I hope that everyone had a happy holiday(s)! I apologize profusely on how long it has been since I updated. I wanted to wait till the series finished before writing out my final chapter, and then the holidays hit so I just recently got back to my work desk, and the mountains of paper on top of it.

Also, my computer was hit with a virus which, unfortunately ate up my outline and basic draft of what I wanted to write out for the final chapter…along with my manuscript for my original story, Just Smile. Obviously, I have had little to no motivation to write after such an incident.

And the canon ending of MPD… Well, let's say, I was not satisfied, and still as confused as ever, since so much went unanswered.. such as how do these people (Momoka, Sanetoshi, Shouma, even Kanba) have the power to change fates? Or revive those that are dead? What happened to the Takakura Parents…why did they do what they did, and just so much more…ugh.

But I could not leave you wonderful readers and reviewers hanging! So, alas, here is the update, the AU finale, the last chapter to "Red Thread of Destiny"!

X

Her fingers trace the outline of his coat delicately, working to find the parallels of their sister counterparts, hoping to connect and trap the boy in between. Her face brushes against his left cheek as her scent lingers in the air and he stares straight ahead denying this sweet but fleeting moment in favor of having a forever one. "I'm okay now, you can stop now. I've accepted my fate…please don't hurt anyone else..."

"Himari." #3 is flipping through naughty magazines, trying to entice #1 to give up on this endless chase. He snatches the magazines and tosses them aside as the female penguin watches in shock. "This last job will save you. All I need to do is carry out this plan…and don't you see?" the red haired boy spins in his chair, parting her hands and taking them into his own. "You don't have to suffer anymore. After all this, Himari, you don't ever have to suffer anymore…"

Hey eyes daze off, opting to no longer look at him. He grips her wrists tightly before tossing them gently aside as he stands up. He watches her, silently begging her to return his gaze, for her to understand, to stand by him yet when she refuses to give her consent his eyes slant in determined rage. "I will never forgive this world if it allows you to die." Briskly walking pass her, he is only halted when she throws her weight on him, stopping him in his pursuit for something unobtainable.

"Kanba, enough is enough. I can't let you do this…plea-" Delicately, he covers her desperately pleading hands with his own. Silently, he releases her hold on him. Her penguin waddles to try and catch up to the blue bodied male penguin that only shows his back to her but her little feet doesn't take her far. The two disappear around a corner and Himari is left with only her wishes and regrets.

She knows this world extends way beyond the little fields of dreams that both chosen and non-chosen children dance in, and with a simple prayer, a hopeless plea, she falls to the ground in a splendid sacrifice of returning that which she unintentionally stole.

He knows within seconds, the distinct throb within his heart, the unequivocal feel of losing half his soul, and the soft call of her voice speaking his name that she has left this world. The curse himself with his devilish eyes and pink hair tells him he only needs to do one last thing and he'll bring her back. She is his light, she is his everything, nothing else matters.

"Let me show you why this world needs to be extinguished."

Simple words uttered lead to an intangible world, Sanetoshi had placed before Kanba's eyes the path to destruction taken by the generation before him. He sees the many children lost and forgotten, the cruel parents that use up all their children's worth and force them to wither away. He sees his father and mother, much younger than he ever had the privilege of seeing, laughing, hugging, kissing… and then the image before him switches to pure darkness.

"What's happening…?" Kanba's voice surrounds him as he realizes his paralyzed state.

"You cannot escape your curse." A deep chuckle replies.

"I will do anything to save you…" he recognizes the voice as his father's and soon the scene of darkness transforms into a hospital waiting room and there in front of him, his mother lays asleep as his father silently begs for a cure. A shadow looms over his bent over form and a white glove matched with a white coat reaches to shake hands with the unfortunate soul.

Rapidly the scenes blend into one another, retelling the story of how his father had given up his humanity to save his beloved one. Making a deal with the devil, not unlike his own situation, to pledge his allegiance to eradicating the world of its impurities and paving the way to a better society.

He snaps back to the present day with a flash and Sanetoshi smirks at the boy.

"Time's almost up."

Shouma arrives with Ringo close behind, he knows they are here to stop him and he believes he only has one option left to save the girl he loves. The train of fate has already departed and the stage is set for the final story to be told.

"Kanba! What did you do…? Himari…" the princess of fate lies in bed to wait for her prince, and with a toss of his coat he goes to awaken his light. Kneeling, he takes her hand in his and brings his lips to hers. Shouma screeches out his name laced with shock and Ringo looks away painfully with the knowledge of an ill-fated love. Her almost lifeless purple eyes flash open, disbelief registering after a moment of confusion. Incredulously, she turns to her soulmate, hands reaching for him, begging him to stay.

"Do not give me a life where you are not in it…" her tears speak and his smile answers.

"It is enough as long as you live a happy and healthy one." His scorpion soul is transforming, and Himari knows his plan. Desperately, she throws her arms around him and presses her lips against him in a blend of panic and frantic love. I love you, she tells him with her lips, and he responds with a kiss equal in fervor.

Ringo steps forward with the diary, determined to change this carousel of fate. Sanetoshi, seeing this, crosses his leg and watches the girl. She couldn't possibly know…

"Shouma." When the blue haired boy turns to her, feeling as helpless as ever, she smiles to herself before nodding. "I told you, we'd save Himari, right?" When the boy confused agrees, she turns to face him. "Just remember, I love you."

Eye widen with a reach of a hand.

"Let's share the fruit of fate!"

Flames ignite and sets their world ablaze. Her body is burning up but she smiles nonetheless. Shouma is holding on to her, screaming her name but all she can think about is saving Himari.

Purples eyes brighten to a pink hue and Himari caresses Kanba's face before pulling away from him and standing up, moving slowly towards the burning couple. She's no longer wearing the penguin hat but instead is holding on to it tightly with her right hand.

"What is this? What's going on? Momo-" he is silenced by the piercing gaze of Himari.

"Rin-go…" she says this like she sings a lullaby, soft, whimsical, as though they were just children. "I can't allow you to do this. Your sister won't allow you to do this…" bringing her hand up slowly, Ringo painfully turns to Himari and watches as her friend presents the penguin hat.

"Hi…ma…ahhh!" The flames are increasing and Shouma cries out her name while bringing her closer to him. Kanba stands up, lost in what to do and desperate to stop all this from happening. Penguin #1 tries with #3's help to fan off the flames on their brother penguin, but to no avail.

Suddenly, the hat manifests a small pink haired girl, causing Sanetoshi to stand up in shock. "You shouldn't be here!"

Himari watches the small girl who was for some unknown reason, blessed with such power and fortunate for them, had the biggest heart of all, opting to fight for the good guys. She now knows although Momoka was the entity within the hat, she had never taken the opportunity to possess her, instead only lending Himari the power to continue living and to show her true colors, to be the strong and forceful woman Himari always wished to be.

Ringo tearfully watches her believed to be dead and gone sister stand before her. The flames have become unbearable, and she does not think she will be able to last a second longer. "Onee-chan…" Momoka smiles softly at her younger sister before turning to Sanetoshi.

"This is the last stop. Time to leave the train of fate." Sanetoshi's eyes widen as the small girl smiles softly at him. Shouma watches Ringo briefly before whispering that he loves her while placing his lips painfully upon hers.

Sanetoshi disintegrates into dust, the curse finally lifted. The penguins, hugging, say goodbye before fading away.

Amongst the chaos of a rapidly deteriorating world, Kanba walks up to Himari and holds her from behind tightly. "I'm sorry…." he chokes out and in response she lifts her head up and lets it fall back into the crevice of Kanba's neck. They watch as the world around them shifts into a soon to be forgotten reality.

"I won't ever forget you." she whispers before the world collapses upon them.

X

The reversal of fates, the changing in time, as though everything that had been done was erased, and their lives had returned to the normalcy they strived for. A bond of fate never disappears once tied and soon enough Shouma bumps into Ringo on the train ride to school.

Through a series of events and unexplainable attraction, he sheepishly asks her out on a date while complimenting her mood ring that she, baffled, could not remember how she obtained it in the first place.

When Shouma brings his date home later that night, he introduces her to two picture frames that hold smiling faces. "This is Kanba and Himari… my brother and sister." Ringo softly apologies to him for his loss but Shouma surprisingly smiles while shaking his head.

"They're not dead; at least, I don't think they are. One day, when uncle and I went out to buy groceries, they both disappeared. We sent out the police to try and find them, and did our own search…but we never found a trace of them." He watches Ringo who looks as though she's about to cry and frantically places his hands on her shoulders comfortingly.

"No, no, no, don't cry! Like I said, I still believe they are alive and well…you didn't know my brother but he sure was resourceful. To tell you the truth…" he watches her silently for a moment, debating on whether or not he should be telling a girl he just met, and on their first date nonetheless, what he was about to. When she matched his gaze with curiosity and a sense of familiarity he couldn't place, he knew there was nothing he couldn't tell this girl in front of him.

"I think they ran away together." Ringo perked her head up, her eyebrows scrunching together in confusion, before taking a glance back at the pictures next to her. "Sorry, you must find all of this really weird…" Ringo shook her head softly in response and maybe it was just because of the way the frames were oddly tilted towards one another but Ringo couldn't shake the feeling that they were not smiling to pose for a picture, or at who was behind the lens, but that they were solely smiling for each other.

"No, I don't think it's weird Shouma-kun…I think…well, I think that wherever they are, they must be smiling at each other, just like in these pictures." Shouma glances at the pictures before looking back at Ringo.

"Hey. Would you like some curry?" Excitedly Ringo exclaims that curry is her favorite food before they both dash into the kitchen while laughing.

X

A girl with long chestnut brown hair entangles her hands amongst dangerous red locks. Her lips search for his and when they meet it is desperate yet kind, tempestuous yet loving. The scenery behind them moves rapidly as their bodies lean against the soft comfort of a bullet train seat.

Constantly on the move, never to be found, this is the life they choose to lead in order to live a life together.

This is their Red Thread of Destiny.

XFinX