Episode XIII - A Dance in Space

Nov 21st - Hanako POV

Ever since I came out of that cryostasis egg, something changed. Not just in my body—but my soul. I can sprout my wings now without turning into a full crow. My stupidly fast speed? Yeah, it’s back, but I can still get tired. I can also do what Haruhi did with little Aru. And Mythic Rewrite?

I can share it.

With them.

Now that I’ve told them I can control my powers and my emotions—I wanted to have fun. To share my joy. To playfully show off, just a little.

“Are you sure?” Ruruka asked me. Haruhi was a little hesitant to tag along because we’re heading out to space. To a dead galaxy I found when I was younger. The unknown cosmos unnerved her. And I didn’t blame her. I convinced her it was fine—because I’m still there, in her heart.

“Yes. I want to share this experience with all of you,” I answered, just not to Ruruka, but to Haruhi too.

“B-but…how will we survive…?” Haruhi’s voice was delayed.

I gently bonked her head and said, “Did you forget I can rewrite lore? I can just alter your biology.” I tried to ease her hesitation.

Her hands trembled next to her, her eyes couldn’t meet mine. They were fixed on the dirt, the earth, as it was her grounding presence. It was like the cosmos had already swallowed her whole.

“Haruhi~” Ruruka held her hand, “she’s not messing with your soul or anything. Just a minor tweak so we can breathe where we shouldn’t.”

“I understand your concerns~” I voiced my thoughts, “but you’re part of this found family. You don’t have to come. I’m not forcing you to.”

“Okay…I’ll trust that…,” her voice softened as she met my gaze tentatively. I held my hand out and the two took them.

I mythically said,

“Let them breathe and fly freely—with me.”

A warm shimmer of stardust curled around our feet, trailing upward like gravity had reversed itself. I like how it symbolized Haruhi’s bamboo rabbit spirit: grounded. Ruruka let go of my hands and she started to fly around the room. Seems like muscle memory kicked in—like she never stopped being a bird. She laughed and giggled, cried even—because she felt that freedom of flying again.

Haruhi, however, was still a little hesitant, too afraid to detach from the ground, specifically, our room.

“Why are you still scared..?” I asked her.

“I….,” she stutters.

“I’m scared…”

“I’m scared of forgetting what the ground feels like. Of not coming back. Solid keeps me safe… but it doesn’t set me free…”

I sighed—not out of pity, but from a place of real concern. Haruhi should have the choice of freedom, even if she was bound to the Earth. Every living being placed on mortal grounds has that choice. Even plants do. Animals do. And creatures like us?

We also have that feeling. For plants, it’s a little different—they die because they help replenish the cycle of nature. Seeds fly about due to the wind carrying them. They get the freedom to find new places to sprout new wings.

That should be the same for Haruhi Aoi. She needs wings to grow, not to shrink. What she needs is faith. It grounds us with belief in others, and I want to do that, for her.

I held out my hand again and told her, “Come with me.”

“Together, we will fly.”

“Only if you allow yourself to grow.”

She took my hand gently and held it. Ruruka came and did the same thing.

“The two of us, you believed—and supported,” Ruruka said.

“So, believe in us again,” the both of us told her.

“We are your ground, your anchor.”

“All this time, you were my cornerstone,” I told Haruhi.

“But this time? We’re yours, emotionally.” Ruruka ended gracefully. We guided her out of our home and onto the roof, to let her feel the air and the wind. The presence of the earth itself. It clung to her.

The texture of soil beneath her feet.

The sturdiness of the apartment walls.

The hum of city life.

The familiar pattern of the streets.

The birds chirping in morning harmony.

We held her hands tightly and said: “Believe in yourself. You can be your own ground. Your own anchor.”

“Let go of the earthly weight—and take your leap of faith.”

This time, she relaxed her body. Her shoulders weren’t stiff anymore. She closed her eyes, breathing in the last scent of urban life, and ascended into the air. We followed along and let go of her hands. She opened her eyes and stared at the view below, with awe.

But even with a new sense of freedom, a gush of wind blew past her, reminding her of the ground.

“Eek…~!” she yelped out in fear.

I flew beside her to catch her, but her entire body trembled. She hugged into me.

“What’s wrong..?” I asked her.

“I-I…” her legs trembled and I looked down. She pissed herself. Like a child~! (I giggled slightly).

“It’s okay,” I held her hand, “just relax~”

I watched her calm down, and this time, I let go gently. She looks at me and Ruruka and took her first step—in the air—with care and newfound feelings. She did it. She found that anchored faith in herself and took that leap. Step by step, she started walking in the air, slowly, before picking up pace before lifting off into the skies, flying around freely. Both of us caught up with her.

“So, this is what it feels like!! Being a bird!!” Haruhi laughed along side us.

“Ooooii!~” a little voice said from below, “take me with you…!!!~”

It was little Aru, bouncing up and down on the rooftop. I looked back and laughed and I landed before her.

“Now now~” I said patting her head.

“Just because you’re Haruhi’s other half doesn’t mean you get My Mythic Rewrite.”

Aru pouts and bit my finger gently. Aha~

“But perhaps you can be her ground when we come back~” I suggested.

“Her ground huh….” Aru ears perked. “I can do that.”

“Come back safely, okay?”

“I demand snuggles!!” (˶˃⤙˂˶)

I laughed at Little Aru’s playfulness as I flew off again, waving at her. She looked up at us with awe as we flew off high into the skies. I caught up with the two as we continued up into the stratosphere, looking at the magnificent curve before us. The sun shone behind the horizon line.

“This is beautiful~” Haruhi looked back.

“Despite the chaos, beauty always finds its place in nature.”

part.i of xiii – The Grand Showoff──⊰

I took them on a tour. We visited the sun, then: planets of our solar system. I showed them a great viewpoint of the entire system from an asteroid that had perfect scenery. Although it was far away, I used Mythic Rewrite to enhance their sight.

“Spectacular~” Ruruka was in awe.

“Is this how you view the world…?” Haruhi said under her breath, “it’s stunning…~”

“Come on~! I wanna go play now~” I took their hands and they giggled at my enthusiasm. Both of them held on as I launched us deeper into the cosmos. We flew past different galaxies, novas, and systems. They sparkled with life as their light faded from us. Light years away, the past. And now? The future. I retraced my earliest memory of the dead galaxy, and we arrived there, safely.

We finally reached it: a galaxy long forsaken by time. The stars had dimmed here, their corpses flickering like tired fireflies, remnants of a time that had passed without witness. The space around us wasn’t just black—it was a velvet abyss, textured with gentle swirls of stardust and cosmic ash.

Planets hung like cracked marbles, orbiting invisible forces long since unraveled. Some were shattered in half, their cores exposed like open wounds. Others floated peacefully, silent and cold, untouched for eons.

Yet… it was beautiful. Not in the way our galaxy shined with color and light. This beauty was quiet. Eulogic. Reverent**.** I watched Haruhi and Ruruka land gently on a floating asteroid, their feet touching the stone as if they feared disturbing its slumber. Even the silence here was holy.

“Wow… This is what death looks like…” Ruruka whispered.

I shook my head, smiling softly.

“No. This is what peace looks like. A galaxy that no longer needs to fight, burn, or shine.”

Haruhi looked up as a trail of pale aurora curled through the darkness, the only movement in this starless grave.

“And yet… it's still beautiful,” Haruhi elegantly said.

“But peace…can be reborn with new life,” I flew towards the system and into the heart of the sun. It was gray and muted.

“Re-energized. Renewed. It can be whole again, if I just write a new destiny for it. One where it can still find slumber.”

I held out my hands.

A warm light shimmered from my palms.

A crystallized gem formed—glowing with the essence of stardust and Mythic Rewrite.

“Come, rise again,” I said, holding the gem.

“Be that energetic child you once were~”

“Densho Jutsushiki: Riraito.” (Myth Technique: Rewrite)

I put gravity into the gem with my abilities, and I dropped it into the sun. As it plunged into the center of the core, an explosion occurred. It wasn’t dangerous—nor—explosive. Instead, a huge pulse of light came from it, and replenished the sun with newfound color.

It was pink mixed with blue and magenta. The pulse of light that it emitted? It created a peaceful shockwave that rippled like water out in every distance. Restoring planets back to normal and energizing dead stars around the system.

I flew back to Haruhi and Ruruka, and we sat down on a floating comet. We watched the system unravel with peaceful energy. The star system, once a quiet graveyard of lightless spheres and fractured moons, now shimmered with a gentle pulse—alive. Planets stirred from slumber, their orbits syncing to the lullaby of a reborn sun.

Oceans reformed in glistening ribbons, coalescing on worlds that once cracked with silence. Skies blinked open, brushed with shades of sapphire, rose, and amethyst. Ancient winds blew for the first time in eons, carrying with them the fragrance of new atmospheres and the promise of stories yet to be lived.

Solar flares danced like fire spirits across chromatic skies, painting auroras between worlds. Some planets sang with clouds; others bore rings that glittered like spun crystal. From orbit to ocean, from ash to blossom… Life returned not in chaos, but in harmony.

This was no longer a system lost to history.

It was a myth reborn.

A cosmic rewrite not of war, but of rest.

Not of gods, but of choice.

Not of endings, but of hope.

Comets in the distance flew across like newborn tadpoles, leaving a trail of dust behind. The view here was magnificent.

“I didn’t make this to be perfect. I made it to be peaceful. Because even galaxies deserve to rest—and dream again,” I said poetically.

“All that, from a single gem….,” Haruhi’s voice was soft.

“It’s a rebirth…,” Ruruka looked with awe.

“Do you want to give it a name?”

A name….huh. I did give life to a dead system. It was shaped like a flower, with hues of pink and amber. It looked back at us, pulsing with color, as if it was waiting to be named.

“The Flamber Shoot,” I named it.

It danced with a heartbeat, a poetic and rhythmic shift. It was as if a child was laughing—with pure—joy.

“Does the name mean anything?” Ruruka asked me.

“I named it after us,” I replied, “Flower, Amber, and Shoot (like a bamboo shoot).”

“That’s beautiful,” Haruhi complimented.

“It’s us, universally.”

This time, I used magic on the comet we were sitting to guide us around the Flamber Shoot. It was like the stardust danced with us.

“Koa Ruruka~” I called for her name.

“Do you want to dance?” I invited her in.

“Of course,” she smiled as she took my hand.

“This calls for music~” Haruhi manifested a harp-like instrument out of her hands.

part.ii of xiii – A Dance In Space──⊰

The first string was plucked, and time slowed. The harp-like instrument Haruhi conjured sang with a trembling resonance. Its sound not confined to air, but resonating through stars, through skin, through soul. I extended a hand toward Ruruka.

Not in command.

Not in royalty.

But in devotion.

Her voice was breathless, but her soul was steady. I hesitated. Because even after everything… even after galaxies reborn and pain rewritten, I was still learning how to let myself be held.

But I said yes.

Not with words

But by pulling her close.

We didn’t fall into each other.

We rose.

Around us, the stars bowed low, the nebulae curled in reverence. Ribbons of pink and azure danced along our skin like threads of the universe weaving us into one myth, one memory. Haruhi’s harp echoed across the void, faster now. The comet she was on caught up with us in sync. Each note painted streaks of light behind us, composing a new galaxy. Not one to be worshipped… but one to be lived in.

We twirled.

Without weight.

Without shame.

Ruruka laughed, and I swear I heard entire planets form just to echo her joy. Her foot brushed mine mid-spin, clumsy and warm and human. I giggled. It was perfect.

In that moment…

I wasn’t the Anchor.

I wasn’t the last god.

I wasn’t even a myth.

I was just… a flower (hana).

Hanako Reina.

A girl who loved and was loved back. We spun through zero gravity like petals caught in a breeze—our fingers never breaking, our hearts pulsing in unison. Haruhi weaved new harmonies, her eyes closed, a soft smile blooming on her lips. She wasn’t left behind. She was the rhythm that made us move. And when the final chord rang out like a bell made of galaxies, Ruruka leaned into me. Her forehead pressed to mine, her breath warm and unshaking.

“I see you now,” she whispered.

“All of you.”

I trembled. Not from fear—but because I believed her. And in return, I whispered—“Then let’s never stop dancing.”

I can feel the other me’s out in the multiverse, clapping behind—even with their support for me.

This moment right now…?

I want to treasure it.

Forever.

“Koa Ruruka,” I said elegantly. I breathed in and out, and finally said, “Will you marry me?”

“Of course, my sweet~little~flower.”

My heart blushed when she accepted my vow. We heard Haruhi screamed in the distance, screaming for us to kiss.

“DON’T YOU DARE LET THE PAGE TURN…!!”

“JUST KISS HER. NOW!!!”

We laughed.

But we did.

We kissed under the passionate stars of the universe.

And it clung to us—like a sacred blanket.

part.iii of xiii – Haruhi’s POV: Space──⊰

I hated flying. Still kinda do. Floating? I can handle that. Flying? That’s just falling but prettier. And Reina wanted to go to SPACE?

Bro, do I look like a nebula to you?

...But I went anyway.

Because she asked me.

Because Ruruka held my hand.

Or perhaps I was tired of being the one who stayed behind. The first few seconds off the roof were terrifying. My feet left the ground—and everything I trusted disappeared with it. The city, the warmth of pavement, the hum of vending machines... even the smell of soy sauce ramen from the stand down the block. Gone. But their hands stayed.

That’s what kept me from spiraling.

Not Mythic Rewrite. Not cosmic physics.

Just... hands.

And when I finally took that breath—really breathed in freedom—I realized I didn’t need ground to be grounded. I just needed them. We soared past the clouds, and the fear? It didn’t disappear. It danced with me. Softly. Patiently. Like a partner who’d been waiting for me to catch up.

The dead galaxy was beautiful—hauntingly quiet. I remember staring at those broken planets and thinking this is how I felt inside once. Shattered. Forgotten. Cold. But Reina didn’t just give it life. She gave it peace. No explosions. No divine shouting. No commandments from on high. Just a gentle rewrite. A lullaby.

And when I heard that harp in my hands…yes, I made a harp. Don’t ask how! I didn’t think. I just played it. Ha!

Because my girls were dancing. And the universe? It watched with reverence. Every note I played felt like letting go. Every string I strummed was another breath of relief. I wasn’t left behind. I was the rhythm they moved to.

And when I saw them spinning like petals, like idiots in love…I teared up. Because Reina was smiling, and Ruruka was laughing, and both of them had finally learned to live without guilt or grief. They were free.

So obviously... when Reina proposed mid-spin like this was some final fantasy wedding ceremony, I LOST IT.

“DON’T YOU DARE LET THE PAGE TURN!!!” I screamed.

“JUST KISS HER. NOW!!!”

What!? Somebody had to say it!

They laughed. I pouted. And then they kissed.

And I swear, the damn stars twinkled louder than I ever played that harp.

...Gross. Adorable. Cosmic-level romantic garbage. I love them so much it hurts. But, this love isn’t that kind of hurt.

It was a love that even healed my heart.

I love you guys so much.

I’m proud of you.

Koa Ruruka.

Hanako Reina…

We grew together. In this moment.

part.iv of xiii – Little Aru’s POV──⊰

Okay. So, like, I was literally just born. From Haruhi’s hands, mind you. HER. HANDS. And the first things I heard? Before I spoke my first words? It was: “I’ll tell you what~” – Haruhi (before I was born).

“You can take half of me~”

BRUH coughs LIKE LITERALLY.

Girl, that’s a LOT of emotional responsibility for a three-minute-old rabbit child. Who am I even being given to…?!

And when I popped out, I was sitting on the table.

I was fkn cute…! Floppy, Adorable. Cuteness as perfection! Ehe~ this is great!

I looked up at two people: one had a ninja presence—Koa Ruruka, was it? The other was a crow…? Bird…? Oh! The Quiet Crow! Myth itself! Hanako Reina!

“Don’t make me bonk you~” I said out loud.

The three of them were shocked when I spoke. Yeah. I’m literally Haruhi’s child. You cannot stop the storm that’s coming..!!!

CUTENESS CHAOOOOOOSSS!!!!

A day had already passed. The three wanted to go to space. I heard them talking in my sleep. I woke up. Haruhi still couldn’t get the grasp of flying. I might be a day older now, but…she’s clinging to the earth too much. I agree with Hana and Ruru~

She needs to let go.

I telepathically told her, “trust them.” She looked at me and nodded. There we go. I’m proud of mom. THEN THEY TOOK OFF TO THE ROOF. Wait! I wanna go too!!! I jumped down and caught up with them.

I bounced to the edge of the roof like, “Ooooii!~ Take me with you…!!!~” Floppin’ ears and everything. But noooooo, Mommy #2 Queen Mythic Rewrite just patted my head like a plushie on clearance and said: ““Now now~ Just because you’re Haruhi’s other half doesn’t mean you get Mythic Rewrite~””

(Um. Okay, gatekeeper energy.)

I pouted and bit her finger gently. Obviously. Because I’m cute and it works. And then she said: “Perhaps you can be her ground when we come back~”

HOLD UP.

HER. GROUND?!

ME!?

I was born a day ago and suddenly I’m a therapist!?? A spiritual support system????

I paused.

Ears perked.

Then I was like: “...I can do that.”

Cuz deep down... I get it. Haruhi gets scared. She trembles. She peed herself midair (HA! Not judging. Much.). But if my job is to be her plushie, her hug pillow, her lil anchor? I’m down.

“Come back safely, okay! I demand snuggles!!” I yelled with a pout. (˶˃⤙˂˶)

They laughed, then fled.

They left a trail of pink and blue behind like interstellar frosting. And I sit. On the rooftop. Tiny. Fuzzy. Noble. I munched on a cracker someone left behind. And I imagined the stars twinkling with jealousy because I’m cuter than all of them combined! And I wait. Like a good bun. Because when they return—I’m gonna launch myself straight into their arms and never let go..!! And if they don’t give me those snuggles?

(˶˃⤙˂˶)

I’m gonna PISS ON THEIR PILLOWS!

part.v of xiii – Ruruka’s POV──⊰

I’ll never forget the way the air felt when she rewrote us. Not the temperature or the wind. No, I mean the weight. The pressure I didn’t even realize I’d been carrying—gone. Just like that. It didn’t feel like power. It felt like trust. Hanako’s hand slipped into mine like a poem that had finally found its rhythm again.

And just like that...

We were flying. The wind howled past my ears, but it sounded more like laughter. Mine, actually. A kind I hadn’t heard from myself in... God. Years?

“Woohooo!” I spun in the air like an idiot. Like a child. Like someone who had nothing to prove and everything to feel. I laughed. I cried. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and screamed,

“LET’S GOOOOOOO—!!”

Because why the hell not? I saw Hanako smile below me. That subtle, mysterious smile. But I also saw something else in her eyes. Not cosmic knowledge. Not divine wisdom. Relief. Like she’d been waiting for this too.

Then there was Haruhi.

Still grounded. Still hesitant.

Still clutching the edge of the apartment roof like it might dissolve under her. I felt a soft pang in my chest watching her. I knew that look. That fear of detaching. That anxiety of what if I don’t make it back?

I grabbed her hand.

And just said,

“We’re your ground now.”

She took off. Her ascent wasn’t graceful. It was clumsy. Messy. Terrified. But it was hers. And when the wind made her shriek and… well… yeah. Accidents happened.

I didn’t laugh at her. Okay maybe a little. But it was affectionate!! She was adorable, trembling like a leaf and floating like a bubble.

And then—

SPACE.

No rooftops. No gravity.

No traffic. No noise.

Just us. Three girls, a harp, and a dead galaxy. And Hanako? She brought it all back to life. I watched as she rewrote an entire star system like she was painting on glass. Planets realigned. Moons stitched themselves together. Colors bloomed where there had only been silence. And in that moment… I didn’t care about legends or roles or responsibilities.

I cared about her. Hanako Reina.

Not the Quiet Crow, or the Anchor. Just the girl who saved me. When she looked at me—with starlight on her lips and a question in her breath… she said, “Do you want to dance?”

You bet your cosmic butt I said yes. We danced. Clumsy. Weightless. Free. Her hands felt like the future. And when she proposed? I said yes again.

Because my answer had always been yes.

The stars blinked above us like they were cheering.

And somewhere far below, I swear I heard a bunny yell,

“JUST KISS HER!!”

We laughed

But we did.

And it wasn’t perfect.

It was honest.

It was ours.

It was the universe wrapping itself around us saying—

“You’ve earned this.”

part.vi of xiii – Hanako’s POV──⊰

We kissed again, under the beautiful galaxy I gave life to. Beauty. That’s all I could ever ask for. Her smile? It was special, and I want to protect that.

“Haruhi~” I called for her, “come here~”

She flew and came to us.

“Do you want to officiate our galactical wedding?”

“I’d thought you’d never ask~!” she laughed.

This time, I used my powers to alter Ruruka’s dress, along with mine. Interwoven fabric made from the essence of stars, they glimmered under the radiant light the Flamber Shoot gave. Ruruka wore a space suit, while I wore a wedding dress which had colors of a galaxy in it.

“You’re beautiful,” Haruhi complimented us.

“Both of you.”

She started a speech. Like the ones in official weddings. She took the time, failing, but picking back up. We laughed. It didn’t have to be perfect.

“Hanako Reina, will you take Koa Ruruka as your humbly beloved wife?”

“I do,” I said.

“Koa Ruruka, will you take Hanako Reina as your humbly beloved partner for life?” Haruhi changed it up a bit.

“Yes. I do,” Ruruka too, vowed.

“My unwavering cosmic heart says: I love you,” I told Ruruka.

“And my heart says the same~” she responded.

“Ugh. Just kiss already,” Haruhi groaned with laughter. This time, we didn’t. I wanted to include her too.

“Haruhi Aoi~” I teased her name.

“Y-yeah…?” She fidgeted as I called her full name out.

“You’re part of our found family too,” I said. I looked at Ruruka, and we kneeled before her, taking her hands.

“Will you be the anchor for us?” I asked her.

“Until time says so?”

“Without you, we wouldn’t be here,” Ruruka concluded. Her eyes welled up with tears. We kissed her forehand to seal our vow. A gentle invitation and a soft embrace, she said, “Yes. I do.” She came in to hug us like a family would.

And we returned it. Haruhi is one of us now—our anchor—whenever we fall from humanity, she will back us up. Again.

And again. Forever. Till always.

part.vii of xiii – Home is where Life Begins──⊰

We went back home. Little Aru was waiting for us. She jumped up and down when we opened the door.

“SNUGGLEEEE BOMMMMBBB…..!!!!!”

“I HEARD EVERYTHINGGGGG!!!!” Aru was happy for us.

“FOUND FAMILY LES GOOO!!!”

She jumped into my arms and snugged into my face.

“Ah~!” I laughed.

“You didn’t have to spy into my mind, Aru~” Haruhi poked little Aru.

“Oh, but I wanted to. I was WAITING FOR THAT TASTY MARRIAGE!!!!” Aru squealed euphorically.

“I now have three moms!!!”

“And including Haruhi?! As the family anchor?! THIS IS GOING TO GET LIVELIER THAN EVERRRRRR!!!!!”

“WAHHAHAAA~!”

“I love you guys!”

Aru is such a cute little bunny…!!! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

“Congratulations on your marriage~”

Looks like Little Aru is our pet and child now. But yeah. I think…that that all of has changed. Despite our struggles, we kept pushing forward.

We grew together.

We cried together. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Because moments like this?—It’s something that is worth protecting. No sugar coating or lies. Just honesty. Mutual respect. Koa Ruruka, who was once that stoic ninja? She’s changed now.

So have I! I used to be quiet. But now?

I’m open… Freely.

And Haruhi? Despite being that comedic relief?

She’s free too. She grew out of the earth and sprouted her own wings with us. This is what it means to have a found family. We can call out each other’s mistakes and learn from them. Not to victimize, but to validate growth. We breathe together. Under a world that might be cruel. But together?

We are the light.

Just for each other.

─────⊰ ✦ ⊱─────

“Ugh! Stop monologuing and KISS ALREADY!!!” Little Aru said.

“And don’t get ahead of yourself, Haruhi!”

“W-WHAT?! No way I would never! I’M THE PLATONIC BESTIE EVERYONE DESERVES!!!!” Haruhi proudly said.