After all this time, I've finally reached the final chapter. I really enjoyed this story, even though I took a long break from it. I hope that everyone enjoys this. This chapter is a longer one as I finish up the story.

The waiting rooms of hospitals, regardless of which hospital it might be, were always the same. And they were always uncomfortable. They were cold from the air conditioning being turned up too high. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed loudly and cast harsh shadows. The chairs never had enough padding and were always at the perfect angle to ensure a painfully stiff back. Magazines about teenage girls, country life, and world events from at least a decade before rested in stacks on small side tables. There were no windows, meaning that only the clock on the wall showed the passage of time.

Vivi knew she'd been there for hours, listening to the buzzing fluorescent lights and watching the clock. And that was after the hours that she spent repeating the same explanations and answering the same questions to dozens of people. She'd been there long enough for it to be impossibly early in the morning. It had been a long and exhausting evening, time barely moving forward at a torturous crawl. She couldn't even bring herself to look at the ancient magazines. She could only sit there, holding onto the small object in her hands.

They started asking her questions as soon as she pulled the van up to the hospital, a bound man with burns and another with fall injuries both tossed in the back. First, everyone in the ER asked her about what happened as they carried Arthur away from her. Mostly they focused on what happened to him, how high was the cliff, was he awake when she found him after, how to remove the prosthetic since it was more advanced and integrated than what they were familiar with, how Benjamin was burned, did he hit his head, and did she know what caused him to lose consciousness.

Then the police arrived with their own set of questions. What happened? Did she know the other man? Why did she tie him up with duct tape? How did her friend receive his injuries? What was her business in the area?

And then Lance asked a lot of sharp questions when she called him and explained that his nephew was once again in a hospital. Mostly those were worried rantings rather than true questions. The phone call ended abruptly when he demanded to know what tiny town in a different state that she was calling from and stated firmly that he was on his way. But even if he drove constantly the whole way there, it would take time for him to arrive.

She considered calling the Pepper household, but those questions would be too hard to face. She barely survived telling Lance without breaking down into apologies and worried confessions.

Other than Lance, Vivi couldn't tell the full truth about what happened. It would be impossible to explain. But she tried to keep her explanation as close to the truth as possible. She told the police and the ER staff that she and Arthur were camping out rather than continuing to travel all night when some weird guy showed up. She described a crazy, paranoid, and delusional man who began ranting wildly about crazy stuff, like ghosts and creating an undead army under his control. And then, without warning or provocation, the stranger suddenly shoved Arthur off a cliff. Fearing for her friend and for her own life, Vivi claimed that she managed to knock the man into the campfire briefly before knocking him out. After that, she bound the crazy guy up and got both men into the van.

It was a good story. Plenty of drama and it touched on all the important facts. It explained Arthur's injuries and Benjamin's burns. And it gave an excuse for his behavior whenever the necromancer woke up and started talking about ghosts. But best of all, it placed all the blame where it belonged: on Benjamin's head.

But even though everyone made her repeat the explanation about a thousand times and answer the same questions over and over again, each time worded slightly different without actually changing, they eventually left her alone. And that left her with nothing to do except sit and worry.

It would be easier if Mystery was waiting with her, curled up under her seat or even trying to fit in her lap. Dogs weren't supposed to wander around hospitals, but she was good at getting him into unexpected places. But he wasn't there. As soon as they loaded Arthur onto the stretcher and were trying to figure out how to handle the duct-taped necromancer, Mystery ran off into the darkness. Vivi knew why he did it. None of them were in any shape to deal with something supernatural coming after them. But at the same time, she didn't enjoy spending hours alone in the waiting room with only her thoughts and a small locket to keep her company.

Vivi stared down at the heart-shaped locket in her hands. The dark, dull, and cracked metal felt too light and fragile. More like it was made of glass or eggshells instead, hollow and empty. Like it would shatter under the slightest pressure. Her thumb brushed along the deep cracks, part of her aching in sympathy.

She hated this.

Arthur, one of her best friends and probably the closest thing that she had to a younger brother, was probably fighting for his life. He was somewhere hidden in the hospital, taken away by concerned doctors and nurses. He'd been gone for hours and she had no clue what was happening with him. What if he was dead and they just weren't telling her because she wasn't actually related to him or something?

And Lewis, who she loved more than she ever believed possible and not even death had changed those feelings, was in similarly bad condition. Emotional pain could have physical effects on ghosts, at least if they were strong enough. She knew that. Anger, sadness, and so on weren't too bad since those types of feelings were pretty normal, but true grief, absolute terror, or extreme guilt? Emotions of that intensity left their mark. And after everything that the necromancer did to Lewis and made him do against his will, the damage was bound to be bad. His anchor was barely holding itself together and…

Almost everyone she cared about was in trouble and she couldn't do anything to help. She was completely helpless. Again.

Why did horrible things keep happening to them while she escaped unharmed, only losing her memories of a single night?

Tracing her fingers along the deep cracks, she noticed how still the anchor felt. Normally the heart-shaped locket pulsed with a strong and steady beat, one loud enough to be easily heard across a quiet room. A rhythm that she occasionally found herself bobbing her head to when she was bored. But now it was slow and weak, barely detectable against the palms of her hands. Lewis had withdrawn so far, sinking so deeply inside himself, Vivi didn't know if he would recover.

"Lewis," she called softly, her thumb brushing the anchor. "Come back to us. It's all right. I'm here."

Vivi closed her eyes. She wished that she was sitting next to Lewis, his arms around her. He was so warm, sweet, and caring. She wanted him to hold her close and tell her that Arthur would be fine. That everyone would be fine. But right now, he was hurting. Guilt and worry nearly broke him and all she could do was try to ease his emotional distress.

"It wasn't your fault. And you're safe now, Lewis," she continued. "We won't let that necromancer hurt you again."

Vivi pressed a small kiss to the surface of the anchor, trying to comfort him as best that she could when he had no body. The gesture was as close as she could manage to kissing her boyfriend at the moment. She hoped that he could feel it. She hoped that he knew that he was loved and safe.

She could be patient. She would wait for Mystery to come back. She would wait for the doctors to tell her about Arthur's condition. And she would wait for Lewis to recover from the events of that evening. And she would help both of her boys however she could. Even if all that she could do currently was be present and supportive, then she would lend them her strength.

"Ms. Yukino?"

Vivi opened her eyes at the sound of her name and lowered the locket back to her lap. At least she didn't have to make up an excuse about what she was doing. She'd probably looked like she was praying.

A dark-haired man in a white lab coat and medical scrubs approached her, giving a short nod of greeting before taking the seat beside her. He looked tired as he stared at her sympathetically with his clipboard, nearly as tired as Vivi felt and she'd been awake since she took over driving for Arthur at four in the morning.

Was it really only about a day later? It felt like a lifetime ago.

"How's Arthur?" she asked, too tired and worried to ask anything else first.

"Mr. Kingsman is a very lucky young man. He's in stable condition now and we're moving him up to a room," assured the doctor, looking down at his clipboard. "We just finished a laparotomy to locate and control the internal bleeding from the fall. It should be fixed now, though we'll keep an eye on him in case that changes. The fall also caused a couple cracked ribs on his right side, though thankfully none were completely broken or else they could have punctured a lung. Mr. Kingsman also suffered a mild concussion, a fracture along his collarbone, and a midshaft humerus fracture to his remaining arm. Not to mention an assortment of cuts and contusions, the one along his hairline requiring stitches."

He paused, probably noticing how stiff she'd gone during his description. She was fighting the instinctive urge to tighten her hands. Vivi doubted Lewis' anchor could endure such treatment. The doctor smiled reassuringly.

"I know it sounds bad, but we have him stabilized. I promise. The stitches are in place, his cuts are bandaged, his previous internal bleeding is under control, his broken arm is splinted and immobile, and he's being provided with medicine for the pain. We'll keep an eye on his concussion and his internal injuries. He won't be able to wear his prosthetic for a while. The cracked collarbone and the damage to his shoulder from the attachment being sharply wrenched will need to heal first before adding that weight back. And while the fractured collarbone might require surgery if we can't keep it stable, we'll wait until the swelling around the break goes down and see if it is necessary." He shifted his grip on his clipboard. "For now, your friend's condition is as good as can be expected after his accident. Unless something unexpected happens within in the next few hours, Mr. Kingsman should recover with time."

Vivi couldn't resist breathing a sigh of relief, some of the tension pouring out of her body. Arthur was going to be all right. He was going to be all right. The sight of him when Lewis floated over to the van with Arthur in his arms, pale and still as blood ran down his face, left her worrying that he wouldn't even make it to the hospital. But now the doctor was assuring her that Arthur was going to survive.

"Can I go up to his room?" she asked. "I know this is outside normal visiting hours, but his uncle is still several hours away and I don't want him to be alone. He doesn't have the best experience waking up in hospitals and he has nightmares on a good night."

She was asking, but Vivi already planned to find his room either way. If the doctor, the nurses, or even the janitors tried to keep her away, she would figure out a way to get to her friend anyway. Getting permission would just be easier and involve less sneaking.

"He'll probably be resting for a few hours. Between the concussion, his injuries, and the pain medication, Mr. Kingsman will likely remain unconscious for a little longer. But if you keep quiet and don't disturb anyone, I don't think it would be a problem. I'll let the night staff know to leave you alone."

"Thank you," she said as soon as she stood up from the uncomfortable chair.

"He should be in Room 402. Just take the elevator up to the fourth floor and head down the left hallway," said the doctor before heading back, probably to take care of someone else or possibly drink a gallon of coffee.

Looking back down at the anchor in her hands, Vivi noticed that the dark and tarnished metal seemed a few shades lighter than before she tried speaking to Lewis. And some of the smaller cracks were gone.

Blinking back the burning of forming tears, Vivi smiled. Lewis was improving. He was going to be fine too. Both of her boys would be fine.

"Come back to us, Lewis. We're waiting for you," she whispered, her thumb brushing along the locket gently. "You're safe. I'm safe. Even Arthur is safe. Everyone is fine. We just need you to come back to us."

Numb and thoughts dulled, he could barely remember who he was. He'd sunk too deeply for memories or emotions to reach him. Even the light pressure of something touching his anchor felt too far away to really pay attention to.

He wasn't certain how long that he remained in the silent, numb, and dull limbo-like state. It could have been a few minutes. It could have been several months. The numbness was a comfort.

He didn't have to think or remember what happened before. He didn't have to feel. Peaceful rest and recovery detached from everything including himself.

But after a few seconds or an eternity, a faint voice floated down and coiled around him. Without magic compulsion threaded through them, the words couldn't reach him. But he could feel it.

Blue. Not cold or sad, but comforting, familiar, and wonderful. Blue was love, energy, and joy. He felt the sensation of blue and it seemed to sink into him, warming and gentle. It seemed to pull him.

But as the voice and the feeling of blue tried to pull him from the depths, it also sparked a little more awareness. He began to recognize. He began to remember. He began to feel.

Vivi. The blue was Vivi's aura. He wasn't sensitive enough to normally recognize auras of non-supernatural entities, but he would recognize her anywhere. Especially when it practically enveloped his anchor. And it felt unmistakably like Vivi.

Her presence soothed and eased the sharp pains and aches that he was only now starting to feel again. Vivi was close, touching his anchor and speaking to him. Vivi was safe and there with him. He wanted to let the feeling of love and comfort wash over him.

But as much as he wanted to go towards Vivi, to leave his locket and manifest properly, he remembered. He remembered the black chain binding his soul to the necromancer's will. He remembered Arthur's terrified smile as he carried his best friend to the cliff edge. He remembered the feeling of letting go. And he remembered Arthur's battered, bloody, and broken body, the young man on the brink of dying.

Those memories hit hard, trying to consume him. Grief, horror, and guilt threatened to destroy him again. The warmth, comfort, and love from Vivi eased some of the hurt, but it wasn't enough to stop all of it. He wanted to let her bring him back. He wanted to go back to her. But it hurt and he didn't deserve her comfort.

Not after what he did.

He couldn't disappear back to the deepest depths of his anchor. Vivi's voice and presence kept pulling him gently and easing the damage to his locket. He couldn't slip away and escape the pain of his guilt. He remained suspended and trapped in between: still within his anchor, but close enough to the surface to still feel and remember.

His first thought as he gradually began to stir was that someone must have gave him the good drugs. The strong stuff that they gave him in the hospital after his arm was ripped off. He recognized the floaty, light-headed, disconnected feeling.

His second thought as he slowly edged his way back towards awareness, this one a bit more coherent, was wondering if he'd lost another arm.

There was pain, but the drugs pushed it far enough away that he barely noticed. Certainly far enough that he couldn't properly identify what exactly hurt or how much. It seemed pretty generalized. Maybe he did lose another limb. He might not even be able to tell regardless. Phantom limb sensation was not fun.

Arthur slowly pried his eyes opened, which turned out to be an unexpected struggle. His biggest problem wasn't the ache in his head, but the swelling around the left side of his face. Opening his eye took more effort than it should have because his injuries were trying to press it closed. But he managed eventually and saw the sterile environment of a hospital room.

He wasn't dead. He remembered falling, terrified and yet resigned to his fate. And oddly relieved. He should be dead. Arthur knew that he was supposed to be dead. But he was in a hospital, drugged up on pain medicine, and apparently alive.

And as Arthur tried to wake up properly and to come to terms with being alive despite all odds, he began to take stock of his condition. Obviously he must have hit his head. Hence the dull and distant ache, the feeling of gauze wrapped around his forehead, and the swelling across one side of his face. And as he tried to map out the rest of his injuries through the medicated haze, Arthur was relatively certain that there was something wrong with his collarbone and around the port for his prosthetic. A broken bone or just really bad bruising and swelling?

He moved his way mentally down, trying to ignore the soft electronic beeping that suggesting they were monitoring his condition. Breathing felt uncomfortable, hinting at damage to his ribs. Maybe that was why the hospital bed was raised slightly, letting him sit up at a relaxed angle. Maybe they were trying to make it easier for him to breathe. And further down, he thought there might be gauze and a line of distant pain running down his likely-bruised stomach. An incision and stitches, perhaps?

He tried to move his arm, wanting to try and feel how bad his face might look, but something was wrong. Panic briefly bubbled up. Was it gone? Did he actually lose the other one? Arthur barely managed to turn his head slightly and breathed a sigh of relief as he realized the truth. His right arm was still attached, but there was a splint around the upper part and the limb was resting in a sling across his chest. That and the IV line attached to him, undoubtedly providing pain medicine, some type of saline drip, or maybe a blood transfusion, probably meant that moving his arm right now wasn't recommended. But at least he had his limb.

He didn't lose an arm and he wasn't dead. Considering that he fell off a cliff, Arthur decided that he got off lightly.

A quiet and familiar snore pulled his gaze to the left. Sleeping in a chair right next to the bed, her hands cradling something against her chest, was Vivi. The sight caused a feeling of déjà vu, reminding him of the last time he was in a hospital. After the cave…

Arthur wanted to go back to sleep. He was tired, sore, and heavily medicated. But he needed to find out what happened. He needed to know what happened with Benjamin. And what happened to Lewis.

"Vi…?" he whispered, his throat dry and his voice rasping.

She was usually a heavy sleeper. Vivi could doze in the back of a moving vehicle without any problem. And then it took nothing short of an explosion, a shrieking spirit, or her boyfriend kissing her cheek to wake her up when she wasn't ready. But somehow his rough and quiet whisper managed to make her stir.

"Wha…?"

Blinking blearily, Vivi raised her head and looked around the hospital room. He wasn't even certain how much she could see even as she straightened her askew glasses. Then her gaze landed on Arthur and she froze.

"Arthur," said Vivi. Keeping her voice calm and gentle, she continued, "You're awake. How do you feel?"

Trying to smile reassuringly, he said, "Not as bad as I should feel. Any idea how much medication I'm on?"

"Considering that you look like you fell off a cliff, and you actually did, I'm guessing it's… a lot."

The breathy sound wasn't quite a chuckle and bothered his ribs, but Arthur couldn't help it. He needed to laugh about it. It was easier than freaking out.

Then he noticed that he was wearing a hospital gown. Which made sense since he was in a hospital, but that meant he wasn't wearing his jacket. And more importantly, he wasn't wearing his star pin. The chances of being randomly possessed in the hospital might be slim, but he really didn't want to risk it. Mystery made it sound like the damage from the last time would make a second possession particularly dangerous. He really needed that pin back.

"Where's my clothes?" he asked, trying to sound casual and probably failing horribly. "And my prosthetic?"

"In a bag under the bed," she said, pulling out with her left hand. "Though your arm is definitely smashed. And your doctor said you can't wear one until your collarbone heals. That might be a few weeks and he was talking about maybe needing surgery to put in some pins after the swelling goes down. And one of the night nurses who came by mentioned that since they can't wrap cracked ribs without risking you getting pneumonia or something, you're not going to be moving around much in the near future anyway. Sorry."

A few weeks without wearing a prosthetic, his remaining arm in a sling, and probably bed rest for however long cracked ribs took to heal? That wasn't going to be fun. But he was alive and didn't lose any limbs.

Amazing how much the cave changed his perspective on worst case scenarios.

"Could you toss me my star pin from the bag?" asked Arthur. "Or, you know, actually pin it on me? Please?"

Vivi raised an eyebrow at the request, but started digging through the bag. He noticed that she only used one hand in her search. Her right hand kept something cradled to her chest protectively.

Wait… Something slipped through the thick medication-induced mental fog. Something that he should have remembered sooner, but his mind was working sluggishly. Pain killers weren't the best things for focusing. But now he remembered and he needed to ask.

"What happened? The necromancer?" he asked as she pinned the star in place over his heart. "And Lewis? Is Lewis all right?"

Vivi frowned and closed her eyes, reluctantly lowering her hand and revealing a heart-shaped locket. Arthur couldn't help the slight wince. But he'd seen the condition of the anchor when Lewis held him over the cliff. And while it looked bad now, the locket was in better shape than it had been when the ghost let go. While still a deep blue and with a few deep cracks, there were fewer of them crisscrossing the surface.

It wasn't great though.

"Benjamin is in another hospital room probably, getting treated for burns before he's officially arrested for pushing you off a cliff. As for Lewis…" She shook her head and stared down at the small object. "It was almost black before. And it was so badly cracked that I was certain that it would shatter if I even breathed on it wrong. It's… I've been trying to reach him somehow and some of the damaged has healed. But it stopped after a while and nothing I've been doing since has helped." She took a shaking breath. "I'm not even certain Lewis can hear me like this."

Her expression as she rubbed her thumb along the deep and jagged crack made Arthur's heart ache. He wanted to reach out and hug her. But he could barely move the one arm that he had left. He couldn't exactly give his friend a comforting hug when he could only move his fingers and wrist.

But he could try something to help. Though it seemed a little… personal and almost… intimate. Something that Vivi was allowed, but no one else. Granted, Lewis never said so and it was the only idea that Arthur had…

"Hand him over," he said hesitantly.

Vivi stared for a moment before seeming to figure out what Arthur was suggesting. She gently slipped the locket into his upturned palm. And rather than pull away afterwards, she wrapped her fingers around his hand while the anchor remained sandwiched between them. Arthur felt the heart-shaped locket pulse weakly, slower than normal.

He was holding onto Lewis' soul. Or a physical manifestation of it. So yeah, his soul. His cracked and hurt soul. Part of Arthur, the part that whispered or even shouted that it was still his hand that pushed Lewis and that he should have been strong enough to resist the possession somehow, told him now that Lewis wouldn't want Arthur holding onto something so vulnerable and fragile. That he would never trust Arthur enough to allow that if he was truly aware of what was happening. But it was the only idea that Arthur had to reach him.

"Come on, big guy," he said quietly. "It wasn't your fault. And I'm fine. I'm here."

"We're both here," added Vivi. "We're safe. You're safe."

The anchor pulsed a little more strongly in their combined grip. Maybe Lewis could hear them or he could feel them holding his anchor. Either way, he was reacting.

"Everything is going to be fine, Lewis," he said. "We just need you back."

The familiar and comforting blue of Vivi kept him company for an unknown stretch of time, though he wasn't sure that he deserved it. Memories and guilt clawed at him sharply. He wanted to return to the earlier numb obliviousness of the deepest depths of his anchor. But he couldn't leave completely. Not when he could feel her distant touch on the locket and her blueness. So he remained somewhere in between.

But eventually he felt something else. A new sensation. Amber. It felt fragile, broken, and vulnerable. But the aura of amber also conjured up feelings of friendship. Years of close friendship. A bond that was strained and nearly broken, but eventually healed. Friendship, loyalty, and a quiet courage. He also felt fear, regret, guilt, and worry coming from the feeling amber.

Just as familiar as Vivi's blue. Just as important and equally cared for, but different.

…Arthur?

It couldn't be. Arthur was dying, dying, dying… He dropped him off a cliff. Murdering a murderer who was not a murderer. It was his fault.

But the amber was Arthur. Even with his limited awareness and barely able to think in his current state, he knew. Vivi's bright blue and Arthur's vulnerable amber. Both of them were so close to him. Both of them were safe.

The realization warmed him, soothing and easing the emotional distress. Arthur and Vivi were all right. He let it wash over him. And he felt himself rising back towards the surface and out of the anchor.

Arthur waited patiently, trying not to feel silly holding Vivi's hand like this. And trying not to doze off since apparently head injuries and pain killers made staying awake a challenge. But he needed to shake that off currently. He could feel the steady beat against his palm, growing stronger with each passing moment.

Eventually a few tendrils of magenta smoke slipped between their fingers. Smiling, Arthur and Vivi loosened their combined grip just as a familiar shape manifested in a flash of supernatural flames.

"Lewis!" said Vivi, flinging herself at the ghost and hugging tightly almost instantly. "You scared me half to death. Are you all right?"

His arms wrapped around the shorter figure, Lewis managed a shaky nod. Then the skull and formal suit vanished from sight as the image of his living self slipped into place. Vivi pulled his face down and kissed him deeply.

But even as Lewis sank into the embrace and the kiss, his emotional state didn't look completely fixed. His eyes were closed, but Arthur could already see tears streaked down his face. Lewis might not be able to cry tears in his normal ghost form, but his alternate appearance made it clear that he would have been crying for a long time by now. Not even Vivi could instantly erase the guilt and grief.

"Glad to see you, big guy," Arthur said, glancing down at his hand briefly and noticing that the cracks were nearly gone and the proper color had been restored. "We were worried."

Lewis startled at his words, pulling back from the hug and apparently noticing his surroundings for the first time. Glowing magenta eyes surrounded by blackness glanced around the hospital room before landing on the patient. The lights narrowed to pinpricks in the darkness.

"Arthur?"

"It's me, Lewis. I'm a little banged up, but I'll be fine," he assured, smiling as much as possible with the swelling to his face. Moving his hand slightly to draw attention back to the locket, Arthur added, "Though you probably want this back."

Breathing unsteadily and blinking against the tears, Lewis stared at him. His gaze moved from the swelling across the left side of Arthur's face to the gauze around his head to the arm in the sling. And with his living features in place, there was no hiding the guilt and regret on his face.

Arthur knew exactly what was going through his head. He knew exactly what Lewis was thinking. Probably better than anyone else.

"Don't even think of trying to apologize, Lewis. This isn't your fault," he said. Though Arthur did have to admit that hearing his friends tell him the exact same thing had never worked, he continued forward because he didn't have a better plan. "I told you already. It wasn't you. You didn't do this."

"You're hurt. You could have died. I dropped you off a cliff."

"Because a crazy necromancer made you," Arthur said firmly. "Like that thing from the cave made me attack you. I'd call us even except I'm still alive. So if you two won't let me blame myself, you're not allowed to blame yourself."

"It could happen again someday. I couldn't stop myself. Someone could do that again and next time…"

As the ghost trailed off, Arthur said, "It won't. It won't happen again. We'll find a way to protect you."

Unsurprisingly, Lewis didn't look completely convinced. It wasn't easy to forgive yourself even when possession or magical amulets were to blame. If it was easy, then Arthur wouldn't still be struggling with his own guilt months later.

And that fear… The fear that it could happen again… That someone could take away your free will and make you do things that horrified you… Arthur knew that guilt and fear intimately. It was hard to face.

But he knew something that might help. Maybe it was his drug-addled brain suggesting insane ideas since Arthur didn't think that he would normally consider risking it, but he hated the look on Lewis' face. Or the way that he wouldn't meet Arthur's eyes and barely reacted when Vivi took his arm.

"Lewis, it wasn't you. You wouldn't hurt us and this will never happen again. I still trust you completely." Taking a shaking breath to steady his nerves because the idea terrified him, Arthur said, "Try and possess me."

Lewis nearly lost his grip on his living appearance in shock, the edges of his form flickering like a guttering flame. He couldn't have heard right. But Vivi's sudden inhale beside him suggested that she heard the same unbelievable words.

Arthur looked scared by his own suggestion. Then again, he didn't look that great to begin with. Half his face was pale while the other was a mottle of colors, bruising and swelling causing one eye to squint. And both eyes looked glassy, probably from pain medicine. His remaining arm remained in a sling while a line for an IV snaked over.

Guilt and regret clawed at Lewis despite Arthur's previous remarks. Not enough to send him into a dangerous downward spiral like before, but enough that logic couldn't stop the sting. The necromancer might be responsible for his actions, but Lewis was the one who let go.

"Try and possess me, Lewis," repeated Arthur, forcing his voice to keep steady.

Staring at his best friend and trying to make sense of what was happening, he asked, "Why… why would you ask for that?"

"To prove a point. To prove that nothing like this will ever happen again."

"Enigmatic statements are usually Mystery's job," Lewis said, trying to focus on anything other than Arthur's injuries or his request.

Half grinning, Arthur said, "Vivi, could you lend me a hand? Specifically, grab my prosthetic and smack Lewis in the head?"

That startled a few chuckles out of the ghost, a reaction mirrored by Vivi. The joke wasn't even that good. But it was so corny and was exactly the sort of dumb joke that Arthur would have made when they were growing up. It was familiar and grounding after everything that happened.

But that feeling eventually passed and they were left with Arthur's request looming over him.

"I don't know if I can do that to you," said Lewis. "I don't want to hurt you… Not again."

It was a blessing that the dead couldn't properly sleep. That meant he no longer could dream. That meant he wouldn't have to see what happened in nightmares. But he still knew that his actions would haunt him.

"You didn't hurt me. And you won't hurt me now," Arthur said.

As if to punctuate his words, Arthur gave the locket a gentle squeeze in his hand. Lewis felt the pressure on his anchor, but it wasn't uncomfortable or too tight. It reminded him of someone squeezing his shoulders encouragingly. And when Vivi added her support by hugging his arm, Lewis reluctantly decided to try.

Not that he knew how to possess someone. Being a ghost didn't exactly come with an instruction manual. And while Mystery had started trying to teach him a few things as best he could when Mystery wasn't a ghost either, possession wasn't one of the lessons. But most of his abilities were fairly intuitive. He managed to create a mansion subconsciously. How hard could this be?

Granted, Mystery claimed that Lewis didn't have much finesse or fine control yet, his power more blunt and explosive. But Lewis would be careful.

And quick. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

Working off instincts and guesswork, Lewis let his power move towards Arthur. All he could think to do was try to plunge into Arthur's body the same way that he would slip into his locket. Lewis hesitated a moment, still uncomfortable with the idea, before he—

Sharp pain jolted through him and knocked Lewis against the wall behind him, the ghost yelping in surprise as he crashed. The pain faded as quickly as it hit, but it took a moment for the buzzing in his skull to die back down.

Oh, his skull… He lost his grip on his living appearance.

Shaking off the rest of the effects, Lewis began to notice that Vivi and Arthur were talking. Quickly and frantically.

"What did you do? Why would you do that?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would be like that."

"Why are you suggesting things anyway? You're on pain meds! And why did we listen?"

"I'm fine," interrupted Lewis. When both of them gained nearly identical expressions of relief, he added, "Felt like I walked into an electric fence though…"

Smiling sheepishly and his fingers trying to wrap around the empty space his prosthetic should have occupied, Arthur said, "Yeah, sorry about that. I just thought it would block you. I didn't know it packed a punch like that."

"What was it?" Vivi asked.

Indicating the star pin on his hospital gown using only his eyes, Arthur said, "Since I'm apparently supernaturally delicious by now, Mystery helped fix this up for me. It's pretty much a talisman or whatever designed to keep anyone from possessing me. It makes sure that what happened in the cave never happens again. That no one will ever make me hurt any of you."

Lewis could fill in the rest. Arthur's point was that if there was a way to protect him from a repeat performance, then there might be a way to do the same thing for Lewis. A way to make sure that a necromancer or whatever wouldn't bind his soul to their will again. No one would ever make him a puppet again.

"We'll ask Mystery when he gets back," said Vivi, taking the locket from Arthur gently. She handed it back to Lewis with a small smile. "For now, let's get some rest. It's probably five or six in the morning. I'm tired, so I can only imagine how tired the both of you are. Plus, I think that nurse will be back soon to check on Arthur. Assuming that woman isn't deaf. We weren't exactly quiet in here…" She shook her head briefly. "I suggest that we snooze until breakfast, Mystery gets back, or Lance shows up and demands explanations. Whichever comes first."

Lewis knew she was right. She didn't have her normal energetic sparkle in her eyes. And Arthur needed rest if he wanted to recover. He could barely keep his eyes open already, reaching the end of his limited energy. Honestly, Lewis could do with a little more recovery time as well. He certainly didn't think he could keep up his living appearance if someone showed up.

He handed his anchor to Vivi and pressed his skull briefly to her forehead, as close to a kiss as he could manage without lips. Then he slipped back into the shiny, golden, and intact locket.

Feet sore and his limbs exhausted from running all night in his natural shape to establish multiple false trails, Mystery entered the hospital. He may not be able to use his full capabilities in his canine form, but illusions were child's play for his kind. He pulled a thin veil across himself and vanished for mundane sight. No one saw a small dog walk through the door, slip into an elevator as someone exited, and press a button with his nose.

Tracking his pups through the building didn't take much effort. Lewis was a powerful ghost, even while hurt. He left a clear path from his passage. And Vivi's bright soul practically sang out to him, just as it did from the start. And when he drew close, Arthur's weak and torn aura remained tempting and noticeable as an easy target. Though it was slowly healing from what happened at the cave. Slowly, but thankfully healing. Finding the scents for all three reassured him more than anything else.

His pups were safe. All three were safe.

But it wasn't enough to pick up their trails. Mystery stepped into the room. He needed to see and not just sense.

The hospital bed held his most fragile pup. He could see the injuries, though the wounds were bound and the blood cleaned up. He slept deeply; exhaustion, blood loss, and drugs provided him a dreamless slumber. The star pin rested above his heart, protecting his soul from attacks.

Sprawled in a chair next to the bed, Vivi snored. Physically, she survived the night intact. The necromancer never touched her. In fact, by figuring out how to enchant an object and apparently channeling her heritage a bit, Vivi caused the man quite a bit of trouble. But not all pain was physical. She suffered last night as well.

Resting on her lap, giving off a firm and steady beat, was Lewis' anchor. But the deep cracks were nearly gone and the golden color had returned. The ghost was already healing. Even after nearly breaking completely, Lewis was recovering.

His pups were safe. They were healing.

Mystery paused to nudge the locket with his paw. A ghost's anchor could reveal what they cared about most. If a ghost remained after death out of love rather than more aggressive emotions, it would undoubtedly show the target of their affection inside. Mystery caught a glimpse once early on, when Lewis was mostly fueled by the twin impulses of fury and desire to be with his girlfriend again. He saw a picture of Lewis holding Vivi close.

As he nudged it open, Mystery saw the image had changed. And a second one had appeared on the other side. The newest picture showed the rest of the Pepper family: Lewis' parents, Cayenne, Bell, and Paprika. And the altered picture now showed Lewis with Vivi, but also Arthur and Mystery.

It was a good sign. There was a better balance and there were more people to help keep him grounded now. That would help, though Lewis was still keeping some distance from his family since his return. Reconnecting with all his loved ones would be good for him in the long run. Mystery didn't want to see his pup turn into a mindless wraith like some ghosts did.

Yawning and stretching briefly, Mystery crept under the hospital bed and dropped the illusion. He should be hidden for the moment. And, reassuring himself for a final time that his pups were safe, he let himself drift off to sleep.

Blood dripped from the dying creature, a tall humanoid beast covered in fur with only minor illusion magic to make it harder to capture its image. Most of it soaked into the forest floor for her to absorb, though she took a moment to lick a few drops from the edge of her shears. The flavor was delicious. And the blood of a strong supernatural creature, and especially its lifeblood, increased her magic. The sensation filled her ecstasy.

But even as she grew stronger with every victim, she was still searching.

He couldn't hide forever. Not with his blood responsible for her existence. Not with her power and abilities growing with each death, blood and magic nurturing her like the rain and the sun. The two of them were bound together by the blood he shed so many centuries ago, no matter how much he tried to deny it and run away.

She should have killed that onna-bugeisha before the human ruined everything. He would have understood about the other humans eventually. Dying humans didn't matter as long as their blood provided nourishment. He would have understood if she explained it properly.

But that onna-bugeisha came to her forest, their forest, and accused him of the deaths. The human fought and he didn't know why. She tried to silence the human, but she wasn't powerful enough. Not until the onna-bugeisha spilled his blood…

She gave a sharp-toothed grin. Even now the memory of his blood and his magic sent a shiver of pleasure through her. She wanted more.

But he fled. Back then, she could not yet follow. It took time to grow strong enough, most yōkai and other creatures of magic cautious enough to avoid her forest. The deaths of normal humans provided nourishment, but it didn't help her grow as quickly. And he hid his power for a long time, meaning that she could not find his trail once she was strong enough.

Until months ago. When he unleashed his magic and she followed their bond across an ocean. But he wasn't making it easy. She kept losing his trail across this vast continent.

So she kept looking and growing stronger. He couldn't run forever. And when she found him again, she would bring him home to their beautiful white forest growing on the bones of the dead… or she would drink his lifeblood as he died in front of her, his blood and magic nourishing her and making her stronger than ever.

She would decide which when she found him.

A strange feeling in the air drew her attention away from the warm blood in front of her. Blinking in surprise and deciding to trust her intuition, she raised her hand.

From her palm sprouted a red lotus, the flower strong and healthy. And connected to a very specific soul. One she recognized instantly.

Shiromori's smile grew wider, predatory and hungry. She'd found his trail again.

She blew the blossom gently, the petals taking flight with no regard for the wind. Then the blue-skinned Jubokko burrowed into the ground, her white hair and the pale cherry-blossoms of the bonsai the last to disappear.

No sign of her presence remained except the cooling body of a dead bigfoot and the last few drops of drying blood.

Yeah... Did I mention that this has become a series and I have a planned sequel? After all, we've got to deal with Shiromori eventually. So keep an eye out for "Tied to the Past." Hopefully you'll like it.