Author's Note: The final chapter. Very short and to the point for this part. The next book will be Book 1: The Rose-Red Tyrant. I'm not sure how long or short that one will be since I already have several differences, I'll be putting into place for it. Until then.

Family Meeting

Yuukio continued to walk, feeling his family on all sides of him. All of them knew they needed to have this talk. But none of them were sure how to start it. It was five years in the making, after all. Taking a deep breath, Yuukio decides to be the one who begins. He stops in the courtyard and turns to face his family. The moon bears down on them, giving this moment an ethereal quality. "I can't apologize for leaving." He begins, noticing how his father and Silver's noses flare at the admittance. "Please, let me explain." He begs, hands raised in a surrendering gesture.

"Very well. Why can't you apologize for leaving at 12 with just a note indicating you were following a stranger who might be able to explain away the strange dreams you were having and never came to any of us about?" Lilia asked, voice stiff and cool as he struggled with his own emotions.

Yuukio flinched at the blunt explanation of what and why, he had done what he had. "Leaving allowed me to learn more about what I can do, and while I don't have all of the answers, I know these abilities will only serve to aid me in whatever trials lie ahead. And I knew I could never learn that with you all."

"Why not?" Sebek asked, voice bordering on hurt, though he tried not to show it.

Yuukio gave a soft laugh at the question. It wasn't mocking, but fond and amused. "Ever since we realized that I would never have magic or be able to use it, all of you, and even Uncle Baur became... overly protective. In order to really learn what I could do; I had to take a certain degree of risks. And I wouldn't be able to do that if I had all of you to fall back on." He took a breath, allowing that to sink in.

"Did we make you feel... like you were helpless? Or a burden?" Malleus asked the human.

"No!" Yuukio yelped. "Absolutely not! You showed time and time again that you cared and loved me! I never felt helpless. I just knew I could trust you guys to keep me from getting into deep. But it was in those depths that I found out more about what I could do." he flushed at his sincere outburst. "I also can't apologize, because there's a strong possibility that Grim probably would have died if I hadn't left when I did. Plus, there was a kidnapped child I helped, and the flock of fairies... I did a lot of good and helped a lot of people and creatures leaving when I did." He said, wanting to get this over with.

"And so, while I can't and won't apologize for leaving as I did. I can at least apologize for putting you all through what I did. And I can't apologize enough for that." Yuukio finished.

"I see. I suppose you have a point. I certainly wouldn't have allowed you to fight phantoms ever." Lilia replied after several long minutes of silence. "But Yuukio, as much as I understand you reasoning, it doesn't make it okay that you left home at 12! That you followed what was basically a stranger and put yourself in dangerous situations where you could have died!" Lilia cried. Tears coming to his magenta eyes that he tried so hard to keep from falling. "The absolute terror and heartbreak I felt wondering if I was ever going to see you again! If I had done something wrong. As I wondered if something was going to kill you and I would never know. The nights I spent wondering if you were safe and sound wherever you were." Magenta met pale auroral.

"Yuukio, those were things you didn't take into consideration in the slightest." Lilia whispered, and Yuukio flinched, knowing it was the truth. He hadn't considered the long-term effects of what he had done on his family.

"I'm sorry." Yuukio whispered, staying firm in his belief that what he had done was for the best, but still feeling shame and guilt at the belief. He was pulled into a tight hug, one that was joined by the other three.

"But we can't be happier that you're back." They assured him. The family stayed as they were, tears spilling in the moonlight as they were finally together again. Unaware of the trials to come for Yuukio. Or how their own determination would see to it that he wasn't alone for all of them.