Several Months Later


Frost covered every window as the wind howled outside the small home. It was middle of December and winter had invaded the landscape practically overnight. The change of season was the perfect time for Koyuki to finish what she had been working on for some time now. She wanted to surprise him, and couldn't wait to see a sly grin on his face. Referring of course to Ginta Toramizu, her boyfriend of seven months.

She worked tirelessly to make sure all the details were correct, which as it turned out had been a difficult process. Koyuki needed to recall the entire design by memory alone, and while it had improved somewhat in the time since the two halves of her soul merged together, her memories of both Earth and MÄR Heaven were still not perfect. Which had become especially annoying in her schoolwork, so much so that even her classmates had noticed a difference in her grades since spring.

Ginta tried to help her the best he could, which admittedly wasn't all that much considering he had been out of school for months beforehand and had relied on her help previous to that. Their attempts to study together usually amounted to a frustrating few hours trying to figure out mathematics, only to eventually give up and play games for the rest of the night. Koyuki had no idea what they were going to do in a few years for a living. Hm... perhaps they could follow Ginta-mama's example and write Märchen together?

She shrugged and continued her diligent work. Sure, they would need to figure something out eventually, but for now she was enjoying her day to day life too much to worry about it. The last seven months had been the best of either of her lives. The endless battles of the War Game seemed like they happened so long ago, the two of them had reverted back to their more carefree selves.

The project was almost done, and she was just adding some final touches. It hadn't been easy, she had been taking lessons from the other girls all summer, and this was her fifteenth attempt to get it right. They were more than a little confused by Koyuki's very specific design, but provided their instruction and assistance regardless. After another hour, it was finally finished. She inspected every piece, wanting to make sure it was all in order.


Ginta walked down the familiar pathway, as he had all his life. The same old route to Koyuki's place, a path he knew by heart. A big white coat draped over him, something he hadn't worn in quite some time. It was the first truly chilly day of the season, and he was always told to put on a coat if he could see his own breath. Oddly enough, it might've been Koyuki herself who first told him that years ago.

He smiled behind his scarf, every now and again he'd be reminded of something like that. As far back as he could remember she was always looking out for him, in retrospect he had felt kinda bad for taking it for granted for so long. Now things were different, they had each other, and they looked out for eachother. The composite Koyuki was growing into her own being in subtle ways he doubted anyone but himself could notice. Bits that were clearly Koyuki and bits that were clearly Snow. The soul fusion seemed to be settling, the different bits were melding together and blurring the line.

In the beginning of their relationship, he could always tell which personality was more dominant. Don't misunderstand, from the get-go their personalities were extremely similar, but there were little things here and there. Ginta had theorized the differences were largely a result of how they each had been raised. But these days, it was getting harder to distinguish. He loved them as two halves of the same whole, but she was slowly turning into a metaphysical best-of-both-worlds.

He walked up to ring the doorbell. The handle immediately jerked and swung open, revealing something Ginta did not expect to see. There was Koyuki, wearing the same Princess outfit Snow had worn back in MÄR Heaven. She put her hands behind her back, "Mhmm, How do I look?". Ginta was honestly stunned, he hadn't seen her in that for the longest time. He stammered, "Wow, uh... You look great! But, how did-".

She cut him off, "I made it myself, I... have actually been working on it all summer... So? Are you surprised?". Ginta grew the iconic sly grin that she been expected. He took a moment to examine the outfit more closely. Everything was there, even her cute bow. The colors were all right and... this was impressive. But there was something else he needed to check. He walked towards her and gave her a gentle hug. Koyuki blushed a bit, as Ginta let out a playful laugh, "Wow, it even feels right. I can't believe it's not the same one from before, Snow".

"It was actually really hard to recall everything by memory... oh, but I didn't make the boots... Thankfully I found some very similar ones", she went on. After a few more moments, they were walking down the sidewalk together. Ginta was a little worried the colorful outfit would attract a lot of attention, but nobody seemed to pay them much mind. There weren't too many people around anyway. Ginta looked at Snow, walking beside him, and smiled, seeing her in that outfit was oddly... nostalgic.

"Hey, not that I don't like the look, but are you warm enough in that?", he asked, looking down at her bare legs, legs he had gotten quite better acquainted with since he had last seen her in that outfit. Snow nodded, "I'm fine. Its still early winter so its not so cold yet", Ginta raised an eyebrow. That may be true... but wearing shorts in December was still an odd decision. Well, he figured there was no reason to pry. As they continued to trek down the nearly empty streets, the conversation turned to a topic they hadn't discussed in some time.

"Do you ever miss MÄR Heaven?", Snow asked, her eyes staring blankly into the cloudy sky. "Well, it certainly was a challenge to get used to normal life again. But I think back to it sometimes.", he answered, putting his hands in his pockets. "Heh. I actually wonder how Jack is doing everytime I see a shovel", he chuckled. Snow also let out a bit of a giggle, "So by that logic, you think of Alviss everytime you see a totem pole?", Ginta laughed at that, responding, "Haha, sadly I don't think I've seen a single totem pole since I came back".

Snow continued to giggle, "I bet he'd be disappointed". Ginta felt her hand reach into his pocket, pull out his own and held it. He scratched his head with his other hand, "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you like doing that" he said. Snow had been fairly intent on holding his hand these last few months. Neither of them were wearing gloves, so he could feel her soft fingers wrap around his own. A cool winter breeze blew past her as she inquired, "Would you ever want to go back?". Ginta turned his head sharply, "Hm? Is there a part of you that dislikes living here?". Snow shook her head.

"No, no. I only meant to visit. Though... if I'm being honest... I feel both right at home and homesick at the same time...", she explained. Ginta glanced at her, it hadn't been easy for her to adjust to having two lives merge as one. She had improved with his help but... he suspected that deep down, she would always be torn between two worlds. He gripped her hand a litte tighter, "Well... I wouldn't mind catching up with everyone... but there's nothing we could do from our end. No Gatekeeper Clowns over here". Snow nodded understandingly.

Ginta went on, "We would need atleast two for a round trip. Maybe more if we're unlucky enough to roll ones. Its a very rare ÄRM, so frequent hopping between worlds may not be possible for us". Snow nodded again, shoving her free hand into a pocket. "Besides, this world has rules. Frequently disappearing for weeks at a time isn't a great idea", he said, now realizing he was starting to disappoint himself. He noticed Snow's head was hung low, and added, "But hey, if they summon us... I won't say no". She looked up and smiled at him, satisfied with that answer.

"Thanks, it's just... I know Ed must be worrying about me. And... I never got to say goodbye to my father... He might not even know I'm alive...", she said solemnly. Ginta nodded, "It must be weird to remember two sets of parents". She nodded, looking away to buildings off in the distance. "Yes... Though I suppose only one set are my real parents. Being a clone, none of my father's, er... The king's blood was in me to begin with", she stated coldly. Ginta sighed, it was still bothering her to this day. He pulled her a bit closer to him, replying "Family isn't all in the blood, you know... If you loved him, nobody can claim he wasn't 'real'...". She blushed a little.

"The two of us could be... Family?", she said, looking increasingly happy at the thought. Ginta saw no reason to be pessimistic, "Yeah, some day". Snow chuckled and moved in a little closer, almost leaning on him as they walked, responding, "I guess that will make you a prince, no?". Ginta couldn't help but laugh at that, "Hadn't thought of that, but... Yeah, technically!". The two of them laughed as they crossed the street in front of all the stopped cars. "I can't wait to see a crown on top of all this hair!", she exclaimed, reaching up to ruffle Ginta's golden spikes. He blushed a bit and retorted, "Hey! I don't recall ever seeing you wear a crown!".

She laughed again, "I could've, but I thought you'd find me cuter with this bow", she pointed to the pink bow upon her head. Ginta took a good look at her giggling face and said, "Well... The bow is really cute...". She gave him a gentle elbow to his ribs, "Don't be shy! Be honest, you missed the bow, didn't you?", upon hearing this, Ginta rolled his eyes. She was right, of course, but he wondered if he should give her the satisfaction of embarrassing him. He allowed his face to become more red, admitting "Yeah... Kinda...". She giggled harder.

"Hehe, you're lucky I'm nice enough not to manipulate you with my cuteness!" she proclaimed, now grinning from ear to ear. Ginta continued to chuckle, "A power greater than any ÄRM!", he replied. Snow took a moment to catch her breath after laughing so long, before asking, "So what would be your first decree as prince?". Ginta grinned mischievously, "Order thee to smooch moi every day!" he answered jokingly. She rolled her eyes and replied, "Silly! I already do that!", she then gave him a peck on the cheek as if to prove her point. Ginta blushed and thought over the question again.

He snapped his fingers, "Aha! I would commission more Gatekeeper Clowns be made!". Snow shook her head, "You dummy! All ÄRMs are made in Caldea! Not Lestarva!", after which she gave him a light bonk on the head. Ginta's face became redder from embarrassment before saying, "Oh yeah... That's right...". Snow kept on laughing, "I'm starting to think you wouldn't make a very good prince, Ginta...". He shrugged, "Yeah well, I'm a war hero. Nobody would expect me to decree anything". She hummed in agreement, looking up at the sky once again.

"Hey... I've been wondering... Why do you always call me by Koyuki in public, but only call me Snow when it's just the two of us?", she asked earnestly. Ginta thought it over and shrugged again, "I guess because everyone in this world knows you as Koyuki anyway... It would look strange if I started calling you something else. I know you're one person now... But it's still hard to wrap my head around it, so I call you by both names so... It's like neither identity is forgotten, does that make sense?". She tilted her head and though it over before nodding, "A bit, it's a nice enough compromise".

They walked past a hill familiar to the both of them, a hill with long grass on one side and thick forest on the other. They had spent many summer nights lying on the grass, watching the sunset. Snow sighed, "Guess we can't do that again for awhile, huh?". Ginta shrugged, "Yeah... Not unless you want to get frostbite...". He looked over to the forest side fondly, he could recall days where he and Koyuki would play together in the forest when the other kids wouldn't leave him alone in the park. He felt a twinge in his spine, feeling almost guilty now knowing Snow had been watching them through her dreams even then.

He always had Koyuki... But Snow grew up all alone and friendless in the castle. He clenched his free hand into a fist, he was determined to make sure Snow would never be lonely again. Deep down he knew he wasn't responsible for her situation but... He had the chance to make her happy now and he was going to do everything he could. He loosened his fist and took a deep breath, it wasn't good to get so worked up. It was all over now, her soul was in one piece, the Orb was gone and both worlds were safe. He knew this but... He couldn't help but think back to when he was inside Snow's mind... He didn't want to see her like that ever again.

At long last they had arrived at their destination, the movie theater. This was one of those smaller, discount theaters that mostly showed smaller budget projects or old films. This was another one of the places they came to as kids. Looking over the listings, the pair decided on a cheesy-looking fantasy film called Silmarri- er... something. Once the show started, the two realized they were the only ones in the theater. "Ginta! Lets snag the best seats up there!", Snow exclaimed gesturing the middle seats on the highest row in the back. Ginta smirked and grabbed her shoulder as she began to move, "Wait, I have an idea... Why don't we race to the top?".

She looked puzzled for a brief second, but then a competitive fire lit in her eyes and she nodded, "Alright, opposite sides, whoever touches the middle seat first wins!". Ginta nodded and ran to the bottom of the stairs on the adjacent side of the theater. They both counted aloud, "Ichi! Ni! San!", and ran up the stairs at breakneck pace. Ginta glanced across the theater, he was just barely ahead of her. If he kept up the pace, he could be victorious. As they both reached the top of the stairs, they sharply turned and made a dash for the middle seat. Just as he reached out to touch it, Snow did something he didn't expect.

Instead of reaching for the seat, she leapt forward and tackle-hugged him to the floor. He blushed, both out of shock and the fact his girlfriend was squeezing him pretty tight. She chuckled, "Got ya!", as she reached back with her foot and tapped the seat. Ginta grunted, "Hey! This is cheating!", as he tried to wriggle himself free. Snow gave him a innocent look, "Hm? I don't recall any rules against glomping...". Ginta sighed, though he was a little impressed, Snow was clever when she needed to be. "Oh, don't feel bad... Here, I'll give you a consolation prize", she said, still hugging him tightly against the floor. She kissed his cheek and hopped off of him and into the middle seat.

Ginta stood up and brushed himself off and tried to sit down beside her but she threw her arm in the way. He looked at her cheerful grinning face, "Loser has to get drinks!". Ginta hung his head low in shame and walked off to the concession booth. That Koyuki... She was just a bundle of energy and fun, Ginta thought to himself. They were destined to mess with each other til' the end of time. He had taken her for granted for so long, and it took a dangerous adventure in another world for him realize how great she was for him. The movie was just starting when he returned with their drinks, he handed one to her and took his seat beside her. She grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulders, Ginta frantically swore, "Hey! I was just about to!".

The story concerned a rookie squire finding an enchanted talking sword imbued with the spirit of a wise knight from long ago, and taking on a quest to destroy a powerful lich's undead army and save his kingdom. It was clearly a older film. It had its twists and turns but wasn't all that memorable overall. The pair felt free to discuss as there was nobody else in the theater. They imitated the sub-par delivery of certain lines, laughed at the cheesy special effects and marveled at the intricate make-up and costume design. The film wasn't great, but a fun time was had.

After the movie, they hung around the theater lobby for some time. "Doesn't it feel weird to watch fantasy films after what we've been through?", Koyuki inquired, sipping her drink as Ginta responded, "Yeah, it's almost like watching reality TV!". They both chuckled, she grinned, looking up at him, "You have more experience than anyone with talking weapons, huh?". Ginta nodded, "Trust me, it was never easy dealing with Babbo. These movies have it all wrong! That sword never asked to be polished even once!".

They laughed and started to head elsewhere down the road, the overcast sky growing brighter with the mid-afternoon sun overhead. The cool wind blew past them, then later back around from behind. Koyuki took a long glance at Ginta, trying to judge if it was a good time to bring up something on her mind. "Hey... Ginta?". He turned to face her, raising an eyebrow, "Hm? What's up?". She fidgeted a little before going on, "Have you ever considered... Us, living in MÄR Heaven?". Ginta's expression grew more stern, "You're bringing this up alot today... What's the matter?".

She shook her head, "Nothing! Just... Curious is all...". He didn't seem fully convinced, but didn't question her as he responded, "To be honest... No. I've thought about visiting occasionally if we could, but living there is another story". She glanced away for a moment, "But... We have friends there. We have some purpose there... Think about it, who else have you spent time with besides me since you came back?". Ginta racked his brain, but she was right. There wasn't anyone, he had been spending time with either Koyuki or his dad all summer.

"You're not wrong... But... It's complicated, okay? I mean... Our parents are here. Mine might understand, but yours? They don't know anything about MÄR Heaven! Do you really want to just abandon them? Think about how they'd feel... Their daughter disappearing without a word, and they'd never see you again!", he explained, and as he did, Koyuki's expression became slightly shameful. Ginta went on, "And even then, there's things I like about this world! Technology for instance! I like my games and movies! I'd love to be able to drive a car someday!".

Koyuki looked sad as she replied, "Ginta... I'm sorry... It was just a thought, I...", she stopped. Ginta felt bad, she clearly didn't mean to offend him or anything. He patted her on the back, "Hey, hey... I'm not upset. I'm just showing you it's not as simple as all that", he said softly. She nodded but still looked away, something else was troubling her. She spoke, "This isn't just about us, is it? Something happened before you left, right?". Ginta sighed, she was too clever sometimes.

"Yeah... Sort of... You see, before I left... I had to tell Dorothy the truth...", he began. Koyuki looked confused, "... Did you... Like her, Ginta?". He shrugged as he answered, "That's... Kind of what I had to tell her. We were never together, don't misunderstand... But... I needed to make it clear that I didn't love her the same way she did me...". Koyuki looked at him with a more serious expression. "I told her that I loved her... But in a different way... The same way I love mom, or maybe the same way I'd love an older sister... That it was you I really wanted to be with...", he explained in a somber tone.

Koyuki's eyes relaxed a bit as she asked, "What did she say then? Did she take that well?". Ginta sighed and looked up at the sky, "She told me... That if that's how I really felt, that's the way it is. That I should go back to you as soon as possible and take good care of you". Koyuki looked a little surprised, perhaps it was an old jealousy talking, but she didn't expect such an understanding reaction. "You see? Choosing to come back here was the same as choosing to be with you! Going back now seems like... Well... The idea doesn't make me feel comfortable...", Ginta explained.

"It's not like I never want to see her again... Or that I have no interest in just being friends but... Showing up there now that we're together? I feel like that might be seen as... I don't know... Showing off?", Ginta went on. A part of Koyuki's brain liked the idea of rubbing their happy relationship in her face, but another part told her there was no need to be a jerk about it. "I kinda get how you feel... But you made your feelings clear, right? She needs to respect the boundary you've drawn. It's not your fault if she gets upset about it...", Koyuki said.

Ginta pinched his temple, "Yeah... Yeah... you're right. You're absolutely right, but... I don't know". Koyuki sighed, she knew this wouldn't just resolve itself, sometimes Ginta needed to see things for himself or else he'd just overthink it. She understood what he felt but... At the same time, she felt a little frustrated. He was her boyfriend now! Why was this still even an issue? It wasn't even that she didn't like Dorothy, she had even gotten along with her sometimes. Koyuki was a little ashamed to admit it, but she was still selfish with Ginta. Koyuki wanted him all to herself, which was easy enough on Earth where no other girl even gave him a second glance.

She sighed again and decided she didn't like the gloomy mood she had created. She moved in and hugged Ginta around the shoulders, "Well hey, don't worry about it! Like you said before, there's nothing we can do on our end! We'll just deal with it if they summon us!", she said in a cheerful tone. She looked up to check if it worked, and it seemed to. Ginta's serious expression softened and he nodded. As they walked down the road together, Ginta reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it as they continued on.


A/N: Still more to come!