Dairey: So I have started at my other idea of a story.

Syns: It's the one that came second with 'Servant love'

Dairey: Indeed I got enough votes for it to encourage me to start with it.

Syns: Enjoy :)

Summary: Astral and Yuma had completed their mission. The Barian's defeated, Astral world is save and all memories are recovered. Now it's time for Astral to go home. But Yuma, who is deeply in love with Astral and heartbroken about Astral's departure, doesn't want Astral to leave him. This causing him to follow Astral through the portal to Astral world. But during his teleportation something goes wrong. A Barian Hunter, a surviver, wants to take revenge on Astral bur accidently target Yuma instead of Astral. Now Yuma is lost in the most dangerous of Astral world with a crazy Barian hunter right behind him. Will Yuma survive? Will he find his way to Astral and reveal his love to him? Or will he die by the hand of the Barian hunter or by something else?

Long trails of sweat ran down Yuma's light tanned face, while his legs; exhausted and tingling painfully; moving as fast as he could. If it wasn't for the adrenalin rushing through his blood he would already had collapsed from exhaustion.

"Oh Yumaaaa. Come out, come out where ever you areee." A cold woman voice called out playfully.

When Yuma heard how near the voice sounded he pushed the last reserve of energy for one last sprint.

"You can't hide from me Yuma. I have never lost my prey and I am not intending to lose one now."

Yuma shook his head as he tried to lose his follower. /How could this be? This wasn't supposed to happen. All I wanted was to be with him./

-Flashback-

Yuma heard the portal humming softly in front of him, the bright white light shining in his eyes. Behind him he heard the sound of sniffing and crying of his friends which made it only more difficult for him. Still he understood them as he too was filled with grief and sadness.

He looked at Astral as the blue skinned alien smiled at him gently. Yuma wanted to smile to but he feared that is smile would be a fake, which wouldn't be fair against Astral.

Yuma couldn't believe it was all over after so many years of partnership.

The fought together, they overcome obstacles together, they laughed and cried together. Those moments have strengthened the bond between them to an unbreakable chain.

The young teenager had always known that there will be a time that they will defeat Barian, saving Astral world from annihilation and restoring Astral's memories. He also knew that after Astral's mission was over that the blue alien would go home. But now that the time has come he wished that the spirit could stay for just a bit longer.

It was now Yuma's turn to say his goodbye. And just like his friends Yuma had very hard, not only did he saw his partner leave he also felt a piece of his heart leave with it.

What first started an involuntary partnership turned into true friendship, but Yuma felt his caring for Astral grow into something stronger the friendship. It was after Astral was destroyed by III that Yuma realized something. Empty and alone he cried Astral's name while he felt his whole world collapse. Yuma finally understood that he didn't just deeply care about Astral but loved him. His thoughts was confirmed when he felt his heart whole again after he revived Astral from the dead with the help of III's crest.

Only…Yuma never had the courage to show his feelings towards the blue alien. Instead he decided to hide his love in fear for destroying and losing their friendship. Yuma preferred just to remain friends then to lose the only close connection he has with Astral.

Yuma wanted nothing more for the spirit to stay with him. But he didn't heart to force Astral to remain here since he knew how hard Astral wished to return home, to where he was born and where his friends and family lived.

He should be happy, right? Astral finally could go home. So why was it hurting so much?

"I presume this is the final moment between us Yuma." Astral said very calmly and although his voice was steady his face showed that he too felt very emotional about his departure.

"I-I just can't believe that you're really leaving." Yuma sniffed.

Astral smiled warmly to his young partner. "We all knew this wasn't going to last forever Yuma."

"Yeah, I-I know that. It's j-just…I didn't t-though that…that." Yuma saw his vision blurred from the tears in his eyes that he was trying to hold back.

The boy gasped when he suddenly felt a soft hand on his cheek. More was he surprised that the hand belonged to Astral. It was the first and probably the last real affection he shall share with the blue alien. Yuma was amazed how soft and smooth Astral's skin felt. He had always wondered how Astral's skin would have felt but never thought that it would feel so good.

"That what, Yuma?" Astral asked, urging the boy to continue his sentence.

"T-that..that you will leave so soon!" Yuma cried out as he threw himself into Astral's chest his arms pressing the blue spirit close his body, his tears running freely over his cheeks.

Astral, first stunned from Yuma's action, gently returned the embrace rubbing the back of the boy trying to cease his loud sobs. His sad eyes looked at the crying boy trembling in his arms. Still, it was no surprise to Astral that Yuma would respond so emotional.

"Yuma, I know that our separation is difficult to accept right now but give it time and things will go better then." Astral said.

/I wished you were right Astral. Although I am not sure about that./ Yuma cried in head./ The fact that you won't be there when I wake up, never to hear your voice anymore, never to see your deep mismatched eyes is just heartbreaking./

With a lot of reluctance Yuma released Astral from his tight embrace; still with tears in his eyes but with a heartwarming smile he looked at the blue spirit.

"Yeah, you're absolutely right Astral. I will be fine, don't worry about me." Yuma lied, pretending to be happy. He did not want Astral's last memories of him being sad. Plus he didn't want Astral to feel guilty of his departure.

The portal started to buzz louder, signaling that time was running out.

"Goodbye Yuma. I will never forget you." Astral said with one last stroke on Yuma's cheek before turning around slowly floating to the portal.

During that time Yuma started to hear a voice in his head./Are you really letting him go just like that? Are you not even going to tell how you feel about him? Maybe he will return your feelings and stay./

Yuma saw that Astral finally had reached the portal and touched it. The portal engulfed Astral's body in light before he dissolved in white sparkles. Then the sparkles disappeared into the portal that shortly after Astral's departure started to shrink.

"No! Astral!" Yuma cried. /Please don't leave me Astral! I-I love you! Come back!/

He thought that he could do it. He thought he could be strong and let go of Astral. But the moment Astral was truly gone he felt his heart break in thousand pieces. And he knew there was only one thing that could heal it: Astral.

Desperately Yuma ran towards the portal that still was getting smaller. /I am not losing you again Astral! Even if I have to follow you to the edge of the world!

Yuma heard his friends calling out to him; telling him to stop. But Yuma didn't pay attention to the calls of his friends. His determination to be reunited with Astral again was stronger than his sense of reason. Nothing was going to stop him now.

With a long leap Yuma was able to reach the closing portal just in time; as his fingers barely touched the swirling surface of the portal. Within a flash Yuma saw his surrounding dissolve into a whirlpool of colors, while the distressed cries that his friends were shouting at him faded like whispers in the wind.

-Flashback-

But things didn't go as he thought it would go. He didn't end up with Astral. He wasn't probably anywhere near Astral. Only this time it wasn't his fault. During his travel through the whirlpool of colors a bright glowing red beam went straight at him. A painfully impact followed causing an abruptly ending to his journey.

-Flashback-

With a hard smack Yuma felt head first on the solid ground. The taste of sand and dirt filled his mouth, which he quickly tried to spit out. While he was rubbing his hand over mouth to get rid of the dirty taste he notices the strange surroundings. He saw high black trees towering above him. But there were no leaves on them; not even on the ground; they even looked dry and dead to Yuma. The sky was grey and cloudy rumbling with thunder.

/Where in the world am I? Is this Astral world? No, that cannot be./Yuma though while getting up.

"Hey! You're not Astral!"

Yuma swiftly turned around when he heard the strange voice. He gasped when he saw a long, slim female standing before him. She wore a smooth mask in the shape of a snake only showing her almost black abyss eyes. She had her long red hair tied in high ponytail. Just like the mask her skin was dark purple with red marks like she was scratched by a cat. She had one shoulder pad, with a belt started from that shoulder to her waist. From there she wore a ragged skirt till her knees revealing one leg. On her waist belt she wore a long blue sword with 3 sharp teeth at on side.

Yuma didn't feel anything good coming from this new strange woman.

"No, you're definitely not Astral. Mhhh, black hair and purple bangs? Red deep eyes?" The woman's voice was smooth and low indicating she was an adult woman.

Yuma saw her abyss eyes resting on his chest. "A 'D' standing on the T-shirt?" The woman snapped her finger. "Of course. You are that kid: Yuma Tsukumo." She said in way that sounded like she was happy to see him.

"I see you know me. Problem is that I don't know you." Yuma said.

The woman chuckled darkly, sending shivers over Yuma's spine. "Forgive my rudeness. The name is Sashala. Barain's most talented hunter." Sashala made bow through her knees. "At your service."

Yuma gasped. "Barian! But that's impossible! We defeated you all!" Yuma exclaimed.

Sashala eyes narrowed dangerously at him flashing shortly with anger. "True. If you, Kite and Shark didn't helped that filthy blue Astral being my lords could have won this war. Then we were the rulers of every dimension"

Yuma growled when Sashala insulted Astral. His hands, clenched in fists, tremble from anger. No one speaks about his Astral this way.

"So when you and Astral defeated all our lords I vowed that I won't rest before there are revenged. Originally I planned to intercept Astral on his way back home and kill him slowly and painfully. But I didn't see you coming in my plan. So I guess that other glow was actually Astral but I couldn't sense who was who."

Yuma felt somewhere relieved. If he hadn't followed Astral Sashala would have jumped on him. He was glad he could prevent that.

"Oh well, doesn't matter right now. I had preferred to kill that blue Astral being with my own hands. But you will do nicely too. After all you are much the blame for the defeat of my lords as Astral is." Sashala draw out her sword pointing towards Yuma who froze immediately.

"Oh, how I going to enjoy your screams. And who know maybe I will walk into Astral one day. Wait when I tell him what I have done with precious friend Yuma Tsukumo." Sashala hissed.

Yuma's mind screamed him to run, to get away from this Barian Hunter as far as he can. But It was pointless to run from her. He had seen with his own eyes how fast the Barians were. If he would run now Sashala would catch him in a flash. What he needed was a distraction.

Sashala was stepping closer when suddenly; like fate heard his plead; a flock, of what looked like huge dragonflies, flew between them surprising him and the Barian Hunter. If Yuma wasn't in this dire situation he would have taken a better look at the flock, but now he just took his chance and ran.

When the flock had passed by Sashala saw that the boy was gone. Still her sensitive hearing picked up his footsteps along with the sound of snapping branches while he tried to run through them.

"You're lucky that flock came by boy." Sashala purred. "But I had to admit I liked it more this way. What fun is hunting if you don't get the chance to hunt down your prey, desperate to shake off its hunter?"

Whit a chuckle she started to ran after Yuma.

-Flashback-

Yuma knew that Sashala was holding up her true speed, knowing she was only doing this to wear him out. She knew he couldn't run forever that at one point his energy would be up, and then he would be sitting duck.

More bad luck came on Yuma's way when the undergrowth became denser. So dense that he had to hold up his hands to protect his face. He felt the branches of dead black undergrowth cutting his flesh and ripping his dueling outfit to shreds.

Then all of a sudden Yuma felt how the dense wall of branches disappears. He didn't feel any branch at all.

Wondering where the undergrowth suddenly had gone Yuma lowered his hands to find it out. And it was a good thing he did. He let out a high-pitched yelp as he came to a halt with a slide. His fingers digging hard into the ground while his legs dangled over the edge of a monstrous cliff. Little stones that came loose fell down to a pitch black chasm. Yuma couldn't even see or even hear them reaching the bottom.

Quickly, and with a lot of effort, he was able to crawl back on his feet. When that worked he started to look for something to cross this gap. His head turning left and right searching for anything. A bridge, a tree, a rope …just anything. Unluckily there was nothing. There wasn't even a spot where both edges of the cliff came close enough to jump over.

"It looks like the end of the road for you Yuma."

Yuma spun around seeing Sashala coming from without the forest. What surprised him to most was while he had scratches everywhere and his clothes shredded she came out of the forest untouched. For the second time she pointed her sword towards him.

"Well it was fun for a while but now it's time for the real fun." Sashala said with a dark voice.

Yuma swallowed as Sashala came closer. What was he going to do now?

Syns: And that the end of chapter 1

Dairey: You made me end with a clifhanging. Again!

Syns: Yes this way they certainly come back.

Dairey: *sigh* Also want to tell you: I know it's another keyshipping story, can't help it actually they are my favourite shipping, but I also getting more intrested in photonshipping and sharkbaitshipping. I just need to find the right story.

Syns: as always please don't forget to review and see you all next chapter

Next time: What is Yuma going to do to escape? And how about Astral? See next time.