Kaito looked down. The ground suddenly seemed a lot further down that it had from the landing, and he shut his eyes.

'This will probably hurt,' he whispered, feeling the air rushing beside his ears.

The next thing Kaito knew, he was lying in a bed in an unknown room, listening to a strange whispering noise.

He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. The light was blinding and painful.

'Where the hell am I?' he muttered, voice harsh.

'You're in a hospital, you idiot,' replied a familiar voice, and he turned to see a blurry blue figure. 'Where else does one go when one jumps out of a fourth-storey window?'

'I-' started Kaito, as his vision began to clear. 'I jumped out a third storey window?'

'Very dramatically, too,' replied Ryoga. 'Though, I will compliment you on the fact that you didn't scream.'

Kaito frowned at him. 'So, how come I'm not dead if I fell out of a fourth-storey window?'

'Jumped out,' corrected Ryoga. 'But to answer your question, you're not dead because Homura and I arrived in time to soften your fall.'

'You're with that girl?' asked Kaito.

'I'd prefer not to be called "that girl",' said Homura, walking in from outside of Kaito's vision, before turning to Ryoga. 'Your friend is fine,' she continued. 'Just a bit shaken by the fact that he may have just killed a man.'

'What?!' yelled Ryoga, running out. Kaito turned painfully to Homura.

'You know,' remarked Homura, 'you and him would make very good partners.'

'I doubt that,' replied Kaito. 'The burden I have taken is one that I will have anyone else share.'

'That's a stupid answer,' said Homura. 'There is no burden that is too small to be shared. I, more than anyone, know that.'

'You think you've had to see what I've seen?' croaked Kaito. 'Can you even imagine the misery I have endured?'

'I had to kill my best friend once,' interrupted Homura. 'I have seen her die so many times. I've seen her transform into an abomination beyond human comprehension. I've seen her destroy the entire world, whilst I was helpless and could only look upon. I have endured agony beyond the minds of most humans. Don't come to me and say that you've had it bad.'

'Who are you?' asked Kaito.

'I am Madoka's guardian,' replied Homura bluntly. 'I swore to protect her, and until the end I have and will. So tell me, Kaito, what have you endured to make you like this?'

'My brother…' whispered Kaito, before collapsing again.

Homura frowned at his body, then sighed.

'So it's not over yet,' she muttered.

IV awoke.

'III!' he yelled instantly, wincing. 'Where are you?'

He looked around at the wrecked building. There was nothing else moving.

'III?' he whispered. 'III?! Where are you, III?!'

He slowly tried to stand, only to find that his right leg had been broken by the fall, the bone actually split and piercing through the skin.

'III?' he whispered, collapsing weakly backwards onto the ground and beginning to cry.

'I killed him,' mumbled Yuma, lying in bed. 'I killed him.'

'Yuma-' started Astral.

'No, you shut up, Astral!' yelled Yuma, turning angrily to face the spirit. 'This is all your fault!'

'Yuma-' repeated Astral.

'If it weren't for your memories, none of this would have happened!' cried Yuma. 'And why? Why do your memories make people like this? What are you?'

Astral stared silently back, before answering, 'I ask myself that all the time. I do not know why I was sent to this world, but I believe that I may not have been sent with the best intentions.'

Yuma paused, and was about to say something, when he was interrupted by Ryoga running in.

'Yuma-' started Ryoga.

'You must be so happy,' muttered Yuma. 'After all, you wanted to kill him, didn't you?'

'I didn't want you to be involved in this!' roared Ryoga, and Yuma looked back at him, startled. 'I knew something bad would happen, and it did!' Ryoga slumped to the ground, and laughed weakly. 'Well, look at that,' he murmured. 'Even in death, that bastard's still torturing people.'

'Ryoga-' started Yuma, but now it was Ryoga's turn to interrupt Yuma.

'Don't let it affect you, Yuma,' he replied. 'What IV did was unforgivable, but what you did was unavoidable.'

'But I-'

'That idiot put himself in that position. Had you not defeated him, then he would have taken your soul and your Numbers.'

'And Astral would have-'

'Yes, Yuma. Your magic duelling spirit would have died.'

'Hey!' cried Yuma, upset. 'He's real, he's real! He's right here!'

'That sounds better,' laughed Ryoga. 'Come on, get up. Your friends should be here in a few minutes, I called your girlfriend and told her you were in hospital.'

'Kotori?' Yuma blushed. 'She's not my- I mean-'

'Whatever you say, Yuma,' replied Ryoga, continuing to smile.

'She's not, she's not, she's not!' yelled Yuma insistently.

Astral sighed. 'You're such an idiot, Tonma,' he said.

'I am not a chowder-head!' shouted Yuma, and Ryoga laughed.

IV took a crimson D-Gazer from his pocket, and tapped it. There was a slight pause, and III's face appeared on the screen.

'IV-sama!' he yelled happily. 'You're alive, you're okay! We couldn't find your body, so I thought you might be alright, but the building looked ready to collapse, so V told me to leave.'

'Never mind that,' muttered IV. 'I need assistance. And also, I need to know what you found out about that girl.'

III deflated. 'You're still on about that?' he sighed.

'Damn straight I am!' yelled IV angrily. 'It was her and her friend that brought those fools here and tore our building apart! Like hell I'm going to just let them go!'

'Well… uh…' stuttered III. 'All I know about her really is that she dangerous, and can control time. Also, she's got something to do with Kyubey, but I don't know what.'

IV paused at the unfamiliar name. 'Kyubey?' he asked.

'Oh, it's this little animal thing that turned up yesterday. It can talk, and knew about Homura, but because it was invisible V couldn't find out anything about it.'

IV stared at III blankly. 'Okay, back up a bit,' he said. 'This "Kyubey" is a magic talking animal that's got something to do with Homura?'

'Uh…' stammered III.

'This just got a lot more interesting,' continued IV, sneering. 'III, I want you to find that Kyubey creature and bring it to me, immediately. And from there, the game truly begins.'

IV laughed, an insane laugh that echoed around the building.

III sighed. 'Whatever you say, nii-sama,' he replied unenthusiastically, vanishing from the screen.

In the centre of Heartland, Gauche returned.

'How was your… expedition?' asked Mr Heartland smoothly.

Gauche glared at him. 'Eventful,' he replied. 'Not to mention, disappointing.'

Heartland laughed. 'It takes a lot to disappoint you, Gauche,' he stated.

'Why do you have Kaito hunting the Numbers?' replied Gauche. 'If he finds out about his brother–'

'Kaito will remain under my control for as long as I see fit,' declared Heartland. 'If you have a problem with Kaito, perhaps you should take it up with Kaito himself?'

Gauche's lip tightened, and Heartland laughed. 'I see,' he mused. 'You already have.'

'He has some new power,' said Gauche. 'That creature he summoned… it looked… Varian.'

'That is troubling,' replied Heartland. 'But again, until he has collected all the Numbers, Kaito is going to remain under our control. There is simply no alternative for him.' Heartland patted Gauche on the shoulder. 'How about you resume your duelling in the Carnival?' he asked. 'After all, you only have three Heart Pieces, and there are only a few hours left.'

Gauche nodded, and turned to walk out, before pausing. 'By the way,' he asked, 'have you ever heard of someone called "Tron"?'

'Tron…' mused Heartland, clearly disturbed. 'Tron…? That name is… not familiar to me. But…' He shook his head. 'Gauche, you are dismissed.'

Gauche left, wondering what in the world Tron could be, that Heartland had had that reaction.