"Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Ruby. Happy birthday to you!"
The sounds of her best friends' singing filled Ruby's ears as she watched them all harmonize with one another in front of her. It was a special day for the young girl as it was finally her 16th birthday party.
The Aqours members had been working hard for the past couple weeks as their popularity had skyrocketed tremendously, leaving them with little to no time to relax together as they used to. However, with all the girls in one room smiling with one another, it made each of those long hours worth it.
Ruby watched all the girls surround her, singing their melody, as she sat at the table. She was slightly nervous from having all eyes on her but she faked a smile. She didn't want the girls to think she didn't appreciate their efforts.
As she looked around at each of them, something caught her eye. Dia was walking towards her, holding a birthday cake.
Their song receded as Dia brought the cake towards the front of the table. Everyone was beaming with excitement, especially the third years, as Ruby took a look at the cake before her.
The cake was covered in chocolate frosting, slightly messy on certain sides, appearing to be homemade. Strawberries unorderly surrounded the cake along with her birthday candles scattered all in between. It looked as if they had run out of room after the fruit was placed.
Finally, written on the chocolate frosting was the pink cursive penmanship of none other than Dia herself, spelling out 'Happy Birthday Ruby!'. The young girl could tell that handwriting from anywhere.
"Make a wish, Ruby."
Ruby looked up to hear Dia's voice before her. All of the girls were still waiting patiently for the birthday girl to proceed so they could continue to enjoy the party properly. The small girl closed her eyes.
'I don't want this to ever end.'
Intaking a large breath, Ruby blew out her candles. All around her were the cheers of the other girls while they simultaneously yelled out,
"Happy birthday, Ruby-chan!"
As Ruby smiled up at all of them before her, Dia brought out a plastic knife for her to use. Taking ahold of it, Ruby looked at the cake sadly before saying to the other girls,
"Ah, I almost feel bad for cutting it. You guys worked so hard on it."
Kanan stepped forward, placing her hands on the other third years by her side,
"It's your birthday, Ruby-chan, cut the slices! Dia, Mari, and I would gladly make you another one some other time."
Ruby looked at the cake once more before at Kanan,
"Wait, just you three made this?"
Mari then proceeded to jump in front of Kanan, taking her spot,
"Oh yes! We wanted to do something special for our little sister!"
Dia was next to interrupt, slightly annoyed at Mari's energetic playfulness within their small space,
"Mari-san, weren't you the one who suggested we give up while we were barely shopping for the ingredients and just order a large cake instead?"
Kanan put her arms over Mari's shoulders, as if she were hugging her from the back,
"Yeah, Mari, you didn't seem that excited to join us. Besides, the cake you wanted was more for weddings. I don't think we needed to feed THAT many people."
Kanan laughed as she thought of the memory of Mari putting on a spectacle at the store in an attempt to convince the other two. Mari couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed as she was getting double teamed in front of Ruby.
"We needed a big cake so we could feed everyone! Besides, you guys act like we would've had any leftovers with our bottomless pit over there."
The third years laughed together at Mari's joke as Ruby couldn't help but join. They were all like her older sisters and while only one of them ever got that rightful title, in her heart she couldn't help but cherish each one of them greatly.
Ruby sat at the center table as the party had continued on with joyful laughter, but Ruby couldn't help but feel something was off. Not wanting to ruin the party though, she carried on chatting with her friends.
Hanamaru stood from the table they were all sitting at first, approaching Ruby with a gift in her small hands. As she stood by her side, Hanamaru presented it forward, throwing Ruby off guard. She hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings so she was quite surprised.
"Here you go, Ruby-chan! I got you a little something, zura."
Ruby looked at her friend before reaching out her hands to take ahold of the gift,
"Thanks, Maru-chan. But I told you, you didn't have to get me anything."
Hanamaru smiled,
"You say that every year, Ruby-chan, but I can't let an occasion go where you aren't showered with gifts, zura."
Ruby began to open her gift, already noticing it was shaped like a book. It was a usual thing to get those types of gifts from Hanamaru, not that Ruby minded. Each book reminded her of how much her friend cherished her, as Hanamaru picked each one with love.
"I think you'll like my gift, zura. It's one of my favorites and besides, I don't really need it anymore so I want you to have it, zura. Take good care of it, okay?"
Ruby pulled out the book from the wrappings. Reading the title, it was the folktale 'Alice in Wonderland'. The red-haired girl had only really seen the tellings of the tale that were turned into animated movies, never the original content.
Ruby quickly got up to hug the girl as she whispered out a quick thanks to her once more. After seeing Ruby was already being given gifts, each of the girls looked at one another as if they knew it was time for that part of the party.
You and Chika jumped up at the same time, wanting Ruby to receive their gifts next. They quickly made eye contact before silently challenging one another. As if they were children again, Chika ran forward, grabbing her gift from under the table, while laughing out at You behind her. You followed in suit, grabbing a hold of her own gift. Considering who was the more athletic one of the two, You quickly cut in front of Chika. The two girls giggled while slightly pushing each other to reach their goal. However, it was You who ultimately got to Ruby first.
The future sailor presented Ruby with an open sketchbook, designs scattered all over the pages. As Ruby took hold of it, she stared in awe as it was a drawing of her in a brand new costume, having multiple bright colors and candies surrounding her 2D version of herself perfectly. The costume was designed entirely head to toe, even in the sketches it showed all sides of the costume as well. All around the pages were multiple drawings of a small Ruby striking adorable poses.
"I made this costume for you. I know we've been kind of busy lately with trying to rack our brains with new stuff, but I thought this would be nice to make together someday. Just an us bonding time without the stress of other things, you know?"
Ruby held her drawing close to her chest as she bowed her head,
"Thank you so much, You-chan!"
Looking up, Ruby saw as You proudly straightened her pose before saluting. The young girl couldn't help but do a tiny salute back, earning a wide smile from the future sailor.
You stepped aside as Chika now presented her gift. She fully extended her arms and with a large smile she quickly belted out in a cheerful tone,
"Mikan!"
The loud yell startled everyone in the room as all eyes were on Chika. She couldn't help but be bashful in that moment, minorly taking back her energetic self just a bit,
"Ah, sorry! I-I mean, happy birthday, Ruby-chan!"
Chika put down her gift in front of Ruby, as it was a large box of mikans. The fruits still had stems and leaves attached to it, as if they were freshly picked that day.
"I couldn't really think of anything to give you for a present so here are some mikans from yours truly! They're Chika approved since, you know, I eat them everyday."
Ruby bowed her head before grabbing one of the fruits, they looked perfectly ripe without a single fault to any of them that she could see. Chika did have a good eye for them. Before she could think twice, Ruby said aloud,
"Thank you, Chika-chan. I can't help but think that if I was Yoshiko-chan, I probably would've banished you from my presence or something for giving me a gift like this."
Ruby finished off her sentence with a laugh as the others joined in, all knowing of Yoshiko's extreme hatred of those tiny fruits.
As their laughter faded away though, a certain fallen angel's retaliation had yet to make its presence.
Ruby scanned the room only to find out that Yoshiko actually wasn't present. She couldn't help the dejection leaking from her voice as she asked out to the room,
"Wait, where is Yoshiko-chan?"
The girls all looked around at one another, trying to search for Yoshiko's distinctive bun, yet she couldn't be found. Dia was the first to rise from her seat, quickly grabbing her phone,
"I'll see if I can manage to get in contact with her. Considering her bad luck, she must've been held up. Give me a second, I'll be right back."
Dia walked over to the farther corner of the room to have some privacy. Sensing that she didn't want to be listened in on, Riko decided to get up next, carrying her gift towards Ruby.
Riko stood in front of Ruby with her phone and a pair of headphones attached. Giving Ruby the buds, Riko explained,
"Ruby-chan, first off, happy birthday! I wanted to do something special for your big day, so I composed a tiny music piece just for you."
Ruby smiled, giving a quick thanks as she took the headphones. Placing a bud in her ear, Riko quickly cut in before she put in the next one,
"Oh, and I want to say sorry really quickly. There were supposed to be lyrics added in but I couldn't exactly get them done in time, I hope you can forgive me for that."
Ruby simply beamed at the older girl, slightly amused that she would ever be upset about anything like that when she just made her her own personal music piece,
"Oh, it's fine Riko-chan. I don't mind whatsoever. I'm happy with anything you would have given me."
Riko let out a sigh of relief as she went into her playlist to pick out Ruby's birthday melody.
Watching from afar, Dia saw as Ruby closed her eyes and was lost in Riko's music. Seeing her happy brought a smile to the older sister's face but it was cut short as she remembered the talk she was about to have with a certain 'friend' of hers. Looking down at the name lit across her screen, Dia attempted to call Yoshiko. It didn't come to any surprise when there was no answer but Dia wasn't one to give up quickly.
Dia continued on, becoming more and more agitated with each ring. The process was taking longer than she had expected. Dia turned once more to see how Ruby was doing only to see she was still enjoying herself. Mari decided to butt into Ruby's personal listening party though,
"Why does only Ruby get to hear it, Riko? We'd all love to listen to your masterpiece."
Before Mari could reach over to the headphones in Ruby's ears, Riko smacked her hand away,
"No, it's Ruby-chan's gift so she gets to hear it first. Only then the rest of you guys can too."
Mari pouted but before she could retaliate, Kanan added in,
"Also, Dia is making a phone call right now, remember? Maybe we should give her some silence."
The girls all looked towards Dia and while she smiled back, the facade quickly fell as she heard yet another dial tone. Quickly turning from the rest of the girls, Dia whispered to the phone as she tapped Yoshiko's icon again,
"I know you're there, pick up the phone."
Though she heard the beeps again, this time she finally broke through. Just a sudden cut off from the ringing let Dia know the phone call was answered. Before Yoshiko could even breathe though, Dia immediately questioned her,
"Yoshiko-san, where are you?"
Yoshiko, who was confused as to what Dia was talking about, replied back,
"Home, where else? Why are you calling? You interrupted me in the middle of a livestream. You know Saturday nights are-"
Before Yoshiko could continue however, Dia had long grown aggravated of their short conversation,
"I know you are not complaining about your livestream right now. Do you even know what tonight is?"
Yoshiko stopped in her tracks. She thought hard about her question as she knew if she got it wrong, she would probably die at the hands of Dia's wrath. Her hair bun would be mounted on the Kurosawa wall. Yet, not a single answer was appearing in her head.
"Saturday night?"
Dia couldn't say she was surprised at that answer. In the calmest voice she could muster up, Dia replied back,
"It's Ruby's birthday party today. She hand delivered you her invitation last week. I should know, I was right there with her."
Guilt couldn't help but creep up the fallen angel's spine as it all came back to her at once.
"Oh, umm, I-I didn't know."
"Okay, well are you going to make it?"
Yoshiko thought about the question. She wavered her options before deciding her answer,
"You see, I'd like to, but tonight is kind of a big night for my livestream and-"
Dia cut Yoshiko off before she could continue though,
"I really can't believe you, Yoshiko-san. You'd really rather prioritize your fallen angel shtick over one of your closest friends' birthday? She was expecting you to be here. You didn't even have to get her anything, as your presence would've been enough, but you can't even do that?"
Dia could feel her rage building as well as her voice getting louder but she didn't want to attract the attention of others. Yoshiko tried explaining herself as Dia took a moment to breathe,
"I did want to go! It's just that this livestream is important too and-"
With her final ounce of calmness, Dia told Yoshiko,
"How could I ever expect anything from you, Yoshiko-san? Goodnight."
Dia could hear Yoshiko try and say something back but she had already clicked to end the call. She couldn't bear to hear the girl again.
As she stared at the phone, Dia tried to clear her mind but she couldn't stop herself from the anger and disappointment towards Yoshiko.
Looking over to see how everyone else was doing, Dia didn't realize how long her call had gone. Riko's song was long over as the girls all sat at the table eating cake. She listened to all the fun they were having with one another.
"Hanamaru-chan, how many slices did you have? There's only two left. I swear I saw like six more! Where are you hiding them?"
Chika questioned Hanamaru as her face was covered in frosting. While everyone laughed at their banter, Mari looked over at Kanan. She decided to lay herself on the young diver as she said aloud, wearing her usual smug look,
"I told you, Kanan. We should've gone with the big cake."
Kanan simply rolled her eyes, slightly pushing Mari off of her. Catching sight of Dia amidst her annoyance with Mari, she could tell something was off with the girl. Dia usually was one to smile at the Aqours antics, even if it were a forced one, but it seemed she had something else on her mind. Kanan continued to look towards Dia, almost tempted to go over to ask her what was wrong.
Dia caught sight of Kanan's worried expression though before she could even stand. She knew Kanan would want to find out anything that was troubling her and it would truly only make her current situation worse.
Taking a deep breath, Dia composed herself before walking back towards the table, ready to put on a front for the girls.
The taps of shoes echoing the halls, filling Dia and Ruby's ears. They had been walking on their path since they had left the library. With no direction in mind of where they were going, they instead just observed their surroundings in silence, waiting for a clue as to where to go next.
Dia couldn't help as her mind replayed the events of Ruby's birthday over and over. She wanted to forget all about it, yet the older girl couldn't get it out of her head. Guilt began to build in her as she scoured the halls. The guilt of harassing Yoshiko that night as well as telling lies that is.
"Hey, Ruby, do you remember your birthday party last year?"
Ruby, who was busy shining her flashlight in all directions, looking for clues, was taken off guard from the sudden conversation striker.
"Oh, yeah. Why do you mention it?"
Dia played with her fingers for a moment before continuing on,
"Well, do you remember why Yoshiko-san didn't show up that night?"
Ruby thought back for a moment. Her memory was a little hazy as she hadn't thought about that day in so long. Other memories had long taken their spot in her head.
"Yeah, I think you said Yoshiko-chan wasn't feeling that well and she didn't wanna get others sick if she came over. Along with some other stuff like curses and the second black plague or something."
Ruby giggled recalling the conversation before a sudden thought popped to her head,
"You know, thinking back on it, I guess she was really sick since she didn't even call beforehand. That must've been some cold."
Ruby fondly thought of that memory. It wasn't anything new for Yoshiko to fall ill before a big event so Ruby never held it against her. Dia, however, couldn't let Ruby live in that lie.
"Ruby, I'm really sorry to say this but, I lied that night. Yoshiko-san wasn't sick at all. She was doing some livestream and forgot all about the party."
Ruby felt her heart drop in her chest. She looked towards the ground as she continued walking, she didn't want her sister to see her hurt by those words.
"But, why did you lie for her?"
Dia sighed as she explained herself,
"I didn't want to ruin your party. We had fought over the phone while you were having fun with everyone. At the time it seemed like it was best to lie to everyone but now, with the uncertainty of our fate as well as no clear reason as to why Yoshiko-san is doing all of this, I feel like I had to tell you."
Ruby stayed quiet as she heard Dia continue on. She was barely able to hear her older sister with her own thoughts screaming in her head.
"I had only told Kanan-san about what happened. She saw right through my act and questioned me. Out of everyone, she is the most reliable to me, so I told her the truth. She agreed that we should keep up the lie, as nobody wanted to ruin your big day."
Dia was still surprised to this day that Kanan was able to get the truth out of her so quickly. The older Kurosawa had even made sure to catch her habit of scratching her mole but it seemed Kanan didn't need that to figure her out.
Dia shook her head of the thought as she looked over towards Ruby, slightly expecting her to be in tears but the young girl walked with no emotion on her face. It was as if the new information clouded her response time. Dia couldn't help but regret spilling out the truth. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to say it at all.
"I'm sorry, Ruby. I know you're older now and I should've not lied in the beginning. I just always see you as my little sister that I have to protect against the world."
Ruby didn't have enough energy in her to cry about it anymore. Instead, there was something else burning inside her chest,
"It's okay, onee-chan. I forgive you, you were only looking out for me on my big day. Thanks for keeping that day special for me."
Dia nodded her head as they continued their walk. Silence enveloped the two as they steadily tracked the halls. Ruby couldn't stop herself from thinking about Yoshiko and all the other lies she had possibly been fed about her.
Then, almost instantaneously, a switch went off in Ruby. She didn't want to play nice with Yoshiko anymore. Not after each and every thing she had done was finally coming to light. Ruby couldn't let that show though, she had to remain calm and not think irrationally in her current situation.
As the two girls walked down the hall, they noticed a change in their surroundings. A door finally appeared, breaking the continuous hallway streak they had. As they walked past it, Ruby felt a shiver down her spine. Something wasn't right about where they were.
Flashing the light more ahead, Ruby took sight of yet another door, this one however was slightly cracked open. Ruby reached out her hand, as if to stop Dia. Keeping her light at the door, Ruby looked towards her older sister to give a silent warning of what was ahead. Dia understood as she now slowly tip-toed towards the entrance.
Nearing the door, Ruby noticed something on the floor. Papers were scattered around the entrance, leading inside the room. Shining her light to get a better look, the red-haired girl was able to read what was on them.
No words filled the pages but rather music notes danced across the staves, playing a silent melody only a musician could bring to life.
Taking a closer peek into the room, Ruby saw that the floors were filled with more and more symphonies.
"We're back at the beginning."
The words left Ruby's mouth before she could think about it. Dia looked at Ruby curiously as the young girl shined the light into the room.
No music came from the room, unlike the first time the red-haired girl had stumbled upon it, nor were there any shadows to indicate a certain eyeless junior was there.
Dia could feel a sense of remembrance as she followed Ruby's flashlight around the room. Despite it all feeling like a dream, now, standing before Riko's room, it proved that all of it was as real as it got.
"I can't believe Yoshiko-san did all of this. It really makes you wonder what is wrong with her."
Before Ruby could attempt to think of a possible sane answer, Dia realized something. Turning her head down the hall, Dia continued on,
"Hold on, if this is Riko-san's room, then if I recall,"
Pointing her finger towards the door they had previously passed, the older Kurosawa felt her heart drop,
"Hanamaru-san's room is just down there."
Ruby didn't dare to look in the door's general direction. Instead, Ruby Looked down at the floor, whispering out,
"I-I know. I don't want to remember."
Dia understood as she knew just how Ruby left the poor girl. Rather than thinking further on her decision, Ruby quickly shook the thoughts from her head before giving the door before her a gentle push. Knowing that there was no music to be heard was only slightly reassuring but Ruby had to be careful, just in case.
As she took a step into the room, hunching down as to not be seen, Ruby quickly shone her light all around to check her surroundings. She only found the reflection of a few bookshelves in the corners of the room as well as the main chalkboard and piano that were already there before.
Straightening herself up, Ruby walked into the room fully as Dia followed in suit. Considering Dia hadn't been in the room, or at least not that she could remember it fully, she began to look around. Ruby, who had long seen everything in the main part of the room, walked over towards the bookshelves. She hadn't noticed them before when she had first entered, as she was so focused on Riko. Now, there was time to explore.
Ruby began looking through the shelves, taking note of all the subjects that ranged in numerous books. The shelves were stocked with dictionaries as well as musical pieces. It was pretty ironic considering Riko couldn't exactly see.
Ruby glanced over the books as they couldn't assist her in any way. Looking back to see if Dia was having any better luck, Ruby could see her older sister was slightly touching the bloodied keys of the piano. Dia looked as if her heart carried the weight of the world. A part of Ruby wanted to go and tell her it wasn't her fault, but she knew no matter the words, Dia would only blame herself as she was the only one of the girls to walk away freely.
Ruby turned back to the shelves. As she glanced across each one, Ruby found a note jammed between the dictionaries. Pulling it out, it came to no surprise when it was covered in symbols as each one before it did.
÷;ædìÎDäs²^Ëùðc7ɸÃY»P°ÖRà ã¼vÐjlzœ1àÃá?Œø1øOï4_7X48º|hÑsX5ìŽvÔ;ì¼YKšóŽ¿›àÇáLhÓ‡ÁØ"ÁŸwl?š©%ÀxwÙ¯˜D¤‹ƒX1ù&—ÁûýÇbG£ôìEÀ°v%9¨ÊÊ‹D2–ŒŒºñÔ½LêmÃÇ/ãØc T25lIGxhc3QgdGltZS4KT3IgbWF5YmUgdGhlIGFjdHVhbCBmaXJzdCB0aW1lPwpJdCBkb2Vzbid0IG1hdHRlci4KSSBob3BlIHlvdSBlbmpveWVkIHlvdXIgbGl0dGxlIGpvdXJuZXkuClRoaXMgaXMgdGhlIGxhc3QgcGllY2UgeW91IG5lZWQgdG8gZnVsbHkgdW5kZXJzdGFuZCB3aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIHRvIGFsbCB0aGUgZ2lybHMuCkl0IG1pZ2h0IHJldmVhbCBzb21ldGhpbmcgeW91IGRpZG4ndCBrbm93IGFib3V0IHlldC4KCkhhdmUgZnVuOiBhSFIwY0hNNkx5OWtjbWwyWlM1bmIyOW5iR1V1WTI5dEwyWnBiR1V2WkM4eGFHcHdjVzV2Tm5WcVluRjRlSEJ5YkcwMmVHaFNlbmhOTjNKSFdXUk5kVlF2ZG1sbGR6OTFjM0E5YzJoaGNtbHVadz09 ½ŸzH˜ozs¯Ò/?‹ª'†º=úŒá]Åö»UçâÚQr×åzúÒ$³5F—$¥uÕ E¬5ÏôËwR¹¨Ž/" aÉy{„jKvÖõ·â„ûWÁ¾—ÌÜ©&ï«õ8¬^)›
Taking a hold of the paper, Ruby turned around to walk towards Dia. With the paper in hand, the young girl said aloud,
"I found one. Another one of those weird papers."
Dia walked towards Ruby, grabbing the paper to examine it. Across it were the symbols written in messy black ink.
"I wonder what these letters are exactly. They're just about everywhere, you would think they'd mean something."
Ruby thought for a moment, she did find many of them around as she encountered each girl but with no way to solve them, she let them fade in her memory. Looking up towards her sister, Ruby asked,
"Do you think I should've saved them? I found them all over the place but I left some behind since they didn't seem important."
Ruby said her words with tears brimming her eyes. If they were a key to getting out, she would surely be stuck now. It would be nearly impossible to maneuver the maze once more to find all the notes again. Dia, however, rested her hand on Ruby's shoulder to calm her,
"It's fine, I'm sure. We don't have a way to solve them anyway."
Ruby nodded her head in agreeance. She dove into her pocket to see which notes she still had but as she did, her hand bumped into something she had long forgotten. Emptying the contents in her pockets, Ruby pulled out her axolotl keychain with her collected papers surrounding it.
"I forgot all about this little guy."
Ruby took a moment to examine the toy as Dia watched her,
"I still think it was a strange gift. A frog would've been better. They do bring good luck and protection which we desperately could use."
Ruby put down the keychain from her sight. As she tucked it back into her pocket, she couldn't help but agree with Dia,
"Yeah, you're right."
Dia let out a sigh as she didn't exactly want to remember anything from Yoshiko at the moment. She began to walk towards the door, calling back to Ruby.
"Come on, let's go."
Ruby let her papers she held drop to the floor. She knew she wouldn't be needing them anymore since she didn't even have all the pieces. At least they would be in an empty area. Jogging after Dia, they exited the room, closing the door behind them.
It didn't take but a couple more feet before they reached the next door that Ruby knew so much about. Pointing her flashlight towards it, Ruby said over to Dia,
"That's where I woke up."
Dia, who had recalled watching Ruby begin her journey in that room, hummed in agreement. The older Kurosawa couldn't help but let her mind wander as to how Ruby must've felt during her trials and tribulations. Dia was just as frightened waking up in a foreign place, it must've been a pure nightmare for her younger sister.
Neither of the girls stopped as they passed the door. They didn't want to recall anymore traumatic experiences.
One thing did reoccur in Ruby's memory though, the dead end up ahead. Yet, with the shine of a light, it seemed the hall had extended into a new path. Stopping in her tracks, Ruby looked back at how they got to the hallway they were in as well. The paths they had taken were once not there at all. It seemed the maze they traveled was constantly changing, fitting itself to be more challenging by the moment. It was all so confusing, yet fitting in some strange way. Dia noticed Ruby's puzzled face before asking aloud,
"What's wrong, Ruby?"
Rather than reflecting any longer on it, the young girl shook her head before turning back to the new hall.
"N-Nothing. Let's just get out of here."
Letting their shoes echo in the halls to fill their silent walk, they continued on. It wasn't until there was a large thump towards the door in which Ruby woke up in.
Both Dia and Ruby turned towards the noise. Something kept hitting itself against the door, chipping away at the wooden frame. Whoever was behind it didn't seem to have the time to simply pull the door, but rather they had to break it.
Both girls began to slowly back away until the door burst open. Letting out a scream, Dia and Ruby were stuck in place. With Ruby's hand shakily still holding her flashlight, they could see a figure.
Standing before them, with a uniform freshly drenched in blood as well as bones protruding from her fair skin, Hanamaru looked at Ruby and Dia with tears in her eyes.
"Ruby-chan?"
It came out as faint as whisper, Ruby was almost uncertain she heard it. Taking a step backwards, Ruby shakily let out,
"H-Hanamaru-chan."
Taking a look at her better, Ruby was able to notice that Hanamaru still had the chains on her arms and legs. She seemed to have finally been able to free herself but what scared Ruby was the amount of strength she had to have to do so while also still being able to move the metal door out of the way to escape. Something was also in Hanamaru's hands but before she could question it, Hanamaru's words were no longer whispers as she yelled out to Ruby,
"Why did you leave me!?"
The yell echoed throughout the hall, causing Dia and Ruby to take a step back. Ruby could feel herself beginning to tear up as she was finally confronted for quite possibly her worst decision she ever made towards her best friend. Dia, however, whispered under her breath as she looked Hanamaru up and down,
"How did she escape?"
Hanamaru began to take a step forward, shocking the girls as she never dropped the volume in her voice,
"I was asking for food! And you just left me there to die, zura!"
The brown-haired girl was blinded by her rage as she threw the object in her hands in front of the girls. Ruby saw as it wasn't just any object, but rather a flurry of hair. With it finally stopping in front of them, the Kurosawa sisters could feel an unpleasant uprising in their stomachs as they recognized just who it belonged to. With her eyes still missing from her sockets, Riko's head laid tilted on its side, blood beginning to pool around it as it was freshly detached from the source.
"I thought we were friends."
Hanamaru whispered her words as she looked down at the head before the two girls. With anger to quickly replace the melancholy in her voice, Hanamaru locked eyes with Ruby. They stared at one another and it was then Ruby realized, that wasn't Hanamaru anymore. Taking a step back, Hanamaru continued forward. This time, booming the halls once more with her voice,
"I thought we were friends!"
With her last word, the brown-haired girl took off. It didn't take but a moment for the girls to react the same. Ruby led them as she shined her light down the hall. She hadn't ever been to the other side so she wasn't sure what could appear from the corner. Dia, who was catching up to Ruby rapidly, tried giving words of encouragement for her to run faster,
"Keep going, Ruby! Don't look back and we'll make it out."
Ruby felt as if there were bricks in her lungs and chains on her feet. Everything was becoming far too much for her. She let out in bated breath,
"I-I don't think I can. I've been running all day, onee-chan. I don't want to do this anymore."
Dia could see her younger sister beginning to give up as her pace steadily decreased. The older Kurosawa quickly tried to calm her,
"Come on, Ruby! You've come this far, you can't stop now. I'll carry you if you really need it, just don't give up!"
Ruby closed her eyes as she ran past the pain she felt. She couldn't let Dia be slowed down by her, it would guarantee they were caught. Her legs were screaming in pain but she couldn't stop here when she had made it so far. Looking forward, Ruby had noticed a turn coming up ahead. Each new thing that came up couldn't put ease to her mind though as it could lead to a dead end.
Taking the turn, Ruby saw the blinding lights of a larger room. As the room got closer though, she could still hear the rampant footsteps of Hanamaru continuously chasing them, never slowing down. Turning off her flashlight, Ruby gripped it tightly as if it were a stress ball to focus all of her pain into.
Entering the room, Ruby didn't have much time to look around as she immediately found her exit. Two halls were presented before her however, one door had a sign above it. In fading lights, 'Aqours' appeared before the group of girls, acting as a guide to them.
Entering the hall, Ruby realized the light was only bright in the main room. The halls were just dimly lit, barely enough to not have to use her flashlight.
By now, the twists and turns had started to become too much to the group. Each one silently hoped the other would give up but no one was willing to budge. Despite being behind Ruby, Dia was the first to notice a light coming from a doorway. It looked like the final stretch they needed to hopefully find a way to separate Hanamaru from them.
"Ruby, look, up ahead!"
Dia called out to her sister. As the young girl looked up, she could feel her heart clench in relief as she didn't know how much longer she could force herself to run. Each breath was a stab to her lungs while her feet felt as if they were stepping on glass.
Knowing that her younger sister was running out of time, Dia looked back to see how far Hanamaru was from them. In their luck however, it seemed Hanamaru was still a good way behind them. Turning to face forward once more, Dia noticed she had accidently put a bit of space between her and Ruby.
As they came closer to the door, adrenaline rushed through each of the girls' veins. It was their one chance of an end, whether to their own story or simply this single chapter in their life.
Ruby was the first one to step into the new room. As soon as her body passed the door frame though, all she could feel was the wind behind her as a large iron door skidded her achilles heel.
As the door hit the floor, the force of its weight threw Ruby to the ground. With her flashlight out of her hands, she quickly propped herself up, looking back at the now shut door.
"Onee-chan!"
Ruby yelled out but in response all she heard was a muffled,
"Ruby!"
Getting up, Ruby scratched the door's surface, attempting to find a handle or even a single bolt to pry the door open but the metal was cold against her fingertips.
Slamming her fists at the door, Ruby continued to yell out, to let Dia know she was on the other side. And though both girls tried their hand at opening the entrance, the door proved to be an unbeatable force.
It wasn't before a large thump vibrated against her hands that she realized it was too late. Ruby already knew what was happening as she heard Dia's agonizing screams of pain. The older girl's voice cracked as she filled the halls with her cries. Ruby felt as if her heart had been pierced with a fresh blade. She began to slam harder against the door, desperately trying to get her best friend's attention,
"Hanamaru-chan, stop! Please, I'm begging you!"
Ruby yelled out in tears as she hit the door with everything she had. Hanamaru didn't listen though as her moans of pleasure were louder than Ruby's cries. With every moment, less and less could be heard from Dia. With a final yell, Dia called out to Ruby,
"Ruby, I'm so sorry."
Each syllable fell more silent as she ended her sentence. Ruby could hear Dia attempt to fight Hanamaru back as soft blows muffled through the door but each punch became weaker as Hanamaru continued on.
Everything in the young Kurosawa wanted to yell back to her, to let Dia know she loved her or that it wasn't her fault but her words were caught in her throat as she finally fell silent along with her sister.
Placing her hands over her head, Ruby could only hear the soft noises of Hanamaru eating. She couldn't tell if she finally ran out of tears but as she lied on the cold floor, Ruby could feel nothing. It was as if someone had taken away her last fighting breath. The one person she believed could solve everything was nothing more.
"Why is this happening?"
It was all Ruby could whisper as she stared at the floor in front of her. However, laughter soon filled her ears, as if amused by her question. It was a laugh she knew all too well, a laugh that brought goosebumps to her skin.
Ruby's hands went straight to the ground to steady herself up. It was just the girl she couldn't stand the thought of, yet plagued her mind with each passing second.
Turning her head to the source of the noise, a single light was all Ruby could see. However, sparks began to light across the room, illuminating the area.
The dramatics of a light show finally revealed Yoshiko to Ruby. She stood before her in a black dress. The bottom was ripped off, stopping just above her knees, as if she had taken a blade to a seemingly long dress. Along her arms, Yoshiko sported long black gloves as they reached up just above her elbows. She wore no shoes though as her feet were bare against the ground. To top her off, a single black feather rested in her bun. Yoshiko looked fairly roughed up. Her dress was slightly ruffled while pieces of her hair stuck out. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment for so long.
Just like always, Yoshiko stood in her signature pose with her right hand over her eye and her left hand holding it up. With her eyes closed, Yoshiko let out in her deep calming voice,
"Hello, little demon Ruby."
Opening her eyes, Yoshiko couldn't help the smug look on her face as she saw Ruby's eyes filled with tears.
"It's nice to finally see you again, in person."
Ruby's eyebrows were furrowed as she tried her hardest to look hateful towards the girl in front of her that caused her so much hell. However, with so many emotions going through her body, she couldn't help but let her tears fall as she was greeted by the fallen angel. Balling her fist, Ruby whispered under her breath,
"Yoshiko."
Yoshiko broke from her pose. She slowly walked towards Ruby, smiling as she got closer to the distraught girl on the floor before her.
"I've gotta say, I'm impressed you managed to survive out there in my unstable world. Yes, my world."
Yoshiko was sure to emphasize her possession of the world, even poking her own chest as she said it.
"I created everything you see around you now. It wasn't easy, you know. It took time and strategic planning to orchestrate this beauty you see before you, and I'm not talking about myself."
The fallen angel laughed at her attempt at a joke. It fell to deaf ears though as Ruby hadn't broken her line of sight since Yoshiko began walking towards her.
"Luckily, time works differently around here. What would have taken months or even years to finish was easily achieved in but a few mortal hours. Do you want to know the best part too?"
Yoshiko questioned Ruby. She knew she wasn't going to get a response though as she continued on, boasting about herself as long as she could,
"I can move time in here as well. While you slept in my world for a day, the real world hasn't seen any of us for months. At this point, the police have long given up on the thought of any of us returning. No one's even looking anymore, they're just telling everyone that to give them false hope until they forget about all of this. In a few months, they won't miss us, but most importantly, they won't miss you."
Yoshiko smiled, showing her sharp canines. She was but a few steps from Ruby. She loved her slow pace at which she was reaching the girl, it was just like everything she imagined as she saw the fear in the young girl's eyes.
"But enough about all of that, let's change the subject, shall we?"
As her feet tapped the floor, Yoshiko finally stood before Ruby, looking down at her. She slowly lowered herself, placing her hand on the ground to steady her body. Yoshiko was at eye level with Ruby as she spoke to her,
"Isn't it a shame Dia-san couldn't make it? She was so close too."
Hearing her sister's name fall from Yoshiko's mouth brought nothing but anger in Ruby's soul. The fallen angel loved how easy the red-haired girl was to read. She wanted to see how much more she could push her.
"It's too bad she got locked out with Zuramaru too, of all people. If only she didn't slow down for,"
Yoshiko brought her hand from the floor, with dirt still trailing on her silk black gloves. Tapping Ruby's nose, Yoshiko whispered aloud,
"You."
Ruby balled her fists, scratching her skin against the floor. Anything to get her mind off the pain the thought of her sister brought to her heart. Yoshiko simply laughed at her attempt to compose herself. Standing up from her previous position, the fallen angel looked down at Ruby again, knowing exactly what to say to break her,
"Well, I won't miss her."
Yoshiko smiled, almost puffing out her chest with how proud she was of her words. She had longed to say these things since the moment the older Kurosawa brought literal hell to her life.
Ruby couldn't let Yoshiko talk about her sister like that. Not ever in the young girl's life had she been so furious. Getting up from the floor, Ruby stood on her shaky legs, getting her stance correct.
As she finally gained her strength, Ruby took a step towards Yoshiko.
"Oh?"
The fallen angel questioned Ruby's sudden courage, almost laughing at how serious she looked. As if she could see it a mile away, Yoshiko stepped to the side as Ruby threw her fist towards her. The young girl had all of her strength into her punch, causing her to stumble forward after she missed her target.
Before Ruby could turn back to Yoshiko though, the fallen angel already had different plans. Yoshiko kicked at the back of the smaller girl, causing her to fall to the ground.
Ruby quickly tried to get up, to not let Yoshiko have the upper hand, but with her strength barely holding on by a wire, she was too late.
It took but a simple step before Yoshiko's foot was over Ruby's back, putting pressure on her spine.
"Oh, so you want to fight me, huh?"
Giving a little push, Ruby's air was forced out of her as she wheezed in pain. In her batten breath though, she turned to look at Yoshiko,
"Y-You monster. Why are you doing this?"
To silence Ruby from talking, Yoshiko moved her foot upward from her back, making sure to fully step onto Ruby, to the top of her head. Placing her heel on Ruby's skull, Yoshiko was sure to push her face harshly against the ground. And though the fallen angel wanted to be as poised as she could, agitation still ran through her veins as she asked out,
"That didn't answer my question, so I'll ask again: do you want to fight me?"
Ruby didn't have to think about her answer however,
"I'm not gonna fight you."
Ruby clenched her fist in anger, her fingernails scratched at the hard floor below her as she thought of everyone she had lost and everyone who was still suffering their eternal hell within the walls Yoshiko created. Her sick game had gone on for far too long.
"I'm gonna kill you, Yoshiko."
Hearing her real name angered Yoshiko beyond belief. Taking her foot off Ruby, she slammed it to the ground, shaking the floor before her voice boomed within the room,
"It's Yohane! Nobody calls me that here!"
With Yoshiko's voice being so loud, Ruby brought her hands to her ears while closing her eyes. As Yoshiko's voice fell to echoes, Ruby peeked only to see her looking up directly at the fallen angel. She stood over her with a frown etched into her face as she let out in her alternate persona's voice,
"Fine, we'll fight, but not fairly. Or at least,"
Yoshiko let her sentence trail off as she stepped back from Ruby. She smiled down upon her as large black wings stretched out behind Yoshiko. The size was easily 6 feet in length, if Ruby could guess. Her feathers ruffled, as if they hadn't been used for a while, resting and waiting for their moment to shine. Ruby looked up at Yoshiko in shock as she wouldn't have even guessed there was anything behind her with how well they were hidden. The fallen angel smiled at Ruby's expression.
"Not anymore."
Grabbing her feather from her bun, Yoshiko flicked her wrist. The once smooth feather turned into a black blade within her hands. With a single jump, Yoshiko used her wings to take her into the air. Ruby covered her eyes to stop the dirt from hitting her as Yoshiko's wings let out a powerful gust in her absence. The room went completely black for a moment before flames rose from all around the two girls.
Lowering her hand, Ruby was finally able to see her surroundings. She stood on a single circular platform, as a pentagram was inscribed into the ground below her. All around her, on the edges of the platform, were large pillars for the fires to light the battleground.
It didn't take long before Yoshiko swooped down towards Ruby. Luckily, it didn't seem like Yoshiko was entirely used to her wings as Ruby was able to avoid her blade. With the fallen angel's wings being so large, wind blew all across the floor, even lifting up some of the dirt that laid there.
Yoshiko however continued to go towards Ruby, not taking a moment to spare. Despite the young girl being able to dodge the attacks, she knew she couldn't for long as her adrenaline could only give her so much strength.
Dodging Yoshiko's continuous attempts to strike her, Ruby thought of a plan she could use. As she searched the area around her, it was obvious she couldn't remove one of the fire stands as they were built in concrete. Scanning the area more though, a metal shined against the flames of the fire.
The flashlight.
Ruby had long forgotten the light after she had dropped it. Running towards it, Yoshiko continued her sweeps down towards her. Having to stop every so often caused problems with her plan as she continued to lose progress, taking her backwards in order to avoid Yoshiko's strikes. Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with that, Ruby let out a silent prayer as she took a chance.
Running at full speed, Ruby ran forward. Yoshiko had just missed her attack, giving her this one moment.
The young girl felt shivers down her spine, as if someone were right behind her. Jumping forward, Ruby reached out towards the light. The speed at which she was running however, caused her to skid father than she would have liked.
With the flashlight in her hands though, Ruby looked up to see she was merely a few inches from the edge. She quickly rolled away from it before looking upwards. Yoshiko was already flying towards her, smiling as she saw how close to the edge Ruby was. A simple gust of wind would easily knock her off the platform.
Before Yoshiko could get any closer though, Ruby quickly sat up. Flashlight fumbling in her hands, Ruby gripped the edge before taking aim at the fallen angel before her.
As Ruby let the flashlight slip from her grip towards Yoshiko, she closed her eyes. She knew if she didn't hit her target, the other girl surely would. To her luck though, all that was heard was a thump followed by a tumble on the ground.
Just like with Dia, Ruby's aim was perfect. Ruby opened her eyes as she saw Yoshiko looking up at the sky from her position on the ground with dazed eyes. Her dress' laces were falling apart from the seams as her pale skin sported obvious signs of road rash.
Yoshiko reached her hands to her head before quickly looking at the ground, panicked. As if Ruby understood, she too looked around. Yoshiko's blade was gone.
They both stood to their feet in search of it. Ruby's eyes caught it first though as she began running towards the shining knife on the ground.
Yoshiko wasn't going to give it up that easy though, she ran towards Ruby.
The young girl was so exhausted from everything, it didn't take long before Yoshiko locked her arms around Ruby's head while circling her leg around her. Ruby reached out her hands though in an attempt to break herself from Yoshiko's grip. The fallen angel simply laughed at her pitiful struggles before whispering in her ear,
"Up we go."
Spreading her wings out, Yoshiko took Ruby into the air with her.
Ruby held on tight to Yoshiko as she was taken from the ground. Her feet dangled below her as the platform became smaller and smaller.
With her heart going into overdrive, Ruby yelled out to Yoshiko in a trembling voice,
"Yoshiko, stop it! Let me go!"
Yoshiko couldn't help the anger leaking from her voice as she yelled out,
"I've already told you, it's Yohane!"
Taking out her anger in Ruby, Yoshiko held tightly onto the young girl, digging her nails into her. Yelling out in pain, Ruby's eyes were filled with tears.
"Stop it, let me go!"
The taller girl simply laughed as she quickly let go of Ruby, only to grab her by a single hand. The young girl, who could feel herself slipping from Yoshiko's grasp, grabbed her other hand onto the girl above her. Her feet continued to kick in the air, as if searching for something to step upon. Looking up, Ruby was met with a smiling Yoshiko.
"If you really insist on me letting go, I guess I could."
Ruby quickly held on tighter to Yoshiko's hand before yelling out repeatedly,
"Wait!"
Yoshiko turned her head to the side as if she were an innocent puppy and not a girl attempting to drop another to their death.
"Yoshi-I mean- Yohane, please don't do it! Let's talk this out, I'm sure we can work something out. I'll do anything, please."
Yoshiko began to laugh at Ruby's attempt to swindle her. She decided she'd play along though, she hadn't had any fun in a while anyways. Lowering them both to the ground, Ruby was the first to touch the floor, quickly falling to her knees. Yoshiko lowered herself as well soon afterwards. The gust of wind settled around the both of them. Ruby's hands were at her heart as she attempted to calm herself down. Yoshiko had her arms crossed over her though, already losing patience in their situation.
"So, you want to talk it out? Well, start talking then. Make me an offer I can't refuse."
Ruby sat on the ground trembling as she really had thought those were her last moments. Her eyes danced across the ground as she pondered her thoughts. She knew she couldn't truly negotiate with Yoshiko. Yoshiko would just trick her into suffering a fate worse than death after all the problems she had caused. Ruby also knew the knife was too far away from her now to get to it in time, it was too high of a risk.
It took but a single moment for time to stop for Ruby, one thought constantly crossed her mind when she was in Yoshiko's world. How she wanted so badly to leave and go back home to normal. But the only problem was, there was no more normal. Yoshiko had taken every person she held so dear to her heart and left them to suffer, wandering the halls whether physically or now in spirit. Dia nor the rest of the Aqours members would ever be at rest now because of everything Yoshiko had done.
Before Ruby knew it, her tears were already streaming down her face as she looked up at Yoshiko.
"Oh, so now you have nothing to say? First you wanted to talk but now you shut up?"
Yoshiko was beyond annoyed with Ruby by now. The one person who defied all of her rules and still called her by her name left a sour taste in her mouth.
Ruby got up, quickly masking every thought she previously had behind a smile.
"I just realized, I never got to thank you for this amazing gift, Yohane."
Ruby dug into her pockets, pulling out her keychain she had held close to her for her entire journey. She placed it into the palm of her own hand, as if showing it off to Yoshiko. The taller girl looked down at the keychain in between the both of them confused.
"Oh, uh, you're welcome? What does that have to do with anything?"
Ruby could only smile as she brought her right hand to Yoshiko's arm. The sudden touch threw the fallen angel off guard.
"Hey! What are you-"
Before she could finish though, Ruby, with her ever so present smile, cut her off.
"You know, it was the perfect gift. Even now it's my greatest present."
Ruby's hand tightened against Yoshiko, causing the girl to gasp in shock. Taking a step back to get away, Ruby took her chance. Using everything she had, she took her step forward, entering Yoshiko's personal space as she slammed the keychain into Yoshiko's eye.
Though the fallen angel saw it coming at the last minute, her reaction was not fast enough as Ruby's hands slipped past her fingers.
Ruby didn't have time to push it any farther as Yoshiko had already pushed her back. As Ruby fell to the ground, blood ran down her hand she used.
Yoshiko's hands went to her eye, wanting to comfort it but with the chain lodged in there, it caused more pain with each soft touch.
Ruby got up from the ground, smiling at what she had done. Finally, even if things didn't go as planned, at least in some way she made Yoshiko suffer.
Yoshiko backed away from Ruby more. With her body hunched over and her blood dripping onto her hands, she whispered to herself,
"No, this wasn't supposed to happen."
Shooting her head up, Ruby got to see Yoshiko face to face. Her eyelids attempted to close around the chain in her cranium, keeping it in place as her blood continued to pour down her face, almost as if they were her tears. Her hands as well as her dress were freshly drenched. She no longer looked composed and in control.
"What did you do, Ruby?"
As Yoshiko asked her question, both the girls began to hear large objects falling from all around. They both looked to see the world they stood in slowly falling apart. The concrete pillars that held the fires were falling down into the nothingness below them. The floor began to crack below their feet as black ashes fell like snow all around.
Yoshiko was filled with rage as she saw what was happening all around. Her perfectly unstable world had come to its end because of a simple mistake she made.
With Ruby distracted looking at the crumbling world, Yoshiko ran towards the blade that had been forgotten by the two. Swiftly picking it up from the ground, Yoshiko ran towards Ruby.
Jumping up, Yoshiko tackled Ruby to the ground. Despite the fires around them falling from sight, the ones that remained sparked higher than before as the battle was finally coming to its climax.
With Yoshiko on top of Ruby, the fallen angel took both of her hands, holding onto the handle of the blade, before bringing it down onto Ruby. The young girl was just able to grab Yoshiko's wrists however, keeping the blade just a mere few inches from her face. With Yoshiko looking down at her, blood began to trail from her face. It flowed as gravity brought it down, dripping onto Ruby.
Ruby's eyes, which had been focused on the blade, looked up to see Yoshiko struggling with everything she had. The girl above her began to lift herself up by her knees before trying to force the knife down to Ruby with her weight.
The red-haired girl was only able to stop Yoshiko's great strength with her own elbows hitting the ground each time Yoshiko pushed down on her. With so much force being used, the keychain that had been stuck in Yoshiko fell out, hitting Ruby, leaving even more trails of blood onto her face.
With the knife still not reaching its target each time, it led Yoshiko to grow more and more hatred towards Ruby. The smaller girl just wouldn't give up.
Spreading her wings out, the massive length of them covered the light from the flames that were spiraling all around. Yoshiko couldn't help her own voice from cracking as she yelled out,
"This is all your fucking fault."
Yoshiko spit out her words as she attempted to force the knife down harder, letting her anger drive her strength,
"If you just would have stuck to your useless self, none of this would have happened! I could've finally been happy for once!"
With both of the girls shaking to keep the knife from themselves, Yoshiko finally smiled at the girl below her,
"Well guess what Ruby? If I'm going to hell, you're coming with me."
By now, all the noises Ruby had been making were from the grunts of her struggling to keep the blade between them at bay. However, hearing from Yoshiko that she was the one to blame angered the smaller girl.
"This is my fault?!"
Ruby couldn't believe the words coming from her.
"You're the only one to blame! You and your fallen angel shtick caused all of this! You killed our friends!"
Ruby didn't want to say the words, as it meant they were truly real, but she couldn't help herself as she yelled out in tears,
"You killed my sister!"
All of the anger came rushing back to Ruby. With everything she had, she pushed Yoshiko off of her. The knife fell from her hands once more.
Ruby was the first to get up, quickly grabbing the knife. Yoshiko soon got up as well but she was too late as Ruby was already before her.
Yoshiko didn't want to run, as it seemed like such a cowardly thing to do. She would rather fight. However, with how she had hit the ground so many times within a short period, she regretted her decision soon after. She felt the blade she used for so long finally pierce her own skin as she just couldn't coordinate where Ruby's hands were in time.
Ruby held the blade into Yoshiko's lower ribs, holding her body close to her. Slowly backing her to the edge of the platform, both girls took slow steps to push one another back but it was Ruby who was finally winning the fight. Yoshiko stopped them before they could reach the edge though. With her hand on top of Ruby's to push it away from her ribs, the young girl finally let go of the blade.
Yoshiko held her hands onto the knife as it rested in her skin. Her dress had become drenched by then. She looked down at the torn fabric the blade was in before feeling a pair of hands on her shoulders. By the time she looked up, her feet were no longer on the ground. Yoshiko could only see the light of the flames that ignited her playground. With her one hand holding onto her wound, she reached her other out towards the girl who was quickly fading from her sight.
It was a bit too late to ask for help though.
Ruby looked down at where she stood. She could see the black feathers of Yoshiko's wings trail behind her, falling off faster than the girl descended. She watched as her name finally fit her. Truly a fallen angel. While she had tried to reach back towards the heavens, the wings that were once given to Yoshiko simply faded as she did.
Ruby turned around, she didn't want to spare her any pity. Looking around, the small girl saw as the flames around her quickly began fading. It finally occurred to her what was happening.
Running towards the center of the platform, Ruby picked up the last thing that was left from it all. Within her hands, she held on tightly to the bloodied keychain.
All around the girl, the flames died as the floor began to crack away in bigger chunks.
Ruby stood all alone as she watched the world crumble before her. She finally closed her eyes as she fell to her knees. Tears trailed down her face as she held onto her once precious gift. Whether it was truly from Yoshiko's heart or Yohane's, it did remind her of a better time. It was all she could ask for in her final moments.
Nothing had been kind to her within her final journey in life. Where there was once happiness or a chance at freedom, it was quickly taken away but a few short moments later. It hurt, but there was nothing more to do except accept fate.
The ground beneath Ruby that she kneeled upon soon fell through. There was no more light to guide her but rather an endless descend into nothingness.
At least in her final moments, she finally felt free.