Hope

... ...

'Huh? Did I... Lose consciousness?'

I stand up, and what I see shocks me. Gaia was bruised and bloodied, with one arm clearly broken. The walls all around us were starting to erode, filled with cracks everywhere.
"Gaia!"

I'm afraid to step closer, but something inside me gives me a push, and I take a step, I get closer to her and miraculously she's breathing, a ragged breath, but breathing and alive.
"Aunt! I'm so sorry."
Cough "What... did I tell you?"
She's awake, and smiling.
"Heh, sorry. Sis."
"That's better..."
"I'm so sorry... I caused this, didn't I?"
"You... have nothing... to be sorry for...
What you saw... Your mom, my sister... I would have gone crazy too."
"...What happened with her?"
"I told you... remember?"
"...She had to stop using her magic... This was why?"
"Powerful magic... drains a ton out of you... Hers especially."
"Is she... Gone?"

She takes a moment to rest, before continuing.
"The Holy Orders can take more than energy, in this case no doubt her lifespan has shortened a bit, just like..."
"What?"
"...We'll only know how she is when we get out of here."
I nod.
"Right, I'll try to get you help."

I look around, they may be heavily damaged, but they're still thick and strong walls from Gaia's magic.
'Maybe I...'

I'm afraid, but I risk it and take hold of her.
The next moment we're outside, past those walls, successfully having teleported us out.
'I'm back in control...?'

I hear gasps from all around us. Everyone was still here, they never left.
"Get us help!"
Light Show immediately runs to us as I shout, before enveloping Gaia in her magic.
'Hopefully she can do it.'
Moments pass and the light fades, Gaia's breathing seems stable now, and she seems like she has a bit more energy, though her wounds are there all the same.
"Sorry. I'm not that good with-"
"Don't worry, any bit counts! Thank you!"
"Oh, uh-"
"THANK YOU!"
I start to tear up as I bow to her.
"Geez, it's fine, don't worry..."
Gaia lets out a small chuckle and says.
"Heh, maybe we should delay your joining us for a bit...
Just until you get better control of your powers."
I look at Gaia, she still has a wide grin on her face.
"...I guess I'll need a teacher first."
Gaia's eyes seem to take a shine to them, as her smile gets wider and says.
"You'll have to wait for her to heal first!"
Her smile then melts away, a sense of pity showing in her face, and in mine a sense of sadness. I'm still afraid.
"Go on. Go see her."

I turn around and start walking, my goal is near, monitored by Echo and Thunder.
"Hey kid."
"Oh, Kazu. I'm glad you're back in control. Here to see her?"
I hesitate before asking.
"...Is she...?"
Echo beckons me over and says.
"See for yourself."

I take a look, as even more helicopters buzz above, this time from HQ, ready to evacuate us to a hospital and away from this mess as the sun starts to rise, with its light almost blinding.

... ...

Alright, let's see... I got everything on me, got my backpack... Yeah, I'm ready.

...

It was a nice Sunday when I left my empty home, ready to go on a walk.
It had been several days since the incident, by now basically all the villains had been caught, and peace had returned, even more so than before, with Neptune now gone.

'Let's check in with her.'
"Are you still up for going there?"
'Sent.'

Ping!

'Oh, fast answer, nice.'
"I'm already here, I'm waiting on you!"
'Wait what?! I gotta hurry!'

...

I finally arrive, sweaty from having run all the way here, and take a look all around.
'Where the heck-'
"Heya there!"
"WOAH! Damn, you got me again Aya."
Once again she had used her invisibility to scare me, as she always likes to do.
"Well, I had plenty of time to plan the best route."
"Sorry."
She lets outs a small laugh.
"Heh, don't worry about it! I was the one that was early anyway.
Speaking of... did you run here?"
I look away.
"...Yeah. I... I'm-"
"I get it. You don't need to explain."
We go inside the café and take a bite to eat as we keep chatting.
"Oh by the way, how's Light Show?"
She tilts her head slightly.
"How would I know?"
"Huh? I thought by now-"
"I'm kidding! I've obviously been checking her training. I'm glad she's redeeming herself!"
I let out a chuckle under my breath.
"Not yet enough to shake the hero keeping watch over her I assume?"
"Ding ding ding! You got it!"

Some more time passes before she asks.
"So, you going to check on them?"
"Yeah... I gotta, otherwise Tarou will blow up my phone."
She laughs when I say that and stands up.
"HAH, that's funny! Well I gotta go now, have a good rest of your day!"
"Yeah, thanks for hanging out with me!"
"Gladly."
She winks as she says that, before turning away and leaving.
'Gladly? ...I can feel myself blushing...'

Some more time passes before I finally get up and leave the café, setting off towards the hospital.

...

'Right then, first room.'
I knock on the door, and soon after someone inside opens.
"Oh, hey kid."
"Hey Thunder, I see they already got you out and about."
"Heh, more than that, they finally cleared me."
A smile beams on his face.
"Hm?"
"I'm no longer forced to be the evaluator for Little Heroes!"
"Oh, you got promoted?"
"No, they just realized who Neptune was."
"What do you mean?"
He looks way when I ask that.
"Uhh, don't worry about it. Anyway, you're here to see her?"
"Yeah, I figure I may as well, she did help after all."

I go inside and see White laying in her bed, she was still healing from the wounds she received, and thanks to Light Show having helped when she did, we avoided something much worse. Because of her previous actions she still has a hero watching over her, just in case.

"Oh, hey there Kazu."
I look over and see someone else as she sat in a bed opposite White.
"Hey... Red?"
She stands up and approaches me.
"I kindly asked and they let me visit her!"
Thunder retorts from behind me.
"More like begged and pleaded."
"HEY!"
Suddenly White wakes up.
"Can both of you, just SHUT IT!"
They both quiet down and apologize.
We chat for a bit, and soon I turn to leave.
"It was fun talking, hope your trial goes well!"
Red waves me goodbye and says.
"Bye Kazu."

I continue towards the second room, and open the door before being immediately greeted.
"Well, well, if it isn't little Kazu!"
"Oh, hey man!"
"Hey! The club isn't here?"
"Ah, they left a while ago, they were impressed I'm roommates with Gaia!"
I nod and say.
"I'm honestly still surprised they put you two together."
Gaia's face shows a mix of emotions as Tarou speaks up.
"The power of begging is immense!"
He gives me a thumbs up and I continue.
"Right... Anyway I came here from White's room."
Gaia takes the opportunity and asks about her, changing the subject.
"How is she?"
"She's doing good, today it was Thunder who was watching over her."
"Ah, good for him."
"Yeah, he told me he got cleared, something about finding out who Neptune was?"
Gaia goes silent for a moment, before speaking again.
"Yeah..."
"Could you-"
"Elaborate? ...Yeah, fine.
He wasn't Neptune back then, and his magic was..."
She thinks of how to continue and I ask.
"What?"
"...He could change his flesh, his body."
"..."
"Back then... we assembled a big force to bring him down, but then he... Disappeared."
I look down for a moment, then back at her as I ask.
"...Was mom part of it?"
"Yes. I think she knew more than she let on."
There's a moment of silence, before Tarou breaks it.
"Are you going to see her?"
"Yeah, I was just checking in on you guys first."
"We'll be ok man, go to her."
Gaia stretches out her hand, and puts it on my shoulder.
"Be strong little Kazu."

Gaia smiles at me and I turn to leave, heading towards her.

...

Here I am, everyday I always hesitate before going in, the hesitation lasting less and less each day. Today especially being much less than usual, today I got something special to show her.
I enter her room.

There she was, laying in her bed. I approach and sit down next to her.
"Hey there mom! I got something to show you."
I pull out a journal from my backpack.
"It's the newest chapter of my book of heroes and villains. Your chapter!"
I flip to the page.
"Here it is, in the hero category, 'MOM'! It stands for Master Of Magic! Nice right?"

I look at her, she's sleeping peacefully, or at least I hope she is and not in any pain.

The magic she used had drained her completely, putting her in this state with currently nobody knowing for how long it'll last.
I hold her hand before speaking.
"One day you'll wake up from this coma, I know it."

I spend the rest of the day with her, and afterwards leave the room with a smile on my face, and hope in my heart.

'One day.'