Dosclaimer: MWAHAHAHAHA! I spelled it wrong!

A/N: I got the next chappie! YAY! Chap 22 is up!

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Chapter 22: He's back!

Achika and Yuri reappeared at the campsite, tense and guilt-ridden. Everyone was asleep. Thank the gods.

The two girls, each half-naked, snuck passed Genki and company to the river. Before the girls could make it to the safety of the shadows, Genki woke up to see Achika's naked-ness as she flew into the shadows.

"AH! MY EYES! THEY BURN!" Genki screamed as he got up and started to run around in circles. The distraction proved fruitful, because the two lovers got away from the campsite without any further sightings. Everyone was too busy trying to get Genki to shut up.

"We are never doing that again!" Achika yelled at Yuri as she laughed insanely. The pixie continued to laugh as Achika glared at her.

"It's not my fault we wandered pass the campsite while we were making out with each other and we forgot our shirts by the riverbank. It was your idea to do this in the first place!"

"It was not my idea to hang out by the river's edge!"

"It was your idea to go skin-dip," Yuri said slyly as she found Achika's shirt. Achika's face burned, as she snatched her shirt away from Yuri. Yuri began to laugh even harder, even after she got hit in the face with her own shirt.

"Ah, you love me anyway," Yuri joked as she got her shirt on. She kissed Achika slowly. As they broke off from their kiss, Achika began to giggle.

"What is it little Achi-chan?" Yuri asked, as she made sure she had all of her clothing.

"You taste like chocolate covered hot tamales," Achika replied. Yuri looked at her in complete confusion.

"What?"

"They're a foreign food in my world. They're not usually covered in chocolate though. It's just the way I ate them," she said scratching the back of her neck.

Yuri giggled. Achika was such a cutie!

"How do I taste like tamales?" Yuri asked. Achika immediately understood what she meant and blushed. Yuri laughed even harder as she looked towards the other side of the river. The laughter died in her throat. A worm was coming up the other side of the riverbank. She could see a gray-haired kid and there were two other shapes upon the worm's back. It crossed the river by digging underneath.

"Get behind me Achika," Yuri growled as she stood in front of the human girl. Achika stared at Yuri in surprise. Her happy demeanor took a turn for the worse.

Yuri glared at Alan as he had Worm stop in front of them. He looked so much like him. He looked exactly like him.

"Who are you?" Yuri asked Alan as he jumped down in of her. He sniffed the air as though Yuri's scent was disgusting.

"My name's Alan. I was wondering if-"

"Is that you Yuri?" a familiar voice asked as one of the shapes jumped down.

"Tiger," she said his name more as a sigh of relief then anything else.

"Yuri, I have Red," he said slowly. Suddenly, Achika glomped him and they went flying into Worm. Tiger smiled at the little human. She was like her brother.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Achika shouted. Tiger wrapped a fore-leg around her.

"You should thank me. It took me forever just to get him. Let alone get him here," Tiger said as she reminded him of his first love. He didn't know why, but she did.

"Hey, hey. Don't get so lovey dovey with my girl," Yuri muttered as she pulled Achika back into a hug. Tiger laughed.

"Anyway, I must take Alan to see Genki and Holly. Achika," Tiger paused, "I know you know what to do about Red. I'm leaving him to you."

Achika smiled, "Don't worry. You left him in good care."

"Yuri," Tiger said suddenly, "I need to speak with you in private."

"Okay," Yuri said as Tiger led her, Alan, and Worm away. They left Red with Achika. Achika was running her hands through his fur. It was coarse and spiky. Before it had been soft and silky. His transformation had changed him so much.

Red's muzzle was curled into a horrid snarl. It still had dried bits of blood from when he attacked her. Drool was coming out of his mouth as was froth. He looked demonic, and unlike himself.

"Red, my dear first and only true friend. I miss you so much....." Achika said slowly as tears filled her eyes, "Come back to me. Come back to me please?"

Her tears fell from her eyes and onto Red's delicate fur. His chest began to glow as the scar on his back dwindled in size. Soon, the scar was gone, and a jewel of a great light blue hue was resting in Achika's hand. She stared at it in fascinated horror. They were searching for this? She was risking Genki's life, her own life, Red's life, and.... And even Yuri's. For this? FOR THIS?!

It was insane. It was wrong. It was maddening. It..... It was what made the difference between the bad guys and the good guys. The bad guys only thought of themselves, while the good guys thought of everyone else. Good guys weren't selfish. Goddamn it.

"Achika?" Red groggily asked.

"Red!" Achika shouted as she hugged him close. He looked at her, half-surprised and half-awake.

"What happened? The last thing I remember is being attacked by those monsters. And why do you reek of blood?"

Achika looked at him with surprise, "You don't remember anything?"

"What do you mean?" Red asked, innocence resonating from him.

"My friend," she said hugging him close, "one day ago I nearly lost my life. I nearly lost it because a very strong monster attacked me. Do you know who it was?"

Red shook his head, hoping his guess wasn't right.

"It was you. You nearly killed me."

The realization of what she had said hit Red like a Mack Truck. He nearly killed her. He nearly killed Achika.

"Oh gods! You're not joking are you? Oh.... My dear.... I am so so so sorry. I... I don't remember... I don't remember any of it."

Achika hugged him closer and began to pet him. If she thought convincing the others Red wasn't bad was going to be hard, she didn't realize what her words had done to Red. It wasn't the others she was going to have to worry about, but Red himself.

"Hey honey," Yuri said as she walked up to them. Achika glanced at her with sadness and despair. Yuri sat down next to the two friends and hugged them both. Even though Red had attacked her, Achika still loved him furiously. He still could not love her as much as Yuri did.

Yuri let both of them go. She stood up slowly and stretched a bit, "Hey, I need to do Tiger a favor. You want to come with me?"

"I'm coming with you Yuri," Red said getting up. Achika immediately got up as well.

"I'm coming with both of you," Achika said sternly. Yuri patted Achika's head.

"You're so cute. My little one of course you can come," Yuri said winking. Achika blushed horribly, and giggled a little as Red looked at them with confusion. When had these two gotten so close?

"Where are we going? And what are we doing?" Achika said, as she stretched. Red shook himself and realized that she asked the one question he was wondering himself.

"We're taking a little journey off into no man's land!" Yuri yelled dramatically. Achika sweat-dropped as Red looked at Yuri like she was crazy.

"Come on guys," she said laughing nervously, "Lighten up! I'm trying to get ya to laugh."

"You're not really helping hon," Achika said glomping Yuri. Yuri patted her head and then extended her wings.

"Are you going to cling to me the whole way, or do you want a ride?"

Achika smiled and relaxed into her arms, "Whatever. I don't really care."

"Well, you're fat. So, get on my back!" Yuri said turning around in the girl's arms. Achika smacked Yuri upside the head before she jumped onto her back.

"You coming with?" Yuri asked Red as her wings began to flutter. Red nodded silently as Yuri flew ahead. He ran after the two girls. He knew what they were going after immediately. He knew because he could tell the jewel had left him. He knew that Tiger's was missing as well. How? He wasn't sure himself. For some strange reason he had a connect with the jewels, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Yuri soared through the sky, happy. It felt like it was just her and Achika. That feeling was one of the best in the world. The girl rested her head on Yuri's back. Achika's arms were wrapped around her neck. Her legs were loose around the pixie's waist. They both could feel warmth from each other, and it was good. Achika was completely relaxed against her. Yuri was the happiest she had ever been. In her old life, she had been hated, even feared. Now, she was loved. It was worth it. Feeling the pain of death. Just for a couple of days of love.

"Something wrong dearie?" Achika asked, shifted to look at Yuri's face.

Yuri turned back and looked at her innocent face. She had beautiful clear eyes.

She flashed a fake smile, "Nothing hon. Just thinking too much."

Worry crossed over Achika's face as she kissed Yuri's cheek shyly. Yuri showed her a true smile before she went back to scanning the ground for the waterfall Tiger had told her of.

"Yuri!" Red shouted upwards. Yuri glided closer to the ground.

"Yeah?"

"I can feel it!" he replied.

"Feel what?" Achika asked, looking over Yuri's slender shoulder.

"The jewel! It's moving! Someone found the jewel!"

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A/N: Ooooooo!What's going on? Who found the jewel? Is someone else collecting the jewels? I'm going to let you suffer for a while! Review!