This is the final chapter! Wow, this is my first long completed story and it had taken meone year to write it. Hope that you will enjoy it!

Chapter 8 – We will meet again (End)

Riku kept staring at the necklace, daydreaming. She had been lying on her bed since early morning and it was now afternoon. She was very bored. Her father was off doing business and Risa went to talk with the new knight, probably her next love target. Riku tossed and turned. She could go and find Daisuke which might be able to clear her thoughts about Dark. Her mind finally settled and went to look for him. She knew where he would be since he usually spent his day at that place when there was no mission. Her legs led her to the horse stable. Daisuke was there patting his horse, Wiz (In this story, Wiz will be the horse and not the rabbit-like animal) and was laughing when it nickered at him.

"Daisuke!" Riku called out.

"Riku! Are you here to see Snow?" Snow was Riku's horse. Her mother gave it to her for her birthday present when she was six and Snow was just a white pony at that time. She was delighted that she had a new friend to play with since she was not allowed to make friends from the outside of the palace.

"I am bored so I come and find you for horse ridding. Want to come?" asked Riku.

"Sure. I get Wiz and Snow ready."

……………………

Daisuke and Riku raced down to the clear field near the palace and she won the race when she reached the finishing line.

"Ya! I win." Riku cried out in delight.

"Yeah. Let the horses rest." Daisuke came beside her and both of them faced the green scenery.

"I'm glad that you are cheerful again. You have had been feeling down lately."

Riku did not reply but stared ahead. After a while, she opened her mouth.

"I have been thinking… It's strange that I don't feel any hatred towards my kidnapper but lonely without him. Maybe it's because he had shown me places that I had never seen before or I enjoyed his presence very much. I know from the start that we are both from different world yet I still…" Riku wanted to say that she loved him but she could not bring herself to say it out. She bowed her head down covering her eyes that were slightly damp with tears.

Daisuke could not stand it anymore, seeing Riku and Dark suffering just because of this stupid thing about being in two different worlds. He finally split out.

"Dark loves you very much which is why he does not want to put you in danger."

Riku's eyes widened. She shuddered.

"How do… you know Dark?"

"I am the one who released him from the forbidden tower."

Riku was shocked. The forbidden tower was a place where no one was allowed to go. It was rumored that powerful evil creatures lived there and it was secured so nobody was allowed to enter. Dark told her that he was chained in a tall tower but she did not expect him to be 'born' there and also of all people, Daisuke was the one that released Dark.

Daisuke explained to her about the past between Dark and him and also told her about the battle tonight.

"But do you know what will happen if Dark were to seal Krad without the book?" Daisuke seriously asked

Riku slowly shook her head, trying to think what Dark had said to her in the cave.

"Dark has to use the same method as before. If Dark seals Krad, he has to be sealed along with him. However, this time it is going to be different. Dark passed me his feather which it will erase the existence of both of them. It means that Dark will never be in the world again."

Riku froze. The words slowly sank into her head. A life without him. The mischievous yet gentle Dark was slipping away from her life forever. She trembled and grasped Daisuke.

"Bring me to Dark."

………………………

It was evening and Dark was waiting for Krad at the forbidden tower. He had sent him a note that tonight was going to be the final battle between them.

"Dark!"

Dark turned to her and was startled.

"What are you doing here? Go back," demanded Dark.

Riku rushed towards him and hugged him. He was surprised by her action but nevertheless he hugged her back.

"Don't fight with Krad. I do not want you to disappear from my life." Riku cried. This is the second time she had cried since her mother had passed away. Dark did not know what to say. He wanted to say that he would always stay by her side but instead he whispered,

"I can't. It's for the safety of this world and I do not want to lose you."

"We can escape together and find a place far away from here," Riku tried to convince him.

Dark shook his head and lifted Riku. He flew towards the palace while Riku was shouting at him to not to bring her back to her room. She wanted to stay with him. He put her down when they reached her balcony.

"Dark, please." Riku pleaded.

Dark smiled and kissed her forehead. "I will never forget you Riku."

In a blink, he was gone, leaving Riku sobbing silently alone. She knew that Dark wanted to be free from all these and she had experienced this feeling before. Being born as a princess, she was trapped inside the palace like a bird inside a cage. She was not allowed to go around playing with the village children and had to stay around the palace with a nanny to look after her. It was great to have freedom. However, Dark was trading his freedom for the safety of the world and Riku.

Riku stood up and wiped her tears. It was her turn to save Dark. She rushed off to find the sealed book.

…………………………

Dark closed his eyes and talked to Daisuke by telepathy as he had his feather with him.

"Daisuke, when you are sure that Krad and I are sealed away, quickly put the feather you have in your hand on the tower and the building will vanish."

"Dark… I will miss you when you are gone."

Dark smiled. Daisuke was his only best friend he had and sometimes, they treated one another like brothers.

"Thank you for helping me all these times like keeping the guards from finding me."

"You're welcome." Dark could feel Daisuke smiling.

"Take care." After bidding him farewell, Dark broke the telepathy.

"I'm surprise that you have asked me to battle you."

Dark opened his eyes and faced Krad.

"Enough of this talk and let's end our battle."

Krad's smirk widened and flew towards him with a sword.

"Die, Dark!"

……………………

Riku was searching frantically for the book. She had searched high and low for it but there was no sign of the book and it would take days for her to go to each room to look for it. Time was running out. Riku cried out in her heart.

"Please send a sign or a clue for me to find it. Anything will do. I want to save Dark."

As if her prayer was answered, standing right in front of her was her Grandma! The spirit was pointing outside the room where she was in. Riku ran out while Rika guided her and stopped in front of a fountain. There was a small button. Riku pushed it and water stopped flowing. It suddenly moved back shakily to reveal an underground staircase. She turned to face Rika but she had disappeared.

"Thank you, Grandma," whispered Riku gratefully.

Without wasting any time, she walked down the stairs. Candles lit by itself on the walls as she passed by. Finally, she reached to a small door and opened. There, lying was the sealed book. It was a red book with chains wrapping around it. Riku took hold of it and she could feel a cold chill passed through her. She had finally found it! Without a moment to keep staring at it, she quickly climbed up to find her father and Risa panting from running.

"I felt the ground shaking… What are you doing?" asked Risa.

Tanaka turned paled when he saw the sealed book.

"Riku! Put back the book!" He was horrified when she shook her head, holding the book tightly.

"You know what will happen if you use the book right? You will be curse!"

"I know what I am doing, Father. I want to save my important person and I am willing to accept the curse no matter how horrible it is." With that, Riku ran off.

"Riku, come back here!" shouted Tanaka. He wanted to chase her but Risa stopped him.

"Father, it is her choice to decide. We can't do anything about it. Let's hope that nothing worse will come to her."

………………………

Dark and Krad were fighting furiously. Trees were burned down by their power and both of them had cuts made by their swords.

"Why do you want to protect the world?" asked Krad when both of their swords came in contact. "This world is filled with greediness, selfishness and jealousy. Why do you bother about it?"

Dark sent a dark blast towards him but he dodged it.

"To protect those people I care and love. I will never let you destroy the world they live in," replied Dark.

"Then I will prove you wrong," shouted Krad as he threw his golden blast. It hit him accurately and was thrown to the ground.

When he was about to throw the sword, Riku appeared and pushed him. Both of them fell. Krad quickly recovered and glared at her. His eyes hardened when he saw the sealed book in her hand.

"Now I finally understand why Dark had asked me to fight with him," he gritted and faced Riku who was backing away from the ground.

"You're never meant to be together with him."

Krad prepared another blast. Dark quickly got up and rushed to her but it was too late. The ball had hit her. Then Krad was thrown back to a tree by Dark's power and Dark cuddled the seriously bleeding Riku. She gasped weakly and smiled.

"I made it in time."

"Why do you have to come back here?" asked Dark, hoarsely.

"I want you… to be free."

Riku felt a tear dropped on her face. She looked closely and found Dark crying.

Tanaka, Risa and Daisuke appeared. They were too shocked to move and watched the scene before them. Riku coughed out blood. Her life was draining away.

"Dark… use my blood… and the book to seal Krad. This is my final wish. You must be happy… for me."

"You know I can't. Not without you," cried Dark.

"Smile for me… I want to… see it before I… die," Riku could not feel her body anymore and her vision became blur. Dark smiled despite his tears. "I…"

(I love you.)

When Riku's eyes were closed, everything stopped for Dark. Daisuke looked down on the ground sadly while Risa trembled. Both she and her father rushed towards Riku. She shook her sister.

"Riku, wake up. Don't joke with me. Wake up!" But it was no use.

Krad was laughing, getting up on his feet.

"What a weakling to cry over…" Before he could finish his sentence, he was hit by Dark's fist.

"I will never forgive you." Dark's eyes were clouded with anger. He fought Krad and his power was too overwhelming for Krad to fight it. Just when he was about to send his final blast as him, Daisuke shouted,

"Dark, stop! Even if you kill him, he can still be able to reborn."

Dark heard him and he slowly restrained himself from throwing it at him. He looked at Krad who was too weak to stand up.

"Disappear from this world, Krad," he spitted out as he picked up the sealed book. Dark opened the book and smeared Riku's blood from his hand onto the blank page. He chanted and green vines came and surrounded Krad which brought Krad to the wall of the forbidden tower. Krad started to disappear inside it. Dark was caught off guard as Krad used his final strength to kill him. It hit him fully but he continued to stand firm and chanted his finally phrase. Daisuke put Dark's feather on the tower and it vanished. Then, Dark fell on the ground.

"Dark!" Daisuke called out but Dark ignored. His eyes stayed focus on the still Riku.

"Riku…" Dark kept repeating her name as he dragged himself closer to her. Risa was crying softly looking at the couple while his father hugged her from behind. When Dark finally touched, he smiled in content.

"I will… always stay… by your… side." And Dark closed his eyes.

Leaves were falling everywhere as the wind carried the two souls together.

Times of tears

Times of joy

I will never forget every moment

I have with you

Even if we are apart

I believe that fate will bring us back

And I will be able to say these three words to you

I love you

(Dodge every stone that are thrown) I'm so sorry that it is a sad ending but I find it more real and touching at the same time. However if you want a happy ending, I can make a sequel but it will depend on the number of votes. Maybe 20 or 30. (At least I know that there are many people who REALLY want to read)

I am not good at writing battle scenes so please excuse me for that and in cause some of you are wondering, Riku and Dark did not tell each other that they love one another. The bracket is to show what Riku was trying to say to Dark.

I want to thank Unheard Symphony who helped me with my grammar. You had been a GREAT help to me (See you in class tomorrow). I would also like to thank those who reviewed for me all the time and the supporters.

Thank you very much.

That is all for Stolen Kiss.