Epilogue ~

Earth

Rito sighed as he stretched in the morning sun, finally happy to be home after being cooped up in Zastin's former spaceship. Maul and Smutts were both pulling double duty, taking over for their bedridden commander, who was still healing from the damage that had been inflicted on him while under Creed's control. While he was strong, Zastin's body had been extremely fatigued and nearly pushed to its limits, and would have kept going until he died had Rito not disabled him by breaking the Devilukean's tail. As painful and uncomfortable as it left him feeling, the commander had ensured both Rito and King Gid he would be up and about within a months time, after they had safely reset his tail and given it time to heal. With a clear conscience and a weight lifted off his shoulders, Rito had gone home with Lala and her sisters, as Mikan and others had gone home with Mikado and Yami, since neither ships nor their captains were required anymore.

Before he had gone home, though, he had explained to King Gid and Queen Sephie that despite their readiness to be married, that he wished to postpone the proceedings for a bit, until he had graduated from his life on Earth. He had even expressed his wishes of plans for a wedding on Earth, having discussed them with Lala and suggesting they have the ceremony there to ensure his parent's could actually be on planet for the important day. Sephie had been supportive of him, happy that he was willing to take care of Lala despite everything that had recently happened, while Gid had been staring down at him in silence, as if contemplating something. Rito had been a little nervous at that, but Gid's expressions changed on a whim as he began smiling and congratulating his son-in-law to be. "Very well, Rito, I will take your proposal for an Earth wedding into consideration, though some things may have to be dealt with in advance," Gid had replied, stroking his beardless chin in thought, smiling with his eyes closed, "I will inform you of my decision within the coming month, so wait to make your plans just yet oh future king, as I still have a say in the matter..." Rito had been happy that he had just left it at that, though he hopped they could have it on Earth so that they didn't have to abduct his parents from Earth like Lala had done that one night a few years back for christmas.

Now back on Earth, Rito had just departed from the ship with Lala, having been beamed to the front of his house where Mikan and the others who had already returned were waiting for them. "Onii-chan!" Mikan had excitedly declared, latching herself onto him with a hug, despite having seen him not more than a week prior, "Glad you're back." Celine had joined Mikan in her hug, while Nana and Momo hung onto their sister, chattering away about the ride home. "Come on, I'm sure you're tired," Mikan states, turning around and pulling Rito behind her, "I've got dinner going inside, and I think I made a bit much..." Lala finds herself shoved forward towards the door behind Rito, as they all head in together into the poorly lighted living room.

"Surprise!" a shout is heard as lights turn on all the way, party poppers and streamers suddenly flying in the air as the gathered group reveals itself. Rito and Lala are both surprised by the large group hidden in the living room, but the banner hanging above them makes it clear as to why they are all gathered together. "Congratulation's," it read, "Rito and Lala, for your Engagement!" Lala blushed as she smiled at all of her friends, Mio, Risa, Yui, her older brother Yuu, Saruyama, Run, and Kyouko, Shizu, and more of their friends, like Yami, Mea, Nemesis, Kuro, and even Mikado-sensei was there. Rito even blushed a little bit at seeing the hesitant Haruna Sairenji smiling, though he relaxed seeing her arm wrapped around the normally passionate Ren, who smiled and joked with the others, before approaching him and Lala while bringing Haruna with him.

"Congratulations Lala, Rito, I finally concede defeat to you, since it seems you and her have a connection I hope I can have one day," he says, smiling as he turns to look to Haruna and leaning down to kiss her, much to the shock of everyone. Haruna was blushing in shock, looking mortified and like she could faint, while Rito was just surprised that Ren had fallen in love with someone other than Lala, and that it had been his onetime crush, while Lala just seemed surprised and happy for Ren. Suddenly Rito was dragged backwards and turned around by blonde hair in the shape of hands, to face another happy looking couple as the black haired former assassin grinned like the Cheshire cat, while Yami stared him down with her ever usual expression.

"Yuuki Rito, as you have been formally engaged to the Princess of the Devil Star, and seeing as the Deviluke Empire has permanently hired myself and Black on as freelance agents, I have a gift for you," Yami states, as she rummages for something behind her back before pulling it out and holding it out, "As my previous contractor has been imprisoned and strip of his wealth and social rank, all stipulations in the contract for one Yuuki Rito to be dispatched, has been made null and void, allowing me to do this..." Taking it in both of her hands she rips it in two, much to the happiness of Rito, and the surprise of Lala. She smiles and bows to both Rito and Lala, before discarding the voided contract, now ripped to shreds. "We look forward to working with youin the future, Princess Lala," Yami bows slightly, followed by an impressed looking Kuro, "And congratulations on your engagement once more."

While everyone else was congratulating Rito and Lala, Mikan and Nana took the opportunity to slip out into another room, while Momo gathered everyone's attention. "Everyone, I'm sure you're all excited to be back here, to celebrate the official engagement between my Nee-chan and Rito, but there are some of us not here that we know Rito would appreciate knowing this exciting development," she announces, having gotten everyone curious to focus on her, "So now, without further ado, let's bring them out!" Everyone erupts in laughter as Mikan and Nana appear from around the corner of the kitchen and the living room, spreading out their hands in fanfare to invite two mysterious guests that were hidden from the rest. Rito's eyes widen, and the laughter of the room increases,as Rito and Mikan's mother and father both walk in to the surprise of their son and future daughter-in-law.

"Mom, Dad!" Rito states in surprise, both at the fact that Mikan was able to force their dad out of his studio for this event, but more so in the fact that Momo and Nana had managed to find their elusive mother in the chaotic game of airplane tag that her modeling agency kept her bouncing between countries with. He runs up to and hugs his mother first, smiling as his dad slaps him on the back while heartily laughing. Rito steps back and brings Lala to them for the first time as his fiancee. "I know you've met her, but Lala and I have decided to finally get married once I finish up school," Rito states, hesitant at first but confidence growing as he faces his parents, "I know it sounds sudden, but things happened, in space of all places, and I realized that if I wanted Lala to marry anyone... I wanted it to be me!" He leans over to kiss her on the cheek, and the normally cheerful Devilukean girl was surprisingly shy due to the display of affection in front of his parents.

"Finally, we already said we liked her Rito!" Ringo Yuuki states, as she hugs her husband close to her, smiling at both son and daughter, "We heard all about your adventures from Mikan, Nana, and Momo, and the darling Nakajima boy..." Suddenly a shadow crosses both of his parent's faces, which causes Rito to freeze in place. "But you see, we know we don't have the full details," his mother starts, "We just want to make sure our boy was raised right..."

"...as we know he doesn't wish to dishonor us, and do right by our beautiful, new daughter in law," Sabai continues, placing a heavy hand on Rito's shoulder as he slides up next to him, while Ringo does likewise on the other side to lean into their son's personal space, "So we just wanted to make sure you weren't planning on making us grandchildren anytime soon before he gets married, and using protection..." Rito groans and turns beet red as his parents cause even Mikan and Lala to blush. Nana looks scandalized at hearing Ringo and Saibai confront their son about his actions with her older sister, while Momo just waved off a dizzy spell from the blood rushing to her head, turning away to fight back laughter. Lala quickly holds Rito up as he seemingly passes out, his brain frying from the thoughts and questions forced upon him, his parents still digging into him for questions while Mikan is even beginning to worry about the levels of teasing he would be getting after this...

As the party went on, cake came out, as did some other details surrounding what Rito and Lala's plans were, until the place became suffocating for Momo. Slipping out, sipping at some of the punch that had been set out, she sat down on the back porch and stared out past the cozy white fence, toward the setting sun still high enough to give its light, but signal the end of the party soon enough. She hears the sliding door open again, then shut, and hears the creak of feet on the porch as someone sits down near her, holding their own drink. "It was getting a bit stuffy in there, wasn't it Momo?" Nakajima asks, sipping at his own drink as he admires Rito's collection of flowers and plants in his own little garden, "How are you holding up?" Momo crosses her hands at that, giving a side glance and an eyebrow raise to the younger green haired boy, though he gives a patient nod back. She sighs, and takes another sip of the punch to cool her parched throat.

"I liked him, liked him-liked him, but I always knew he never returned my feelings," she states, much to her own surprise at being so open with a boy who was veritably a stranger to her, "Am I still happy for him, for her, of course I am, they've proven to themselves and everyone else that they are literally bound together as soul-mates now..." She tips her head back and drains the contents of her cup into her mouth, letting the cooling drink slide down in a few gulps. Gasping for air as she sets the cup down against her leg, staring out at the skyline. "I always was jealous of my sister, as much as it seems vain of me to admit it," she states to Nakajima, "She had boys drooling over her, lining up to be her husband, rich, powerful, kind, not as much as Rito, but loving people none the less..." She glances over at Nakajima, before chuckling and realizing she was telling a perfect stranger her feelings. Did she or Nana accidentally spike the punch? Nemesis, or Mea? Not caring, she turns back to the skyline and focuses her mind elsewhere. "I don;t know why Earth guys are so special, I know she chose Rito because he impressed her, but you human's aren't any better than half the known universe out there," she states pointing up to the invisible sky full of stars beyond the darkening blue sky, "We're all just made of the stuff of stars, what makes someone better than another..." Nakajima remains silent, but he scoots a little bit closer to Momo, facing her though she looks elsewhere.

"I can't say why we humans are so different, I've really only had humans to base my own opinions off love and life, but then you guys showed up and I think I get it," Nakajima says, as he stares at Momo, "Its not that human's are special, I mean we're still at war for our planet, we still get sick like everyone else, and we squabble over the littlest things..." He chuckles, and takes another swig of his drink before continuing. "I was out there, with Rito, with Kuro and Zastin, I got to face down pirates, use alien plants to take down bad guys, and be someone else I wasn't here on Earth," Nakajima says, causing Momo to look over at him, "Its not that humans are special, we aren't, but it seems like we do have something I didn't see others at that alien wedding reception having..." He looks to Momo and smiles, taking a sip of his drink and licking his lips free of the sticky moisture. "We're innocent, hopeful, a little bit foolish, and way too trusting of others," Nakajima states, to Momo's curiosity, "Yeah, you see you guys all have been dominating space for what, thousands of years, a couple of centuries at most, and here we are, a species still in the cradle of their own home world taking our first steps at joining the greater galactic community." He downs the rest of his drink, as he continues smiling at Momo, causing her heart to skip a beat as she focuses on his lips.

"Don't get me wrong, we have our problems like everyone else, but we've envisioned the universe at large despite having never left the nest, so to speak, everyone else out there seems to forget they're alien, they've had time to adapt, for every day interactions with your neighbors a quadrant, a parsec, a planet over, being something equivalent to going to your next door neighbor and asking for a cup of broth to finish your stock," Nakajima states, turning to the sky again, seeing the pale moon appear despite the night not yet having risen, "We aren't any different, sure to you, but everything out there is different to us, so we have new views to add, a culture to show off despite everyone already knowing about us, but not knowing us... it's like romancing the plot to your favorite book, when reality doesn't live up to your expectations, and it- it's a breath of fresh air to find something different!" Momo doesn't know if someone spiked the drink or not, nor does she seem to really be caring right now that the party going on behind them leaves them in full view from beyond the glass doors, but she can't fight back the butterflies in her stomach anymore, as this wonderful human boy just understands... "Momo, are you ok-mmmphhh?!" Nakajima's eyes widen as he finds the Devilukean princess having leaning closer to him, only for her to smash her lips onto his a bit forcefully, and he tries his best not to get lost in his daydreams as the girl he could only ever dream about was kissing him right now. He closed his eyes and moaned as she dug her fingernails slightly into his arms, and he gives way as he feels her tongue force itself between her lips, probing for an opening, to experiment this new sensation, this new feeling of pleasure. He hoped this experience would never end. She hoped she would never have to let go.

OoOoOoOoO

Back inside the house, Rito had begun to clean up as people filtered out of the house as night encroached upon the house, ending the fun earlier than expected. Lala was still swapping stories with Ringo regarding his childhood, while Saibai was chatting up both Mikan for more help fixing up his studio and begging her and Momo for more of those delicious lunches they would make for him, Smutts, and Maul. Rito was happy that everyone was gone now, and a little semblance of peace had fallen over the usually quiet Yuuki household once more. Setting the last of the waste into the garbage bag, Rito looks over the cleaned up room and is amazed to be back somewhere familiar with his family around him, after weeks of being in space and on alien planets. He falls back into the couch with a smile on his face, finally able to calm down from the excitement of the past couple of days and taking a few moments of rest after a party full of friends and family welcoming him back home like he was some lost soul. Rito feels the couch shift under the weight of another person sitting down, and he opens his eyes as Lala lays her head on his lap, while the rest of her body takes up the rest of the couch. "Did my mom run out of stories?" Rito asks jokingly, knowing better than that, as Lala shakes her head, "Wasn't it nice of our friends throwing a surprise party for our return?" She nods, and sits there in his lap, not saying anything which was a pleasant experience for Rito as he chose to close his eyes and take a breather.

"Are we going to get married after you graduate?" Lala finally asks, as Saibai and Ringo disperse to their room, Mikan goes to get Celine ready for the night, and Nana and Momo take a hint and go to use their own facilities in the girl's extension, "I mean, really, properly married, Rito, no regrets?" Rito looks down at her as she looks up, her questioning gaze causing him to chuckle as they meet.

"I promise a real marriage, no one interrupting our wedding trying to steal you away from me, or me backing out at the last moment, because," he states, as he grabs her hands to play with them, removing the ring from her fingers along with his own, "These already show us on the outside, what we know on the inside...I faced my regrets inside that pearl, and I hope I showed you that you had nothing to regret by my choosing you." He gets up, both rings still in his hand as he lets Lala sit up, he turns around and faces a confused Lala. Rito proceeds to get down on one knee and offers her back the ring that had been on her hand. "Despite all the fanfare, the friends and family we've been talking to, making promises of dates and plans, we haven't made it official between us yet, have we?" he states rhetorically, a smile on his face as she blushes in realization of what it was he was doing, "So, Lala Satalin Deviluke, will you do me the honor of becoming my fiancee, knowing that once I prove to myself I am responsible, you and I plan to make our union official?"

The squeal that shook the house and trails of happy tears were almost as great as the resounding 'YES' that followed as the answer to his question. Rito had never been happier hearing her answer, and he laughed with her as she cried into his arms. He had everything he had ever wanted, but the cost to get it had been something great indeed. The prince-to-be would always wonder if Creed and Echidna ever received their happy ending, or if their story ended in the ashes of the Pearl. Rito would also wonder if Adam was still alive somewhere, in another place, another time of some form. For now these questions would remain just that.

Somewhere Else

The sun is shining on green, grassy knolls that have sat undisturbed by man for many years. What once was a habitation had long ago rotted away to its foundation, wood turning to dust, bricks washed away in floods that had eroded away at the land, bringing change to the hills as time marched ever onwards. In the middle of the broken foundation of the once house, which in turn had been shifted by the waterlogged earth settling over centuries of time, an unnatural boulder that had been planted in the middle of the area was the newest source for change in the area. Jutting edges and well worn stone break apart at odd angles, as compacted cement and dirt separates after being forcefully displaced in an event that deposited its contents onto the rolling hills.

Just days ago the most unnatural storm to ever hit the area in hundreds of years had occurred, the sky turning dark as the fabric of reality was torn apart, a hole in space and time ripping open the sky and unleashing unholy bolts of energy that sucked light into them, leaving photo negative flashes of light that struck the ground. Expelling the massive stone from its heart, the storm collapsed upon itself and returned the world to normal, the still, grassy knolls returning to shift in the breeze that shortly followed the odd atmospheric disturbance. And in a newly made crater a shining, silver-black sword encased in the resulting meteoric debris, waits to be pulled free from its place within its new prison. Gleaming adamant in the noontime sun, it waits, for it knows it is not alone in its wait.

The rumbles of thunder and musical sound of rain became clearer as new winds of change brought with it the refreshing source of life from the oceans afar. It was these same cooling rains brought on from afar, that awoke the blonde haired boy that lay face first in the mud and pooling water. Pink eyes opened as he began to choke on the rising water, sputtering as he forces himself onto his hands and knees to gather his surroundings. He did not know who he was, he did not know where he was, but he knew enough, that he must survive to find...something, and then he would have his answers.

OoOoOoOoO

Earth
The Next Day

Rito Yuuki woke to a warm body against his body, pressing him down against his mattress in a tangle of arms and legs. This time though he was prepared for it, ever since Lala had accepted his proposal last night, and had gone their separate ways to bed. Taking a deep breath, he smelt the familiar scent of ginger and pears, so he smiled as he opened his eyes to the familiar pink hair that went down her back and covered her nude form where the tangle of blankets were pulled away or moved in the middle of the night by their sleeping selves. Despite waking up to the nude princess in his room, hearing the knock on his door and seeing it open, he was still one to be embarrassed by the fact a girl was naked in his bedroom in the early morning, with him half-naked to boot. "Wait, Mikan, Nana, it's not wha-" he freezes and feels his heart drop into his stomach as the surprised face of his mother appears from behind the door. Rito feels himself die inside at having his mother come in to wake him up, and he hoped whatever she said would not be too harsh. Stuttering for words as his mother stares him down, cocking her head to the side in confusion, before seeing the half covered lump still in his bed. It was at that time that Lala woke up, sitting up and stretching to reveal her full glory to his mother, much to her horror.

Expecting the worse, like the physical response from Nana, or a verbal reprimand like Mikan, he just hoped he didn't disappoint too much for being such a careless, indecent...

Rito blanches as his mother walks right by him without a word, her eyes gleaming with a look he knew all to well and hadn't expected from her. "Lala-san, would you do me a favor and stand up, you can use Rito's bed sheet like a robe if you need to feel dressed, but I need to see something!" she states excited, in her work mode, much to Rito's chagrin and embarrassment, "My, what form, such envious size, width is definitely right, and so smooth..."

exe.Rito not loading, he stayed there too red and embarrassed to turn around and see what his mother was doing to his fiancee, he was found standing like that by both Nana and Mikan, who had come up to see what the commotion was about. Mikan had snapped her fingers in front of Rito, expecting a response, but not getting any, even Nana was surprised and impressed that Rito had basically fainted while standing. She would have chastised both Rito and her sister, but the embarrassment that Ringo was providing was satisfying enough for Nana, though she was a bit scandalized by the places the modeling agent was checking out on her sister, and she reflexively covered herself with a blush. It was at that time that Peke came lazily floating in holding a steaming mug of some fluid, tired eyes closed as she set her drink down and went past Mikan, Nana, and Rito, before excusing herself and asking Ringo to take a step back. Ringo was privileged to see the little robot do her transformation work, and was amazed when Lala appeared to be wearing her regular, everyday attire.

It took a kiss from Lala to wake Rito backup,as Ringo left only after being dragged down to the kitchen by Nana and Mikan working together. Momo walked in as she left, looking back as Ringo desperately tried to claw her way back up the stairs, brimming with questions aimed at Lala and Peke, begging for the secrets to her transformations, and how she could get a hold of her own version of Peke. The youngest Deviluke smiled before turning back to Rito and Lala, and removing something from arms to hand it over to Rito. "This came to you overnight, papa had sent it for Rito to view alone," Momo states, smiling as she hands off the floating, skull shaped vial with purple crystal resting inside the three upper spikes, "Since father specifically stated this message was for Rito, and Rito only, how about you help me downstairs onee-chan, we need to visit the school today and see if we can get our absences excused so our grades aren't a mess when we get back, we probably have piles of homework and tests to catch up on too."

"Yep!" Lala salutes, smiling before turning back to Rito and giving him a parting kiss on the cheek and purring out a, "See you downstairs in a bit, darling~!" Gulping as Lala's words tickle his ear, he turns his anxiety towards the container in his hand. He had been told to expect a message from the King soon, of course, but Rito hadn't assumed it would be this fast! The last time he had gotten a message like this from the King of Deviluke, he had stated he had approved of their marriage candidacy, and while Rito wasn't nervous, he hoped this one came with less threat inside it. Touching the purple crystal on top of the device, the item putters to life and floats out of his hand, as the crystal begins to recount the message the King wanted delivered to him.

"Rito Yuuki, if you're getting this message, then you and Lala have made it home safely, which relieves me more than one might expect," the recording of King Gid's voice relays, "As the current rulers of the universe, you'd be surprised that despite your show of force at beating Lacospo, and fighting Creed, their are still some very suicidal idiots who think they can topple my control over the various planets in the universe..." He hears a chuckle come over the recording, before the King resumes his message. "In fact, I'm afraid, that is one of the reasons I've sent this message to you, Yuuki Rito, as current Prince consort, and future King," the message relays, "You see I've become aware of a problem that's come up across some Smuggler Dens and in the scope of the G.P.D., and it seems Rito, that it all centers in on one planet..." As the Deviluke King trails off, Rito's breath catches as he fears where the older man is headed with this. "I'm afraid some shady business has been going down in your corner of the galaxy, Rito, so I figured I could get you and a couple of your friends to handle it for me, think of it as a test to prove you have the ability to solve a conflict of interest like this," the King pauses for a moment, clearing his throat, "So let me tell you about what's going on, and why Earth is in the cross hairs to play center stage for an all new Galactic War..."

A/N: And this is it for the story! Hope you all liked it, and I'll ask you to keep an eye out for an upcoming new story I'll be making that is a collection of the One-shots I have planned now, and will be planning to make later. Hopefully that will be a place I put all my Interlude type chapters, between chapters of story, so I can keep the cohesion of my story going. Oh well, live and learn and all that! Don't be afraid to post questions, give feedback,and remember to favorite and/or follow my story so I can post an update when I get my one-shot collection set up. I always love to hear what people say about my story, anonymous or otherwise! Have a great rest of 2018, To-Love Ru fans, and keep being great!