Afterword - A Doki Doki Precure Story

31 - Groundhog Samsara

(A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so so so sorry for not being around much these last few months. I was meant to finish this chapter MONTHS ago but I've just been so busy. However it's finally coming out! Be sure to read through everything as this chapter has subtle inclusions important to the rest of this arc and this chapter!)

Mana and Makoto stared at each other long and hard, both trying to figure the other out. Connecting the dots, Makoto moved away from Yuki and raised an eyebrow.

Mana gave a knowing smile, a smile that confused the purplette.
"Mana... what are you smiling at me like that for?" She asked, twiddling a strand of hair with her finger.

"Oh you know~", Mana teased, looking at both Makoto and Yuki.

"Uh, Mana, we aren't a thing," Yuki quickly and bluntly responded, "we just got closer as friends."

Mana looked to the other girls, all of whom seeming to believe Yuki.
Of course the story would make sense. Her mind was likely playing tricks on her. And why would Makoto in particular get with Yuki? They were close, sure, but there wasn't much that allowed them to work off of each other in the same vein as Rikka and Makoto.

Rikka...

Makoto stood up and stretched, letting out a long yawn.
"I'm gonna head home, it's really late."

Alice followed suit. "I'm going to do the same. I'm really sleepy..."

Aguri stood up next, and then Yuki.
Everyone except for Mana and Regina made their way down the mountain.
Regina got to her feet and gripped the metal railing, enjoying the feeling of the cold iron in her hands.

"Y'know, Mana... I'm really happy."

The pinkette looked in the direction of her girlfriend. "You are?"

Regina turned to the seated girl and nodded, giving off a warm smile that radiated positivity and love.
"I want us to be together forever. I want us to get married, have a family together and grow old."

Mana blushed. She only knew she wanted nothing less than the same. Regina was her rock. Her other half. Her everything.
With that in mind, she too got to her feet and wrapped her arms around Regina's waist.
"I want that, too. I never ever want to be without you, Regina," the pinkette said softly, nuzzling her head on the blonde's shoulders.

The blonde smiled and pressed her index finger against Mana's nose, still smiling. "Shall we head home?"

Mana nodded, and together, the two girls walked hand in hand down the mountain.

//

As Mana lay in bed, on the cusp of sleep, she thought she could hear an echoing sound come from somewhere. It almost sounded like a beep. As odd as it was, exhaustion got the better of her, and within moments she was snoring away in the land of dreams.

//

The morning sun shone brightly through the blinds, illuminating the entire room. Regina awoke first with a big stretch and a long yawn. She lazily moved her matted hair out of her face and rubbed her eyes. She looked down next to her to see Mana still sleeping soundly.

Regina could always let her sleep. However today was another day of the festival, and this day was particularly exciting for Regina.

The blonde had her methods of waking up her sleepy girlfriend. But her favourite was kissing her cheek until she woke up.
It had a 90% success rate. On the times it didn't work, Regina in a literal and figurative sense was dragged back into a slumber.

Mana awoke after the fourth kiss, grumbling, mumbling and yawning.

"Good morning sleepyhead!"

Mana yawned and opened her big magenta eyes to look at the grinning blonde.
She turned to grab her phone to look at the date and time.
10:30am, August 4th.