Author's Note: Happy birthday to the erased twin, Orihara Mairu! She was a bit of a challenge to write in this situation. (She got erased out of existence if you remember.) Still, I managed to make it work. So here she is in Limbo with nowhere to go. She doesn't belong anywhere. Poor Mairu is just there. Next up is going to be Kururi's vision. (Yes, this is a double feature today.) So sit tight and enjoy this vision.
IV: Lanterns:
Mairu
I don't have anywhere to go. The world that I lived in doesn't exist anymore. No one remembers me at all. There was one but he won't be around long.
I drew open my eyes. I found myself floating over a black river. The bright lights nearly blinded me. I saw a sea of bright orange paper lanterns floating in the water. I've seen these before. I looked down at my feet. My own lantern glowed in the darkness. I guess I am dead. But did I die if I was never born? That can't be right. I was born. I did have a life.
But it doesn't feel real.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. It's messing with me again. I don't know how long I have been alone like this. It feels so… so… alien in a way.
I looked up at the trees overhead. It's the first time that I have felt so cold. I see more lights in the distance. What is that? I hadn't noticed that I was floating toward the building. I think I have seen that somewhere. I narrowed my eyes. Is that a castle? Where did that come from? All of the lanterns started floating toward the giant building. I found myself heading that way too. Did I even want to go?
I took a look behind me. Strange. I thought I heard someone calling me. I wouldn't know who. Nobody would know who I was out there. I looked at the lanterns floating away on either side of me. They seem to disappear once they get up to the castle. Something inside of me said that wasn't a good thing.
But what could I do? I don't have anywhere else to go. I never got to be born. My sister got to be born and live on. Meanwhile, I am just stuck here. I don't even know where "here" is.
Another thought came over my mind. I shouldn't be here. But I don't know where I am supposed to go. I turned and looked back at the giant castle getting closer. I could see a long red bridge overhead. There was a lady in a fancy kimono standing on it, looking down. I couldn't see her face but I felt like I had seen her somewhere before.
Something grabbed onto me again. I wasn't sure how I was able to feel that. I turned around and saw nothing. But I knew that someone else was there.
What do you want?
I paused as I heard something close to a whisper. I'm not sure why but something is wrong in this place.
What are you saying? I don't understand you.
It tried to pull me along but I was stuck in place. It wasn't that I didn't want to go, but I was stuck over my lantern.
I'm sorry. I wish I could come with you. What? You can free me? But where are you trying to take me?