Chapter 37 –THE THRID NIGHT'S CHANCE: REUNIONS AND NEWS

"I know what you're trying to say Touma." Mikoto said looking up to him with a faint smile. "You want me to explain what exactly happened two days ago. What happened to Cielo-san, Zeniax, Josephine, me and Hiromi right?"

"I..I know that you don't want to talk about it like this, but I just really—"

"Want to know?" Mikoto asked, completing his sentence. "It's okay. I understand. But you might want to take a seat first. This is gonna be one hell of an explanation."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am. I want to eat and get all this homework done before Kuroko and everyone else arrives you dope. But I need to explain things first to you. I want you to hear everything from me, not from somebody else. But promise me that you won't…get mad okay?"

She asked in a slightly low voice, which had worried Touma. He could only nod as he sat up straight and did his best not to seem fazed as he looked at Mikoto in the eye.

"Do you remember the wish I made back then? After I recited the poem for Angel Tear?" Mikoto asked as she laid back on the fluffy pillows

"Uhm…something about bringing our lives back to the way it was? Before the whole angel thing started, right?"

"Yeah. That's exactly it. I wanted to turn back time if possible, but I knew that was impossible. Not even magic can grant something as stupid as that."

"Where are you getting at Mikoto?"

"All that I'm saying is that since it's utterly impossible to turn back time, the next best choice I had was to change the present itself. " Mikoto looked down at her sheets and smiled pathetically. "I erased all traces of Angel magic on the face of the earth."

Touma felt his heart stop. The only sound audible was the ticking of the clock and the cheers of the children playing on the playground, which could be seen from her window.

"Mikoto…I…why would you…" He mumbled, jumbling up his head in order to find the right words to say, but as usual, his brain was just useless. "Why would you do that?" He asked, but then his phone suddenly vibrated, he simply took out his phone, read the message and listened to Mikoto. His eyes widened with the content.

"It was the cause of everything, Touma. It caused all our problems, it caused Josephine's and Kuroko's tears, it caused you pain. I just…I thought that if I had asked for that wish, everyone would be happy. I thought that…I thought that I could correct all my mistakes. That I could make YOU happy." As she spoke, Touma's grip on his hand grew tighter. "I just wanted to make everything right Touma…I..I didn't think that it'd cause them to…to…" she whispered, as tears flowed from her eyes. She had e4xpected him to go over and hug her, tell her that it wasn't her fault. But no.

"T-Touma?"

"You didn't think that it'd cause them to change?" He said coldly, looking up to face her.

"Touma, why are you—"

"WHAT? Why am I mad all of a sudden? Why…why I suddenly don't know if I can still face you or even talk to you like this anymore?!" He rambled on and on.

""What are you saying Touma?"

"What am I-?! What am I saying?!" He repeated irately. "You're asking me that now?! Listen to yourself Mikoto! Then look at what's become of everyone who got involved in the whole angel thing! Cielo-san suddenly disappeared, Sumine-san has amnesia, Josephine has a weird illness that renders her bed-ridden, and Aizawa is paranoid!"

"Wait, what?"

Mikoto asked bewilderedly. Touma handed her his phone as he stood up and walked around in circles, messing up his own spiky hair vigorously as he tried to regulate his breathing and piece his mind.

From: Tsuchimikado Motoharu

Subject: Problem

Message: Sorry for ruining your fun Kami-yan. I know you're probably with Misaka-chan, so I didn't call, but you have to know, and so does she. Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad suddenly went missing last night, Josephine suddenly can't stand up and is now bed ridden, Sumine Mika has amnesia, and Aizawa Hiromi is sort of losing his screws, ultimately paranoid and everything.

We need to talk now.

Mikoto could only stare at the message she was forced to read. Her hand trembled as Touma took back his phone, closed the message and placed it back in his pocket. He looked at her, and saw how she held her head, mumbling things he couldn't understand.

'Ah dammit. I did it again… She was…Mikoto was doing everything for me and here I am, screaming at her, blaming her for things she didn't know. Things she couldn't control.' He thought.

"It's my fault…all of this, it's my fault. I did that to them…I caused them…that…It's all my fault. Just like back then…with my sisters…I brought this upon them…" Mikoto muttered. Touma felt bad, as he went over and hugged her. He lulled her back and forth as he stroked her head.

"I…I'm sorry for shouting…Mikoto…."

"You shouted at her?"

A familiar voice asked. Touma felt his body straighten up as he recognized the deep and threatening tone the owner of the voice had. Mikoto was very much surprised herself as she looked over to the door, her eyes widening with what she saw.

"PAPA?" She gawked. Touma immediately let go of her and turned around to face the big blonde man in a black and white suit. He was so dead.

"Mou! Please move it dear! I want to see Mikoto-chan!" a female voice added, pushing Misaka Tabigake forward. From behind him came a girl, who looked like a much more mature version of Mikoto in a white button shirt and jeans, her mother, Misaka Misuzu.

"MAMA?!"

Mikoto exclaimed. Misuzu seemingly teared up, before she ran over to the both of them, throwing her arms around them and enveloping both Touma and Mikoto in a big motherly hug.

"A-ah! Misuzu-san! Why are you hugging me too?!" Touma asked as he struggled to breathe.

'Oh come now! We all know that you'll be my son in law! What's so wrong in including you in the family in advance?"

"MAMA!"

Mikoto shouted, her face all red, as she pushed her mother away, who was smiling and laughing the entire time, upon seeing the blushed face of her one and only daughter. Tabigake walked over and stood next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder.

"Uh, Mama? Papa? What are you BOTH doing here? Is there a problem?" Mikoto asked, as her heart beat rapidly. She feared that maybe her father had already told Misuzu everything. After trying so hard not to involve her family, she wouldn't know what to do.

"Why? Is it so wrong for parents to visit their one and only daughter, who by some insane circumstance is in the hospital? And has gotten into the hospital more times than necessary?" Tabigake said, eyeing Touma carefully as he spoke. Mikoto noticed this and immediately thought of a way to turn things around and stop the conversation from going on any further.

"Uh…you know that's not what I mean, Papa. I'm just surprised to see you both here! So—"

"We know what happened to you, Mikoto-chan." Misuzu interrupted, looking at her daughter sadly. "We know what happened. Tokiwadai called us. They said that you've been absent quite a lot and that you've been getting hospitalized a lot too."

"Oh." Was all she could say. Touma noticed the tense atmosphere surrounding the Misaka family, and he felt totally out of place. He debated on whether to stay and stand beside Mikoto or leave them be. Let them talk it over as a family.

"Kamijou Touma." Tabigake suddenly said, making all of them turn to him. "I need to talk to you." He said sternly with a cold voice. Touma only sighed, before looking over to Mikoto, who looked like she was about to say something.

"Mikoto," he called, making her look up to him. "No. I'll talk to him, okay?" He said with a smile, giving her hand a squeeze, before placing it back at her side on the bed.

"But Touma-!"

"It's okay. You talk things over with Misuzu-san; I'll settle things with your dad. It'll be fine."

"This is my prob—"

"This is our problem." He said interrupting her, seemingly forgetting the presence of her parents in the room. He turned around and faced her. Touma held her head and lowered his, so that their foreheads touched. "We'll both face it together. We've already done so with your fears right? It's gonna be a piece of cake with this one."

He said, before letting go and following Tabigake out the door. When it closed, and the mother and daughter were finally sure they were alone,

"M-mama?" Mikoto asked. Misuzu walked over to her daughter, with tears in her eyes. Mikoto felt her own eyes well up as she clutched the shit of her mother, crying into it. "I'm so sorry…I won't be a daughter to you anymore…I-"

"Shhh…don't say that Mikoto-chan…don't say that. It's not yet a certainty right? We can still do something about it. We can still stop it." Misuzu cried as she clutched her daughter tighter. "The old doctor told us…why couldn't you have told us before Mikoto-chan?"

"It's…because…because…I…I have one more fear Mama. One more fear I can't seem to face."

Misuzu let go of Mikoto and stared at her face, noticing the tears that streamed down her cheeks. She wiped away the traces of it and fixed her hair.

"What is it that you're afraid of, Mikoto-chan?"

"I'm scared hurting all of you Mama. I'm scared of leaving you." Misuzu had broken down at this point, her knees falling to the ground, as she wept on the side of her daughter's bed. "I'll be going…for good Mama. I'm so sorry…"

"Don't even bother lying to me, boy."

Tabigake said, facing Touma as they reached the park where patients were free to roam around. The whole time, he had been walking in front of Touma, so when he suddenly stopped, Touma was surprised by a great deal.

"Uhm…what are we talking about here sir?"

"Oh don't act all stupid Kamijou Touma." Tabigake exasperated. "I'm talking about Mikoto-chan. What else would I be talking with you about? My work? Family life?"

"I know it's about Mikoto, but what I'm asking is what specific thing about her are we talking about? Because honestly, if it's about what happened, then you shouldn't expect any answers from me, Tabigake-san."

"You sure have earned some guts, Kamijou Touma. Refusing to comply with your girlfriend's father's wishes is very lethal you know. Especially with one as powerful and as influential as me."

"But I'm only telling you the truth though." Touma said sadly, as he sat down on one of the benches. "I seriously don't know Tabigake-san, so I won't have anything to tell you. Mikoto won't even tell me anything. She refuses to share anything with me, and she just keeps it all to herself, while I just watch her suffer."

"So you…don't know, what's gonna happen to Mikoto-chan?"

"Happen to her? Isn't she alright now?" Touma asked. Tabigake only stared at her, before looking away. "Tabigake-san, please. I've had enough of the secrets from Mikoto. Can you please just tell me the truth?"

"Ignorance is bliss, Kamijou Touma."

"Then I'd rather not be in bliss!" Touma shouted, standing up. Tabigake peeked over his shoulder, and saw how determined Touma looked. "I'd rather be in hell, suffering with her, than just being in a heavenly bliss! You know that I'd dive into hell for her, over and over again, Tabigake-san. You know just how much I love her."

"I know that." He suddenly said, making Touma snap his head. "I know that, and I guess that's why Mikoto-chan is having such a hard time."

"What are you talking about?"

Touma asked, but was completely ignored when Tabigake walked over to him and placed both hands on his shoulders. He had a genuine look of appreciation and hope in his eyes, but one could also see the sadness and pain hidden deep within them.

"I'll be leaving her in your hands, Touma-kun. Please, while she's here, take good care of her. Make her feel special, like never before. Please, that's all I ask of you." He pleaded. Touma could only manage a nod, and when he did, Tabigake smiled in the slightest possible way before turning back and walking away, leaving him puzzled.

"Oh, and Touma-kun?" Tabigake called after him. "It would've been nice to have you as a son in law." He said without facing him, before disappearing into the white doors of the hospital.

"What the hell was that all about?" He thought to himself, before his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out, flipped it open and opened the message.

From: Tsuchimikado Motoharu

Subject: Wow Kami-yan

Message: I saw you and Misaka Tabigake dude. You having a man to man talk or something? Anyway, I thought I told you that we needed to talk? Hurry up and go to Josephine's room. It's on the same floor as Misaka-chan's.

-end of message-

"Ugh…" Touma grunted. "That b-st-rd sure knows how to push me to my limits." He sighed before walking towards Josephine's room. "It doesn't matter. Maybe he might know something about what Tabigake-san was talking about."

"Sweet dreams and lullabies, singing you a good night" Misaka Misuzu sang as she stroked Mikoto's head, who was now fast asleep on her bed. Right after she had said that she would be gone for good. Her tears wouldn't stop, as she watched her little girl sleep peacefully, as if she had no problems at all.

"Sleep well my dearest child, cause when the morning comes it'll all be nigh. Remember…that Mommy…" Misuzu placed a hand over her mouth as she sang and cried at the same time, the pain of knowing the truth behind her daughter's condition beating at her heart. "…Mommy will a-always be here, so sleep…sleep well m-my dear… there's nothing to fear…Mommy…Mommy's always here…"

Misuzu had stopped singing. She just laid her head on the bed side and cried her heart out, whilst holding onto the hands of her daughter.

"Oh, Mikoto-chan…why…why did this have to happen to you?" she asked no one in particular. "You were always such a sweet girl. Sure you were always the energetic one…and you always caused trouble, but you were never bad. You were always our sweet little princess… I just…I just…"

"Ah! Do you think we should surprise Misaka-san?" Came Uiharu's voice from the other side of the door. Misuzu immediately wiped away her tears and looked over, seeing the silhouettes of three girls behind the door.

:"Stupid. She probably already heard you. You're voice is so loud, didn't you know Uiharu?" Kuroko commented.

"Eh?! That's so rude Shirai-san! And to think we're just about to meet Misaka-san again! Don't take it out on me if you're scared of facing her!"

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING EH UIHARU?!"

"O-OI! Clam down the both of you!" Ruiko tried to meddle. Misuzu laughed a bit as she stood up and walked over to the door. She held the knob of it, before taking a deep breath.

'You're about to face your daughter's friends. Don't look so depressed, okay?! Fight!' she resolute to herself, before sliding the door open, revealing two bantering girls and another one who just face palmed.

"Well hello there, Kuro-chan, Ruiko-chan and Kazari-chan." Misuzu greeted with a smile, stopping their fight. "I'm so glad you guys came to visit my dear Mikoto-chan! She has such good friends!"

"A-ah? Misuzu-san? We didn't think that you'd be here!" Uiharu said breaking away from Kuroko and bowing in respect, so did Ruiko. Misuzu just waved her hand in front of her, telling them to stop.

"It's very nice to see you again, Misuzu-sama." Kuroko said taking a bow, lifting up her skirt slightly as she bowed. "I am terribly sorry Onee-sama had ended up in the hospital. It was mostly due to my lack of guidance."

"Ara, ara. Don't say that Kuro-chan! My Mikoto-chan is just a bit too hyperactive; she got into trouble again didn't she? You don't need to apologize. But please do look after her okay? Even though you're younger than her…"

"It would be my pleasure, Misuzu-sama. By the way, how is Onee-sama? I heard that she had woken up earlier."

Kuroko asked as all of them walked into the room. Misuzu slid the door behind them, before going over to Mikoto's bed where she was fast asleep. She sat at her side before brushing off strands of her hair from her face.

"Well, as you can see, Mikoto-chan fell asleep. I guess Touma-chan really has tired her a lot. Ufufufufu… She fell asleep while we were talking, very uncharacteristic of her." She said, poking fun at Kuroko, whom she knew was obsessed over Mikoto and was all out to kill Touma.

"So he tired her huh…" Kuroko muttered grimly. "Don't you worry Misuzu-san! I shall avenge your loss of time with Onee-sama because of that stupid ape! I swear upon my life I will!" she said darkly as she teleported metal spikes to her hands, her eyes glowing red.

"Ah! Shirai-san no! Saten-san! Help me stop her please!" Uiharu begged as she hugged her friend, trying to stop her, not realizing that Kuroko could've easily teleported out of her grasp.

"Eh? But why would we stop her? It's fun to see her go after Kamijou-san. It's really funny don't you think?" Saten asked as she laughed.

"How could you say that! She might kill him! You know that!" Uiharu tried to reason as she still did her best to hold down her Judgment partner. And as the small circle of friends her daughter had talked and bickered over that one topic, Misuzu smiled.

'You really do have such nice friends Mikoto-chan. No wonder you're scared of leaving them…' she thought to herself, as she continued stroking her head.

"Hnn~ so noisy…." Mikoto suddenly mumbled as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Hnnnn….Mama? did…did I just fall asleep?"

"Ah, you're awake Mikoto-chan." Misuzu greeted cheerily, ruffling her hair. "Yes, you did. But great timing. Kuro-chan and everyone else is here to see you! And they brought your favorite cake!" she said helping her sit up. Mikoto rubbed her head, trying to force out a headache, before looking over to her other side, where her friends stood in a line.

"Ah, hey guys. Glad you could come."

"Of course we'd come Misaka-san!" Saten said first. "You've been neglecting us for the past few days! We're not gonna waste any time in trying to get back at you!"

"Ah! Saten-san! Don't put it like that!" Uiharu tried to make her change her words.

"No. it's actually alright Uiharu-san. I'm not offended or anything. I'm just really glad you came to visit me. Oh and Saten-san, I think a few rounds at the arcade would be enough for you. Wouldn't want to wipe the floor with you anywhere else." Mikoto answered with a smile.

"Oooh, confident are we? Let's see about that. When you get better, we're definitely gonna rent the entire arcade and play all day and all night long! But only when you get better okay?!"

As she said that, Misuzu was suddenly silenced, the smile she usually had on completely devoid from her face. Mikoto noticed the look her friends were giving her. She slowly reached over, grabbing her mother's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Is…is there something wrong, Mama?" Mikoto asked. Misuzu looked at her daughter and saw the look on her face. She immediately shook her head and said no, tightening her grip on her hand. All the while, the other three girls just watched. Though they were smiling, they were not convinced that everything was alright.

'Something is wrong.' Was the common thought in their heads.

"Alright!" Misuzu exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Enough with this reunion thing! Who's ready to eat some food!"

"Uhm…actually, Mama…" Mikoto interrupted, just as Misuzu was about to take some plates. "I wanted…to go somewhere tonight, with everyone. If possible, I want us to eat there too. So…do you think we could just bring the food with us? It's already 4:30 in the afternoon anyway. The sun is coming down, so it's gonna start soon right?"

"Huh what is Mikoto-chan?" Misuzu asked, tiling her head to the side.

"I…I wanted to see the stars and the fireworks…with all of you." Mikoto said as she kept her head low. "Do you think you could grant me that?"

"Excuse my intrusion."

Touma said as he entered Josephine's hospital room, which was located three rooms away from Mikoto's. He walked over and saw Friedrich, sitting on a chair, seemingly troubled. Josephine was lying on her bed, trying to smile, and Tsuchimikado…was being Tsuchimikado.

"Uhm, Hi? I guess…" He greeted awkwardly, as Friedrich looked up to him.

"Hello." He replied.

"Sorry for making you visit, Master Kamijou."

"Yo Kami-yan!"

They all replied, with varying forms of enthusiasm. As he stood beside Tsuchimikado, he couldn't help but wonder about the sudden loss of energy of the pedophile.

"Uh, Tsuchimikado? Can you not know how to evaluate a situation here? It's obvious that they're having a problem and we're obviously intruding."

"Yes, they have a problem, and no we're not intruding, because we're part of the problem too." Tsuchimikado said with a shrug. "Do you know what Misaka-chan did?"

He asked insensitively. Touma looked over to Josephine, and saw how weak she seems. Being stuck in a hospital bed really didn't suit her aura at all. And as for Friedrich, well…he had nothing to say about that. He was hell bent that was all.

"Y-yeah. She told me that she wished for all angelic power to be destroyed…but she didn't mean to hurt anyone I swear! She just-!"

"We know that Master Kamijou." Josephine said interrupting him. "You don't need to defend her in front of us. There is nothing to defend. At that time, it really was the best decision to do."

"But…but she did it out of her concern for me…"

"That may be HER reason, but if you count in all the possibilities, if she had not done that, the angelic power of ours that was stored inside of her would've exploded out of her body, and could have possibly eradicated half of the world into oblivion."

"And as for, Gurbent," Tsuchimikado said facing him with a smile. "Well, let's just say that we won't have to worry about him for awhile."

"Mistress Mikoto has done well, Master Kamijou. She has done very well." Josephine commented with a smile. "Please make her feel your appreciation. It's something that every girl needs from the ones they love."

"So then…why are you in the hospital? Were you affected by it?"

"No." Friedrich answered, looking at Touma in the eye for the first time since he entered the room. "Em's body just grew weak, after that b-st-rd forced her power into little miss Railgun. The same goes for Aizawa Hiromi and Sumine Mika. They're all recovering now. What they have is just a side effect of what the spirit of Miliahelm Von Gurbent did to them, not of the decision Misaka Mikoto had…made."

He said solemnly, and as he ended his words, everyone seemed to turn away from him. Confused, and getting tired of the whole secrecy thing, Touma released a sigh, before calling out to them with determination.

"Look you guys; I know that something bad happened again. I know it's about Mikoto, I know it's bad, but I don't know what. Don't you guys at least think that I have the right to know?"

"Kami-yan, it's not up to us." Tsuchimikado said, after a long pause of silence.

"So something did happen to her?" Touma asked exasperatedly. "What? She'll have lacunar amnesia or whatever? She's gonna have more of those heart failure crap she has?! She'll be paralyzed for the rest of her life?! Goddammit people! Don't make me guess the worst case scenario for her!"

"Master—" Josephine was about to say, but got cut off when two polite knocks were heard on the door. All heads turned towards it, as they watch it slide from its original position, revealing Misaka Misuzu, Misaka Mikoto's mother, who was obviously in a sour mood.

"A-ah…Mi-Misuzu-san.." Touma muttered. "Uhm…guys…this is Misaka Misuzu…Mikoto's—"

"Mother I presume?" Josephine asked, interrupting. " I dearly apologize, Lady Misuzu. I wish I could stand up and greet you properly, seeing as you are Mistress Mikoto's mother, but my current condition permits me not."

"Are you…the same as Mikoto-chan?" Misuzu said readily, probably not even listening to Josephine's earlier words. The mood darkened around them as her question left her mouth. Realizing her mistake and how rude it sounded, Misuzu immediately apologized.

"Ah, I'm very sorry if that was…insensitive. What's your name?"

"My name is Josephine Emery Miers, this here is my master, Master Friedrich Claude. And the blonde man with sunglasses is Tsuchimikado Motoharu-san." Josephine introduced with a smile. Touma and everyone else were dumbstruck. After an awkward moment like that, how could she have possibly just let that—"And no. I am not like Mistress Mikoto. We are the same, yet she chose a different fate."

"Different fate?" Touma asked, but no one answered. He just let it go with a grunt, before looking over to Misuzu. "Anyway, Misuzu-sa—"

"Different…fate huh? I see…" she said sadly, confusing him even more. "Well," she smiled. "Mikoto had something planned and she asked me to tell you and all her friends. I'm just assuming you're her friends too, so I guess we'll count you in too. So you'd better come, okay?"

"Come? Come where? And how did you even know we're here Misuzu-san?" Touma asked.

"Mikoto said you'd probably be around somewhere, then I heard your voice as I was passing by outside, so I decided to check it out, and here you are. Oh, and Mikoto-chan wanted to have dinner with all of you, outside while watching the fireworks."

"But the fireworks won't start until 10:30 right? Why'd she want us now? When it's like…5 or something?"

"Touma-chan…." Misuzu said lowly with a pleading look on her face. "Please? Please fulfill Mikoto-chan's wish."

"Her last wish you mean." Friedrich said in a barely audible voice, but still, it was enough to make Touma turn his head and look at him. Josephine just shook her head, and held her Master's hand.

"Her….what?"

"It's nothing Master." Josephine said with a strained smile. "Nothing."

-chapter end-

Heyow! Sorry for the late update! Christmas is near and it gets me busy! And another thing to blame is probably my over addiction to Coppelion. Oh my god dudes… this week's ep is gonna be killer. I know you guys probably don't know the anime or don't like it, but I sure as hell love it, so please allow me to rant my mouth off. I was thinking of writing a Christmas special of TAKNR, but I guess I'll start it after I finish my Coppelion Christmas fic. It was requested by a friend of mine. And she just loves Haruto and Ibara…so yeah.

Well, will Touma be able to piece things together before its too late? Only two more chapters to go! I'll have some news for you at the epilogue, okay? Thanks for reading! Till next time! Please leave a review! Ja-ne!