Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I am but using them for my own entertainment.

A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing!!! I love reviews!!! ^_^ Always so inspiring! And thanks for everyone for being so patient, I know I've been slow with the update. This is the last chapter, and being it the end I've combined Aya and Omi's POV.

----------------------------------------

The last thing Aya remembered was pleading with Omi to come back to him. Yet the next thing he saw was Ken standing over him, looking concerned.

"Its late. Why don't you go to bed," he spoke.

Aya groaned and shifted himself. He had fallen asleep leaning over Omi's bed from his spot on the floor. He stretched and shook his head.

"Ne. I'll be fine here," he insisted.

Ken nodded before retreating from the room. He knew Aya was too stubborn to change his mind. So the red head turned back to Omi and found that his expression had changed. It was no longer scared. It was full of determination.

A spark of hope rose in Aya's chest. Maybe, just maybe Omi might make it. He had to hope. He had to believe there was hope. Omi couldn't just abandon them after all. He couldn't abandon him.

Aya gave Omi's hand a squeeze and whispered more encouraging words to his friend. He couldn't give up now. Not when things seemed to be looking up. He didn't know how he could, but he knew he -had- to help Omi. He just had to.

----------------------------------

Omi knew what he had to do. He now knew that he had to fight. Though being unsure of who or what he had to fight he would give it a shot. Though as he traveled through the grey mist, his mind racing, he came to realize who it was he had to fight.

"Alright, stop hiding! Come out and fight!" Omi shouted into the nothingness. Nothing.

"Come out and fight! I'm not afraid of you!" he shouted again with much determination.

"My, my. Such strong words," an eerie voice said through the mist. Oddly it was familiar.

"Are you sure you can handle me Omi?" the voice asked, a shadow appearing.

"Of course I can. I'm not afraid of you."

Omi knew that voice from somewhere, but the coldness in it didn't seem like it belonged. He watched as the shadow came nearer, as if into a light. Slowly the new shadow was revealed, and it took Omi's breath away.

"Surprised are you? I knew you would be," the shadow spoke with a smirk.

"But y-yer me," Omi stammered as he looked at a mirror image of himself.

"Well aren't we the bright one," his mirror self said sarcastically.

Omi frowned. He was supposed to fight himself? He hadn't expected that. He had expected maybe some kind of monster or one of his brothers. He couldn't believe that it was himself he had to fight.

"Confused?" his counter part asked in mock amusement as he began circling Omi. "Didn't think it'd be me you had to face? You always have been so naive."

"What do you want?" Omi asked his voice a bit shaky, not wanting to look at his nemesis.

"What do I want? Oh Omi..." he said before clicking his tongue in distaste. "You should know what I want. After all you are me, and I'm you."

He stopped in front of Omi so the shaken teen had to look him in the eye. One cold-hearted set, staring into a frightened but caring set of eyes. Omi knew he couldn't look away, but his strength was wavering, and he looked away.

"You...you want me," he said quietly.

-----------------------------------

Aya watched his friend carefully. He watched as the determined expression diminished, yet there was still a trace of it. Something must have surprised his teammate. Aya knew Omi could overcome whatever it was.

Aya knelt, holding onto Omi's hand not knowing what to do. A million things were running through his mind. He felt lost, not sure what to do. Was there even anything he could do?

"He cares about you Aya. And right now he needs you. The doctor's help isn't going to bring him back. Only you can do that."

Mags' words repeated themselves in his head over and over again. Omi cared about him? But he cared about everyone. How could it just be himself that he needed? If the doctor wasn't able to help how was he to help Omi? What could he do?

"I wish I knew what to do..." he said quietly reaching out to brush Omi's hair away from his face.

----------------------------------

"Heh, well not exactly," the shadow Omi said with an evil laugh. "Now don't get me wrong. It is you I want. Just not the way you think."

At seeing the confused, and questioning look on Omi's face, the shadow smirked and proceeded to tell Omi what he wanted.

"You see, I'm you. The best part of you. I'm the Takatori part. The part that -should- be out in the world. To live up to my potential."

"Taka- but... how?" Omi asked his thoughts pouring out as one.

"Its very simple. I destroy you, I prevail."

Before Omi could respond the shadow's eyes sparkled and something hit Omi. He screamed allowed when all the feelings of his kidnaping flooded his mind. His eyes watered, and tears flowed down his cheeks. He was still fighting with the memories as his dark self laughed at him.

"What are you-?" Omi asked but was cut off when he was hit by more painful memories.

Omi was hit again and again with bad, and painful memories. Even ones he had forgotten about. It seemed to go on forever. All the pain and anguish. All the lonely and unwanted feelings taking over his mind. Omi was down on all fours panting, tears dripping from his eyes. Just as he got his breath back he was hit with the memory of his last battle where a Takatori monster bit him, poisoned him.

He could feel the pain shoot through his arm, and a burning sensation throughout his body as the poison rapidly spread. His whole body hurt, and began convulsing as he fell onto the ground. He never imagined such pain. Physical, mental, and emotional pain all at once. How could there be so much pain? He didn't know, but he wanted it to stop.

"Stop," he pleaded, choking the words out.

"Oh? So you finally figured out it was me who was doing it have you?" his dark self mocked.

"Please stop," he begged, every word and breath hurting him more and more.

"Um... no."

Omi was then hit with more memories of battles where he and loved ones were injured and sometimes lost. He screamed as the pain coursed through his body, invading every crevice, every cell. There was just so much pain. He didn't want to feel it anymore. He wanted the pain to go away. He just wanted it to stop.

----------------------------------------

Suddenly tears began to spill down Omi's cheeks, and his mouth opened in silent screams. His body began to convulse. Shocked, Aya didn't know what to do. He just sat horrified. What was happening to Omi? What was causing him so much pain?

Aya didn't know what was going on and instinctively he grabbed Omi by the shoulders and held him to the bed. Omi's body continued to convulse until finally it went limp. He felt Omi's strength weaken. His body started to grow cold. His pulse decreased.

"Omi no! Don't give up!" Aya's mind shouted.

He once again grasped Omi's hand in his, and as silent tears spilled down his cheeks he began talking to Omi. Hoping that somehow he could reach him.

"Omi, please don't give up. You have to fight..."

---------------------------------------

Omi had fallen numb as his spirit weakened. He barely heard his dark self talking as he tried to let go. He wanted to give up. To give in. He just wanted it all to go away. Then he heard it. That familiar voice from before.

"Omi, please don't give up. You have to fight..." it whispered encouragingly.

Omi opened his eyes, and another shadow appeared kneeling next to him. His eyes were blurred as he looked at the shadow, but this time the shadow wasn't a shadow. He could see them. Why were they trying to help him?

"Who-?" Omi asked but didn't finish as he felt their hand wipe away his tears.

"You can't give up Omi. We need you. I need you."

Omi blinked and looked up again at his unknown helper. And there, to his surprise, was his redheaded teammate with tears glistening in his eyes, that were full of hope.

"Aya...?" he asked not quite sure he was really seeing him.

"You have to fight Omi. I need you to come back to me."

"You need me...?" he asked confused. "Why?" was the only thing he could think of to ask.

"I love you Omi."

Omi was just about to ask if he had heard right, though the look in Aya's eyes said it all, but before he could voice it Aya had disappeared. He was left once again with his dark self. Who seemed not to have noticed his friends appearance.

"So are you ready to give up?" his dark self asked.

"Ne."

"Well its about-" his dark self paused when he realized what was actually said. "What did you say?"

"I said no," Omi said as he rose to his feet. "I will not give up. I will beat you."

"Beat me? You only wish you could beat me," his dark self said arrogantly before tossing another painful memory at Omi.

Omi winced but stood strong as his mind began filling up with all the bad things the Takatori family had done. All the lives they took away. All the people they hurt. The family Omi was blood kin with.

"NO! I am NOT them!!!!!!" Omi shouted as he tried to rid his mind of his so- called father and brothers.

"Oh but you are Omi. You are. You just have to let me out and you can be them. You can live up to their name," his dark self purred temptingly.

"NEVER!!!" Omi shouted.

As Omi shouted a bright light began to radiated from where his heart beat, and encircled itself around Omi before bursting into full brightness, filling the dark void with white light.

-----------------------------------------------

"Please Omi... please. I love you," Aya whispered quietly, his tears having stained his cheeks.

"Why Aya... that's so unlike you," Omi's voice said quietly, startling the redhead out of his thoughts. "Showing emotion like that. Though I have to admit. I like it."

Aya stared wide eyed at his friend, not believing that he had just spoken to him. Not believing that he was now looking at him, and smiling at him.

"Omi...?" he asked uncertain.

"The one and only," he said brightly.

Before another word could be spoken, Aya flung his arms around Omi and hugged him tight. Omi was taken aback by the sudden affection, especially since it was coming from Aya didn't respond to the hug whole heartedly until the feeling sunk in.

They stayed like that for awhile before Omi moved over, and let Aya slide into the bed next to him. Then before Aya knew what was happening Omi crawled into his lap, and wrapped his arms around his neck, looking straight into his eyes.

"Aya... did you really mean what you said? About loving me?" he asked shyly.

Aya had expected the question, but it was still a shock for it to be voiced. A slight blush started to appear across his cheeks before he nodded. He indeed did love Omi. He knew that now. Finally daring to look up at Omi's face to see his reaction to it, he was greeted with a soft, loving kiss.

"I love you too," Omi said smiling after pulling back.

Aya smiled back, wrapping his arms protectively around Omi. He settled back against the bed as Omi got comfortable in his lap, resting his head on his chest. Content, Aya sighed and closed his eyes.

"Aya...?" Omi asked quietly, he was met with a murmur in response. "Thanks for bringing me back to life."

-----------------------------------

FIN