(A/N)

This is the last chapter of what I already have written after this I'll be trying to post once a week. I'm not certain if I'll be able to post next week, but I'll try. There's also a chance that I'll start every chapter out with an Author's note, as that's what I do at the other website I post on. Guess I'll just see what happens.

Anyways, here's the chapter! Enjoy!

Zephyr pushed the sight of the smug Hawk out of his mind and focused on the Blonde that loomed over him. Meliodas-sama! We need to find Zinnia and Elizabeth-san - I've lost them and can't get back to them! He twisted to look at the fairy that hovered off the ground with a worried look. Harlequin-sama, please- Suddenly, the fox shade tensed before gasping and spluttering as he coughed up blood.

"That's what you get for abandoning Elizabeth-chan!" Hawk announced from his place behind his companions.

Meliodas started towards Zephyr, but had only taken half a step before Zephyr's attention was snatched elsewhere.

"Stop!"

Alexander's voice resounded as he and the rest of the young gang burst out of the mouth of the alley around Zephyr. They ran in front of the fox, standing in a line to form a barrier between Zephyranthes and the Sins before stretching out their arms at their sides as though it was going to stop the others' approach. Their stances held proof as to their determination, and their faces were set. Even little Zoey looked serious, though the look in her eyes wavered and watered a little. Zephyr took note of the fact that the older, dusty boy from deeper in the alley was in the wall as well.

"Fox-kun didn't do anything wrong! He just wants to find his friends." At the head of the formation, Sophie spoke for the children. "He needs to save his friend. Please let him go!"

"Please!" The rest of the children recited.

Sophie-chan… Zephyr coughed again. These are the ones I was talking about - the people I was looking for.

Sophie paused and inspected the trio, and she seemed satisfied when she noticed Harlequin floating a little bit. "Oh, sorry. Okay everyone, put your arms down."

"Wait, can you all hear that thing?!" Hawk seemed offended to be the only one left out.

"I can't." The new boy, whose raven-black hair was pale with dust, was scratching his head in embarrassment, though his face held traces of a smile. "Everyone else can, though."

"What's this, Zephyr-chan? " Meliodas tilted his head slightly as he took in the sight of the children and the fox's injured state. There was an air of urgency about him, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

These children saved me from their parents earlier. We don't have time for that, though, Meliodas-sama. As I was saying, we need to-

"Rescue Elizabeth-sama and Zinnia-chan," Harlequin interrupted. "Yeah, Pig-kun filled us in." He squinted in suspicion. "He also said that you've betrayed us - that you left Elizabeth-sama behind so that you could get away."

Zephyr almost snorted, but worry at the thought of the Fairy King himself not trusting him prevented that. You really think that I would have done that? If that was the plan, wouldn't I have taken Zinnia with me, rather than that paranoid thing? Even if the pig couldn't hear it, Zephyr had to return the favor of being called a 'thing'. If you won't trust me as an individual, please, at least trust the fact that back when fox shades were common, we were known as loyal servants of the fairy clan. I'll explain why I was unable to bring them to safety later. Right now, we must hurry and locate Elizabeth-san and Zinnia.

"Oh, Oh! We can help find them!" The smallest girl of the group - Zoey - volunteered, rising up on her tiptoes and excitedly waving her arm in the air. Zephyr had almost forgotten the group was there, even though until now, Zoey had been telling her brother what a good job they had done helping. "I wanna help Fox-chan!"

Zephyr didn't want the kids to get into any more trouble than they would already be in, so he was about to refuse, until Harlequin responded instead.

"I guess that having some helping hands couldn't hurt… We don't have any leads, after all." He was holding his chin in thought as he mumbled the words. "What do you think, Captain?"

"Hmmm… Okay!" He nodded once. Zephyr couldn't help but think that the tavern owner had only quickly agreed because he wanted to end the conversation and keep looking for Elizabeth (and Zinnia as well, Zephyr hoped). Meliodas walked over to a nearby wall that was covered in posters before scanning it and ripping down a familiar picture. He handed it to Sophie, who stood in the front of the group. "This is one of girls we're looking for."

All of the children leaned over their leader's shoulder to get a look at the sketch. Sophie, being the most well off and probably the only one of them that could read, opened her eyes wide when she saw the large word "Wanted" scrawled across the top of the paper. The older boy that had said he couldn't hear Zephyr also stared at the paper in surprise. Neither of them said anything, though.

In the end, they had made Zephyr stay hidden in the children's hideout in the alley while everyone else searched. The kids were worried about him, as there had been a trail of blood running from their hideout, which is what they'd used to follow him earlier. Zephyr knew that Hawk was glad the fox stayed behind, but it was for a different reason than that of the children. He just hoped that, if they did this out of worry, Meliodas' and Harlequin's worries leaned more towards the reasoning of the children's than the reasoning that Hawk had.

Tch. Even the pig was searching. Zephyr felt so useless. Ever since he'd gotten injured, all he'd done was lay around helplessly. While it hadn't really been long since he got hit with that blast, it'd been so long since he'd last gotten hurt, he'd forgotten what it was like. Why did fox shades have to be so fragile? The whole reason he'd come with this time was so that he could help in an emergency, but when one had come up, he'd managed to screw it up. The group was separated, their mission to gather information had been halted, and Zinnia and Elizabeth were in harm's way, and it was all his fault.

Zinnia, where are you…? The fox shade projected his voice at the level of a murmur. He knew that no one could hear him, though.

"Zephyranthes, where are you…?" Zephyr's eyes pricked at the voice that was as quiet as a gentle breeze. Though it sounded like the fairy's voice, it felt more like his own thought projections.

Zinnia? He stood up quickly and looked down the alleyway in both directions, only for his head to droop. There was no one there. Of course there wasn't; why would she be here? But… that voice was definitely hers. Why did I hear her? He shook his head and filed the question away for later. This is my only chance; I have to go now. Zephyr lifted his snout in the air and started sniffing, focusing on the feeling of the voice he had just heard.

Quiet. Distant.

At first, all that happened was Zephyr being hit with a wave of the scent of his own blood.

Familiar. Soft.

He started to sense something.

Desperate. Searching.

Feeling the shadows and the air around him, Zephyr closed his eyes and focused his complete attention on the feeling.

Alone.

There! The fox's focus almost snapped, but he directed it back. He had it. He could feel the connection in the air. All of life was filled with connections, but the small interaction between Zephyr and Zinnia had strengthened the connection between them, allowing him to grasp it, as only a fox shade could.

Hmph, fox shades have multiple abilities, but a single hit and we're down. No wonder we're thought to be extinct. He almost scoffed, but stopped himself, fearful it would break the weak connection.

He peered out of the exit of the alley that he had originally come from, where the adults had attacked him. This was the direction that the connection was leading. Luckily, no one was around. There were a few quiet voices coming from side streets, but this direction was abandoned. Perhaps the parents were looking for the still-missing children. I hope they will stop blaming me for their children running off; I know I heard one of them saying that I took them. Zephyr stepped into the light of the open road, only to immediately slink into the shadows along the edges of the path. He didn't want anyone coming after him again. He pushed himself as deep into the darkness as he could without actually entering the shadows before continuing.

Focusing only on following the connection and on staying in the shadows and out of sight, the fox wound his way through the town. He wove through streets, gardens, and dirty alleyways. He almost ran into walls a few times, and once he even accidentally entered the open door of someone's house before scurrying away before anyone could notice.

The one bad thing about following a connection like he was: it was a straight path. It cut through anything in between as though nothing was there. If he was in a maze, it would be completely useless. As it was, Zephyr kept running into dead-end alleys and other obstacles.

Soon enough, though, Zephyranthes felt the connection strengthen drastically right before he stopped himself from running face-first into the door of an inn. He paused and shook his head, in doing so shaking off the grip of his connection to Zinnia. She's here.

Zephyr almost called out to her, but stopped. He had no idea who or what was inside. Someone else might hear. And, even if they didn't, if Zinnia reacted and enemies were around, it would give up his presence. That would certainly make it harder to stage a rescue.

In his current state, what, with being unable to even enter shadows, Zephyr knew that he had to find the others. He couldn't do this alone. Glancing up at the sign that hung a ways above his head, Zephyranthes took note of the name of the inn: Ceramic Tear.

He also looked to the sky, wondering how long it had taken him to get here. The sun was setting. Thinking back, he realized that he'd been limping the whole way, which had probably slowed his pace gravely.

Don't worry, Zinnia, Elizabeth-san. I'll get help. We'll save you. The fox shade pushed away from the inn, placing his dark paws on the stone bathed in the scarlet light of twilight. Even if I can't do anything else right, I can at least get Meliodas.