Author's note: I don't know why I chose Ikebukuro for this story out of all the stations—somehow, I just pictured him with Minako and they clicked as a couple in my mind. If you're not familiar with Taiyo Ikebukuro, he is an official MT station, but he wasn't created until after the anime ended, so he doesn't appear in it (though he does appear in the manga and has a voice intro on the official site). I've tried to stay as authentic to his official characterization as possible, given that I can't read Japanese and had to rely on my browser's lame autotranslation. :( Apparently "taiyo" means "sun" in Japanese, so I tried to use that in this fic. Also, in Episode 11, it's not clear what kind of vehicle Mayu got hit by, though it sounds more like a car than a truck…but in this fic, it's a truck. Hope that doesn't upset anyone. :)
Except where otherwise noted, this fic takes place two and a half years before the events in Episode 11. (I know Ikebukuro hadn't been created yet, but…we'll pretend he was!)
Acknowledgement and disclaimer: Some of the things Ikebukuro says are modified from my browser's autotranslation of stuff on the official MT site. I own nothing and I am not affiliated in any way with the Miracle Train Project or Seibu and Tobu department stores. Don't sue me!
"Neesan! Neesan!"
Minako screamed, but couldn't make a sound. She ran, but never neared her destination. No matter how desperately she strained her will, no matter how insistently she drove her body, she couldn't close the distance between herself and her sister. She was dimly aware that she had done all this before—that she had attempted countless rescues and failed every time—and paradoxically, this knowledge gave her hope. I remember now! she thought. I remember dreaming that I couldn't reach her—but those were only dreams. This is real. This time, I can do it.
Still furiously pumping her legs, she had a sudden flash of insight. Of course—I'll never make it if I run. I have to fly! Nimbly she leapt into the air and soared toward the intersection, seizing both the balloon and her sister as she descended. She watched with satisfaction as the child ran into the street and was crushed under the wheels of the truck; then she hugged her sister triumphantly. "Neesan! It's all right, I've got you! You're safe! Here, take the balloon. It's yours now!" Waves of joy and relief swept over her. She had done it! At last, it was all over…
…the increasingly loud beeping of her alarm clock pierced her euphoria like a needle meeting flesh. She opened her eyes.
No… it's not true, her heart urged. I saved her! I know I did!
She stared at the ceiling. One by one, the walls of her heart collapsed.
She's dead.
