Author's Note: Maiden-Chan pointed out something important to me that I hadn't necessarily cleared up in chapter 2, as I should have in Julia and David's conversation. She said that she couldn't imagine how anyone than Haji's blood could awaken Saya. I would like to point out that Haji is partly instrumental in awakening Saya to her killing state, not in literally waking her up. I'm very glad she pointed this out to me, and if anyone else has any questions, please feel free to ask me! Once again, thanks so much to all of my wonderful reviewers. Especially the ones who reviewed Chapter 5: Firing Rockets on Dragons, Lady Icicle, Fluffy's Pocky, Mitay, and Maiden-Chan. Also, I'm very tired and wrote this very quickly. I haven't had a chance to look over it a second time, so if anyone spots any mistakes… please let me know! If need be, I'll smooth it out later on.

Chapter 6

"Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more."

- Louis L'Amour

They got out of the car and headed towards the stairs. David headed up the rear, his gun raised. "Be on your guard, everyone. I am hoping that we will be able to avoid Argeno tonight, but we have to be ready."

Lewis began quickening his pace. "Come, we must hurry. I hope that we can avoid Argeno as well, but if he does show up, it is imperative for Saya to already be awake."

They ran the rest of the way up and made quick work of dissecting the cocoon.

David looked at Lewis. "Hand me the syringe."

Kai looked at Saya's face. She looks so peaceful, he thought. Her raven colored hair had gotten so long, and was now well past her shoulders. But other than that, she looked the same. What was he thinking? Of course she looked the same, what had he expected her to look like?

He gave a slight smile. The reasons that the Red Shield wanted him here today brought a memory from their last night in Okinawa before departing for Russia, rushing back to him.

"Kai?"

"Yea?"

"I hope you'll always stand by me. You will always be there for me, right?"

"Saya-"

"Even if I have to fight over and over, as long as I have you and Riku, as long as I can keep being a member of the family, I know I... won't lose myself. Then I know I'll be okay.

"I promise I'll stay with you. I'll never leave you again. No matter what happens or where you go, I'll be there for you. Trust me."

"Thank you."

Maybe she was right. Maybe having a real family had made a huge difference in her life. Even though she had had Joel and Haji in the beginning, she had never had the stereotypical family like she did in Okinawa. Okay, so maybe they hadn't exactly been a stereotypical family, but she finally had an actual father and a couple of brothers. Even though his feelings towards her weren't exactly brotherly. His cheeks turned a little pink at that thought. Well, it's not like they were related by blood.

He looked back down at Saya. Everything is going to be fine, he thought. I can feel it.

David narrowed his eyes in concentration as he located a vein on Saya's upper right arm. He took the syringe and placed it just above the vein.

"Lewis, hold her arm steady."

"I've got it, David."

"Come over here, Kai. I want you to be the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes."

Kai quickly walked closer to Saya, placing both arms on either side of the cocoon.

David slowly injected the blood into Saya's vein. When he had injected more than three quarters of the blood into her bloodstream, her eyes shot wide open and she gasped.

Thank God. Her eyes were their normal brown color. But did she have her memory?

Kai stared into Saya's eyes. "Saya? It's me, Kai," he said, almost pleadingly.

Please remember.

"Kai?"

Kai took a sharp intake of breath at the sound of his name on her lips. Did she remember, or was she confused?

"I don't understand. You... you look the same! How can that be?"

Kai tried not to cry as he gave her a watery smile.

Her eyes widened as she found herself in Kai's arms. He was holding her so tightly, she felt as if he was permanently molding her body to his own. She slowly stroked his back in a gesture of comfort, though for what, she was not quite sure.

"Kai?" she asked, hesitantly.

"Saya," she heard him say in a muffled voice from over her shoulder. "Saya, I've missed you so much."

Saya placed her hands on his shoulders and lightly pushed. He slowly drew back and noticed that she was looking at him, searchingly.

"Kai, what is going on? I don't understand. I know I'm supposed to sleep for approximately thirty years, but you look like you've hardly aged at all!"

Saya saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head.

Saya let out a loud, indiscernible noise as she stared straight into the eyes of Haji. She felt as if her heart had been caught in her throat and she couldn't breathe. Nobody moved or said anything as she stared at him, as if paralyzed, for a full fifteen seconds. Her eyes began to water, and tears began to slide down her cheeks when she finally blinked.

"Haji," she said in a watery voice. "How... how can you... I thought that..." She put her face in her hands and her shoulders began to shake as she broke out into loud, gasping sobs.

Haji quickly moved over to Saya. Kai moved out of the way as Haji wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Haji looked a little sad before he closed his eyes and said, "Saya."

"Oh, Haji. I'm sorry," she said as she wiped her eyes. "It was so hard, thinking that you were gone. I never really got the chance to deal with my feelings before I fell into my deep sleep and, seeing you now... all the pain that I had bottled up inside of me just burst out."

Saya pulled back just enough to look into Haji's eyes. She gave a wide smile and gently placed her right hand on Haji's cheek, her eyes overly bright from the tears she had just shed and brimming with emotion. "Haji," she said softly, "I'm so glad you're okay."

Haji smiled down at Saya. He also placed his hand on Saya's cheek and tenderly rubbed his thumb just under her cheek bone. She felt her heart leaping out of her chest as she saw the deep, raw emotion in Haji's eyes.

"There it is. Finally," said Haji.

Saya dropped her hand from his cheek and placed it over his hand. There what was? She tilted her head questioningly, furrowing her brow.

"The smile that I had wanted to give you for so long. The smile that I saw on your face when I first found you in Okinawa. No matter how much I had wished it, I could not seem to give it to you. But now I finally have. Thank you, Saya."

As Saya pulled him towards her for another hug, David spoke up.

"Saya, I am sorry to interrupt, but we must leave now."

Saya put a hand to her heart as she whirled around.

"David? Lewis! You really scared me." Saya suddenly remembered her confusion from earlier as she glanced back over at Kai.

"What is going on? You all look the same, why am I awake? I shouldn't be, should I... it hasn't even been close to thirty years yet, has it?"

David looked grim. "No, Saya, it hasn't. We have to leave; I promise that everything will be explained to you once we do."

She looked worried and confused as she got up. "Okay, let's go."

They started walking out of the tomb.

"Well, well... it looks like Kai was here after all. No wonder we could not find you." Argeno smiled coldly. He then turned his attention to Saya. "Hello, Saya. I'm so disappointed zat I did not get to wake you myself. But," he shrugged, "it is of no consequence. I need you to come with me, now. If you refuse, I am afraid zat I will have to hurt your friends here. You wouldn't want zat now, would you?" A large number of Corpse Corps members suddenly appeared behind him.

Kai, Lewis, and David had their guns raised and pointed in Argeno's direction. Haji narrowed his eyes as he used his teeth to rip the bandages away from his right hand. "Saya is not going anywhere with you."

Argeno smirked and raised his left brow. "Oh, I see. So now zat you are done unwrapping zat hand of yours, am I supposed to be scared? You and a few mortals are no match for ze Corpse Corps. Now unlike all of you, my time is very valuable. Just hand Saya over to me and we can all save ourselves ze trouble. You all should not worry, I will not hurt her."

"Haji, give me my sword."

He glanced over at her. "But, Saya-"

"Haji, please. I know you don't want me to fight anymore, but I can't just stand here and watch you all fight for me. You know I can't do that, Haji."

Haji paused. "If that's what you wish." He opened up his cello case, took out her sword, and handed it to her.

"Saya, you have not fully awakened yet. You need my blood in order to fight." Haji took out a dagger and sliced into his palm.

She closed her eyes briefly. She had long since come to terms with the fact that she was a chiropteran. She looked over at Haji and nodded.

Argeno sighed. "I was hoping zat it would not have to come to zis." He backed away as he gestured back towards the Corpse Corps, who began running towards them.

Kai, Lewis, and David began to shoot at them as Saya drank some of Haji's blood. Saya's brown eyes widened as they turned into a bright, vivid red. The color was so bright, it looked like someone had flipped on a light switch behind her irises.

Haji whipped around just as one of the Corpse Corps was closing in on them. He took his cello case and forcefully swung it upwards, catching him under the chin. Haji swiftly swung the case to the left and bashed it into the side of the member of the Corpse Corps, who went flying backwards.

"Saya, watch out!" cried Kai, as he shot at another member of the Corpse Corps who had been running towards her. The member was thrown back by the first shot. Kai continued to fire multiple rounds into the Corpse Corps member until a bright light shot out of him and he exploded into a dark cloud of dust.

Damn, he thought. There are so many of them!

Saya narrowed her eyes as she sliced her thumb near the hilt of her sword. The blood from her thumb flowed down the long groove, which ran all the way to the tip of her sword, and the shorter grooves which ran horizontally all along the blade. She raised her sword over her right shoulder and began running towards one of the members of the Corpse Corps, when she saw a flash in front of her. She stopped in confusion as she watched the member she had been running towards collapse, completely dismembered. Then she looked up and gasped.

Solomon.

She saw another flash off to the left and her mouth dropped open.

Nathan?!

But how was that possible? She had killed him the same night that she had killed Diva!

More shots rang out to her right as another member of the Corpse Corps exploded in a burst of bright light and gray dust.

Argeno's lips were pressed into a tight line as he narrowed his eyes. Solomon. That bastard. He was still alive? How had this little fact managed to escape his attention?

"Well," Argeno muttered to himself. "Zis is certainly an unexpected development."

"I believe we shall retreat for now," Argeno said, raising his voice. Two members of the Corpse Corps appeared by his side as Argeno smiled at Saya. "I will be back for you soon, Saya."

They disappeared in a flash.

Kai moved to follow in the direction they had disappeared in, but David stopped him. "Let them go. We knew it was not going to be over today."

Saya slowly turned around to stare at Solomon and Nathan. With a flick of his wrist, the long sharp blade protruding from Solomon's right arm turned into his hand. Nathan had his hands on his hips, and looked rather pleased with himself.

"Saya," said Solomon hesitantly as he stepped towards her. Had she regained all of her memory?

"Solomon... Nathan?" Saya shook her head. "This is too much. What is going on? Why am I awake and why are you all here? What could Argeno possibly want with me? And you!" cried Saya, whirling around to face Nathan. "You! How is it that you are still alive?!"

Nathan smiled. "Saya... I thought you'd never ask!"