A/N: I don't think I have to put up a disclaimer...but this is un beta'ed. Please forgive any mistakes.

Anyway, dive into the last chapter of Mnemosyne! Sorry it took so long.

That night, Ritsuka could only ask himself: was it real?

Did it really happen?

Two years ago…did his nine-year-old self somehow find himself in the future, then save his future self?

If so, why could he not remember it?

He lay down on his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. He realized that he was starting to sound like his younger self.

"Am I REAL?"

After the drama of the Chibi Ritsuka (as the Zero pair had called it), they had all gone back to Tokyo. Ritsuka had ordered Soubi to go back to his apartment.

He had wanted to be alone.

Misaki had refused to see him. When Ritsuka arrived, she had peered at him through a crack in her bedroom door, then slammed it shut again. However, there was food on the table and a warm bath running in the tub for him.

Ritsuka stretched his hand in front of him, then clenched his fist. For some strange reason he was sure that his mother would never hurt him again…

And he was equally sure that she would never be able to stand to look at him in the eye.

He glanced around the room, as if expecting some sign that the younger Ritsuka had ever been here. Nothing. Chibi's clothes were still at Soubi's. Ritsuka's room was devoid of the planes that the younger Ritsuka had loved so much.

Although United had used a spell to make him and the younger Ritsuka one again, Ritsuka could not feel that it was so. His memories were still missing. It hurt, that what might have been his last chance at redemption was so cruelly snatched from him. He didn't understand why United could not heal his memories as easily as the wounds on his back, but Ritsu-sensei probably would.

At Ritsuka's own decision, he had forbidden Soubi to tell the others of what had happened in Beika, especially of Kaidou Chouma's role. He didn't have to try very hard. Apparently Soubi never had the intention of letting Kio get an inkling of how much they knew of his personal life. And of course Soubi would rather kill himself than consider the Seven Moons as a confidante.

There was not even a photograph to remember the younger Ritsuka by…

Suddenly, he sat up. He had recalled something that the younger Ritsuka said-the cabinet on the upper shelf held all his photographs. A clue!

If he could only prove the younger Ritsuka's existence…

Spurred by new purpose, he dragged a stool over to the upper shelf and reached over. He was about to open the shelf when there was a knock on the glass door leading to his balcony.

"Soubi!"

The blond Sentouki smiled in reply to Ritsuka's indignant exclamation. In a few minutes, Ritsuka had let Soubi in the room.

"What were you doing?" Soubi asked.

"I was…trying to look at the younger Ritsuka's things."

Soubi simply nodded. "I'll help you."

Together, they removed a big box from the upper shelf-a big white box, with brown horses prancing around near the bottom of the box. "Ritsuka" was written in kanji on the box cover, and underneath it, the English letters of the same name.

"Ritsuka," the neko read out loud. He laid his hand on the top, but now that he was here, he was hesitant to open it. Did this belong to him?

Did it belong to the other Ritsuka?

It was his "Pandora's box". To open it was, in a way, acknowledging Chibi's presence in their lives, and perhaps the fact that the current Ritsuka could never be him.

This Pandora's box would unlock the things he was yet prepared to face.

Soubi sensed his reluctance. With another smile, he positioned himself so that he was directly behind Ritsuka, and inclined his head so that his blond hair tickled the tips of Ritsuka's ears. He laid his hand on top of Ritsuka's, and waited.

He would not move to open the box. Not if Ritsuka did not wish it.

His Sacrifice pressed his back against Soubi's chest, as if to draw strength. Soubi was motionless, wishing that he could somehow give strength to him.

Soubi, like Ritsuka, was grieving. The younger Ritsuka's clothes were still at his apartment. It was hard to believe that it had only been six days since the younger Ritsuka had appeared in their lives. Soubi almost expected Chibi to pop up out of nowhere with another of his cheerful smiles, ready to pull a prank with the Zero pair, or to stretch Kio's patience.

There would be no more of the younger Ritsuka's accusing stares. Soubi would never hear Chibi's footsteps as they stomped away from him, nor the crystal voice soaring past higher octaves when he was annoyed.

Ritsuka looked up, directly into Soubi's eyes, and saw the sorrow there. His heart tightened, and, with an impatient gesture, yanked the box cover off.

For a second, neither Sentouki nor Sacrifice moved. Then, they peered into the box.

The box contained a bulk of assorted objects. There were toys, notebooks, books, and a couple of photo albums.

Ritsuka, mesmerized, leafed through the photo album first. Soubi had to smile-that was typical of Ritsuka. There were snapshots of Seimei and Ritsuka at the beach, at a picnic. Some were of Ritsuka playing soccer with friends. Ritsuka as a kindergartner, Seimei blowing out his candles during a birthday party. A few pictures of the family: a school meeting, Seimei's graduation. There were class pictures, pictures of Ritsuka eating with his friends. Ritsuka wondered where they were now.

Half of one album was devoted to animals: cats, dogs, squirrels, bats, birds. There were also flowers, mountains, ponds, and lakes. There was their mountain, which the younger Ritsuka had told them about.

One of the things in the box was a scrapbook. Apparently it was a project of Ritsuka's for second grade. "Favorites" was the topic of the scrapbook. For every item, there was a corresponding picture.

"My favorite person is my big brother, Seimei. He's five years older than I am and is very smart and kind."

"Favorite color: blue"

"Favorite book: James and the Giant Peach"

"Favorite movie: Lilo and Stitch"

"Favorite animal: Bears"

Ritsuka smiled at the latest entry. Bears-how quaint. He thought it would have been rabbits, or dogs. He did not notice that his eyes were filling with tears.

The younger Ritsuka's toys were mostly planes. There were a few cars, a train set, and a troop of toy soldiers.

Ritsuka remembered that it was Seimei who put all these away, two years ago. When his older brother realized that he had lost his memory, Seimei separated all of these-perhaps, to spare him the pain of trying to remember. However…

However, now that he had met the younger Ritsuka, the current Ritsuka doubted the wisdom of that move. Chibi had given him so much sadness, partly because he felt like a stranger-when he really wasn't. It could have been prevented, if the current Ritsuka had the courage to.

For his lost past was not a shadow, Ritsuka realized. It was not something that he must run away from, or be ashamed of.

The last item in the box was a book.

The book.

"Soubi!" he gasped.

Soubi was looking at a diagram of the solar system that the younger Ritsuka had drawn. He had just seen that the younger Ritsuka had gotten the positions of Uranus and Neptune mixed up when he heard his Sacrifice's gasp.

"Ritsuka?"

The boy held a book in his hands. The Velveteen Rabbit.

For a moment, they could only stare at the book. "Is that the same book?" Soubi finally choked out.

Ritsuka opened the book. The first page was a confirmation in a childish scrawl:

"From Soubi-san."

"Impossible," Soubi murmured. "How did that get there?"

"It's been in the box for ages," Ritsuka said, not answering Soubi's question. He skimmed through the pages. "But this copy is this year's edition." He looked up. "Soubi…Did this mean that…"

In this world of impossibilities, Soubi had yet to encounter anything like this. He was sure that they had left this book on Ritsuka's table before they left for the Seven Moons…

"Did your mother clean your room, Ritsuka?"

"No, she never comes in here. And anyway, how can she reach the top cabinet?"

Soubi grabbed the book. It was true: this was the book that he had brought for Chibi when he was in the hospital. "I don't understand."

Something fluttered out of the back pages of the book. Ritsuka picked it up and stared at it.

Soubi was still panicky, but the boy smiled again. He was no longer afraid. "I think I do."

It was a photo, taken a few days ago. Or two years ago, depending on one's perspective. It showed the three of them: Soubi, Ritsuka and Chibi standing side by side on their mountain. Chibi's grin was the widest.

RItsuka stood, the picture in his hand. He promised, hadn't he? He would accept that Chibi had been a part of his life-

No.

He would accept that he had once been Chibi.

He retrieved a push pin and tacked the photo on his corkboard. There. Now it looked like it was in its rightful place.

It looked like he had come home.

"We really did meet again," Soubi said.

"Shut up," Ritsuka ordered. He was blushing.

"Ritsuka?"

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come to see a play in the University tomorrow?"

Sunday morning dawned clear and bright. September 29, Ritsuka thought.

Soon it would be winter. However, he did not feel the usual melancholy that he had felt when winter was approaching. He wondered briefly why that was.

"Good bye, Mom," he said in the direction of her door. He could see Misaki's silhouette against the window. She was still waiting…for a second his heart clenched with pain. He waited to see she was going to say anything-a word of farewell, perhaps- but when she still did not speak, Ritsuka let it go.

He and Soubi had arranged to meet each other in the University auditorium. Ritsuka had no idea what the Sentouki was up to-and on a Sunday no less. Oh, well, if it was only to see a play…

He'd tried to ask Soubi what the play was all about, but Soubi wouldn't tell him, instead saying that it would be best a surprise. Ritsuka supposed that he could have ordered Soubi to tell him, but there was that rare glint of mischief in Soubi's eyes that Ritsuka did not want to go away. The Sentouki at least looked happier when he reluctantly agreed to the arrangements, even apologizing for his selfishness at asking Ritsuka to come.

He didn't mind that much, actually.

With it being a Sunday, he expected the University to be almost deserted, but it was quite the opposite, He had to wait half an hour to even take a seat-and even then it was only thanks to the arrangements that Soubi had prepared beforehand.

The Zero pair was there too-two rows behind him. He gave them a polite wave, wishing that he wasn't so alone in the front-row seat. He was surrounded by adults who stared at him curiously.

He'd read at the front doors that it was a play about the Ninth Month Festival-the kite-flying Festival.

"Ritsuka," someone greeted him.

Ritsuka turned, fully expecting to see Soubi. Instead there stood Kaidou Kio, smiling sadly at him.

That sad look hadn't gone away ever since he learned of Chibi's disappearance. Ritsuka refused to say that Chibi was dead, for he was not, but telling Kio exactly where Chibi went would not help matters.

"So Sou-chan dragged you here, huh?"

"N-Not exactly dragged," stammered Ritsuka. Somehow he felt guilty about Kio's misery, knowing that he was the one who brought the news. Added to that was the knowledge of Kaidou Chouma's existence.

"It's too bad that the kid went away before he got to see…" Kio trailed off. "He helped with the scenery, you know."

Ritsuka was surprised. "Really?" He was only beginning to see why Soubi had brought him here.

"Five minutes before the show opening!"

Both of them looked up when the announcement was made. When Ritsuka could find no words to say, Kio stood and patted Ritsuka's hand. "I'll be going, then. Enjoy the show."

The tattoed artist was a good twenty feet away when Ritsuka called, "Kio!"

Kio turned.

"I just wanted to say…for everything that you did for Touji-I wanted to thank you."

"You're welcome, Ritsuka."

The play started with a Kite Dance-a group of students clad in colorful costumes, spiraling gracefully across the stage. It was like the dragon dance in the New Year, though there were a lot more animals here, aside from dragons. Ritsuka saw dragonflies, owls, eagles, cats, bats, and of course, Soubi's butterflies. There were also a couple of younger students who waved carp pennants.

Then the story began.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there struck a long, harsh winter. Men, women, and animals died, one after the other, and there seemed to be no hope of it ever abating. Winter had gone on for three months.

The Minori family lived in this village-a grandfather, a father, a mother, a son and a daughter. After a long debate, the grandfather, father and mother decided to wait out the rest of the winter in the mountains, where the cold weather was less cruel. They had to take only the necessities, the rest were left behind.

Now the firstborn son, Minori Sho, had a pet turtle that had survived the winter with the family. Sho had pleaded for his turtle to be brought, but his parents refused. They told him that his pet would be another burden to carry. Sadly, he prepared his small friend to what would seem to be certain death-when he saw his dragonfly kite in a corner of their house.

The next scene was the family's trek though the mountain. They waited out the winter there, supplementing the food they brought to what little they could hunt in the barren landscape. After a month, they deemed that spring had come, and descended from the mountain.

The adults were relieved to be home, but they were also privately sad that Sho's pet turtle had died because of the winter.

Just then, Sho came in, half crying and half laughing, holding something in his hand. It was his pet turtle. His parents were astonished-how had the turtle survived, when the others had not?

Sho explained that he had tied his turtle to his kite, with a bit of food. Then he let the kite fly. This way even if their house was buried in the snow, the turtle lived. His kite had been a means to his pet's survival.

His parents and grandfather were happy for him, and therefore, since that day, the Kite festival was built in honor of the Minori Sho's spring.

Seimei applauded politely with the others when the play ended. He had simply wanted to see how the two Ritsukas were doing, but it seemed that there was only one Ritsuka now.

United's spell had worked, then.

He did not want to reveal himself to his brother now-there would be time for it later, and anyway he knew deep in his heart that Ritsuka did not wish to see him. Soubi was still here, and the Zero boys.

"Let's go, Chouma."

Kaidou Chouma stood up at once and led the way out of the auditorium. She was another person he had to watch. Alone out of the Fighter Units that he had known, Chouma was the only Fighter that could use her Unit's spell without meeting her Sacrifice. Seimei thought it had something to do with her name-United. Together even when apart. But Chouma did not express interest in being forced to protect a nameless person.

Nisei was not permitted to come with him. Seimei had been dissatisfied with his Sentouki's performance in the fire, and it had manifested itself accordingly. Nisei was still recovering from the punishment that Seimei had given him.

Suddenly Chouma stopped.

Seimei raised an eyebrow and looked to see what paralyzed Chouma.

Ah. Understandable. Kaidou Kio stood before them, his face completely bloodless as he took in Chouma and Seimei together.

For a few moments, nobody spoke.

Kio's voice was a broken mumble. "You're with him."

She did not reply. Seimei did not know the exact circumstances of her family-he suspected that it had been one of the major reasons why she agreed to be his spy in the first place. Judging from the way that Chouma's face was carefully expressionless, he had been right.

"Chouma." Seimei prompted.

Chouma turned swiftly to look at Seimei and nodded. She and Seimei walked past the stunned Kio and took their leave.

"Did you like the play, Ritsuka?"

'It was stupid. No turtle could survive in a kite for a month."

Halfway through the play, Ritsuka had thought he had seen Seimei and Chouma in the stands, but the next time he had looked they were gone. The mere thought of Seimei being here was enough to make Ritsuka jumpy.

"Would Ritsuka like to test that?"

Ritsuka whipped to face his smiling Sentouki. "No," he said firmly.

Soubi couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, Ritsuka, there's another surprise for the day."

The blond-haired adult showed Ritsuka the back stage, where all the actors were in chaos. Soubi sidestepped anyone who sought to congratulate him.

"Soubi, what about Kio, Natsuo and Youji?"

"They'll be fine. Here we are."

Soubi used a key to open a room. Ritsuka did not see anything that was valuable in the empty room he had suddenly found himself in. there was a white cloth covering one square of the farthest wall. That was all. There wasn't even anyone else.

They were alone.

Suddenly he felt scared. He wasn't about to lose his ears here…right?

"I wanted to show you something," Soubi told him, taking Ritsuka by the hand and walking over to the cloth-covered wall. "This room is the art college's next project."

"And you got a spot?"

"Yes. This is what I painted for this gallery."

Soubi gestured for Ritsuka to uncover the painting. Ritsuka, already half-knowing what it would be, pulled the cloth aside.

Ritsuka froze in astonishment..

It was a painting of a stem of bluebells against a sepia-toned background. Two butterflies fluttered around it. One was black and purple. Another, a slightly smaller one, was white and purple. There were only those three figures in the painting. Its very simplicity was what made it so beautiful in Ritsuka's opinion.

The symbolisms were clear. Ritsuka could only stare.

"You commented on this painting when you first saw it," Soubi explained.

Ritsuka was instantly distracted from his scrutiny of the painting. "Me?"

"Two years ago. You saw me paint this when you were having a pillow war with Youji and Natsuo."

"I did what?"

"You said it was a nice painting."

With that, Ritsuka was silenced.

They stood together for a while, almost content.

Chibi had not solved all his problems, but maybe…

Just maybe…

He'd lightened the burden a little.

"What's the painting called?" Ritsuka inquired.

Soubi took his hand. "Mnemosyne."

Ritsuka squeezed Soubi's hand. He knew that Chibi wanted him to be here. Right here, by Soubi's side.

He, Ritsuka, wanted to be here, too. That meant that they were one and the same, right?

"Thank you, Soubi. Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday, Ritsuka."

They say that time isn't linear, like we think it is. If we think of dimensions, the temporal exists in the fourth dimension.

In another place, in another time, an almost ten-year old boy lay on his bed. He was motionless, and every once in a awhile his facial expression would change-a smile, a frown, a scowl. Once he'd cried.

His older brother sat nearby, his long fingers alternately lacing themselves together or forming into fists. The older boy had kept vigil over his younger brother for a week. His little brother had not woken yet since he was attacked.

It was not an accident.

The older brother sighed deeply. Perhaps the only consolation that he could take was the fact that the ones who did this were dead.

It gave him consolation, but not satisfaction.

Then he jumped out of his chair when he saw the boy's eyes open slowly. Cat ears twitched.

The older brother knelt by him. "Ritsuka? How are you feeling?" the older brother asked.

Big purple eyes met his own. The older brother was struck at how different his little brother looked now-whatever happened in that past week, whatever he dreamed, it had a profound effect. Those eyes were deeper.

More…soulful.

"Ritsuka?"

The younger boy spoke at last. "Who are you?"

The older brother staggered back as if hit by a physical blow. "You…You don't know who I am?"

The younger boy shook his head. "I…I dreamed…but…I don't remember. Anything. Where am I?"

And the cycle began again.

~Fin. ~

Before I say my goodbyes, here's a last shoutout to my A-Mazing reviewers:

Wicked-sama: The asylum took hostage of my laptop and wouldn't let it go until I agreed to to an extensive research on how to remove toe corns. That is why this chapter took so long. * sweatdrop * Anyway, thanks for the review!*sends tissue *

VeelaSophia: Don't cry! I think this may be a good integration of both Ritsukas...and I'm really very happy that you reviewed a long one! * covers other works * the other things i made are not that good...* mutters under breath: i never think they are...* still, i'm glad that you enjoyed it!

Promocat: yeah, it was the younger ritsuka. But if you wish, you can see that the younger Ritsuka didn't really disappear!

About the story:

I know that a lot of you might be saying, "NO! That's it? WHY? So many things left unfinished!"

I don't know if there would be a sequel. I try not to make a story too "finished" if the manga/anime is not finished either. I don't go out of what the anime/manga says, as you can probably notice. I think the most interesting points are Kaidou and Ritsuka's not-quite-merge with the younger Ritsuka.

I don't know much about Kaidou Chouma, either. I don't know what her motivations are, or why she's with Seimei (not even sure if she IS with Seimei...), or anything like that. But I do believe that she's not as bad, for someone who works with Seimei, anyway.

And my readers must be wondering why I didn't merge the past Ritsuka with the present. I think I can only say that it will affect the time paradox...and two personalities in one mind might damage Ritsuka's character. Personally, I like how Ritsuka is, memory-less and all. He just needs a bit of peace with himself. Chibi Ritsuka did not solve any of the present Ritsuka's problems, as I've already said, but I think that he did provide the present-day Ritsuka with a way to hate himself less. After all, the younger Ritsuka didn't really disappear.

Another reason why I didn't merge them is because the present-day Ritsuka needs to learn some things for himself. Like what Loveless' power is (you might notice that Chibi already knew how to use them, while the knowledge was lost on the present Ritsuka.) And how to tame his mother. I think Misaki would be waiting forever for the the younger Ritsuka, ne? A large part of me can't really visualize a happy ending for her.

September 29 really is Agatsuma Soubi's birthday.

I hope that you have had as much fun reading this as I had writing this. I never thought that people would review so much. You have all given me the support I need to keep this story going, and it had been a continuous challenge to pen out something that people would love reading.

Last Fun Fact: A bit of randomness before I go:

Do you know that cat penises have thorns? * laughs * Yeah.

So I was taking this Psychology class and all of a suden we were talking about sexual drives. Then my profesor goes, "Did you know that cat penises have thorns? It's to cleanse the female cat's vaginal passage of all the traces of semen from the previous cats. The male cat would then be assured that any kittens born would be his."

My classmates: O.O

Me: ^_^'

Really, sometimes being a Loveless writer can be a lot of fun. Haha. Enjoy your day, lovelies.

Review? You've read this far, anyway...please? one last before you close this page and navigate to another story. Did the ending go well? What part of the stor did you like/hate/would like to change? Who knows, i might get an idea for a sequel...(if people ask for it...would they?)

P.S.

For those who would like to read some of my other stories, see my homepage. I've started a new Kyou Kara Mau fic, Lies Agreed Upon.

REVIEW! clicky the little button!