Shintaro didn't realize that he'd blacked out until he felt two sets of hands begin shaking his shoulders furiously. The feeling was obviously there, but it was strangely distant, like he was merely imagining it. His ears were ringing and his vision was black, but he couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed. He'd expected to be in immense pain, but his body was oddly numb, like his pain receptors couldn't tell whether or not he was actually in pain. 

The ringing in his ears slowly became the dull throb of an oncoming headache, and he was soon able to make out the voices shouting his name. One was desperate and female, while the other was male and panicked. Their voices were muffled by the pounding in his ears, but he was able to tell that they were calling for him. 

But he couldn't narrow in on their shouts. His mind and body were drifting, almost like they were drifting in a bottomless void. His insides felt hollowed out, as if someone had carved a hole in him and taken out everything important. He felt strangely lost, like pieces of the puzzle within him were missing.

He tried to focus, to listen to what was going on around him; but his body felt detached from the earth, as though he was floating in space without anyone to pull him back to reality. The empty, dark void of his mind and body stretched on and on, causing his head to swim. He tried to open his mouth to reply to the voices, but he could hardly breathe in against the numbness of his body. 

You can't give in, a tiny voice in his head whispered, small and quiet through the black walls of his mind. You have a family to get back to. You can't let them down. The voice grew louder with each word, and soon enough it had shattered through the numb void of his mind. 

Suddenly, Shintaro's body was slammed back into reality forcefully, and he felt the pain his body was sure he should have felt earlier. The pounding in his head worsened until it almost seemed like someone was hammering a mallet against his skull, and the hollowed-out feeling in his stomach and chest expanded into exploding pain. His body wasn't numb anymore, and he was able to open his mouth and gasp for air. He felt like he hadn't breathed in hours, but he knew that was probably not the case. 

Gradually, he realized that his eyes were open and his vision was slowly coming back to him. He could see bright lights above him, ones which made him want to close his eyes again to block them out. But almost as soon as he'd seen the lights, they were abruptly blocked by a small frame leaning over him, and he realized that he was lying on his back.

"Shintaro?!" the figure said frantically, and he felt one hand rest gently over his chest, rising and falling with his heaving lungs. "Shintaro!" the voice cried again, this time laced with relief and realization. "Oh thank goodness, Shintaro..." 

The figure leaned forward farther, pressing her head against his chest and making small whimpering sounds of relief. Shintaro flinched as the blinding lights shone in his vision again, but he refused to close his eyes. He blinked a few times to clear the blurriness and tilted his head to the right. 

Gabriel, Falte, Ruby, Zeke, and Abby were near to him, all looking shocked yet relieved. Ruby's face was full of worried terror; but when she saw Shintaro looking at her, she offered him a small, relieved smile. Zeke was next to her, frowning harshly but looking just as concerned as the others. Gabriel was nearest to him, sitting on his legs by Shintaro's head, his hands clutched together tightly in his lap and his face full of worried relief. Falte and Abby were sitting next to the each other, Falte with his arms around Shintaro's sobbing daughter. Her head was cradled in her hands, so she didn't see that her father was awake. 

As Shintaro watched, Falte began shaking Abby's shoulders to get her attention. "Abby, wait! It's alright, he's okay! Look!" He turned his desperate and relieved eyes to Shintaro, and Shintaro realized that they were brimming with tears as well. 

Abby's head shot up, her hands dropping away from her face. Her blue eyes darted quickly over to Shintaro's face, catching his eyes immediately. She inhaled sharply, then burst into another round of sobs; but these sobs showed her relief. She quickly scooted forward, and Gabriel moved out of the way to let her through. 

Swiping at her eyes quickly, Abby leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Shintaro's. Her sobs turned into quiet, relieved whimpers as she cupped Shintaro's face in her hands. "You're okay," she whispered, sounding like she was convincing herself as well as him. "I thought you were dead. You weren't breathing, and your eyes were open, and... Oh, please never do that again!" 

Shintaro tried at a laugh, but it came out more like a cough. He winced at the pain that sailed through his chest, but he smiled anyway. "I'll try," he croaked through a dry mouth. Taking a deep breath through his nose, he forced his arm upward and gently stroked his daughter's cheek reassuringly. "I'm alright now, Abby. It's alright." 

When Abby leaned away with a relieved laugh, Shintaro realized that Linda was the girl leaning over his chest. Her head was rested just below his collarbone on his left side, her arms folded under her as she lay against him. 

"You scared me, you idiot," she spat into her arms without lifting her head, but her voice was shaking. "Don't ever do something stupid like that again. I thought you really were..." She couldn't finish, and she lifted her head to look at him with her good eye. 

"It's alright," Shintaro said again, softly. His body was still throbbing with immense pain, but he knew that he was definitely alive, definitely alright. He wasn't sure if he was grateful that he was alive or if he was confused that he was alive, but he didn't want to dwell on it at the moment. 

"What happened?" he grunted through his teeth, shoving his elbows under him to sit up halfway and causing Linda to lean away from him sharply. Holding back a hiss of pain, Shintaro blinked a few times to regain the most of his vision and turned his eyes to where his father had been before Shintaro had blacked out. 

Brethren was not there. 

Relief crashed over Shintaro like a tsunami, and he involuntarily collapsed back against the floor with a sigh - but he shot back upward again when he remembered what had really happened. At the same moment that Shintaro had used his magic to vanquish his father, Nanami had thrust hers at The Dark Lord as well. Shintaro wasn't sure what the outcome could have been, because Nanami probably didn't realize the intentions Shintaro had. 

Shintaro threw another glance to his right, but the little girl wasn't there. Frantically, he turned his gaze to his left and found her and Rachel a foot or two away from him. Rachel was cradling Nanami in her lap, and the younger girl was unconscious against Rachel's arms. Thankfully, her breathing looked even and her face peaceful; but she was paler than usual, which was probably a sign of exhaustion. 

Gritting his teeth, Shintaro forced himself to sit up completely, grunting at the sharp pain this caused. His vision darkened for another second, but he blinked it away quickly and slid himself toward Nanami and Rachel. 

Rachel looked up as he approached, her eyes full of worried concern but welcoming relief. One hand was running through Nanami's shoulder length, dirty blond hair, while the other was wrapped around her shoulders to keep her propped on Rachel's lap. 

"Is she alright?" Shintaro asked as calmly as he could, reaching forward and taking one of Nanami's wrists to feel for a pulse. Thankfully, he found her heartbeat strong and steady and relief washed over him again. 

"I think so," Rachel said quietly. "What happened?" She listed her head to the right at Shintaro, her eyebrows drawing together in eager confusion. 

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure," Shintaro murmured without looking up at Linda's sister. He ran one thumb absently over Nanami's warm palm. "Nanami used her magic with me, but I'm not sure that her intentions were the same as mine. Many things could have happened when our magics clashed against Brethren's." 

Sudden movement caught Shintaro's vision, and he looked up sharply. He gazed around for a moment before finding the source of the movement - Kai had lowered himself onto his knees, his arms wrapped around his torso and his shoulders hunched. He looked withered, as though all the strength had been sapped out of him. 

Before Shintaro could even begin to worry for Kai, Moon made a low grunting sound and pressed her hand to her forehead, closing her eyes tightly with a wince. She too slid to the floor, sitting down on her legs with a small sound of strangled exhaustion. 

Then, like a wave sweeping through the room, the Darks one by one began to settle onto the floor as if someone had taken every ounce of their strength. Cynthia, who was nearest to them, lowered herself to the floor with wide, confused eyes, staring at her hands. 

"What's going on?" Falte asked with growing panic, crawling toward Kai, who had his hands pressed against his head. 

Shintaro suddenly realized that the hollowed-out feeling inside of him was not gone. It was distant, but it was definitely there. Slowly, he realized that something in him was missing, as if one of his puzzle pieces was stolen from him. 

Realization hit Shintaro like a punch in the stomach. 

His Dark Magic was gone. 

The darkness that he'd lived with since he was four years old was gone. 

Shintaro and Nanami had vanquished Dark Magic once and for all. It was no more, like it had never existed. These Darks were no longer to be classified as Darks. Kai wasn't a Dark anymore, nor was Moon or Shintaro.

It was gone. 

Shintaro realized what this meant and was surprised when pity marched into his heart. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the far left, where one Dark remained. 

Thorn, still in the shape of the huge dragon he'd used to fight Brethren, was struggling to rise to his talons with bared teeth. There were large, smoking holes dotting the base of his neck where Brethren had bitten him, but that wasn't what was causing Thorn's strength to slowly fade away. As he shakily rose onto all fours, the tip one wing dissolved into thin trails of smoke then vanished completely. 

The Shadow Spirit, made up entirely of Dark Magic, was dying. 

Thorn's head was dipped low as he shakily kept his balance in check. Shintaro could see his sides heaving with shallow breaths, and his wings slowly collapsed against the floor. Thorn lifted his massive dragon head and twisted it around to peer at the wing that was gradually dissolving, and his snout twisted in frustrated recognition. Shintaro noticed that there was even some fear behind the frown - Thorn had never had to worry about death before, so of course he was afraid of it. 

Shintaro sighed deeply through his nose, beginning to accept the fact that he was sorry for Thorn. Though Thorn had done countless terrible things, Shintaro couldn't help but pity that the Shadow Spirit had to end this way. 

Thorn turned his head away from his vanishing body and looked over the group of friends all crouched by Shintaro. His eyes traveled over Kai and Moon slower than the rest, no doubt understanding what was happening. 

Snorting slightly through his nose, Thorn took a staggering step forward - but that was a mistake. The Dark Magic holding his form together obviously wasn't strong enough, because Thorn collapsed forward with a low grunt, then the shadowy flames consumed his form. When they receded, the Shadow Spirit was back in his original form, crouching on the floor with his head in his hands. 

Almost everyone was following Shintaro's gaze now, but Shintaro couldn't tell what was hidden in their masked expressions. Falte, who had hated Thorn from the beginning, wasn't frowning at the Dark Shadow Spirit, simply staring at him without emotion. Everyone else looked mostly confused, aside from Moon and Kai, who were still rubbing their faces with exhaustion. 

Without warning, Linda shot to her feet with an angry frown that didn't seem directed completely at Thorn. As Shintaro watched, she marched over to Thorn and planted herself in front of him with her hands on her hips. 

"Look up at me," Linda said sharply, cocking one hip at the weakened Shadow Spirit. 

Thorn's expression would have been confused and impatient had he owned more than eyes for facial features. Shintaro could almost see Luke's face frowning up at Linda, and imagining this sent a small pang of longing through Shintaro's heart. 

And then Linda leaned down and slapped Thorn straight in the face. At the time, Thorn was apparently solid enough for her to do this, because his head jerked sideways - although Linda's fingertips left trails of billowing darkness in their wake. 

"Now, why did-" Thorn started, but cut himself off with either a grimace of pain or realization. 

"I wanted to make a lasting impression," Linda said firmly. "I don't like you, Thorn - I never have. But that doesn't mean I'm not sorry to see you die. I thought I'd remind you that you don't ever mess with me or my friends." 

Thorn's shoulders lifted in what sounded like a small chuckle, which told Shintaro that the Thorn they all knew was still in there. 

Without another word, Linda turned away and walked back to Shintaro, folding her legs under her and clasping her hands in her lap again. She didn't look up to meet anyone's eyes; instead, kept her gaze on her hands. 

Shintaro couldn't help but agree with Linda. There was never a point in Shintaro's life that he'd ever liked Thorn, but Shintaro had to admit that he was grateful for Thorn's role in his life. 

Breathing deeply through his nose, Shintaro shifted his legs and planted his feet on the floor to stand. Slowly, through the throbbing pain in his chest, he rose to his feet and steadied himself. Behind him, Linda looked eager to help him, but he started walking before she could straighten. 

Shintaro slowly picked his way over to Thorn, who had closed his eyes and didn't seem aware that Shintaro was coming toward him. Upon reaching the Shadow Spirit, Shintaro lowered himself into a crouch in front of Thorn silently. 

For a few moments, Shintaro couldn't find the words to say to Thorn, so he simply watched the Dark flames slowly flicker around Thorn's fading shoulder. The Shadow Spirit didn't open his eyes the whole time, so he wasn't aware of Shintaro's presence until he spoke. 

"Thank you," Shintaro said softly, hoping no one but Thorn would hear. 

The Shadow Spirit barked a strained laugh that made Shintaro think of all those times Thorn cackled at him in the arena. "What on earth are you thanking me for?" Thorn asked him with firmness, though Shintaro heard genuine curiosity behind the words. 

"It's as Linda said," Shintaro replied quietly. "I have never once liked you, Thorn. But I am sorry you have to go through such a fate. Don't get me wrong, I still dislike you and I'm not all sorry to see you go," Shintaro added with a wry smile. "But if it were not for you..." 

Shintaro hesitated, warmth spilling into his heart as he pictured the smiling faces of everyone he knew, and the ones he once knew before - Chase and Luke, both giving him their signature smiles, and Amy, thrusting her arm out in the peace sign with a large grin. Shintaro couldn't help but smile a little at their memories. 

Slowly, Shintaro cast a glance over his shoulder at his watching friends. His mind automatically pictured Luke, Chase, and Amy standing there with them, watching Shintaro expectantly with knowing smiles. 

"If it were not for you, I would not be able to call these people my family," Shintaro said without turning back to Thorn. 

Shintaro expected Thorn to laugh again, but the dying Shadow Spirit was silent. Shintaro turned his head away from his watching friends and found Thorn staring at him without expression in his red eyes. 

"You're welcome, then," he finally said dryly, leaning back against the shelf behind him with a grunt. He wrapped his arms around his middle and sighed heavily. "Just stop with the sappiness already." 

As Thorn closed his red eyes with another sigh, Shintaro couldn't help but smile at the comment. The thinning smoke of Thorn's Dark Magic slowly crawled up the Shadow Spirit's body, and Shintaro stood and backed away a few steps from Thorn. 

He could only watch, unsure entirely of what to feel, as the Shadow Spirit's life faded away into air. 

"Farewell, Thorn." 

~

This isn't really meant to make you all feel absolutely terrible for Thorn or anything, I just thought I'd make it kind of touching with a hint of humor in it. 

And HEY, I never said I couldn't kill two characters in one book!! 

That was not said at all XD

I said at least one character will be killed in each book. 

So yeah, Thorn is dead!! 

Dark Magic is gone!!

This isn't the last chapter-

I was telling my sister and my friend that it was, but I decided to break up Thorn's death and the last part...

Because it would have been like, possibly over 5,000 words if I didn't. 

So yeah, thank you for reading!!

THE NEXT chapter is THE LAST CHAPTER!!

AND THEN THE EPILOGUE WILL FINISH IT OFF.

THE WHOLE SERIES.

ALL OF IT.

HAJHDSKLJGHALKJHFAKJHFAJHFJADGJKHAGLTEAHDSGKJHSDKJGHSDGKAJ-

You guys, I really cannot tell you how appreciative I am of all of you.

Thank you. 

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

P3ac3!!!!~~~