The Visiting Hour

Takane slowly approached Hibiki's bedside and sat next to her on a chair. The tan girl was breathing shakily and her monitor was "beeping" slowly. She looked over at Takane and smiled.

"H-hey, Takane," she greeted quietly.

"Hibiki, you were absolutely incredible," Takane breathed. She reached over and clutched Hibiki's hand gently. Hibiki squeezed back for a second and then let her hand relax.

"Ya think so?" she asked, her voice breaking. She coughed.

Takane nodded and paused to examine her. Her chest, shoulder, and head had been bandaged up, and the blood cleaned from her body. The crimson liquid spilled out of her mouth and Takane reached over to wipe it off. Hibiki offered her a grateful smile, but said nothing. The monitor was hooked up to her heart, and she wore a mask over her mouth to aid with her breathing. Takane frowned.

"Somethin' wrong?"

Takane snapped to attention. Hibiki was looking at her worriedly, taking in gulps of air through her mouth. The silver-haired idol shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing is the matter. I was just noticing that you look a little different," she insisted.

Hibiki chuckled, then started coughing.

"Hibiki!" Takane gasped. Hibiki sat up and pulled the mask off to cough some more, droplets of blood flying from her mouth. Takane stood and held her up until she stopped. Hibiki pulled the mask back on her face with Takane's help, and then the older girl lay her back down. She placed a hand on her heart and sat.

"I'm OK," Hibiki assured her. "Jus' a li'l coughin' fit. I'm fine."

Takane frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yup."

She allowed herself to smile at Hibiki, who smiled back.

"Anyone else comin'?" she questioned Takane.

"Makoto came," Takane replied. "But she had to go to the bathroom. She'll be here shortly."

Hibiki grinned. "That all?"

Takane nodded sadly.

"Good. Now I can spend my last hours with two o' the people I love the most. Too bad I couldn't get Hamuzou and Inumi here too…heck, all the li'l critters!" Hibiki closed her eyes and chuckled. Luckily, this time she didn't cough. Takane let out a breath of relief.

"I am sorry. I should have gone to retrieve them," she said apologetically.

Hibiki shook her head. "Don't worry 'bout it, it's no problemo. I knew they wouldn't be able to come anyhow…"

The door to Hibiki's room flew open and Makoto ran inside, going instantly to Hibiki's other side to grasp her other hand. "Hibiki! Are you alright?! Did they say you were going to be OK?!"

Hibiki looked at her sadly and then turned to Takane. She looked at the monitor.

Makoto followed her gaze. "That doesn't mean a thing, Hibiki. I know you're strong. You'll be fine. Right?"

Hibiki sighed. "I dunno," she admitted. "The doctors haven't said anythin' 'bout it."

"You'll be fine," Makoto promised. "If you were able to stand out there, you can stand in here. You were awesome. I was really impressed and a little surprised."

"Me too," Hibiki murmured. "I thought she was an assassin, right? So why did it seem like she was goin' easy on me?"

"Maybe she felt sorry for you," Takane suggested.

"Takane, assassins don't feel sorry for nobody…"

Makoto giggled. "You seem to be in good spirits, at least."

"Yeah, an' y'all are makin' it hard with all your talk of death an' such!" Hibiki whined.

"Sorry," Makoto laughed. She gripped Hibiki's hand a little harder and Hibiki squeaked. She loosened her grip and settled for simply caressing Hibiki's hand with her thumb. Takane stared at her friend's broken and injured body and allowed a single tear to slide down her cheek.

Hibiki will likely not survive, she told herself. If that is indeed the case, I must speak to her as though she may die…but, if I do, she will no doubt be angry… She took a deep breath and smiled warmly at Hibiki. "Hibiki, have I ever told you what an amazing friend you are?"

Hibiki looked over at her and smiled. "I'm sure ya have," she answered.

"You have always been there for me when I needed you. I must say I admire your courage and your sense of humor. Thank you," Takane told her. She smiled.

Hibiki frowned. "Stop," she begged. "Please, Takane. Stop talkin' to me like I'm gonna die. I don't like it, y'all. I'm scared! I'm really, really scared!"

Takane and Makoto exchanged a glance and looked back down to Hibiki, shaking and crying. She looked over at Takane, and then turned over to Makoto.

"Guys…guys, what do I do?" she whispered.

Makoto clutched her hand with both of hers. "You'll be OK, Hibiki. You're not going to die. And if you do, you don't need to worry about a thing. Takane and I will be right here with you when you pass into the next life. And then, you'll be able to say hi to Miki for us. Miki, and Yayoi, and Azusa-san. And don't you ever forget, Hibiki, that we won't ever forget you. OK? You left a huge mark on us and we all love you so much."

Hibiki smiled. "Makoto…"

"Did you hear me, Hibiki?!"

Hibiki blinked. "Yeah…are ya OK?"

Makoto stared down at her, the tears falling from her eyes, her face contorted with pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently. "I'm not OK, Hibiki, alright?! None of us are OK! We never should have come here, and I realize that now, but…Hibiki, I don't want you to leave me! Please!"

Hibiki frowned. "Makoto, I'm sorry…"

Makoto shook her head again and wiped her eyes. "It isn't your fault," she murmured. "But I just don't know what to do…when we came to this tournament, I promised myself that I wouldn't let any of you die, but then…then we lost Miki, Yayoi, and Azusa-san, and now you're dying, and I keep trying to tell myself that everything is going to be fine, that no one else is going to die here, and that it wasn't all useless, but the fact is that you're dying, Hibiki!"

Hibiki winced. "I know," she admitted.

"I know that you're scared, Hibiki," Makoto began, "but I have to say, I might be the most scared out of anyone here, because I was supposed to protect you and one by one I'm watching all my friends die!" She burst into sobs, falling to her knees. Her head dropped onto Hibiki's bed and she gripped the fallen girl's hand, shaking. Hibiki rubbed her hand with her thumb and smiled slightly.

"You're really takin' this hard, huh?" she cooed. "It's OK, Makoto. If…no, when…when I die, I'll—"

"Don't you dare talk that way!" Makoto demanded.

"Ya know I can't survive this!" Hibiki cried. She started coughing again and Takane instantly sat her up and pulled off the mask. Hibiki coughed for a couple minutes before yanking the mask over her mouth and gulping in big breaths of air. Takane lay her back down and took her other hand again.

"Why are ya takin' this so hard?" Hibiki gasped. "I don't understand it! Why the heck are ya sufferin' more than Takane, or Iori? Iori lost her best friend and she's not even grieving as much as you! Heck, Azusa-san was her group member, too! She has way more of a right to be sobbin' into a bed than ya—"

"Because all of this is MY FAULT, Hibiki!"

Hibiki fell silent, staring at her friend. Makoto looked genuinely angry now, her eyes full of regret and fury. The Prince of 765 Productions clutched Hibiki's hand like a lifeline, her whole body still shaking violently. Hibiki wished she could just embrace her, but the injuries to her body and the Takane on her other hand prevented her from doing so. Makoto's eyes narrowed.

"Don't you get it, Hibiki?! NONE of this would have happened if it weren't for ME! Because I brought up the tournament in the first place, three people—no, four! FOUR people are dead or dying! And there isn't anything I can do about it! And I promise you, Hibiki, you are not going to be the last one to die, OK?! Do you even understand how hard this is on me?!"

"No," Hibiki said quietly. She glanced at the monitor, at the constantly-slowing jagged lines showing her heartbeat. She listened to the machine "beep" in the background of Makoto's loud sobs. The livid girl let out a loud wail and rested her forehead on Hibiki's hand.

"Makoto…"

"Don't leave me, Hibiki! Please!" Makoto pleaded. "Please!"

"I don't have a choice," Hibiki breathed. "Makoto, it hurts…"

Takane, who had been sitting in silence, suddenly stood. "We should go," she muttered, placing her hand on Makoto's shoulder. Makoto slapped it away and clutched Hibiki's hand again. Takane frowned. "She is dying. Admit it. Do you really want to sit here and watch her die? Is that not a painful thing to do?"

"You wouldn't understand," Makoto sniffed. "None of you will ever understand how I feel."

Takane nodded. "I know this. But, as for me, to watch a girl so is so very dear to me slip out of this world…Hibiki, I am not strong enough for such a thing." Slowly, the older woman leaned down and gave Hibiki a kiss on the forehead, then she straightened up and lifted her chin. "So, for the purpose of retaining what dignity and sanity I possess, I have to leave you. I am so sorry, Hibiki…"

Hibiki smiled at her past the salty tears rolling down her face. "Don't worry, Takane. I understand. Please…take care o' the others for me, OK? An' I'll say 'hi' to Miki. I love ya, Takane."

"I…love you too, Hibiki."

"Heck, I love all o' ya," Hibiki admitted. She glanced at Makoto, who hadn't moved since her last outburst. "Please don't cry over me. I died happy, 'kay?"

"No." Makoto sniffled. "It's not OK."

"I'm sorry."

"I'M sorry, Hibiki. I shouldn't have let you get involved in this."

"Would ya stop it?! We chose this, 'kay? An' if we die…well, that was part of our choice too." Hibiki coughed. "Ow…I can't keep talkin' like this. I guess that last thing I have to say is…please remember what we've all said to ya. None of us…none of them blame ya for what happened. I understand that you're hurtin'. But just calm down, and remember that we chose this ourselves. This isn't your fault, Makoto."

Makoto sniffled again and shifted. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"But that doesn't change the fact that they're dead, Hibiki. Whether it was really my fault or not, the fact that I have to sit here watching you die—"

"No one is akin' ya to stay here with me," Hibiki cut in. She coughed violently and let out a moan. "Makoto…I am going to die here. Right now. So if ya don't wanna see that, then get out of here."

Makoto looked up at her. "I want to go with you, Hibiki."

"NO!"

"Hibiki…!"

"Don't ya dare ever think that way again, Makoto!" Hibiki ordered. "I am not goin' to let ya give up! These guys need ya, OK?! Ya have to be strong for them!" The monitor slowed even more and Hibiki half-screamed, half-moaned. She twitched on the bed, her breathing becoming extremely hoarse and jagged. "Thanks. For stayin' here…"

"Hibiki, no!"

"Goodbye, Makoto. Please take care o' yourself."

"HIBIKI!"

The monitor stopped. The single, piercing sound that signaled Hibiki's death sliced through all of Makoto's thoughts but one—Hibiki was dead. The boyish girl didn't move or speak; she just sat, staring in agonized sorrow at Hibiki's still body. The door cracked open, revealing Yukiho's face, which twisted in sadness at the sound of the long, monotonous "beep" coming from the monitor. The shy girl slid inside and walked over to her best friend's side.

"Makoto-chan…" Yukiho sniffed. "Makoto-chan, th-the others are worried. I—"

She was cut off by an ear-splitting wail, one of the most grievous sounds the frail brunette had ever heard. She yelped and backed away from the source of the sound; Makoto. After a few moments of listening to her cry and scream, Yukiho approached her again.

"M-Makoto-chan…"

"Go away, Yukiho!"

Yukiho sniffled and slowly wrapped her arms around Makoto. "Don't worry, Makoto-chan. Hibiki-chan must have known she would die. I'm sure she's happy. Please calm down."

"I can't calm down, OK?! Just stop pretending you can help me!" Makoto cried. "I'm so sick of all of you telling me it's going to be alright! It's not going to get better, Yukiho! If anything, it's going to get worse!"

"I'm sorry," Yukiho said quietly.

"And stop apologizing! All of this is my fault and you guys are apologizing!"

"Would you please stop?" Yukiho sobbed. "Seeing you s-so upset like this…I-I hate it! I hate seeing cry this much! I hate listening to you screaming like this! P-please calm down!"

Makoto sniffed. "I'm staying here tonight."

"No," Yukiho corrected, "you're staying with me tonight. Come back, please. The others are worried and you're scaring me, Makoto-chan. I'll take some of the burden, a-alright? If it helps, you can blame me for all of this! I-I'm sure that that fact that I was so confident in coming out here was what made some of the others feel like they would survive if they came out here too! S-so please, let some of it be my fault!"

Makoto sat up and slowly remove her hands from around Hibiki's. "I…she wanted me…to stop."

Yukiho pulled the girl to her feet and gave her another hug. "We all want you to stop."

"…I'm sorry, Yukiho. This is so, so hard for me. You have no idea. And, I know what you're thinking—at least I have you, right? While all these other people are suffering so much because people they love have died…but fact is, I love all of you and I watched them all die. And the fact that I led them to their deaths and there was nothing I could do to stop that is…really, really hard."

Yukiho nodded. "I-it's OK. We're not mad. Please come back," she soothed.

Makoto nodded slowly and wiped her eyes. "…O-OK. Thank you."

Yukiho smiled. "You were getting better for a while there…"

"Watching Hibiki die was too much."

"I know. Come on back. Leo-chan was looking for you. She seemed worried."

Makoto cracked a smile. "You two are great."

"You're great too, Makoto-chan. Let's go upstairs."

And so, Yukiho slid her hand into Makoto's and led her upstairs to the others, leaving Hibiki's body behind and passing Nina on the way. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that Nina survived her injuries. Makoto seemed ready to go in there and slash her to bits for murdering Hibiki, but with Yukiho's gentle comfort she managed to make it to the waiting area with the others.

That night, it seemed Takane had the most nightmares out of anyone, although to those who were in their minds, it was clear that Makoto's were far darker. She clung to Yukiho's hand all night.