This fic was one of the requests I took on simoun_sibyllae on LiveJournal. The request was made by melengro and he wanted me to do this prompt: Mamiina/Rodoreamon futurefic. Bonus points if Mamiina clearly still exists despite being, well, dead, and Rodo knows this and accepts her ghostly existence, a la the ending of Ugetsu. So I took on his prompt and gave it my own spin. This is the result, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. Enjoy!
When she awoke, the room was dark. Confused, she sat up, and rubbed her eyes, trying to rid her body of the sleepiness that still persisted over her brain. She sat up and stifled a yawn. What time was it? Her eyes searched the room for a clock. She saw the tall grandfather clock near the far wall. 2:53. She'd fallen asleep in the middle of her work yet again. She was constantly nagging at Paraietta to get the proper amount of rest, but she was a hypocrite. The paperwork had been piling up and she could never seem to catch up with it. Every day something else was delivered for her to read through and approve or disapprove.
"You could just stamp them randomly, you know," called a voice to her left.
"W-who's there?" she called out nervously, taking up the nearest heavy object, a volume on the history of early Simulacrum. She looked around, but didn't find anyone in the office with her. She set the book down on the desk. "Maybe I really need to take a break. I'm hearing things now," she muttered.
"No you aren't," called the voice again.
It sounded so familiar, but she couldn't place it. She picked up the book again, holding it shakily in her hands. "Where are you hiding?" she called, looking under her desk.
"I'm up here."
It sounded as though the voice was on her desk. That couldn't be. She was the only one near the desk. As she pulled her head out, she glimpsed a pair of bare feet swinging next to her head. Afraid, she pulled away quickly, and the screamed at the sight she saw before her.
"I see you're still a scaredy cat in the dark," remarked Mamiina, smirking at her from her spot in the middle of Rodoreamon's desk. She wore a long white gown, with frilly sleeves. Her emerald eyes twinkled mischievously at Rodoreamon.
"M-Mamiina!" She backed away from the desk, trying to get as far away as possible. Her back bumped against the frame of the window and held the book up to her face, hoping futilely that the object would protect her.
"Rodoreamon!" Mamiina mimicked Rodoreamon's panic.
Rodoreamon lowered the book, so that only her eyes were revealed. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. Surely she was only seeing things. Then again… she could hear the voice too… "But how? You're…you're…" She couldn't finish her sentence.
"Dead? I am."
"Then how can I see you?"
Mamiina sighed and floated toward Rodoreamon. She saw the woman shaking as she leaned over and kissed the girl's forehead softly. "Because I chose to let you see me," she whispered.
Rodoreamon shuddered as she felt the suddenly cold air against her forehead. The air near her was colder as well, she realized. "Mamiina…" she whispered, letting the book fall to the floor. "I've missed you…"
Her body instinctively reached out to hug Mamiina, but she only found her arms wrapping around herself, passing through the cold area. "Oh…right…" she murmured to herself dejectedly. Her hands went to her side and she frowned.
"I'm still a ghost, Rodoreamon. You can't touch me," reminded Mamiina. She hid the emotions that threatened to play across her face.
"I know." Rodoreamon moved to her desk, sorting through the stacks of papers that she had scattered as she slept.
"You shouldn't be doing that," stated Mamiina from behind her.
Rodoreamon placed the paper into neat stacks by document type. "I know, but it's one less thing I'll need to do tomorrow morning."
"Isn't that what Paraietta tells you?"
She froze and spun around. "How did you know?"
Mamiina gestured to herself. "I'm a ghost, remember? I watch over you, Rodoreamon. I've watched you from afar. You tell Paraietta to make sure she takes care of herself, but you don't follow your own advice."
Averting her gaze, Rodoreamon looked down at the carpeted floor. She couldn't face Mamiina because she knew Mamiina was speaking the truth. She repeated herself to Paraietta every time she visited the orphanage, forcing the older woman to take care of herself so that she could take care of the children properly. She should have been scolding herself. And now Mamiina was. "I know…" she whispered. "but there's simply too much I need to accomplish here. If I don't, I'm failing those who depend on me…"
Floating closer, Mamiina looked Rodoreamon in the eye. "And if you fail them, what happens?"
"Documents don't get signed. Contracts aren't approved. Money isn't directed—"
"What about you?" asked Mamiina, cutting her off.
Rodoreamon felt herself backing against her desk, intimidated by the serious look on Mamina's face. "I…I'm not sure."
"Who's going to take care of you? You're stressing yourself too much. You'll make yourself ill and that won't get your paperwork done. Wouldn't that make things worse?"
"I suppose so," replied Rodoreamon, still not looking at Mamiina. She was still too ashamed to do so.
"Come with me," instructed Mamiina. She floated toward the door.
"Where are we going?"
"Just follow."
Mamiina led Rodoreamon down the quiet hallway and up the stairs. She stopped in front of a large oaken door. Rodoreamon opened the door and entered, following behind Mamiina. She stood in the middle of her bedroom, the large canopy bed in one corner. Her wardrobe makeup table, and dresser were off to the right. She looked to Mamiina, who only nodded to her.
As she changed, she turned away from Mamiina shyly. She had never been comfortable undressing in front of others, and had never had to do so in her adult life. She heard Mamiina chuckling behind her. When she was finished changing, she turned around, untying the ribbon and letting the two braids fall.
"Why do you wear your hair that way?" asked Mamiina.
Rodoreamon turned around, looking at the ghost. She turned toward her makeup table, placing ribbon on the smooth surface. She undid her braids, formulating her answer for a few moments before she spoke. "Like you did?"
"Yes. Why did you copy me?"
"Because… it was a way to remember you. Like Neviril and her hairclips. She wore both to remember Amuria."
"Why would you do it?" persisted Mamiina. "You don't do the same for Amuria."
"I just told you. Besides, I was never close to Amuria."
"So why wear my old hairstyle."
Rodoreamon looked down at the surface of the table. Just thinking about her answer was difficult. She wasn't sure she was capable of voicing it, but she'd try anyway. She'd always wanted to tell Mamiina, but she had never had the chance before the girl died. "I loved you… and I still do love you. That's why," she whispered softly. She heard no further remark from behind her. Briefly, she wondered if Mamiina had disappeared, and she wouldn't blame her.
An eerily cold presence appeared to her left. "You're not just saying that, are you?"
Rodoreamon shook her head. "No. I wouldn't just say it. I meant it."
Mamiina's voice took on a softer tone. "Into your bed. You need your rest."
"Yes, I do." Rodoreamon didn't have to ask if her confession bothered Mamiina. She gathered Mamiina's feelings from the way she had responded. She pulled back the sheets and slipped beneath them. Mamiina floated nearby. "You won't be here when I wake,will you?"
Shaking her head, Mamiina replied, "No, I'll be gone by morning, but I'll stay until you're asleep."
"I thought so," answered Rodoreamon, nodding sleepily. She rolled over on her side and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Mamiina."
"Goodnight, Rodoreamon."
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, creeping across the edge of the bed. Rodoreamon stirred as the light crossed her face, squinting. She opened her eyes slowly, jarred from the blissful peace she'd been enveloped in. She quickly sat up, remembering the previous night. Mamiina was nowhere to be seen. It must have been a dream. Mamiina couldn't appear before her, even as a ghost. She chided herself for getting caught up in it and dressed for the day instead.
As she entered her office, she suddenly felt as though something was different. She couldn't place it. She walked over to her desk, wondering if someone had broken in during the night. Nothing seemed out of place. She froze when she looked down at the paperwork on her desk. There, on the very top, sat a red ribbon. Her hand shook as she picked it up. She had never kept any of her hair ribbons in her office. She raised it to her face to observe it more closely and then she noticed the scent. Mamiina. It smelled of Mamiina. Last night hadn't been a dream.
She held her hand over her mouth, holding back the sobs. Tears still rolled down her face. She'd spoken to Mamiina, confessed the very words she'd wanted to say to the girl for years after her death. Mamiina had watched her fall asleep before leaving. She… still existed. She wasn't gone forever. She cried, letting the emotions roll over her. Mamiina still cared for her, loved her perhaps. It made her heart swell to realize her feelings hadn't been onesided.
After some time, she was able to straighten herself up. She realized that the release of emotions had cleansed her soul and she felt ready to tackle the day's work. The papers were still in the stacks she'd placed them in the night before. She began sorting through them again, making a note of what she needed to do for the day. This time, she'd leave her office at a decent hour; she would heed the words of the one she loved. Someone was taking care of her. That thought alone made her smile as she took a seat behind the desk and began reading.