A/N: Here's my submission for Day Two: Reunion! This one actually takes place way in the future of my series, towards the eventual endpoint. Please read, review, and enjoy!
The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Momoharu Week 2022!
Day Two: Reunion!
Maki's red eyes fluttered open as she gingerly sat up. Yawning, she stretched her arms into the air, blinking away the haze in her vision. As she glanced around, she frowned, her brow furrowing at the plush white clouds surrounding her. Looking up, she saw a pleasant light shining above her. Not strong enough to blind her, but enough bathe the room in a happy glow.
"Where…where am I…" She pondered as she got to her feet. "This definitely isn't my room. In fact, I have no idea where this is…"
As she continued to look around her surroundings with an anxiously curious eye, she spotted a small lake a short distance away. With a sudden sense of urgency, she hurried over to it. Looking down into its clear depths, she saw her own reflection. She barely withheld a gasp as she observed her youthful face and her pristine skin.
"How…how is this possible…?" Maki began to quake, shaking her head. "No way…no way…this isn't…possible…I…I should have wrinkles! In fact, I shouldn't have been able to walk this quickly at my age. But I…I look like how I did when I was in my 20s! That…that can't be. I…I'm dreaming…I have to be dreaming…"
"Nah, you're not dreaming, Maki Roll."
"Huh…?" Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she saw a familiar, purple-haired reflection next to hers. Daring to turn around, she couldn't hold back her shocked gasp as she saw her deceased husband, Kaito Momota, grinning like an idiot and waving at her.
"K-Kaito…?"
"Hey, Maki Roll! Glad to see me-oof!"
Kaito felt the wind get knocked out of him as Maki tackled him into a hug. Tears streamed from her eyes as she cried against his chest.
"Kaito! Kaito! Is…is it really you…?"
Kaito smiled, wrapping his arms around his beloved assassin and stroking her back. "Yeah, it's me, Maki. This isn't a dream; I'm right here with you."
Maki's eyes widened as the truth hit her like a pile of bricks. "But, if I'm really seeing you…and this isn't a dream, then…I'm…"
"Dead…yeah." Kaito sighed. "You're dead now, just like me."
"Is…is that why I look…so much younger now…?"
"Yeah, I don't pretend to understand it myself, but apparently, when we die, our spiritual forms become whatever age we were when we were in our prime." The former astronaut tried to explain.
"I…I see…but…I didn't feel anything. Isn't dying supposed to be…painful…? I mean…you looked like you were in a lot of pain when you died."
"It doesn't have to be, though. Some people pass on without feeling any pain at all, like if it happens in their sleep."
"Is…that what happened to me…?"
Kaito nodded. "Yeah…I…made sure it would happen while you slept."
"You…you can do that…?" Maki gasped in awe.
"If they have a strong enough attachment to someone on death's door, then it's possible for a spirit to manipulate their life force to some degree. It's not like I could extend your life or anything…but I could at stave off death until you were asleep so you couldn't feel the pain." Kaito frowned, his voice growing quiet. "After leaving you to take care of Haruki alone…I thought that was the least I could do for you."
"I…I see…" Maki gripped Kaito tighter, a small smile gracing her face. "I made sure she knew plenty about you as a little girl."
Kaito beamed with joy at the revelation. "I saw! I…caught little bits, here and there. Still, I'm glad she at least got to know what kind of person her old man was, even if she didn't get to know me herself."
"Yeah, between me and the Naegis, she memorized plenty of stories about you. She might even know them better than I do."
Kaito burst into gleeful laughter, overjoyed at the knowledge that his daughter was an expert about him even without his physical presence in her life. Maki's smile grew wider as she felt his laughter reverberate through his chest.
"I'm proud of you, Maki Roll. You raised a fine, young girl, and I'm happy you didn't spend your life wallowing in depression over my passing."
"I knew you wouldn't want that. Besides…your daughter takes after you a lot. In a way, it…made me feel like you were still here with us. It helped to give me the strength to keep pushing forward and live a life. To be honest…I didn't know if I could do it, at first. I doubted that I could raise a family without you. But…I made sure to do my best."
Kaito nodded, stroking her twin-tailed hair. "You were amazing in life, Maki. As a wife, and as a mother. I'm just sorry that you had to be taken away from Haruki…"
"I'm sorry too, but it's not like she's gonna be an orphan…not like I was. She's a grown woman now, Kaito. She can take care of herself without her mom constantly watching her, and I think she accepted that this was coming. We might not have known exactly when I was going to die, but we knew I was in the twilight years of my life."
"…She's still gonna mourn your passing."
"…That's inevitable, Kaito. It's a fact I've accepted since I became an assassin. I knew full well that my targets had loved ones who would mourn them, who would hate me for taking their loved one away from them. I accepted their hatred, and their grief. I've also accepted the fact that my daughter would mourn my death, just as I mourned yours. But it's just a fact of life, Kaito. And mourning isn't necessarily a bad thing. It means…those who died are remembered fondly by those still alive."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah…it's hard to watch, but grief is important. It's not gonna be easy seeing Haruki or the Naegis mourn your death, just like it wasn't easy seeing you mourn mine…but it's inevitable, jus tlike you said."
Kaito sighed, the two falling silent. A peaceful tranquility passed between them before Kaito smiled and released her.
"Well, enough sad talk. Come on, let me show you some of the afterlife! I'll even introduce you to some of the friends I've made since I got here. Makoto and Kyoko had some awesome classmates when they were kids!"
…Should have known the idiot would bond with some of them…though if I never see Junko Enoshima, it'll still be too soon… Shaking the thought from her head, Maki smiled and threaded her fingers with Kaito's. "Alright, lead the way, idiot."
As Kaito grinned and pulled her by the hand, Maki smiled at their joined fingers. Her cheeks turned pink as she imagined her afterlife with the man she loved. I'm looking forward to an eternity with you, Kaito Momota. We have a lot to catch up on!
