AN: We now arrive at probably my favorite chapter of the whole story. I personally feel I channeled a lot of the spirit of the original manga into this one chapter. If any of you readers personally disagree, that's okay. I still feel this chapter was an accomplishment. Also, many will notice this chapter is a lot longer than any previous chapter. I just couldn't bear to split this in anyway, it all felt like it needed to be together. Finally, some warnings for certain things revolving around Sebun and lots of violence.

Ch 8: Rescue

Sebun wakes up to find herself in an unfamiliar and decrepit room. She soon forgets that as she sees herself surrounded by carnivores, each one looking right at her. Worst of all, the ewe recognizes the one acting as leader.

"We meet again," Bruce the Lion says with a grin. "I bet you thought you were clever to send the former Sublime Beastar and his protege after me. I may have lost my business and have become a wanted man, but I had a place and a group to seek refuge in." Bruce spreads his arms. "Welcome to the Long Live Meat Society."

The other carnivores in the room laugh or grin at Sebum.

"We are carnivores who reject the fish introduced to try making peace between us and the herbivores."

"No peace!" shouts one carnivore.

"Herbivores are suppressors!" shouts another.

"They deserve to be eaten!" shouts a third.

Bruce smirks at Sebun. "You are amongst those who will gladly feast on you."

The sheep has already accepted that she likely won't make it out of this. 'I wish we could have made up before this happened, Melon.'

"The credit for the plan that got you here goes to this man."

As the crowd whoops and hollers praise, a familiar animal steps forward.

Sebun feels more dread. 'That's Rick, the leopard guard that was fired. He's the one who Melon hated and who hated him back. I punched him in the nuts, which he clearly remembers.'

Rick smirks. "After that stunt you pulled with Melon, we knew you wouldn't be walking alone anytime soon. We couldn't risk taking you with Yafya or his wolf protege around."

"Dirty rabbit fucker!" shouts one of the other carnivores.

"Lucky for us you went with that seal today. Made our job easy."

Bruce smiles. "We're all grateful for that. Now, as Boss of the LLMS, I get the first bite of this sheep."

Sebun whimpers. 'Not him. Anyone but him.'

Rick frowns at the lion. "That wasn't our agreement."

"Plans change," Bruce says while grinning at Sebun.

"I need her alive."

"That's a you problem."

"We had a deal!"

Bruce roars at Rick. "I let her get away once! Not a second time!" He starts to approach Sebun, drool falling from his mouth.

Suddenly, Rick jumps onto the lion. He digs his claws into Bruce's neck and tears.

The lion drops to the floor, already dead.

"Traitor!" someone shouts.

A group of carnivores rush at Rick, but the leopard makes short work of them.

The remainder of the crowd stares in horror at the bodies of their fallen comrades.

Rick grins evilly at those who are left. "Anyone else want to get in my way?"

There's a long stretch of silence before someone speaks up. "What's the plan, Boss?"

The leopard chuckles at this new development. "We're making a ransom video. We need a camera or a cell phone."

"Here's my phone!" someone from the crowd shouts while waving their cell phone in the air.

"Don't hit record yet." Rick turns to Sebun with the most disturbing smile. "She's just a little too overdressed."

Later…

A young horse guard is sprinting through the halls of the prison. As soon as he sees both Legoshi and Yafya, he calls out, "SIRS!"

The two turn to see the white, blonde maned horse come to a stop in front of them.

As he pants to catch his breath, the young horse can hear sounds coming from the nearby cell. He can't believe his eyes.

Melon is curled into a ball on the floor, crying.

The guard remembers when he warned Sebun to get away from the hybrid for her safety. 'I was wrong about him. He treasures her.'

"Do you need something?" Yafya asks feeling impatient.

The younger horse straightens up and salutes. "We've received a message. You two have to see it."

Feeling a flicker of hope, Legoshi and Yafya follow the younger horse, Melon's sobs now ringing in their ears.

Soon…

The horse guard leads Yafya and Legoshi into the warden's office.

The hippo turns his computer around for the pair to see the screen. "We just received this video." He hits play.

On the video, Rick the Leopard can be seen. "This is Rick, the Long Live Meat Society's newly appointed Boss."

Yafya's eye twitches. 'Is this why we haven't been able to find them yet? Inside men?'

"Now, I believe you all are missing something important." Rick steps to the side.

Legoshi and Yafya feel rage course through them.

Sebun is tied up on the floor. Other than her shoes, the sheep is completely naked.

Rick grins at the camera. "This comes to you from the former home of the Shishigumi. I wouldn't recommend sending police cars or any of Yafya's rat followers." The leopard sits down by Sebun. "I wouldn't be able to guarantee this little lady's safety if that happened." He strokes the ewe's belly with a claw, making her whimper.

Legoshi growls.

"If you want to see her alive again, you'll do as I say."

Later…

Yafya rushes to Melon's cell, now in one of his suits. He finds the hybrid still curled into a ball on the floor, but no longer crying. "Melon—"

"Kill me."

The horse isn't quite sure he heard correctly. "Excuse me?"

"I said kill me."

"Look, we don't have time for—"

"I can see their faces. I hear their voices. Everyone I murdered. I don't know when it all started, but they've been haunting me nonstop. I could deal with it before because Sebun always made me feel like I could make up for it all somehow. And now…she's gone. Without her, I just can't take another second of this…guilt. It's eating me alive." Melon looks up at Yafya, his eyes pleading with the older man. "If you have any kindness in you, you'll end my suffering. Please. Give me peace."

The horse crouches down. "Melon, Sebun's alive."

The hybrid shakes his head. "Don't mess with me."

"The kidnappers sent a ransom video showing her alive. Their leader is that leopard who got fired from here."

Remembering what that guy said about Sebun that day lights a fire in Melon. He gets up and grips the bars. "Give them what they want! Get Sebun away from him!"

Yafya stands too. "Melon—"

"Just do it! I can't live without her!"

"Melon! In exchange for her freedom, they want you!"

The hybrid stares ahead unseeing. He can imagine all the terrible things that crowd could do to him before killing him. 'Is this the kind of thought process that led Papa to abandon me to Mama?' Melon allows himself just a second to imagine Sebun in the same exact situations he'd imagined for himself. That one second is all he needs to make a decision.

Yafya grips the bars too. "This may be to save Sebun, but keep in mind that they'll likely torture you before killing you."

Melon gives a resigned smile. "Better me than her."

Soon…

Yafya and Melon walk out of the prison handcuffed together.

The hybrid looks up into the night sky. 'Been some time since I saw the sky unobstructed by cell bars. Wish I could be looking at this with Sebun.'

Yafya opens the waiting car's door for Melon to go in first. As soon as the horse sits and closes the door behind him, the car's driver takes off.

Melon looks over at Yafya. "So, we arrive at the Back Alley Market handcuffed together. Then, we walk up to the Shishigumi mansion alone."

"That's right."

The hybrid chuckles. "My old stomping grounds. I can still recall how I led those lions. I was a pretty shitty boss to them."

"The remainder of those lions are back in the employ of their previous boss."

"The red deer who left the Market. I heard. Find myself wishing I could apologize to the Shishigumi now before I die."

Yafya looks out the car window. Once enough distance has been placed between their car and the prison, he turns to the driver. "You have it?"

The driver hands back a dripper with his clawed, scaly hand. "It has my venom in it. Be careful, Yaf."

This supremely confuses Melon. 'Who'd call the Old Man Yaf?'

The horse takes the dripper and sticks it up his sleeve. "Thank you, Gosha."

Melon looks at the driver, realizing he's a large Komodo dragon with familiar eyes. "You are Legoshi's grandfather."

Gosha gives the hybrid a big, goofy grin. "That's me. It's nice to meet you, Melon. Too bad the situation is dire."

Yafya clears his throat to get the hybrid's attention. "I didn't want to say any of this back in the prison in case there were spies, but those crooks have no intention of honoring the terms of the agreement."

Melon feels fear grip him. "What?!"

"Rick hates you. Besides killing you, what do you think someone like that would do?"

"Make me suffer."

"And in this situation, what would be the best way to do that?"

Melon becomes horrified at his sudden realization. "He'd murder Sebun and force me to watch."

"Right. That's why we've come up with a plan to prevent that. The dripper in my sleeve contains Gosha's venom. I'll use that to gradually and discreetly melt the cuff. When I shout out to you, 'Now', you and I will run to the sides."

"Why?"

"Because Gosha will crash the car into the front door."

Gosha gives a big smile. "Don't worry. The two of us will jump out before it crashes."

That confuses Melon. "Two of you?"

"Hey, Melon," comes Legoshi's voice.

The hybrid looks around, unable to comprehend where the wolf is in this rather small car.

"He's in the trunk," Gosha informs Melon.

"How did I not know?! I'm a carnivore-herbivore hybrid! My senses are supposed to be heightened! I can only smell you now because I know you're here! How come my nose's barely picking up your scent?!"

"They used scent mask when they took Sebun," says Legoshi. "I'm using it now against them."

"A necessary action since Rick only wanted the two of us and someone to drive us there," says Yafya. "Even with Gosha, I felt sneaking Legoshi in was needed."

"Not that I'm not grateful for help with this," Melon assures everyone. "Still, can Gosha keep up with the rest of us? His goofy smile doesn't suggest he's much of a fighter."

Legoshi lets out a snort while Yafya has a hard time suppressing an amused smile.

Gosha pulls the car over. He turns to Melon with his big smile still in place and grabs the hybrid's uncuffed wrist. "I may be a pacifist, but my love for my family makes me quite capable of anything." The Komodo dragon tightens his grip. "Threatening or hurting those that I love is a guaranteed ticket of pain for the guilty party. Consider yourself lucky that you've turned over a new leaf." Gosha tightens his grip to the point that Melon is in obvious pain as the reptile's eyes are filled with barely suppressed rage. "After all, you did attempt to kill my grandson more than once."

Yafya finally lets himself smile as Gosha releases the hybrid's wrist. "That enough proof for you, Melon?"

The hybrid smiles at his now sore wrist. "Does this guy really need the rest of us?"

Gosha chuckles as he gets back on the road.

"Grandpa?" Legoshi asks from his place inside the trunk. "Considering what we're going into here, there might be a lot of death involved. Can you deal with that?"

"Legoshi, know that I refuse to kill anyone on purpose. However, we are dealing with an evil group. They are threatening an innocent woman's life, have likely done unspeakable acts on others in the past, and would certainly continue to do so if allowed to escape. If any one of these thugs happen to die tonight, I won't mourn any of them."

The car drives on in silence for a few minutes.

Yafya turns to the hybrid. "Melon, before we get there, I should tell you something about Sebun."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asks Legoshi.

"We can't risk it being sprung on him there. He could fly into a rage and forget the plan."

These words freak out Melon. "What are you talking about?! Did they hurt Sebun?!"

"From what I could tell viewing the ransom video, she seemed unharmed. However, she was tied up…and stripped naked."

The moment those last words are said, Melon unleashes an aura of rage that everybody in the car feels. The hybrid lets out a chilling growl. "They're dead. All of them. No survivors."

Legoshi shudders. 'I've been on the receiving end of his killing intent before. I've never felt it this strongly, though.'

Gosha eyes the leopard-gazelle hybrid in the rearview mirror. 'I'm well aware of my own fighting capabilities. I can take on pretty much anyone. Still, if I were to face this hybrid man as rage fueled as he is now, there's a chance I'd lose.'

Yafya is a bit unsettled by Melon's ease at slipping back into killer mode, but he feels that trying to just talk the hybrid out of it would prove problematic. Instead, he just pulls out the keys to the cuffs. "Here."

Melon eyes the item with confusion.

"We're inevitably going to throw down with many carnivores. Find the time to get those cuffs off so they don't get used against you."

The hybrid takes the key and sticks it in his pocket.

Soon, the car turns into the run down remains of the Back Alley Market. Many buildings torn down and stalls wrecked litter the surrounding environment as the car drives through. After some twists and turns, the car ends up on a road that leads right to the mansion that was once the home of the Shishigumi.

At the front gate, a black bear with a megaphone holds a hand up in the air. "Stop the car now!"

Gosha brakes to bring the car to a stop.

"Yafya and Melon! Step out of the car!"

The horse glances at the hybrid. "Keep to the plan or Sebun's life will be at further risk." He opens the door and leads the two of them forward.

The pair walks past the guards at the gate and head up the path. They see a large group of eager looking carnivores across the bridge and in front of the mansion. Yafya and Melon can tell that if their plan fails, not only will Sebun end up dead, but their lives will also very likely be on the chopping block. The two walk halfway across the bridge.

"That's far enough!" shouts a familiar voice. Appearing at a balcony is Rick the Leopard.

Melon growls at the sight of him. 'There he is. The one who took Sebun. The bastard is threatening her life.'

Yafya presses his arm to his side to start using the dripper with Gosha's venom. "We are here as requested! Where's the woman?!"

Rick reaches down behind the balcony, brings up Sebun the Merino Sheep, and places her on the edge of the rail.

As Melon was warned by Yafya, the sheep is tied up and almost totally naked. When she sees the hybrid, Sebun calls out to him. "Melon! I'm sorry!"

The rage the hybrid was feeling at the sight of the sheep's current state dies down at what she said to him. "This isn't on you!" He can only muster a grimace. "We're okay!"

"We've honored our end of the agreement!" Yafya shouts to Rick. "It's time you returned the favor! Let her go!"

The leopard starts laughing, which is followed by the other carnivores.

Despite suspecting and being prepared for this to happen, Yafya and Melon feel pissed off at being played.

Rick grins at the pair. "Are you kidding?! That was a ruse to get you guys here! Both of you are going to die!"

Cheers erupt from the group of carnivores in front of the mansion.

"I've been wanting the hybrid dead for years, but I couldn't with him being monitored all the damn time! I'd hoped to screw with his life that day this girl tried to feed herself to him! I'm able to tell when a herbivore wants to die and when a carnivore really wants to eat! I left the two of them alone hoping that would screw with your plans, Yafya! Him eating a visitor that you had sent to him would've ended all your stupid ideas of 'redemption'! It would've got him sent right to the electric chair!" Rick leers at Sebun. "I guess he decided to let his food live so he'd have a chance to play with it a little." The leopard grins at Melon. "Check this out, Freakshow!"

Sebun gasps at the sudden feeling of clawed hands feeling up her body. 'Don't whimper. Don't give him the satisfaction.'

Melon growls and is about ready to charge.

"Don't," Yafya whispers to the hybrid. "Not yet."

Disappointed that he's not getting the reactions he'd been hoping for, Rick stops. "Okay, fine! Playtime's over now!" He looks down at his followers. "You guys do what you want with Black Devil Yafya! Make him pay for what he has done to carnivores! Leave the hybrid alive! I wanna deal with him personally!" He looks back at the handcuffed pair. "You should've seen all this coming! We're the Long Live Meat Society! We don't let any herbivores go! We eat them! Just watch!" He picks up Sebun, grinning as he does so. "The one who catches the sheep gets to eat her!" He extends his arm so the ewe is now dangling above the crowd of eager and drooling carnivores.

Melon is about to rush over to save Sebun, plans be damned, when he hears the roar of an engine.

"NOW!" Yafya shouts as he slips out of his end of the cuffs and jumps off the bridge to land in the shallow creek.

Melon leaps off the opposite side just as the car comes rushing by.

The upward curve of the bridge makes the car launch into the air.

Multiple things happen simultaneously.

Rick backs away from the shock and fear the car rushing in makes him feel, bringing the sheep away from the balcony.

Melon pulls out the key to unlock the cuffs.

Yafya gets the dripper from his sleeve and checks to see if there's any venom left in it.

The car's driver door opens and Gosha dives out.

The trunk pops open and Legoshi jumps out.

After all of these events, the car breaks through the front door, leaving a big hole.

The impact makes Rick drop Sebun onto the floor. Heading back over to the balcony, the leopard sees complete chaos.

Legoshi and Gosha are already taking down hostile carnivores.

Yafya and Melon leave the creek and rush into the fray.

The hybrid swings the cuffs into the eyes of an unlucky attacker.

The horse sprays the last of the venom into the face of his first opponent.

Rick recognizes the wolf. 'So, they snuck the rabbit fucker in. We'd never tried to attack him directly since it would bring hell on all of us. He's here now though.' The leopard pulls out a gun and takes aim. 'Bye bye, traitor.' He recoils when the gun suddenly melts in his hand.

Below, Gosha uses his tail to smack away some thugs as he prepares to shoot more of his venom at Rick. 'You tried shooting my grandson. You're exempt from my policy.' His venom is shot towards the leopard.

Rick leaps back, the venom hitting the roof and melting a piece of it.

Some of the carnivores decide they've had enough and make a run for it. However, they find their paths blocked by a bunch more Komodo dragons.

Legoshi recognizes these guys since he has dealt with them before. Especially the leader, Savon. "The Dokugumi?!"

Melon looks over upon hearing that. 'The gang of Komodo dragons are here helping?!'

"What are they doing here?!" Yafya asks while kicking a panther in the chest.

"I called them!" Gosha announces to everyone.

All around are confused by this, including the LLMS.

"You?!" asks Melon.

"Grandpa, how do you know them?!" asks Legoshi.

Gosha grins. "I think life's more fun with a little mystery."

Yafya rolls his eyes before kicking another carnivore. 'Still finding ways to annoy me.'

Melon looks up to the balcony, glaring right at Rick.

The leopard glares back, grabs Sebun, and retreats inside.

Having noticed this exchange, Yafya calls out to the others. "Clear a path for Melon!"

The hybrid starts making his way to the hole where the front door used to be.

Legoshi helps by taking out some thugs before they can intercept Melon.

Gosha uses his tail to swat a few hostiles out of the hybrid's way while still keeping focus centered on those in front of him.

A puma by the former front door pulls out a gun to shoot Melon, but a large rock hits him in the head and knocks him out.

The hybrid looks in the direction where the rock came from to discover Yafya apparently had picked up a rock and kicked it like a soccer ball at the puma's head.

The horse gives a thumbs up.

Melon runs for the hole. "Thanks, guys!" he calls back to the others as he goes inside. It is a nostalgic feeling for him rushing through his former home base. 'I'm definitely giving those lions a long overdue apology if I ever see them again.' Melon makes it up to the upper level and finds his path to the office blocked.

A wolf and a fox down the hall grin at the hybrid and charge.

'Trying to tag team me? Not doing a good job of it since the fox is falling behind the wolf he's with. Wait, now I get it. The wolf's going to attack directly, while the fox plans to attack me from my blind spots. I already have a counter for that.' Melon removes his prison shirt, leaving him in his undershirt. He then throws it into the wolf's face, grabs the fox, spins him around for momentum and disorienting the fox, and then he throws him at the wolf.

The two assailants go crashing to the floor. Before they can get back up, Melon rushes to them and knocks their heads together to take them out.

'Despite what I said earlier, I haven't killed anyone tonight. I guess seeing Sebun okay is enough to take that will out of me.' He runs to the office door and wrenches it open.

Sitting with his feet on the desk is Rick.

Sebun is huddled in a corner.

"Glad you could join us, Freak."

Melon closes the door behind him. "Before we get started, could you tell me why you've got so much hatred for me?"

Rick stands up. "Do you remember the Madaragumi?"

"That gang of leopards I killed."

"One of the members was my cousin."

'Shit.' "I'm sorry about that, but revenge over your cousin's death is no reason to involve Sebun in this, Rick"

"You think finally getting my name right'll stop this, Freak?! It's not just about that! The shit you pulled brought the attention of Yafya and the public onto the Back Alley Market, leading to its collapse! There went my easy access to the meat! Screw all of the fish! Uppity herbivores deserve to be meals after trying to keep us down! In our stomachs is their rightful place!"

Melon glares at Rick while taking a few steps forward. "After that speech, you'll need to die."

The leopard growls. "You first!" He leaps over the desk at Melon.

The hybrid falls to his back, using his feet and also Rick's momentum to send the leopard crashing through the door. Melon quickly rushes over to Sebun and unties her.

The sheep looks up at the hybrid. "Melon—"

"You see a chance to get out, take it." Remembering that Sebun is naked, Melon removes his undershirt and gives it to her. "Wear this."

Sebun sees movement behind Melon. "LOOK OUT!"

The hybrid turns and kicks the approaching Rick right in his face. He then lunges at him, sending the both of them tumbling across the room.

After trading a few blows, Rick grins. "Finally! You and me having a serious fight!"

Suddenly, Melon freezes. Seeing Rick grin and watching his spots move brings back the worst of his memories.

"Melon," calls the falsely sweet voice of the hybrid's mother in his mind.

'No. Not now.' Melon gets a fist in the face that sends him against a wall.

Rick laughs. "Come on! Where's the spark you had earlier?! Make it more fun for me!" He rushes forward to kick.

"Come to Mama," the female leopard's voice calls out again in Melon's head.

The hybrid jumps to the side to avoid the kick. Because of the memories and hearing his mother's voice, Melon has lost his nerve to actually fight. He spends his time and effort running away or taking hits he normally could avoid. Eventually, the hybrid is slumped against a wall.

Rick chuckles. "Too easy."

Melon opens up his eyes, his vision completely blurred. In this daze, the leopard-gazelle hybrid sees the approaching leopard not as Rick, but as his mother.

The female leopard is wearing a frilly apron over a simple dress, an ensemble she always wore to complete the facade of a loving mother. "Your weakness makes you look so beautiful to see, just like your delicious papa."

"MELON!" another female voice screams, breaking through the hybrid's daze.

Melon looks at the source of the call.

Standing in the doorway wearing the hybrid's undershirt is Sebun.

Melon suddenly remembers something from their first meeting five years ago. "I was so wrong…back then." He manages a smile. "You are worth dying over."

The sheep feels her heart constrict, realizing this means the hybrid has given up. "No."

"Aww, how sweet," Rick says with disgust. "How about I make that a reality?"

As the leopard raises an arm to strike, Melon stays where he is, accepting his death.

Suddenly, something hits Rick in the head and falls to the floor.

The two men identify the object as a small shoe, then look back at the doorway.

Sebun is glaring defiantly at the leopard, having removed one of her shoes and thrown the object at him to keep him from killing Melon.

Unhurt due to how tiny the shoe was, Rick starts stomping towards the sheep. "You want to test me, bitch?!"

Despite standing no chance against the leopard, Sebun stays right where she is, staunchly ignoring her instinct to run.

Melon wills himself to get back up and tackle Rick. As the two get back to brawling, the hybrid can still hear and see his mother. However, one powerful instinct, manifesting as his own voice, drowns that out. 'Protect Sebun. Protect Sebun! PROTECT SEBUN!'

Eventually, Rick flips out. "You think you're tough shit just because you wiped out all of the Madaragumi?! They were lazy and content! I'm a full blooded leopard with police training! You're only half leopard! That makes you inferior!" He charges.

Melon is in a ready stance. 'He's right. I am only half leopard. The other half is gazelle. What could that do against someone like him?' An idea pops into his head. 'Wait. What does a gazelle have that leopards don't?'

Rick takes a swipe at the hybrid.

Melon ducks down, then tilts his head just so. 'A gazelle has horns.' He lunges forward, driving his horns into the leopard's torso.

Rick gurgles and chokes at the sensation of being stabbed.

The hybrid places his hands on the leopard and pushes him off.

Rick falls to the floor, barely clinging to life.

Melon knows the leopard will probably die really soon, but he has had enough of this guy for one lifetime. The hybrid brings his foot up and stomps down hard on Rick's neck, breaking it in one go. He takes a deep breath, turns, and freezes.

Sebun is staring at Melon with wide eyes.

In the past, the hybrid prided himself in being a monster. It kept those who'd try to attack him away out of fear. Now, seeing Sebun looking at him so intensely, Melon feels like a monster in the worst possible way. 'She saw what I'm capable of. She's afraid of me…of how dangerous I am. She won't want to be around me anymore.' Melon looks away. "We should go." He goes out the door without looking at the sheep and starts heading down the hall.

"Wait!"

Melon comes to a stop. 'Please. Not now. Don't talk about this yet. I can't deal with it.'

"Face me."

Slowly, the hybrid turns to look at the sheep. Despite worrying about what she might say to him, in this moment, Melon is mesmerized by Sebun. 'She's so small, but she seems so strong at the same time. It's…beautiful.'

"Come down here."

'Does she want to slap me or something like that? Might as well get it over with.' Melon takes a knee so that they're face to face.

Sebun grabs the bottom of the undershirt, tears off a chunk, and balls it up. She then uses it to start wiping Melon's face.

The hybrid is completely thrown off by this. 'Wait. What?'

The sheep is getting all the blood running down Melon's face from stabbing Rick with his horns. Once that's taken care of, she moves on to the horns themselves.

The hybrid's breath hitches as Sebun touches his horns. This is the first time that anyone besides himself and his mother has touched them. 'Sebun's small and gentle hands. They feel so good.'

The sheep keeps on going until the fabric she's using gets completely soaked with blood. She steps back and smiles at her handiwork. "There. That's better." Sebun throws the fabric off to the side. Seeing Melon's look of total confusion and disbelief, the ewe feels sad. On impulse, she leans in and gives the hybrid's cheek a light kiss.

Melon's brain short circuits from this gesture.

Sebun steps back and smiles. "We should go." She makes to go around the hybrid.

Melon suddenly grabs the ewe, brings her in, and presses his lips against hers.

Sebun's eyes go wide from surprise. As she finds herself enjoying the kiss, her eyes close and she sinks into the feeling.

Melon feels warmth burst inside him. With Sebun's soft lips kissing his, the hybrid could almost claim that he's being reborn.

The pair pull away with smiles.

Melon stands up with Sebun still in his arms.

The sheep blushes at how easily the hybrid can lift her. "I…don't hear anything outside."

Melon starts walking. "Me neither. Guess that means the fighting's over."

Sebun rests her head on the hybrid's shoulder. "Good."

Melon smiles, feeling more at peace with himself than he ever has his entire life. 'I don't know what my future will be, but I want you in it, Sebun.'

AN: There's so much I'd like to talk about. I loved bringing in Gosha for this! Him being my favorite post Season 2 character makes me sad that I couldn't write him into more parts of the story, but I had to keep it reasonable. Originally, I'd been planning to give a reason for why Gosha and the Dokugumi had a connection. However, Paru Itagaki herself left that ambiguous and I thought it'd be more fun to do the same. Any of you surprised Rick ended up being the major antagonist instead of Bruce? I could see this being an even split amongst the readers. Melon and Sebun finally kissed! It only took five years, dealing with personal issues, and some near death experiences. Tune in Saturday to find out what happens next!