I'm so sorry for the long wait. If you read my author's note from before, you will know that I had lost my flash drive with all of the chapters on it. Since I couldn't save it to my computer because my mom would've gotten mad at me, I went out and bought a new one. I will NOT be cancelling this story. But on the bright side, I didn't spend this time doing nothing. I worked on the plot and cured the upcoming writer's block! Thank you for waiting and here is the long and awaited (hopefully) chapter of Learning How to Love!

Aria POV

My eyes stung as I struggled to pry them open. My vision was fuzzy as I propped up on my elbow and looked around.

It was the cliff where I had met RudRud.

I scanned the area with my unusually sore eyes, and stared in shock as a ghostly figure appeared before me. She had short hair, wore a skirt and jacket, and held a large book in wobbly arms.

She was me, besides the fact that I could see through her.

She stared at me with a horrified look, and she collapsed to the ground. I realized the glazed expression of fear on her face as she stared in my direction. I heard the crack of earth, and turned around to face the cliff's edge. I screamed and jumped back, and landed on the ground next to my ghostly self.

There was a giant person… the skin was rotted and it looked revolting to the eye. All it wore was a cloth around its waist, and it had a large puncture wound in the chest, but it was alive. And dragging it off the cliff by the neck…

… was Anwar.

He smiled in our direction, and he said something which I didn't hear. My ghostly self screamed as he bent backwards off the cliff, taking the giant with him. The last thing my mind registered was the amber of his eyes and the sincerity of his smile as it disappeared beneath the cliff.

I woke in a sweat, my heart pounding in my ears. I hugged myself, trying, unsuccessfully, to calm down.

"What's wrong, Aria? A bad dream?" I turned to see a full-sized Rempo with a concerned frown and eyebrows scrunched.

"Y-Yeah..." I muttered shakily.

"Don't worry, though, I'm here now." He reached out to hold me when Anwar appeared a little quicker, taking Rempo's place by wrapping his arms around me and stroking my damp hair. "What the hell, man?"

Anwar turned to glare at Rempo, before returning to- wait… glare at Rempo?

"I'm sure she would like my company, first. You can stand there and wait your turn."

"Yeah, right! You butted in line!" Anwar "hmphed'" and turned to nuzzle his head into the crick of my neck. I tried to think normally, while my cheeks flooded with red at his actions. Where they talking to each other? Or was this just another dream inside a dream? I've been known to have those…

"Anwar… are you talking to…? Nevermind." He lifted his head to give me an annoyed look.

"No, you're right. He's talking to me. I see him, too."

"WHAAAAT??" I looked over to Rempo, then back to Anwar. I repeated this process a few times. "How…?"

"Ur did some research and it turns out you can rearrange our codes to make us visible." I stared, jaw dropped, and the fire spirit.

"How did he…?"

"This is Ur we're talking about." I shut my mouth there. If it was possible, Ur could do it, or at least find out how.

"But why would you want to become visible?" Rempo growled and pointed his shackled arm at Anwar.

"To protect you from him, of course!" I scowled and him and told the spirit that I don't need protecting.

"I'm her protector. Give it up, Hellboy. She obviously chose me." Anwar smirked in Rempo's direction and I tried to protest, unsuccessfully.

"What the hell did you just call me?! What's a Hellboy?!"

"I believe it is an allusion to something I have previously read." Rempo and I stared blankly at Anwar, and he shrugged. "I get bored."

Rempo shook his head and looked at the still going fire. He put it out without touching it or dousing it in water, and turned back to me.

"We should get going. We don't want to lose his trail."

"We won't. I'm a professional tracker." Rempo stuck his tongue out at him, and Anwar only smirked.

Ur, I'm gonna' hurt you for agreeing to this…

Rempo's POV

I had told the other spirits that I could handle things for a while, and they all agreed without asking questions. Right now, they were in the Book of Prophecy.

I floated in between the two lovebirds, making sure he didn't touch her. I got glares from the brick wall every time he tried to get next to her and I prevented it.

"Shouldn't you be tracking instead of getting friendly with Aria?" he scowled in my direction but did as he was told. He bent down to examine the road.

"This is weird… the track ends" He stopped abruptly to turn and look at a different set of tracks. They seemed to belong to a giant four-legged creature… with claws.

"This doesn't look good… for that man at least." The violet-haired boy turned to give a distressed frown at Aria. Her expression matched his.

"Can you find them?" she asked.

"I could, but who knows what sort of creature found him first? We could keep following the road-"

"No! He could be hurt! He might die if we don't do something! Where is he? Where'd he get taken?" That was the Aria I loved. She cared for everyone, even if they chose the wrong side.

"Well… I remember seeing a cave a little back, but he's the enemy; he..." Aria wouldn't allow him to protest further.

"I don't think of him as an enemy." There was a sudden softening of the boy's features as he took in her words.

"Of course." Was all he said as they turned back to head to the cave. I sighed and followed the chosen and her pet wall.

Aria's POV

"It's not that scary." I turned to look at the cave that emitted malice. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I stuttered out, "I-I'll be f-fine."

"I'm afraid I can' let you go in there, Aria."

"For once I agree with the wall." They were turning on me!

"Treason!" They chuckled in unison at my accusation.

"Just stay here until I get back, okay?" Anwar reached out to stroke my cheek, but Rempo knocked it away with his iron-clad arm.

"Until we get back. The other spirits will watch over you until then." I opened my mouth to protest, but I got a glare that said "be quiet and do what I say." Anwar didn't seem to like the idea any more than I did but he reluctantly agreed.

"Fine, then. Until we get back. And please, please don't do anything rash." I crossed my arms and pouted, and Anwar gave me a quick peck on the lips before Rempo could react. My eyes followed him as he disappeared into the cave followed by an angry Rempo. I immediately thought of my dream and prayed to whatever gods there were to be safe.

I'm so sorry this is late. But I PROMISE I will finish it! It's a little weird writing about these three again but it's a good weird :) stay tuned!