AN: Well, I have finally returned. I'm sorry for anyone who was getting a little tired of waiting. I've been away for Spring Break and I've finally got my hands on a good internet source. Once more, I'm sorry! --cries-- Well, I hope you enjoy the eighth chapter! --bipolar moment--

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Chapter 8:

Greetings

"Israfel… Wake up…"

Amou's eyes opened slightly to see a heavenly figure stooping low over his sleeping body, his silvery eyes gleaming like clean knives in the darkness.

"Israfel….? My name's not Israfel, it's Amou…" he said quietly, his head still groggy with sleep.

"Hush Israfel… You need not speak. I'm here to ask of you a favor."

"A… favor…?"

The silvery eyes slit only slightly so that what little light in the room could not penetrate them so easily.

"Sit up, Israfel…"

Amou's large brown eyes opened slowly as he sat up.

"Who--- Who are you…?" he asked quietly, his voice still dreamlike.

"Just a friend is all. Now… Israfel… You must come with me. I have something.. I wish to show you."

The boy stared at him, his senses awakening slowly.

"But… Tomonori-san told me not to go with strangers."

A forceful hand gripped itself around his wrist and squeezed tightly.

"But I'm a friend, Israfel… You can trust me."

Amou's eyes went wide with fear.

"But… Tomonori-sa----"

His voice was silenced with a strong hand over his mouth. A blindingly bright light filtered into the room and both of them disappeared, leaving not a single trace of evidence that they were there.

Meanwhile, Tomonori slept in the other room, unaware of what had just happened.

---

"Mana! Why are you not at school? You worried me to death as I saw you running towards us!" Kaname leaned his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

The small pink-clad girl looked at the ground, too ashamed to look at him.

"I was sick and had to go home… Isshin came to my house and told me something was wrong," she paused a moment and looked back up at him, the shame retreating from her eyes, "What about you! YOU aren't at school either!"

Kaname smiled slightly and kissed her forehead lovingly.

Itsuki scoffed.

Isshin blushed.

"Well…. Itsuki told me I had to come here to see something---"

"What! It was SO important that it couldn't wait 'til AFTER school!"

He looked away. He didn't want to remember what he had seen in there.

"Well… yes. It WAS."

Itsuki looked over Kaname's shoulder to Mana. "Don't worry about him, he's just being a---"

Suddenly, a small ringing sound went off in Itsuki's pants, causing a strange stare from all his classmates. Turning around and pulling out the small cell phone, he whispered a quiet 'What is it?'

Silence.

Then suddenly, he snapped the phone back into his pocket and looked back over to them all, a serious look painted upon his features.

"You all can go back to school now. I-- I have to go do something."

Kaname glanced at him with a (for once) worried look.

"Do you need any help?"

Itsuki shook his head. His face withheld a bit of confidence, but it appeared as if it would break under the great strain Kaname knew it was under.

"Nah. I can handle this on my own. You guys head on back. I'll catch up to you all later." And with that, he began running back in the direction of the crater.

Kaname knew that he had to follow. It was something to do with Balan. Deep in his gut, he knew it. Once he saw that Itsuki had disappeared from view, he looked back to Isshin and Mana and said a simple 'Let's go' and sure enough, they followed.

---

Tomonori was suddenly bolted from his nap, his eyes traced across the room. Something wasn't right. He felt it in his gut.

He snapped to and ran towards Amou's room. He creaked the door open slightly, only enough to make a small whisper.

"Tsukasa? Are you asleep?"

He poked his head within the door, looking around in the still darkness, hoping to see Amou's small outline in the grey shadows. But he didn't. He rushed inside, pealing the covers from the bed in a desperate search for his little Tsukasa. But he wasn't there. He was gone.

---

"Status report."

"Damage is rather severe on the equipment. Several are wounded, but luckily, no one was killed."

"Where is it?"

"That…. We are not so sure of."

Itsuki made a sour face. What luck. Maybe he shouldn't have shown Kaname to Balan. Maybe it triggered something in the demon's mind that made him go crazy…

"Sir?"

Itsuki broke from his thoughts and looked back up.

"Yes?" He looked at the person addressing him ,and saw it to be a different woman from the one who gave him the damage report. More bad news? He felt almost ill, thinking about all the money that would have to go into repairing all the broken epuipment...

"Umm… Some people are here to see you--"

Itsuki felt a heavy arm wrap itself around his neck. He almost allowed himself to be seen blushing. Almost. He hadn't needed to be a brain surgeon to figure out who it was.

He sighed.

"Guys, I told you to go back to school. You shouldn't be here."

Kaname looked over his shoulder and into Itsuki's optics fondly, his eyes unusually soft (which allowed Itsuki to feel a bit shocked.) Behind him stood frail Mana, and behind her was tall and brooding Isshin.

"We couldn't just leave you here… It would be so---"

"Oh BAAAAL!"

All their heads turned upwardto see the pale figure with the long red mane staring down at them from atop the rafters of the small green tent, his wide black wings laying quietly at his sides.

"So you decided to come back to me my dear sweet Baal."

The demon gave a small chortle before taking one large bound down from the rafters-- Straight towards Kaname.

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AN: --Eats another Twinkie-- Ah yes, the Twinkies have RETURNED! Sorry about the crappiness of this chapter! --bow bow-- I'm getting there! The big finale should be close at hand! What does Taharial want with Amou? What is up with Balan's obsession? WILL KANAME AND ITSUKI EVER HOOK UP?

Well... I'm not sure yet. Or am I...? --Twilight Zone music--

Well, I hope to post the next one soon! (But be patient... It takes me a while to generate these ideas...) R&R!