

"You're gonna have to get it as it is, I can't bring it any higher without endangering the three of you!" she shouted down to the man at her feet.

Ahriman lay flat on the ground and crawled under the tree the demon was holding up. Through the mud, he made his way to Ms. Wolf...She was barely breathing and bleeding badly from the wood in her arm--it was right above the unborn child! Taking out his wand, he made a choice.

"Incendio!" he shouted at the splinter, burning where it was still attached to the tree. He couldn't burn the entire piece for it was probably the only thing applying pressure to the wound that kept the woman from bleeding to death. But at least now he could get her out. Dropping the wand, he carefully--and as quickly as he could for working in a space he could barely raise his head in--he grabbed the professor by the shoulders and managed to crawl backwards through the mud, pulling the woman out from under the tree and into the open space. Without waiting for word from the demon, he carefully gathered the woman in his arms and made his way quickly to the hospital wing again.

"Poppy!" he shouted again, calling for the familiar face once more. "Poppy, she's bleeding bad!" He laid her down on another bed as he looked her over, attempting to see if besides the arm--which still had the splinter rising from the flesh--she was alright. She was barely breathing, but at least she was breathing...