Disclaimer: I own nothing from Guilty Crown and everything belongs to their respective owners. The small segment of song lyrics don't belong to me either.

Warning: This fanfiction contains spoilers for the first part of the series (up to… 13 episodes, I believe) despite being an AU. It also contains high amounts of character deaths and angst.

Remnants

~ (1) ~

The crystals around them shattered into dust, leaving behind fragments as they fell to the ground. The grains lay on the ground, covering it in a purple desert. Shu simply watched, staring in silence and wide eyed. He didn't know what to say; it felt like his insides were being shattered like the crystals.

"Why…?" he whispered, the rest of his thoughts failing to surface. Somehow, the crystallization… the 'Second Lost Christmas'… it hadn't stopped. Even with Inori's song, even though they had fought so hard, it still happened.

Somehow, the signals had rebooted, causing a mass crystallization. Now, whoever had caused this was most likely gone. Did that mean that everyone else was too? The idea caused pain in his chest. It can't be true…

"Shu," Inori's voice came from beside him, slightly shaken but still soft. He turned to look at her, feeling relief that she hadn't faded away like the shattered crystals. That meant that there was still a chance of finding the others. "Why did…?"

Just like his earlier question, her words fell silent as she shook her head, crimson eyes closing at the defiance of tears in her eyes. She must have come to a similar conclusion – even if they couldn't confirm it yet – that he had. Seeing her like that – so fragile when she was normally strong – stirred something in him. This time, he had to be the one to help keep her together.

"I don't know," he shook his head, taking a deep breath to try and steady himself. "We… should go look around. Everyone can't be gone."

The statement should have brought some sort of strength or relief to him, but Shu was quickly realizing that something was holding him back. Like a strong tide, somehow he was fighting against accepting the truth: the crystallization might have reached everyone… they could be the only ones left…

I can't think like that, not if we're going to get through this.

As they made their way to the streets, walking amidst the partially frozen buildings of Tokyo, Inori grasped for his hand. Normally, he would have blushed, but this time, he felt strength coming from her. She was trying to believe too.

"Shu, are you disappointed in me?" Inori's sudden question caused him to look over at her with wide eyes. Her gaze was cast towards the ground, pain hidden within it. The question she asked seemed preposterous.

"No, I'm not. Don't think like that; it's not your fault." He shook his head, putting as much reassurance into his words as he could muster. It wasn't her fault; she had tried her best too. That was all that mattered.

"The song worked before," her words were almost a whisper. He didn't know what she was referring to, but whatever she was thinking of – and comparing it to their current situation – it was causing her pain.

He didn't know ow to respond properly, so he squeezed her hand a little tighter, giving her a small smile. "It'll be alright."

Inori looked up at him, giving a nod before they continued on their path. So far, they hadn't encountered anyone else. Most of the buildings were still covered with the aftereffects of the virus. Shu wracked his brain for some sort of plan, something that would help them.

"The school," Inori stated suddenly, her gaze following the path they normally took to the building. Her lips were parted, like she wanted to say more. She didn't have to though; he understood where she was going.

"Maybe we can use the radios to try and find an open channel," the brown-haired boy finished, leading the both of them along the road. Just because they hadn't found reassurance yet didn't mean that it didn't exist.

Shu thought back on the events that had led them to this moment. The central tower had sent out signals, somehow infecting the city with the virus. He had survived along with Inori, the only thing saving them being the red strings that they held, binding each other together.

The man who had started this, he had wanted to eradicate the entire human race but two: Inori and himself. For what reason, it had been locked into his memory. Shu's 'lost' childhood held the answers: the first person to be infected with the virus, his 'sister' named Mana. Sacrificing Inori had been the only way to get his 'sister' back, but he didn't want Inori to die because of it. They had stopped the man's plan and Gai had sacrificed himself to do so. Everything was supposed to be fine after that…

"We're here." Inori broke him from his thoughts, most likely knowing that he had been lost in them. The reminder was helpful; they were in front of the school. Most of the corruption hadn't seemed to damage the building, making the scene in front of them nostalgic. The only thing missing was the students that had frequented the school grounds.

Inori looked to him, worry in her eyes. "Maybe they took shelter inside. We shouldn't even be outside after a virus warning." He mused, trying to reassure the both of them. The worry didn't leave her eyes but they continued inward nonetheless.

Now all they had to do was find a plug-in to connect his school tablet to. That way they could access the radio waves and hopefully send out some sort of message. The internet seemed to still work despite the control tower being partially crystallized.

~ (2) ~

Two weeks had passed since their emergency message was sent out, with no answer from anywhere. They had found a manual in the library on converting the school wireless into a long-range signal that could be sent overseas. So far, no one had indicated that they had seen the message. The empty messaging boards on the school website were a rare site and Shu would have given anything to see them explode with insults and rumors again.

The two had stayed within the school grounds, finding little motivation to go beyond. The food in the cafeteria would last them a long time. Especially when there's no one else around… when we can't reach anyone else.

The brown-haired boy had tried to get in contact with anyone he could: the numbers of his friends and others around the school, the emergency response teams, even his mother. The only answer he ever received was the messaging machines or a blank line.

Inori had told him that his mother had helped to reprogram the broadcast before the pink-haired girl had been kidnapped, but she hadn't seen the woman since. Shu hoped that his mother had gotten out alright. But… wouldn't she have come looking for me by now?

Maybe she couldn't; maybe she was stuck in a position where she couldn't come find him. He had to keep telling himself that, but his thoughts were becoming increasingly pessimistic and dark lately.

Inori had practically become the closest to mute as he had seen her. The girl hadn't sung since that day, not even humming, and she barely spoke. Her actions seemed to be on auto pilot by now, except for when she would cry. That had only happened a handful of times over the two weeks.

Her crying was always silent, tears streaming down her face in waves. The sight always broke his heart, almost forcing him to cry with her, as if her tears weren't enough for everything that had been taken from them. It was understandable; she had lost Gai, the rest of Funeral Parlor, her friends, and everyone else. The only person that she possibly had left was him and he knew he was a poor substitute.

"Inori," she looked up at him, her expression empty when he said her name. They were currently holed up in one of the classrooms, unsure of what to do other than wait for an answer. The room was getting darker with the overcast clouds reflected through the windows. "Can you sing?"

She stared at him, almost uncomprehending his request. He knew he sounded tired, but he thought that – maybe if he heard her sing again – things would be better. Even when he had felt separated from everyone else before, her singing had been the one thing to lift his spirits.

She shook her head slowly though, shaking slightly where she sat leaning against the wall. "No." Her answer was a whisper, disheartened as it rang through the room. The boy stood up from his desk and crossed the distance to her.

"Come on," he encouraged gently, sighing when she shook her head again. He took a deep breath. "'Blooming wildflower~'" The words sung quietly from him, although he thought that he sounded terrible compared to her.

Inori didn't look at him as his hand grasped hers once again, but the song flowed from her lips as well, her voice following the familiarity of the song. Their two voices blended together, creating an off-beat harmony.

~ (3) ~

Three weeks into their isolation, Shu decided to make the trip back to his childhood home. Inori had accompanied him there, most likely coming for a final look and to grab some of her belongings (some still remained, but most of them had been at the Funeral Parlor's base, which she refused to go back to at the time).

The door had strangely been unlocked when they got there. Inside, the house was just as they had left it; beds made, clothes folded, and empty dishes in the sink. The sight almost caused him to break down, but Inori followed him through each room until she went to pack a small bag of her belongings.

From the signs of the house, it had seemed like his mother hadn't been home. Was it possible? Could everyone really be gone…? I couldn't protect them, even when it mattered.

Just as he finished packing, Inori came into his room, a small red bag in her arms. She was silent, watching as he zipped up the bag he had packed. Another wave of resolve hit him. I'll protect you, no matter what.

"Ready to go?" he asked, bottling up the sadness that he felt at the words and giving her a smile instead. She simply nodded, her expression a mix of compassion and pain. She left the room before he did, leaving the door partially open. Maybe it was her way of saying that he could say goodbye if he wanted; either way, he was thankful for her consideration.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked around at the room, his eyes landing on a small picture frame beside his bed. His feet instantly moved towards the object as a hand reached for it, almost like a life line.

The frame of the picture was made of a smooth wood with the word 'family' carved into the top. The picture inside was one taken a year or two ago. He had been on a 'long-weekend' vacation with his mother, who insisted that they took the photo.

"You're growing up way too fast for my liking," she had joked, smiling as she set the camera up on a timed flash a few feet away from them. He had blushed in embarrassment but allowed her to take the photo anyway. She had them kneel for the picture, making them look almost the same height, but the top part of Shu's hair had been cut off. His mother had joked once again, saying that his hair was too large to fit in the picture.

The overwhelming amount of emotion that he felt at the memory caused him to put the photo down. He took a deep breath, blinked his eyes a few times to get rid of the threatening tears, and found a slip of paper and pen.

Just in case she does make her way back here, the thought caused a few tears to fall from his eyes, but he smiled once he was done with the note.

If she ever did come back, then she would know that they were safe, where to find them, and that he loved her. Those were the three most important things he had wanted to convey, not to mention so much more. It was getting dark though and they wanted to get back before the sun set.

"Inori…" Shu had started to say the girl's name as he exited the room, leaving the door slightly ajar, but stopped when he saw her standing motionless in the middle of the room. At first, confusion hit him because she hadn't reacted to him entering the room. She turned to him a moment after though, frozen in place as tears fell from her eyes. Panic instantly set in. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Shu," she said his name, her gaze turning back to another part of the room. She was looking at something or, more specifically, an object on the couch. His breath stopped when he recognized the object. "Funnell…"

The small machine was propped on the couch, long out of battery and lifeless, but still sitting there like nothing had happened. A few scratches marred its frame, but otherwise it was fine. The sight made his blood run cold however; the machine had been with Funeral Parlor at the time of the second virus a few weeks ago.

The boy grabbed Inori's hand as fast as he could, practically dragging her out of the room at the feeling that descended upon him. Her gaze drifted backwards, towards the couch again as he shut the door.

Whether someone had put the machine there, it had found its way 'home,' or it was mere coincidence, he knew that it was a sign. They wouldn't be going back to the house after that, leaving behind the note and an old friend.

~ (4) ~

How long had it been? Five, six months? Shu wasn't sure. Time didn't really hold much of a meaning. Still, every day they marked another twenty-four hours off of the calendar. Both of them were as normal as they could be for their situation.

"As long as I have you," he had whispered to the girl lying beside him one night, the words almost swept up by the silence. They had taken residence in the dorms near the school, calling two – which eventually turned into one – of the rooms their temporary home.

The lack of social contact with anyone but each other was starting to drive the two of them to extreme lengths. Shu snapped more often than Inori, who just seemed to break down when she did. He always felt horrible afterwards, but came to the conclusion that all they needed was each other. They could make things work, at least until they could figure some things out.

The pink-haired girl had agreed with him. Her words, a few hours later, inwardly shocked him. He wouldn't let it show though. "Gai…" he knew saying the man's name still caused her pain. "He once asked me if I had fallen in love. I didn't know what that meant at the time. Have I fallen in love with you? Do you love me?"

Her eyes seemed to show her desperation as she stared at him through the dark. His heart skipped a few beats at the small amount of happiness he felt, but uncertainty clawed at him. Why did she not understand how much he loved her, even though he had said so on countless occasions?

"As long as I have you," he repeated the words, holding her close. She seemed to relax, laying her forehead against his as she was swept away by sleep. He realized that it was in this silence, this hardship that they faced, that they realized their feelings for each other.

~ (5) ~

"Nee, Inori…" Shu started one day when they were staring up at the sky. The weather had been nice enough to go outside, but they didn't go far. The crystallized buildings were still crumbling to dust around them, causing a hazard and often keeping them up at night. Instead, they opted to relax in the school's outdoor field. As he watched a particularly light cloud float by, the boy continued his earlier thought. "Do you believe there is a heaven?"

The girl looked over at him from where she was lying on the grass. "'Heaven?'" she repeated the word, her head tilted to the side. There was some familiarity in her voice at the word, but she clearly was curious as to what he thought.

"Yeah." The brown-haired boy nodded, closing his eyes against a bright ray of sun that hit him at that moment. "Like a place you go to after you die."

Inori was silent for a few moments, humming a small chorus of a song as she thought. Her next words were unexpected once again. "Gai used to talk about it sometimes. He told me that he went to sermons when he was younger."

The content of her words didn't surprise him; just the fact that she brought it up at all. Now that he thought about it, Gai had been his childhood friend. The two boys, along with Mana, had gone to the local church's sermons during the holidays and on days that they didn't have much to do. Having to think about everyone that was missing brought another fresh wave of pain to him.

"Mm-hmm. I used to go with him." The words were said more to himself than anyone in particular. The girl stared over at him but didn't comment. They were silent for another ten minutes or so before he spoke up again.

"Do you think… that everyone's waiting for us there? Wouldn't that be nice if we could see them again?"

Inori had a very strange reaction to his words; instead of crying like he – regretfully – thought she would, a small smile appeared on her face. The reaction was enough to make him sit up in surprise, thinking that he might have said something wrong.

"That would be nice." She stated softly as she stared up at the sky. "We'll see them again when it's the right time."

The pink-haired girl then started to sing, more full of hope than she had been for months. The sight brought a smile to his face as well, her words fully sinking in with a warm feeling.

~ (6) ~

Another foul day of weather assaulted them, forcing them indoors. With the weather came the familiar bout of downcast emotions. Shu couldn't think of anything else to do, so they both lay on the bed, waiting for some sort of sleep to come. His school tablet had long since lost power, but he still kept it near them, as if a broadcast could bring it back to life.

"Inori, if I asked you to…" he hesitated at the words, biting his lip at the nervousness he felt. It must have just been a side effect of the weather, he told himself, but he felt strangely at peace with the idea. Her gaze was inquisitive as she looked towards him, waiting for his request. "If I asked you to shoot me, would you do it?"

No reaction came at his words; she remained as emotionless as if he hadn't asked her to kill him. Maybe she was at peace with the idea too… "No." Her answer was simple and strong. He tried a different angle, wanting to be sure.

"Would you do it, if I requested it as your king (1)?" He gazed into her crimson eyes, not backing down. She gazed back, but broke it after a while.

"No." Her answer was the same, but there was a lingering hint of vulnerability under it. Her next words came as a barely audible whisper. "I don't want to be alone."

"I guess I'm just being selfish again," he answered, apologizing for the uncomfortable request. He hadn't had that sort of thought for a long time; ever since he had started to help Funeral Parlor, the thoughts seemed to have faded. "Gomennasai."

"It's alright." She answered out of a strange habit, knowing that the request hadn't been alright with her. Maybe they were both being selfish in a way, but they were both human; it was only natural.

The raindrops against the windows were the only thing he heard for a while. Shu was sure that Inori had fallen asleep; her tired humming had ceased and her eyes were closed. Her breathing was even beside him, contradicting the louder pounding of his own heart.

The words came out as a whisper, so as not to wake her. "If we could leave this world together, would you?"

He didn't get an answer from her that day. It was alright though; he didn't expect one.

~ (7) ~

The sun beat down on them like a desert; it was strange weather even for the time of year. It had been one year to the day and they both were content with their decision. Somehow, it seemed impossible, but they both were alright with it.

Inori was now peacefully lying on the ground, the perfect image of an angel. He tried to imagine her sleeping, except for the blood pooling beneath her from the gunshot wound. She was still smiling and had been singing to the very end.

Now he was alone, listening silently to the sounds around him. They had found out a week ago that they weren't immune, not like they had thought and – even if such a thing had existed – it was unlikely that they wouldn't have gotten infected sooner or later.

Shu was glad that they had been able to last this long. Even now, he felt the virus trying to crawl through him, but he didn't feel scared. Inori's hand was still clasped in his, but it didn't hold any of the normal warmth that it had. The thought made him want to cry, but he didn't. He knew it was the inevitable end that awaited them.

"I love you." The last words she had said to him echoed through his mind. Her Void lay next to him, crumbling and encased in ice. He had kissed her after her words, removing her Void so that she hopefully wouldn't feel any pain. It really had been like she was sleeping…

"It's alright," he whispered to no one in particular, giving a small smile. "I'll see you and everyone else soon."

(1) I thought that the idea of Shu and Inori calling each other "king" and "queen" would be cute and got that sort of vibe from the episodes I have watched so far

Uh… I've never actually done one of these types of fanfictions before, so this was a first for me. Sorry if some of the 'chapters' were a bit shorter, but it was more like mini one-shots within a one-shot? I called this an AU since I still don't know how the series ends (I'm on episode 16, so I'm almost there :D ) but figured it was alright to classify it under. Sorry if it was really depressing (especially the last one)! If you really, really hate me for the last one though, just ignore it if you have to. I didn't want to ruin anyone's day, but felt like that one had to go with it as an 'ending.' Sorry if anyone was OOC as well; it's my first time writing Shu so I'm a bit new to that. I hope you got at least some sort of enjoyment or thought from this, but please let me know if you did!

-AnimeWolfGirl9