Because Guilty Crown sunk my fave ship SS DarGumi, I'm writing an expansion of the very short epilogue from the final episode. Seriously, WHAT THE F- HAPPENED TO DARYL? *huffhuff* They better make some kind of OVA! Also includes 3 other minor ships: ShuYase, YahiNon, and (gasp!) SouRisa? Rated T for safety.

Captain Obvious Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Crown or any of its characters.

Chapter 1: Old Friends

"To this year!"

"CHEERS!"

It's a sunny Saturday afternoon, July 20, 2047, and Japan is as peaceful as ever. In a private restaurant, a party of six offers a toast to the future. Ouma Shu, hailed as the Hero of the Fourth Apocalypse, takes a bite of cake. On the cake are the words "Happy Birthday Hare".

"Shu, you have some icing on your cheek," Shinomiya Ayase giggles and reaches for a napkin.

"Thanks Ayase. I got it." Shu then wipes his own cheek with a napkin. Even without his eyesight, he can tell that she was about to do it for him. Ayase, crippled at the age of seven, has been helping Shu cope with life as a disabled person for the last eight years. The first year was the hardest. She started working under the new Japanese government to rescue people trapped in buildings that collapsed during the near-destruction of the world after the revival of Mana. Even with the existence of voids and the Apocalypse virus gone, her Modified Steiner and other Endlaves could still be controlled using genomic resonance. Currently a lieutenant in the new Japanese Army, Ayase helps maintain peace and bring aid to those affected by the disaster.

"I see I taught you well!" Ayase takes a big bite of cake too. She smiles proudly but is quite embarrassed at forgetting her number one advice to Shu.

"Of course, 'I have two hands: One for helping myself'," Shu gives a thumbs-up with his left hand."'And one for helping others' right?" Giving a peace-sign with his mechanical right hand.

Kusama Kanon's face suddenly lights up, "Ah! I see you're developing dexterity with your new arm! Have you gotten around to writing with it?" After finishing her medical studies, Dr. Kusama Kanon, helped to surgically install Shu's mechanical arm a few months ago. Based on Endlave remote control technology, it can be controlled by the wearer's nervous system. Shu's arm was new prototype given to him by a bio-robotics company under the Kuhouin Group in exchange for an endorsement.

"I'm working on it, but once I do, the first thing I will write are thank-you cards to you and Arisa-san. I'm grateful that you let me be the first to use this technology."

"Don't worry about it. It's good publicity for the product to let THE Ouma Shu be the first to receive a Movement Emulation Arm! Ne, Souta?" Kanon asks Tamadate Souta who works as an editor for an advertising company, also under the Kuhouin Group.

"Yep! THE Ouma Shu has become the face of the new and improved Japan! Speaking to world leaders about peace and looove!"

"And hmm… Speaking of love… Did Arisa refuse our invitation again? For the seventh year in a row?" Kanon cocks an eyebrow at Souta.

"What?" A flustered Souta replies. "Well, she sent me an e-mail this morning saying that she had a big meeting with an investor." Souta put a large slice of cake on his plate. "I think it's just an excuse though. After all these years, she still doesn't believe that we've forgiven her for working with Gai-san."

The room went silent. Eight years ago, Kuhouin Arisa chose to fight with Gai and against her friends. Now, as the President of the Kuhouin Group, Arisa has rebuilt the company her late grandfather founded.

Samukawa Yahiro was the first to break the silence. "My, my, Arisa-kaichou hasn't changed a bit. I wish she could be here so we can watch Souta go beet red every time he tries to talk to her."

The room erupted in laughter.

"Hey hey hey! It's not like that!" Souta retorted while hiding his face with his hands. "She's my boss so of c-c-course I get nervous around her!"

"Shu's blind, but I'm pretty sure even he can feel your cheeks heating up from across the table!" Sendo Tsugumi teases Souta as he tries to conceal his blushing face.

"That's true," Shu laughingly declares has he pretends to fan himself with his mechanical arm.

"Shu! I just had a brilliant idea!" Tsugumi stands up abruptly "Would you like to come with me tomorrow? I would love to show my kids how your arm works!"

"I thought you haven't taken your Teacher's Licensure Exam yet? Who are you teaching?"

Around the floor Tsugumi's little Fyuneru Family chased each other around the table. Tsugumi, three years younger than everyone else was just finishing her degree in Education.

"Aya-nee and I volunteer at an orphanage every Sunday, remember?"

"Oh yeah, Ayase took me there just last weekend. I taught some of the blind kids how to play chess. I can go with you as long as you don't take my arm apart!"

"Blind people can play chess?" a surprised Souta asks with a mouth full of cake.

"Yes, you just have to remember the positions of the chess pieces. I call out the moves and Ayase moves the pieces for me."

"But more importantly," Tsugumi cheekily grins at Ayase, "I miss one visit and you're already replacing me with Shu?"

Now, it was Ayase's turn to blush. "Uhm no! We just ran into each other and I figured it wouldn't hurt to let him tag along!"

"Oh man, what a boring first date!" Yahiro sighs and shrugs, driving everyone into another giggle fit.

"It wasn't a date!" Ayase replies defensively, "And speaking of dates, Yahiro, didn't I just see you with a pretty blonde lady yesterday?" To this revelation, Kanon's head shot up and meets Yahiro's gaze for a split second.

"That was just," Yahiro turns to Ayase, "A client. It's part of my job to suck up to VIPs. I just got promoted to Assistant Director of Finance for Genome Biotechnology, you know."

"So you're too good for homely girls now?" Kanon mutters under her breath.

"Whar wash tha Kanon?" Souta asks with an even fuller mouth of cake.

"Nothing!" she then raises her glass. "I think we could all use a drink."

Shu laughed and raised his glass, "How about a toast to Hare and Inori? If they can hear you two from heaven, I bet they're laughing too."

"What do you mean?" Yahiro and Kanon simultaneously probe Shu.

"To Hare and Inori!"

"CHEERS!"

It's early evening in the streets of Tokyo. Tsugumi pushes Ayase's wheelchair as Shu walks beside them, the tip of his cane guided by Fyuneru's robot children Fyunee, Fyukun and Fyuchan. Fyuneru himself sits with his "wife" Fyunerin on Ayase's lap.

"That was a great party wasn't it?" Shu smiles as Fyuchan playfully guides him in a zigzag path.

"It was. It's always nice to catch up with everyone even if we only meet twice a year." Ayase strokes Fyunerin's white metal surface.

"And the cake was delicious! I can't wait for Inorin's birthday in six months!" Tsugumi declares with a hop.

"Yes, Ayase you've become really good at baking."

"Really?" Ayase blushes again. "I'm going to bake some cookies for tomorrow. Which do you like better, chocochip or gingerbread?"

"I like both."

"I can make both! Those two! I'll bake two of them. Or or or two of each kind! I mean two hundred! Of each kind! For the kids too! Not just you of course!"

"Shu, I think Ayanee will need your help for such a large batch of cookies!" Tsugumi grabs Shu's hands and places them on the handles of Ayase's wheelchair.

"Wait! Tsugumi! Where are you going?" Ayase exclaimed.

"I'm going shopping! The Fyu-Family can guide you guys home! See ya!" and with a skip in her step, Tsugumi turned the corner to New Shibuya.

Shu feels around with his mechanical hand and inadvertently touches Ayase's cheek. "Leaving a crippled girl with a blind man doesn't sound like a good idea, does it?" Ayase looked up see Shu's face turned to her. Even though his eyes do not meet hers, he can still somehow manage to smile through them. She was a bit glad that he was blind because boy was she blushing at the way he smiled!

"Ayase? What's wrong? Your cheek suddenly became warm."

"Your mechanical hand can detect temperature?"

"Yes, it's one of the new features."

Oops.

Meanwhile, Tsugumi pauses at the crossing with shopping bags in hand. Geez, why did I say I was going shopping? Now, I spent a week's allowance on all those irresistible headbands and dresses! As she waits for the light to turn from "DON'T WALK" to "WALK", she glanced at the big screen on the building in front of her. It was the music video for EGOIST's "Euterpe".

Oh Inorin. We miss you. And Hare, Ogumo, Gai, and… That boy…

Suddenly a wave of people carries her forward. The light has apparently changed.

"Hey! Wait! I—"

Just as she thought it might happen, Tsugumi trips over one of her own shopping bags. She shuts her eyes tightly, preparing for the inevitable face plant in the middle of the street. Before she could land on the cold concrete though, an unexpected arm wraps around her waist and helps her up.

"Watch where you're going little girl!"

Tsugumi opens her eyes to meet a pair of beautifully bright amethyst eyes. She watched as the purple orbs expressed a swift progression of emotions from concern to confusion, recognition and finally, surprise.

"Runt!"

It's him! Tsugumi's heart starts racing. She quickly forgets how to breathe. All she could do was stare at his face. She thought he had died in the collapse of the GHQ building! She searched for him. She searched harder for him than she did for Shu, Inori and Gai. She even asked for Ayase's help in probing the debris using her Endlave, but after three whole days of rummaging through the ruins, she figured that he was already dead. Now, eight years later, here he is. Right in front of her, alive and well, and nervously pretending to fix his pale blonde hair.

"Why are you staring at me like that? What is it, runt?"

Confused by his sudden inability to think straight, Daryl Yan just gaped at the beauty of those dark blue eyes and the girl he returned to Japan for. All these years, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He knew he had to see her again, but he didn't think it would be this soon. I'm not prepared for this! I said I would torment her the next time we meet!

"Don't walk!" Tsugumi said with a giggle, snapping out of her reverie.

"What? But I-I-I'm not even walking!"

"But we really should." Tsugumi picks up her shopping bags, "Because a bunch of cars are heading straight for us!"

Daryl notices the incoming headlights and car horns blaring. He quickly picks Tsugumi up and runs for the sidewalk.

"Why didn't you tell me the light changed?"

"I did, but you didn't get it! Seriously, you're such a weakling!"

"Weakling? Ha! Guess who's carrying you right now!"

"Hahaha! You?"

Tsugumi teasingly smiles at Daryl as he notices that he is indeed still carrying her. She's so light. He could feel her soft, slim thighs and her deep breathing. He could touch her violet-black hair. He always wondered since the day they met if it would feel as silky as it looks. It does. Then her lips smiled at him just like when she offered him a sweet reward. Speaking of sweet rewards, those lips…

"Do you want to put me down?"

No. I mean, yes! Put her down! What am I saying? Daryl, get your shit together! Um. Okay I'll put her down but I don't. Do! Don't? AAAARRRGGH!

Daryl accidentally lets go and drops Tsugumi to the ground.

"OUCH!"

Shocked as his mistake, Daryl quickly apologizes. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drop you! But it was your fault! You were smiling and stuff, you runt!"

"Smiling and stuff? You are not that good at apologies are you, sprout?"

"Actually, I'm not. I think this is the first time I've actually apologized to anyone."

"Is that—"

"True? Of course it's true! Why would I make that up?"

"I was going to say, Is that a blush I see creeping across your face? Hohohoho!"

Shocked, Daryl tried to cover his face with his soft golden hair.

"N-n-n-no it's not! Don't look at me like that, you little runt!"

"HOHOHOHOHO!"

"Stop laughing!"

"Alright, alright." Tsugumi stood up and adjusted her dress and metal cat ears. She looked up at the tall boy. No, the tall man. He must be around twenty-five now. He looks so different now. It's not just the white blazer or the blue tie. Something else about him seems more… Relaxed? Yes, that's the word. Relaxed.

"By the way, I have a name you know. Stop calling me a runt! It's TSU-GU-MI. And you are?"

"Um," He shyly avoids her gaze. "My name is Daryl."

"Daryl, do you have some time to spare? How about we have coffee? I want to hear all about your escape from GHQ!"

"Yes!" How can I resist her smile? "Yes! I have some free spare time!"

"That's redundundant!"

Gathering his wits, he takes her shopping bags and with a smirk, holds out an arm for her.

"Is it?"

She hesitates for a moment, quite flustered by this surprising chivalrous gesture, but she also felt a strange warm sensation sneaking into her heart. Before she knew it, Tsugumi found her herself reaching out to touch him.

"Aye!"

Arm in arm, they walked together under the sparkle of street lights.

End of Chapter 1: Old Friends

Comment if you guys want more chapters! BTW this is my first fanfic! =^.^=

Love Always,

Kinky Robot