Butterflies,

Delicate warriors thrown in the wind.

Soft wings, easily broken, not so easy to mend.

Transparent, this Tissues and Veins.

Covered in a soft velvet grain.

Fragile, weak and delicate,

Yet strong.

On the air they entrust their lives upon.

They survive the elements, yet are harmed by a touch.

Fragile strength,

A loud song sung in a soft tone.

Forever and ever together alone.

                          Gloria Stone

Someone once told me that no matter what we do the future is our own. The future can't be destroyed or corrupted because we have the power to change it.

If we have the fortitude to make right, and follow through then everything would be ok.

The future is always open, it is unwritten, a blank sheet….right?

Rem…things are corrupted, things are destroyed.

Rem, you were wrong.

The tickets of the future…the ones you said were always open. Those tickets are dead. As dead as the humans that litter the planet now.

My son, my first-born son has killed them. Destroyed them all using the powers given to him by his plant body.

Maybe I was wrong?

Maybe somewhere, at some sometime I made the wrong choice, took a wrong path.

I don't know when though. I've tried so hard to do what's right.

Yet…nothing I have done has helped.

Maybe I was wrong to make life. After all plants aren't supposed to give birth to children in human like bodies.

Children outside of time, yet in the same plane of existence as Humans

Vash…Millie and Meryl.

And Knives

Four souls destroyed in the blink of an eye.

This place is so cold. I want to go on. I want to go into the void that is death. To finish my life and to be at peace finally.

But how…how can I have peace now. So many destroyed, so many killed.

And all because of me.

I made the choice to make life.

I made the choice to save the passengers…thus giving up my life as well as Rem's.

No matter what I do…I can't make the right choice.

It is so dark, and I hurt so much.

Outside of time.

Outside of life.

Outside of fear…and outside of Light

There is a way…to make things better. Only one way…but I'm scared to do it.

Rem…what should I do. What if my son doesn't change? What if the bad things happen again?

I am a being outside time. And with my life, with my SOUL…I can take back the strings of time.

I have a soul. I know I do. Creatures without souls, don't hurt…they don't cry.

And my tears are drowning me.

But Rem…if I do this…you'll disappear as well. Nothing in the dark will survive.

Our souls will be destroyed and we will never find anything but cold and dark. We will never know peace.

Do I throw away all I have left….destroy myself in the slim hope that Knives will be right the second time.

Rem…the ticket to the future is dead. But the past…the past can be reopened.

I'm sorry…I've made my decision…and for once…I hope it stays the right one.

********************************

The light was blinding. The light was burning.

It hurt yet was soothing in its extreme nevertheless.

Light was something, and burning was a feeling. So he knew he wasn't in the dark place.

But what was happening. The world was shaking around him. He could hear noises. Strange noises.

Am I dead? I remember Vash. He looked so hurt…he was crying. He was screaming.

Knives felt his heart constricted. Despite everything he had done to hurt his brother…he loved him greatly. Hurting Vash was like hurting himself….or Millie.

Millie…no…

Blood…

Millie looking up at him her eyes wide in shock.

She tried to tell him something…but she didn't have the breath to do it with.

Blood and death…

She died in my arms. And I couldn't speak.

"Vash, take care of Knives."

I know that voice…Rem.

"REM, what's happening?"

A young voice, scared and small sounding. He knew that voice.

Vash? But he sounds…like a child.

"One of the plants exploded. It caused an error in the ships navigational systems. The ships are crashing."

The world came into focus a little more. The rocking…no the world wasn't shaking, he was being carried.

"Get in the escape pod Vash."

"Rem?"

"Its ok now Knives."

Knives swallowed afraid to open his eyes. Afraid this was a dream…more terrified than he could imagine that it was not.

"But you were in the dark?"

"And now I'm in the light. You did terrible things Knives. But haven't I've always said the ticket to the future is open."

Knives blinked, trying to open his eyes and see.

"Is this a dream…Millie and the humans? They're all dead."

"No, they're not. It hasn't happened Knives. The ticket to the past is also open. You are one that lives outside time. You have seen the dark and have felt the cold."

Knives finally opened his eyes. He could barely make out a face above him. Slowly it came into focus. It was Rem…Rem as he remembered her…except. She was hurt. Her face was cut and she had a black eye.

"It's over Knives….and it has yet to begin. The ships are crashing again for the first time, but this time it's not your fault. Your mother Akano Hana is dead. Lost forever in the dark, yet past the void. She gave her exsistence so you could start anew."

Knives blinked and lifted up his hands to look at them. They were't his hands…or at least not as he remembered them. They were a child's hands. Small and delicate looking.

"What?"

Rem set him down, and he swayed dangerously before finding his new balance. He felt weird. Like he was in someone else's body. Hell he was in a different body…he was a kid!

"You know what I'm talking about. You know the truth."

Knives looked at his hands again and then looked up.

"Time has rewound…its repeating itself."

Rem nodded.

"I m already dead Knives. Please…take care of Vash. He will recover this time. The connection that binds us has been severed. He will grow and he will love. Help him…"
Suddenly Rem bent over and kissed his forehead. Knives startled, he never remembered Rem being like this to him…only to Vash.

"You are my son as well Knives. You're love awaits to be reborn…the connection is still there, can you feel it."

Knives touched his chest…his heart pounding.

"Yes…I can. And it hurts."

Rem nodded, she understood better than anyone.

"Fate has given you a second chance. This can only happen once Knives. You're mother is gone…and so am I."

Suddenly Rem pushed him into the escape pod.

"Knives…remember…take care of each other!"

Knives fell hard onto his backside. Hard enough to make his teeth rattle.

"NO not again!"

Scrambling to his feet he joined his brother as they tried to force the door open. Vash was screaming, and was crying. He no doubt felt the emptiness of the severed connection.

"NO REM. Don't leave us!"

Knives was strangely quiet as he helped his brother.

A chance to change. The new yet old world awaits. The ships are going down, but I didn't do it. Millie will be born in a little over a hundred years.

"I'm so sorry REM. It wasn't supposed to be this way!!"

A tear fell from his eyes as he felt the pain.

"REEEEMMMM!!!"

THE END

AN: Alas this is the end of Checkmate: A spiders Beauty.

I just want to thank everyone that has been with me since the beginning. (even the fangirl, you know who you are.)

I love every single review, and the comments you all made have made me feel so wonderful inside.

I'm really sad to end this story….which I think is in part the reason I've taken so long to post the last two chapters.

Checkmate has gone such a long way since its beginning. When I first started to write it, it was supposed to be nothing more than a 3 or 4 chapter lemon. Yet somehow it evolved into a 26 + epilogue thingy.

It is the end…but also the beginning of something new and shiny.

For a sequel is in the making. So Stay tuned for

Err…actually I haven't come up with a name yet.