"... He's dead, right?" Hatsu asked after a moment, watching his impaled predecessor fall to the ground and be coddled by another Silencer, one who appeared to be very close to him.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"By all means, he should be,"</span>Yami replied.<span style="font-style: italic">"That was a stab through the heart."</span><br/><br/>Hiei gave a slight nod and actually spoke. "I can't see anyone walking away from an injury like that. I think this is over."<br/><br/>Both Hunters turned to look as Anaka silently stood up beside them. Her face was hidden in shadows and she started slowly walking off toward where Ayl, er... Death had gone. "I'll kill him," she muttered, her voice sounding like she was half-asleep. Then she screamed, "I'll kill him for killing Vaan!" She started running now.<br/><br/>Hatsu blinked in a mixture of surprise and shock. He might have tried to stop her, but there was no way anyone could kill Ayl anyway... he was<span style="font-style: italic">Death</span>. Hiei also just stood by, watching from a distance per usual.<br/><br/>***<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Anaka, no! You can't!"</span>Azrael shouted inside of her.<span style="font-style: italic">"As Lord Death's subordinate I can't let you even try to harm him!"</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Shut up,</span>Anaka muttered in her head.<span style="font-style: italic">You don't understand the pain I'm going though. That was... he was... he was the only thing I had left.... I'll kill Ayl or die trying.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"I..."</span>Azrael started,<span style="font-style: italic">"I cannot let you do that. I cannot even pretend to be compatible with a girl who threatens to kill Lord Death... Goodbye, Anaka."</span>It was terrible, and it pained him greatly to do so, but there was no other option. With a heavy heart, Azrael focused and gathered all of his energy together. Slowly, he separated himself from Anaka and she fell, screaming, to the ground, mere feet from the target of her rage. Blood poured from here eyes, ears, nose and mouth and her eyes became glossy. Azrael gathered his energy outside of Anaka and used a great deal of what was left to recreate his physical form. As Azrael came back to life, Anaka died.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I... I'm coming... Vaan...</span>Anaka thought, her mouth no longer able to form the words as she wished. After the separation, death felt painless; like falling asleep.<br/><br/>Slowly, Azrael was able to remake his body. He examined himself when he was done and decided everything was in order. The keeper of souls knelt down next to what used to be his host. As he'd suspected, the girl wasn't strong enough to survive. Poor thing, it was sad really. It had to be done though. There was no way he could allow his own host to go against Lord Death.<br/><br/>The deceptively young-looking (but nearly seven foot tall) demon turned to Ayl. "I apologize, my Lord," he said, bowing. "I didn't even realize it was you... I am ashamed."<br/><br/>-------------------<br/><br/>Hatsu stared, greatly confused. One second, Anaka was running toward Ayl in a fit of rage. The next, she was screaming in pain and collapsing to the ground.<span style="font-style: italic">What's happening, Yami?</span>Hatsu asked. Yami was quiet, which made the boy worry. Finally the demon spoke.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Her demon is separating from her,"</span>he answered, his voice quiet as he delved briefly in memories.<br/><br/>Hatsu's eyes went wide and he watched the scene in curious horror.<span style="font-style: italic">So this is what it looks like when a demon separates from its host...</span>He hoped, selfishly, that it never happened to him.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">She's a goner,</span>Yami thought to himself sadly.<br/><br/>As Hiei watched Anaka fall his eyes widened in a mixture of shock and... some other emotion he was having trouble identifying.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"What's the matter?"</span>Alastor asked.<span style="font-style: italic">"I thought what happened to her from here wasn't your business."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">She's... dead...</span>Hiei responded, sounding like he was in a state of disbelief. A pain momentarily shot through his skull as an image flashed by. It was gone in a second though, and he'd already forgotten what it was. More importantly though... the first person he'd really talked to in... well, since the apocalypse, was dead. Hiei fell quiet and closed his eyes for a moment.<span style="font-style: italic">Why... do I even care?</span><br/><br/>---------------------<br/><br/>Somewhere, off in the distance, there was some sort of sound. He didn't know what it was, but it made his head hurt. He felt a pain, and a tight feeling, then a jolt. He wasn't conscious enough to tell, but it was him coughing up blood.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"You're doing very well,"</span>a distant voice said.<span style="font-style: italic">"Just hold on a while longer. I'll heal you up as soon as I can,"</span>then a deep laughter.<br/><br/>Breath came to him, but just barely. His heart, though completely run through, beat determinedly. Blood spurted from the hole with each effort, but it refused to stop. Slowly, ever so slowly, the tissues began to weave back together. It was a temporary fix, the boy would need a great deal of rest to heal fully. But more importantly-- Vaan Nylund was<span style="font-style: italic">alive</span>.<br/><br/><a class="postlink" href="http://m23.photobucket.com/image/recent/Gorgon2222/Water_Demon_by_ahou.png.html?src=www">Pic of Azrael</a>