As the night carried on, snow started to fall from the sky. Chiaki was returned to the hospital and treated for her wounds, but quickly fell asleep one she was in her hospital bed. Chisa sat at her bedside in the hopes she could protect Chiaki and her dreams. For a while, things were quiet as if time were frozen by the snow outside, until Munakata entered.
"Were you able to find out more from the police?" Chisa asked.
"The suspect is Mukuro Enoshima" Munakata said," but they're holding off on questioning her while she recovers from her fall"
"I don't know what to say" Chisa said," but I've decided I can't leave Chiaki's side anymore while she's recovering"
"Chisa..." Munakata tried to say.
"I'm sorry, but it's my responsibility as a mother to be there for her" Chisa said," so please understand"
"Very well," Munakata said," Is their anything you need from the house?"
"I'll make a list," Chisa said before hugging Munakata," Thank you"
"Anything for my family" Munakata said as he wrapped his arms around her.
...
While Munakata was planning to head straight home to retrieve the things Chisa requested, he spotted Nagito sitting gloomily in a lonely corner of the front waiting room. Seeing his opportunity, Munakata walked up to the boy.
"You're the boy who saved my daughter," Munakata said to him," Nagito Komaeda"
"I tried to save her, but it was just my luck that girl fell" Nagito said.
"Still, things could have ended much worse had you not been there" Munakata said.
"That's a first" Nagito laughed under his breathe.
"Thank you for saving my daughter" Munakata said," but I need to ask you what you know about the girl who kidnapped her"
"I don't know her, but she did send me ominous messages" Nagito explained," I think she wanted Chiaki to die, but I don't know why"
"Do you have any theories?" Munakata asked.
"When she threatened to hurt Chiaki, she said something about how this world was wrong because Chiaki was alive," Nagito said," because of that, I think she's likely insane or is suffering from a neurological issue"
"Very well," Munakata said," Did anything else happen aside from what the police know?"
"No sir" Nagito lied.
"Thank you for your time" Munakata said before leaving the hospital.
'What would he think if I told him the truth about the pendant and the mastermind keeping Chiaki alive?' Nagito asked himself,' he'd probably consider me insane.'
Upon the little mental joke, Nagito laughed a little.
'I should probably ask that pendant thing about this mastermind and mukuro' Nagito thought,' but only when Chiaki has recovered enough to see visitors'
...
In the dead of night, Chisa awoke to a terrible scream. When she opened her eyes, she saw poor Chiaki in a cold sweat and having a panic attack. Chisa rushed to Chiaki and clasped her face in her hands.
"It's okay Chiaki, your mother is here and you are safe" Chisa reassured her," just focus on me and nothing else"
Chiaki looked with widened eyes as her breathing started to settle. Seeing she was growing calmer, Chisa rested her forehead against Chiaki's.
"There, there, all the bad feelings are gone" Chisa said before wrapping her arms around Chiaki," As long as I'm here, you're safe"
"Thank you" Chiaki said weakly before falling back to sleep in Chisa's embrace.
"I won't let anyone hurt you or take you away from me" Chisa said as she laid Chiaki back in bed.
Once Chisa pulled the covers back over Chiaki, she gave her a kiss on the forehead. Snow continued to fall while Chisa returned to her hospital chair to sleep.
...
The next afternoon, Junko entered her sister's hospital room to find her confined to a full body cast. When Junko entered, Mukuro's eyes widened as she formed the biggest smile.
"I'm so glad you came to visit me" Mukuro said.
"I would have come sooner had the police not stopped me," Junko said," What the hell did you do?"
"Didn't the police tell you?" Mukuro asked," I fell from a four story building when I tried to kill Chiaki"
"What?" Junko asked.
"I fell from a-" Mukuro tried to say.
"I heard you the first time" Junko said," but why the fuck did you try to kill Chiaki!"
"Honestly, I was jealous" Mukuro said," Even in the past I resented her for how much of your attention she stole from me"
"No, you're not that petty, even for a soldier" Junko said," tell me the truth"
"The truth is that Chiaki is going to die one of these days and it will likely be because of her illness" Mukuro said with a smile," I thought I was sparing you the pain of waiting for the inevitable"
"How...how can you say that?" Junko asked a bit choked up.
"Because I'm your sister," Mukuro said.
"That doesn't give you the right to kill Chiaki" Junko raised her voice.
"I'm sorry Junko" Mukuro said," what I did was beyond horrible"
"You think?" Junko asked.
"I don't deserve your love after what I did, but could you tell Chiaki how sorry I am?" Mukuro asked," Not for me, but for her."
"Do it yourself" Junko glared," I can't stand to be around you anymore"
With those final words, Junko left the room and slammed the door behind her. Mukuro watched with a smile, yet a single tear rolled down her cheek.
...
In the dark room, Chisa sat across from vulpine as she brushed the black kitten in her lap.
"You wanted to see me, but why?" Vulpine asked.
"I'm worried about the effects of yesterday's incident on Chiaki" Chisa said," last night she woke up screaming and terrified"
"That is concerning" Vulpine said," though we know dreams aren't real, we blindly accept them to be reality in the moment we are having them"
"What can I do to stop them?" Chisa asked.
"You could snuff the nightmares out by showering your daughter with love" Vulpine said," I know from experience how a mother's mere presence can wash away fear"
"Of course, I've made a promise to be there for her" Chisa said," but I doubt that alone will stop the nightmares for good"
"Very well, if the nightmares return tonight, send her to me and I can see what medicine I can provide" Vulpine said.
"Thank you" Chisa sighed in relief.
"Thank yourself, for you are a virtues mother" Vulpine said as she brushed the kitten's underbelly.
"I'm just trying to do my best" Chisa said.
"Don't underestimate your power as a virtues mother" Vulpine said," After all, similar to how a lion cub learns to hunt by watching her mother, Chiaki has learned to be compassionate by watching you"
"You say that with so much conviction" Chisa smiled," Have you ever considered being a speaker?"
"I'm already a speaker actually" Vulpine smiled as she set the clean kitten down on the floor," I just speak through a variety of mediums"
"Maybe once Chiaki is feeling well enough to return home, I can see some of those mediums" Chisa smiled.
"Thank you" Vulpine bowed elegantly.
"You're welcome" Chisa bowed back.
...
Later on in the evening, Chiaki and Chisa shared dinner together. While she was eating, Chisa noticed a far off look in Chiaki's eyes.
"Is something on your mind?" Chisa asked.
"Mom, why do people love me?" Chiaki asked.
"They love you because you are kind, compassionate, an optimistic" Chisa said," in many ways you give us hope just by being yourself"
"Are you sure?" Chiaki asked.
"I'm your mother, of course I'm sure" Chisa said.
"Then it's because you love me that you're willing to make sacrifices to keep me alive?" Chiaki asked.
"Of course" Chisa said.
"But what if it was my fate to die?" Chiaki asked as she began to tremble.
"It isn't your fate" Chisa said as she wrapped her arms around Chiaki," Your fate is to continue living an inspiring us"
"Okay" Chiaki said as she nuzzled up to Chisa.
For a while, the two remained in each others warmth, until someone knocked on the door. Chiaki and Chisa looked up to see a hospital worker enter.
"So sorry to bother both of you" the worker said," I'm here to switch out the bed as a request from doctor Vulpine".
"Okay" Chisa said.
Once the bed was replaced it became obvious why. The new bed was twice as big in order to support both Chiaki and Chisa.
"We'll have to thank Vulpine tomorrow for doing this" Chisa said.
"Yeah" Chiaki nodded.
A few hours later, Chiaki and Chisa changed into their pajamas. Chiaki wore pajamas with rabbits on them, while Chisa wore pajamas with lions on them. Just as a housekeeper would, Chisa prepared the bed and fluffed the pillows to perfection. Yet, when she turned to Chiaki she could see and understand her hesitance to go to sleep.
"Don't worry" Chisa smiled," I'll be right beside you so you'll be safe and sound"
"Okay" Chiaki nodded.
In bed, Chiaki curled up to her mother. She was so close that she could hear the soothing beat of her heart. Tenderly, Chisa wrapped her arms around Chiaki and began to sing a soft lullaby.
"Baby mine don't you cry, baby mine dry your eyes" Chisa sang," Rest your head close to my heart, never to part baby of mine"
By the time she had finished singing, Chiaki was fast asleep in Chisa's arms. Looking down at her sweet sleeping face, Chisa was reminded of the day she adopted Chiaki.
...
It was a cold autumns day as Chiaki sat alone at the school fountain. Dead leaves drifted on the breeze only to settle as Chisa walked forward. When she looked down, she could see tears in Chiaki's eyes.
"Why didn't they want me?" Chiaki asked.
"I can't say for sure, but they were foolish to do so" Chisa said as she took out a handkerchief from her apron pocket," You're a special girl"
"Maybe that's why they got rid of me" Chiaki said before Chisa knelt down and looked into her eyes.
"You don't have to be ashamed of being different" Chisa smiled as she used her handkerchief to wipe the tears from Chiaki's eyes," it's your uniqueness that inspires others like your classmates and me"
"But where can I go if I don't have parents?" Chiaki asked.
"I already thought of that" Chisa smiled as she handed Chiaki a slip of paper.
"Is this...an adoption form?" Chiaki asked.
"Yep" Chisa smiled," what do you think?"
Without words, Chiaki leaped to hug Chisa. In return. Chisa hugged her back.
"Thank you, miss Yukizome" Chiaki said.
"You're welcome, my child" Chisa said.
"You sounded just like Toriel" Chiaki laughed.
"I take it that's a good thing" Chisa said.
"Yeah" Chiaki smiled.
...
Once Chisa regained consciousness from her memory, she noticed Chiaki was beginning to twitch and stir in her sleep like a little kitten. Chisa held her tighter and nuzzled her like a mother lioness. In a few seconds, Chiaki returned to a peaceful and still sleep.
'You're a special girl' Chisa thought," that's why I promise to keep you safe, because no one could ever replace you"
...
The next day, Nagito went to school as usual, but it felt incomplete without Chisa teaching and Chiaki inspiring and uniting the class. While the substitute lectured, Nagito couldn't help his eyes wandering to Chiaki's empty desk. Nagito released a sigh as he rested his face in his palm. Following this, the lunch bell rang.
Outside, Nagito walked to a secluded spot only for someone to run into him from behind. He fell face first into the stone pavement, but miraculously didn't go unconscious. When he tried lifting himself up from the ground, his frail body couldn't lift the strange added weight on his back.
"Whoops" a familiar voice said," I meant catch up with you, but I tackled you instead, my bad"
"That's nice, but could you please get off of me?" Nagito asked," I'm starting to lose oxygen"
"Oh right, humans can't live without that" the voice said before the weight was lifted.
Nagito stood up and brushed himself off until he saw the person who had rammed into him.
"You're not terribly hurt are you?" Junko asked.
"Nope, I've been through worse" Nagito said," why did you want to catch up to me?"
"I realized I need to talk to you...about what happened" Junko said.
"Okay" Nagito said," but let's talk somewhere more private"
"I know just the place" Junko said before grabbing Nagito's arm and pulling him to the fountain.
"So what do you want to know?" Nagito asked.
"How bad was Chiaki hurt?" Junko asked.
"She only had one cut above her eye and was stabbed in the arm" Nagito said," I doubt the experience didn't traumatize her"
"Damn it!" Junko gritted her teeth," Did Mukuro say anything about her motive?"
"She said she was hellbent on killing Chiaki" Nagito said.
"Was it because she was jealous?" Junko asked.
"No..." Nagito hesitated before deciding to speak" I think something in her mind convinced her that Chiaki needed to die, but it wasn't something as simple as jealousy"
"Damn it, why did my sister have to fucking do this?!" Junko said.
"Your sister?" Nagito asked.
"Yeah, like it or not, I'm related to the person that tried to kill Chiaki" Junko said.
"Did you have any idea she would do that?" Nagito asked.
"Hell no" Junko said," But looking back, I spent a lot of time focused on Chiaki, so I probably didn't notice the signs that she would do this"
"I see" Nagito said.
"It would help if you said you felt sorry for me" Junko said.
"Oh, sorry" Nagito said.
"Better" Junko said," whelp I'm hungry"
Junko opened up a store bought bento while Nagito pulled out a horriblyburnt bagel wrapped in napkins.
"What the hell is that?" Junko asked.
"A bagel" Nagito said.
"Doesn't look like it to me" Junko said," Is it even edible?"
"Only one way to find out" Nagito said before preparing to take a bite.
"Nope" Junko said as she smacked the bagel out of his hands.
"What was that for?" Nagito asked.
"I just saved you from food poisoning" Junko said," now have some of my lunch"
"Are you sure?" Nagito asked.
"I always have leftovers, so it's fine" Junko said," Now eat before I feel bad"
"Okay" Nagito said," thank you"
"No problem, fluffy" Junko said," Consider it thanks for saving Chiaki"
"I will" Nagito said before eating.
...
In the dark room, Chiaki sat across from Vulpine.
"Today, I want to talk to you about your nightmares since they've been troubling you" Vulpine said," then I can issue out the proper treatment"
"Okay" Chiaki said.
"Now explain to me in detail about your nightmares, please" Vulpine said.
"Well they're usually somewhere dark...I think it's like a labyrinth" Chiaki said," There I'm walking alone and trying to find my way out"
"Knowing how dreams and nightmares are created by using memories, it's highly possible that the maze was spawned from your memories of one" Vulpine said," its highly probable that the maze came from a video game you played and your instincts as a gamer led you to look for a way out"
"That makes sense" Chiaki said," I guess that means the black wolf that was following me was a dungeon monster"
"Last I checked, the girl who attacked you had black hair and had a tattoo of a wolf" Vulpine said," if your nightmares followed after you were attacked, then they are linked"
"How do you know about Mukuro?" Chiaki asked.
"I'm currently taking care of her while she's in a full body cast, but it's not that big a deal" Vulpine said," Now I know just the medicine for you"
"Thank you, Vulpine" Chiaki said.
"Anything for you" Vulpine smiled," Now I'll have the medicine ordered and delivered to your room, but it will take a day to kick in so you'll have to have at least one more nightmare"
"At least they'll stop after this" Chiaki sighed as she walked to the door," I'll see you tomorrow, Vulpine"
"Looking forward to it" Vulpine waved and smiled.
Once the door closed behind Chiaki, Vulpine's face turned stern. The two kittens walked out from the shadows, the white one holding the monotone notebook in her mouth.
"Here's you me notebook" the white haired girl said as she handed Vulpine the book.
"Let's see" Vulpine said as she looked through the pages.
"Aren't you worried about the girl's nightmares?" The black haired boy asked.
"She's already got that covered, mousebrain" the white haired girl said.
"Quiet you two" Vulpine said," I'm trying to think"
"Yes miss Vulpine" the two said in unison.
"Damn it" Vulpine said as she bared her teeth," at this rate..."
"I'll finally get to eat" the black haired boy drooled.
"No, I will not allow that" Vulpine said," I'll stop it even if I have to have another ultimate sacrifice"
...
That night, Chiaki dreamed of the awful nightmare that had plagued her the nights before.
Weakly, she walked through the cold brick labyrinth. Her only source of light came from the hope in her heart that made her glow. She continued moving forward, until something struck her in the arm. When she screamed, it echoed through the labyrinth. Despite the pain, she moved forward until she heard the steps of someone else behind her. She turned to see a black wolf with piercing crimson eyes. Upon looking into the wolf's eyes, Chiaki ran only for the wolf to follow. She ran as fast as she could until a sharp projectile flew past her face and cut her above the eye. Even though the cut was bleeding greatly, Chiaki continued to run from the wolf. She ran and ran until she found a door. Without hesitation, she opened it to reveal a flood of white light.
Just before she could enter, the wolf leaped over her. In an instant, the white light evaporated into a dark malevolent green. Chiaki looked with wide eyes as the wolf she feared was now mutilated by multiple spears and bleeding out greatly. She wanted to reach out and help, but the nightmare burned away along with her memory of it.
Now there was only the darkness of unconsciousness.
