This will be the final chapter I will ever post for this story. Sorry it took a while to complete. I am out of practice, and I wasn't happy with some of the details. After a lot of tweaking, some characters still felt a little OOC. Hope everyone can over look that and still enjoy the final installment of The White Robed Witch!

I met Su MuQiu when the sakura flowers were beginning to bloom. How time flies. The leaves were already wearing their autumn colors and falling from the branches.

Ever since that day, having dinner together became our neighborly night routine. At first, I was against the idea of hanging out every night. I felt awkward hanging around someone who was so bright and talkative; someone who was the complete opposite of me. But MuQiu, somehow once again, had worn me down and gotten his way.

Over time, MuQiu got better at reading my thoughts through my body language and expressions. It was both a good and bad thing. Either he was too observant or I was just too easy to read, nothing in my head gets past him. Sadly, that means I could no longer talk badly about him in my head in front of him anymore. Thanks to his MuQiu, everyday was a little different than the one before it. The world didn't feel as dull as it was before.

Everyday at dinner, MuQiu would tell me about his day and a little bit of his past. The thing he liked to talk about the most was his adventures with friends in a game called Glory. MuQiu seemed depressed with his fruitless search, but his eyes would sparkle when he reminisced about the game.

Stories from Glory was my favorite too. At first, I only liked it because it was the only topic he could talk to himself about for hours. This was good for me because it would get him to stop trying to get me to speak for the rest of the night.

I had once felt annoyed at the dinner arrangement that MuQiu had decided by himself. I don't know when the feeling started, but I started to enjoy and look forward to dinner time each day.

"What is that!?" MuQiu gasped in surprise and pointed rudely at something on my face one night.

He had stopped abruptly in the middle of tonight's story. It was something about how he and his best friend got into trouble in game, again. Something about his best friend destroyed some other strong guy's perfect no-loss record. Then, the poor guy who lost dropped some rare equipment. A riot broke out over the equipment. MuQiu and his other friends had to come to the rescue.

I touched my face in confusion. I didn't feel any food or bugs on my face. 'What?' I shot MuQiu a look.

"So you can smile! It looks good on you. You should do it more often." He smiled warmly. I rolled my eyes at his childish tactics like usual.

x

Glory sounded interesting. A world with different classes of mages, fighters, gunners, and many more. A world where people fought monsters and each other for glory; a world where mortals can become gods.

There wasn't anything like that in this world. Even though I knew it would never be possible, I hoped somehow I could join this wonderous world MuQiu liked to talk about so much.

Maybe it was because I was so fascinated with the other world. Maybe MuQiu was just really good at telling stories. A few weeks after we started our nightly meetups, I started to dream.

The characters MuQiu told me about came to life in my dreams: Autumn Tree, One Autumn Leaf, Qi Breaker, Desert Dust, and White Robed Witch.

x

At first, I just lived through MuQiu's tales through my dreams. But then, my imagination took root, and I dreamt about characters and adventures beyond the stories. There were also dreams about a world similar to this one, but different. A world where I had more friends, but it was a world that didn't have MuQiu.

Those dreams became my guilty pleasure. I lived vicariously through those dreams. In my dreams, I was transformed into a witch dressed in white and went on adventures with MuQiu and other friends. Or I was a toymaker that made things that were more than toy robots. Maybe because I was in a dream, everything felt so natural. I caused trouble for others. I laughed with them. I cried with them. I treasured them.

When I wake up from those dreams, a tightness in my chess would always settle in. There was always a sense of sadness. Maybe I felt sad because I knew I could only experience the other worlds through dreams. Maybe I felt sad because I knew once MuQiu finds the person he was looking for, he would leave. I didn't know when this selfish feeling had started, but I secretly hoped that MuQiu would never find his important person. A lingering feeling told me that I had forgotten something important. It felt that the dreams were clues to that something important. But, if I can't remember, then it must not be that important...right?

x

Dreams were fleeting things. Once I woke up from them, I would already forget half of what I had dreamt about. The scenery, the characters, the monster, and the towns of a different world. I didn't want to forget any of it. I bought a sketch book and started to draw down parts of my dreams down to the last details I can remember.

Over the seasons, I had filled multiple sketch books. The sketches content and details varied greatly. Some had details down to what people were wearing. Some were abstract and fuzzy as the dreams themselves. Remembering and drawing faces were always a problem. The faces were clear and familiar in the dreams, but I can't seem to remember any details afterwards.

Worried that MuQiu would find my sketches and be disgusted with my obsession over his stories, I never showed any of my drawings to him. What if he won't want to hang out anymore? What if he stopped telling me stories of Glory? I couldn't risk it. But as much as I tried to hide everything from MuQiu, I still managed to mess up somehow.

x

The first snowfall started on my way home from work. MuQiu had waited for me at the subway station like usual to walk home together. He was talking about his day like usual, but my attention was on the snow instead. Even though I had seen snow many times before, I was still completely entranced. The snow looked pure and beautiful. For a moment, I thought I saw a white robed figure dancing elegantly in the snow in a distance down the road.

"What is it XiaoWu?" MuQiu asked worriedly when I had stopped walking suddenly. He looked in the direction I was staring blankly at. "Is there something there?"

I blinked a couple times and the figure had disappeared. I shook my head at MuQiu's concern. Did I not get enough sleep last night? I did stay up a bit late to draw again after dreaming about Glory. I was in the process of finishing a portrait of a certain witch dressed in white, but the face was left blank once again like all my other drawings.

The snow continued that night. MuQiu was telling another one of his Glory adventures at dinner. Usually I would listen intently to his story, but tonight I was distracted. It wasn't that MuQiu's story was boring, but my mind was kept occupied by the weather outside. The colors of the clouds reminded me of something that I couldn't put my finger on. The thought was right there, but I just can't figure it out.

"It looks like it will snow overnight. Those clouds really make you feel cold, don't you think?" MuQiu commented with a laugh and faked a shiver.

Gray of winter clouds that sends shivers down your spine. An image suddenly came to me. I rushed out of MuQiu's apartment and into my own. I was afraid I was going to forget this thought a moment later.

"XiaoWu?" MuQiu followed after me worried.

I had no time to lose. I felt like if I didn't draw down this idea this very moment, I would forget it. I pulled out my sketchbook and flipped to the page of my most recent work. I remember now. I remember how the White Robed Witch's face looked. The rest of the world fell to the side as I drew. Nothing mattered at this moment.

It didn't matter how long it took to complete the drawing. It had to be completely. I drew and drew until the final stroke was on paper. I looked at the final piece and let out a satisfied sigh.

"XiaoWu, how did you know what the White Robed Witch looked like? How do you know of Dancing Rain? I haven't told you about that character before." MuQiu, who had been quiet for the last hour to watch me draw, spoke. He currently had a female launcher drawing in his hand. He had all my hidden sketchbooks laid open besides him on the couch.

I jumped out of my skin. I had been too concentrated with my own thing that I had forgotten MuQiu was here. I felt blood drained out of my face and my body grew cold. It was over. The secret I had been hiding for the past months was out in the open. I can see it in MuQiu's eyes that he was disturbed.

x

"To think you were right here all along." MuQiu worn a sad smile. "XiaoWu, answer me honestly. Are you Naomi? Are you XiaoBaiBai?" MuQiu then shook his head at his own question and said more firmly. "No. You are XiaoBaiBai."

I covered my ears and shook my head in denial. I'm not. I'm not someone as funny and capable as the person he described in his stories. I was not the person he was looking for. I just was not. I could never be. I was just a nobody like all the copies in this world.

"Yes. Yes you are." MuQiu held my head between his large hands and looked straight into my eyes with a heartbreaking look. "Please. I need to know. Please… I have looked for you long enough."

I tried to shake my head and break eye contact, but MuQiu's grip was too strong.

"XiaoBaiBai. There are things drawn in your sketchbooks I never told you about. Troubling Rain. Grim Lord. You shouldn't have known about these characters at all. Yet, you do. Think about it. These are part of your memories." MuQiu pleaded.

By forced to stare into his honey colored eyes, some missing pieces of the dreams, or what MuQiu were claiming to be memories, that I had forgotten started to fall into place.

"N-nh-n…"A tremble bubbled up from my throat.

One of the dreams was a particularly sad dream. In that dream, I stood in front of a small grave with a small picture. There was a crushing tightness in my chest that made it hard to breath. The lump in my throat made it hard for me to make a sound. I wanted to cry loudly and yell out of frustration, but could only cry silently in the end.

"N-no…" A gasp of a whisper came out.

The picture had a younger MuQiu double in it. If these were my memories, I didn't want them. That memory couldn't be real. I didn't want to be real. If that memory was real, then that would mean MuQiu had passed away. I couldn't accept it.

"No." I choked out the word more clearly.

MuQiu was here. He was right here in front of me. He was holding my head in his hands. I was looking right at him. My hands reached for his hands. His hands were big and warm. He was so bright and warm like the sun. He couldn't be!

"No...No! NO NO NO NO NO!" My whisper soon became wails. Hot tears swelled up and blurred my vision.

"It's okay." MuQiu pulled me into a strong hug and rubbed by back to quiet my outburst. "Everything will be okay. Leave everything to your SuGe. I'm your super awesome SuGe afterall." MuQiu muttered some nostalgic phrases that made me cry into his shoulder harder.

MuQiu's shoulder trembled and I felt wetness on my shoulder. I wasn't the only one crying.

When the both of us had calmed down from the sappy crying session, we dried our eyes and sat a bit awkwardly next to each other on my living room floor.

"Who knew your first word would be 'no'. I was hoping it would have been MuQiu or something. How disappointing." MuQiu joked, trying to lighten up the previous mood.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"I know you can talk now. Don't you try to get out of it."

"Mu...Qiu…" I said shakily. After months of not using my vocal cords, it felt weird to talk again.

"Ah! She speaks." SuGe grinned in delight when he heard his name but then his face turned grave. "XiaoBaiBai. We must work fast from here and out."

x

The world was different now that SuGe had helped me regain some pieces to my past. No I mean the world didn't just seem different, it was different. The people who shared the same face as me were all gone. It became a ghost town; a ghost world.

All the infrastructures were still standing. The grocery store down the road was still stocked daily so we didn't starve. But there was no one there or anywhere. Only SuGe and I were left in this world.

I don't remember everything yet. SuGe tried to fill in the blanks where he could. But even he couldn't tell me everything. With the pieces I have, I had more questions than answers.

"So I was in a really bad car crash. So am I dead? This is the afterlife? The end for me?" I asked.

"Not quite." SuGe answered vaguely.

"So if I'm dead, what are you? A ghost, my guide to the afterlife, a guardian angel, or a fragment of my imagination?"

"Whatever you want me to be." SuGe shrugged.

"I assume you can't tell me much either."

"Bingo."

"What can you tell me then?" I was getting frustrated with the unhelpful answer.

"I'm here to help you recover your memories. Then it will be up to you."

"Up to me to do what?" I almost wanted to shout, but decided it was counterproductive. Since this SuGe might just be part of my imagination.

"You will see."

"So not helpful. How did I put up with you before?" I asked sarcastically.

"How did the cute XiaoBaiBai I knew before turned so uncute?" SuGe threw back a question of his own.

I pouted slightly. I couldn't come up with anything clever. Even if I was dealing with my imaginary friend, I still felt somewhat disappointed that SuGe found me uncute.

"I'm just kidding. XiaoBai is and will always be cute."

"You won't be saying that once I'm an 80 years old crazy cat lady."

"Well, maybe more like an 80 year old otaku with figures everywhere. But, I'm sure you will still be cute as a little old lady." SuGe said confidently.

He knew me so well. Needless to say, I blushed at his comment.

x

A month after the world became empty, SuGe and I had stopped making additional progress on recovering my memories. I still had many gaps in my memories. I still don't remember all the faces and names of my friends. The dreams still came once in a while, but everything was so fuzzy that it wasn't helpful. We couldn't find any more clues in this world either.

During dinner one night in my apartment, SuGe noticed a dusty old radio in the corner of my living room.

"What does it play?" SuGe asked as he inspected the device excitedly.

Since the world became empty, it also became quiet. So quiet that you can hear a drop of a needle. SuGe and I were bored one day and tried it. It was a short lasting excitement.

"I wouldn't bother. There is only one channel and it's broken. I remember using it before I met you and all I get is static and occasionally someone saying 'sis' comes through."

"Well static is better than silence at this point." SuGe said while searching for a plug in the wall.

"Are you sick of talking to me? I'm hurt." I faked a pout.

"You know what I mean." SuGe rolled his eyes and turned on the radio.

The result was expected. Only static came through the speakers.

"Maybe the signal isn't good. XiaoBai, help me find a good spot."

"Maybe by the window?" I suggested. Not sure what SuGe wanted me to do about a broken radio.

"Okay. I will move the stuff by the window, you bring the radio."

The moment I touched the radio, the static stopped.

"Sis. It's YiFan again. I miss you so much." A voice of a young male came through clearly before he broke down into sobs.

"Whao." SuGe looked at me with a knowing smile. "I guess there is nothing wrong with the radio, we just needed a better antenna."

"YiFan…." I repeated the familiar name. "YiFan…." I don't know why but my eyes settled on the pot of lily of the valley that sat innocently by the doorway. The little white bell shaped flowers seemed to bob up and down on the stem encouraging me to remember something. "Qiao YiFan. One Inch Ash."

"Who is that?" SuGe asked.

"He is my younger brother." An image of an older teen with dark hair appeared in my mind and I was in tears in seconds. "He is my important family. How could I have forgotten about him?"

"Tell me about him? It might help you remember more things." SuGe suggested.

"Ah. Where to begin. How about we start from the beginning?" I started to tell SuGe a long winded tale of my life after we had lost touch in Glory. All the things I have done. All the people I have met. All the memories I had made.

x

On New Years Eve, SuGe suggested we go out and celebrate with some sightseeing. Tokyo had been magically transformed into a city of snow and lights. Tonight, there was snow in the air, adding to the festive atmosphere.

"Where are we going?" I asked while on the subway.

"Shibuya Crossway." SuGe said with a far off look.

"I always wanted to go!" I exclaimed with excitement.

"I know." SuGe gave me a rather halfhearted smile.

x

I stared up at the snowing sky while walking down the streets of Shibuya with SuGe. I hate the cold of winter, but I loved the snow. With SuGe by my side, holding my hand, winter didn't feel as cold anymore. Everything tonight felt perfect. The scenery was beautiful. There was no one else in town. It was all for SuGe and I to share.

"You should watch where you are going or you might walk into someone." SuGe warned jokingly.

"Like there is anyone else in town." I stuck my tongue out. "Besides, I have you here to prevent that, don't I?"

"I won't always be there to protect you."

I don't know what's wrong with SuGe tonight, but he has that far off look again. That look made me feel uneasy. It felt like something was going to change tonight. SuGe knows it, but he won't tell me. If I'm already dead, what's the worst that can happen?

"SuGe. I always wanted to share a sight like this with you." I shook off the feeling and tried to talk about something more happy.

"I know." He answered with an unknown sadness behind a gentle smile.

x

When we arrived at the famous Shibuya Crossway, SuGe told me to stay put while he crossed. I tried to follow him but he yelled at me to stop and go back.

"XiaoBaiBai. Turn around and walk the other way!" He yelled while standing from the other side.

"Why? I want to go to where you are!" I was confused.

"You can't. You have people waiting for you. You have so much more to live for!" SuGe yelled with all his might.

"What are you talking about? I'm already dead. What is there left for me?"

"Turn around and see." He said with tears in his eyes.

I turned around expecting there was going to be no one there. SuGe was just pulling another prank on me. To my suprise, there were a lot of people standing behind me, as if they were waiting for me.

There were my parents, my aunt and uncle, YiFan, YeXiu, SuSu, Lin and so many others I had gotten to know through Glory. I looked at all of their faces. I missed their faces. But then there was SuGe. I looked at him, not sure what the right choice was.

"They are all waiting for you. You should go."

"What about you? Won't you be lonely?" I asked worried.

"No. I will be fine. I won't be if you come and visit me once in awhile there with YeXiu and ChengCheng."

"Will I see you again?" Tears fell down my face. I didn't want to lose SeGe again. Not again...

"Yes. When XiaoBaiBai grows to an old age. We will meet up and you can tell me more wonderful stories. Take care of YeXiu and ChengCheng. Take care of each other." SuGe smiled brightly, but tears poured down his face too.

"I will!" I agreed to SuGe's request immediately. No questions asked.

"SuGe! Are you real? Is this world real? Or was everything just a fragment of my imagination?" I asked the question that had been on my mind since I became aware that I was Wang JingChun. Naomi. XiaoBaiBai.

"I can't prove it here or now. But when you wake up, ask Ye Xiu for the account card in the empty cigarette box he keeps hidden under his bed all these years. Tell me I said that you can have it." SuGe turned to walk away, but then stopped as if he remembered something else. "Oh, if you ever have trouble with the sword saint, just tell him you can cook some really delicious Okra and eggs that you would love him to try."

"Why would I ever cook for that monkey?" I puffed at the idea.

"Just tell him that and you will see." SuGe said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Goodbye XiaoBaiBai." SuGe walked away with his back to me again. This time he didn't turn back again.

"Bye SuGe! Thanks for everything! Let's meet again someday." I yelled on the top of my lungs after him. I received a wave as a final goodbye.

After I watched SuGe walk out of sight, I turned around and looked at the crowd of people waiting patiently for me.

"Sorry to have kept all of you waiting. I'm back, if you guys will have me." I bowed apologetically to the crowd.

"Took you long enough…" Someone said in the crowd before I felt myself being pulled forward and was enveloped by warmth and bright light.

x

"She is awake! Aunty, Uncle. Come quick! She woke up. Naomi is awake!" Yifan was the first to notice his sister's eyes fluttered open.

"My daughter. My stupid daughter. How can you just sleep like this for almost two month? How can you let your mom and dad worry about you like this. This is not good for our heart and health." My mom rushed to my side immediately.

"Sorry Mom." I said tiredly.

"Hush. Say no more. Mom will take care of you now. Child dad, come and say a few things."

"It's good to see you awake." My dad nodded from the foot of the bed and squeezed my foot. He was not a man that knew how to express his emotions. His gesture told me enough; he was very worried and now relieved.

x

Over the next couple days, the words of Naomi woken up from her coma spread like wildfire in the Glory community. The news first started to spread in the pro player's chat, courtesy of YiFan. Then all of Glory knew about the good news within less than a week. Yet again, I had become the top search on Baidu.

Even though I had come out of my coma, the doctors wanted to observe me and do physical therapy in the hospital for another month.

It was a good thing that I had an unending stream of visitors during this time to keep me company. All the teams visited me at least one time. I received enough fruits to feed me 3 meals a day for a whole year. I had to share the fruits with the doctors, nurses, and other patients on the floor or I think I would vomit if I saw another fruit basket.

Of the people who visited, YeXiu was the last to come.

It wasn't until my day of discharge when YeXiu came to visit. However, YeXiu was not the carefree guy I remember before my coma at all.

"Took you long enough." I said expectantly, but gently.

"I'm sorry." YeXiu refused to meet my eye as he stood away from my bed.

"What are you apologizing for? My accident wasn't your fault, or anyone's fault. I heard that it was due to black ice. Why are you standing so far away? I don't bite...hard"

"I'm sorry for what my dad had said to you. It was rude of him." Ye Xiu came closer to my bedside, but still looked very uncomfortable. The guy kept his eyes at his feet and looked more sickly than I did. The smoke sticking to him smelled more heavy than usual. His eyes were bloodshot. YeXiu had definitely been smoking more than usual.

"Oh that. That's old news. Don't worry about it." I could see guilt eating away at YeXiu. I didn't need to make him feel worse than he already was.

"Is it?" YeXiu asked like he knew something I didn't. He met my eyes for the first time today but then quickly looked away again like a frightened child.

"I mean he isn't wrong. Figures are toys in a sense. Collectible toys made for adults."

"It still bothered you. I heard from YiFan you muttered 'toymaker' a couple times when you were in the coma."

"Did I? I don't remember."

"I was so mad at myself." YeXiu's voice cracked a little and stopped to pull himself together.

I waited patiently for him to continue.

"Why didn't I defend you that day? Why didn't I checking in with you sooner? I told myself that I was busy dealing with things at home, but that was an excuse. I didn't know how to face you and the state of our friendship after that. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to apologize at all." YeXiu swallowed thickly.

YeXiu had previously lost his best friend at a young age. Something like that definitely had traumatized him. To have to experience something so similar again. I couldn't even imagine.

"YeXiu. It's okay. I'm okay now. Everything is fine." I held his hand like one would hold a scared child's hand who just had a nightmare. "But I can think of a couple things you can do to make it up to me if that's what you really want."

"Anything. I will do anything." YeXiu looked at me, almost desperate.

"First, you have to try to stop smoking! It's bad for your health and for other people's health too."

"I will try." YeXiu didn't look thrilled, but agreed regardless.

"Second, I want the account card in the empty cigarette box under your bed."

"How did you know about that?" YeXiu seemed shocked that I knew the existence of the object.

"Would you believe it if I said MuQiu told me about it and said I could have it?"

YeXiu studied my face for a while and counter argued, "If I give you the account card, can I keep smoking?"

"No way! I promised I would take care of both you and SuSu. Quitting will be good for you. You also just agreed that you would do anything."

"You know having me quit is hopeless. Why even try, ShaBaiBai." YeXiu shrugged carefreely. He was at least beginning to sound like his old self.

"You shameless, old, stinky man!" I pointed accusingly.

"Oi, oi. Look who's talking. You don't smell so good yourself after staying in the hospital bed for so long." YeXiu shot back. He pinched his nose and waved his other hand in front of his face to emphasize the point.

x

"What's going on? It seems pretty lively in here. I want to join in too! If you are well enough to shout, let's PKPKPKPKPKPKPKPK Naomi! Old Ye is here too! I have improved lots lately. Old Ye let's PKPKPKPKPKPKPK." An annoying golden haired monkey came in with Captain Yu WenZhou following closely behind with a basket of various vitamins and supplements.

"Stay out of this or I will feed you Okra with eggs!" I yelled the magic words SuGe had taught me.

"How did you….?" Huang ShaoTian quieted down immediately and looked a bit green.

"So you are a fan of Okra too? We must talk about all the nutritious benefits together sometimes." Yu WenZhou's eyes shone with interest while handing me rather heavy.

"Perhaps I can join in that discussion too." Captain Wang JieXi had somehow invited himself to the conversation and handed me another basket of nutrition supplements.

"Why is it so noisy in a hospital room?" Old man Han, wearing his usual frown, stepped into the room. "For you brat." He added yet another basket. "Oh you are here too Ye Xiu?"

"...For you Naomi." Zhou Zekai stepped out from behind Old man Han and handed me another basket.

The pro players talked among themselves but have seemed to have completely forgotten about me! There I stood with a good 45 pounds (~20kg) of supplement hanging off my arms. Wasn't I the main character? At least for today?

x

"I'm here to pick up Naomi."

"With your infamous driving skills Big-Eyed Wang? I heard you made your driver's ed instructor very ill during your road test!"

"Blue Rain insists that we escort her."

"Tyranny will."

"...Samara will too."

While the pro-players fought over who was going to take Naomi home, Naomi had already left with Chen Guo, SuSu, YiFan, and YeXiu. It wasn't until much later when a flustered nurse came and asked everyone to clear the room that the captains and vice captains realized Naomi had long left.

Thank you all for following and waiting patiently for this story to finish. I hope everyone enjoyed the series. If you didn't like the little sequel segment, just pretend the series ended at chapter 66. Please stay healthy and safe during these tough times.

Miss C.