Akito whooped for joy as they sailed effortlessly through the air. Though he did not have wings of his own, he was still weightless and free of gravity for one night. He was not tired or sick or otherwise burdened. He felt more free than he ever realized possible. They sailed up and up and up above the tree tops and even above the very clouds themselves. The cold black sky frosted with millions of silvery stars was their ceiling, the carpet of thick gray clouds illuminated by the moon their carpet. Forget food, forget medicine, forget sleeping in, even forget sex—this was the happiest he'd ever been.

"Where are we going, anyway?" he finally got around to asking. He'd been tumbling through the air, doing some impressive acrobatic tricks that he didn't think himself capable of. After doing many rolls, tumbles, and somersaults, he'd finally calmed down and the hysterical-happy laughter and shrieks had died down.

"Just a few errands for Father," Melody said, "even though some of us receive really big tasks, all of us are on duty tonight. Why do you think 'the Christmas spirit' is a thing? It's because of this."

Several glowing blurs streaked past. Akito actually managed to get a good look at them without the limits of earthly vision. One of them seemed to be several animals stuck together. Another was a ring with no other facial features but endless eyes. Still others had six wings—some to cover their feet, some that they flew with, and some that their faces were hidden with. Each one was more bizarre-looking than the last, but all of them had a very strange and alluring beauty. He couldn't stop staring. Some looked like Melody—they had wings, but were otherwise human-esque and some had no wings at all.

"Are all of these angels?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep," Melody responded, "and I know every single one of them."

"I thought…"

"Yeah, I know," she said with a laugh, "my appearance is actually a stereotype, but there aren't many of us that actually look like me. In fact, I'm in the minority up there. These others are actually more common."

"Wow…"

He hadn't really predicted Heaven to be such a diverse place. Apparently, he had underestimated it.

"Where are they all going?" he asked.

"They're helping," Melody replied, "just the same as we're going to do. And here's our first one."

She dove so quickly that Akito had trouble keeping up with her. Then, when he reached her side again, he could see why she'd been in a big hurry—there was a car teetering precariously on a bridge. The car had hit the wall and knocked part of the bridge down and was now in danger of plunging into the icy water. A frightened mother and her two children were crying, too scared to move for fear they'd tip the car.

"Ready?"

"Ready," he agreed, "can they see us?"

"No."

He shrugged. Melody placed her hands under one of the front tires and he put his hands under the other one. With an amazing amount of strength that he never realized he had, he lifted. The rusty railing of the bridge creaked and groaned as the underside of the car scraped it, but they were at last back on solid ground. The kids were screaming because they felt the car move, but when they finally realized they were back on solid ground, they became screams of joy.

"We did it!" Akito exclaimed as a police car came up to investigate.

"Yep," Melody answered, "and we're gonna keep doing it for a while. Let's go."

They went all over the world in a matter of hours. They helped a homeless man in Africa find a place to stay—Melody had used what she called a "manipulation of intuition" by giving him a "feeling" to go to a certain family's house. Akito hauled a drowning child out of the water. The two of them actually crashed a wedding and foiled a guest who'd been intending to cause problems. They caught a woman who was trying to kill herself by jumping off a bridge and set her safely down on the ground only to discover her sister who had come to reconcile with her. They helped a lost dog find its way home again where the owners were frantic and worried. They watched a baby come into the world that almost didn't make it, but Melody had only to kiss it on the mouth, breathing a little of her essence into it and making it live again. They settled into the pews of a church and listened to a choir sing a couple of hymns. All the while, they were invisible to all and as insubstantial as smoke.

"I think I know what you mean," Akito said finally as Christmas Day officially ended and gray morning was on the horizon, "about a feeling being so big that you're too small to hold it all in."

Melody just grinned. The view of the sunrise from up here was amazing—Akito had wanted to watch it above all the snow clouds and they watched as the spectacular colors came into view. Then, he felt himself sinking.

"Time's up," she said quickly, "let's go before we turn solid again and crash through the roof!"

He was loathe to give up the power of being able to fly, but he had no choice. At least he had experienced it. Facing each other with clasped hands, they sank back through the ceiling of their room and landed as gently as feathers on their bed. The solidness came back.

"Wow…" he breathed, "…I don't know what to say other than this was the best Christmas I've ever had."

She grinned and hugged him.

"I'm glad," she said warmly, "and I'm glad that Father was willing to let me do that—you're the only human who's experienced it while they were awake. Usually, he only lets us do that when the person's unconscious or…well…dying. He made an exception for you."

"Tell him thanks," Akito said gratefully. Thoroughly exhausted, he was content to go to sleep for a few hours. Though Christmas was over now, there would still be plenty to come in the future. He would never forget this as long as he lived.

Now that Christmas was over, preparations for New Year's were already underway though the Chinese New Year was one month later than the Western New Year. Even Akito, who had a love-hate relationship with parties couldn't help but be a little excited about it. Shigure dropped by often, Melody suspected, just to give Hatori a hard time about his upcoming dance.

"Shigure, if you don't have a legitimate excuse to be in here, I will give you one," Hatori had retorted after Shigure had turned up, yet again, at his office. Melody cracked up laughing.

"You may not have the spirit of the dragon in you anymore," Shigure said with a wince, "but you've certainly got the attitude of one."

January was much milder than December. There were a few days where the snow actually melted away, though sometimes it would just pile right back up again. Akito had probably gotten more exercise in the last two months than he could ever remember having. He could run considerably faster after a time and could go much longer without getting tired. His appetite increased exponentially and he slept very well at bedtime without the strange and vivid dreams that he used to have. His skin took on a healthy rosy tinge and he wasn't nearly so emaciated-looking. He would probably always remain small, but at least his ribs were starting to get much less pronounced. Melody even remarked that he was getting softer to hold. In the time between Christmas and New Year's, he had only one porphyria attack and it was much milder than his previous cases.

The next two to be freed were Momiji and Kureno. Momiji's demon came forward just as the last of December faded into January. His father commented that he'd been behaving somewhat oddly—unlike the others who had been angry and somewhat violent, the usually good-spirited Momiji had been suffering some depression and had cried a lot. At first, they thought his voice was cracking a lot because he was right at the age where it was due to start deepening from puberty. Closer investigation revealed that this was not the case—when he pulled away from Tohru, whom he usually couldn't wait to hug, they all knew something was very wrong.

"I'm sorry," he pleaded, "I just…I can't…"

"It's all right," Tohru said softly, "you'll feel better when Melody gets here."

When they reached the house, it was odd to see all the shades drawn against the cheery winter sunshine. Momiji's father was both anxious and heartbroken because he had been unable to help Momiji. Melody assured him that it would be a simple enough matter, that he had no need to fear. Bracing herself for what would probably be a very rough couple of days, she and Akito sat on either side of Momiji and entered his mind.

"What on earth?" Akito asked.

The setting was a carnival. While there were bright colors splashed everywhere, the place had a very sinister feel to it. The further in they walked, the more decayed and decrepit their surroundings got. It also got to the point where the people were that way as well. Examining everything closely, Akito began to form a theory about the energetic little bunny: "He hides it, doesn't he? All the things that make him unhappy."

"Of course," Melody answered as the music grew discordant, "he prefers not to focus on the negative, which is very commendable. And he's mature enough to know when to ask for help, which is why he was the one who called us. I don't think he'll be nearly as difficult as Hiro."

Momiji was found in the center of the carnival. The moment they reached him, the last clinging illusions of cheerfulness were gone. They melted away, revealing grotesque and distorted forms all around them. Momiji himself had distorted into a form similar to Kyo's "true" form. People were pointing and laughing at him. The demon, Akito assumed, was the ringmaster who was trying to goad him into attacking them.

"Melody? Akito?" Momiji asked, voice still wavering. He slowly lowered his hands, revealing a monstrous face. But those big brown eyes were still there—there was no mistaking them. Tears the size of golf balls were rolling down his cheeks. He had lash-marks in his leathery dark skin and shards of glass sticking out. Akito was sickened by this.

"It's all right now," Melody told him, "we've come to take you home. But first we need you to bring Father here to help us."

"Melody?" Akito asked nervously. The "ringmaster" had noticed them and was advancing on them.

"How do I get him here?" Momiji asked.

"You ask him," Melody said, "that's all. You accept him as your true Master and this guy over here won't be able to stay and trouble you any longer. He hates the light—that's why he's staying out of the spotlight and putting you there instead."

"Okay," Momiji said nervously, "Father? Are you out there?"

The ringmaster had shouted an order to the others and suddenly grotesque forms were pressing in on all sides. They were attempting to pull Melody and Akito away from Momiji as he shouted above their hisses, growls, and gurgles.

"Chain them! Keep them here for all eternity! Yes, they are just as valuable to me as this one is!" the ringmaster laughed. It was then that Melody got a good look at him. He wore a mask and an over-sized hat to hide his true identity. The mask was creepy, an exaggeration of a smile, but it was false. Underneath, she saw a sliver of pruned and blackened skin. No doubt he had fed on Momiji's urges to keep everyone happy all these years, all the while denying himself the things he really wanted. He had stayed away from his mother and sister all because he didn't wish to cause them pain. Momiji had lived with that rejection every single day all the while pretending it was what he wanted.

"I…I know you're there…I just can't see you…I want to, though…" Momiji pleaded, "the way the others talk about you…you were like the traveler that gave everything up so that others would be happy…"

Suddenly, the crowd parted and the noise that had reached a feverish pitch died away. A man, seemingly ordinary at first, ventured through the crowd and easily pushed them aside. Akito's eyes grew wide—he had just punched one of the demonic creatures in the face and his fist hadn't yet left contact with the creature's leathery skin.

"I remember him…" Akito whispered.

That day in the garden, Melody had shown him the one who truly knew what sacrifice was. The same man was coming towards them now. There were thick scars on the backs of his hands and in the palms. They were also on his feet, but that wasn't the most striking feature about him. He seemed very ordinary, very nondescript, and yet there was nothing ordinary about him. His dark eyes were kind and never once strayed from Momiji though there were plenty of other distractions all around.

"Momiji…yes, I knew we would be speaking soon," the man said, "although I'm sure you'd have liked better circumstances."

Momiji's hands stayed over his face, but his dark eyes met Father's Son's gaze.

"I asked for help and I got it," he said quietly, "I'm not going to complain."

"A wise thing to say," the dark-eyed man responded, "Father Himself is here, too. But I wanted to see you for myself."

Father's familiar human form appeared on the other side of Momiji.

"You two have a great deal in common," Father said, placing a hand on Momiji's shoulder, "you've both given up a lot in the name of love. And you both had faith in things that you couldn't always see. For that, I applaud you. And I am glad to call you one of my own."

Momiji's horrible, grotesque, distorted form melted away until the real him was standing there in the light. The demonic creatures fled, unable to stand the spotlight, which was growing brighter. The "ringmaster" hissed and backed away.

"You! You were the one who abandoned me!" he snarled.

Jesus's expression was neutral, but he turned and made a sweeping motion.

"Depart from me," he said calmly, "for I never knew you."

The demon exploded, literally. A hot orange mushroom cloud set the interior of the tent on fire, burning down all the decay and distortion.

"No more hiding," Father said to Momiji as he lowered his hands, "you are one of the few here who carry the light inside you, the light of love and truth. Do not be ashamed of it. And don't be afraid to ask for help, even if it's just a listening ear."

They hugged and the room dissolved into light. Momiji's tears were drying and his radiant smile had returned.

"Well, now he's going to be twice as annoying!" Kyo muttered, though his smile betrayed him as Momiji hugged Tohru and Melody without poofing into a rabbit. As a naturally affectionate little boy, his curse had always been a very great hindrance to him. Now, he didn't have to be afraid anymore, especially at school where he loved making new friends and comforting people.

Kureno, on the other hand, was a bit more of a trial. Melody had never gotten to know him as well as the others, for he had often kept to himself. The red-haired boy was as much of a mystery to her as he was to the others and he didn't really feel comfortable talking to her. Akito had been quite rough with him in the past, so he was afraid of becoming her friend. The day of his freeing came quite unexpectedly one day as Melody approached him with her digital camera.

"Hi, Kureno! Can I borrow a minute of your time?"

He glanced up at her.

"What is it that you need?" he asked.

"Just a quick picture. I'm working on a portrait of all the Zodiac members," she said, "with the painting stuff that Akito got me."

"Oh."

He followed her into the garden where they would be in better light. If Melody had glanced up, she'd have seen how deathly pale his cheeks had gone, the strange gleam in his eye. She was too busy fidgeting with the camera settings, however, and didn't realize something was wrong until his shadow loomed over her. Then, she blacked out.

Akito let Squishie back inside and went looking for her. The palette of paints and brushes still lay on the newspaper-coated table she was using and the half-finished family portrait stood on the easel. He smiled as he recognized nearly every face there. Squishie sniffed around the room while Akito knocked on the bathroom door. There was no answer. He slid the door back only to find it empty. Now and then, if he couldn't find her, he'd check in there since she liked to hole up in that exquisite tub with a book after a long day.

"Melody?" he called. No answer.

He checked the gardens. He asked Hatori if he had seen her. Hatori said she had left at the usual time, but he hadn't come across her since. Melody had been talking about the painting and was ready to get back to it once their hours at the clinic were finished for the day. He also mentioned that she had gone around snapping pictures of everyone that she was putting into it. Akito then asked the various maids and called Shigure's house to see if she had maybe been by there. The answer was no. Isuzu and Kagura hadn't seen her, either. Haru was still at work, but the answer was probably no for him as well. Now Akito was getting worried. It wasn't like her to just disappear like this.

"I'm sure she'll turn up," Shigure said, "you're all she ever talks about, after all. We will let you know if the slightest thing comes up or we find her, I promise."

"Thank you," Akito said gratefully.

When Melody awoke, her head was throbbing horribly. She wanted to massage the sore spot, but she found that her hands were bound.

"Uh…" she muttered, confused.

A silhouette stepped closer to her. As her vision slowly cleared, she realized it was Kureno standing over her.

"Sorry about that," he said, placing an ice pack over the developing goose-egg in her scalp, "I'm not usually that rough…"

She looked up at him. Anyone else would not have noticed what she did—there was no physical change to him. There was no deepening of the voice or color change of the eyes. There was no trembling madness or urge to flee. His aura had simply "shadowed"—the demon's darkness had overshadowed the bright orange that he once was.

"Why did you knock me out?" Melody asked.

"I would think that's obvious," he answered, "Shigure, Kyo, Yuki, Hatori, Hiro, Kisa, Momiji, Hatsuharu, Isuzu, and Ritsu. All of my lesser associates have been discharged—only myself, Ayame, and Kagura remain. And, of course, Akito. Unlike all the others who simply try to attack you or otherwise incapacitate you, I've watched from the shadows and I've learned. It takes more than brute strength to overcome you. You and Akito must be kept apart."

Melody tried to keep calm.

"I see…and what are you going to do now that you've succeeded?" she asked.

"Keep you here for just now. I know better than to kill you. Killing you would just make you more powerful. Instead, I think the others might be interested in harvesting your power."

Melody frowned.

"But there's no way to do that."

"Not that you know of. Now, enough talk. I don't exactly trust you for reasons I'm sure you understand. You're going to take a nice little nap now and I won't have to worry about you escaping."

She opened her mouth to protest, but it didn't happen. She felt something jab her in the neck and her eyes slid closed. Kureno covered her up with a blanket. The demon inside of him, unlike so many of the others, was an older demon. He had seen the downfall of his brothers and sisters because they couldn't control or put off gratifications of their base desires. He was different—he liked planning things and being methodical. Being able to carry out things like this was what he got his thrill from. The real Kureno struggled on the inside, but he couldn't break free. The demon counterpart laughed out loud.

"Nice try, sparrow-boy, but it isn't going to work. You thought you were free once before, yes? That's only because I tricked you and suppressed the transformation."

Rage, but too weak of a rage to do anything beyond raising his heartbeat a little filled him. It was the true Kureno's rage at seeing someone like Melody being treated like a caged animal. The unnamed demon locked the door calmly behind him and stepped out into the night. He contemplated how he was going to tell the other three about this without giving something away to the humans…it would have to be done carefully or the lovesick fool Akito would go barging in there and wrecking things. He got in the car, careful not to leave any evidence behind, and drove back to the house. The others would know if he'd gone missing.