A/N: To think that several chapters ago I worried about this fic gonna end up being pretty short... and what do we have here, the longest multi-chaptered fic in the series!

"No!" Ace got up suddenly, before dropping back down on the bed due to sudden light-headedness. He shook his head rapidly. "That's impossible! How could Keiwa be so reckless—"

"But Ace, hear me out here—" said Win as he hurriedly caught Ace's arm to keep him steady. "—remember the other day you said something about you giving up a part of your powers to keep Keiwa alive to the point that those power become fused with his soul... and why getting those powers back means that you're also draining on Keiwa's life force—what if in a way, Keiwa was able to subconsciously tap into those very power that used to belong to you?"

"Then, it wouldn't be strange to think that Keiwa might've subconsciously wished for you to regain those powers back!"

"But that's—!" Ace tried to argue. He shook his head again. "Even I myself... don't even know how to control my powers of creation fully. And as for prayers to grant any other wishes... I couldn't even do it properly that one last time—at least, not like how Big Sister did it. So how could Keiwa, who wasn't even connected to my mother, do something I probably could only do provided that I was turned into a mindless statue for people to take control?"

"But Ace—!"

"Besides, there's no way Keiwa could ever consider trying to do something like this. He wouldn't be so—"

Without warning, Ace was reminded of a conversation that he used to have with Keiwa... almost two weeks ago—or something. It was during the night after Keiwa brought him home from the vet as well as meeting their other friends after so long. That time, he and Keiwa had talked about the possibility of him recovering his powers and restoring his body.

And Keiwa did say something about that...!

"Shouldn't that be good? I mean... wasn't that the reason why you end up reduced to this fox form? Because you used up your powers to revive me, on top of fixing what damage the DGP management had done to this world. Wouldn't it be good news if it turned out that there's something I could do to help you become human again?"

Ace let out a long sigh.

But really... how could Keiwa be able to think up doing something so reckless like that?

.

"...Keiwa-sama probably didn't think of it that far."

Ace glanced up at his sister as the two of them sat together on the couch. He had told her about his earlier thoughts about Keiwa being the one who gave back his powers and couldn't believe that Keiwa was able to do what Win had deduced to have happened.

"If Keiwa-sama had prayed so sincerely for Ace-sama to recover your powers and restore your body, it could be possible for the powers that reside inside his body at the time to resonate with that wish and make it happen."

Ace blinked at his sister, as he recalled yet another memory.

"Is that how you've prayed to revive me back to life...after the conclusion of the last JyamaPri? And how you granted Keiwa's wish last time... to grant him a new power?"

Tsumuri stared back at Ace before slowly nodding her head.

"Yes. Because of that time back then... I thought about how you'd be the only one who could've stopped Michinaga-sama's rampage. So I prayed desperately for you to come back... because we need you here. And then I saw from the observation lounge that you've miraculously come back! And the Geats Core ID that I had been holding had also mysteriously disappeared."

Tsumuri bit her lips suddenly. "Regarding Keiwa-sama's wish, that was because I was so desperate to want to help him. Because I felt helpless before when I couldn't offer anything to him when he had been so frantic about Sara-sama's safety. So I have prayed hard for something that could aid Keiwa-sama—!"

Tsumuri shook her head regretfully. "But I couldn't have imagined... that I ended up creating such a dark and powerful buckle—"

Ace reached out to hold his sister's hand.

"Don't blame yourself! About that buckle... I supposed I had myself to be blamed for that," said Ace softly as Tsumuri gave him a puzzled look.

xxx

The next day, Sara and Ace went to the hospital to visit Keiwa. As Ace walked into Keiwa's patient room to see Keiwa, Sara waved him off before going out to see Keiwa's doctor to discuss Keiwa's condition.

Ace grabbed a stool before sitting down beside Keiwa's bedside. Keiwa really looked as if he was just taking a very long nap. If not because of the IV tube attached to Keiwa's right hand, as well as the wires attached to Keiwa's body and the hospital robe Keiwa was wearing... you wouldn't think that there's anything wrong with him at all!

It really pained his heart to see Keiwa like this. So still... and unmoving. So lack of life... which was quite unlike Keiwa. The Keiwa he knew could smile so brightly that it seemed as if a sun just shone into his heart. Which was why, when that very smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown, it made him feel as if all the light in the world has been extinguished. And when he had to watch Keiwa breathe his last—it felt as if he had just swallowed a black hole inside of him.

He didn't want to have to feel that way again!

.

Ace reached his hand out towards Keiwa as he brushed his fingers lightly over Keiwa's lips. Immediately Ace recalled the memories of him kissing Keiwa as a fox, and Keiwa kissing him back on his snout. And then Ace thought about how Bujin gave him a light peck on the lips... before he returned to consciousness.

Ace got up before leaning over towards Keiwa. He placed a hand to support Keiwa's neck as Ace lowered his head and kissed Keiwa gently on the lips. He smiled weakly.

Please wake up, my dear prince. I missed you so much already.