Chou blinked open her bright blue eyes to a world of vast meadows, the tall grass towering over her body like trees. She quickly sat up, her neck and face peering over the tops of the brown grass. She now was fully awake and she pushed herself off the ground, standing up straight so that the grass reached her knees. Chou looked down to see herself wearing a flowing white dress. Too bad the dress only reached down to her knees. She reached down and scratched at the places where the grass tickled her calf, and realized her hair wasn't in a braid like usual. She felt her stomach, then blinked rapidly, realizing that her wound had disappeared and there was no blood.

"Chou...!" a soft voice laughed behind her.

Chou quickly spun around to see the person whom she missed the most.

"Mother!" she cried out, running into her arms, "I... missed you... so... much..." Chou started to sob, burying her face into her mother's chest.

"I missed you too... you've grown so much!"

"Hm... not really..." Chou took a step back, feeling her stomach again, "Mother...uh... Father..."

Fumiko smiled gently, but sorrow was evident in her eyes, "Yes, I know... I'm sorry..."

"No, it's... fine... I'm dead now, right? So I don't need to see him anymore!" Chou exclaimed brightly.

"Dead? Are you sure you want to die?"

"What do you mean? You're here... you're dead... and... aren't I too? Isn't this the afterlife?" Chou spread her arms out wide in confusion.

"But, look..." Fumiko suggested, pointing at a large puddle near them. Chou had not noticed it before because she thought there was only grass, but indeed, there was a large oval of space in the grass near them and water filled the large trough.

"Eh?" Chou blurted out, turning to the water, only seeing her and her mother's reflections, then after blinking a couple of times, the reflections disappeared and different images disappeared, which of those made the black haired girl gasp.

She saw herself lied down on a white bed covered by white blankets in a separate room near the infirmary. Tubes were sticking into her arms and her hair was gathered and tied to the side loosely. Her face and skin were pale as the white moon and her body did not move a muscle. Chou bit her lip when she saw her motionless body, then her eyes traveled to the ones moving near the white bed. Yuuki was crying, her face buried in her hands, standing next to the bed. Hanabusa, who seemed very tired and full of sorrow, was comforting the pureblood princess. Ryuu was standing off to the side, glaring out the window, his fists clenched tightly.

"Where's..." Chou trailed off and she stared at the scene through the water.

The images shifted to a dark dorm, answering her question. Zero was sitting on his bed, his hands covering his face. Chou's heart started to ache when the silver haired boy lifted his face, revealing an expression full of regret, pain, and hurt. She felt tears starting to brim her eyes, and her hands started to shake, unable to control herself.

"Chou..." Zero muttered through the water.

Chou reached out her hand to the puddle, her finger lightly grazing the wet surface, and Zero disappeared, along with the dorm. Her whole body started to shake when the images disappeared, leaving behind the reflections of Chou and her mother once more.

"Is...is this... what's happening.. there?" Chou stammered.

Fumiko nodded, her mouth no longer curled in a smile, "Are you... going... to...?"

"Go back...?"

Chou started to chuckle, then a wide grin spread across her face as she turned to her mother, tears running out of her eyes, "Hell yes!"

Fumiko smiled, giggling softly, "Then jump in, leap to the one you love."

"See you later, mother," Chou muttered, then dove into the puddle, entering a world of vast darkness.

"Like mother, like daughter.. so true," Fumiko left the puddle, then stepped in to the world of the dead to meet the Kiryuus, who were waiting for her return.


"How long has it been?" Ryuu asked.

"About a week and a half..." Hanabusa answered.

"Chou... she didn't wake up yet..." Yuuki sobbed.

Ryuu shrugged then walked to the door of the room, stopping right in front of it. Not showing his facial expression, he sighed, "Maybe she will die after all..."

Suddenly, a needle shot out from behind Ryuu, stabbing the wall right next to his head, grazing his ear. The needle was thrown so hard that the point was embedded into the wall. Ryuu slowly turned, then smiled at the one who threw it.

"Like I'd die that easily, stupid!" Chou smirked, her head turned to the side as she gazed at the other three.

Ryuu smirked, "You came late!"

"I know... and I won't do that again," the girl promised.


A bit short, but personally, I think it is a bit more uplifting than my other chapters...

Please review! ^0^ and tell me how you feel about Chou being alive!