Author's Note (7/2/14):

Hey guys.

GUESS WHAT.

IT'S FINISHED. Can I get a whaaaaaaaat

The supportive reviews of my faithful readers inspired me to finish this out with a bang. I've kept Brighttail's review in the main folder of my email inbox ever since he/she wrote it. Every single time I checked my email, I was reminded that the second I had a break from school and work, this chapter had to happen. I thank all of my faithful readers, for helping me do something I've never done before: finish a novel. A 175-page novel. It's not the most serious, ambitious novel in the world - it's a fanfiction, after all - but I certainly am proud of it. I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

For now, sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the ever-lengthy, action-packed finale to Wish. Leave a review!

Chapter 10: Eternal Night

Chime…

A handful of police officers helped Satoshi lower the red-haired boy to the ground. He was breathing and seemingly uninjured, but his unblinking eyes, glued open with fear, cried "Help me."

Chime…

There was a momentary twitch of movement that drew Brenner's attention to the place from which the boy must've fallen. What was up there? How'd the boy get up there?

Chime…

Satoshi laughed quietly to himself. I should've known Daisuke would appear with Dark. With Daisuke in my grasp, have I already ended it…?

Chime…

Landry continued to check Daisuke's physical condition. "What do you think caused this kid to fall, Commander?"

No, of course it wouldn't be that easy. If he and Daisuke were one, he would've saved Daisuke from the fall. Dark is still free. Satoshi was about to turn his attention to the top of the tower, like the others, until he noticed that Daisuke's hand was clutching something.

Chime…

As he pried some of Daisuke's stiff fingers away, he found a palm-sized object, encrusted with precious stones, that was subtly glowing. One by one, bright blades of light shot out from under its lid. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that this was the other half – and that it was activating. How did Daisuke get this?

Chime…

Brenner continued to study the night-blanketed bell tower. A flash of violet came and went so fast that he passed it off as a trick of the eye. Focusing carefully, he thought he detected a slight difference between the black sky and an even blacker shadow. Maybe his eyes hadn't been playing tricks, after all – something really was up there! A person? That couldn't be it. The shadow was wider than the tower itself.

Chime…

He turned to alert Satoshi of this, but jumped instead when he saw a body of light stretching this way and that. When it had formed a head, the light dispersed, leaving behind a tall, handsome young man, pocket-watch in hand.

Chime…

His dark hair was in perfect disorder, and his skin was smooth and even as marble. His crisp new clothes, however, were drenched in scarlet, and his eyes were gold and hollow. Slumped shoulders and labored breathing revealed an immense amount of fatigue.

Chime…

Satoshi was overcome first by astonishment, and then by disbelief. Had his father actually escaped from the painting this fast with his life intact? No, something was off…

Chime…

"Forgive my poor aim," the man said, looking upon Daisuke with pity. "But I am certainly grateful for your service."

Chime…

The police exchanged baffled glances, unsure of what they were witnessing. Too stunned to make sense of the situation, Brenner wondered about that shadow on the top of the tower again. When he looked up, he gasped.

Chime…

It had begun to descend.

"Hey, Kyo!"

Tohru, having scanned the sudden darkness ahead of her, caught sight of two gleaming lights reflecting up above her head. After her eyes had adjusted – she'd been submerged in city lights just moments before – she realized she was in front of Alyssa's house, and that was Kyo peering down at her from the roof. "Kyo, it's us!"

He gave a sigh of relief when he recognized her. It turned out Ayame was beside her, too. "Where'd you come from!?"

Having kept watch from the roof ever since Satoshi had driven off with the others, Kyo was startled to see them without any warning. They hadn't made a single sound – it was as if they'd materialized out of thin air. He began to doubt the effectiveness of his cat senses. If those two could be this stealthy, how could he hope to outwit Dark?

Tohru and Ayame turned toward each other, shrugged.

"We were with Satoshi just a second ago," a smiling Ayame told Kyo. "And then Lena happened."

A loud squeak alerted them. Hatsuharu's head slowly emerged, sideways, from the window to Alyssa's room. "Oh?"

He'd been keeping watch inside the house, and took to cleaning up the remnants of their fight with Dave. Not too long ago, they had thrown him inside Satoshi's sunset painting.

"We were there, and then we were here," Tohru noted, her huge blue eyes suddenly small black dots. "I think we were teleported!"

Kyo leapt down from the roof to get more details. "Teleportation, huh? Now we're talking! That's gotta be Lena! What happened while you were out?"

"We were pulled over by the police, but Lena was with them," Ayame explained while bouncing up and down. "Right before she sent us back, she told Satoshi that he was suddenly a part of the police force." Bursting into tears of pride and joy, he added "His uniform was glorious!"

Kyo hit him on top of the head, causing a small cross-shaped bandage to form. "Idiot."

"And Alyssa?" Haru asked.

Ayame and Tohru shook their heads. "We never found her."

"Then why'd you let her send you back?" Kyo whined. "Whatever. I'm sure Lena knows what she's doing."

After a brief moment of silence, Haru calmly pointed to the road. "Look over there," he said. They all observed that the Lexus he'd viciously attacked earlier that evening had stealthily returned, as well.

That wasn't the only car in view, however. Another small vehicle pulled up and let someone out. Kyo immediately pressed himself to the side of the house, and the others followed, craning their heads to keep the stranger in sight. In the dead of night with only a single street lamp nearby, it was difficult to tell who the person was.

Frantic whispers wafted over. "That's his car! He might be hurt – I need to check this place out!"

The figure scurried toward the house while the driver parked the car.

Who's that?! the group wondered as alarms rang in their minds.

"Is it Alyssa?" Haru asked. Still inside the house, he couldn't see as well as the others.

"No, too tall. A man?" Kyo speculated.

Ayame smacked him. "What have I told you about the unmistakable form of a woman?"

"She looks so normal," Tohru whispered, her mind swirling. "I think she's human. But why is she here if she's human? Oh no, what are we going to do? We can't just talk to her or else Lena will get mad at us but she's getting closer and she'll notice us eventually and! And!"

Kyo held a finger to her lips and shushed her quietly. "It'll work itself out, Tohru. Don't hurt yourself."

The woman guardedly walked closer to the door and made an attempt to peer through the front windows. She said something once that was too quiet to understand, then again, louder: "Dave?"

The driver of the car, after inspecting the Lexus, ran up to the first woman. "Are you crazy? The thief might be here. You don't know what kind of person he could be. Don't put yourself in danger trying to be a hero - wait for the police!"

Kyo was taken aback. Those two humans knew about Dave? And Dark? How were they connected? And the police would be coming?

That's it. He needed to know.

Just as his muscles twitched to send him forward, Ayame placed a hand on his shoulder. "Kyonkichi, let's not scare the ladies any more than we need to. I think our sweet Tohru should go talk to them first."

"M-me?!" Tohru squeaked as loudly as she would dare. "I don't think this is a good idea!"

Ayame placed his hands on her shoulders and steered her forward. "Go on, go on."

Feeling as though she had no choice, Tohru took a deep breath and marched out of hiding. "Hello! Nice to meet you! My name's Tohru, and who might you two be?"

Closer to them now, she could see their features more clearly. One woman was a tall brunette whose bouncy curls tumbled over a slender, well-dressed frame. The other had a more athletic build, and her darker tresses were messily pulled back. The more this one stared at Tohru, the more her lined eyes widened.

"Are you the thief?" the first woman pressed. "Don't try anything funny. The police are almost…"

She trailed off into a silence that Tohru felt pressured to fill. "Heh, no, I'm no thief! I sure hope I don't look like one – that wouldn't be good. I live here. So who is -"

"Sam, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" the second woman interrupted. "Those eyes. That skin."

Sam paused to scrutinize Tohru's looks, and it didn't take long to make the connection. "She looks like him. Oh my god, Jess, she looks like him!"

"I can't believe Dave was hiding a daughter from you! He must've been what, fourteen?"

"No, no, no!" Tohru squealed, waving her arms around. "You've got it all wrong! I'm not Dave's daughter, that's-"

"Hold on, you know him?" Sam interrogated.

Tohru scratched her head. "Y-yes…"

"Does he live here?"

"No, he doesn't."

"But his car is here. Is he here right now?"

Tohru hid her fidgeting hands behind her back. For some reason she couldn't begin to understand, Sam seemed awfully concerned about Dave. Could she tell her that Dave was trapped in a magic painting inside the house? Of course not. That would give us away. "Uhh, n-no. I don't know where he is. Are you looking for him?"

"Yes, I have reason to believe he's in danger. He called me and told me to come to this address, because the thief who stole my car and another belonging of mine would be here. He believed I could help stop this thief from whatever he was going to do here."

"…Well, that's funny…we're on the lookout for a thief, too. I think you missed your chance."

"Oh? What'd he steal?"

"A person. He kidnapped my, er, sister."

Jessica took a step forward. "That's terrible! I'd like to help, if I can. But first, I have a question: you keep saying 'we.' Who else lives here?"

This was exactly the question Tohru was hoping to avoid, so she tried her best to conceal her nervousness. "Oh, just…you know, heheh, the family, a few cousins…"

Saving Tohru from her unconvincing charade, the others revealed themselves by walking to her side and stating their names. Ayame followed up his introduction by fearlessly kissing their guests' hands. Tohru was mortified – what were they thinking? They weren't supposed to interact with humans! Their secret would be revealed, and then it would all be over!

"Might as well," Haru whispered to her on the side to calm her nerves. "They already know so much. And Satoshi's on the police force, right? We're still alive, aren't we? We should be fine. They could even help us."

"I can't believe this!" exclaimed Jessica, who hadn't processed the scene yet. "What are you guys, a clan of surgically-altered supermodels? Aliens?!"

Sam was equally as dumbfounded as Jessica, but far more curious. "Who are all of you, really? How is Dave related to you?"

"W-well you see," Tohru started shakily as a large drop of sweat ran down her hair, "we're, um…"

"What she means to say is that…well-"

"Fair ladies, we're not what you might call-"

"For God's sake, we're not human, and neither is Dave!" Kyo spat, as steam billowed out of his ears. There, he did it. The bomb was dropped. But they were still alive.

"I knew it!" Jessica blurted out. "I totally called it! They're aliens!"

"But shuddup about it lady, alright?! Don't go spreadin' that around to everyone, you hear me?! Or else I'm gonna beat the living-"

Ayame suddenly doubled in height and towered over Kyo. "KYON-KYON. WE DO NOT HIT WOMEN."

His casual defiance of the laws of physics convinced Sam and Jessica beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were, indeed, inhuman.

"What do you mean, you're not human?"

Ayame, stuffing Kyo's face as low to the ground as he could, cleared his voice and took a deep breath. "My darlings, we are here because an innocent young woman called upon our strength from across the stars. For now, do not let the 'how' of our existence interfere with your excitement and wonder and passion. There is no time to explain - we are on a very important mission, you see! Our princess has been kidnapped, and her captor needs to be stopped! Please, loves, will you help us?"

By this point, he was on his knees with tears streaming down his pale face.

"But why should we help you when Dave could be in danger?" Sam asked.

"It turns out there's a very good reason. If the thief isn't stopped, Dave will die," he replied with a grave tone, rising dramatically to his feet. "We all will die."

"What? This thief, he's really a murderer? He's out to kill you guys, Dave, and the princess? Is that where Dave is right now – in his clutches?" Sam was too emotionally invested in the unusual group to let them go extinct. "I can't let that happen. Tell us how we can help."

Well played, Haru thought.

Jessica voiced her approval, and then added "But where are the police? They should've been here by now."

As if on cue, Sam's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Compton? It's Landry. I'm calling to inform you that there's been a change of plans. We won't be visiting the address you gave us, because we've just located your thief. A man identified as your date, Dave, is here with him. I couldn't begin to describe the situation to you. It's unbelievable."

Sam's heart sped up. "Where are you?"

"I'm downtown by the church with the ancient bell tower, along with half the police force. I'd advise you to stay at home. It's dangerous out here. We'll call you with any updates we have."

"Does he look hurt? Dave, I mean?"

"Oh yes. He looks like he's barely hanging on, but something about him is preventing any of us from trying to get close. I've never seen such chilling eyes on a man, Ms. Compton. If you ever see him again – and at this rate, that's a big 'if' - be very careful."

Sam thanked him and ended the call. No way. Dave had the warmest eyes I've ever seen. Something's wrong – it must have to do with that thief. But Dave told me I could stop him. I need to go there.

She turned to the group. "We need to go downtown," she said. "They've found Dave and the thief, and Dave's hurt. Something's happening, and I can't keep out of it."

"Well isn't that convenient," Jessica noted. "You guys get your thief, we find Dave. We kill two birds with one stone. And we can't all fit in one car, so how about I take you two" – she pointed to Kyo and Tohru, who were standing very close to one another – "and Sam, you take the other two in the Lexus. I found that the keys were still in the ignition."

Tohru's big blue eyes, full of worry and confusion, turned to the Sohmas. "They've found Dark and Dave? But that's…"

Haru and Kyo clenched their fists, their fury slowly transforming into anticipation.

I can't say I know how Dave got out, Kyo thought. But the time to fight has come.

A curtain of blackness fell, followed by a shock of violet, a storm of feathers, and a blast of air so sudden and forceful that the police members had to crouch low and shield their faces from the stinging dust. When the gust died down and they looked to see what had just happened, they found that a fourth man had joined the scene. No, not a man - he had wings that were casually fanned out far behind him. They weren't at all like the computerized wings they'd seen on actors in the movies. These were taller, wider, sleeker, blacker than black, real, and practically dripping with raw power. Wings aside, his photoshopped figure, buoyant hair, and confident presence hinted that he was more than a man. He could be nothing less than an angel.

Some began to wonder if they were hallucinating. Others thought that they might be witnessing a rare miracle. Still more tried to push past the idea of wings and rationalize the situation - with little success. Whether they realized it or not, all were terrified.

The unearthly scene as a whole only added to their confusion. The immobilized boy with the red hair, who had shut his ruby eyes to rest. The bloodied man near him whose body was on the verge of collapse, but whose calculating golden eyes did not blink. The palpably subzero aura that engulfed their blue-haired commander. The ease with which the dark angel carried himself in their midst. Something big was happening that they feared could not be handled with the methods of mortals, so they hastily backed up to form a ring around the four, and did their best to ready themselves for orders from Satoshi.

"Well, well, well," Hiwatari's voice sang in Krad's peculiarly melodious cadence, "you have finally arrived, Dark. I hope you find this little welcoming party to your satisfaction."

Dark did not bother to respond to this taunting, but instead took some time to gauge his opponent. The man looked and sounded like Satoshi's father, but he spoke like Krad, and the air was heavy with malevolent magic. This Hiwatari-Krad hybrid clearly desired to kill him on the spot, which was nothing new. What baffled him was how Satoshi appeared to have the same thing in mind, as if he'd teamed up with Krad. Never in a million years did he expect to find this.

"What gives, Frosty? Shouldn't you be looking at him that way? It's unlike you to side with the demon who's only ever been a burden to you. C'mon, you're still wearing bandages over wounds that he gave you! Wouldn't you rather be on my side?"

Satoshi faced him with folded arms from across Daisuke's unconscious body. His expression was both tender, as one would behold a lover, and fierce, as a predator that has cornered its prey. He pushed up his glasses. "Krad may be here, but that doesn't mean I've given up on my dream of capturing you. One way or another, one universe or another, I will lock you away. It is my duty."

"Dream on, little man," Dark teased. "But if it'll keep you from crying yourself to sleep at night, I'll at least let you have the thrill of the chase."

"How cute, Satoshi," Krad jeered through the empty, dying shell that was Hiwatari. "You lack resolve. You are too soft, too kind. What have I told you all these years? Kindness is a weakness, and as long as you are kind, he will slip through your fingers every time. Even if you did capture him…you are only making my target easier to kill."

Satoshi gave a small tch, which led Dark to believe that he wasn't teamed up with Krad, after all. Interestingly, this was going to be a three-way battle. Dark was a little relieved at the thought: it meant that those two would spend some of their energy trying to defeat each other, instead of combining their powers for a common cause in a risky two-against-one.

Krad stumbled, regained his balance, stumbled again. He ignored the fact that blood had begun to pool around his feet, despite the wide, crimson stains that crept onto Daisuke's clothes. Hiwatari's body wasn't going to hold on much longer, but Krad, face-to-face with Dark at last, grew utterly consumed by his obsession and would stop for nothing. He willed his wings to sprout through the open wounds in Hiwatari's back, finding pleasure in the white fire that scorched his nerves. Droplets of blood tainted his snowy feathers.

"You must desire murder if you hope to succeed," he said darkly. "Shall we end this?"

A few of the policemen ran to their cars for safety. The ones who thought themselves strong before were now just as frightened as the rest. Brenner was tempted to run as well, but he soon found courage in the steady confidence that Chiefs Landy and Hikari shared.

"No!" Satoshi shouted to them, keeping his eyes on the winged ones. "Stay strong! You will not let either of them out of your sight. Shoot to ground them, but whatever you do, do not kill them. Aim for the wings!"

"Y-yes sir!" the petrified officers responded. As soon as they said it, they held their guns as if they didn't know how to use them. They were up against two angels. None of them could shoot.

Satoshi rested his hand on his holstered gun, preparing to pull it out as soon as one of the others made a move. It would be foolish to shoot now. He'd let the two tire each other out, and then take them down.

Krad, through Hiwatari's arms, held a white feather low at his side. That little pest. He will pay, but not before Dark.

Dark, sensing that the conversation was over, brought a glowing black feather high into the air. Krad and Satoshi braced themselves for some attack, but were confused when it didn't come.

Moments later, they caught sight of another pair of black wings swooping down from the bell tower. Krad observed it just long enough to tell who they carried, but quickly averted his attention back to Dark.

"Thought you would distract me, Dark? As long as I have you, she is nothing but dust to me. In fact, I approve – let us hide the meddlesome children while we adults have an important… discussion."

Alyssa sailed over their heads and away into the night, and Krad thought nothing more of it until a familiar sound registered in his ears. It began as an ordinary sound, and then it fueled a rage in him so blinding that his obsession, to Dark's great dismay, changed course.

It was the jingling of beads.

Dark is not my prime enemy… Lena is.

It was the sound of the necklace that Lena had used as a medium in order to bind him, to imprison him, and in such a rude manner…

…and it was around the girl's neck.

She would not get away.

In the blink of an eye, Krad sprang into the air in an effort to chase Alyssa, who was being carried by With. A millisecond later, Dark, who couldn't have anticipated this turn of events, took off to stop him. Satoshi raced to the nearest police car and ordered Landry to take the wheel. He held his gun out the window and took aim while the entire squad of police sped after the three winged beings.

"Do not shoot the girl!" Satoshi ordered. The last thing he wanted was to clip the wrong pair of black wings and injure, or even kill, Alyssa. Naturally, Dark would use this to his advantage.

Fortunately, Krad's reflective wings were a much easier target. Focusing on taking him down first would be the best way to protect Alyssa. On the other hand, if they succeeded, nothing would stop Dark and Alyssa from vanishing into the darkness. He couldn't let Dark disappear from his sight.

Overcome by panic, With latched on to Alyssa as tightly as he could, and wove through buildings to shake Krad. To the relief of Satoshi and the police, the late-night streets were all but empty, which allowed them to accelerate unreservedly while their passengers fired shots at the white wings in particular.

Krad was utterly unconcerned with the bullets that zipped by him. His body was so numb from pain that even if he did get shot, he probably wouldn't feel it. The only thing on his mind was ending Lena, and he would unleash every last ounce of his magic until he had accomplished just that. He'd draw her out by attacking the unfortunate girl, Alyssa. Yes, Lena would have to come out from hiding then.

It was such a pity that their intimate ritual the night before had not ended the way he'd planned. He and Alyssa could have gotten along. She could have been so… happy. She could have lost herself in that realm of desire, and her wish could have been fulfilled. Krad could have had his life to himself, free of vermin like Hiwatari and Dark. But now that Dark had arrived, she was only a threat to him. If he could kill her and stay alive, he would.

He could at least come close.

Krad began to concentrate magic energy into the white feather he'd been holding. Sensing this, With shot straight up into the air to avoid his attack. Krad held one palm behind the other over his head and released the massive ball of white-hot flames, but it was blasted to the side by a blackish-purple one of greater size.

Krad was so focused on his prey that he forgot Dark was tailing him. Continuing to chase With upwards, he created, beneath his feet, an even suspension of feathers whose shafts pointed downwards at Dark. With one powerful pulse of his wings, he released this great volley of arrows, and all the ones that Dark did not shield himself from rained onto the police cars below.

The feathers stuck into the metal roofs of some vehicles, and cracked the windshields of others. Satoshi was careful to withdraw his arms into the safety of the vehicle before they hit, but one of the other shooters, underestimating their power, was not so careful. Before he realized it, two feathers had pierced straight through his forearm and into the ground, causing him to drop his gun and cry out in agony. His driver pulled over to tend to him, and the other officers took warning.

Dark emerged unscathed, but the attack held him back somewhat. He worked his wings violently in order to catch up to Krad again. "Krad! Let her go, she's innocent!"

Of course, Krad wouldn't listen. Dark began to prepare an attack of his own: he stretched his hands out to his sides, as if imitating his own wings, and prepared a line of feathers from one fingertip to the other. Then, he folded his arms and wings in and spun in the air, picking up speed and power. Finally, he released his wings and the feathers at the same time. They shot in a long line toward Krad, expanding their energy field until they resembled a blackish missile. Dark predicted that Krad would dodge it, and he did so by shifting himself to the side.

Easy.

At that very moment, Krad realized something was wrong. If this battle were just the two of them, he wouldn't have been so concerned. But Dark wouldn't attack him with something so easily dodged this time around, because the attack would continue straight to Alyssa.

The surprise came when the inky energy that had collected around the feathers exploded on Krad while he had bared the front of Hiwatari's body to it. He was forced to protect himself with his arms because he didn't have enough time to put up a barrier. It did him little good, and he took the full blow.

With spiraled back down to Earth in his ongoing effort to lose Krad, and since Krad was still stunned, the action put a comfortable distance between the two. In the meantime, Dark, offering a varied selection of feathery bombardments, had managed to catch up to Krad. The close range made it easy to score multiple hits, but Krad, seemingly unaffected, kept zooming after With.

Suddenly, a bullet ripped through a few feathers on the tip of one of Dark's wings. He could still fly, which he was certainly grateful for, but he couldn't help feeling irritated. This fight was going to take a lot of concentration. He'd have to get closer to With to avoid being an open target.

Krad, oblivious to the burns he'd just suffered, began to find that his flight was proving difficult. All the dodging and weaving, the heavy beating of his wings, the magic, the damage, the profuse bleeding – sheer willpower was keeping him in the air, but even that was beginning to fail. His already-blurry vision was growing even worse, and his muscles were simply refusing to obey their orders. Hiwatari was giving out. Krad needed energy, and fast.

An idea came to him. Conveniently, he had the complete Reflections of Regret on his person. All he needed to do was slip the ring on someone, and by keeping the watch on his person and willing the transfer of energy, he'd receive it. That same concept was how he'd escaped from the painting to begin with.

By now, With had looped around back the way they came in order to throw off the police, who'd have to either race around the nearest block or turn around in the middle of the road to catch up again. A few mistaken shots had almost hit him, so he and Alyssa were bundles of adrenaline. Even though they weren't supposed to be targeted by the police, they wanted to get away from them as badly as Krad and Dark did.

Krad, close behind them, released another ball of energy in their direction, and with a loud "Kyuuu!", With swooped down and out of its path. As With wove a complex path between buildings they'd passed before, Krad sailed above the roofs until he was directly on top of him. Then, he tucked his wings in, flattened his arms at his sides, and pointed his toes. For a moment, he seemed to float in the air. Then, he began a nosedive onto the panicking rodent. The quicker he slipped the ring on the foolish girl, the better.

Crap! Dark thought. He pressed his wings down as hard as he could until he was flying upside-down between Krad and With, with Krad headed straight for him. The contrasting angels fired simultaneous beams of magic at each other – one light, one dark - that canceled upon impact. Krad was close enough that Dark reached out for the bloody collar of his shirt, and the two of them grappled with each other in the air, briefly forgetting that the ground was growing ever nearer.

Krad got the ring onto the very tip of one of Dark's fingers, which stole for him a considerate boost of energy, but then they crashed onto the roof of a police car.

Krad tumbled off of to one side, leaving a bloody smear, while Dark rolled expertly onto the pavement opposite him. Dark was a bit winded from the impact, as well as from losing energy to the ring, but for the most part, he felt alright. He was pleased to find that the ring hadn't attached itself to him. Instead, the impact had knocked it away, evident in the desperate way that Krad grasped for something on the ground.

Realizing something, Dark swiftly blended into the shadows of an alleyway and made a timely escape: a bullet chipped the brick wall behind where he had just been. The car they had dented contained Satoshi, and his cold eyes had been locked onto Dark, his gun poised to shoot. Flustered by his missed opportunity, Satoshi failed to stop Krad, as well. The angels were back in the sky, and the full police force was back on their tail when they located With.

Dark, flying closer to With than Krad, and thus having to worry less about bullets, found himself troubled by the effects of their recent energy exchange. Krad's bloodthirsty eyes were bright again, and his attacks followed one after the other with renewed power. Dark did his best to turn Krad's own attacks against him, but the effort was futile. The demon had the worrisome advantage of being driven by a mania ingrained so deeply within him that it overpowered any concern he might have had for his well-being. Yet, he dodged Dark's retaliations effortlessly. Perhaps it was that very lack of concern that enabled his body to move so nimbly – he felt that had nothing to lose, so panic could not seize his limbs. The result was that Dark, who cared much more about preserving his strength, had to remain on the defensive until Krad wore himself out again.

Continuing to protect With and Alyssa, Dark noticed that they were nearing the bell tower again, and then he noticed that Krad was gaining on him with incredible speed. His left hand reached forward, holding the ring.

"You won't get that thing on me again!" Dark shouted as he twisted out of the way.

It had been a mistake. The true attack had nothing to do with the ring.

Time seemed to slow down. Krad mustered all of his strength into his other hand, amassing brilliant white magic until his whole arm had been devoured by it. With a thunderous, hair-raising cry, he brought his arm up through a mighty resistance and launched a massive pillar of magic toward With. Dark launched a counterattack to cancel or at least bend it, but to his horror, the crackling white energy absorbed his spell as if it were nothing. Krad had clearly put his all into that attack, and it was inevitably going to hit Alyssa.

"WITH!" Dark shouted at the top of his lungs. "Watch out!"

With tried to dodge, but both Dark and Krad knew that he wouldn't make it.

A colossal explosion filled the air in front of the church, looking as if the sun had decided to rise in the middle of the night. It seemed to last for ages. Krad and Dark hung frozen in midair to wait for the results that boded disastrous, while the police looked on with awe and disbelief.

"No!" Satoshi yelled as he leapt out of the vehicle to get a better view. Landry, who was driving, and Brenner, who assisted Satoshi's shooting, let their mouths hang open.

Landry's voice, usually so strong and steady, wavered. "I've never seen an explosion that huge before."

As the blinding light of the explosion died away, the luster of glossy black feathers could be seen escaping into the distance. Hardly anyone noticed it, because a new being had entered the scene. She floated there, right in the center of where the explosion had been, her silver hair and dress singed in places.

Krad's rage was unparalleled. The air echoed with his maniacal laughter, however, when he noticed that she looked injured. In fact, she didn't look much better than he did.

"Hello again," Lena said playfully, radiating confidence despite her disheveled state. "Now just what do you think you're doing?"

Overwhelmed by euphoria, Krad seized his chance. Without second thought, he surged toward Lena faster than his body could handle. He caught her, and his momentum rushed them directly toward the huge bell. The shockwave of sound momentarily dazed Lena, and she struggled to free herself beneath his grasp. Absorbing that explosion had really burned her out, and unlike her earlier encounter with Krad, he now had the upper hand. For the first time in her life, Lena had to practice caution.

"Get off of her!" Dark yelled, firing feathers into Krad's back. Krad's energy was fading, and he began to tip backwards.

If this was going to be it, thought Krad, Lena comes with me. He fastened his hands around her little neck, and they both started to fall.

Dark rammed them back into the bell to stop them from falling. He fought to pry Krad's hands off of Lena, but his grip was like steel. So this is what he was after, Dark realized. The fool is going to kill himself getting revenge!

The three of them struggled on the side of the bell, generating a slight rocking motion that caused it to ring forebodingly. Since Krad's hands were otherwise occupied, he flapped his wings in unpredictable patterns to help force Dark off the ledge. Dark simply utilized his own wings, which were in much better shape, to keep his balance.

Lena was close to suffocating. Thinking as fast as lightning, Dark made a daring move to reach for the ring in Krad's pocket, which finally got him to release a hand to defend it. Dark may not have gotten the ring, but thanks to his idea, Lena was able to get a little more air. It was only for a second, though, for Krad's grip soon rediscovered its murderous intent.

This can't be happening, Satoshi thought from below. Lena looks like she's not going to make it. Then again, stars are not immortal.

He'd previously ordered the squad to refrain from shooting, for fear of shooting Lena. But at this rate, she was going to die anyway. He'd have to take the risk.

"Shoot!" came the faint call from below. A sharp chill ran down Dark's spine, and then it hit him. All at once, he felt a thousand bullets pierce his outstretched wings. The same fusillade also pierced Krad's wings and clanged against the bell as they made their way through. The unthinkable pain, in combination with utter exhaustion, caused Dark and Krad to simultaneously lose their footing.

Lena and the tangle of angels fell to the ground in a stream of black, white, silver, and garnet. As Lena passed out in midair, she disintegrated into a cloud of glittering stardust that fell like snow. Dark and Krad's trashed wings cushioned their fall somewhat, but the force was enough to knock them unconscious.

The scene was suddenly quiet. The silver snow came to rest on the angels' wounds, hiding all traces of red. It was eerily beautiful.

The blue-haired police chief strolled up to their bodies.

"Victory," proclaimed Satoshi, who then requested the help of Brenner to load Dark into the back of their vehicle. He frowned upon his father's body, deciding what to do. After all that had just transpired, this man was incapable of posing any further threat. Satoshi was not in this to kill Hiwatari, nor did he feel like saving him.

He announced to the force that their mission was complete – they'd caught the thief – and they could return to the station. "We'll worry about 'Dave' later, once our thief is behind bars," he explained. After what they'd just witnessed, the other officers were grateful to get as far away from the white wings as possible.

They trickled away from the scene one car at a time. Satoshi was about to leave, as well, until he noticed a patch of red too vibrant for the stardust to conceal. It was Daisuke, who'd been unconscious at the base of the church the entire time. Satoshi decided to buckle him into the passenger seat of his car, and once that was done, he began his drive to the police headquarters, where a magic-reinforced cell awaited Dark.

Despite the rush he felt, Satoshi began to experience an ounce of remorse. I've done it. I've captured Dark. It's what I've always hoped I could do, and it was what Lena wanted me to do. That's why I'm driving this car, wearing this uniform. Why do I feel like I'm doing something wrong?

As long as I have Dark, we'll live! Alyssa won't be able to get close to him, not when he's in solitary confinement. I've fought my battle and won. I've kept my word. I've accomplished my duty. I've stayed true myself. Because of all of that, we're free. We're all set, then, aren't we?

But Alyssa…she knows he's alive. She's going to be so sad… His eyebrows creased, and he slowed his driving. She's going to curse me every day for the rest of my life for being the bad guy. I'm not sure I can handle that.

He pulled his car over, because he couldn't concentrate on the road anymore. He looked over at Daisuke, whose unconscious head rolled forward when the car slowed to a stop, and thought of how wonderful it would be to have a chance at friendship with him in life. Satoshi wanted so desperately to live.

Either I'm alive and Alyssa is crushed, or I'm dead and Alyssa is alive. Does it have to be like this? Is it really such a crime to see her smile again?

I suppose haven't been so true to myself after all, he realized.

He sighed, removed his glasses, polished them, and put them back on, still deep in thought. When he looked through his glasses again to test their clarity, he was startled to find a pair of amethysts gazing lazily back at him through the rearview mirror. Their reflection was broken up by the steel mesh cage that divided the interior of the car.

"Wow," Dark mumbled, still groggy from the pain. He tossed up his battered, handcuffed hands, making his annoyance known. "Congrats, jerkwad."

Satoshi had a clever retort in mind, but he chose not to say it, for he wasn't as proud of this accomplishment as he was ten minutes ago.

"Something wrong, Frosty? I thought you'd be doing a dance right about now."

"I…"

"Hm?"

Satoshi paused, thinking of how to word it. "You're right, everything's going my way. This should be the best day of my life. But…"

"But?"

"But Alyssa... She's wanted to see you for so long. You're her wish. I don't want to get in the way of her happiness."

"What's this? Got a soft spot for her, do ya? Well hey, I've got the perfect solution. Why don't you just release me, and then we can all go home! Kay?"

"It doesn't work like that, Dark." Satoshi turned around to look him directly in the eye. "I'll die if I release you. Don't pretend you don't know about it - if Alyssa falls in love with you, the rest of us are done for! Why do you think I was so eager to capture you? Did you seriously fall for my 'dream' crap? That was another world, a whole different story. By capturing you in this world, I was doing what I had to do in order to survive."

"pfff-hahaha! Oh Hiwatari, get with the times! Didn't you know?"

Dark continued to laugh a weak, broken laugh, and Satoshi raised an eyebrow. "It's Hikari," he corrected, unamused, while waiting for Dark to finish. "What is it?"

"You live."

"…What?"

"You heard me! Lena said it to my face. We're all going to live. She changed things up because Alyssa has changed as a person."

Satoshi thought it was a joke, but he knew Dark's face when he was teasing, and this wasn't it. Slowly, his eyes grew wide. He looked to Daisuke, then back to Dark.

"So…y-you're…not my enemy anymore?"

"No, sir," Dark grinned. "Maybe we can learn to be friends for a change. And who knows? Now that Alyssa's learned a thing or two about this life business, maybe the fates will change, too."

"What do you mean?"

"She was never officially destined to end up with me, you know," came his playful response, followed by a wink. "Now how about releasing me?"

From deep within a groggy, grey, numb space, Hiwatari awoke. He couldn't place how he felt, because it was as if he felt nothing at all. He was a still, small voice floating in a vast expanse, in the back recesses of time, an infinite void.

The last thing he remembered was Krad taking over his body. The pain had nearly killed him. Maybe he did die? Was this what it was like to be dead?

The grey world was slowly fading to black. Hiwatari's heart sped up, because it didn't seem like a good thing. Perhaps he wasn't dead, but dying.

That was when he felt strange, detached sensations of arms, legs. He couldn't move them, but they were there. Perhaps he wasn't dying, but waking.

"Krad?" he yelled into the black void. There was no answer. Was Krad not in control?

Hiwatari lay there for what seemed like ages, his hopes high. Unfortunately, Krad's weak and gravelly voice delivered a response.

"Yes?"

The black void brightened into a light blue, overloading Hiwatari's senses, and suddenly he couldn't feel his body anymore.

In the far-off distance, he thought he heard his name. Dave. It was comforting.

But wait, that wasn't his name. It was an alias. Why did it bring him more joy than his real name from his past life?

"Dave?!"

When his eyes opened to the outside world, they weren't his. They were still Krad's signature reptilian eyes, and his consciousness was the dominant one.

Hiwatari was overjoyed to see that Sam was the one calling his name from the other side. He was mortified a second later when he realized that he was watching her through the lens of Krad's consciousness.

She, too, was mortified. The warm brown eyes she remembered were not the ones that greeted her now.

Krad spoke very faintly, for he was so damaged that it was difficult to draw in air. He wasted no time putting together a plan. Here was a woman who looked like she cared about Hiwatari; who had been leaning over his body for an indefinite amount of time. It was a splendid opportunity, served to him upon a silver platter.

"Please, let me ask you something," Krad whispered. Sam leaned in close to hear, and she noticed that one of his hands was shakily lifting about an inch per second. It held a beautifully crafted ring.

No! Hiwatari yelled inside of Krad. You will not harm her. Krad, put the ring down! You'll kill her if you try to drain the energy you need from an ordinary human!

In that instant, he understood the depth of Satoshi's pain so well that it hurt.

Oh my, Krad sneered. You actually fell in love with a human? What an unusual surprise.

Hiwatari hesitated. He was just as surprised at himself as Krad was, but it was true. He was relieved to see her again, to know that she cared. I did. But what do you know of it? I'll tell you: nothing. Let me show you love, and let me say that you're not going to like it.

Willing it as if the fate of the universe were on his shoulders, Hiwatari pushed Krad's consciousness to the background and gained control of his numb and broken body. The gold in his eyes faded away, leaving behind the eyes that Sam knew, and his wings also disappeared from underneath him. He knew what he had to do now.

"Sam, please…" Hiwatari continued to lift the ring. "Put it on me."

She took the ring from his hand and did as she was told. Hiwatari did his best to ignore Krad's rampant verbal abuse.

"Also…" Hiwatari coughed.

"What is it?" Sam asked, eager to help him in any way she could.

"I rescued…your antique. From the thief. In my pocket…" His eyes looked in its direction, and Sam followed the cue.

Finding the bejeweled pocket watch, Sam turned it over in her hands, opened it up, and studied it with fascination. "It's so beautiful, but I don't remember it. Are you sure it's mine?"

"It is now," Dave coughed. "I want you to have it."

The Reflections of Regret began to emit a soft, twinkly light. From within Hiwatari's mind, Krad's voice disappeared farther and farther away until it was nothing.

Sam, noticing that Hiwatari's expression was growing more peaceful by the second, grew anxious. "What's happening? Stay with me, Dave!"

"Don't worry. The watch…the ring…they're magic," Hiwatari explained, taking frequent breaks to breathe. "Your will to see me…is keeping a parasitic demon at bay."

"Good!" Sam said, pushing aside her curious questions for later.

Hiwatari – no, Dave Irata – looked into her eyes, and experienced an emotion long forgotten when she took his limp hand. He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to live a little bit longer, free of plots and schemes, of darkness and evil.

And it was all very possible for him. He had a powerful magic artwork on his person. How come he hadn't thought of it till just now?

He closed his eyes and thought the words he wished he had the energy to say. Lena, I give up. I've abused your power – I've done whatever I could to lock you up – but now I'm calling on you. I'm sorry that these hands nearly killed you. I'm done hurting you. I need you. His whispers were barely audible: "I wish we all could be free from Krad."

The ring he wore, and the pocket watch Sam held, gave off a much different light than they had a moment ago. It was piercing, silvery, and bright. The silver dust that was scattered all around Dave began to swirl up into the air, eventually lifting a bright silhouette with it. The shape took on feet, legs, hands, and arms. Then the details began to fill in: an angelic gown of white and gold; long, flowing golden hair; bloody, broken wings; sinister eyes.

Krad took a step toward Dave's body with the intent to kill, but it was the last step he would ever take. His knees gave way, and blood streamed down in rivers from a hole in his chest.

Satoshi slowly lowered his gun.

A flabbergasted Daisuke, who'd finally woken up, ran over to his side.

"This is the victory," Satoshi said, mostly to himself. This is what Lena really wanted me to do. Then, he walked up to the woman who had been kneeling over his father.

"You must be Ms. Compton," he said, offering his hand. "I'm Satoshi Hikari, Chief of Police. This is Daisuke Niwa."

"H-hi!" Daisuke grinned broadly.

"More of them!" Sam exclaimed, standing up in greeting. Daisuke jumped at her unexpected loudness.

"You know what we are?" Satoshi asked.

"My friend Jessica and I drove a whole group of your kind out here. To stop the thief."

Satoshi scanned the area. "Where are they now?"

"They saw him flying overhead, and Jessica took them in her car to chase him down. I wanted to stay and help Dave." She pointed to show which direction they went, and Satoshi recognized it as the direction of Alyssa's house.

"Oh no!" groaned Daisuke. "Not good. Dark's in bad shape – he doesn't need another battle today! Satoshi, we need to go stop them!"

Sam shook her head, as if to rid it of the confusion she was experiencing. "Wait, hold on, isn't this thief the bad guy? Aren't you trying to stop him?"

"Not anymore," Satoshi replied hurriedly. "Ms. Compton, could I leave my father in your care? Please refrain from taking him to a hospital. Tend to his injuries the best way you know how, and I guarantee he'll heal up nicely." He quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Here's our number. Call if anything happens."

Daisuke and Satoshi sprinted to the police car and drove off, leaving Sam to haul Dave, who was again unconscious, into the Lexus.

"He is a father?!"she whined.

Because Dark's own wings were useless, he'd called upon With to fly him through the night sky. Both of them were totally drained from the chase, so they flew rather ungracefully – Dark limply hung in the air, leaving With to struggle with his dead weight. At one point, With nearly dropped his master on accident. A few shouts of "encouragement" righted the situation.

Along their slow and bumpy journey, Dark spotted a car ahead of them that let out a young girl. He wouldn't have thought anything of it, had the girl not looked familiar.

Risa?

With obeyed the unspoken command to lower Dark onto the road. He intended to provide a smooth landing, but instead he ended up half-falling, half-gliding, and flailing wildly. Eventually Dark was left to crash clumsily onto the grass carpet of a nearby park. He wanted to pretend that nobody saw it, but Risa, illuminated brightly by the decorative lamps that lined her path, was trying to hold in laughter.

Hold on, that's not Risa, Dark thought. This one's got blue eyes.

Four more people entered the park behind her. Dark's heart sank when two of them decided to start charging in his direction. They moved so fast that they appeared to be balls of fire - one orange, and one black.

Dark kicked his feet violently against the grass in order to propel himself in the opposite direction, but he couldn't lift his aching body off of the ground fast enough. He was suddenly bombarded by fists, feet, and angry shouts, with no way to defend himself other than words.

"Stop! Ow, stop it! Aggh! Guys, let me speak!"

But they kept attacking him with all their strength. Tohru, Ayame, and Jessica, who all stood cautiously to the wayside, noticed what Kyo and Hatsuharu failed to see: that Dark was injured, bloody, and unable to fight back. This was anything but a fair fight, and it bothered them; particularly Tohru.

"Kyo!" Tohru cried. "Kyo, stop!"

"I thought you were on my side!" Kyo roared back with the ferocity of a lion, continuing to strike his victim in a blind rage. "We're winning!"

With each kick to Dark's ribs, and each tortured cry that escaped his lips, Tohru wanted to scream. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sob uncontrollably. She loved Kyo, truly – but he was taking this too far.

Ayame tried to hold her back, but she wouldn't have it. "No, sweet Tohru! You'll get hurt!" he called after her.

He was right.

Tohru flung herself right into the middle of the fight and covered Dark with her body. One of Kyo's fists met the side of her jaw, and blood began to trickle out of the corner of her mouth. She kept her ground in spite of it, while her tears dripped down onto Dark's abused face. He was definitely surprised, although his battered features were currently incapable of showing it.

"Stop this! This is cruelty!" she sobbed, facing Kyo and Black Haru.

The shock was enough to silence Haru, but Kyo remained furious. "What are you doing? Why are you trying to protect the bastard?!"

"You said you'd fight, but you never said you'd kill! Kyo," she wrapped her hand lovingly around the fist that had injured her cheek, "you're not a monster anymore!"

Those words cut straight to his heart. He looked down at his handiwork – Dark had given up struggling long ago – and then to Tohru's watery blue eyes. When he realized what he'd done, he sank to the ground and felt the hot sting of tears welling up in his own eyes. He'd almost killed a man. Even worse, he'd hurt Tohru in the process. Haru sank down beside him, breathing heavily. Ayame and Jessica rushed over to tend to them now that the violence had stopped.

"You're right," Kyo said, wiping his eyes fruitlessly. "I got carried away. Oh god, I hurt you."

He took Tohru's arms and pulled her close. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." His tears dampened her hair.

Meanwhile, Jessica inspected Dark to make sure he was still alive. You'd better be okay, you incredibly handsome alien. You've just made my entire life worthwhile.

Dark blinked open his bruised eyelids and moaned. "My lucky day," he sighed.

"Sorry," Kyo and Haru muttered in unison.

Dark tilted his head ever so slightly toward the girl who looked like Risa. "I'm in your debt, Miss…?"

"Tohru," she said. "I've heard so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you!"

"Tohru," Dark repeated. He took a deep breath and fought to sit up. It wasn't working out so well, so Tohru and Jessica helped by pushing up on his back. He winced, then steadied himself. "Now, if I could have said this sooner, I'd have saved myself a world of hurt," he began.

"What is it?" Kyo asked, skeptical that the news would have really helped anything.

"Happy birthday!" Dark announced, looking oddly cheerful despite being half-dead.

Everyone was very, very confused. It wasn't anyone's birthday, at least that they knew of...

"Is your head okay?" Kyo wondered eventually.

Dark tried to chuckle, but a broken rib or two stopped him. "It hurts, but otherwise, it's fine. No, I really mean that. Happy birthday to all of you! Except for Jessica, the human, of course."

How'd he know my name? Jessica pondered.

Dark resumed his explanation. "Happy birthday, because as of today, all of you officially begin your lives."

"…We do?" Ayame blinked.

"Yes, you do."

"But…but…what?" Haru asked, swatting away the purple question marks above his head, his eyes swirling.

A gentle voice made its way to their ears from the nearby entrance to the park. It was Satoshi, wearing a becoming smile, moseying down the path with Daisuke.

"Lena has set us free," Satoshi proudly announced. "We get to live."

None of them knew what to do. Not even Jessica. She felt oddly out of place because she couldn't imagine the weight that was being lifted off of the aliens' shoulders. She did not understand the struggle they'd been through, nor what this moment meant to them. Even so, she was happy for them.

"There you have it," Dark said. "Now, I think we've all been neglecting someone, don't you think, With?"

With didn't respond – he was passed out underneath a shrub.

"Poor With!" Daisuke said, scooping him up. "You need to take better care of him, Dark. Look, he's shaking!"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and blame me, why don't you. You have no idea what you missed, kiddo. With is a real trooper."

Kyo and Haru slung Dark's arms around their shoulders and helped him hobble to Satoshi's car, while Jessica invited the other three into hers. Then, they were off for home.

It had been the most nerve-wracking night of my life. I had never dreamed that one day, I'd soar through the city on black wings, dodging bullets, demons, and magic. As I sat on the front steps of the house, waiting for what felt like eternity, I thought back to the action, to the measures that Dark took to protect me. While it was certainly an experience, my frayed nerves and ruined voice reminded me that I hoped I'd never have to go through a similar ordeal again.

When Lena had protected me from Krad's attack, With finally found the chance to escape. He dropped me off at my house, but no sooner had he done so, he flew back into the sky again. I worried about him, since he was so worn out. I worried about everyone else, as well, since they were nowhere to be found. And as for the outcome of the battle in the city? I assumed the worst.

Then the phone rang inside the house. Who could be calling at this time of night?

"Hello?"

"Hey – it's Sam."

"…Sam?"

"…uh, Compton? Samantha Compton? Police Chief Hikari left me this number."

I thought back to my surprise when I saw, from the top of the bell tower, that Satoshi had become part of the police force. "Yes, you have the right number. This is Alyssa."

"Alyssa? I don't remember meeting an Alyssa. Are you one of them, too?" She kept it vague, to avoid accidentally revealing too much to a stranger.

"If Satoshi left you this number, you must know about our strange…family," I said to her.

"Yes – your strange…inhuman…family." She paused. Suddenly, she spoke rapidly and excitedly. "Are you the Princess?"

"The…what, now?"

"The Princess! That white-haired dude-lady said they were all going to go rescue a princess – the one who brought them to Earth." Sam was imagining Alyssa as a fair-skinned blonde with a flowing dress and a crown, and after discovering that aliens walked the earth, it was entirely possible.

"Ah, he would say such a thing," I sighed. "I'm no princess, just an ordinary human. But I am the one he was talking about."

It was a slight disappointment. "So you're okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I don't know where everyone else is, though. So what were you calling about?"

"Well, I'm calling to say Dave is safe in my apartment, and he's awake. He's hanging in there, and even though it hasn't been very long, it almost seems like he's starting to recover."

"Dave?!" I shrieked. "You might want to be careful about that! He tried to kill me, you know!"

"Don't worry!" she replied. "Chief Hikari took care of the demon guy who was controlling him. He's dead."

I was silent for a moment as I processed the news. It explained why Dave was flying and using magic the way Krad could. I didn't understand how Krad escaped from the painting, but at least I didn't have to worry about it now. "Well then. That's a relief."

"I also wanted to say that a lady dressed in silver showed up and told Dave some good news, but I didn't catch what it was. He keeps on smiling, and I keep telling him to save his energy. He told me he's hoping to dive into his business as soon as he's better, and he might just hire me to work alongside him. I don't know where all of it is coming from, but I'm glad to hear it."

I knew exactly what Lena had told him. "I'm glad to hear it, too. He deserves a fresh start, and I'm happy he's got someone to look after him."

Sam sensed that she was missing some backstory, but before she could ask what I meant, she caught herself yawning. "It's late, and I should go. Alyssa, I'd like to meet you sometime. I want to know more about you and these remarkable friends of yours. Here's my number" – she listed it off – "would you call me soon?"

"Of course!" I said, excited to make a new connection. "I'll meet you on one condition: you mustn't tell anyone about us. We don't want the publicity."

"I promise. Good night."

When I set down the phone, I heard voices outside. Scrambling to the door, I threw it open and found the sight my overtired eyes longed for: everyone had made it home.

Not everyone had made it in once piece, though. Dark, supported by Kyo and Haru, was an injured mess. Tohru's cheek was swelling up, and With was unconscious. Daisuke's clothes were soaked in blood. I'd ask how it happened later. For now, I was happy to see them.

Ayame ran up to me and hugged me tight. "Princess, you're alive!"

Tohru hugged me afterward. "I'm so glad you're safe! We were so worried about you!"

Daisuke's face turned as red as his hair, and he found it difficult to say anything.

Kyo and Haru looked a little down in the dumps, but they offered small, relieved sighs.

Leaning his arms on them, Dark limped up to me. "How are you?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I'm still a little shaken up, but otherwise, I'm okay. No injuries." I felt guilty saying that as I observed the many bruises, burns, and bloody wounds that coated him.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "I owe you an apology. I never wanted to involve you in that fight, and I was a fool to believe that Krad would let you go so easily. I never imagined he'd stoop so low as to try to kill his own maker."

"No one blames you for that," Kyo interjected. Dark had told him all about the fight during their drive together. "That twisted sicko's evil ran deeper than any of us knew. If you could have predicted his every move, I'd begin to wonder if you're not evil yourself."

Dark nodded in agreement, and the kind support lent warmth to his expression again. "I'm just glad you're alright, Alyssa."

"Thank you for everything," I said. "You hardly know me, and yet you gave everything to protect me."

He smiled a little and held my gaze, saying nothing. His amethyst eyes were shimmering with gratefulness and affection, but I thought I detected a sort of bittersweet note hiding underneath. Before I could think too deeply about it, he winked: "For you, I'd gladly do it all over again."

After a short pause, he hopped after the others and into the house, leaving behind one last person.

It was Satoshi, looking sharp in his uniform, and smiling the brightest smile I witnessed that night. "I'm happy to see you so well," he said to me. "I can't say I expected you to get away without a bullet in you somewhere. Some of those men shouldn't be on the force. I need to get on that as soon as possible."

"I'm just glad you're okay," I said, laughing with relief. "You put up quite the fight back there. I heard from a lady named Sam that Krad is dead."

"He is. You don't have to worry about him anymore."

"Or Dave," I added. "Sam says he's doing fine, and he's excited to get his new life started."

"As am I," his said, his cool eyes thawing the longer he looked at my smile. "And you too, I hope. I'm afraid you're stuck with this lot. How are you going to handle us? What are we going to eat?"

Kyo and Ayame were already back to their bickering. "I don't know," I shrugged happily.

A familiar, singsong voice sounded from the necklace I wore. "I'll take care of it, but for now, go to sleep. All of you. You need to rest. I need to rest. Tomorrow's a busy day – we've got some memory erasing to do."

"I guess that's an order," I said, inviting Satoshi into the house.