Reasons

A/N: I am so sorry! This chapter was never supposed to take this long. I ended up rewriting it multiple times and the holidays were super crazy and you guys do not want to hear my excuses. I want everyone to know that I was blown away by how amazing you guys are! I received 10 of the most helpful and encouraging reviews I have ever seen; they filled me with excitement to continue my simple story. I want to thank each and every one of you who reviewed, favorite, followed, or even just read the story. I could write pages of me just individually thanking each person, but I want you guys to see this chapter as soon as possible so I will get on with it. Let me just take care of a few simple things first.

One: this story is heavily inspired by The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which is both a phenomenal book and movie. Please read and watch both iterations as they are simply beautiful stories, each noteworthy in their own way.

Two: I will be using the character names from the anime, and not the names from the first couple issues of the manga, for two reasons. One; the anime first introduced me to these amazing characters and, two; these names were announced as the official names by the author himself.

Three: I will be trying to update more regularly than I have been, but I can offer no promises as life is kinda hectic right now.

And Finally! I hope you guys continue to offer me your support (if you feel I have earned it). It means more to me than you may ever realize!

Without further ado the newest chapter of A Rest Well Earned

Tatsumi, Ieyasu, and Sayo continued deeper into the snowy woods. The only sound was the muted crunching of their footsteps in the snow, as each member of the small party silently reviled in their own thoughts. Tatsumi was still struggling with his feelings and his friends wanted to give him time to figure everything out.

Tatsumi was unquestionably happy to see Sayo and Ieyasu, but he couldn't help wondering where his friends from Night Raid were. Were they happy? Would they want to see him again after he failed to finish their fight? Did they even exist in this world?

Unseen by Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu exchanged quick glances. They had a reasonable guess as to what Tatsumi was thinking about, since they had struggled with very similar thoughts when they had first arrived in this new world. Silently they came to an agreement and they both stepped in front of Tatsumi while lightly placing their hands on his chest, bringing him to a stop. Tatsumi was startled from his thoughts and looked questioningly into his friends' faces; he could sense they had something they needed to tell him so he stifled the question that sprung to his mouth.

Sayo gave Ieyasu one last glance and then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly preparing herself for what they had to do, "Tatsumi, this is where we leave you."

Tatsumi was stunned, he opened his mouth to speak, but Ieyasu stopped him, "It's not for forever, but you need to talk to some people, alone. What they have to say is only for you."

As Ieyasu talked he started moving backwards. Tatsumi tried to step towards him, but Sayo kept her hand pressed firmly, but tenderly, against his chest. She shook her head wordlessly, before following after Ieyasu.

Once they were several feet away, Ieyasu stopped and gave Tatsumi a little wave. "Go on, they've been kept waiting long enough." He smiled at Tatsumi, but his eyes had a trace of sadness in them. He knew that Tatsumi needed to take this journey; he also knew that Tatsumi's journey would be painful and difficult. "Just try to remember that not everyone you meet will have answers, some will have questions. We'll see you once you're down." With that Ieyasu turned and joined Sayo, together they walked a few more steps before taking a small bend in the trail where they simply vanished from into the forest.

For several seconds, Tatsumi was simply too stunned to move. He had just found his friends. They wouldn't leave him alone so soon! They couldn't!

Fear and panic started to rise from his gut. Tatsumi slowly jogged forward until he reached the bend that his companions had disappeared around. He looked for his friends desperately, frantically casting his gaze back and forth across the empty forest. "Sayo! Ieyasu!" he called, his cries reverberating in the trees. Tatsumi realized how unsure he was. For so long all he wanted was to protect the innocent, to save those who couldn't save themselves. What was he supposed to do now that he was dead? Where could he go?

Tatsumi ran along the forest path trying to escape the doubts that plagued him. His mind jumped from fear to fear; he could accept the fact that he was dead, but there was so much about his life that he still struggled with. Still so much that he didn't understand. Tatsumi picked up his pace until he was frantically running headlong down the faint trail.

An unseen patch of ice caused Tatsumi's foot to slip and he fell head over heels into a pile of snow. For several minutes Tatsumi simply lay in the snow, wrestling with his thoughts. His mind was so full of questions that he couldn't coherently address each one; they simply stirred and tumbled in his mind, jostling for his attention. Eventually, mercifully, Tatsumi thoughts slowly started to settle until his mind grew quiet; or at least as quiet as it had been in a long time. Despite how long he had been laying in the snow, Tatsumi couldn't fell its chill unless he concentrated on the feeling of the snow upon his skin. Even then the cold was not unpleasant, it was simply a sensation. Oddly enough this fact gave Tatsumi some vestige of comfort. He was starting to figure out his new surroundings. Tatsumi had so many questions about this new world, he was completely at a lost as to what his future held, or what to do next. For several more minutes Tatsumi remained laying in the snow until his anxiety overcame his despair. He knew that he wouldn't solve anything by brooding in a snowdrift. Groaning softly, Tatsumi pushed himself off the ground and brushed the snow from his clothes. He wondered how far off the path he had strayed and Tatsumi gazed with new eyes upon his surroundings. What he saw simply stunned him.

Tatsumi was standing on the edge of an incredibly large, frozen lake. The lake stretched all the way to the horizon, until it melded with the sky. Studding the frozen landscape were huge, intricate towers of ice; like geysers that had been flash frozen at the apex of their eruptions. Tatsumi gazed in wonderment at the scene, unable to look away. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a faint purple smudge gliding across the ice. As the smudge grew closer it slowly sharpened into a person, a skater. The skater slid gracefully in complex patterns, turning and jumping as if to some unheard music. Tatsumi felt reassurance flood his body, he wasn't alone. Excitement filled his heart and he ran, slipping and sliding, across the ice.

"Hello!" he called, "Hey!" but the Skater continued their dance completely absorbed in their own world of speed and skill. As Tatsumi grew closer something about the mysterious figure started tugging on some of his most painful memories. Tatsumi's breath caught in his throat and he finally recognized the Skater.

"Scheele!" Tatsumi's voice caught in his throat, coming out barely louder than a croak, but somehow Scheele finally heard Tatsumi and her head turned to find him. Unfortunately, this happened at the height of one of her jumps, breaking her concentration and causing her to land off balance,ending her dance with a dramatic crash. Scheele continued to slide, sprawled across the ice, her body spinning in lazy circles. Tatsumi ran to her side concern instantly replacing the excitement that had, moments ago, given him hope.

"Scheele!" He dropped to her side and gently pulled her into a sitting position. Scheele was none the worse for wear, but was rubbing her head while softly mewing in discomfort. It took her a few seconds, but she abruptly stopped her complaining and turned to Tatsumi with a light smile adorning her face.

"Good Morning Tatsumi!"