Chapter 13

Minako-chan, wake up. It's time for school... Papa's making breakfast. Hurry up or you'll be late….

You should move the tooth brush in circle like this…Okay… Want me to comb your hair? ...

Let's hurry or papa will be furious…

D'awww, you look so cute….

Should we go with this yellow headband? Hmmm? You want the green one? It's good too. Green reminds me of frog. Frogs are cute. I used to play with frogs a lot when I was little. You know, their limbs are so fun to play with… I usually tore them out and…

Yes, dear?

We will be out in a minute. Geez, your papa always knows how to ruin the fun. 'Kay, you're good to go now.

Where's my little ladybug's small fluffy cheek? Lemme kiss it. Lemme…

*Chu*

I love you and your papa so much. I wish we were able to be like this everyday. If only I could … I …

- Minako, can you hear me?

Minako slowly opened her eyes. Her head had never been this hurt before.

- Minako, do you know who I am?

- Uncle Minato…

- Thank goodness…

Minako rubbed her eyes to shake the sleepiness away. Uncle Minato was carrying her in his arm. She felt dizzy. Couldn't uncle stand still in one place?

- Who are you? Give me back the girl. - Said Loki while casting non stop Agidyne.

- I'm the Great Seal's brother. And no, it's useless asking me to give her back. – The blunette answered coldly while dodging the attacks with the little girl in his arms.

- Look at your state. You think you can win against me?

The demon was right. Minato was in no condition to fight. He couldn't feel his left arm anymore and his spiritual energy were slowly running out. Charging right through the Seal barrier was a pretty reckless thing to do but if he hadn't done so, the Seal would have been broken and Minako would have been dead. However, Minato was still one-step late. Loki had already weakened the Seal by using some of Minako's spiritual power, making a chance for Eurebus to damage it more. So now, Minato had a defenseless child in his arm, an opponent that could kick his ass and a humongous monster trying to end the world. Of course it'd take Eurebus quite a while to successfully break the Seal but Minato afraid that he wouldn't last long in battle with the other demon.

However, there was a thing that worried him more than the rest. When entering the Seal, he caught a glimpse of something slipping out of his sister's body.

"Screw it! Now's not the time!" Minato dodged an attack that almost got him. His movement's getting slower as he's running out of strength. Panting heavily, he took a look at his niece. It looked like she hadn't fully come around yet.

"Damn… I need back up…But if Elizabeth and Theo went inside the same way as me, things will not be very nice" Minato summoned a blue tarot card in front of him.

BEELZEBULB!

He struck the card with his fist. The king of flies emerged from the blue mist and blocked Loki's attack.

"That'll buy me some times. Now to think up of a plan" Minato looked around. The Seal seemed to have been badly damaged. At this rate, the Dark Hour must have returned over there.

- Hey Minako, Minako… Can you hear me?

- Y-Yeah…?

- Good. I have asked this question before and I knew you don't have the answer but do you have any slightest idea about how to get in and out of this place?

- No …- It took Minako a while to figure out what Minato just said -… I just followed you … when mama told me to that time.

- Okay, thank you dear.

"Maybe getting out is not as hard as getting in. That time when SEES got here, they went through the Abyss of time's last door. The demon I'm facing with must have had some kind of transporter similar to it."

Minato suddenly remembered the time when he and Theodore went to meet a person to ask him about the Seal. Said person seemed to have a very important role in the demon world. Minato had no idea who he was but he felt like he'd met him somewhere before. When Theo mentioned their ideas of freeing Hamuko, that person refused to continue talking. It seemed like he didn't want to mess things up because becoming the Great Seal was Hamuko's answer to life and their act may affect the universe's balance.

"Let it be. That's her decision" That was what he said.

But Minato and the rest couldn't. That's why they kept hopelessly searching for years.

A slight ray of hopes flashed through Minato when he thought about the situation he's in again. Maybe, just maybe, Theo and Elizabeth will remember that person and seek help from him. At this rate, when the universe's balance's in danger, not only will he tell them about how to get in the Seal, but he may also send some back up, no, maybe he'll send a huge army of demons to help.

Minato smiled bitterly at his childish idea. Whatever will happen, nobody knows. He's got to do his best at that moment.

~In front of Junpei's house

The dark hour~

They couldn't believe their eyes anymore. It's her. It's really her. Auburn colored, curly hair with neatly placed hair clips, black Gekkoukan uniform with S.E.E.S red arm band. She looked at everyone lovingly.

- Hey, I'm back. What's with the face?

It couldn't be her.

Even though her eyes, her lips, her childish smile… No… Shinjiro shook his head. It can't be her.

~~~~~Everybody please stay cautious. ~~~ - Fuuka whispered. – ~~~~ She ... is a shadow. ~~~~~~

- God dammit! Then why did it take HER appearance? – Asked the irritated Junpei. - Is it the same as the one we fought back then?

~~~~~~ No… But that thing … I don't know… Even thought it's a Shadow, it gave off a presence … just like ….Hamuko… ~~~~

- Hamuko's shadow?

Shinjiro didn't think much before blurting it out. Everyone looked at him with shock.

- Don't ignore me – The silhouette gave out a creepy chuckle – Is this what you all have always wanted? To see me again? To be able to hear my voice again?

- Who are you? - Asked the shaking Yukari. – Why are you here?

- Because I am Hamuko Arisato, stupid – It chuckled again – You are my friends and he is my man. This world is where I belong, what's so wrong with coming back?

Or…

It's because you guys don't want me back anymore?

The atmosphere's getting heavier. The shadow stopped smiling. She looked straight at Shinjiro with a pained expression. Bloody tears started rolling down its face. Silence covered the group.

- I see…-The shadow laughed- So that's the reason no one ever bother coming back for me after seeing what happened. You guys don't need me anymore.

~~~ What the…. - Fuuka gasped- The shadow is getting weird. It's like it's attracting other shadow to this plac….

-SHUT UP!- The shadow yelled with an inhuman high pitched voice, interrupting Fuuka- SHADOW THIS, SHADOW THAT! I'M HER! DAMMIT! I'm SICK OF IT! SICK OF ALL OF YOU!- It panted heavily while clutching its head, sobbing. – I'm sick of you too. Why… Why didn't you come back and save me? Why did you choose to side with Junpei … of all places…so indecisive… so unlike you … left me hanging… wondering if you'd come back for me or not… Don't you know how lonely I felt there? Don't you know how badly I missed you… and how it hurt me when I saw you that time?

I'M ASKING YOU! SHINJI!

He looked at her.

It's torturous.

To see the face of his loved one with the eyes and voice of something not human.

Yet.

See her in it.

Author's note: Sorry for the long delay. I've been so busy ^^~ Thank you for your feedbacks. I appreciate every single one of them.