Ritsu: So, this is more of a prologue than anything, and whether this continues or not depends on whether there is any interest in it. A short first chapter, I admit, but regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

I died, and I was reborn. But I was still dead. The difference? I found myself in another world, tied to a ring and tasked with a mission.

Save Kozato Enma.

SIOCxEnma

My death had been quick and mostly painless. Some street thug had cornered me in an alleyway, wanting to rob me blind. I'd panicked and called out for help and he'd stabbed me. His aim had been surprisingly accurate and I'd died mere minutes later. Dying was… strange. There was no light or out of body experience. One minute I was in pain and the next everything was merely dark. A voice spoke to me, and said:

"Save Kozato Enma. That is your mission. You will be bound to the ring of Mamori, invisible to all but who wears it."

I was surprised. I knew who Kozato Enma was, but why would I be given a mission to protect some fictional character?

But I quickly found out that… Kozato Enma… wasn't so fictional anymore.

When I came to, I met the gaze of a young girl. Her hair was a vibrant red and I noted she had a small hair clip shaped like cherries attached to it. She sent me the biggest smile I'd ever seen, asking me if I was alright. It struck me as odd that she'd speak in Japanese, luckily I'd taken a few courses and knew it well enough, but when I realized just who she was it all made sense.

"Kozato… Mami…" I mumbled, my eyes widening. Said girl tilted her head to the side a curious look settling onto her features.

"You know who I am?"

I nodded slowly, a small smile on my lips. Kozato Mami, Enma's younger sister. Granted, not much was known about her, but looking at her eyes, her vibrant hair and the cherry hair clip there was simply no one else the little girl could be.

But Mami was dead, wasn't she?

Unless… this is before she's died… Am I… supposed to save her? I was told to save Enma, not Mami… so why is Mami here and not Enma…? What's… going on..?

"Can I call you Mami-chan?" I asked softly, gaining a happy nod in response.

"What's your name?"

I blinked, unsure of how to answer. To begin with, I never thought I'd see the girl in real life. If it even was real life. It could just as well be a mere dream of mine, as I entered the afterlife. I could give her my actual name, but for some reason it felt wrong. Like that name was no longer mine to claim. A frown tugged at my lips and Mami seemed concerned by my silence.

"Maybe… you don't have a name?" she asked, sitting down on her knees in the grass. I closed my eyes, slowly nodding. The 'me' that had a name had died. Even if it all was a dream, it felt wrong to claim something belonging to the dead me.

"Then how about I give you one?"

I opened my eyes, blinking rapidly in surprise before nodding mutely. I figured I could humor the girl, since she had seemed so eager. I doubted I could come up with a name myself, either way. Before the girl could think of a name, however, I decided to ask her something.

"How old are you, Mami-chan?"

She held up her hand and proudly declared she was five. I wasn't sure of the age difference between the two, so I quickly asked how old Enma was, as well.

"Nii-chan is two years older than me!"

Seven… His parents… and Mami… they were killed when Enma was very young… but I don't remember if a specific date was mentioned… Ugh, I should've read through the manga again to freshen up my memory!

But it's not like I had known I was going to die and end up like I had. I felt conflicted. On one hand, getting to meet characters I'd always wished were real sounded exciting, but knowing of all the horrible things that would happen had me feeling miserable.

I looked at the girl in front of me, trying not to let my feelings show. She deserved better, I concluded. She deserved to live, to be happy. Her parents deserved the same. The Kozato family deserved to live long happy lives.

But changing the plot could be dangerous. Would it even be possible?

As I pondered quietly, Mami smiled brightly clapping her hands together.

"Tomo-chan!" she exclaimed, pointing at me. I blinked, tilting my head to the side, my previous thoughts forgotten. Seeing my confused look, she let out a childish giggle before explaining.

"Because you're my first friend!"

Tomodachi… means friend. I see…

I gave her a small smile before hesitantly reaching out to ruffle her hair. I didn't know if she'd react negatively to such a gesture, but her smile only grew larger. She took hold of my hand, gently tugging it. I stood up with her and let her drag me towards what I assumed was her home. The words I had been told echoing in my head. I glanced at the small chain around Mami's neck. A small ring hung off of the chain, its shining silver contrasting heavily against her deep brown dress.

I will be invisible to everyone else… I wonder if… Enma was supposed to find the ring…?

"Where are you from, Tomo-chan?" Mami asked as we walked.

"Somewhere far, far away…"

"Are you going home soon?"

"I can't go home. I have an important mission, you see."

"Oooh, that sounds so exciting! What kind of mission is it?"

"I have to… keep someone safe. Protect them, and save them if they get in trouble."

"So you're like… a guardian angel?"

"Something like that."

I personally felt that a guardian angel was too noble a title for me, but I couldn't bring myself to say such a thing out loud. Even if it was just a dream, I didn't want the girl to stop smiling.