Mittsu - Another Nightmare

 Hiroko woke up in the hospital, she sat up, and looked around. She looked down at her body, checking to see her wounds. She was wearing a patient's gown. Hooked up to an IV, and heart monitor. She placed her hand to her face as she noticed that only one of her eyes was open. She pulled herself from the heart monitor, and it went off. She grabbed the IV, and pulled it along, walking to the room's bathroom. She walked up to the mirror, and looked at herself. Her body was healed, but it ached, and she had a scar over her eye. A glimpse of a memory. She saw the knife Warabina wielded plunged into her eye. I placed her hand over the scar, and nurses opened the Room door, entering the hospital room, scaring Hiroko. “What happened to the Akuma?” Hiroko asked.

Yuna sat in the hospital bed, and the IV pumped vitamins into her, a Vitamin simply referred to as RTK. Yuna looked at the bag holding the vitamins and flicked it. Wasting time. The door opened and someone entered. Yuna looked to find Yusuke, he looked fine, and healed. “You look well.” Yusuke said. “I'm doing my best.” Yuna said. Yusuke threw a change of clothes onto the bed, including a Ryusou, it matched the style of Yuna’s sweater, it kept the Kasuri, but it was blue, with red flowers. “Your sweater was destroyed.” Yusuke said. Yuna looked away, and took a deep breath before crying a bit. “Is everything ok?” Yusuke asked. “The sweater, it meant a lot to me.” Yuna said, hesitantly. “Your mom?” Yusuke asked. “It was hers, she wore it. When she died I wore it. It was one of the last things I had of her. I sold everything else.” Yuna said. Yusuke grabbed the Ryusou, and put it over Yuna, offering her some comfort. “Well that was weird. I’m not used to anyone outside Hiroko being mushy with me.” Yuna said. “Well, maybe I assumed the wrong thing, but I thought surviving two battles where death was a huge possibility would make people friends.” Yusuke said. “Maybe, but seven years of you acting like an antagonizing moron doesn't go away in three-four days.” Yuna said. “You know you have been in the hospital for 3 days.” Yusuke said. “What!? I need to get out of here. Hiroko, and Ramon, where are they?” Yuna asked. “I don’t have a clue about Ramon, but Hiroko. We should go see her. You don’t need the IV, just get dressed, and let go.” Yusuke said.

From the darkness existed the faces of Warabina and Nakijin, laughing at Hiroko, as the rude things her grandfather said to her ringed through her head. Hiroko woke up, stronger than before. She got up, and returned to the bathroom. She placed her palm against the mirror, and looked at herself. She placed a hand to the scare over her eye, pressed two fingers on both sides of her eyelids. She pried it open, and was shocked. It wasn’t an empty socket, but her eye was gone, replaced by the Akuma’s eye, Warabina’s eye. Although only the nightmare of her existed, not her consciousness. Hiroko took a step backwards, scared of the eye. Her back pressed against the wall, and she fell to the ground, and hugged her knees sobbing.

Yusuke and Yuna walked around the hospital. “So do you know where Hiroko is?” Yuna asked. “Nope, but someone will.” Yusuke said. Yusuke walked to an administrative desk, and asked about Hiroko, getting no answers. He looked at Yuna, and continued walking. “She isn’t around here.” Yusuke said. Yuna followed after her. “So this doesn't look like any hospital in Okinawa, where are we?” Yuna asked. “Kanda Parsa. It’s difficult to explain, but this hospital exists outside of all other worlds.” Yusuke said. “What? It’s possible to travel worlds.” Yuna said. “Yes, humans have been traveling worlds for a long time. The oldest world outside of our physical one is the home of the Kami. But there are other worlds. Yggdrasil is more or less a collection of worlds, but it is an unique entity outside of our solar system, only connected by the Kami. Same with the Otherworld, and every religion's variation of Heaven or Hell. All are connected by the Kami. However it wasn’t until recently that fluid travel between realms was possible.” Yusuke said. “That’s a lot to throw at someone. I’m still processing and comprehending what you said.” Yuna said. The two reach another administrative desk, and Yusuke asks about Hiroko getting a room number. Yusuke leads the way with a bit of haste.

Hiroko laid on the bathroom floor, she stood up, and looked at the Akuma’s eye through the mirror. “You are a mistake!” her grandfather's voice said. “You should end it all.” Warabina’s voice said. “Stop trying to be something you aren't.” Yuna’s voice said. Hiroko looked at the mirror, and saw darkness behind her. From the darkness existed memories, a corruption of memories. Yuna, her Grandfather, her mother & father. Yusuke, and Ramon. All after the eye, that red eye. “You are a worthless, failing nobody.” all the voices said. Hiroko punched the mirror, shattering it. Several pieces of glass fell to the counter. Hiroko screamed, and headbutted the mirror, shattering the mirror, all to get the voices to stop. Blood dripped through the cracks in the mirror onto the counter. “Shut up. All of you.” Hiroko said. “You are nothing but a hypocrite. You act like you are better, but you immediately act like I’m worthless, meanwhile you can’t even practice your own religion without failing every five minutes.” Yuna’s voice said. “Get out of my head!” Hiroko yelled. “Failure, you’ll never reach Nirvana.” her grandfather’s voice said. Hiroko grabbed the broken glass, and lifted it up. She put the glass in front of the red eye, and thrusted it.

Yuna grabbed Hiroko’s arm, stopping the red eye from being pierced. Yuna simply hugged Hiroko, and immediately the nightmare ended, the taunts, and berating voices giving light to Hiroko’s fears, all gone. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn't keep you safe. I’m sorry you got hurt. And I am so happy to hold you again.” Yuna said loudly, hugging Hiroko tightly. Yuna cried onto Hiroko’s shoulder. Hiroko dropped the glass shard, and hugged Yuna, crying into her neck. “Yuna. Yu- Yu-.” Hiroko tried to say something, anything, but was unable to voice anything. Hiroko peered back at the mirror, and noticed something on her forehead, a collection of white Mabui, small but noticeable. Hiroko held Yuna tightly. “Thank you my friend.” Hiroko said quietly. The only words she could squeeze out. Her red eye disappeared giving way to her blue eye.