As Zero and Rei took a moment to let their eyes adjust to the darkness of the bunker, he took a moment to speak on something that had been bothering him.

"Rei, about the original cursed twins…"

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking since Saiu said it back there, but I think the true original cursed twins were actually Katzyo Souma's children. His son and daughter. The book doesn't say, but I think they were twins as well."

Rei stopped walking for a moment. That made sense.

Zero continued, "The legacy of the curse really started with them and I think the first twin death wasn't the death of her twins, but her own death. The Kiryus killed his twin sister and that's the reason why they were cursed to never be able to have two twins of their own. Even the prophecy – Katzyo's twins weren't born in that town, but the tragedy that spurred the curse and the curse itself all started there, the death of the first cursed twin". Zero said this quietly, thinking partially back to the story they'd uncovered in the Souma town, but also still unable to fully separate it from his own personal story. The pain that the curse had brought to him and his own twin was a scar he would forever have to carry.

Rei reached out an arm and patted him. "I'm sure you're right. It's probably exactly what Saiu was talking about when she mentioned the reason that they were the first twins born as a set. They were the first boy/girl twins that were conceived in the bloodline. For whatever reason, that seems to be a fairly rare occurrence."

Rei sighed. "Well it's good to know. It could be useful information for the battle ahead."

As they traveled deeper into the bunker they finally came to a large opening. Saiu stood there putting the finishing touches on a bandage she'd wrapped around her torso. As they approached, she didn't bother to look up as she completed her work.

"Fancy meeting you here. You're ready to finish this I suppose?"

Rei didn't respond. She'd been cordial up until now, first because she needed to know where her child was, and then because she'd been standing in front of her child. But now? Now she knew her daughter was safe, and there was no one around to witness the damage she intended to inflict here, except for the witch herself and Zero. Zero would be the only one of those two to walk out of here, and Rei had no qualms about trusting him with her life.

She locked her eyes on Saiu. "Zero – I know this is a big ask and it's not really fair to even request it of you-"

"Go ahead and do what you need to Rei. I'll stay out of it, I don't mind." Zero answered without hesitation because he knew it was coming, but the truth was that he did mind just a little. He too held a grudge against this woman for what she'd done to their family, but just the thought of the look on Rei's face as she'd recounted to him the story of her labor and having the baby snatched away from her… there was no way he'd rob her of her vengeance. She deserved this.

Rei, broke her gaze to look at him. He really did get her and she really did love him for that. Through everything that had happened, good and bad, that love was one feeling that had never seemed to waiver. Idly she fingered the Souma pendant hanging under her shirt. Zero had solemnly slipped it around her neck as she'd embraced him and Hisachi. Now, as their eyes locked he pulled out the Kiryu dagger and tossed it silently over to her. Rei savored the feel of the cold stone in her hand and quickly sheathed the blood covered dagger into the back of her pants. Now… to focus on the witch that had broken apart and stolen her family from her…

Rei turned her attention back to Saiu.

"So, It will be just you and me. It's fitting that it should end that way."

"Ahh. I see, so kind of like mother against mother, right?" Saiu smirked.

Rei didn't flinch. "You're no mother of any kind. But please, feel free to keep laughing. I assure you- I'm going to wipe that scummy look right off of your decrepit old face."

Saiu stopped laughing and her eyes went cold. "So, we're resorting to insults now, are we? Low-hanging fruit for the ignorant. I must say, I expected more from you."

With a speed so fast that Zero's vampire eyes couldn't even track it, Rei had moved forward and slapped Saiu across the face, front-hand and then back-hand, and then returned to her starting place across from the witch.

She stared again at Saiu with eyes of fury. "I told you earlier. I've had enough of your games."

The shock on Saiu's face was apparent. She raised her hand to her face in disbelief.

"Why you… you.. you…"

"Uh- Uh." Rei sharply shook her head and a finger at the other woman.

"I've also tolerated all that I'm going to of your insults. If you dare to call me out of my name, that slap will be just an appetizer. I will actually make you eat those words if they come out of your mouth. I promise, you will literally taste the soles of my shoe."

Saiu glared at Rei, but surprisingly enough, she didn't respond further.

Rei took a deep breath. "I want this over. I have a daughter and a son to get back to, and I don't plan on being here with you all day. I'll give you the chance to move first if you want it…"

Saiu let out a loud snort. "First?! Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Do you think you're doing me some type of favor? I'll admit you caught me off guard, but don't forget that I've lived your lifetime 10 times over. You won't amount to me no matter what weapons you bring in or what training you have. I suggest you take whatever advantage you can get. You'll need it."

Saiu shot a quick glance over at Zero, nodding her head in his direction.

"Besides, once I'm done with you, you don't even want to know the things that I'll do to that one over there. After that…I think I'll circle back around to that daughter you keep going on about."

Rei moved again, quick as lightning. This time however, Saiu seemed to be ready for her. As Rei appeared before her, Saiu thrust out with the hand the held her hidden blade, however before she fully landed, Rei had pivoted on one foot and circled behind the witch. In a single deft movement, Rei kicked out, and once Saiu lost balance, Rei swept the woman's feet from under her, quickly standing up and landing with her foot upon Saiu's head.

"You talk too much." Rei growled. "You seem to think it's all a game, but you're messing with people's lives." As she spoke, she accentuated her words by pressing her foot down upon the woman's skull.

Zero watched quietly as the events unfolded before him. He wasn't completely surprised. He'd worked with Rei before and he knew that in some instances she could be pretty brutal. Especially when dealing with the lowlife Level E vampires that preyed on the weak and innocent. He'd seen her dark side come out a few times then. This was different. It was her children they were talking about and 8 lost years. He'd been prepared to see a darker side of her than he'd ever seen before, but this was ramping up towards pitch-black.

Maybe he could have seen this coming if he'd realized that her powers had the potential for this. The fight he'd seen with Rido had been well planned and executed with a specific defensive purpose in mind. This was not a defensive fight. Rei was on the attack and the goal was definitely murder. The blue-purple aura from before was still present, but this time it was decidedly more blue than purple. Zero also noticed that it didn't quite surround her entire body like it had with the fight against Rido. Instead, it seemed to highlight only the body parts she wanted to engage. For instance, each time she'd travelled over to the witch she'd moved so fast she was almost untraceable, however Zero had been able to notice that the blue aura glowed strongest around her leg and thighs. As if she concentrated her powers in those areas, to grant her the strength needed to move at superhuman speeds.

As he watched their fight, he couldn't help but make continued comparisons to Rei's fight against Rido. At that time, he'd thought that her Souma power could definitely give a Pureblood vampire a run for their money, but now looking at her actually taking the offensive in this fight, he realized just how wrong he had been. She could easily take down a pureblood at this level. He'd never seen any vampire who could move this fast, and- he watched as Saiu made another sarcastic jest, and in response, Rei grabbed her and slammed her to the ground with enough force that Zero was certain most of her bones had to be broken- he didn't think he'd ever seen any vampire with this level of strength. If Saiu had been anything less than the Vampire/Witch/Hunter hybrid that she was, Zero was certain that she would either be dead, or in for an extremely long stay in the ICU.

He worried though. There had to be a limit to what Rei could do, and if he had to guess, Saiu already knew that she couldn't beat Rei at full force and the goal was likely to wear her down until her powers wore off. Rei needed to move on with finishing this quicker.

"Rei! You really need to end this now."

Saiu turned to him. She was extremely battered and bruised, but nothing that had been done to her so far was keeping her from standing or moving. Or from running her mouth for that matter.

"Are you chiming in now? Is it that you just can't wait for your turn? If so, I'm happy to oblige and finish you off first!"

Before Zero could react, she had hurled something, no two something's through the air towards him. He wasn't fast enough to dodge, but he blinked and Rei was there pulling him out of the way. Directly behind her shoulder was Saiu. It had been a feint. A stunt to distract Rei and momentarily catch her off guard.

"Sucker." Saiu whispered as she brought a knife down full force towards the side of Rei's neck. Similar to the attack from Rido, Zero watched as the knife was unable to penetrate her skin. Up close he could see the faint blue coloring of Rei's skin in the area. 'So this is how it works.' He wondered if Rei's body automatically protected her this way or if she had to command it to defensively protect specific areas? Either way, he noticed with growing anxiety that the blue coloring seemed to be flickering and dimming. Her powers were fading. Using them defensively must drain them faster. A quick glance into Saiu's smiling face told Zero that she had the same theory as well. This was all a test.

Saiu quickly hopped back and out of reach, clearly assessing the situation and determining her next move. It was all more calculated than Rei had considered. Saiu obviously knew more about her power than she had let on. Worse than that, Rei had wasted too much time and her powers were declining rapidly. If she didn't kill this woman soon, she might lose her chance. Training her eyes on Saiu, Rei felt certain that the witch had both expected and had been waiting for that very thing. She would have to be smart about her next steps.

But before she could calculate anything, Saiu was coming for her at blinding speed. Had she always been this fast? Rei was unable to completely dodge, but as she tracked Saiu's hidden blade hand hurtling towards the side of her neck, Rei defensively prepared to protect the area. But wait… at that last moment, Rei realized that this time there was no blade in the hand. Saiu's right hand sailed harmlessly by the right side of Rei's neck, barely grazing it. As she did so, her left hand, which apparently now held the hidden blade that she'd previously only wielded in her right, came around behind her, and before Rei could register the switch-up or the movements, Saiu had spun around, piercing the blade directly into the side of Rei's stomach.

Rei gasped in surprise at the maneuver. She definitely hadn't seen that one coming. Using her free hand, Saiu grinned as she grabbed Rei's back, pulling her closer as the witch forced the blade deeper into her body, before slicing it out the side of Rei's waist rather than pulling it back out. As Rei screamed from the pain and dropped to a knee, grasping at the gaping wound in her side, Saiu stepped forward, placing her foot on Rei's shoulder and shoving her down with it.

"You decided to only protect your neck instead of your whole body. Stupid choice, and I bet you're regretting that one now."

Rei stared rebelliously up at the witch, trying to dull the pain with her mind and to keep her head clear. Saiu was right, she had made the decision to only protect her neck. Defending her entire body would have almost definitely used up the last of her powers, and it was a chance she couldn't have afforded to take. She was down to the last of her Souma power reserves and she had to not only hurry up, but hold on to what was left if she was going to be able to kill Saiu. It was obvious to see now that she had been holding back and if Rei didn't have her Souma power, she was certain that she and Zero would probably die down here in the bunker. Her mind turned to Hisachi and Roihichi, alone, and targets if this witch wasn't killed. No way could she let that happen…

Saiu craned to look down at Rei. The cruel smile was still on her face, but her eyes were ice cold and there was no trace of amusement in them. "I'm guessing you thought that you had this all wrapped up right? But it was never going to be that easy…" Seeing Rei rolling to all fours and trying to get back up, Saiu skipped over and hauling her leg back, kicked her under the torso, sending her flying a few feet back and tumbling across the floor.

"I told you eight years ago what would happen if you came for me! Don't you remember?!" The witch's face had taken on a mad look and Rei thought that she just might be on the cusp of a mental break. Saiu lifted her hand and flicked her wrist and suddenly Rei felt her chest constricting. It was as though the air was getting thin and a vice was gripping her lungs.

Suddenly she saw a streak of silver and Zero's head appeared behind Saiu. Unfortunately, before he could barely raise an arm, Saiu had already reached out to grab him. With his arm in her hand, she then turned in his direction. Releasing Rei from her powers, she quickly twisted Zero's arm and a resounding 'crack' could be heard along with a loud groan from Zero.

Still holding his now damaged arm, Saiu turned to look directly at him, arching an eyebrow as she coolly assessed him.

"Tsk tsk. I thought we agreed this would be one on one? Breaking our word the second she gets a little boo-boo, are we? I think that calls for a time-out for you!"

With monstrous speed, she reached out and grabbed Zero by the collar. Before he could react she pulled him in and began to thrash him mercilessly against the closest wall. Zero was so stunned by her movements that he could barely comprehend what was happening. She pulled his head back and again bashed it against the wall, repeating the action over and over, as his vision became blurred by the blood running down his face.

Finally, she tossed him dispassionately to the ground.

"If you're still alive when I'm done, we'll continue this then. Otherwise, consider this my gift to you. You won't have to watch what I do to her. You're welcome." With that, Saiu levied a full-force kick to the side of his head, and that… was all she wrote for Zero.

Rei was trying to crawl to all fours. She knew something was happening to Zero and she was trying to get up to get to him, but she couldn't manage it. She only had a small reserve of her power left and she knew she had to save it for her killshot otherwise this would have all been for nothing, as she'd stand no chance of actually being able to kill Saiu. The witch was much stronger than she'd initially let on, and Rei had made the possibly fatal mistake of playing right into her hands and using too much of her power too soon. It was very likely that she'd pay for that mistake with her life.

An awful feeling of Déjà vu flooded her senses. Would she have to give her life again just to end Saiu's? This time around she had so much more to lose… The thought depressed her. But still, there was no doubt about it, if she didn't kill this witch now, her children would never be safe. If it took her life to do it, so what? Rei could die a thousand times over if it was for them. With this thought in mind and a newfound vigor behind her, Rei forced herself up. First to her knees, and then shakily to her feet, one at a time. She stood and looked up just in time to watch Zero drop, unmoving, to the ground as Saiu kicked him across his face.

Blinded by rage and fueled by white-hot adrenaline, Rei's body moved without thinking. She wasn't using her Souma powers, just her body's own natural abilities. But they were functioning at max capacity and she reached Saiu faster than either she or the witch expected. Fighting style and training were out the door, and Rei simply threw herself at the witch, tackling her and knocking her down as they collapsed in a rolling heap of limbs. The randomness of the attack had thrown Saiu off guard, and Rei took full advantage, quickly crawling on top of her and immediately pummeling her with a barrage of punches to her face, neck, chest… any and every where that she could reach, Rei put full force into wreaking havoc upon it. Internally, she wasn't sure if she had snapped or not, she couldn't pull herself together enough to stop or to try to strategize. Her only fuel right now was fury, and it was driving her to murder this woman with her bare hands.

Saiu's shock didn't last long. Once she had got her bearings about her, she first took her hand and cruelly stuck a finger into the wound in Rei's side. Digging it in deep and twisting it around. When Rei screamed and there was a break in her punches, Saiu then reached up and grabbed Rei tightly by her hair, taking it and using it to yank her head down to the ground, as Saiu swapped places with her, climbing on top of Rei and then pinning her down with a hand to her neck. As they shifted on the ground, from the corner of her eyes Rei could see Zero stirring next to the wall, it looked like he was trying to sit up. Thank goodness. He would be okay.

The pain from Saiu's attack on her wound had been helpful. It had sent Rei spiraling back to her senses, and as soon as she'd hit the ground floor of reality, Rei reached behind her, finally remembering the Kiryu dagger she'd been holding on to. As Saiu added a second hand to Rei's neck and began throttling her while she viciously and repetitively smashed Rei's head against the bunker's floor, Rei finally managed to grab the dagger, and once it was in her hand, she wasted no time in stabbing it into Saiu's side. Caught off guard, the witch released her neck briefly, and when she did, Rei pulled the dagger back out and swiped it at her neck. Her aim was uncharacteristically poor - hitting Saiu's face instead, and leaving a wide gash across her forehead, the blood spraying out and covering them both.

Saiu slowed for a moment, but then replaced her hands once again around Rei's neck. Blinded by the blood in her eyes and dizzy from the assault on her head, and her inability to breathe, Rei struggled to pull her arm back, working to strike again with the dagger.

Saiu reared her bloody head back and laughed. "By all means, go ahead! What you don't seem to get is that I'm immortal! A vampire filled with the blood of a pure breed, the power of the original cursed twins, and imbued with the spells of the strongest black magic! You can use your special dagger, but there is no weapon created and no hunter alive that can actually kill me!" She leaned over Rei, tightening her grip on her throat, and grinning down as blood dripped from her face, falling onto Rei.

"Do you understand now? Do you get it? No matter what you do you will never win. You and your pitiful family can never be safe. I won't let you. I will hunt and haunt you for generations if need be, but you won't get away from-"

BANG

The shot rang out. Loud and clear and echoing in the confines of the bunker. It caught Saiu mid-sentence as her eyes widened and she involuntarily clutched her chest.

"You…" Saiu attempted to stand up and stumbled back.

Panting and gasping for breath, Rei rolled nimbly over and looked up. Kaname stood in the back of the room, but in front of him… Hisachi stood there pale and shaking, the Maiden's Revenge was in her hand. Well, fused to her hand might have been a better word. Ivy and lilllies curled lightly from the pulsing, shimmering gun up around her arm, stopping just at the crook of her neck. 'My bag. We left everything there with Kaname and Hisachi. Out of everything, she found this …?' As Rei stared mesmerized, she couldn't help but be reminded of Zero and Bloody Rose as she saw her. Shaking out of her trance, Rei quickly realized the severity of the situation.

Saiu was screaming out. Whatever was happening, Hisachi and Maiden's Revenge had done some serious damage and it may have given Rei the single opening she needed to end this battle.

"Zero!" Rei looked at him and trusted that he would know what she meant. He did, and without a word Zero was up and running towards the exit, ignoring any lingering pain from his injuries. Without stopping, he scooped the terrified girl into his arms, cradling her against him with his good arm he left the room. Kaname gave a final look back towards Rei who was now standing up and pulling off the Souma Crest Pendant she wore, and then he followed Zero out of the bunker.

Rei paid no attention to anything else. Hisachi had given her this chance and she wasn't going to lose it. Summoning what strength she could, she stepped over to the screaming Saiu. With one hand she took the sacred dagger and pulling it across her body in a long sweeping arc, she swung it across the underside of Saiu's chin.

"This one is for Hisachi."

As the witch brought her hands to her throat, Rei knocked her to her back and quickly located the entry point of Hisachi's bullet 'Right in her heart. That kid's either a natural or incredibly lucky…' . The point of impact was pulsating, and deep black veins were spidering out of the wound. Whatever power came from that weapon it was spreading quickly. Didn't matter. Rei was going to help it along and she was going to make sure that Hisachi didn't become a murderer in the process. Grabbing the pendant, Rei placed the pointed part of the crest at the wound's entry point. She sucked in a deep breath and locked eyes with the witch.

"For what it's worth Saiu, I genuinely am sorry about your sister."

Summoning her remaining Souma power Rei drove the amulet deep into the bullet hole that Maiden's Revenge had pierced into Saiu's body. Just as she'd done before with Rido, Rei pushed all of the power that she had within her, into the object. She was determined to make sure that this woman couldn't return either…

They had all just barely crawled out of the bunker when they heard a deafening explosion below them. Zero paled, and he turned to look at Kaname who noticeably stiffened but otherwise said and did nothing. Dropping to his knee, Zero looked Hisachi in the eye

"Hey, I want you to know that you did really good down there okay?"

The girl looked at him from puffy red eyes. "I'm really, really sorry! Kaname wanted to stop me, but I-I felt like I just had to…". Tears began to roll down her face.

"I'm serious. What you did, it saved your mom, I'm sure of it"

At those words she perked up "Really?"

"Really." Zero glanced back worriedly at the bunker.

"Right now though… I don't want to leave you, but I kind of have to go…."

Hisachi nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, you love her right?"

Zero ruffled her hair

"Yeah, I really do and I don't think I can live without her. I love you too, but if I don't get down there and try to bring her back, I'm not sure I'll be much use to you… Can you understand that?"

In response, Hisachi threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

"I'm really happy to have real parents now. That lady was kind of my mother, but not really…" She frowned. "I want you to save her. You should go now and I'll wait here for both of you to return."

Zero kissed her head and held back his tears. He hoped he'd be able to return, but he knew it would be all or nothing. Either he'd come back with Rei or not at all.

Standing he turned towards Kaname. Zero knew he'd already overheard everything.

"Can I count on you? To keep her safe?"

Kaname gave him a cold look.

"Do you really have to ask? She's Rei's daughter. She'll always be safe in my care."

Zero said nothing else, he turned and ran back to the bunker, determined that this time, no matter what, he was going to save Rei.

As he dropped back into the bunker, Zero was immediately dismayed to find not just smoke, but small patches of small blue flames. He shuddered as he recalled the memory of the last time he'd seen these fires. At least he had the experience to lean back on- he'd learned that lesson very hard. 'Sorry Yaguri, I always was a difficult student'. He moved quickly but cautiously. His vampire vision allowing him to see relatively clearly through the smoke.

He reached the end of the bunker and saw two forms lying on the ground where the blue flames were the heaviest. Approaching with caution, Zero could see one was Rei and the other a darkened, scorched figure with a glowing blue Souma emblem sticking from deep within its chest. Obviously Saiu.

Side stepping the flames, Zero kneeled down next to Rei and checked her breathing. He could hear it. Faint, but it was there. He breathed a sigh of relief. Getting her out of here wouldn't be too bad. It would be harder to avoid the flames with her in his arms, but not at all impossible. He looked down at his injured arm, it was still painful, but he'd been able to carry Hisachi and he would manage with Rei as well.

Zero prepared to pick her up, but then looked over at Saiu's remains. He frowned. He didn't like that there were any remains at all. Hadn't there been nothing left of Rido? Why was Saiu's body still here? The blue flames were spreading and he knew there wasn't much time, but still… what would Rei do? What would she want him to do if she were awake? When he looked at it that way - it was an easy call.

Zero stepped away from Rei, and shuffling around the area he finally located the Kiryu dagger. Standing and straddling over the charred remains of Saiu Zero got no sense of life from the witch. But even still, Rei would say it would be better to be safe than sorry. With this in mind, Zero dropped down, and taking the dagger, he proceeded to separate the witch's head from her body.

Normally he would have found this to be a gruesome undertaking but the fact that the body was already charred made it easier, and he just needed to remind himself that this person was the reason that he'd spent the last 8 years separated from his children and the woman that he now knew was the love of his life. That made lopping her head off much, much easier.

With the head off, he contemplated the most thorough way to ensure overkill. After a moment of consideration, he took the dagger and plunged it directly into the skull of the severed head, leaving it in place. He then took the head, and being careful to keep his own distance, he tossed it into the largest pool of blue flame in the area. For good measure he watched for a moment as the flames appeared to consume both flesh and bone. Satisfied with that, he returned to the body and then disposed of it in a similar manner but in a section of flame far away from the other.

By now the flames had significantly spread throughout the bunker and getting out would be much more difficult. He had a feeling though, that given the opportunity Rei would have preferred it this way. Making sure their children were safe would have taken priority over getting out of the bunker- he was sure of that. With that task completed he carefully picked Rei up. Marveling at how much it was possible to love a single individual and wondering how he could have ever been confused about his feelings for her. She was one of a kind and he'd been the luckiest man alive the second she'd fallen for him. Also, he supposed, the dumbest man alive the moment he hadn't realized just how incredible she was.

Looking up at the blue flames surrounding them, Zero swallowed hard. Getting out of here might be next to impossible, but if he somehow did manage it he promised himself that he'd tell her everything that he felt as soon as possible. No holds barred this time.

He'd almost made it; he could see the ladder out of the bunker ahead, but the flames were thick, and he wasn't sure if there was a path. Peering around, he saw a small section where the flames were low and still thin enough that he thought he may be able to jump over them. He'd have to hold Rei up high and he'd have to stick the landing…. Too far and he'd run into the next section of flames. Just another 15 feet or so and they'd be there.

Taking a deep breath, Zero made the jump. He had it too, but the weight of Rei in his arms threw him off balance, and as he teetered forward on the landing, he was forced to pull backwards to keep her from falling forward. He stumbled and took a half-step back. The pain was immediate and electric-and familiar. 'I remember this…I blacked out last time'. It was excruciating. He had to stay up though, if he passed out here, Rei would fall and end up in the flames herself… he couldn't let that happen.

Sweat broke out on his brow. He could hear himself groaning. Or was that screaming? Everything felt hot, his body was sticky, but also cold. So, so very cold… He took a step forward. 'Watch out for that blue flame there… What. Is. That. Noise?! Flame! Flame!…Ugh, someone please stop that racket! My head….' He paused and stood still, wobbling in place, Rei dangling precariously in his arms.

The noise of course was him- he hadn't stopped crying out since the flame had hit him. In shock, and moving only by sheer willpower, Zero finally looked down and noticed that his leg was still on fire. 'Shit!' It had only been a few seconds since the flame had touched him, but the intensity of the pain made it feel like hours. He shut his mouth and tried to breathe through his nose. He had to focus and quick. Luckily the flame hadn't spread very much yet. He needed to try to put it out but his arms were tied up with Rei. If she could stand, he could put her down, but there wasn't enough space to lay her down.

"Zero."

Zero looked up to see Kaname leaning down into the bunker. It may have been the only time in his life that Zero had actually been happy to see him.

"Kaname!" He yelled hoarsely. "I have Rei but she's still unconscious! My leg's on fire and I can't put her down."

Kaname grimaced. "Okay give me a moment, I'm coming down."

"No! Don't. The flames are everywhere. I just need someway to try to get her to you."

Kaname paused. "I don't see how that's possible, but maybe I can try to help you wake her up somehow. It may be magic that's keeping her sleep."

Zero frowned, he had no clue what that was about, but he'd take whatever help he could,

"Whatever. I think I'm about to pass out. Just do something before I drop her."

"Drop me. I'm okay."

Zero's eyes shot open.

"Rei?"

She gave him a weak smile. "Put me down quick, I'm fine."

He would have liked to be chivalrous, but the pain… He dropped her, but like a cat she landed on her feet.

"Your leg…the fire…"

Zero had dropped to his knee, and now in a state of delirium, was trying to pat out the flames on his leg, but had only succeeded in spreading them to his hands and arms. He closed his eyes and let the red pain consume him.

Suddenly the pain began to dissipate. From his leg first and then his arms. It didn't just lessen, it disappeared completely. Zero opened his eyes to find Rei sitting by his feet, slowly running her hands across him.

"Rei?"

Leaning forward she hugged him tightly and kissed his neck.

"You carried me all the way here- through the flames?"

Zero nodded, still trying to figure out what was happening.

"Thanks for that. I can't imagine the pain you must have been in." Rei's eyes were misty and filled with affection. Zero flushed and looked away, focusing instead on the current state of his leg, that just moments ago was alight with blue fire.

"What other choice was there?" He mumbled quietly.

Rei reached out and softly rubbed his cheek.

"Zero, those flames come from me. They can't hurt me."

"Huh?" His head shot around.

Rei looked embarrassed. "Why do you think I had no permanent burns after being engulfed in them in my fight with Rido? Not only can they not hurt me, but I can also control them". She paused. "Assuming that is that I'm conscious enough to do so…."

Zero looked down at his leg and the area surrounding it. The skin on the leg itself was bright red, but the the flames that had been there were completely extinguished.

"So my leg…?"

Rei ran her hand across it again, sending goose bumps across Zero's skin.

"I put out the flame and pulled out it's effects. It's hard to explain but the flames are basically a manifestation of the Souma power. I'm able to sort of re-absorb them back into myself, and by doing so it pulls the negative effects out of you. Kind of like healing." she shrugged

Zero stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"So… basically I could have left you there in the middle of the fire and you would have been totally fine?"

"Well from the blue flames yeah. But I'm pretty sure there are some real flames back there too, you know." She narrowed her eyes. "So thanks for keeping me from dying from smoke inhalation or real fire death, I guess."

Zero continued to stare. Then out of nowhere he laughed and grabbed her up in his arms, squeezing her to him.

"It doesn't matter, honestly. Real or imaginary, orange or blue – I'd save you from all of it if I could." He squared her up to face him.

"I love you Rei. I mean it. I don't want or expect you to return it or even to say anything right now. I just have to get it off my chest. We've had so many close calls it would have been horrible to die not having told you the real, clear truth." He wet his lips and took a deep breath before continuing,

" There is no one else for me except you. There's not a competition, and there is no settling. It has nothing to do with the kids. It's just all…you. You are the person that I just can't do without. If I couldn't have brought you out of here, I would rather have stayed here and died with you than to have to live my life without you in it." He paused "No, not 'rather' I would have died here. I won't lie and say that I don't love Yuki anymore. I do, and I always will. I've just come to the realization that these loves are very different, and my love for you is the one that gives me life. You are the single person that I want to be with. The only person that I want to spend my life with. You are amazing and unique and I don't know how I couldn't see it before, but-"

"Zero. Please stop."

Silent tears were cascading down Rei's face.

"You can't even imagine how many times in the past I'd dreamed you'd say something like that to me. But… Right now…it's been such an emotional day and journey… I just…I don't think I can handle this right now…" She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"It's just a little too much for my heart to bear at the moment. I hope you can understand… We've got a daughter up there that we've got to connect with, and a family to unite… as far as romance…". Her eyes dropped and Zero knew she was thinking about Kaname who was probably in hearing distance and very likely eavesdropping in anyways.

"I still have to sort through so much of my own feelings… I just can't even think about this at this moment."

Zero nodded and pulled her to him in a warm hug.

"It's fine. I meant everything I said. I have more to say, but I'll wait. Forever if I have to. I don't care." He kissed the top of her head "And even if you don't choose me or you never feel the same, I promise, my feelings for you won't change, Rei. It's always going to be you."

She shivered in his arms and looked up into his eyes, her own still wet with tears.

"I love you Zero. I always have, and even if I wanted to stop, I probably always will. I just need time right now, okay?"

Zero smiled at her and stood up, pulling her along with him.

"Come on, we have a little girl up there that's desperately waiting to see us again. Come to think of it…She's really excited about having parents, but I'm not sure that she even knows that she has a twin brother to look forward to as well…?"