FCL64: We have come to the final chapter.

Kiyoshi: Alas…

FCL64: Was that sarcastic?

Kiyoshi: Perhaps… Readers, she wrote this chapter a while ago, but she was never truly happy with it. Seeing your desire for a Hiei/Ella moment, she realized what it was missing, and she wrote it in. So it's actually your fault she's so happy with this chapter.

FCL64: I maintain ownership of Ella, Yuri, Gentlom and Fate. The song Ella sings is 'Someday' by Celtic Woman. And, as a reminder, the lyrics that make up the chapter titles are 'The Sky and the Dawn and the Sun' by Celtic Woman. Here's the finale.

A week later was Ella's choir concert. There were three choirs at the school—a girls', a boys', and a coed a cappella choir. Ella participated in both the girls' and a cappella choirs. The choirs were performing one at a time.

Hiei, Kurama, Fate, Gentlom, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Yuri were all there. Yusuke and Kuwabara were only there because they didn't have anything else to do. Hiei all but slept through the group performances.

Then each choir had picked two seniors to perform solos before the three-choir finale. Hiei was not happy about listening to the first five solos. But his attention was caught when the choir director announced, "Now, Ella for the a cappella choir with the final solo. She will be singing 'Someday.'"

Despite singing for the a cappella choir she was using music. The music was quiet and a bit slow. Ella's voice swept through the room.

"Someday, when we are wiser,
When the world's older,
When we have learned…
I pray someday we may yet
Live to live and to let live"

"You'd think she wrote the song herself," Yuri muttered to Fate, "It suits her outlook so well."

Fate nodded and the song continued to prove Yuri right.

"Someday, life will be fairer,
Need will be rarer,
And greed will not pay.
Godspeed this bright millennium,
On its way, let it come someday"

Ella's eyes searched the audience looking for something, someone.

Fate whispered something to Yuri and was surprised when Hiei waved a hand at her and hissed, "Shut up," without ever taking his eyes off of Ella.

"Someday, our fight will be won, and
We'll stand in the sun in
That bright afternoon…
Till then, on days when the sun
Is gone, we'll hang on,
If we wish upon the moon"

Her voice had captured the audience, holding it in something quite like a trance. Very few were immune to it; only those who had heard Ella sing many times before could resist its pull.

But despite having heard her sing before, Hiei was still caught in the moment. Ella's voice was more beautiful than anything he could remember. With one possible exception. And that was her appearance at this very moment. Her black hair shone, and the silver streaks sparkled in their constant imitation of stars. She didn't wear any makeup; she didn't need it. He could see those strange, lovely, silver eyes even from this distance. She wore a simple black dress that ended just below her knees and silver flats.

Her eyes still searched the crowd.

"There are some days, dark and bitter,
Seems we haven't got a prayer,
But a prayer for something better
Is the one thing we all share"

She found the person she was searching for. Her eyes locked on Hiei's face and were filled with light.

Yuri whispered to Fate, "She has eyes only for him."

Fate smiled, "Yes. And looking at him… my job is done."

Somehow Ella's voice grew more beautiful when her eyes found Hiei.

"Someday, when we are wiser
When the whole world is older,
When we have love"

"I honestly don't think she's singing that bit for anyone but Hiei and herself," Yuri sighed happily. Fate nodded, completely content.

"And I pray, someday we may yet
Live to live and one day, someday…
Someday, life will be fairer,
Need will be rarer,
And greed will not pay"

Some dramatic change had finally taken hold of Hiei's heart. Fate's words echoed in his head and he understood. He truly could be a man worthy of the beautiful woman standing on the stage.

"Godspeed, this bright millennium,
Let it come,
If we wish upon the moon…
One day, someday…soon"

The music faded and the audience applauded. Fate stood silently. "Goodbye Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yuri, Kurama, Hiei." Hiei didn't notice. "Coming Gentlom?" Gentlom stood as well and they floated out of the room, fading in the noise. Ella didn't notice them leaving.

After the finale, Ella found them. "Where's Fate?" she asked.

"She and Gentlom left; she said her job was done," Yuri replied.

Hiei stood there awkwardly. "You sang wonderfully, Ella."

Kurama was too shocked to do anything; this was a sincere compliment. Hiei didn't care that there were other people around. Yusuke's and Kuwabara's chins dropped for the same reason. Yuri grabbed hold of all three of their shirts and dragged them away to give Hiei and Ella some privacy.

Hiei stood there silently for nearly a minute. Then, for once picking up on something that wasn't said aloud, Ella told him, "Follow me. There's a place over here, quieter, more private." Hiei did as she suggested, following her to a recess at the back of the auditorium which hid them from view.

He still said nothing. He couldn't. He didn't know how. He'd been hiding his emotions from the world for so long he did not know how to put them into words.

But Ella knew. She knew that Hiei was struggling. She knew what he was struggling with. She knew why he was struggling. She knew what he was feeling. She didn't know how she knew, she just did. And she knew how to put those feelings into words.

"I don't know when or how or why, but that doesn't really matter, does it?" she asked, taking a step closer to Hiei and grasping his hands. He gripped hers back instinctively. "All I know is that I love you, Hiei."

Then Hiei, acting on an impulse he had never before felt in his life, he dropped Ella's hands. He put one of his hands on either side of her face and drew her in, kissing her.

A moment later, he drew away. "And I love you. You are the most important thing in the world to me." Then he kissed her again.

When Ella and Hiei approached the others, Ella was holding Hiei's hand, and he wasn't exactly resisting. He looked awkward and completely unsure of himself, but he was still letting her hold his hand. Ella was radiant. Yuri and the others said nothing—mostly from shock—and they all walked out together.

The Life Source just smiled.

FCL64: And that is our story.

Kiyoshi: It is dedicated to heve-chan, WorldsAngel, Kuramasredredrose, EmyNegro, animegrlsteph, Crazy anime chick since 1993, XxMonixX, babygirl1998, The Fire Fox of the Red Moon, Kit-Kat-Kitsune, Dyani91, Mary S. Jane, chocolateluvr13, , SecretPassion21, and no name 128.

FCL64: Final review replies. Anyone who reviews this chapter will receive a normal, private review response.
heve-chan: There's the solo and the Hiei/Ella moment. Hope that moment was good enough. :)
WorldsAngel: I'm glad you enjoy it. Yes... Fate's personality is a bit infectious. Here's the rest I have to write, at least for this story. Hope you enjoy it as much as all the other chapters.
Kuramasredredrose: NO! I don't want you to die! That would be bad, bad, bad. Particularly since you wouldn't be able to read THIS chapter. Hope you enjoyed this story, and thanks for all your support.