Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I don't own DN Angel. After almost 30 chapters, you would think I wouldn't have to say this anymore… But I guess I do. HEY! HEY, GUESS WHAT? I DO NOT OWN DN ANGEL! I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK! AND NO, I AM NOT ON ANY TYPE OF MEDICATION! (Sorry about that. I will refrain from ranting in the future.)

AN: Okay, this is it. This is going to be the last chapter of The Eternal Maiden. Yes, there are going to be loose ends. That is why there is going to be a sequel. I love you all, my readers and reviewers. You are amazing. You gave me courage to use some of the plot twists I never thought I would use.

Lumi's POV

Gray began to stir a few minutes later, her clothes and wings steaming in the morning warmth. Fenga walked over to her and gently nuzzled her cheek as she opened her eyes, but my poor friend flipped over and vomited water as soon as she felt Fenga's nose on her face. "Gray?" I asked, "Gray, are you okay?" She shivered, crouching on her hands and knees, her head bowed. Her eyes were still silver and the pupils vertical, and her hair was still black and short, but she seemed… different, somehow. I couldn't sense her feelings, though her eyes betrayed them anyway. She was terrified.

"H-how… how can I be… okay?" She whispered, "I-it was… it was…" she coughed up more water before continuing. "It was horrible. It was so cold… so dark… pain… and then there was- it was… I can't…" she trailed off, looking lost. "I am a prophetess Lumi. It's a curse… It's a curse!" She practically screamed the last bit, her voice hoarse and cracked. Fenga walked over to her again and nuzzled her, and Gray seemed to relax slightly under her familiar's touch.

Fenga growled softly, and Gray continued, much calmer this time, though she still didn't move. "I do not… know how to explain what I saw down there… But I saw Krad, and he convinced me to continue to fight to live. I don't know how he is doing right now, but when I healed Dark… It was only a temporary fix. Nothing could split the Black Wings. We must free him."

"Well of course we do Gray," I said, concerned for her. What had happened down there? "We'll free him." She looked at me and smiled, though it looked a bit more like a grimace. "I promise."

I heard Fenga growl, more harshly this time, and glanced at her. She was staring at the sky, snarling, teeth bared and hackles raised. I glanced up too, and saw- "Fenga, what the-?" I would have said more, but then the Fenga that was in the sky hit me hard and knocked me flat on the ground. My head hit the unforgiving stone, and stars swam before my eyes. Then the other Fenga, the real one, I think, hit the one that was pinning me to the ground in the side and they both rolled away from me, a snarling ball of fur and fangs and blood. Gray still hadn't moved. Her eyes were squeezed tight, and her face was a mask of pain. But she didn't move.

"I… knew… should've… figured…" she whispered, "I'm so sorry… Fenga but…" I pulled her to her feet, not caring or even noticing the look of hatred she gave me.

"What is going on?" I asked, "What are you sorry about?" Gray bowed her head quietly, keeping her eyes locked on mine. I almost looked away. "Gray, I can't read your thoughts anymore."

"I know that," she answered. "And I know how the rest of this day will leave so many scars…" She shook her head. "But I also know that telling you, or anyone else, will change the events for the worse. Fenga will be fine. The other wolf is Chishio. I can tell you that, because you probably would have figured it out for yourself." She pulled her arm away from me and spread her wings before settling them again at her back. "Fenga," she said, "Finish him." With a snarl, one wolf leapt upon the other with blood on its teeth and clawed at the others ribcage. I turned away as ribbons of flesh turned to stone as they were separated from what must have been Chishio's body. "Stop," Gray said, and Fenga stopped. Chishio laid there, his ribs exposed to the early light that was quickly becoming brighter, and then it started to heal. The blood running down his chest scabbed over, and then slowly, his skin began to return, then his fur. Then, his fur began to harden, and turn into…

"What is that?" I asked. Chishio was obviously returning to his artwork form, but I didn't understand what exactly it was made of. It was a snarling wolf, obviously, supposed to be standing on both hind legs and snapping at something, and blood ran down its chest, but what it was made of… I couldn't begin to guess.

"It is a metal that we no longer know of," Gray whispered, "That was mixed with the dust of countless stolen rubies. Chishio Kodora is one of the Hikari's many masterpieces… one that I will be happy to give back to Satoshi. But now Lumi…" she stared off into the distance. "Now I must go. Please take that back with you… I can guarantee that it's lighter than it looks." I wanted to ask her where she'd be going, but looking at her I could tell it would be useless. If she wanted to tell me, she would have done so already. I snagged one of the artworks paws, Mura hopped onto my back, and I leapt into the air.

"Just be careful!" I yelled, "Don't do anything stupid!" Gray smiled and nodded, and then took off herself, going in the opposite direction, Fenga running by her side, her eight wings beating.

Gray's POV

It felt good to be alive. No, it didn't feel amazing; it didn't feel like everything was going to be alright. My parents were still dead, Krad was still sealed, and I still had to stop shaking, but it felt good to breathe. But I didn't know if my vision in the fountain had been real, or if it had been a product of my half-dead, panicked mind. But there was only one way to find out. I flew towards the Niwa's, knowing exactly who I should find there. I slipped my right hand into my pocket, and touched the two flash drives my mom had given to me. I hoped that they'd still work, that they'd somehow survived the water.

My legs were freezing, but the burns on them had healed, thanks to my magic. Maybe, once I'd landed, I could repair the fabric. I stretched my wings out as far as I could and glided through the morning air like an eagle. I loved flying. I felt free in the air… like nothing and no one could touch me, or hurt me, or even get close to me… But then I reached the Niwa's house and was forced to land. I sighed as my feet hit the roof and I had to get used to walking on my feet, then glided down to the ground and walked inside. I was glad to see that there weren't any traps, so I kicked off my shoes and decided to go downstairs first. But before I did that…

"Hey Fenga," I muttered, "C'mere." She trotted up to me, and I knelt down and scratched her ears, and she stared at me. I didn't need to say anything. It was written in my eyes.

But he was destroyed, she protested.

"He's the only one who can help me," I replied. "Give me just a minute." I called up a few sparks of magic, and actually managed to repair my jeans to the point where they reached all the way down my legs, and not just to my knees, which was good, because I really hated shorts. Then I walked over to the stairs, wondering just what frame of mind Argentine would be in, if he was there.

As I stepped down into the cold air of the basement, a strange chill wrapped itself around me. The cold tendrils of death, and I knew right then that my worst vision was going to begin to come true. Just the ice cold, death filled corridor, the flickering torches of light… "Fenga," I said quietly, "Go back upstairs. I'll see you in a minute." Without protest, she slunk off, and I continued forward. Anxiety gripped me, trying to pull me back, but I kept walking until I came to certain point. I didn't know where it was, so don't ask, but it was so cold there… so cold I could barely breathe. I placed my hands on the wall and closed my eyes, leaning into the stone. It gave way and I stepped through the stone into Argentine's corridor.

He stood several feet away, his back to me, walking away from me. He seemed to be much more fragile than he had been before, but he seemed like he was getting stronger even as I stared at him. "Argentine," I said, "It's me, Gray." He turned to face me.

"Oh," he said, "Hello. Have I been dead?" He seemed to be completely lost, and I honestly felt sorry for him. I nodded.

"Yeah, Syerdtsye killed you. Do you remember me?" He nodded, so I continued, "I need your help. I can get you out of here…" It seemed like a meager offer at best, but he nodded. "Follow me." I shoved back through the bricks, eager to get back above ground. They gave, and Argentine followed me out of the corridor. I couldn't shake that feeling of death away from me, and I was so strong I started running. I ran like I never had before, Argentine stumbling along behind me. But I didn't notice, and I don't think I would have cared if I had noticed. I had to find a computer.

I tore up the stairs three at a time, then four with the help of my wings. I had to find a computer; I had to see my parents now, now before I went insane form the pain and grief of losing them. I glanced about wildly, and then took a left. Who knows? Maybe it was fate, but that left led me up to the second floor, and to Daisuke's room. And there was a computer there. I fumbled the flash drive my mom had told me held photos out of my pocket, and jammed it into the USB port. It took one, two, three, four, five agonizing seconds for the options menu to pop up, and then I clicked 'Open folder to view files'. Instantly, a large window opened, full of pictures. I didn't recognize many of them, and didn't know if there was any explanation for them, so I clicked on the first photo. It was of my mom when she was really little, before she even had her wings, and it looked like it had been clipped from a newspaper article. There was a caption on it that read: Me as a child. I love you Gray, be strong.

I stared at the caption in shock. This meant- "It's true then?" I asked myself, "It's true that Krad can come back?" This was exactly what I had envisioned in the fountain, or at least, a part of what I'd Seen. I clicked to the next picture. It was of a boy, with dark blonde hair and a silly grin.

It's dad. I suppose we all have to start somewhere, ne? I laughed to myself. That had always been a private joke between the two of us, after I'd told him about the word. We'd have whole conversations like that, and when Lumi caught on, she'd join us. It made me remember simpler times, when I didn't have to worry about anything. Take care.

I took another moment to look at the picture, wondering why 'take' was underlined. Then I shrugged it off as a mistake, and clicked to the next picture. This one was of dad playing baseball. He was seven or eight, and seemed sure of himself. These were the good old days… me and your grandfather playing baseball. There it was again. Did the computer have a glitch? Or was it something else?

I felt a little bit better now, like my parents were standing with me. He next few pictures didn't have any captions, but I knew their stories by heart. There was my dad, with his old baseball team after he had hit the winning home run, him and his parents going hiking in Colorado, another few baseball pictures, and then him at his first dance, hanging around with his friends…

Darn car… my broken leg kept me out of cross country that year. I laughed, but somewhere deep inside of me, something stirred. I knew the story of that picture back to front. His dad hadn't seen him when he was backing out of the driveway, and… well; the rest was history, to make a longer story short.

"Take these broken…" I muttered, "What are you trying to tell me?" I grabbed a pencil and a scrap of paper I found on Daisuke's desk, hoping he wouldn't mind, and wrote down the three words. "Okay, so what next?"

The next picture was of my mom. This was the first day I managed to fly. Everyone thought my wings were too small… I proved 'em all wrong. Her bright silver wings were folded loosely at her back, and she was grinning like a fool. Her red hair was windswept and messy, but her eyes gleamed with triumph. I jotted down the word 'wings' on the paper as well. It also took me a minute to remember that mom and dad were in different worlds.

I was eager to flip through the rest of them, but then Argentine came up the stairs, Fenga by his side. "Ah, there you are," he said, "You're much faster now." I looked at him for a moment before I remembered The Dragon Vase.

"Well, I do my best to stay in shape," I replied with a grin, "But, I was wondering…" I trailed off, unsure of how exactly to state my cause. Then I decided to go right on ahead and say it. "I need to learn how to unseal an artwork."

"Of course," Argentine replied, "May I ask which one?" Fenga trotted over to me as I spoke, and I stroked her ears while looking just past the young artwork in the door. (Well, okay, maybe he wasn't very young, but whatever.)

"The Black Wings," I said, "I have to release Krad." A troubled look flitted across Argentines face. "What is it?"

"Gray…" he sighed, "What you ask isn't… isn't possible." I shook my head, a small smile slipping across my face despite my small attempts to stop it.

"It is," I replied, "I've Seen it. I can release him; I just have to learn how." I had Seen myself at the foot of the Black Wings, it and myself glowing with energy. I had felt the terrible, indescribable pain, but I had also felt something… stronger than that. Something good. And I knew, in my heart, that it was what I wanted. I was sure of it.

"It's just like any other spell," Argentine sighed, "But… there is… a catch, I might say. Since you have never unsealed an artwork… you must create your own Release." Maybe it was because of the important way he said it, or maybe it was just instinct, but I felt as though 'Release' needed a capital 'R'.

"Okay," I said, "What's the catch? Does it have to rhyme or something?" I hoped not… I didn't have my mom's poetic skill. Unfortunately…

"Actually, yes," he replied. "And it has to have meaning, and be your own words. I think that's it." I sighed. Then moaned.

Then I stood up so fast I shocked Fenga and Argentine, who was standing six feet away from me. "I need a rhyming dictionary." Thank you mom, I thought, Thank you for a moment of inspiration. "And to be alone." Fenga and Argentine both looked at me funny, but they left all the same. I glanced over Daisuke's bookshelves, but I didn't find what I wanted. "Thank you God for the beautiful thing I call the internet," I muttered. Then I decided I'd better write what I had in my head now, before I forgot.

Calling all angels

Calling all rebels

The black winged-seraph

And the white-winged devil

I call upon magic,

And call upon death…

I sat for a moment and puzzled the next line. Death… I thought, What rhymes with death? Then I thought of something.

The mystical beauty

Of a single, last breath

I didn't know where that had come from, but I seemed to remember something that seemed like ages ago… Oh yes, that was it. My mom had always told me, even as a little girl, how the dead never really breathed their last breaths. They saved them, for when someone they loved truly needed them, so that they could whisper help and encouragement to them from 'the other side', as I've always called it.

And do you know what? I've brought you up to current time now. My story, that I can tell you, is done; but not really. I am finishing my Release now. Here is what I think the rest of it should be:

I call for you angel

I call as the rebel

You're the white-winged seraph

I'm your gray-winged angel.

Fenga's POV

Yes, I know that wolves cannot type. I am having Lumi write this, as I speak to her, after- after the accident. I do not know what happened… only that it all went wrong. My mistress is no more. I feel a hole where she used to be, the same hole that Ryoushi has just had filled, though I know not where he might be. He and Krad have run; looking for a way to bring her back. But I must tell you about how this came to pass. Yet… yet I cannot. Lumi… please take over.

Lumi's POV

Fenga sits beside me, completely in shock over what we have just witnessed. Dark is sitting on the roof, Wiz with him. None of us can actually believe… Gray… dead… I'm sorry. I suppose you want to know how… forgive me. It's hard to talk about.

We (Dark, Wiz Emiko, Daisuke, Satoshi, Towa, Mura, and I,) got to the museum a few minutes before Gray and Fenga did, and spent the time warming up and following Satoshi to the sculpture. I didn't know where she was, or what she was doing, though I'd find out later. All I was doing was looking upwards at the statue that the handsome kaitou to my right, wondering exactly how… why, I suppose I mean, the Hikari created the Black Wings as the skeletal sculpture it was.

"Wow," I breathed, "It's so…" I trailed off, unsure of my next words.

"What?" Dark asked, walking up behind me. "Cause I sure don't know where I got my looks from." I laughed.

"No, I think it's beautiful," I replied, "Beautiful and terrible, almost like… Like light and dark, fused together against their wills. It's… it's certainly the Hikari's masterpiece." I felt like I was viewing something that shouldn't have been created, some terrible beauty, like I had told Dark. The Black Wings gave me a feeling of insignificance, uselessness, and power, like if I looked at it long enough, I could gather its magic and use it for myself…

"Be careful," Dark warned, "I've seen people almost lose their minds trying to figure it out." I smiled and nodded. "I'm going to try and talk to Krad. I need to see if he got himself trapped inside." He walked over to the base of the huge statue with Wiz next to him. Ryoushi followed a step behind, head held high and tail wagging. The black-winged angel placed a hand on the base of the statue and closed his eyes, and I saw a thin strand of purple magic weave its way up its base.

Dark stiffened, then relaxed. Daisuke gasped. "He-he's gone!" I almost lunged forward, but Wiz kyuued a warning to me.

He's fine. He had to enter The Black Wings to speak with Krad. I relaxed, and stepped back.

"Oh." I wondered why that was. He hadn't needed to do that to talk with Krad earlier…

Dark's POV

I went into The Black Wings to speak with Krad. Yeah, I didn't need to the first time, but I felt he was trapped, and it wasn't the best idea to walk into a battlefield blindfolded. He could be ready to kill someone, so I decided to talk to him before trying to release him.

When I finally felt his presence, I realized just how weak he'd gotten. I started to appear in front of him, and saw just how terrible he really looked. Well, he looked like he always did, but his aura was sickly and weak, and his eyes had an unhealthy, glassy look to them. "Hey blondie," I said.

"Thief," he replied weakly. I knelt next to him and examined the silver chains that bound his wrists, ankles, and wings. He seemed to be fine mentally, but you could never be sure with him. (I can't believe I have the time for jokes…)

"So it's nothing serious," I said, "Just an old enchantment. I'll get ya out of here in no time. See ya in a few!" With that, I disappeared, ignoring his cry of outrage.

Lumi's POV

A few minutes later, Dark's body stiffened, and he straightened up. "Well," he said, "Good news bad news time." I smiled and nodded for him to go ahead and speak. "Good news," he said, gesturing up at the sculpture, "Krad's fine and we can get him out of there easy."

"And the bad news?" Emiko and Towa asked simultaneously. I hid a smile.

"Well," Dark said, "Take a look for yourself." He pointed up at the ceiling, which was, strangely enough, bright silver.

"Gray!" I gasped. "What's she doing?" Dark snorted.

"That's not Gray," he said, "I don't know who or what that is." With a sickening slurping noise, a piece of the ceiling fell in.

"Oh, it's Gray all right," a voice said, "But you don't know which one." I instantly tensed, expecting it to be Syerdtsye, but as soon as she came into sight, I could tell that this was Gray. "When I was looking through some photos," she said, "I found a small hidden message from my parents. Take these broken wings/ and learn to fly. I didn't get it at first… but they were trying to send me a very specific vision. May their souls be forever blessed." She bowed her head, and when she raised it again, her eyes were glimmering in the light.

"What was the vision?" I asked. She smiled again, and then I realized something. "Your hair!" Her hair was once again the curtain of silver that hid her wings and her face.

"Yes, I figured you'd notice. And as for my visions… they are, or at least this one is, for me alone to know of, for me alone to act upon. If you wish to stay here, I won't force you to leave, but if you don't want to stay… go." No one moved. "Fine then," she said, "I didn't think so." Her eyes held a sad look in them, sad and faraway. "In the coming years, you will be missed," she whispered, "In the coming days; I'll wish I'd stayed. In the coming hours, come laying flowers, upon my grave today." Before any of us could react to that, she took off the skull of The Black Wings. I do not know exactly what she said, but I believe that it was the Release that she typed earlier in this document. Some of her last words.

The Black Wings started glowing, first silver, and then a deep, deep gold. Then there were a few beautiful moments where the statue was transparent, just a simple outline filled with air, like glass. And then… then it became solid stone. Deep gray, almost black, and it began to crumble away, as if it were being blown by the wind. All this time, Gray was surrounded by a globe of silver that seemed to hold her in the air, because her wings were still. "Yeesh," Dark said, "You can't help but wonder when she's gonna have to give up." I couldn't help but agree with him. Even now, Gray was becoming so weak that I could feel her exhaustion; the barriers she had put up to keep me out of her mind crashing down.

I… I will miss you Krad… It took me several seconds to figure out that these were Gray's actual thoughts. I swear… I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't… weren't for the good of everyone. There was a long pause, in which I suspected Krad was answering her, and I finally put two and two together.

"No," I whispered, "No Gray, no!" My last word came as a shout, but no one heard it. Not over the savage, screaming howl that just then tore through the night and then, the ceiling.

Fenga tore through the hole Gray had made in the roof, winged paws tearing at the air. It's… a trap! I could tell that everyone was able to understand her, and I was afraid because of it. She practically crashed to the floor before once again taking flight, spiraling upward towards where Gray floated. Gray… come mistress, we must go. Why was I able to read their thoughts then, I didn't know. But I tried turning my attention to Emiko, and only got the feeling of fear. I couldn't find the thoughts of anyone else, except for Dark, and I had always been able to contact him and Krad. Don't ask why, because I have no idea.

Fenga, leave now. Get everyone out. If she is coming… It only took me a millisecond to figure out who 'she' was. And there was no more time. I could sense her.

"Guys," Towa called, "Um… hate to be a broken record, but we've got –"

"Company!" Syerdtsye called. I mentally assigned myself to fixing the roof. "Oh, but I sound far too happy, do I not?" Fenga lunged away from Gray and the crumbling Black Wings towards her, and I saw only a flash and heard a snap, and Fenga fell to the ground, an arrow sticking from her left shoulder. I cried out, and Mura dashed over to her.

She's alive, she whispered to me, She'll be fine. Just hurt. I could hear the whimper in her thought, but I was forced to think a little bigger as we were all blinded by a final flash from The Black Wings. When I could see again, there was nothing there but Gray's small, limp body, and a pile of ashes. Gray was still breathing, thank God, but… Where was Krad?

"Gray!" I called, jogging over to her, "Gray, are you okay?" I felt an arrow lodge in my shoulder, but didn't even begin to register the pain until hours later. Then I sensed Dark swoop into the air behind me, and then… nothing. Gray was a complete mess. She wasn't exactly hurt, per se, but… deteriorated. "Gray, come on…" I ran a hand over her shoulder, feeling my throat begin to close up. "Just breathe…"

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and hissed, "I- can't. It hurts so bad… Lumi… I'm not immortal… just… just tell him I'm okay, won't you? Tell him what I told you… in the coming years…" she trailed off, whimpering. "And fix The Black Wings, won't you? You're a healer, when you find the right words…" she shuddered.

"Gray," I whimpered, "Gray, you can't die… not after all this. You cheated death so many times…" she was beyond talking then. She just shifted slightly, and looked at me.

It took every ounce of my strength not to run from her. Her silver eyes were bloodshot and full of a mixture of fear and rage. Help me up, she thought to me, I know you can hear me, now help me up. I'm going to kill Syerdtsye with my last breaths, if I must. Please. I didn't know why I did it. I don't know now, so don't ask. But I helped her up. She stood there before me, shaking, holding herself up with her sword. Lumi, when I die, because I am going to die, take my sword. She spread her wings, and drawing on what had to be her last reserves of strength, she flew shakily into the air to meet Syerdtsye.

"Gray!" I yelled, "Gray…" Mura hopped over to me. "Oh Mura," I whispered, "I can't stay here…" I took off after her, but I knew that it was too late. Even if I could catch Gray, I'd probably only end up getting both of us killed, and as much as I am ashamed of saying this, I was afraid to die. I was afraid to die, so I let my best friend die instead.

She seemed almost as if she could beat Syerdtsye, but I'd forgotten about the artwork's arrows. As Gray lunged the last several feet that separated the two of them, there was a flash of silver and the most sickening- ah, I'm sorry. I… I can't. Gray choked and fell to the floor, an arrow though her wing. But that damned Syerdtsye couldn't leave it at that. She swooped to the floor, her true form with Gray's wings. Lightening crackled from her fingers, and she held her bow in the other hand.

"Well," she said, "If it isn't that nuisance of a prophetess who insists on always getting in my way! If I had had even a year without you around… But soon I will have even longer than that!" She notched an arrow to her bow, and drew it back. Gray's hand twitched, sending her sword skittering in my direction.

"Please," she whispered, "I'm unarmed… please." Syerdtsye smiled and shook her head.

And that was when I acted. I grabbed Gray's sword and snapped open my wings, and lunged at Syerdtsye as quickly as I could. But I wasn't fast enough. I stared at the blood-soaked silver metal of the sword, and then in shock at the artwork that was rapidly shrinking and twisting, and at Gray.

Gray, who lay still, eyes closed, with an arrow though her chest. Through her heart. "No…" I whispered, "Mura, is Fenga…?"

Still here. She's fine. I didn't know what to do. Gray was still alive; her heart was pushing blood out of her body.

"Some… pathetic showdown, huh?" she whispered, "I didn't even get a single scratch on her. Tell Krad what I said… about 'in the coming years'." I nodded, my eyes filling with tears. She closed her own eyes. "And there's something I want you to edit for me… it's in my folder… I moved it to Daisuke's computer." She took one more deep breath, exhaled, and then… then she was gone.

"Gray…" I didn't hear the two sets of wings, or realize the presence of their owners until Dark put a hand on my shoulder. I turned, just enough to see Dark out of the corner of my left eye. "She's… gone," I whispered, "I- I should've done… I'm so sorry." I knew Krad was behind me. I felt so terrible for him. I knew he must feel about as bad as I did –or worse.

"Look," Dark said, "She did us a favor." I glanced up where Dark was pointing, and saw that The Black Wings was back to normal, and smiled. Then I remembered something. Attached to the hilt of her sword…

"Krad," I said, standing up, "Here." I pulled his cross away from the sword. "She must have wanted that returned to you." I handed it to him, and he took it silently. He looked at it for a moment, then tied it back into his hair.

"Thank you," he said, "I… she knew, didn't she?" I looked down at her.

"Yeah," I said, "She knew. I think it would've been different if she hadn't released you… but she wanted it to be like this. She tried to change the future." She had asked for mercy, even though she knew that it wouldn't come. I stared once again at my hands, which were soaked in blood.

I looked up at the hole in the roof. The sun was just peeking over one edge of it, and I realized just how long I had been here. How long it had been since I had slept. I suddenly felt a wave of tiredness wash over me, tiredness and vulnerability. "Honoo no Namida's still out there," Krad was saying, "And all the other artworks Syerdtsye awakened. We need Gray." I didn't know what he was talking about, but Dark did.

"Krad, you're insane," he said, "Don't you remember what happened last time?" I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes. Mura hopped over to me. "You can't just change fate."

"Like you wouldn't try to bring her back if she had been the one to die!" Krad snapped. Dark sighed, and I could almost see his shoulders falling forward.

"Fine," he said, "But I'm not coming." Krad muttered something, and I heard him take off. With a bark that I recognized as Ryoushi's, another set of wings followed him. Dark walked back over to me. "Lumi," he said, "We need to go." He touched my arm, and I tried to snap at him, but I was too tired.

"Let me stay," I muttered, "Please."

"C'mon Lumi," this time it was Towa speaking. I had forgotten about her and the others. "We've got to go."

"Gray needs a funeral," Emiko said, "And I think we all need some rest." I whimpered, but finally forced myself to my feet.

"You're right," I said. I was going to have to force myself to be strong these next few days, weeks, years. But I could. I knew I could. And I'd have Gray to watch over me as I tried to finish what she meant to. I didn't know where Krad was, but I meant to find out. And then I'd help in whatever way I could to bring back Gray.

And this time, I wouldn't think twice about dying.

AN: Well… this is it. I'd like to thank all of my reviewers, every last one of you. You know who you are. And I would also like to thank one certain person, the person who actually introduced me to DN Angel. Thank you daevaofthenight. Even though I don't know you, I wouldn't have found this amazing anime without you, and this story wouldn't be here. I would also like to say one more thing. I lied about this being the last chapter, so you guys do have the epilogue to look forward to.

Anyway, thank you again, all of my reviewers. You're all amazing.