Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Date a Live.
Yoshino's POV:
"So, the alarms for Spacequakes aren't working properly?" I ask Miyoi, who told us about the situation after school ended for today.
"Yep. Something's causing the observation equipment to malfunction." She reports. "This will lead to the alarms either sounding late, or just not work at all."
"Considering what happened two nights ago, with four full-powered Spirits fighting a mythical beast, I'm leaning on the latter." Kotori chimes in. Now that she mentions it, I'm surprised the alarms didn't go off at any point during the fight.
"That's... kinda bad, isn't it?" Yoshinon asks. "If the alarms are out of commission right now, then if things do go south and Japan gets wiped off the face of the map, there's gonna be a whole lotta deaths!"
"Even then, I don't know if the shelters were built to withstand Spacequakes about on par with the Eurasian Sky Disaster." Miyoi points out.
"And I'd rather not find out!" Kotori adds.
I sigh. "At the very least, it means we can operate without any other disturbances."
Kotori nods. "That's true at least. Speaking of, we've managed to pinpoint the locations of the other two power sources." Well, that was fast. As expected of Fraxinus. "One is located near the temple, while the other is by the same lake where we met the Tengu Cow." The same locations as I remember.
"Okay, then I'll head towards the temple." I make my decision based on the fact that Rinne's reveal as [Ruler] happens at the lake, so it's best to save that one for last. "One more thing. Kurumi is also investigating the barrier, surrounding Tengu City. She was also there when I destroyed the first power source."
"Kurumi, huh? You and her probably figured out something was off before we did." Kotori frowns before shrugging. "Well, as long as you can keep her in line, I guess it's fine if she helps out."
"Hah! Don't worry! We know Kurumi better than anyone!" Yoshinon's right about that.
Nodding in agreement with Yoshinon, I exit Fraxinus and use my mist to teleport to the shrine.
Walking out the mist, I stand in front of the temple. I can already feel that the power source is nearby and summon my Astral Dress to be ready for a fight.
"Looks like you're here, Yoshino." I hear Kurumi as she emerges from her shadow behind me.
"Yeah." I say as I turn to her. "Now, let's take out that power source."
She smirks and summons her Angel. "Zafkiel!" The large golden clock appears behind her. "Zayin!" She points her pistol at the Roman Numeral for 7, and a black shadow seeps out from it and into the barrel of her pistol, forming the bullet. She then aims her bullet at a particular tree...
*BANG*
...and shoots it.
The moment the bullet makes contact with the tree, my vision flashes and the entire sky turns red. The tree that was shot was glowing red, just like the monument yesterday, and I can feel a mass of Reiryoku circling around it.
"Alright! Now it's our turn!" Yoshinon exclaims, transforming into her scythe form. I grab her and walk up to the tree as its Guardian Angel appears. This one feels a little tougher than the last. Rinne must've empowered the remaining two after the first one was destroyed, but my Pure Reiryoku will still make short work of it.
Still, I can afford to have a little fun.
As I charge my scythe with Pure Reiryoku, the Guardian fires a few shots at me, but I deflect them all with well-timed slashes before throwing my scythe at the angel and disappearing into mist, letting Yoshinon do her thing. Charged with Pure Reiryoku, Yoshinon easily slices through the Guardian Angel, before doing a U-turn to do so again and again, repeating four times before curving up into the air as I reform above the Guardian Angel. Catching Yoshinon, I end the attack with one final slash down at the Guardian Angel, causing a large pillar of ice to rise up before shattering into dust, taking the angel with it.
With the angel destroyed, I turn to the now defenseless tree that served as one of Eden's power sources. Raising my free hand into the air, I create a spear of ice charged with Pure Reiryoku, then throw my hand down to send it at the tree. It pierces straight through and turns the tree into ice, which then shatters, meeting the same fate as the Guardian Angel protecting it.
Having destroyed the power source, I walk back to Kurumi as the sky returns to normal. "Decided to show off this time, Yoshino?" She smiles.
"Partner's making a statement!" Yoshinon speaks up. "That no matter what this Spirit throws at us, we'll face it head on!"
"Something like that." I shrug.
Rinne's POV:
Shido and I are hanging out at a nearby park as he bought way too many popsicles. I thought I would help him finish this before dinner. We can't have them go to waste.
...
...
...What's this? Gawk!
I sort of choke on my popsicle and begin to cough from it.
"Rinne, are you okay?" Shido comes to my aid and pats my back.
"I-I'm alright." I lie. I really wasn't.
He smiles at me. "Don't eat too quickly. You'll get a brain freeze.
"Yeah." I giggle, then continue to finish my popsicle.
However, I knew it wasn't because of that. Someone or something destroyed another one of my power sources. If the last source is destroyed, I fear this world will fall apart. But why would they ruin this world? It's supposed to be a paradise for Shido.
...No... It's couldn't possibly be...
Yoshino-chan?
Yoshino's POV:
Having destroyed the second power source, I retreat back to Fraxinus to think about the situation. There's only one power source left. Once that is destroyed, Eden will fall apart and Rinne will be forced to reveal herself.
But, there's still the problem of what to do when she does. Rinne is a special kind of Spirit - a culmination of Reiryoku that has gained a consciousness of its own. She doesn't have a proper physical form unlike the rest of us, who were humans that were converted into Spirits upon receiving Sephira Crystals, or even Tohka and Mio, whose true vessels are their Sephira Crystals. That might be the reason why she canonically ends up disappearing.
Which means if we can create a Sephira Crystal to act as Rinne's true vessel and bind it to her, she would become a Pure Spirit, and thus, won't disappear when Shido seals her. Only problem is... it has to be a vacant Sephira Crystal, with no Spirit Power already stored within.
I'm not sure if the Pure Reiryoku Mio gave me would allow that much, but it's worth a shot.
"Yoshino, where are you going?" Kotori asks as I begin to leave.
"I'm going to test something with my Pure Reiryoku." I tell her before leaving the command room.
I make it to the Quarantine Room on Fraxinus. This room was originally meant to contain Spirits whose powers are dangerously unstable, so it's completely empty at the moment. It's the perfect place to start. I can hear two pairs of footsteps behind me, meaning hat Kotori and Reine are following me, curious as to what I plan to do.
I enter the room and close the door behind me before walking to the center. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my nerves, and summon my power. "Zadkiel."
My Astral Dress fully forms around me. Granted, I can already summon my full Astral Dress even while sealed thanks to my Pure Reiryoku, but Eden makes it so that I'm a full power, which really helps with what I'm trying to do.
I then close my eyes and begin converting my Reiryoku into Pure Reiryoku. Streams of blue Reiryoku flow in and out of me from my Sephira Crystal as some of it transforms into Pure Reiryoku. Once the conversion was complete, shockwaves of Pure Reiryoku erupt from my body as I enter Origin Mode.
Holding out my hand, I picture the Sephira Crystal's shape and carefully manipulate my ice to replicate it. When I felt that it had finished forming, I open my now silver eyes to look at the result. A long, thin, transparent crystal that is pointed on both ends. Good. Now for the hard part.
I begin focusing my Pure Reiryoku into the crystal, and it begins glowing as power continues to flow into it. As I continue to feed it Pure Reiryoku, it glows brighter and brighter. However, I can feel my body begin to strain, and it grows as the process goes on.
Even if it's just to create a vacant Sephira Crystal, the process of creating one is actually quite straining on one's body. It speaks a lot of Mio's power and dedication to revive Shinji that she can create ten full Sephira Crystals. She is, after all, a God wanting to revive her lover.
But I have to stay focused. I can't stop here! Rinne's life is at stake!
Gritting my teeth, I push through the strain as I continue to pour Pure Reiryoku into the crystal. It's glowing brighter, and the strain is so much that it's making me close my eyes. But I refuse to falter now, my determination to save Rinne keeping me going. Come on... Just a little more...!
Finally, it glows so brightly that it fills the entire room. The moment the glowing stops, I fall to one knee, panting heavily from exhaustion. Opening my eyes, I take a look at the full result. The crystal has become translucent, but still clear, and it's glowing softly from the power given to it.
I manage a weak smile. It's not on the same level as the one's Mio made, but this is no doubt a Sephira Crystal. I've done it.
I hear the door open as Kotori and Reine enter the room. "Yoshino..." Kotori is the first to speak, sounding shocked. Turning to look at them, I could see the stunned look on the Flame Spirit's face, whereas Reine showed mild surprise. "Is that...? Did you just make a Sephira Crystal?"
"Yeah..." I give a tired reply. "It's only a vacant Sephira Crystal, though. That's the best I can manage, since I'm nowhere near the Spirit of Origin's power." I give one last look at the crystal I created, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "But... that's exactly what I was aiming for."
"Yoshino..." Kotori walks up to look at the crystal. "This is... We were able to make a vacant Sephira Crystal of our own after numerous attempts, but this one easily beats it.
"It is definitely of much greater quality than all of Ratatoskr's previous attempts." Reine evaluates. "Most likely, it's due to the fact that this was directly created by a Spirit. Frankly, I imagine this was only possible because of the combination of Yoshino's ice, Pure Reiryoku and overall power in Origin Mode."
"Yeah... the Pure Reiryoku was the only reason, this was possible." I admit. Still, hearing Reine say that made me happy, as if my mother is praising me for a big accomplishment. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I'll be going to sleep now."
With that, exhaustion finally takes me, and everything goes black.
Reine's POV:
"Yoshino!" Kotori exclaims with worry, seeing Yoshino lose consciousness and fall to her side. The rainbow aura from Origin Mode also fades away, since she can no longer sustain it, and her Astral Dress fades away, returning her to her commander uniform.
"Don't worry, Kotori. She's only unconscious." I assure her. "Obviously, creating a proper Sephira Crystal, let alone a vacant one, caused serious strain on her body. Plus, she'll need some time for her Sephira Crystal to replenish the large amount of Reiryoku she used up. Like she said, she's not the Spirit of Origin." I walk up to her and pick up the Sephira Crystal. "I'll her to to the infirmary to recover." Kotori looks at me, unsure for a moment before nodding and leaving the room.
Once she's gone, I look at the unconscious Water Spirit.
To think that you would go so far as to take a page out of my book. Quite bold of you, Fuyu Hana.
Willing to take such risks for the people you care about. I guess the apple doesn't far from the tree, as humans say.
I look at the Sephira Crystal that she created. Of course, it's not a perfect Sephira Crystal like the ones I myself have created, but the quality is still good enough for it to be usable.
Ratatoskr has made multiple attempts to make a vacant Sephira Crystal for when the time comes to extract the Reiryoku sealed within Shido, but it was of such poor quality that it would break before it the extraction would even be completed. Yet Fuyu, by herself, using the power I bestowed upon her, successfully made one that could absorb vast amounts of Reiryoku and still remain intact.
I couldn't help but smile as I feel motherly pride swell within me. Truly, giving her my power was the correct choice.
Well, I'm sure she won't mind me making the finishing touches.
Yoshino?'s POV:
Where am I?
I remember losing consciousness after creating a vacant Sephira Crystal for Rinne, but I wake up to find myself in some sort of void.
What is this place? Am I dreaming?
"U-Um... E-Excuse me..."
I hear a voice behind me. One that is soft, gentle and timid, which I'm all too familiar with. I turn around to face the voice's owner, and my eyes widened.
"Yoshino?"
Standing in front of me is Yoshino Himekawa. The TRUE Yoshino Himekawa. She's wearing the Astral Dress she's known for as she looks... up at me?
I look at myself, and to my further shock, I'm back in my own body! Fair skin, chestnut hair, breasts that are supple, but not too big, I look just like I did before I got the illness that killed me!
"Y-Yes." Yoshino answers timidly, bringing my attention back on her. "I-I'm Yoshino. You're... Fuyu Hana, right?"
I look at her with surprise. "How do you know my name?"
"I saw your memories." She answers truthfully. "Mostly... the ones where you were watching an anime called 'Date A Live'."
I flinch upon hearing that. That means she's aware that she's a fictional character. "Yoshino, listen to me. Even if you did come from a manga that adapted into an anime, you're still a real person to me. Especially now!" I quickly tell her.
She actually gives a small smile. "It's okay. I'm not too upset about it." She tells me, but I'm sure it effects her somewhat. "I... also saw how you died. Your illness got so bad that it killed you, just like it would've killed me." I could see the sadness in her smile as she says that, and my guilt begins to rise. "You and I aren't so different, in a way, even though only one of us is alive now."
That last bit quickly overwhelms me with guilt, reminding me that everything I had, the life I live, the friends I made, the powers I fight with, were all supposed to be Yoshino's.
It should be her experiencing this happiness, not me.
With tears filling my eyes, I kneel down to Yoshino and hug her tightly. "F-Fuyu-san?!" I barely even register her startled voice.
"I'm sorry, Yoshino!" I cry. "Because I reincarnated into you, I took your second chance at life! I took your chance to see how big the world really is! I took your chance to make real friends! I took your chance to find true happiness!" I pour out my guilt as I hug her. "Everything that I now have, I basically stole from you! I'm so sorry!" My tears flow uncontrollably down my face. Why did I have to reincarnate my merging my soul with Yoshino's?! Why couldn't I just be reborn as someone else entirely?!
My thoughts were interrupted when I feel a pair of gentle arms hug me back. "It's okay, Fuyu-san." Yoshino says softly. "I'm actually glad that you got to live instead of me." I couldn't hide my shock. She's HAPPY that I stole her life?! "You're so much braver than I am, and you're not afraid to fight for your friends. But me? I'm just a weakling and a coward."
I part from the hug to look at her, outraged that she would degrade herself like this. "Don't say that! You were very brave, Yoshino! Especially towards the end, you stood up to fight for your friends even when Westcott became the Second Spirit of Origin!"
Yoshino smiles. "You may be right, but I don't have the skills that you do. Even now, you're much stronger than I ever was. You could bring a happier ending for everyone." I gasp when she brings up my goal. "Shido-san, Tohka-san, Mio-san, and everyone else... Even though I haven't met them and never will, I still care about all of them and want them to be happy. So, please keep fighting. Give everyone the happy ending they deserve."
This... This selfless girl! Putting the happiness of people she'll never get to meet before her own, and even forgiving me after I robbed everything from her!
"I promise!" I shout through my tears. "No matter what, I won't stop fighting until I bring a happier ending for everyone!"
Yoshino smiles once again as the area starts to light up. "Thank you, Fuyu-san." I hear say before everyone turns white.
Yoshino's POV:
I slowly open my eyes as my consciousness finally returns to me. I could feel that I'm laying on something soft. I must've been moved to the infirmary after I lost consciousness. How long was I out?
I could feel something lying on my chest. Even without looking, I could tell that that's Yoshinon. I must've worried her when I passed out. No doubt Shido and the others are also worried about me.
"I'm actually glad that you got to live instead of me."
At that moment, memories from the dream flow back into my mind. My encounter with her.
"Yoshino..." I feel myself begin to cry again, lamenting for the girl that would never get to see the outside world. Even if she was fine with it, I just wish the circumstances of my reincarnation were different.
"Partner, you're finally up!" Yoshinon speaks up as she gets off of me. "About ti... Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"
"Is something wrong, Yoshino?" I hear Reine ask me. Whether it was from my crying or Yoshinon speaking up, her attention was on me as well.
I wipe the tears from my face and sit up to look at the two, both looking at me with concern. "Yoshinon. Reine. I met her." I tell them.
"Her?" Yoshinon asks, confused by who I mean. "You mean Rinne?"
"No. Yoshino. The REAL Yoshino."
As expected, both of them were shocked by the news. "What?! Really?!" Yoshinon shouts. "But how?!"
"I guess... a part of her still lingered on within the Sephira Crystal." I make my best guess.
"And when you fell unconscious, you're soul entered the Sephira Crystal and you got meet her." Reine finished. "You must've had a soulscape encounter."
I stay silent as I look down at my hands. "Everything I have now, I practically stole from Yoshino. Meeting her made me realize this." I clench my hands into fists. "And yet... she said that it was better this way. She forgave me for stealing her second chance."
"Because she knows that you can make the most of it." Reine replies as she walks up to me and places a hand on my shoulder. "Everything you've done, from fighting Kurumi to besting Ellen Mathers, the old Yoshino would never have been able to pull off."
"She's right!" Yoshinon nods in agreement. "Make no mistake, you've made a big impact on the world since you came here!" They're both right, but...
"Fuyu." Reine grabs my attention by calling me by my old name. "Before the encounter ended, did Yoshino make any particular requests?"
Yoshino's request...
"So, please keep fighting. Give everyone the happy ending they deserve."
"She wanted me... to give everyone the happy ending they deserve." I reply.
Reine smiles. "Then that means she supports your goal. She knows what you're trying to achieve and is willing to help you, even if it means trading away her existence. Don't let Yoshino's sacrifice be in vain. Keep fighting towards your goal for her sake."
Fight for Yoshino's sake...
"...You're right. I shouldn't be feeling guilty right now." I say, my fire returning and burning brighter. "Yoshino believes in me, so I'm going to honor her wish!"
"And I'm with you every step of the way!" Yoshinon says with a grin. "We're partners, after all!"
I smile, patting Yoshinon on the head. "Yeah, we're partners." No matter what, I know that Yoshinon will be with me through it all.
Feeling rejuvenated, I hop off the bed and stretch my body. "By the way, Reine, how long was I out?" I finally ask.
"Today is Friday." Reine answers. "You were out for the entirety of yesterday, not just due of the soulscape encounter, but also due to mana exhaustion." That's about right. Making that vacant Sephira Crystal took a lot out of me. "As for the others, they were worried about you, but Kotori and I assured them that you would wake up."
I nod at the information, then suddenly I feel a big headache as memories suddenly flow into me.
These memories... are from the loop where Shido pursued a relationship with me. But they weren't the same as the ones in canon. I could tell that a lot of them were different. Most notably... the memory of when I told Shido to truth about me.
"Are you alright, partner?" Yoshinon asks out of worry.
"Rinne must've restored everyone's memories from the other loops." Reine states, already knowing the reason. "She's revealed herself and the others are confronting her. You couldn't have woken up at a more crucial time."
"So, the time has come." I say. "In that case, I'll go destroy that final power source, then regroup with the others. Let's go, Yoshinon."
"Alrighty!" Yoshinon excitedly replies as I begin to walk out the room.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Reine stops me. I turn to her and see her handing me the vacant Sephira Crystal that I made, but I could tell there was something different about it. It feels more... complete.
Looking up at Reine, I see her giving me a proud smile. "You did a impressive job creating this crystal. I simply made the finishing touches for you."
I smile and accept the crystal. "Thank you, Reine. Even if we're competing against each other, I'm glad to have your support."
I walk out the infirmary and change into my Astral Dress, my eyes focused and determined.
Yoshino... you placed your faith and belief in me.
I promise you... I will honor and cherish your legacy.
Because now...
I am Yoshino Himekawa!
We're getting to the finale of the Rinne Arc, and our reincarnated heroine is now more determined than ever!
Also, if you're confused as to why Reine is helping Yoshino, it's basically as Yoshino said. Their end goals may be clashing, but the road to those goals are the same.