Sorry everyone D: I had this chapter locked away and didn't even KNOW it. But I don't know if I'm going to be able to continue after this. But I do have The Boondocks stories of mine posted in The Boondocks section of And WHEW, so glad my writing improved in my recent Boondocks stories. So if you're a fan of it, or just love to read what I write, go on and take a look in the Boondocks category. My new pen name is definitely, "Jazzy B. Real".

From the Rime Light Comes the Smoldering Dark

"True Love burns the brightest, but the brightest flames leave the deepest scars."

"You are a part of me, just as I am a part of you."

The reflection of winged light entered bright shards of its glow against the wide orb of my cerulean iris. My pupil enlarged as the illumination's wings flapped once in a stiff pace, drawing nearer and nearer to me with each passing trice. The frame my sight displayed was upside down, with me, lying there, scarred and motionless.

They had come to test us.

I struggled to sit up, earning a crack in my joints from all my open wounds. But then I fell back into the earth and curled up into an aching ball like a small insignificant child.

Nichrome jumped down in front of me, holding his ground as his scorpion's tail strapped tightly around his arm. He was getting ready to attack with his shamanic eagle's claw surrounded in ghostly purplish orange light, until Makinami swooped down on the spirit of light and assailed riskily; grasping the large bird made of light in between her talons.

The other two Guardian Spirit Birds appeared out of no where, harassing Makinami head on and flushing her out of the sky. Nichrome stealthily attacked the two, an explosion of smolder bombing off in mid air as he kept gesture stance airborne. He smirked cruelly in triumph. But in a moment's notice, the guardians flew from out of the smoke and struck his air ferociously. Nichrome dodged with ease once more, not noticing the third somersaulting down on me. Quickly he snatched me into arms of safety and away from the menaces, just to stop and notice the first bird of light was ambushing us as we neared the guardian's gate. The guardian dove down on us all too quickly for us to counter.

Due to my extreme lack of energy to barricade myself, Nichrome pressed his body against my back as the bird tore through the back of his white poncho caused by high twirling winds as if a large plane had flown over us. I opened my eyes in hoarse breaths, and looked sideways to see his wincing face; eyes squeezed shut with his poncho and himself shielding over me. I shut my own eyes tightly until tears poured. I waited for the blustering winds to pass, Nichrome never loosening up his clasp over me.

These Guardian Spirit Birds told us we were not worthy. For every time we attacked, the guardians could never be destroyed.

"…If we continue to attack, we'll waste all our furyoku." He told me a stifled whisper. "The fight with the Great Spirit's guardians is pointless…"

The birds continued to come with me underneath him. All three soon lined up in a stiff row in midair, telling us we were not worthy repeatedly.

As the painful tears dampened my eyelashes, I whispered to Nichrome, "…Nichrome, wait…I-I want to see if I can reason with them." My face showed doubt. "Maybe they'll listen…"

"Reason with the Guardian Spirit Birds?" he sounded as if that were something suicidal. "You'll be killed without hesitation. You have no strength to fight in the first place!"

"I'm not going to fight them!" I shakily bellowed as I clutched the soil. "I want to talk to them…please, let me talk to them…"

"There's no way in the world I am letting—"

I gasped when I felt a rustling wind and sudden feeling of loneliness surround me. Automatically, I looked up to see Nichrome being tackled into the sky by one of the birds of light.

"Nichrome!"

He shakily landed many feet away from me on his hand and knees with a bitter growl escaping his throat in rage.

I turned on my back in a bit of struggle to see the three birds lined up in front of me, repeating, "Only the one can pass. You may not enter."

For some reason they did not attack me yet. This was my chance.

I crawled forward before restraining the pain to stand up. "Please, Great Guardian Spirit Birds, we didn't come to cause destruction to the Great Spirit."

"You are not worthy."

I held onto my arm. "…But we need to cross, or else Zeke is going to become one with the King of Spirits and cause harm to the world. We need to get inside."

"Only the one can pass. You may not enter."

"Just listen to me!" I begged. "Our intentions are righteous! We need to save the King of Spirits! We need to pass…please just let us in. I beg of you…" I slumped down on my knees, feeling the pain of my sickness flow through my veins, but I couldn't let them see this, so I acted on as if I were bowing. "….I have to get him back…" I clutched my stomach. "I have to save Zeke Asakura from the darkness and the nothingness he's become…I have to bring him back…or else all will be lost just like him." I hung my head as two tears fell for my ill pain and for Zeke. "Please, let me save him…for everyone's sake, I promise to turn everything right again."

Within a long silence, I heard them say in unison, "…You may enter." They all disappeared as the pathway to the King of Spirits became unguarded.

A tiny smile spread across my face before I heard footsteps approach me. I looked up to Nichrome, seeing a stiff glow penetrating his eyes. "…We did it, Nick. We can enter and save him finally…"

"I'm not going any further." He told me bitterly.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why not?"

"This is your task, and I'm not meant to be apart of it." He stared into the depths of my eyes with those hard orbs now back to the color of steel nichrome. "I guided you to the Great King of Spirits, I protected you all the way. My deed is done, and now you have to fulfill your oath to the Guardians and the world. I've done my part."

I felt him jump once the side of my head rested gently against his leg, me smiling comfortably as my eyes closed. "No, Nick…" I whispered ever so lowly. "I still need you by my side. Don't go away just yet…" I looked up at him in a gentle yet tired manner, this sort of ghostly light dancing within my orbs. "…Stay with me until it's over…please?"

He stared down on me in mystification and shock, then turning his head away with his eyes shut stubbornly. "Alright fine…I'll stay for your own sake..." Just like that I had persuaded him. The red streaks marked across his cheeks as he continued to frown in closed eyes.

I carefully stood up and stared at him with soft and lost cerulean blue eyes. As his head and face was turned away, I slowly closed in on him with my lips parted. I closed my eyes and tenderly planted my lips against the skin of his smooth cheek. I felt his body grow tense. I knew that would wear away that stubborn look of his.

I pulled away with my eyes still closed. "And for yours…" My small smile went weary as I saw the panicked and confused look on his face; his eyes wide and staring directly into mine. He stared like that for awhile. "…What is it?"

His dark eyes turned back into the solemn gray nichrome piercing harshly into my soul like heavy shards of iron. "It's nothing." He frowned darkly all of the sudden. "Let's…just get going already." He abruptly took my hand and hurried me along the wide pathway to the Great King of Spirits in seriousness.

"You are a part of me, just as I am a part of you."

I paused as my head jerked up, sweat flying outward in rime lights. "…Zeke…" I breathed out as I sucked the air back in like a panic attack. This was my chance to face him. I untangled my intertwining fingers from my source of guidance and yanked myself up.

I had been asking the great spirits of the elements to help me find the Asakura, to bring him back from the lifeless dark.

"You are nothing without me!"

The worse part is, even though this message was not meant for me and was just in the distance, he's right…

"Laliya!" Nichrome called after me as I struggled to run, tripping forward a few times again and again, thus continued in cramping leg pains.

I ran on, Nichrome gaining up on me quickly. I could only see the desert terrain and white pillars. Soon the flowing stream of the upside down waterfall of the King of Spirits was seen so clearly to me. I stopped from exhaustion and awe of such a huge amount of energy. Nichrome jerked my arm back.

I glared upon him and pulled it away hastily. "Let go of me!"

"Laliya, stop being so reckless!" he demanded in his bitterness. "You can't go running around like that in the presence of the Great Spirit!"

"I don't care whose presence I stand before!" my knees quaked in lost balance as I took the minute to bend over on them with my head bowed. My eyes shut as I let out a clenched teeth-hiss from the sting my body pierced. Tears began to well to let out all my pain as it wanted to be released. "…I… wouldn't care if I were to be in the presence of God, for I will not be held back until I find him. I've told you many times before." I breathed hard as my vision blurred out once my eyes squinted open. "I am not turning away!"

And that's when I heard the small and barely hearable gasp. "L-Laliya…?"

Yes, the birth and grave name that let me know I was still in this world and visible to everyone's eyes. I looked up with the frown still plastered on my face until my impaired vision could focus on the boundaries before me. The figure became clear and soon I came to realization for who it was.

Little Opacho.

A little crying Opacho.

She blinked against the tears forming beneath her big childlike eyes. In a blink of an eye, Opacho was gripping onto me tightly with her little arms, clinging like the small child she was. I fell to her level and pried her off by the shoulders as she squeezed her eyes shut and didn't look up at me. She continued to sniffle like she was suffocating.

"He said…he said he was going to do good to the world by destroying all the humans and bringing peace with a shaman only kingdom…!" she blabbered to the rigid ground. Her eyes seemed to get even more watery. "I thought…I thought we were friends…! I thought he was good all along!" she squeezed her eyes shut once more while the resting tears fell. "He used to tell me everything before!"

I wiped the falling tears away hesitantly. "…Opacho how did this—"

"YOU HAVE TO STOP MASTER ZEKE!" she suddenly blurted.

I widened my eyes at such demand with her eyes shut even tighter. I fell victim to understanding why she was so heartbroken. "He betrayed your trust in him, didn't he?"

She chewed on her quivering bottom lip and nodded unwillingly.

My hand stroked through her afro hair. "…Take me to him and I'll bring him to salvation for us both…"

She shook her head wildly now, afro tossing in the opposite directions. "No! No! No! I don't want to see Master Zeke again! You have to find him yourself!"

"Alright, alright," I hushed her pain and stroked her hair once more to comfort her. "I'll do what I can for him….you don't have to come." My eyes softened only because of my tiredness.

"He'll never come back…" Her eyes opened, still staring at the ground heartbreakingly. "…I thought he trusted me…now I know Master Zeke trusts no one. He'll never change! Ever!"

"That's not true…" My lips trembled to smile so I could hide my pain from her. "We can make him change…"

"How do you know?"

"Zeke and I are two birds of a feather, and without the other bird, his wings are not stable enough to take flight, for he needs his other half, his last feather."

"…Then-then promise, promise to get him back, Laliya." She looked up at me with large eyes full of watery light. "You're the only person in the world who can get those scary demons out of him…and bring back the good in Zeke…if he'll let you."

We all jerked our head up to hear the crazed laughter and destruction of Zeke echo throughout the lands. Opacho whimpered as she flinched in shivering fear.

I slowly stood up and patted Opacho on the head with one tear droplet under one of her eyes. "…I'll get him back…promise."

I rushed in that direction in determination that couldn't match up with my illness. "Nichrome, stay here with Opacho!"

"Hey! Wha…just what do you think you're doing?" Nichrome shouted out across the distance.

"Bringing Zeke to life!"

I turned back to my path. I tripped a few times, telling myself I was almost there. …I could see something up ahead; a figure to be exact, just many feet away from my distance. I gasped before I tripped forward again, almost falling. "Zeke!" I continued to run.

I skidded to a halt at what I saw before me.

The Great Spirit of Fire appeared towered over Yoh's friends and the land, Zeke up upon its board shoulder. Yoh's friends attacked head on in rampage all at once for Zeke. The fire shaman laughed at such ignorance amusingly.

I noticed that look on Zeke's face, and those slanted eyes showing a cunning and destructive side. "…ZEKE!" I ran towards the scene.

"Great Spirit of Fire," a crude smile tugged on Zeke's lips, just itching to destroy all.

"NO, DON'T!" I shouted hoarsely.

His evil glower surfaced his face in gruesome excitement. "CRUSH THEM!"

"MASTER ASAKURA ZEKE!" my scream was terribly loud and took out most of my energy just to say. I had squeezed my teary eyes shut before I called upon the energy of Makinami as she attached herself to my back and elongated the extent of her wings.

My crystal spear clashed with the force of the Spirit of Fire's massive fist, sending great heat waves against the air current. My large white wings spread out and blocked the waves from Yoh's friends.

"Master Zeke, please…stop!" I screeched, knees bending. "Don't turn into the soulless demon everyone thinks you are!" And everything did stop.

I raised my head up to see he had paused, eyes dilated in white saucers of great shock.

I smiled lightly in victory…

"LALIYA?" all of Yoh's friends gasped.

"MY LOVELY SHAMAN QUEEN IS ALIVE!" Rio's heart eyes pumped.

"Hey, whoa she's alive? Since when?" Trey shouted and pointed at me in horror. "Why the heck is she not dead?"

Len snorted. "So the little shaman girl wasn't killed after all. How unfortunate."

"LEN!" Morty yelled in hurt.

The green-haired boy looked at me curiously before he faced me. "Hey…who's she?" he asked in an eager and slightly hinted bedazzled tone.

Yoh's comrades stared at Lyserg with raised eyebrows, which I recognized from the X-Laws. I glared away from him.

"Wh-why is everyone staring at me? I just want to know who she is!"

"Hey, she's way out of your league too, little dude." Trey folded his arms, Len nodding.

Morty sweat dropped. "So, you guys hate her or fear her, yet you make dibs on who's in her league or who can get her…?"

Trey's nose flared. "W-Well! Rio started it!"

Morty's neck dropped as he let out a puffball of air.

Zeke and I ignored all the fuss around us as Rio lectured Lyserg something about certain shaman queens he wasn't allowed to take. I gazed upon Asakura Zeke as he just stared down on me in absolute surprise.

He was just as I had always remembered. The same brunette bangs and lengthy silk hair, auburn luminosity streaking their strands, same elegance in his heart no matter how cold, for he was still so beautiful inside—something I just couldn't get over. I smiled my usual smile I always did when I'd see his presence…it made me even weaker. And so I became lost in him for the time our gaze had locked…severely lost I might as well be hypnotized.

…But all my happy dazes dropped into the black pits of a mere void...

His white saucer orbs quaked in his sockets, but then narrowed in great frustration with a growl escaping.

My smile turned upside down as my eyes widened when his growl rasped.

I gasped before I felt the hard impact of the Great Spirit of Fire struck me harshly with hatred.

By now I was skidding against the rigid earth feet away in brutal force. My body trembled and I was covered in more pockmarks and lesions. I choked the sand out, spitting the clay from out of my throat.

"Well, well, well…"

I struggled to crack an eye open just to see him hovered over me, now standing in the palm of his spirit's clawed hand.

"If it isn't my dear LALIYA." He cracked a terrifying smile, lifting his hand to create an inferno fireball. "Welcome to the party, dearest girl."

His lips arched higher, showing how eager he was to rid me.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Len came down on Zeke with his shamanic weapon; his spirit and sturdy furyoku insanely overfed. "BASON!"

The mammoth Chinese warrior loomed over Len boldly in his shielding armor and enraged roar.

But just like that, Len Tao was slapped away like a bothersome housefly being swatted.

"LEN!" his friends screeched.

The Tao glided across the sand before his friends, Lyserg and Morty tending to him in utmost fear.

Trey ran forward in frustration and impatience, just to be stopped by Anna. She opened her eyes and gave him her curtly gaze, assuring him that he could not interrupt my situation.

"Give her a chance first…since she is literally Zeke's second heir besides Yoh."

Those indecent pitch black orbs suddenly looked upon me mischievously, eyes narrowed as Zeke smiled something somewhat crooked and straightened up his posture. "You obviously don't wish or want to die anymore. For if you did, you wouldn't have had the nerve to face me…"

I shut my eyes tightly, whispering in the muck as I still choked, "All I wanted was you…death means nothing, you mean everything to me, Master…"

He already knew of this, but for some reason became even angrier. Unexpectedly he just smiled merrily in innocence. "I'm not the Jeanie who grants your wishes, so now I think you're ready to become a rotted carcass in my smoldering darkness." His look twisted from sane to insane. "DESTROY ALL THAT IS LEFT OF HER!"

The Fire Spirit elevated his massive arm…

I jerked back and cringed before burying my sight back into the soil. I heard Zeke's livid cry as if distracted. The prolonged blow never came. I opened my eyes…

Nichrome.

He was here standing in front of me, eyes a blaze full of hatred and distorted obscurity as he stared up at the Asakura. I had never seen such fury and rampaging crimson loathe in his face, and what a strong sense I could feel of it. He held his position with his shamanic spirits at his side. His feet pressed into the earth deeper to show his sternness.

The Destroyer Asakura just smirked when he was out of his fuming daze. "So you've come to join death's festival parade today as well, Nichrome. Yes, you're the one who tried to take Laliya from me and my cause, weren't you? And you're sticking up to your loyalty of doing anything for the one you love so dearly you'd give your life away for her."

I could feel Nichrome's odium bristling as his glare deepened.

Zeke laughed broadly, "How pathetic. I suppose I can just destroy you right now to make Laliya suffer even more. THAT would be fun."

"Nichrome, move out of the way!" I shouted over to him in a plea.

"Shut up, this is my fight!" he acrimoniously snapped back. "I have no respect for my so-called 'Master' any longer for what he's done to you even now. He's going to pay for everything…for making you his permanent living puppet." this bright light danced within his nichrome orbs. "Zeke won't get away with it this time…"

All Master Zeke did was smile innocently and cock his head. "Who, me?"

"YOU KNOW VERY WELL OF WHAT YOU DID TO HER AND WHAT YOU'RE STILL DOING TO HER!"

The Asakura just blinked in a phony childlike and baffled way as if dulled by the phrase. He just went on smiling happily with eyes closed upwards. "And your point? What I do to her is my concern, not yours. So I suggest you back down right now before you burn yourself little Nichrome. Hasn't your mommy ever told you never to play with fire?"

This was Nichrome's cue to attack full force…and how he thought he'd beat the greatest shaman on this earth is something I don't understand.

During the minutes of the fight, Nichrome was constantly being smacked down into the powder of dust, coming back with scratches scrapped across his cheeks. Zeke was only toying with him, to test his rage.

Finally, Nichrome got fed up with it and was able to use his swift agility to only tear Master Zeke's poncho, ultimately frustrating him for getting so close.

Zeke's impure chuckles rumbled deep within his throat. "Oh how shrewd of you." His eyes gave off the look of deceit and a gruesomely crooked smile.

And everything ended right then and there.

Nichrome was grabbed and jerked quickly by the great spirit of fire and engulfed in a rage of flames before being tossed like a fireball. His body was slammed deep into the pillars which crumbled in half and collapsed to the earth.

Flames enveloped Nichrome's grounds caused by the Great Fire Spirit. All was lost in the fiery defeat…

Still…I didn't see Nichrome in the fire, but I didn't see him escape either. I watched in horror as the conflagration wavered and danced in heat before my eyes, Zeke smiling down on the scene with a humored chuckle.

"Forgive me if I throw a curve ball a little too roughly." Zeke soon turned to me. "I hope you know you'll never be seeing your loyal and lovesick Nichrome again, dearest Laliya. He's been scorched for life." He laughed at his own smart remarks.

I tried to breathe, I really struggled to release an eased breath, but it only came out in stifled throttles. My eyes were the color of blank white themselves as this lone and loose tear strolled down my dirt-tainted cheek. "…Nick…"

He was taken away from me, just like that. He was crushed by Zeke, just like that. Someone else who showed me great kindness and care, died before my eyes, just like that…

And at that moment, my mind went completely vacant. My eye color came back to its original color, but the cerulean orb dilated into a completely empty eclipse of my orb.

I heard the footsteps pace the earth as Zeke jumped down from his spirit's clawed hand and stood in front of me. His eyes narrowed. "And now you have four unbearable things to suffer from. Has the pain killed you yet?"

I stifled on my own breath and tossed my head as it bowed. My cries were suffocating asphyxiates, soon turning into heated snarls. I jerked my head up with furrowed eyebrows upon the Asakura. "HOW COULD YO—"

His finger pressed against my puckered lips to hush me. He leaned into me, seductive and cunning expression he always wore on his face. "Now, now, Laliya. A beautiful girl like you shouldn't make such a hideous face." His lips curved to fit his silent chortle.

I frowned at him, eyebrows quivering lines to keep my straight face.

He kneeled down in front of me, lights in his eyes dithering with that somewhat twisted smile plastered on his face. "Understand that no one else can ever own or control your heart," his fingers held my chin up so I could look up straight. "…but me." His eyes slanted even more, the smirk spreading across his lips even so.

My orbs quaked. I sneered. "How dare you-you monster! I am not a piece of merchandise for you to own and take advantage of! I don't belong to you! Treacherous, two-faced snak—"

—A hand harshly whipped across my face to shut me up.

"Watch your mouth! How dare you come here knowing I would kill you off for even being in my sight. I warned you! I told you to stay away from me a long time ago—"

"You needed me!" I bawled back. "I was your heir to all answers, Zeke! You loved me, and you know it as clear as day! You can't keep hiding it all away, thus putting up an unwanted shield to fool my eyes!"

It was quiet for a moment longer now.

He stared in shock. I was expecting him to frown, but all he did was curve this unreadable smile. "Is that so…?" he stepped back. "Laliya there's nothing I want more…than to see you dead." He held out his arm as the Spirit of Fire's outline spiraled around it to form into a blistering shamanic sword like Yoh's double medium.

I gasped. He knows this reminds me of the fight with Yoh, and he knows how I couldn't beat Yoh because his image held my heart back…he knows me so well, and the weaknesses I didn't even know I had…

I shook the thoughts of all those terrifying memories away. "You're not killing anyone…" I tried to stay strong and stand up shakily to face him.

His eyebrows knitted against his forehead and down on his eyelids.

"I am going to face you in a shaman fight to bring you back from your smoldering darkness…"

His eyes widened in almost fear of it.

Killing me would be easy, for it would be a quick and flashing death. But fighting me would prolong his plan and hold him back. Yes, I understand now.

"You want to destroy me don't you…?"

He sneered hatefully with eyes showing inferno whirlwinds, but tried to contain himself. "Then so be it, dear Laliya." He then smiled, eyes looking directly into mine to illustrate calmness and readiness. But that deep glow waltzing within his dark orbs told me he was hiding or resisting something…

(A/N: "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. This song reminds me most of Hao-sama more than anything.)

How can you see into my eyes like open doors?
Leading you down into my core,
where I've become so numb

I clutched my spear as he held onto his shamanic burning red sword.

"I'm going to bring you back to life, Master Asakura Zeke…"

The smirk just spread across his face in a, "hmph…" before he said, "I'd like to see you try…"

I attacked head on with Makinami's wings becoming visible on my back. My spear plunged forward, just grazing him by an inch of the side as he evaded me.

I gasped as I saw the treacherous grin on his face showing his clenched teeth and his slanted eyes. He truly looked like a demon…

Without a soul...

My crystal peak spear clashed with his scorching weapon to block it from puncturing me to my death…

His auburn mane swayed in the beige breezes as he stared at me with those lifeless, pitch black orbs. The scene in my frame flashed, and his white saucer irises were shown in a glimpse of his cold insanity.

My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold…

With his unyielding strength, he jabbed his fiery weapon and shoved me into the clayed earth.

I kicked off the ground after recovery and leaped airborne above him. He smirked and blocked my dive hastily with a flaming whirlwind of inferno. Luckily for me, my spirit Eagle jerked me away from harm. He very much knew where my weak spot was…

Our weapons quarreled, until he arched a leg and rammed his knee into my gut.

Until you find it there and lead it back home…

I collapsed to the ground again, but almost didn't make a quick enough reaction once his sword speared into the earth where my head was.

I jerked back as sweat flung from my skin when the tip of his blazing sword stopped me in place only inches from my very forehead. My gasp was a heated exhaustion

(Wake me up) Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up) Wake me up inside

I looked up at him, seeing his impure smirk and thinned eyelids.

(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark

"You fight just like Yoh…" he smiled. "Weak." He raised his heavy weapon and with all his might brought it down on me. Now I knew it was the truth that there was nothing more he wanted than to see me dead…

(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run

The double-medium sword collided with the handle of my spear, compelling my back against the soil while he forced down firmer on my weapon. Alas, he tossed my spear aside with the swing of his crimson blade. His sword wounded the soils after I reeled over, noticing the elongated and bloodied slit across my arm. Wincing and wounded, I held back my tears, listening to the pitter-pats of thick blood blotching the floor beneath me…

(I can't wake up) Before I come undone

I flicked over and crept away to retrieve my lance. He hadn't even struck me yet as if waiting until I could grasp the spear, just to kick it away and leave me defenseless now. I looked up at him fearfully to see a pitiless smile on his face, his orbs a clear blankness of nothingness.

(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become…

He swung his mighty spirit of fire weapon, orbs an eclipse, demonic teeth clenched.

"Listen to me!" I squeezed my eyes shut and unknowingly called upon the wings of my spirit to barricade me.

The shamanic sword battered my wings as if scraping steel.

"You know you can't do this!" I blabbered on in hope to prevent him, because at this point I was factually terrified of him. "You know it's w-w-wrong!"

"I can do whatever I want! And once I am Shaman King ALL we obey ME!" he hissed as I leaped out of the way when his sword gored the muck, dispersing sand by the force of his razor blade and berserk rampage. "I don't need you to hold me back any longer!"

"You're wrong, you need me and you know it's true!" I egged him on.

He lifted his fists and he tossed his head. "NO, I DON'T WANT YOU!"

Now that I know what I'm without

I hid behind the pillar in whimpers when I heard his fury, just having to duck as he sliced the column horizontally in half.

You can't just leave me…

He pounced airborne out of the darkness, incensed with his scarlet rapier above his head and wide fuming white orbs.

Breathe into me and make me real

I flew back and stared upon him in terror.

Bring… me… to life

I struggled to find some source of my furyoku to help me. I shut my eyes tightly, and searched hard to find my strength. Makinami rose over me, wings folding as a trail of edgy glaciers jutted out of the sands on Zeke's path, but he destroyed the attack with his flaming sword.

[Wake me up Wake me up inside

[I can't wake up Wake me up inside

I observed as Zeke appeared standing upon a glacier shard, suddenly his weight crushing it down before he glared at me with his eyes twitching unnervingly. He all of the sudden flung himself toward me...

When his blurry figure approached me in less than a second I could only breathe his name like a prayer…

(Save me) Call my name and save me from the dark

I slid down on the ice trail and between upright glaciers as I tried to dodge his weapon cutting through the air viciously instead of me. I turned around just to gasp and see his sword's point come wheeling towards me. Just in time my foot slid and I fell onto the harsh hoarfrost as I watched the red sword thrust over me, slicing my hair strand, and sticking itself into the glaciered ice.

(Wake me up) Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up) Before I come undone

I looked up at my assassinator to see his face outraged with detestation.

(Save me) Save me from the nothing I've become

I then lifted in panic, aching sore and covered in foul scratches. "…Zeke," I whispered as he forcefully pulled his red blazed sword from the crushed ice. "…You are a part of me, just as I am a part of you…"

I heard the sword skidding across the floor of the ice as he walked towards me, face full of a grin of insanity….a lifeless insanity that overrode his mind for the last 1,000 years.

Bring me to life…

"…You are nothing without me, and I am nothing without you…" I didn't look up. "…We need each other, to become one soul…or else we're not ever going to be whole…"

"Are you finished with your poetry?"

I winced at his insensitive accent.

His eyes were narrower but still blank saucers. "Without you I won't be dragged down, and all my pity, regret and pain will be gone. I am going to destroy you, and I am going to enjoy it."

"No, Zeke you're lying to yourself! Don't listen to the past! Y-Y-You're letting it weaken your conscious!"

(I've been living a lie...there's nothing inside)

"ENOUGH!" he thundered.

Bring me to life

He swung, as I shut my eyes naturally in dread, but then his foot slipped backwards. He fell forward, falling brutally into me and slamming us both onto the frenzy arctic surface of the now crushed down glaciers. His face yanked towards mine as sweat flung from his brow at the closeness between our boundaries, both our eyes wider.

Frozen inside without your touch,

By that widening look in his orbs, I knew he had remembered the enchanted sanctuary the night before I was off to fight Yoh. He had to have felt that feeling…the tingly sensation for when he almost kissed me under shooting stars and butter-winged butterflies.

Without your love, darling

But then he retorted back to insanity and gritted his teeth, grasping his blade. His eyebrows wrinkled down on his forehead in fiery fury as he roared in battle cry.

Only you are the life among the dead…

I know it's confusing if Laliya is either with Hao or Nichrome but Laliya's just as confused as you are. Nichrome wants Laliya, Laliya wants Hao. Note in last chapter: "Manipulation doesn't wear off immediately!" I stray to put a lot of things in between the lines of this story, well, every story. You might and might not see at the end of the story everything that needs to be strung, but mostly likely the sequel, a very much of a wicked sequel.

One give away: Laliya a lost portion of Hao's spirit/heart left behind after Hao's reincarnation. She is the opposite side of him, the sensitive, miserable spirit of him, and technically they need one another to become whole and for Hao to overcome his insanity. Not romantically, either.

And Alicia Peralta, well, lol Laliya's supposed to sound pathetic. That's her character nature. But I didn't make her that way to sound like a weak suicidal girl all the way, I did it to make her the exact opposite of Hao, yet still his replica.

And in your view (really should be everyone's view) Hao is considered evil. You don't get to see his point of view through Laliya since it is her view, unless you look closely and know Hao's character…since Laliya doesn't. She may tend to block out the truth on as what we know of Hao-sama. And… (scratches head) well, if you read the "Immortal Gold Flames of Truth and Untruth" chapter, Hao does feel guilty and throughout some earlier chapters where you could tell he wasn't faking with her he was nice. But in shaman king period (at least the show cuz I'm not going off the manga that much), he's supposed to be devilish in a fake kindness way…I couldn't make him all perky…he's got a good side yeah, but he can be cold too …he's partially insane, but not a heartless demon. Besides, he's just scared and confused in this story, to be honest. But thanks for falling into my trap! I appreciate it! LOL.