"You're something I can't be anymore because of what they did." Luda told Glace. "That's why you have to live."

"But that wasn't them," Glace reminded, nodding to Rathi. "Let him go, Lu-Lu. Stop holding the tree down and let them go."

Rathi cursed. No wonder he couldn't use his mind to lift the tree up... Luda was pressing it down on him!

"If I let them go, they'll come back." Luda told Glace.

"Rathi isn't going to hurt you," Glace informed, before he puffed his chest up. "I'll protect you!"

"You can't do anything Glace, because you're not real." Luda sighed. "And it's not a matter of he won't hurt me he just can't hurt me."

"But he wont!" Glace whined. "I mean, look at him, Luda-! Yeah, he can't get that tree thinggie off of him... but he could easily try and attack you with his mind and he's not!"

He floated over to Rathi, who was still trying to push the tree off in vain. The dark-haired boy frowned up at him, but continued to try.

"His friend is dying." Luda said. "He just hasn't shaken it off."

"Lu-Lu, you're not being reasonable at all!" Glace whined, stamping his foot.

"Reason?" Luda frowned. "What part of any of it has been reasonable!?"

Glace continued to pout and turned his face away. "You wont listen to me, you meanie head!"

"Ryou?" Rathi called out to the man beneath him, trying to check on his wound.

Ryou didn't respond. Either he'd lost consciousness or he was dead already.

"I'm not a little kid anymore..." Luda told Glace. "I have to make my own choices now and this is for the best of us."

"No, its not!" Glace snapped. "You're making people mad when no one was mad! You're just... you're just being MEAN!"

He pointed a finger at Luda dramatically.

"You're becoming exactly what Gale wants!" He cried. "Gale wanted you to hate Silvers for no reason and guess what!? You hate them... for no reason! Not everyone around here is like Gale, Lu! Not everyone is our enemy!"

Rathi realized after a few moments that Luda's hold on the tree had loosened and he lifted it off of himself and Ryou, pulled them out and quickly checking the man's pulse.

It was faint, but there against his fingers and Ryou's breath was shallow.

"I hate them because of what they made me." Luda said. "Look at me Glace...look at us!"

Glace stared at him for a long moment, before his shoulders fell.

"Let them go, Luda..." He begged. "For me... please? Just this once..."

Luda started at Glace before he narrowed his eyes.

"I see them again...they die." He said. "And I don't wanna hear shit outta you about it."

Glace turned to look at Rathi, who jumped in alarm. "Go!" He cried.

Quickly, Rathi scooped Ryou off and took off, disappearing from sight.