What If, Gorou's Edition

Chapter 4: We

"Nnnn..."

I opened my eyes only to see everything around me surrounded by the pitch black darkness. This body was needlessly sleepy and yet unpredictably so also. I sat up and looked around to see my twin sister still sleeping in her own cradle. I was... still not used to this. The thought of having been granted a new family filled me with so much joy I felt like my little infant body could burst just from thinking about it, and yet I couldn't openly give praise to the gods yet. Of course, how could I, being barely a month old and all.

I was given the name "Hoshino Ruby" in this new life. Has quite a nice ring to it, don't you think? I overheard Mama saying to Sensei she named me and my little sister according to our eye colours. Sensei thought my eyes had a more ma-mage... what was that word again? Anyway, what he meant was my eyes looked more pinkish than red, but Mama said they would look like ruby once they'd developed enough. Same thing with Aqua's too. Oh yeah, the full name was "Aquamarine". What is aquamarine, I had no idea, but I couldn't see colours yet, so who cares?

I... died. That much was clear to me. I remembered Sensei staying by my side. I remembered he clenched that keychain and made me a promise to cherish Mama forever, for my sake. I could barely say goodbye to Sensei when everything went all blurry... then white,... then black.

Tendouji Sarina thought there was no longer any lights at the end of the tunnel for her. She had to leave Sensei behind in the world of the living. Her limbs, weakened and even unresponsive at times much to her frustration, no longer felt like hers. But in this endless flowing stream, even when she could feel nothing, something gentle was guiding her mind to ease.

"Ai..."

Who was Ai? Sarina briefly saw the flash of the evening star the day her parents sent her a DVD. Piecing one and one together was now a herculean task to her, but that name, "Ai", was the first anchor the little girl refused to let go.

"Sensei..."

Was "Sensei" referring to a teacher Sarina had before she became bedridden in that hospital? Or was it someone else dear to her. She seemed to recall a semi-rimless glasses frame. That second anchor was what Sarina refused to let go from her grip.

"Aaahh..."

Sarina wanted to cry, but now she was even denied the human privilege of sobbing, much less letting any tears flow.

"Sensei... If only I could see you one more time..."

"Ai... I wonder if I ever could be like you in another life..."

Sarina kept flowing. Eventually, the girl stopped thinking.

...

One day the aether around the girl felt... bubbly. She was still floating, but there was warmth. Sarina opened her eyes again. Light. She could feel her limbs again. Something was touching her foot. The size of that "thing" was roughly the same as hers. The space was a bit cramped, but for the first time, Sarina no longer felt any discomfort.

Another day and the little girl's ears picked up on a familiar voice.

"The choice is ultimately yours, Hoshino-san. Please think about it carefully before you finalise your decision. That is all I can say as a doctor."

A doctor? Sarina's family name wasn't Hoshino though? Her thought somehow drifted once again to that keychain.

The days went by and the space around Sarina were becoming less and less accommodating. Someone was there as her "roommate", that much now was clear to her. She could touch her other half and they her. She felt safe in their presence.