Raising his hand Diablo pointed two fingers at Aoi then made a quick gesture. "Opprimere." A sphere of crackling purple and black energy flew from his hand toward her back.
He had decided he would take this one alive. She might prove useful once she was blood bound and loyal.

The Golem turned out to be far quicker then his massive bulk should of allowed. With inhuman grace and ease he pivoted, swinging the flat of his blade at Ember. Only to appear to be impaled by one of the icicles.

The wire was ripped from Aoi's hands, cutting them deeply as she winced and cried out a bit. She didn't even hear or notice Diablo's attack. As the ball of energy few through the air towards Aoi, a sudden icicle erupted under the ground, right in its path. The resulting explosion almost threw Aoi over the railing completely. Her anger momentarily forgotten, she ducked and covered her head as the shards of ice rained down on her. The flood stopped shaking as Aoi's temper quickly extinguished.
"Ember, get back to Tokyo!" Aoi yelled as she scrambled to her feet. She tried to focus on her own home, but Phillip's last scream rang through every crevice of her mind, over powering any other thoughts.

Ember moved back away from Ardais, looking to Aoi, "Make sure to think of my room! The comp's on there!" She then returned her eyes to the Golem, "Ja ne!" She threw the small fireball from her hands at him, as a flurry of embers and bits of red light were all that remained as she disappeared from view.

--On Earth

The girl opened her eyes, looking around her room, her hand still covering her hurt arm. Bringing her hand back, she looked at the cut, trying to decide how to make up a good excuse for it. Getting up, she went to her dresser, pulling open a drawer and pulling out an old shirt.
Wrapping it around her arm would work for now, until that other girl got back, then she could get them both bandaged and cleaned up.

--On Ashi

Irina closed her eyes, concentrating on earth. The girl's body glowed with a white light for a few seconds before the light faded away. Irina blinked and stared at her hands in slightly shock. Irina looked up, seeing Aoi still there.
She ran over to Aoi, "You have to get out of here, now," said Irina. "There's nothing you can do or could have done to save him... You don't understand this world... Please... Leave, go home, before you get hurt..." said Irina softly.

"Opprimere." Ignoring the shards of ice as they cut his face and stabbed at his eyes he gestured again. Throwing a second ball, only this time it was meant for both Irina and Aoi. Hopefully this one would strike home and incapacitate them while they were both distracted.

The Golem's sword tore a jagged rut into the stone wall as it passed through the flickering embers. The fireball washed harmlessly over him. Only covering one of his shoulders in soot.
His quarry having escaped he retracted the sword and turned. Snapping the icicle that had tried impaling him. Only to shatter when it hit the far harder metal.

Aoi heard the attack this time, and also saw the ball coming. She quickly shoved Irina out of the way, but the ball was still headed straight for her. She clamped down on the memory of Ember's room as the ball came towards her. Her form rippled like water again as the ball passed through it and she disappeared.

--On Earth

Aoi opened her eyes and saw Ember's arm. She quickly went over to help with the bandage when she noticed her hands weren't in much better shape.
"Well.... That didn't go very well, did it?" she whispered, melancholy dripping from her voice.

"No, it didn't," Ember replied. She ripped off some pieces of the old shirt, then took Aoi's hands gently and wrapped them up, "I've got to sneak to my bathroom to get bandages. Once we're both taken care of, I'd better get you out of here. I already have enough to explain to my parents.."
The redhead went to her bedroom door, unlocking it and sneaking out down the hallway. Before too long, she returned with items from her family's first aid kit. She put some down on her bed for Aoi to use, as she went to work on her arm.

--On Ashi

Irina let out a soft cry of surprise when Aoi pushed her out of the way. She lost her balance, falling to the floor. Irina looked around for a possible exit, knowing that she couldn't teleport ou...

"They escaped, again." Ardais rumbled.
"Don't worry. They will be back." Diablo said as he watched a nightmare of torn wings and jagged claws lift into the air, having finished it's dangling meal. "Until then I think we should let my father speak to Irina. Since I know she's not going tell me were they are."

--On Earth

Aoi carefully took out some anti-septic and started to apply it to her hands. She winced as the familiar burning sensation went through her palms. She applied gauze to help stop the bleeding and then the bandages.
"Ember... "Aoi said softly, breaking the silence that permeated the air. "I think we can make the assumption that not a lot of people have been sucked into the game, or we would be hearing more about mysterious disappearances. But... since we seem to go into the world whenever we fall asleep and the only way to get out is if the game is on somewhere. We should probably keep the games on at all times then. I really don't want to have to spend a day in that place. Kami forbid that I doze off in astral engineering and I end up running away from crazy princes," she said, giving Ember a small smile.
Lightening the mood was the only thing Aoi could think of to keep Phillip's death out of her mind.

--On Ashi

Irina whimpered softly, slowly getting to her feet. Irina moved slowly and silently towards a door, prayng it was an exit.

--On Earth

Ember smiled slightly, finishing up with her arm, "Hai, a good plan. Though, we are going to have to be careful about who sees the computers on. My little sister for instance will shut it off, along with my mother."
The teenager sighed, examining her arm for a moment, "All I wanted to do was play a game, kick some baddies' asses. Such a reversal.. Either way," Ember sighed, going to her door and looking up and down the hallway, then looked to Aoi, "Probably a good idea to get you out of here. I have a piano recital I have to be ready for tomorrow, and I'm sure your family wouldn't appreciate your random disappearance, ne?"

--On Ashi

"Do quit whimpering." The Prince turned his head toward Irina. "I'll also humor you and tell you that the only way down is over the edge with my Harpy�s dinner. What my father sees in you still boggles my mine. You put forth a brave front at first but crumble when pressures applied. It's a wonder you can get people to keep throwing their lives away."

Ardais remained mute. Awaiting Ashi and Kankei's return and report on the missing guard before saying anything new. For now he would sit and listen.

--On Earth

"Hai, I should get home before you get in trouble. but don't forget to leave that game on," Aoi said.

"Easier said than done," Ember muttered. "My little sister always comes in and shuts off anything that have on just to spite me."

Aoi nodded, "I can leave my lap top on all the time, no one will bother it. However, I'm going back to the US soon. If you appear there, it's going to be hard to explain why you suddenly appeared in my dorm room over night." Aoi looked at her hands as well.
"But maybe the most pressing thing is how are we going to stay out of that world? It appears that every time we fall asleep we get pulled into it again. and what about that magic..... Does it work in this world as well?�

"There are so many questions that could save our lives the next time we get pulled into the game. And we don't have the answers to any of them. There are so many questions that could save our lives the next time we get pulled into the game. And we don't have the answers to any of them."

"Irina-chan might get us answers, but it depends on if she can manifest herself in front of us. As for powers, I don't think they work here, at least, not from what I can tell. And if they do, they're probably harder to use here than in the game.�
"As for sleeping," Ember started, "We'll probably be able to not get ourselves pulled in if we keep a hard, determined mind not to before we fall asleep. But I doubt it working, since dreams are where the subconscious take over."

"And we are both going to have night mares about this...." Aoi said. "So it's logical to assume that we are going to be pulled back into it tonight..."

"Exactly," Ember said, "And as you saw with myself when I popped up when you guys were all dealing with the tin man and the psycho prince, it's an unexpected thing when it happens."

Aoi sighed. "It would be better if we went into this thing together. we'll stand more of a chance then." Aoi smiled at ember again shyly.
"I wonder what happens when we fall asleep in that world?"

"I prefer to really not find out," Ember said, stretching her arms out in front of her, closing her eyes for a brief moment, then opening them and putting her arms down by her side, "All I know is everyone seems either hostile or scared to death of you there. Not a very friendly lot... wonder if they know the people at my school.."

Aoi laughed slightly. "Still... I don't think either of us want to be alone in that world tonight... I could send you a message through the Vidnet so we could go to sleep near the same time."

"Probably a good idea, though I'd have to get it open. I seriously hope my sister doesn't come in. The brat will immediately get everything turned off.." Ember grumbled, moving over to her computer, opening the program, minimizing the game.

Aoi looked over her shoulder. "Alright, now that I've got your ID, I'll call you." Aoi turned and walked over to Ember's window. "Well, I know where I am, I'm just down the road a little. I'll talk to it in about two minutes."

"Alright," Ember opened her door to her room, waving Aoi to follow, "I'll get you out the front door."

Aoi followed the girl, careful not to bump into anything with her hands.

Ember sneaked downstairs, heading to her front door and quietly opening it, then motioning for Aoi to go past and outside.

Aoi darted through, giving Ember one last thankful smile.

Ember waved before quietly closing the door and heading back to her room.

Aoi ran down the street quickly. She hated running, but she was still a bit frightened from the memory of Phillip. When she reached her house she was out of breath but managed to slip through the door with her code and into her room unnoticed. In her room, she locked her door and grabbed her lap top. Aoi sat down on her bed and quickly booted up the game, then sent opened a line to Ember's ID.

Ember answered the call on the Vidnet, seeing Aoi and waving as she went and closed her bedroom door, "Glad to see you got home alright."

"Hai!" Aoi said with a smile. "Bed time? We should try and think of some place besides that castle."

"Good plan," Ember replied with an exasperated sigh, sitting in her comp chair and putting her chin in her hand, "And definitely someplace where no one will start pointing fingers at us and yelling that we're sorceresses again.. That wasn't exactly a good thing to start us off there."

"How about someplace away from people? Like the ocean. Or someplace like that. Then we might be able to get some sleep."

"Hai, sounds good, but we have to be specific when we think.. I really don't wanna appear and then fall into some body of water ready to become fish food," Ember said, getting a piece of gum from off her computer desk.

"Indeed," Aoi said with a giggle. "You ever been to the Tokyo beach? Like at one of the secluded alcoves that they haven't closed off yet?"

"Hai, hai, Cyan-san, Niori-chan, and I go there everyday after school or after recitals," Ember said, starting to chew her gum.

"Hai. America has nicer beaches, but just think of one, and I'll think of one. Hopefully we'll end up someplace near each other."

"Hai, hai, sounds like a good plan," Ember replied, hiding a yawn.

Aoi smiled. "Well, let's hit the bed then. See you in a bit," she said with a small wave.

"Hai," Ember waved, spinning in her chair to face her bed. She stood up from her chair, then lied down on her bed, snuggling a pillow, "Ja ne, room, konnichiwa, vacation spot.. I hope," The redhead closed her eyes, envisioning a beach as she went to sleep.

Aoi laid back on her bed, closing her eyes, and picturing the alcove that she and her sister used to play in, when Aoi still lived here.