This idea struck me in the middle of the night and I knew I had to write it. This series is so good, but there are a few holes KyoAni left open that keep it from true closure. This fic is my attempt at achieving that closure. Remember, favorites and reviews are appreciated. I hope you enjoy.

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Five years.

Everything that had happened. It was five years ago.

She had been fucking fifteen.

So why did it still hurt so, so much?

Mirai Kuriyama sat up in bed, rubbing her face. Another nightmare, of course. It was all racing through her head again, and she couldn't get it out.

Every night, it was a little different. This time, she had felt herself start disappearing again, but no one was there with her. That's why she woke up screaming and crying-nothing terrified her more than the idea of vanishing without anyone knowing, anyone being there with her.

She heard the door open and looked up. Sakura was standing there, just carefully poking her head in. "Mirai? Did something happen?"

She didn't answer for a long minute, trying to formulate her response in her head before letting it out of her mouth. "...Yes, but it wasn't real."

"So, a nightmare, then." Sakura opened the door a little wider. "Do you want me to come in?"

Mirai just nodded, and so Sakura came in, closed the door behind her, and sat down next to her on the bed. She offered a hand. "Do you want…?"

Another quick nod, and Sakura understood. She placed her hand on top of Mirai's head, stroking the hair slowly, delicately. Mirai raised one hand to gently guide it.

She whispered. "I won't disappear again, right…? And I won't lose all my memories again…?"

Sakura kept stroking Mirai's hair. "That's right."

Mirai took a deep breath, wiping a tear off her face. "I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Sakura."

"It's okay," Sakura said. "I wasn't sleeping well anyway."

"Nightmares?"

"No, actually. Can't get my nerves to calm down enough to sleep in the first place, never mind dream about anything, good or bad."

"I'm so sorry."

Sakura sighed. "I don't know why people apologize for things that aren't their fault."

Mirai was silent for a moment, considering that statement. "...Because sometimes the only way we can act on sadness is to say we're sad."

Sakura gave Mirai's hair another long stroke. "Well, this isn't about my sadness right now. It's about yours."

"Right…" Mirai lifted her hands and held her still-stroked head. "But… I'm a 20 year old woman now, I shouldn't need this…"

Sakura shrugged. "I'm 21. I still get nightmares."

"You don't scream."

"I've never been a screamer. I just run and hide."

Mirai bit her lip, reminiscing. "That's right… you never screamed. I screamed a lot as a kid, but you never did."

Sakura nodded. "I remember when you would wake up in the middle of the night, and you didn't want to scream but you'd let out these little muffled yelps like a cat or something because you were scared of the dark."

"Yeah, and you'd always calm me down, right…?"

Sakura thought about that for a second. "...Nah, that was usually Mom or Yui. If I said anything, it was to tell you to shut up. I was the mean one, remember?"

Mirai shook her head. "Just cranky sometimes… and I really do remember this one time where you comforted me for real. Do you remember this?"

Sakura drew in a breath, remembering suddenly. "...It was that weird period. Just after Yui died but before I was pinning it on you."

Mirai closed her eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry… that must have been really hard…"

Sakura gave Mirai a hug-not exactly a tight one, since she had never been touchy-feely, but an adequate one for the situation. "Really, I should have stayed in that state. Less trouble everyone down the line."

"What's done is done. I forgive you for everything. You remember that, right, Sakura?"

"Right. Doesn't make what I did any better." She gave a firm pat on the head now. "But again. Focusing on you right now. Do you want anything else to help you calm down and go back to sleep?"

Mirai almost recoiled at the idea of going back to sleep, but she knew she had to. Her shoulders slumped. "I dunno… my mouth feels really dry, though."

"Water, then?"

"Yeah… oh, should I text Akihito…?"

Sakura shook her head. "No screens. He'll be asleep at this time, anyway."

Mirai clicked her tongue. "Well, he has told me he has nightmares too, so he might be awake…"

Sakura actually picked Mirai's phone up off the nightstand now, putting it in her pocket. "No screens."

"...Right, no screens." Mirai lied down. "It's unpleasant, though."

"You'll see him tomorrow. And you'll both be happier, because neither of you will be dead tired." Sakura got up to go get the water. "Do try to get back to sleep. Okay?"

Mirai closed her eyes. "I'll try."

"You'll succeed."

Mirai snorted a little at that. "Thank you, Sakura…"

She considered throwing in 'I love you' for the adopted sister, but decided against it. Sakura preferred love be shown to her through actions rather than words. And the best action she could take to show her love right now was to actually try and sleep.

Sleep would prove elusive, but at least she knew things were in order with those she loved. All was right in the world, no matter what her brain wanted to tell her.

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It was rare for all of the Nase siblings to attend a Society meeting at once. Usually, Izumi would handle it. If she was unable to for some reason, Hiroomi would go instead, as he had for a few months while Izumi was absent. And Mitsuki, fresh out of high school and preparing for college, had never been to any of the meetings.

And yet, here they all were now, standing in the Chamber, the crystalline cave where the Society met for its most secretive meetings. The whole place glowed with a cool, blue light, radiating from the crystals in the walls themselves. Around the room were five thrones, each one occupied by some aging soul, one from each continent except Antartica and-this day-Asia. The throne of the Asian representative, which normally would be occupied by Izumi or Hiroomi, found itself empty in this meeting-the siblings stood together in the center.

The representatives all wore cloaks that obscured their faces, as per ritual. Izumi had always thought made them look like ghosts.

The Australian representative, the current chairman in the rotation, whos nameplate identified him simply as Dalton, was the first to speak. "Do you know why we have brought you all here?"

Izumi shook her head, looking the man in the eyes. "I'm afraid we don't."

"Well, then, I don't believe in beating around the bush." Dalton leaned in, arching as if to make sure he was looking down upon the Nase's. "We have chosen to expel the Nase Clan from the council and seek a new Asian representative dynasty."

Hiroomi's eyes widened. "What…?"

Izumi looked to him, then back at the councilmen around her. "And what cause do you have for that?"

Dalton clasped his hands together. "Your clan has proven time and again to be… obstructionist."

Mitsuki placed her hands on her hips. "So, wait, you're kicking us out for disagreeing with you?

Dalton shook his head. "This was not a decision taken lightly-it has been brewing for years. Disagreement is why we have a council. Insurrection… that is what is unacceptable."

Izumi looked to her siblings to quiet them, then back to Dalton. "Insurrection? What insurrection? Have we not been loyal to the Society for over sixty years?"

The North American representative-an American man, Ashwood-hit his fist upon the table, not angrily, but with the firmness and solemnity of a judge with his gavel. "Don't play dumb, now. You have been doing this for five years, and you know it. Anytime we bring what to do with the half-youmu or the blood warrior to the voting floor, you filibuster and bribe and bully and gush your way into a tie vote. And as long as you're here, that will continue."

Dalton nodded. "And that is not even to mention your constant, seemingly obsessive push to reopen the Fujima investigation. Five years. Are you not tired of that old fool?"

Both Hiroomi and Mitsuki looked speechless. Izumi was barely keeping her cool herself now. "Is that not politics? And if you wish to end pointless politics, is this not a display of it?"

Dalton stood up now, asserting control over the room-he was tall, and his height allowed him to tower over everyone else. "The victim complex will also end. This is not a meeting of debate or trial, Ms. Nase. The trial has already taken place and found you guilty. This is a meeting of notice. Your clan is being removed from the council, and that is final."

Izumi narrowed her eyes. "If you think the Spirit World Warrior community won't see right through this, then you're all in for a rude awakening."

"We are not here to represent the public. We are here to protect them." Dalton sat back down, staring down Izumi with a cold, emotionless stare. "We are of one mind about this. This meeting is over. Leave us, before I make the guards kick you out."

Izumi kept her eyes locked with Dalton for a few more seconds. Then, the Nase siblings all turned and walked out in unison, with Izumi leading her younger brother and sister upstairs and into the halls.

Mitsuki started talking as soon as they were out of earshot of the Chamber. "What are we going to do?"

Izumi looked straight ahead, still walking. "I don't know yet."

Hiroomi tugged his scarf as a grim expression came over his face. "We can't protect Kuriyama and Akihito anymore."

Izumi just sighed. "Not with votes or debate. But there are other means. First thing's first… we need to let them know."