The final chapter of Gone. Wow… I'm kinda sad now. I liked writing this.

Alright! Time for gloom and depressedness. On both Hagi and Nathan's accounts. Poor guys. Why is everyone so mean to them. But then again they are probably used to it by now. (that really is not a good thing)

The name of this chapter comes from Yuna Ito's songs 'Truth' and 'Endless Story'. I had trouble deciding between them. I love them both so I decided to go with both of them because they sound so like Hagi and his relationship with Saya.

Chapter 7: Epilogue Part 2: Truth/Endless Story

Nathan could not be swayed from his decision to raid one of the city's largest clinics of a few dozen precious packets of blood. He had tried to brush it off, saying that the doctors would never know, they would think some new nurse had simply made a miscalculation of their stock.

That had caused Hagi to feel worse. Some poor girl might get fired because of them. Maybe they should just feed off of a few unsuspecting night owls. There were plenty of drunken fools roaming the streets.

Nathan told him not to worry about it, he would take care of it.

The had separated in the park. Hagi had given Nathan the name of the apartment. Nathan informed him he already knew where they had been staying and promised to meet him there after he had acquired what they needed. Nathan gave Hagi a cell phone, "For emergencies." he had said. Hagi did not mention he knew nothing about the things and placed it in his coat pocket and had set off to find Saya.

It took longer to find the apartment than he thought it would.

As he gazed up at the apartment he couldn't shake the strange feeling in his heart. He wondered vaguely why there were no lights on on their floor. It was only 9 o'clock, surely they hadn't already gone to bed. Then a light flicked on. He sighed and entered the building. He noticed the 'Out of Order' sign had been removed from the elevator. But rather than take the easy way up, he chose to use the stairs. He had gotten so used to taking them, and needed to keep building his strength.

The feeling in his chest got worse with each step he took. As he stood before the door to their quarters he smiled as he realized it was nervousness.

It was like the time he had first met Saya.

He felt enveloped in warmth as the memory over took him.

He followed along beside the elderly man who had called himself Joel. The man was nice to him. But as a young child he could not get over the sting of being practically given away by his parent to complete strangers. And he didn't know why but he felt nervous about meeting this mysterious lady of the house they were searching for.

"Ah, there she is."

Hagi looked up to see a young lady sitting on the edge of a large fountain. She looked lovely in her pink dress and her long black hair made her look very pale. Her left arm was reaching out, her delicate fingers skimming over the surface of the cascading water.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Joel had told him to smile but he couldn't bring himself to even try. He just watched her with a blank expression.

The girl looked up. Hagi felt himself gasp. Her eyes. The were red. He'd never seen such a thing before. It frightened him slightly.

But for some reason he couldn't look away from them. They added to her beauty. His heart beat faster.

Curiosity crossed her face and she stood when they were before her.

"Joel, who is this boy?" Her strange eye's appraised him.

"This is Hagi. Saya, this lad is your friend."

"My friend?" She sounded confused. He felt his stomach fluttering at the thought of spending time with her.

"Starting today he will be living here. Please show him the ropes. This will help you get to know each other." The old man nudged him forward slightly.

"…All right." She sounded bored. Like he was simply an unwanted chore. Hagi's heart sunk.

She didn't want him.

So that meant he would probably be thrown away again. Like with his parents.

Angry, he looked away from the lovely young girl. If she didn't want him, fine. Two could play at that game.

Hagi opened his eyes and looked at the door before him. It was all that kept him from her. In just a few moments this brief separation they had endured over the past few weeks would be over.

This distance between them had only made Hagi stronger. He had never realized that he was capable of loving someone as much as he loved Saya.

He grasped the door handle and turned. It was locked. He didn't have key. Saya had always kept the key.

So he knocked on the door and waited.

He heard footsteps approaching from inside the room. But he didn't recognize them. Who…?

The door opened slowly to reveal a short girl in her late teens. She looked up at him and her face flushed.

"Hey! What are you still doing here?" Her pouty voice registered in his brain.

The apartment owner's daughter. He remembered her from when she had come to collect the monthly rent from David or Lewis.

She twirled a strand of her artificial blond hair as looked him over. "I figured you had left with your friends!"

"They are gone?"

"Yeah, they checked out over a week ago! It's just little old me. Up here all by myself." She looked up at him suggestively. When he didn't respond she went on, "I was just doing a last minute check of the room before the new tenants move in tomorrow."

They were already gone. He'd come too late.

Disappointment filled him. He turned and walked back down the hall. Leaving the girl standing in the doorway.

He wondered around aimlessly for a while. His heart breaking.

Now he knew why he had been feeling strange when he tried to look for Saya. She on the other side of the globe. Back home, in Okinawa.

It was what his mind had been trying to tell his heart all along.

Nathan found him setting on the steps of an old music studio. Even though it was after midnight there were lights on inside. The subtle hum of the music was very claming. But Hagi didn't believe he looked clam.

He looked up when he heard footsteps halt before him and saw Nathan with a large white container hanging from one shoulder, looking at him curiously.

"I take it your reunion didn't go well."

Hagi didn't say anything.

Nathan sat down beside Hagi on the steps. He began humming along with the tune.

When the song ended they flowed seamlessly into another.

"Ah. Wounded Heart. How very appropriate at a time like this. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You know Grieg?" Hagi asked glumly.

"Of course. I've had many a dance to this song." When Hagi looked at him he asked. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Hagi looked down at the sidewalk. "She already left."

"They were gone. Huh? I hadn't realized it. I guess my ability to sense Saya isn't as strong as I though." He looked up at the sky.

"I should have known. I should have realized." His fingers began to twitch. He needed to do something with his hands. That was how he had always vented his frustrations. If only he had his cello…

Nathan noticed his agitation. "You play music, right?"

Hagi looked at him for a moment before answering hesitantly. "Yes. The cello." Why did it matter?

Nathan jumped up, bringing Hagi with him. "Come on! Lets go!"

Nathan marched down the street, dragging Hagi behind him.

-------------

Hagi's gazed was drawn to the large, glossy black piano in the corner of the room. In the amount of time he had been staying in Nathan's home, he had never come across this room.

Nathan's rambling and the loud thunks and bangs of tossed instrument cases barely registered in Hagi's thoughts.

"Where is it? I could have sworn I had a cello in here somewhere." Nathan's pouty face turned to Hagi. "I'm sorry. I was certain I have one but I can't seem to find it." He noticed Hagi's eyes and followed them to the piano. He smiled. "Lovely thing isn't it?"

"Yes." Hagi whispered.

"I've always had a fancy for the piano though. Probably because my…" He trailed off quietly, then changed the subject. "Have you ever played one?"

Hagi turned to him, he wanted to know what Nathan had begun to say, but he didn't press the issue. "Yes. It has been a while, though. When Saya and I still lived at the Zoo."

"You can play it if you want."

"No, I could not." Came a gentle decline.

"You aren't going to damage it if that's what you are thinking. Here!" Nathan appeared behind him and ushered him over to the bench. "Sit down." He growled, pushing him down.

Hagi stared at the polished white keys. He didn't even remember how to play. But Nathan only wanted to help. And if he didn't distract himself soon he might really damage something. Like the house… again…

He lifted his hands above the keys and gently lowered them until his fingers rested on cool ivory. He wasn't worried about damaging it. His right hand had been neatly bandaged, so he could have full use of each finger, and he knew how to control his strength.

He simply played over each of the keys, committing to memory the sound of each individual note, occasionally he pressed down on one of the pedals with his foot. Slowly it came back to him, everything Saya had taught him about the piano.

He began playing the first song that come to his mind, Clair de Lune. It had been one of Saya's favorites.

As he neared the end of the song he heard the door open behind him. He hadn't been aware Nathan had left the room and now he was seated beside him, flipping through the pages of a book of sheet music. It was a very old book.

From his peripheral vision Hagi could see a delicate script, written in French, out to the side of some of the compositions.

Notes? Taken by whom?

He was sure he had seen Nathan's name on at least one page. And someone named… 'Lune'?

Nathan stopped on one page that had obviously been looked at often. The corner was folded down.

"Can you play this?" Nathan asked.

When Hagi nodded he set the book before him and he studied it. Beethoven's Moonlight Adagio sostenuto. He flowed almost seamlessly into the song as he finished.

He wondered why Nathan had chosen this song. Obviously it meant something to someone important. Perhaps his Queen? He could see the man's far off eyes as he hummed and swayed along with the melody.

When the song ended Nathan took the book to look for another song but Hagi didn't stop playing.

He began a gentle tune he had never played for anyone before. He could see the man's confused look as he watched. Slowly the melody began to grow into a slightly more expressive and loving sound.

Finally, it returned to the gentleness it had began with. His right hand drifting higher and higher up the keyboard. One note and a pause. Two notes and a pause. Each higher than the last. Two more. Pause. One note and slide across three, hands leaving the keys. The song faded into silence.

"That was nice." His single audience member said after a moment.

"It is supposed to be played with a violin accompaniment to feel the full affect." Hagi informed him.

"Well, I wouldn't have know. What's it called?"

"I don't have an official name for it yet."

Nathan's eyes lit up. "I figured you wrote it. It had 'Saya' written all over it!"

"I began composing it after I first met her. As a 'thank you' for her kindness but I could never finish it. I worked on it when Saya was sleeping, and this is what it grew into over time. I didn't have a piano to play it on before."

"A sonata of love." Nathan declared dreamily.

"It's not a sonata…"

"Quiet!"

-------------

A few hours later Hagi stood near the front window, looking out at the night sky.

He heard Nathan approach him from behind.

Hagi turned to face him. "May I ask you something about the book you had earlier?"

"Yes."

"Did it belong to you're Queen?"

He hesitated. "Sort of."

"Sort of?" Hagi was confused.

"It was my wife's."

"Wife?!"

Nathan laughed at the surprised expression on Hagi's face. "Yes. My wife. Looking at me now it may be hard to believe but I've had old fashioned values pounded in me."

"What happened to her?"

"I guess I owe you an answer, since I did promise to tell you." Nathan gave him a sad smile. He walked towards the hall way. "Well are you coming?"

Hagi squared his shoulders and he trailed quietly behind Nathan.

He had wanted to know more about Nathan since he had woken up. He had told him things about himself, answered Nathan's questions about his past, where he was from, what had happened to his arm, about his relationship with Saya… But Nathan had never told him anything about his own past, he had said he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. And now that he was going to tell him, Hagi wasn't sure he wanted to know. If it was that difficult to talk about, was it worth ripping open all those old wounds? Was it worth the pain Nathan was going to be putting himself through? He felt as if he was forcing Nathan to tell him.

Nathan opened a door and entered. Hagi stopped in the doorway and called quietly, "You do not have to tell me if you do not wish to do so. I will not mind."

Nathan sat in a large winged back chair by a wind. He motioned to another identical chair across from him. "I know that. Sit! I want to tell you. I've been thinking about it for a while now. I thought it would be easier after I thought about it for a while but now I realize, it will never get any easier… Not until I actually talk about it. Now you might want to sit. It is a long story."

Hagi slowly entered the room. In the dim light he could see shelves of books and old paintings covering the walls. It must have been a small study. Hagi sat down and waited.

Nathan leaned back and looked out at the moon hanging in the sky.

"It was a long time ago… My Father was the son a German painter but he had always wanted to live near the sea and become a merchant. So he moved to Marseilles, France. That's where he met my Mother. He was looking for work and her father owned a shipping company. He liked my Father, and humbly approved of their relationship. He left the business to my parents as a wedding gift before he died."

Hagi sat quietly, listening. He wasn't sure what this had to do with Chiropteran Queen's but he knew Nathan had his reasons.

"In 1768 my Father ran into some trouble, he was exhausting himself trying to take care of everything on his own. Mother didn't know much about ships so she suggested he find a new business partner." Nathan smiled. "He didn't know anyone he could trust enough to work with. Or that would have the experience. They were having some financial trouble and Mother had just informed him she was pregnant with me. So he became rather down. He was leaving the local pub when he met them."

"A man and woman, they were young. He had never seen anyone like them before, with their shiny black and oddly shaped eyes. They came up to him and asked if he knew where they could find a place to stay. The woman was pregnant. And Father was a kind man. He hated to send them off to a rat hole of an inn. He invited them to spend the night at his home."

"He spoke with the man that night and found they were from Japan. They became fast friends. He overheard my Father speaking to one of his men the next morning about the ships and asked him if he was looking for help. Father didn't know what to think. Like my Father, this man's passion was the sea. It was why he and his young wife had left their home. He had worked at the docks most of his life. But his father didn't approve of his desire to be a sailor nor his choice of a bride. He wanted him to go into the family business and marry some girl for wealth. So in the middle of the night they fled. They eloped and left the country."

"Father was thrilled that he had found someone who knew about ships and was trained to run a business. What luck. And he liked the him. He accepted his new friend's offer. Within weeks business was higher than it had been in months. And as a thank you, Father gave them one of the houses extra rooms to live in."

"A few months later, I was born. The same night, the man's wife had her child. A son. His name was Makoto, he was a lot like you actually, quiet, musical. The two of us were practically brothers. Inseparable. We helped our mothers run a homemaking trade form our home. Makoto's mother taught us Japanese. It was wonderful. Eighteen years and we thought life couldn't get any better. We didn't know how wrong we were until we met them." Nathan turned his eyes from the night sky to look at Hagi. He had a slight smile on his face. "The lovely Clariet sisters."

"It was the night of our eighteenth birthday in 1786. Our parents were hosting a party to celebrate our becoming adults. They invited all of the upper class citizens in Marseilles. As well as from other places in France, people he had done business with. They were hoping we would find suitable young women to court but he was also using the party to finalize a business deal."

"He had invited two young heiresses that ran a profitable wine industry in Bordeaux. They were barely eighteen but very smart. It was unheard of for such young people to run a business, let alone girls. But there had been no one else to take over when their mother had died. Actually, murdered would have been more suitable a term."

"Murdered? Why?" Hagi demanded, unable to keep the outrage from seeping through his voice.

"Their family were, social outcasts of sorts. No one wanted anything to do with them because of their peculiar, lifestyles. The only outside interaction they had was involved with the wine. People didn't approve of their having a woman in charge. They say he died before the girls were born. It was spoken amongst former buyers that the woman's appearances hadn't change in over ten years, and she looked too young to have children in that old. And their servants… did not know how to keep their mouths closed. They let slip in front of the wrong company of their… appetites. The accusations her being a vampire began floating around, soon after she killed when one of the barns on their estate caught fire. She died saving her daughters. Everyone claimed it was a horrible accident but the people responsible liked to brag too much."

Hagi let what Nathan had sink in. Peculiar appetites, unchanging appearances, vampires. "They were Chiropterans?" He took Nathan's smile as a 'yes'.

"Makoto and I were quite bored. The only interesting part of the night was that the daughters of the supposed vampire mistress were present but my Father had informed us that they had disappeared shortly after they had closed their deal. Makoto told me he was going for a walk and left. I began to walk around, just watching people when my eyes landed on the girl standing before the French window's overlooking the courtyard."

Nathan's eyes seemed to glaze over and his voice took on a dreamy tone. "She was the most beautiful thing I had ever gazed upon. With long hair, black as pitch, ruby red lips and eyes to match and her skin was so pale it made the full moon look dark. Lumina Clariet. The youngest of the two daughters."

"I approached her. She simply glanced at me and dismissed my presence. I spoke to her for a while but she ignored me. When I asked her for a dance she glared at me and said, 'Are you so thick headed that you can not even take a hint? I do not have any desire to speak to you. Do you think that just because you are Monsieur Mahler's son that I am going to submit to your advances?' When I tried to say I was only being polite she replied 'Ha, unlikely!' Then she turned and walked away. I followed her. The way she moved it was like an enchanting dance. She went towards the garden. I asked her where she was going and she told me I was a pompous fool that thought he had to know everything."

"Her behavior intrigued me. I later learned that she only acted that way because she was unused to others being polite to her and her sister. They had been very reclusive after their mother died, and my speaking to her had caught her off guard. Any ways, I was following her through the garden when she stopped, I nearly ran her over. Then I saw what she was looking at. Makoto was sitting on the edge of a large fountain, talking to a girl that was the spitting image of the girl beside me, the only difference was her eyes. I saw them when she turned to us. They were as blue as the ocean."

"She was the older twin. Lumina rushed to her side and pulled her away from Makoto. He looked like he'd been slapped. She introduced him to Lumina and said hello to me. Her name was Lunarie. Lumina told her they had to be going and she began pulling her older sister along behind her. She stuck her tongue out at me when she passed. Before they disappeared Lunarie looked back at Makoto and smiled and waved. And we both knew. It wouldn't be the last time we saw them. One glance and they had already stolen our hearts."

"They visited with my Father quite frequently on business. They used that as an excuse to come over and see us, well, Lunarie used it as an excuse to see Makoto. Lunarie was actually very friendly, Lumina was just over protective. She took to Makoto easily and eventually she began to warm up to me. Lune, that was Lunarie's nickname, told me Lumi, Lumina, was that way towards me because she liked me and was afraid she would get attached and then I would leave. It made sense, after what they had been through, I understood. But we reassured them we wouldn't go anywhere."

"Shortly afterwards we realized that the rumors about their unchanging appearance were true. We had known them for four years and they hadn't aged a day. But we did not care. We were in love with them and had been wooing them for some time."

Nathan stood from his chair. Hagi watched after him as he walked over to a painting depicting a view of a town as if from over water. Nathan pulled the frame from the wall and beneath it there was a hollowed out square.

Hagi laughed.

Nathan looked up at him as if dazed. "What's so funny?"

"The predictability of having a hidden compartment behind a frame."

Nathan chuckled at that. "Yes. But the predictability is what's so ingenious about it. It's so obvious that people completely dismiss the idea of it being there. Believe me, I would know."

He reached back in the compartment and pulled a slightly smaller square from it. It looked like a painting. Nathan looked down at it sadly before walking back to Hagi and holding it so he could look at it.

It was a portrait depicting four people. Two men and two women. Immediately Hagi recognized the blond man on the right side of the portrait. His image overlapped almost perfectly with the man before him, only his hair style was slightly different. The woman beside him, her arm wrapped around his elbow, had long slightly wavy black hair, pale skin and striking red eyes. The girl on her other side was her mirror image. Only here eyes were blue and her hair hung strait. But it was the man on left side of the portrait that captured Hagi's attention, he didn't know why but this man seemed so familiar some how. His faint smile, his reddish brown eyes, and the way his black hair fell in front of his face.

"That was after we became Chevaliers." Nathan told him quietly. Hagi could hear pain in his voice.

"Both of you? What happened?" Hagi questioned breathlessly.

"Their mother's murderers learned of our relationship. They tried to stop us from seeing them. When their threats didn't work they thought the next best thing would be to off us as well. Better to have two dead men than two more vampires."

"It was a gloomy day in 1792. I was walking with Lunarie. We were going to meet Lumina and Makoto down by the ocean, some place private, just outside of the city. Lumi and I were setting them up a date."

"I believe the bullets were meant for my heart. But something threw off his aim. They didn't even stay to see if they finished the job. I don't remember much immediately afterwards… everything was black and so painful. I only remember something soft against my lips and liquid fire jumping down my throat. When I awoke Lunarie was leaning over me, apologizing. I didn't understand, I just knew I should have been dead and now I was alright. She just said she needed to find her sister, to explain to her. So I followed. I needed to find Makoto. If they were after me then they were surely after him too. I was right. They had already gotten to him. He was covered in blood when we found them. Asking Lumina what she had done to him."

"But I thought that Lumina was your Queen? She is the one you were in love with?"

Nathan laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "What happened that day was simply a 'with the wrong person at the wrong time' situation. The only reason they turned us was for the sake of each others happiness. Lumina saved Makoto for Lunarie. And Lunarie saved me for Lumina. Neither thought the other could live through another loss."

"They explained to us what they were, what we had become. They had no name for our kind then. They had never heard the word Chiropteran or Chevalier. They told us of their mother and father. How their father had died from ingesting a single drop of their mother's blood by accident, her pregnancy hadn't had time to affect her blood. She had told them how to create others of their kind. Male companions. They saw that as the only way to save us."

"They explained the attachment to a Queen we would now feel towards them. They kept apologizing because they had binded us to them 'against our will'. We didn't quite understand the attachment, sure we felt a connection to the one that turned us, but we still felt the same as before. I still loved Lumi and Makoto still loved Lune. That hadn't been affected."

"They were happy to hear this. They had never experienced anything like this before, and they had been afraid they had changed us more than just physically. They asked us to come with them. Of course we accepted."

"We knew we wouldn't be able to stay in Marseilles. People would notice when we didn't age and there was the risk those assailants seeing us again. That night we returned to our home and informed our parents we were leaving with the girls. Returning to their Chateau in Bordeaux. And we didn't know when we would come back."

"A few moths after we traveled to Paris. We were married. We didn't know anything about Chiropteran mating tendencies then, one Queen mates with her sister's Chevalier in order to produce offspring. So you can imagine what happened."

"Children…" Hagi mumbled.

"It was 1793. A year and a half later… Lumina and I welcomed our daughters into the world. Lunarie and Makoto's children had yet to be born. We were out walking the grounds. The girls had complained of being cooped up inside. The maid that had raised them was watching our girls."

Nathan's face darkened. His eyes looked dead. Hagi knew Nathan was nearing the end of his tale. His voice was emotionless when he began speaking. "We were on our way back when it happened. The mansion erupted into flames. Lumi took off into the inferno. What a time for my Chevalier instincts to kick in. I wanted to go after her, but all I could think of was protecting Lune. I couldn't break from the bond long enough to follow my heart, and I haven't forgiven myself for that. Makoto went in after her. Lune tried to go in but I got her as far away as I could. The house collapsed."

"They hadn't came out. Lune was in hysterics. I went to look for them, maybe they had come out the other side. I found the maid laying a few feet from the house. She was badly burned and fading. I asked if she had seen Lumina or Makoto. She saw them heading up the stairs just before the roof collapsed. With her dying breath she told me she was sorry she couldn't save our children."

"I caught wind of some strange sent coming form the forest. I followed it and found a group of men. It was the same ones that had tried to kill us, that had killed their mother." Nathan's eyes glowed faintly. "They had taken my family from me. So I killed them all. And I enjoyed ripping them limb from limb and drinking every last drop of blood from their veins."

"I returned to Lunarie. She was standing there watching the smoke and flames rising from the remains of our home. Afterwards I searched through the rubble but there was nothing there. No sign of them."

Hagi just listened. Trying to imagine what Nathan must have felt.

"I tried my best to help Lunarie. But she shut down. She had always been so bubbly. It was awful seeing her this way now. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't sleep, she just walked around aimlessly. She had been close to giving birth before but the trauma… it threw everything off. It was like everything about her froze. We were in Paris when I lost her for a moment. She ran off. I do not know if she was aware of my following her or not. I just kept an eye on her from a distance."

Nathan was quiet for a few moments. He took the picture and returned it to the compartment behind the frame. The he walked over to the window and looked at the fading moon and stars once more.

When he began speaking again, Hagi knew this was the end of Nathan's tale.

"We ended up in Iceland in the middle of winter. I was too far behind to make it to her in time. She didn't know she was walking on ice. It broke beneath her feet. When she fell she hit her head. She didn't come back up. I searched and searched but never found her. I stayed for days, but she was gone. I've been alone ever since."

A long time passed before either of them said anything.

"I … I am sorry." Hagi finally choked out.

"It's over and done now. Nothing will change that." Nathan said in an oddly optimistic tone. As if he was enjoying an inside joke of some kind. He turned to Hagi. "Have you decided what you are going to do?"

"What?"

"About Saya. You have made you're decision haven't you?"

It took a second for Hagi to realize what he meant. "Oh. Yes."

"You're going to leave." Nathan looked down sadly. "I knew that was coming. I can't say that I am surprised. I approve, by the way. It's the least I can do, as a favor to her father."

"You knew Gorge?"

"Hm? No, not Miyagusuku. Her birth father."

"You knew her real father?"

Nathan smirked. "I never told you Makoto's family name, did I? It was Otonashi."

"Oton… What?!" Hagi jumped to his feet. "He was Saya's father?"

"Yes. Makoto and Lunarie Otonashi's children are Saya and Diva. They really are the spitting image of their father."

It dawned on Hagi. The smile, the hair the eyes… That was why the man had looked familiar. Then he thought of something else, "But Red Shield gave Saya the name 'Otonashi'. When they sent her to Japan. How did they know? There is no way they could have guessed…" Hagi was rambling, shocked at this new information about his love.

"It was an inside job, of course." Nathan answered casually. "I figured if they were going to give her a name and ship her off to Japan, the name they gave her might as well have been her own."

"How?"

"I infiltrated Red Shield during the Vietnam war. I knew they were planning on waking Saya. I knew it was a bad idea. They had a back up plan in place incase Saya was unable to kill Diva. They were already going to send her to Okinawa, so they would have her near a U.S. base because of the suspected Military connection to the Chiropterans. They asked me to do research to find an uncommon name for her, so as not to draw attention to her. I didn't even have to think about it."

"I had been watching Amshel for some time, I saw how he was using Diva for his own means and I wanted to get rid of him, to make him suffer for manipulating the daughter of my Queen, and for misery he had caused her other daughter. I should have tried to stop them, but I wanted to get back at Amshel… It was why I had come there in the first place. I had a change of heart, but it was already too late. Saya had already killed everyone. I figured I would just disappear and try again. No one was going to notice if I went missing… What with all the Chiropterans running rampant and eating everyone. They wouldn't pay attention to one missing body."

"If you were their mother's Chevalier, why did you choose one over the other? Why did you choose Diva over Saya?"

"I already told you, I was after Amshel. Saya had you. She had had a family all along. People that loved her. Diva had no one. She had been alone all her life, locked away in that tower. Amshel pretended to care but he never really did. She was just a lab rat to him. And I came this close to getting him, too! But you interfered." He smiled evilly at Hagi.

Hagi shrunk back from him. "I did?"

"Yes. I knew Amshel wasn't dead after your fight. I knew he was close enough to hear so I asked Saya to kill me, knowing I wouldn't die. He wouldn't suspect anything, if he believed I was dead. I was hiding under the stage for him. I was about to make my move but you took Saya's sword and struck him down."

Nathan laughed. "He was lucky. Lucky you got to him before I did. You crystallized him and there were some remains left after the bombs hit. But if I had gotten my hands on him…" he growled, "Fire or no, there would have been nothing left of Amshel Goldsmith."

Hagi realized he was holding his breath. He let it out in a shaky sigh.

"What about their mother's corps?" He asked. "In Joel's diary it said the mother's mummy was found a frozen in ice and it was over a thousand years old. Your Lunarie died not long before Joel found it. How is it possible they are the same?"

"I can only make an assumption on that." Hagi looked at him expectantly and he continued. "Lunarie was frozen. She couldn't move. When a Chiropteran becomes immobile their system shuts down to conserve energy until they can break free. But she was pregnant at the time. The children inside her womb would not have been affected like she was. Not immediately at least. They would continue to drain nutrients their mother like normal until she ran out before they would have been affected. I can only guess that the reason for her aged appearance was that the babies had completely drained her dry by the time Joel and Amshel found her making her body look older."

Hagi thought about that. It made sense. In a strange way.

"You had better get going." Nathan said cheerily. The man gave the term 'mood-swing' a whole new meaning.

"Hmm?"

"If you want to get to Saya before she goes to sleep you had better hurry. You have a long trip ahead of you."

Hagi stood. Nathan was right. He had a long way to go to get to Okinawa. And only a short amount of time.

-----------

Hagi was making his way towards the large front doors when Nathan called out to him.

"Here." he grabbed Hagi's hand and shoved a wad of money into it. "That should get you to Japan. There should be enough to rent a hotel or something here and there along the way. I still say it would be easier to fly the whole way…"

Hagi had refused to fly more than necessary. He would fly to Europe and find some other means of transport the rest of the way. "I do not like planes. Besides, all of the layovers would only slow me down. I can get there my own way. I need to be alone to think some things through."

"Suit your self." He grinned. "Saya wouldn't like it to much if all the pretty flight attendants were hitting on you anyway. But… here. Incase you change your mind!" He handed Hagi a little, dark red book.

Hagi opened it. It was his passport, the one David had given him on the way to New York. He was sure he had left it at the apartment the night of the Opera. "Where did you get this?" he asked annoyed.

"Don't ask, won't tell!"

Hagi glared at him for a moment then shook his head. He put the money and passport away and looked at Nathan. "I hate to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine. I've survived this long. Oh! Almost forgot!" He lifted a long, tubular case with a strap. "Saya's katana is in there. I've fixed it so it will go through undetected by security screenings. It just looks like an artists drawing storage container."

Hagi accepted it and placed it on his shoulder. "I… I will try to come and visit. Maybe you could come to Okinawa?" Hagi asked hopefully.

"That would be nice." He smiled "I'll have to come see my nieces!"

"Thank you."

"For what?" Nathan wasn't used to the emotion in Hagi's voice.

"For saving my life. For giving me a second chance to be with Saya. And for being a good friend." Hagi bowed.

"I could say the same to you… but I won't cause it sounds to mushy." He flipped his hand dramatically. Then pointed at the door. "Now get this romance novel on the road! Shoo, shoo!"

"Good bye, Nathan." He gave Nathan one of his rare smiles.

"See ya, Hagi. I wish you all the luck in the world."

Hagi turned back to the door and grasped the handle. As he was turning it Nathan added, "And I had darn well better get an invite to the wedding!" Hagi shook he head and opened the door.

He stepped out into the cool morning air just as the sun rose above the horizon.

--------------

Once the plane had landed at the airport in Paris Hagi had headed out on foot. He immediately went to his favorite place in the city. As he gazed upon the Eiffel Tower he milled over some of the thoughts floating around his mind.

Should he tell Saya what he know knew about her? Or should he let Nathan? That one was easy. Nathan should tell her about her parents. He knew them, had been their friend. It is not my place to tell her such things.

That had been the easy part.

He couldn't decide what he was going to do when he arrived in Okinawa, what he would say to Saya. He was racking his brain, but he could come up with nothing.

But he had the rest of Europe and all of Asia to figure it out. He knew he had time. He could feel it. Saya was still a while from going to sleep.

He made good progress across Europe. It took only a few days for him to get to Russia. He was spending the night at an inn in Moscow when trouble began. It was only the end of September but if felt like the middle of winter. An out-of-season blizzard kept him trapped indoors for two days. And the weather didn't appear to be planning an improvement anytime soon. The entire country was experiencing hazardous conditions.

He had to change his travel plans. Normally he wouldn't have thought twice about going out into the raging weather. But he still didn't completely trust his strength. Normal weather he could handle. This was a challenge he did not want to risk losing.

He decided to retrace the steps they had traveled two years previous. On the Trans-Siberian Railway. It would take a week. But it was the only option he had.

In Vladivostok his luck changed. For the better. As he stepped out on to the platform just before noon, the snowy onslaught loosened its death grip. He didn't want to risk any more unexpected delays. So he followed Nathan's advise. As badly as he despised the idea, it would be best if he flew the rest of the way. If his wing had been completely repaired he would have flown himself. But the tendons and muscles in his left wing had yet to fully repair itself.

He made his way to Vladivostok International Airport. He remembered Mao mentioning Naha Airport in Okinawa. So that was where he had to go.

He had no idea how this was supposed to work. Nathan had told him how to book the first flight, from New York to Paris. But he didn't know what to ask now. He walked over to the desk and asked the lady for a ticket to Naha Airport.

"Sorry. There are no direct flights to Naha available." She replied, appraising him.

"There aren't?" He thought planes traveled anywhere. He was going to have to find another means of travel. "Thank you."

He was about to turn and walk away when she said, "We do offer a connection flight."

He looked up at her. Her fingers were flying over the keys of her computer.

"We can get you to Niigata Airport via Vladivostok Air. Once there, you can connect with the All Nippon Airways flight to Naha Airport in Okinawa. It's the most direct route. Niigata only offers one flight per season to Naha and it leaves this evening. You'll have to leave right now to make the connection to Naha.

"Alright."

She printed out his ticket and he paid her. "Your flight leaves in 2 hours. You can take a seat and wait."

As he was walking away she called after him. "My shift ends in 15 minutes! You want to grab a coffee?"

He sighed. Why must this always happen everywhere I go?

--------

It was all he could do not to run to the terminal when it was time for his departure.

He boarded the flight and settled in for the wait. A few hours later, the plane landed in Japan.

The Niigata Airport was not much different than Vladivostok's. It was busier, though. He found the ticket desk and purchased a ticket to Naha Airport.

He studied the slip of paper. The departure time was 7:45PM. He looked up at the clock in the waiting area. 5:00PM. The board said that the estimated arrival time was 9 o'clock. Four hours. That was all that separated him from Saya.

It was like everything sped up. The next thing he knew he was walking out of the Naha Airport. If the sliding airport doors had been any slower he was sure he would have knocked them off their tracks.

Once he cleared the Naha city limits he ran. As fast as his Chevalier abilities allowed. Through forest, over buildings, he didn't stop till he was in Okinawa City.

He passed the spot on the beach that Saya so loved. The school where, in this new life, she had first encountered a Chiropteran, the place where their lips had met for the first time.

He was walking down Park Avenue. Here he had played his cello for shoppers when he had first come to Okinawa in search of Saya two years ago. He remembered how she had fallen in the flower bed across the street. He looked over and could almost see Saya's red face rising up from the greenery. That look of embarrassment on her face when she had noticed him staring at her. She had ran off dragging Riku with her.

When he turned to continue walking he froze. He had recalled that there had been a flower shop where he had set up, and the place was obviously closed. But what halted him in his tracks was the sight of two rose bushes sitting outside the shop on either side of the door. One red one. And one pink one.

Saya's favorite color.

As he stared at the roses, the first time he brought Saya a rose overtook him.

Her lovely face pinched up into a frown. "I don't like roses in this color! Go and get me a red one!" She turned away from him.

He watched her for a moment. If she didn't like pink why was it that all she ever wore were pink dresses? He didn't like her smug attitude. "You can get it yourself."

That got her. She looked at him over her shoulder with a look like she was struck. She turned to face him and stalked towards him, stopping a few feet from him. "What makes you think you can talk to me like that!?"

"If you don't like it, do not talk to me." He dropped the rose on the floor and turned an exited the room. He heard her growl after him.

The next day, when she had invited him back to her room for cello lessons, he had been astonished to see that she had kept the flower. She had it placed in a vase on the mantle as if it were a prized possession.

He smiled at the memory of what had happened a few days later.

They were sitting near the lake, watching the swans and ducks. Saya had finished her fencing lesson and had changed back into her normal attire. She was stretched out next to him on the grass.

He was still on his high from her words earlier that day. "Someday I'm going to travel the world. And I'll carry a sword with me! Just like all the heroes and adventurers in the books I've read! And I want you by my side Hagi!" He just couldn't get over those words. Someone actually wanted him around.

"Hagi?" Her soft voice broke his reverie.

"Hm?" He looked down into a pair of reddish-brown eyes.

"Will… will you bring me a bouquet of roses?" She sounded slightly embarrassed.

"If that is what you wish, Saya." He got to his feet. "I'll go find you some red roses."

In the time it took him to take one step Saya had shot up like lightning. She was still sitting on the ground, but her arm was extended out to him. Her fingers pinching onto the hem of his sleeve. "Um. No I want pink roses."

"But I thought you didn't like pink, Saya." What had caused the sudden change?

She crossed her arms and stated matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious. "Silly boy! Of course I like pink roses. Pink is my favorite color after all."

All Hagi could do was smile.

He had a similar smile on his face at that moment. He walked over to the pink rose bush and plucked one lovely bloom. He brought it to his face to smell its sweet aroma.

He would give this to Saya. He walked with renewed strength and determination down the street. With one effortless bound he was in the air. He feet barely made contact with the roof of a building before he sprang again.

He had a strange feeling in his heart. It must be nerves. He still didn't know what he was going to say when he got to her. He was never at a loss of words like he was now. It made him uneasy.

There!

Omoro. The pub Saya now called home.

He came down soundlessly onto the chain link fence surrounding the park across the street from her home. Strange. His keen eyes saw clearly through the front window. There were a lot of people there. Saya and Kai's friends from the beach. Everyone from the Red Shield.

It seemed odd for so many people to be there at such a late hour. It had to be past midnight.

Saya wasn't there. Where could she be?

A light came on upstairs. It was her room. He was sure of that. He had seen her through the window the last time he was here, keeping an eye on her to ensure she stayed out of trouble.

The curtain covering the window was pulled. He saw a shadow move across it before it disappeared and the light flickered out. She must be tired and gone to bed.

"Saya…" He whispered.

He was suddenly overcome with emotion. He knew now that nothing else mattered. Nothing but Saya. The pain they had endured, the battles they lived through, they were nothing but a bad memory, a whisper in the breeze. And the past few weeks they had been apart didn't mean anything and it didn't matter that he didn't know what to say anymore.

All he knew was that he loved her and wanted to be with her. "I want to be with you…" her words from the Met assaulted his mind repeatedly. If she still wanted him, if she hadn't changed her mind, he would not deny her of her wish. Because Saya's wishes are my wishes, he thought with a smile.

With the rose tucked safely in his pocket, he leapt, landing nimblely on the roof of the restaurant. He dropped down on to her window sill, it was open just slightly. He could get in easily. He slid the glass back quietly and pulled the curtain away, crawling inside. "Saya?"

She wasn't there. In the dim light he could see the room was empty. He could hear a baby crying.

It must be one of the twins. Maybe she went to check on them. Hagi stepped down off the bed and his eyes landed on a coffin shaped box on the floor beside the bed.

My cello.

He lifted it up. As he laid it on the bed something black fell off of it. He lifted it off the floor and immediately recognized it as his coat.

He had missed this old thing for some reason, maybe because Saya had always seemed to like it. And he had left the coat he was wearing at the airport… so he decided to put it on. Laying the rose on the bed sheets as he slipped into the coat. Having it on made him feel much better, more at home, but it didn't calm the nagging feeling inside him.

He opened his cello case. Someone had taken good care of the cello. Saya. His hand went to the lid, to the compartment that held Saya's katana. He flipped the button, the doors snapping open. The strap from the container slid down his arm and grasped the lid and opened it, he was still amazed he had been able to smuggle it on board the plane. He reached inside it and took hold of the hilt of the katana, pulling it from the makeshift storage container. The katana's sheath was already inside the compartment in the cello case. He removed it and gently slid the steel blade into its cover and placed it back where it belonged.

As the lid came down and clicked close, he heard footsteps outside the door. The soft thump of a hand coming to rest on the door.

"Lulu… she isn't in there… Go back downstairs…" Kai's broken voice called from down the hall.

"Huh? But then who's in…" the slightly muffled voice of Lulu called from outside the door. "Are… are you crying? What do you mean she's not in there?"

"She's gone, Lulu." Kai mumbled.

"What do you mean 'gone'?"

"No…" Hagi whispered to himself. It hadn't been nerves… it was the same as the apartment… his body had been trying to tell him…

"She's asleep…" His voice cracked on the last word. "I just got back from the tomb."

"But… wha… WHY?!" he could hear the tears in her voice. "She didn't even say 'goodbye'!"

No… no… no… She couldn't be gone. He pulled the cello case off the bed with such force it nearly pulled the sheets off the bed with it. That's when the white garment that had been beneath the cello on bed caught his eye. His old button down shirt. It was wrinkled and the sleeves had been rolled up. He set the case aside and lifted the shirt up, looking at it. A strong, familiar, sweet sent filled his senses. It smelt like Saya.

Saya's… been wearing it? Had she really missed him that much?

He dropped the shirt back on the bed and hefted the cello up onto his shoulder with one hand, his other clenching the rose. He climbed back up on the bed to go back out the window.

He knew where the tomb was. He could get there in just a few minutes, maybe he wasn't too late.

"What was that?" he faintly heard Lulu's small voice behind him.

He was already standing up on the sill, preparing to jump. Bending his knees slightly, he sprang from the window just as he heard the door slid forcefully open and her excited voice call behind him, "HAGI!?"

But he was already gone.

He was moving so fast everything was blurred.

He landed on the uneven stones of the shrine's floor and immediately rushed inside. The resounding thunk of the cello hitting the floor echoed so loudly, if someone had been standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the tomb they could have heard it.

There she was.

Curled up peacefully inside her cocoon. She was already sleeping. She was so beautiful when she slept. She looked like the girl in that story she used to read all the time, back at the Zoo. About a sleeping princess.

He walked over to her and looked in at her. The cocoon was already slowly beginning to weave itself close. He gazed at her lovingly. Yes. So beautiful. Her long black lashes brushed the pale skin beneath her eyes. Her lips were pursed slightly. She'd cut her hair. He absently wondered if, when she woke up next time, she would cut her hair short again or let if grow out long like it used to be. She didn't have to fight anymore so it wouldn't be in the way.

He placed his human hand inside the cocoon, resting it against her cheek softly. Her sleeping form leaned into the caress.

"Saya…" At the sound of his voice he saw her eyes darting his direction from behind her closed lids.

He knew that even after she fell asleep, for a short period of time, she was still aware of her surroundings, she could still hear what was said to her, even if she didn't recall it later or thought it was just a dream. She had told him things that she had heard before, things he had said to her after he thought she was sleeping.

He could talk to her for a few moments, before she entered her deep slumber. He could let her know he was alright, that he was still with her. "Saya, I'm here. I am alive. I am sorry I could not make it here in time."

She moved restlessly. "I'm still here and I am not going anywhere. I will not leave you again."

He leaned his upper body in to hers, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He felt something warm running down his face. His right had came up to wipe it away. He was crying? Except for that night at the Met, he hadn't since he was a child.

But these were not the happy tears they had been the night in New York. His heart was breaking. He had been too late. Again.

When he pulled back, a single drop of water fell from his chin. It landed lightly on Saya's cheek and her face took on a pained expression. Did she know he was sad?

With the back of his human hand he gently brushed the tear away and her face smoothed back over.

"I will always love you, Saya." At his words the corners of her mouth pulled up into a beautiful smile. "Sleep well, love. I will be here when you wake up. I promise."

When he stepped back he remembered the rose. He had dropped it when he dropped the cello. He picked it up and brought it over to his sleeping Queen and gently placed it in her limp hand. Clasping her fingers around it. He knew the cocoon would dissolve it, just as it always had her clothes. But at least she had it for now.

With one final kiss goodbye pressed to her forehead. He turned and exited the tomb.

With each step, a new fissure appeared in each piece of his already shattered heart.

---------

Hagi had no idea how long he had been walking. He just looked up and saw that he was at her favorite spot on the beach again. The large rock jutting out of the sand and water. He decided to stay and watch the sunrise. He sat down on the breakwater wall and gazed out at the ocean. The light of the moon was beautiful dancing on the waves.

He was aware of the sound of shoes scuffing concrete behind him. Suddenly Lulu was seated beside him on the wall. "It's really pretty, huh?" He nodded slightly and she continued. "I usually sneak out at night when Kai and Saya are sleeping and come here to watch it. Since I can't come out in the day… Or when I'm at Julia-san's clinic. It get boring staying there all day."

"You're going away, aren't you?" No answer. "I guess that's a 'yes'." She looked up at him hopefully, "But you'll come back, right?"

He wanted to answer but couldn't. He couldn't bare the pain.

"Hagi! Please come back." Lulu sounded like she was crying. "The others will be happy to see you! We all missed you, especially Saya. Kai said you could stay, remember? Saya would want you to!"

Hagi stopped breathing.

"Everyone thought you were dead. I told them you were alive when we were in New York. But they didn't believe me but then some man said he saw you. They thought I was just imagining you tonight because of Saya."

He looked down at her sadly.

"Please… stay?"

"I can not."

"Why? You will be near Saya."

"It is to painful. Knowing how close I am to her and not being able to be with her." Everything in this place reminded him of Saya. He could not bare it. He had to go.

"Well, if… you don't want to stay… will you at least come by and say 'hi' sometime?" She said sadly.

"Yes. I will try. I will not be able to stay away for long. But I can not stay here."

"I understand. I'll keep an eye on her for you. We all will. And I'll see you then! I can give you an update on what's been going on while you were away! And when you visit, you can teach me to play the cello!"

He didn't know if he could do that, the mere thought of it brought up to many memories. But she didn't wait for his reply.

"It'll be fun!"

"Do not tell the others I was here."

"Why?" She frowned.

"I do not want them looking for me."

"That won't stop them, you know? They promised Saya they would. They're all set on it. They're worried about you too."

He didn't say anything.

"If you're not going to stay, what are you going to do."

"Travel." That was what he always did when Saya slept. Since they didn't have to fight, maybe they could finally see the world like they had always wanted. While she was sleeping, he would look for places they could go to when she awoke. That would keep his mind occupied.

"Alright." She stood up. "I have to go now, before the sun comes up. I'll see you soon okay?"

He nodded. A gasp escaped his throat when he felt her thin arms wrap around his neck. "Promise me you'll come back. You have too."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I will."

"Be careful. I'll miss you." Then Lulu was gone.

He looked after her as she ran back down the street. Once he was sure she had had enough time to arrive back at Omoro he stood up himself.

The first rays of morning light broke the horizon. He stepped down off the wall and began to walk. He had a job to do now. Places to go. But he would come back. He would not break the promise he made to Lulu. Nor would he break his promise to Saya. He would come to visit them as often as he could and he would be there when she woke up.

He couldn't stay away from his home. His home was wherever his heart was.

And his heart was with Saya.

Resting beside the ocean in the green hills of Okinawa.

A/N: Sigh! Finished… I miss it already… I'm going to go sit in my corner now…

Kind of a sappy ending in my opinion but it's really all I could come up with… it fit better than anything else did. And hey I ain't complaining, I like sappy^^ (seriously hopeless romantic/fluff addict)

I know some of the small details are different. I used the novel for some references rather than everything from the anime. Like the scene on Park Avenue. In the novel she was with Riku. I liked this scene better form the novel so I went with it! And the kiss thing. In the novel Saya didn't give Hagi her blood via mouth to mouth. She let it drip from her hand into his mouth or into the wound or something… so the school incident was literally their first kiss. And Hagi really did cry in the Met scene cause he was happy. I thought it was sweet! That whole scene was way better in the novel than the show… sad to say.

I love Nathan. He's had it rough. Poor guy. Nathan has stuff up his frilly sleeves though, so he's not as bummed as he acts. I looked up Mahler on a family name website and it said it originated in Germany and meant something related to painter or artistic person, something like that. I had the others names in my head before I even began the story, quite a looong time ago. The girls names were fun! I love French language. Lunarie means lunar and Lumina is a variation of Luminarie meaning lights/lightning(I didn't even realize this one, I just thought it sounded pretty and when I was looking in the dictionary I found it), I liked them because they gave the impression of paleness. Their last name Clariet is supposed to mean something along the lines of pale colored wine. I thought it was a good B+ reference. And Makoto is Japanese for truth/sincerity. I was looking through my Japanese dictionary and I saw the word and thought that would be a good name. It stuck with me and when I figured out the names for the girls that hit me as a name for Saya's dad.

The song Hagi played is Saya's Love. It's number 13 on vol. 1 of the Blood+ soundtrack. It's by Mark Mancina. I love it! I could listen to it for hours! I just thought it would be romantic to pretend Hagi composed it for her. If you've never heard it it's in several episodes. Two that I remember off the top of my head are: when Saya's talking to Minn and remembering her first kiss with Hagi, and when she and Hagi are at the Zoo and she's remembering when they were in the barn.

I had to do a lot of technology research for this thing. Like I was going to say Nathan had a photo instead of a painting. But I learned the hard way that photos weren't invented 'til in the 1830s (photos that lasted anyways, before then, photos faded after a few hours. They couldn't get the image to stay until in 1830s). And I had to look up on train stations in Russia, that wasn't so bad, since it was in the show. But finding an air port that went from Vladivostok to Naha wasn't. I had to look for connection flights… it took a while. But I go it done. Oh, about the seasonal thing. On the Niigata airport destinations list it said Naha [seasonal]. I took that to mean that they only fly there once each season. So if I got something wrong in all that, oopsy! I tried my best to get it right.

If there's anything that confused you any where in the story feel free to PM me or comment. I turned on anonymous reviews so everyone can drop by and say 'hi'! See ya later^^ Reviews please!