A/N: Ah, sorry, minna, for the excessive delay of this chapter. I've been busy arranging registration for new subjects, cleaning up my dorm room (which is still a storeroom in size) and generally, being depressed. Thank you so much though to everyone for your kind words. The trouble I mentioned has been. . . .resolved. I'm still confused, bewildered, depressed, tense, etc, but it has been. . . .resolved. Can't really ask for more than that, can I? Oh yeah, I have come to the conclusion that I am mentally unstable. Big surprise there. . . .

In this chapter, the part beginning and ending with an asterix (*) was kindly written by Inami-chan. Many thanks to her for doing it coz I was not feeling up to writing that part! Thanks, Inami! I loved it! ^__^

Twylise, nekoMoon-chan, Inami, Daemonchan, Shaynie, Sakusha (no lemons, sorry!) Literary Eagle, Poison Ivy: A-R-I-G-A-T-O G-O-Z-AI-M-AS-U!!

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                                                           Chapter 20

                                                             Reunion

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Ayame ran from one room to another. She threw open sliding doors, crashed cupboards aside but no Kyo revealed himself. She stood finally, in the middle of their bedroom, breathing hard and unwilling to believe what her eyes told her. How could everything get so screwed up in just one day? It was supposed to be a routine trip. Go to an out-of-the-way district, sacrifice a human or two, buy some souvenirs and come back home to her happy little family. What happened? How could he just go like that after everything she had done?

"Mom, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop them but they were so many! And then the demon got out of control and everything just went crazy and—"

Aki flew across the room, crashing into a far wall, sliding down to crumple on the floor in stunned disbelief. Already a red mark was blossoming across one cheek. Ayame stalked over to her, her eyes wide and pupils dilated with rage as she stood trembling over her daughter.

"You imbecile! You stupid fool! How could you let them take him? Do you realize what you have done!"

Aki pressed a hand tenderly against her bruised cheek. Tears filled her gray eyes as she stammered, "I-I'm sorry. . .I tried and-and—"

Sanity finally seemed to return to Ayame as Aki cried, still holding her cheek. She kneeled on the floor and swept Aki into her arms, stroking her hair comfortingly. "Oh my poor baby, I'm sorry. Of course it's not your fault. Don't worry, we'll get daddy back, okay? I'm so sorry." She rocked back and forth, cradling Aki close and murmuring the words over and over again.

It felt like hours before she finally let go of Aki. Brushing back black hair that was wet with tears, Ayame smiled, cupping Aki's face. "Does your cheek still hurt?"

Aki nodded numbly.

"I'll go get some ice for it. You wait right here okay? We'll make it better."

With a graceful swish of her skirt, Ayame walked calmly out of the room. Once again, she was the very image of a poised, self-assured woman, completely in control of her surroundings. She let the door slid shut and Aki waited until her footsteps could no longer be heard.

Still on the floor, Aki fingered the now-purplish blue cheek.

"Bitch."

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"How are we going to—argh!"

Kyo fumbled wildly and managed to grab a handful of Takashi's jacket. Takashi chuckled low in his throat, his chest rumbling with the deep sound.

"I'm sorry," he snickered. "I forgot to mention that we'll be flying in."

His arms tightened protectively around Kyo, easily holding him aloft. The both of them were hovering several hundred feet in the air above a crowded suburban area. Several apartment buildings were directly below them. Kyo shut his eyes and tried to not think about how messily he would be splattered all over asphalt should he fall.

"Is this," he said in a tight voice, "a normal thing for Shinigami to do?"

"What? The flying?"

Kyo nodded.

"Beats taking the taxi. Besides, you lo. . ." he trailed off. "Never mind."

Only then did Kyo realize that he was even now embraced tightly by Takashi, his face pressed into the man's jacket and his arms hugging for dear life. Inhaling, Kyo also realized that Takashi smelled. . .nice.

"Ah. . .Takashi-san?" he asked awkwardly.

Without a word, Takashi let go just enough for him to move away a bit while still holding on tightly to him. Takashi gestured to one of the apartment buildings below.

"Hikaru should be at home now alone with her kids in school."

"She's married?" Kyo asked in surprise.

"Aa. To Ken," Takashi replied with a small smile. "Took them long enough," he added.

"What's the name of her kids?"

"She has a boy and a girl. Kyo and Takiko."

Kyo didn't know what to say to that so he kept silent. After a while, Takashi nudged him gently.

"Are you ready?"

He sighed. "Might as well."

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"I'm not ready for this."

Kyo stared at the innocent looking white-painted door with something akin to dread. He never thought a door could scare him that badly but this door did. He loved Hikaru and Ken both. They were his best friends in school, the people who understood him the most. And he had not spoken to them in 15 years.

"You know what," Kyo stepped back from the door and looked up and down the hallway nervously. "Why don't we just call her or send her an e-mail? I mean, we don't want to shock her or this might be a bad time she could be entertaining guests or something and we really don't want to be a bother—"

His hand was held tight as he tried to run away.

"Kyo," Takashi said firmly. "I realize this is somewhat uncomfortable but you need to know the truth."

"But you don't understand!" Kyo gestured wildly. "I haven't spoken to her in 15 years! The last time was when I told her I wanted to marry Ayame and we got into this terrible fight and she said she never wants to speak to me again and—" he stopped abruptly, seeing the look on Takashi's face.

"That never happened, did it?" he said weakly.

For an answer, Takashi drew him close, still holding firmly to his hand. As he reached out to press the doorbell, he turned to Kyo, saying calmly, "It's forbidden to Shinigami to contact living relatives or friends. It's one of the conditions upon accepting the job."

"And this?" Kyo asked quietly.

Takashi's mouth tightened into a thin line even as he shot Kyo a reassuring look. "It's an emergency."

He pressed the button down firmly. They waited in the hallway as the faint sound of the bell died inside. They could hear somebody moving inside and a voice calling out to wait. Almost, Kyo nearly bolted away again but Takashi held his hand in a firm grip.

The door opened and Hikaru stood in the doorway. She smiled brightly and Kyo could see that she had aged gracefully. The vivaciousness that marked her in her teens were still there, evident in the twinkle of her eyes. "Can I help. . .you. . ." her voice died away.

They, the three of them, stood there in silence for a few minutes. Hikaru was gasping quietly, hand to her mouth and a bright sheen to her eyes. She gripped the doorjamb tightly, seeming to need it for support.

"Hikki," Takashi started, smiling softly. "Hi."

A part of him insisted that this was a bad idea, that the memory of their last day together was real; her yelling at him that he'll regret the marriage, that she'll never speak to him again. This whole Shinigami thing was ludicrous after all. There's no such thing as Shinigami. What happened yesterday and this morning was some kind of elaborate joke. Maybe they spiked the cake with a drug that made him think he was flying. That's all really.

Hikaru swayed alarmingly on her feet and without warning, launched herself onto Kyo, gripping him in a hug that was tight enough to bruise. He stood frozen in shock as she broke down crying on his shoulders.

"Oh my god," she sobbed, clutching him. "I don't care whether you're a. . .a ghost or a zombie. . . .oh god, Kyo." She cried harder then. "I missed you so much!"

Finally moving his arms to hug her back, a voice in the back of his mind spoke up. He didn't like what it had to say.

And what if everything they said is true?

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Watari was mildly startled as Takashi and Kyo both appeared out of thin air right in the middle of the staffroom. He was just finishing up some routine paperwork, Tatsumi sitting beside him keeping company. Almost everyone was there, their cases solved with only the usual loose ends to tie up. Hisoka, sipping a mug of tea too looked startled but apparently for a different reason. He shot a worried glance over to Tatsumi and Tatsumi cocked an eyebrow back.

Hisoka mouthed a word. Trouble.

Takashi and Kyo stood stiffly, not moving. Kyo had let go of Takashi's jacket, the minimal contact needed to teleport together since he couldn't. Kyo had his back to Takashi and was facing Watari. Watari didn't think that Kyo was really looking at him though. There was something blank about his gaze. As though he wasn't really seeing anything.

Everyone had fallen silent at their entrance and there were uneasy looks on their faces as the silence between the pair dragged on. Watari swallowed and hesitantly spoke up.

"Ah. . .Kyo?"

It triggered the fuse. Kyo whirled around and snarled, "Well? Aren't you going to say anything? Aren't you happy?"

Takashi stared silently back. As Kyo trembled before him, he asked softly, "Happy about what?"

Kyo let out a bark of laughter. "About what? How about the fact that everything in my life is slowly turning out to be an elaborate lie? How about the fact that everything that I thought was true, isn't! You should be happy! You were right!"

"I'm sorry, Kyo," Takashi gestured helplessly. "I—"

"Don't call me that!" Kyo shrieked. He flew forwards and shoved Takashi back, hard. Takashi stumbled but kept his feet. "I am not your Kyo! I am not Ayame's Kyo! I am not anything!"

With that, he ran out of the staffroom.

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There was nowhere he could run to. He didn't know this place. It wasn't his home. The only place he was familiar with was the hospital room they had placed him, Watari's lab and the staffroom. But in the staffroom was Takashi.

He didn't want to see Takashi. The man was a symbol of everything that was going wrong with his life. Just a couple of days ago, he was living a happy life. He had a loving wife. A beautiful daughter. A good job. And somehow, in the space of a few hours, he was told that everything was a lie. That he was not what he thought he was. They had shown him proof. Proof he tried to deny but somehow couldn't. Something inside him had said, listen to them. You have to. It sounds. . .familiar, doesn't it?

He wished he had never listened.

He didn't care that he had been living a lie.

A lie was preferable to the look of intense pain and longing that filled a certain pair of hazel-green eyes every time they looked his way.

A lie was preferable to hating himself for causing more pain to fill those eyes.

A lie was preferable to having his belief torn apart.

Since he didn't have a sanctuary to run to, Kyo had locked himself in the bathroom of the hospital room they had taken him to. He stood before the mirror, a hand clutching the smooth, cool porcelain sink tight and the other gripping the yellowed newspaper clipping.

The article was of medium length. It was his obituary. They even had a picture of him. He didn't look a day over 18.

Kyo blinked, gazing deep into the mirror. A pale face stared back at him. The cheekbones were more prominent, the eyes creased with more laugh lines and the hair longer than what the faded picture showed him. He looked exactly like what a 38 year old version of the picture should.

But that was ridiculous. Preposterous. The article was a complete, blatant fraud. They were trying to trick him.

But Takashi had also taken him to Josui High. The display case they had in the main hall were crammed with trophies, medals and something else. An inscription on a dark wood plaque.

In memory of Shiozaki Kyo. A student, a friend, a loved one. May he rest in peace.

They had a picture beneath the cursive words. His picture. Exactly like the one in the newspaper clipping.

"It's not true," he whispered brokenly, clutching the sink tighter, the paper crumpling in his fist. "It's not true. It can't be true! It-"

Something tickled his cheek.

Kyo stopped, bewildered. His hair had gotten loose from its tie and was hanging over his face like a curtain, hiding him from the world. The tickling came again. This time, it was all over his face and spreading down to his chest, his arms and his legs. Even his scalp itched.

Almost at their own volition, he lifted his face slowly, dreading what he might see but nevertheless, compelled to see it anyway.

His reflection stared back at him. A scared man. But not for long.

The shoulder-length hair was inching slowly upwards. They were shortening. It's not possible. But it was happening anyway. Like a film shown in slow-motion, in reverse, his hair was now just brushing his chin, his mouth and stopped just by his nose.

His cheeks started to fill out a bit. Not much, but just enough.

The laugh lines crinkling the corner of his eyes faded till only a few remained.

The tan faded from his skin.

He heard, faintly, the crinkle of paper. He held the clipping up, his hands shaking wildly. A dim part of his mind noted that the palms of his hands were softer. Less coarse.

His reflection stared back at him from the paper. His eyes flicked from the mirror to the paper like an agitated insect, hovering briefly over one before darting back to the other.

He looked exactly the same. He was 18 years old again.

The mirror shattered into a million pieces.

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A shaft of light sliced the darkness that filled the room.

The blonde, Watari, had long gone. Saying something about his lab, a potion and Tatsumi. Kyo didn't really give a damn what he did as long as they leave him alone. He held up a palm absently. A faint white line across his palm was the result of the little outburst he had earlier in the bathroom. The minute the glass shattered, the door was thrown open, the doorway filled with as much people as it could be crammed with.

Takashi and Watari was first and foremost among them, the boy, Hisoka, squeezing in between. They stared at him silently (it was becoming a regular thing with them) and waited.

Kyo, who had slid to the floor in complete shock, held up his hand. The palm was flowing red with blood, a long, deep gash sliced across. The glass lay like shards of diamonds around him, twinkling merrily in the fluorescent light.

"My hair," he pointed out numbly. Everyone could see what he meant. There were several gasps as they took in his 'new' appearance. He still held out his hand and they watched as the red blood slowed to a trickle and with agonizing slowness, receded back inside the torn flesh. The skin itself melted together, closing the flap and a few minutes later, all that was left to show of the wound was a dark red line.

"My hand," he mumbled, poking the new skin tentatively. He was vaguely aware that he was in shock. He couldn't seem to form proper sentences, much less scream at the people crowding him that it was all their fault and why the hell couldn't they leave him alone?

He had been aware though, of familiar hands hugging him close, sweeping underneath him to cradle him like a lost child. He allowed them to carry him back to the hospital bed, sliding him under the covers. He did manage to say something though.

"Leave me alone," he had whispered.

They did, slowly filing out of the room till only Watari and Takashi were left. Even then he refused to face them, huddling deep underneath the blankets. After a long, terse silence, the door opened and closed again. He knew Takashi had left.

Watari stayed, pottering around, checking his hand, clucking over him like a mother hen. His lack of response finally seemed to get through to him and even the friendly blonde left him then. He had turned out the lights, obviously thinking that he wanted to sleep.

Kyo had done nothing of the sort. He just lay on his side and stared at his palm. Knees hunched up, he stared and stared, the red line fading to a dull pink and finally, to a pale white.

Shinigami heal fast.

He didn't know how long he sat like that, on the bed, but the moon outside had risen high in the sky, lighting the sakuras with an ethereal glow. The lab next to his room had been silent for a long time also. Watari had left earlier with Tatsumi in tow. Briefly, he wondered whether that meant he was all alone in the building.

There was a faint knock on the door.

Apparently not. The door opened, letting in that crack of light and somebody stepped inside. Without even looking, he knew it was Takashi.

"Would you like to come home with me?"

Kyo started, jolted out of his abstracted musings. He blinked owlishly at the expectant man waiting by the door.

"Come. . .home with you?" he asked hesitantly.

Takashi nodded. He could just make out a small smile playing on his face. "Aa. . .I don't really think you like staying here all that much," he gestured vaguely around the hospital room. "It'll be more. . ." he hesitated, "comfortable at my apartment."

The minute dragged by until Kyo nodded. Just a sharp gesture but it was enough.

"I'd. . .like that," he smiled briefly. "Thank you."

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*He was sure, if he had still been alive, he would have heart failures. Thankfully, he was dead and yet he was still having heart failures that hurt but never killed the second time. It was too much, these recent and not-so-recent events.

Years back, when he had still been alive, he had found a kindred soul in a student and fell head-over-heels in love with him.  It was wonderful, the knowledge that he could fall in love, not just lusting after a person. It wasn't surprising that he had fallen for another male; he had accepted the fact that he was going that way, long before he had even met Kyo.

He was almost flying when he had basked in those feelings… only to be shot down when the object of his pure (or not so pure) affections mentioned his non-interest in the same gender. Takashi was stricken, but he never mentioned it.

Of course, there came Kyo's best friend, Hikaru, who had no other purpose in life but to pair Kyo with every single female population in the school (excluding herself) but changed tactics and sent Kyo to the male population and shoved the poor neko to her second choice who also, much to that person's dismay, had feelings far from platonic towards Kyo that Hikaru found out - i.e. Takashi himself.

Pausing in his thoughts to pour the steaming water into his mug, Takashi closed the lid of the tea canister and dumped in a spoonful of sugar. The desired effect of tuning out his thoughts was crushed when he found himself still thinking.

Not that he realized it.

Yet.

Hikaru had pretty much tricked Kyo into realizing that he returned the feelings, which, of course sent him into a state of euphoria and flying out the window, after all, why wouldn't anyone in love be when they find out that someone they love loves them back?

And then Kyo died.

How stricken was he when he found that out? Almost to the point of suicide. But he had considered Kyo's sacrifice and lived for him, feeling like he was missing - torn to pieces, savoring the unknown feeling of Kyo in his senses, going through the mechanical motions of waking up, eat breakfast, go to work, eat with Hikaru, finish work and go back home. It felt so bad, the feeling of loneliness and wishing that Kyo were there, praying that he could see him again. He never thought that there could be a worse feeling than that, never thought that there could be anything worse done to him, physically, mentally nor spiritually. He was an emotional wreck, but he pulled through.

He remembered Kyo's last message to him. That Kyo had given up eternal rest beyond just to wait for him. As a Shinigami, no less. It wasn't a surprise then that he chose to be one himself.

Things were wonderful, he was back with Kyo, met great friends, an interesting (and dangerous) job and things were great between him and his spouse, even if there were big lumps along the way. And then almost two decades ago he had lost Kyo again, this time, only worse than that of before. He no longer felt the faint presence of him, no longer felt complete when he had been taken from his arms yet again.

And now… now fifteen years later, here was Kyo, with a wife and a daughter and forgot him. Forgot him, didn't remember his existence nor did he know that he actually breathed the same air as him, wishing for him to come back, remembering him with everything he felt, remembering how things were, how things once had been. Kyo did not remember him, manipulated by Ayame's schemes.

He didn't know what was worse at all now. Was it better that he knew that Kyo was alive? Yes, yes, of course it was. It was better than him still with Ayame, better than with her orchestrating his 'attacks', better than him in the hands of someone who did not look for his happiness but her own. It was better even if that meant he would live through the grueling process of letting Kyo remember, smothering all his urges to kiss him, to love him like they used to do. It was better to wait patiently, letting him remember what had passed, let him remember each sensation as Takashi felt them along with him, relieving things that would make his heart wrench just watching, going back to those memories he had tried so hard not to remember during the last years.

Takashi tossed the spoon into the sink, carrying the mug out of the kitchen and left the dirty materials in the sink. He could deal with those later.

He strode to the living room, seating himself on the couch, just staring at the too-clean surroundings. This room, too, had the essence of Kyo - no, of both of them, that it made him feel nostalgic. What was wrong with him? Wasn't he supposed to be happy that they- he had been reunited with his partner? Maybe he was, he didn't know. He just felt numb. Too numb to actually think about it at the moment. All he knew was that Kyo was back in their room, the room where they slept together, the room he had vacated for a long time. Kyo was back on their bed, back to their house… back to him.

He didn't know what to do anymore. He could go to bed, but if Kyo woke up, it would be too awkward between them. And he didn't know if he could take it if that would happen.

So he sat, staring into space, dwelling upon things he could hardly rationalize any longer.*

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He wasn't aware that he had fallen asleep. But since he was lying horizontally on the couch, mug abandoned on the coffee table and the clock showing the time as three in the morning, he must have. He blinked slowly, trying to bring his eyes into focus. He hadn't remembered switching the lights off but he must have.

Takashi stirred, his back protesting for being cramped in one position for so long but found that he could not move. Mainly because Kyo was practically lying on top of him, hugging him tight with his face buried into his chest. Takashi froze then, and for a brief, ludicrous moment, was terrified out of his wits.

He had been dreaming about this for a long time. To have Kyo back in his arms. To hold him close like this. But now that it was coming true, he was terrified that he would lose it again in an instant.

Because this Kyo was not his Kyo.

Not yet.

Feeling like a complete coward and an utter idiot, Takashi lifted one, shaking hand and pressed it gently against silky black hair. At the touch, his breath came out in an audible whoosh.

It felt right.

It felt so right.

Kyo stirred under his hand. Takashi froze. Kyo froze.

Like a startled cat, Kyo shot up straight, nearly falling off the couch in the process. Takashi made a wild grab and managed to get a hold of his waist before he fell. They stayed like that, breathing hard, Kyo swallowing nervously.

"I. . .I'm sorry," Kyo rasped out. He got to his feet unsteadily and looked everywhere but at Takashi. "I came out earlier to ask you something and I don't know what made me do that and and. . ." he trailed off, seeming to panic even more when Takashi didn't say a word, just staring at him. He shut his mouth with a snap and bolted back to the bedroom. He didn't close the door.

For what seemed like eternity, Takashi lay frozen on the couch, staring off into space. Despite himself, a small light of hope had flared up when Kyo tried to explain just why he felt the need to sleep together. He felt the hope flare up even more when Kyo couldn't explain it at all. . . .

Right, Takashi, you're being a complete idiot. Kyo's inside, probably confused out of his mind and you're just lying here wondering whether it was just a dream? Move your ass!

Obedient to that sarcastic little voice in his head, Takashi pushed himself off the couch and in his stockinged feet, padded silently inside the bedroom. Kyo had shut out the lights earlier and as he shut the door silently behind him, the room was thrown into deeper darkness. He took a moment to adjust his eyes. There was a lump underneath the blankets on the far right side of the bed. Kyo's usual side. The lump was shivering, he could tell.

It felt as though every muscle was contracted into a ball of tension as he moved to the bed. Kyo was facing away from him, still huddled under the blankets and making no move to indicate that he knew Takashi was there. Feeling like he was teetering at the edge of a precipice, Takashi, with deliberate, painful slowness, lifted one knee and pressed it on to the mattress.

Still, Kyo made no move.

He lifted the other knee and it followed suit. He was now kneeling on the bed.

Still, Kyo made no move.

Swallowing hard (and feeling like a bloody virgin) Takashi laid himself down gently on the bed. He lay on his side, facing Kyo's back and did nothing else but willing his knotted up muscles to relax.

They must have stayed like that for a good ten minutes before either of them made a move. And it was instantaneous on both parts. As Takashi lifted a hand, Kyo turned and moved into his waiting embrace as though the 15 year separation had never happened. As though it was just the end of a normal day for them and as usual, they sought out the comfort of each other's presence.

They breathed together, chest rising and falling rhythmically. Takashi had his arm around Kyo, hugging him as tightly as possible without choking him and Kyo had his head tucked underneath his chin, huddled into the embrace. It used to be their favourite position whenever Kyo had a nightmare.

"Taka. . .shi." Kyo whispered and Takashi felt his chest tighten momentarily.

"Yes?" he asked just as soft.

"Do you love me?"

He closed his eyes as the tears threatened to spill free. He managed to keep the telltale rasp out of his voice but Kyo must have sensed the slight wavering anyway.

"I love you." It seemed like a too simple statement to convey the exact depth of his feelings. Just three little words? But it was all he could say.

Takashi felt Kyo tighten a hand on his shirt, twisting the fabric in his hand as a shudder ran through his frame at his answer.

"I don't understand." Kyo whispered again. It was his turn for his voice to tremble. "I don't understand any of this."

"Shh," he whispered back soothingly, rubbing Kyo's back and nuzzling his hair gently. "It's okay. You don't have to understand anything now. Everything will work out in the end. Just. . .sleep, okay?"

He felt Kyo nod, finally relaxing and he went on rubbing his back.

"Will you. . ." there was the faintest trace of shyness in Kyo's words as he mumbled into his shirtfront. "Will you stay with me? Tonight?"

He felt a smile tugging his lips and he hugged reassuringly in reply.

"I will."

"Thank you," Kyo hesitated, then went on as though braving a plunge into unknown waters. "Thank you. . .Taka."

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                                                        to be continued

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A/N: Gah. . . .that was a difficult chapter to put out. I don't really know why. . .oh yeah, it could be due to the fact that I've been spending my time reading Harry Potter fanfiction. My new term has started by the way. The pain.

For my FAKE readers: gomen, I'm having trouble writing the next chapter coz I'm still working out a few bugs but I'm pretty certain I can have it up before the 21st. After all, I don't think I'll be typing anything for a week at least after that. . . .The Order of The Phoenix! Yay!

For my Cardcaptor Sakura readers (are there any, besides Yasha Misaki? Hello there btw!): Same as FAKE, I'll try to put up a chapter before the 21st. I'm trying to work out a MAJOR bug for that story. See, that's what happens when you jump into the water before checking how deep it is.

In general, major action will be coming up in the next chapter of End of The Worlds! That's right folks! It's time for some much-awaited bashing for that cucumber and her pickle offspring! In other words; Ayame and Aki! Yay! Please vote for the following:

How would you like Ayame to die?

a) Decapitation

b) Torched slowly over a fire

c) Any way at all as long as it's painful and drawn out

Is Aki really Evil? Or is she just Misunderstood?

a) She is the Queen of Evilness, the bitch. . .

b) She's just Misunderstood, the poor dear. . .