Disclaimer: I don't own Gurren Lagann, it belongs to Gainax. No money has or will exchange hands over this piece of work as I wrote it for entertainment and to try and deal with how the series ended. All original characters and storylines do belong to me.

Authors Note: This is pretty the last chapter and I'm not intending to write any more of these alternate wold one shots- although One Thing at a Time still has at least one more chapter to go.

This is Simon/Nia and Kamina/Yoko along with some characters that really haven't made much of appearance as of yet (Viral). It is once again an alternate world but with similarities as well.

Thank you so so much to all those who have read and reviewed this collection of stories and to those who've faved and followed it. I'd love to know what you all think of this one too xxx

The World Beneath Their Feet

"Are you sure Nia?" Lord Genome asked his now grown daughter. He knew his time left on this world was short and regretted forcing her to make the decision so soon. He had wanted her to have a longer childhood, 18 years seemed like such a small amount of freedom compared to the thousands that lay behind him and before her.

"Simon is the right choice father, he is brave and determined in equal measure and he is kind." her voice softened at the last word but she saw no point in hiding the fact from her father, even if he disapproved it was still her choice.

"That's all well and good but can he - will he do what has to be done? Will he avoid a repeat of last year?" Lord Genome fell into a coughing fit as soon as he had finished speaking, having such a conversation was becoming too much for him.

Nia squeezed her eyes shut at the sight. Suppressing her tears was now a daily occurrence that scared and saddened her in equal measure. She waited for the fit to stop before she spoke, careful to keep her voice level and without emotion.

"He is strong and he knows what is at stake, he remembers everything that you have shown him. Neither he nor his brother would have joined the suppression forces at your side if they didn't believe it was the right thing to do." She reassured him.

"Very well." He sighed. "I will trust our future to you both, I will see you at tomorrows ceremony." He managed his best smile. "Goodnight my child."

She nodded and bowed, knowing she no longer needed to but still wanting to for as long as her father remained with them - Nia was now the Crown Princess and her father the retiring King.

Nia took her leave, closing behind her the heavy stone doors of Lord Genomes bed chamber and heading with careful footstep after careful footstep along the sand stone corridor into the sweeping sunset that blended so many wonderful colours into the sky as day changed slowly to night. The arches that lined the walkway were high and curved gently around and path way to the many palace gardens and the main family rooms.

Those who lived on the surface lived in the grand palace, filled with light and colour with the best food and drink that could be offered to them. Living standard were kept high and no one knew better than Nia why this was so.

The palace only held one hundred humans.

The beastmen lived in areas close by save for the servants and those of high rank and position in what was now her army. They lived along side the humans in similar rooms of grandeur and elegance and had worked hard for the privilege.

She saw Kamina, the man who would soon become her brother in law and his soon to be wife Yoko talking amongst the flowers of the gardens to her right. Nia knew Yoko was crying and saw how pained Kamina looked as he held her but there was a silent resolve there too which reassured her somewhat.

So she left them be without approaching, glad of her decision to allow them entry after the losses sustained the year before. They were both fine fighters too which had helped but really it had been Simon, pleading as he had for them to be allowed in that had swayed her. Kamina was the only family he had and Yoko was part of that package.

Of course in the months that they had already been there Nia had come to see her not only as a fighter but a friend and someone she respected. Yoko's strength came from herself and Nia couldn't help but envy that. She had even tried to find another way around the terms of citizen ship but in the end there wasn't anything she could do. So she was glad they had decided to accept them, in time she was sure they would be happy here.

"Simon." A gruff voice called from behind him and the turned to find Viral, Chief Commander of Nia's army stood in front of him, arms crossed and looking far from pleased.

"Hi Viral." He greeted trying to sound as cheery as possible. He had nothing against the beastman aside from his slightly obsessive rivalry with his brother and had been glad to fight besides him in the battles they had fought thus far.

"I have been told to ask if you will be coming to dinner this evening, customs dictate that you are required to attend along with the rest of the wedding party."

Simon scratched the back of his head absently.

"Yeah, of course - why wouldn't I?" He asked, slightly confused by the question and wondered if this was another one of those things he didn't understand about this place.

Viral stayed silent and Simon looked at him, waiting for him to say what ever it was he had come here to.

"You don't have to do this." Viral said finally, looking more serious now than Simon had ever seen in the battles they had fought together.

"What?" Simon asked, not knowing how else he was supposed to respond to that or even what he was referring to.

"I can see the doubt in your eyes Simon." Viral said simply, voice verging on a growl.

"I love Nia Viral, she isn't something I'm just going to walk away from." Simon told him, voice stern and hands coming to clench at his sides. The drill he always wore around his neck glowed green for a moment to remind Viral how powerful Simon was and what he would do to those who stood in his way.

"And if that was what I meant you'd be well within your rights to do whatever damage to me you wanted to." Viral waited as Simon unclenched his fists and softened the look in his eyes. Just because Viral was immortal didn't mean it didn't hurt to be torn to pieces.

"Follow me." Simon's voice was low and his eyes hard so when he turned and started walking towards his room Viral followed, matching his slow and steady speed. His question had been worth asking then, given Simon's reaction so he held his silence until they were behind closed doors.

Simon made sure to check his rooms for any of the staff that had been assigned to him but the place was empty aside from the two of them.

The Simon stood before him looked almost nothing like the calm and somewhat carefree young man who was about to take on the World as it's leader with a firm but fair hand. Instead his eyes were hard with a fierce angry fire of determination radiating from him, his drill was pulsing green again and Viral thought he already had his answer before Simon spoke.

"I wasn't sure whether or not you would stand by me, you have stood so strong within this army for so many years I hadn't considered that your support was even possible."

"Neither does Lord Genome and I would prefer it to stay that way." He didn't need to mention how long that would be needed, the current king had less than a month left to live.

"He won't be the only one we'll have to hide this from." Simon sighed and sat on one of the sofa's littering the large seating area in lush reds and gold. Viral followed him and landed on the seat across from him. "This is going to take a long time, we can't just go charging forwards and hoping for the best. They're too powerful and they're always watching us. What ever we do will have to be fast, strong and unexpected, what we want will be years away." Centuries really but neither really had to say it, they both knew that this place made such a thing possible.

Viral nodded as he took everything Simon told him in, it was what he wanted to hear, what he needed to really. Lord Genome had been wrong about so many things and now finally with Simon there Viral felt as though his extended life might be worth something. But he would have to bide his time.

The beastman finally looked at him again and seemed relieved and almost happy with what he had been told but there was one final thing that bothered him. "Nia?" He asked, knowing the young Crown Princesses power was more than enough to make her army bow and follow her wordlessly into whatever battle she saw fit.

"Shows one face to her father, another to me and a third to her citizens and a forth to her military." Simon told him, in no way sounding angry or even hurt it was just a part of her character and he stated it as such.

Viral was bothered by it though and wondered why Simon was marring a woman who held the potential to turn on him…. he wouldn't he finally reasoned, there was more to it than that he was sure.

"Which one is the real Nia?" He questioned, feeling now was the best time to ask, he didn't know when Simon would next allow this kind of conversation to take place.

"Not the one she shows to her father otherwise there would be no wedding, he is the only one she lies to…" he sighed. "She's something of the other three combined really." Simon turned his eyes on Viral again. "Before you ask she is on our side and she agrees with what we want to do but she is also going to be the Queen and will have more power than I, the King will inherit because of her birth right."

"So what does that mean?" He found himself taping his claws along the side of the plush seating and his feet shuffled on the floor, Viral wasn't used to feeling quite so uncomfortable. He didn't want Simon to be somebody who would back off from this fight after such a promise, not this time, it would be too crushing to see it happen again.

"It means that she will offer her full support when we are ready and until then the rules that govern this place will be upheld with a firm hand. When the time comes she will be glad of your support and I would like to know I can count on it before and after that." Simon continued to look right at him and Viral knew he meant it, suspected that this ran much deeper and that he had chosen his side in the fight the year before on purpose and as part of a much grander plan.

"You already have it Simon." Viral told him, eyes locking with the humans and making his position known.

Simon smiled and the mood lifted. "Can I also count on your friendship as well?" He sounded a little nervous this time because there was a difference between fighting besides some one because you believed in the same cause and actually befriending them. The two things didn't naturally lead to the other.

Viral nodded. "I don't have too many in this place and I suspect it's the same for you but yes you can count on our friendship." He stood. "I should head back, I will see you at dinner."

Simon shook his head. "I only need to change, you can wait here - I won't be long."

Viral just nodded and sat himself back down, releasing a breath he didn't really know he'd been holding and allowing himself to relax for the first time that year.

Their rooms were large, spacious and airy but warm enough to combat the chill of the evening air. The sun had set and thousands of stars began to show through the darkness of dusk and soon the entire sky would be filled with their light.

Yoko lay there in the fine silk nightgown she'd been given and her long read hair lay all around her on the comfortable resting mats that decorated their private courtyard.

The large glass doors of their apartment were open and the long curtains were free to move around in the slow breeze that blew around them. Inside Kamina was getting ready to turn in and was probably in the shower where she had been before dressing and wandering outside.

She couldn't help but marvel at the colours that filled the night sky and didn't understand why anyone could think they would want to destroy it. They of course being the human race because apparently it was acceptable to blame all for the mistakes of a few.

There was no need for her to wonder what was out there because she had already been told of other worlds just like theirs, beings of spiral power - beings who sought to evolve. She doubted though that such a wish would really destroy the universe. Those people probably just wanted what she wanted - freedom.

It was all she had dreamt of as a child, her brief glimpses at the surface during an evacuation of her village had stayed with her and when she had met Kamina and Simon in her new home it had only encouraged her more. The three of them had been determined to live beyond their under ground prison.

Nothing ever really worked out as planned though.

They had made it to the surface after a battle breaking over head had crash landed on their home and one way or another - with the help of Lagann - the ganmen that Simon had found they had ended up victorious and on the surface.

The months afterwards were still very much a blur but they had all fought along side Princess Nia, her father and their army after Nia had explained what they were trying to do.

A spiral uprising 1000 years ago had resulted in a race known as the anti spirals not only winning but closely monitoring all of the planets within their galaxy. In order to protect his remaining people Lord Genome had made a series of underground villages and locked the humans away. Only 100 were allowed upon the surface with his beastmen and even the price for that level of freedom was very high.

Yoko had paid it, as had Kamina but it's effects had been more devastating than she had expected and now she wasn't entirely convinced it had been worth it.

"Would you mind some company?" Kamina's voice snapped her out of her reveré and she turned her head slightly to get a better look at him. He was shirtless with baggy linen pants on and an ernest expression on his face she was becoming more and more familiar with.

She nodded and patted the space next to her, not really wanting to say anything yet, still unsure she could trust her voice. Kamina moved swiftly and lay down besides her on the deep red cushion, he nudged her arm and she let him slide his underneath her and brought her head to rest on his chest.

Yoko curled herself around him and let her hair fall down her back instead of being tangled beneath them.

He didn't say anything for a while but he didn't loosened his grip either, Yoko appreciated it and leaned further into him.

"Viral will summon us in the morning." Kamina said effectively breaking their silence. Yoko wasn't sure she was happy about it but now that it was done she spoke.

"For a General he's not been acting how I thought he would." Yoko commented and using her free hand she started to trace the lines and markings that covered his skin.

"He's lived as long - longer than most of the humans here and he wants to make sure his future King and Queen get off to a good start." He bent down to press a firm kiss into her hair.

"How old is he?" Yoko asked, having not spent much time with the beastman and was only half paying attention anyway.

"700 years old or there abouts."

She shifted to look at him, confused by the comment and realising that if she had been paying attention Yoko would have already had her answer but her mind had been elsewhere until Kamina had answered her.

"He's Immortal?" Her hands stopped their movement across Kamina's skin as she waited for confirmation.

Kamina nodded, aware of how exhausted she was and explained in full, to the best of his knowledge, what had happened.

"He questioned Lord Genome once and fought against him claiming that suppression of the people - whether Human or Beastman was imprisonment for crimes they weren't guilty of. Kamina shook his head knowing that sometimes, if not most of the time he agreed with that statement. "Lord Genome won and as punishment Viral was granted immortality so he could learn from his mistakes and pass the message along the generations of his people and some of our own who lived here."

Yoko again looked confused and furrowed her brows. Her lips were set into a pout and Kamina suppressed a laugh, it really wasn't the time for that.

"He regenerates when injured and cannot be killed. It's different to us, we're frozen as we are and although we'll heal our bodies won't ever really change. We still eat, breathe and live and we can still be killed as easily as any other human."

"I know." Yoko whispered, understanding but not needing his reminder about their current condition.

"I'm sorry." Kamina said very quietly - just above a whisper as though he was making sure she heard it and understood.

"It's not your fault, this is what we chose." Her voice was tight and she squeezed his arm where her fingers had stopped.

"I still -"

"No." Yoko's voice was firmer this time. "I said it before and I still mean it." She took a deep breath, remembering their conversation in the gardens from that afternoon as if this, now, was only moments afterwards. "As much as I love you I wouldn't have agreed to stay if I didn't want to, at least not without letting you know how I feel about it… it's just that I need to be allowed to be sad about it for a while."

"You do know that I'd have left with you if you had decided not to stay?" He told her sliding on the mat to be face to face with her and adjusted his arms to hold her against his chest.

"I hadn't ever really considered it. Simon is your brother and he had chosen to stay with Nia, it made sense for both of us to stay." Her voice was quiet and softer than he had expected but Yoko continually surprised him. He kissed her hair just on the top of her head and the gently pressure made her screw her eyes shut for a moment.

There really had been enough crying today and she didn't want to start again.

"I just… Yoko, I really don't want this to be something that…" He trailed off and looked away.

She tipped her head up to look at him, shifting in his arms as she did and slid her other arm under his shoulder on the mat, it was more comfortable that way and she felt more connected.

"Not being able to have children isn't going to come between us. Returning below ground may well have done but here we have a chance to do something greater, something more important." Her words were still soft and he could tell by her tone that she was serious.

"Yoko."

She sighed. "I'm upset about it now but that will pass, as long as you're here I'll be fine." Before he could respond to that she leaned forwards and nudged his nose with hers before kissing him, he responded almost instantly but it was a slow and gentler movement of mouths than they were really used to and it felt more intimate. They'd spent so much time rushing that tempering the pace held it's benefits.

Yoko pulled her arms tighter around him, the one hooked underneath his shoulder coming up to wind her fingers through his hair. Her breasts pressed tight against him within the confines of her silk night gown and Kamina was finding it harder and harder to breath with all the stimulation so reluctant though he was he was forced to break the kiss and catch his breath.

Yoko too seemed glad of the fresh air now rushing into her lungs, her eyes were wide and glassy and her cheeks were flushed. Kamina's heart seemed to catch for a moment and he realised - or maybe remembered how absolutely beautiful she always looked, especially in moments like these.

He was suddenly very aware of what he wanted but he wasn't going to ask or do anything about it. It wasn't that it felt wrong, it just didn't feel like his decision.

Yoko didn't let go, wanting to hold onto the moment before it passed them by. This was the first time in almost a year that things like this between them had been so gentle and without the desperation and force behind their actions.

"Kamina." She spoke his name so much like a question that she didn't feel the need to say anything else.

He understood though and he nodded, leaning in to kiss her once again and winding his hands against her back and through her hair.

Nia had made her way into her dressing room before retiring to bed for the evening. Simon had just left after wishing her good night with soft kisses and beautiful words breathed against her ear.

Despite the firm determination he often showed there had always been a gentleness in his nature and it was one that didn't worry her in the way it did her father. Simon knew when and how to use it, had shown compassion when needed and a firm hand when not and it was a skill her father had never mastered.

The room was still, as if it was waiting and in a way it was. Nothing there was needed until the morning. Her dress was hanging on the large rail across the room, layers of muslin carefully wrapped around it allowing the dress to keep its shape as well as protect it.

It was etherial wrapped like that, pinks and whites and beautiful flowers made of silk covered in a cloth that seemed to blend everything together along the lines of the dress until it shone and blended in soft light with the rest of the room.

It calmed her, soothed her and also scared her a little bit. Marrying Simon was right and natural but ascending to the rank of Queen was something else all together. She had such faith in Simon's ability as King and what he planned to achieve in his reign but she doubted her own.

The people had to be kept underground until the time came to change it. Some of them knew the reasons for their situation and their lives and living arrangements had been improved as much as possible but it was still limited and there were thousands of other humans literally kept within the dark.

There would be revolts, of that she was certain and one day she would stand with Simon to lead their own against the anti spirals but for now and for a long time to come they would have to break the will of those who sought to fight them.

So for a while she stood there, trying to drown out her own thoughts and breathe in the beautiful optimism of a room waiting for a shining future it was sure lay ahead.

Nia walked down the long isle for the second time that day, the first had been for their wedding ceremony held down in the lower gardens with all 100 humans and many beastmen in attendance.

Yoko had stood as her maid of honour in a simple pale pink dress with Kamina as the best man in a white suit that almost matched Simons but was shorter and without the extra attention to detail. Her father had not been able to give her away but had been present and dressed in the regal red, blue and gold robes that befitted the out going King.

It had been exactly what she had wanted, simple and elegant with exquisite flowers gathered and placed everywhere. Their pinks, blues and whites fit the theme of the day and their freshness and scent brought peace to a place that had seen such trauma the year before. Nia had chosen them herself and had made sure to fill not only the gardens but the palace with them as well.

Now though, despite the blossoms, friends and guests from before, this procession was almost entirely different. Nia still wore her dress but now with the veil removed her hair had been left to fall freely over her shoulders.

Simon was next to her and one step behind her as was the tradition in such a ceremony. Such an even had last occurred 1000 years before but before that it had happened almost once a generation. Nia couldn't help but wonder what it had been like then… to only have to rule for one ordinary life time, not to have to fight or bow down to the anti spirals.

They weren't allowed to hold hands but Nia found comfort in the ring sat on her ring finger with it's emerald sparkling in the light of the afternoon that matched the smaller one set in the platinum band on Simon's finger.

This was the coronation ceremony and was held within the largest hall of the Palace - the Ruling hall. Their two thrones stood before them at the end of the long red carpet they were walking along and the wide high windows within the sandstone walls lit the room so brightly it was almost as if they were still outside.

Lord Genome stepped down from his throne with great effort but without assistance and sat instead on the front row of honoured family and friends. Both Kamina and Yoko were sat along from him with their hands held tightly between them.

Viral stood at the front in his full uniform and ceremonial blue cloak draped behind him. He bowed before both Simon and Nia before gesturing for other members of the military and high servants to the Royal family to stand and join him. There were six in total, two army generals and three serving staff. They too bowed and walked to the sides of the thrones.

Nia didn't look to the side, she didn't look anywhere except right in front of her and she took the five steps one by one until she was faced with her silver throne knowing that it had once, a very long time ago belonged to her mother. Flowers had been sculpted into the surface but despite their appearance they were as cold and unfeeling as the metal they were made of.

She turned and sat, watching as Simon did the same and they faced their audience as they all waited for the crowning to begin.

Viral and one of the pretty servant girls, a beastman and one of Nia's personal servants stepped forwards with crowns between their hands. Nia's in radiant silver with small jewels set all around the floral design and Simons golden and smooth with patterns adorning the curved surface and jewels set within it.

Nia bowed her head as the crown was set there, heavy despite it's appearance and she smiled at how fitting it seemed. The audience cheered as the maid stepped aside and Nia allowed her self another smile and simple nod of her head, these people needed to know she was fit to be their leader and those who were happy on their coronation set the public mind at ease.

Simon followed suit and finally, after what seemed like more than the short time it had really been, they stood, took hands and raised them above their heads. The congregation roared in applause and as Nia chanced a glance at her father she could see that he was smiling.

700 years was how long it took to gather the right supplies, the right support. Generations upon generations of those underground passed their lives in ignorance and darkness with rebellions few and far between and always shut down will full force.

The anti spirals were pleased, or pacified by this… it didn't matter because they never changed tactics and they always acted in the same way. In the end it was their undoing.

Those underground who knew of what was to come had helped build, prepare and repair their army of ganmen in return for a better standard of living…. even if they were denied the surface to some it had been a good compromise.

701 years later Simon stood with Nia at his side and a ruin of a once beautiful palace before him. Half though was still untouched and it was strange illusion that their homes remained standing whilst everything else was turned to rubble amongst the dust.

Her hair was shorter and dirtied, with her dress torn to pieces and Simon's coat around her to protect against the wind.

"It's done." Viral told him, climbing carefully over the mound of rocks in front of them with Kamina and Yoko not far behind them.

"The first refugees from underground are settled in the old ballroom, it's secure despite the shattered windows." Yoko commented, wrapping her jacket around her and lending Kamina her arm as he limped down onto the stable ground where they stood. The scar on his face had faded now but the wound on his leg was still prominent and although he was out of danger he had the look of a man who had looked death in the face and still couldn't understand why he was still alive.

"Right." Simon sounded tired and looked exhausted but he didn't show any signs of stopping, there was still a bright determination in him that came from more than just the drill sat around his neck.

Silence fell amongst them but they all stood there, 5 people who had seen so much and now it was all over they were finally, finally starting to comprehend what they had done.

"it's gone." Nia said, voice ringing like a bell through the wind and eyes suddenly a little sad and also relieved.

"What has?" Kamina asked after everyone else just stood there in silence as if they were too afraid to ask. There was probably a lot of truth in that.

"The power that kept us immortal." She commented and suddenly they all knew, they could all feel it, or the lack of what had once been there.

Yoko stood closer and took Kamina's hand. She knew what that meant, knew that it still wouldn't change or reverse their sacrifice to live in the palace all those years before and she could see the same thoughts running through his mind. An eternity together was no longer the trade off. The freedom of their planet and the million other out there was some quiet comfort though.

Viral sighed. "I don't feel any different." He commented but Simon was quick to reply.

"Do you want to?" He asked his friend, meetings his eyes straight on with the same look in them he had had the night before his wedding so many, many years before.

"Yes, but there is no way…"

"There is Viral, honestly you have paid a far higher price for something that was never your fault to begin with." Simon looked to Nia and she nodded, giving him permission for something. "Come with me."

Viral nodded and followed, sparing a glance to his friends with what almost looked like a smile on his face. None of them had ever seen him look so happy.

"Has his wife been found?" Kamina asked once he was sure Viral was out of earshot. She had disappeared early in the year and although Viral hadn't said much about it it was clear it had been hard for him.

"She was never missing." Nia said, expression and everything about her so open as if it had never been a secret or something that had been kept from them. "Viral wanted her safe so she's been in stasis all this time." She continued, now starting to react to the way Kamina and to some extent Yoko were looking at her. "She wouldn't have been able to fight and Viral had already done so much that I agreed, she'll be woken up once Simon has finished with Viral."

"Did Simon know?" Yoko asked and Nia looked away.

"He never asked and I never mentioned it."

"How many secrets are there Nia? How many things are left that we still don't know about?" Yoko asked voice harder than she had intended, even 700 years wasn't enough to get used to Nia's unusual way of doing things.

"Not too many, nothing like that one, most are remnants of the time before the anti spirals saw us as a threat, if you want you can help us uncover them." Again honesty from Nia but neither Kamina nor Yoko knew what to do with it.

Silence fell over the three of them and Nia sighed, hands coming to her face then through her hair. She looked so tired in that moment and as though the weight that had been upon her from the start had only partially been lifted.

"If you want to leave you can, we won't stop you and we'll make sure you have everything you need… but if you want to stay, really want to stay, there is so, so much to do. Casualties from this war are still pouring in, children without homes and families and people who need looking after."

Kamina and Yoko looked to each other as if having their own silent conversation. Nia stayed quiet, knowing that she had no place in their discussion even if they were to speak out loud.

"How many?" Yoko asked finally.

"How many what?" Nia asked, kind instead of harsh and eyes wide at their question, she had been so certain they would want to leave when it was all over.

"Children?" Kamina asked her. "We were all orphans when we were growing up and although we can't help with the medical side of things we could take in some of the children, our rooms are untouched and big enough for several." He wasn't asking for a shining happy ending with beautiful children in an untouched world but he and Yoko didn't need that anyway and most of the children wouldn't have known any different anyway. But they could offer them a home and loving parents who would help them through what they had seen and lost.

Nia nodded and smiled, sad though it was it seemed genuine. She could feel more of the weight lift her shoulders.

"You are the first to ask but you will not be the last. We have at least a dozen so far and there are reports of more to come, they will not be handed over to just anyone but as you are both fit to be parents there should be no problem in you both taking some of them into your home." She didn't need to tell them that it wouldn't be easy because they all knew that.

"Thank you." Yoko said, eyes almost brimming with tears but she stopped herself before they started to fall as she watched Nia's face across from her, she looked like she was coming to the end of an internal battle.

Nia shook her head. "No, it is I who should be thanking you. With out you, without Simon I would have been trapped in this place and this life, you have all given me so much that I will do what ever I can for you." There were tears in her eyes that started to spill over and roll down her cheeks and Yoko stepped forwards. Kamina released her arm and watched as she gathered Nia in her arms, letting her cry onto her shoulder and held her closely as she finally grieved for all she had lost and everything she had done.

It was over now though and they could start to rebuild their lives and their world, one day at a time for as long as it lasted.

fin

Please let me know what you think, writing these has been a challenge but a lot of fun as well. I was going to do one, maybe two when I started this and now there are seven and a spin off series from one of them too. Many thanks to Fyria who continues to beta when she can and for Bearsho for her beautiful fan art and of course all those who review.

I also have a Simon/Viral (yeah… thank Fyria for that) story hidden on my hard drive that I may one day post, very angsty and set way after the end of the series (8 years or so) if anyone is interested….

Thanks again.