Hey, guys! I'm back with another fic, kuku... And another sad one, at that, hahaha. She's evil, isn't she? Shushhh, they don't need to know that! *slaps Cy-kun's back* You just need to harden up, kid! Ahem, anyway, I didn't have the idea for this fic until I thought about the bonus chapter I was gonna add to my other series, "Hidden Affection". I-it's not out yet, since I'm only on ch7 at the moment. This is will kinda (?) give you an idea of how I wanted that to end up like. Not even kinda...
As for those waiting for ch8 of "Hidden Affection", sorry. e.e I got mixed up into this new series instead. I honestly shouldn't be starting another series, seeing as I already have 3 unfinished ones now, including this one.
Special thanks to Wherever Girl who helped me in trying to figure out what to do with this fic. xD You guys should check her out!
Well, enough beating around the bush. Time for Diocchin to give you what you've been waiting for... Enjoy!
Hamuko opened her eyes, sighing sadly. She hung on the door that kept Nyx sealed. Today was a bit strange, though. Erebus would usually be here right now. Then again, Hamuko would usually be asleep by then. She didn't want to waste all of her time there just staring down at Earth.
The girl sighed again. Her wrists had stopped hurting from staying there like that. They were numb now. Her whole body felt numb. Then again, it didn't really matter anyway. She had given up what little hope she had of getting out of there. She frowned, shifting her body a little bit. She felt lonely, having nobody to talk to. She would strike up a conversation sometimes with Erebus, but the large, black shadow that constantly tried to remove her from Nyx's entrance didn't give much of one.
She laughed quietly. She hadn't been this melancholy ever since her parents had passed away.
"Awake, are you?" a voice sounded. This startled the girl, since she thought that she was the only one there, with the exception of Erebus. The girl turned in an effort to find the face of the person that spoke to her. "Relax," the person chuckled, stepping into the dim light. A yellow scarf hung around his neck, and a quiet smile lit up his face. His black suspenders hung easily on his shoulders. The male brought a hand through his hair and looked up at the girl that hung on the seal.
"Who are you?" Hamuko asked. Her head cocked to the side, her red eyes staring intently at the man's pale face. It was obvious that the boy had expected more from the girl, as he frowned uneasily and turned to look at the stars beneath them.
"I knew you would forget some things, but I didn't think you would forget me." The boy looked up and smiled nostalgically. He walked closer to the door, and placed his hand on it. "Perhaps the lack of conversation and social links have made your mind numb. You've forgotten everything."
"Not everything." The girl looked to the side, staring at her bound arms. "I still remember my twin brother. I remember the struggle everyone went through to prevent the end of the world. I remember the rooftop. I remember…" Hamuko stopped, her words trailing off. She remembered. But who did she remember? The only person she seemed to remember was her twin brother. She remembered "everyone", but who was "everyone"?
"Your memories have faded later than everyone else, have they?" The male stared quietly at the auburn girl, his eyes shaded in sorrow. "You've only been here for a year, and yet, your memories have started fading. It's not as if you lack the potential… Perhaps you're suppressing your memories, for fear they will hurt you, as you can no longer interact with those who made you happy."
A tear dripped down from Hamuko's face. She clenched her fists, and screamed, "What do you know!?" The boy stepped back to get a good view of the girl's face. He smiled sadly.
"Hamuko-chan." The name easily slipped through his tongue. Though the girl felt that she should be angered, the sound of his voice calling her name calmed her. He reached a hand out to her. "I want to give you a chance."
The girl bit her lip. "Yeah? And what kinda chance is that?" She felt desperate, desperate to get out of there. She wanted to remember who "everyone" was. She wanted to see "everyone" again.
The boy laughed. "I want to help you get out of here." At this, the girl's face lit up. "Ahh, well, I can't keep it for long. As you know, you are the Great Seal. The only one who can keep this door secure is you. However… I can temporarily take that burden from you."
"H-how long will you give me?" The girl's voice stumbled through these words. She could feel herself shaking, her numbing body warming up a bit.
"I believe I can keep the door secure for a month. You will have to come back after that. If not, the world will fall into despair once more… and there will be nothing that you can do to fix it this time." Hamuko hesitated a bit. Was she really going to put her own needs in front of humanity's? She sighed.
"I… I can't." Hamuko stared down at Earth, her eyes riddled with a quiet sorrow. "I remember everything, but… I don't. Hell, I don't even remember you." She bit her lip. "You look familiar, sure, but… your name? I can't remember that. I can't remember the time we had spent together. I can't remember who "everyone" is. I want to, I really do, but everytime I think about it, it just seems to slip further and further away. What if… what if I don't remember anything by the time I get back down there? I'll cause more pain than happiness. Besides, I have a duty. I was created to fulfill this duty. I'm not about to let you or my twin brother fill it for me."
The boy laughed. "You're the same as you've always been." His hand moved up to grab his scarf and pull it below his chin. "Not wanting anyone else to take your responsibility. Always thinking about others beside yourself." He chuckled. "It's your personality that made me like this in the first place. And I thank you for that. But it's the reason why I'm giving you this chance now." Hamuko looked at the boy's face, his eyes shining with a quiet glimmer of nostalgia. "Please, take this chance. They all miss you dearly. Though you won't be able to be there long, it should be enough for you to keep going on." He reached out his hand again. "Please, Hamuko-chan. I'm worried about you."
The girl hesitantly reached her own hand out, and the shackles that held her to the door broke, allowing her body to float gently down into the boy's arms. Suddenly, her memories began to come back, and she fell to the ground, unable to take the immediate rush. As if on cue, Erebus began to rise up again, nearly grabbing the door open as Ryoji summoned a sword and slashed its hand away. It roared and sunk back into the darkness. Ryoji ran up and grabbed the girl, pulling her up. Hamuko felt dizzy, her face lost its color, and her crimson eyes turned into a darker shade.
"Hamuko-chan!" Ryoji called out. He dropped his sword and held the girl by her shoulders.
"Nnh," the girl managed to let this slip past her lips. She stared blankly at the male's face and uttered out a quiet, "R… Ryoji-kun?" The boy smiled.
"So you do remember me." He chuckled and gently lifted the girl to her feet. "Do you know where you are?" He picked up his sword and stood to look at the girl's face.
"Of course." Hamuko looked down beneath her, staring down at the stars. "The door that bars Nyx from humanity. The door that I was bound to, in an effort to save humanity from its cruel thoughts and feelings." The girl's lips pulled into a sad smile. "Everyone misses me, huh?" Her arm moved up to rub her shoulder. "I still don't think I should go down there. Nyx is my responsibility, after all." Hamuko looked into Ryoji's dark blue eyes. "I don't want you to take that responsibility for me. Even if you think that it's for my own sake."
Ryoji laughed. "That's so like you, Hamuko-chan." He pointed up at the door. "But you're not up there anymore, are you?" The girl frowned. Ryoji smiled at her. "I know you want to see them again." He gently pushed Hamuko, and the girl's body drifted down towards Earth. "Say hi to everyone for me!"
"Dammit, Ryoji!" Hamuko reached out her hand, but she was unable to go back. The boy gently rested his eyes on the girl's face, then turned, floating toward his temporary position as the Great Seal.
…
"Dammit!" Hamuko sat up. She immediately studied her surroundings. She was sitting down in a secluded area, bright patches of sunlight hitting the spot she had woken up at. "Where the hell am I?" Her hands stumbled around the dirt floor. "The hell…?" She turned back and stared intently at the labeled headstone. "Oh." She laughed. "Never thought I'd see my own grave." She looked at the portrait that laid on the cold, stone surface. "Hehe, I look so weird in this photo. They should've chosen a different one."
Just then, there was the sound of plastic material lightly hitting the floor. Hamuko quickly turned, only to be met with a startled face. She looked down at what the person had dropped and frowned.
"You know I don't like those kinda flowers, Mina-kun." She reached over and picked up the bouquet of flowers, gently assorting them. "Thank you, though." She picked one out and examined it. "Heh, I didn't think there'd be anyone who would still give me flowers at this point." Minato quietly dropped down to the floor. Hamuko looked up at his face, smiling easily.
"I'm not dreaming again, am I?" Minato grabbed Hamuko's hand. "Sis, you… what? I thought…" Hamuko pulled her twin brother into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry," she quietly whispered. "I'm sorry for worrying you again." Minato's tears dripped down from his face, and he sniffled. The girl giggled. "Gee, I didn't know that Mina-kun could be such a crybaby." She pulled back. "Look, I'm here for now, okay?" She stood up, and Minato looked back at her questionably.
"What do you mean, for now?" He stood up as well.
The girl sighed. "Let's not worry about that at the moment, shall we?" She walked ahead of him. "Ah, what month is it?"
"It's July. 2011."
The girl smiled. "Ah, that's perfect. Everyone should be off then, right? I need to meet with you guys again." She turned back to look at her twin. "Then maybe I'll tell you about what kinda deal I'm in."
Well, it was quite delightful. I don't know why I like writing sad stories. Sure, it may be fine now, but... Eh, I'm babbling. Yeah, maybe I should duct-tape your mouth. It was one time! And I'm sorry! qq
Anyway, geez, 2011. Pfft, that was like 5 years ago. xD I laughed when I wrote that down, realizing how long it's been ever since I started playing that game.
Enough of this! Everyone in SEES will get to see Hamuko again in the next chapter! What will their reactions be!? Will Hamuko remember all of them, or will her amnesia ultimately get the best of her!? See you guys in the next chapter!
~theIdiosocracy, Diocchin and Cy-kun