Chapter Text
Dying, as it turns out, was pretty easy.
All it took was to close her eyes, and that was it. It didn’t hurt, her life didn’t flash before her eyes, no cliché movie stuff. The sounds of her friends and the rooftop had faded away, and all that was left was darkness. Honestly, she was a little disappointed there was nothing more to it.
Minako figured preventing the fall of humanity would have more to it too, but mostly, it was all about striking a delicate balance. Being the bridge between Erebus and Nyx, between consciousness and unconsciousness, between everything and nothing. If she was still alive, she would even say it was kind of…boring? Still, if this was what kept everyone from falling into despair, she was happy to walk this fine line. To exist, but not exist, in this sea of darkness for all eternity.
Until one moment, everything shifted.
Generally, she was aware of where Nyx was and what she was doing all the time time, but they were only vague sensations. And it was supposed to be that way, because if Minako had a clear vision of where Nyx was, that would mean the alien took interest in Erebus. And that’s what she was here to do: to prevent the two beings from ever meeting.
But this time, the impression of Nyx felt…different this time. It felt whole. Like the celestial being was right here in the void next to her instead of out in the world.
“Hello, dearest.”
It was like her essence gained substance again. Instead of just darkness, she was met with never ending stars filling the inky void. Emotions weren’t just faint sensations, but genuine feelings. Her soul somehow gained form once more as she watched the starry expanse swirl down into the space in front of her. The lights circled faster and faster, and to her astonishment, began to arrange into an all-too-familiar shape.
“Ryoji-kun?” She did not forget how to speak, it seemed. Though it had been so long her own voice sounded foreign to her.
The named boy smiled at her. He looked exactly like how he used to, eyes a brilliant blue and yellow scarf that almost seemed to glow against the night sky. Dread began to creep into her metaphorical bones as she beheld him. If he was here, that meant…
“No, I’m only visiting.” Either he read her mind or guessed what she was about to say. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Still, you shouldn’t be here.” Fear, joy, anxiousness all swirled in her soul at seeing her dear friend again. “It’s too dangerous with Erebus around.”
Ryoji quirked one eyebrow at her, “Erebus is here?”
“Uh, yeah.” Minako gestured vaguely behind her. “What do you think I’ve been doing this whole time?”
“I would check again if I were you.”
“What are you-“ She searched his face, which had taken on a pleading look. “Okay.” She cast her feelings inward, expecting to feel the being straining against the Seal, searching for a way to bust through. Instead of constant pounding, however, she felt nothing. Minako tried again, searching frantically in the void. She felt herself, she felt Ryoji, and that was it. The dread that was steadily rising turned into full blown panic.
“Ryoji, I can’t sense Erebus! It’s not here!” She started shaking. “Did it escape? Did I fail?”
“No, you didn’t fail.” Ryoji shook his head at her. “I promise. Actually, that’s the reason why I’m here. I couldn’t sense Erebus either, so I came to look into it.”
“So the Fall didn’t happen?”
Ryoji came closer and rested a hand on her shoulder. “No, dearest. You’ve done wonderfully.”
Relief crashed over her so hard she felt dizzy. So, she didn’t just doom all of humanity to die. Still, that begged the question, what happened to Erebus? When she casted out her awareness yet again, she was still met with silence. It wasn’t like Erebus had gone and walked off; there was no trace at all, like it never was there in the first place.
Blue eyes gazed up at the dark expanse above them, “You felt it too, didn’t you? A…ripple of some sorts came right through the Sea of Souls. That’s when I couldn’t sense Erebus anymore.”
“Yeah, I felt it.” Minako nodded. “Right before you showed up.”
“Now, Erebus is gone. Or never existed to better describe it.” Ryoji placed one hand to his chin, a serious look settling over his features. “And I’m able to interact with you like nothing happened. Obviously, something has gotten screwed up here.”
“What about Nyx? Is she still alive?”
“Yes, but with Erebus out of the way she really has no interest in humanity at the moment.” He smiled grimly. “A silver lining while we figure this out.”
Minako looked around, but the stars offered no answers. She had a feeling that if they started walking, all they would find was more of the void. “What do you think happened?”
“I don’t know. But if I had to guess, that ripple caused Erebus to vanish from existence. To me, that means someone found a way to defeat it.” His sharp azure gaze bore into her, “And perhaps rescue you from being the Great Seal.”
Everything stilled as his words sunk in. Someone was trying to save her? No, she wouldn’t dare believe that such a possibility existed. As long as humanity felt grief, anger, and every other negative emotion, there would always be the danger of the Fall occurring. Minako gave her life to protect them, she did so willingly, and knew that being rescued meant walking away from her duty and letting the Fall wipe out everyone.
“…No. I don’t want to be rescued.” She said and was horrified when a tiny voice inside disagreed with the statement.
“I know, Minako.” Ryoji’s face softened. “I don’t want to invalidate your sacrifice either, but if that is what’s truly happening here, would it be so bad to let it happen? If anyone deserves a second chance at life, no doubt it should be you.”
She squeezed her eyes tight, taking a moment to not let the panic overwhelm her. Coming back to life….it was not a thought she wanted to give one iota of hope to. If she dared to dream of returning back to her old life, to all her loved ones, then her nerve would be shaken. Minako threw any chance of that away when she became the Great Seal, and there was no going back.
But what if there was?
“Hey, what’s that?” Ryoji’s question brought her focus back to him. He peered into the inky black with squinted eyes and one hand shielding them. She scanned the horizon with him, confused. It looked like the same starry sky they had been in.
“I don’t-“ Her words died in her throat when she saw it. A flare of white light appeared way in the distance, illuminating the dark. Minako squinted as the light faded and the scenery went back to normal, only to be shocked when the light appeared again. It seemed to be rushing towards the two of them, consuming every inch of the void.
“Ryoji-kun!” She cried, “What’s going on?”
His blue eyes reflected her own alarm. “I don’t know! But it’s headed right towards us!”
The light was upon them, and Minako shut her eyes, throwing up her arms to guard against an unseen enemy. An unseen wind whipped through her, knocking her away from Ryoji. Spots danced against her eyelids because the glow was so bright, and it felt like every atom of her soul was on fire.
“Minako!” Ryoji called her name, and she willed herself to squint into the light to see him. When she did, however, a jolt of surprise made her open her eyes fully to make sure what she was seeing was actually happening.
Ryoji was breaking apart. Fractures were being torn from his body and eaten by the all-consuming blaze. From the ends of his dark hair to the tips of his shoes, her dearest friend was being swallowed up right in front of her.
“Ryoji-kun!” Minako screamed, reaching out to save him. To her horror, she saw herself succumbing to the same fate; the tops of her nails were disintegrating right along with Ryoji.
Stop. She willed, trying with everything she had to grab onto him. She watched as he extended his arm as well, desperately reaching for her just as she was reaching for him. Just as their fingertips met, their forms fully disappeared into the white abyss.
And then there was nothing.
She woke up with a gasp, eyes flying open. Where there was once nothing, sensations began flooding in. Minako could feel her heart beat in her chest, her lungs filling with air. She felt her fingers flex and her toes wiggling away the pins and needles. Her mind spun as she was assaulted with the feelings of being alive. Things that she gave up when she became the Great Seal, like having a body and emotions, were suddenly there once more. And somehow, underneath all this, she knew that something was terribly wrong.
Minako sat up quickly, then realized with a jolt that she could sit up. That she had just been laying down. And not laying down anywhere, but in a normal bed. Something normal people did, not people who were dead.
Focusing intently, Minako brought a very shaky hand to her head, noting how easy it felt. The last time she tried to raise her hand, it felt like lead. Having total control of not only her arm, but her whole body? It was a novel practice. She stared at her hand for a moment; it was too dark to see much detail, but it looked perfectly fine to her. When she carefully ran her palm across her face, she felt the callouses (permanent from countless volleyball practices and naginata swings) rub against the skin of her cheeks. She had cheeks! And lips! And eyes! Which now were currently adjusting to the dim.
Staring out, she could just make out fuzzy shapes of a bedroom, slightly illuminated by the window on the wall. Minako squinted, and she counted a dresser, a desk, a closet door across the room, bedside tables….
Ice went down her spine when she realized.
Minako didn’t recognize this room.
Her heart started pounding as panic washed over. Stay calm. Where are you? The room itself didn’t give away any clues, so she turned her focus to the bed she was currently sitting in. As far as she could tell, it was just an ordinary bed. The sheets felt soft under her hands and the mattress was firm. She didn’t have any restraints chaining her to the bed, and judging by the pajamas she was wearing, she clearly was supposed to be sleeping here.
“…Mina?” A hoarse voice thick with sleep sounded next to her, and she froze. It was a voice she thought she would never hear again.
Slowly, as if she didn’t want to confirm, Minako turned her head to the sound of the voice. There, lying next to her, was Akihiko Sanada.
Minako found she couldn’t speak. She gaped at him, mouth open like a fish. Akihiko looked older, more rugged than when she last saw him. His sliver hair was now cropped closer on the sides and longer on top, and he sported some stubble on his chin. The most notable change, however, was how muscular he had gotten. And in this particular moment, Akihiko was shirtless. Sleeping next to her.
What the hell is going on?
“Minako?” This older Akihiko said, bringing her out of her thoughts. He sounded more alert now, “You okay?”
Her voice still wouldn’t work. After the initial shock of his appearance had worn off, Minako couldn’t believe that he was here, alive and next to her. She couldn’t believe that she was alive and next to him. Shaking, she reached out her hand and touched his cheek. It was solid under her fingertips, and she could feel the stubble scratch against her skin.
“…What are you doing?” Akihiko asked, but she barely heard the question. Blood roared in her ears as she slid her hand down his face to halt at his chest. She pressed her palm into his ribs and felt his heartbeat. It beat steadily, a calming rhythm that Minako had heard so many times before…
Something cracked inside her, and tears began to fall.
Akihiko sat up in a flash, pulling her into his arms. Minako flinched when his skin touched hers; it had been so long since she had physical contact with another human being that the sensation overwhelmed her nerves. Feeling guilty immediately after, she hoped Akihiko was too distracted to notice.
“Are you alright?” He murmured against her ear. She was tucked into his neck as he carded his fingers through her hair, and she inhaled in a shaky breath. He smelled just like he used to, his spruce pine deodorant mixed in with a little bit of sweat and something else that was uniquely Akihiko. Her thoughts turned to all the times she had curled against him just in this way, and that just made her cry harder.
Akihiko spoke in a soothing voice, “Hey…hey you’re okay,” His hand moved from the back of her head down to her back, caressing her spine in an attempt to calm her down. Minako’s fingers curled into fists on his chest, and she sobbed.
How did she come back to life? Why? Why wasn’t Akihiko as shocked as she was? Just how long has she been gone?
Eventually, the terror griping her heart began to lighten up just a fraction, and her tears slowly subsided. Minako took shuttering breaths as her sobs turned into soft hiccups, trying to center herself once again to face this boy she long thought she lost.
(Or was it that he lost her?)
Akihiko sensed she was calming down and gently eased her face away from his shoulder. She stared at him through bloodshot eyes, and he cupped her cheeks, pads of his thumbs wiping away the last of her tears. “Feeling better?”
In response, Minako gave another small hiccup, and he chuckled. His gray eyes grew concerned as he studied her face, “It’s been a while since that’s happened.”
“What?” She managed to croak out.
“Your nightmare. It’s been years since you had one that bad. But I guess they come creeping back for us all once in a while.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat, eyes wide at his words. It’s been years?
“Akihiko…Aki…” Her voice cracked and she took another breath, forcing the next wave of tears down. “I-I can’t….”
“What’s that?”
“I’m not…” Minako was struggling to find her words. Panicked thoughts swirled around her brain, every fiber in her body was telling her that this was not how things were supposed to be. She was not supposed to be here, laying in a comfortable bed next to the love of her life. She was not supposed to exist. She willingly sacrificed all of that when she defeated Nyx and became the Great Seal. This was all wrong.
“I shouldn’t be here.” She finished her thought, fully aware how insane it sounded.
“What?” Akihiko snorted at the statement, “It’s New Years Eve. Where else would you be?”
“New Year’s Eve.” Minako repeated dumbly. March 5th was the day she died, that much she was sure about.
He peered at the alarm clock on the bedside table, where 2:45 AM shone back at them, “Well, I guess it’s actually New Year’s Day.”
Terror griped her again, “Akihiko. What year is it?”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Did that nightmare mess with your head?”
“Aki, please.”
His face softened at her insistence, “2017.”
The number felt like a punch to the gut. Seven years. She’s been gone for nearly seven years. It was almost impossible to comprehend that much time had passed while she held back Erebus. Minako’s chest started heaving, her newly reformed lungs failing to take in enough oxygen. 2017. Seven years. She gripped the sides of her head, attempting to make the information make sense. It didn’t make sense. There was no way there was noway therewasnoway-
“Minako! Please, tell me what’s wrong,” Akihiko’s firm grip on her shoulder broke through her panic attack before it got any worse.
She shook her head, shutting her eyes tight, “I can’t be here.”
“You just said that, and I really don’t understand-“
“Aki,” Minako turned to face him again, complete despair settling over her features, “You don’t get it.”
“I’m supposed to be dead."