Nomde was facing Kichi, opposite the way he wanted to go. Kichi was blocking the alley/road that Netto and Enzan had gone down, two more daggers in her hands. Several of her other knives were either lying broken in the trampled snow, or were still embedded in the demon navi, who, like Kichi, was showing every sign of being extremely warn out. Unfortunately for Kichi, these two daggers were her last two daggers, and after that she would be weaponless, and Nomde would have the upper hand, and he knew it.
"Well, well," Nomde laughed evilly. "On our last legs, are we? You should have given up when you had the chance."
"Go to hell, demon," was Kichi's only response.
Shrieking a curse, Nomde charged at Kichi, who jumped back and to the side to dodge it, then twisting all over to avoid the swinging fists he threw her way. All of the twisting and turning had caused the little crystal stone star to wiggle its way out of Kichi's pocket, and within seconds it was on the ground. Nomde and Kichi were both quick to notice it, and Nomde, not being the least bit slow-witted, knew what it was immediately, and made a dive for it.
"Oh no you don't!" Kichi screamed, ramming herself against Nomde to push him away from it. "S-chan! Take that thing to Netto!"
The little skunk moved like a dart and scooped the crystal up in her mouth and ran off into the alley/road, away from the battle.
"Bad move," Nomde growled, digging his claws into Kichi's arms. Kichi screamed in pain as fresh blood littered the snow. Nomde lifted Kichi well off of the ground and threw her aside, right against the wall of a building. With a dull 'thud' Kichi landed in the snow drift below. She tried to get herself up, but had used up all of her strength, and collapsed to the ground once again.
"Are you in pain, Seer?" Nomde sneered as he lifted Kichi up by her neck and threw her, sending her flying several feet before crashing against the ground again.
"Don't worry, I'll put you out of your misery." He kicked her in the ribs, sending her skidding yet another few feet, this time into a phone pole. Nomde pulled one of the longer knives out of his own arm and held it over Kichi's exposed neck.
"This time, I'm going to make sure you stay dead," he added sweetly. "So have a nice time in the afterlife, my troublesome little Seer..."
"Don't be so sure!" another voice shouted.
Nomde froze for a second, turning just in time to see a very silent snow mobile coming right at him. Instinct took ahold, Nomde dropped the knife and jumped out of the way before he was hit, and the snow mobile came to a sudden stop before it hit Kichi. Sitting on the snow mobile was a very annoyed-looking Meijin. Nomde looked like he had just swallowed something very unpleasent.
"Well wouldn't you know, the imfamous Meijin Eguchi," Nomde hissed. "An honor to meet such a famous scientist, but I don't have the time for any more games."
In actuallity, Nomde was on the last bit of his strength. He had to save what energy he had for grabbing Netto. Already he was feeling the strain of the field surrounding the city, and already he'd had to begin pulling it in to conserve energy. That that wretched little skunk was on her way to the brat right now with that little weapon did not bode well either. He would have to catch Netto before the beast had a chance to reach him. Hissing at Meijin once again, Nomde vanished into the shadows.
Meijin didn't try to go after him. Instead he turned his attention to Kichi and the others. There was a small group of Net Police coming behind him to help out, and they would be able to get Pyp, Laika, and Kichi to the hospital in no time. There wasn't much that they could do at this point, injured as they were.
"M-Meijin," Kichi said, managing to get one of her eyes open. "We n-need to find N-Netto and Enzan. Now."
"You don't need to do anything," Mein said, kneeling next to Kichi and lifting her up into a sitting position. "You've done enough already. Just tell me what to do and leave the rest to me."
Kichi shook her head. "No. Spirits telling me...I have to go. Now."
Meijin looked at Kichi in disbelief. She'd fought that demon navi, had been beaten near to death, and now she was asking - no - demanding that he help her go after Netto and Enzan, injured as he was. The medical staff would have a fit. Yuuichiro would probably knock him senseless when he was strong enough. But he also had a very strong feeling that, injured though she was, Kichi was not going to take no for an answer.
"Your uncle is going to kill me for this later," Meijin muttered, helping Kichi up onto the snow mobile. The medical team accompanying the police had already loaded Pyp and Laika into the ambulance, and their navis were safely back in their Pets. They gave Meijin an odd look when they saw Kichi, but when he waved them off, they shrugged and drove off.
"My uncle...is alive?" Kichi asked, thinking she had misheard what Meijin had said.
"Yes, though how, I don't know," Meijin said, climbing onto the snow mobile behind Kichi. He started the engine back up and headed down the alley/road once he asked Kichi which way the two boys had gone.
S-chan! When you find Netto and Enzan, tell them that Uncle Yuuichiro is still alive! Kichi 'shouted' to the skunk, hoping she was still close enough to hear her. And that Nomde is on his way! The best she could do for now was try to give them a warning, and home that she and Meijin caught up to them before Nomde did.
Nomde was seething with rage. He needed energy, and he needed it fast. At the rate he was having to pull in the energy field there was a chance that Netto could escape from him before Nomde's energy burned out. And wouldn't that be ironic, to have the world in his grasp, only to have it taken away because he couldn't find an energy source. All because of that damned Seer. She was more trouble than she was worth, and who would have thought a mere woman would be such a warrior.
"Nomde-sama?" a very familiar, annoying voice called from behind him.
The demon navi spun around to find the fat blue navi standing behind him. Bubbleman looked very happy to see Nomde, and all at once an evil grin spread across the dark navi's face.
"Ah, my friend, I'm so glad you have found me," Nomde said, making his voice seem more tired than he really was, though that wasn't to difficult at that point. "I've been badly injured. Please, can you help me back to the lair?"
"Of course!" Bubbleman exclaimed, eager to help out.
As soon as he was in reach, though, Nomde grabbed Bubbleman by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Bubbleman looked at his supposed friend in shock and horror.
"What're you doing, puku!" Bubbleman shouted. "I thought I was your friend, puku!"
"You are my friend," Nomde said with a grin. "And friends help each other. I need energy, you see, and you're going to be a good friend and give me that energy. So I'll thank you now, since you won't be around afterwards to thank."
Bubbleman screamed in terror as Nomde began to absorb his data, and within seconds there was nothing left of Bubbleman at all. Nomde grinned as he watched the wounds on his body heal, and once again he felt like his normal self. Having gotten the energy he needed, he set off after Netto.
S-chan ran as fast as her little legs would carry her, following the tracks that the humans, wolves, and Rockman had made in the snow. None of the viruses running around paid any attention to her, she was to little to be any concern to them. She'd heard Kichi's message, and was determined to give it, and the weapon, to Netto. Perhaps if she could reach one of the wolves...
iTainn? Anuzu/i the little skunk querried. iDo any of you hear me/i
bi((I hear you, little one!))/i/b Tainn's powerful voice boomed in S-chan's mind. bi((Where are you?))/i/b
iSomewhere behind you. Kichi wants me to pass a message on to Netto/i
bi((Speak, and I shall give it to him.))/i/b
iHis dad is alive, and I'm bringing the weapon you gave Kichi to him. I don't suppose you could stop somewhere so I can catch up with you/i
bi((We are near the park. We'll wait for you there.))/i/b
S-chan stopped for a moment and spit the little start shaped crystal out of her mouth, taking a few large deep breaths of the cold air. The points of that crystal were sharp, but being that she had no hands, S-chan had no other way to carry the thing. If the situation wasn't so bad she would have waited for Kichi to come and get her, but no one knew when and where Nomde would reappear, and S-chan knew she couldn't take that chance. So with a little growl she picked the crystal back up and continued to follow the tracks of her friends.
Tainn had been running ahead of the rest of the group, acting as a scout for any trouble, but now he dropped back next to Netto and Enzan, looking up at the two boys with his blue eyes. Netto looked incrediably exhausted, and Tainn wasn't sure if the boy was even capable of making it to the park, let alone fight against the demon-navi and win.
bi((Netto, Kichi has sent a message for you. Your father is alive.))/i/b
"What!" Netto asked, startled. "Papa's okay? I thought you said he was dead!"
The startled boy stopped in his tracks, and so did Enzan and Rockman. They were looking at Tainn with disbelief as well. Enzan more so than the others, because he had been there when Yuuichiro had been shot, had seen Yuuichiro die.
"How?" Enzan asked.
bi((I do not know how, but I trust Kichi's word. If she says that he is alive, then I believe it. we also have a change of destination. We're to go to the park and wait for the little skunk to come to us. She is carrying the weapon that Kichi was supposed to give to Netto. We will need it if we are to stop Nomde. And Netto can rest a bit. He needs it.))/i/b
Netto was so faint with relief that his father was alright that the rest of Tainn's message barely registered in his mind. He was glad that Enzan and Rockman were there with him at that moment, otherwise he would have fallen over right where he stood. Never mind that he had no idea how he was supposed to beat Nomde, or that he was so tired that he wanted to just curl up and never move again. The horrible feeling that had been growing inside of him from the moment Nomde had told him of his father's death was vanishing by the second, replaced with the much lighter feeling of relief.
Rockman took the opportunity to hug his brother, his expression also one of relief. Not only because Yuuichiro was alive, but also because the pressure of deep depression that had been cutting across their link was also clearing away every moment that passed, the way sunlight burned away a morning fog. He was able to think more clearly now that those heavy emotions were lifting, and his and Netto's link was balancing out again. Enzan's only response was to gently kiss Netto on the cheek and push the two of them into a walk.
The wolf pack trotted along next to them, Tainn having bounded ahead of them to take up his position of scout once again. They weren't running any more, any fool could have seen that Netto didn't have the energy for it, and neither Enzan or Rockman could carry him. Not because they were to tired to, but because if they were attacked, it would make defending themselves very difficult. Thankfully, the park was not to far away.
Not surprisingly, the park was deserted when the group reached it. Most of the benches were buried beneath the snow, and the jungle-gym looked like an oddly shaped igloo. The street lights that lined the walkways were encusted with ice, so that the light that did get through was very pale. There were no viruses around, and the snow here was unbroken by any footsteps. The scene was very lovely, and Netto wished that he could actually enjoy it. But knowing that this was most likely where they were going to fight Nomde kept him from being able to enjoy the sight. At any rate, all he wanted to do was sit down and give his legs a rest. Which was exactly what he did, finding the closest bench to him and plopping right down, ignoring the cold snow beneath him. Enzan took a seat next to him while Rockman stood on the other side, and the wolves formed a protective circle around the three of them. Tainn had seemingly vanished, as was normal for a white wolf lying plain of snow.
They didn't have long to wait. A few minutes after they had arrived S-chan came bounding up to them, hopping right up into Netto's lap. She spit out the star-shaped crystal before hopping up onto Enzan's head, wiggling her way under his hat, where it was warmer. Enzan growled a protest as the little skunk wormed her way under his hat, but he didn't bother to try and dislodge her.
Netto looked down at the small crystal S-chan had dropped in his lap. It was about the size of an olive, and didn't look like any kind of weapon he knew of. He didn't have a clue as to how it was supposed to stop Nomde.
"Any ideas?" Enzan asked him.
"Not a clue," Netto sighed. "I never was good at puzzles."
"Well, that's good for one of us, at least," a cool voice hissed.
Nomde appeared quite suddenly about five feet from Netto and Enzan. The dark navi's eyes narrowed as he eyed Netto, who was clutching the star-crystal tightly, oblivious to the fact that its points were cutting into his flesh.
"Why don't the lot of you just make it easy on me and give up now? It would hurt a lot less," Nomde sneered.
"Go to hell," Enzan growled in reply, stepping in front of Netto.
"I do not find that amuzing, brat," Nomde hissed angrily. "But if you wish to die slowly then so be-"
Rockman cut off Nomde's threat by shooting the dark navi in the chest with his buster. The shot knocked Nomde back a few inches, but didn't do very much in the way of actual damage other than knocking him off balance. Not that Nomde was given a chance to get his balance back, because as soon as the shot died away Tainn and the other wolves were tearing at him with tooth and claw, intent on ripping him apart as much as possible! Even S-chan had shot out from under Enzan's hat to aid in the assult.
Screaming with rage, Nomde lashed at the wolves to the best of his ability, his own claws inflicting damage into the wolves' bodies, sending them flying into the snow. Most of them didn't get back up, dazed from the blows and the large wounds that were bleeding quite freely, turning the white snow to red. Nomde growled as he looked down at his new wounds, his expression one of deep irritation.
"And I had just healed myself, too," he growled. "No matter. Bubbleman wasn't much of a meal anyways."
Rockman and Netto's eyes widened with horrow. Enzan glared coldly as Nomde. Nomde looked at them and chuckled in a very creepy way.
"What? How else do you think I get energy in an emergency. Since my primary energy source," and he gave Netto a pointed look, "got away, I had to absorb energy from somewhere, and Bubbleman was oh so helpful, not to mention right there when I needed it. For all the good it did me. Such a weak navi, not much energy to take. You, on the otherhand..."
Now he turned his gaze towards Rockman, his red eyes narrowing further.
"Don't even think about it," Enzan growled. "You're not going to touch Rockman or Netto."
"Oh? We'll see about that. You have no weapons, and those furballs are in no condition to fight me!" Nomde screamed, charging straight at Enzan, Netto and Rockman.
"They're not, but I am!" a deep voice shouted as a very familiar red sword cut across Nomde's side, causing the demon navi to break his charge and jump to the side to avoid major damage. Still, Blues had managed to cause a bit more damage, and had placed himself between Nomde and the others.
"Blues!" Enzan cried, relieved to see that his navi was safe.
"Sorry for the delay, Enzan-sama. It took a bit of time for me to find you."
The sound of an engine coming up the narrow street caught everyone's attention, including Nomde's, who's eyes narrowed with irritation at the sight of the new arrivals. The snow mobile skidded to a stop, and there was Kichi and Meijin, come to help Netto and Enzan and the navis. Kichi had recollected most of her knives, the ones that weren't broken, at any rate. Using them would be difficult, but at least this was't going to be one on one again. They were the ones who outnumbered Nomde.
"Netto, are you okay?" Kichi called out, getting off of the snow mobile.
"Yeah, and I got your message. Thanks."
"What message is that?" Nomde hissed, looking from one person to the other. He was indecisive as to who to attack first. He knew if he went after Netto that they would all attack him, so how would he seperate Netto from the others so that they didn't realize it until it was to late.
"None of your business," Kichi snapped, launching one of her knives at Nomde. He dodged it easily, as Kichi had expected him to. She hadn't tried to hide her attack, so he would have seen it coming immediately.
"That's not very nice, Seer," Nomde sneered. "I guess my first lesson wasn't enough for you. I'll have to give you another one."
"You couldn't teach a rock," Kichi sneered back, tossing her head dismissively.
"What are you doing?" Meijin hissed in Kichi's ear.
"Making him mad," Kichi replied calmly. "The madder he is, the blinder he'll be to what's going on around him. As long as his rage is focused on me, he'll notice nothing else."
Kichi was telling Netto and Rockman the same thing silently. Or rather, she was telling Netto, and Rockman could hear it through there link. They would only have one chance at this, and if they missed it this time, there would be no second chance. She glanced at Netto, and saw the fear and confusion on his face. She also saw a flicker of light in his hand..a dark light. It was the thing the wolves had given her that had flickered. And then something in her mind clicked. Emotion. It responded to emotion.
iNetto! That thing reacts to emotion! That's the trigger/i Kichi 'shouted' to her cousin. iI know you can figure this out, cousin. Just wait for my signal./i
"A rock?" Nomde growled, his claws tearing into the snow covered ground. "I'll show you just how great my power is, you worthless piece of human flesh! By the time I'm through with you, you'll wish that you had died on that mountain!"
"Power? You have no true power," Kichi sneered back, taking out two of her longer knives. She ignored the pain in her broken wrist. She'd lived with pain before, she'd have to live with it now if she was going to keep Nomde's attention on her long enough for this to work. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens that it would work, and that they'd all come out of it alive, minus one demon. "You're nothing more than a spinless leech, who feeds off of others. True power? Pah, you're lower than a worm, for a worm has even more power in the tip of its body than you have in all of yours."
If there was anything that could tip Nomde's rage over the edge, Kichi had found it. His eyes were narrow slits of violent red now, and the only thing they saw was Kichi. A dark aura extended around him, sending bits of snow flying backwards. Kichi nudged Meijin to move out of the way; there would be no helping her at this moment. She put everything out of her mind and focused on Nomde alone. The final battle had begun.
Netto felt the blood drain from his face as he felt the rage that poured out of Nomde's frame. How could Kichi possibly think she could hold him off long enough for Netto and the others to attack. How could they possibly be strong enough to stop Nomde? It was insane! He was to strong! Regal had been nothing compared to this!
As if sensing his fear and doubt, Enzan took ahold of Netto's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"We can do this, Netto-kun," He said firmly.
"Enzan, he's to strong!" Netto all but wailed, shaking his head.
"No he's not!" Rockman said, his voice as firm as Enzan's. "Kichi's right, he doesn't have any real power, only what he draws from us. The more we're afraid of him, the stronger he is."
"Don't give in to that fear, Netto-kun," Blues said quietly, but with no less authority.
"They're right, Netto. If Kichi can fight against that thing, so can we," Meijin said slipping up along side them. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, though, he was very worried. Kichi had been injured going into that fight, and she wouldn't be able to hold out against him much longer.
Netto seemed to be thinking the same thing as he watched Kichi dodge another blow that Nomde had thrown in her direction. She was tiring quickly. There was no time for him to be afraid. There were to many people depending on him. His friends, his family, so many he didn't know, but were counting on him all the same. In his hand the crystal began to spark to life...
Rage ran through Nomde's body as the Seer dodged yet another one of his blows. How could she still be standing? Any normal human should have been dead from exhaustion by now, let alone all of the damage she had already endured. She couldn't possibly win against him, she didn't have enough strength. Once he killed her he could finish off the others and take Netto back. Then nothing would stand in his way.
A flicker of movement nearby caught his eye. For the past several minutes he had forgotten that the one he sought and those other troublesome pests were here. He had been totally focused on destroying the Seer that he hadn't noticed the others. They hadn't tried to jump in the fight to help their friend, which was very odd. Why were they letting her fight alone? What bwas/b that flickering?
The crystal. That weapon/thing the wolves had given to the boy. That was the source of the flickering. The damned brat had figured out how to work it! Screaching loud enough to shatter glass Nomde abandonned his fight with Kichi, leaping clear over the young woman, landing in front of Netto. Without hesitation he slashed at Meijin and Enzan, sending them to the ground. At the same time Blues and Rockman attacked the demon navi, only to be thrown aside as easily as the humans were.
Netto staggered back a few steps, clutching tightly to the crystal star. He was gripping it so tightly that he drew fresh blood as the tips dug into his hand. The little object was humming very loudly, sounding a lot like a swarm of bees that had been captured in a jar. It was no longer flickering, but growing brightly, the light pulsing in a steady rhythm, like a heart beat. And with each beat it was getting brighter.
"You will die!" Nomde roared, grabbing Netto by his neck, lifting him off of the ground. A shield of dark energy surrounded them both, blocking them from the others, both physically, and from sight. Enzan and Rockman screamed, banging their fists against the energy wall, and Blues tried to break through with his sword, but the sword shattered against it, and the fists of the human and navi did no damage at all. They were helpless to help Netto.
Inside of the energy wall Nomde was slowly cutting off Netto's air supply. The demon navi's eyes glowed with hatred as he stared at Netto, the source of all his trouble. It no longer mattered to Nomde whether or not the boy could be used as an energy source to keep his dark dimension area up over the world. All that mattered was killing him.
"Do you hear that, brat? You're friends are shouting to you. They can't do a single thing to save you. Right now, they feel nothing but dispair, and it feeds my strength. And you're feeling it to, aren't you? I can sense it inside of you. Despair and pain, eating away at you. Pathetic, weak human."
"You're...wrong.." Netto managed to get out, despite the tight grip on his throat. "I don't feel dispair. Not in me, and not from them either."
"Insolent brat!" Nomde sneered. "I'll break you like a twig!"
Netto felt the world blacking out around him, and fought against it. He could feel his friends near by, even if he couldn't see them. Rockman, who was a beacon of hope even in the darkest of storms, Kichi, who was one of the bravest people he knew. Meijin, clever, craftly Meijin, always ready for just about anything. And Enzan, who loved him so deeply that nothing could shatter it.
The crystal was pulsing so brightly now, the light so bright that it was nearly blinding. Depsite having his air cut off to a mere trickle Netto hadn't dropped it, and now he knew just what to do with it.
"I WON'T GIVE UP!" Netto shouted, punching the crystal into Nomde's face as hard as he could.
The light that had been pulsing from the star suddenly exploded from inside, engulfing everything within the dark sphere, rushing out of it before anyone had time to blink. There was a sound like the roaring of a powerful wind, and a heat that was beyond imagining. Somewhere within the radiant light Nomde's screams could be heard for a moment, then only the rushing roar of the wind could be heard. And just as suddenly as it had began, the wind, the heat, and the light were gone, and all was still once more.
He could hear something beeping softly nearby, his mind picking up the noise, but not registering it very clearly. He felt warm, and there was something heavy covering his body. He could feel that he was lying on something soft, and he was far more comfortable at the moment than he could remember being in a long time.
"Netto-kun! Netto-kun!"
Someone was calling him. Netto could hear the voice, as if it were being shouted down a long tunnel. He felt as if it were pulling him up, to where he wasn't sure.
"Netto-kun! Oi, Netto! WAKE UP!"
The sudden shout immediately woke Netto up, far more effectively than any alarm clock ever could. Gasping from the sudden shock, Netto looked around to find himself lying a hospital bed, once again hooked up to a bunch of machines. Sitting in a chair next to him, a big grin on her face, was Kichi. She was covered in bandages, from what he could see, and like him, had an I.V. stuck in her arm.
"What did you do that for?" Netto asked angrily.
"Sorry, Netto. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen," Rockman apologized from the Pet sitting on the table next to Netto's bed.
"I couldn't think of any other way to wake you up, so... And besides, you've been sleeping for a week straight." Kichi shrugged and winced at the pain it caused. Netto stuck his tongue out at her.
"Rockman, you're back in your Pet!" Netto exclaimed happily. "Wait, what happened? Nomde was beaten, right?"
"You wouldn't be sitting here if he hadn't been. Duh," Kichi replied, sticking her tongue back out at Netto. Then her expression became serious. "You don't remember a thing, do you?"
"Not really," Netto replied. "What happened?"
"We're not sure, actually," Kichi said, a distant look in her eyes. "Nomde had put that barrier up around you, so we couldn't see what was going on inside. But the next thing we knew, this whirlwind of light came out, blinding all of us, and it pretty much pinned us in place. It only lasted for a few seconds, and when we were finally able to see again, we found you lying on the ground, out cold, and Nomde completely gone. That crystal that Tainn gave us was shattered, and the dark dimensional area was gone, and so were all of the viruses and navis, all sent back to the Net. Meijin was about the only one of us able to move more than a few inches, so he called the medical team that he'd had standing by to come and pick us up. Needless to say, everyone made it through in one piece, more or less."
"Tainn, and the other wolves?"
"Being tended to by Saloma and Daisuke. The hospital staff was less than thrilled, but I think they were even more frightened of me than they were of the wolves."
"I'd believe it," Netto muttered. Kichi gave him a dark look.
"How are Laika and his friend?"
"Alive, kicking, and annoying as ever," Kichi snorted. "Apparently that girl, Pyp is her name, is going to go back to Sharro with Laika. She seems to enjoy being with Laika, something I just can't understand." Kichi shook her head disparingly. "Uncle Yuuichiro is fine as well; he came in to see you earlier, but you were still asleep."
"And Enzan?"
"Is right here," Enzan said, coming through the door, Meijin right behind him. The older boy smiled at his beloved and sat down on the bed next to Netto. "Welcome back to the world of the living."
"Thanks," Netto said, blushing slightly.
"Aww, how cute," Kichi said, snickering. Meijin took her by the arm and began pulling her out of the room.
"Come on," Meijin said, sighing in an exasperated fashion. "You said you were going to let me show you how to work your new Pet, remember?"
"WHAT?" Kichi's protests could be heard, even out in the hall. "I never agreed to even get a Pet! I bet you asked me when I was still drugged on painkillers, didn't you...!"
Netto and Enzan began to laugh as the protests faded away as Meijin dragged Kichi back to her own end of the hospital. Sighing, Netto laid his head of Enzan's shoulder, feeling his entire body relax and Enzan placed his arms securely around the younger boy. Inside of the Pet, Rockman and Blues were sitting in a similar manner.
"I'm glad that you're okay," Netto said softly, snuggling up closer to Enzan.
"I'm glad that you're okay too, Netto. We were worried you wouldn't make it. The doctors said that it was pretty close."
Netto smiled. "Nah, I knew it'd be alright. I knew you'd be waiting for me when it was all over."
Enzan smiled back and Netto and leaned back against the pillow, pulling the smaller boy with him. "Of course I'd be waiting. I love you."
"I love you to, Enzan."
Curling up in Enzan's arms, Netto allowed himself to be lulled back to sleep, comforted by the steady beating of his lover's heart.
fin
First of all, I would like to say one thing. Battle scenes suck to write! The main reason this took so long was because of the fricken battle scene. Oh well, I did manage to get it written.
I would like to send a special thanks to my dear friend Neko, for without her, this fanfic, and this trilogy, would never have made it past chapter 5 of the first fanfic (seriously, it wouldn't.)
To all of the people who have been following my fics, sending me your lovely reviews/critiques, encouragement, I thank you as well.
To those who read but don't review, I thank you for reading as well, but would love you more if you gave me your two sense on the fics (but no flames.)
To those people who have emailed me with reviews, asking when I was going to hook up Kichi and Laika. Let it be noted that in this fic, Laika is 15. Kichi is in her early twenties. He's to young for her! So sorry, it ain't gonna happen. Sorry.
So thank you all who have read and waited patiently for this, the final chapter of Lock and Key.
goes to soak her hands and curl up in a corner
