Darkness.

Kao was surrounded by darkness. 

The last thing he remembered was seeing the horrified expression on Earth's face before he blacked out and it pained him. 

Kao knew what he had done. He let the Darkness consume him because he couldn't let her take Earth.

Actually, the Darkness didn't have to consume him at all; Kao was strong enough now to fight it, but she didn't know that. Neither did anyone else.

Except for Boun.

"Kao, you know I wouldn't ask you to do this if you weren't ready." The High Elemental placed a hand on Kao's shoulder. "But I've been watching you these past couple of weeks and you are strong. Possibly one of the strongest Elementals I have ever come across."

It was the morning of Earth's near-death incident when Boun pulled Kao aside to talk privately. 

"It won't be easy, but if we can get to her from the inside, it may give us the advantage we need to fix this and you are the only one with that level of strength.

"But Kao, no one can know about this. Not even Earth. If anyone finds out about our plan, it could ruin everything."

Kao nodded in understanding. 

The Darkness taking control over Earth in his dream was the final straw to convince Kao to follow through with the plan. He had to end this, for Earth's sake. He was tired of seeing him suffer.

Seeing Earth on the ground, gasping for air, Kao was frantic, but he knew that it was the right time to surrender himself.

Kao tried as hard as he could to push Earth's terrified expression from his mind. Boun told Kao that the only way to survive the Dark energy was to stay positive.

So Kao focused on Earth's beaming smile, his twinkling laughter and sparkling eyes the color of molten chocolate. He thought about Earth's pout when he didn't get his way and the way he play-fought with his friends. Kao remembered the love that radiated from him from the moment they first met and how breathtaking Earth was the night they spent together, so close the moonlight couldn't separate them. 

Kao focused on all the things he loved about Earth and it gave him the strength to hold on to the Light energy as he waded through the black. 

Something tugged at the back of his mind, but it wasn't a darkness, but...a light? Kao searched for wherever it was coming from and finally spotted a pinprick of light in the distance, and pushed himself forward. It was like swimming through mud, but there was nothing around him, only darkness. He pressed on and as he got closer and closer to the light, he started to make out a figure. It was the figure of a girl with long brown hair who was hugging her knees with her head buried in her arms. 

"Sammy?" Kao called and her head whipped up. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and she had a panicked look on her face, nothing like the Sammy he had just met. 

"Who... who are you?" she whimpered, obviously terrified. 

This must be the real Sammy; the vulnerable, broken Sammy.

"My name is Kao," he said gently, kneeling down in front of her. "I'm here to help you."

"How did you get here? I can't get out. I've tried and tried but there's no way out," Sammy let out a sob, looking around frantically. 

Kao carefully took Sammy's hands in his. "Sammy, there are some people out there who care about you very much and want you to come back to them."

"Who?" she asked, her eyes furrowed.

"Mean and Plan. And Pineare and Mix. And Bosston, of course."

Sammy's expression perked up at the mention of her friends, but changed again when she heard the name of the man who broke her heart.

"Bosston doesn't want me," she said, looking down. "He said he didn't love me. He said he was only playing games."

"Sam, this might be hard for you to hear, but Bosston lied to you. He loves you very much."

Sammy shook her head, tears in her eyes. "No, he doesn't. Why would he lie to me?"

"Because, he was afraid. He was afraid for your safety. He didn't want you to get hurt, because you were only human."

Pain flashed through Sammy's tear-stained eyes. "Doesn't he know that what he did to me hurt so much worse?"

Kao could feel his own eyes filling up. "Yes, he does now. And he is so sorry, Sammy."

"Why didn't he come to get me if he cares so much?" Sammy asked, a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"He would have if he was strong enough, but the Spirit of Darkness has been draining the energy of everyone. All of your friends and my friends. I was the only one with the strength to come find you." 

Sammy was silent for a moment. "What...what if I don't want to go back?"

"I don't think that's true." 

"What if it is true? What if I go back and it's not the same? What if Bosston doesn't love me?"

"Then you keep on moving, Sam. I know it may hurt like hell, but you have to keep living your life, even through the heartbreak. Someday, somehow, you'll be okay. Maybe not right now, but someday. But you have to keep fighting for another day." The tears were streaming down Kao's face now. "But if you don't fight, Sam, then a lot of people are going to get hurt. Your friends, my friends, even the one I love. So, please, Sammy, please fight for me. For our friends. Please."

"I...I don't know how," Sammy said, so quiet, Kao could barely hear her. 

"Trust me, Sammy. Come with me. We'll get out of this together."

Kao tried to push as much Light energy to her as he could and grasped on to whatever hope he could find, but the Dark energy could sense what he was trying to do and it didn't like it.

"Sammy, I know you feel the pull of the Dark energy, but I need you to fight it." Kao squeezed her hand tightly. "Don't let the Darkness consume you any more. You are strong enough."

"How are you keeping the Darkness away? It's everywhere!" Kao could see the effect the Darkness was having on her. 

"Focus, Sammy! Don't think about the pain. I fight the Darkness by thinking of my love. That's what I focus on. I think about his smile, his laughter, all the ways he is special to me. I don't think about the pain or the sadness. I think about why I love him and how close I'm going to hold him when we get out of here. Focus on the happiness, Sammy! Forget about how Bosston hurt you. What are some things that made you happy?" Kao tried to ignore the suffocating darkness that was closing in on them. "It doesn't have to be about Bosston. What about your friends? Tell me some things about your friends that made you happy?"

Sammy closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Pine...Pine and I used to tease Mix all the time. I remember one time, we hid in the trees and threw apples at Mix. He didn't know where they were coming from and we laughed so hard," Sammy let out a laugh and Kao felt the atmosphere lighten a little bit. 

"Tell me more," Kao said, a smile on his lips. "What else made you happy?" He tugged at her hand and they started walking toward the pull of the Light energy. 

"I used to fold little paper birds that Mean would make fly up in the air! It was such a beautiful sight! Until, Plan started using them for target practice and set them on fire. They looked like little meteors falling to earth," Sammy wrinkled her nose at the silly memory. 

Kao could feel they were getting closer as the Darkness started to fade, gradually starting to be replaced by something else: hope. He kept thinking of Earth, adding his own happiness to the energy. 

"Bosston tried using his abilities to fish in the river once, but he failed miserably." This memory released a laugh that bubbled out of her. "He tried so hard and looked so silly doing it! I was laughing so hard that Ton started splashing me!" Sammy got quiet, and Kao looked at her, expecting that she had reverted back to the pain, but a sad smile crossed her face. "That was the day I knew I was in love with him. That was the first time I kissed him, in that river. It was lovely, and the way he kissed me, I knew he loved me back."

"He still does, Sammy. Bosston only said those things that day because he knew you would never leave him if he told you to. He still loves you very much...but I think, deep down, you always knew that, right? That's why you're still here. That's why the Darkness didn't completely overpower you. You know he still loves you."

Sammy smiled and nodded, tears in her eyes. "I guess I always had hope. Part of me knew that everything between us was real. I knew Bosston, and that wasn't him that day. Not really." 

Kao gave her hand a squeeze as he felt the Dark energy at it's weakest and knew it was time. "Are you ready?" 

Sammy smiled a bright smile. "I am now. Thank you, Kao." 

Kao nodded, returning her smile warmly and together, they pushed through the final layer of Darkness. 

Kao opened his eyes to find himself flat on his back in the Meadow again, the air knocked out of him. Finally filling his lungs with air, he looked around for Sammy and saw her sitting only a few feet away, looking around the Meadow with large, doe eyes. Kao smiled as he saw Bosston hesitantly approach her and he completely melted into her arms, sobbing into her shoulder, when she whispered "Ton." 

"P'Kao!" Kao heard the voice imprinted on his heart and turned his head to see Earth shake off Boun and Fluke, who were holding his arms. Earth practically skidded to a stop on his knees next to Kao, still lying in the grass, as he searched his body with misty eyes for any injuries. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? You did it, P'Kao! You--oi!"

Kao pulled Earth into a close embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around the boy he loved with his whole heart. 

"P'Kao!" Earth whined. "Let me go!"

"No. Never." Kao pulled him closer, burying his face into Earth's hair and breathing in his familiar scent. "I'm never letting go again." 

Kao and Earth ignored the buzz of their friends as they lay there in the grass, basking in each other's presence. 

Kao closed his eyes, breathing a deep sigh of relief. 

It was over. 

Finally.