Disclaimer: I own nothing, of course. Except my laptop.

AN: With thanks to my Beta, VVoltronSV. Not sure where this started coming from, but I liked it, and was inspired to keep writing it. Apologies for any issues.

"The Highest Price to Pay" (Immediately after Chapter 351)

Just a little longer, Asuna thought. The facade has to hold for just a little bit longer...

But it was difficult to keep holding it up. Especially watching three of her best friends and personal saviors bawling their eyes out. She had to hold though. She had reason, after all... This would, according to the others, be the very last time anyone would see Kagurazaka Asuna. And be her last memory ever of them, before all her memories of them, Mahora Academy, and everything else...

… She felt her eyes misting and tearing up, and tried to fight it, hoping the others didn't notice. She'd put on such a confident act before the portal opened. 'I will see you again, I'm sure of it.' she had said. But she wasn't sure. She narrowed her eyes for a moment as she flew up for the portal.

It really didn't help that Eva had to 'remind' all of us. She sighed to herself. 'Wears the same face, but will not be her', Eva had said. And they intended to be waiting when she came out of her hundred year sleep. Negi would make that just fine if he'd become like Evangeline, another hundred years is nothing to her. Outside of another miserable century of being trapped as a lolicon. She could almost feel sympathy now, though. She would be worse.

Her thought was interrupted by the voice of Jack Rakan next to her, as they came out at the other side of the gate, to head to the ruins of Ostia and the Gravekeepers' Palace. "Surprised you're so quiet. Negi convinced you, yeah, but I almost expected at least some noise on the issue. The memories of before already eating at your attitude?"

That caused her to twitch, even from her resigned expression which never left her. "Negi didn't 'convince' me. He just explained the plan and what it would need to stop the disaster. As much sacrifice, battle, and hardship has been inflicted on everyone, especially since it's happened multiple times now..." She sighed. "Setsuna wanted me to run away from all of it with her, already, when she heard about it. I had to quietly explain to her what all had gone on before, as well as now. Being sealed away willingly isn't like being locked into a horror device. Especially since I'm fixing it this time. After everything I remember being forced to cause..." She shivered.

By this point, they had boarded the ship and embarked on their flight to the palace, and dread tried to rise up and grip parts of her heart. She pushed it back down, though. She would not be afraid. She might only be Kagurazaka Asuna for a short while longer before being sealed. But she would be herself for her last little while. She tried to steel herself up a little better, though another sigh broke it. "The only thing that really upsets me is thinking of all that I'm going to lose if Al and Eva are right. I learned so much that I didn't know as the princess, I was finally able to defend myself at least SOMEWHAT against being taken and used again. Admittedly, I eventually failed, but I at least put up a fight. If I lose all memories of my life at Mahora, and everything that's happened since I was taken there in hopes of a better life..." A pause. "The worst thing is... it was a better life, I was happy, I had friends who cared about me, I had everything. And I might not even remember them. I nearly started to cry when I looked at them the last time, bawling and crying my name as we went through, thinking that. I had to be strong for them, until we came through... otherwise I'd be bawling as bad as they were. Feels like I'm committing suicide almost. Kagurazaka Asuna dying so the princess might live. I don't regret doing it, but it does hurt for that."

"You will be remembered as a hero for saving our world, Kagurazaka Asuna. Even while you live on as the Princess."

The group finally arrived at the palace, with Asuna mumbling a soft "thanks" to Theodora for her comment. The march to the door of the room where she was to be sealed really took on the tone of a funeral procession from the comments made on it, no one looked entirely comfortable by that point.

She stopped at the door to the chamber, looking down shaking her head. "We'll find out. Or I will at least. I swore that I'd go back and see them one more time when I got out." She looked around at the palace. "In the event I don't remember..." She pulled out a book then, sealed in a bag. "I tried to scribble down what all I remember best of the times I've had. I'm hoping I wrote enough, maybe it'll wake the memories back up. I need to remember me..."

Tears started streaming down then. "I hope Negi is there when I get back. Since he's supposedly going to live a long time now. Might just slap him and call him a brat for old times sake..." She trailed off, stepping through the door, then, tears dripping off onto the ground.

"Goodbye everyone. Please make my sacrifice worth the cost. And please don't let the worlds forget that Kagurazaka Asuna existed." She settled into her sealing spot.

The others nodded to her. "It will be done." Then the door rumbled shut.

She had just enough time to think goodbye, everyone... as she heard the sealing spell getting cast, only one final sniffle and teardrop before feeling her power being pulled, and her body slipping into its hundred year sleep.