When she entered the broadcasting room, she was shocked by the sudden darkness. Then she had a heart attack when suddenly all the lights flared open, revealing smiling, familiar faces.

"SURPRISE!!!"

Y/N gawked at the cheering crowd. The Mokke, Tsuchigomori, Natsuhiko, Yashiro, Kou... everyone she had come to know was greeting her warmly.

"You guys..." She began, but couldn't finish. The Mokke waved at her cheerily with their ears, dangling from a banner that read-

WELCOME BACK, Y/N!

She noticed even Sakura, who was usually so stoic, had a smile of relief on her face. Y/N found herself rushing to her, embracing her tightly.

"You guys! I haven't forgotten!" Y/N began to sob, unable to help herself. "I have not forgotten you all! I'm so, so sorry for all the trouble I caused... all the pain you must have been through..."

"No, Y/N. I'm sorry." Sakura said in an uncharacteristic weak voice. "I was the one who led Tsukasa to you in the first place... I slipped the paper crane into your pocket. I didn't know he had such dire plans for you. I should have known better. But I was bound to him, as you were Hanako, and all I thought about was myself..."

"Don't push it on Senpai," Natsuhiko popped by Y/N's side suddenly. "She went through a lot, too, giving up her deal with Tsukasa to save you."

Hanako also floated by, eyeing Natsuhiko warningly. Natsuhiko gulped.

"Th-that's not to say of course, Senpai wasn't at fault... I'm glad you're back, Y/N."

"Enough with the sorries!" Yako scolded, curling by Y/N's feet as the crowd of Wonders and humans began to crowd around her in a big bear hug.

Y/N's tears kept flowing as they huddled in the Broadcasting Room. The affirmations and support coming from all of her friends was...

'Wait. This is not all of them.'

Y/N drew away just in the middle of Yashiro and Kou telling the others of her ghostly adventures in Kamome. She bit her lip and addressed them.

"Guys... where is the Mokke I hurt?"

At this, the pink bunnies around her went quiet. They looked at eachother, then turned to Hanako with a seeking glance.

Hanako nodded solemnly. "I think it's time they met again."

Y/N nervously tugged at her Sakura uniform. Tsuchigomori sensed the sudden seriousness at once, and he gestured for her to follow him.

"Hanako-kun...? What's going to happen?"

Hanako only affixed her with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. No matter how she responds, we will find a way to figure things out."

"She?! Figure things....?!"

But the parade of pink bunnies were marching at her feet, forcing her to follow Tsuchigomori into another door inside the Broadcasting Room...

When they entered, the festive cheer of earlier was muted. Y/N could see a makeshift bed in one corner of the paneled room, with a tall curtain the color of clinical blue. A familiar silhouette shifted behind it.

"No way... is it really you?" Y/N trembled.

A brunette stepped from the curtain. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if she were nervous for reciting a line she had rehearsed for many times.

"Y/N Tsukira, it's been a while." She smiled weakly, and with them came her red gaze.

"You." Y/N said.

Osane Miku shuffled in her place, suddenly breaking her leveled stare with Y/N. Tsuchigomori sighed,

"And that is why I'm here. I was afraid that a fight may break out, but it turns out it's boiled down to silence. However, that's preferable. Shall we start with what Y/N came to see? The injured Mokke?"

"Oh, yes. Of course." Osane said quickly, happy to lift the atmosphere. The Mokke seemed to fuss at this, and began climbing on top and around Osane to see over the bed with arguments:

"LET ME SEE HIM!"

"Put your ears down, they're twitching too much!"

"OI! You're tall! Get behind me! NOW!"

Y/N peered over, making sure to stay a good few feet away from Osane. On the bed, a Mokke had a bandage wrapped around its belly. It looked as if it were sleeping soundly.

"Oh thank goodness his snores are getting louder everyday." A familiar Mokke, one with a distinctive one eye, peered over Y/N's shoulder. "That means he's recovering quick. Ey, Y/N, remember me? Do ya?"

Y/N fought not to laugh at the Mokke's  ear poking at her cheek. "One-Eye." She greeted.

Then her happiness faded all too soon. She bent over the bed, careful not to make a sound, and whispered her wishes, half to herself.

"I'm so sorry, little guy... you did nothing to deserve this. I still remember when I had a bandage myself, and you were the ones cheering me up." Y/N gazed at her clean right arm, then at the Mokke's bandaged belly. "I won't ever forget all the things you did to support me in those dark times. So, please, get well soon for all of us. And feel free to place all the hostility you want on me."

"It's not your fault," Tsuchigomori interrupted.

At this, the murmurs of well wishes deadened. The Mokke, Y/N, and teacher all stared at Osane.

The brunette looked down at her feet, as if the ground could swallow her whole. Then she breathed in and shook her head, finally meeting Y/N's harsh stare again.

"He's right. It's all my fault." Osane said. "I'm the one who caused all this. So please... let me help you out of it..."

"Why should I trust you?" Y/N backed away, feeling as vulnerable as she did when she had first lost her memories. "You 'helped' me when I was alive. You pretended to be my friend!"

"Because if you don't, you'll die!" Osane blurted desperately. "You'll fade from this Wonderly plane, Y/N, and I don't want that!"

Y/N's E/C eyes widened, anger replaced by shock. She turned to Tsuchigomori haplessly.

"She speaks the truth." The teacher said grimly. "Look upon yourself, you're very faded."

Y/N looked down. Hanako himself was translucent, but she was... disappearing. When she stretched her hands she could barely count all fingers, and when she looked down at her feet, there was more floor to see than herself.

"What's happening...?" Y/N backed away, feeling lightheaded. "I thought everything was okay. Why am I like this?"

Tsuchigomori caught her before she could fall, and guided her to a chair the Mokke quickly brought. Y/N sat on it, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It's because you haven't accomplished your task as a Wonder, Y/N." Osane knelt by her side. The Mokke glared at her, leaving a wide empty circle at the ex-Wonder's feet.

"What's her task?" A Mokke pressed.

"She needs to kill somebody by her own blade." Osane supplied. "But the question is... who dies?"

The spirits were dead silent at this. A Mokke piped up-

"What happened to asking 'red or blue'?"

"Will ya stop asking unimportant things?!" Another screeched.

"That was... a little something of my own. Asking a color is a harmless question. It makes my victims more at ease, or at least I thought. I wanted to give them a choice. It's the most mercy I can give."

"Mercy!" A third rolled its eyes.

"Y/N? Do you still have your blade?"

The quarrel was broken by Tscuhigomori's question. Y/N lifted her E/C eyes, shaking her head dully.

"I threw it away once I stabbed the kakujoudai from my head. I didn't want anything to do with it. See..."

And Y/N reached into her pocket to grasp at empty air, but to her horror, found a hilt. She slowly pulled the blade out.

"How...?" She whispered.

"It's your fate." Osane shook her head, like she knew the pain Y/N was going through. "If you don't kill someone, you'll die yourself!"

"But I can't... I-I'd never be able to..."

"There's no time." Tscuhigomori cut in harshly. "By tomorrow you'll have vanished to nothing."

"But who should I kill?" Y/N threw her hands up in despair. And the Mokke answered in chorus:

"Why, TSUKASA!"

"But...."

The spirits froze at the new voice. Y/N turned, heart falling. Hanako stood by the door, amber eyes wide.

Y/N bit her lip. She couldn't deny that she'd love nothing more than to end the evil twin's schemes. However...

"He's still my brother." Hanako walked up to Y/N, gazing at her with deep sorrow. "It gave me immeasurable pain to kill him long ago. I can't imagine it twice. I know he did horrible things to us, to you and I..."

Y/N held Hanako's trembling hand. Her E/C eyes were steely. "I don't want to kill anyone, Hanako-kun. And I'll leave Tsukasa's fate to your hands."

Hanako's composure steadied at this. His lips drew a firm line, and he nodded. Y/N saw in his eyes that he still had a great sense of vegeance to Tsukasa.

"This is so terrible. I wish I didn't have to make a choice." Y/N addressed the others around her (The Mokke threw dark glares at Osane.)

"I'll figure it out." Hanako tightened his grip on her hand.

"How?"

"I will."

"He will." Tsuchigomori nodded at Y/N. Y/N reddened at Hanako's determination. If the rest weren't here, she'd tackle him in a kiss-

Suddenly the door burst open. Everyone jumped to their feet as Yashiro ran inside and yelped-

"WE HAVE VISITORS!"

Hanako stepped in front of Y/N, his arm thrown out protectively. Osane shrank to a corner. The Mokke hopped to a fierce defense line, and Tscuhigomori clenched his fist, his pipe vanishing...

"Stop questioning me, ya dunce!"

"Mitsuba!" Y/N exclaimed with joy, recognizing the voice.

In burst Mitsuba and Sewing Girl, looking out of breath. The rest of the gang - Sakura, Yako, Natsuhiko - followed. Mitsuba was batting irritably at Kou, who looked like a mother fussing over her son.

"Idiot! Why do you have bandages on you?! Do you really not remember who I am-" Kou was exclaiming before Mitsuba snapped back-

"Of course I do. No one else can annoy me just by looking at me! Now shoo, I need to talk to-"

"Mitsuba! You're alright!" Y/N rushed up to him. Immediately the sour expression on his face lifted.

"Y/N! You have to listen to me. Now stay calm-"

"TSUKASA AND THE SAKURA WONDERS ARE ATTACKING YOUR SCHOOL AT 7 PM!" Sewing Girl gasped.

Mitsuba shot her a glare. Hanako's eyes widened. Immediately, a wave of panic seized the Broadcasting Room.

"How did this happen?" Tsuchigomori pressed to the Sakura Wonder.

"Did you cause this?!" Yako accused.

"WAKE UP!" A Mokke screamed at another who had fainted, slapping his face with his ears-

"Quiet, everyone!" Hanako shouted.

The spirits went still. Everyone's eyes went to the 7th Wonder, whose hakujoudai now spun around him fiercely, reflecting the seriousity in his eyes.

"Look at the clock! It's 6:30 PM!"

They did. Everyone began to murmur amongst themselves anxiously, but Hanako wasn't finished-

"We're fortunate to have a small window of time. There are no time for preparations. We must go now!"

Hanako pointed his blade at Mitsuba. "Where will they attack?"

"I-I'm not sure...." For the first time, the feisty ghost looked frightened.

"I might have an idea."

Everyone's eyes turned to Sakura, who had rose her hand. The greenette leveled her gaze with Hanako.

"The only way the Sakura Wonders can enter is through the Rift, in the Hall of Mirrors. We should meet them there before they ambush the whole school itself."

Everyone began to nod in agreement. Y/N smiled. 'Well, that's one worry cleared.' She turned to Hanako. Seeing her relief, he nodded and continued-

"And that is the plan! Get your weapons ready! Tsukasa is a ruthless ghost and you must be ready for anything. Now..."

A weak voice interrupted Hanako. It was a Mokke, one ear raised. "Who will look after our injured brother?"

Y/N answered this. "What about Osane?"

The spirits looked around. Osane was nowhere to be found.

Hanako gritted his teeth, and she could hear Yako murmur, "Coward." Y/N only shook her head, unsure whether to feel angry or sad.

"I will!" The daikon rose her hand, clenching the other determinedly. But Tscuhigomori shook his head.

"No. I'm afraid another pink friend of ours is equally injured, and should be the one staying behind-"

Everyone followed the teacher's gaze. They landed on Mitsuba.

"Who ya calling pink?!" Mitsuba fired crossly. "I'm perfectly capable of fighting. I've wanted to strangle that rat to oblivion ever since-"

But a cough wracked his body before he could finish. Kou shook his head.

"Come on, man. Give yourself a break."

Mitsuba glared at him, but this time, he didn't argue.

"So it's settled." Hanako's amber eyes cut through them all. "Everyone, I'll meet you at the Rift. FOR KAMOME!"

"FOR KAMOME!" The spirits cried.

Apparitions bursted from the room, until Hanako and Y/N were the only ones left. Y/N rushed to him in admiration.

"A surprise battle... and you spoke like you'd been expecting it all along."

"It's nothing." Hanako bashfully tipped the brim of his hat. The hakujoudai whirled around him, and suddenly his uniform had changed to his Wonderly form, cloak and all.

Y/N felt anxiety prick at her.

"Hanako-kun... what if you get hurt?"

"Don't think of it. I'll be fine."

"You'll say that, but Tsukasa is a fierce enemy. And you barely know anything about the Sakura Wonders! What if he plants a kakujoudai in you, too?! What if you forget m-"

Hanako kissed her.

Y/N's face went aflame, but her hands instinctively cupped his face.

His hand traced the long scar on her right arm, before settling on her waist. Just before he could lean in further, Y/N lightly pushed him away.

"Did you think that would make me worry less?"

Hanako's gaze flickered to her lips. "Too early to tell-"

"Uh-huh, I appreciate all the sappy, but don't you have a battle to get going?"

Their heads whipped to the injured Mokke on the bed. Mitsuba was grasping a sick bucket, his face green.

"You're awake?!" Y/N flustered.

"Mhm. Pretending to be asleep and not talking lessens my burdens." The Mokke  tilted its pudgy body.

"So? Ready to go?"

Y/N and Hanako looked into eachother's eyes. Perhaps for the last time.

"Ready." Y/N put her red cloak on.

~

Drawn by this talented person here!!! Thank you X,))) https://instagram.com/xx_cryptids?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I promise I won't leave ya'll hanging. This book finishes this week!