*WARNING*

From this chapter on, there will be pretty horrible puns so if you're not ready for this monstrous humour then I say: "Suck it up and read!" That was not meant to be offensive. If it did offend you then I apologize in advance.

Thank you for your understanding and don't kill me please. I'm too young. QAQ

*KEN*

"I have to stop her...!"

But how can I?!

Is there no hope left?

"Ken Amada is-mmph?!"

Minako unexpectedly covered Elizabeth's mouth and didn't let her talk any longer.

"To be honest, I really, REALLY want to know what you were about to tell me but..." Minako pauses for a moment and then smiles. "I want to hear it directly from the person's mouth. I don't want to hear about the person I love from someone else. If Ken is hiding something from me then I'll wait. I'll keep waiting until the end of time until he tells me because he isn't that kind of person.. And... And most of all, I trust him."

With those words, I fall to the floor, wondering if I should be relieved or nervous but all I can think of is that...

"Even if she waits until the end of time, I can never tell her because it will be... a breach of contract... Damn it." I punch the floor lightly.

"At the least, you were able to avoid the situation without any further problem. Well then, I will see you next time."

Theo comes back and shows me out to the door. Afterwards, the velvet blue door disappears.

"What am I gonna do..."

"Ken..." Someone called out to me.

I locked the door, right? The sound came from here.

I take a look around the area and see something faint.

"Minato...-san?" I can see him.

He is see through but still visible.

"Ken, there's not much time left. I won't be able to hold on for much long... ugh!"

"Minato-san!"

*MINAKO*

I sneakily grab my naginata.

"Now, enough about Ken. Tell me about your... betrayal. Also, I don't need to know about Labrys's past and what happened when I wasn't here. What's done is done and what's now is now. Tell me." I show her the serious look in my eyes and she couldn't help but smile.

"Alright then. I suppose all my efforts for this setting has all gone to waste. Now, would you please inform me about my 'betrayal'?"

"Your... You don't even know what you did?!"

"Well, I don't suppose I've done anything in order to betray you." She answered bluntly.

A heave a devastated sigh. "What was the reason why you were trying to combine the two worlds...?"

"I simply wanted to bring back my dear guest."

"Minato, you mean?"

"Correct."

"You said before that you failed, right? What happened?"

"I wasn't able to foresee that it would be too much of a burden to combine two separate worlds and that the Erebus from the wthe worlds would interfere during my act." She sounded like she regretted it so.

"What? Erebus... I was able to defeat it before... right?" I remember exactly that I killed it.

"That is incorrect. You sacrificed your self in order to become the Seal that will prevent humanity from entering the Fall."

"Are you saying that... I'm actually... dead...?"

I'm... not really supposed to be living and breathing right now?

"Supposedly. Becoming the Seal does not necessarily mean that you are dead. It is that you are in a state of comatose if I were to be brief. But you would be in that state forever until the end of time... unless something had to be done."

That explains my dream this morning.

That even though I was alive, I couldn't breathe nor even feel. Was it a sign or a memory...?

"But why am I here? Wasn't Minato supposed to be...?"

I still can't get over the fact that I had been dead until now. Did Ken know all about this?

"My troublesome brother." She sighed.

"Theo?"

"Yes. We had to choose someone to live temporarily while we sealed their world in the other world's Tartarus. Erebus was the cause of all of these and due to that, it plans to end both worlds."

"What does that mean? Ending both worlds?"

"Theo and I only temporarily sealed your world away from Erebus but not long after, they found out. Having a world inside a world will be difficult for the Seal considering that there are now two Erebus trying to destroy it."

"You mean to say that Minato is bearing all this great pain alone while I'm just trotting all around here? Can't you defeat Erebus, instead?! You can do that, can't you?!"

"I could. Every May the 5th of every year, I would come and destroy Erebus. Even if defeated, it will re-animate yet again because the desire and grief of humans are bringing forth the Fall. Fear and grief cannot be erased. It will last until the end of time. Yet now, there are two Erebus being powered by even more humans making their strength difficult even for me to defeat it as I am also trying to not let my guest fade away as well as your world and existence here."

*KEN*

"Minato-san!" I rush over to Minato who was crouching in pain.

I tried to touch him but my hand just passed through.

"It's... I'm fine. This is bad. I'm starting to re-animate. Not long will I be brought back to this world as a human." Minato tries to regain his breathing.

"If you become a human again then there won't be a seal and..."

"Yeah, the Fall will come back. I can only say that you have until the next full moon."

"No... way... That's just a few weeks away, isn't it?!"

Why is it happening faster than before?

Was it because I changed the course of time? Is that why?

'Fate and time ties us all together. Even if you manage to change them, they will alter their strings to tie once again the loose ends.'

Shit. Was this what he meant by that?

Is it because I disrupted time that it's come to haunt me back...?

"Ken..." Minato pat me on the shoulder... Even though I can't feel his touch, I can sense it be very encouraging.

"Don't panic. I'll try to hold them off as much as I can. Be careful and think this out properly."

"Minato-san... I... I will. I don't want to let your and my efforts be in vain. I'll try the best that I can." I nod and he looked assured.

"Okay. Good luck. Don't lay a hand on my sister, alright?"

"I can't promise that."

"You ass." He grumbled but I laughed in response.

Minato started disappearing and he said that he'll try to come back when he's thought of something.

"I don't have time to stay in this lousy hospital. I have to go." I opened the window of my room and jumped out.

I landed on the hard cemented floor with no injuries and I ran to the dorm.

If I keep fawning over my love life and continue to act like this then I'm even worse than a child.

I am a young adult and my goal is to protect everyone I love.

With that in mind, I started working and thinking of a plan.

*MINAKO*

"I only have until the next full moon until the Fall is brought back?" I jolt.

Elizabeth filled me in on the details about the Fall, Minato, the remembrances, the Seal, everything that I needed and wanted to know.

Now, I also learned that Elizabeth only wanted to bring the two planets together as one in order to make them as one. According to her, it was Theo's idea.

"Precisely."

"There is nothing else that I can do for you nor have I thought of any other way. The decision will all be yours to make."

"There's no more option is there..." I smile.

I'm determined to not let anybody die anymore.

"I'll sac-" I suddenly heard footsteps coming this way.

Sho bursted out from the door.

"I thought I heard some rats around here but it turns out to be just some Sho-stoppers." He chuckled.

"Give me a breaak..." I sigh. "You're the fuckin' show-stopper here! I was getting to the important part until you came along!"

Elizabeth ignored my tantrum and walked over to Sho and I followed

"Sho Minazuki. Have you begun mapping out your life yet?" Elizabeth giggles.

"Hah? You're that woman from my dream... You told me that something was up in the city during the Dark Hour..." Sho scratched the back of his head.

Dream...? Aaah. Elizabeth told him about our situation last night.

"You lied to us about having some kinda bad feeling and came to check on Tartarus?!"

"Ah? Never mind. It's all in the past. Shut up about it."

"Tsk." He really ticks me off.

"I knew something wasn't right about you." Sho glared at Elizabeth.

"I am merely trying to not endanger such a beautiful world. That's why I seeked help from you." She smiled.

"Hey, Sho?" I just realized something.

"AH? Don't call me Sho and think that we're all chummy. You will refer to me as Minazuki-sama."

Wow, I can see his nose getting longer and pointed. What a lousy ore-sama. *An ore-sama is a person who is very narcissistic and thinks that he is always above others. Ore-sama literally means 'Yours Truly' which is a very highly way to refer to oneself.*

"But if I call you 'Sho' then I can make puns while I'm talking." I try to lure him.

"That's true... Fine. Just this once, I'll make an exception." He smirked.

He took the bait! He's a total idiot! Mwahahahaha!

"So, Sho... Are you a hobo?"

"What?!" He almost choked on my question.

"Well, I have my doubts about you, actually. Like... where did you come from?"

"I stay here." He mumbled.

"This creepy... creepy... place is your home...?! That's revolting! Are you sure you're not a SHObo?!" Shit, his pun influence is rubbing on me!

"It's not like I got anywhere else to go! And it's not any of your business so leave me alone."

"You're right. You did try to end the world once. But hey, come with me!" I pull him by the arm and he flicked my hand away.

"Hey! That's not very nice!" I rub my swollen hand.

"I was never nice! And where are you even planning on taking me?"

"Iwatodai dorm. The place where Ken, Koro-chan and I live. There's a lotta rooms there so you can move in. Also, that's where the Shadow Operatives meet up." I explain.

"Like Hell I'd go-"

"You know, Labrys comes there often. Koro-chan is adorable too and he's..." I gulped and try my best not to barf at what I'm about to say. "K-Koro-chan is... b-barktastic... You two will d-d-doggone get along just fine... I bet you'll be... pet-rified when you meet him..."

"Hahahaha! Alright, fine! If you want me to go so bad then okay! Don't expect anything else outta me!" Even though he says that, he looks quite happy.

"But... How do we get back..."

"Elizabeth, you did this! Bring me back! Along with Sho!"

"Very well. That wouldn't be too much of a hassle. Now... where should I transport the two of you..." she grins.

Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this...

"Off you go then." Elizabeth flipped the pages of her book and surrounded us in a bright light.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside Ken's room.

"Elizabeth brought us to a weird place. Ken's at the hospital..." I say and then my eyes dart to a direction where I saw a figure.

"Ken?!"

He turned to look at me in surprise. "Minako?! What are you and... Minazuki-san? doing here...?"

"I'll explain after you tell me what you're doing here. Aren't you supposed to still be in the hospital?"

"Ah, I decided to discharge myself since I was already feeling well. I can't go with you during the Dark Hour."

"Aah... I see. Well, I'm here because..." I told him everything that happened to me this morning, changed a little bit of stuff and left out the part about my agreement with Elizabeth and how Ken is hiding something.

"Ah... I see..." He stands up and walks over to us but he almost fell down.

"Ken, are you alright?! Is the wound hurting?!" I support him with my shoulder and Sho laughs.

"What are you laughing in about? Ken is badly injured, you know?!" I hiss at Sho.

"I just didn't expect Cupid to shoot her arrow at you and then get guarded by your boyfriend. I bet he FELL for you again."

"One word." I smile, a vein almost popping. "BULLSHIT."

"Whatever. I'm gonna look around this shitty ass dorm. It's man-datory to do that, right?" He laughed. "Get it? Cause I'm a man and I'm gonna tour around the dormi-'tory' so it's mandatory because that's what people do when they tour a place or something?"

"I'm tired of your shit, Sho. Get out."

"So what? You ain't gonna sho me around?"

"OUT!" I point to the door. "Get out while I still have my sanity left."

"Tsk. Fine..." He obediently went out and I hear his footsteps fading away but I heard him whisper to himself: "Sho-stopper..."

Grrrraaaah! I have had it up to here with Sho and he's only been with me for more or less 15 minutes!

Oh, right, Ken.

"Ken, don't push yourself. Take a rest, okay? I don't want you to suffer."

"Minako..." Ken started to lean closer to me and I closed my eyes then... my phone suddenly rang.

"Waaah!" I scream, took out my phone in a panic then Sho came back.

"I bet that phone call rang you back to reality." He snickered.

"Sho!" I scream but he closed the door and left again.

What am I gonna do with that guy...

Ah, the phone call.

"It's Mitsuru-san... excuse me, Ken." I pick up the call.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Arisato, have you seen Amada?" Mitsuru's voice sounded worried.

"Why?" I take a suspicious look at Ken.

"I heard from the hospital that he ran away. Right now, we're looking for him."

"Ken ran away?!"

"Please..." Ken whispered to me with his eyes turning all watery.

Ugh.

"I'll... try and find him too. Please continue your search." I feel guilty saying that.

"Alright. Contact me immediately when you find him." And then Mitsuru hung up.

"So," I put on a serious face. "What's your reason for this?"

"I remembered that I had something to do..." he looked away.

"And what is that something?"

"I'm... I can't tell you."

Ouch. His words made me feel kind of hurt.

"Why not?" I still try to not let any unbelievable story that I'm thinking of rile me up.

"B-because it has nothing to do with you... sorry."

Yikes, he could've put it in a less hurtful manner.

Elizabeth's words are starting to hang on me. Ken's hiding something. His behavior hasn't been suspicious until now...

"Ken, are you hiding something from me...?" I say out of impulse.

"Huh?" He turned and I shut my mouth.

"No, I... I mean, Ken, I trust you so if you can't tell me right now then I'll wait." I help Ken back to his bed and head to the door.

"I'm going to go call Mitsuru-san. I'll tell her I found you and give her a good reason. Remember to rest well, all right?" I manage to smile before I left.

"Minako?!"

This... is making me insecure.

I can't act properly.

*KEN*

"Minako?!" I call out to her but she immediately ran away.

"Did I say something wrong...?"

I shake my head.

I can't mind that right now. I have to find a way to save everyone.

'I just dismissed Minako but I never thought that I would hurt her that much with my nonchalant lie and that it would end in such a horrible outcome...'

-To be continued-