ZZZ:Through the Frosted Mirror

Miyabi reawakened, her breath steady but her mind still heavy with the weight of what she had just endured. Her body had changed—her once black hair now gleamed white with blue-tipped ends, her ears sharper, her form more refined. A tail, something she never possessed before, swayed behind her, mirroring the icy hue of her transformation. Her weapon, too, had changed. The katana she once wielded was now a Nodachi, a much larger blade exuding an overwhelming presence of power. She could feel its energy hum in her grasp as if acknowledging the shift in her very being.

Her golden eyes slowly rose to meet the Ethereal, which had regenerated, standing before her with its grotesque hammer. It snarled, seemingly undeterred, but something in the atmosphere shifted. The world had gone silent. The only sound left was the slow, deliberate impact of Miyabi's boots against the frozen ground as she walked forward.

The Ethereal, for all its unnatural might, suddenly began to tremble. A primal fear, something deeper than logic, coursed through it. It wanted to flee, but it couldn't. It was as if the ground had swallowed its feet whole, leaving it at the mercy of the predator before it. Miyabi's presence was suffocating, an unseen force pressing down on reality itself.

She walked past the Ethereal without even glancing at it. Then, without warning, five deep slashes carved into its massive body. The Ethereal let out a bloodcurdling cry of pain, ichor splattering the frostbitten terrain. Miyabi didn't stop, didn't turn back. Her voice, cold and emotionless, cut through the silence.

"Stay down. No matter what you do, it won't change anything."

For a moment, the Ethereal's fear was replaced by something else—rage. It roared, defying its own terror, and lunged toward her in desperation. But Miyabi didn't flinch. She turned, throwing her Nodachi forward with inhuman precision. The massive blade impaled the creature's chest, the sheer force sending it crashing backward.

Miyabi was on it before it could even react. With a heavy stomp, she pinned it beneath her foot, her Nodachi still embedded in its torso.

She exhaled, her shoulders tensing. Her mind clouded with sorrow and fury. The anguish of loss. The torment of helplessness. The memories of everything she couldn't stop. The image of Ellen's lifeless body on that screen, mocked by the so-called Doctor, flashed before her eyes.

A deep, guttural roar ripped from her throat, shaking the very air around her. A pillar of ethereal blue fire erupted from her body, swallowing everything in its vicinity. Yet, instead of burning, the flames froze everything in its path. The once ravaged battlefield had turned into an arctic wasteland. Ice stretched in all directions, trapping everything in an eternal frost, the sheer intensity of her power leaving nothing untouched. The Ethereal beneath her was no exception—it twitched once before falling completely still, encased in a crystal coffin of ice.

Miyabi stood there, panting, her breath visible in the frigid air. The fire had quieted, the rage momentarily spent. She pulled her Nodachi free and turned away, making her way to where the others were still fighting, where the civilians still needed help. She had wasted enough time.

Then, a voice called her name.

It was a voice she thought she would never hear again.

She stopped, her body locking in place. Slowly, she turned.

Standing before her was Ellen.

Or, at least, something that resembled Ellen. She looked different, her form changed in ways that Miyabi couldn't fully grasp yet. But it was her. It had to be. And on Ellen's back, fast asleep, was Mira, now resembling a young oni.

Miyabi's vision blurred as emotions she had bottled up for so long crashed over her all at once. Relief. Overwhelming, unbearable relief. The tears came before she could stop them, slipping down her face silently.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, a small, fragile smile appeared on her lips.

She whispered Ellen's name, her voice carrying love, warmth, and a deep, aching devotion that words could never express.

Miyabi didn't hesitate.

The moment her eyes locked onto Ellen, she surged forward, throwing her arms around her without a single thought. She didn't care about the eerie black markings that now covered Ellen's arms from her hands to her shoulders. She didn't care about how Ellen now towered over her at seven feet tall, nor did she stop to question the way Ellen's long shark tail curled protectively around the sleeping Mira on her back. All that mattered was that Ellen was here. Alive.

Tears welled in Miyabi's eyes, but they did not fall. Instead, she buried her face into the crook of Ellen's neck, inhaling deeply as if to assure herself this wasn't just some cruel dream. She squeezed tighter, arms wrapped firmly around Ellen's waist, pressing her body as close as possible, unwilling to let go. The rhythmic rise and fall of Ellen's breathing was steady, grounding. It was real.

Ellen, without hesitation, returned the embrace, her powerful arms encircling Miyabi with a surprising gentleness. She adjusted slightly, ensuring Mira remained safely nestled against her, her tail tightening to support both her and Miyabi. The warmth between them wasn't just from their physical closeness—it was something deeper, something unspoken yet understood.

A deep, soothing sound reverberated through Miyabi's chest, and she realized belatedly that she was purring. She didn't care. Let the world burn, let the sky fall—nothing else mattered at this moment. She pressed herself even closer, rubbing her cheek against Ellen's skin, her tail flicking behind her in slow, contented movements.

"You're alive…" Miyabi's voice trembled, breaking the silence. It was barely above a whisper, but it carried all the weight of the torment, grief, and fear she had carried. The unbearable despair that had crushed her just moments ago melted away in the warmth of Ellen's presence.

Ellen's grip on her tightened slightly. "I told you, didn't I?" Her voice was softer than Miyabi had ever heard it. "I got this."

Miyabi let out a shaky breath, eyes squeezing shut as fresh tears threatened to spill over. "Don't ever scare me like that again." Her fingers dug into the fabric of Ellen's clothes, holding on as if she feared Ellen might vanish if she loosened her grip even slightly.

Ellen chuckled, a deep, low sound that sent a pleasant shiver down Miyabi's spine. "I'll try."

Miyabi finally leaned back just enough to look at Ellen properly. Her face was different, her entire presence changed—but those eyes, sharp yet kind, still held the same warmth they always had. A small smile crept onto Miyabi's face, a rare expression filled with unguarded emotion. She reached up, her fingertips brushing against Ellen's cheek before pulling her into another embrace.

Then, without hesitation, Miyabi closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against Ellen's in a kiss that carried everything she couldn't put into words. Relief, love, sorrow, longing—it all melted into that single moment. Ellen stiffened for only a second before she returned the kiss just as fiercely, her arms pulling Miyabi closer, as if she too never wanted to let go.

Time seemed to stop. The chaos of battle, the frozen wasteland around them—none of it mattered. It was just them, wrapped in each other's warmth, finally reunited.

When they finally parted, their foreheads remained pressed together, breaths mingling in the cold air. Miyabi's fingers traced the edges of Ellen's jaw, committing every detail to memory, ensuring she would never forget this moment.

"I thought I lost you," Miyabi whispered, voice raw with emotion.

Ellen smirked, brushing her thumb over Miyabi's cheek. "You'll never lose me."

Miyabi didn't care about what had changed. She would ask her questions later, when she wasn't terrified that letting go would make this moment disappear. For now, she simply held on, letting her purring speak for her, letting the world fade away as she embraced the woman she loved.