While Ragyo Kiryuin's defeat was an overwhelming victory for all those involved, there were still issues to be resolved when it was all over. In order to live a normal and happy life afterward, both Ryuko Matoi and her sister Satsuki needed to consult a therapist to sort out all the issues the experience had left them with, some of which were relatively recent while others had haunted them for much of their life.

But when the sessions were finally over, both were able to properly enjoy the happy ending they'd earned with the people they loved. Ryuko soon moved to Osaka with her girlfriend Mako Mankanshoku, the latter because she'd enjoyed her first visit so much, and the former so she could help with the efforts to rebuild. It was a life they were both incredibly grateful for, but over time, new problems became apparent.

It began inauspiciously enough. There were some nights when Mako would wake up with a start, but upon seeing Ryuko lying next to her, she would dismiss what she had just experienced as a nightmare and go back to sleep. Ryuko only occasionally saw this, as she was asleep when much of it happened, and whenever she was, Mako would never discuss it the following morning. Even if she was awake to see it, Mako would insist that there was nothing for her to worry about, and the matter would soon be dropped. But after a brief period of calm, things only got worse…

One night, Mako woke up looking far worse for wear than she normally would after a nightmare. To be more specific, she had gone from lying down to sitting upright with speed like lightning while her body was drenched in a cold sweat. Ryuko was quickly awakened by the sound of her screams, and while her first instinct was to try and comfort her somehow, she was taken by surprise when Mako lashed out of her, sending her tumbling out of the bed and onto the floor.

"Mako!" She cried. "Mako, what's wrong?"

Mako's response was frantic and incoherent, and the only words that Ryuko could make out were 'get out'. After another attempt to get close to her ended just as disastrously as the first, Ryuko decided there was only one person she could count on in this situation, and wasted no time in calling them.

Many miles away, Barazo Mankanshoku answered the phone irritably, ready to give whoever was calling a piece of his mind.

"What do you want?" He muttered.

"It's me!" Ryuko said. "There's no time to explain! Come as soon as you can!"

Recognizing the voice, the urgency, and above all, his daughter's screams, Barazo nodded and hung up, leaving as soon as he was dressed.

Unfortunately, Mako lived quite a distance from her family, which meant by the time Barazo got there, the situation was rather different to what he'd heard over the phone. Mako was now back to normal, and as a matter of fact, she was the one concerned for Ryuko, who was clearly exhausted both emotionally and physically, to say nothing of the bruises she now had.

As soon as she saw Barazo, Ryuko quickly explained what had happened both before and after the call, without missing a single detail. As she went on, his expression became more and more serious, and when she was finished, he offered his explanation.

"As a surgeon, this isn't exactly my department," he began. "But that doesn't mean I don't recognize this. The symptoms match those of a night terror, which is exactly what it sounds like: A nightmare, only worse. Unfortunately, the exact cause can be hard to determine, but that doesn't mean it can't be treated."

He went on to explain the methods, for which Ryuko couldn't thank him enough, but after he left, Mako still seemed unsure.

"I'm not really sure this will go away so easily," she said. "And I think I know why it's happening…"

"I'm listening," Ryuko said, eager for any answers she could get.

Mako nodded and cleared her throat. "It all started just before the final battle with Ragyo, while I was resting after helping you destroy the original life fiber. I was spending some time in my happy place, just in case it was the last time I'd ever see it, and at first it was just like it always was.

"But out of nowhere, someone showed up who wasn't supposed to be there… And I knew she was actually there… I wasn't imagining her…"

Ryuko's concern was growing with every moment. "Imagining who?"

Mako's answer was spoken barely above a whisper. "Nui Harime."

The name alone was enough to fill Ryuko with equal amounts of rage and dread. Nui Harime, the girl who killed her father, and from that moment onward did everything else in her power to make Ryuko's life a living hell. The thought that she could continue to haunt them to this day was, needless to say, not a pleasant one.

"I've been seeing her there ever since," Mako continued. "I can't tell any more if it's actually her or not. Back when I was having nightmares about this, waking up and seeing you would always calm me down, but you said you couldn't do that this time… and I don't even remember it!" Without warning, she suddenly latched onto Ryuko and began sobbing. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Ryuko!"

Ryuko sighed quietly as she stroked Mako's hair affectionately. "I'm the one who should be sorry," she said. "Even after everything you've done for me, I couldn't help you at a time like this…"

Mako suddenly lifted her head from Ryuko's shoulder. "Hold on there! You heard what my dad said. It's way too early to be saying that!"

Ryuko's eyebrows moved upward ever so slightly. "But you said…"

"I said I didn't think it would be easy," Mako said. "Ryuko…" She looked her in the eye. "...When has 'not easy' ever stopped us, or any of our friends?"

After a brief pause, Ryuko smiled at her. "...you're right. If you ever have the misfortune of seeing Nui in there again, tell her this:

"Her days are numbered."

A/N: I've been itching to write this since the second to last episode, but I had to wait until the very end to make sure I wouldn't contradict anything. Originally, life fibers were going to play a fairly large role, including a subplot where Satsuki and Nonon where planning to have a child using the same methods that created Nui. If not for how the series ended, it would have been that child that finally set Mako off, but alas, 'twas not meant to be.