Hey guys, it's been a while. This will be the last chapter of this fic. I lost my passion for it, and reading it again has only given me enough to write a final chapter. I hope you understand.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario+Vampire, but it's been fun writing like I do.

Why?

A trail of frozen tears litters the ground on a wild trail through the forest.

I knew this would happen, so why?

At one end of this trail, a pair of guilt-ridden individuals. At the other, a sorrow-stricken girl.

Why does it hurt so much?

Mizore doesn't know what to think anymore. She knew this would happen, knew that they would do this, but she can't make it not hurt. Her feelings for Tsukune have been wrung dry like a wet rag. And though the rag has had an immense pressure put onto it, it's still damp with her love, and that's what makes it hurt.

She doesn't know where she's going or har far she's already ran. Her loss of breath is immaterial and the aching in her legs is nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She doesn't want to believe that she's lost, but there's only so much denial that one can delve themselves into before they hit depression, and that's a place that Mizore refuses to return to.

She dropped her lolipop (which has a special mint in it that regulates her body temperature) when she started running. Her body has heated to the point of almost melting, but she doesn't even notice. Her legs and arms are covered in cuts from stray branches, but she doesn't care. She can't even realizing that she's rapidly getting slower, her vision getting darker, her mind slipping away...

...

*THUD*

Seth's head snaps to the sound in the distance. He feels a faint energy from that area, but it's so small he can't quite make it out...

Who is... wait... no... No... NO! MIZORE!

Seth tears through the branches between him and the snow girl, her unconscious form seeming to melt away on the ground.

"The sucker! Where's the sucker!?" he yells to himself, searching the ground, then her pockets. He can't find one and assumes that she'd somehow lost it. "Alright, alright, think quickly... She needs cold... a really cold place... I've got it!"

Seth, new idea in mind, puts his hand on Mizore's shoulder and transports both of them to the Fourth Dimension. Mizore stops melting almost instantly due to the lack of almost any heat. Her body reforms, her skin going back to its original smooth shine.

The man breathes a sigh of relief. His love is safe, which leaves him to curiosity. "What were you doing out in the woods all by yourself?" He asks her, not expecting a response.

"I could ask you the same question." Seth nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears Mizore's voice.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought you were still passed out... Y-you were out cold, er, hot in the woods, and you were melting and you didn't have your lollipopandyouneededhelpsoIthough-"

"Thank you," Mizore's voice cuts off Seth's frantic speech. She seems to be doing fine, and her breathing has regulated to a normal pace.

"What happened?" Seth asks. He's never known Mizore to be this reckless, unless it had to do with... "Oh," he says. As he looks into her eyes, filled with sadness, he understands what must have happened. "Do you... do you want to talk about it?"

Mizore doesn't answer for a while. She's cooled down to her normal temperature, and her thoughts have finally started to rationalize in her head. She doesn't know what she'd even say if she were to talk about it with Seth. All she can think of is how much it hurts.

Not getting a response, Seth takes the initiative. "I think I know how you feel," he says uncertainly. This was new to him, something he hadn't tried before; talking. "I'm not much of a talker myself, and I always want to rationalize things for myself before saying anything out loud. But, I think... I think I'd be willing to try talking about my problems irrationally, if you want to as well." He smiles nervously at her, but it's genuine nonetheless. Mizore's confused and conflicted gaze slowly fades into acceptance, and she nods her consent.

"I guess I'll be going first then, huh?" Seth says. "Well, where to begin... I guess my problems usually come from other people. Most of them have some sort of problem with me. If not, then I have a problem with them. They'll say something ignorant, and I'll retort, and they'll get angry. That's how it always happens. And it always ends up with me being the bad guy, the instigator, the bully. If anyone would open their eyes for once, they might just see what's really going on. But they don't, so I just keep to myself and do what I can to remain calm."

Mizore soaks in the information. She already understood his situation, but hearing him talk about it so openly makes her feel comfortable with him. Realizing that it's her turn, she starts talking.

"I first heard about Tsukune in his articles in the school paper, but I guess you already knew that. You also know that I approached him about it, felt rejected and ran away, and... what happened after that. I was scared. But Tsukune was there for me, and he helped me through it, whether he knew it or not. His never ending kindness showed me that there are better things to life than being alone and that not all people are bad. I've met a lot of friends through him, and we all care for each other like family." Seth listens patiently, not offended by her clear adoration of Tsukune.

"I though... I thought that if I tried hard enough, if I waited for the right moment, I would get my chance to be with Tsukune. I thought we could be together forever, and that even if we weren't, I'd still be able to follow him. I still love him, even after what happened," Mizore concludes.

"But do you think you'll still chase after him, knowing that he's in love with someone else?" Seth asks, partially for her and partially for himself.

"I... I don't think so..." Mizore says quietly, almost a whisper. Tears swell in her eyes again, and she tries to blink them away but they won't stop filling until they flow down her cheeks. Seth moves next to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"There, there," Seth says, trying to be soothing. He has no idea what he's doing, but he's doing what feels right. "It'll all be ok, I promise."

"How can you be sure?" Mizore asks, turning to look at him.

"Because I'll make it ok," Seth says with what seems to be a stupid determination. "God, that was cheesy, wasn't it?"

Mizore's frown, which she had been wearing since she woke up, fonally broke into a faint ghost of a smile, and a small chuckle escapes her lips. She turns away from Seth and allows the large man to embrace her, her small smile stuck on her face. This warms Seth's heart immensely within the cod Fourth Dimension, and he smiles too.

After a while, the two head to Mizore's apartment. All the way there, the two hold hands, giving each other confidence in one another. He let's her out of the Fourth Dimension once she has another lollipop in her mouth and he's sure she's safe. Seth says good night and goes to leave her apartment when Mizore calls his name.

"Seth!"

"Yes?" Seth turns around, only for Mizore to plant one long, chaste kiss on Seth's lips. Nothing special, just a beginning. She quickly says "good night" and steps back into her apartment, closing the door behind her.

And Seth throws his fist in the air, the biggest, stupidest smile of the history of lucky guys on his face.