After over half a year, this series is finally coming to an end. Months of writer's block, hiatuses, and computer problems could not stop me, and now I can finally conclude the story that I started back in April. As much as I hate to, it's time I say goodbye to these characters that I have been developing all this time and end their hard, long journey.

…And like most anime series, I've put myself into a corner and have limited space to bring everything together and tie up loose ends. …Thankfully for me, unlike them, I can make my chapters as long as I want. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you enjoyed reading this tale. Goodbye, and I hope you look into my other works.

-Kouji Tamino

-----

Yukina kicked the door to Keiji's office down, entering first, albeit a bit reluctantly. The others soon followed, with the same reservations as she had, and what they saw made their stomachs churn. Smeared all over the desk and walls was blood, and in the middle of the room, standing triumphantly over the beaten and barely alive Keiji, covered in his crimson body fluid, was Misaki. Looking over to Yukina, she smiled. "Ahhh, Yukina-san. How nice of you to join me."

AI: Artificial Love?

Final Episode: Artificial Love? Real Love.

Yukina stared wide-eyed at the scene before it. It was so gruesome, messy, and just plain over the top that she almost thought that she in some sort of sick horror movie. Looking over to Himiko, she saw that the girl was in total shock, with an expression on her face similar to the one from 'that night'. Quickly grasping the woman's hand, she squeezed gently. "It's all right, Mistress. I won't let her hurt you."

"Careful, Yukina." Erika warned, her henchmen and Asuka standing in front of her, ready to give up their own lives if necessary to protect her. "I'm sure that I don't need to warn you, but Misaki is very dangerous and unpredictable."

"In short, she's a crazy psycho bitch who can and will do almost anything." Asuka replied, summarizing her boss's words in a rather crude fashion.

"Yeah, thanks for the warning, but I know…" Yukina replied, glaring at her longtime rival. "She almost killed me for the second time."

"Awww, that hurts, Yukina-san… You know I love you a lot." Misaki replied, as if hurt by her comment. The crazed expression in her eyes said otherwise, however. She seemed to be completely out of it, her eyes wandering wildly until they landed on the bloody pulp known as Keiji Kashimoto. "Oh, him?" Chuckling cruelly, she explained. "He was getting naughty, trying to use this remote to shock some 'discipline' into me…" Holding up said remote, she crushed it in her hand. "There will be no more of that, will there?" Grinning down at Keiji sadistically, she began to kick him lightly with her foot, shuddering in sick pleasure as he groaned in pain.

The others replied with their own shudders, theirs being of disgust and discomfort. "Hey, hey…" Yukina began, letting go of her mistress's hand; she cautiously walked toward the sadistic woman. "As much as I'd like to see the weasel suffer, you've taken things too far. The guy's practically dying here. All human life is valuable." She quickly turned to Himiko and winked, who smiled in reply and nodded her approval. "And I don't know about you, but choking someone to death is not my idea of 'love', you damn creep!" Having had enough of it, she leapt at the blue haired woman.

Growling lowly, Misaki gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, snarling as she stared down her object of affection as she bore down on her. "I gave us eternal life and this is how you thank me?" They both crashed to the ground, rolling on the carpet, trying to gain an edge. She managed to kick Yukina off of her and, at breakneck speed, snatched up Himiko and ran off with her, pressing a button that opened up a secret passageway.

"Mistress!" Yukina screamed, leaping to her feet and running after them. The others quickly followed, unaware of what lied ahead.

-----

Elsewhere, at the hospital, a mentally exhausted Ruki stared blankly at a new arrival. "…Who the hell are you?" She was not in the mood to deal with anyone right now, and this kid looked like the kind of punk that Rin would hang out with. She did not need a reminder of how she had treated her and the others. She had said such horrible things, calling Yukina, her sister, and (indirectly) Hikaru objects when in her heart, she truly believed that they were human as she and the others were. It was just that Yukina's assumption that she didn't care about helping them made her so angry. But now, she was angry with herself, because she realized that it was partially true. She didn't want anything else to do with Bio-Genesis. She was scared, and just plain sick of it all.

"Eh, I wouldn't mess with her, kid…" Takashi muttered, rubbing his still sore nose. It amazed him just how hard Ruki could punch. "I swear, the woman has permanent PMS. Scary."

Throwing a glare at the former professor, she sighed, not motivated enough to make a rebuttal.

Nick, the newcomer that Ruki and Takashi were addressing, sighed, scratching the back of his head. "//You all know Rin, right? Well, she and the others headed off to take out those Bio-Genesis bastards but left me behind.//" Biting his bottom lip, he looked down. "//Damn it, it all just makes me feel so useless… I want to protect her.//"

Her expression softening, Ruki tilted her head. She couldn't understand a lick of what he was saying, but she got the gist. "Listen kid, you have to understand… Rin is a very strong willed girl. She wouldn't want to feel like she needed to be protected, and please understand that these are very dangerous people that they're dealing with. Hell, they might not even come back alive--"

"Eh?" Nick raised an eyebrow, a victim of the language barrier.

"Ruki!" Taka yelled, scolding her for making such an insensitive comment. Turning to Nick, he chuckled nervously. "//Um, she was just kidding about Rin getting killed, that's all! Right?//" He gasped, smacking his forehead in embarrassment. This kid had no idea what they were talking about until he had opened his big mouth.

"Yeah, that's it!" Ruki replied frantically, thankful for the save. "It was just a bad joke on my account! Don't worry!"

Nick wasn't completely convinced. "//Nice try, but no dice. Thanks, though.//" Frowning, he thought about how many horrible things could happen to Rin. Why hadn't he fought harder to come along? Now he might never see Rin again. He couldn't bare the thought of losing someone as unique as her. "//By the way, my name is Nick. I'm Rin's…//" he paused for a moment, a light blush spreading across his face. "//…friend.//"

"//Ahh, so you're the Nick that we've heard so much about.//" Taka said in realization, smirking. "//Well, my name is Taka. I wouldn't worry too much about them//", he replied with a wink. "//They've got two very powerful Bio-Androids on their side.//"

Thinking for a moment, Nick sighed. "//You're right, I shouldn't be so worried. Thanks, Taka.//" Suddenly, his stomach made itself known with a growl, causing him to chuckle. "Heh, I guess all that worrying made me hungry. I think I'll get some snacks."

"//Ooh, ooh! Let me come, too!//" Hikaru shouted excitedly, leaping from her seat and hopping up and down excitedly. And with that, they both left the room in pursuit of junk food, leaving the adults by themselves.

Glancing at his watch, Takashi stood up from his seat, stretching. "Ugh, think I'll head out for some more fresh air. Besides, hospitals depress me." Dragging his feet, he departed as well, leaving the two friends and former lovers alone.

An awkward silence filled the room, Ruki looking away, her hands in her lap. Taka coughed, scratching his head as he sat up. This was the first time in a while he had been alone with her like this. He had to make good use of the time. "Ruki… I'm sorry. I know you hate me, and I don't blame you. I don't care if you forgive me or not, I just wanted to sa--"

"Please, just stop." Ruki said firmly, interrupting him. "I don't hate you, Taka. In fact, the truth is, I never stopped loving you." Still unable to bring herself to face him, she continued. "I was so upset, that I had to pretend to hate you, and I think I ended up fooling myself into thinking those feelings were true." Finally forcing herself to look at him, she cried. "Do you know how hard it is to pretend to hate the man you love, the father of your child?"

Taka gasped in shock at this sudden revelation. "You mean… we… you're pregnant?" To think that until just now, he had been completely in the dark. "How do you know?"

"Well, I haven't had my period in almost two weeks, if that's any indication," Ruki replied, running a hand through her hair. "So there you go." Smiling sadly at her love, she trembled. "I'm sorry, too. I said such horrible things to you… And the others as well! Oh Taka, what if everyone hates me now?" She was surprised to find a comforting hand on her head.

Taka smiled, ruffling her hair lovingly. "Ruki, I don't hate you, and I'm sure that the others don't, either. We all say things that we don't mean." His hand wandered to her cheek, rubbing it gently. "Ruki, I love you so mu--" His eyes widened as she suddenly leaned in and kissed him square on the lips.

Ruki deepened the kiss even further, tears running down her face. Oh, how she had longed to do this. Gone was the hate and anger she felt when she first learned the truth behind everything. She was tired of lying to herself. She loved Taka and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

Little did the couple know, that peeking into the room, watching with a grin, was Takashi. "Heh, I knew they just needed a little time alone together."

Unfortunately, the warm moment was not to last. The wall of the hospital room fell, revealing a giant purple octopus-like robot, scanning the room with its bright red mono-eye. It soon focused on Taka, one of its tentacles twitching threateningly.

Breaking the kiss, Ruki knew what was coming next, as did Takashi. As she prepared to guard Taka with her life as he had done for her, the oldest Takahata sibling stepped in the way, taking the deadly blow. The metal tentacle ripped through his body, splattering blood all over his brother and an absolutely mortified Ruki. She began to hyperventilate, falling to her knees.

Taka, speechless and in shock, could only stare with wide eyes, his whole body trembling in fear of possibly losing another sibling.

The clatter of snack foods on the floor signified the return of the younger members of the group. Her mouth agape, Hikaru stared as her eldest brother's body hang limply from the cold steel tentacle of the Octo-bot. Shaking her head in disbelief, she screamed out in fury as a rush of revulsion that she had never felt before filled her entire being, her eyes becoming lifeless and devoid of emotion, just like Yukina on that one night… Leaping up on top of the machine, she tore it apart brutally, tearing out wires and circuits with prejudice, growling wildly, in almost animalistic manner. The robot was long disabled, destroyed beyond repair in fact, and she probably would have continued if it hadn't been for Taka's interference.

"Hikaru, stop it NOW!" Taka screamed as loudly as he could, attempting to snap her out of her rage filled barrage. It pained him to see such a normally sweet and kind girl suddenly turned into such a violent, blinded creature. To think that poor Himiko had to experience something similar earlier, after being humiliated and violated, and witnessing actual people dying right in front of her eyes.

The shout of her other brother brought her back to reality and, after bearing witness to the carnage she had wrought, began to cry to herself, hugging her sides. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

"Why?" Ruki asked, looking down at the fallen and dying Takashi. "Why did you do that?" She was grateful, yet slightly disgusted that the despicable and self-proclaimed coward Takahata sibling had saved her. After going on and on about not wanting to die, why had he done such a thing?

"I did it," Takashi began, with a little difficulty, "because I had already lost a sibling once before, and didn't want it to happen again." Coughing a bit, he continued, despite the incredible strain that it was taking just to get these words out. "I did it because I was tired of running, and believe it or not, I did it because I wanted you to forgive me, Ruki." He sighed as tears began to run freely down the woman's face, nodding frantically to confirm that yes, she did forgive him. "Thanks… Now guys, no matter what, you have to get out of here. They know where we are now. Oh, and don't bother trying to drag my heavy ass outta here. Just go."

Sitting up straight, Taka began to slowly get up out of bed, but was quickly stopped by Ruki. "…What the hell are you thinking?" she asked, scolding him incredulously. "You shouldn't be out of bed, much less attempting to escape from this place and going off to play hero again!"

"Who said I was trying to be a hero?" Taka replied, removing the IVs from his body. "I'm going home to get into some normal clothes and to get away from this mess for a while. Where I decide to go from there has no bearing on my current mindset."

"But what about Takashi?" Ruki cried, wiping her eyes. "We can't just leave him here!" Despite what she may have thought of him, he saved her and Taka's life today, and he proved that there was still good in him. There was no way she was just going to leave him here to die, or even worse, leave him to the devices of any Bio-Genesis robots that may arrive later.

"Damn it Ruki, I'm as good as dead anyway!" Takashi shouted, coughing uncontrollably, blood spraying into his hand. "Look at me. It's a wonder that I'm still alive. Listen, this is the only way for me to atone for my sins. Besides, if you took me along I would actually die faster. And there's no way you can all stay here. They obviously know where we are."

Ruki still thought that they should try and do something to save him. "But," she began, sniffling and blubbering.

"I said GO!" Takashi screamed angrily, groaning in pain. "Just let it go. There's no time left for me."

"Takashi-niisan…" Hikaru said softly, staring at the floor, pondering about what to do next.

-----

Meanwhile, back in the final hallway of the Bio-Genesis main HQ, Rin and the suffering giant were still locked in combat. Dodging a swing from one of his massive arms, she blocked another strike with her arms, her defensive powers enhancing the amount of protection she was receiving. She gasped as she realized that he still had his legs free, flinching as one foot came forward and kicked her, sending her flying down the hallway. Grunting as she finally made contact with the floor, she slowly stood up, slightly scraped up. "Owie…" The girl winced in pain, wondering just how in the world she was going to beat this guy. He was incredibly slow, but his tank-like durability and remarkable strength made him tough to beat. "If only I could get in close…" Sighing wistfully, she realized that her next move just might be her last. Fortunately, it would also be his if she could pull it off. Rushing behind him, she jumped on top of his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing as hard as she could. Grunting loudly, she slowly strangled the beast of a man as he attempted to reach back and grab her to no avail due to his over bulky arms.

For a moment, Rin thought that she was in the clear, continuing to choke out the giant. Her relief was short lived, however, as without warning, the fingernails of the giant extended, impaling her with ten dagger-like claws. She screamed out in agony and pain, but refused to let go of her grip. "Aaaagh, damn you, you shit head!" she screeched, tightening her grip even more. "I won't let you pass! I won't let you hurt them!" They both screamed as nails dug into flesh and organs and air was blocked off.

The giant dropped to his knees and Rin began to go limp. Panting heavily, she endeavored, getting tossed aside as the giant struggled back to his feet and started walking towards the others. Standing with what was left of her strength, she began to glow red. "Stay where you are, or I'll bow the shit out of you!" The giant ignored her warning and so, surrounded by a shield, she leapt forward with her arms crossed, the power of the shield allowing her to burst through his body, blasting an enormous hole into his body. The giant fell, collapsing to the floor and finally expiring.

Lying on the ground at the brink of death, her fluids running out and making a crimson puddle on the floor, was Rin. She knew that she would die soon if she didn't get any help, but she had no regrets. Her memories returned, she could remember how their lives were cut short years ago and how she couldn't do anything to help her older sister. Smirking in resignation, she took a cigarette out of her pocket, pouting as she saw that it was snapped in two. "Aw, fuck it. I should have quit a long time ago anyway, and this is as good a time as any." She chuckled for a moment, before her laughs turned into crying. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, Nick…"

-----

Nick suddenly fell to his knees, shivering as tears ran down his face. The others took notice, rushing over to him. "//Nick, what's wrong?//" Taka asked, finally changed out of his hospital clothes. They had all decided to follow Takashi's orders, escaping while leaving him behind. They were currently hanging low at Taka's house, thinking up a new game plan.

"//It's Rin…//" he choked out, now on all fours and crying softly. "//She's in trouble. I don't know how, but I can tell that she's hurt really bad.//" He sat up on his knees, holding his sides. "//Believe it or not, but I could feel the pain she was experiencing for a split second.//"

Nodding, Hikaru chimed in. "//The same thing happened when I stabbed Taka-niisan. There is a connection between Bio-Androids and the humans they love. We can feel their pain and vice-versa.//"

"//I just knew I should have gone with her.//" Nick whimpered, covering his face so no one would see him cry. "//Rin's the only one I have left. My parents are dead, and it's taken a lot of effort to keep people thinking that I'm living with a relative or guardian.//"

Taka thought for a moment, a focused expression on his face, before smiling. "//Well that settles it, then!//" Turning to the others, he grinned. Now that he had actually gotten out of bed, he felt a lot better. In fact, the only he need worry about were his stitches at this point. "Guys, we're going to go help the others!" His expression softened as he addressed his love. "Ruki, you don't have to go if you--" He was quickly silenced with a finger to the lips.

"Listen, everyone's right." Ruki began, her voice shaky. "Things are never going to get better if we just keep running away. I need to quit running and pretending that I have nothing to do with this." Crying into his chest, she mumbled. "I have everything to do with this. Himiko is my best friend, damn it! So I'm going and there's nothing you can do about!" The last sentence was shouted up at him as she huffed and panted, her face turning red.

Taka stared at her for a moment before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. As if he didn't need another reason to be in love with Ruki, here she comes with one. After managing to calm himself down, he smiled warmly at her. "All right, whatever you say. Let's get going, shall we?"

-----

Yukina clenched her fist as a rush of the same pain that Nick felt coursed through her. "Rin…" she muttered softly, staring down at Misaki. Caught in the grasp of the psychotic woman was Himiko, who was whimpering and squirming in discomfort. They were currently in a hidden cave that was lit by lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The others had yet to catch up with them. "You let her go right now, damn it!"

"And if I don't?" Misaki asked mockingly, grasping the smaller woman's face. "What so special about this ugly girl, anyway?" Squeezing harder, she laughed wickedly as she invoked a cry of pain from her. "God, she's such a crybaby. Scrawny, too. I bet I could snap her right in two."

"Don't you dare!" Yukina warned, staying in one spot as to not endanger her mistress's life. "Himi-koi is beautiful, and don't let me ever hear you insult her again!" She gasped as Himiko's petite body was squeezed tighter, listening reluctantly to her screams. "Stop it, please! I'll…" Bowing her head in resignation, she looked away. "I'll do anything you want."

Smiling, Misaki tossed Himiko aside and sauntered her way over to Yukina, wrapping her arms around the woman she longed for and kissing her forcefully. She was pleasantly surprised to find her kiss be returned, moaning into the embrace while glancing over to Himiko mockingly as the long haired woman cried in rejection. The crazed woman's joy was abruptly ended, however, when Yukina grabbed her by the waist an preformed a German Suplex on her.

"Whoa, awesome suplex!" Asuka shouted as she and the others caught up. They had to run up an extremely long tunnel that went upwards. "Knocked that bitch out, that's what it did!"

Smacking her head, Erika shook her head while muttering. "Please carry yourself in a more professional manner in times like these, Asuka." She smiled as she observed Yukina running over to comfort Himiko. Her eyes widened as she bared witness to what happened next.

"You're so mean, Yukina-koi!" Himiko began to beat half-playfully, half-angrily on her love's head for that abandonment stunt. "I seriously thought I had lost you to that… psycho!"

Smiling awkwardly, Yukina explained. "Well I had to do something, she was going to kill you! And you know what they say: 'To fool ones enemy, one must first fool their'--"

"I don't give a crap!" Himiko shouted, glaring. Her expression became distraught as her eyes started to glisten. "I would have rather died than have lost you. Yukina-koi, I love you so much!" That was the complete truth. She was certain that she loved her, there was no denying it. The way she felt when she had seemingly been tossed aside, it made her feel useless and unloved. For a moment, she almost wished that Misaki had killed her, rather than suffer through losing Yukina. Her thoughts were interrupted by a passionate kiss from her beloved, her body falling limp in the tomboy's arms.

Yukina began to glow a faint golden color, just like the color of her eyes. Breaking the kiss, she reluctantly let go of her mistress. "It's not over yet, Himi-koi. Go over to the others, it's safer." as Himiko ran over to Erika's group, the Bio-Android stood up and turned toward her nemesis. "I'm tired of you screwing around with my life! You can't force someone to love you!"

"Shut up!" Misaki screamed, running towards Yukina, extending her fingers needles and tossing them at the one she claimed to love, finding herself shocked as all were dodged. Approaching Yukina, she threw a punch but gasped as her fist was caught. "I love you! I love you, I love you!" She kicked at her legs to trip her up, but Yukina easily dodged the attack, doing a flip over the woman and landing behind her, chopping her in the neck and knocking her out.

"Bah, that was too easy." Yukina muttered, a tad disappointed that she didn't really get a chance to exact her revenge on Misaki. But then again, it wasn't really her fault. She had been tricked and used, just like everyone else had been. The poor woman was obviously mentally unstable, and both that weakness and her feelings were twisted until she became the way she is now. If anything, she pitied her. Unfortunately, there was no way that she could be allowed to live. She was much too dangerous. A look of regret spread over her face as she raised her hand, the glow surrounding it intensifying as she prepared for a killing blow.

Reading the expression her lover's face, she shouted pleadingly. "Yukina, no! Stop! We might be able to help her!" Running towards them she grunted as Erika grabbed her, holding her back. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

Shaking her head, the blonde shook her head. "I'd let down… Yuki-chan if I let you get hurt in any way. I know how you feel about all this, but Misaki is too far gone. I'm sorr--" Erika suddenly erupted into a coughing fit, her grip on Himiko loosening as she covered her mouth. Falling to her knees, her fit calmed down and she stared into her blood stained palm. "My time is almost up."

"Erika! Are you all right?" Himiko asked, absolutely horrified. What had happened to her? She didn't remember seeing her get injured at any point. Unless, of course… "It's the serum that kept you young. It's wearing off, isn't it?"

Nodding, Erika moaned in gut wrenching pain. "You… would be right." Grunting, she continued. "My organs are beginning to deteriorate at an accelerated rate, to the point where my body can no longer heal them in time. It's the price I must pay for not being able to let go. I was foolish and let myself be used by Bio-Genesis, so now Yukina and Rin must suffer seeing all they care for die around them over and over."

"That's not true." Yukina muttered. "When the day comes that everyone around me in this life passes on, I'll go too."

"You'll kill yourself?…" Himiko asked, shocked. "Why, Yukina-koi? You could live forever!"

"Not necessarily, at the very most, she would live to be roughly 200 years old," Asuka explained. "Still, it's quite a long time."

Shaking her head, Yukina stared at Himiko. "You idiot…" she muttered softly, tears flowing. "What's life without the people you care about? Who would want to live that long, anyway? I would hate it, especially without you, Himi-koi."

"Yukina-koi…" the spectacled woman gasped out. "I understand…" She yelped as an elevator started up, the doors opening to reveal Keiji, standing up with some difficulty.

"//Ha ha! So, you thought you could kill me, you ungrateful piece of scrap?//" Eyes wild with insanity, he held up a remote with a single red button as he knowingly spoke to the unconscious Misaki. "//You see this? This controls your emergency self-destruct mechanism!//" Pressing the button, the elevator began to close its doors. "//Say goodbye, all you annoying bastards!//" Laughing maniacally, he failed to notice a now conscious, angry Bio-Android rushing towards him, entering the elevator as her bomb went off, causing a huge explosion that seemed to engulf the others, burying them under rocks from the cave walls and ceiling.

"Himiko, Erika!" Yukina screamed in horror, terrified that the debris had crushed her present and past lovers. She began to frantically pick up and toss aside the rocks that concealed her loved ones. As she worked, she was both baffled and relieved to discover that everyone was safe, save for some small cuts and bruises. "Oh, Mistress!" she exclaimed out of habit, hugging her tightly to her. "But… how?"

"//This wonderful girl saved us all…//" Dan replied, pushing his way out of the remaining rubble to reveal that he was holding Rin, the girl exhausted from using the shield to protect everyone. While he couldn't speak it very well, he undertood quite a bit of Japanese, which was why Taka moved in with the Frendels. "//I was completely surrounded when she comes out of nowhere, a strange wave of light emitting from her and deflecting the bullets back at the enemy. Then she told me to pick her up and lead her to the rest of you. We overheard what was happening and rushed over, and the wave appeared again, lessening the force of the explosion and falling rubble.//"

"Oh, Rin…" Yukina whispered miserably, seeing the appalling state her baby sister was in. "I knew I shouldn't have let you face him alone…"

"It's not your fault, Yuki-nesan," Rin replied with a weak smile. "After dying the first time, my only regret was that I couldn't protect you…" Sighing, she nodded off.

Realizing that her sister's memories had returned, Yukina picked her up and held her close. "Oh, you sweet, sweet thing…"

---

As the group finally reached the end of the tunnel, they found Taka, Ruki, Hikaru, and Nick sitting on the floor while waiting for them. Looking up and smirking, the pervert waved. "Hey there, guys. We came to help, but looks like we were a little late." He pointed back to all the dead guards. "We cleared a few more for ya, and with their leader gone, these guys are pretty powerless."

Looking towards Himiko and Yukina awkwardly, she stood up, walking towards her best friend and crying into her chest. "Himiko, Yukina, Rin… I'm so sorry… I said so many horrible things to you." She wouldn't hold it against them if they didn't forgive her, she just couldn't live with herself if she went on the rest of her days having never apologized to the three.

Hugging her best friend gently, she patted her back. To tell the truth, she was never that upset with her for what she said. They had all been through a lot. "It's all right, Ruki. I know you didn't mean those things you said. Now let's go home…" After months of pain and suffering, the nightmare was over.

-----

Checking his mail at home, Daniel Frendel took notice of one particular letter. "//Oh, this is interesting. Nick, come over here!//" Chuckling as the boy rushed over, he handed him the envelope. "//A letter for the young miss. I was wondering how long it would take them to contact her.//"

"//I'll give it to her!//" Nick replied, a grin on his face. Grabbing the letter, he went to go deliver it to the recipient. Knocking on her door, he called for her. "//Yo, you've got mail!//"

"//Door's open//", a sultry yet mischievous voice replied. As the boy entered, he was greeted with a face full of smoke. The room was dark and filled with it, the fan air conditioning turned on high on this hot September day. Lying on the bed in the middle of the room was a rather curvaceous young woman with long mint green hair that went all the way down her back. Dressed in only her black silky lingerie, she was quite a sight to see. Glancing happily at her boyfriend with her gray eyes, Rin smiled as she snuffed out her cigarette. "//Is that letter for me, Nicky-poo?//"

Rolling his eyes, he walked over and handed her the light blue envelope. "//Please don't call me that.//" His body froze as she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him into a lust filled kiss, with a little extra to think about, before breaking away and chuckling. "//You can call me anything you want…//" he replied, knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"//God, I can't wait until you're 16, can't you?//" Smiling as he nodded dopily, she examined the letter. "//Ooh, it's from Taki-pai!//" Tearing the envelope wildly, she began to eagerly read:

Dear Rin,

How's it going? I can't believe that it's been six months since we last saw you. I got the picture that you sent me of the new, older body that Bio-Genesis USA gave you and hot damn! Nick is one lucky bastard! So your new body is in the age range of a 17-19 year old, correct? It's amazing what technology can do.

Anyway, things are doing well on our side of things. As you could probably tell, Bio-Genesis is back to being the righteous medical facility it once was, thanks to new management. Let's just hope that no more psychos try and take over, eh?

Now, for some bad news. Takashi was dead when we returned to the hospital and about a month after you were taken away for repairs, Erika passed away. I'm sorry that you couldn't make it to their services. Hikaru and I took it pretty hard when big bro died, but we're doing okay now. I think he's just glad that both his younger siblings are alive and happy.

Speaking of happiness, Ruki and I have finally patched things up and are officially a couple! The baby's due in about 2-3 months. We're both so excited, and we'd love for you to come back down to Japan to see it's once it's born! It's kind of hard to believe that I'm going to be a father, isn't it?

As for our other lovely couple, they're going at it like a newlywed couple. I have the video to prove it! Just don't tell them or Ruki I told you that, okay? I'll buy all your cigarettes during your next trip to Japan if you don't! In all seriousness, those two are doing great. Call me what you will, but it's so wonderful to see those two happy together after everything they've been through. You should see it, the smiles on their faces whenever I see them together are absolutely heartwarming. You'd never think that they suffered as much as they have.

Well, Ruki's pestering me to take out the trash, so I guess I have to cut this letter short. Take care, Rin, and say hello to Nick and Dan for me! I hope they are doing well also.

Your friend, Taka

Rin's eyes welled up with tears as she finished reading, the longing for her friends growing within her heart. "//I miss them so much, Nick…//" As the boy comfortingly hugged her, she sighed. "//Thank you…//"

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And so, more time passed. Back in Japan, a certain couple was basking in the afterglow of another love making session. The dimly lit room was hot and humid as the naked, green haired bombshell stared down with both of her eyes at her equally nude, cute brown haired lover, both women glistening in sweat. Panting heavily, Yukina leaned down and kissed her mistress sensually, invading her mouth with her tongue, using it to explore. Their tongues danced and tangled with each other as their slick bodies rubbed against each other, holding hands. Pulling up, Yukina smiled down. "I love you…"

"I love you too", Himiko replied, completely breathless. Her chest heaved up and down as she recovered, light headed and satisfied. "Mmm, you still blow me away…"

Happy to bring her mistress such pleasure, Yukina sat up and the two women went off to take a bath. They emerged from the bathroom 20 minutes later. After applying her undergarments, next came a pair of black stockings. She reached around for her red spaghetti strap shirt, putting that on next. A black pair of shorts and matching jacket followed, then she put on her black fingerless gloves.

Himiko wore a much lighter outfit of a golden yellow blouse and brown vest with matching skirt and stockings. Stretching, she turned towards her love. "You ready to go?"

As they headed out the door, Yukina put on her black boots while Himiko slipped on a brown pair of loafers. Soon, they were on their way to the park, where they would meet some old friends.

-----

When they finally arrived, they were greeted by the others. "Late as usual, Yuki-nesan…" Rin teased, taking a nice long drag as she leaned on a tree. Below her was Nick, who was playing a card game with Taka and Asuka, beating both adults with ease. They all looked up and waved.

Smiling cheerfully, Ruki held an adorable bundle in her arms. The baby was a healthy, 2 month old boy. She winced as he began playing with her nose. "H-hey! Don't do that to mommy, Takashiro!" Turning her head, she gasped. "Himiko! Yukina! Long time, no see!" The sight of all her friends back together warmed her heart.

"Hi there!" Hikaru greeted cheerfully, currently hanging upside down from a tree. Swing back and forth, she jumped off, landing on her feet with a thud. "I missed seeing you guys!"

As Himiko looked around, seeing all of her friends happy and enjoying themselves, then glancing at Yukina, she began to cry tears of joy. They had all persevered through all the pain and senseless death to come to this point. The sky was a wonderful blue, the lake was clear, and even the air seemed cleaner. It was a beautiful day, and she was ready to begin the rest of her life.

The End