Disclaimer: See previous chapters

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Epilogue

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The next day…

Shin turned the corner toward the street where Saori's restaurant was. He was still a bit sore from that perilous night and his side ached, but he had to check on the situation of the restaurant. So much so that he left his home early to find out. If it was gone, then his home would be in serious jeopardy. Arriving at the shop, he was a bit surprised to find it open. It was still early in the morning for it to be opening up. He approached the restaurant and entered inside, where he found the assistant manager, Akira, cleaning up a few things.

"Hey Shin, you're early."

"I just recovered from my injuries." Shin answered. After his revival, he had called in to tell Saori that he was injured and wouldn't be able to make it for some time. Strangely enough, it was Akira he had spoken with on the phone as well. "I wanted to make sure everything was alright."

"Well Ms. Saori sent this to my house a couple of days ago. Did you read yours too?"

Shin blinked. "Mine? Was I supposed to receive one?"

Akira looked as Shin surprised and then reached over the counter, producing a sheet of paper. Handing it to Shin, he said. "Here read."

Shin took the letter and looked over. It read…

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To Akira…

I will be going away for some time on a personal…mission, per say. I don't know when I'll be back or if I'll be able to return at all. Therefore, I'm leaving the restaurant in your charge. I also want Shin to take over as assistant manager, but not until he graduates from school. I've already set up the necessary paperwork, which is enclosed within this document as well as a copy in Shin's letter, to whom I've sent a letter as well. This restaurant is now in your care, Akira. I'm counting on you and Shin to take care of it until my return.

Take care,

Saori.

-

"What?" he said dumbfounded. "She left?"

Akira shrugged. "I don't get it either. But according to the note, she left this store in our care."

Shin scanned over it again. "This is only valid when I graduate. This is weird."

Shin handed back the letter and Akira placed it on the counter again. "She's set everything up already. She even had some extra funds I wasn't even aware of."

"But why me?" he questioned, shaking his head slightly. "I've only been working here for a few months."

"True." The man then smiled. "But I can understand that much. You are the most responsible person around here and you know how things work." He walked around behind the counter and turned to Shin. "Don't worry. I help teach you how to become a good assistant by the time you're out of school."

"I just don't think I've earned this."

"Hey, if Ms. Saori thinks you earned it, then you have." he reasoned. "I've always trusted her judgment."

"Thanks." Shin said finally. "I appreciate it."

School Area

"Aw man, this sucks. After all of this and school was still open."

Kenji and Uriko walked away from the school and down the block. After the weekend ended, they weren't sure whether to go to school or not since an earlier earthquake had rattled it before and there was a good chance that the recent earthquake did more damage. But it turned out that it wasn't as bad as they thought, since the strongest waves were around the shrine area. So after their release from the hospital, the school was repaired enough for students to return, much to Uriko's chagrin.

"There are worse things." Kenji remarked. Considering what they had gone through, that was more than true.

"Yeah, you would say that." the girl sighed. "I'm starting to think you actually like going to school, Kenji."

"Hnh…"

Uriko soon stopped walking and Kenji looked at her in question. The cat zoanthrope seemed to be in thought about something and she finally spoke up. "You know, there's something we need to discuss." She looked around a bit and saw a bench by the sidewalk. "Uh, could we sit down?"

"Okay." was the quiet reply from Kenji.

As they sat down, Uriko kept her eyes forward and away from Kenji. She had been thinking about it all day, but didn't know how to start it out. Oh well, I guess I'll just come out with it.

"Kenji. That night before you went out to fight Kohryu…" 'Oh please don't let it have be my imagination.' "Did you say it?"

"…What do you mean?"

He almost hid it, but she heard a twinge of nervousness in his voice. 'Unless I imagined that too.' Casting aside her doubt (for the most part) she continued. "Did you say…that you loved me?" Her voice began to drop. "I understand that you knocked me out so that I wouldn't follow you, but I think I heard your voice, that you said that you loved me. Did I dream that or imagine…?"

"Yes, Uriko. I did say it."

Uriko stopped dead in her tracks as soon as he said that. He really said that… She finally looked over at him to see him staring ahead. How could he be so calm about it? But upon closer inspection, she saw that he just in focus, a habit of his to deal with nervousness and/or anxiety.

"And…you meant it?"

"…Yes."

Uriko turned her head slightly and then suddenly bounded up to her feet. Kenji was surprised by this action and looked at her to see her bending down to him smiling broadly. He was about to ask why when the answer came.

In a very sweet kiss…

Very little could surprise Kenji, much less stun him into submission. But apparently, a kiss from the brunette girl in front of him was more than enough. His eyes rolled closed as he returned it gently. Uriko soon broke away, much to Kenji's chagrin, but he was just as glad to see her smiling face.

"Good." Uriko reached around his arm and pulled him up from the seat. "Because I would have hated it if I imagined the whole thing."

As Kenji stood up fully, Uriko moved in close to him, briefly leaning her head on his shoulder. Kenji didn't seem to mind it; in fact he tightened the hold between them slightly. As they began walking down the street together, Uriko said one more thing.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I love you too, Kenji."

Forest

The eyes of the Unborn zoanthrope slowly opened to meet a haze of light. The first thing that registered in the mind of the person was that it was his mind. There was nothing else there. No dark presence that had invaded his mind for countless years now. Not even a trace of the darkness as before. His vision cleared and with it, a thrilling revelation.

'I am free…'

The haze of light turned to green and began to recognize branches and leaves. Trees… But another object came into his vision. Blue hair, golden eyes, it couldn't be…?

"Uranus…?"

The woman smiled down on him as she cradled his head on her lap, sitting in the middle of a forest grove far from civilization. Her hand was softly grazing across his silver locks of her as she looked down at his astonished face. It had taken some time for him to revive, but it was time she had spent well. After the battle in the shrine, Uranus quietly slipped in and took his injured body out of there. She had seen the others injured from the fight with the dragon, but the siren from the ambulances told her that they would be fine. She then disappeared to a hidden retreat deep within the woods where she sent her letters. One to Akira and one to Shin, although the latter was more personal. 'I will miss him.' she thought in contemplation. The boy was smart as well as determined, even if he did push himself a bit too much at times. Oddly enough, the reason she noticed him was that he had the same golden eyes as she did. And as she knew him better, she got to admire him. But her desire was focused on the silvery man before her. After the letters, she simply waited for him to revive; the man she had been searching for since she saw him.

Xion…

It was during the chaos of the Tabula seal. She was a sad creature then, born within the confines of Tylon as a weapon and escaping. She knew she had a connection with Uriko, henceforth also with Rei, but she wasn't a clone as with Long and Shenlong. It was something far stronger than that. But she never found out what it was exactly and it saddened her all the more. As she wandered the world, she had sensed a powerful and dark aura and followed it, keeping herself hidden as the battles waged around her. When she found it, she saw that it had originated from Xion, who was in battle with Yugo. She watched as Yugo struck the final blow, knocking him out. While the wolf zoanthrope went to destroy the Tabula tablet, she had moved in close to him to determine what kind of creature was he. But when he opened his eyes, she saw that he wasn't the evil creature that had been fighting.

And it endeared her…

Without as much as a whisper, she whisked him out of their without notice to Yugo. But as she did, she sensed the darkness within him growing and it would only be a matter of time before it possessed him again. So she was forced to leave him behind. But she promised to find him again and stay with him this time, despite what had happened. She knew that he would be drawn into another conflict and watched him, hiding her identity as well as obtaining funds thought to have been lost within Tylon's destruction. It was more than enough to start her restaurant and build a small getaway place within these woods.

All for this moment…

Xion meanwhile was frozen in her gaze. He had only a glimpse of the beautiful woman that was over him in his dreams. He remembered her from his rescue from Yugo, when their eyes met the second time after she had gotten them out. That was how he knew her name. It was the only thing that kept him from going completely insane within the control of the Unborn. But how? How did she find him? What does she want with him? Although it didn't matter too much in her embrace, he thought he should still know.

"Where am I? How did I…?"

"Shh…" She placed a slender finger gently on his lips. "Rest now. We can talk later."

Xion blinked once and remained quiet. She was right. The questions could wait. Right now, he just wanted to stay here, in this place at this time.

In heaven, with his angel…

Shin's/Rei's residence

After school, Shin went to work to begin his new assignment as a trainee for assistant manager. It appeared that what Akira said was true, for Shin performed his duties quite well and although there was still much for him to learn, there was little doubt that he would be able to catch on. Because of his training, he was also let off early and thus he was able to get home before the sun even set.

"Shin. You're home early."

Shin was a bit surprised. He expected for Rei to be hanging out with Uriko today. "Yeah. A strange thing happened today. Saori disappeared and assigned me and Akira to keep up the restaurant."

"Ah, yes."

Shin cocked an eyebrow at her. "Rei, did you know about this?"

"Yes. A letter was left for you." She bent down to the side and picked up the aforementioned letter, still in it envelop. "You must have missed it when you left earlier today."

"Hm. Yeah I guess." He took the letter and began to read it over.

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To Shin…

I will be going away for some time. It's strange, I know, but there is something that I must do. In the meantime, I have left Akira in charge of the restaurant and have asked for him to train you as an assistant manager until your school years are up, where you can apply for the job. I know what you're thinking, that you don't deserve it. But nothing could be further from the truth. You are the brightest person I know and a quick study. When we meet again, I expect that you would have gotten more of a life by then. But until then, keep the skies.

Take care,

Saori.

P.S. Stop hiding your feelings and tell her how you feel.

-

"Are you going to miss her?"

"Yes." he replied softly, despite the light grimace from Saori's last remark. "I feel she's given us so much. I don't know what I would have done if not for her."

"You would have found a way." the azure-haired girl affirmed while moving beside him. "I know you would have."

"Rei." He slowly turned to her, becoming deathly silent for awhile. Rei was beginning to think that something was wrong when he spoke again. "I want you to know…I appreciate all your trust in me. Just when I think that sometimes I won't be able to go on, you continue to have faith in me."

Rei's eyes softened at this confession and she replied. "It is not hard. You are the strongest person I know. And you always take care of me." Her head lowered. "Sometimes I don't know what I would be like…without you."

Shin stared at her for a minute and then lifted a hand to her chin. Rei perked her head up to look at him and found her face locked in place. Not by his finger, this was still on the tip of her chin, but by his golden eyes. She found herself enraptured by them, but not as much as when he slowly closed them and the distance between them to tenderly kissed her on the lips. He soon suddenly back away, shock registering in his mind and eyes.

"Rei…I'm…"

Rei didn't give him the chance to take back what she thought…by what she knew was the most wonderful thing to happen to her as she silenced him with a kiss of her own. In was just as soft and just as sweet. She parted from him after a minute and noticed that both of them were holding their breaths. It took another minute for them to release it and after a long silence, Rei whispered.

"That was…nice."

Shin didn't say anything. He simply stared at her briefly before closing his eyes. He then stepped forward and placed his arms around her in a warm embrace. Rei looked up at him as his eyes reopened and a smile was lit across his face.

"My darling Rei…"

I hope you enjoyed this fanfic. This came out a bit better than I hoped. I hope this wasn't too sappy for your taste, but I had to really. I would like to thank…

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Macky, Tiger5913, Indigo Siren, raikujin, cuu, ziki, Soundwood, Blindfold, moonwolf0, Sheila a.k.a. (whatever it is you are going by nowadays), Duo maxwell guy, and Ryu

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…for all your reviews and support. I would never have finished this without you (Okay, I would have, but it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable.)

P.S. Read on below if you want to end this with a little humor…

Extra

Busuzima slowly peered out of the side of the wrecked building; his eyes roving about left and right. It was well in the evening, a good time to slip into the crowds and away from this area. It had taken some slippery work to get away from Shenlong and he still had the scratches to prove it. He didn't remember how though. The last thing he remembered was his fight with the tiger zoanthrope. Shenlong was acting unusually vicious, but Busuzima was able to hold him off. But the more he fought, the less he was able to keep himself in focus. Eventually, whatever it was that occurred wore off, but his thoughts were distracted by the phenomenon and Shenlong attacked him continuously. Busuzima had to retreat and Shenlong pursued him throughout the entire night. It took another two days for him to get Shenlong off his trail, but he stayed hidden another couple of days just to be certain. 'Being a chameleon has its advantages.' He proceeded to turn around the alley corner and saw the streets up ahead. He raised a fist in triumph.

"Haha! I always survive!"

He began to make his way toward the street when a black shadow descended from above and right in his path. Busuzima stopped and looked at the figure and gasped.

"N-No! Not you!"

"I've found you. Now you will pay for what you've done to me!"

Busuzima soon found himself on the receiving end of an enraged Insect…

BHAMPH! POW! POW! WHAM! KAPOW! GUUUAAAAAHHHHHH!