Alright, here goes; last chapter :)

I have a few more ideas for things I can do to draw this out a little more, sort of like a whole 'nother arc. But, well, I guess we'll see what happens when the series gets a physical release here in the US :) I'll undoubtedly watch it again at that time, and maybe I'll make that second arc happen around then :)

Until then, I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I have ^_^

The following morning, Ange's eyes cracked open and she looked through the haze of her vision around the room. She turned to her right, eyeing up Tusk, a smile forming on her lips. That's when she noticed the fresh black and blue on the side of his head. She gently placed a finger to it, and instantly Tusk woke. He hissed through his teeth and she pulled her hand away, "Ah! Sorry!"

"You should be!" he said. "You're the one who did it to me after all!"

"EH?!" she shouted in disbelief.

He chuckled through the pain, "I was trying to…provoke you last night, and then you almost knocked me out!"

"Oh," Ange said as the foggy memory came to her. "That…"

"What happened last night that you-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Ange interrupted as she sprung from her spot on the futon and mounted Tusk's hips.

"Ange! What are you-?"

"Shhh!" she shouted. "Do you want me to make up for hitting you or not?"

Thirty long, and loud minutes later, Ange stepped from her and Tusk's room, loosely tying off her robe as she shut the door behind her. It was a tough life having to tend to the hearts and bodies of two lovers. But, as Ange's knocks at Hilda's door resulted in her red-headed lover greeting her in nothing but a pair of panties, it wasn't exactly a bad life in any way, shape, or soon-to-be pleasure filled form.

The two joined in an immediate and urgent kiss, Ange's hand fluttering to close the shoji behind them. As the door snapped against its jam, they fell to the floor, failing to even make it to the futon this time. However, Hilda was determined to maintain control over Ange today. She twisted atop the blonde's half-exposed body, the twist in her robe's sash doing nothing to keep it closed. Hilda pinned Ange's wrists above her head, and used her slightly large frame to her advantage, placing kiss after kiss on Ange's exposed skin.

Further and further she went, until finding her goal, which caused Ange to burst with a pleasure filled shriek.

Outside Hilda's room, Salamandinay walked by and rolled her eyes, ultimately resolving in a smile, "Very private indeed, Ange."

Ange lay on the tatami, sweat glistening across her bare skin as she gasped for air. From the sleeping area, Hilda approached, carrying a glass of water, which she set down beside her lover. "Water?" she asked, bringing it to Ange's attention.

Her eyes opened and she looked to her side at the cup, and quickly propped herself up on her elbows for a drink. "Did you enjoy yourself, Ange?"

She smiled through the gulps of water, and as she pulled her lips from the cup, commented, "It was worth it to skip last night; it seems it only made you hungrier this morning."

Hilda leaned over and placed a kiss on Ange's lips. Gently she held Ange's face to her own, and as they pulled apart, she spoke, "Hungry, and still not full."

"Really?" Ange said with a devious smirk. "Anything I can do about that?"

"Perhaps," Hilda said.

It would be yet another thirty minutes before Ange returned to her and Tusk's room, to find her lover getting dressed in his work clothes. He buttoned the last button of his black vest, and adjusted his long black apron before turning to greet her. She stepped to him and placed a kiss on his lips and he asked, "Are you feeling more relaxed now?"

She smiled wide, "Between you and Hilda, I feel like the world is moving in slow motion; it's wonderful." Tusk smiled for her and she turned to her closet to retrieve her work clothes as well. She slipped off her robe and as she dressed herself, she asked, "So, how did it go yesterday?"

"Momoka and Ersha performed flawlessly as usual, though Vivian is still her usual self as well," he said with a smile.

Though he couldn't see her smile, it was still present as she asked, "Too excited to keep track of who ordered what?"

"Mmm-hmm," he confirmed. "No wrong orders, just wrong tables. Although, it hardly mattered yesterday; almost all orders were for the same dish."

"The new dish Momoka and Ersha have been working on?" Ange asked.

"That's the one," Tusk said. "It sold out completely yesterday, along with the bread."

"That's great!" Ange said. "Oh! Are we all set for tonight?"

"Mmm-hmm," he again confirmed for her. "We're set to close at five, and everyone knows to come around six."

"And the food?"

"Jasmine and Maggie are coming in around noon to begin prepping the meals for tonight," Tusk replied.

"Great," she said as she finished buttoning her frilly white top over her black skirt. "I feel bad making them work, but it seems like the only way we'll have everything ready for tonight." Finally she turned to him, and as he stared at her, completely lost in her eyes, she asked, "Tusk?"

Without warning, he darted over to her and scooped her off the ground and into his arms. She gasped at first, but soon laughed as he spun her around. "Tusk!" she shouted, smiling from ear-to-ear.

He lowered her back to the tatami and took the moment to look into her eyes. "I love you, Ange," he said, smiling wide for her.

"I love you too, Tusk," she replied, leaning back and offering her lips for a kiss, which he happily gave.

"Thank you for coming!" Tusk called as he waved to the last customers of the day. "Please come again!" He turned, closed and locked the door and loosened the tie around his neck. Pamela, Hikaru, and Olivier went back to the palace to change, and should be back in a little while. We're well underway in the kitchen, and people are set to show up in about an hour, he thought. "Here goes," he said as he set off to clean and prepare the dining room.

Moments later, however, Hilda appeared in the dining room, and Tusk called out, gathering her attention, "Ah, Hilda! Came in through the back?"

She smiled, "Ange let me in. She asked me to come help you in here?"

"Right," Tusk replied. "If you could, just take everything you can off of all the tables and bring it into the office; there should be two carts that can hold everything."

"And then?" she asked.

"I'll help you reset all the tables with new silverware and plates," Tusk answered.

"Got it," she confirmed and set off to clear the tables.

In the kitchen, Ange's top maid was a machine. She was cooking, and giving direction to all of her helpers. "Maggie, take the steaks out of the oven and check their internal temperature!" She turned to Jasmine and barked, "Jasmine! Turn down the heat on the rice before it boils over, and throw on a pot for pasta!"

"Yeah, yeah," the Arzenal veteran nonchalantly replied.

"Ersha, are you all set?" Momoka asked as she adjusted the heat on a burner and continued stirring a sauce.

"Everything is in order," Ersha replied with a bright smile. "Using all of these cookbooks was a great idea!" she exclaimed. "Now we'll all sample new foods from the old world!"

Ange was plating dishes per Momoka's more gentle instructions, when her diligence was interrupted by a knock at the rear door. She looked to the clock, and then back to the door, and after dropping a leaf of cilantro in finality, she opened the door, revealing a familiar pair of twin tails.

"Salia?" Ange asked, her confusion fast turning into a smile. "What are you doing here? Dinner isn't for another hour."

"I wasn't doing anything, so I thought I'd come early and see if I could help at all," she replied.

Ange looked back into the kitchen to find Momoka flying off the handle at a lackadaisical Jasmine, and turned back to Salia grinning. "I think Momoka could definitely use your help, but are you sure you don't mind? Tonight is supposed to be a dinner for-"

"For who, Ange?" Salia interrupted with a smile. "We're family, right? What sense does it make for only some of us to help out?"

Ange smiled and opened the door wider, letting her friend in. "Thank you, Salia; we all appreciate the help."

Salia wore a bashful grin and replied, "It's the least I could do." With that, she set out into the kitchen, and without batting an eyelash Momoka gave her a task as though she'd been there all along.

As Ange resumed plating detail, Tusk stepped into the kitchen to wash his hands in the sink just beside her. "Tusk!" Ange called. "How is it going out there?"

"Rosalie and Chris came and are helping Hilda and I with the-"

"What?!" Ange shouted. "Why are they… how… who… GAH!" she growled as she walked into the dining area. When she got out there, she found a happy, although frustrating scene as Hilda, Rosalie, and Chris set out table clothes and flatware for the tables. "What are you all doing?" Ange asked. "This is supposed to be a party for all of us! You're not supposed to be working!"

"It is for all of us?" Chris asked.

"Yes!" Ange replied.

"Then why should only some of us have to work?" Rosalie asked.

"But… It's our restaurant!" Ange said. "It was supposed to be-"

Hilda stepped over to Ange and placed a hand to her lips, silencing her lover. "Is it really such a problem, Ange?" she said with a grin. "We're all friends, if not family, aren't we?"

"Yeshhh," she mumbled in defeat, beneath Hilda's palm.

"Then it is no problem at all," Rosalie said with a smile. "We're happy to help."

"See that?" Hilda asked as she lowered her hand from Ange's lips.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Ange asked.

"Go on, get out of here, burn princess," Chris said with a grin. "We've got this."

"Thank you everyone," Ange said. She shared a warm glance with Hilda for a moment, mouthing to her 'Love you,' before stepping back towards the kitchen. "Next thing you know Vivian will show up to help," she whispered to herself before pushing the kitchen door open. However, as she stepped through the door, she found Vivian at Ersha's side, helping her add ingredients to the sauce she was working on.

Even though she was frustrated that the evening wasn't going as planned, she had to smile just a little. Everyone was here, everyone was happy to help, and with any luck, now they would simply eat sooner. As she looked on the faces of all of her friends, she had a single thought, You're here with us too, aren't you, Alektra?

Fifty minutes later, the room was perfect, the food was prepared, and even though Ange fought them tooth and nail, Momoka and Ersha refused to budge from the kitchen. "Someone needs to choreograph when which foods come out, Angelise-sama!" Momoka insisted.

"I understand, but-"

"But nothing," Ersha interrupted. "Go join everyone else!"

"But I-"

"Go!" Momoka sternly ordered, a wooden spoon pointing Ange to the door.

"Promise me you'll entrust the last few dishes to Tusk and I, so that the two of you can eat as well?" Ange asked.

"The last two courses, yes," Momoka said.

Defeated, but grateful, Ange smiled, "Thank you both so much."

They nodded to her, and Ange stepped into the dining room. Princess Salamandinay, Naga and Kaname had joined the group, seated at a table with Hilda, Rosalie, and Chris. At the next table, Maggie, Jasmine, and Salia sat with Mei, and Vivian. Another table sat prepared, but empty, awaiting Hikaru, Pamela, Olivier, Momoka, and Ersha.

Ange and Tusk were happy to eat at the bar, and as Ange joined her man behind the bar, she called out over the low roar of the room, "Hello everyone!" The conversations quieted and all eyes were on Ange, who immediately blushed. "Thank you all for coming tonight. It's an honor to have you all, and to be with all of you, here and now." She looked to Salamandinay and continued, "Thank you for accepting us, and for having us. Some of us never knew any kind of freedom in the world we came from, and for you to give it away without a second though, we are all deeply grateful."

"The pleasure is ours, Ange," Salamandinay said, nodding her head to her rival. "Were it not for all of you, none of us would be where we are today. Without you, we would not have been able to free Aura, and without Aura, we wouldn't have been able to defeat Embryo. There is no royalty in this room, my friends. This is not the world of the Dragons; it is our world, and it is so, because of all of you." Salamandinay, Naga and Kaname all stood, and offered a bow to their friends. "We thank you," they said in unison.

There was a brief silence, and as they stood from their bow, several eyes throughout the room shed tears of joy, Ange's included. "Without anymore waiting, let's eat!" the former princess, and former norma shouted.

Hikaru, Pamela, and Olivier burst into the dining room carrying a serving tray each, each with a different food on them. Just as soon as they entered the dining room, the three hostesses all retreated back to the kitchen to retrieve a new tray. Each time, a new food graced the tray, and from all of the lands of the old world. French, Italian, Indian, American, Mexican, there was something from every country, and the variety of flavors brought everyone to over-indulge.

It wasn't until after Momoka, Ersha, and the hostesses all sat down for their meals that it became evident there was simply too much food.

"I feel like I'm going to burst," Hilda said as she slouched back in her chair.

Across from her, Salamandinay and company took up similar positions, strongly offsetting their usual regal appearance. "Us as well," the princess commented.

"Ange?" Rosalie groaned. "Why did you do this to us?"

Doubled over, leaning flat on the bar, Ange replied with her face flat on the bar, "It seemed like such a good idea."

"Quiz time," Vivian weakly said, her small frame struggling to contain all of the food she'd just consumed. "Who is going to explode?"

"All of us," they all said in unison.

"Correct," Vivian said, struggling to lift her hand in excitement. She leaned her head back, attempting to stretch her stomach somewhat to alleviate some of the discomfort, "At least it was all delicious."

"And very different," Chris added.

"I'm just tired from all that work in the kitchen," Jasmine commented. "For a maid, that girl is a slave-driver."

"I don't want to hear it!" Momoka shouted as her stomach let out a grumble.

"I think tomorrow is a great day to begin that exercise we talked about, Ange," Tusk said.

"I don't even want to think about exercising," Ersha grumbled, her head slumped back over the back of her seat, her hands on her stomach.

That was when it dawned on Ange, "Oh no…"

"What?" Hilda asked.

"Dessert," Ange replied.

"Forget dessert!" everyone called at once.

"Save it for tomorrow, Ange," Tusk said.

"Same time tomorrow?" Ange asked.

"If we can move by then," Naga said.

"I don't even want to think about food right now," Kaname commented.

Ange finally stood from the bar, her hands on her stomach as well, "Well, at least none of us have a long walk home." There was no doubt everyone may have offered a chuckle at her comment, though they were all in too much pain to do so. "Can we get anything for any of you?" she asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Ange," Salamandinay said. "But, I think you've all done enough for one night. Can I perhaps call on some of our people from the palace to help clean up around here?"

"No need," Momoka said with an unwavering smile. "Ersha and I cleaned as we worked. Aside from the dishes and the tables, there is no clean up in the kitchen!"

"Are you certain?" Kaname asked.

"We'll be fine," Tusk said with a weak grin. "We could all use the exercise tomorrow."

With that, the Dragons said their goodbyes, and soon after, Mei, Rosalie, Chris, Maggie, and Jasmine all set out to the palace, and their rooms for the night. Hikaru, Pamela, Olivier, and Vivian followed moments later, Vivian of course leaving to stay with her mother. Shortly after, Momoka and Ersha left for their rooms, and finally, Ange, Tusk, Hilda, and Salia were the only ones left.

Feeling a bit better as the time passed, they all began cleaning up the little things that needed to be taken care of for the café to open tomorrow. Considering how they were earlier, they all seemed a bit better. "So, what was your favorite meal?" Ange asked of her friends and lovers.

"I think the pizza," Salia said. "I could see that becoming very dangerous to us girls."

"I agree," Hilda said. "While it wasn't my favorite, I could definitely eat a lot of it."

Ange chuckled and asked, "So if that wasn't your favorite, what was?"

"The mango drink," Hilda replied with a devilish grin.

Ange's cheeks puffed up red, and luckily, Salia asked, "What about you, Ange? What was your favorite?"

Snapped free from her flirtations with Hilda, Ange stumbled, "My favorite? I hadn't even thought about it. Everything was so good, I'd feel bad to try and pick just one thing."

"But there had to be something you loved most of all, right?" Tusk asked with a wink.

Hilda of course caught that little gesture and merely rolled her eyes and shook her head; in her mind, there was no way Ange loved Tusk more. Of course, Tusk more than likely felt the same way about Hilda; at least they both happily accepted and enjoyed their mutual partner, and her them.

"Honestly?" Ange asked. "More than anything, I was just happy to be here with all of you." She looked to Salia as she continued, "I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought of Jill tonight."

Salia kept herself composed rather well, never letting the tears in her eyes break loose. "I want to believe she was with us tonight in some way. Maybe."

"I know what we need!" Ange said, breaking the somber mood.

They all watched her curiously as she ran behind the bar, and retrieved four glasses from beneath it, along with a dark bottle.

"What's that?" Hilda asked.

"It's called wine," Ange explained. "In the old world, they used this to celebrate, and I think we have plenty to celebrate."

"Can't argue with that," Hilda said with a smile.

Ange popped the top of the wine bottle off, and Tusk asked, "They also used to do something called a toast, right?"

"Right," Ange verified.

"Toast?" Salia asked.

"It's sort of like well wishes for something or someone," Tusk attempted to explain.

"Well wishes?" Hilda asked.

After pouring the glasses, Ange clarified, "You drink in the honor of something, or someone."

They all wore a somber grin, but a grin nonetheless. "Would you care to do the honors, Salia?" Ange asked.

The twin-tailed girl blushed, but mustered all of her courage as she spoke, "To a woman that changed the course of all our lives, and taught us a great deal about ourselves, and about the world we once lived in."

"To Jill," Hilda said as they raised their glasses.

"To Alektra," Ange said, breaking the tears in all their eyes loose.

With that, they took their sips, and shared a comfortable silence. After a moment or two, Ange commented, "Aside from the pain in all of our stomachs, tonight was nice. It's been too long since we were all together."

"Everyone has been so busy helping to rebuild the village," Tusk said. "Now that things are nearly done, I think we'll start to see more of one another again."

"Good," Hilda said. "We can all help each other get back in shape if Ange insists on feeding us like this."

They shared a laugh at that, and at long last, Ange asked, "Well, what do you say? Home?"

"What are you talking about?" Tusk asked.

"Hmmm?" Ange questioned.

"We are home," Hilda said with a smile, and bringing both Tusk and Salia to share in her grin.

Ange could only join them in their mirth. They were indeed home, once and for all. Happily among friends and lovers, and in this world, nothing would threaten, or harm them ever again, and if there were ever something to be happy for, it was freedom.

And that is the end. For now ;) Something about trans-dimensional machines, and that other world just sitting there (With Ange's sister a budding bad-ass) seems too good to go untouched ;)

Thank you all for reading. Hopefully if you've followed it from the start, you've enjoyed it along the way. And, as always, thank you to The Horsemen for your assistance ^_^

-jm