My jump drive broke. I actually cannot believe it. Literally all of my fanfiction writing was on there and I am now months behind updates because of it. Needless to say, I am extremely pissed.

That being said, I actually had to rewrite this chapter, which is horrible because I thought it was almost perfect before. As I said, I am extremely pissed off. I also had to restart the sequel. Goddammit.

Let's move on before I start ranting.

The final chapter! I'm excited to see the response you amazing readers have to it, especially after such a long update break. I do hope you enjoy it and I will post the sequel as soon as humanly possible. Like maybe even this week. I don't know.

There was a moment of silent, mind-numbing panic before Miku realized she was not, in fact, being burned alive. In fact, considering the circumstances, her place in the sacred fire was nice. She saw purple flames lick her skin, her clothes, her hair, and yet nothing burned. It was warm, like a recently-drawn bath filled to the brim with suds. There was a certain comfort in the fire that calmed her racing heart and terrified mind.

It didn't take long for her reality to crash back down around her as eyes peered at her from outside her curtain of flames. She jumped back before realizing it was Len looking in at her, shock etched in smooth, handsome features. Leon was quick to drag the boy back, not noticing Miku.

She was quick on her feet despite her shaking hands. With a swift, powerful movement, she grabbed Leon, wrenching his grip from Len's shoulders and tosses him bodily into the fire. It took milliseconds for her to recognize her mistake and all other thoughts, questions, and feelings drained from her as she looked to Len. His face matched hers; drained of color, frightened, and hesitant to turn and look at what might be happening to Lily at that moment.

The flames rose higher and beat against the ceiling of the cavern as a shriek came from behind them, echoing behind the crackle of fire. Together, the pair turned and looked at Lily, who's eyes were shut tight against a wind that had picked up. It was rushing around her, fighting against bone and sinew and skin as the blonde woman shuddered. Miku, who before this week had never encountered magic of any sort could see the danger. Hecate was coming and there was no stopping it.

Len grabbed Miku by the hand, looking her right in the eye. "You have to go!" his voice was ragged as he shouted over the noise that was steadily growing in volume. The animalistic sounds that came from Lily were impossible to ignore and nearly impossible to talk over. Whether it was pain or fear or any other possible emotion, Miku didn't know and she certainly hoped she would never find out.

"What about you?" Miku demanded though the possibility of his answer frightened her. He was going to stay. She knew it. She could see it in those hardened, guilty eyes.

"I'm going to kill her. Before Hecate can properly take control," Len explained. His voice got louder and he leaned in closer, shouting his words to Miku over the rushing confusion carried by the wind. "Lily will fight for as long as she can, but it won't last long enough to get you out of here! Meet up with IA and your brother. You have to leave."

Miku bit her lip. He was right. But the thought of leaving Len, especially to this horrible task, made her sick. Adrenaline pumped through her system and her breath came rapidly. This was a panic attack waiting to happen, but she couldn't give in. Len needed her to be strong. And Mikuo needed her to come home.

"Alright!" she shouted. Alright. That was a pathetic final word to him. There was so much she could say, and that's all that would come out.

By this point, Len was right next to her ear, leaning in to make sure he was heard. Miku turned her head just enough to kiss him lightly, keeping her eyes wide open to watch the boy who was likely giving his life for her and her brother.

He was taken by surprise and didn't have time to react as Miku pulled back and turned to run off, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

She ran from the room as the roof threatened to collapse under the strain of angry, dark magic. The sound of Len'd sword cutting the air to avoid who knows what echoed in her head as she escaped that room.

IA's head perked up as she sensed Miku, and she smiled. With a snap of her fingers, the human girl was there with them, her face a mess of tears and dirt.

IA ignored the tears. After all, it was embarrassing enough to cry in front of someone, let alone be asked about it.

"Hi!" IA greeted. "Just in time for the express ride home."

Miku was confused by the sudden jump in location, which made perfect sense. She wiped a finger under her eye and seemed to notice IA for the first time. "What?" she asked.

"Well, it's your next wish, right? You want to go home," IA told her with a wink. "Not a problem! The portal should take you right to your front… whatever. Yard? I don't know. I'm a newbie."

Miku wasn't listening to her anymore, it seemed. She was far too busy losing herself to adoration of her kid brother.

"Oh my god, I missed you," she told Mikuo as she dragged him into a hug. SeeU stood next to IA as she floated there, the tiny cat girl watching the exchange with a happy smile despite her bleeding stump of an arm and her damaged tail.

IA sighed. "Miku! Make your wish already!"

Miku looked over at IA as she stroked Mikuo's hair. "Wish?"

"I'm your genie! You picked up the lamp, so you get three wishes. God, did you never watch Aladdin?" IA demanded.

Miku's jaw dropped like this realization was just coming to her. Despite previously being human herself, IA could not believe how stupid they could be sometimes.

"I… okay," Miku picked her jaw up off the ground and gathered herself. "I wish for a portal home."

IA's eyebrows cut down across her forehead as she concentrated. In no time at all, after a brief moment of arguing with the guardian of the labyrinth who was not too happy with some uppity young genie breaking through his magical barrier to get to earth, a portal expanded in front of them, crackling purple as the cavern shook.

Miku shoved her brother and the cat girl through the portal first. "IA, I… Will you do something? As a friend?"

IA grinned. "Not a problem!"

Miku's shaking hands rose to pull her down to eye-level as the tunnel shook again, chunks of rock falling from the walls and ceiling. "Len needs help. He…" Miku seemed to choke up for a second before continuing, "he stayed behind to kill whatever is doing this to the labyrinth right now. He's going to die without you. Please… IA, can you help him?"

IA lifted the girl's hands off of her shoulders. "Like I said, not a problem." With a reassuring grin, IA pushed the girl backwards into the portal, closed it with a snap of her fingers, and vanished after Len.

Miku stumbled on the sidewalk, falling backwards on the cold pavement next to Mikuo and his friend. It was cold and her breath came from her mouth in a foggy cloud. Her skin stung under her battered clothes. Out of the corner of her eyes, Christmas lights twinkled in trees and on houses. It was a comfort to be around light again, though the blonde cat girl seemed to be squinting against the glare.

Miku rose, brushing off the seat of her jeans, and shakily took in a cold breath of fresh, winter air. There was snow sticking in her hair. Her matted, messy, horrible hair.

She squeezed her hands into fists before extending on to Mikuo, the silent support welcome. She did not fail to notice that Mikuo and his friend were already holding hands, standing close together for comfort. And warmth, she figured.

With the numbness in her heart growing just as fast as the numbness in her freezing limbs, she led the way to her own house, Mikuo and kitty-girl in tow.

IA popped back into existence next to Len, her body shielding him from an onslaught of magic that make her bones ache. The magic felt sour and old, a poison ripping through her own genie abilities as if all they added up to was nothing more than paper. For the first time since meeting Len and Miku, the genie was scared.

That fear was swallowed down as she raised her hands, using magic to bounce that dark poison off of them.

Len was angry. IA could feel it without turning to look at him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded as his sword rose slightly, deflecting a chunk of speeding rock. "You'll be killed!"

"Hm… No, I won't!" IA argued. "It comes with the genie thing. Now calm yourself and do whatever it is you're trying to do."

Len gritted his teeth and IA turned her head around slightly to offer him a smile. "Come on, you dumb boy. You have a princess waiting for you," she told him.

With that, Len's anger faded and his resolve returned. IA smirked at him silently and led him through the waves of blinding magic.

Miku stared emptily at her front door, not entirely willing to ring the bell. It was a good thing Mikuo did it, otherwise the three shivering kids might have been out there for hours.

Footsteps echoed on the stairs inside. The door opened. Hugs were exchanged, gasps uttered, words said. It was all a blur for Miku as she was dragged inside and told to go and shower. Not much was processed. Even the cold water running over her skin didn't rouse her from her thoughts. All of a sudden, so much came crashing down on her. Len. IA. That dark labyrinth. Gods and goddesses and people she would never see again. The smell of her skin and the tangles in her hair meant nothing in the face of guilt and anger. But she was so tired. She was so, so tired and could barely manage to stumble to her room to dress, her mother's fussing a background buzz as she dressed and handed off clothes to SeeU.

She couldn't even bring herself to wince as she saw the empty sleeve hanging at SeeU's side.

Len's sword met flesh and the brightest flash of light he had ever experienced in his entire life blinded him. IA's magic was no good, but she forced everything she could into throwing a shield up between them and the angry waves of magic spiraling off of the dying woman before them. She shut her eyes and opened up her mind's eye, staring out into a dark void of torment as she forced every last bit of magic she could through her nerves and out through her shaking fingers. They were thrown back, and her arms gathered up a now-unconscious Len as they collided with a wall. There was pain, there was light, and then there was nothing.

The smooth sheets of Miku's bed wrapped around her like a mother's arms, once again accepting her back after so many long, painful days. It might as well have been a lifetime, thinking back on it. Not that Miku was trying.

Her vision fuzzed in and out as her now-full stomach protested the rich food her dad had prepared. In the room across from hers, Mikuo lay snoring, SeeU in a makeshift bed on the floor after insisting she couldn't leave his side. It would be adorable if it weren't a bit sad.

Miku's mind relaxed back into sleep as a familiar gleam on her desk faded to black, the lamp's golden surface playing with the red and green and blue of Christmas lights outside her window.

Despite her state of unconsciousness, Miku found herself wishing she could see Len again someday.

That's it! Thank you for sticking with me throughout the making and posting of this story. I promise to make the sequel far better and post more often if you choose to read that!

Review if that's your thing. If not, farewell!

(And for the love of all things holy and not holy will someone send me a request I am so bored.)