"I, no. We started this and it's our duty to finish it." Himeko walked up to Mei but Griseo stood in front of her with her hands arms stretched.

"Griseo…"

"No! Mei Onii-Chan can't go, she's not ready yet." Mei put her hand on Griseo's arm.

"Let me go Griseo."

"No, your Honkai treatment isn't ready yet."

"Himeko…" Theresa shook her head. "She's not ready yet."

"Himeko…" Mei took her mask off. "I'll be fine."

Griseo stood there, still defiant. Himeko put her hands on her shoulders until the young painter gave up.

"From now on, I'm living my life, by my own will. I refuse to live, a proxy life. A slave to someone else's will." She slowly sat at the edge of her bed as the IV's stretched.

"I'm a shadow, one that no light will shine on. As long as you follow me, you'll never see the day." Mei sat up, weak but strong willed.

"You and I are just pawns, in this Honaki war but when this is all over, we will have our freedom."

"Mei…"

"I'll release you, it's the only way I'll ever be free."

"Mei, five years ago. That's not what I meant."

"I have nothing left to lose." Himeko groaned.

"Don't be an idiot Mei. you know you have someone to protect."

"Hmph. It was never going to work out for me. It even rained the day I was born." She looked down in shame and closed her eyes.

"You've got it all wrong. You were the lightning in that rain, you can still shine through the darkness."

"The lightning…"

"Mei look at me. She ripped off her clothes to reveal her stigmata. There were Honkai lines forming out of it surrounded by dead flesh. Griseo looked in horror, Mei never took her eyes off her and Theresa looked away in shame. "Do you see this? I have no future. In a few months, I'm going to die a slow and painful death and my corpse will probably rise up and start killing innocent people on its own. You, you have a family."

"I have no family!" She got up and grabbed Himeko's shoulders. She looked into her eyes with a face of pain and sorrow. She began to collapse onto the floor as she hugged Himeko's foot. "I have… always been alone. Always."

"Mei…"

"please, don't leave me here. Alone…

"This is my fight, my destiny."

With that Mei finally passed out, Griseo helped her back into bed. Himeko stood there, wondering why this had to had happened to such a young girl.

End.