Sunlight Filled Beach
It's bright out, is her first thought. Her eyes are closed, the sunlight beating down on her. She feels less restricted than usual. She's not wearing 3D maneuver gear, nor are the straps of the harness crisscrossing her body. I'm wearing a dress?
She's not wearing shoes either, she notices when she wiggles her toes into the soft ground beneath her feet.
She runs a hand through her hair. It's down, for once, falling slightly below her shoulders.
The biggest difference, she notes, is that she's not encased in the crystal. Her eyes open and she takes in the view of sea, the smell of the salt water, the sand covering her toes, the way the sunlight makes the water gleam.
There's another thing that's different, too.
The girl standing next to her.
Their dresses are similar in style and color, but the girl's hair is black, pulled into her usual pigtails and a sunhat added to the hairstyle. She's smiling slightly as she looks from the water to the sand, drawing something senseless with her toes before the water reaches them and washes it away.
Her eyes meet Annie's and the smile widens.
Annie feels sick.
Why is she smiling? After everything I've done? Everything I've lied about?
"Annie," she says, almost breathlessly.
Annie's voice cracks when she speaks, "Mina."
"It's been a while," she glances back out at the ocean. "I can see it on your face, you know. It's not your fault all of this happened. You've been forced. Don't blame yourself."
"Mina, I could've not done it."
"You could've not done it," she replies. "But that's no matter. It happened. It's the past." She reaches out and grabs the blonde's hand. "I forgive you. And I'm glad to see you again. Despite the secrets you kept from me, you're still my best friend. We all have things we don't tell other people."
"That's not the point."
"Why isn't it?" she asks, her fingers tightening around Annie's hand. "What is the point, then?"
"I hurt people, Mina. I hurt you."
She shakes her head. "No, you didn't. You might've hurt others, but you didn't hurt me. You didn't cause my death. My death was my own fault, no one else's. And even though you did hurt others, you didn't want to."
"I did, though."
"And like I said, the past is the past." Mina sighs, her eyes making their way back to Annie's gaze.
"How am I even here?" Annie asks after a moment of silence. "Why do I get the chance to see you?"
"You're dreaming. I'm actually here, in a sense. But you're still in the crystal. As to why we get to see each other, I have no idea. But I'm grateful for the opportunity."
Annie finally tightens her grip on Mina's hand.
"I don't want to go," she says slowly. "I want to stay here, with you. I don't want to be alone again. Not stuck in that crystal, or that world." I like the way the ocean sounds. I like the way it smells. I like how the water gently touches my feet before retreating again. Don't make me go back.
"One day," Mina says. "One day we'll get to be together. But for now, you need to finish what you started. But I promise I'll see you again and I'll greet you on this sunlight filled beach." She leans in and presses a kiss to the blonde's cheek.
And then it's black. The scene doesn't even fade, it disappears and she knows she's returned to the crystal. She opens her eyes, peering at the world outside of this case.
It shatters around her, setting her free. But there's only a matter of time until they capture her.
Isn't it great when fanart sparks a whole story? This is the first time I've written Annie, and with the whole emotions aspect, I'm not sure how well I did with it. It's kind of hard to grasp the relationship with Mina and Annie because we didn't get to see much interaction between them. I know they were friends, but how they talked to each other? Either way, I hope you liked it.