"Thanks," I sighed after Yam healed my wounds. I had lost my sword/staff in the fight, and it was probably somewhere in the ocean. That was also what caused my injury on my arm. I never liked using that tactic, but I still had it.

I was pulling my sleeve back to cover the tattoo when Yam grabbed my hand to stop me. "I've heard about this," she gasped in fearful amazement, "It's a way to command the ruhk without use of a staff. I heard about it, but only in theory."

"Well, it works, just causes a terrible wound, I don't use it unless nessicary," I explained.

"Yamriha," Sin finally said something. He had just been sulking by the door the entire time. There were little blotches of red on his clothing, must have been my blood. "Can I talk to Ady alone?" With that my fellow blue haired magician scurried out of the room.

"What up?" I asked him, throwing my arms behind my head. My wound stung by my actions. She hadn't fully healed them, only made it so I could function with them.

"Don't 'what up' me," he snapped. Great, I made him upset. "Why did you do that? You could have gotten killed! Can't you just... Ugh." He was frustrated, but this was his fault.

I wanted to get angry at him, but I couldn't bring myself to. He was just worried. "Sin, excluding me is not protecting me. I will go out there and decide what to do on my own. So that's exactly what I did. Can you blame me for wanting to protect the people and kingdom I care about."

We just intensely stared at each other, neither of us knowing how to proceed." I wanted to protect you Sin," I told him, my eyes watering up a bit." I'm not some weak thing that needs to be protected. I know about Al Tharmen. You don't need to shield me from the darkness of this world. You say you want me by your side, but your actions don't say that. We should stop trying to protect each other and fight at each other's side." My gaze had fallen to my lap in my monolog.

I didn't notice the one I love slowly walk his way to me. I didn't look up until I felt his hand on my cheek, pushing away my stray hair. Gold and blue met, causing everything else to disappear. "Audria," he sighed, leaning his forehead against mine, "You need to stop trying to take everything on your own." I reached up my right hand, laying it in his cheek like he was doing with me.

"I'll try," I promised, "Personally I think I've gotten better with that from when we were kids."

"I'll be the judge of that," he agreed with a smirk. We both let out a little chuckle. So many words went unsaid as we stayed like that for what felt like hours.

"I love you," I finally let those words slide out of my mouth. He smirked, perfectly knowing I did.

"Took you long enough," was his only response. I pulled away from him and playfully smacked his chest.

I glared at him. "There were so many ways you could have responded to that, and you chose the worst one," I was in disbelief. He smirked at my annoyance. "Don't you have a war to prepare for or something." I reminded him. I knew if I didn't remind him he would have stayed there all day with me.

"Right," he nodded, putting on his more responsible side, "Don't go getting injured again." Sin left, with a loving glance. I smiled until the door closed behind him.

"No promises," I told him when he was long gone.

- ~ -

"Where are you going!?" Mei asked frantically. We were preparing for battle, and I was sneaking out of HQ.

"I'm just gonna go visit Sin, then I'll be right back," I said, and left before they could say anything. I literally ran to the palace and followed the ruhk to Sin's office the doors were wide open, and the guards were in ko way going to prevent me from entering. I peaked right in to see he was speaking to Kougyoku.

They were really close and holding hands on the ground. I couldn't hear what Sin was telling her under his breath to her. It looked so intimate, much more than anything we have ever done. But then again I finally gave up on pushing him away yesterday, but we've only had one kiss, a simple one that I initiated. There were so many opportunities for us to be like that, but there were none. I knew he was just doing that to keep her on his side, but I still felt some degree of jealousy.

I gave up on my quest to talk to Sin before battle and returned to my friends. I teleported there, a type of magic only Yunan and I have mastered. I barely use it because it uses up my own magoi. Kansi got startled by my appearance, which lighten my mood drastically.

"Are you gonna tell him about Atiyah's Rift?" Yukino asked me. I froze, the idea has come to mind many times, but I could never decide. "I think it would be helpful, having an entire country in ourside instead of some royals here an there."

"We won't hold it against you if you do or don't," Kansi added, "It's your decision, we just don't want you to be worried about us all when making it." He reached over and straightened the signature rose red cloak that was on his boyfriend.

"Thanks you guys," I told them with a smile. I walked over and inspected Yukino's right ear. "Your piercings are healing well," I informed him. He decided to get the pair put into one lobe. "Have you test a full djinn equip with them in?"

"I don't like to," he complained, "You'll just punt me..." he has one of the smaller djinn equips, and within our sparing sessions, when in doubt, punt him.