A new future

The way out of the darkness

Seiya took Ichiro, and Chibiusa held Saori. Together, they tiptoed towards Bunny's room, well aware that the station nurse likely wouldn't have allowed them to enter with the babies. Fortunately, the nurse was not in sight at the moment. Seiya felt his nervousness grow as they neared Bunny's room. This was their last hope to cling to. Helios had searched the dream world daily but couldn't find her. She hadn't appeared on the dream plane either. Their only remaining hope was embodied in the form of two babies. Chibiusa slowly opened the door to Bunny's room.

They positioned themselves on each side of Bunny's bed. Seiya gently stroked her forearm. "Hello, darling, look who I've brought for you. Here are our wonderful children, our son Ichiro and his sister Saori," he said softly as he placed Ichiro in Bunny's arms. Chibiusa did the same, laying Saori on her other side. Then she glanced at Seiya and asked, "How long do you think it will take?"

"I don't know. I don't even know if it will work at all. It's as if we're cursed. Every time things start looking up, they come crashing down even worse," Seiya replied, his spirits dampened.

"I don't want to hear that now. You just have to believe. You'll see," Chibiusa said cheerfully, trying to uplift his spirits.

Meanwhile, Bunny remained enveloped in her dark void, her consciousness detached from her surroundings. She had grown accustomed to occasional sounds but lacked the strength and interest to investigate their source. She listened to occasional sobs and sank deeper into the emptiness. She felt brief waves of despair, sorrow, and love, but they passed quickly, leaving her alone once again.

Then, there it was again, one of those brief emotional waves, but this time, something was different. Curiosity piqued, Bunny slowly opened her eyes. The darkness persisted around her, but this deep sense of connection didn't fade. It wasn't like the usual waves that ebbed away. She felt it consistently coming from a particular direction. She began to move toward it, as if following an invisible thread. On and on she went, without a clear destination in sight. Eventually, she noticed a bright spot on the horizon. Gradually, Bunny's thoughts became clearer, and she began to remember. She knew who she was again. She remembered that there were people who loved her, and whom she loved in return. The light radiated brightly from a luminous sphere in the midst of the darkness. Bunny examined it from all angles. "This light and warmth, it's familiar," she thought, extending her fingers hesitantly toward the source. When her fingers made contact with the sphere, she was suddenly blinded. She shielded her eyes with her forearm. She no longer felt as empty, and she sensed her energy returning. She cautiously lowered her arm. She was back. Back in the dream world, in her cozy house that she had lovingly decorated. She was sitting right there on the sofa from which she had disappeared, as if nothing had happened.

"Seiya, we need to take them back. Let's try again tomorrow," Chibiusa said sadly, taking Saori back into her arms.

"You're right. It was worth a try. They'll probably wake up soon; two hours of sleep in a row is rare for them," Seiya replied, his voice filled with disappointment.

He reluctantly took Ichiro from Bunny's arms. He had desperately hoped that she would wake up, but she still lay there, unresponsive. With a tear in the corner of his eye, he kissed her on the cheek and left her alone.

As Seiya and Chibiusa reached the nursery, Saori and Ichiro had already opened their eyes and were eagerly demanding food. After feeding, changing, and putting the babies back to sleep, Chibiusa ran her fingers soothingly over Seiya's back.

"Do you want to go home and get some sleep or at least take a shower in peace?" she asked.

Seiya shook his head. "No, I can't leave any of them here. But if you want to go home, please do. I understand if you're longing for your own bed. The night nurse will assist me."

"Are you sure?" Chibiusa asked.

"Yeah, go on, get out of here before I change my mind," Seiya grinned, trying to be lighthearted.

"Thank you. I'll come back tomorrow morning after breakfast. If anything happens, call me. Oh, and if you need anything from home, just text me," Chibiusa said, giving Seiya one last tight hug before leaving.

Seiya remained seated for a while, watching the two babies sleep peacefully. It comforted him to see them there, grinning in their peaceful slumber. He briefly spoke to the night nurse and informed her that he would be upstairs. Exhausted, Seiya entered Bunny's room. He lay down beside her, gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, and gave her a goodnight kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep well, my darling," he whispered. He snuggled up to her side and closed his eyes. Then, he abruptly stopped. It couldn't be real. It had to be his imagination. No, there it was again. Something brushed against his finger. He opened his eyes wide, staring at his hand.

"Darling, can you hear me? Did you just move your finger? If you can, do it again," he spoke rapidly, his words flowing out of him in his excitement. He anxiously watched her hand, but nothing happened.

"Guess it was just my imagination. It would have been too good to be true," he thought sadly. But just as he was about to lie down again, a low, faint groan escaped her throat. Her eyelids trembled.

Quickly, Seiya reached for the call button and pressed it. "She's waking up! Get the doctor," he yelled over his shoulder while gently caressing Bunny's hand. She slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids heavy but managing to part just slightly.

"Seiya," she whispered weakly, and in the next moment, she slipped away again. Seiya turned around. The nurse was still standing in the doorway.

"You heard that too, right?" he asked incredulously. Seiya had started to doubt his own senses; it could have been a trick of his mind.

The nurse nodded. "Yes, I did. I'll get the doctor right away. But those are good signs."

Two doctors stormed into the room a few minutes later, closely followed by Amy's mother.

"Seiya, we're going to examine Bunny now. Please wait outside the door. I'll bring her back in shortly," the doctor said.

Seiya left the room, trembling hands pulling his phone from his pocket.

> She's waking up.< Sending to Chibiusa. 

Then he sat down on the plastic chair in the hallway and waited.