Hello! Were you all anticipating this chapter? Good! Means I have blown people's minds, just as I was planning to! Mwahahah! As I promised in the last chapter, I will explain everything smoothly, to avoid any hate from my readers. What I wanted to say is... Thank you all those people that have cried even a tiny bit on the last chapter. I have to tell you guys, killing off Jelse was one of the harder things on me. I was going like, "Let's kill him!" and then "No, don't!" and it was all like... argh! I hate myself for doing that. And that is why, to stop hating myself, I shall write a two-part alternative epilogue for this story! And because I ain't the girl who abandons her OC's so easily, I shall give this humble fanfic a full-blown sequel! Yaay! More shit from JustAnimeManga! Let's cheer and... yeah, let's just start chapter 12.

Meme P.O.V

I grasped my chest in the place where my heart is. Or should be, because right now, I felt empty. Like everything I had and knew just flied out of me and left me as a hollow doll. I couldn't believe the words I heard. And yet, I knew they were true, each and every single one of them. I squeezed Suraisa's handle so hard my knuckles went white.

I... I don't know what to do. I grew up believing my mother was dead, missing, or simply non-existent. And it turns out she was right there beside me throughout my childhood? My entire life? She watched me grow from the shadows, my dad raising me best as he could, and she was scared to join the family picture? Or did she simply didn't want to? Why, why, why?

My pondering was interrupted by a pitiful laugh from Esdeath.

-Ha! So it was you... Such a pathetic, weak creature like yourself dared to take my Tatsumi away from me... I'm sorry, but that means...

The Empire's Strongest created a ball of icy shards out of thin air.

-...You'll have to die!

She fired the lather at Shee-san, who desperately tried to dodge. No use. The ball shot her straight in the chest, causing her to throw her head back in pain, a spear of ice created in the exact same spot she got hit. Suddenly, the weapon shattered, but instead of falling to the ground, they melted straight into Shee-san's body. She fell weakly, and when she turned around, I saw a hige wound, frost-covered blood.

Esdeath smiled triumphantly.

-Trump Card: Skaði's Spear.

Note: Skaði is the Norse goddess of winter

I stared in awe at the General who just casually abandoned my mother and turned to me.

-Trump Card? But how... I thought?

-Yes I did have my previous trump card. But in time, it stopped being enough. So... I made a new one.

-You...

-Your precious mama shall be killed in mere minutes.

As soon as she said those words, she dropped to the ground, grabbing her throat.

-Unfortunately... I uses a lot of my strength...

Esdeath took a final breath and passed out. I knew she wasn't dead, since she was still breathing. I ran over to Shee-san. She was spitting out blood every 30 seconds, but she still managed to look up and give me a brave smile.

-Meme...

-Shee-san...

-I'm sorry. Sorry that I was too cowardy to reveal myself earlier. Your father did a great job as a father... But then I look again and see how much of a failure I was at being a mother.

-No... Please don't say that.

Suddenly we heard a noise. We turned our heads and saw the Emperor himself, standing on top of the pile of ruins and drawing his own weapon, which also appeared to be Teigu of some sort. I looked at him, knowing I am the one to kill him; but then I looked down at Shee-san and thought about how I couldn't leave her.

-Meme... Go. Go do what's yours to do.

-No... I can't just lave you here.

-Meme. Go. Being the savior of the Empire... That's to be you. I'll be fine.

I closed my eyes, as I was drowning in a ocean of regret and sadness. I swallowed my tears and gave Shee-san a kiss on the forehead.

-You won't die. I'll come back here to make you proud. I won't lose... Mama.

I gently laid her body on the ground, took Suraisa and ran off in the direction of the Emperor.

The last words I heard from Mama that day were:

-I already am proud, Meme. So proud...

Tatsumi P.O.V

I ran over to the battle field where Sheele and Esdeath had just fought. When I got there, I froze. Sheele was lying on the ground, clearly on the verge of death, and Esdeath, also lying on the ground, but she on contrary, seemed to be re-charging her batteries. I ran over to Sheele.

(Play OST "Sheele")

I held her body in my arms, trying to wake her up. She fluttered her eyelids a few times, before weakly opening her eyes to meet mine, already filling with tears.

-Sheele... Oh, God, thank goodness you're alive.

-Hey Tatsumi? Can I... Can I apologize to you?

-Apologize?

-I'm... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... You had to raise our girl all on your own.

My eyes widened in surprise. Somehow, I couldn't find the right reaction to the thing I just heard. But at that moment, everything came back to me. Sheele kept on talking.

-I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to bear all the hardships of parenthood on your own. I'm sorry I was too weak to tell you before. I'm sorry I put such a burden on your shoulders. I'm sorry... I'm sorry I fell in love with you.

Now Sheele's face was stained with last-breath tears, mixing with her blood that was running out of the corner of her mouth. I didn't want to look her in the eye, but I couldn't help myself.

The thing I saw in her eyes... Regret, sadness, grief, sorrow... But most of all, begging for forgiveness. I couldn't stand her gaze, so full of tragedy and pain, I shut my own eyes, just to make more tears flow out of them.

- I was afraid. Afraid you'd choose Mine over me. And... I-I know it's too late for you to forgive me now... But the thing I also want you to hear is... Thank you. Thank you for all the memories. Thank you for giving me the feeling I had towards you. Thank you for giving me that one night after Leone's birthday. And... thank you for Meme.

I feared her next words.

-Hontōni... dōmo arigatōgozaimashita.

After that, Sheele didn't say anything more after that. She was to say nothing ever again. To stay this silent way forever. But I wasn't ready for a blow like that.

-Why... WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, SHEELE?! I WAS LEFT ALONE, FOR TWELVE FUCKING YEARS, NOT BEING ABLE TO GET RID OF GUILT?! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS FOR ME TO LIE MEME STRAIGHT IN THE EYE, TELL HER SHE DIDN'T HAVE A MOTHER?! ANSWER ME! Sheele... Please... I wouldn't have resented you. We could have... We could have started a family. Everything would have turned out differently.

I clenched my jaw, to keep myself from screaming. But I couldn't keep it in anymore.

-THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO END LIKE THIS!

I wanted to cry for a far longer time. But now I couldn't. Esdeath had just woken up. She spat out a little bit of blood as she drawed her sword and pointed it at me, her face decorated with a vicious smile. I glared back at her.

-Shall we settle this, Tatsumi?

I guess this will be chapter 12, part 1. Now, everything will be EXPLAINED, so will you please refrain from typing reviews such as: OMFG, WAT DA FUK, DAT MAKES NO SENSE, OMFG, WHAT IS DIS SHIT! Thank you in advance. I'll see you soon :)