Chris jolted awake as the clock struck eleven and looked around. In the darkness, she could make out Sharon still sleeping, and Halley was also sitting up. Joshua only muttered to himself something about a bell and settled back into a dream.

"So that's what Yuri was talking about," she said sleepily.

"Yeah but look at him. He's sleeping like a baby."

Chris looked in the direction that his bed was in, and she could just distinguish the sleeping figure. But soon her attention was drawn to something behind him, something that was glowing red.

She stood up and cautiously moved towards it, wondering what it was. She stumbled over Yuri, actually hitting him in the face with her foot, but he didn't wake up.

"He's a really deep sleeper, isn't he?"

"Where are you going?" Halley asked with a yawn. He couldn't see the glow, blocked by Yuri, and didn't know what Chris was doing.

She bent down and looked at the object. "Oh, it's just his Flare Brooch. I forgot about this."

"What's he doing, using it as a nightlight?" Halley snorted. "Come on Chris, let's go to sleep."

Chris was still looking at the brooch, picking it up to look at it closer. It was a rather fine brooch, engraved with the crest of a fire goddess. She had forgotten the name, but Yuri once told them a myth about her. Maybe there really was such a fire goddess who blessed it, because when it glowed, it looked as though it was raging with a fire.

But right now the fire, its glow, was almost tranquil, hypnotic. It seemed to be dancing about, flickering lazily. It was soothing to watch, and Chris watched it with a small smile on her face.

Halley turned around in his blanket, waiting for Chris to go back to bed. He was a pretty light sleeper and he usually couldn't sleep when someone was up and walking around. After a minute of waiting, he looked up and saw Chris kneeling in her sky blue nightdress, the brooch cupped in her hands. She was smiling, but her eyes looked far away.

"Chris?" he asked. "Chris," he repeated when she didn't respond.

This time she heard him. "Isn't this beautiful Halley?" she asked, looking away from it to him.

"…Not really."

Chris looked at him, puzzled. "Why not?"

He shook his head. "Just what I think." It was hard for him to really say why. Fire had always been interesting to him, but the Flare Brooch had always seemed to him cold somehow. He'd never liked it.

"Oh. Well…goodnight," Chris said, making her way back to her place. She knew Halley wouldn't go to sleep until she did, so might as well let him have his sleep. As she stepped on his mattress to get across, Yuri still didn't wake up. Sleeps like a log… she thought, and then laid down on her blankets, covered herself up, and went to sleep. In fifteen minutes, both were sleeping again and the flat was quiet.

**

Truth as a gift? Well, it could be. God knows how many times I've been lied to or had secrets kept from me. How many mysteries there have been in my life.

But right now, there's nothing I really want or need to know. I'm happy as it is.

Besides, something about this woman…all the fusion souls except Amon and the Seraphic Radiance are acting differently. I didn't notice it last night, but now that I'm thinking, there's a weird buzz in my head. It's almost like they're talking to each other. About her?

"Don't you want to know the truth?"

"What's the catch?" I asked.

She was surprised by the question and I turned to look at the other gravestones. Since none of the others were reacting, she was probably a Fire class. "What do you mean?" she said finally. "There isn't any."

I shook my head. "You're lying. I don't even know you. How would I know you're telling the truth?"

Her hand grabbed my arm. She had a surprisingly strong grip and her fingernails pinched. "Look into my eyes-- and judge for yourself."

I turned and looked. Her eyes, oddly the color crimson…she definitely was not normal. But looking deeper…her eyes seemed without depth, infinite. In them I saw, felt a need, desire…

Love…?

My gaze fell, I couldn't look anymore. They made me feel so strange. "Not interested," I said, brushing past her; she seemed shocked. Maybe I should hear her out. But I don't want to, and I don't think it's life-threatening if I don't.

"Wait!"

"I told you I'm not interested!"

She was following me quickly, now that she'd gotten over her surprise. She yelled at me, "Are you really so content with your ignorance?"

"Hell, I've always been stupid, why worry now?"

"And what about that girl, are you so entranced by her, I am nothing to you?"

I turned around and looked at her. Something about the way she had said that made me suspicious. I asked the furious woman, "What do you mean, 'entranced by her'? I assume you're talking about Alice…"

"That-that-" Words could not express how she felt about Alice and she finally said, "That girl forced you into this lie of a life! You don't even remember who you really are!"

I just looked at her. I wasn't going to even answer that. The statement implied that I was supposed to believe her, who I'd only just met last night in the Graveyard--and of course all the people you meet in the Graveyard are just wonderful--over Alice, who I'd known for a year. And I could not even imagine Alice as being manipulative or a liar.

I went up to the gates, ready to go, and tried to open them. I frowned and then tried again. Something--someone--was forcing them shut. It wasn't this woman though. Another presence…I wished I'd learned how to read auras better, but I could only tell vaguely that this one was focused on the gates--but that it was also settled all over the Graveyard, manipulating it.

"What, let me guess. You have someone who works for you who can do this kind of-" I broke off and kicked the gates angrily, ignoring the pain in my foot.

"He doesn't work for me, he works for money," she explained. "Though I do have quite a few servants."

I turned to face her. "Uh huh. Well, if he doesn't stop screwing with the gates soon, I might get a little violent. So tell him to stop."

"Listen to me," she began, but I interrupted her.

"No! Are you listening to me?! I don't care for anything you have to say. Just let me go!"

"If you don't believe me-"

"And why the hell should I-"

"Then think of what you know yourself!" Her fingers touched the fine golden chain around her neck and she calmed down a bit. Finally she said, "Do you really think you can be happy with her? You, one of Darkness, and her, one of Light? Do you know what happens to a couple of both Darkness and Light? You must know, your parents were as such!" During the speech she grew more in rage, struggling to rein in her anger.

"Darkness and Light can never combine! Not even the shadows can provide harmony for them. All they will do is destroy each other!"

"My parents didn't destroy each other," I said quietly.

"You know what I am talking about Hyuga. They bring disaster upon themselves, they invite both the wrath of God and demons alike."

I shrugged. I couldn't deny what she said, I knew the story of my parents and had heard many more tragic tales. But at the same time, we'd both already gone through so much. Besides…"Well, we've dealt with God. Bring on the demons."

She laughed. It was a confident, self-assured laugh. "God? Oh, that little alien you dealt with." My stomach twisted as she said this. 'Little'? "Mortals will take any little thing and deify it, won't they? Don't you find that annoying? In fact, some mortals actually worship me as a goddess. Not that that's so annoying…but as for your 'god', he was no god at all. Irritating and foolish as he is, there is only the one. Not for too long though," she said cheerfully. "Not for too long."

She turned away from me and continued as I just stood silent, dumbfounded. "If you insist on staying together, it is inevitable. One of you will kill the other, by karma, fate, or action. I hope she is the one to die, the pest."

That got to me and I snapped, "Enough. I don't believe a word you're saying."

The woman was silent for a moment, only looking at me. "Then I suppose there is no point in saying anymore. Release him, Pan."

And everything became dark.

**

"Regina? Regina?" Persephone called, knocking on the door to her mistress's room. She knew she was in here, she could feel the aura. Which, at the moment, seemed to be very angry. "Would you like me to go?"

There was silence, and Persephone was about to go when she heard, "Come in."

The room blazed with fire coming from its occupant. Luckily, she sat on the stone floor, in a corner far enough away from anything flammable. She sat with her knees folded to her chest in a long red dress made to be unburnable. Persephone stared at her in amazement before remembering to bow.

"He refused," she said quietly, tears of anger and frustration in her eyes. "He refused. He would not even listen to me."

"Who?"

"He doesn't believe, remember me…" The anger returned and she screamed, "Damn her! Damn her to hell!" And now she cried again, unable to contain her emotions.

Now Persephone knew who she was talking about. Hyuga. Seeing her mistress practically fall apart over this man, she found that she hated him. When she'd met him, he'd seemed nice enough. But he was tearing Regina's heart apart. Even if he was under a spell, it was unforgivable. She hated him.

"I am sorry," Regina finally said. "I did not mean for you to see me like this. I thought I was calmer."

He should be punished for this…

An idea occurred to her and she said, "He doesn't want to listen?"

The goddess nodded dejectedly. "He has no desire to."

"Do you wish me to give him a reason to?"

Regina looked Persephone in the eye for the first time since she'd come in. She was interested.

"Harmonixers fuse with the souls of demons, correct?"

"Demons and monsters, yes." Then she became suspicious. "What are you planning?" The girl smiled and bowed low again in her short pink dress.

"I may not be a pure-blood, but I am sure I can cause Hyuga some trouble." A fine black mist curled about her ankles as she spoke, dragging her down to the floor. Regina was not surprised, but only watched pensively. When the mist thinned, the girl was gone.

"I see Persephone…yes, Hyuga will definitely be forced to listen."

**

The clock woke me up along with Halley. Halley gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Is there any way to shut the clock up?"

"Get used to it," I grumbled. Everyone else had somehow managed to sleep through the clock, though I was willing to bet they all had woken up earlier in the night. This was my first time tonight, although I didn't know if that was lucky or not.

"You were tossing in your sleep. I saw when I woke up…two hours ago? Nightmare?"

"No, just bad dreams."

He shook his head. "They're the same thing."

I smiled a little, but it felt like my face would crack. "Maybe." My tone made it clear I didn't want to talk about it. "What time is it?"

"Six. Is there anything to do until they wake up?" He asked doubtfully, looking around. It was obvious there wasn't. "Not much of a decorator are you?"

"I sleep and store my junk here. Nothing else."

"I can tell." His eyes went to the closet and he looked at it. "Anything in there?"

"My junk. Don't even touch it or everything's gonna fall out."

He laughed. "I can tell Alice is going to be cleaning up after you."

I shrugged and looked at all the kids, sleeping peacefully on the floor. "So, when you and your mom go to America…what about them?"

"Mom's thinking of adopting them."

I wasn't too surprised. I could understand how it would be for them if Chris, Sharon and Joshua were to stay behind. Like separating a family.

"How do you feel about it?" I said. He seemed a little depressed, talking about the subject.

"Well, of course that's good…I just wish we didn't have to go to America. I wish Dad would come here instead."

"You think you'll get homesick?" I asked.

He laughed quietly. "Home? I don't really consider any place home. It's just that we'll probably never all be together like this again. I probably won't see you guys again."

I smirked at him. "Hey, Margarete never told us what country she lives in, remember? Maybe she's American. And don't be so sure you won't be seeing me again. I'll probably drop by."

"You and Alice, you guys'll visit?" he asked, looking a little relieved.

I was only silent, thinking of the nightmares I'd had, bloody and violent.

"One of you will kill the other, by karma, fate, or action."

"It might just be me," I said quietly.

"Oh yeah…her mother might not want her to go, right? I think it's kind of silly. Alice is old enough. And she's probably capable of defending herself against, well, anybody!"

"They invite both the wrath of God and demons alike…"

Could she defend herself against absolutely anyone? Or was her mother maybe right in a way?

"But it's enough if only you come," Halley said. He lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling. "I guess Alice would be able to come soon enough. Her mother's got to let up sometime, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we'll both come visit you," I said. Alice and I will visit Halley… nothing's going to happen. We've gone through too much for something to happen now. We're in a small town, where everyone knows everyone it seems. Nothing violent has happened here in at least ten years, and there aren't any ghosts. What on earth could happen?

There's no need to worry, I told myself. Hell, I didn't even know if that had really happened. I'd had a lot of dreams that took place in the Graveyard, and turned out to be just that. Dreams. Nothing more.

And there were probably tons of couples who were Light and Darkness with no problems. Something bad that could happen to one of those couples would happen to everyone, right?

So it had only been a dream…

**

A/N: Sorry, does this seem too abrupt for it to end? It does leave a few things unsolved, but my computer's acting up on me. Oh well. And there's so much italics in here…

Ugh. Can't think of anything to say. On to reviewers:

Delka: Wow, someone actually checked it. Well, I suppose it doesn't give anything away that you shouldn't know by the time you're reading this. But the Flare Brooch's description did give me a lot of the ideas for this story.

PoopooPlaTTer: Your name is long to type too! Actually for first time suckiness, I'd probably take the cake. My ring perfect was barely over 10%…and before I got Keith, it was 0…and my score was lower. I think it was 17.

Link2002: Um…I really don't want to send anyone to the morgue over a fanfic so…here you are!

Nights Mistress: Well, thanks for letting me know. Hope you keep liking it.

Gutterfiend: Thanks, I'll be sure to check out the game scripts. And I didn't see Yuri as the kind of guy to go to the bank.

Greyfriars: Yep, I'm Aegis! I left a lot of reviews as Aegis, mostly because I rarely sign in, but I wanted to leave some kind of name. And like PoopooPlaTTer said, ariescelestial gets really tedious to type. I was also considering changing my pen name to Aegis, but I've decided to stick with ariescelestial right now.
I was kind of surprised with the ending of Malkovich though. I thought it was kind of sudden. Did you end it early because you weren't getting enough reviews? Because I think that the Shanghai part of the game would've been changed drastically.
Oh, guess what! You write The Malice Judgement, right? I finally figured out what the heck your summary was talking about!
Yuri: Took you long enough.
…When'd you get here?
Yuri: (Yawns) Sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?
A whole chapter. You're a bad muse.
Yuri: Who the hell said I was going to inspire you?
…Anyways, I finally noticed because since I can't play Shadow Hearts, I lent the game to a friend. She likes vampires, so I opened the instruction booklet to show her a pic of Keith. Then I started flipping through the booklet and I got to the Judgement Ring page. And this one has words on it!
Yuri: Oh joy.
You just woke up didn't you? There's some Vanilla Coke over there. No one else is going to drink it. Getting back to it… I look at the picture and I'm trying to make sense out of the words, half of them look like Latin or something. But then I saw three names and I was like 'these look familiar'…and then I remembered your fanfic and I was like 'I get it now'!
Yuri: You are stupid.
That's it! Next chapter, you are in pain. I don't care if I have to write fifteen pages to get to it, you are in pain!
Yuri: …You mean, how Alice was in pain?
Ohoho…much, much more. Plus, you know the friend I lent it to?
Yuri: Yeah…
She's the one that loves both vampires and yaoi. And I happened to make a specific request…
Yuri: (Gulp)
'When you finish playing the game, could you write a yaoi fanfic? Yeah, the Harmonixer and Keith'. And you know what else?
Yuri: I know I don't want to hear what else…
She writes lemons.
Yuri: (Faints)
Ohohoho! It's so fun to do that to him…Please, read and review!