"Tang Xuan?"

"I'm here, Yuuhime."

"Thank goodness...are you ok?"

"I dunno. I can't really feel anything."

"Me too."

They were quiet. They couldn't move at all, something crushing them. All they knew is that the other's face was close, feeling hot breath.

"I think I can move my arm." He said, wiggling his arm then quickly stopping, groaning.

"A-are you hurt?"

"I-it's just my burns..."

"Just your-" she sighed and found his arm, caressing it.

"What're you doing?"

"I do this all the time. Doesn't this help?"

He paused. It did feel nice. It felt really, really nice.

"Yeah. Y-yeah, it does."

"Good! Perhaps I can rub your legs next."

"I don't even know where my legs are right now."

She giggled, then coughed.

"Are you ok!"

"My lungs hurt. Sorry fo..."

"Sorry? There is nothing you should be sorry for."

"There's just one thing-"

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"I-..."

He was quiet, waiting for her to speak again. She didn't know if she wanted to admit what she'd done with the music box. Would he hate her for it? Would he be scared of her? Would he think less of her? Would he...think she's a bad person?

"I used that music box t-to save you!"

"Oh, I know."

"Huh?"

"It's an unmistakable feeling. The music, too."

She breathed shakily.

"D...did I hurt you?"

"No. I actually kind of enjoyed it this time around. Like, I wasn't being controlled at all."

"But I used the music box!"

"Yeah, but..."

She started to silently weep. He wiggled his hands, painfully, to her face and wiped.

"Shh, I'm not mad. What you did was brave."

"...t-thank you."

"I should be the one thanking you. You're the one who saved me, after all!"

"I mean..."

She paused for a long time, unsure how she wanted to phrase her next words.

"You've made me a better person. You've made me want to stand up for myself, to protect people who otherwise can't."

He blinked then started to laugh. Her cheeks flushed, becoming embarrassed.

"What is it? What did I say?"

"N-nothing! It's just...you've done the same for me. I mean, I understand now that I can't do everything on my own, I have to give my trust sparingly."

"I feel like you learnt all that on your own..."

"Well, if it weren't for you, I'd never have realized those things."

The were silent for a long time. Neither knew what to say, but their presence was enough.

"Sunflower?"

"What is it?"

"I have something to tell you."

"Alright."

"I don't know if it's obvious, though."

"Well, I won't know if it's obvious or not if you don't tell me."

"Uhm...I'm nervous."

"Is it something bad?"

"I don't think so."

"Then why are you nervous?"

"I think it's embarrassing."

"Whatever it is, I don't think it will be."

"Really? I think I'm an embarrassment to you. People always look at me like I'm a freak..."

"You're not an embarrassment, you're not a freak. You're perfect just the way you are."

"Ah...!"

Despite his encouragement, she was still nervous. She took a moment before finally pouring her heart out.

"I love you! I love you so much, I don't know how I lived before without you. You mean the world to me! Do you know how much it means that you came to rescue me even though you're in so much pain? Did you know how much it meant when you agreed to dance with me even though you can't? When you went to the arcade with me to play the Sunflower Warrior game? When you played go fish, even though it's a kids game? When you went on an ice cream date with me? When you took care of me when I was sick? When you went to the amusement park and went into that haunted house for me? When you invited me to watch movies? When you..."

She clung to his jacket, breathing freely now.

"...promised to free me?"

"Oh, Yuuhime..." he whispered.

"Yes?"

"I...I love you too! It was hard to admit, because I was scared that if I did, you'd get hurt. I was afraid that I might lose you, but...you're so strong and beautiful! You're always there when I need help. I'll never lose you, simply because you never lose! I guess what I'm trying to say..."

He laughed a little, feeling his way to her hair and stroking it.

"...how could I ever live without you?" He said.

"That's what I'm saying."

Their lips were locked, in what they thought might be their last kiss. The debris around them was getting more and more heavy, and the air was getting harder and harder to breathe.

But it was ok. It didn't hurt.

All that mattered then was that they were together, that they could laugh and smile even when they were being crushed to death.

They could still love even though they lost the ones they thought they loved.

"They're here!"

Pulling away from each other, they listened.

The rocks of the miracle were being pulled away, giving them relief. Soon, they could breathe easy again as the sunlight poured down onto their dirty faces.

"Yuuhime!" Li Guang yelled down.

"Is that you, Tang Xuan?" Raven called.

"It's us!" Xuan confirmed.

Soon, they were both pulled up. So many Union members were around, helping lots of people in need.

"Tang Xuan!" Looking over, Li Ling and all of Xuan's other friends rushed over to make sure he and Yuuhime were ok. Soon, they were all in one giant huddle, questions and concerns all around.

"Is your lip ok?" Ling asked.

"Huh? My lip isn't bleeding..." Xuan said, feeling his lip.

"Ooooh." Leora couldn't help but smile. Yuuhime's face was scarlet, realizing just how messed up her own make-up was.

"Over here now, please!" Suhua called to them. "You were down there deep! You need oxygen AND check ups right now!"

They tried to walk over, but simultaneously collapsed. Although everyone swarmed around them again, Yuuhime and Xuan could only smile.

"Are you hurt?" Xuan whispered to Yuuhime, slipping his hand into hers.

"Are you?" She whispered back, giving a small smile.

Their heads bonked together, unable to hide their joy. Whatever happened next, happened. It didn't matter now, because someone was clear now.

Whatever happened, at least they had each other!

***

"Fu Shi is going to kill me." Yun said, horrified.

"Meh." Yamato said, throwing a roll of gauze at him. "Not my fault."

"Not your-this is all your fault!"

"There's another problem, you can't accept you're in the wrong ever."

"That's because I'm not!"

Yamato bellowed in laughter.

"That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

"You!-"

"Tang Yun!" Looking over, Yuzhi ran over gleefully.

"Xie Yuzhi?" Yun hobbled over to him. "What are you doing here!"

"Fu Shi wanted us to come get you."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes, he's pissed," Yuzhi wrapped his arm around Yun, "but Hyde won't let him do anything to you. I won't let him do anything, too!"

Yuzhi looked over at Yamato.

"Is that the guy with the music box?"

"That thing's long gone." Yamato replied. "It's probably destroyed in the underground miracle somewhere."

"Oooh." Yuzhi laughed. "Fu Shi is going to be FUMING! I can't wait to see!"

"This is HORRIBLE!" Yun shouted, holding his head. "This would of gone smoothly if my brother was just-"

"Drop it." Yamato sighed.

"What? H-"

"It's over. Our siblings hate us now. Don't make that face at me, Tang Yun, you know Tang Xuan hates your guts thanks to what you did."

Yun felt his stomach drop. Xuan did hate him, didn't he? No, no, no! Not after all he did!

"Don't be sad, Yunnie! You have me to love. Who needs a naughty brother when you can have-"

"A naughty shortie?" Yun asked.

"Shortie?!"

Yamato got up and left. A moment later, Fu Shi arrived, fuming, just as Yuzhi predicted.

"The music box is GONE?!"

Yamato chuckled as the shouting of the furious Esper echoed through the wreckage. He found a high spot to look over everything. The underground miracle would definitely cause the whole city to fall, but that wasn't his problem.

"I guess I understand now," Yamato murmured, "about love, I mean."

His idea of love was all skewed. What his sister and Xuan had was what love really was, and that love was something he lost the moment he betrayed Yuuhime.

"We win some, we lose some." He said quietly.

Standing up, he waved the the city below.

"Goodbye, for now! I'll see you again, someday. Someday, I hope you forgive me."

He knew that wouldn't happen. He still felt some of his old entitlements, he still felt justified. He really just said that to make himself feel better.

It didn't work.

What did work was true love.

True love that cured the burned from Xuan's body, but more importantly, both the shattered lovers.

"I love you, so, so much." Yuuhime whispered to Xuan again.

"I love you, more." Xuan whispered back.