Tala whipped around quickly as Akio's sentence had been cut off. Her eyes widened at what she saw; she couldn't let him die. "No, don't hurt him!" She yelled at the demon as she took a few quick steps the orb appearing in her hand as she snapped her fingers. In that fluid motion she had herself transformed into a wolf-like creature, the orb hovering in between its anters. She growled and snapped at the demon, lunging forward and towards him each time as she did so. Her bright eyes were narrowed as her tail lashed back and forth wildly. Finally she rose up onto her hind legs slightly, jaws open and primed to land on the demon's arm.

As soon as the demon saw Tala's new form, his eyes widened from the large tail and antlers. "Wh-w-what the hell?!" he yelled dropping Akio to the floor and onto his knees coughing and trying to catch his breath at first. "Wh-w-what are you?!" he yelled out as Akio slowly stood back up to his feet, breathing heavily still.

Akio stared at the demon, not realizng what Tala had transformed into as he tried to reach out for the demon but failed from the pain on his face causing his vision to go a bit blurry from the lack of oxygen from before. Dammit....n-n-no.....not now... he thought as he collasped to the floor falling unconcious immediatly.

Tala's jaws landed, she could tell from the demon's reaction. Akio was free that all that mattered at that point. The canine-like mouth closed though, closed until she felt teeth meet teeth. She then opened her jaws quickly, pulling away from him as she felt the skin ripping away as she moved. She growled and barked at him a few times, her eyes and body language threatening him to no end. She took a few steps back, keeping her eyes on the demon, as she nose Akio until she was able to get the majority of her snout under him. She then lifted him and placed the fallen on her back. Giving the demon one last warning look she reared up and turning on her heels she began running back through the field, back the way they had come earlier. She had to put Akio first, it was his revenge after all. Since the demon had bailed on his half of the bargain she had no use to return to him. Rather, she had to make sure that the fallen was able to get what he wanted but not lose himself in the process.

The demon was still in a bit of shock as he watched Tala contiously giving him warnings not to get near Akio basically. When he noticed how she took him onto her back and run away, he sighed with relief that he didnt have to fight her as he turned around beginning to limp away because of the attack ealier that both Tala had done in her dragon form, crushing his body and Akio throwing him into the forest with his entire body slamming against all the trees.

Akio stayed unconcious on Tala's wolf formed appearence as he couldnt really feel any part of his body while he stayed that way, in a way it was almost as if he was in a coma though. Wh-w-why...why couldnt I have stayed awake just a little longer?! Why couldnt I kill him?! he thought as he didnt really know he was being carried by the one person who betrayed his trust, not as if it hadnt happened already before.

Tala's clawed dug through the ground as she pushed herself forward as fast as she could. She didn't know if the demon was following her or not so she wasn't going to take any chances. It seemed to only take a few moments until they were back in the woods, where he secluded little house was. As far as the angel knew the demon didn't know about this place, but she didn't know where the rest of his 'eyes' were.

She slowed at her front door, nosing it open before walking straight back to her bedroom once again. Once in there she tilted over slightly allowing the angel to spill onto the bed. Her form quickly reverted back to its usual angel appearance and she walked back out of the room. The first thing she did was close her front door. Ater that she moved to her kitchen and grabbed a rag, running cold water. Tala then went back to her bedroom as she carefully lay in on Akio's forehead while she knelt beside the bed.

Akio slowly began to feel the cold rag on his forehead while he was unconcious surpringly as he frowned and his eyes began to clentch together from feeling pain. Wh-w-whats going on...w-w-why does my forehead feel so cold?... he thought in his deep sleep as he was getting afraid of what or who might be nearby while he was in this state. I....I hope neither Tala or the Demon is around...th-t-they'll kill me if they get a hold of me.... he thought as he began to clentch his fists tightly in reality of remembering that Tala had betrayed him.

The demon hadnt really known where Tala had brought the fallen as he shrugged his shoulders a bit and began to limp away into the darkness of the forest again. "He'll probably come looking for me again soon enough.....along with that other fool.." he said with a grin as he seemed a bit confident in himself to beat both of them.

Tala sighed slightly, the rag wasn't helping like it should have. Pulling it away she held it one had as she rested her other and on one of his fists. There was an odd calm about her as she looked at him. Sudden there was a blue light coming from her hand. "What, the?" She asked herself as she jumped back, taking her hand with her. Looking at it for a moment she then rested it back on the boy's fist. She tried to concentrate on bringing that light back and soon enough it returned, glowing strong and brightly as it began to creep up her arm. Her breathing increased as her eyes widened at what was happening. "I was a healer?" She asked herself in surprise, though she didn't pull her hand away. She hadn't done this before, at least that she remembered so the use of the ability was draining her quickly. She could feel the heat and color draining from her face but she couldn't stop, not if this could help Akio.

After what seemed like minutes of healing, Akio slowly began to open his eyes as he looked over to the side seeing Tala was healing him. Wh-w-what the hell?! he thought as he quickly pulled his fist away and moved to the back of the wall. "G-g-get away from me!!" he yelled unable to believe why she would be healing him. He thought that she was only healing him so that he could go and be tortured by the demon when he fought him again. He hadnt noticed that fact that she seemed to be getting weaker as she was healing them though. Wh-w-why...wh-what was she even doing to me?!

Tala had pretty much been supporting herself with the hand that was on Akio's so when jerked it away all of a sudden she fell back. She didn't look up at him though as her eyes blinked slowly, her tongue licking her dry lips in hopes to bring moisture back to them. The action didn't help as much as she would have liked though. She fought to stand knowing that there was no way Akio would trust her after earlier. Her wings were low, she didn't even have to strength to keep them up. Though she was on her feet, it was an awkward stance, one that looked like the slightest breeze could topple her over. "I," she started to say but stopped, catching her breath for a moment. "I'll go get you, something to drink," she said, her voice just barely that of a whisper, her words breathy. Lifting her head up she looked at the boy against the wall, he was angry, or scared, she didn't know anymore. Taking a slow breath she then slowly turned and began scuffling her feet across the ground, moving very slowly to the door that led back out to the rest of her small home.

Watching how weak Tala was, Akio began to calm himself down knowing she wasnt going to be able to help herself fight against him. He sighed and looked down at his hand feeling the warmth from her holding it, he didnt know it was her holding onto it a few minutes ago but to him, it felt really warm and soft. Wh-w-whats this feeling in my hand.. he thought as he slowly began to clentch down onto it tightly again and suddenly realized his face felt all better. W-w-wait! M-m-my face!...I....It doesnt hurt anymore! he thought as he touched his face in shock wondering why it suddenly hadnt hurt anymore.

When he looked at Tala walk away with a somewhat limping stance, he just gave a thought that she might have been the one who healed him. He had a debt to pay now, which made him angry that how the person who betrays him is the person he must repay a debt for saving his life. Dammit!! he thought getting off the bed quickly and running out of the room toward her side. "here....l-let me help you." he said glancing away from her a bit, Akio took one of her arms and let it around his shoulder as he held onto her stomach with his other hand just in case she would fall to the floor.

"No," Tala whispered as she tried to pull her arm away. "It's ok, this is the least I can do for what I did earlier." She couldn't look at him and begrudgingly found herself leaning into him, almost as if she was relieved. Which she was, though she knew he wasn't happy with her a part of him was still helping. If she had ever doubted his story earlier she didn't now. There was no way a fallen that had been betrayed and then found himself helping that very person could have ever killed his own parents in the right state of mind. She just wished that she could do something to set things right for him, but she was in just a bad a position as he was at this point it seemed.

Akio didnt say anything when he heard how Tala was refusing to accept his help, he just sighed and held onto her arm tighter around his shoulder. "Just shut up." he said quietly staring forward as he helped her into the kitchen and let her sit down onto the chair at the counter. "Stay here...I'll get you something to eat and drink." he said as he left her alone on the chair walking over to the fridge to check what was inside. Hmm...I guess I'll make rice chowder... he thought as he grabbed a chicken out and began to chop it on the cutting board.

Tala felt almost like a scolded puppy at this point. She listened, not saying a thing as he led her to one of the chairs at the counter. Laying her arms on the counter, she rested her head on them. She remained silent even as he started preparing something, she didn't know what though. The angel, if one could call her that now, didn't want Akio going through all this trouble but there wasn't really anything she could do about it. If she had the strength and energy she would have been doing this on her own rather than allowing the already angry fallen do it for her. As she watched him a new calm came over her as her eyes slowly started to close at the rythmic sounds from the cutting board.

After a couple of minutes of cooking the food, Akio had poured a bowel of rice chowder with some chicken in it as he walked over to Tala placing it in front of her with a spoon, napkin, and some water. "eat...you need your strength more then me." he said quietly as he looked away from her walking back to the sink and beginning to clean the cutting board. At this point he still hated her dearly, but for some strange reason it wasnt completely hatred but also sorrow for believing in her and almost starting to have feelings against her.

Tala slowly opened her eyes, though the task was painful in itself, like her body was willing her to sleep. She pushed the bowl away from herself, her eyes staying on the counter. "You don't have to worry about me," she said quietly, though she sounded more tired than anything. "You make sure to get your strength up. He's still out there, though I don't know where." Her eyes slowly blinked, she knew she would be fine, her body was just as stubborn as her mind and wouldn't give up. She just couldn't have Akio giving up, not when he was so close. The green haired girl also wanted to fix things and she hoped that maybe letting him eat first would help, even if it was just a little bit.

Akio sighed not believing Tala anymore even though she was telling the truth this time as he grabbed a spoon and just took a bit of the food putting it toward her mouth. "Just eat, I dont need it." he said as he stared into her eyes with a bit of worry and frustration in his eyes, the worriness in his eyes werent exactly as obvious as his frustration though. He didnt say anything else from there, either she ate or not at this point was really going to be his last effort to help her, and probably the last time he would help her.

Tala forced herself to sit up, taking the spoon from Akio still refusing to look him in the eye. She poured what was on the spoon back into the bowl as she pulled it back to herself, just spinning the contents around it. "I'm not as bad as I look," she tried knowing that she really didn't deserve the way he was acting, it just made her feel more guilty. "I can get better by sleeping this off," she told him though she wasn't too sure about that seeing as she didn't even know she had that ability. "You though, my heeling isn't going to be enough. It's really only a quickened heel that your body needs nourishing to finish."

Akio looked at the rice chowder in the bowel as he frowned deeply, he didnt really like to eat anything at this point since he didnt feel really good in general. He slowly just pushed the bowel over toward the middle of the table as he just got off the seat across from Tala as he turned around without a word. He tried to help her with her problem of walking as he noticed how stubborn she was and eventually gave up. Fine..she doesnt want to eat?...her problem. he thought as he couldnt seem to stop worrying about her deep down.

Tala finally let the spoon go seeing as they weren't getting anywhere with the food at that point. She worried her lip slightly, her eyes finally falling back onto the fallen. He seemed to have changed so much after his encounter with the demon. From what she saw he would be an amazing angel if they had given him the chance. "What about this, I'll eat some if you do," she said softly, a small hopeful smile coming to her face. It was meeting half way in a sense at least.

Akio slowly stopped before he left the kitchen as he turned his head to the side to just barely look at Tala. He hadnt notice her smile as he still frowned. He stayed quiet for a few seconds as he just closed his eyes and turned around completely. "Fine." he said walking back to her with his eyes reopened. He sat down at the counter again as he pushed the bowel over to her. "You first then."

Tala scooped some of the rice chowder and shoved it into her mouth. Leaving the spoon there she pushed herself over the counter, until it supported her lower belly and hips. Reaching forward she pulled open a drawer and pulled out another spoon. Sliding back into her seat she held it out to Akio. Finally pulling hers out of her mouth she said, "This way you can't try to get out of this one." The smile on her face was a little bit bigger as she hoped that her joking helped calm him even a little bit.

Surprising enough, Akio began to smile even though he still remembered what she did to him. He nodded as he took the spoon she had out for him as he scooped some of the rice chowder and just stuck it in his mouth. He didnt really say anything as he just ate the food slowly with her keeping a small smile on his face. I'm shocked....how someone...so nice....was someone who worked for a demon... he thought as he slowly began to stop smiling and began to clentch onto the spoon until it started to crack a little at the handle.

Tala scooped another spoonful into her mouth before she noticed Akio's grip on the spoon. "I would have told you," she said, her voice quiet almost as if she was ashamed of herself, which she was. "I could't though, he wouldn't let me." At that point she kept her eyes glued on the bowl of food, her hair falling down the sides of her face to keep him from being able to see her face. She felt dead inside because of what had happened, it was her guilt that led her to hide herself like she was now.

Akio looked up quickly when he heard Tala say that she couldnt tell him at all because of the demon. His eyes widened as he dropped the spoon having it already spilt into two havles as he slowly reached up and moved her hair away from her face. Once Tala's hair was moved from her face, he cupped her chin and slowly rose it up to look into his eyes. "I...if thats true...then I wouldn't have been mad at you....If you told me...you just couldnt tell me the truth...then that would've been better already." he said with a quiet tone as he slightly leaned over the counter and gave her a small kiss onto her cheek.

Tala's eyes closed tightly as she turned her head away. He sounded too forgiven at that point and it just made her feel worse. A part of her liked when he was mad at her because it let her know that she truly had done something wrong. "I, I couldn't," she said, her voice struggling to keep back tears. "He's strong, I didn't expect him to go down as easily as he did but he still managed to keep me from being able to say anything about this." She then looked back up at Akio, her eyes wavering with the tears that were trying to push themselves out. "I shouldn't have listened to him if I knew what would happen."