Persona BLEACHED 4: Epilogue

Epilogue: Spring Moving
March 15, 2031
Fukuoka. A cool, overcast morning.
In the shadow of Kawagami Steel headquarters, there sat a private cemetery, where clan members of years past were housed for their eternal rest.
On this day, Kirumi Kawagami and her sister, Heiwa Nishikori, had come to visit. They found one plot in particular, with a freshly placed headstone over it. 'Ichiban' was etched into it. The sisters placed a vase full of flowers and some candles down.
"Happy birthday, Ichi." Kirumi said.
Heiwa placed a bottle of wine next to the candles. "Thought you could use your favorite brand." She sighed. "Any other time, we might have celebrated with a glass. But..."
The women looked over at four neighboring plots. 'Fukushū', 'Heikō', 'Genji', and 'Masayoshi' were written on them.
"...not a lot to celebrate."
"We survived. And we had time to prepare, thanks to Ichi's warning. That's something to celebrate." Kirumi replied.
"You're right. Even though nobody will ever know the truth. They'll all think it came from one of Fukushū's boats sinking."
"It's not the story I would have picked. But there are enough reports of those vessels malfunctioning that it was the most believable." Kirumi looked somber. "Not that I want to hear anything else about this company's wrongdoings. Let the board sort out who gets what. I'm content to live as far away from it all as possible."
"Is that why you said 'yes' to that?" Heiwa looked at Kirumi's right hand. There was a ring on her finger, with a red jewel.
"I've come to know Tan as the kind of man who would do anything for his family. The whole clan is much the same. It's exactly what I want. And I know Uri is thrilled. Besides, 'Kirumi Kubo' has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
"Well, when you put it like that..." 
Heiwa spotted something. "Kirumi."
Kirumi looked in that direction, and spotted two women in coats--Chizuru Nishiki and Nue Kigami. Their sisters.
"Nue...Chizuru..." Kirumi uttered.
"Hello, little sisters." Nue said.
"We're so sorry we took so long to reach out. We just..." Chizuru looked at the graves. "We had to see for ourselves that it was true. Our family is..."
"Wounded. But not gone." Kirumi interjected.
"Where have you two been hiding all this time?" Heiwa asked.
"Okinawa. I bought up a restaurant. Chizuru took a teaching job. We wanted to go as far from here as possible. We never asked for any of this." Nue replied.
"Masayoshi's ambition got the better of him. And he took the others down with him. We should have gone with you two when we had the chance." Chizuru added.
"No. Those people would've targeted you both if you'd gone. Take it from me. Running far was the best thing you could've done." Heiwa retorted.
Kirumi took her sisters' hands. "The important thing is that you two are here. The Conglomerate might be finished, but we're still a family. Now we can at least act like one."
"Always the hope-filled one, Kirumi. How do you suppose we do that?" Nue asked.
"Why don't we discuss that over a nice meal? There's so much for us to talk about. Including the matter of my impending vows..."
---
Naruki City, Tokyo.
Two months following the chaotic war within its borders, there was not a piece of rubble to be found. Thanks to the Defense Force's efforts, the city had been rebuilt within the span of a month, its citizens restored without any sign that they had been asleep for such an extended period.
Only a select few knew the truth. Tokyo had been a warzone. Beings not of this realm battled to the death to decide the fate of this world and others. It was as brutal as it was destructive.
Most would never know. And the ones who did, preferred to keep it that way.
Such was the case for the young, bearded man in the black hoodie and 'Ultraman Blazar' tee. Two months prior, he had dealt the blow that ended the war.
Today, his sister and their best friend were in town for spring break, and he was on his way to meet them for lunch.
The young women seated at the outdoor table could not have appeared more different. The one girl, a blonde with blue streaks in her hair, wearing a blue denim jacket, long white skirt and sandals. She had silver earrings made to look like feathers. The other, with dark hair including pink streaks, wearing similarly colored jacket, torn pants and boots. She had a black stud in the side of her nose.
Barbara looked up from her phone, perking up when she spotted her brother. "Heeeeeey~!"
"Hey there, big sis." he greeted. She got up and gave him a hug.
"You look good. Any bumps or bruises?"
"Nope. All healed up. I'd say you're looking good too, but that's a given."
"Such a flatterer."
"Don't I get any compliments?" Kat looked up.
"That almost sounds like begging, Kitty Kat." Max replied.
"I haven't gotten one in five minutes. I'm starving."
She gave him a high five, followed by a hug. "Good to see ya upright, Sparky."
Everyone sat back down. "So, how are things going? How's the apartment?" Barbara asked.
"It's pink. Very pink. But very comfortable. Thankfully, it managed to stay untouched during the fighting. I've mostly tried to stay relaxing, but I am trying to find work." Max replied.
"Work *on top* of starting online schooling? Sheesh, you really do just wanna pass out." Kat said.
"It'll be a lot of effort, yeah, but anything to take the pressure off Ibuki. My mom didn't raise a freeloader."
"No, Mama did not. Oh, Kat, did you wanna bring him up to speed on our summer plans?" Barbara asked.
"A'ight. So, the gang in London plus this one and her bubby are already down for what I've got in mind. Basically, I wanna give you guys a tour of my home turf. A week in Seoul." Kat said.
"That doesn't sound bad at all. Come to think of it, I don't think any of us have ever been to your house." Max replied.
"Outside of Maggie that one summer, nope. My Pops is opening up a bar that'll host local musical acts looking for their big break. I thought it'd be really cool to have a get-together there for me and Maggie's birthdays since they're so close together. Course...I'd have to ask if she's down for it. And last I checked, she hasn't been talking to anyone."
"Much as we've tried to reach out, she's staying pretty mum. I could see what a toll that fight took on her. She wasn't the same Saku." Barbara added.
"I mean, she tore up more of those wolf freaks than all of us put together. I don't wanna meet the person that's alright in the head after that."
"Have you or Ibuki heard from her at all, Maxie?"
Max shook his head. "Ibuki's tried calling her, but just the same as you, she hasn't heard anything. I went and called Sahir to ask how she was doing. Color me shocked that he's talking to me again. But he says she stays away from their apartment for long periods. Doesn't say a whole lot. Even said she's barely contacted her mother."
"Oh, Saku...now I know something's not right."
"Sahir said to give her time. I don't want to intervene unless I know for sure she needs the help. That's not a girl I want to have as an enemy."
Kat shuddered. "Yeah, no. Absolutely not. Can we talk about something less scary?"
Barbara looked to her brother. "You're really okay now, aren't you?"
"I think I am. Why the ask?" Max replied.
"Well, because I'm looking into your eyes, and for the first time in a long time...I don't see any sadness or anger."
"That right? Well...it's probably because I finally decided to move on from it all. The old man, Captain Thunder...all the guilt and regret that followed. I can accept everything that happened without letting it haunt my every move. And...I have a lot of people around me to wipe the mirror shards out of my eyes. Isn't that right?"
Barbara lit up at the reference. "Always~."
"God, you guys are so damn SUGARY." Kat chimed in.
The three finished their meal a little while after. "Alright, I'm gonna go meet up with Keeb. See you and Ibuki tomorrow?" Barbara asked.
"Pop in anytime. Door's always open." Max replied.
"Already counting the moments~." She gave him another hug. "See you around, little bro~." She left right after.
"And where are you off to, Kitty Kat?"
"Gonna go see Prof. I know the princess is gonna be all over me the second I walk in." Kat jokingly fanned her face. "What a burden it is to be so popular."
"Let me know how that feels."
She gave him a hug, then a peck on the cheek. "Proud of you, Sparky. I'll text ya if I'm free to hang. That goes for Bookie, too."
"Anytime. You can drop in whenever. Not gonna be a time we'd turn you away." 
"As if I'd take no for an answer." She winked. "Love ya, Sparky."
"Love you, crazy girl."
Kat turned to leave. "Oh, by the by. That girl in the hoodie two tables down's been eyeing you since she sat down. I'd go check on that if I were you. Catch you later."
As she headed off, Max turned his attention to where she'd pointed. Sure enough, there was a girl with her face covered, having barely touched her food.
He walked next to the table. "You gonna finish that?"
The girl was alerted. "....."
"You mind telling me why you're spying on me?"
"...I wasn't spying. Just...waiting until they left."
Max recognized the voice. "Wait a second..."
She pulled down the hood. Her eyes and hair, tied into pigtails with two black ribbons, were dark red. "Hey. Been a minute." It was the other world's Ringo Kubo.
"I haven't seen you since the battle ended. What are you doing here?"
"Same reason you got sent to my world. I...got a second chance. Your Rin talked with the other you, and they agreed that everything I did for the Wolfpack would be expunged if I came here and did good."
"And you're okay with that? Being sent away from home?"
"I...don't have a home. The Defense Force agreed that they're gonna try to rebuild my Naruki, but...I couldn't stomach it. There's too much pain there. I've got nothing to tie me back there. So I gathered up what little I had, and..." She pulled back one of her sleeves, showing a bracelet made out of red and black string.
"So where are you staying? With Professor Kubo?"
She shook her head. "No. I'm staying in that cabin in the mountains. Other me says her mom could use the company. They're just...so helpful already. I'm gonna be helping them out with their stores. Dr. Rose is gonna help me sort through everything I've gone through. Even these clothes used to belong to your Rin. They're gonna take me shopping tomorrow so I can have my own."
She covered her eyes, trying not to cry. "I must look like such a baby right now..."
"No, you don't. It'd be worse if you held back."
"I just...can't tell you what it felt like, looking in the mirror and seeing these ribbons in my hair. I feel like...like I can be *me* again. Like I've been asleep for the past five years and I'm finally awake. I don't have to be the Oni anymore. Now I can just be GoGo."
"I'm glad you can say that--hang on. 'GoGo'?"
"Oh...yeah. That's what people used to call me. I'm probably gonna go back to it, now that I'm not the only 'Rin' around."
"Probably the safe bet. So what were you wanting to talk to me about?"
"I...wanted to thank you."
"Thank me? For what?"
"For not giving up on me. For telling me how toxic revenge can be. You were right. It's not what my family would've wanted. If you hadn't talked some sense into me, I'd be as dead as the rest of the Wolfpack. I just wanted to know...what made you realize that?"
Max paused, to think over his answer. "It's a long story."
"I've got time."
"Well, once upon a time...there was a boy from the dirty South who wanted to be a superhero. His uncle took him to every new hero movie that came out, and the boy wanted to be just like the guys on the big screen. At first he just wanted to be cool. But things weren't so great for the boy at home. His dad was an abusive drunk, who hid behind the public persona of a successful coach. He'd berate and beat up the boy, his mother and sister."
"One day, the boy spills his dad's drink. The dad responds by tying him up to a tree, and leaving him out in the freezing cold overnight, only coming out to insult him some more. That night, something dark was born in the boy. Now he didn't just want to fly around and protect people. He wanted to beat up the bad guys. Ones like his father, who pretended to be good around other people, but changed when no one was looking."
"Years later, the boy gets superpowers. Crazy, right? Him and his friends start exposing twisted people and force them to confess their crimes. It was everything the boy ever wanted. But on one mission, something connects with the boy. A program older than anyone alive. It tells the boy it can make his greatest desire into reality. He can make him a real hero. And to do that, they're going to change the hearts of every person on the planet. The secret villains won't be so secret anymore."
"The boy is blinded by his newfound power. He changes downtrodden people, the ones society has hurt most, and gives them the strength to succeed. Only...he hasn't really helped them. Only made them worse versions of themselves. His friends free these people, and then they finally begin to heal themselves. But the naive boy doesn't see what he's done wrong yet. Only that people are being helped. His divine mission is working."
"So...what changes the boy's mind?" young Rin asked.
"His friends uncover his plans, and put a stop to them. He gets a cut on his face for the trouble. He sees that this way wasn't right...that his 'righteous mission' was all a cover to build up confidence for his true endgame: total revenge against the father who hurt him so badly. So the boy runs, and lives in peace...for a little while. But the flames of revenge are eventually stoked again. He starts taking his frustrations out on every hidden monster he comes across. He's working his way towards his father. But his friends stop him again, and tell him a devastating truth."
"The boy's father is already dead. Killed when he slammed his truck into a tree. Everything the boy had worked himself up for was gone. He felt nothing but emptiness. His vengeance would remain forever unrealized. And he at last understood what a hollow thing revenge is. How much destruction it'd caused, how much the people he loved had suffered from his misdeeds. And after all that time drowning in it, he'd gained nothing."
"Wow. That's...a lot." Rin finally responded.
"Yeah."
"So...how'd the boy get better?"
"Have you ever heard of a story called 'The Snow Queen'?"
"Uh-uh."
"Well, in that story, a boy gets the shards of an enchanted mirror stuck in his eyes. Those shards make it so that everything he sees is evil and twisted. All he perceives is the ugliness in the world. What finally breaks him free from that curse...is love."
"Sounds like a fairy tale."
"The boy had so many people around him who wiped away the evil from his eyes. Most of all, and most unlikely of all, was a girl he had hurt on his quest. Her resentment had given way to empathy, and eventually, to love. And as much as the boy insisted that he didn't deserve it, she held on tighter. And now...the boy lives happily with her. He's dedicated his life to bringing her the joy she deserves. And in turn...she makes him happier than he's ever been."
A timer went off on his phone. "And that alarm is telling the boy he's got appointments to keep before the girl gets home."
"Alright, I won't keep you--um, 'the boy'. One thing, first..." Rin uttered.
She got up, and hugged him, to his surprise. "Thank you. Again. See you later."
She started to walk away. "Hey!" Max called out.
"Yeah?"
"If you ever feel like talking...like you have to vent about something, I'm here. Professor Kubo knows the address."
"Thanks...I'll probably take that up soonish. Later." She left.
"And it's only midday. Alright, Starbolt. Time for some errands." 
---
Later on in the afternoon, Max returned to the apartment in downtown Naruki where he was staying with Ibuki. In his hands were several bags of groceries, along with a bouquet of red flowers. "Anyone home?"
True to what he said, the walls and furniture of the cozy apartment were a bright shade of pink. Immediately noticeable on the mantle was a pair of daruma dolls--one male, one female--placed close enough together that they touched.
From out of the bedroom, Ibuki popped out, tying her long, wavy black hair back. She wore a red workout tank top and shorts, with 'Fireball' scrawled on the former. "Hey there, Mr. Man! I was starting to think you'd run away."
"I thought about it. Your aura is too blinding to handle."
"Oh, amor, please. Sorry, picked up a bit of French from Care. Those for me?"
"I know your favorite."
"That you do. Thankies~." She took the flowers. "So, how's sissy and the kitten doing?"
"Same as always. Barb says she's gonna stop by tomorrow. Oh, and Kat wants us all to go to Korea for the summer."
"Ooh, heard about that little plan. Count me in. I hear the barbecue's divine."
"Crazy to think after all this time, we've never seen her house. I'm curious if the whole place smells like her dad's cologne."
"Bleh, I hope not. Think we should book a hotel now just to be safe. Out of the range of the smell."
"Yeah, good call. How was work?"
"Oh, extra super busy. Always gotta pull extra duty if Rumi's off. Gonna be interesting when she gets hitched. Hopefully DJ Tan Man doesn't take her on a long honeymoon."
"You can handle it."
"Yeah, I know, but mama needs a bit of an easy day every once in a while. Alright, I'm off to the gym for a bit. You got dinner covered?"
"Soon as I'm done putting this stuff away, I'm on it."
"Perfecto." She kissed him. "See you in a few~. Oh! Almost forgot. We actually have a new neighbor."
"Really? Someone bought the apartment next-door?"
"Yep. I chatted with them a little earlier. Seem pretty nice to me. Maybe you should pop in and introduce yourself. Y'know, the neighborly thing."
"I'll see if I can before starting dinner."
"Sweet. See ya~."
Ibuki left. Max could have sworn he saw her smirk on the way out. Thinking nothing else of it, he resumed putting away the groceries.
Once that was done, he made the short walk over to the next apartment to the right. He rang the doorbell. "Alright, try not to be weird, Maxie. Last thing we need is a nightmare next door."
The door opened. "Hey there, I live in the--"
Max stopped.
Standing in the doorway was a woman about his age. She wore blue overalls over a pink shirt, and had blue-and-pink knee-high socks. She had a light blue flat cap atop her distinctive silver hair. She greeted Max cheerily. "Hiya, neighbor~!"
"CINDY?! Wh-what are you doing here?!"
"Ummmm, I live here?"
"Since WHEN?!"
"Since today! I just got all my stuff in. It's all a huuuuge mess in there, tons of boxes to get through...probably should've asked Daddy to help unpack..."
"Okay, okay, slow down! Cindy. Why are you in *this* universe?"
"Come on inside and I'll tell you. Prying ears might find the topics...weird." She ducked back inside.
"Why pick now to stop being weird?" Max followed.
The apartment was much the same shade of pink as Max's, though with some peeling on the walls. Scores of boxes lined the floor and furniture. "I didn't lie when I said I literally *just* moved in. All my streaming equipment, my figures, my pictures...it's gonna take for-e-ver to get this all unpacked. Not to mention the place needs a fresh coat of paint..."
"You really gotta tell me what's going on. Why are you here now? Next-door to us, of all places?"
"Wellll...things have changed a lot back home. Now that there's no Wolfpack to fight, Daddy and Auntie Bobbi are reorganizing everything. They're trying to branch everyone out into other duties besides combat. And one of those new duties was multiversal research!"
"Multiversal...research."
"They want to keep tabs on any other world we come into contact with. Plus, in case things get crazy over here and you need our help, I can call them up in no time at all! You can just call me your P.D.F. liaison."
"And *they* picked you for this."
"Yep."
"And moved you right next to me."
"Yep-yep."
"Alright, Cindy...I know that last bit's a lie."
"Huh? I'm not lying."
"Your dad didn't pick you for this. You volunteered. Am I wrong?"
Cindy sighed. "Okay. You're right. When Daddy mentioned that he wanted to have someone stay here to keep an eye on things, I immediately raised my hand. Him and Mommy were both against it. Dai wasn't thrilled about it either. Sure, I can pop back home whenever, but being a whole world away on a permanent basis? They wanted it to be someone else. But I kept pushing. Because..." She shuffled a bit in place.
"Because?"
"Because I wanted to keep being around you, okay?!"
"O...oh."
She started blushing. "Ohhhh, that came out so wrong. I loved hanging out with you. You were the first friend I made that wasn't because our parents work together. And ever since that day you saved me...I wanted to be around you more and more. You always seemed so sad, and I just wanted to put a smile on your face. Then when I got to meet all your friends...it felt right. They all seem like great people, and I really wanna get to know them better. I want to have friends that I know like me for me, not because I do streaming or work for the Defense Force. If I can do that here, then I won't feel so lonely anymore."
"Cindy..."
She looked over to one open box in particular. Sticking out on top was a framed picture of her younger self, smiling happily with Hugo. She picked it up, looking sad. "The last thing he told me was to live happily. That I had so much to look forward to. And I just...have a feeling that it has to be here. I'm sorry, Maxie...I know you probably just want peace and quiet right now. And here I come dropping in out of nowhere."
Max glanced at the photo. "...it doesn't hurt to have my nurse so close by."
Her mood was immediately lifted. "Huh...?"
"And it really looks like you could use a hand unpacking everything. Would tomorrow morning work out?"
"W-w-w-wait, hold up! You're okay with this now?"
"I never said I wasn't. Surprised, sure. But I'm not against it."
"Yay! I'm so happy!" She bounded up and down. "This is gonna be so much fun! I can't wait to meet up with everyone!"
"Should probably wait to get settled in first. Just how much did you bring over?"
"Ahehehe..."
"That much, got it. I'll be over first thing in the morning to help out. Sooner the better."
"Thanks so much, Maxie. That'd mean a lot."
"No problem. I was just about to start on dinner, if you wanted to come over?"
"Oh, I couldn't impose on you and your GF. Besides, I just ate. But I'd love to after we finish up here tomorrow."
"My sister's coming over tomorrow, too, so we could all do lunch then."
"Oh, now I really can't wait! I'm not gonna be able to sleep!"
Max's stomach growled.
"...ahehe. I should probably let you get to your dinner."
"Sounds like it. Well...I'm off. I'm still in some shock, but...it's good to keep having you around. I'll see you first thing."
"You bet! Have a good night, Maxie~!"
She waved as he left.
"(Ibuki...you knew that was gonna happen. Now I know what that smirk was for. Kat told me the last thing the birdbrain told her was to keep being around Cindy. I would've done it anyway, but I can't let him down on that. So...guess it's gonna be a lot more chaotic around here. She'll fit right in.)" Max thought as he walked back.
In her apartment, Cindy had sat down in her computer chair, holding the photo tight. "Yay~." she said with a smile.
---
Later in the night, Max had laid down in bed. Ibuki plopped down next to him. "All set for the night?" she asked.
"After the day I've had...absolutely." he replied.
"Sorry again about the Cinnamon Roll thing. I was pretty stunned, too. But maybe I shouldn't have been. She's taken a real shine to you."
"Yeah. I had a feeling she'd be coming back around. Just didn't think it'd be like that. But she wants to be friends with everyone, and if this is the easiest way to do it, then it's fine with me."
"Do you miss it? The other world, I mean?"
"I'll admit, getting to meet all these different kinds of magic people and just being a superhero for a bit without all the baggage...it was fun. Not so much getting shot and beat up by wolf people, but I'm glad we were able to give them all some peace. All that said...I was always thinking of everyone here. I made you all these promises, and we had to put them all on hold..."
"It doesn't matter now. You're here now. And I can see it in your eyes that everything's alright in there. The best things are worth waiting for. Maybe it was the universe's way of saying you still had some growing up to do."
"Ibuki...my biggest mistake ever was causing you pain. I wish my old self had known that he'd wronged the strongest woman in the world. I'm not here because I feel like I owe you for all that. It's because I--"
She covered his mouth. "One sec, lover. Let me say my piece first. The way I see it, you and the guy that messed with my mind are two different people. Captain Thunder is the one I wanted to punch. But he's gone now. The guy who I'm looking at now...the one that throws himself at danger to protect everyone...he's not that person. You're the one I've been waiting forever for. The one I wanna spend forever with."
"Ibuki--"
"I'm not saying 'drop to one knee and ask me now'. It can be in a month, it can be in a few years. Just know that whenever you feel you're ready...I'll say yes. Because I love you. *You*. Max Jadefang. The guy that just beat the unbeatable. So...yeah." Ibuki turned red. "I don't know how to end that."
Max laughed. "You know what? I'm fine with that. That honesty is brilliant. And...for the record. I'll ask. One day. When I really feel like I can give you everything you deserve. I'll work my tail off to make sure you're not waiting long. Because I love you, Ibuki Hinotama. The biggest badass I know. And...I can't end this right, either."
"Haaaaa! Too cute!" She gave him a kiss. "I'll wait as long as it takes. Until then, I'll accept nightly cuddles as payment."
"Works for me."
"Good. And that's starting now."
She shut off the lights, and nuzzled in as the two closed their eyes. "And in case I haven't said it yet...welcome home, Maxie."
At last, the long struggle was over. Life could finally resume as they wanted.
At last, in his heart of hearts...he was home.
THE END