Fiery anger mixed with sheer panic shot like lightning through Shintaro's veins as Falte screamed in pain, crumpling forward from the force of the kick. The Dark behind him, the one who Amy had struck with her knife during the beginning of the attack, stood hunched over Falte, his dark, wild eyes fixed on Shintaro's face. His mouth was parted slightly as he panted in pain from the knife that was still sticking out of his right shoulder, causing his arm to hang limp at his side. 

Shintaro lunged forward with a cry of rage, the sword in his hand disappearing because the lack of focus he had on it. He skidded around Falte - who was lying on his side on the ground, cringing in pain - and caught the Dark by the left arm without stopping. He spun around, pulling the man with him, and slammed the Dark into the trunk of the nearest tree with as much force as he could muster. 

Though the man cried out in pain, the hit hardly seemed to effect him. He grabbed Shintaro's forearm and sent a shock of Dark Magic through it, forcing Shintaro's hand open and a pained grunt from his mouth. While Shintaro was momentarily distracted, the Dark kicked up and leg and kneed Shintaro in the ribs, knocking the wind from his lungs. As Shintaro doubled forward, the man's fist connected with his jaw, sending Shintaro stumbling backward again. 

By this time, the Darks had recovered from their injuries. The woman was up and grappling with Amy, who had been about to rush to Shintaro's aid. The man Moon had kicked in the face - blood was still running from his nose - was holding Gabriel down on the ground in an arm lock. The man that Zeke had been holding by the neck was joyously kicking a downed Zeke in the ribs, prohibiting him from rising. The Dark that hadn't done or received any damage was circling Shintaro's Light shield.

No, Shintaro thought desperately through the haziness of his pain. He would not - could not - let the Darks get to his daughter. He was not losing another family member. No matter what, she would remain in that shield, unharmed. The Darks would not get to her.

He couldn't lose another part of his family. 

He wouldn't. 

With an angered cry, Shintaro flung his arms out at his sides in a sweeping motion, and everyone - including his friends - dropped to the ground from the force of his magic swiping them off their feet. The Darks, more effected by his magic than his friends, cried out in pain as they toppled to the ground. 

Almost immediately, his friends - all but Falte - were back on their feet again. Amy jumped to her feet abruptly, two knives held in between each hand. Gabriel writhed out from under the knocked-down Dark, rolling his shoulders with a pained expression. Moon leaped to her feet with almost an animal-like snarl at the fallen Dark that was closest to them. Ruby sat up slowly, taking her sister's hand and standing to her feet with a small wince. Zeke rolled onto his back with a grunt of pain, his hands touching his rib cage; but he was quickly on his feet as well, hunching only slightly. Linda gripped the tree behind her and pulled herself to her feet slowly, shifting most of her weight to her left foot. 

Shintaro waved his hand sharply, casting a sleeping spell over the fallen Darks to keep them from stirring or getting away this time. After he'd done that, he broke down the Light shield; then he rushed over to Falte's side and knelt down quickly, worry shooting through his heart. Gabriel, Linda, Abby, Nanami, and Amy followed him quickly, kneeling some ways away from Shintaro so they wouldn't get in the way.

Falte's eyes were squeezed closed, his teeth gritted in agony. His sides were rising and falling rapidly as he cringed painfully. His hands were closed into fists and tucked close to his chest, trembling in pain.

Almost immediately, Shintaro could see that the damage wasn't as serious as it could have been. Falte was moving his legs as he writhed, which meant that he had feeling in them - which also meant that his back wasn't broken. Still, Shintaro gently ran his hands along Falte's spine to check for any small fractures. 

Falte grunted deep in his throat at Shintaro's touch, straightening his back to try to cringe away from Shintaro's hands. 

"Don't move," Shintaro said roughly to his friend, his worry coming out of his mouth as frustration. He felt a little bad that he was snapping at his injured friend; but there he couldn't exactly be super gentle either. 

Falte obediently stopped moving away from Shintaro, forcing himself to breathe deeply through his mouth. He held back cringes of pain as Shintaro put the smallest bit of pressure on his spine - but he let out a sharp cry when Shintaro's hands reached the middle of his back. Shintaro flinched and caught the rest of his friends doing the same. 

Shintaro carefully rolled Falte onto his stomach, earning another pained groan that dug nails into Shintaro's heart. Gingerly, Shintaro pulled Falte's shirt up over his back to see the extent of the damage. 

The middle section of his back was already a purple-black, the middle to lower section swollen and bruised. Shintaro's chest wrenched in guilt and pity, and he heard Rachel take a sharp breath from behind him. 

Carefully, Shintaro laid his hands once more on the bruise, and Falte flinched harshly, hissing through his teeth. Shintaro was about to apologize, but he clamped his mouth shut quickly. Apologizing would get him nowhere - action would. 

Unfortunately, Shintaro didn't know how well he could heal the wound. He couldn't remember if he'd ever healed a major bruise, and he didn't know if the healing process would work on it. Besides, if Falte's back was strained (which it very well could have been), there probably wasn't much that he could do. Light healing was used for flesh wounds or broken bones - more serious injuries. 

Shintaro took a deep breath, drawing his magic from within him and driving it to his arms. It was such a common practice that he hardly had to think about it anymore. He'd lost count of how many times he'd used his magic for healing in the recent years. 

As sharp pain bloomed from Shintaro's lower back and traveled up his spine, Falte slowly began to relax, letting out a long breath. He buried his face into his forearms, which were folded under his head. The bruising along his back gradually faded into a dull blueish color, but the swollen part remained. 

The throbbing in Shintaro's back vanished; but he knew that it was still there for Falte. Sighing, Shintaro reminded himself that what he had done was most likely the full extent of what he could do to help. Now, Falte just had to hope walking wouldn't cause him too much pain, and that he would heal quickly. 

Falte slowly lifted his head, pushing his glasses up over his forehead as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose; but he remained in the same position, seemingly not wanting to get up just yet. When he lowered his glasses back onto his nose, he turned his head and looked up at Shintaro. 

"Thanks," he said quietly, his voice small and strained. 

"Are you alright now?" Rachel's worried voice asked from behind Shintaro, and Shintaro turned his head to see her scooting closer with a concerned expression. 

"I've been better," Falte replied with a breathless chuckle that turned into a wince. "But it doesn't hurt as bad as it did before." 

Amy suddenly stomped around to Falte's other side, one hand free of the knives - but the other still brandishing one as safely as she could. Worry and anger were practically gathering around her in smoke clouds as she stopped roughly at Falte's side. 

She was clutching the knife in between her palm and fingers tightly, her knuckles white as she did so. Though she seemed extremely angry, Shintaro could tell that she was still worried for Falte. Her eyes kept darting quickly from Falte back to Shintaro. 

"It's not that I'm not happy you helped Falte," she suddenly seethed through her teeth, "but while you were busy, the Darks got away. AGAIN." 

"WHAT?" Shintaro roared, leaping to his feet and whipping around. 

She was right. 

While Shintaro had been putting his focus on Falte, the spell he'd used to knock them unconscious had worn off.

The Darks had vanished. 

~

This one isn't really a cliffhanger, but it KIIIIIND of is, because HEY? 

What's gonna happen now that the Darks know they're not in their house anymore? 

EPIC SEARCH PARTIES! 

And what if they get caught?!!?

ACK-

Well, thanks for reading!!

I'M SORRY MY BABY FALTE!!

*sad face*

P3ac3!!~~