Wow...The last chapter. I can't believe it. Well, I hope you enjoy...

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Borne Up on Angel Wings

Chapter 10

---

The fog swirled and billowed in her mind. No! She had to fight it! Death would not make a fool of her yet. Not in spite of what she went through, but because of it!

Her eyelids fluttered, paused for a moment, as if unsure what to do next, and finally lifted to reveal two weary, tired eyes. Shion woke up in a stupefied daze in the infirmary at Vector's offices on Second Miltia, but she didn't know that. She had a hard time remembering her own name.

"Uh..." She gave a noncommital groan, acknowledging to the world that even in such a weakened condition, death could proceed to kiss her ass.

"Shion!"

"Chief!"

Familiar voices belonging to familiar faces rushed over to her beside. She blinked. The tall one was Allen, the annoying one was Myuki. She hadn't exhibited any traits of being annoying just yet, but somehow Shion knew.

"Are you alright?" Myuki asked, kneeling gently besides Shion.

"Y–yes." She lied, and managed with great difficulty to sit up in her bed. She felt as if sludge had caked around her brain, causing an unpleasant state of amnesia. "What happened?" She mumbled.

"Proto Omega!" Allen began excitedly, no wait, he was the annoying one, she remembered, "You destroyed it! You and KOS-MOS and everyone else! You guys were unbelievable! I...I can't believe it!"

Myuki nodded in agreement. Shion fought the sludge in her brain and racked her memory for any sort of recollection she had about...anything. "Myuki," she moaned, "I thought you were in critical condition. "

"I was, Shion!" She nodded excitedly again, "But then, all of a sudden I felt this–this," She seemed to be grappling for the right words, "This bright light. It was beautiful–a shimmering silver–and then...I felt perfect. It was the most amazing thing. The doctors were floored. I told them about the light but obviously they didn't believe a word of what I said (who would, right?) And they said they had never seen such a fast recovery before in their lives. I didn't want to tell you before, Shion, because I didn't want you to feel guilty, but I was told that after the attack on the Dammerung I would never be able to walk again. But now..." She got up and twirled happily so that Shion could see, "I'm in better health than I was before I got attacked!"

"Myuki...That's fantastic." Shion smiled, "I'm so happy." Silver light? A bit of the sludge dislodged, and she managed to grab hold of an errant memory.

"KOS-MOS!" She exclaimed, "How is she?"

Allen smiled excitedly, "You'll never believe this Shion, but—the whole Development Team is in hysterics—she's totally different now...Human!"

Was he drinking again? "Well..." Shion began, "She is a humanoid Anti-Gnosis weapon—"

"No, I mean really! I ran some tests on her mainframe before. All her processors are inactive!" He almost squealed.

Shion's brow furrowed, "What does that mean?"

"It means they've been replaced with flesh and blood!"

More sludge receded. KOS-MOS's awakening...Lost Jerusalem...

"Oh my God!" Shion shouted, bolting up in bed, "I remember we were falling...falling towards Lost Jerusalem..."

Allen gasped, "So it wasn't an illusion? It really exists! The entire Federation is going nuts now because a new Star System appeared in the third quadrant of the galaxy...Do you think it's Lost Jerusalem's Solar System? Is the Executive Committee..."

Shion wasn't listening. The fog in her head was clearing quickly, and memories came flooding back to her, like water bursting from a dam...

"CHAOS!" She screamed, getting to her feet but collapsing instantly as her legs refused to support her. Allen and Myuki lunged forward to catch her.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going?" Myuki grunted, helping Shion back into her bed, "The nurse said you shouldn't even be talking! Let alone trying to stand!"

Since when did Myuki listen to people? "Where's chaos?" Shion asked again, her mind clearing frightfully quickly, sharp and shining like crystal. She remembered Kevin's hellish attack, the agony that tore across her abdomen, and how chaos had absorbed her wound, saving her life.

"He's at the Second Miltian Hospital." Allen told her calmly, "The others are there with him...I chose to stay here with you..."

Shion suddenly felt insanely guilty and extremely uncomfortable, "Allen—"

"No, Shion, listen." He called her Shion? "I know I've made things kind of awkward between us. In the past I haven't been very good at expressing my feelings, so I'm going to change that now: I don't want to lose the greatest colleague and the best friend I ever had. I love you Shion, and for the longest time I thought my feelings for you were romantic, but I discovered, after one battle to many, that I cared for you in a more brotherly way. I masked my genuine concern for you with fabricated infatuation—because our friendship meant so much to me, and if it fell through I could pretend it was because you didn't share my romantic feelings, but they were never really there in the first place. So...I guess what I'm trying to say (not very well) is that I just want things to be back to normal. You and me, best buddies at work, cutting corners when the Director isn't looking...That sort of thing."

Shion smiled. He never had been very good at expressing himself, but that was part of who he was, "I'd like that too Allen. Our friendship means a lot to me." She sat up and hugged him, motioning for Myuki to come too.

"Are you crying Myuki?" She asked at the sounds of stifled sobs.

"This is just so sweet!" She sniffed, "Allen, promise Shion you'll never have a falling-out with her again—or with me—and that you'll always support us in when we're in need."

"Uh...but—" He mumbled.

"PROMISE!"

"Ok, OK! I promise."

Shion laughed, suddenly feeling much better, "After the battle, was anybody seriously hurt?" She asked on a more serious note, hoping the answer was negative.

"Well, Wilhelm's been pretty banged up," Myuki told her, "He's innocent now though. Whatever it was that was controlling him is gone. Hopefully for good. As for everyone else, just some scratches and bruises, nothing nano-technology can't cure. As for chaos..." She let her voice trail off, cursing herself for bringing him up.

"He's not...He's alive, right?" Shion asked, her voice wavering.

Allen shrugged sadly, "I don't know. He was still alive when KOS-MOS and the others brought him to the ER, but..." He stopped once he noticed Shion fidgeting uneasily in her bed, but continued anyway, "You should go to him."

"What?" Myuki hit him over the head, "Allen, are you nuts! Shion isn't supposed to leave this room!"

"He wasn't doing well Myuki!" Allen said, his voice suddenly painfully somber, "I know this is difficult to hear, but we have to be realistic, for chaos's sake. He's probably not going to make it. He was hurt really, really badly. I'm sure Shion has something to say to him...At the very least 'goodbye.'" His eyes suddenly watered, "I know I would want to say my last words to somebody I loved...before it's too late."

Oh my God. Allen was right. She shot up to her feet again. This time her knees didn't buckle. To the contrary, her limbs seemed to be made of flexible steel. She barreled past them, suddenly very, very afraid. She didn't think she would be able to live with herself if chaos died before she could thank him...before she could tell him everything she felt, especially after what had happened.

"Shion!" Myuki shouted after her, "You crazy, crazy person, you're in no condition to go running off—" But Allen silenced her.

Shion skidded to a halt and whipped around in the infirmary's doorway, staring at Allen and Myuki, "You guys are the best thing that have ever happened to me since I joined Vector!" She shouted teary-eyed. And then she was gone.

—

"How is he?"

Jr.'s voice left his lips in a strained whisper as he gazed at chaos's motionless body. MOMO was kneeling at his bedside, glowing softly with healing Ether, attempting to cure the smaller of his wounds. She and the doctors (all employed by the Kukai foundation, Jr. wanted only the absolute best to look after chaos) had just allowed visitors into chaos's room.

"Not good." One of the medics shook his head, "The wound across his abdomen is unlike anything we've ever seen before. None of our nano-treatment seams to be working."

MOMO cried softly at chaos's side, knowing full well that her healing spells wouldn't cure the wound either, but she stubbornly kept casting. She looked at his silent body, swathed in a white hospital gown. His usually tan, healthy was now pale and sickly, blending eerily with his gown. All of his vital stats had dropped dangerously below normal.

Jr. bit his lip, following MOMO's gaze to chaos's body, "Well...He stopped bleeding." Jr. offered hopefully.

"Yes," the doctor averted Jr.'s gaze, "The only way we could stop the loss of blood was through the use of stitches."

Jr. frowned, "What are stitches?"

"Er...they're thin sinews used to...sew up severed skin."

"WHAT?" He gazed at chaos, shocked, "You sewed him up like a doll?" He looked scandalized.

The doctor tried to pacify him, "I know it sounds crude and it is a very primitive procedure, but stitches were commonplace in the age of Lost Jerusalem. Besides, the blood is clotting nicely, so they appear to be working."

Jr. seemed reassured.

"Even so..." The doctor frowned and pulled Jr. aside, away from the ears of his other colleagues, and lowered his voice to a confidential whisper, "Little Master...Is the patient really human?"

"Wh–yeah, huh?"

"What I mean to say is, has he undergone any illegal life-recycling, genetic engineering, or DNA mutation procedures?"

"No-no. Not at all. Why?"

"We've run some blood tests, and while most of his cells check out as normal, we've found some proteins in his blood that are...well, we've never seen them before. They're unidentified!"

Jr. shifted uneasily, "Is that a problem?"

"Yes. The patient's spleen has extinguished all its reserves of blood, and he's lost already too much blood as is. He won't survive unless we preform a blood transfusion immediately, but do to the unusual characteristics of his bloodstream, we can't identify his blood type!"

A lump formed in Jr.'s throat, "C–can't you just transfuse chaos with the O-type? I thought O was the universal doner."

The doctor shook his head sadly, "No, we can't, because the antigens on his red blood cells are unidentified. His blood cells have an unusual and never-before-seen molecular structure. A transfusion of the wrong blood-type will kill him. We can't afford to take that risk."

"Damn," Jr. swore, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Yes!"

All heads turned to the room's sliding door. KOS-MOS rushed in, looking worried but fiercely determined. "I'm the patient's sister!" She told the doctor, "We share the same blood type. I'll donate."

The doctor was taken aback, "Um...well, of course—but, you're not one of our registered doners, you'd have to fill out—"

"That's not important right now!" KOS-MOS cried, a passion in her blue eyes that Jr. had never seen before, "This is a hospital, isn't it? My brother could die! Isn't saving his life your priority?"

"...Yes, your right. My apologies." The doctor nodded. Screw protocol. "MOMO is it? Yes, please hand me those syringes."

—

Rest assured, I won't leave before saying goodbye.

The evening twilight in Second Miltia flashed past Shion in a whirring blur as she bolted faster than she had ever run before to the city's core...to the hospital. Neon lights streaked past her, the hustle and bustle of the city was all around her, people walking, children playing, car horns blaring impatiently in congested traffic...life surged around her in the pulsating metropolis. Life...so precious, yet so fragile. She didn't feel or hear any of it. All she heard was the sound of her heart beating furiously in her ears. All she felt was the hard ground as her feet met and left it beneath her almost instantaneously.

Rocketing towards downtown Second Miltia, she wove like a thunderbolt through the crowds, j-walking, angering drivers. She tore across a four-lane, two way street. Cars screeched to a stop around her, honking viciously. One car didn't stop in time. She leapt over it, her heal hitting the trunk, then the roof, then she cleared the vehicle entirely as passerbys watched amazed. She didn't care. She was too scared to feel fear, too hurt to feel pain. The only prayer than sang in her heart and reached the most profound depths of her soul was that she wasn't too late...that he hadn't left without saying goodbye.

She turned a corner and raced into the hospital.

—

"You ok, KOS-MOS?" Jr. asked as the doctor bandaged her arm and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. chaos's blood level was back to normal, but still...

"Yes. Thank you." She smiled and stared at the computer that monitored chaos's life functions, "but he's..." The waves on the screen indicating his heartbeat and brain activity were dangerously, dangerously low. They sagged, whimpered, and suddenly became cold, harsh horizontal bars.

"No..." MOMO whimpered. The screen flashed red once, twice, and then went blank.

"NO!" Jr. cried, grabbing hold of the doctor, "No, no, no, doctor! Come on, do a cardiac resuscitation! Get those charge things! Shock his heart! COME ON!"

"Little Master..." The doctor blinked furiously, placing his hands on Jr.'s shoulders, "It's too late. There's nothing I can do now. I'm so sorry..."

Hot tears rolled down Jr.'s cheeks.

—

Shion blazed through the hospital. She tore past the reception desk, knocked over an idle wheelchair, and stormed at an inhuman speed down the main corridor. She saw two paramedics roll out a body on a stretcher, covered with a white sheet. She didn't know if it was chaos. She didn't care; she just kept running, too afraid to do otherwise, too afraid to believe she had lost him forever.

I love you so much...I'd lay down my life for you...

"Damn it chaos!" She screamed. She had pulled him off a cross. She had rescued him from a perilous drop to Lost Jerusalem. She wound not lose him now! "I love you too!"

—

The room was quiet, save for MOMO's soft sobs. All around, the silence of death roared in everyone's ears. The doctor had long since abandoned the 'three guests maximum' rule, and allowed the rest of the Elsa's crew into chaos's room. Jin looked shell-shocked, at a complete loss for words. Ziggy bowed his head somberly. Of all people, chaos did not deserve this. He was so noble, so brave, so kind. chaos's frame blurred and watered as Jr. failed to blink away hot, stinging tears...as he failed to comfort a crying MOMO in his arms. KOS-MOS sat at chaos's bedside, hunched over, holder her head. Her shimmering blue hair fell in long locks over her shoulders, covering her face...her tears...her anguish.

Captain Mathews, Tony, and Hammer burst into the room, shoving away a nurse who was about to complain that too many people were in the operating room.

"Let us in!" The Captain bellowed, "We're his crew-mates!"

Tony collapsed on his knees at chaos's side, teary-eyed, his voice wavering, "chaos, buddy, it's us!" Both the Captain and Hammer seemed too petrified to speak...

Damn it chaos! I love you too!

Beep. Everyone jumped, startled by the computer's sharp outburst. Beep, beep, beep. Jr. wiped away his tears and stared at the blinking screen. A neat, symmetrical wave pulsated under the word Heartbeat.

"Oh my God..." MOMO whimpered against his neck, too scared to turn around.

Another sound filled the room, echoing with the computer's song of life, the sound of air rushing through thirsty but very alive lungs. chaos's eyes shot open, and it seemed as if in that moment the entire room were bathed in a warm emerald glow.

"Shion..." He whispered. KOS-MOS almost flew off the bed in excitement, extending a hand and helping her brother to his feet. His eyes were brilliant, his skin appeared to be glowing, "She's here..."

A bang, and then the sliding door came crashing down, wrenched from its hinges. Shion plowed into the room, knocking over her brother, running over Ziggy, almost stepping on Tony.

"chaos!" She cried, her face overjoyed, eyes mimicking his... She flew across the room and flung her arms around him, feeling chaos's warmth...feeling his love.

—

Shion stood with Allen and Myuki in front of the Vector Wing of the Second Miltian Hospital. A nurse emerged from one of the wards, "It's alright." She smiled, "You can go in now."

The colleagues stepping in nervously and found (to their shock) their once powerful and dignified President bandaged, sickly, and in critical condition, lying in a nano-treatment recovery bed. His eyes were a deep, chocolate hazel.

"G–good evening, Mr. President." Shion muttered nervously.

Wilhelm nodded politely, then blushed, "Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten quite a lot, and I've just been brought back from general anaesthesia. Would you mind introducing yourself?"

"Certainly," Shion smiled, "I'm Shion Uzuki, Director of First R&D Division and Chief Engineer of the KOS-MOS Development Team. This is Allen Ridgely, the Assistant Chief of Integrated Operation System Development, and Myuki Itsumi, a former programmer who now works in Second Division."

Their president nodded weakly, "Pleased to meet you." He paused for a moment, "I've been told briefly of what I have done and how I used my company to fulfill my ghastly needs. To say am I filled with self-loathing is an understatement. I am repulsed by my actions, and I wish I had never been brought into this world..."

"No," Shion shook her head. Her president's eyes were calm and sorrowful, nothing like the ruthless red monstrosities she had seen before, "Don't say that. The person who is lying in front of me is innocent. You were under the influence of U-DO. Before your poisoning, your company did a lot of good. There is no reason to sell yourself short."

Wilhelm sighed, "I wish to thank you for liberating me from that torture. I have no memories of my contamination with U-DO, all I remember is a world of pain and suffering. I know now that I will be forever in your debt."

"No, don't mention it." The words flew out of her mouth before Shion could stop herself, "After all, we all need a little help sometimes."

Wilhelm smiled, "I remember nothing, but I've been informed that I've caused a boy named Yeshua great anguish...How is he?"

Shion smiled, "Just fine. He's in physical therapy right now, but the doctors are optimistic that his recovery will be fast and complete."

Her president seemed greatly relieved. His eyes wandered to a plaque in the center of his room. It read: Vector Wing of The Second Miltian Hospital, Named in honor of the generous contribution made by Vector Industries to our institution. We extend our most heartfelt and sincerest thanks.

"You know," Wilhelm began, "I'm disgusted with the path Vector has taken in the past fifteen years. We've become a company of war. I wish to remedy that. I want my company to re-enter the business of helping people. I think it's high time that a rich and successful conglomerate such as mine used its power and influence for charitable enterprises.

Shion nodded, "I would love that."

"I'm glad," Wilhelm chuckled, "because you will be very busy as Director of First Division. Starting today, Vector Industries will turn a new leaf and use all its resources to fund our hospitals, improve our schools, give aid to the underprivileged, and transport our military weapons to where they are needed most—fighting the Gnosis. You'll see, Ms. Uzuki, Mr. Rigdley, Ms. Itsumi, you are my witnesses. You'll see in you lifetimes that it will become an honorable and noble thing to work for Vector!"

—

Shion exited Wilhelm's room, looking elated. She sighed deeply, and spotted KOS-MOS down the hall across from her...smiling...warm...human. Neither woman said anything, they just raced into each other's arms.

"KOS-MOS!" Shion cried happily, not sure why she was suddenly so overtaken by an outburst of emotion. She stared into KOS-MOS's eyes...so blue! No Development Team could ever produce that color.

"So..." She breathed, "You really are human...more than human, an angel!"

KOS-MOS laughed, "I'm 'a being born from the highest plane of the Unus Mundus.' Angel sounds better though."

Shion stared, "My gosh...you're so different!" An unexpected happiness surged through her, as if Shion had waited her whole life to meet KOS-MOS, and now she was standing in front of her.

"No I'm not! I'm still the same KOS-MOS you've always known." She smiled, "This part of me was always inside, hidden behind a robotic visage. It came out a few times before, but today I woke up completely, because you were in mortal danger..."

"It's incredible. It feels like I've only just met you, but I've known you for the longest time."

KOS-MOS giggled again, her voice soft and sweet, almost like a song, "I thought you'd like to know, chaos is much better now. The doctors practically kicked him out of physical therapy, saying he didn't need any. They even removed his stitches because there's no wound anymore. They say he's in perfect health!"

"Amazing..." Shion breathed.

"Listen, Shion," KOS-MOS's voice suddenly turned somber, "It's not safe for the path to Lost Jerusalem to be left open. It's too early. There are still many secrets locked within its ancient grounds that mankind is not ready to see."

Shion looked at her quizically, "So...you're going to close the path?"

"Tonight, when I go to sleep, the path will close. When I wake up, I'll be an android again."

"NO!" She grabbed KOS-MOS's shoulders, "You can't! I-I've only just found you! I don't want this part of you to leave..." Her sentence ended in a stifled sob.

KOS-MOS smiled tenderly, "Shion, don't cry. I'm not going anywhere! This part of me is always here, it always has been, and I'm sure that in the future it will come out more often."

Shion sniffled, "I'll still miss you..."

"Don't worry. I'll wake up again, when the time comes. Permanently. Until then, watch out for me. I'm closer to you than you think, I always have been. All you have to do is open your eyes." KOS-MOS winked.

Shion nodded and hugged her again, wondering how long it would be before she heard that sweet voice or saw those celestial blue eyes again. She kicked herself mentally too late as her emotions got the best of her, "I love you KOS-MOS."

"I love you too, Shion, and so does my brother. More than you could imagine." She grinned, and her eyes lit up, "Oh, speaking of which, there was something he wanted to show you before I closed the path to Lost Jerusalem."

"What's that?"

—

The Elsa rumbled softly above the ground of an ancient world, and finally touched down, raising a small cloud of clay and dust. Shion emerged into dazzling sunlight, followed by her awestruck friends. They gazed upon the marble ruins before them, and fell somberly silent, afraid that disturbing the noble majesty of the scenery with their voices would be disrespectful to the power and the glory of the ruins shining around them.

Mathews sank to a sitting position on the cobblestoned ground, overtaken with amazement. He had lived and seen, but nothing came close to this: the grandeur of the ancients. He looked at the ground momentarily to shield his eyes from the blazing sun, and spotted a loose cobblestone. Smiling with awe (and a little more than a bit of avarice) he picked it up and turned it around in his hands. How much would a genuine cobblestone from this part of Lost Jerusalem be worth? He pocketed it happily, and envisioned his conversation with Shion:

"Captain! That's an artifact from Lost Jerusalem! The planet's supposed to be sealed, and you stole something from it!"

"Relax! It's just a rock. Do you have any idea how much this thing is worth?"

"That's not the point! You're disrespecting the ancients–"

"A quarter of a trillion dollars. One rock."

"...How many of those cobblestones you got?"

—

She found him gazing in awe in the midst of the ruins, facing the most magnificent temple Shion had ever seen.

"Hi." She whispered, walking shyly up to him, herself overwhelmed by the majesty of the place. He smiled warmly at her, and took her hand.

"chaos... Where are we exactly?" She breathed as her eyes fell upon the tall, marble columns, the sweeping arcs, the domed churches, and the beautifully corniced temples that were all part of an ancient city that seemed to stretch to the horizon.

"Rome." He whispered, his eyes locked almost in a trance at the columns of the Forum Romanum. "The capital of the ancient world. This, Shion, is arguably where it all began. The history of this place is almost as overwhelming as the vastness of the cosmos. I–I wanted to see the place where our ancients, following the steps of their Greek cousins, shook off for the first time the shackles of ignorance and created liberty, science, drama, democracy, classical art and architecture, and passed the torch on to Europe, to the Western World, and finally to the farthest reaches of the galaxy our intellectual and philosophical heritage. This culture, this heritage, our roots, is the one that withstood the test of time. Humanity's history can be traced either directly or indirectly to this city. We are looking, Shion, at the earliest dawn of modern civilization."

She breathed in respectful silence, gazed at the crumbling ruins that still retained all of the glory they had when the city was in its prime. She walked along the same path her ancient ancestors walked on thousands and thousands of years ago. The feeling gave her goose bumps.

"It's beautiful," She murmured, "Thank you. Thank you for showing me...me and my brother, and everybody! Words can't describe..."

He grinned at her, "Mankind is impressive, but as glorious as these ruins are, this isn't what I wanted to show you." He scooped her up gently into his arms, "No matter how far humanity progresses, there are still some things we just can't top."

With that he unfurled his wings and tore into the air, rocketing West, carrying a surprised and giggling Shion, leaving a trail of angel feathers in his wake as he chased the sun across the sky.

—

He alighted on the Italian coastline, salty seawater lapping at his and Shion's ankles.

"chaos! What are you doing?" She laughed, "I can't see anything–ah!–are we in water?"

"Shh, it's a surprise, just follow my lead for a minute." His right hand covered her eyes; he didn't want her to see what he was about to show her just yet. He waded a few feet through the water, leading her forward gently unitl they had an uninterrupted view all the way to the horizon.

"Remember the day we had to clear out the Elsa? I found you grumbling to yourself in one of the cabins..."

You mean the day I fell hopelessly in love with you? She remembered, how could one forget?

"...Remember what we talked about? We began bemoaning the fact that we would never see the sun that gave birth to mankind."

"Oh yeah, you said something about a sunset. That the solar panels at the Kukai Foundation were nice but that they'd never match up to a real thing, that they'd never mimic a true sunset on Lost Jeru—" Her heart skipped a beat.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" He grinned, and removed his hand from her face.

She gasped, her eyes went wide, her mouth dropped. It was almost too overwhelming at first. She felt as if she should shield her eyes, as if she wasn't worthy enough to see something so beautiful. The oranges! The pinks! The reds! She gasped again, staggered back, fell to her knees into the water, chaos joining her, laughing sweetly. The sky was a canvas splashed with unspeakably gorgeous orange and red light, streaking out in all directions, tinting the clouds pink, illuminating the world in a soft, almost magical glow. It felt surreal, and as if the jaw-dropping majesty of the sky weren't enough, all of its grandeur was reflected off a fiery Mediterranean, the sea glowing in sync with the colors above it. Sunlight shimmered off the water, making every ripple dance with light. Shion had to grip chaos's hands to stop from shaking, the beauty was all around her, splashing at the water around her legs, shining in the clouds above her, glowing off a momentarily orange and pink coastline; radiant color burst from every facet of Lost Jerusalem in soft beams of light. Her entire world, for one spectacular moment, was perfect.

And in an instant it was gone. The glowing sun—the sun, whose rays gave rise to life, to humanity itself, without whose rays there would be no life, no humanity, no history, no beauty to admire—slipped gently behind the calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and the colors receded. The glow dimmed, casting its light one last time across the water, dancing through her hair, sparkling off his eyes, as if to bid them goodbye. Soon the sunlight surrendered to the night, and the world changed again. An ocean of stars twinkled above their heads, as they splashed each other under the silver light of a full moon.

She pushed him playfully and he grabbed her, dragging her down with him, both laughing happily like children as they crashed into the sea's warm waters.

"Oh my God!" She sighed, yanking him closer to her, wiping the wet, platinum locks out of his eyes, "That was...I can't even find the words to describe it! You weren't kidding when you said that a sunset on Lost Jerusalem was the most beautiful thing ever! You'd think the ones on Second Milita would be the same, right? But there's just something special about this place, not just the colors, but the whole feeling you get when you stare up at the amazing sky!" She giggled, caressing his cheeks, "Thanks for sharing that with me. I'd never seen anything so beautiful before, never in my wildest dreams." Well...maybe his eyes, but she wasn't about to turn into a pile of fluffy mush at his feet right that minute, although the sunset did certainly catalyze fluffy mushy reactions from her. Maybe that was the reason he brought her here...how devious!... She would have to hold out for at least ten minutes...

"You're welcome," He smiled, blushing, "There's nobody else I'd rather share it with."

And watch how Shion turns to pudding. She made to grab him and pull him into a hot, passionate kiss, but he eluded her and took off through the water.

"Hey!" She yelled, chasing after him, "Get your cute little ass back over here, angel-boy, I'm not through with you!"

He turned around, his eyes shining in the moonlight, and motioned for her to catch him, "Come get me then! Watch out for crabs though, some of them aren't so gentle."

"I'll show you gentle!" She growled and pounced on him, but she missed by a hair as his wings unfurled and he rocketed up into the sky...and she rocketed down into the sea, causing a wave of almost tidal proportions.

"Ooh, so close. And to think Jr. always tells me 'hey chaos, you're sooo slow!'"

She spat out a mouthful of seawater, "That's cheating! You...cheater! Flying's not fair!"

He twirled around in the air mischievously, taunting her, "Then come on up here and pull me back down...sexy."

Shion tripped. When chaos flirted unexpectedly her mind reeled.

"What's wrong?" He laughed, "You had no trouble flying before, Miss Golden-Winged, Chosen of the Unus Mundus, Lifesaver!"

"Yeah, well, how 'bout I shove you off a cliff, and then we'll see if I can rescue you or not!"

"How 'bout we play a game of volleyball...naked!"

"chaos!" The mysteries never ceased. What brought about this sudden but certainly not undesired change in him? She liked to think she had that effect on him. And judging by the way he was staring at her, she thought she was right.

He cartwheeled through the air, seemingly floating through the stars, and floated upwards a bit.

"Where are you going?" She laughed, feeling the soft sea breeze through her hair, the same breeze that ruffled his wings.

"I'm going back to the Unus Mundus!" chaos cried, trying his best (but failing miserably) to look serious and melancholy. "I'm needed in another prophecy. This one's about monkeys!"

She covered her mouth in mock horror, "Oh no! You're going to sacrifice yourself to the monkeys?"

"No! Why would I do that? I have to insure the banana imports are going well up in Heaven's Ruins!"

She scowled and tried to look drunk, "Quit your stupid crap and get down here!" She yelled in an uncanny imitation of Captain Mathews.

He laughed, but quickly recovered with an overly dramatic look of sadness, "I can't. My destiny is forever linked with the fate of the Zohar. My sister and I, our paths are already set. Our destinies begin and end with the extermination of the Gnosis."

"Screw destiny!" She cried, even though she realized that a part of his statement was true. They were not, as far as she knew, completely out of the woods yet. The Gnosis still roamed the universe. KOS-MOS had said it was too early to reveal the path to Lost Jerusalem. Maybe there was more left to be done, more adventures to chase, more missions to follow. chaos's life, while saved by Shion's endeavors, was still linked mysteriously with the happenings of the Zohar.

He left her gaze momentarily, and stared up at the dizzying night sky. Up there, in the stars, his relatives and ancestors smiled down upon him. All the Aeons and the Seraphim, all the angels and the divine who had chosen him to fulfill his quest, to become part human, to safeguard humanity's life, which was both so resilient and yet so fragile. Up there, swimming in the ocean of stars, lay everyone he had ever known. Everyone he had ever loved...except for one.

He pivoted again in the air, and blazed downwards like a comet, trailing a silvery aura behind him. He grabbed a startled Shion and carried her back up into the air, kissing her sweetly and softly at first, before she could respond in kind and fill their hearts with more fire then either of them had ever felt.

"So..." He gasped, once their warm lips parted, "I gather we'll be having your curry tonight?"

She giggled in a way that ignited his passion to unknown temperatures, "among other things..." She grinned seductively.

The most interesting shade of crimson lighted his cheeks, "You're something, you know that?"

She laughed somewhat devilishly, and attacked his lips again, "Thank you..." She murmured against his lips, "Thank you for everything."

And she knew, as he held her there, borne up on angel wings above the shimmering Mediterranean, beneath the starlight sky, that she would do everything in her power to help him through his quest. Whatever his destiny may be, whatever truths lay hidden behind his green eyes, Shion would help him, because love was worth the risk, love stretched beyond the limits of humanity, beyond good and evil, beyond all the pain and sorrow she had previously felt. And no matter what the universe had in store for them, she could rest assured; because through him her pain subsided, her scars faded, and even a heart that was once as cynical and closed up as hers could find hope in the warm, pacifying, emerald eyes that she lost herself in over and over again.

- - - -fin- - - -

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...Oh my God, this is my...first...completed...fic...EVER! I–I it's—I don't even know where to begin! For the first time since I started writing this story, I'm at a loss for words. Go figure.

I guess I should start with the thank you's, because Lord knows there are people to be thanked. You all know who you are. You've read this story, commented, reviewed, kept me writing even through the horrible periods of writer's block, lifted my self-esteem off the ground when I felt like I couldn't string two words together. I never dreamed my story would ever be as widely read as it is. When I wrote the first chapter four months ago (has it really been that long?) I was returning to fanfiction after three and a half years of creative doldrums. I'd been just coming out of a really rocky period in my life, one of those moments in life when I felt really, really depressed, when the only thing I met was failure, in all aspects of life—school, friends, relationships—and when my self-worth was somewhere between the ground and the sole of my shoe. I really just wanted to give up and crawl under my bed for the remainder of my life. But then stuff started to happen, my grades came home, and I graduated high-school with honors (which made me happy) I got this nice letter from this nice college (which made me happier, considering I had eight not-so-nice letters from eight other colleges that were not-so-nice...to me) and things just started to change...for the better (because when you've hit rock bottom, you can only go up...unless you get a shovel, which I've done a few times) and this story was part of the change.

I know this sounds so not like a "you're supposed to be a level-headed, almost eighteen year old, get a grip, boy!" remark but it's true: at a time when I didn't feel any worth or validation for myself, I had to start borrowing it from other people who didn't think I should crawl under my bed for the rest of my life; and you guys were a part of those people. I wrote the first chapter and said what the hell, worst thing that happens, it just sits there. And I really wasn't expecting much. I didn't think I'd get a reception any better then when I published my first Digimon stories ages and ages ago, which I've re-read now and they're terrible! And no, I'm not fishing for compliments here, they are really, really bad. But I figured, hey, I write better now then I did when I didn't know the difference between an adjective and an adverb, so...why not?

And then the reviews came...and they kept coming and I read them and I was floored. Completely floored, because it felt like I was suddenly doing something right for a change. And I only have you guys to thank...and maybe my unhealthy obsession with RPG's.

Wow...I guess I wasn't at a loss for words after all..hee, hee. Enough of that emotional crap, I'm starting to feel like violins should be playing in the background. Without further ado, here is the wonderful:

THANK-A-THON!

Because when I do things, I do them to a "t." If you've reviewed this story before midnight on Septermber 11, 2005, you will be thanked. I've listed the reviewers in order of appearance, by their first reviews (if you left more then one). Once I become Supreme Ruler of The World, I'll appoint all of you to very lucrative positions in my staff of advisors. Here we go...

Silver Nightingale: My first reviewer, so you're special by default. You started a chain reaction that made me want to write again, just for the sake of writing, so thank you.

KP-X: Oh my God, where do I begin? You said this story was your favorite fanfiction ever, you said you got lost in my writing, you said I have talent, you said you're sad the story is over (guess what, me too...) You said you re-read it twice! You're like...my favorite person ever right about now! You did question my manliness though, which was a bit of a blow to the ego, but in light of everything else you said, I easily forgive you, and then some! Thanks for making me feel like Charles Dickens every time I updated a chapter (Insert super mega smiley face here that yells "thank you, you're awesome!") Expect a dedication in my next Xenosaga story.

Wends: Is my other favoritest person in the world right now. Every time you've left a review I've practically fallen off my chair, the one for chapter 4 is probably my favorite. But for all of them, you were honest, succinct, and made me feel all giddy when I read them. I thanked you before, but you know what, you're so wonderful that I'm gonna thank you again! Oh, and thanks for the college advice. Here I was thinking I could ride my parents' tuition dollars partying the semester away...Oh well. Oh and by the way, once I become Supreme Ruler of The World, I'm putting you in charge of all military operations, and you can feel free to do and shoot whatever you want. Keep in mind I'm not fond of jerks, morons, racists, telemarketers, super-conservative Republicans, and those shmucks who think America is more violent today because of Anime and video games. Where do they get off, thinking cartoons and games foster violence? Go blow their heads off! And one last thing, "almost 30" is not "crotchety and old." Crotchety and old is when you're a drooling vegetable in diapers and dentures. You are way too cool to be crotchety and old. Take care! (And you too should expect a dedication in future Xenosaga fics)

chaosxShion: You're too kind. And go people who don't support cannon pairings! Who says we have to be conventional and follow the ShionxAllen, chaosxKOS-MOS mainstream. Don't be afraid to go out and be different. We'll make converts of them yet! And now I'm rambling... Thanks!

Kos-MosMOMO: Another wonderful reviewer who had nothing but nice things to say. Thanks so much, and don't go insane. I think this story has over 100,000 words. Plenty of more stuff for you to read.

KOS-MOS rox: Is probably the biggest ShionxAllen supporter on the face of the planet, but the fact that you based your review on the content of the writing instead of flaming it like sooo many other immature fangirls do (I wrote Digimon fics. I know) is worth more than you even realize. Thanks for the support!

kikyogirl900: Here is someone who not only liked the story but also actually cared if I would have fun on the two-week vacation I spent with my boring old grandparent farts in Italy (which turned out to be a drag, che palle, but that's not the point)Thank you!

Dark drow: And you made me blush. And you said I could take me time. And you're awesome. Thanks!

Chuckieum: I hope that after ten long chapters I managed to keep up the humor, the romance, and the sarcasm that you liked. (Smiley face)

Rachridgeback: Is so cool, so very, very, very cool, because you pointed out specifically everything you liked about the story, and you made me bounce around my room for about five minutes out of retarded happiness! Thank you!

Aeris1172: Where. To. Begin. Your reviews were fantastic, overzealous even (see ch. 2) but you quite literally made me feel like a superstar. I think I want to hug you! I'm planning on writing this stupidly hilarious Xenosaga parody that isn't meant to be taken seriously at all, but anyway, if I ever get around to writing it, guess who I'm dedicating it too...Oh, and just for the record, you are THE BEST REVIEWER EVAR. EVAR. Thanks for everything.

Cyanedo: You're feeling was right (I am really that predictable?) But I hope I threw in enough plot twists into the story to keep you guessing!

The Adversary: After publishing chapter two, I really didn't feel like writing anymore. Then I read you review, and I felt like writing chapter three (and four, and five, and six...) Major thanks. You saved the story.

EnkiduFish: Truth be told, I read Nowhere Souls, and felt so inspired that I proceeded to write a Xenosaga Sxc story myself. If it weren't for you, there would be no Borne Up on Angel Wingsso I'm afraid you get the biggest thanks of them all. Keep writing!

Gray Wolf Demon: If my writing makes just one person walk away smiling, then I did what I set out to do. Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoyed the last chapter.

xchaosx: You made my self-esteem soar, and you kept me in line when I took chaos and flung him completely out of character. It's your type of review that not only keeps me going, but makes me want to improve, so that my writing gets better every time. Thank you.

OkonomiyakeUcchan: Watch me blush and grin like an idiot. How did you ever come up with such a stunning prediction of the story with your bunny theory (first the angsty bunnies, then the fluffy ones, followed by the smoochy bunnies and the hot-make-up sex bunnies). You had me feeling all giddy for like a week. Oh, and all submissions will be accepted before the end of September. Heh, heh... Thanks for everything.

Nayru: A seemingly hardcore Shion/chaos fan. Those are usually (ironically) the hardest ones to please. I'm glad you liked the fic. Thanks!

Shadow-Assassin: I do feel honored, and thanks for the support. Every little review is worth a lot, and no, you're not a bad person. I do that all the time too, I read and then I don't review b/c I'm too freaking lazy. We just have to keep in mind that most authors pour their heart out into their stories, and feedback for them is extremely important. Thanks for yours!

Devilman666: I'm glad you liked the story, glad you liked the prophecy, glad about pretty much everything right now. And you said I'm doing awesome, (smiley face). Thanks!

cviu: Short and sweet. Thank you!

Dannigurl9488: Yay, I'm really happy somewhat liked the whole chaos vs. Wilhelm thing, since that was basically the whole crux of the story. Thanks!

Thequietgenius: Holy cow...You're awesome. When I become Supreme Ruler of The World, you can have any position you want. I'm flattered you think I should take over as Director of the new Xenosaga. I say we can shorter but more interesting cutscenes and a less repetitive battle system! (Vote for me during the director's election). Super thanks!

Censes: You've said so many wonderful things that made me all happy, but this one takes the cake: "you're very good at 'pulling stuff out of your ass'". That remark almost made me cry with happiness, 'cause the pulling is about the only thing I can do! You rock right back at ya! (Smiley face and super thank you).

Dragon Chyld: My God...I'll even take a sitting applause! Thank you. At the end of the day, the only thing I try to do when I write is to try to involve the reader emotionally. You saying I succeeded made me jump over the moon. Twice. You're the best! (Smiley face!)

theotrophic: Ok, I think you're awesome, eternal thanks for the wonderful review, don't hurt your head. Good we're done with that, now LIZ–that's right, I'm cutting out all formalities–are you going to update Stranded, or I am going to have to throw the biggest screaming tantrum of all time? Keep in mind that when I become Supreme Ruler of The World, Stranded will be required reading for high school students. Seriously, you wrote my favorite Xenosaga fanfic, and it's not finished yet! (Grumble, grumble) You better get cracking, because a fantastic writer like you needs to finish her stories. And in case you didn't catch this before, thank you, thank you, thank you.

a.n.g.e.l.: Yeah...spelling and me don't really get along. We just try to live together peacefully. Soldiers for shoulders? Jeez, that's almost like the time I mis-wrote Virginia for Vagi–ah, well, no use crying over spilt milk, right? Anyway, thanks for the support, and I hope you enjoyed the last chapter.

Fisvd: Another short and sweet reviewer. Thanks!

Keikun4283: Heh, heh, watch me giggle like a moron as I read your reviews. You're awesome, thanks for the support! (Smiley face)

NaruNaru.o.k.: And if I don't sleep soon, I'm going to die. I'm glad you enjoyed the fic, because now I can sleep easy, and not trudge around in a zombie-like state in the morning. Thanks for reviewing!

FrequencyQueen: Hope you liked all the parts where Shion whooped major tooshie. Thanks for the support! (Smiley face)

Yonder: Aww, thank you! I try my best, I'm glad you think this story is up to par with the game. Remarks like that make me all jumpy and happy! Thanks!

Naoki07: One word: You're awesome! No wait, that's two. Maybe I should get some more sleep... Anyway, my God, way to make me blush shamelessly! Thanks for all the support (super mega smiley face!) I hope I'll write other Xeno stories that are at least as good as this one.

Rdsullivan: Uh...wow. It's like I can't find the words to describe how awesome you make me feel. It is currently 5:32 in the morning. I didn't wake up this early, I stayed up this early because I more than anything wanted to thank you! I guess there's no use repeating all the fantastic make-me-blush-and-giggle-shamelessly things you said about me, 'cause you just get the biggest, most heartfelt thanks of them all. You called me a writer-stud! I was bouncing around my room doing my little dance, dance, in front of my computer for a shameful ten minutes after that, you're gonna inflate my ego to enormously dangerous proportions! Let me go on record saying that you are the best freaking artist on deviantArt and then I'm practically wetting my pants in anticipation of whatever you draw up that's based on Borne Up on Angel Wings. Your support has charged my ity-bity brain with new ideas for more Xenosaga fics (yes, one of them is totally chaos-oriented) and that one's gonna be dedicated to you! Thanks for everything!

Wow. I apologize in advance if I missed anyone, or if I misspelled any names, or if some of the thank you's make absolutely no sense. I am so tired, the sheep are counting me...

Anyway, last thoughts, and then I'll stop because I bet some eyeballs are bleeding right about now: I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. I had loads of fun, and it's the first of hopefully many, many more. I'll keep you guys posted, but there are already two working ideas fermenting in my mind. One's called The Harmony of Chaos (guess who that one's about.)

Hope you all liked the last chapter, I tried to make it seem like I wasn't running out of steam. Sorry for the little tear away from the Xenosaga environments at the tail end. I was born in Italy, so I guess the ending in Rome is a bit of hidden patriotism on my part. (Yay for my dual-citizenship! Guess what my college essay was about.)

Oh, oh, LAST COMMENTS! I love last comments almost as much as reviews. Tell me if you liked Chapter Ten, the story as a whole, anything! And if Borne Up on Angel Wings breaks 100 reviews (something I didn't think would ever happen on God's green earth) there's going to be a major party going on up here in NYC, and then when I go off to college in Chicago, we'll party up over there too. I don't know what'll happen if it breaks 100, I'll start taking requests! I'll write whatever you want. You just tell me.

Thus ends the longest Author's Note ever written in the history of histories. And now I'm done. And now I'll sleep, because I'm done. Ciao!