A/N: So, seeing as it's my birthday next Thursday, this may not be updated on a Thursday next week. If I can't update it then, I'll update it on Friday instead :3

Tear and Yulia had only just stepped outside before the sound of fighting came to them. They shared a glance then hurried forward, diving through the trees to reach the area faster.

They came to the edge and stopped in shock, staring. It was a huge battlefield; student fought student, teacher against teacher. Tear searched the crowds, finally spotting Natalia near the back, shouting orders and firing arrow after arrow. Looking over at the enemy's side, she noticed that several students were hanging back, hovering in indecision. Some blatantly refused to fight, and she could see Legretta shouting at them.

She began to make her way over to where they stood, crouching in the undergrowth silently.

"What do you mean, you won't fight?!" snarled Legretta.

"We don't want to fight our friends!" a young girl cried, tears in her eyes.

"Idiots! Do you believe they will have mercy on you?! We've betrayed their trust, they only see you as enemies now!"

The kids were silent for a moment, wavering on indecision, the Tear saw a head of green hair step forward.

"That's not true. I believe that my friends will forgive me," Ion said strongly.

Legretta growled, raising her gun. "Stupid kid!" she snapped, hitting him across the cheek with the butt of it. He hit the floor with a gasp, and Tear saw Sync rush forward to his side.

"You are a naive fool if you truly believe that. Why would they forgive you? Who has a heart so stupid, that they will forgive traitors?" she snarled, raising her gun and pointing it at Ion.

Tear leapt forward from the bushes as Legretta fired, blocking the shot with her spear before reversing it and slamming the blunt end into her gut. She gave a gasp, falling back and hitting the ground, breathless. Tear straightened, spear still held at the ready.

"I do," she replied imperiously, staring down at Legretta before turning to Ion. "Ion, are you okay?" she asked worriedly, checking the green-head.

Ion smiled. "Tear! You're really here!" he cried happily.

"Of course. Arietta already explained the situation to me. If I show everyone else her letter, they'll understand that none of you want to fight," she said, addressing the crowd.

The students looked relieved, then one spoke up. "But how can we help?" they asked.

Tear looked towards the fighting groups, wondering how students were distinguishing friend and foe. She then noticed a red or blue bandana had been tied around their arms, with a symbol on the fabric.
She looked back at the group. "Get a strip of blue or red fabric and tie it around your arms. Head to the back of their group; a blonde girl called Natalia is there, and if you explain the situation, she should accept you and help. Tell her that Mystearica sent you."

The group nodded, grabbing any blue or red fabric they had and ripping strips out of it, tying them around their arms. They started off, Ion shooting Tear a reassuring grin, then followed Sync.

Tear stood, looking around. In the confusion, Legretta had disappeared, but that wasn't her concern at the moment. She was looking for Van, or Lorelei. Van so that she could stop him, and Lorelei to explain the situation more and make sure he was alright.

Finally deciding she didn't have much choice, she dived into the fighting. She herself didn't have a strip of cloth, but this just meant that the students of her enemy didn't realise she wasn't one of them. She just needed to avoid the attacks from others and make sure not to attract too much attention.

As she found herself being pressed on by all sides, she remembered what she and Luke had done in the hall the other day and automatically adjusted her steps, starting to glide between them. Still, it was difficult, and she found herself getting more and more squished.

Suddenly a horn sounded, and she watched as the Daath students backed away from the area. The other students, a little wary, did the same, until there a large circle in which Van stood in the centre of.

Tear pushed her way through the crowds, reaching the circle but not pushing through the edge just yet.

"Come, Lorelei! Haven't we had enough bloodshed today? Come out and face me like a man, instead of cowering behind these younglings!" Van called out. Murmuring started up, the fighting stopping. A moment later a few students were gently pushed aside, Lorelei stepping out into the centre.

"Dad!" Tear glanced back at the edge of the circle, watching as Asch bullied his way through the students, Luke following behind.

"Luke, Asch, stay back," Lorelei ordered, his tone cold. The two boys stopped, their green-gold eyes full of fear; not of Lorelei, but of what could happen to him.

"What is it you want, Vandescelsca?" asked Lorelei, gold eyes regarding him coldly.

"You, Lorelei. You are a danger to this world; your powers as a Seventh Fonist are legendary, but those with power are more likely to try and seize more. You started with this school, but what's to stop you from marrying into royalty, taking control of a country, even trying to control the world? Nothing. So I want to ask something of you Lorelei." Van drew himself up, gazing at Lorelei in the eye. "Step down as Headmaster, and allow me to take up the role."

Lorelei raised an eyebrow.

"And if I refuse?"

"Come now, Lorelei. Surely it mustn't come to that. After all, what would poor, dear Suzanne say?"

Lorelei scowled. "You leave her out of this, Van?"

"Why should I? I think she agrees with me."

Van murmured something under his breath, and then Tear stared as an image appeared in front of Lorelei. A beautiful woman floated there, her dark red hair flowing out behind her and gentle green eyes shining. She smiled at Lorelei, holding out her hands, expression soft.

Lorelei froze, staring at it. Behind him, Luke and Asch both looked stricken, Asch stepping forward in wonder while Luke backed away, shaking his head but never looking away from her.

The other students stared at her, but didn't seem as captivated as the three red-heads were. Tear could feel that something was wrong, something was off, and she began to push through the students, heading towards where Luke and Asch were.

"Dear.." Lorelei murmured, raising his hands towards her. Asch had pushed through the crowds by now, coming to stop just beside him and staring at the woman. She saw him and smiled brightly, holding out a hand towards him, and he raised his own to take hers.

Luke stared at the image of his mother. She looked exactly the same but...there was no way...

He blinked, trying to force the image away; this had happened before, he remembered, he'd seen his mother but it wasn't her, it was only an illusion. Still, it looked so much like her, just like he remembered. Trembling, he stepped through the circle towards her, gazing at her. She turned her green eyes on him, smiling happily, but he realised with a jolt that her eyes held no love. They were empty, devoid of emotion. Whoever it was, it wasn't his mum, but Asch and Dad couldn't see that...

The image seemed to waver, and Luke caught a brief glimpse of Van charging, his sword drawn and aiming to attack both Lorelei and Asch as they stood there, stunned beyond thought. No..there was no way he was going to let Van kill the rest of his family! No way in hell!

"Dad! Asch!" he shouted, leaping at them. He pushed Lorelei aside, causing him to stumble into Asch and the two of them to hit the floor. Looking up, about to shout at Luke for interfering, they stared as he gave a yell of pain. Blood flew out, hitting the floor, before he collapsed to his side.

Van pulled back, scowling. "Stupid boy, getting in my way..." he snarled, then turning to the two red-heads, he murmured again. The woman appeared again, and Tear realised that he must be using it to control them, to distract them long enough to kill them.

But this time, they didn't look at her. Their eyes were fixed on the injured and bleeding Luke lying on the grass, his hair fanned out around him and the grass slowly being stained with red. He panted heavily, eyes screwed tight with pain.

"Luke..." Asch whispered, his mind finally starting to work. He looked up at the image, and this time saw through it, saw Van standing there with the victorious smirk as he raised his sword to attack them. He brought the sword swinging down and Asch growled.

He pulled out his sword, raising it and blocking Van's strike. Van staggered back in surprise as Asch stood, sword poised.

"How dare you hurt my brother!" he snarled, lunging forward. Their swords clashed, sending sparks flying off, but Asch barely paused before swinging again, catching Van's blade while holding his own sword with one hand. They went flying back, making them both lose balance, but Asch simply reversed the hilt and spun, slashing at Van. Van only just managed to dodge, stepping back out of range, and Asch grasped the handle with both hands before attacking Van over and over.

Tear stood, captivated, then remembered Luke.

"Luke!" she cried, pushing through the students to the centre. She quickly knelt beside him, checking the wound over. It was deep, and could become fatal if they didn't act quickly enough.

Chanting, a light appeared around the cut and it healed slightly, but blood still leaked out and Tear panicked. She used the spell over and over, but soon the effects dampened and the wound hadn't been healed enough.

"Damn it.." she whispered, trying to think of something else, but her fear only increasing as more and more blood leaked out. Tear looked up to Asch for help, hoping maybe he had finished with Van, but her expression quickly changed to one of concern.

Asch was no longer focusing. His attacks were merely angry, with no real force or ability behind them. He slashed over and over again, but Van was easily blocking them. He simply attacked in a desperate and futile attempt to break through Van's guard.

Finally Van gave a grunt of dissatisfaction, flicking his wrist and causing Asch's blade to fly out of his hand. It landed on the grass a little way away, and Asch froze, a sword pointed at his throat.

"I'm tired of these little games. Why don't you join your brother?" Van said cruelly, then slashed. Asch flew back, crashing to the ground while blood pooled from the wound. He coughed, shifting slightly, and Tear hurried over to him, trying to heal the wound. However, as soon as she stopped healing Luke's wound, it began to get worse again, and she looked at it in distress. She couldn't heal them at the same time, but if she didn't heal Luke he'd die, and if she didn't heal Asch he'd die...

"Tear!" a voice cried, and Tear looked up as Natalia pushed through the crowds, coming to a stop beside her. She checked Asch over then began to heal him, face tight with concentration. "You heal Luke. I have Asch," she ordered.

Tear nodded, running back over to Luke and starting to heal him again.

"I can't let you do that," a quiet voice murmured, and Natalia raised her head, staring into Van's expressionless face. She drew back slightly, fear running through her.

"W-Well, the only way I'd stop is if you killed me," she replied, her voice strong despite her situation.

Van raised an eyebrow. "If you so wish," he said with a shrug, raising the sword.

"No! Natalia!" Tear cried as the sword was brought down.

A/N: Cliffhanger!

Haha, I'm sorry, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait!

Plus, it kinda needed to end there...

Review?