This story takes inspiration from a lot of Re:Zero fan fictions, primarily "Stars that Form the Future". I have a soft spot for stories that have the main cast meet their future children, so I wanted to try my hand at one.

Obviously, this story's timeline is similar to the canon one, with the only major difference being Greed and Gluttony attacking after the White Whale hunt. So, Rem isn't in a coma nor forgotten by everyone, and Crusch doesn't have amnesia. They were both recovering at Crusch's estate during Arc 4. I wanted Rem to go back with Subaru and Emilia, she would have been a big help when Elsa and Meili attacked, but I figured that Felix would tell her after the fight with the Whale she was at risk of damaging her Gate or something. Either way, she wasn't there during Arc 4. Just clearing that up.

Chapter 1: Setting the Stage

The Shadow Garden was a lonely, dreary place. Once inside, one's senses were dulled to the point of near nonexistence. There was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see, if one still retained their sight anyways. It was a realm created with the sole purpose of ensnaring whoever was inside it.

Dwelling in this vast nothingness was a young woman. Her clothing was entirely black, almost as if they were made from the surrounding darkness. He eyes were the color of amethyst and her long hair was silver. If one looked closely, they would see her pointed ears, hinting at her elven heritage.

This was Satella, the half-elf Witch of Envy, the woman who nearly destroyed the world, and the sole prisoner of the Shadow Garden.

The half-elf was fixated on what looked like a gap in space. On the other side was a world full of color and light. The rising sun gave the sky a comforting rosy hue. Snow covered the ground, as well as the stone steps that led to a ruin: the Witch's Tomb.

On those same snow-covered steps sat two people. One was a black-haired young man with fierce-looking eyes, Subaru Natsuki, clad in his signature black-and-white tracksuit. Next to him was a young woman, Emilia, wearing a white-and-purple dress with detatched sleeves. Like Satella, she was also a half-elf; in fact, she and Satella were physically identical.

Subaru and Emilia exchanged banter about this and that. Satella was glad to see Subaru cheerful after having suffered through so much recently.

Satella had been watching Subaru's tribulations for a long time. She had given him a power to protect himself, but it only activated when he died, sending him to a point prior to his death.

However, Satella hadn't counted on him utilizing it as a means to save people. Subaru began to see himself as a tool whose only worthwhile trait was "Return by Death", and if he had to endure unspeakable trauma to save as many people as he could, then so be it. It was a mindset that worried Satella greatly, as it would only put Subaru further into harm's way.

But thankfully, she had a chance to talk to him within her fellow Witch Echidna's dream. Though he struggled, he finally realized that his way of thinking was self-destructive. Before they parted, she told him to love himself more, and to know that people would mourn his death.

This last ordeal had been his most difficult yet: fighting two powerful foes in two different places. Although he had taken many risks, Subaru hadn't died since talking with Satella. Nor had he indulged in the depressing level of martyrdom he once had. He was learning to love himself more, as well as learning to trust others and let them help him.

The half-elf wore a small smile, tears running down her cheeks and clasped hands to her chest.

He's keeping his promise.

She felt elation for Subaru's success in saving not only his friends, but also the whole of Sanctuary and Arlam Village. But just as strong were her feelings of frenzied adoration towards the black-haired young man and hysterical envy towards the girl who looked and sounded like her in every way; the one who currently monopolized Subaru's affection.

But it was fine. Subaru was safe and sound, and from how he was acting at the moment, he was content with the outcome. Satella couldn't ask for more than that. If Subaru was happy, she was happy.

"By the way, Subaru… You know…"

Satella's attention was caught by her counterpart's sudden words. The deep blush covering her face didn't escape Satella's notice.

"So… you said that you… l-loved me, right?"

"Huh? Uh, yes, I did! I love you! A whole lot!"

Subaru's admission of love towards someone other than herself stung a little, but Satella watched on.

"And that, um… makes me really, really happy… But I wanted to have a proper talk. About… well… the baby I'm carrying in my belly!"

Satella's eyes widened. Miasma began to surge out of her body as a voice howled in her mind, one that was simultaneously foreign but unmistakably her own. Normally she could ignore what the voice said, but in matters concerning Subaru it was hard to keep control.

"Pardon?"

"I-I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but I know I have to take good care of it. But I don't know anything about this kind of thing. So I knew I had to talk to the father…"

When did they do that when when whenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenwhenWHENWHENWHENWHENWHENWHENWHEN

At some point Satella had fallen to her knees. She was no longer crying out of relief but out of bitterness. Each ragged breath she took felt hot with rage. She gritted her teeth and gripped her head, fingernails digging into her scalp, in order to desperately keep her emotions and the voice from overtaking her sense of self.

The poor girl was losing her sanity to raw emotions she couldn't control. She didn't want to feel this way, she knew she shouldn't, it was Subaru's love life, not hers, but she just couldn't help but feel so angry, dejected, and unbelievably jealous.

"E-Emilia-tan! Wait, wait! Seriously, wait a hot minute! You just said… a baby, right?"

"Y-yes! It won't be easy with the royal selection going on. But that's not the baby's fault! I just want to make them happy!"

HARTLOTSTRUMPETTROLLOPTARTWENCHWHORESLUTI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHERI'LLKILLHER

"Emilia-tan, babies don't get carried to you by storks or grow in cabbage fields."

"But when a boy and girl kiss, it makes a baby, right!?"

Suddenly, a moment of reprieve came to the hurricane of her negative thoughts. Her - WRETCHEDCONIVINGTHIEVING - counterpart had just revealed something she didn't expect.

Did Emilia… truly not know where children came from? What that even possible at her age?

So, they hadn't engaged in any… illicit activities?

BUTTHEYKISSED – they had kissed, yes – HISLIPSHISLIPSHISLIPSHISLIPSAREMINEAREMINEAREMINEMINEMINE– but her feelings don't go further than that - MINEMINEMINEMinemineminemine mine – it's all a misunderstanding – mine mine mine - an incredibly childish – mine mine - infuriating – mine - but entirely possible misunderstanding.

Satella let her arms fall to her sides as her mind started to calm. Though her breaths were still ragged like those after sobbing, she was no longer hyperventilating. Her head was no longer pounding in an envious rage and the voice quieted to an aggressive whisper. Once she regained control of her faculties, she closed the hole in space through which she had been watching.

It was enough for Satella to know that, although Emilia reciprocated Subaru's kiss, her feelings for him were a different matter. Considering how immature her understanding of love was, it was a strong possibility that her and Subaru's relationship may never become intimate.

But still, wouldn't Subaru have also realized that the girl he was so smitten with might not want to return his affections? Subaru was foolish and oftentimes clueless, but he was far from being an idiot. There's no way he wouldn't have considered the possibility.

It would have been a dead-end, one-sided romance from the very beginning. They wouldn't get together. They wouldn't get their happily-ever-after. They wouldn't go on dates or get married or start a family-

A family…

An idea suddenly formed in the half-elf's mind.

In an instant, hundreds of portals appeared and illuminated the vast nothingness of the Shadow Garden. Each light was a window into another reality, and in each one was a different version of Subaru.

And accompanying him in most of these other worlds was a different woman, along with one to two children.

Satella was overwhelmed by the amount of realities at first, but clapped her hands together as she came to a decision.

I'll just narrow it down to those he's met. It wouldn't be nearly as impactful if he doesn't know them yet.

With a flick of her wrist, half of the windows faded out of existence. Satella began scanning each remaining one, looking for something in particular. She could feel the ugly emotions from before welling up within her with each observed timeline, but she managed to rein them in.

Satella was fixated on one reality in particular, watching its contents with bated breath. She wanted so badly to be a part of it, but she knew any version of herself wouldn't take kindly to her love life being intruded upon. The half-elf reluctantly waved her hand and the window disappeared.

As she carefully observed one possible reality after another, Satella suddenly realized something: how much time had passed outside the Shadow Garden since she started? The passage of time held next to no meaning within the Shadow Garden, but outside of it months may have passed. She hoped that nothing had happened to her Subaru, that he was still taking care of himself, and that he hadn't fallen into any bad habits.

Once she was sure that she had observed all of the possible realities, Satella looked at the windows that remained. It was still a large number, but she believed it would suffice. She just hoped it would be enough to make Subaru happy.

To let him know that it was still possible to get a happy ending, even if it wasn't with her counterpart.

"Al Shamak."

As if beckoned by her words, a number of jet-black arms slithered out from the shadows around her. Each extremity entered a portal and grabbed hold of who the half-elf was looking for. Some of the arms were met with surprise, some with resistance, but the results were all the same. They reeled in their targets, pulling them from their respective worlds and into Satella's. As the Shadow Garden robbed each unwilling guest of their senses, they were dropped into another portal.

Satella closed the portals her guests came from with a wave of her hand. She approached the remaining portal and peered through to confirm everyone's safety. She sighed; yes, they were all safe, albeit scattered in the world.

With her deed done, the half-elf closed the portal and opened another. She once again began to watch a certain scary-eyed young man with a smile on her face.

Yes, this is all for his sake.