Chapter 42: Return of the hero.
Opening 2: Asura's Wrath - In Your Belief
Tiffania was seen waking from her slumber. She was a little groggy, but managed to shake it off. Upon her sight, Group Code Zero was seen looking at the horizon, appearing forlorn.
"Everyone... Did Shadow leave to fight off Reconquista?" Tiffania asked reluctantly.
"He did. He wanted to go through with this mission for our lives. Shadow cared for us deeply to risk his life many times." Saito answered, trembling.
Louise could tell Saito was holding his sadness at bay. She held Saito close, knowing he felt horrible.
"He's doing everything in his power to protect us... I may have powers beyond what people can do, but even I have limits... I hope Shadow makes it." Silver spoke, clenching his fists.
Charlotte glided her hands on Silver's fists. He slowly unclenched them, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted.
'Shadow... Please come back to us. We'll all be waiting for you. Louise, Saito, Silver, Charlotte, Danielle, Twilight, all our friends in Tristain, including the precious gift you gave me. Come back to us in one piece.' Tiffania thought, shedding tears.
She kneeled to the floor, praying to the deities of Shadow's protection.
######
(Play Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core OST - The Price for Freedom)
Back in the battlefield, Shadow was seen kneeling at the top of a hill, overlooking a large camp. He had his sword imbedded in the ground in front of him. There, he saw several creatures that were poisoned by Andvari's ring magic. Trolls, ogres, orcs and goblins were all shown enchained.
"It's never easy... To fight for your loved ones and the people you care for." Shadow narrated.
He gave a mirthless chuckle, knowing he will most likely be injured or at death's door. Feeling a sense of resolve in his spirit, he gave one final glance at the sky.
'Have I fulfilled your wish, Maria? Protecting those whom have a chance to be happy...?' He questioned mentally.
Though no answer came to him, he felt the thought of Maria responding with a yes. While thinking so, a transparent image of Maria soon came behind him, embracing Shadow from behind.
"I guess your answer would be yes..." He said, standing up.
With a steady exhale, he was ready to fight. The visage of Maria soon vanished to the wind.
"The price to protect others for their happiness is indeed steep. It doesn't mean I won't back down from this. I have a place to go back to." Shadow declared.
He soon looked to Zenyōso before asking the spirit a final question.
"Arjean... I know the answer of this outcome, but I will most likely die in this battle, right?" Shadow asked.
A telepathic voice came to him from the sword.
"You might. Is this what you need to know?" Arjean asked.
"Well, nothing I don't know of. I'm doing this for the sake of others." Shadow said.
He soon took off with a battle cry, zooming to the enemy camp. The soldiers spotted Shadow as he quickly approached them.
"Enemy! All soldiers be ready for combat!" A general announced.
Shadow wasted no time fighting off the enemies around him. It was a macabre dance of swords as he sliced any being whom was close to him. The soldiers all shouted with pain as they were cut.
"It's just one person! Take him down!" The commander said.
Shadow began to launch a volley of fireballs to the soldiers to thin the numbers down. They were heavily compressed to give added strength. The enemy didn't anticipate the fireballs to pierce through their shields and exploding with the force of a small thermobaric bomb. They were sent flying in various directions.
"It's the person whom defended Tristain in Tarbles! The demi-god of Tristain!" One of the soldiers shouted.
"Even if he has the power to manipulate the elements, he can't stand to fight ALL of us!" Another soldier spoke with confidence.
A rain of fireballs soon came to Shadow. Having utilize his fire elemental abilities, he soon began to inhale. This shocked the enemy troops.
"He's eating our fire spells!" A mage shouted in disbelief.
This granted Shadow a transformation. His skin and hair turned a vibrant red color, matching the marks on his body. Flames were surging on his body, flowing around him. Zenyōso soon morphed into a sword of compressed fire.
"I never thought I would resort to using this transformation again. Now that I have a scope of how it works, I can unleash its power!" Shadow bellowed.
Commanding the very essence of fire, Shadow swung with a mighty heave. The swift attack created a condensed wave of fire that eviscerated any who dare stand against it. Numerous soldier up front were sliced in half from the attack.
"He's commanding the flames! This man is a fierce enemy!" A mage replied.
"Stand your ground! It's just one person. He can't possibly take on all of us, especially with the mountain trolls at our side." A soldier ordered.
Shadow soon twisted his sword in a reverse grip. He struck the earth before swinging Zenyōso up. The swing created a shockwave of fire that raced its way to the enemy troops. Most attempted to flee, but upon hitting one mage, the wave was split into consecutive waves of flames. All were targeting any adjacent to the mage in question.
"I'm really liking the Vermillion transformation." Shadow remarked.
Soon, the ground rumbled. Dark beings made of a lava-like substance appeared. Mephiles's minions came to the aid of the soldiers.
"So, you conspired with Reconquista, Mephiles!? You won't get away unscathed!" Shadow shouted.
Using his Vermillion transformation, Shadow commanded the flames to form solid spikes that impaled Mephiles's minions. The majority stood still before fading in a dark fog, leaving behind light cores for Shadow to absorb.
"Who's next?" Shadow growled.
The Titans soon roared and began pounding the ground, creating a small quake. Shadow soon hurled a fireball into the ground. A surge of fire was soon erupting from the Titans at their feet, destroying them.
'Now that's something I could learn doing...' Shadow thought.
Though Mephiles's minions were taken down, this brought time for Reconquista to counterattack. A rain of arrows soon came into view. This forced Shadow to create a cloak of fire around his body to block them off. The arrows couldn't pierce through the veil, leaving him unscathed but exhausted.
'This transformation is about to wear off... I guess it's limited on the amount of flames I've consumed to attain it.' Shadow theorized mentally.
Channeling what's left of the transformation, he soon began to channel multiple fireballs on his right palm.
"Chaos barrage - Fire elemental!"
A swarm of fiery spears made from Chaos energy soon appeared. It was an infernal rain of death as the spears pierced any unlucky to be in their path. The enemy mages attempted to shield the attack off by countering the elemental barrage, only with limited success.
"How pathetic." He growled.
His Vermilion transformation disappeared, leaving him in his normal form. A large icicle was soon hurled at him, along with various cannonballs and projectiles. Shadow was forced to use his wind powers to divert most of them off.
'Tenacious, but still no match.' Shadow thought.
######
Back on the leaving airships, Queen Henrietta was crossed with Cardinal Mazarin. Having heard of Shadow's suicide mission, she angrily confronted him.
"How dare you use my friends in such a manner! If we weren't in this situation, I would have sentenced you to the guillotine!" She bellowed.
"You must understand, my Queen. We couldn't lose you and the enemy was advancing their way to us. Shadow willingly chose to do so to protect us." Cardinal Mazarin spoke.
"Not another word. If I hear of my friend being deceased, your head will be on a platter." The Queen replied with anger.
The Cardinal knew he was running his mouth. Reluctant, he left Henrietta alone. This caused her to collapse with grief.
'Shadow... Why did you have to go through so much to protect us?' She thought.
######
Group Code Zero was silent. They were praying for Shadow's survival in the fight. Out of all of them, Tiffania took it hard. She held the Eclair flower near her to feel Shadow's life from it. It became the only means of letting her know he was still alive.
'Shadow... Please come back to us. I want to be with you, both as my beloved and my companion. We've been through so much, but I want to continue being with you.' Tiffania thought in silent prayer.
'Shadow, we have been through a lot despite how quick things have gotten here. Come back to us in one piece.' Saito prayed mentally.
######
In Mobius on Angel Island, Knuckles noticed the Master Emerald showing a reaction. It was depicting Shadow fighting an army all alone.
"Oh no... I better let everyone know..." Knuckles spoke to himself.
Using his communicator, Knuckles was able to contact all of his friends to come to Angel Island as quickly as possible. They all arrived via teleportation with Tails and Cosmo coming last.
"What's with the urgent message Knuckles?" Sonic asked.
"Come take a look." Knuckles responded.
Soon, everyone saw Shadow fighting against a large army. Sonic and his friends gasped in response of Shadow's reckless behavior.
"He's going to get himself killed at this rate. Even if he does have the power acquired from that other world, it won't help him survive." Rouge spoke, showing concern.
"Why would he go so far to fight the enemies alone?" Mighty asked.
In response, the Master Emerald showed Tiffania offering a silent prayer. She was holding a glass container, which had the Eclair D'amour.
"That's Tiffania. What is she holding there?" Amy questioned.
"It looks like a flower, but I never seen one that glows like that." Cream said.
"It's some kind of magical flower... I can feel Shadow's spirit from within that flower." Espio noted.
"I think I know why Shadow would go this far to fight them." Cosmo said.
Tails soon realized the hidden message. It made him recall the terrible day he thought Cosmo died.
"He's doing this to protect those he cares. Shadow's doing this to ensure his friends and loved ones survive." He explained.
"Doesn't he realize he'll die from the stunt he's pulling?" Vector asked in disbelief.
"It's not something that can be answered easily. Love is a powerful emotion that can make even the weakest of beings strong. It also drives anyone to protect those they care, despite the danger." Blaze answered.
"Will Shadow make it through this?" Charmy questioned.
"I honestly don't know... Shadow is always known to put himself in harm's way to protect the people he cares for. He used to never show it, but now, he's doing this for a reason." Tails answered.
"He's protecting the people he cares for, but more importantly, the one he loves." Cosmo added.
Soon, a familiar vehicle came into view. Sonic and his friends were wary the moment they spotted it.
"Great. What does Eggman want now?" Sonic complained.
"Settle down. I'm only here because I observed an energy reading coming from the Master Emerald. It seems to have been communicating with us to show of Shadow." Eggman deduced.
"I thought so too. Since he still possesses the 7 Chaos Emeralds in that world, it was likely the Master Emerald reacts to their presence." Knuckles followed.
"Even so, I've found reading of another 7 Chaos Emeralds here in our dimension. I haven't forgotten the events of the Great Harmony." Eggman said.
"So, why are you here now that you found out?" Tails questioned.
"I haven't forgiven Shadow for taking the Emeralds, but seeing him like this, willing to fight for others is surprising to me. I've known him as more of an anti-hero due to his actions. He seems to have mellowed down." Eggman responded.
"That's because he has someone whom he wishes to protect." Rouge answered.
"Really? I do recall him mentioning the name 'Maria' back then. The thought crossed my mind till I realized who it was." Eggman replied.
"Take a look now. Shadow's going all out." Sonic stated.
Everyone watched as Shadow ruthlessly fought the enemy soldiers without mercy. His calm facade soon broke, leaving him with a feral expression.
"If he's doing this to protect his loved ones, I don't want to provoke him unnecessarily." Eggman spoke, shivering.
"My thoughts too... Back when we went in that alternate world, Shadow once went berserk with enemy forces that almost killed an innocent kid. Let's just say it was a dark experience." Tails explained.
######
(Play Asura's Wrath OST - In Your Belief)
Shadow was stained with blood from his enemies. He held a frightful, angered expression, aiming to kill every enemy soldier he sees. With a beastly roar, the sound echoed across the plains as more soldiers gathered.
"It's just one man. How hard can it be to kill him?" Soldier #1 questioned.
"He has been decimating our forces like paper! We can't handle him, even with magic!" Soldier #2 shouted with fear.
The enemy soldiers began raining arrows and magical bolts at Shadow. Soon, Hien turned into a bronze, yellow color. Shadow began to manipulate the ground, creating a shield to protect him from the assault. Though the arrows couldn't punch through the solid rock, the explosive force from the magical bolts was chipping the shield off.
-Anata no tsuranuku hitomi wa nani ga mi te i ta no desho u-
Shadow took the opportunity to attack the ranged fighters, dashing with speed to kill the enemy soldiers.
-anata no furueru kokoro wa nani ga hibii te i ta no desho u-
Several swordsmen were able to make shallow cuts on Shadow's body, but he persisted, ignoring the pain from his wounds.
"I won't let you...harm my beloved!" He said, keeping his stand.
-hisashiku egao o mi te i nai nukumori dake hae nai-
Chaos energy surged within Shadow's body as he fought and killed the swordsmen near him. His body glowed from red to white, enhanced with the power of Chaos.
"Perish..!" He spoke with venom.
-ate na hō kizuato wa konoyo no kami yori itami-
Charged with the energy in his body, Shadow began to perform near instant attacks on the various soldiers. The attacks happened near simultaneously. Some soldiers were killed brutally in result.
"Do not falter! It's just one man!" Soldier #6 spoke.
"How do you think we're handling this!? We need some help!" Soldier #5 answered.
-dakara subete kowashi te susumu no desho u-
Shadow soon leaped into the air with a mighty jump. Charging himself with wind elemental power, he soon performed a bullet drop to the ground. The moment his feet touched land, a powerful gust of wind with wind sickles blew across the battlefield. It was a 10 meter long bloodbath as the wind sliced any within the radius.
"You'll never leave this battleground while I still stand!" He declared.
-ta no doko de mo naku koko ni tatta anata wa-
"How can one man hold us back and with such power?" Soldier #8 asked in shock.
"We have been fools to fight him. He made it clear we will never leave the battle." Soldier #7 replied, feeling defeat.
-nani ga o tsukamu tame ni te o nobasu-
######
Group Code Xero kept their silence as they prayed for Shadow to come back in one piece.
'Shadow... Please come back to me. Daniella and Twilight will be waiting for us.' Tiffania thought.
Tiffania soon felt an aura from her stomach. She soon realized as to why. Tears soon she'd as her eyes were kept closed.
'Please...' She thought.
######
-watashi wa shitte iru sekai o yai da honoo-
Surges of fire were shown as Shadow pushed through. He commanded the flames to attack any soldier whom dared to get near him.
"You will all perish as ash!" He bellowed.
-itetsuku toki o kogasu-
The soldier had little choice but to rely on the creatures whom were spellbound by the magic of Andvari's ring. Their stomps quakes the grounds, forcing Shadow to leap into the air.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall..." Shadow spoke.
Curling into a spin dash, he launched himself, slashing his way up to a mountain troll. Upon reaching the head, he plunged Zenyōso in its wind form into the creature's head. Blood erupted from the impalement, drenching Shadow in blood.
-sekai o kogasu yasashi sa-
More mountain trolls and goblins were seen ready to fight. Though Shadow sympathized with the creatures not wanting to fight this war, he had no choice but to fight back.
"Forgive me, creatures of the forest. I may possess the purification powers, but I do not possess the stamina to cure you." Shadow lamented.
Making his way up to another mountain troll, gurgling with the poisoned waters, Shadow reached up to the neck and began slashing. He leaped to the others and slashed across the rest. They fell dead like a giant tree being cut down. Tears were seen from his bloodstained face being shed.
######
In Mobius, everyone watched the Master Emerald playing the scenery of the battle.
"My word... Shadow has gone brutal..." Eggman noted.
"I never seen him go this far to protect someone he cares." Rouge spoke.
"I know the reason why..." Tails said.
"His beloved. That elf girl, Tiffania." Knuckles said.
Soon, the Master Emerald soon showed Group Code Zero kneeling on the floor of the floating ship they're on. Everyone soon knew why.
"They were most likely led out of the battle and Shadow chose to stay to protect them." Sonic deduced.
"Wait. Look at Tiffania." Cosmo said.
Tiffania was seen holding her stomach, crying tears as she held on the magic flower.
"She's...!" Amy realized.
"What is it Amy?" Cream asked, worried.
"It's Shadow's beloved... She's having his child..." Amy revealed.
"Whoa! You're serious?" Vector asked in surprise.
"I'm certain. Shadow must have known as well. That's why he would go this far." Amy answered.
"Shadow would do this to protect someone precious to him. Even his friends." Blaze commented.
"Shadow has been a cool person and now it's hard not to admire him." Charms said.
"He is an honorable person. Shadow has helped us before and we should one day." Espio admitted.
"Look! The Master Emerald is showing Shadow again." Knuckles announced.
It showed Shadow cutting the mountain trolls by their throats. Upon landing on the ground, it was showing him being drenched in their blood. The striking scene was Shadow shedding quiet tears.
"Shadow...crying." Amy said.
"He has been fighting for a long time and it's taking its toll on him. I'm honestly uncertain how long this will go." Eggman said, hinting some worry.
Cream soon sympathized for Shadow, feeling his sorrow from the battle.
######
-ta no dare de mo naku soko ni tatta anata wa-
Back with Shadow, he kept moving forward. His psyche soon became numb. Any enemy that came to him, he sliced them down with Zenyōso.
"Monster...!" A dying soldier replied.
-nani ga o tsukamu tame ni te o nobasu-
"Monster...? You are the monsters, not me." Shadow retorted.
He created several wind sickles that cut down any soldier among their path.
-hate no nai nani ka wa miushinau nara ba-
Soon, a dark aura manifested. Mephiles showed up, reveling the bloodshed from Shadow's battling.
"I'm surprised to see such level of chaos you caused. How it feeds my strength upon slaying these pathetic fools." He spoke in laughter.
"Mephiles...! You will perish here and now!" Shadow shouted.
-me koto wa senaka ni yodomu desho u-
"You may have slaughtered over 30,000 men, including my minions, but I doubt you have the strength to press on!" Mephiles said, hurling orbs of darkness.
"Think again!" Shadow replied.
The two beings clashed. The soldiers of Reconquista attempted to attack Shadow, only to fall victim of the clashes between him and Mephiles.
"Give up, Shadow. You can't overcome the darkness that festers in you." Mephiles spoke.
"I will never falter, Mephiles. You will perish here, even if it kills me!" Shadow said.
-kobushi wa nigira zu tsukameru mirai wa nai-
"Oh? Willing to risk death just to protect your loved ones? How about this?" Mephiles said.
Mephiles created a sphere of darkness that encompassed him and Shadow. The orb soon engulfed the rest of Reconquista's soldiers.
######
-wa ni o toba zu susumeru ichi ho wa nai-
Shadow soon saw a wormhole of darkness leading him to somewhere. He soon saw Mephiles and resumed fighting him.
"You may have been able to best me right now, but the future will not be the same for you!" Mephiles spoke.
"You have no future, Mephiles! It ends here." Shadow said.
"I have to disagree." Mephiles smiled with glee.
He soon brought the remaining soldiers with him. Shadow, having enough of their presence, charged his Chaos energy before taking the rings off of his wrists.
"Chaos...BLAST!"
A bright blast of destructive Chaos energy was soon shown. The soldiers had no escape as they all got caught. The anguish of death echoed as their lives were wiped out, leaving ash as their last remains.
"Damn it..." Shadow said.
Tired from using his Chaos Blast, Shadow was exhausted, allowing Mephiles to strike him from behind.
"Gaaah!" Shadow cried out in pain.
######
Within the floating ship, Tiffania soon dropped the magic flower Shadow gave her. Everyone saw the flower, which soon began to slowly fade.
"Eclair D'amore... The magic flower that shows the condition of loved ones, even if they're miles apart." Julio said.
Tiffania soon noticed the flower looking weaker, causing her to shed tears.
-anata no sun da hitomi wa nani ga mi te i da no desho u-
"No..." She whispered in disbelief.
The flower soon lost one of its petals. Everyone soon realized the meaning of what was shown.
"It can't be..." Saito said.
Tiffania was crying loudly now. The flower soon began to wilt, showing a weakened state.
"SHADOW!" Tiffania screamed in sadness.
######
Shadow struggled to stay alive as Mephiles plunged a blade of darkness in Shadow's body.
"Damn you..." He weakly said.
"You will perish before you land in a different timeline in this world." Mephiles laughed.
Shadow forcibly removed the dark sword from his body, surprising Mephiles.
"That's not possible...! How are you still alive!?" Mephiles asked in shock.
"I'm not...so easy to take down." Shadow spoke, breathing heavily.
Shadow soon got close to Mephiles. He plunged his sword through him in its earth elemental form. Mephiles coughed up blood in result.
"Now you will perish with me." Shadow coughed, spitting blood.
He soon removed Zenyōso out of Mephiles's body, kicking him further through the wormhole.
-anata no yuruga nu kokoro wa nani ga hibii da no desho u-
"Damn it... I have little to no strength left... I'm too weak." Shadow said.
"Papa!" Arjean spoke from Zenyōso.
"I really wish I could see Tiffania again..." Shadow spoke with fatigue claiming his body.
Shadow only had a moment to stay conscious as he yelled through the dark wormhole.
"TIFFANIA!" He shouted.
(In your belief OST ends here)
######
(Play Zero no Tsukaima OST - Empty)
Several weeks have passed and it was a somber aura for everyone in Tristain. Henrietta ordered her knights to search for Shadow back at the battleground. The only thing they found was the Green Chaos Emerald. Agnès was distraught upon learning of Shadow's fate.
"He went this far to protect the people he cared... Shadow, you fool. Why go this far to protect others?" She questioned in tears.
Agnès soon ordered her troops to report if they found any traces. Upon reporting back, they came negative of the search.
"We haven't found any trace of Shadow anywhere. The only thing he left was the Chaos Emerald you hold." One of the Musketeer troops spoke.
"Let's go home..." Agnès spoke with a somber tone.
######
Back in Tristain, everyone within Tristain academy was quiet in sorrow. Learning of Shadow's heroic deed made everyone mourn for his passing. Louise and Saito looked less energetic than usual. Silver and Charlotte felt despondent. Tiffania took it the worst, crying even in her sleep. Agnès soon arrived and went to the headmaster's office.
"To think that Shadow would sacrifice himself to protect the people he cares for." Osmond spoke, showing a mournful face.
"He was a good friend and a protective ally." Longueville spoke.
"I'm so sorry... If only I realized what Cardinal Mardarin was doing..." Queen Henrietta spoke, shedding tears.
"Because of Shadow, we were all saved. Alas, the people whom he cared for are all grieving." Agnès said.
######
Louise and Saito were depressed. Tiffania was with them. They tried to cheer her up, but she looked catatonic, staring out of the window with a dead expression.
"How long are you going to continue moping?" A familiar voice called out.
Éléonore arrived with her sister Cattleya. Both of Louise's sisters could feel the depressing aura.
"All of this sadness because one person or rather a familiar chose to sacrifice himself to protect others. Such actions are quite petulant." Éléonore said.
Saito stood up, hiding his anger. He soon walked to Éléonore and slapped her face. The sound echoed in the room. None were shocked than Louise, whom didn't expect Saito to perform such an action.
"'Petulant' you say? Shadow risked his life to protect his kingdom of which you live in! He gave his life so we could have our future protected and you sully his honor with such a condescending tone in front of us!?" Saito shouted.
Tiffania, though looking catatonic, spoke with a ghostly, depressing voice.
"Get out... Don't come to us again." She spoke.
Cattleya held her sister in her shoulders, shaking her head to tell her not to make it worse. Éléonore was still in shock from the slap, wisely choosing to leave the room and not provoke them.
"That was foolish of you, elder sister. Shadow was the reason Louise was becoming a powerful Noble with her magic. If you had a lover whom died in war, would you question the same to us?" Cattleya questioned with an angered face.
"You think I don't know!? I had friends whom died in battles before... They need to overcome the sadness for the sake of their future." Éléonore answered.
"Even so, it was unnecessarily cruel." Cattleya spoke back.
######
Tiffania continued to hold the Eclair D'amore in her hands. The plant has since looked wilted and dried.
"Shadow. I love you, no matter what. I want us to be together like a family. How can I find that when you're gone?" She said with a saddened tone.
Louise and Saito felt bad for her. They remain in silence as they held Tiffania close.
'If that was me out there, I wouldn't have survive...' Saito thought.
'If Saito went out there, I wouldn't be able to be with him.' Louise thought.
(Empty OST ends here)
Soon, the magic flower began to glow a bright red. Everyone was shocked to see it glow brightly. Tiffania soon felt a sense of hope arise in her heart. She dashed out of Louise's room. Saito and Louise knew Shadow was near.
######
(Play Zero no Tsukaima OST - Lost in love)
Tiffania made her way outside the academy. Running out to the outskirts, she was breathing heavily. She soon could see a male figure walking from the distance. From within, he held a glass jar containing an Eclair D'amore, which was glowing in a yellow color.
"Shadow...?" She said, uncertain on who she was seeing.
The figure was soon in clear sight. It was Shadow! But he looked different. His hair was longer, reaching down his waist. He now wore a black jacket with a silver tuff around the neck area, black pants that looked different than the ones he wore. He also now had two swords. One was the same color scheme as Zenyōso, but the other was like a dark mirror image of Zenyōso. Despite this change, Tiffania knew it was him. She slowly walked but soon began to catch up speed. She finally caught sight of the one she loves.
"Shadow!" Tiffania shouted in a tearful smile.
"Tiffania!" Shadow called out.
The lovers rejoiced as they were reunited. Tiffania leaped to Shadow, crying tears of relief. He caught her before they fell to the ground.
"Is it really you, Shadow? You're not a mirage or a dream, are you? Please tell me you're not any of that." She asked desperately.
"I'm home now, my beloved." Shadow spoke, holding her close.
Tiffania soon saw Hien glowing in a bright gold color. This finally made Tiffania cry out loud.
"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I thought you really died!" She shouted.
"I know... I have a long story to share for you and everyone else." Shadow revealed.
Tiffania soon held Shadow's face and kissed him deeply. Shadow was surprised, but soon gave in, kissing Tiffania on her lips. The lovers didn't want to separate from the embrace they now were in. Saito and Louise were shocked and happy to see Shadow was still alive.
"He really is back. My best friend." Saito said, showing tears.
"He is back. A dear friend of ours." Louise spoke with tears.
Louise and Saito saw Tiffania holding Shadow close, fearing he would disappear. They smiled in reaction upon seeing the sight. Soon, everyone from Tristain academy came by. Shadow and Tiffania heard the footsteps near them. Everyone within the academy, even Henrietta were all in shock but soon smiled tearfully to see Shadow alive.
"Welcome back, Shadow!" They all called.
Shadow showed a tearful smile to everyone.
"I'm home, everyone." Shadow said.
(Lost in Love OST ends here)
Ending 2: Diamond - Alan
There you have it, the epilogue. This ends the Ultimate Familiar. But don't worry. The story will continue in its sequel. It explains on what happened with Shadow after he was trapped in the wormhole Mephiles dragged him into.