There's An Afterlife After All
When next Tatsumi would come to awaken, emerald eyes would tear through the veil of his eyelids, reflecting the pale blue heavens above him, rotating above him in circumvention with him being the core. The meadow surrounding and lush grass the pressed against his back had indicated hours of sleep gone by without the slightest intervention of any external forces. No, instead, the breeze nearly pushed him back over when he tried to sit up, a weary hand extending to rub the tough skin beneath his matted bangs.
His brows loosened from their rough exposition above the bridge of his nose, and slowly but surely, the headache began to slip away into a distant dream. Dreaming.
He'd dreamt of an immense pressure, extending his hands subconsciously as though the weight of the world was being extended in front of him. He gripped at the emptiness of air, more agonizingly than he'd hoped, his hands retreated, now rubbing the splitting pain resurfacing within his skull.
What had all really happened then? The vague question bounced about for a few seconds before escaping the reality of his voice, his voice that sounded so surreal and out of place. It was as though there was this sense of distance to where he actually was as if someone had taken his body and voice, separating them by a mile and giving him the brief taste of what he could decipher in the message.
"Where am I?" He shook loose the rocks that rattled around and pressed the lead from his legs with the brunt of his knuckles, rising, ever slowly. As his form ascended to his vertical epitome, his knees stiffened and locked in place beneath him. Only then, when his body refused to move from its standing position, did his brain understand why.
Jealousy surely would have passed for the enviable eyes as they gazed upon an endless field of beauty, the morning dew sparkling on the horizon of fresh grass that rose its natural scent into the sky, whisking away dandelion seeds at the slightest beckon of the wind. A mountain range rose in the east to show their dominance over the celestial plains. It was unlike anything a man of his caliber was worthy of gazing upon.
And for just a moment in time, the youth nearly forgot how to stand, not merely from the awe-inspiring surroundings that beckoned his yearning heart, but for that small pang of dread that he was no longer on earth. Not the earth he knew, not by a longshot, beasts of unimaginable style and size roamed through the sky as though it was their ocean. Which begged the question inside of him once more, now a little direr than before.
"Just where the hell am I!?"
As he nearly flunked back over, he felt the faintest tapping against the full of his back. Startled, he darted and spun on his heel, hands raised as though he was to see a beast waiting in adoration for his grace to dinner. When he saw nothing, however, he lowered his hands and turned his head over his shoulder, the hilt of the key to Incursio weighing on him like an old friend. For the first time since he'd woken up, Tatsumi felt a faint smile crawl to his lips, but he wasn't prepared for what came next when his hand retreated to greet his old friend...
...The midday sun now hung above his head, Tatsumi's disbelieving figure wandering the endless space of greenery as though he was some child that was lost in the endless streets of The Capital once again. The Capital.
He recalled it, faded ins and outs of rising structures that would dare challenge the superiority of the clouds themselves. He also recalled the towering figure and its fall towards the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives below, he remembered his sacrifice, he remembered the arms of a dear friend clutching him, he remembered feeling his own heart collapse in a subtle weeping, then, he remembered his smile.
"Bro…" He muttered out, gazing down at his chest, his long lost friend still living somewhere in there, little did he know that there was more to the idea than that. He'd come to grips that he was still alive, and he was definitely not in a place that he could comprehend, it wasn't earth, it was a step beyond. It bore a more ethereal theme to everything, as though those endless flats were chanting their peaceful chorus and no longer did war plague the fibers of human beings.
Were there even human beings left? Was he living in the same world? Was this all a dream? No, definitely not a dream. He'd come to that conclusion when he'd so adamantly tugged at his own skin with a pinch in order to reassure his conscious that he was living and breathing in his own skin. Both index fingers pressed into the lacrimal caruncles of their respective eye.
They then moved towards the bridge of his nose and descended towards the prime of his lips, falling flat on his face at that point with the dragging on his own skin, now wary of his groping methods of coping. With a cool exhale that fell into the stream of a nearby breeze, he near about collapsed, it was only for the faint figment of a memory that called to him in such a sing-song voice that stopped him.
"Tatsumi!?"
"Yeah… I know Mine, I know. I'm an idiot, getting all weak in the knees and failing. I died, didn't I? Isn't that what you're going to tell me? And now I've got to walk this never ending purgatory all alone as atonement for my sins?"
The memory called again, a little louder, a little more clairvoyant, "Tatsumi!?"
Emerald eyes lifted to the sky and the boy slipped to the obliquity of his femur and tibia, eyes clasping shut in protest to their earlier hope that very morning. He inhaled a sharp breath and waited for the next gust to push him over, maybe when he'd wake up, it'd be in a bed somewhere, serviced by hundreds of beautiful maids, or even better, maybe he'd get to see them again. Anything was better than the gorgeous surroundings that taunted him in his loneliness, even the fibers of grass had a sibling, someone to share their moments with. All he had was himself, more often than not in his brief time awoken, afraid he would turn into someone who could never discern reality from his own imagination.
Fortunate for him he caught his breath when he did because the next few seconds were about to be absolute torment on his lungs. His memory called once more, only, it bore weight to it this time, not washed out by the gale that flooded his ears. It was close, it had depth, volume, and that familiar tone bit into his brain, springing it back to life.
"Hey! Tatsumi!? Can you hear me!? Not sleeping are you!?"
He said nothing, instead, his mouth fell agape and the air that he had swallowed, escaped. That voice, there was no doubt about it, it was real, surely as real as it was when they'd last spoke, only… Something was different.
"ANSWER ME, IDIOT!"
FWAP!
His head shot forward and nearly made full collision with the ground in front of him, a welt the size of Leone's drinking problem formed, practically throbbing on its own accord as tears welled up on instinct in the corners of his eyes.
Holy shit… This is real.
As he fell, he rotated on his hips to gaze up at a red faced, pink haired, fuchsia eyed girl, he felt those tears slip down, it was no longer pain. It was a relief, joy, and for some odd reason, a faint attraction?
He rumbled on the ground for a moment before coming to grips with everything. "Mine!?"
"Yeah, dumbass! You spaced out and all. I've been calling you for the last minute… Did dying knock something loose in that head of rocks?"
"I… I... "
What could he say? She'd just claimed he died, and while he was certain it did happen, he wasn't coming to grips with accepting it, and on top of it all, he'd ruled this out of being a dream, yet, with the presence before him, there was an agonizing inquiry as to whether or not he'd truly gone mad, his imagination playing parlor tricks on him.
Though, that was suppressed by the foot that jammed itself into his side, "I know how you're feeling right now, I felt the same way too when I first woke up, but we're gonna have to talk later. Bulat had been absolutely wild about watching you and monitoring your progress. He doesn't know you've arrived yet, but he will once he gets back to the base."
"B-Bulat? Bro?"
"Yeah, pompadour, heart laugh, nearly seven feet tall and hulking muscle? He's gay."
"I, I know that… But, he's alive!?"
"Well, no. Technically, none of us are." She raised her finger in punctuation, "We're all dead. Surely you remember that, right? Well… As it turns out, even when you die, you go to a pretty spectacular afterlife. All the shopping you could ever imagine! Clothes that truly reveal the pinkest dignity of your regal nature!" She twirled and curtsied as though living a dream with the resplendent thoughts of her conquest in the fashion market.
"Wait, wait, wait. So… I'm really dead?" He looked himself over incredulously. "I… It's…-"
"Yes, yes. Stick with the program, yeesh… We're all dead. But we're all technically alive in this new world… Where time doesn't exist, and neither does a second death. It's all really complicated and I'll have time to explain it later, but first, I need your hand."
"Why?"
"Don't ask questions, just give it to me."
"O-Okay." Reluctantly, Tatsumi extended the aforementioned limb, to find it gripped by the petite girl, aiding him in the hoisting of his form from the ground.
"Sorry about your head. I thought I'd really lost you for a few good minutes there."
"Wait, but if we can't die a second time, what do you mean by that?"
"Well… People are still trying to wrap their heads around all of this, it's crazy, but literally everyone who died is here, a new world, new city, and now, thanks to this immortality, no one really has any lording power over another. HOWEVER-"
Oh, jeez, here's the big twist…
"-People are still vulnerable to their own mental torture, some even get lost in their own minds and never accept this place as real. Tell me, can you feel the warmth of my hand?"
"Well, I can feel the heat in the back of my head from where you hit me a great deal more, but yeah, I can feel it."
"Good, let that be a sign that you aren't dreaming. Come on, I'm sure the others are dying to meet you!"
Too soon, Mine.
Together, as if the unbearable weight of the moment had been cast aside, the two marched through the plains until transpiring upon a forest. It was definitely a change of scenery, and by no means was any less spectacular. Though, Mine made sure that she reaffirmed his faith and turned to him. "Seriously, you wouldn't believe it, though it took some time, all the passed members of Night Raid found one another. We made a base JUST like the last one, we've even taken up the sentiment of our homes… It feels like nothing has changed… Only…"
"Let me guess, you're still missing the boss, Akame, and Leone."
"That's correct. We can monitor what goes on in the prime world through a certain sphere that acts a little like a live broadcast. It's a weird technology that takes some getting used to, but it basically allows you to watch everything go down, kick back, and pull up a bowl of popcorn, cause whether you like to or not, everyone dies and eventually, they come here."
"That means…"
"Yup! I watched you die. Super brave of you, by the way, sacrificing yourself and everything."
"I… Thanks!"
"Of course! Now… Let's get going! Time for a family reunion."
"Yeah!" And together, once more, the two charged forward until stumbling upon a vertical series of ruins that remained untouched, calm and serene as the birds overhead chirped their familiar melody. He could even hear the distant sounds of a stream where he had once trained, the all-too-familiar surroundings bringing him to this conclusion.
It's practically a carbon-copy of the old world.
The boy would be left with no disappointment, as, upon entry, everything was exactly the same. Granted, the main room was missing Najenda to sit upon her throne with fingers crossed and a cigarette burning away at the corner of her mouth, but aside from the vacant member, it was picturesque. His hands wrung into the fabrics of his pants with anxiety as he felt his stomach climb to his throat, and from there in, he had to struggle to fight back the nauseating feeling that never seemed to subside. The blissful reality was soon surrounding him and practically kissing him, breathing new life into the realization that; this was home, untainted and a far cry from the worries of the world. One day, his friends would soon join him in this Valhalla, and together, they would live out their eternity of happiness.
Yet, the insurmountable joy that was overwhelming his system had yet to reach its climax, Mine having now led him to the living quarters some floors above, and only once they neared the benchmark door that would reunite him with a normal life, he heard a crash from inside. Likely the sound of metal against vinyl wood, and in a hurry, the two encroached.
As they appeared, however, the situation was far less dire than assumed, instead, Tatsumi, for the second time that day, nearly broke down into tears. Laying on the floor in a graceless mess, cursing and muttering under her breath as she scrambled around for her glasses, was none other than the master of clumsy herself, Sheele.
Velvety purple hair fell down her shoulders, gently cascading her fair skin, untouched and unharmed from the look of it. So, she had been here the longest by anyone's account. And then, that's when the memory hit him, those brimming spectacles finally falling upon them in their veiled silence and not a word was spoken.
She'd been the one he'd first fell for, the woman who'd wrapped her arms around him and told him everything was going to be okay, the first one who'd ever managed to do the impossible and come over one of her own definable traits to create something new and respectable, no matter how careless or scatterbrained she was. The souls of their faces held contact for the longest moment in the heightened suspense that the void created.
Was he living it all over again? Only this time… Were things better? Was he smiling? Tatsumi's lips curled and unfurled, over and over, repeating the process until Sheele broke the ice between them.
"Oh… T-Tatsumi!?" She stumbled to her feet and charged him, tackling him in hugs and peppered tears falling onto the bold of his shoulder. "It's really you! Mine went to go get you and… And…" She was forced to sniffle away the pending emotions that had now gained fruition, springing to life and showering him like raindrops.
"Yeah… Sheele." His voice was soft as his hand finally found its goal, curling his fingers in the locks of her hair, he held on tight, as though he'd never let go. He was living things over again, only, in reverse. One lost, one gained, only the magic of the motion found itself tenfold stronger. Their embrace lasted for some good minute or two before Mine coughed, the reddening of her face at their proximity pressing against the girl who she considered a sister and against the boy who she felt more than entitled to.
After all, Mine had seen everything, hadn't she? From her place in the afterlife, along with the others, she'd witnessed what Tatsumi was really like, how he grieved, how he fought, how he felt. And she'd been the one to claim his kiss as her own, but not before… Abandoning him. That's right, she remembered, she had gone off and died on him when he needed her most. Worst of all, she'd betrayed his heart by dying after stealing it. So maybe, in the end, she'd taken a piece of that with her.
And yet, once the grasp faded and their soft laughter filled the room, Tatsumi's head craned back, his sweet eyes gazing at her own, and he was smiling, no animosity to snap at her emotions, no bitter anguish hidden, just happy. And what other reason did he have to feel otherwise? He was getting his friends back, one by one. The only thought that still bugged him was the suffering they'd most likely go through. Life back then was like a box, frightening and contained, never knowing what was to come next, whether one would simply slip into nothingness or if they'd be forced to live in eternal torment.
In all honesty, as Tatsumi returned his head to its fixated position on his shoulders and stood, he was frightened just arriving, he was still trying to take it in stride that there was an eternal life beyond that world he'd once fought so valiantly in. The rest was in the hands of Akame. Could he recall her tears, the way she screamed when he had confessed his failure to keep his promise?
Yes.
As traumatizing as it was, he found solace in the comfort of his friends, their arms and hearty chatter, their warmth and never ending concern engulfed him. As his heart rate descended from its heavenly race, he found the cool of his face scanning around, "So… Mine, you said Bro was here?"
"Well-"
Sheele seemed to beat the bullet on the response, keeping her usual distant and composed tone, "Well… Bulat went out to the market to get some food. Believe it or not, even in the afterlife, this stupid god or whatever decided to make life still a hassle. We can still get hungry, still have to wash clothes, we still have to cook. Absolutely nothing has changed! Aside from death… Can't do that."
"Yeah, I heard Mine mention that when we were arriving. What does that mean? There's no second or death or something? How would you all know that?"
"Erm…" Mine coughed, motioning for Sheele to silence her already gaping mouth, words poised on the tip of her tongue. "I think it's better if I explain. Hey, are you okay with getting those pans put away, or are you going to need help?" The petite princess piped up, her dress ruffling a little with the tiny jump that she made upon the resolution of her query.
"N-No…" Sheele sputtered, the faint pink that went to her cheeks an indication of her embarrassment towards assistance towards such a simple task. "I got it. I can make it to the kitchen, I'm sure of it." Her motivation standing in front of her as she began to restock the intimidating pile of kitchenware.
And off went the clutz, stumbling, and though the mound wavered a few times, it never toppled, Sheele's figure clearly straining under the pressure, but she had it, a resolve that boiled down deep in her chest to accomplish this task before her. Her cheeks puffed out in the controlled air that was funneling through her heavy breaths, though Tatsumi couldn't help but stifle a curt laugh as he watched her stumble off. "It's good to know she's never changed."
Mine walked to his right and pinched his arm, tugging on him softly to a nearby complex of chairs and couches. The lounging area with a table as the pink haired assassin flopped down casually on one of them, her thin legs folded over one another and a hefty sigh escaping. "Yeah… Still a dunce. Though she'd been working on it ever since she arrived here. As a matter of fact, she's doing it for your apparently. Since she couldn't do it in life, she said something about you inspired her."
"I… Inspired her?"
Mine's brows narrowed and her tone raised, "Listen here! Don't get the wrong idea or anything! You're still mine in that aspect and nothing else. You understand, right? This isn't going to turn into a disciplinary action!? RIGHT!?" There was a glint of punishment in her eyes, the spheres reflecting his own frightened and recoiled image.
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Though the blow he expected to be subsided at his politeness, came anyway, a little lighter than expected, but it still hurt, the burning pain spreading from his thigh to his chest and down to his foot.
"OOOOWWWWW!"
"NEVER CALL ME MA'AM AGAIN! THAT'S FOR OLDER WOMEN!"
"Y-Yes, Mine." Tatsumi was careful about choosing his words this time, the intensity of the situation finally crawling to a halt. And with a sigh of relief from the brunette, the pinkette sat down. "Okay… So about you all knowing about this second death thing?"
"Well… Some supreme being created this place, obviously, or else it wouldn't exist, there's nothing scientific about it that isn't routed at every discovery. So, the creator of this world basically made a haven for people to live in, removing chronological pains like tooth decay or wearing down of your own body unless demonstrated in combat. That being said, they wanted us to enjoy the taste of foods or the satisfaction of winning a fight still, so… In this world, let's say that some old enemies met, and they collide on the field of combat. Well, one wins and kills the other. The loser experiences a brief pain, similar to a slap on the wrist as the pain to pride is the primary focus. And the loser must wait another day's time before they come back into existence, just like how you woke up now, that'd be what would happen to them. Now, as to how we know…"
Mine's eyebrows narrowed and she lowered her chin to tip into her folded hands. "Well… Everyone who dies comes into this much larger world, and let's just say… Our old friend of diehard justice and I managed to cross paths." Her pink gaze glossed over with a slight boil of tears. "I couldn't beat her… Even in this new world, not on my own… Not-"
Tatsumi was standing at this point, his hand shooting to her shoulder where it gripped firmly. "It's okay, don't say another word, I'm sure you did your best." He knelt down to her level, the two met and a mutual smile was exchanged.
"I don't know why she's still trying to fight if there's no point in it anymore. The world we knew is over, I feel like this ought to be a new shot for her."
"You'd expect that, but people still get a rush out of fighting, even in the afterlife."
"Damn… That's no good. Would it be too much to ask you to try to avoid trouble if at all possible?"
Mine responded unfavorable with a shaking of her head, those same eyes now gazing into him with sanguine calm. "It's okay. There's nothing I really leave behind if I lose, besides…" Her hand moved to touch his own that was resting on her shoulder, "I really think you and I are better off spending some time together. And I wouldn't want to undignify myself by resorting to violence in this new age."
"-Woah… Mine… That's pretty grown-up sounding!"
There was a brief silence and Tatsumi immediately wanted to bite his words and drag them back into his mouth, the harsh slap that came to the side of his face being coupled with the comedic relief of the petite girl yelling at him about how rude he was, and how he was a complete jerk and how he was an utter disgrace.
Well… It's good to have Mine back.
The faint peach colored sky of the evening came sooner than expected and Tatsumi had spent most of the day in his room, calmly sifting through papers and watching the final conclusion of his home world. Without turning into further bitterness, it brought him great joy to watch Esdeath receive the loss she was long since deserving. He watched his body vanish into fragments of ice, watched Akame cherish her final fight. He watched Najenda gather her composure and see the world into its new future, and he watched…
Leone. The final death who was eminent, her tough stature holding her throughout the timespan. His eyes watched ever so intently on her, on the little warm orb in his palm, tears falling from his eyes as she finally, for the last time he'd ever see her, value the sentiment in little things. She even bore a smile on her face, refusing to die until she'd accomplished her task, how he'd admired that about her, and even though she'd always be his Sis, there was a hint of regret that, unlike everyone else, the two had never really had a moment to share in private.
He watched as she slowly gave in, death would be easy for her, wouldn't it? His eyes raised to the ceiling and thought of how quick his own was, how incomprehensible her suffering was compared to his. Sure, he'd called upon an ancient power, but it'd eaten him up in mere seconds, Sis, on the other hand, had endured a full day of bleeding and pain, but she had resolved, if only Tatsumi knew what it was. Maybe things would have been different and he could have been around to help the new world too.
No sense in thinking about it too much… Boy, Mine was kidding about the hunger, I'm-
His train of thought was interrupted by the loud banging of his door against the adjacent wall, three figures tearing into the room with enormous speed. It was so fast, in fact, the youth barely had time to react, and before he knew it, three heads of hair were pressed against the horizon of his vision. Black… Green… Orange.
"TATSUMI!" A unison of voices called, but not before their forms tore away and their figures tore into the full light of his focus. "B-Bro!?"
"Yo!"
"Lubbock!?"
"Present and accounted for!"
"Ch-Chelsea?"
"Yes… Tatsumi, I'm here."
The boy was lost in a faint stutter of his own breath, the hypnotic hyperventilation quickly squaring his ribs in and he felt the room spin and his mind go dizzy. "Oh… My… You're all here…"
A firm hand caught him before he fell, Bulat no doubt and the resoundingly deep voice follow, "Hey… You alright man? Maybe some dinner will get you back into the game, yeah? You look a little famished."
Tatsumi's head lolled in limbo where it was hanging and he made an incoherent agreement that the others seemed to understand. Both males got under his shoulders and Chelsea helped stabilize him from the front, easing him out of his room. "Hey… Hang in there… We've got your favorite waiting for you!"
Huh? I can't say I've ever had a favorite food in our time on earth. Wait… How would they know to prepare my dish if I hadn't died before they left?
Almost as if reading his mind, Chelsea responded in her backpedal, acting as the supporting beam in case he really lost it. "Well… Bulat had a pretty good prediction you'd die. Needless to say, we'd never met before and I hadn't staked him for an intellect, but he claimed that you'd rather go down as a hero than live as a coward."
Tatsumi laughed pathetically and turned his gaze to the left where the larger man was slouched down and walking, helping him. "Did ya really say that, Bro?"
"Haha, you know it! And what did I tell you!? Took down a damned golem that stretched to the skies! You're really one grand hero, you know that?"
"But… I didn't really do anything…"
"Ah, shut it. You did more than enough." Lubbock commented from the right. "You and your humility are really making me sick, you saved lives and stopped a war, so shut up and just enjoy the supper we've prepared, already?"
Needless to say, Tatsumi was surprised when he arrived at the dinner table and was seated down. "You're kidding me…" The crestfallen look on his face expressing his innermost thoughts towards the meal before him. "A bowl of noodles?"
"Not just ANY noodles!" Bulat added, giving Tatsumi a firm slap on the back, "Ramen!"
Tatsumi's head flopped onto the table, and though he was a bit disappointed at the heightened hype, he ate it anyway, and when it was all said and done, having any food in him at all was cause for gratification. "Thanks, guys… I really appreciate it."
The three seemed to smile in one big unison, like a collective crescent of joy. They quickly detached and all went about eating their own high-end meals that were enough to make him salivate, but with the fondness of just being at home again, Tatsumi stood. "Thanks for the meal guys, seriously. But this has all been a bit much to take in so quickly… Do you mind if I go and get some fresh air?"
"Nah, by all means, go ahead. We were all pretty thrown off by just merely waking up and feeling alive on our first day too. It'll get easier, go and take a breather." Bulat responded with his cool and collected smile. "But don't think that means you get off the hook, we still train here in the afterlife and I expect you to be in tip-top shape, if not even stronger than I am by daybreak tomorrow.
The brunette stifled a halfhearted chuckle and turned heel, taking his leave and exploring the vertical prowess of the base. And once he'd had his fill of nostalgia, he returned to his window, the night sky bearing thousands of stars to illuminate the darkness. His arms crossed on the sill and he felt the smooth breeze of night ruffle the locks of his hair, beckoning him onward. This was a new world, a new time.
There was still so much to take in, so many odds and obscurities it made his head spin in a similar fashion to the room earlier. He dipped his chin down, jutting his rear out to balance comfortably and let his verdant eyes grasp the ethereal heavens, recording them into the library of his mind for all eternity to ensure that he would never falter in his resolve. He intended to live a peaceful life, a good one, and for the first time since he'd arrived in the Capital, there was an actual chance of that dream becoming a reality.
"Sure have come a long way…" He whispered to the airs of the evening, "I guess… There's no point in looking back now, though."
And just in the distance, were he to not have been so lackluster, he would have seen a single streak across the blackened sky of light, bringing with it, an old friend and unkindled emotions yet to reach the light. All would come in the morning.
"I guess there really is an afterlife after all…" He muttered, shutting the shutters and encasing himself in the blackness of his room, feeling his way to his bed and plopping down. It wasn't long before he'd slipped into the world of his dreams, into a complete sense of peace.