Inside the infirmary Sun was lying peacefully on her bed, the siren's expression having remained tranquil as she lay in her white patient's dress. Her breathing was quiet and slow, her body barely still functioning after her critical head injury. She lay there, not in a state of peaceful slumber but rather in a state of absolute silence as her mind had ceased all activity. There were no dreams taking place, no thoughts about the werewolf she loved, nothing at all going through her brain except the basic body functions of breathing and keeping the heart beating to remain alive.
As the siren remained motionless and nearly lifeless on the bed Arial was watching her from the bedside, the snow angel's worried eyes locked onto her friend as she had remained in the room after the group had left. Everybody was waiting for Dark and Ceal to return with the spell to hopefully heal the siren's fractured mind, and also to hear for any news from Moka and Akasha about the state of relations with the HDA.
"Sun, please wake up soon," Arial said softly, gently brushing one hand against the siren's cheek. She watched Sun's calm facial expression, praying to see any sign of the girl's awakening.
"Please Sun, come back to me," she said sadly. After a moment she showed a saddened smile then took out her earbuds and put them in Sun's ears, setting the player to a classical symphony song and placing the device on the bed.
"Here, maybe it'll help you hear us again, just follow the music back to us Sun," Arial said wiping her tears away. She sniffled then held the siren's hand.
"Just come back, please," she whimpered. She started crying softly then leaned over and hugged Sun, feeling the girl's chest slowly rising and lowering with each breath. From the doorway Kokoa watched as the snow angel wept for the siren. Kou was perched on her shoulder, the bat also watching the siren that had been knocked into a comatose state by his mistress. Kokoa sighed then slowly walked into the room, heading towards Sun while Arial continued to cry and hold onto the siren. As the vampire got near Arial looked back to her then glared at the girl while forming an ice claw and pointing it towards her.
"Get out of here; it's all your fault she's like this!" Arial yelled out with tears in her eyes. Kokoa looked at her with remorse then to Sun.
"I know Arial, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so carried away like that, I didn't want to hurt her like this," she said sadly as she reached out for the siren. Arial yelled and swiped her claw, slashing Kokoa's arm and drawing blood from three small slices. The vampire held in her scream and backed up while holding her arm, with Kou watching Arial carefully as the snow angel was growling at Kokoa.
"Don't you dare go near her!" Arial yelled out. Kokoa flinched then looked to her arm which had some blood dripping from the cuts. She then looked to Arial with worried eyes and shook her head.
"Please, I just want to pay respect to her and apologize, please Arial," she said softly.
"You can grovel for her forgiveness once Dark comes back with the spell to save her, until then nobody is going near Sun!" Arial yelled out.
"Please Arial, you don't understand," Kokoa pleaded.
"What's not to understand? You tried to kill her!" Arial snapped while holding her claw towards the vampire.
"I just wanted to keep her away from Gin, she wouldn't back off at all," Kokoa reasoned.
"Why should she back off, she loves him more than anything!" Arial argued.
"I love him Arial, and he loves me!" Kokoa cried out, with Arial watching her carefully as the vampire broke down crying while looking down.
"He means everything to me Arial; I don't know what I would do without him. He's been taking care of me, watching out for me, always being there for me. I wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for him, he's my whole world," she said while trying to calm herself. Arial watched her for a moment then raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean you wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him?" she asked. Kokoa looked to her with watery eyes.
"I mean I would be dead Arial. He saved my life when I was depressed and acting foolish, I was going to kill myself after I made a horrible mistake, but he wouldn't let me. I'm alive because of him," she said softly. Arial glanced to Sun then back to Kokoa as the vampire looked down with gentle eyes.
"Not only that, but he changed for me as well," she said softly.
"Changed? Changed what?" Arial asked.
"Changed himself. Back at Yokai Academy, before all of this started, he used to be the biggest pervert the school had, the most lecherous student you could imagine. He was always feeling up girls whenever he could get the chance, taking panty shots of them whenever he could, he was the most distasteful womanizer in the world," Kokoa said, with Arial watching her with puzzlement.
"He was?" Arial asked. Kokoa nodded and looked to her with remorse.
"The first time I met him, he was lying in the bushes, taking picture of my underwear from underneath me," she said, with Arial looking at her with wonder. Kokoa shook her head and looked down with closed eyes.
"I kicked him clear across the courtyard, broke his camera and I think his nose too, I couldn't stand him just like all the others girls couldn't," she said.
"If he was really so bad why do you love him, why did Sun then?" Arial asked accusingly as she lowered her claw. Kokoa looked to Sun with gentle eyes.
"She must have seen what I did, the gentleman that was underneath the peeping-tom exterior. I don't know how she saw it in him, but I remember clearly how I did," she said softly, with Arial watching her curiously. Kokoa stood up and looked to her arm that was starting to stop bleeding.
"He was the last person I ever thought to come to the rescue, and all for me too," she said distantly.
"What are you talking about? What did he do?" Arial asked. Kokoa looked to Arial then to Sun again with worried eyes as she walked over to the siren's bedside.
"There was another student at the school, more perverted than Gin by far. He blackmailed me and my friends, used us like dolls for his sick pleasure. He took so many lewd pictures of us, and threatened to expose them to the school if we didn't cooperate," she started, with Arial listening curiously. Kokoa showed a worried expression and glanced to her.
"Unfortunately I was his favorite, and he used me for more than just pictures," she said, with Arial looking at her with a bit of concern. Kokoa nodded then smiled a bit.
"Don't worry, the other boys took care of him, he got what was coming and then some for all that he did to us. After that, the only loose end was where he hid those dirty pictures of us," she said softly.
"What happened to them?" Arial asked. Kokoa looked to Sun and smiled with a quiet sigh.
"Gin found them, and burned them all. He saved us from embarrassment at the school. Not only that, but he actually got rid of all of his dirty pictures he had, every camera he used for that filth he wiped clean. And he did it all for me," she said softly. Arial looked at her with wonder as Kokoa lowered her head with a gentle smile on her face.
"I couldn't believe it, nobody saw it coming. Gin, one of the worst womanizers and lecherous students at the school, gave all of that up, changed himself into a perfect gentleman, just to prove to me that he loved me," she said softly.
"He did?" Arial asked. Kokoa nodded and looked to her with worried eyes.
"He chose me as his mate Arial, he changed so much all for me, he loves me more than any other girl out there, and I love him, more than anything. If you would have asked me long ago if I could ever picture myself with Gin, I would have laughed and said no. I wouldn't have believed he would be capable of being so kind and caring to me. But now, I can't think otherwise. I can't picture myself with any other guy, I only want the werewolf that loves me," she said softly. Arial looked at her with wonder then to Sun.
"But… he loved Sun first," she said softly.
"He did, I understand that. I understand that she saw the real man in him that I do now; even with his perverted ways she still saw the good in him. And I also understand that Sun rejected him then, she turned him away after he confessed his love to her. She let him go Arial, she can't just say otherwise now, not when he's chosen somebody who returned his love," Kokoa said shaking her head. Arial looked to her as the vampire got down on her knees before her and held her hands together.
"Please, know that I am sorry for hurting her like this, I never wanted this for her. I just wanted her to back off from my boyfriend, my mate, my love. I love Gin so much Arial, and he loves me. He's done the unimaginable for me, and I'm never going to reject his love for all that he's done," she pleaded. Arial looked at her with wonder then down with worried eyes.
"You really love him?" she asked softly.
"I would die for him Arial," Kokoa said, with Arial looking back up to her. Kokoa nodded while Kou looked at his mistress with a small smile.
"I would die for Gin, without a second thought," Kokoa stated assuredly. Arial looked at her with gentle eyes then to Sun.
"But Sun loves him," she said softly.
"She does, but Gin doesn't love her anymore. He cares for her like a friend, he's not going to cast her out of his life entirely, but he loves me now. Please, try to understand Arial, Sun missed her chance with Gin, he's taken now, she can't be his girlfriend anymore," Kokoa pleaded. Arial looked at her for a moment then to the doorway, seeing Gin standing there and watching them with concern.
"Is that true? Do you not love Sun anymore?" Arial asked. Gin walked into the room while Kokoa looked back to him along with Kou.
"Arial, it's true. I used to care about her deeply; she was the one girl at school who never hated me for how I used to be. I'm not proud to admit that what Kokoa said about me was true; I really did act that way back in school. But with Sun, she never hit me nor scolded me for acting that way around her, never hated the kind of guy I was. If anything, I think she liked it, she loved the attention I would give her," Gin said with a shrug. Kokoa looked at her boyfriend curiously as he watched Sun with gentle eyes.
"I mean, I used to take pictures of her in the girls' changing room, I admit it. But the odd thing was, she never got mad. She even said I could keep the pictures, it was like she enjoyed knowing some guy was looking at her that way," he reasoned.
"You really did act like a peeping-tom back then?" Arial asked. Gin nodded and looked to her with a weak smile.
"I know, I was horrible. I can't defend that. And it was because she accepted how I was back then that I thought she was the one for me. So one day I told her that I wanted to take pictures of only her, that I wanted to be with only her. I told her that I loved her," he said, with Arial and Kokoa watching him curiously.
"What did she say?" Arial asked.
"She said she wasn't ready for a serious relationship, and that we should just stay friends," Gin said looking down with a saddened smile.
"But why? She loves you now doesn't she?" Arial asked looking to Sun. Gin nodded and looked to the siren as Kokoa stood up next to him.
"She does now, it seems as though she changed her mind about being ready for a serious relationship," Gin said with a shrug. Arial looked at him with wonder then to Kokoa.
"But you chose her? How come?" she asked. Kokoa looked to Gin with a curious smile, wanting to hear that answer as well. Gin smiled gently at the vampire and gently brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her cheek.
"One day there was a horrible incident at the school, and Kokoa blamed herself for everything. Granted she was at fault, but she was tricked into doing something by another, she didn't know what would really happen. She was so depressed about it that she tried to kill herself by falling off a cliff into the ocean. I remember seeing her there on the cliffside, crying her eyes out before she held her arms out and prepared to just fall off the edge. I ran over and grabbed her as fast as I could, pulling her back onto the ground and scolding her for really being foolish," he said, with Kokoa looking down with a remorseful smile and nodding. Gin smiled at the girl then looked to Arial.
"I'm not sure if it was from me saving her, or her words later on about how she would only love a man with real strength of heart, but somewhere along the road I noticed Kokoa for who she really was. It was as if she had been in front of me all this time and I never saw her. She looked… beautiful, through and through," he said gently, with Kokoa looking up to him with a loving smile. Arial looked at the vampire curiously then to Gin as the wolf held his girlfriend close with one arm.
"After that other perverted student tried to use her, that's when I knew. When I saw the pain and torment she was in from being that bastard's doll, when I felt that raw anger that I never felt before from what he was doing to her, I knew then, I knew that I really cared for her. I knew that I had fallen in love with her," he explained.
"Gin, I love you," Kokoa said as she held onto the boy. Kou squeaked and smiled up at the wolf then looked to Kokoa as the girl nuzzled against his chest. Gin smiled gently at his girl then looked to Arial who was watching him curiously.
"Sun may have cared about me as I was back in the day, but it was Kokoa who got me to truly change my ways and become a real gentleman. She accepted my love, and returned it as well. She's the one I'm going to be with, now and forever," Gin reasoned. Arial looked at him with wonder then to Sun with a gentle expression.
"I see, you two belong together," she said softly.
"I still want to be her friend Arial, although I'm not sure how she'll feel about that option anymore," Gin said glancing to Kokoa, the vampire nodding and looking down with remorse. Gin sighed quietly then looked back to Sun.
"Still, that's how I feel, what I've hoped she would understand as my answer. But it seems she's holding onto that dream of us being together, she still thinks she's fighting for me when I've already made my decision," he said, with Arial gently holding the siren's hand. The snow angel nodded with closed eyes then looked to Gin again.
"I understand, you love Kokoa and not Sun. It sounds like you two have been through so much together, you both belong with each other," she reasoned. Gin and Kokoa smiled a bit at her as the angel looked back to Sun with worried eyes.
"I'll help you talk to her when she wakes up, so that she understands your decision," she said softly. She breathed out then glanced to Kokoa.
"I'm still mad at you for what you did to her, hurting her like this was too much," she pointed out, with Kokoa looking to her nervously. Arial paused for a moment then looked to Sun again with a gentle expression.
"But I do see now why you acted that way. Sun crossed the line, this was the result, hopefully this will help her see that," she said softly. Gin and Kokoa nodded as the snow angel gently brushed Sun's hair with her hand.
"I don't want her to be sad though, you'll let her down easy, won't you?" she asked looking back to Gin with worried eyes. The boy nodded and looked at Sun while Kokoa held onto him gently.
"I don't want her to be sad over this either Arial. I'll be as kind as I can be with her," Gin promised. Arial nodded then looked to Sun while leaning over and holding the girl across the waist.
"I just want her to be ok again, I want her to be happy," she said softly before closing her eyes.
"So do I Arial, so do I," Gin said gently as he held Kokoa at his side. The vampire nodded and looked at Sun with gentle eyes. She then walked over and gently held the snow angel by the shoulders, with Arial then looking up to seeing the vampire smiling gently down at her.
"Let's leave her be to rest, you're just making yourself more worried about her staying by her side like this. Dark and Ceal will be back soon with the spell to heal her mind, we just have to wait," she said gently. Arial looked back to Sun, seeing the siren remaining motionless while her chest was just barely seen to move with each breath she took.
"What if the spell doesn't work? Ceal said it didn't work before, what if… what if it doesn't work for her?" she asked looking back up to Kokoa.
"You see? You're just getting yourself worked up thinking about such things. We need to stay positive and hope that it will work. Don't lose faith in that Arial," Kokoa said softly. Arial nodded and looked down while closing her eyes, a few tears dropping down her cheeks. Kokoa looked to Gin with worried eyes, the boy glancing to Sun then back to Arial as the snow angel whimpered quietly.
"Ceal helped Apoch and Astreal survive when they were shot in the heart, reattached Kurumu's severed wings, restored Falla's missing eye and healed her body after she was hurt by her darker self, and he even healed her mind along with Luna's of their chrono dementia. If anyone can do this Arial, it's him. Just have faith," Gin said gently. Arial looked to him with watery eyes then to Sun.
"If he does bring her back to us, I'll take back what I said about him being a jerk," she said wiping her tears away.
"Nah, he is a jerk, you don't have to take that back," Kokoa said with a shrug and smile. Arial looked up to her with a slight smile as the vampire tilted her head a bit.
"Still, for a jerk he's our best hope of healing her, and he's out there right now trying to do just that. As far as jerks go, he's ok in my book," she reasoned. Arial nodded then looked to the vampire's arm where it had three cuts on it.
"I'm sorry about your arm," she said looking back up to Kokoa timidly.
"Don't worry about it; it'll be healed soon enough. Besides, I think I had that coming after what I did to her," Kokoa said looking to Sun with gentle eyes. She shook her head then looked back to Arial.
"As soon as she wakes up I'm going to apologize for hitting her like that, I promise. In the meantime Arial let's let her rest," she said softly. Arial nodded and looked to Sun one more time, the siren remaining motionless while the mp3 player continued to play music for her.
"She's going to wake up, she's going to be fine," she told herself, praying that those words were true. Gin and Kokoa led the snow angel out of the room, with Kokoa glancing back to Sun at the doorway one last time.
'Sun, I am sorry, really.'
The three walked down the hallways towards the lounge, all of them remaining quiet as they hoped for the hasty return of Dark and Ceal. As they got near the lounge they heard cheering and applause, the three then looking to each other curiously before walking in. The group had gathered around the lowered den, however they weren't watching TV. Sitting down on the couches Luna and Falla were drawing on sketchpads, both girls creating a picture at insane speeds with their pens while their friends watched from around them with wonder. Standing up in front of the TV before them were Kurumu and Mizore, the succubus having her wings extended out along with her tail while Mizore's hair was frozen over while she held her frozen katana. The two girls appeared to be posing as they were remaining perfectly still in daring stances while the chronoflies were drawing pictures of them.
"Amazing, simply amazing," Fang Fang said as he watched Luna while standing behind her.
"Wow, look at them go," Ran said while adjusting her glasses, being rendered in awe by Falla's drawing speed.
"Where did you two learn to draw like that?" Kyouko asked while sitting next to Falla, her eyes trying to make out the chronofly's speedy hand movements. Falla's technique of drawing was always difficult to follow, as the girl drew scattered disjointed lines that she later connected with precision to form the picture in the end.
"It's just a little talent passed down by our mother," Falla said as she glanced up to Mizore then back to her drawing of the snow girl.
"Just a bit longer Kurumu," Luna said as she glanced to the succubus then back to her drawing which looked lifelike in comparison. Complica watched Luna drawing with a big smile on her face as she saw Kurumu's wings taking shape with intricate detail. Luna's drawing style was more straightforward, where she would draw the person first followed by the background and then went over all of it again and again with more detail until it was done.
"What's going on?" Arial asked as she, Gin, and Kokoa walked over.
"Luna and Falla are drawing pictures of us, check it out," Ruby said as she held up a paper for the snow angel to see. Arial walked over and looked at it curiously, seeing a lifelike drawing of the witch. She was standing amidst a large sunflower field while holding her wand, the image looking like a black and white photo with precise detail.
"Yeah, we thought this would be a good way to pass the time until our errand boys get back, not to mention that these two girls really have a knack for this," Razico said as he showed Arial a picture of himself standing in a daring pose while having a chain coiled around his arm. The background was drawn to look like he was standing before a castle that rose up towards a moon in the night sky. Arial looked at the picture with wonder then down to the lowered den to seeing Luna and Falla finishing up their pictures.
"Done," Luna and Falla said together. Mizore and Kurumu walked over to see, the succubus retracting her wings and tail while Mizore dissolved her blade as her hair returned to normal. The chronoflies gave them the pictures, the two girls smiling with wonder at seeing themselves hand drawn on such a professional level. For Kurumu she looked to be standing inside a fiery cavern with flames sprouting up in the background. Mizore was standing in a fighting stance with her blade while the background was drawn to be that of a Japanese shrine under a night sky.
"That's amazing, I look so sexy!" Kurumu said with a hop.
"I still can't understand how you're able to do that," Mizore said looking to Falla with a curious smile. Falla shrugged with a giggle while Luna spun her pen around in her fingers then blew across the tip as if it were a smoking gun.
"Just how we do," Luna said coolly. Falla got another page ready on her sketchpad then looked around at the group.
"Ok, who's next?" she asked.
"We're next!" Yukari called out as she grabbed Ahakon's hand and dragged him out from his seat, across the floor, and over in front of the TV while the group watched them amusedly. Ahakon stumbled to his feet then smiled weakly at his girlfriend before looking to the chronoflies.
"Um, we are I guess," he said with a shrug.
Arial walked over and sat down with the others next to Felucia, the doll demon glancing to her then to Mizore while motioning towards the angel with her head. Mizore rolled her eyes then reluctantly walked over and sat next to Arial, the snow angel glancing to her with a dull expression before looking back ahead and scooting closer to Felucia's side. Mizore held in her growl of annoyance as she looked ahead as well. Apoch glanced to Kokoa then noticed her bleeding arm.
"Ms. Kokoa, what happened to your arm?" she asked looking to it with concern. Kokoa looked to her wound which was healing then shook her head a bit.
"It's alright, don't worry about it," she said simply.
"It looks like something sliced across your arm pretty good," Astreal mentioned. Kokoa nodded and looked to Arial, the snow angel glancing back to her.
"Yeah, I had it coming," Kokoa said with a shrug. The group looked to Arial as she glanced down and away.
"If that's all Arial gave you then consider yourself lucky," Gabriel reasoned, with Kokoa nodding in agreement. Luna looked at Arial curiously then glanced to Gabriel while he sat on a couch next to Rason. She wasn't sure why, but for a brief moment she felt something seeming to pull towards him upon hearing his voice. After a pause she shrugged it off then looked back to the young casters.
"Alright, let us know when you're ready," she said as she got a new piece of paper ready on her sketchpad. Yukari smiled then held up her wand in a daring position while Ahakon looked around curiously.
"So, how should I stand?" he asked.
"Just act natural, or if you're a ham, act like an action hero like Yukari is," Kurumu said with a smirk as she sat down next to Rason. Yukari twitched then looked to the succubus with annoyance.
"Hey, you and Mizore posed like this, why can't I?" she asked.
"Because we are action heroes," Kurumu said smugly as she leaned back and put her arms behind her head casually. Yukari drummed her fingers on her wand with a dull expression then glanced to Rason.
"Rason, could you lean to the left a little?" she asked flatly. Rason looked at her puzzled then leaned a bit away from Kurumu.
"Um, why?" he asked.
BANG!
A golden basin dropped onto Kurumu's head, the girl and washtub falling to the ground right in front of him with a thud.
"You were a little too close to her," Yukari said simply.
"What the? Where did that thing come from?" Kyouko asked looking up in bewilderment.
"Yukari likes to drop those things with her magic on people who bug her, like Kurumu," Mizore explained simply as she watched Kurumu twitching on the ground. Kyouko looked at the basin with wonder then jumped a bit before looking to Yukari with an accusing stare.
"Wait a minute, was that you that hit me with that washtub when you all came to visit Tsukune before?" she demanded. Yukari looked to her curiously as the human pointed to her.
"That's right, you, Kurumu, and Mizore were fighting in the park that night over him, and then I got hit in the head with a flying golden washtub. You did that to me, didn't you?" she accused. Yukari smiled nervously and rubbed the back of her head.
"Oh… yeah. Sorry about that, it was an accident," she said with a small giggle.
"An accident? That hurt like hell!" Kyouko cried out.
"It's not so bad Kyouko, Kurumu takes those things to the head on a daily basis and she's perfectly fine," Ruby mentioned as Kurumu stumbled to her feet while growling.
"Dammit, that hurt you little brat!" she barked out.
"Uh, Kurumu? She's over there," Ran said, pointing to Yukari as Kurumu was looking off towards the side of the lounge. Kurumu blinked then looked around before turning to Yukari with a glare.
"What the hell was that for anyway?" she barked out. Kyouko looked to Ruby with a raised eyebrow as the witch shrugged with a weak smile.
"Ehh… mostly fine anyway," Ruby reasoned. Kurumu tried to charge Yukari again before Rason grabbed her and pulled the girl back, the succubus looking to him timidly as he shook his head with a weak smile.
"Don't start another fight my dear, ok?" he said gently.
"Ok," she said softly as she slowly nuzzled back against him.
"Wow, she dropped that fast," Leon mentioned as the group watched Kurumu sighing happily while snuggling against her boyfriend, the girl taking his arm and placing it around her while she held onto him with a dreamy sigh. Rason smiled weakly and shrugged as he saw his girlfriend looking back to him with loving eyes. Kokoa smirked and crossed her arms as she watched Kurumu melting in her boyfriend's embrace.
"Rason's the only one who can calm her that fast," she pointed out. Kurumu smiled smugly at Yukari while holding onto Rason's arm.
"Well he is my Destined One after all, and nothing beats the feeling of our bond between each other, something that you'll never experience," she said arrogantly. Yukari just gave her a dull stare back while Kyouko looked at the succubus curiously.
"The feeling of your bond? What does that mean?" she asked. Kurumu giggled and glanced to her with a smug grin.
"Yeah, I'm destined to be with an angel of heaven, it's a special connection we share that proves we're made for each other," she boasted.
"A special connection?" Ran asked. Kurumu nodded and looked to Rason's arm as she gently traced her fingers along it.
"It's hard to explain, it's like… there's this force between us, something that can only be felt by us. Ever since I saw Rason there was always something about him that I couldn't see, yet knew was there. And every time I touched or held his hand, it was like that feeling grew even more inside of me," she said softly. The group looked at her curiously, with Luna raising an eyebrow in question.
"Every time you touched him?" Luna asked. Kurumu nodded and looked to her with a calm smile.
"It was like his spirit was touching mine, like his essence joined with mine. It's like… a sunny warmth coursed through us, the energy of two destined lovers who were made just for each other," she explained. Luna looked at her carefully then showed an expression of wonder.
"A warmth that flowed through you?" she asked carefully.
"Yeah, it always put a tingle in my chest near my heart, like love was jolting through me. I'll admit at first I thought he was just using some sort of charming magic on me, but after I kissed him, I knew for a fact it was the real deal," Kurumu said looking back to Rason, the boy smiling gently at her. Luna glanced between them quickly, then to Gabriel, then back to Rason.
"Rason, is that what you feel with her as well?" she asked. He looked to her and nodded.
"I do. Although I wasn't aware of this special bond myself at the time, I never heard about how those fated to mate with angels were bound to us in any way. Of course when I first saw her I knew she was the most beautiful girl in the world, even though I didn't feel such a unique connection with her until I kissed her," he said looking back to Kurumu.
"Oh Rason…" she said softly.
"Oh Kurumu…" he said gently.
"Oh Rason…"
"Oh Kurumu…"
"Oh brother, don't you two start doing that again," Yukari groaned. Render blinked then looked to Leon with bewilderment.
"Holy crap, so you and Selena weren't the only ones who acted like that. Well I'll be damned," he said simply. Astreal glanced to Leon curiously as the mage rolled his eyes to that comment.
"That's right, I remember the elder speaking to you about that bond you and Kurumu shared before," Gabriel mentioned. Rason nodded and looked to him as Luna glanced to him curiously, feeling a slight tingle in her chest as she looked at the redheaded angel again.
"Yeah, apparently that's a bond angels have with those we're destined to be with. I had no idea about it either before I met Kurumu, but it turns out angels have Destined Ones too," Rason said with a shrug.
"Which means there's a girl out there somewhere just for you Gabriel," Kurumu said with a giggle. Gabriel smiled weakly and rubbed the back of his head.
"Right, there's a girl somewhere out in the world that's destined to be with me. I'll believe that when I see it," he said with a small laugh. Luna stared at him with wonder then looked between Kurumu and Rason carefully as her hand twitched a bit with her pen.
"So Rason, you didn't feel that… 'bond' with Kurumu until after you kissed her?" she asked. Rason looked to her and nodded. Luna watched him carefully then looked to Kurumu.
"But you felt it right away when you first saw him?" she asked. Kurumu nodded and looked to Rason with a blissful smile.
"Yeah, I guess I did feel the bond first. But we both feel it now, stronger than ever," she said softly, with Rason holding her close and kissing her forehead gently.
"That's great, you two are destined to be together, fantastic, can we get on with the drawings now, I want to go next," Felucia said looking up with a bored expression. Falla nodded and looked back to Ahakon while readying her pen.
"Alright. So how's it going to be then Ahakon?" she asked while holding up a thumb towards the boy with an artistic eye. Ahakon looked around then struck a daring pose, a swirl of flames forming around his arm and leading up to his palm.
"Ham it is," Falla said with a smirk. The group chuckled at that except for Luna who was still staring at Kurumu with wonder. Yukari got into her pose then looked at Luna curiously.
"Luna?" she asked. The chronofly blinked then looked to her, then down to her sketchpad.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I'm ready," she said before eyeing the witch. The two chronoflies then began to draw at high speed, with the group around them watching their hand movements with wonder.
"That's just unreal," Kyouko said with awe.
"I can't even follow her hand, it's all just a blur," Arial said shaking her head. She then looked to Complica curiously as the young chronofly was watching Luna's artwork.
"Can you draw like that too?" she asked. Complica looked to her with a weak smile and shrugged.
"Well… I can but it's not nearly as good Luna and Falla were always able to draw better than me I mean I did get my drawing talents from my mother she's the best there is but I can't really do it as well as my sisters can even though I try my best and practice a lot I'm still not able to draw like they can," she said while glancing away. Arial just blinked then nodded once before looking back to Falla's work.
"I don't think anybody can draw as well as your sisters can," Ran said with wonder.
"I must say, that is a wonderful talent you two possess," Fang Fang said in agreement. He then looked at Luna's drawing with a puzzled expression.
"Um, say, Luna?" he said pointing to her drawing. Luna kept working on it as her eyes darted around quickly at her picture, with those around her looking at it and noticing something.
"What's she doing?" Kokoa asked.
"Is something wrong?" Yukari asked as she glanced over to see Luna no longer examining her while still drawing away.
"What are you doing sister?" Complica asked as she looked up to Luna.
"I'm just drawing Complica," Luna responded while she kept staring at her picture that was starting to show more detail and form, the girl seeming to tune the world around her out. Falla glanced over to her sister's drawing then stopped what she was doing with a puzzled expression.
"Luna?" she asked looking to her.
"What?" Luna asked simply as she kept going.
"What are you doing?" Falla asked.
"I'm just drawing, what does it look like?" Luna replied expectantly.
"That's not Yukari you're drawing though," Gin pointed out. Luna stopped and blinked, then looked at her picture with wonder. Yukari looked at her puzzled as she dropped her stance, with Ahakon doing the same.
"What do you mean that's not me she's drawing?" Yukari asked.
"Ms. Luna?" Apoch and Astreal asked while standing behind her, both seeing that the chronofly had drawn somebody else in high quality on her sketchpad. Luna closed her eyes as she held a hand to her head, the group watching as she seemed to come out of a trance.
"Oh… right," Luna said looking back at the picture.
"Who did she draw?" Rason asked. The group around Luna looked to Gabriel, with Luna slowly glancing to him while remaining silent.
"She drew Gabriel," Ruby said, with Gabriel jumping a bit from that.
"What? Me?" he asked. Luna stared at him for a moment then looked back down to her picture, seeing that she had drawn the angel standing atop a grassy hill with his wings spread out while he was wearing his ripped jeans.
"Why did you draw him?" Rason asked.
"Yeah, what about me?" Yukari whined as she pouted.
Luna slowly set the pad and pen down on the table then glanced to Gabriel, the angel looking at her curiously now along with everybody else.
"I…" she said softly before looking down. After a moment she held her head and slowly stood up.
"Excuse me," she said before making her way over towards the door, tripping a bit as she quickly scurried out of the room. The group watched her go then looked to the picture she had drawn.
"Why did she draw Gabriel?" Arial asked.
"I didn't know it was my turn," Gabriel said rubbing the back of his head.
"It wasn't, it was mine. What gives?" Yukari whined as she walked over and looked at the picture of the angel. Falla picked up the sketchpad and looked at it curiously while Complica stood up and looked towards the doorway with concern.
"Why did she leave like that what's wrong with her?" Complica asked looking to Falla.
"I'm not sure, something was bothering her," Falla said looking to Gabriel. He looked around worriedly and raised his hands defensively.
"Did I do something to upset her? I thought I was being very quiet over here," he said unsurely.
"I don't think you did. I'm going to go talk to her," Kurumu said standing up. Falla took Luna's sketchpad and got up as well, the two heading out after Luna while the group watched them go.
"I wonder what that was about," Rason said scratching his head.
"Gabriel, did you say anything to Luna today?" Ruby asked looking to the redheaded angel.
"No, I haven't really spoken to her at all today," Gabriel said with a shrug.
Yukari picked up the picture of Ahakon that Falla had been drawing and turned it around with a puzzled expression, seeing only a few noticeable features that had been drawn of the mage from Falla's unique style. There were dozens of other lines and curves seen on the paper, however the full picture hadn't taken shape yet as Falla had stopped working on it before it was done.
"Why does she draw like this? And how?" Yukari asked shaking her head. How Falla managed to precisely connect each line the way she did remained a mystery as the chronofly's deceptive drawing style seemed extremely difficult and strange. Yukari sighed that she didn't even have a new picture of her boyfriend then looked to Complica, the young chronofly still watching where her sisters had left.
"Say, Complica? Why don't you try and draw somebody?" she asked. Complica looked to her with a jump then quickly shook her head.
"No no I'm ok really," she said with a nervous smile.
"C'mon girl, you got that same talent your sisters have don't you?" Felucia said with a shrug.
"Well… I… um, kinda…" Complica said looking away worriedly. Arial took the sketchpad from Yukari then handed it to the young chronofly.
"Do you think you could draw me?" she asked with a curious smile. Complica stammered something for a moment then smiled weakly at her.
"I'd better not Arial I'm not really good and I don't think you'll like it very much besides my sisters can draw much better than me you should ask them to draw you not me," she said quickly.
"Commas are a myth to that girl, aren't they?" Render asked simply. Arial held the pad out to Complica with a pleading smile.
"Please Complica?" she asked with a flutter of her wings. Complica looked to the pad then to Arial worriedly as the group smiled at the young chronofly.
"Go ahead Complica, you know you can do it," Ruby said kindly.
"From what I've seen drawing outstandingly runs in your family," Fang Fang commented with a smile.
"Your friend wants you to draw her, at least give it a try," Rason said with a shrug. Complica looked around at the group then to the sketchpad with worried eyes.
"Well… ok, I'll try," she said as she slowly took hold of it. Arial jumped with joy then ran over to stand in front of the TV. Complica breathed out then set the pad down on the lowered table while sitting next to it, looking from Arial then back to it while the group watched her curiously.
"Now you have to promise that you won't get mad if it doesn't look good," Complica said looking to Arial with concern.
"I promise, don't worry about it," Arial reassured with a wave of her hand.
"I mean it Arial, please don't lose your temper again," Complica said worriedly. Arial twitched at that then looked at her with a cold stare.
"My what?" she asked sharply. Complica jumped a bit then shook her head with a nervous smile.
"Nothing, never mind, just… pose or something for me," she said quickly. Arial smiled then formed her ice claws while her hair froze over, striking a fighting stance while her wings arched back behind her. Complica eyed her over then looked to the sketchpad while taking a slow breath. She then started to draw at a quickened pace, with those around her watching curiously. Like Luna, Complica's drawing took form right away, with the image of Arial coming into focus rather quickly as the young chronofly seemed to draw at the same expertise as her sisters.
"Wow, look at her go," Ran said with wonder.
"Unbelievable, even at her age she's drawing like a professional artist," Fang Fang commented with an impressed smile.
The group watched as Complica drew the image of Arial with intricate detail. She then added in the snow angel's wings, then the ground under her, then a background which had a mountain and forest, then snow on the trees and mountaintop, then added clouds in the sky, and then put in a gigantic bunny in the forest that was wearing a fedora while one eye had a crescent moon for an iris and it was holding a mighty claymore up in the air where swirls of musical notes and stars flew around it in a spiral before trailing off to a giant candy cane that was being held by a three headed ogre who was smiling and missing some teeth while he was climbing the mountain being surrounded by dozens of birds-
"What the hell is she doing?" Kokoa asked as Complica kept going while her eyes were darting all around her picture, the young chronofly adding in hundreds of flowers coming out from the snowy ground while a few had smiley faces and some had flowers blooming up from their flowers and there were butterflies fluttering around the plants-
"Complica? What are you doing, you can stop now," Ruby said as the group watched Complica continuing to draw frantically, adding more bizarre and strange images to her picture while she was no longer glancing up to eye Arial at all.
"Complica! Stop!" Gin called out as the young chronofly continued to draw more and more, the paper becoming cluttered with what could only be described as a jumbled mess. Yukari grabbed the chronofly's shoulder, with Complica snapping back to reality and looking to her with a jump.
"Hey, you can stop now," Yukari said looking down to the picture. Complica blinked then looked down to see her picture had become a real mess, with Arial's image being overshadowed by everything else around it.
"Oh… sorry," Complica said worriedly. Arial lowered her stance as her hands and hair returned to normal then ran over to see. She looked at the picture then jumped with surprise at seeing the cluttered mess the chronofly had drawn.
"Wha… what is all that? What did you draw?" Arial asked looking to Complica. The young chronofly glanced to her then back down to her picture with remorse.
"Sorry, I got kind of carried away again," she said quietly. Ahakon walked over and examined the picture with a puzzled expression.
"Wow, that's… a lot," he said simply. Complica whimpered then broke down crying while holding her hands over her face, the group watching her with concern as she shook her head while sobbing.
"I'm sorry I can't help it I can't focus and draw like my sisters can every thought I think of comes out when I draw I can't stop myself I'm so sorry," she whined as she cried on the floor. The group looked to each other then back to her as the girl cried out of sorrow.
"Complica, it's not… that bad," Arial said looking to the picture unsurely.
"Yeah, it's alright, don't worry about it kid," Felucia said gently.
"We're not judging you, nor making fun of you. It's ok," Razico assured.
Render walked over and sat next to the crying chronofly, looking at the picture with a careful eye as he picked it up and examined the strange artwork. Complica wiped her tears away then looked to him with watery eyes as he smiled curiously.
"That is amazing," he said with wonder.
"What are you talking about it's a mess it's horrible it's just a mistake," Complica whimpered while shaking her head. Render shook his head and set the picture down while looking it over carefully.
"Complica, look at what you did though," he said glancing to her. She looked to the picture for a moment then to him with puzzlement, the boy then pointing to parts of the image with an impressed smile.
"It's not that you drew too much, it's that everything you did draw is incredibly detailed. I mean look, the sword the giant bunny is holding has ancient letters engraved into it, the ogre you drew has every muscle and skin tone fleshed out perfectly, the musical notes you drew are the same notes that Fighting Team Robanimals uses as its theme song. Seriously, the amount of detail and subtle touches to this is really awesome," he explained. Complica looked at the picture curiously as the group gathered closer to see as well.
"He's right, look at Arial's wings, every frozen feather is detailed and looks lifelike," Gabriel said with wonder.
"Hey, look in the forest, there's Ceal and Falla kissing," Kokoa said, pointing to the snowy forest in the picture where Ceal was seen holding Falla and kissing her next to a tree, in very small yet precise detail.
"Does anybody else see that those birds are actually mini-phoenixes? They look just like Fang Fang's summoned monster," Ran pointed out as she examined the birds carefully.
"Oh my god, everything is a work of art in itself, and she managed to get it all in the same picture," Ruby said looking to Complica with wonder.
"How did she draw that fine of detail with just a pen though? That's impossible," Ahakon said shaking his head.
"Incredible," Mizore said softly as she looked from one part of the picture to another, seeing that each area of the image had its own works of art held within it.
Render set the picture down on the table then turned to Complica while bowing honorably before her.
"Would you please draw a picture like that of me? Please please please?" he begged. Complica looked at him with wonder and tilted her head slightly.
"You… want me to draw you?" she asked. Render looked to her with an eager smile and nodded.
"You bet, I can't wait to see what kind of surprises you put in the picture around me. Oh, could I hold my swords too? I bet you could make them look just as awesome as they do in real life. Please?" he asked. Complica looked at him awe while rendered speechless. After a moment she smiled a bit and nodded.
"Um, sure, if you really want me to," she said. Render jumped with joy then ran over and grabbed Apoch's hand.
"C'mon babe, you can pose with me, it'll be awesome," he said as he dragged her towards the front of the den near the TV, with the witch stumbling a bit while looking at him with wonder.
"Um, ok," she said with a smile forming as the two got in front of the group.
"Did he just call her babe?" Kyouko asked with a raised eyebrow.
Render held his hands together as a bright light flashed around them, the group watching as the glowing light flared up and swirled around him with a flash before vanishing, revealing the battlemage in his combat form as he flexed his muscles. Apoch stared at him with wonder and a blush as Render phased two of his swords back into the real world, the straightedge and angular blades forming in midair as he drew his hands forward with his magic. He then grabbed the swords and struck a daring pose, with the group just staring at him curiously while Apoch slowly eyed him from head to toe. She licked her lips then glanced to Complica with a smile.
"Please make sure you capture every part of him, ok Ms. Complica?" she said before forming her barrier sword, the witch then posing alongside her boyfriend in a daring stance while the group smiled amusedly at them. Complica looked between them then giggled as she got another paper ready to draw on.
"Ok, just don't move," she said looking to them with a sharp eye before she started working on the picture. As the group watched her draw the mage and witch at an insane speed Arial sat down next to Felucia and Mizore, the snow angel looking from her own personal drawing from Complica to the new one that was being made at high speed with wonder. Mizore glanced to the snow angel's picture then to the new one as she nodded slowly.
"I think that answers my question," she said softly. Felucia and Arial looked to her as she watched Complica drawing with a curious eye.
"What question?" Felucia asked.
"When Complica is focused enough, which chronofly sister is truly more powerful? Complica cast the Chrono Displacement spell all by herself, her artistic talent actually exceeds Luna and Falla's, and even though she's dead she's still making an impact with those around her by coming to help out personally. It's like there's nothing she can't do if she puts her full mind to it," Mizore reasoned.
"What are you saying?" Arial asked. Mizore glanced to her then looked to Complica.
"If I had to pick one of them, I would say Complica would have been the most powerful chronofly of her race had she lived on," she said softly. Arial and Felucia looked at her curiously then to Complica, the chronofly continuing with her drawing spree as she finished capturing Render and Apoch's likeness before proceeding to draw much more around them.
Luna quickly walked out of the lounge, stumbling slightly as she headed out into the hall while holding a hand to her head. She passed by a guard who turned to watch her curiously as the girl didn't even notice him while she seemed to be lost in thought about something. Luna rounded the corner and then stopped while leaning next to the wall, her eyes darting around slightly as she looked down with disbelief.
"It can't be, it couldn't be, how could it be, no no, I'm just confusing myself, I'm not thinking straight again, I can't be thinking straight," she said as she tried to control her train of thought. Without her stabilizer bracelet she was having difficulty on that day keeping her mind in order. She had occasionally lost control of her thoughts, resulting in unexpected bursts of maniacal laughter or simply becoming confused and lost about the simplest of things. Yet when she was trying to focus on drawing Yukari earlier she had instead drawn Gabriel, her mind seeming to focus on him completely after Kurumu had explained about her own bond with Rason and what it felt like. She didn't even realize she was drawing Gabriel until Falla had told her; it was as if her mind was on autopilot with the angel being the only thought in her head.
"That doesn't make sense, he couldn't be… how could he be… no, I can't be seeing this right, this isn't right," she said gripping her hair and shaking her head, closing her eyes as she tried to focus her mind.
"Luna?" Kurumu called out from behind. Luna looked back to seeing Kurumu and Falla heading past her down the hallway nearby, the two girls stopping then looking over to seeing Luna slumping down against the wall while looking at them with disbelief.
"Sister? What's wrong? Why did you leave like that?" Falla asked as she walked over, holding Luna's sketchpad in her hand still while Kurumu watched Luna curiously.
"Are you ok?" Kurumu asked.
"I don't know, I think I'm losing it again," Luna said shaking her head. She held her head tiredly as she looked down with closed eyes.
"I'm not thinking straight, I can't be, I don't understand," she said softly. Kurumu and Falla kneeled down in front of her as the girl looked to Kurumu with worried eyes.
"Kurumu, tell me exactly, what did it feel like when you first saw Rason?" she asked.
"What it felt like?" Kurumu asked. Luna moved forward and grabbed the succubus by the shoulders.
"Please, tell me what it was you felt from him," she asked desperately. Kurumu looked at her with puzzlement then down.
"Well… I mean, it was like a strange… tingle in my chest, like I was sensing something about him that I couldn't feel with anyone else," she said with a shrug.
"And what about when you touched him, when you held his hand, when you felt him?" Luna asked.
"What is this about Luna?" Falla asked. Luna shook Kurumu by the shoulders while the succubus stared at her with surprise.
"Tell me Kurumu! What did it feel like?" she demanded.
"I told you, it was like lightning was flowing between us, like a special warmth whenever we touched, like my soul was connecting to his," Kurumu said shakily. Luna stopped shaking her while staring at the girl with disbelief.
"Are you sure? Are you sure?" she asked desperately.
"Yes, I know what I felt with him and still do, I feel that whenever I'm around him now. What's wrong with you?" Kurumu asked as she removed the chronofly's grip on her. Luna looked between the two girls then down to her hands.
"I… he… it's… but…" she said shakily. Falla looked at her puzzled then glanced to the sketchpad in her hand. She looked at the picture of Gabriel then slowly back to Luna with wonder.
"Luna…" she said, with Luna and Kurumu looking to seeing Falla showing her sister the drawing again.
"Does this have anything to do with Gabriel?" Falla asked. Kurumu looked back to Luna curiously as the chronofly leaned back against the wall while holding her head.
"I don't know, I mean… it's like…" she said shakily. Kurumu blinked then slowly showed a surprised expression.
"Luna? Do you… feel… with…" she asked softly. Luna shook her head and looked to her hands, seeming to hesitate before looking to Kurumu.
"I felt it," she said softly, with Kurumu and Falla looking at her with surprise.
"I felt it… I felt it from him when I was holding his hand, when I took him up to heaven from Yokai Academy. And yesterday, when I touched him again, I felt… I felt…" she said with a few uneasy breaths.
"Oh my god," Kurumu said looking to the sketchpad.
"Luna, do you feel that bond with Gabriel?" Falla asked with wonder.
"I don't know, I don't know what this is, I'm so confused," Luna said shaking her head. Kurumu looked back down the hall towards the lounge then to Luna with a growing smile.
"You felt it; you felt that connection with Gabriel? You felt it with… holy shit, if that's true, then that means-"
"No!" Luna said shaking her head. Kurumu looked at her confusedly then shook her head.
"No? Luna, if you feel the bond with an angel like that it means-"
"Stop it; I don't want to deceive myself again! I'm not falling for this again!" Luna shouted out as she stumbled to her feet. Kurumu and Falla stood up while the succubus waved down the hall towards the lounge.
"Falling for what, what are you talking about? You feel the same bond that I do with my Destined One, that means Gabriel is-"
"Shut up Kurumu!" Luna yelled out at her. Kurumu and Falla looked at her with surprise as Luna shook her head while shutting her eyes.
"Dammit, I'm not going to fall for this again! Every time I gave my heart out to someone I was wrong! Rason wasn't meant for me; even though he saved my life he was your Destined One, I never could have had him! Hex wasn't meant for me either; he saved me but only to use me to free his sister, I was just a tool to him! There are no knights in shining armor for me; I don't have a Destined One! I'm not going to be deceived again, I'm not going to feel my heart stabbed from being rejected again, I'm not going to do it, not again!" Luna shouted out.
"But Luna, you feel the bond! You feel the same bond with your angel as I do with mine!" Kurumu reasoned.
"I don't have an angel! I never did!" Luna shrieked out.
"But Luna, if you feel that connection with Gabriel then that means that he is your Destined One," Falla said hopefully.
"I don't know what I feel! I don't know what feel at all, I don't believe it! I don't believe any of this!" Luna cried out before she took off down the hallway away from them.
"Luna, wait!" Falla called out as she ran after her. Kurumu shook her head then ran back to the lounge. She ran in and saw Render and Apoch posing in front of the TV near the den with their swords while the others were gathered around Complica who was drawing on a sketchpad.
"Amazing, look at the detail," Fang Fang said with wonder.
"How's it coming?" Render asked while maintaining his pose.
"She's drawing you two surrounded by savage orc warriors, it looks like a high quality movie poster," Leon said with wonder.
"Aw hell yeah," Render said with a grin.
"Ms. Complica, I wouldn't mind wearing something more fitting for combat than this, if it wouldn't be too much trouble," Apoch mentioned with a glance to the chronofly.
"She's drawing you in some pretty skimpy knights' armor," Kokoa pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"Really? How skimpy are we talking here?" Render asked as Apoch glanced to him with a coy smile.
"I hardly think that will protect her from swords and spears in the least," Ran said with a blush.
"Alright, it's an R rated movie poster," Leon reasoned with a shrug.
"Sweet!" Render said excitedly, with Apoch giggling before looking ahead with a confident smile.
"You guys! We've got a problem!" Kurumu called out.
"No we don't, everything's fine right now, don't interrupt her," Render barked back.
"Ms. Complica's busy right now Ms. Kurumu, please shut your mouth," Apoch snapped.
"This isn't a joke, Luna's run off!" Kurumu shouted out. Complica looked to her with a jump while the group turned to her with puzzlement.
"What? Run off?" Rason asked.
"Why, what's wrong with her?" Complica asked worriedly. Kurumu pointed to Gabriel with a stern expression, the angel jumping a bit as the group looked to him.
"You, you're coming with me right now!" Kurumu ordered.
Running down the halls Luna was wandering aimlessly while in distress, her heart aching at the thought of being teased with such an idea as Gabriel being her true Destined One. Further behind her Falla was trying to catch up to her sister, watching as Luna plowed through two patrolling guards and continuing on as the men tumbled to either side of the hall.
"Luna, wait! Stop!" Falla called out.
"Leave me alone! I don't want to hear it! I can't! I can't deal with this again!" Luna cried out as she kept running ahead.
The two girls ran through the building and out into a courtyard within the villa, both coming out into a large garden with a stone pathway leading up to an arched wooden bridge over a small pond. As Luna ran past all the exotic plants and shrubbery her eyes started to well up with tears, her running becoming a bit off-balance as she whimpered and started crying.
"No more, quit playing with my heart like this! It's not fair!" Luna cried out as she ran through the garden and onto the bridge. She then came to a halt as Falla raced up and grabbed her arm, the two sisters struggling about on the wooden bridge while nearby guards watched with puzzled expressions.
"Just stop Luna, stop," Falla pleaded as she tried to control her sister.
"Let me go Falla, I'm not going to listen to any of that nonsense!" Luna yelled out as she tried to wrestle free.
"But what if Kurumu was right? What if Gabriel really is the one for you?" Falla reasoned.
"There is nobody for me! Let me go!" Luna cried out as she broke down and grabbed onto the wooden railing of the bridge. Falla watched her with concern as Luna cried and looked down at the reflection in the pond, seeing the rippling image of herself with tears dropping from her cheeks.
"I don't know what I'm feeling anymore, I'm so confused about how I'm supposed to feel about anything. I can't believe that I feel the bond with him, I won't, I won't let myself be deceived again!" Luna yelled out as she shut her eyes tightly. Falla watched her sister sobbing uncontrollably then looked over to see Kurumu dragging a stumbling Gabriel out of the main building into the courtyard, with the others following closely behind them.
"What's going on Kurumu, where are you taking me?" Gabriel asked as he tried to keep his balance. Kurumu led him towards the bridge while the others stopped in the garden, watching as Luna was crying on the bridge with Falla trying to comfort her.
"Sister? What's wrong?" Complica asked as she ran ahead and towards her sister. Luna looked toward them then to Gabriel as Kurumu led him up onto the bridge and looked between the two with a sharp eye.
"No, stop it!" Luna cried out as she tried to run off again, with Falla then grabbing and holding the struggling girl in place.
"Luna? What's wrong, why are you crying?" Gabriel asked as Complica ran over and hugged Luna.
"Luna, why are you crying? What's wrong?" Complica asked worriedly. Luna looked to her then to Gabriel with watery eyes as she kept trying to get free.
"No, I can't believe it, I can't believe it, I won't fall for this again!" Luna cried out as she thrashed around. She and Falla stumbled over and bumped into the railing of the bridge, the wood creaking a bit as the two girls struggled about while Complica backed away worriedly.
"What is she talking about?" Fang Fang asked as the others watched Luna struggling to break free from Falla's grip. Luna screamed and threw Falla over to the other side of the bridge as Gabriel watched her with growing concern.
"Please Luna, it's not a trick, it's the real deal!" Kurumu pleaded.
"No it isn't, I'm not having my heart broken again, not again!" Luna cried out as she backed up against the railing, the wood creaking more as a bolt popped loose from below.
"What are you talking about, what's going on here?" Gabriel asked. Kurumu looked to him then to Luna, then without thinking grabbed Gabriel by the arm and threw him towards Luna.
"See for yourself, he's the one!" Kurumu said as Gabriel quickly stumbled toward Luna, the angel running into her before the two crashed through the railing and dropped into the pond with a splash. The group watched with surprise as the railing from the bridge broke apart while Kurumu stared with wide eyes at seeing the two falling over into the water.
"Um… whoops," she squeaked out.
"Luna!" Falla called out as she, Complica, and Kurumu ran over to the edge, all of them seeing Gabriel sitting up in the shallow pond with Luna on top of him, the girl rubbing her head before looking at the boy she was straddling in the water. Gabriel coughed out water to the side then looked up to Kurumu with a weak expression.
"Why did you do that? What is wrong with you?" he asked.
"What do you mean he's the one? The one what?" Rason asked as he ran over to Kurumu.
"Gabriel's her Destined One!" Kurumu declared while pointing to the redheaded angel. Gabriel jumped a bit then looked to Luna, the girl still staring at him with wonder while her hands were resting on his chest. She felt the strange warmth from the boy once again, coming from the touch of her hands and her lower body that was straddling the angel in the pond. Her heart fluttered as a powerful pull was felt from within her, a strange tingling sensation being felt near her heart as her mind started to go blank.
"What? He is?" Yukari asked.
Gabriel sat up in the pond while Luna kept staring at him, the girl making no effort to move off of him while she took a few shaky breaths.
"You feel it now don't you Luna? The bond flowing between you, the connection you have with your angel, it's real, you know it is," Kurumu said hopefully, with the group watching Luna with wonder as her eyes remained locked onto Gabriel.
"What do you mean, are you saying she feels that bond with him?" Ruby asked.
"Yes, she told us out in the hallway, that's why she left the lounge so quickly. She was confused about what she's feeling, but Luna, listen to me, it's not a lie. You're feeling the same thing about Gabriel that I do with Rason, he's your Destined One!" Kurumu pleaded.
"He is?" Complica asked. Falla nodded and looked to the sketchpad on the ground with the picture of Gabriel on it.
"I think so, that might be why she drew him like that. Luna? Do you feel that bond?" she asked looking back to Luna.
"I… I don't know… I don't know what I'm thinking anymore…" Luna said softly. Gabriel looked at her with concern then to Kurumu.
"But… how could I be her Destined One? I failed in saving her life from that flying demon," he said shaking his head.
"That wasn't even her, it was a doll, and you still tried to save her didn't you?" Kurumu reasoned hopefully.
"You're damn right he tried, I was there, I saw it myself," Felucia said, the group looking to her as she smiled at the angel.
"I remember what you said very well, how you didn't want that thing to take her away from you," she pointed out. Luna jumped a bit as she stared at Gabriel, feeling a powerful jolt through her hands for a moment. Gabriel shook his head then looked to Complica.
"But I failed in keeping her own sister safe in heaven, I couldn't return Complica back to her home," he said with concern.
"You came after her, you even gave up your angelic wings to try to save her," Kurumu reasoned while waving to Complica. Luna trembled a bit as she looked down with watery eyes; feeling conflicted about what she was feeling. Gabriel looked to her then down and away with remorse.
"But… I'm not… I can't be…" he said worriedly.
"Knock it off!" Kurumu yelled out. Gabriel looked to her as she pointed to him with a stern expression.
"Who are you trying to convince? Us, or you? She feels the bond with you, the connection showing that you are her Destined One! You're her angel!" she yelled out. Luna looked to her hands as they were pressed against Gabriel's shirt, feeling the warmth flowing through her arms while her heart fluttered again.
"You refused to go back to heaven until she was safe and sound, you wouldn't give up trying to save her from the dark world," Kurumu pointed out. Gabriel slowly started to stand up, with Luna standing up with him while holding her hands to his chest.
"The other night you crashed through your door having a dream about her, you were calling out her name," Ahakon mentioned. Luna stared into Gabriel's eyes, feeling that pull from within seeming to yearn for the angel more and more.
"When those dark monsters came down to find her in the city you attacked them with everything you had, you were beyond furious about what they did to her," Kokoa said with wonder. Luna's mouth quivered slightly, the girl afraid to believe what she was feeling. Gabriel gazed into her eyes as he had a sense of doubt, then shook his head and looked down with closed eyes.
"But I'm not an angel anymore, I can't be her Destined One," he said softly. She looked at him with growing concern from his words as he looked back to her with remorse.
"Besides, she deserves far better than me. I failed to save her, I failed in saving her sister; I'm just a fallen angel, and she's…" he said softly. Luna tilted her head slightly as she held onto his chest.
"I'm what?" she asked. Gabriel paused for a moment then looked down with closed eyes.
"You're perfect," he said softly. Luna stared at him with surprise, feeling that strange warmth spreading throughout her as if lightning was coursing through her hands.
"What?" she breathed out.
"I don't deserve you, I'm not good enough for you," Gabriel said looking back to her. Luna stared at him with wonder as he showed her a remorseful smile.
"You deserve the best; you are a queen after all. I've done nothing but fail you again and again, I can't be your Destined One, I'm not worthy of you at all," he said softly.
"Would you stop beating yourself up already?" Kurumu yelled out. Gabriel looked to her as the succubus had her hands to her hips with a stern expression.
"You've sacrificed nearly everything there is about you to try to save her and Complica, you've been doing anything you could to help them, fighting with everything you have to protect them, how are you not her angel?" she demanded. Gabriel looked down with concern as the group watched him curiously, the boy shaking his head slowly with remorse.
"Because I'm not an angel, there can't be a bond between us like you say if I'm not an angel," he reasoned. Kurumu growled then leapt up into the air, doing a graceful somersault before landing down behind Gabriel. She swiped with her nails expertly, slicing apart the boy's shirts before tearing off the tatters and throwing them away. Gabriel looked back to her with surprise as his black feathered wings came into view, the succubus then pointing to him accusingly.
"So what if your wings are black? So what if you lost that game with Hex? You're still an angel to us, that can never be taken away from you!" she declared. Gabriel looked to his wings then to Luna as the girl was now staring at his bare chest with a small blush, her hands holding against it as she felt the strange connection growing stronger now. Complica nodded as she looked at Gabriel with worried eyes.
"She's right Gabriel, you're still an angel to me, you always will be," she said assuredly.
"You gave up so much to help them, you even gave your wings to try to find my sister, I'll never forget such a sacrifice," Ran said gently.
"You're still an angel in our eyes," Leon said.
"Even Ceal still calls you an angel, he sees you as that too," Ruby reasoned with a shrug. Kurumu walked out of the pond while watching Gabriel and Luna with a small smile.
"It's destiny you two, it can't be taken away by anyone or anything," she said hopefully. Gabriel looked to her then to Luna, the chronofly gazing into his eyes while she felt her conflicting emotions building.
'Is this real? Can it be true? Or is this just another setup, another fall waiting for me? I can't go through that again; I can't feel that pain again.'
"How can I know?" she asked softly. The group watched her as she slowly shook her head.
"How can I know for sure if it's true, if this feeling is right? How do I know I'm not going crazy again, how do I know that this is real?" she asked shakily.
"Kiss him," Kurumu said, with Luna looking to her with worried eyes. Kurumu smiled and gestured to Gabriel.
"You feel the bond Luna, you know that's not a lie, you know you feel something for him right now. But if you want more proof, then kiss him. After you do, if he really is your Destined One, then he'll feel the connection as well," she reasoned. Luna looked back to Gabriel with wonder as he showed a concerned expression.
"Kiss him?" Luna asked quietly. Gabriel glanced to her lips then into her eyes again, feeling his heart beating faster at the thought of kissing her. She was already beautiful in his eyes before, and the fact that she was in wet clothing that hugged her figure wasn't making her beauty go away in the least.
"Luna… you don't… have to," he said softly.
"But… what if you are… what if you're my…" Luna said softly, and then showed a worried expression.
"And what if you're not? What if this is just another cruel joke that fate is playing on me?" she whimpered. She looked down with watery eyes as Gabriel held her with concern.
"What if I really will be alone forever, what if there really isn't anyone out there for me?" she asked quietly.
"Luna…" Gabriel said softly. Luna looked back into his eyes while pulling herself closer to him.
"I'm scared, I don't know what to think or believe, I just don't want to fall again, I couldn't take it," she said worriedly. Gabriel remembered back to when he was diving for the copy of Luna that was falling from the building in the city, how he gave his all to try to save the doll while making himself a promise then.
"Luna," he said, gently holding a hand to her cheek as she felt her legs wobble slightly.
"I promise, whether I'm your Destined One or not, I promise that I'll never let you fall again," he said gently.
"Gabriel," she said quietly.
"I mean it, I never want you to be sad, you deserve the best in life Luna," Gabriel said, holding the chronofly gently in his arms. Luna gazed into his eyes as she felt the warmth from his hand against her cheek, the sensation of something pulling herself towards him growing stronger from within.
"Do you mean it?" she said quietly. Gabriel held her gently as she closed her eyes, the girl waiting for him to either kiss her or let her go.
"I do," Gabriel said as he closed his eyes. The group watched closely as Gabriel moved closer to kiss the girl, his wings arching back slightly while Luna held onto his chest. He stopped just short of kissing her, feeling her warm breath on his lips as his heart started pounding.
'Luna, I'll never let you fall again.'
After a moment's pause Gabriel then leaned in and kissed her, holding her close as the girl felt something shooting through her like lightning. It was as if she was lit up from the inside out, a warm light washing all around her as her mind went blank. The world around her vanished into a hazy blur as she felt herself being held by the angel. The group watched with wonder then surprise as Gabriel's wings started to glow from the base outwards.
"What's happening?" Kyouko asked.
"His wings… they're glowing," Ahakon said as the group watched Gabriel's wings exude a powerful light. A wave of yellowish light rippled across his wings, with the feathers then shifting from a dark black into a sharp white. A small burst of light bloomed from behind the angel before fading, to reveal glowing wings that died down to show white feathers again. Luna felt the warmth spike suddenly as it coursed through her, as if her whole body was drawn to him powerfully out of nowhere. Her heart skipped a beat then started beating steadily as her anxieties began to fade away.
"Oh my word," Fang Fang said with wonder, the group watching as Gabriel was kissing Luna while his wings had returned to their white color again. Slowly Luna opened her eyes, seeming to be in a trance as her arms slid up and around Gabriel's neck to hold him close. No thoughts were registering with her at all as she felt like she was bathed in a warm light. Gabriel slowly broke the kiss and leaned back, feeling a sudden pull towards Luna that wasn't there before. He looked at her with wonder, seeing the girl standing there while gazing into his eyes in a trance, her beauty seeming to have multiplied greatly in his eyes. His arms that held her felt a sense of warmth coming from her, like her aura was flowing into his from the contact.
"Luna…" he said softly.
"Gabriel…" she said as her vision slowly came into focus. She gasped and stared at something with wide eyes, with Gabriel blinking then looking back to seeing his white wings.
"Wh… what the?" he said with a jump as Luna backed up a step and stared at the angel with awe.
"His wings, what happened to them?" Yukari asked.
"They look like angel wings again," Apoch said with wonder.
"They are," Mizore said, the group glancing to her as she pointed to Gabriel.
"It's just like what happened with Rason and Kurumu, when their bond was removed by the Lord of Hell. It came back, it couldn't be kept away from them," she said with wonder. Kurumu looked at Gabriel with awe then smiled.
"That's right, our bond was removed, but it came back again, it couldn't be taken away from us. We were destined to be together, nothing could stop that," she said as the group smiled at Gabriel. She giggled then looked to Luna.
"You see? He is your angel Luna, not even Hex's power could take that away from you. He has to be your angel, it's your destiny," she said hopefully.
"She has to have her angel, no matter what," Rason said with a nod.
Luna slowly walked up to Gabriel, staring at him with wonder as he looked back to his wings then to her.
"Luna…" he said softly.
"Gabriel… you're…" she said as she slowly slid her hands onto his chest again. The group watched as she leaned closer to the boy with longing eyes.
"You're…" she said softly.
"He's an angel again," Ahakon said with wonder.
"You're…" Luna said softly as tears started to well up in her eyes.
"He's Luna's Destined One," Kokoa said with awe.
"You're…" Luna said softly as she smiled lovingly at the boy.
"He really is my sister's angel," Complica said with a bright smile.
Luna gazed into Gabriel's eyes as she felt her emotions for the angel surging through her, feeling the bond they shared clear as day as it coursed through her body. After a moment a deranged smile appeared on her face as her eyes went wide.
"YOU'RE SO HOT!" she screamed before she tackled the boy with a kiss, the two dropping into the water with a splash as everybody stared with stunned expressions. As the water settled everybody saw Luna kissing Gabriel passionately while the angel was thrashing around, his head below the surface of the water while the girl kept holding onto him in her embrace.
"Oh dear, I believe she lost her mind again," Fang Fang said worriedly.
"Gee, you think?" Gin said simply.
"I'm not sure if he can breathe like that," Kyouko said worriedly while pointing to the angel and chronofly. Kurumu sighed then started walking into the pond while waving Falla over with a tired expression.
"C'mon Falla, let's make sure your sister doesn't drown her Destined One," she said simply. Falla jumped into the water and rushed over before the two tried to pry the overzealous chronofly from her angel, with Gabriel gasping for air as he was lifted up along with the girl before Luna pulled him into a kiss again, the two being held up by Kurumu and Falla as the group watched with weak smiles. Kurumu and Falla got Gabriel back onto his feet, with Luna still clinging to him and kissing the angel as she relished the feeling of her own bond with her own Destined One.
"Geez Luna, take it easy," Falla said with a laugh. Kurumu giggled as they watched Luna kissing Gabriel, with the angel then holding her close as he felt there was no point in fighting it and quite frankly was loving the feeling as well, then looked to Rason with a shrug.
"You can't blame her; we can get very emotional about our Destined Ones."