"Don't forget your lunch again!" Dunamis called down the hallway, wiping his hands dry in a dish towel.

There was a muffled affirmative noise as Titi poked his bed-rumpled head out of their shared bathroom, his toothbrush still in his mouth. White toothpaste froth was beginning to drip down his chin, so he hastily ducked back into the bathroom.

Dunamis chuckled fondly, his eyes crinkling up at the corners slightly at the sight. He turned back to packing the bento boxes for Titi to take with him to school.

Titi had been eager to go to school and meet more kids his own age, even more so when he found out that Yuu was attending the same school. However, Titi had, understandably, been far behind his own age group in terms of level of education. But Ryo had been more than helpful, hiring a tutor to teach Titi and get him caught up before the start of the new school year, as well as finding them a place to stay.

Titi and Dunamis were living comfortably in a small apartment, paid for by the WBBA. Ryo or Gingka often stopped by to check up on them.

Dunamis had started working as a part-time trainer at the WBBA, teaching children how to begin blading. It was a modest job, but it made him happy, being able to make a change and watch young faces brighten with the newfound joy of blading.

Dunamis felt that this peace and comfort was well-earned, what with the trauma that he and Titi had both endured. Sometimes, he would wake in the middle of the night and hear, in the bedroom next to his, the sound of Titi sobbing. And when he hurried over to hold his brother, to offer comfort, Titi would bury his tear stained face in his chest, holding on tightly to Dunamis, as if he was afraid that he would disappear.

Because they both knew that Titi's nightmares had been close to being reality.

Dunamis had gone to counseling for months after the ordeal, talking to psychologists that seemed intent on picking apart his brain. In the end, his appointments had dropped off, as he seemed to have stabilized mentally.

But some nights, he would dream that he was drowning, lost in a haze of black shadows, purple mist, and shards of red crystal. Sometimes, he would imagine phantom pain shooting through his chest, throbbing in an empty cavity that once held a heart. Other times, he would look in the mirror and fleetingly see lonely green eyes staring back at him.

But those were the bad days. And Dunamis found that the bad days were happening less and less, lost between days and weeks of laughter and contentment.

So maybe he hadn't moved on completely from the chains that had bound him for most of his life. But he was getting there, and that was what mattered.

"Nii-chan!* I'm going to be late!" Titi shouted from the bathroom.

"No, you're doing fine. Tsubasa said that he'd pick you up today, remember?" Dunamis wrapped the bento boxes up neatly before setting them down on the kitchen counter.

Titi sprinted into the kitchen to grab his lunch before running into his bedroom to sling on his bookbag. Right on cue, there was a series of excited knocks and Titi's voice calling out,"Titi, hurry up! Tsubasa said he'd get us ice cream if we have time!"

Titi let out a sound that was a cross between a squeal and a yelp as he almost unbalanced and fell over while rushing to put on his shoes. His hair was still uncombed, and his school uniform was wrinkled in some places, his tie slightly askew.

Dunamis sighed, but was used to it by now, so he resigned himself to ruffling up Titi's already messy hair.

"Have fun." He said, smiling gently down at Titi. The pink-haired boy beamed up at him, eyes shining with happiness.

"I will! See you later, Nii-chan!" Titi chimed, flinging the door open and revealing an impatient Yuu and bemused Tsubasa.

Yuu immediately latched onto Titi's hand, tugging him down the stairs while chanting, "Strawberry ice cream! Strawberry ice cream!"

"He's never going to grow up, is he?" Tsubasa groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in fond exasperation. But before he turned to follow the two boys down the stairs, he paused and asked,"Have you considered my offer?"

"I've thought about it, but I'm not sure I'm qualified for that kind of job..." Dunamis shifted nervously, gaze fixed on the wooden floorboards.

"Have a bit more confidence in yourself." Tsubasa's sharp eyes softened to a warm amber. "I think you should apply. If the higher-ups do end up promoting me like they've been talking about, I'd like for you to take over as an agent."

Dunamis smiled back. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind."

Tsubasa nodded before turning to head down the stairs at the sound of Yuu's voice echoing up. "Hurry up, Tsubasa! Ice cream waits for no one!"

Dunamis couldn't help laughing as he shut the door. He went to the window, watching as Titi and Yuu scampered out to Tsubasa's waiting car. He held up his hand in farewell, as Titi rolled down a window to enthusiastically wave goodbye.

Sometimes, he'd wonder how life would have turned out if he had never defied the stars, if he'd be as happy as he was now. Sometimes, he would miss the steady, story-telling stars that had been with him his entire life. But he'd remember the tears, the pain, the sorrow that the cold eyes in the night had decreed.

And he'd be certain.

That he had picked the path that was right. Because he never wanted Titi to live the life that he had led, trapped within the gaze of the cold stars and equally cold temple walls.

Dunamis didn't know what the future held anymore.

But he'd be content with knowing that he and Titi would make the best of it, no matter what happened.

He closed his eyes, and felt free

...~*~...~*~...~*~...

*Affectionate way to refer to an older brother

A/N: Aaaand that's a wrap! I hope you guys enjoyed reading my fic, so leave me a comment if you will and tell me what you thought. Constructive criticism is welcome!

Quick thoughts before I go: I was trying to figure out how old Yuu and Titi were. If Gingka was 13 during Metal Masters, I'm guessing that Titi was like 10 or something. Maybe younger. According to the Internet, in Japan, that puts all of them in elementary school, or junior high for the older kids. 0.o The world was saved by a bunch of kids that weren't even in high school yet...what have I been doing with my life?!

Anyways, thanks again to anyone who so much as spent the time to read my work. I'll be focusing on All That Is Hidden in the Mist now, in between school work. So stay tuned and I hope to hear from you all.