A/N Hey everyone, I got it up for you so please enjoy!

As Hagi lost consciousness, he was aware of nurses and doctors rushing around in the background and an annoyingly long beep. His thoughts flipped between the present and the past. Hagi felt himself falling- falling fast but for some reason, everything slowed. He could see Saya staring down from the edge of the cliff, horror filled her eyes as she screamed for him. The landing was painful and he felt the stem of the red lily still clutched in his hand. He felt the weight of her straddling his waist and a long beep sounded in the background. Her warm lips pressed against his and released a current of her warm blood into his mouth. She sat up and waited for a moment before feeding him another mouthful. She commanded in a loud voice, "Hagi, breathe!" He did as commanded, but her next command he couldn't obey. He opened his eyes to blue skies and green grass. He knew this was a dream and he could not force himself to wake- he tried. Oh, how he tried. He cried out into this dream scape, "I must wake up!"

Saya clutched his hand as his eyes stayed closed and he breathed through parted lips. She missed his blue eyes and the adoration they held for her. "Hagi," she pleaded as she looked into his handsome face, "please wake up soon." She laid her head down at his waist so she could continue to stare at his face. Her eyes nearly closed, letting her thick black lashes shade her eyes and glitter with her tears. She ran her fingers over his hand and realized it was becoming flesh once again. She stood up and reached over him to reach the other and pull them next to each other- a perfect match! Julia was right, her blood was what he needed. Tears fell as she brought both hands to her lips. "Please, wake up, Hagi. I miss you so much."

The door opened and the older woman she had pushed past earlier came in followed by a gruff looking man that looked to be 10 years her senior. She was holding a rather large book in her hands, which Saya recognized as a family photo album. The woman spoke through her tears, "Hello, Saya, would you be more comfortable if I spoke French or English?"

Saya wondered at the couple and answered, "English, I still have trouble with French."

"I am Marva, and this is Jim, my close friend and he used to be the leader of my hired hands at the ranch," she motioned to the man who nodded and responded in a southern drawl, "Ma'am." "I don't know how much they have told you as they have barely explained anything to him." She reached out and took the healed hand. Her eyes opened with surprise at first, but then fell back to her sad expression. "Hagi is my adopted son."

Saya was taken aback. She took her seat near Hagi and took a second to find her voice, "Y-your son?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but he has been a wonderful part of my life for the past 33 years- 43 if you count the time when he was searching for you while my husband and I were building our life in Paris."

Marva handed Saya the photo album and began to tell the story of how she met Hagi and how he was gradually pulled into her life, eventually becoming a part of the family. Saya looked at all the photos of the various people that grew older and the stoic man never changed anything other than his clothes. She was surprised at the photos of him playing with a young girl that looked like Marva's husband, with curly brown hair and golden skin. She knew the tall black man's name was Jeff. From the look in Hagi's eyes in the one photo, he greatly respected the man that stood by his side. The little girl grew up in the photos without her dad, but instead, she had the tall, darkly dressed man with a cello case to take her places. Photo after photo revealed a loving family in Paris, but soon the scenery changed to rugged cliffs, wild fields, and rugged people. The men in the photos wore jeans, t-shirts, steel toed boots, cowboy hats, and a layer of dust and sweat. Then there was her chevalier, standing over a large deer he had obviously killed. He was wearing black jeans, a black button down shirt, and a small smile. A smile? Saya thought. Actually, the further she went into the album, the more she saw that small smile, especially around the growing brown haired girl.

Marva followed her train of thought and informed, "That is his sister, Claudia. She is the only person I know that can cause him to react with any expression, but she did mostly enjoy embarrassing him." Her eyes became sad as she held back tears.

Jim put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and finished the thought for her, "Just before Pr- uh, Hagi, became sick, Claudia had a really rough patch and is now in an institution battling depression."

Marva pulled herself together and admitted, "She tried to kill herself. He has been having trouble with this." She pointed to a photo where a teenage Claudia was laughing as Hagi had a look of mock scolding on his face, but the laughter danced in his eyes. "That was how they were before she lost her baby- always laughing and teasing each other, but now…"

Jim put an arm around her shoulders and whispered reassuring words to her that Saya could barely hear. She looked at the photo and then Hagi and said, "He will wake up. I know he will."

Marva responded, "I know, he's strong and he will pull though this. I just worry over him, even though it's ridiculous that I do."

Saya continued to look through the album and asked, "Has anyone else seen this?"

"Kai saw it when we were waiting in the lobby," Jim responded. "Never seen a guy look so shocked. It was like he'd never seen Pretty Boy smile."

Marva gave him a nudge and a glare as Saya added a questioning look. Marva explained, "Pretty Boy is the nick name the hired hands gave Hagi when we first arrived at the ranch."

Saya looked at the face of her chevalier and his perfect features. She had heard many times that he had the face of an angel, his hair was black as ebony, and his body was strong, yet lean. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say he was beautiful, but she could imagine the stoic, modest man did not care for the name. It made her giggle to think of him responding to the name. She laughed, "It suits him, even though I know he'd hate it." She tried to stifle the laughter before she asked, "Does Kai know about that name, yet?"

Jim laughed as Marva shook her head. He answered, "You know, I didn't tell him."

"Good, I have to see the look on his face when he hears this one."

Saya stayed beside Hagi through the day when Julia spoke with the hospital and had Hagi moved to a large room where Saya and Marva could be more comfortable as they kept vigil over the comatose man. Julia came into the room to find Saya and Marva talking over old stories that involved the stoic man. She came up and asked, "Saya, have you eaten yet?"

A pink shade rose into her cheeks as her stomach voiced its answer. Marva laughed and placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder, "Go get something to eat, I'll keep an eye on him while you're gone." Saya struggled with herself to let go of his hand. She was surprised to feel tears fall from her cheekbones. Marva smiled and added, "I'll let you know if he makes even one movement, Saya. Please, go eat. You know he'll be upset if he wakes up and finds you've been starving yourself on his behalf."

She smiled her thanks as Julia walked with her to the elevators. "Kai and the others are in the cafeteria along with a couple from the ranch- I'm sure Kai will make the introductions." Saya nodded. "I hope you understand, we weren't sure how you'd react if we…"

Saya shot back, "Julia, I'm sorry, but I can't understand. How could all of you hide something like that from me? I could understand i-if I was a danger to anyone, but I wasn't. I just couldn't remember his confession o-or the bombs…" Tears ran down her cheeks against her will as a small sob escaped. "It was like you were trying to keep me from remembering him at all!" She dashed to the restroom and left the blonde scientist to her thoughts while she controlled her anger.

Julia went to the room where Hagi was being watched over by the woman that confounded almost everyone in the Red Shield. Marva took in Hagi- the chevalier that everyone thought was a stone wall emotionally, and treated him like he was a part of her family. She had photos that were proof that the stoic man thought of them the same way. Julia knew, as a mother herself, that Saya's emotional outburst was nothing compared to the one she was about to face. Marva had already given David a piece of her mind, and she knew it would be a matter of time before she would get the same treatment. She took a deep breath before entering the room.

Marva had Hagi's hand in hers and her eyes shined with unshed tears. She spoke softly to him and occasionally put her hand on his cheek. Julia had only seen Saya be affectionate toward the man before, and that was really rare. It made the scientist wonder how the man would react.

"You shouldn't lie to him," the woman spoke in a stern voice. "It took me more than a decade to get him to trust me and I never lied to him until recently." She was now looking at the blonde woman. "I know he'll forgive me because he knew that I did it out of love. What was your excuse?"

The blonde breathed and looked at the floor, she then looked into the hazel eyes of the older woman and responded, "I know that none of my excuses for what I have done will be any good, but I did what I did to keep everyone from getting too upset. I know he already doesn't trust us, but I hope with time…"

"Time!" Marva interrupted, "Time? Did you hear anything I just told you? It took me 10 years- 10 YEARS to get him to trust me. The Red Shield has committed more atrocities to him than anyone else and you think that time will heal what you've done?" Marva stood and stared the taller woman down. She held back her anger as she continued, "On top of everything- you told him Saya still sleeps. When he wakes, he will know two things- One, you lied to him, yet again. Two, you woke her early- without his permission."

"I did it to save his life," Julia reasoned.

"I know," Marva answered. "And I am grateful. But when you lied to him, you set yourself up for more problems with him."

"I know that now. I can only hope that you will forgive what I've done and when he wakes up, I can somehow convince him, too. We only want to make his life, as well as Saya's, as perfect as we can. They have done so much for mankind."

"You certainly haven't started off well. Saya seems upset with you, too- I suppose you messed up there."

Julia nodded and looked at the still man. He had a blood drip feeding his arm and all his vital signs looked good, except his brain waves. She only hoped he could wake up soon. She said softly, "Keep talking to him, some doctors believe comatose patients can hear you."

"It reminds me of my Jeff's last days," Marva said sadly.

Julia remembered hearing the history of how Jeff and Marva lived in Paris as husband and wife for 10 years before he was in an accident that put him in a vegetative state until his death 10 years later. She responded, "Marva, don't give up hope. Hagi will get through this."

He heard Marva's voice coaxing him toward her, but he couldn't find his way. The darkness swallowed everything and he began to run, but to where? He had no idea where he was or where he was going. He felt tired- tired of trying to reason his way out of this. It was time for action. He took off again and felt his body being pulled forward. Suddenly, colors bust around him and the sky was above him, a clear, bright blue. The ocean raced by below him as he caught an updraft, speeding him ahead. He felt the woman in his arms moaning as he pushed his body even harder to get there. "Hold on!" he cried out to her as he could feel all his strength being drained from him when he reached the coastline. Just another minute and we'll be there. He felt himself fall as his energy level bottomed out and he curled his wings around them to shield them from impact as much as possible.

A soft couch upholstered in pink roses caught him as he closed his eyes. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the large living room that was decorated in pink and light green. He saw the small glass on the coffee table along with several coloring books and a multitude of crayons. He wondered at his feeling of annoyance, but that was short lived. A sudden impact resulted in a young girl, with curly, black hair straddling his waist. The impact would have completely winded a human. She smiled at him with her eyes squinted shut as she spoke, "Get up and play with us!"

He frowned at her and then turned his head to see a boy, about 6 or 7 carrying another boy, a toddler, both with black, curly hair and they stared at him with the same purple colored eyes. He heard himself say, "I have told you too many times that when you are done playing with something that you need to put it away."

The older one mumbled while the girl opened her lavender eyes and gave an apologetic look as she got off his stomach to go clean up her things.

He heard himself ask, "Where is your mother?"

"She's coming," they all chimed as they picked up the crayons and placed them in the box.

Another boy, about 13 or 14 came into the room. He was cleaning the dishes in the kitchen, as his mother had asked. Hagi looked at him with wonder, the boy looked exactly like him when he was brought to the Zoo, but his eyes were not blue- they were the color of a royal robe, a color befitting royalty- royal purple. His hair was pulled back in a tight braid that reached his waist. He pointed to the cup and asked the girl, "Are you finished with that, yet?"

She responded by greedily downing the liquid in the cup before handing it to him and then asking in a whiny voice, "Do we really have to stay with Uncle Kai?"

The oldest boy answered for him, "Just until our baby brother is born." He then turned to Hagi and asked, "Right, Father?"

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. All of them- all were his children? The eldest was practically his twin and the girl looked like-

"SAAAYYYAAAAA!" the voice rang out inside his mind.

Two weeks had passed and Hagi was still unresponsive. Julia and David were looking over the results of Hagi's brain scan as Kaori and Mao dragged Okamura on a shopping expedition in downtown Houston. Clay and Ellen headed back to the ranch in their van. Jim told them he'd drive Hagi's car back if something happened.

Kai, Marva, Jim, and Saya were in Hagi's room with the children, watching a home movie Marva had made a while back. It was of Hagi's birthday party. She knew he would have been upset that they had seen it, but she felt it was less embarrassing than the one's of Claudia's birthday parties where girls were fawning over him while he tried to find a polite way to escape. They laughed at his attempts to fade into the background or join the band that was playing only to be pulled away by a smiling Claudia.

Saya stared at the photographs Marva let her have. One was a family photo of Marva standing behind Hagi, who was seated in front of her off to the right and a seated Claudia off to the left. He actually had a small smile on his face. The next was him standing next to the stables in black jeans, a black western shirt, holding a lead rope attached to a beautiful red horse. She knew the horse's name was Fury and it amazed her that the horse was willing to even be near him. She knew that animals never came within 10 feet of a chiropteran, but this horse was not only near Hagi, but also let him ride! The last photo was her favorite- her handsome chevalier, in his black suit, tails flying along with his jet black hair as the horse raced down the trail. It reminded her of the fairy tale that Hibiki sang and Kanade translated. A black knight riding a horse made of fire.

As if she had heard Saya's thoughts, the young Hibiki began to sing the song Saya was thinking of. When she finished Kai had a look of annoyance, Saya smiled, and Marva and Jim had a look of curiosity on their faces. Saya explained the story as she knew that Kanade couldn't speak English. She showed the twins the photo in her hand.

Kanade looked at Kai and commented, "I told you, Dad. You didn't believe me."

Hibiki chimed in, "Yeah, Uncle Hagi is the Black Knight."

Kai retorted, "But isn't the Black Knight supposed to rescue the princess. I think the princess rescued him this time."

They both simultaneously stuck out their tongues at him. George looked at them and copied the action. Kai groaned, "Not you too, George."

The twins went to their Uncle's side and each grabbed a hand and spoke as one, "Uncle Hagi, everyone misses you and we want to see you open your eyes. Please, you have to wake up- your dream can't come true until you wake up."

He was now in a white room, or hallway, he wasn't sure what it was. He saw a large number of people coming toward him. He instinctively reached for his daggers only to find he was completely unarmed. The throng was getting closer and he came into a fighting stance as he sensed chevaliers among them.

Before he could come up with a plan, they were upon him. He saw some of the soldiers he knew had died in various wars that had occurred in his long lifetime as they passed by without seeing him. Next were his mother and father, Joel and the servants he knew at the Zoo, Karl, Solomon, James, and Amshel. He tried to speak as he saw Jeff walking and carrying an infant that he imagined was Serenity. George Myagusuku followed them with a few more losses he recalled, but he somehow knew that they would not respond.

After they all had passed him by, he turned to follow, but a voice behind him made him turn. "Haaaagiiii!" He looked around him, but saw no one there. "Haaaaggiiiii," it said again.

"What do you want?" he asked the air around him. "Who are you?"

Diva appeared in front of him and he came into a fighting stance again. She laughed as she spoke, "That won't do you any good here. I guess you haven't noticed- we're all dead."

He blinked as he stood back up, "Am I dead?"

She smiled and responded, "I don't know. Your expression always seemed that way to me."

He turned to look for the crowd, but it had vanished, "Where are they going?"

She shrugged and answered, "Where do dead people go?"

He sighed in frustration. Diva was absolutely useless. He began to follow where he thought the crowd had gone only to be physically turned around by the small young woman. "I thought you wanted to go back?"

"How do I go back?" he asked.

She shrugged.

He shook his head, "What do you want?"

"I'm here to help you," she answered.

He held back the urge to say, "Some help you are."

She pointed the direction the crowd went and informed, "If you follow them, you will have eternal paradise." She then pointed behind her and said, "That way will take you back to the land of the living."

He looked both directions and then began to walk past Diva who smirked and stated, "They lied to you again. Why do you want to go back to them?"

He responded, "There is no paradise for me without Saya." He continued to walk. He heard a whisper in the air- "She is awake."