An update? Heck yeah.

Chapter 36: Aftermath

In which goodbyes are made and the last players enter in.

2018

Toki leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. All around him was motion and energy; doctors and nurses rushing around him, quiet yet charged announcements over the intercom, the ebb of human voices, punctuated by a sob, a gasp, an angry demand to be told of a loved one's fate. Hospitals were the worst, he had long known, but this was just ridiculous. He allowed that maybe he wasn't in the best mood, but the low thrum of anxiety that had permeated him since the dragon Asura bit the dust wasn't helping things.

(Also, both his arms were broken, and as he had turned down the fantastic drugs for mental clarity, he hurt like hell.)

It took twelve hours for everyone to converge in Eden's Hospital. Were it not for the odious Heike and his unapologetic connection to what remained of Eden's communication and transport divisions, it might not have happened at all. Toki in particular had been screwed. Two broken arms, and Karin and Zed bleeding out—both literally and metaphorically—at this feet. He had called Heike as quickly as he could, begging for assistance, and it was in describing the situation that he had the idea that might have saved them. He had, after nearly passing out in pain, convinced the metal of the life blade to bend a bit, leaving the blade still lodged in Karin. This kept her from bleeding out entirely, but also allowing it to imbue her with life, keeping her away from the direst edge. For Zed, he had kicked him over to the remains of the life sword, which, having bent, could now lay on him while still lodged in Karin. This slowed his descent into death, although surely couldn't have been good for Karin.

I had to do it, he thought, guiltily. There was no other way to save even one of them.

Heike had come through with his characteristic efficiency, and a helicopter with an emergency ambulance team was there within twenty minutes. Twenty minutes of watching Zed and Karin struggle for life, but it was worth it now. Neither had died, although neither had awoken from their comas.

Still, while there was life, there was hope, Toki mused, wishing he had a cigarette. Zed would probably be all right, especially now that Sakurako was here. She had shoved her way into his quarantined room, back when she and Rei had arrived, about eight hours ago. She threw herself down onto the cot and took him into her arms, and began working on negating his power with her own, and that was that. They were both resting, and likely would until he had completely stabilized, but it was one less worry on his mind.

(Toki, of course, was largely fine. Broken arms sucked, yes, but they were already in contact with Aoba down in Africa, and when she and her harem of boyfriends showed up, all would be right as rain.)

Yuuki was fine, as well, although still not up to 100%. The demons had done a number on him, but it was nothing a little rest couldn't cure. The same could be said for Rei, who was still in his lost form—they'd swathed him head to foot in clothes so that he couldn't pull an Invisible Man and run off—but was otherwise generally fine. Kouji and the Shitty Cat were also hunky-dory, although Toki hadn't seen much of them since they'd arrive a few hours ago. They were much more distracted with Karin and Rui . . . the latter of which was also in an inexplicable coma since she had somehow destroyed Hikari's box.

So that was what it really boiled down to, in terms of casualties. Karin was almost certainly dying, Zed was maybe not dying for once, and Rui was in a coma which made Kouji, at the very least, think she was going to die. Everyone else was manageable, except for maybe Maka who had been admitted as well, although she had immediately vacated her room in favor of sitting with Karin as soon as the half-blood's surgery was over.

Shibuya had joined Maka after checking in on Sakura, who was making the rounds on all her injured friends. Karin's old family was at her side, waiting for her to either pass on or wake up. Not that the doctors gave her chances much hope. The blood transfusions were not taking the way they should, to the marvel of the doctors, even if the stab wound had been expertly placed and her internal organs were largely unscathed.

Shibuya had admitted it was probably for the best that Karin never wake, although the inevitability of it didn't draw him from the room. He sat there at a chair by her bedside, his hand around hers, his mouth tight, his expression hopeless. The last time Toki had looked, Maka had been on the bed with Karin, crying quietly.

Toki banged his head against the wall a little harder, suddenly and incandescently furious. He fucking knew that she was going to die. He'd known it since her eye started bleeding and she'd matched his heterochromia. And he'd done everything he could to keep her alive, partially because he kind of liked how she antagonized Shibuya, but also because his father had once . . . well. Cared for her, in his own, twisted way. And as Toki still cared for his father, in a only slightly less twisted way, he didn't want her to die like this.

This isn't romantic, he thought. This is just stupid.

"Toki-kun?"

Toki cracked an eye open to see Sakura standing before him, wearing her characteristic look of determination.

"Yes?" He asked.

"May I sit with you for a moment?"

"Me too, me too," a languid voice came from the opposite end of the hall. Both turned to see Yuuki hobbling towards them, using a crutch to keep steady.

"Only if you sit on Toki's other side," Sakura said primly. "I hadn't planned on having the boundaries conversation with you until you'd healed, but I'm not afraid to begin now, if you make me."

Yuuki gave her a tired grin as he gingerly sat on Toki's other side. He winced, and Toki felt a muted empathy for his friend's injuries.

"No problem there, Nyanmaru," Yuuki said, giving her a tired wink. "I only did that to prove a point. Even if you are kind of hot."

"That's like saying Sakurako-san is kind of hot," Toki pointed out.

"Why do you think I specified 'kind of?'"

"Boys," Sakura called them both to attention, sitting on the bench next to Toki. "Glad as I am that you two are well enough to discuss how sexually attractive you find my mother, I did come here with a purpose. Several, in fact."

"I'm all ears, Nyanmaru," Yuuki said, wearing a deadpan expression.

Toki narrowed his eyes at him. Was this the time for bad jokes? Was it ever the time for bad jokes?

"Rui's condition hasn't changed. The doctor's are still hopeful, but they have no idea why she's not waking up. Kouji won't let anyone else in the room for now, but at the next shift change he'll spend an hour at Karin's side."

Oh, so Kouji would manage to pull himself away from Rui's side? Color him surprised. "He's not more concerned about his dying cousin?" Toki asked, his tone more annoyed than he'd meant to project.

Sakura's brows furrowed. "I don't think he understands that she's dying. I told him how serious it was, and that Father and Maka-san were with her, waiting for the end . . . but he just shut his eyes and said she was an idiot for making them wait."

Toki frowned. "Them, or him?"

Sakura shrugged. "I can't be sure, actually. I assumed he meant them." She shook her head. "I think he's in shock. Or maybe he just believes that she can't truly die."

Well, that would leave him in a party of one. Everyone else was ready for her to croak, and if Shibuya and Maka, the two who loved her most were sure she was done, how could she come back from that?

Yuuki sat up a little straighter, tilted his head, and growled, "They're here."

Sakura glanced over at him. "Who's here?"

But Toki knew that tone of voice. "Ugh. Both of them?"

Yuuki took a second before nodding. "Yep. And Sixth is with them too. They're talking about—" He froze before his eyes cut over to Sakura. "Uh. Football."

Toki inwardly groaned. Yuuki sucked at subterfuge, he really, really did.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "What kind of football?"

"Um, American?"

"Yuuki, stop telling bad lies and just get to the point," Toki interrupted him. "Do we have time to run?"

"Uh, no."

"Hello, Toki. It appears you have not found any manners, in the last few years."

Toki winced as he looked up at a smirking Heike Masaomi, who was giving him that terrible, I know everything and have tied it up at least twice look that he almost always wore.

How was this man friends with my sister? Toki inwardly asked, not for the first time.

"I'm in pain," he said. "No politeness without painkillers."

Sakura stood and gracefully bowed to Heike. Charmed, he returned the gesture.

"It's good to see someone is civil," he remarked.

"Welcome, Heike-san," Sakura said, but her eyes flicked towards Rei, who leaned against the opposite wall. Her tone was loaded when she continued, "And Ogami. Well done."

Rei nodded back to her, although from the way his hand clenched, he wanted to do more.

Why are we all so stilted? Toki wondered. What the hell is wrong with all of us?

"Where's Yukihina?" He asked, in order to take attention off of Sakura, and maybe allow them to sidle off down the hallway and make out in an abandoned cleaning closet, or something.

Heike's lips thinned. "He's taking a minor detour. He'll be along shortly. He said to pass on his congratulations to everyone—"

"No he didn't," Yuuki interrupted. "He said, 'I don't just love you, anymore, Masa. She's family. That's not going to change.'"

There was a moment of silence when everyone digested that.

"So, he's with Rui, then?" Toki ventured.

Heike let out a long, aggrieved sigh. "I don't understand what he sees in that uncouth woman. A re-code," he hissed, as if that mattered to anyone anymore.

"Yeah, you need to get over that," Toki muttered. "More importantly, why are you here?"

"Can I not simply pay respects to honored friends and enemies?"

"No," Yuuki said bluntly.

Heike cast his eyes skyward. "Yukihina has a prenatal checkup. Also, Rui may die. I'm hopeful, but not overly so."

That should have garnered some sort of response from Sakura, but she and Rei were too busy staring holes into each other to be much help. That meant sane conversation was up to him, as per just about always.

"Maybe let's talk about something else before Yuuki kills you," he said. "Why don't you make yourself useful and finish the story? Tell us what happened after the kingdom fell."

"Didn't they tell you?" Heike asked.

"Kind of ran out of time," Toki admitted.

"Where did you get to?" Heike smirked, looking well pleased to be able to tell the story with his own flair.

"Kyo killing King Matsuhiro, Kouji getting blasted by Hikari's Box, Karin and Takehiro sealing away Asura . . ."

"I missed all that," Yuuki muttered. "Damn, that sounds more fun that mowing down countless demons. They were all the same. So tedious."

"So nothing into the aftermath of the fall of the kingdom?" Heike mused. "I see." He glanced back over his shoulder at Rei and observed, "You know, I am all for tasteful sexual liasions, but the smoldering is getting to be a bit much. Either find a cupboard or listen to the story, please."

As this was exactly in line with his own feelings as to the matter, Toki said nothing at all. It was a struggle to agree with Heike, even at the best of times. Particularly as he'd seen his lost form.

Ugh, his lost form—

"Then, I shall briefly tell you all of importance," Heike said, as Sakura settled back down next to Toki, and, after a moment of hesitation, Rei came to hover over her shoulder. "Kyo had sided with Fujiwara after discovering his Father's treacherous deal with the demons, which led to the end of the kingdom. With Fujiwara and my aid, Kyo attempted to rebuild the kingdom, but it became clear within a few months that the land was blighted, and a new home was needed. We moved to Japan, where Matsuhiro had held serious holdings—including what would become known as the Diet Building. It was there that Kyo established Eden, and took on the title Code:Emperor. He refused anyone to call him King—although we all did, of course. In private at least.

"He installed Sakurako, Zed, and myself as his lieutenants, the Four Founders. In honor of his service, Fujiwara was named his second-in-command, powerless as he was. Within a few years, however, a rare-kind woman came from Takama-ga-hara, begging for a home for her people. Her name was Rin, and in return for ending the millennia long war against her people, giving them aid in succor in their desperate plight, all he asked was that she marry him."

Toki glanced over at Rei out of the corner of his eye. His face was wrapped up entirely, so no one could see his expression, but he imagined there was a tightness in the set of his shoulders that showed just how hard it was to hear about his parents, years after their death.

"He needn't have issued the ultimatum, however," Heike tutted. "It was clear how desperately in love they were with each other. Their union led the way for a brief period of integration between the two peoples, and other couples found their happiness, as well. Your parents among them, Sakura, dear."

Heike smiled gently at her, honestly fond of the rare kind. Toki wondered if there wasn't a way to harness the power of Sakura's overwhelming popularity and use it as a peace-keeping measure.

"That was a golden time. Rare kinds and power users in accord, Kyo and Rin happy, Yukihina and I—well. All were happy enough, I suppose. Except for Fujiwara Souri, in retrospect. He was concerned about loose ends. Kouji had never been found, and it was difficult to believe that the Hero of Takama-ga-hara had been killed by the blast that had taken out half the palace. Also missing were his cousin, Karin, and Fujiwara Hideyoshi's most trusted associate, Shibuya Takehiro. Their fates plagued Fujiwara, and he would not rest until he had known what had happened to them. He sent Sakurako to find word of them, and that was when she found your father—and Karin, and Maka—on the island."

"But what about Kouji?" Sakura asked. "What did happen to him? Obviously he didn't die, but where did he go?"

Heike raised an eyebrow. "I'm not privy to that, unfortunately. All I know is that Zed eventually found him, back when your mother and Shibuya were newly married. I cannot tell you what transpired between them, but it laid the foundation for their partnership in the Re:Code. Perhaps you can ask them when the timing is better?"

Sakura nodded, and Heike retook his tale.

"After Shibuya and Sakurako decided to marry, Karin and Maka disappeared, staying well away from Eden until the present time. Sakurako and her husband eventually came back to Japan, just in time to announce their pregnancy within a few months of Kyo and Rin's. Other such matches had taken place, and clearly Ai and Mishiru were conceived around the same time. The children were born healthy, and for two, perhaps three years, all was well."

Heike sighed. "But Rei was something of a late bloomer, and it appeared that he, the Code:Emperor's child, was neither a power user, or a rare kind. He appeared completely normal, and Kyo refused to have a child with a power user woman, even to preserve the royal line. He announced that the royal line would die with him, and that Eden, as we were already beginning to be called, would be a republic henceforth."

"Uh oh," Toki muttered, seeing where this was going.

"Indeed," Heike agreed. "Fujiwara did not take this well, nor did most of the power users. Tensions mounted steadily, and in order to keep the people from revolting, Kyo enforced the dissolution of all power-user and rare-kind marriages, save for his own. Fujiwara pushed for a quarantine of rare kinds, citing Rin's safety. Children were taken ostensibly to be 'protected,' but, as we know from Sakura's case, they were studied and psychologically tortured instead. To this day I still do not know if Fujiwara truly was trying to protect them, or if he was trying to push for war, but the Code:Emperor reacted badly, and cut ties between them.

"You know what happened next," Heike sighed. "Fujiwara twisted Soutarou's mind with lies and falsified information, leading him to be thrown out of the Code:Breakers, as we were just beginning to be called. He sent him after Rin and Rei, claiming that they were the ones at fault. Hitomi was unable to stop him, and Rin was killed protecting her son. The few rare kind children, as well as Mishiru, who was shadowing Rei even then, were caught up in the furor. Meanwhile, Fujiwara had organized an uprising between the rare kinds and power users, and Kyo was caught in between them. He killed many, including the vast majority of the rare kinds.

"Dying from his injuries, he staggered into his home to find the walls painted with the blood of the scientists and researchers; Fujiwara huddled in the corner; his adopted son with his hand around his wife's throat; his son dying and missing an arm; a rare kind boy and a child assassin grappling, and a rare kind girl manifesting a great cube of power between her fists. His dying act was to somehow infuse his son with his power, for he was far too weak to take on Soutarou and live. It was a senseless act, perhaps, although he was no doubt moved by love, and respect for his son's resolve."

"Still, it would have been for naught had Sakura not managed to create a box of her own," Heike finished airily. "December 32nd went down in history as the bloodiest battle of the modern times, not because it in any way resembled the loss of life from the Demon War, but because it happened at the heart of our new kingdom, and there was no support structure afterwards. People blamed Fujiwara in those early days. It was why he retreated to the shadows ever after. It took him some time to recover his former position."

"And the Re:Code rose in opposition," Toki murmured, remembering the tale from other tellers, told six years ago. "Zed told us that he'd met the other rare kind children and took their deaths; finally realizing he had been tricked by Fujiwara, Soutarou found Ogami and raised him to be the soulless bastard we all know and love—"

Yuuki smacked the back of his head.

"Soutarou eventually found Kouji and Zed and assembled the rest of the Re:Code—" Yuuki said.

"I was adopted by my mother's cousin's descendent, while Mishiru was retaken by Eden, and Ai was raised with the other rare kinds under Zed's protection . . ." Sakura mused quietly.

"And Yukihina, having learned that I had supported Fujiwara through two bloody revolutions, betrayed me," Heike finished, voice turning grim. "Let's not forget that."

"Jeez, we get it. You're in love," Toki muttered, just as Yuuki did much the same.

"Kind of a one-track mind, isn't he?"

"Regardless, all that is in the past," Heike said, giving both Toki and Yuuki severe looks. "Your efforts laid the ghosts of December 32nd to rest six years ago, and now that Hikari's Box is destroyed and Asura is sealed for all time, any outstanding matters on the Demon War has ended as well. It is the end of an era, and I for one look forward to what the future holds."

"It's not over until Pandora's Box is destroyed," Sakura murmured.

Rei shifted forward, but Heike beat him to it. "What do you mean by that, Sakura?"

She looked over at him, her jaw set in what was now, after seeing her father in the dream memories, a very familiar expression. "It's not completely destroyed. Not while what powered it is still in the world."

Toki didn't like the sound of that. One impending death in twenty four hours was enough for him, thanks. "Uh, Sakura, not to be a downer or anything, but—"

"Wait, what are they doing here?" Yuuki muttered.

Toki assumed he had heard someone walk in, but then Rei stiffened and shifted so that he blocked Sakura from view. Heike shifted his long frame around, crossing one leg delicately

over the other as he turned to face the newcomers.

"I'm surprised to see you break quarantine," Heike said. "Surprised and a touch disappointed."

"I called them here, Heike," Sakura said. "We're going to need them."

"Sorry we're late," Mishiru said quietly, tugging Ai along by the hand when he dug his heels in and refused to come within ten feet of them. "We hit some traffic on the way here."

Completely ignoring Rei's attempts to loom protectively, Sakura stood and embraced the ex-assassin, and then Ai. "We're glad you're here," she said, and probably meant it too. "We have much to discuss," she continued, gesturing to herself, Ai, Mishiru, and Ogami.

"Oh?" Ai asked, giving Ogami an oddly dark look. Toki frowned. Hadn't they been ok when the war ended? Why was he getting all growly now?

"Yes," Sakura said firmly, before dropping the bomb on them. "Because Pandora's Box is never going to be undone until we are no more."

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Since they had returned from their successful mission to eliminate Hikari's Box, Takehiro's worries had become few, but crystal-clear. His ex-wife was fine, and if he knew her iron will, so would Zed. He expected them to be up and raring to annoy someone in just a few hours, and personally, he thought Toki would be a great candidate for that. Rui was still in her coma, although he suspected she was more embarrassed than anything, and he fully expected the power of love to pull her through.

His daughter was fine, his not-quite-a-son-in-law-just-yet was fine, Toki had only broken his arms and thus was annoying, but fine . . . everyone was fine except for the woman on the bed in front of him.

Takehiro rested his head in his hand. The other was wrapped around Karin's wrist, both to offer comfort (should she still be able to feel it) and also to register her pulse. It beat slow and unsteady, so much like how it had been during her two year coma after they had first faced Asura.

"Goddamnit, Red," he whispered. "How many times are you gonna do this to us?"

For us it was indeed. Maka lay at Red's side, curled around her like she had done for much of her childhood, leading into her teenage years when they had raised her in secret in the rare kind enclave. Maka was hooked up to her own IV, although it looked to be doing little to combat her own exhaustion and pallor.

Maybe Karin had been right, the other day, he thought. Red had been worrying about Maka overusing her powers to show the younger generation their story, and hurtling towards her Code:End.

'She's not sleeping, Takehiro, nor eating,' she had said, eyes wide and nervous. 'I think something's wrong.'

Takehiro had assured her all was well, that it was just stress, but now he was beginning to wonder . . .

The door creaked open and Kouji stuck his head in. His expression darkened when he saw his cousin and her adopted daughter on the bed.

"No change?" He murmured, coming closer to rest his hand on Karin's ankle, beneath the thin hospital blanket.

Takehiro shook his head. "There won't be. Not until the end. Kouji, you should be here for that."

"It's not over, Takehiro," Kouji said, his voice clipped. "She's not done. I would know."

"How could you possibly know that?"

Kouji's mouth twisted. "Wasn't it you who said the Shihoins were immortal? Maybe you should have more faith in her."

Takehiro turned and looked at him. Really looked at him, even though it meant tearing his attention away from the girls on the bed. Kouji was pale, his gaze was unfocused . . . he was as unsteady as Takehiro had ever seen him, and more than that, he looked afraid.

He thinks he's going to lose both of them, Takehiro realized. Maybe all three: Rui and Karin and Maka.

"Be that as it may, I'll leave you alone for a moment. Let you do you Shihoin family pep talk, then," he said, standing. "I gotta tinkle."

Takehiro took his time in the men's room. He was exhausted, in physical pain, and emotional distress. He'd thought he'd never feel so helpless and useless after his daughter was taken from him, and his wife left him to rejoin the organization that had enslaved and then annihilated his people. This . . . was not as bad, but damn, it was close. Karin had been his friend and sister for over a hundred years, and all that would end within the next few hours, if the doctors were to be believed.

Takehiro looked at his reflection in the mirror and felt a lot like weeping.

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...

By the time he made his way back to Karin's room, he expected Kouji to be gone. He was surprised to find him still within, standing with his head and shoulders bowed.

"Did you change her mind?" Takehiro asked, trying for lighthearted.

"I told her that I would accept her decision," Kouji admitted. "And that her history has made me want to change my own. I won't waste any more time, and neither should she. If she wants to . . . to go to Hideyoshi, then she should. Otherwise, I expect her to wake in the next few hours."

Kouji's gruff appraisal of his own goodbyes took Takehiro by surprise, and he smiled painfully. "Always the commanding officer," he said. "Watch her do neither, just to piss you off."

"If she takes longer than Rui to wake, I will keep vigil with you," Kouji promised. "For now . . ."

Takehiro waved him off. The Shihoins were their own breed, and had their own way of doing things. Kouji loved his cousin, but he needed to be with Rui. It was as he'd said—he'd wasted enough time. "Go on. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Kouji laid a hand on his shoulder, a moment of solidarity. Then he was gone, leaving Takehiro alone with his thoughts. He took Red's hand again, marvelling at the thickness of her fingers, so like his own. Even now, after a century of friendship, her foreignness struck him. He wondered, not for the first time, at how a traditional man like Hideyoshi could have seen that same foreignness and found it alluring, where he only found it reassuring because it was her.

Then again, Souri had seen the same thing in her. Maybe they had somehow been primed to be drawn to what was different? Was attraction to foreigners genetic?

Rather than think about the former Prime Minister, Takehiro tried another tack. "You know, you've waited a long time for this," he said, half to her, half simply speaking his thoughts out loud. "And after all these years of being divorced and forcibly separated from my wife, I get it. I mean, I'm happy that Sakurako found someone else—although if it hadn't been Zed I'd have serious questions—but I couldn't do that, and neither could you. I know how much you loved Hideyoshi, and what it must have meant to live without him."

He swallowed thickly, and began to rub her fingers with his own. "I'll miss you forever, because I'll probably have that long, at this rate," he muttered. "But it's up to you. It's always been up to you. And I'm so glad you held on this long, because it made it way easier to be lonely in Japan while all my students and friends and family were at war with each other, knowing that you and Maka were a continent away, and safe from the conflict, but if you choose to go . . . I won't hold you back. Not that I could, I guess, but you know what I mean. You always know what I mean. Oh damn it, Red, you're making me say goodbye. Don't you remember what goodbyes do to me? Tears, Red," he said thickly, as tears began to track down his face. "Tears are what happen. See? They're happening already. You terrible woman. I'm crying, and it's all because of you."

Takehiro let himself cry for a time, holding Red's hand and mourning the loss of his family. When his sorrow ebbed, sure to return when his friend finally stopped breathing, his thoughts drifted tiredly. They centered on happiness, and what had to be done to attain it. He'd lost his, but had begun finding it again with this new generation of power users. And not just in his teacher-student relationship with Toki, Rei, Yuuki, even Rui, but foremost with the relationship he'd been able to forge with his own daughter, something he'd thought he'd lost when he'd initially refused to divorce his wife.

Sakurako had found hers in the renewal of her friendship and then relationship with Zed, and vice versa. Kouji had found a measure of peace with his friendship with Yukihina and in raising Rui, along with helping to steer Soutarou away from fratricide, even if he could not turn him away from his bloody ambitions to slay Fujiwara, and end Eden. Heike had found purpose in Eden, and more recently, happiness with Yukihina.

Everyone had found something, or they had died. Now Karin, who was among the last vestiges of that fallen kingdom, was in the midst of making her choice.

Maka as well, Takehiro realized, picking up his head to examine the younger woman. If Karin was correct and she had been hastening towards her Code:End, was that not her answer to the question: change, or die? She didn't look so well as it stood—not only was her pallor not improving, she looked noticeably worse since she'd entered Karin's room.

"Oh, shit," Takehiro breathed, releasing Karin's hand and rushing to the other side of the bed. He shook Maka gently, hoping he'd be wrong and that she would be easy to rouse, but his fears were proven correct. Maka did not wake, not even when he shook her hard enough to shake the bed.

Takehiro slumped back down into his chair, his sense of loss doubled. Maka was not resting; she was actively using her power. She was doing what she had once done as a child in an effort to connect with Karin. Whether it was to save her, or sink down into oblivion with her Takehiro did not know, but apparently the loss of her surrogate mother was too much for her to bear.

Takehiro, who was in a position to lose both women, his first 'family,' put his head back into his hands, and awaited the end.

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Sakura should have expected the level of uproar that followed her proclamation. Really, what was she thinking to say something so dramatic? It wasn't until Rei and Ai stepped close to each other, and Toki began muttering something about apocalypses and bucket lists that she stepped in and clarified, "Perhaps I misspoke. It would be more accurate to say that the box won't be undone until we are no more in the current time."

Rei turned back to her, as if the sound of her voice was a lure he could not resist. Romantic and ridiculous and only halfway true, Sakura chided herself, even as she sought out the mask covering his face for some sort of emotion. Impossible, when he was in his invisible lost form, but she did it anyway.

"Ok, so that was only partway helpful," Toki muttered, but Yuuki caught her meaning.

"Ah, if you're considering time as a stream . . ." He said, "Yes, I see where you're going with this."

Sakura nodded at him, hoping to portray more confidence than she felt. "I don't consider it as anything at all, Yuuki. I simply suspect that we cannot close the box in the present, therefore, we must close it in the past. Somehow, our being here keeps the box from disintegrating, and in order to lay the threat of it's reforming—or reopening—we must go back to the source of all this, and cease it from echoing through time."

That speech drew a round of surprised looks from everyone around her. Except for Rei, who chuckled quietly under his breath.

"What?" She asked, feeling a bit put out. "I did get a law degree from Tokyo U!"

"I'm finding you more attractive, again," Yuuki said, before Toki changed the subject quickly, likely to keep Rei from throttling Yuuki.

"Great, so you all want to go back traipsing into the most dangerous—well, second most dangerous, apparently—point in our history just so you can keep an imaginary powerful box from opening again and killing us all? Um, can we take a vote? I vote hell no."

"How would you even do it?" Heike asked, less worried than intrigued.

"No, don't even start," Yuuki said, surprisingly in agreement with Toki. "Time travel is fun in theory, but actually trying to do it on purpose would be a mess. You're lucky you all got here in one piece as it was."

Sakura winced before looking directly at Heike. "I . . . I imagine we would have to recreate a negation in order to have enough power so that I could re-open the box. Otherwise—"

"No," Ai said flatly. "Absolutely not."

"Ai," Mishiru said, her face pale. "We need to hear Sakura out. Even if—"

"Absolutely not," he stressed, turning to face his lover. "Mishiru, you know what's at stake!"

"And if the box opens again, and someone finds a way to harness its power?" Mishiru said quietly, looking up at him.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Toki asked.

"Well, we've all just experienced Hikari's box re-opening. Can you imagine how much worse it would be if my box opened?" Sakura pointed out, wondering why no one was listening to her. Well, except for Rei, who was doing nothing but listen to her, and why wasn't he speaking up? Whose side was he on? Did he agree with her, or did he not?

"Yeah, but you're not being jerked around by a demon lord," Toki pointed out. "And now that my shitty old dad is dead, the chances of you being forced to open the box are—"

"Existent," Rei said, speaking for the first time since he'd joined them. "And thus we need to address them. Sakura is right. We cannot allow there to be any chance of the box re-opening. And if we have to go back in time to do it . . . then that is what we must do."

His tone of finality quieted everyone, and Sakura felt a faint glow of pride. She had been struggling with her epiphany since the moment she'd had it, but to know that Rei was unquestionably on her side made her feel like it was them against the world, just as it had been at the beginning of their journey six years ago.

Ai stepped up, bristing. "No," he said again, his rage barely contained. "You can't make that decision for us, Ogami. I won't let you."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat. Ai's threat was clear, and with Rei's loss of power, he was too weak to face him squarely. With Toki and Yuuki so injured, it relied on Heike, who could defeat Ai . . . but would he? Or would he take it one step too far?

The matter was settled by Mishiru. She stepped forward and took Ai's hand, and then calmly, without warning, slapped him hard on the butt.

The room fell silent, although Heike could not quite stifle the appreciative whistle through his teeth.

"Darling," Mishiru said, sweetly. "Attractive as I find you when you are being inhumanly stubborn, why don't you just tell them why you're so against it?"

"Did you just spank me in public?" He hissed.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll do worse."

Ai fell silent, and licked his lips. "You tell them," he finally said, when it looked as if his odd moment of arousal was over.

(Yes, Sakura knew exactly what arousal looked like. Between her roommate's romantic comedies and exhibitionist boyfriend, she'd had quite an education. Why everyone thought she was a total innocent was beyond her, but as she found it somewhat useful, she'd wait to correct them.)

Mishiru looked back to the group and smiled apologetically before announcing, "I'm sorry, everyone. Ai is just worried for the baby."

Sakura's brain screeched to a halt.

So had Toki's, apparently. "Baby?" He asked. "Wait, you mean Yukihina's baby? Why on earth would you care about Yukihina and Heike's magical lovechild?"

"Uh oh," Yuuki muttered, quicker on the uptake.

"Oh, no," Mishiru said, smiling widely. "Not that baby. We meant to tell you, but with the box and the dragon and who knew what else excitement we figure it was best to wait. I'm pregnant!"

Things happened very quickly after that. Ai slipped out of Mishiru's grip and bodily checked Heike, who had, almost as quickly, stood and began to shed his coat. Ai took him to the floor in a tumble of limbs and in a few efficient movement, pinned him to the floor.

"Little help, Rei?" He grunted, as Heike thrashed wildly.

"You idiots!" Heike cried. "Another half-blood child? Did you all forget what happened the last time one hit age five?"

Rei and Sakura intersected as he went to help Ai restrain Heike, and she went to stand with Mishiru. She slipped an arm around the ex-assassin's waist before scolding Heike.

"This is exactly the sort of attitude that should have died along with the prime minister," she said. "The war won't end with hate and fear living in our hearts." Hoping either her words or Rei and Ai's efforts would subdue Heike, she turned and hugged Mishiru tightly.

"I'm so happy for you both," she whispered in her ear, and meant every word of it.

"We wanted you to be the godmother," Mishiru whispered back. "It's only first trimester, so it was too early to tell anyone, but we'd hoped you'd say yes. We'd already asked your father to be the godfather, and he was the only other person who knew."

Sakura bit her lip, feeling her eyes sting with tears. In that moment she felt so utterly blessed to be surrounded by her friends and comrades; all the people she loved best. The six years of exile were at an end, now, for no matter what happened in the future, they were tied together by bonds of love, friendship, and now, with the impending births of Mishiru and Yukihina's children, a whole new generation.

"I would be honored," she assured her, pulling out of the embrace. "And I look forward to discussing this in more detail, later. For now . . ."

Mishiru sighed. "For now we should probably make sure our boys don't kill Heike-san."

From the floor, the Founder gurgled his appreciation for that idea.

"Oh, let him up," Toki said. "He's not gonna get all glowy, he just had to make his opinions known. We need to hash this out before the adults get out here and do something drastic so we don't send the four them back in time. Congrats on the baby and everything, but does anyone know how to send them all back in time?"

Here was the sticking point. Sakura adopted her best innocent expression before admitting, "Not as such. But I imagine desperation will serve us well. It always has before."

"Nyanmaru, 'time' as a human construct is not as simple or as malleable as you clearly want it to be," Yuuki said, sounding a touch frustrated. With his childlike veneer, it was easy to forget he was a superhuman genius, but at times like these she was reminded. "You can't just open a door and find yourself in the 19th century."

"The box sent us here," she argued. "It can send us back."

"But then you'd have to open it," Ai said, brushing off his pants before taking his place at Mishiru's side. "And if any trace of the negation remains . . ."

"We'd all be boned," Toki finished, glumly. "Dad would get his belated victory. Fuck that, there's gotta be a different way."

Sakura looked over at Rei, wishing for the tenth time that hour that he wasn't in his lost form. If only she could see his expression! He wasn't speaking much, which wasn't helping either.

Well, if he wasn't going to offer up his opinion, she would elicit it. With her customary bluntness, she stepped close to him, looked up at his completely covered face, and boldly used his first name when she asked, "What do you think we should do, Rei?"

He looked down at her—or at least, she assumed he did—and took her hand in his. Directly in front of everyone. Sakura felt a bit faint. What was next? A reprise of their kiss in the kitchen?

"We need to close that box," he said bluntly. "You're gonna have to open it, and we'll have to weather the consequences."

"On how many legs does a table stand?" Yuuki muttered. "Why do I feel like this is important?"

"Wait, what?" Toki asked. "Three, right? Unless it's a weird IKEA table, in which case it's two legs and a wall."

"How did you know about that?" Sakura asked. "You missed that part of the story."

"Kouji said it a couple nights ago," Yuuki said. "I heard him, and he thought it was important. It feels important now."

"Maybe it is," Rei said again, because now that he was holding her hand he was on a roll, apparently. "Toki had it—the answer is three. If all four of us are what powers the box, maybe it's not that we should all go back in time. Maybe only two of us should."

"That makes it exponentially more dangerous," Toki pointed out. "The four of you can take on anything, even with a pregnant Mishiru. But if it's only two of you . . ."

"And I have to be one of them," Sakura said, trying to keep her enthusiasm from dipping. "I'm the one who made the box, so I have to be the one to unmake it."

"Well, that decides it, then," Toki said, leaning back and hissing in pain when he jostled his broken arm. "If Sakura goes back, Angstgami will go back with her, and then Mishiru and Ai can stay here and have the baby in the 21st century."

No one had any immediate objections. Sakura looked down at the hand Rei was still holding, and her heart began to race. Going back in time alone with him, after six years of strict segregation (on her part, at least)? She dreaded the decision because it would put her beyond the reach of her family and friends, but the thought of all that time with Rei made her dizzy with joy.

"This is an incredibly dangerous proposal," Heike said, rubbing his temples. "The melee of December 32nd aside, there were rare kind purges carrying on for the next ten years. Shibuya was the only one granted neutrality, and I'm still not sure how he managed that. If you go back to that time, you'll have to spend the rest of your life hiding from Eden, Shibuya, Karin and Maka—along with anyone who has ever known you in the present . . . along with fighting off whoever and whatever they send after you."

Rei's hand tightened in hers, pulling her forward. It was not quite an embrace—perhaps he thought it wouldn't be good for her to show any weakness—but it was comforting, nonetheless.

"Lighten up, Heike," Toki said. "That's why Ogami is going with her. You think he's gonna let anything bad happen to her? Ever?" He scoffed. "Clearly you haven't been paying attention to the last six and a half years."

"We will miss you, Nyanmaru," Yuuki said sadly. "And you too, Sixth."

Sakura gave him a small smile. "We'll see each other again, Yuuki. I promise."

Heike gave her a sharp look, but she merely smiled blandly. With his power, it would be easy for Rei to prolong his lifespan, if he wasn't doing so already. As for her . . . well, her father had taught her a few tricks or being a rare kind. Using her blood to unlock Pandora's box and as a remedy for 'going small' was only the tip of the iceberg. She knew how to make a foolproof birth control, for one, and a blood and herbal mixture to drive out all infections from the body. She also knew, theoretically, how to prolong her own lifespan. Her father had shown her how, and the next century would be the best practice for such a technique.

Even if it didn't work, or if she died in the past, it would be worth it to close the box . . . and to spend some time at Rei's side.

...

...

...

Kind of a moody chapter, and you'll notice that I just cannot get to killing off the last remaining deadsies character. I'll get there. Eventually.

I am working on the next (and last) oneshot, and am about 40% through it? No idea when it'll be finished, but just to let you know. Regardless, this story just does not know when to quit. Go, little story, go.