End of KronMei
Hey Mumei! I brought you a flower.
Flower.
I love you Mumei..
Kronii?
Yes Mumei?
Will you always be with me?
What went wrong…
"You will be drafted to timeline beta." Amelia Watson, the commander of the time keepers, uttered softly.
This was the start of everything. The anomalies of the timeline kept the time warden, Ouro Kronii, busy.
An anomaly was an alternate timeline that served ill purpose to humanity. Her main objective this time was to get rid of the anomaly called timeline beta. In order to do so, she was to destroy the timestone that served as the centerpiece of timeline beta. The timestone was situated at the beginning of the timeline, and in this particular journey it would take 2 and a half days with the speed of light to reach there, considering several encounters with time beasts.
Time beasts were the physical manifestation of the abnormal timeline that guarded the timestone at all cost. Extermination was optional since destroying the stone would destroy them too.
"This time, it is dangerous. A Rank S time beast was spotted. Avoid it at all costs."
"Roger."
Amelia grinned, her eyes' surface looking watery.
"I'm sorry I couldn't allocate some time for you to spend with Mumei."
The clock clicked.
"...I will be back boss."
Kronii prepared for a take off. The machine hummed artificially, and she has long got used to the smell of synthetic plastic.
Her smartphone rang. It was Mumei.
"Hi Mumei."
"...Kronii. When will you be back?"
Kronii clenched her fist. "...I'm sorry Mumei. I got this one task I need to finish."
"...You always say that though."
"...this time for sure."
"Really?"
"Really. I will bring back some flowers too."
"...okay. I will be waiting."
Kronii hung up the phone, and immediately proceeded with the take-off.
She had no time to waste. When Kronii goes on her mission to an alternate timeline, real time passes through the main timeline. It was her limitation that she cannot just teleport to a certain time. Though she had equipment to speed up, she had to travel by foot to get to her timestamp.
By the time she went halfway through the timeline, Kronii was forced to face over 20 time beasts of around Rank B or A.
"I guess Rank S is the boss."
Kronii remembered Amelia's words. Avoid it at all costs. And she intended to do so.
She used her limited resources of invisibility cloak to hide her presence. She sneaked around the straight route towards the timestone, and took a detour. She took a glimpse of the boss time beast.
It wore a mask, but it was short compared to the building sized A or B rank beasts that escorted her. It was the size of a little girl.
"...I wonder how she is…" Kronii intended to get some flowers from Ancient Egypt. Mumei loved Ancient Egypt.
But her phone rang.
The time beasts turned their gaze at where the sound resonated.
"I swear. I'm going to mute this phone on the next trip."
They attacked one by one, claws the size of a car falling above Kronii.
Kronii discarded the hassle which was her invisibility cloak, and readied her clock needle. She expertly dodged and countered their attacks, and only the boss was left.
"...I guess I can't keep the promise Watson."
Kronii readied her clock needle, and swung it towards the little girl without mercy.
But the little girl proved to be an expert. She dodged Kronii's powerful attacks, and would sometimes move faster than her. But it was nothing Kronii couldn't manage. She attacked the mask.
The mask fell, and a beautiful woman with aimless dead eyes stared into Kronii.
"...Mumei?"
It was Nanashi Mumei, the Guardian of Civilization of timeline Beta.
"...Mumei? What are you doing here?"
It was strongly prohibited to communicate with an anomaly.
"Hi Kronii."
"...No. You're not Mumei. You're just an anomaly."
"..." She frowned with an expression befitting a fallen autumn leave. "...do you know how long you have been gone?"
"...What?"
"...do you know?"
"...what do you mean? What does that have to do with this?"
"...5 years."
"...really?"
"...I needed you."
"..No..NO. You're not Mumei. You're fake. That couldn't have happened. I wouldn't have left you for that long."
"...Fuck you."
"...What?"
"It doesn't matter what you think. I waited 5 years, waiting for your return. I tended the garden, practiced cooking, and cleaned the house just in case you would surprise me..But..you..YOU. It's always work, work WORK. You left me."
"..Mumei..I."
"Do you know how I felt?! I was so scared people would attack me anytime. Do you know how pathetic and selfish I felt?! Just because I was weak and fragile, I killed people due to my paranoia. They didn't even do anything really wrong! I just killed them!..I wanted to be protected, but nobody did, except you. But you left me..I..I.." her tears dropped like a waterfall. "I needed you. I was so scared.."
" I didn't know! I really didn't! I had to work! Mumei! You got to understand!"
"It's too late. My hands are stained with blood. I can't wash the guilt. Kronii…It's too painful. Kill me."
"...no..NO! No way I can do that to you! I love you!"
Mumei dropped her dagger, and knelt down, crying. "...then you wouldn't have left me."
But Kronii ran away. She needed someone to blame, and she knew just the right person.
She exited the portal and headed towards the office.
"Amelia! What's the meaning of this!"
"...Kronii."
"How did Mumei turn out like this!"
"...she is a Guardian of Civilization. You knew she had her own duty as a leader. She had to become independent. So I didn't intrude when the people talked behind her back. They would criticize how weak she looked, but I left her alone. I thought she needed to become stronger. But…that was my greatest mistake I've ever done…I used you like a slave, and she became the cause of an anomaly. Kronii. Now that you know the truth, you must absolutely destroy the timestone. If it is destroyed, the timeline of her sins will be destroyed, and everything she has done would disappear. You will be free! Please Kronii."
"..."
"..Kronii. This can all disappear if you destroy the timestone. After that, I will send you to a vacation. Forget about the timeline. Be happy. But you gotta finish the job. If you don't, the anomaly will become canon. And I can't live with the guilt.."
"...Okay."
Kronii confronted Mumei within the far end of timeline Beta, where Mumei sat, nuzzling the timestone.
"...You left me again."
"...Give me the timestone."
"...no."
"Give me it!"
"NO!"'
"Why won't you give it to me! This could all disappear if only the timestone was destroyed. I.."
"You really want me gone that much, don't you?"
"N..No! Of course not! How could I!"
"You're saying that all my suffering was trash. You're saying it is meaningless. To you, I am just a flaw, a smudge on your perfect self. But only if you haven't left for so long..you never kept your promise. You never gave me the flower. I am unwanted by anybody.."
Mumei handed Kronii the timestone.
"I am sinful. I shouldn't be alive. Sorry I was being complicated. This timeline must disappear."
"...No."
"What?"
Kronii hugged Mumei.
"If this timeline disappears, you will die alone. I don't want that."
"But…how? I'm a lost cause. I've already.."
"I don't care. I just want to be with you. Will you let me?"
They stood silently, and although Kronii was the one asking, Mumei looked pleadingly.
"...Gladly."
But Mumei looked unsettling, then she swung with a daunting force.
Kronii's shock was apparent. But she wasn't hit.
After a moment, pieces of the timestone laid on the bottom.
"...wha…wha have you done?!"
"...Thank you..I won't be alone any more.."
The timestone disintegrated, and Mumei evaporated along with it. She turned into golden dust, disappearing along with the anomaly.
Kronii walked back, distressed beyond repair. She realized the phone call was from Mumei.
But when she exited the portal, a familiar face awaited her.
She looked innocent as ever, and Kronii knew it was because she was innocent. Pure, all before her stupid mistake of leaving a maiden alone.
"..I don't know why, but Watson allowed me to enter this restricted area." Mumei looked at Kronii in childish wonder.
Kronii nodded at Watson, and Watson nodded back. "Good job Kronii. The anomaly is now only a dream..but what will you do from now on?"
"I'm going to quit being the time warden."
"hah..I guess I'm going to have to take care of it." Watson sighed in defeat. "Thanks for your service. Ouro Kronii."
"Thanks for sending me on this mission."
Watson smiled and walked back to her office.
Mumei's cloak smelled of spring.
"What's wrong Kronii? You're crying."
Kronii hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry for everything. I will never leave your side, ever again."
"...but you were the one working..I…huh? Why am I crying too? Compared to you, I just…"
"...Mumei."
"Yes, Kronii?"
"Quit your job. Let's build a cottage. There, let's make a Garden. There, I will have your tasty food. What do you think?"
"...I always wanted that."
"...Let me go get you some flowers."
~The end~