Groove Adventure Rave: Into the Sunset

Rave is copyright of Hiro Mashima, Kodansha and Tokyopop. No infringement is intended.

Hello all Rave fans! Yes, it's another huge novel from me for your reading pleasure. This one is a bit personal for me, since it coincides with the manga. Yes, Groove Adventure Rave is currently approaching it's end in Japan. The final battle between Haru and Lucia is occuring as we speak. And knowing this in mind, I felt a story about our heroes finally going home would be appropiate, as well as answering questions like "what do the main characters of shonen manga do once the quest is over?" "Do they get jobs or what?"

I hope you all enjoy this forst chapter, and I will endevor to bring the rest soon. Any reviews are always welcome.

Warning: This fic contains spoilers for much of the later manga volumes, including vols 29-33

Pairings: Haru x Elie, Let x Julia, Shuda x Cattleya, Musica x Melodia, Sieg Hart x Hilde, Iulius x Belnika and some special quests...

It hit Haru like a ton of bricks.

As he leaned against his Ravelt sword, taking deep breaths and trying to ignore the pain that racked his whole body, he realized just what had happened.

He'd defeated Lucia. Destroyed the Endless Dark Bring. Saved the Stellar Memories.

It was over. After two years of traveling and fighting… it was finally over.

He looked down before him. Lucia lay at his feet, surrounded by the shattered remains of his Decalogs sword. His body was as battered as Haru's was, except for a large gash in his stomach where Haru had stabbed his sword in rage. His breathing was shallow, the gasps of a dying man.

Haru looked around, seeing his friends staggering toward them, weary and injured from their battles against the Four Demon Gods, but thankfully, still alive. Musica was supporting a limping Shuda. Julia was carrying Plue, Ruby and Griff on her back. Let, Iulius, Belnika and Niebel were slowly moving, clutching wounds. Sieg lay on the ground, struggling to get up…

And very close by, Elie lay still, her breathing the only sign she was still alive. Haru smiled, relieved that she was safe, and slightly amused that she seemed to be asleep. Here she was, at the end of the most important battle in the world, and she was snoozing through it…

Quiet… he realized everything was so quiet. All he could hear was a faint wind blowing, his friend's footsteps, and Lucia gasping at his feet. He looked around, expecting something to make a noise. Like an explosion, or maybe some new enemy Lucia had kept in reserve.

But there was nothing. And he knew it. Why should there be? It was over.

Funny, he'd always imagined the end of the quest to be… something more. Louder, more dramatic. Not this dreadful silence.

"So... I guess I should congratulate you."

He looked down at Lucia, who wore a grin on his blood smeared face. And for once, Haru couldn't glare angrily at him like so many times in the past. He didn't look like the heartless maniac he'd faced a few minutes ago. Now he just seemed like a man, accepting his death.

"I guess you finally proved…" He coughed blood. "..proved which of our clans is the strongest once and for all."

Haru looked at him, no emotion on his face. "I never cared for the whole thing between Symphonia and Leagrove. I only did this so no one else would have to suffer from your insanity."

He expected some kind of retort, but Lucia just shrugged. "My insanity, your desire. It stills boils down to who had the stronger will."

He slowly turned his head to glance at Elie. "Though I guess you had something more than just your wish for peace to drive you on."

Musica was now next to him, holding his Silver Ray in a threatening manner. "Finish him Haru. Or I'll be happy to.."

Haru held a hand up. "No, wait." For some morbid reason, he was curious as to what Lucia had to say.

Lucia was now staring at the sky. "It's a shame I won't get to see it."

"See what?"

"What'll happen now? Now that the feud is over… aren't you curious what life will be like, now this war is over?"

Haru wasn't sure how to answer that. "I guess… but what do you care?"

"I guess I'm just wondering how I would adapt to this new world you've brought on…"

His voice was quieter now, his attention on the darkening clouds above them, as if he was trying to see something in them.

"Funny how life changes so suddenly. One day, you're a prisoner, the next, you're the leader of a country, trying to bring it toward glory. And just as suddenly, you're nothing, with nowhere to go."

He coughed again. "Too bad I won't get to see this next chapter… who knows… I might have enjoyed it."

He lifted his hand, and Haru blinked when he saw he was extending it in a handshake. "You fought well Glory."

Haru looked at him closely, understanding. He had terrorized the world, hurt his friends, and made his life hell. But in that final battle, it had just been the two of them, warriors fighting for their beliefs.

He knelt down and took his hand. "Yeah, you too."

Lucia coughed again. "Perhaps we'll meet again, in different circumstances."

"Yeah. I'd like that."

Luica smiled, then closed his eyes. "Father…."

A few seconds later, he stopped breathing. The last heir of Leagrove was gone.

Haru released his hand, staring at his former nemesis with sad eyes. All the power Lucia possessed, and in the end, it all amounted to nothing. For the first time since meeting him, he felt… sorry for him.

"Haru…" He heard Elie murmur his name, and his mind snapped back to the present. He moved over to Elie, lifting her upper body. She was still asleep.

"Elie… wake up. Are you okay?" He gently shook her, but got no response at first. He wasn't surprised Elie was so out of it. After channeling all her power to destroy the Endless, it was a miracle she was still breathing.

He felt his heart flutter as her eyes opened, bright amber orbs which warmed his heart. "Haru… you're okay?"

"Of course I am."

She pushed herself into a sitting position and looked him over. "You're hurt!" She gasped, pointing at a large cut on his side.

He just shrugged. "I'll live. But are you okay? You used a lot of your magic."

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I thought my heart was gonna burst…"

She stopped, staring past Haru's shoulder and shivering suddenly. "Haru.. is that Lucia?"

He didn't look back at the corpse, he just wrapped an arm around her. "Yeah… he's gone?"

"You mean you…"

"I didn't want to.. but yeah.."

She looked at him, her eyes filling with tears. "So… it's over."

For the first time that day, he smiled. "Yeah, it's over."

She smiled, and suddenly, the whole situation didn't appear so melancholy. She hugged him tight. He blushed at the feel of her body against his, right now, he just didn't give a damn.

She was safe. No more Lucia trying to hurt her. No more having to deal with Aetherion. No more chasing her memories. He had finally helped her find her life. Now all he needed to do was finally tell her.

"Elie… I gotta say…

"Yo Haru!" He turned to Musica, who was looking at the two with his usual smirk. "Spread the love a little, okay? We're injured too, ya know."

"He's right!" Elie tried to get up. "We gotta check on the others!"

Begrudgingly, Haru removed his arms from around her. She was right of course. The other's needed help, and now just wasn't the time to confess his greatest secret..

He got up and moved over to Shuda, who was now sitting on the ground nursing his bloody leg with his left hand. "You okay? That looks bad."

Shuda just sighed. "The leg's just twisted, it's worse than it looks… but look at my hand!"

He held up his right arm, revealing the mangled mass of metal that had once been his robotic hand. "That Megido bastard almost wrenched it right off. You know how expensive these things are?"

Musica chuckled. "Nice to see you're still in a good mood Shuddy."

"Everyone else alright?" Haru called out.

Iulius waved from where he sat on the ground, looking exhausted. "Still breathing, old boy. I guess that's a good sign."

Julia trudged up, still carrying Ruby, Plue and Griff. "I'm fine, but I'd feel better if you bums would get off my back."

Griff looked indignant. "Hey, I'll have you know I took a serious injury!"

"You're a blob! You can't get hurt!"

"I'm more injured than you, poyo!" Ruby spoke as if proud of this achievement.

Julia snarled. "Tripping and falling down a dune does not count as an injury."

"I twisted my ankle, poyo."

"You're a penguin! You have no ankles!"

Haru just shook his head. "So.. you're all okay then?"

"Sure, I… Let!" Julia yelled and rushed past him, dumping the animals onto the floor.

"Arrgh! My tibula, poyo!"

She ran to Let, who had just collapsed on the ground, one arm clutching his side. She knelt down to him as Musica and Haru moved closer

"Are you alright?" She looked at the nasty wound on his exposed chest.

He grunted in pain. "Just a scratch. I'll be fine…"

"That is not a scratch! Come on, you need help." She grabbed his arm to pull him to his feet.

"Stop worrying woman! I'm fine…" She tugged him upward, and he cried out in agony.

Julia scowled as she put his arm over her shoulders to support him. "That's what you get for being stubborn."

Let just glared for a few seconds. But then his stare softened as he looked at her. "I'm glad you're alright."

She smiled. "Yeah, you too."

Belnika smiled as she looked everyone over. "Looks like we all made it Haru. I don't know how, but we're all okay." She sighed in relief. "I guess today is our lucky day…"

"Sieg!" Elie rushed over to the prone body of Sieg Hart. "Everyone! It's Sieg!"

Haru blinked. He had seen Sieg assist him in the battle against the Endless, but hadn't really figured out why he was there. The last time he had seen him was when he and Elie had been transported into the past to discover Elie's memories, and Sieg had stayed behind to send them back to the present time. So how was he here?

Elie was now supporting his upper body, the others crowding around them. "Sieg! Are you okay?"

The time mage opened his eyes, smiling at the sight of her face. "Elie… you're still around I see."

"You're back!" She hugged him tight. Despite wishing he was in Sieg's position at that moment, Haru was glad he was okay, no matter how he got here.

Niebel stared at his tutor in shock. "Sieg… bu.. but I thought you were trapped in the past. What are you doing here?"

Sieg pushed himself to his feet. "An interesting story, and one I'd like to explain later…"

He got to his feet, and surveyed the wasteland where the final battle had taken place.

"So… it seems we're victorious." He spoke.

Haru couldn't believe that after nearly being killed, Sieg was still talking in that quiet voice of his. He expected him to sound a lot more excited about this.

"Yeah.. we are."

Sieg nodded, a look of pride in his eyes at the Rave Master.

It seemed everyone was alright. They had all survived. They had saved the world.

So why was nobody cheering? Haru could see everyone either standing quietly, looking around the ruined landscape, or tending to someone else's injuries. He thought at least someone would be excited, visibly happy that it was over. Hell, why wasn't he jumping for joy at this moment?

He wanted to. He wanted to yell in joy, scream for victory, hug his friends, and just cry in relief that it was all over.

But he couldn't muster the energy to do so. He felt tired. He felt sore all over. But most of all, he just felt shock that he had actually succeeded in the battle… and now had no idea what to do.

He could feel everyone looking at him, expecting him to say something. As if he had some momentous speech prepared for this moment.

"Um… so.. what now guys?"

He cringed, knowing how stupid he sounded. But for once, he was at a loss as to what to do.

After some silence, it was Elie who spoke first. "Um… maybe we should head back to Miel city. We really need to get checked by a doctor."

"Good thinking." Julia nodded. "Let really needs to see one."

"It's not that bad woman!" Let snorted.

"Oh be quiet."

Haru smiled at the idea. They had stashed some clothes and supplies in a rented storage space in the city before leaving. It would be nice to get a change of clothes, something to eat, rest a little…

"I've just saved the world… and now all I want to do is rest a little!" He thought, hardly believing he was going along with this. He'd just adverted an apocalypse. Surely he should do something more staggering that just rest a little…

He winced when the pain from his side returned. Then again, this staggering event could wait until he was patched up.

Belnika raised a hand. "Um… how are we going to get back? The airship was destroyed."

"No worries." Musica pulled a mobile phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "I asked Hebi to hang around the area in the Silver Knights from a safe distance. He'll pick us up."

"Good." Shuda replied.

Everyone was silent again, as they all settled down to wait for the airship. Haru lay down, feeling more tired than ever. He closed his eyes, hoping he could relax a little before they had to move out. He had a feeling a lot more would happen today. What exactly, he didn't know, but it had to be better than this downer of an ending.

"Haru…" Without opening his eyes, he recognized Elie's light voice, and felt her sit next to him.

"Yeah?" He got up to look at her, delighted to see her smile for the first time that day.

Elie blushed slightly… "Oh well… I just wanted to be the first to say it…" Her hand reached over to touch his. "I'm really proud of you."

"Proud of me?"

"Well, yeah. You went all this way to save me from Lucia." Her hand tightened around his. "I… I was really scared that this time, you were gonna get killed. But you came through, just like you always do."

He smiled, actually feeling proud of himself. It had been a long time since he'd felt that.

"Well… I shouldn't get all the credit. We would have been toast if you hadn't destroyed the Endless."

"It wasn't that hard." She raised her hand, holding her fingers in the shape of a gun. "It was just.. boom!" She blew on the end of her makeshift gun. "..and it was gone."

He chuckled at how she made the whole thing look easy. Truthfully, he was astounded she had stood up to the monster and produced enough power to defeat it.

"You saved us all.." He spoke with reverence.

She smiled at him again. "No… I could never have done it without you."

That phrase worried him a little. He never really liked the feeling of people being so dependant on him, let alone the girl he loved. It made him paranoid, believing he could slip up and lose everything. But then, he was dependent on her too. He couldn't imagine a day without her nearby. A day without her smile…

That thought made the situation a bit brighter. God knows what was going to happen in his life now, but one thing was clear… he wanted to be with her, always.

"Hey! The ship's here!" Musica yelled.

Getting to his feet, Haru looked up to see their old ship, The Silver Knights descend from the sky. It looked as battered as the last time he'd seen it in Minami, but at least it was moving. It circled around, looking for a flat place to land, then slowly descended to the ground several feet away.

"Alright!" Elie got up and took a step.. then stumbled and fell to the ground.

"You okay?" Haru knelt down to help her, his voice tinged with concern.

"Sorry.." She shrugged. "I just feel so weak and tired. Guess the Endless took more out of me than I… HEY!"

She squealed as Haru swiftly picked her up and held her in his arms. She looked up at him, embarrassed… and rather aroused at the feeling of being held in his arms.

"Just take it easy." He smiled, starting his walk toward the ship.

"Not a bad idea.." She thought. As he walked, she could hear the others chuckling and cooing at the sight, but she was too tired… and happy to care.

As they approached the ship, several people filed out of its open bomb bay door, with Musica's old sidekick Hebi leading the charge.

"Boss!" Hebi raced forward and grappled his leader. "You're alive! Thank God!

"Musica hugged his buddy back. "Duh! You think I was about to lose to Demon Card now?"

"Well, we were worried!" Hebi waved his arms excitedly. "We were watching the whole thing from the sky. You guys fighting that giant monster… it was freaking epic!

"Well, glad you enjoyed the show."

Haru noticed the others from the ship were various people from Sieg's home of Mildean, who had shown up to help in their travels to Symphonia. Mirutsu, the leader of Mildean was there, as was..

"Sieg-sama!" Sieg froze at the female wail, and stepped back slightly as the raven-haired mage Hilde rushed toward him. She grabbed and held onto him, tears spilling down her face.

"Sieg-sama! You're alive!" She wailed. "But… you shouldn't be… how did…"

Sieg just smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry about that for now. It's good to see you again."

Hilde looked up. "We all thought you were dead… and that's all you can say?"

"I mean it!"

Shuda huffed. "If we're all done with the happy reunion, could we please leave this hellhole?"

"Agreed." Sieg walked into the ship, followed by the others.

As Haru and Elie went on board, Haru looked behind him, and noticed Lucia's body still laying there, looking rather pitiful.

He carried Elie into the ship's ready room, and laid her onto a chair.

He called to the others. "Hey, could somebody help me bring Lucia on board?"

Everyone looked at him incredulously. "What? What the hell for?" Musica demanded.

"I want to bury him."

Let snorted. "I think a burial is the last thing he deserves."

Haru just gave him a hard glare. "I'm not doing it for him… I'm doing it for my dad and King… so I can put an end to this feud between us once and for all."

Let blinked, then nodded somberly. "I understand. Come, I'll help.."

As the two left to retrieve the body, Musica rolled his eyes. "Sheesh. Burying the guy who tried to kill us all. Sometimes, Haru still amazes me."

"Leave him alone." Elie spoke up quietly. Musica stared at her, surprised she would defend Haru when he was about to bury Lucia, the guy who had kidnapped and abused her.

"Elie, he's gonna bury him. I thought you would want him to rot there."

"I know…" She looked out of the window at Haru and Let picking up the body. "…but now it's all over.. I can't help but pity him. All he wanted was to be like his father.. but he went too far." She shivered, as if recalling old, unwanted memories.

She watched as Lucia was carried into the ship. "At least no one else will get hurt now…"

----------

Haru checked his watch. The trip back to Miel City had taken an hour, in which everyone had said very little, thinking quietly about their brush with the end of the world. After the mages had healed them all, they had dropped him and Lucia's body off at a place a few miles from the city, and he'd spent the last half hour digging a grave.

Hardly how he'd imagined spending his time after saving the world.

He looked around, pleased that he'd found a good spot to put Lucia to rest. It was in a forest, quite far from the city. In the dim light of sunset, the autumn leaves shone with a rich auburn, casting an illusion of warmth in the cold evening. He noted it was extremely quiet as he laid Lucia, covered in a blanket into the grave. None of the others had wanted to stay, save Plue, who simply sat nearby to keep him company. They were deep in the forest, away from prying eyes.

Soon, the grave was covered over, and a simple tombstone made out of large tree branches was made. Haru stood by the side, looking down at the grave. Despite the nice setting, it seemed an unfitting way to send the leader of Demon Card off. He could imagine Lucia would want something a bit more dramatic, like a 21 gun salute or his entire army standing nearby.

For once, he felt bad for Lucia. True, he had brought this onto himself, but a long time ago, he had been just a boy, like Haru had. Had it not been for the grudge between their fathers, his life could have been much different. Hell, they could have been friends.

But it was not to be.

"Well Lucia…" He spoke. "I guess it's really over now. It's sure been one hell of a ride…" He smirked for a second. True, for all the pain Lucia had brought on him, he had at least provided a grand adventure. "…I'm just sorry it had to end like this."

He sighed, wishing he'd done more somehow. Convinced Lucia to turn away from Sinclair. Given him a chance to redeem himself.

"I just hope you have some peace now, and that you're with your father again… maybe in another place, we'll meet again, but in better circumstances."

He stood silently, as if expecting Lucia's voice to call somewhere. But there was nothing but a light breeze. Knowing he was done. Haru turned around, picked up Plue and started the long walk back to Miel City.

As he walked through the forest, coming to the main road to the city, he wished he could shake of the melancholy gloom that had been trailing him all day, and start feeling glad about all this. The quest was finally over. There had been sacrifices, far too many for his liking, but peace had returned to the world. He was happy… but not happy enough. Surely, he should be glad that he could finally go home, that he didn't have to be the Rave Master anymore..

Then he recalled Lucia's final words.

"What'll happen now? Now that the feud is over… aren't you curious what life will be like, now this war is over?"

No, he didn't know what would happen. Suddenly, things were becoming clearer, the source of his misery more apparent. He didn't know what to do.

Of course, he would go back to Garage Island. But then what? Go back to his old lifestyle of lazing around, fishing, and occasional odd jobs around the island? No, that had been when he thought his world was the island he lived on. Now… he saw a much bigger picture.

He could recall when it seemed his quest was so easy. Just find a few stones, beat up a few bad guys, go home. The fact that his first opponents were those idiots Lance, Georco and Go, and that he spent most of his time goofing off with Elie and Plue just seemed to make the memories more lighthearted.

But then it all went to hell. Elie was almost killed, and a power beyond his imagining was revealed to be within her. He met his father… and lost him again. And just when he thought it was over, Lucia had appeared, bringing with him a plot to destroy the world and an army of enemies more powerful that he had ever thought possible. And through facing lunatics like Doryu, Hardner and Shakuma, he saw the real evil this world could produce.

Suddenly, the trip had stopped being all fun.

But despite the bad things, he had discovered so much, so many things which had changed his life forever. He'd seen the world beyond his island, places of beauty, wonder and magnificence. From small towns, to underwater cities, to the vast deserts and plains, he had seen more in two years than he figured most people saw in their lives. In every place they had stopped at, there had been something new and exciting to do, somewhere new to explore. And there was still so much he wanted to see.

Or course, it wouldn't be half as good without his friends nearby.

No, he couldn't really call them friends… they were more like family. Musica had been the big brother he'd never had, looking out for him and annoying him in equal measure. Shuda, who would probably become his brother for real if he was still interested in Cattleya, had always given his support, even though he had never gotten as close to the group as Haru would like. Let, who had joined for no reason other than revenge, had mellowed out into a dependable and wise friend, using more words than actions to communicate. Ruby, who had started out as just a tag-along friend, had matured into a courageous fighter, yet still retained his cheery outlook and naivety which made him fun in the first place. Griff, who despite his shortcomings (and he had a lot) was still one of the most loyal and dependable persons he'd ever met. Julia, who reminded him a lot of his sister. Bossy and firm half the time, sweet and concerning the other. Belnika, who had faced so much anguish, yet went forward into a new life with courage and a smile on her face. Hell, even Iulius, once the most irritating person he'd ever met, had turned out to be a good, if highly eccentric pal.

And then there was Elie… He felt a smile grace his face, as it always did whenever he thought of her. In the two years since he had met her, he had gradually stopped seeing her as a noisy, flirty, kooky gambling tomboy, and saw her as a kind, soulful and brilliant woman… who was also very noisy, flirty, kooky and gambled a lot.

He had never minded Elie little quirks. For all her perfections – her beauty, her playful innocence, her sunny demeanor which lit up the room every time she entered – there were things like her hair-trigger temper, her stubbornness, and her willingness to splurge loads of their cash on clothes which never ceased to annoy him. But rather than try and persuade her to change her ways (and boy had he tried) he'd learn to accept them as just facets of her personality. To him, her imperfections made her than more interesting..

But there was one she was perfect at… being at his side. Ever since the beginning, she'd stuck by him though just about everything, fighting Demon Card with him, keeping him company on long trips, and making him smile when it seemed things were hopeless. And she'd done it all while having to put up with constantly being chased by enemies, and coping with the incredible power of Aetherion within her. There had been times when she had been too upset or frightened to go on. Frightened for her, and her friends. Shocked and confused at the revelation that she was Resha Valentine. But he had kept her close, told her it would all be alright, returned the care and love she had given to him.

Love… it had been the last thing he'd have expected to find on this journey. But he'd realized it when he knew he didn't want to continue his quest if she wasn't with him. Not because she had the power to stop Lucia. Not because he needed an ally. But because nothing seemed the same without her around. Without her voice, her smile, and her innocent charm and courage, he just didn't feel… complete without her next to him.

Even before the final battle, He knew he wanted to make a life with her. That's why, before they had left, he had asked if she would like to live with him after it was over. It seemed like a simple gesture at the time. She had no real home, and he wanted to give her one. But now that things were calmer, he wondered if he had rushed into things. Would his sister be willing to let her live with them? He couldn't imagine Cattleya turning Elie down, but how would they support another person? Cattleya's work and Haru's odd jobs around the island had been able to support them before, but a third person would strain things unless Haru got another job. And just what the hell was a guy who had missed out on high school to save the world going to do for a living?

He huffed in frustration. Things were not meant to be this complicated for a guy who had just saved the world. It was never like this in the comics…

So deep was he in his thoughts, he almost didn't feel Plue, who was perched on his shoulder, tap his head. He turned to look, and saw Plue was holding a lollipop in his paw. Where he had got it, he didn't know, but Plue seemed to be offering it to him. The little dog whined, insisting he take the treat.

Haru smiled, understanding Plue's message. Things were certainly going to be hectic and emotional soon, but for now, it was time to just chill out. Everything else could wait for now. He just wanted to relax with his friends.

He took the lolly and licked it, pleased that it was lemon flavor. And continued walking, heading into the city.

----------

The rest of the gang were currently lounging around in a very high-class bar, an exclusive looking place with expensive furnishings, wood paneling on all the walls and around the huge fireplace, and a well stocked bar with a well dressed man behind the counter. It was in the basement of a small apartment complex, of which the penthouse belonged to Iulius. He had suggested the group spend the night there.

Shuda sipped on his gin and tonic, pleased to be able to taste a nice drink after a long time.. and glad his spare robotic hand was working. He looked around the circular booth the gang had settled in. Musica and Let were slouched on their seats, looking relieved for the comfort of the plush seats. Julia, Griff and Ruby sat next to Let, happily downing large mugs of beer with huge gulps. Next to them, Iulius and Belnika stared at them in disgust, while sipping their martinis. On the other side of the booth, Elie sat still, staring at the bar's entrance, no doubt waiting for Haru to come back. Sieg Hart, looking as impassive as usual, was quietly drinking some water, while Niebel and Hilde sat next to him, staring at him in curiosity. No doubt they were wondering the same question Shuda was. He cleared this throat.

"So Sieg, you care to explain what the hell you're doing here when you're supposed to be fifty years in the past?"

Haru had told him and the others what had happened when Sieg, along with Haru and Elie had been transported fifty years into the past by bringing the five Rave stones to Resha's grave. In the Symphonia of the past, they had discovered Elie's memories, how she was actually Resha Valentine herself, sent forward to the future. When the time came to return to the present, Sieg had used his power to send Haru and Elie back, staying behind to watch over Resha's grave. The others had figured out that the skeleton guarding Resha's grave was Sieg himself.

All of the gang, including Sieg's allies from Mildean, had mourned the mage, stunned by his selfless sacrifice. And they had certainly never expected to see him in the flesh again.

Sieg took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not entirely sure myself. All I can tell you is, is that I was by Resha's grave, 52 years in the past when in happened. I had said goodbye to her, as she left with the King of Symphonia… I was thinking I would be stuck there… next thing I knew, I detected a rift in the time stream, similar to the one that brought me, Haru and Elie to the past in the first place.

Niebel stared at him with excitement. "Wow, time travel. Only a few mages have done that, right?"

"Many have, but they've gone to the past and stayed there." Sieg replied. "I'm not sure how the rift occurred, but I figured I would be more use in the present that the past. So, I took a chance, and ended up back with you lot."

Belnika frowned in thought. "Maybe it was when the Endless was trying to break into the Stellar Memory.

Sieg nodded. "Its possible that could be it. The Stellar Memory is connected to all time… hmm, it would be fascinating to study it if I could…"

"Sieg-sama!" Sieg turned to see Hilde glaring at him like a concerned mother. "You've just returned from being trapped in the past, and all you can think about is possibly going back?"

He just shrugged. "Well… it would be entertaining."

Hilde moved closer, staring into his eyes. "Sieg-sama, I know it's your job, but please! We're at peace now. At least relax a little before you do anything dangerous again."

"Yeah man." Musica spoke up. "I hate to admit it, but I actually missed seeing you stand around like a lemon all the time"

Sieg smiled at the group, staring at Hilde especially. "I missed you lot too."

Hilde blushed. "Well.. thank you.. Sieg."

Elie watched as Hilde settled into her space next to Sieg, smiling a little at how close the two seemed to be. Maybe Sieg was beginning to loosen up a little…

The sound of the entrance door was heard, and she looked around to see Haru enter, looking weary and with Plue perched on his head.

"Haru!" She called out to him, and he smiled a little as he approached the table.

Musica held out a bottle of beer toward him. "So, you have trouble burying his Highness?"

Haru glared at him, indicating he was not in the mood. He simply nodded, sat down next to Elie, and swigged his beer.

Musica nodded in understanding. "Sorry.. you were just doing what you thought was best."

"Yeah.."

Haru sighed and leaned back into his seat, delighted to be able to finally relax in comfort. He drank his beer with a smile, relieved to finally quench his thirst.

The smile faded however, when he looked around the table. Everyone was silent, either drinking or just sitting still, all with faraway looks on their faces. No one was speaking to anyone.

He could recall, after most of their major victories, they had spent hours talking and bragging about their various fights with Demon Card flunkies, how they had won and how easy or hard it had been. What they had seen, hoe excited and scared they had felt. But now they were silent, as if they were mourning someone. It didn't seem to register to him. They had saved the world, and they were all sitting like lemons?

"Guys.." He spoke up, breaking the silence. "Is.. everyone okay?"

Everyone spoke at once, noting that yes, they felt all right.

"Sure, why do you ask?" Shuda asked.

"Well.. isn't anyone going to talk about this?"

"This? What is this?"

"This! It's over! We just stopped Demon Card, destroyed Sinclair and saved the world!" Haru raised his voice, unable to take the quiet any more. "And now we're just sitting here as if nothing happened! There… there should be drama! Histronics! Something like that! Instead, we're just sitting here, like bringing peace to Earth is no big deal!

As he caught his breath, everyone stared at him, either looking bemused or frightened. Shuda of course, just glared as per usual.

"And what do you suggest we do, Haru? Put on a little song and dance? Invite the whole town over and party till the cows come home?"

"Uhh…" Haru stood blankly, realizing he hadn't thought this all through.

Shuda sighed. "I'm sorry if we're not feeling dramatic enough for you, but we just narrowly escaped being killed by a living apocalypse. So excuse me if I just feel like having a drink and being thankful I'm still alive to enjoy it."

That took the wind out of Haru's sails. He'd never really considered how the others had felt about all this. He'd just assumed they would be overjoyed it was all over. Maybe they were, but after surviving certain death, they sure weren't in the mood for it.

"Sorry…" He mumbled lamely. Shuda's glare softened.

"It's alright… it's still just sinking in."

Haru nodded. Who knew what they would feel like the next day, when it truly became clear peace had been achieved. After so long, they were free from fighting, but what were they to do now? He had a hard time imagining Musica and Shuda doing some sort of day job… hell he couldn't imagine himself doing a day job.

He looked around at all his friends, suddenly realizing just how damn glad he was that they were all okay. When they had left to face Lucia, he'd been terrified that one or more of them would be killed. But remarkably, everyone had made it okay. Until today, he had not really appreciated just how much he would miss them if they were to be gone…

He suddenly felt inspired. Maybe it wasn't the huge victory party he'd been expecting, but he wouldn't let the day go by without celebrating something.

"Guys.. can I say something?"

"Go right ahead." Musica shrugged. Haru got to his feet.

"I just wanna say… thanks you guys."

Everyone now looked at him. "Thanks for just sticking with me through all this. I never really intended to bring anyone with me… but I don't see how I could have done it without you."

He raised his bottle. "To the best friends a guy could ask for."

"Hear hear!" Let cried out, raising his own glass. The others followed suit.

"And… here's to freedom."

Glasses were raised again. "FREEDOM!

Haru smiled. Maybe not the huge celebration he'd expected, but having his friends.. and her… here with him, today suddenly felt worth it.

----------

The time was now an hour pasted Midnight. Everyone had gone up to their rooms in Iulius's penthouse, with only Shuda and Musica remaining. Shuda watched as Musica finished off another beer.

"You're not staying here all night, are you Silver Rhythm? I doubt a hangover is the best way to start our free lives."

"I'm going soon." Musica shrugged, downing his drink and putting the glass down. "I'm just thinking while it's still quiet." He stared out of the window at the moonlit sky. "You ever think this day would actually come?"

"Of course." Shuda replied. That was true, he had never doubted Haru's courage and tenacity would bring him to save the world. He had just never expected himself to be there to see it. He'd had many near escapes during the quest, the most recent one being when the demon God Megido had almost dragged him into a pit of lava at Lucia's hideout. Each time, when he felt there was no escape, he'd accepted that maybe this was his time. He had protected Haru to the best of his ability, just like Gale asked. If he were to go, he could go without regret.

But fate had tended to turn in his favour. He'd found some other way to escape, or Haru had saved him. Somehow, he'd been able to stay alive to complete his task.

"But it's over now…" He truly realized for the first time. The threat of Sinclair was over. Haru was in no danger. His duty to Gale was complete.

"Man, I always wished for this day to come, but now it's here, I dunno what to do with it." Musica shrugged. "Guess I'll party till the cows come home, then head back to Punk Street. What are you gonna do?"

Shuda shifted uncomfortably. Damn, why hadn't he given that subject more thought?

"I'm not sure. Maybe I'll just take a holiday somewhere." He offered.

"Sounds good. I think we could all use one. I should check into a beach or someplace.." Musica got up stretching as he did. "Guess we'll all be going to different places once everything dies down."

"Maybe."

"I just hope everyone doesn't go away too soon.." He sighed, casting a look at Shuda. "I'm gonna miss you guys."

He shrugged, and walked out the room. "See you tomorrow Shuddy."

Shuda sat silently, contemplating the fact that he probably would have to leave the group. After all there was no real reason to stay with them anymore. Demon Card was finished, and Haru had been protected. He had fulfilled his promise to Gale… but what now?

"Don't you want to exceed my dad?" Haru had demanded of him when he had almost fallen into that lava pit. Those words had spurred him into making a final effort to pull himself out.

He still wanted to fight, to reach that level of strength Gale told him he could reach. To be the strongest warrior he could. But now that the world was approaching peace, would that mean anything anymore? Would the world still have a place for someone like him?

He did not know, and it was not a good feeling, knowing his place in the grand scheme of things was no longer certain.

"I guess I'm just going to have to find it…" He sighed inwardly. "Looks like my time with you is over Haru."

He got up and headed for his room, planning on getting up early. With luck, he could be packed and gone before the others tried to say goodbye in some cliché way…

----------

As Julia pulled on her nightgown, she noticed Let sitting on the bed, dressed in pyjama slacks and staring out of the window. His eyes were not his usual stony glare. Instead, they seemed to be looking at the night sky as if questioning something.

He'd been quiet ever since they'd gotten back. Granted, Let was like that most of the time, but on the day they had just saved the world, she had expected him to be a bit more vocal than this.

She sat down next to him, feeling a bit more concerned. His face remained fixed at the window.

"Let? Is something wrong?"

He turned to her. Despite his calm look, his eye's still had that troubled look to them. "No, I'm alright."

"You sure? You were spaced out for a while there."

He shrugged. "I've just been thinking about today… it's still sinking in for me."

"Me too.." She murmured. Despite it being only a few hours ago, it felt like forever since she had seen Belnika almost killed by one of the Demon Gods, and found Let lying unconscious on the ground, where he had collapsed after performing the Dragon's Sacrifice to defeat Uta the Eternal. By some miracle, he had been able to get up and move, but only when he had heard her voice.

She had never been so scared in her life, believing her lover and friends were dead or dying. Had it not been the desire to get revenge on Lucia, she could not have found the strength to go on.

But everything was alright now. The world was safe, and everyone was still alive. A happy ending as far as she was concerned. So why did Let not seem so pleased?

"You don't seem too happy."

"I am, really." Let put on a smile that seemed forced. "It's just been one hell of a day. All that fighting… and now it's over."

"True…" She settled back on the bed. "Feels a bit odd doesn't it? To know we don't have to fight them anymore."

Let just nodded. "Indeed. Hoping that this conflict would stop, was the one thing that kept me going through that battle."

Julia blinked. Now that sounded odd, Let hoping he wouldn't have to fight anymore. Let lived for combat, to challenge others to battle. Now suddenly, he was glad there was no more fighting? Maybe this quest had changed him more than she thought.

"And now… I guess we find a home for ourselves" He spoke.

Home. She brightened at that thought. She dearly missed their home back in Makai, and longed to see her friends and family back there. And now she and Let could finally go back, and start the life they had intended before Jegan ruined everything.

Let lay down under the covers, and she followed suit. Tiredness was setting in, and it seemed Let was in no mood to converse further. The lights went out.

As she settled down, she suddenly felt Let wrap his arms around her, and hold her close to his body. For a second, she thought he was initiating some naughty behavior, but then saw that he was asleep. And his grip on her was rather firm, as if he didn't want her to go anywhere. She tried to pry his fingers free, but they weren't moving.

It felt strange, to be held like this. As he was afraid she would slip through his fingers and never be seen again. She moved closer, and kissed his forehead.

"Don't worry… you won't lose me again." She whispered.

She drifted off into a pleasant slumber, full of dreams for their future ahead.

----------

After dressing for bed, Iulius felt a little glass of sherry would be a nice nightcap, and was now heading back down to the bar for the decanter he had left there. He hoped it would help him sleep, he'd need it after a day like this. Battling demons, almost getting killed.. thank God it was all over.

He smiled, the realization that the battle against his former employers was over, and he could finally go back to life as normal. Well, as normal as it had been after quitting Demon Card. There were times when he wished he still had many of the advantages the organization had given him. Power and respect over small countries, infinite wealth, the most lavish existence he could imagine.. course, he always remembered just how Demon Card's ideals to unify the world had gradually turned into nothing more than bullying and fascism, even more so when Lucia had taken control. Seeing the Rave Master and his friends fight for their cause had made him realize just what a pile of bastards he had been working for. And so, he had joined Haru's side, and so far, it had been a good decision. There was no more army at his beck and call, but at least Haru and his friends had done their part to make him feel welcome, even if they were rather uncivilized in their dress sense. Surely, a warrior like Haru could at least dress in coordinated garments. It just seemed so uncouth to go into battle in unbeautiful fashion…

As he entered the building's lobby, he looked around the lavish room, sighing contently. After being cooped up in that airship of Musica's and various other low-rent places, it was nice to be back where he could call home. Course, he would have preferred his mansion back in Luca.. he was grateful that after leaving Demon Card, he'd been able to set up several secret accounts in the front businesses used to fund Lucia's army. Thanks to them, he could still live the high-class lifestyle he was accustomed to.

"And at last, I have the freedom to enjoy it." He thought, smiling, as he entered the bar. Already, he was planning several things to do once the hullabaloo settled down. Take his yacht down for a little cruise by the coast, or go to the Higashi Alps for a relaxing skiing holiday… yes, the world was his to grasp.

As he moved towards the sherry decanter, he realized he was not alone in the room. He thought everyone had retired for the night, but there was someone there… A certain lavender haired goddess, who was sitting on one of the stools sipping a glass of lemonade. She stared at her lap, her gorgeous eyes half closed in thought. Iulius swallowed, suddenly feeling uneasy that she was here. Damn, why did he feel like this, amourous and frightened at the same time, whenever she was around? She was just a girl after all… albeit a wonderfully beautiful one

Belnika looked up. "Oh, Mister Iulius. I'm sorry, am I disturbing you?"

He managed to speak. "Why.. of course not. I just came for ah…" Damn, what did he come here for? She kept affecting his rational thought as well, blast her. "A sherry! Yes, just to help me sleep."

He hastily moved to the decanter, and poured himself a glass. "Would you care for some?"

She smiled. "No thank you. I'm fine with this lemonade." She lifted the glass to her lips, and tilted her head back to drain the liquid down. Iulius stared at her elegant neck, her moist lips and once again felt blessed to be in the presence of this earthly angel, even if she did make him act like a complete buffoon.

"Is anything wrong? I thought you would be resting after your ordeal today." He glanced at her belly with concern, the place where one of the Demon Gods had pierced her with an icicle. Despite the Mildean healers doing a good job on the wound, she should have been resting

"Oh it's not too bad." She shrugged. "I can't quite sleep anyway. I'm just so excited. You know, about tomorrow."

"Yes, I've been thinking about that myself. Should be one hell of a party. I imagine people are cutting loose and celebrating as we speak."

"True, but I wasn't thinking of that." She leaned her elbows on the bar. "I was thinking more about what I'm going to do, now there's no war."

Iulius blinked. "How odd. I was thinking that as well."

She grinned. "Great minds think alike I guess."

"Indeed. I was thinking of taking off to the alps. Get some skiing in, you know. It's been a while since I had a vacation. What about you?"

"Er…I'm not really sure." Her face took on a look of confusion. "I haven't really considered what I can do. I'm not sure what kind of job, or lifestyle I should look into. I suppose I should look into getting somewhere to live first. Maybe I'll go back to my father….

Suddenly he felt horribly guilty. Here he was bragging about his skiing plans, and she had nowhere to go or even live.

"Yes, that would be wise. But um… are you sure you'll be able to find a place?"

"I'll find somewhere, don't worry." She smiled. "That's one of the reasons I'm so excited really. I can finally start acting independent."

"I thought you were always independent."

"Not really. For most of my life, I was looked after by Hardner and my father. He made sure I never wanted for anything. Though if I'd known he was going to use me to destroy Makai, I would have told him to stuff all those fancy things he gave me. And even when Haru saved me and let me join the gang, I could never really hold my own in a fight. I had to keep relying on the others to help me out."

"Nonsense." He could remember how many a time, she had bravely taken on masses of foes using only her magic powers to hold them at bay. It easy to look at her and think she was frail, but she held a strong will within her. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"I wish I could believe that… but I'll just have to give it my best."

"You know, if you're stuck on things to do… you could always come with me?"

She blinked. "With you?"

He gulped. Had he really said that? "Er… on vacation with me! I've got a yacht, and you're welcome to spend a few days on the coast with me if you like."

"Oh…" She sounded rather surprised. "That's um.. nice.. but I really should concentrate on finding a place to live after everything's died down.

He face retained a smile, despite the disappointment. "Ah, or course. But please, don't be afraid to ask for my help. A beauty such as yourself should not have to face a new life totally alone.

That lovely smile of hers shone again. "Why thank you Mr Iulius. You're so good to me."

She moved toward the exit, patting his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Thank you for talking. I think I'll be able to sleep a bit better now."

He retained his composure. "Well, I hope so."

He watched as she walked out of the room, sighing as he did so.

"Goodnight… Nika-chan.."

He sipped his sherry, wishing it would somehow wash away this depression he was feeling. What was wrong with him. He was used to wooing women. He was a damn expert. Why could he not work his usual charm on her?

"Because she's not just some woman, is she? She's… perfection. She's beyond the grasp of mere mortals like you.."

He sighed, heading back to his room. An old phrase was resounding in his head, one that seemed all the more painful.

'Money can't buy you everything'

----------

Haru was resting on his bed, back against the headboard, examining the Ravelt sword and the Rave stone embedded in it. Time and time again, it never ceased to amaze him that the trinket sized stone contained the awesome power within it, the power to dispel evil, grant strength… to make a man a hero.

It saddened him to think he now had no use for it, and the sword. Musica had literally worked himself to death to make Ravelt, the ultimate form of the Ten Commandments. And Elie had spent days using her power to unite the Rave stones into one. After all that work, it was time to put them away..

It suddenly occurred to Haru. "Just what am I meant to do with them now?" It wasn't as if he could just stuff Rave in some closet and forget about it. He held the most powerful weapon in the world. Something like this needed to be kept somewhere where no one else could steal it or use it for evil ends. "I guess I could hide it on Garage island…"

He sighed at the thought of his home. He had decided that in the morning, he would make arrangements to go back to the island. He longed to see Cattleya, Genma and all the rest. But his friends.. would they come back with him? Doubtful, as they all had their own places to go back to. It broke his heart to think tomorrow might be the last time he would see them. At least Elie would be with him.

Elie… he recalled, just before they had left to fight Lucia, he had tried to sneak away so he could take on Lucia without the others. He'd had enough of them getting hurt. But Elie had found him, and berated him for leaving the others, telling him she, and they, were willing to fight along side him no matter. He'd felt so touched by Elie's devotion, so much that out of the blue, he'd asked if she would live with him on Garage Island.

He hadn't even meant to ask it, and had tried to cover it up. But she had smiled and happily accepted, and it had taken all his control not to dance a little jig.

His thoughts were broken when he heard the door open. Straightening up, he watched as Elie entered the room, her eyes wide with worry. Haru silently gasped. She wore only a large white shirt which fell to her knees, but with the moonlight shining though the nearby window, she looked luminous, her eyes shining brightly.

Damn. Why had it taken him so long to see how beautiful she was?

"Haru.. you're still awake?" Her voice was quiet, like a child's

"Yeah, just been thinking about stuff." He put the sword on the floor. "You okay?"

"Not really…" She glanced at her feet for a few seconds, then looked at him. "Can I sleep with you?"

His brain suddenly went haywire. "Wha.. you wanna… what?"

"I can't sleep, and I just thought… I'd feel better if I was next to you. But if you don't want me to…

"It's okay!" He replied a bit hastily. He moved to the side of the bed, and patted at the space left. There's room, you can sleep here if you want.

"Thanks."

He was very still as she slipped under the covers next to him. He felt her legs slide against his as she made herself comfortable, and it took effort not to sigh and let her know he liked the feel of her skin against his.

Finally, they both lay back on the pillows. While Elie stared up at the ceiling, Haru's gaze was instantly turn to her.

"Thanks for this Haru… I just couldn't sleep." Her voice took a slight timbre. "Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing him, sneering at me and leering with those crazy eyes of his."

He frowned, remembering how Lucia had taken Elie and tried to possess her power before he had turned up to confront him.

"I'd never been more scared… I thought he was going to kill me there and then."

His hand moved across to grasp her's in a comforting motion. "It's alright Elie… he'd gone now. He can't hurt you or anyone else ever again."

"I know… but I wonder if we'll ever have to fight anything like the Endless again. I know we defeated it, but…" A tear slid down her face. "I don't want to go through anything like this ever again."

Her pleas tugged at his heartstrings, and once again, he moved with instinct to comfort her. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close for a hug.

"You won't have to. The world's at peace now. And I don't think the Endless will be coming back anytime soon."

Her famous smile reappeared. "I guess…"

Haru had never felt more comfortable in a bed than he did as that moment. Holding Elie next to him, her warmth against his skin, her soft scent in his nostrils, her breathing close to his ear… He'd never felt more content than when he was with her. No matter what was going on around him, with Elie close by, the world was alright. But reality was still around to bother him, and he was soon wondering whether he could make a home for her on his island…

"Haru… is something wrong?" She spoke.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"Must be pretty bad. You've got that frown on your face again."

When had she gotten so good at reading him?

"Well… I'm just wondering what I'm gonna do, now I don't have to be the Rave Master anymore."

"Oh…"

"I want to go home, but after all we've been through… can I stay there? I don't want to go back to my boring old life before I found Rave… but I don't know what to do with the rest of it."

He looked at her, as if hoping she would come up with some answer. She had changed so much of his life already, hell, why not ask her for career advice?

She looked at him, her shining eyes lowered in thought, then opening wide as she had a revelation. "I know what you should do."

"You do?" He was ready to accept any advice she had. Surely, even she would know what kind of life he… no they could have

"You should… throw a huge party!"

He blinked. "What?"

"A party. You know, a big victory bash." She sounded highly excited. "We'll invite all our friends and all the guys who helped us. We could hold it on Garage Island, seeing as we're going there."

"I don't see how…"

"Haru.." Her hand moved up to touch his shoulder. "You're free to have whatever life you want now. We all are. And before we all start our new lives, we should celebrate the fact that we are free, and spend some time with our friends before they go."

She smiled impishly. "Plus, we did just save the world. We can't go without a party to celebrate that."

"True…" He smiled, the idea of a party on Garage sounding pretty good. At least, he would be able to be around his friends for a little longer..

"Yeah… I think you're right Elie. I should throw a party. Hell, I will."

"You will!" Elie gasped.

"Sure. We'll get back to Garage Island as soon as possible, and set things up there."

"Gear!" She cried out with glee. "But we're gonna need plenty of stuff."

"I'll talk to Ruby, see if he can buy it for us."

"We should get a band. You know, to play music."

"You know, I think some of Musica's crew play instruments..

"Plus we gotta get…" Her expression turned to confused. "Do we need anything else?"

"Good friends, food, music… I think that's all we need really." He smiled. "Come on, we should get some sleep. I got a feeling we're gonna be busy tomorrow, and you need to rest."

"As you wish.." Elie settled down and closed her eyes. Seconds passed in silence, and before she succumbed to slumber, she managed to speak.

"I'm so glad you're here… Haru.."

He watched her as she slept, feeling eternally grateful she was here. He'd been so worried that she would not survive the final battle, scared that Lucia would kill her. But they had made it, and she was here, and they could be together. What life they could have together.. well, he would think of that later. Right now, it didn't matter

He softly kissed her forehead. "I'll always be here for you… always."

He settled into sleep, ready for a brand new day.

To be continued...