Disclaimer: I do not own Nightmare Inspector or any of the characters therein.

A/N: I will bring the NI archive up to ten. I will do it. I will do it..!

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The Aftermath of Choice

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"Azusa!!"

Azusa..older brother..you're back! You remember me!

Those thoughts, swirling in a repetitive loop, filled Mizuki's mind as she cried and clung to her brother.

You've come back to me...finally, after all this time…!

It took a minute to remember that somebody else could share her happiness at Azusa's return. The reason he had returned in the first place. Smiling, she turned to invite Hiruko to celebrate as well.

"Hiruko, Azusa-!"

Hiruko wasn't there.

Confused, Mizuki looked around. He was nowhere to be seen. She turned to Azusa, who had a strange look on his face.

"Brother, did you see-?"

"Chitose," Azusa murmured, "for whom life was supposed to end without a single happiness, was given so many.."

Mizuki's eyebrows knitted together as she struggled to understand. What does that mean? What does Azusa mean by 'was'…?

The realization hit her like an anvil to the head.

Horrified, she leapt to her feet and started running for the one place on earth Hiruko would go to spend his final moments.

Am I too already late?

::.

She reached the Silver Star teahouse out of breath and panting.

"Hiruko?" she called hesitantly. Silence responded.

"Hiruko?!" Nervousness made her voice shrill. "Where are you?"

"Nowhere," a quiet voice finally replied.

Bolting towards the source, Mizuki found an unusually somber-looking Hifumi. He was kneeling on the floor next to Hiruko's chair, staring at his hands as if he had been holding something that had abruptly vanished. Instead of his omnipresent grin, Hifumi wore an expression that suggested he was close to shock.

"What did you say?" Mizuki eventually asked.

Hifumi looked up and met her eyes. His were glistening. "Hiruko, he-he's not here," he said softly. "He isn't..anywhere..anymore."

It was what she had expected, and at the same time it was a horrible shock. She sank to the ground as well.

"He's gone?"

A nod.

Mizuki reeled. What have I done? she wondered. It's my fault! It's all my fault he's gone!

She clutched her head, barely hearing Hifumi's concerned inquiries. It was my choice. My choice. And I chose Azusa. Without so much as thinking about it, I chose Azusa and made Hiruko vanish!

Tears on her face. A worried hand on her shoulder.

Now he's gone forever, and I never...He cared about me. He looked after me for all this time, and I never thanked him. I treated him as nothing more than a substitute for Azusa. And when it came down to Azusa's life or his…I didn't even consider before choosing.

A choked sob. A guilt that threatened to drown her.

I was so selfish. As long as I had my brother, nothing else mattered. I would have done anything, anything to get him back.

Hiruko could just die, as long as I had Azusa.

It's the worst revelation of all. Miserable, miserable truth.

Her hands were shaking violently. She brought them to her face and cried harder than she had in years.

Hifumi hesitantly put his arms around her, trying to offer comfort. She let him.

I'm sorry, Hiruko. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…

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Owari

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A/N: Depressing enough for you?