A/N: This chapter might be a bit heavy on antagonizing a certain character.

This story is purely fictional. Any references or views seen/read herein are for storyline purposes only, not necessarily reflecting the author's views hitherto. Reader discretion is advised.

(3/1/11)

Same day...

The thunder began to roll as I made my way home. I got drenched by the downpour, but I didn't care. I walked as slowly as possible, hoping to drown myself in the rain. I actually arrived at home in due time.

I entered the house when I noticed Lee was there. He openly showed distaste for

"Seriously dude? You're gonna play songs by Justin Beiber?" Lee cried incredulously, "You could get shot in my old neighborhood for playing that kind of music!"

I went in the living room, where Lee and Junpei were chilling. Junpei was playing while Lee watched TV.

"Yeeesh, what happened to you?" Lee inquired.

"I did something terrible..." I said sadly as I took a seat.

"Does it affect me?" Junpei asked while playing a video game.

"No."

"Then suffer in silence. I'm playing P4: Golden."

"Sigh..."

"Real sweet, Junpei." Lee said dryly, "I take it Minako didn't feel the same?"

"She did." I said tiredly.

The two sprang up, "Whoa! That's awesome bro!" They cried as they congratulated me.

"Thanks... It was fun. But I guess thirty minutes is the world's shortest relationship ever." I muttered.

"What do you mean?" Junpei asked.

"Long story." I mumbled, "I went back to grab our bags and Yukari walked in and... she kissed me. Then Minako came in..." I sighed.

They became quiet, "Ouch."

"I know... I messed up big time."

"No offense, dude, but Yukari is deadweight. She's a succubus." Lee said wisely, "You're better off without her."

"Yeah, yeah, I got that memo." I smiled, "But I love Minako. And only her."

"The World Record for jumping to conclusions have got to be held by someone in love! Their first interpretation is their worst interpretation." Junpei cried, "Didn't you explain?"

I shook my head, "No... to begin with... It was all just a stupid mistake. I never should have confessed my love to Minako."

"Man, I cannot believe you'd give up the only person you really love." Lee said incredulously.

"What's the point?" I scoffed, "She'll never love me. She has all her pick of the swains and gallants to be her beau, but she chose me... And how do I repay her? By kissing Yukari."

"I don't understand this, Minato." Junpei cried, "I just can't. I thought you loved Minako? Why are you giving up so easily?"

I took a deep breath. "I need to think about it."

"Alright..." They said as I left.

"So... Um... Lee?" Junpei began.

"What?"

"You... uh, had sex with Fuuka, right?"

"Yeah, kind of." Lee said hesitantly, "What's this about?"

"I wanna ask something personal..."

"Go on..." Lee said suspiciously.

"Did the... did the carpet match the drapes?"

"Say what?!" Lee cried, "I ain't answering that!"

I decided to make a kind gesture to Minako. I asked Leah to make cold cuts. I needed to do this tomorrow. I need to make things right.

(3/2/11)

Saturday...

I walked towards Minako, who was talking to the girls, except Yukari. They looked sadly at me.

"Minako, let's have lunch together, okay?" I said as I cornered Minako.

She looked me in the eyes.

"No thanks. Why don't you go with Yukari?" She said with a fake smile.

"Then let's all go together! Cold cuts on me!" I insisted.

"I like the sound of that!" Junpei said.

"Seconded! Cold cuts!" Lee and Kenji high-fived.

"Let's go!" Quan said.

"Ahahahaha!" Minako laughed weakly, "Nah, that's okay... I'll pass. We'll go eat lunch elsewhere..."

"But it's cold cuts!" Junpei and the others protested.

"We'll just go eat elsewhere..." Minako said.

"Minako..." I said.

Then, she looked back, "And besides... making me watch you two..." She said with a hurt tone, "Is kinda harsh, isn't it? I mean... haven't you made me suffer enough already? Sigh, never mind... Enjoy your date. Come on, guys."

Minako left with the girls, while I was left with the guys.

Sighing, I ate lunch by myself as the guys joined me.

Then, Yukari, who smiled as she greeted me cheerily, "Hey, Minato! I'm sorry about yesterday. No harm done, right? So, what're we having?" She asked, "Ooooh, cold cuts!" She took one out of my bento and ate it.

I scowled as I looked up, "'Hey Minato?!'" I hissed incredulously at her, "Please don't talk to me right now..."

"What's wrong?" She asked with genuine concern.

"What the hell, Yukari? I don't want to talk to you right now." I said bluntly, "I really don't give a shit about what you have to say."

"Okay, look... I am not getting loud here, so don't you swear at me, okay?" She said seriously.

"I mean, why do you have to come up at me like that?" I demanded.

"Tch... Shut up." She held her hand at my face, "I swear, you're being really immature. You need to grow up." She said as she took a seat nearby, three seats away, where Lee, Kenji, Quan and Junpei sat.

Lee and Junpei whispered at Yukari, "Look... Some people need more time to heal, y'know?"

"Yeah, he's kinda mad at you." Kenji said.

"That's right." Quan agreed.

"Yeah... Try not acting that way in front of Minato, dude..."

"Okay." Yukari said curtly, "At least we all know who the CRAZY ONES are..." She said loudly so I could her.

I threw her a dirty look, "You know, it takes everyone a little time to-"

"I know, I understand." She cut me off.

"You just have to give it time." Junpei advised.

"I know, I know..." Yukari said, "But I expected a bit of maturity on his part."

"Hey, whatever girl." I said dismissively, "You ruined everything."

"Your loss." Yukari smirked, "Don't blame me... blame yourself."

"I ruined it?! Blame myself?!" I thundered, "Are you out of your FUCKING mind?!" I smashed my fist on the table and threw my chopsticks down, causing several students to stiffen in surprise and stare at me, "You broke up with me, you lied to me and you kissed me in front of my girlfriend." I spat at her furiously, "And now you want me to calm the fuck down and forgive you?!"

She stood up in front of me, "Relax. Love is just a game. You don't play the game without expecting to be played."

"Fine, then get out of my face because if it's just a game to you!" I hissed furiously, "Cause it wasn't a game for me!"

"Hey, I'm still your friend. I just apologized to you."

"Yeah, apologize to me and act as if nothing happened!" I spat, "Y'know, forgiveness is inappropriate when no remorse is expressed. And you came around with that stupid apology of yours sounding like you're just messing around. It's too early for this and you expect me to forgive you for ruining my relationship with Minako. You knew how much I love her!"

She bowed her head, "Ah... I only did it because-"

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO DO THIS!" I shouted, sweeping the table with a furious hand and knocking my bento on the floor. Everyone just watched in stunned silence as Lee and Junpei pleaded silently for us to settle down.

"Okay, don't you get loud at me." Yukari said angrily, "Don't get loud at me. I'm being really calm with you right now. Don't make me angry. I will hit you."

"Don't make me get up," I growled while I stood up, knocking the chair down, "Don't MAKE me get the fuck up, Yukari. I've been putting up with your bullshit for far too long now. You don't come at my face when I'm still upset and expecting me to forget everything. Right when I'm still hurt and you're expecting me to swallow that pile of bullshit you're feeding me and forcing me to respect you."

"I'm not asking you to respect me-" She said calmly, "But I'm only asking you not to hate me."

"You are not a very nice person, Yukari." I said frankly, "You're moody, bitchy, frigid and needy. You're asking me if I hate you?" I asked rhetorically, "I don't hate you, Yukari, I really don't. Actually, I pity you for the life that you live. You are, quite honestly, one of the most meanest, cantankerous, stuck-up and foul tempered person I've met in my entire life. I've only asked you two things: Not to talk to me and to leave me alone. Yet you still did those things. I don't get it. It's like... you're socially retarded or something. And if you think I'm crazy right now, then you have no idea of what damage you caused. I wish you could hear yourself. You will be embarrassed if you could."

"Well, I'm not. You know why? Because I know I didn't do anything wrong! You have a problem with my personality, Minato. Everyone's personality has layers and dimensions, and-"

"Yeah, that's right." I snarked, "All your layers spell out BITCH."

"Yeah, and so? Yours spell out EMO TRASH, but you don't see me ostracizing you about it." she smirked, "I tried apologizing, yet you just don't want to accept my apology. You're being immature and stupid."

"Because you acted like it was nothing at all. I told you not to talk to me and you cruelly decide to do it anyway, meaning you have zero respect for me, you don't give a crap about anything and that you fail to respect other people's relationships."

"But I was just trying to improve the atmosphere and the energy-"

"No, you're not making the energy better. You *suck* the energy out of everything. You suck it out at school, you suck it when we're hanging out and you're sucking it out right now." I said, "You're like a Dementor!"

"That's not true-"

"You do not know when to shut up. You simply cannot stop talking. It always has to be about you. Even if no one talks to you, you join in the conversation and everyone is just too damn polite to say anything to you. It's like you feed off people's misery like an Opium addict."

She just smiled, "You are crazy." She declared, "You really are. You seriously need to grow up."

It was a wonder how no one stopped us at that point. Even the teachers watched from a safe distance, ready to jump in when we'd get physical. Gekkoukan High didn't get this much entertainment at lunch time, except for the occasional food fight, so they were being mellow about it.

"You are past redemption. This conversation is over, but you know what, Yukari? I wanted to like you. I really did." I said sincerely, "But your inability to admit your failures and shortcomings without going into a whiny fit kinda makes you a bit of a loser in life. I'll pray for you." I said as I stood up, fixed my bento, and left Yukari standing there stunned in the cafeteria.

"I still have your underwear!" She cried.

"I still have your virginity." I retorted, putting my arms out in a 'come at me bro' fashion.

"You are forcing me to do something I really don't want to do..." She said darkly and menacingly as she fingered her left forearm, which was growing red.

I rolled my eyes and I received a call from Grandma.

"Hello Minato!" Grandma said so cheerily, my sadness lessened, "I'd like to invite you to my house for tea. I just got settled in."

"Hey Gran... Now's not a good time..." I said sadly, "After classes, maybe."

"What's wrong?"

"Minako and I got into a spat." I said morosely, "I don't want to trouble you, Gran. I'll be there, I promise. We can talk later."

"I... see..." Grandma said, "There's going to be a change of plans. I need to make another call, so be here by, oh, around 7."

I thanked Grandma and somehow managed to survive classes this afternoon. I went home around 5:30 and borrowed Akihiko's car.

Following her instructions via SMS, I went to Grandma's house for tea. I parked Akihiko's Outrider and walked inside the lavish villa. It was a big place, with traditional touches, yet was modern as well. Granny walked towards me with a smile.

"You're just in time! I just made some iced tea!" She said as she clapped her hands.

"No thanks, Grandma-san, maybe later." I said thankfully, "Maybe some of your delicious cookies?"

She handed me a platter of chocolate chip cookies, "Nonsense! I already made some!" She said as she led me to a dinner room.

A red headed girl was drinking some iced tea while looking through a photo album.

"Ah, Minako-chan!" Grandma cried, "Look who I have here!"

We looked at each other.

"You..." We said in unison.

"Minako here was my former student at violin classes and-" she trailed off as I looked into Minako's face. Grandma smiled.

"I need to use the bathroom." I said quickly.

"I'm gonna have some more Iced tea.." Minako said equally quick.

After washing up, I was going back to the living room, when I heard Granny talking with someone.

"Ten years from now, it would be our fortieth anniversary!" She was talking to someone, "And I want you two to still be a couple by then. Married, if possible."

The other person took a deep breath, "W-Wow... Forty years, huh? That's a pretty long time." A familiar voice said.

"Well, it's true love!" Grandma sighed, "Like you and Minato, we were great friends before we fell in love... That's how it started. And when you're old, and the romance fades, the friendship will remain." She said wisely, "Of course, there are couples who start off as complete strangers, even as enemies, but it's much more beautiful that if you start out as friends friends, like you and Minato! Why, he even gave you the Ring of Autumn my husband gave me when we were kids! Oh, Minato is so in love with you!"

My heart pumped at the sound of my name.

"Minato?" The girl said. I was curious to who this person was.

"Yes him! I keep saying that he should tell you exactly how much he loves you! Oh, there he is!" She spotted me and I had to walk forward, "Minato! You have to tell her exactly how much you truly love her! Oh, how can he tell? He's so shy, but he loves you so, Minako-chan! He loves you so much!"

I looked at the surprised face of Minako. Her eyes gleamed softly at me, casting an indifferent look that betrayed the longing in her eyes. Her mouth twitched, making her looking defiant at me with her lips pursed, yet I knew she longed for mine.

I sat down and we had a rather terse and strained conversation with muffins, scones and tea, which tasted good, and would've tasted better if Minako wasn't trying to burn a hole in my face with her gaze.

Then, after a respectable time of an hour and thirty minutes, I took my leave, thanked Grandma graciously, ignored Minako's murderous gaze and rushed out to the Outrider, to drive and get the hell out of here. Change my name. By then, I was already thinking of a new name... Adam Messi, perhaps? Or maybe Señor Xavier Salvador?

In my haste, I dropped the keys to the floor of the car and hurried to pick it, but I was too late, since Minako entered the car and slammed the door hard.

I sat stiffly, not moving a muscle.

"Start the car." She said in a quiet, stern voice, "Start the car!" She said much more louder.

With a sigh, I turned on the car and began to drive.

There was an awkward, tense and uncomfortable silence, until she decided to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me...?" She said tersely in a quivering voice, "Why did you tell other people before me? I should've been the first to know, I'm your best friend." She demanded.

I scoffed, "Minako, what's the point? That's exactly it, I'm your best friend. Stuck in Friendship Lagoon." I said sullenly, acutely aware of the ideal guy Minako wants.

"Even then!" She cried, "Why didn't you say anything? Why did you hide it? You do nothing but insult me, telling me how much I eat, how crazy I am, how fat I am, that I'm shallow, that I drool in my sleep, and how annoying I am..." She sobbed.

"Oh Messiah.. Come on, Minako, you... you of all people should've known... You are and always will be beautiful in my eyes, no matter what." I said serenely. Crying women unsettled me for some reason, "I will always think you're beautiful."

"Tch. You're so good at hiding it... I didn't even noticed you did..." Minako said, starting to sob, "You should've just been honest with me! Instead, you lied to me. You pulled a Judas and lied to me!"

"For Christ's sake, Minako, I kissed you several times! If that wasn't enough hints, you were never far from my mind. I confessed to you and I truly meant it. No other girl made me feel anything the way I feel for you." I said passionately.

"Then have some balls to go out and say it!" Minako spat, her eyes wet with tears, "That confession of yours is null and void when you kissed her!" She said, referring to Yukari.

"Yukari kissed me. That didn't mean anything because I'm in love with... you. And confessing... What use would it do?" I shot back sharply, "You love Prince Charming! You always go on about how perfect and how damn handsome he is!" I said, with a sing-song voice and using outrageous hand gestures, "Everytime you talk about him makes me feel worse about myself. And it's almost as if you're saying that I'm totally out of your league, that I'm not good enough for you, that I'll never be up to par with your standards." I sighed, "And I feel like I can't compete. That I can never be your walking check-list... I never complained, I never argued... Because I know I'll never be as perfect as your him!"

"You're basically saying you're a coward! That only proves you aren't just insecure, you're also a goddamned coward! Okubyōna! Okubyōna!" She yelled.

"Alright, alright, I'm a coward! Watashi wa okubyōmonodesu! Okay? I'm a coward! A coward!" I yelled back, punching my dashboard to emphasize my words.

"If you really loved me, then you should've said something before!" She said fiercely jabbing a finger at me.

"Oh, yeah right, and if I did tell you before everything that happened that I love you, would you have said 'I love you too'?!" I shouted sarcastically, not expecting a response.

"YES!" She shouted.

Upon hearing those words, my heart jumped and I stopped in the middle of the freeway.

"Maybe...? I don't know... I'm not sure..." She sobbed loudly, "I feel something for you, even though we're great friends... We're more than that... You and I knew that the first time we met in that elevator we were destined for each other..."

My heart just soared. My eyes leaked uncontrollably.

"I... I... I want you forever... forever and always...I want to feel your lips touching mine... I want to be yours... I want you to be mine... But as your best friend, I want you to think about this... I don't want to ruin our friendship by some infatuation... But know that, if you do want me, I'm always here." I said as I held her hand.

I continued driving and we cried the way home in silence.

"Just so you know..." Minako sobbed, "Everytime I talk about Prince Charming... That's just a nickname for the boy I love."

"Well, woo-pee-doo! Talking about Mr. Perfect yet again." I said with fake enthusiasm that emphasized my contempt.

"Maybe before judging him, you should LOOK AT A MIRROR!" She emphasized mirror.

"Yeah, okay, I know I'm ugly." I muttered, "I'm not important."

"You are important!" She said fiercely.

"I don't want to think so. At least to you I'm not. Just show me already!" I snarled.

"You want to see him? Here!" She tossed me a compact, "Open it! And tell me what you see!"

I opened it, "A mirror? Really?!"

She put a hand to her face, "You still don't get it, do you?" She sniffed.

"No, I don't." I said, giving back the compact, "And what's this guy's name anyway?" I asked sullenly, not actually wanting to know.

"His name?" she asked in mock surprise, "Oh, I don't know, maybe his name is Minato Arisato."

Thunder hit me.

"Me?"

"Hey..." She said with a gentle voice, holding my hand, "You... Yeah, you... You with the messy hair, the lazy eyes, the crooked smile and thinks you're unimportant... Don't think that way... You're beautiful and I've been in love you for quite some time now. I love you, Minato."

Literally, my heart stopped beating for a few seconds.

"Haven't you realized yet, Minato?" Minako said softly, hugging me warmly, her tears streaming down her face, "I've always been yours. Forever and always." She got out and went in her house without looking back. I cried in the car. Tonight had been an emotional rollercoaster.

The guys were there in the house.

"Yo dude what- what happened?" Junpei said in surprise.

"Minato, you look as if you listened to Back to December while watching The Notebook!" Kenji said in surprise.

The guys stared at him. Even I stopped crying just to look at him.

"It's true." Quan supplied.

"Don't want to talk about it..." I said with a nasal voice.

"Like hell you are!" Lee cried, "Dude, tell us what's wrong."

I told him of the events I went through. They were actually tearing up.

"Guys, how... how sure are you that you love your girlfriends?" I asked while sobbing.

"Well, you can't deny our situations are much different." Quan noted.

"You're torn between a dream and reality." Kenji said, "Like I was with Rio and Emiri..."

"You're problem is choosing between Minako, a girl you're comfortable with and Yukari, a girl you've always dreamed about." Lee said sagely.

"But it's important that you need to choose soon, not just so your dilemma would be over, but for their dilemma as well, so they won't have to fight for your affections." Junpei said, "After all, we know how that feels like."

"What's wrong with me...?" I sobbed, "Why.. Why can't I ever have a girl...?"

"Don't fucking say that." Lee said, "You're cool, funny and the most awesome guy ever! Minako or any girl would be fucking lucky to have you. If they don't see that, something's wrong with THEM."

"For a bunch of hopeless, tactless, perverted and brainless idiots with no sense of romance, you guys sure know how to give some sage advice..." I sniffed.

"We've all been there." Quan said sadly.

"I know!" I sobbed as I hugged Junpei. Lee, Quan, and Kenji joined up with the hugging.

Akihiko then went down, "Hey, Minato, are you done borrowing the..." He trailed off as he raised his eyebrow slowly at us, "...Outrider...?"

"Join us, man!" Junpei cried, "Boys bonding moment!"

"Uh, pass..." Akihiko said as his voice faltered.

"Come on!" The guys shouted.

"Okay, fine..." He said wearily as he joined with the hugging, "Would you mind telling me what's up with the bromance?"

Then, the door opened. It was the girls.

"Minato, we've got a bone to pick with you!" Yukari's enraged voice screeched.

"Yeah! Why'd you make Minako cry?!" Pinky squeaked.

"When we find you, we'll tear you apart!" Rio swore.

"That's right!" Fuuka said fiercely.

"Hey guys." Leah said, "The boys are over here."

The girls rushed to where we were, "What the-" Yukari's eyes widened.

"No!" Fuuka squeaked.

"Kenji...?" Rio whispered.

Pinky was a bit more tactless, "Holy crap, you guys are gay!"

"Um, are we interrupting something?" Yukari asked.

"GEEEEET OOOOOOOOUUUT!" Lee bellowed, turning red, eyes bulging, "HIKIDASUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Yipe! Alright! Chill! Chill!" The girls squeaked and went out.

"They just cannot disturb boy-on-boy bonding moments..." Quan said huffily.

"Sigh... This is the beginning of the end..." Akihiko sighed.

A while later, the boys began to move out. I decided to think about Minako as I lay on the couch. Unexpectedly, I fell asleep.

Minako's POV

Minako cried as she went up. She tried to supress her feelings toward Minato, but she couldn't. As much as she denied it, she truly loved Minato with all her heart. As she undressed for her bath, she decided that tomorrow, she'd come forward to talk to Minato. She was sure they weren't broken. Just bent.

She was also certain that they will learn to love each other again.

Minako took a long, hot shower and got dressed. Then, she went to her bedroom, since Kamina was still at work. Only then did she feel the presence of a malevolent entity in her room.

"Who's there?!" She cried as she grabbed a cudgel from the dresser.

Something moved very quickly among the shadows, as if it WAS part of the shadows.

Then, something or someone literally materialized from the shadows and knocked her down and pinned her on the floor.

But Minako fought back. If this home invader thought Minako would come quietly, he's got another thing coming.

Clutching the attacker's head from behind her, she pulled her head forward and smashed her skull right at his face, effectively escaping from his grip as well as cracking his nose. She then saw how vast and huge the attacker was, with yellow eyes and a hulking body.

"Man, you're ugly." Minako smirked, slowly edging to where Pinaka was propped against as she looked closer at his face, "Minato smacking your nerd face with a frying pan somewhat improved it. Also, Sorensen gave you a nice little beauty mark."

With a roar, he charged forward, barreling towards Minako as she couldn't sidestep to avoid him due to his body size and strength, so she quickly lunged for Pinaka and successfully seized it. But as she turned to impale the intruder, he came so close that the weapon was rendered ineffective, grabbed the spearhead head and snapped it off. He then punched her twice in the face before they grappled each other and broke a chair as they fell over.

He straddled her and began to choke her as she desperately scrabbled to grab the remains of Pinaka, smacking the intruder with the butt of the broken glaive.

As he fell over, she clambered on his back and began choking him with the shaft of the spear. He managed to get up and knock Minako's hold of the spear by backing up and slamming her against the wall. He furiously grabbed Minako's head and smashed it three times on the plaster, denting it. Minako bit his hand as he let go, forcing them to lose balance and smashing the mirror.

He grabbed her and tried to force her head toward the frame of the shattered mirror. The shards could produce horrifying cuts. She resisted and faced up. He tried dealing a punch, but Minako avoided it. He tried another one as Minako not only avoided it, but also managed to backhand him on the face. He then opted to bite her in the face instead, salivating on her.

Minako's eyes fell upon a glinting object, which she recognized to be Pinaka's spearhead, as she stretched out to grab it. Making the mistake of grabbing the bladed portion, she ignored the pain, the blood and the white hot pain lancing at her hand as she stabbed the intruder in the left eye, twisted the blade and broke off the main point as he fell back, screaming and writhing in agony. Minako triumphantly pumped her fist before someone knocked her back down and held a sharp knife against her throat. When she struggled, the voice growled, "Move or struggle and I'll tickle you with this knife."

Minako was quaking with fear.

"Now, now my dear Guinevere..." A noble voice said, "Be nice. And you," He points to Minako, "Don't move. It'll only hurt if you do."

She frightfully obeyed. After bounding her with rope and gagging her, he smiled.

"Hello Minako." He curled his lip with contempt.

Minako screamed, but it sounded like, "Awhye!"

He smiled as he smoothed his blonde hair while stroking Minako's cheek, and knocked her out with a napkin soaked in ammonia. His ward carried her and shoved her in front of the TV.

"Argh! That little bitch!" The intruder, who was now revealed to be a shadow-hybrid, plugged his bleeding eye with Minako's cotton hanky which he ripped out from her drawer. He promptly kicked her in the midsection, breaking more than a few ribs. Already heavily injured and semi-conscious, she could only whimper in pain, "My eye is permanently jacked."

"That is just nasty." His Leader noted, "But be gentle with the prisoner, we need her alive."

"Will he take the bait?" The shadow-hybrid which appeared beside him growled, "He doesn't seem to be the rash type. Especially for this slut."

"He will." His leader said assuringly, "Love draws out the untapped potential in people... And their bond is definitely strong. After all, it was you who reported that drama whilst spying at the truck."

"True." The shadow-man admitted, "But he lives next door. Mayhap we could go in there and cut his throat..."

"There is no honor, no pride, no dignity in killing a man sleeping in his bed, in his own house... No, a worthy opponent needs to be killed appropriately with the right spectacle... Tomorrow, you will initiate the plan."

"Understood."

"Guardian?" He growled, "Did you get it?"

The Shadowman smiled, "Indeed." He said as his leader handed him a something swaddled with black cloth. He wrapped it around his mutilated eye.

He unsheathed his sword, "Ah, Lucifer's Blade... Feels about right."

"Yes." Guardian said, "And maybe I can replace this damned eye!" He said as he melted into the shadows after shoving Minako in the TV.

He dropped a letter at Minako's bedside and smiled, "And thus, the gentle Lamb of Salvation shall fall prey to the Lion of Damnation once again."

He put his head inside the TV, "Minako! You and I... we are going to have a lot of fun with Minato tomorrow..." He laughed as he entered the TV.