Chapter 15

It took a fews moments until either Saki or her Haruto were able to navigate the ladder distance down to the rest of their expanded family. When time came to finally attempt the climb Saki would guide Haruto slowly one step at a time as she planned to guide him through their new land he created and had yet to see.

"One more step, Haruto" Saki whispered to her man as he was finally able to reach the ground. He pulled her to him tight never wanting to let her go.

"Thank you for giving me life again, my sweet girl" Haruto whispered kissing her softly once again.

The cheers woke them to the reality that they wern't alone. Saki had forgotten the fact due to the circumstances of the current situation. She could hear his heartbeat; her own shallow breath. Every other sound was drowned out to her. To both of them. Until the clapping. She wanted to turn beet red from embarassment but at the moment she didn't care. She wanted to be with her man in every way and she didn't care who knew how bad. From the look in Haruto's eyes the feeling was mutual.

Shoko and Akira ran up to Haruto and Saki flinging their arms around them. The girls wondered if he had a clue who they were until he spoke. "Shoko-oneechan" Haruto stuttered "Akira-oneechan" squeezing both tight as well as poor Saki getting squished in the middle.

"Hey, loosen up I can't breathe" Saki exclaimed as they all broke into laughter tears in their eyes.

"I missed you all" Haruto cried.

It was then he first saw him, behind the girls his back against a support just as any smart military man would. Haruto slowly walked over to him. Looked up into his face seeing for the first time face-to-face his own handiwork. "Does it hurt?" Haruto asked of A-Drei's missing eye. He kept a patch over the scarred area most likely ashamed his perfect looks aren't quite perfect any more.

"Sometimes" A-Drei answered truthfully.

"I'm sorry Prince A-Drei" Haruto answered tears in his eyes stunning the regal for a moment.

"Here he is just regaining his life" A-Drei thought "and he's worried about what he did to me". He knew what he had to say. He promised himself he'd tell him he forgave him just to keep the peace. That he'd always hate him. But now he knew the truth. He was just a young man defending his friend. They both were. It was war not hate that put them on opposite sides of the battle.

"It wasn't your fault", Haruto-kun. It was in time of war. In heated battle. I'd have done the same to you. It was my duty as it was yours. We're on the same side now so there are no worries.

A-Drei put out his hand to Haruto. Haruto shook his head pulling him into a manly hug. "You helped save my life A-Drei-kun. For that I'll forever be grateful".

"It was nothing" A-Drei smiled.

"In comparison with the other two times you've done it it may be" Haruto smiled.

"Other two times?" A-Drei asked not sure of what exactly Haruto spoke of.

"You gave me back my will to live when you rescued my Saki sending her back to me" Haruto continued "I wanted to die you gave me back my reason to live".

A-Drei smiled "And the other time?" he asked.

"Loneliness is a deadly feeling. By saving my Akira-oneechan from that, you saved her the pain I bared for years. For that, I am proud to call you both friend and family". Haruto patted A-Drei's shoulder "Thank you Prince A-Drei" Haruto uttered with great respect.

Akira returned to her man holding him tight knowing all was right once again.

Silently, Haruto turned and walked right up to L-Elf. For a moment the tension could be cut with a knife.

"He knows" L-Elf thought. "He knows that Shoko and I are together now. He hates me. He has to".

Haruto spoke "you are my friend" he said tears in his eyes. "Your were wrong you know" Haruto corrected.

L-Elf couldn't breathe from the weight upon him. Haruto did in fact hate him he thought.

"You should have said you're my family, my brother" Haruto smiled "You gave me my life back". "no", he corrected himself "you gave me a new life. A better one. Just as you give Shoko-oneechan now". Shoko and L-Elf exchanged surprised looks at how the scene unfolded. "After all the pain, after all the death, after all the heartache. You my brother gave us all new lives. New happiness." Haruto waved Shoko over pushing her right to L-Elf. "take care of her, brother she loves you just as much as you do her".

Haruto turned and walked back to Saki continuing his thought. "As much as I love my sweet girl Miss Saki Rukino" Haruto drops to one knee.

"Saki, I know I screwed this up last time but this time I think I know what say". "Thanks to the runehack" he thinks to himself.

"My dearest Saki, would you do me the honor of spending eternity by my side?"

"It would be my honor my sweet Haruto" Saki began to cry tears of joy hugging her man tight kissing him with all her love, heart, soul and passion.