Epilogue : The Story of Nobody

The teenager fell to her knees, clutching her belly as if it could be enough to stop the blood escaping from her wound. It spread all over her white shirt and her hands. She was breathing heavily and struggling to stand up.

When she finally managed to get back on her feet and take a step forward, she stumbled again and ended up on all fours. And yet, she continued on, crawling towards the exit door. She picked up her mask on the way and approached the stairs. I must tell the others… gotta hold on a little bit longer… She stood up again, her free hand against the wall to keep her balance. She didn't have much time left.

The girl heard footsteps coming towards her as she climbed down the first portion of the stairs. Then, a familiar voice made itself heard. A voice which was calling a name, her name. She started smiling despite the pain and the blood loss from her wound : no-one had called her by that name since everything began.

"Dad?" she replied.

She hoped he had heard her : she didn't have enough strength to shout.

The wounded heroine slipped and fell down the stairs ; happily, she was caught rather quickly by her father who would no longer need the red and black uniform he was wearing, her mother who now was able to stand again, and John who immediately started carrying her, soon helped by the adults.

"I… I did it", she said in Japanese then repeated in English to make sure the foreigner understood as well. "B-but the camera, it's still -"

"Save your strength", her father advised her, "we'll get someone to heal your wound and…"

"No, dad… it's too late. But at least I saved everyone else…"

No-one replied. They all knew she was right.

"Where's Mako?" she asked. "Tell them I'm sorry… for everything."

By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, the archaeologist's daughter had already gone to the other side.

It took some time and help from all over the world to rebuild what needed to be. John, Mako and their friend's parents lent a hand in the reconstruction of the city. Meanwhile, the video of Nobody's battle against Aku and her heroic sacrifice was being viewed by people from every continent. She will be remembered : her family and friends would make sure of it.

The four made their way to the museum, which was still under reconstruction and not open to the public yet ; however the archaeologist and those who accompanied her were allowed to enter without any problem. After all, a good number of the relics from the past exposed here before Aku destroyed the city had been found thanks to her and her team.

And now was the time to place something else where the lost sword used to be. Something which had been made long ago but acquired a whole new meaning only recently : Nobody's mask. They stood there for a long while after the glass case was closed. No-one spoke a single word.

The deceased teenager's father was crying silently while her mother reached for her pocket where the journal had been ever since she gave it to her. John buried both his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie and stared at the floor in an attempt to hide his tears. Mako played absent-mindedly with the hems of their white shirt and blue skirt for a while, then left the room without a word. It was like their best friend's funeral all over again…

The others left them alone for a while before the young man from Scotland started looking for them in the next room. This time, it was in Japanese that he asked Mako if they were ok.

"No", they replied in English. "She is… was my best friend since… for as long as I can remember. And the last time I saw her, I yelled at her…"

The foreigner didn't know what to say, so he simply hugged his new friend tightly.

He soon had to let them go : it was time to get to the newly reconstructed airport where the archaeologist's son would arrive any minute now.

"Are you sure you want to leave, Mako?" the middle-aged man asked as they were all waiting for his son to land. "You could live with us."

"Yes, I'm sure", they replied. "There's nothing for me here now."

Some time after the archaeologist's son had returned to his family and John and Mako had left for Scotland, the museum's staff added a brand new plate right next to the one about the emperor's tale.

This one was about the story of Nobody.