AYUMI

I stood on a tall rock, the elementary school, Heavenly Host behind me. I thought I was a hero, but I wasn't. I was too late. Sachiko had destroyed the earth, and there was nothing that I can do to repair it. I sighed, and slumped down so I was sitting on the boulder, chin in my hands. "Hi, Ayumi." I glanced besides me. Yoshiki had sat down next to me without me noticing. I pulled at my skirt distractedly.

There was no use of me being alive anymore, so I permitted Yoshiki to transform me into a spirit. I couldn't save humanity. Everyone was dead. Plus, I had too many painful memories. When I was a spirit, they're just headaches. I get them approximately twice a day. It's still painful, but in my opinion, it's better to have your hurtful memories as headaches than hurtful memories. "Hello, Yoshiki," I replied glumly, gazing out at the horizon. The sun had stopped rising and falling in the sky. In fact, the moon was over it, forming an eternal eclipse, showing that Earth was broken.

Tears returned to my eyes, and my head began to throb. I had grown used to this over the past few weeks. I was okay with it. I allowed it. More, I requested it. "You don't look happy," he observed, gently entwining my hand in his. I belonged with Yoshiki, literally. That was how the suspenseful craziness started. I sighed, letting my other hand rest on my knee.

"I'm not," I vocalized flatly, glancing at him again. Even though all spirits were a sky blue color, Yoshiki's hair still shone, indicating it's past blond shade. He was amazing on the outside and the inside, I thought lovingly. Love. A feeling I missed. A feeling I finally have now. The feeling that haunted me every day and night. I ruffled my hair with my hand, blushing a bit. Why was I thinking about little, pointless things like that? Shouldn't I wonder about something else?

"Let's go inside," he suggested, grinning at me, before standing up and pulling me to my feet. I nodded my agreement, and together we walked back towards the school. Once inside, we found Seiko waving merrily at us, Naomi smiling at her shoulder.

"Kishinuma-kun! Shinozaki-chan!" she squealed. "Hello!" We waved back at her, repeated our hellos, and continued our stroll down the halls. We got rid of all of the corpses, and their appeased spirits roamed freely around. They were even allowed to go outside the school as well. We repainted the walls, installed new floors, and made Heavenly Host true to its name, just like the promise we made on the final sunset, right on the rock where I stood a couple of minutes ago.

Now, I was third-in-command, right next to Satoshi and Yuka. I was happy with things, content with them. However, I have nightmares. You could almost say visions of Sachiko tearing things apart, killing people, but the only difference was it actually happened. I also have dreams about my house being torn apart, crushed, and my sister screaming my name as she died. My sister was important to me. It haunts me, and I doubt the dreams will ever leave. I don't tell any of my friends, though. It isn't important.

Everyone is joyous, content and comfortable with the new progress of Heavenly Host. I'm happy, too. Me and my friends are history. Ghastly history. We were the first to survive the terrors of the school. We defeated the demons. We made it a better place. No more pain is here. Well, except for my nightly horrors. But still. That's just me.

Even if it was the end of the world, with no more moving sun or moon or clouds, no hint of life, I still had my friends. The friends I died with, and the friends I lived through with. Because of them, I survived-and still am--inside.