Goodbye... And Hello
A/N: There are no ships involved in this fanfiction
Summary: It... She was falling apart. Ripping at the seams, and nothing could prevent that. It was inevitable. Because it was her time. Her time to say goodbye, and her time to start anew.
Sitting on the doctor's table was Ryuko Matoi waiting ever so patiently for Iori and Inumuta to finish up the diagnosis on her.
A few weeks ago Ryuko started getting major migraines and heat flashs with the occuring dizziness every once in while. She didn't get sick, never! I mean the life fibers in her body kept her healthly and alive.
Still, waiting she started getting impatient. Even though she was now 19, being an adult didn't mean she still wasn't impatient as ever. Then the two finally walked in, much to Ryuko's happiness and disappointment.
They weren't smiling. The hybrid really did expect that. For the two boys to walk in and tell her everything was fine. Well, that wasn't the case.
Their frowns were prominently on their faces and their eyes, their eyes really said it all.
The boys eyes were crying out. In sadness, in pain and especially in pity. Ryuko hated to admit it to herself, but they were piting her. Looking down on her, feeling sorry for her and probably for themselves. For not realising whatever happened to her sooner.
The three were in the room for a little while silently doing nothing until Inumuta finally started to speak. "We have good news and bad news. The good news is that we know what's happening to you Matoi, but the bad news is that it's not good," Inumuta informed.
"Okay, well, what is it?" The hybrid asked in an loud tone.
Now it was Iori's turn to explin. "We took a look at you're bio structure, and it's not good. It seems that due to the life fibers you're body seems to be shutting down, and that's why you've been experiencing these "side effects" of the process," he explained frowning.
"Wait, so what you guys are saying is that b-because of the life fibers reacting badly to my bio structure my body's gonna start to gradually fail on me?" Ryuko questioned as both boys nodded.
But how? Ryuko never had a problem with the life fibers before. So why now? What was the problem, and why was it affecting herself?
"C-Can't you guys fix it? Y'know use some medicine and some sciencey stuff to stop the process, to stop me for degrad- wait. If this happens, doesn't it mean I'm gonna d-d-die?"
"Yes," both boys replied sadly.
"Oh, okay, so how much time do I have left?" The hybrid inquired.
"From the data I analysised and how fast the life fibers are wearing away at you're internal organs... Three months," the tech nerd responded.
T-Three months!? Was that even enough time? Saying goodbye to everyone would be hard, and in only three months would make it even harder. She would have to tell Satsuki and Mako, Ryuko could guess they would be the saddest. They'd miss her the most.
"I'm so sorry-" "No. It's okay, I mean I bet you two tried your hardest to figure something out, it's inevitable. Thank you," she said passing them to the door. "For what?" Iori asked. "For telling me the truth," she said graceishly smiling leaving.
Struting down the street Ryuko pondered on it. They had given her something. It was truth. She new something would eventually happen. Somehow the life fibers within her would take affect and retaliate, then soon killing her. It was probably her from the beginning. As soon as she was compatable with the life fibers the process was probably already in affect.
Ryuko was guessing that since her powers and life fibers were sealed away it stopped the process, but since the power isn't anymore, the degrading process is starting to take affect again.
The hybrid walked into her apartment that she shared with Satsuki and sluggishly walked into her room, lightly slamming the door behind. I guess it was taking affect. She could already feel her energy getting sapped away from her. Weird seeing as life fibers enhance a person's physical form. Who knew they could do this.
"I knew a girl like you. And you know what happened to her since she believed in life fibers. Dead. Now, you're going down that same road." Kinagase's voice rang all through her head.
He was right. She believed in life fibers and now they were going to kill her.
And maybe, when she died, she could say hi to his sister. Maybe she could meet Kinue.
But if she had them extracted... The extraction process would probably kill her before the life fibers had the real chance to do the damage.
There was no way of avoiding this, dying. This was Ryuko Matoi's fate. It was inevitable.
Morning came and the hybrid walked out to be greeted by Satsuki sitting down eating breakfast. "Hello Imoto," she said as Ryuko sat by her.
"Hi Sats, so whatcha doing today? If so, how can I help?" Ryuko cheerfully asked as Satsuki put the egg on her fork down. "Nothing much, but why do you want to know. I mean you've never asked before, and if I did when would you have ever wanted to help me with it. Ryuko? What did you do?" Her sister inquired raising a big eyebrow in her direction.
"Me? Do anything? I didn't do anything, just trying to be nice and besides, I didn't get into one fight this month," the hybrid replied as Satsuki kept her brow raised. "Okay, so maybe I did, but that idiot Geruichi was pissing me off!"
Satsuki just gave a tiny sigh as she shooed her sister off leaving her with her warm- or should I say now cold breakfast.
Ryuko got dressed and made her way to Mako's walking inside given the spare key by her friend. "Hey Mako!" she called out as a blur came rushing and jumped her. Snaring the hybrid in a tight hug.
"Hey Ryuko, you came to see me," Mako said releasing her friend. "Yea, I just wanted to know if you were busy, and if you needed any help?"
The brunette stood there thinking for a moment then shook her head. "Oh, okay. Do you want to do something?" Ryuko asked. "Yea, I have an awesome idea. Follow me," Mako replied pulling the hybrid to her room.
Satsuki received a call on her cell and picked it up to Inumuta's voice on the other line. "Hello Inumuta," she greeted.
"Hello Lady Satsuki," he replied in a rusty voice. "Something wrong Inumuta, you sound upset," Satsuki responded. "Wait, so Matoi didn't tell you?" Inumuta said in a shocked tone. "Tell me what?" And the call went on, for how long, Satsuki didn't know, but after awhile she didn't want to hear it.
Ryuko, her little sister, dying. Why? Why did this always happen to all of her family, everyone important to her always dies. But Ryuko didn't tell her, why?
The hybrid walked into the apartment to see everything in a complete disaray, and Satsuki in the middle of it. "Sats!" She yelled running to her older sister as she embraced Ryuko tightly.
"Why?" She quietly whimpered. "Why didn't you tell me you were dying?"
Ryuko's muscles tensed and her forehead fell on Satsuki's shoulder, sighing. "I guess, I guess it'd be too sad to say goodbye if I told you from the start," she explained.
"Hehe, you always had a terrible way of getting out of your mistakes or avoiding the problem, but I guess you can't do that now huh?" The Kiryuin woman replied. "Hmm, I guess your right. Besides you know what they say, what goes around comes around. My karma just came around faster than expected," the hybrid said chuckling for a bit before bursting into tears.
Satsuki sat there comforting her and they quietly for the time being just enjoyed each other's silence. It's the only the thing they needed for comfort.
After, when the time was right Ryuko explained her situation which resulted in Mako breaking down into tears babbling and sobbing about how she couldn't lose her best friend, but soon Gamagoori was able to calm her down.
Days, weeks and even months passed till the hybrid was only reduced to a body without feeling.
Countless days she'd just sit in her wheelchair gazing at sky while everyone was forced to watch Ryuko till the very, sad, pitiful end. Till she couldn't hold on any longer, and she died.
A funeral was held, and it was depressing. No one thought they would lose their friend so early, but things happen. Everyone knew this. Her will was read, and it was the sadest thing anyone could have imagined.
Before Ryuko lost feeling in her hands she wrote and decided when it was read she wanted everyone to read their one parts to everyone, this was probably the most heartbreaking.
Mako can still remember what she read from the will. "Dear Mako, I always considered my friend, I'm sorry. If I wasn't weak then maybe I could've held on a little longer. You were like a sister I never had. Well not till I met Satsuki. Please don't cry or be sad because this is my fate. It was inevitable. Do me a favor and don't wait for Gamagoori to make the first move and take charge and be happy. For me, 'kay? There's a special pain with saying goodbye, but I'll always be with you, with everyone. I promise."
But as time moved on so did everyone else. They never fully recovered, but still kept to their daily routines as they promised too. And on that one fateful day...it happened.
Satsuki and everyone were walking down the sidewalk when Satsuki turned to see a girl and boy both with black hair and red highlights that they looked like siblings.
The girl turned to them and had blazing bright green eyes staring brightly. 'I-It couldn't be. It wouldn't...' The Kiryuin woman thought.
The boy nudged the girl and she turned to him walking away together as if she hadn't stared at them at all. "So, Ryuko, it seems you found them after all," the boy said. "Shut up Senketsu, you know I'm Ryuku. It's not Ryuko anymore. She's dead remember," the girl Ryuku replied.
"And you know also know I'm not Senketsu anymore as well. It's Sen, just Sen," the boy Sen responded.
After Ryuko died she somehow came back, but in the body of a newborn baby even though she had to wait 15 years till she might see her friends again. And in some coincidence Senketsu was revived as well, but died 2 years before her so he was currently 17 years old.
"I know, sorry, let's go," Ryuku said when she was tackled by something. "See! Mako told you it was Ryu-oh," Mako said getting off Ryuku. "Mako!" Gamagoori said grabbing her. "Sorry Ira, but I swore it was Ryuko, but, I guess I was wrong," the brunette replied as she bowed and apologized.
"It's fine, you just confused me for someone else, that's all. I'm Ryuku," the girl said greeting everyone as they quickly parted.
'If I have to then I'll do it. I'll have to be their friend all over again. Because, I'll do whatever it takes.' Ryuku inwardly thought.
'I knew you weren't dead Ryuko. I just knew it.'