Minako closed her eyes and tears streamed down her face.

"Minato? Minato! Wake up!" Yukari shouted as she shook Minato.

"Wake up! Wake the hell up!" Junpei screeched.

"Check his pulse!" Mitsuru commanded. The Nurse nodded and went toward Minato to check his pulse. Turning around, she shook her head grimly.

"Dammit..." Akihiko cursed, "GODDAMIT!"

"Check it again!" Rio insisted, "The machine could be busted-" The gang began to argue with the medical team. But one voice made them quiet down.

"No." Minako said solemnly as she held Minato's hand, "He's gone. There's nothing we can do." She said with a hollow, dead voice.

"Minato...!" Yukari sobbed, "Minato...? Don't leave me again..."

"No...!" Fuuka choked, sobbing audibly.

Rio's tears streamed down her face. Kenji fell on his knees trying hard not to cry.

"Minato-kun..." Pinky sniffled.

Lee went to a wall, hammered it softly with his fist and cried.

Minako closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held Minato's hand tighter and kissed him, "We waited for the Angels to come..." She breathed, and looked up toward Heaven, "And they did."

With hope in her heart gone, she despaired.

March 3, 2035...

Friday...

"And that's how I met Minato." The Mother of three said as she closed her leather-bound notebook.

"Sigh! That was such a romantic story, Mum!" Her 11 year old daughter, Yūki, swooned.

"Especially Minato... Oh... I'd like to meet a man like him..." Yurika, her 10 year old daughter said.

The mother smiled. It had been nearly 25 years since he died for everyone. A middle aged woman, with red hair streaked with grey, her former beauty undiminished by the ravages of time, had taken the entire day regaling her three children with stories about her life... And told her children about him... As she did every year.

Holding their hands, and carrying the other, she had guided them up the grassy hill, to the cherry blossom tree, below it is where her first love would rest until the end of time.

Since his death, she had always visited this lonesome hill. The same hill that once was the site of the Astronomy Tower, which was demolished and in its place, his tomb was erected in honor of his enduring memory. It overlooked the sea, where he threw away the Bane of Men, AKA Lucifer's Blade, and Gekkoukan Highschool, now renamed Arisato Imperial Academy, where it all began.

His tomb is what some would call 'elegantly simple', consisting of a small shrine, where the offerings are always in abundance, his old sword embedded upon a boulder and a great marble monolith, engraved:

Arisato Minato

Born: September 25, 1993

Died: March 7, 2011

Age: 18

Here lies a man, Brave in Life, Fearless in Death.

You shall always be remembered by those you left behind.

She had set up a picnic blanket and let her young children sit while she lit the incense sticks and flowers.

"Yup. Minato and I were great buddies back in the day. Right, Bestie?" She said to the gravestone.

The gravestone, however, did not answer. As it did everyday for the past 25 years, it remained silent.

"So, uh, anyway..." She mumbled, "Yūki here turned 11! Too bad you missed the party... We had a Froot Loop cake." She strokes her blue haired daughter's head, "And little Yurika is learning how to play the piano, like you did! Though, she's just five, she's really good. As for our friends, Yukari just got married to a guy named Nathan. A bit of a jerk, but he's lovable... Mitsuru's kid turned 12. He likes Yūki." She said as Yūki looked surprised, "Fuuka and Lee got engaged, but Lee returned to the Army not long after your death... Akihiko-senpai and Leah-nee had twins today, Shinjiro and Miki. Junpei and Chidori were married and now they run their realty firm. Oh, and Quan became a Professor, like his dad, and Pink developed her own brand of pink hair dye... That still stumps me to this day. Anyway, Kenji started his own ramen store, while his wife, Rio, became an Professional Badminton player, but juggling her time with her Doctorate in Nutrition."

Still, the gravestone made no reply.

Frowning, she was very determined, "And... Little Minato," a tear rolled down her eye as she cradled her six month old son's head, "He's eating a lot now, just like you and I did back in the day."

A gust of wind blew past her, making a tiny twister of cherry blossom petals. She smiled, thinking he would respond any second from now.

"Mama, were you at his funeral?" Yurika asked.

She smiled fondly, "Yeah, I was..."

"What was it like?" Yuki asked.

Minako closed her eyes.

It was a cloudy day. The mood of the weather matched that of those who knew Minato intimately. The sky rumbled loudly, as if mourning for the loss of their Champion.

The girls he helped out at New York sang at his funeral. His funeral was held in front of his shrine. Mitsuru had a beautiful ivory boat, with a swan prow, made for him. It was lined with satin and filled with exotic roses. In it was Minato.

People from all walks of life came to pay their respects, even Queen Thalia, Lord Sorensen, Captain Theseus and Monk Gyatso Tenzin. After a few tear filled eulogies, his funeral boat was lit aflame and pushed off and cast at sea, with the people dwindling as his boat left the horizon...

"Why did he die...? It doesn't make sense..." Junpei sighed.

"Tsk... Too young, man... Too young..." Lee shook his head as he left with the others.

But one person stayed.

Minako, garbed in black, stared into the horizon. Her gaze never flickered away from the burning boat, nor did it twitched when it sank.

"And if I find you're not there by Judgement Day, I'd give my wings back and turn the other way, for I know my place would be by your place, even I must forsake the Pearly Gates..." She said tearfully, "Minato... I'll never forget you..." She finally said, her lips quivering, "You'll live on. I'll tell my children about you... I promise." She sobbed.

The sky rumbled loudly, and the clouds parted, as if accepting her oath.

"Oh Minato..." She sobbed, unable to hold in her emotions. She sobbed for quite a while.

"Mum, don't cry." Yūki, her purple locks flowing in the wind, said, "He wouldn't like that."

"That's true, Mama." Yurika said, "Don't cry."

Pulling herself together, Minako stood up, her chin jutting up, "Right." Then realized the time, "Your father must be waiting for us. We should go. Say goodbye to your Uncle."

"Bye Unca Minato!" They two cried and held Minako's hand.

"Minato... goodbye." Minako said pensively, "We'll meet again soon..." She walked away, before turning back, "Oh yeah... I'll always love you. Remember that... Idiot." Minako smiled fondly, and stroked her Days of Autumn ring for a few moments, remembering the times they shared that she will always cherish.

When he had passed away, she was beyond inconsolable, and wouldn't stop crying for months. But after several years, she finally unshackled the chains of her path, and married a good man from Inaba, who treated her well and had three children with him.

But... Somewhere deep in her heart, she never forgot, nor will she ever forget, the first man she had fallen in love with... Even now.

And maybe... When she reaches her journey's end... She'll meet Minato again, and tell him everything that happened along the way.

Slowly, she took off her ring and looked over the horizon, where Minato's funeral boat disappeared. She closed her eyes and remembered the best time of her life with Minato as her tears streamed from her eyes. She gave all her love to the ring with a kiss, then, with all her strength, she threw the ring into the sea, hoping it would find its way to Minato.

Smiling fondly, she blew a kiss at Minato's grave and walked away in the looming sunset, treasuring her memories with Minato in her heart, until the end of her days.