[Author's Note: Sorry if this seems a bit short, and I really have to be in a mood to write fics, so here in my rare inspiration, here is the final chapter! Thanks again for reading!]

He did in fact leave the dance shortly after the encouraging words from his long time friend Kumiko. However, home was not his first stop. In a bit of confusion and mostly fear, he wandered around the town for roughly an hour or so. He took in all of the night lights and people around him. It being a weekend, there were also happy looking couples sprinkled around the town. Sosuke would somewhat flinch and just walk away. He was doing some much needed soul searching. That or he was seriously avoiding going home to Ponyo. He would just walk and look, drinking in all of the scenery. Why was he so scared? He has never once been this scared to go and talk to Ponyo ever. He has always felt a comfort with her that he has never really experienced with someone before. A smile came to his face when he thought of all the late night talks they would have. When they were younger and Sosuke couldn't sleep, Ponyo would always find her way into his room. She would talk with him until he did fall asleep. How did she always know when he needed a good talk? It was as if she had a sense that alerted her when he couldn't sleep. He would chuckle when he also remembered the times they would get caught by his mom or dad late at night and then get punished. That never really stopped her, even in some cases she came back even after she was sent to her room. Sosuke stopped walking to stare at the ocean from the street he was walking on. The moon was high in the sky, kissing the ocean with its soft light. Sosuke also remembered how on that on those nights, very rarely Ponyo would fall asleep first. It would calm him to watch her sleep peacefully. Sosuke would shake off these memories and try to focus on the problem at hand. That is when it occurred to him that the solution was in his nostalgia. Sosuke smiled and decided he would talk to Ponyo the way she would him! He un-tucked his hands out of his pockets excited and began to walk home finally. He suddenly stopped when he realized that he didn't know how to start this conversation. He forced his legs to move forward and rehearsed some small speeches to himself.

"Ponyo, I hope I didn't wake you. I know you are sick but..." he stopped with a sigh and rubbed his hair. "I just want to talk to you while you are sick. Yeah, that's great...Ponyo? Sorry I woke you but we need to talk." he tried again. "...no, her talks never started forced like that...Ponyo," he said in a soft voice "I have to tell you something. This marriage deal is not going to work...damn it." he paused again with a moan of frustration. He took another breath in and started over. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Yeah, that was the way to start it, "I just thought I could...would...would come by to see you for a bit. The dance? Oh, it was not really that fun. Kumiko stepped on my feet a lot." he stopped. Maybe not mention his date? "Anyways...I just wanted to say that...say that..." he rubbed his head more. "I...don't want to get married because..." he noticed his house in the distance and stopped walking. With a heavy sigh he looked to the beach below his home for some emotional support. What he got was something surprising. Someone was walking on the beach, no more like staggering. Sosuke leaned in a bit more to try to make out the figure in the night. As by fate the clouds moved to let the moon light shine on the shadow. Sosuke felt a sudden strike of confusion and worry sink in the bottom of his gut. It was Ponyo, that hair was iconic. "Ponyo?" he asked under his breath as he leaned in more. Questions swirling around his mid came to a sudden crashing stop as he watched Ponyo fall flat down on her face. He could not control himself as he began to walk toward the side of the hill he was on. That is when he noticed where she was heading...the ocean. His worry turned into a glutinous fear that consumed his mind as one thought came slithering into his head. She was going to drown in the ocean. She was going to kill herself. What had he done?! Sosuke thoughtlessly began to run down the hill, calling out her name over and over again. "PONYO, PONYO WAIT!" He blamed himself for this, he pushed this fight too far. Could her sickness be his fault too? He tripped coming down the hill, and came tumbling down the hill faster and faster. He had rolled so fast that he had landed on his arm in a odd way and felt something snap. His clothes were being ripped up and scuffed up. When he finally landed on the softness of the sand, he was in a good deal of pain. None of that mattered now, nothing mattered if he lost Ponyo. He forced himself up to watch as Ponyo's feet had made it to the rolling waved. Panic filled his body with enough force to push himself up, grasp his hurt arm and run towards Ponyo. "PONYO!" His call was more strained that it was before, but onward he went. He didn't have much strength left when his feet punched its way into the shore. Ponyo was about waist deep, time was running out. He fought through the pain and began to run faster. He called her name one last time, but this time she had turned around to look at him with a shocked and scared expression on her face. The waves must have stolen her balance for she began to fall again. Sosuke knew if she fell now, the ocean would take her. He quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back in, wrapping his arms around her waist for support and to protection. Ponyo would speak, her voice sounding on the verge of tears.

"S-Sosuke? What are you doing? You have to let me go!" she said trying her best in her weakened state to wiggle free from his grip. Sosuke pulled her back to the shore, and had pinned her to the sand. His breathing was hard, but his fear and panic now turned to anger and worry.

"Ponyo, what the hell were you thinking?" he asked in a forceful manner. He leaned up enough to look into Ponyo's eyes, and as soon as he saw her pained expression, he softened up. "Ponyo, why?" Ponyo was not sobbing.

"Sosuke, you don't understand..." she began only for Sosuke to interrupt.

"No Ponyo, I don't. I don't know what you would throw your life away like this." he was speaking much like a parent was scalding a child. "I don't want you to do this...I don't want to loose you!" He stated. The words caused for Ponyo's sobbing to ebb, and she gave him a look of genuine confusion.

"No...you don't understand. I...I can't be with you anymore." she started, wanting to explain, but she could feel her body slowly sink into the sand, her feet felt as if the ocean had entered her veins. She knew her time was short, and soon she would be nothing but sea foam. Sosuke didn't like what she was saying. He came face to face with her now.

"Ponyo, I don't want to loose you. Never. You are my...my girl." Ponyo could barely speak, her strength was dwindling down to nothing.

"...your girl? But I thought you didn't want me anymore..." she said, her voice was low and scratchy and very tried sounding. Sosuke grasp her face squarely into his palms and gently held her.

"I do, I have always wanted you. I always will want you." he took a deep breath, the words were now coming together in his mind like a wild puzzle had just been solved. "...earlier in the week, when you wanted to talk about marriage, I didn't want to because...because I wanted to ask you." he stated in a calm yet firm tone. Ponyo looked to him with wide eyes, being mute from the whole situation. "I wanted to ask you when we got older. For God's sake Ponyo we are 15 and 16 years old! We are still in high school. We cannot get married now. I wanted to wait for the right time, the right setting. When we both have our lives together." he paused and inched closer to her face. "I realize now that my life would not ever be together if I lost you. So please...don't throw your life away because of some petty fight. I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry." Sosuke finally confessed to Ponyo his feelings. Ponyo smiled, but began to cry again, closing her eyes.

"Sosuke, why are you telling me this now?" she asked. Sosuke came even closer to whisper to her.

"I love you. I want to have you as my girlfriend, my wife, my everything." he said, coming in for a kiss. He was forceful, but very gentle. With this kiss, Ponyo's broken heart felt whole again. She felt the happiest she had ever felt. She was seconds away from death but was so overwhelmed with joy in her heart.

This was the healing kiss to break the spell over Ponyo. She could feel her body becoming whole again. Her strength was coming back to her, and it no longer felt like the ocean was invading her body. When she could feel her arms again, she automatically roped them around Sosuke's back and kissed him back. They both forgot about everything else for a brief moment and had only each other. After a while, the two pulled away from their healing kiss. Sosuke noticed that there was something different about Ponyo then there was a few moment before. Her cheeks had become their usual rosy red again, her eyes were sparking a mystical gold tin. Her body had seemed to feel fuller than it was. The most important thing was the smile on Ponyo's face. It was that of extreme happiness and love.

"Sosuke, thank you so much for loving me." she said, giggling behind tears. "You once again saved me from myself. I'm sorry I ever doubted you." she spoke. Sosuke smiled also, feeling like the weight that had been building up on him all week had finally been lifted. He leaned up, helping Ponyo as well. When he did, he felt a sharp pain in his arm now and let out a loud yelp. Ponyo took notice as well as look him over. "What?! What happened to you? You look terrible!" she said going to touch his clothes and look over all of the scrapes and cuts. When he tried to remember he looked back to the hill with it's newly installed track complements of his body. He had literally fallen for Ponyo. He would do nothing but laugh and look back to Ponyo.

"Can we just go home and talk in bed? I miss our talks." he stated. Ponyo would of course give him a disapproving look.

"We are going to the hospital." she said, pulling him up by his bad arm. When he yelled again she pulled away in fear. He stood there and rubbed his arm, and then held out his good hand to Ponyo.

"Whatever you say," he said, Ponyo would smile very small and take his hand hesitantly. They did walk to the ER, hand in hand, all the while Ponyo was nagging him for falling down the hill.