In the Hospital. Again. (Sigh)

Fumio sat in the waiting rooms of the hospital once again. She sighed, they were once again in the hospital because of Akane.

When was the last time they had an extended stay here? It was probably just last year with the mall incident where she got some very serious burns. But now? She was here again because she collapsed.

Fumio had to chuckle. At this point they were basically regular customers at this hospital. Fumio fought about buying a private booth for the case Akane lands here again. At this point she could expect to be here again soon enough.

"Sweetheart, are you doing good? You are kind of pale."

Fumio looked up at her partner. Seeing her made her smile. Fumio thought about the moments she spends with her, the moments of happiness and comfort they shared.

She wondered if she would have ever married if Akane didn't come into her life. After all, Rumi might have fallen in love with her, but Fumio wasn't really a woman who liked to shop much. It was all about her job in these years.

Fumio wondered, even if they would have met again after the trials. Would have love bloomed out of the relationship? Rumi didn't realize her feelings until she saw the mother daughter duo, getting jealous. If just she was at the mall on that day, would have things progressed so smoothly?

"Hey, Fumi. You are spacing out. Are you dizzy or something? Should I get you a glass of water? Should I get a doctor? I mean, we are already in a hospital. Might as well check you out if you act like this, right?"

Fumio smiled again. Rumi really was a bit simple minded, wasn't she?

"No, I am all right, my cute bunny. I've been just thinking a bit. About Akane, about us, about life and how the events lead is to who we are now. I am wondering, would we have fallen in love with each other if Akane wasn't there in our life? What if I decided to ignore these concerning sounds in that alleyway that day? Never meeting Akane."

Rumi thought about that for a moment, before just casually answering.

"Well, I don't know about Akane. But I am sure we would still get together!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Let's be honest. I am a very simple-minded person. Ain't having time to plan complicated things. Though, I am sure we wouldn't have progressed as fast as now. I am sure we still would end up with each other, or are you other opinion?"

Fumio smiled. Yes, Rumi was direct. One of the things she so dearly loved about her.

Time passed with them pleasantly talking to each other. Until after a while, the doctor came.

"Mrs. Seigi, we are finished with the diagnosis of your daughter."

Fumio immediately stood up upon these words. She was worried out of her mind.

"And what does she have? Is she sick in any way? Did she catch something bad? Please tell me immediately, this time around I have no idea whatsoever what could be wrong with her!"

The doctor was a bit overwhelmed at Fumio barrage of words. They were a bit much.

"Please calm down, Mrs. Seigi. We have the situation (mostly) in control. You don't have to worry."

"Well, then tell me what's wrong with her!"

The doctor nodded, before proceeding to read the diagnosis.

"Well, Akane seems to do mostly fine. All her vital signs are doing well, heck, I would even describe her as the picture of health with the body she currently has! Well, and..."

This time Rumi stood up. The doctor was not telling something.

"And what? What is the catch now? There must be one, the way you talk and look around implies it!"

"Ahem, well. It's not directly something concerning. But there is something going on with her brain and heart."

Rumi almost turned feral, but Fumio held her back by holding her shoulders.

"Excuse me doctor. But her heart and brain? You are aware that these are literally the two most important places in the human body. So, if you don't tell me immediately what's wrong with them...

...well, you can imagine what will happen."

A shiver ran down his spine. Yep, definitely not getting in trouble with the world class lawyer. The doctor immediately started shaking his head and hands.

"Don't misunderstand! We ran various tests and confirmed that these aren't any harmful things. It even greatly strengthens the girl! We just don't know what it is. We ran her blood through various tests, but all that we can find out is that it is AB negative blood and that it has a higher than average blood cell count and gets rather transported fast through her body. But it doesn't really act 100% like blood, we just don't know what is different about it, we just know that there is a difference. And about her brain, it's apparently not only sending out electrical signals. Even now areas that didn't get send any signals, receive signals. We don't know what's going on with these two areas of her, we just know that it isn't running 'normal'. But you have to understand that it's not harmful in any way! I would even go so far as identify it as an advantage! It might even be a late quirk-awakening! We just don't know yet!"

Fumio nodded. Something was going on with Akanes most important places. She just hoped that the doctors were right and it wasn't something bad.

"On a side note. We're thinking that your daughters collapse was stress induced. Did she do anything that might have a been a bit taxing for her?"

"Not that I know of."

Was Fumios answer. Rumi just looked at her partner as if she had a screw lose.

"Rumi, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something weird?"

"Oh god, you meant these words serious."

"What Rumi? What did I say wrong? Akane didn't do anything that taxing in the last time, right?"

Fumio started shaking Rumi, she really was confused by her words.

"Well, let's remember back at last weekend, shall we?"

(Flashback start)

Akane came back home after her daily mourning routine.

"Mommy, I am going over to Majeta to speak about my hero costume design, I'll probably have to help out constructing it though. Afterwards I have an event where I meet my fans. I am going to give out autographs and handshakes and such stuff and after that I am going to meet up with Teacher Salieri for some instrument practices. You don't have to cook for me today! Expect me coming back home at around eight or nine in the evening! Bye!"

"Bye my cinnamon roll!"

(Flashback end)

Everyone hearing the flashback started to intensely sweat. The girl is busy. It's good that they didn't knew that a second personality was possessing her body each night to go out additionally too.

"I forgot how much of a try hard our daughter is."

"Ehem. She is doing that all out of her own free will, right?"

The doctor was sweating buckets after hearing about Akanes busy days.

"Sadly, yes."

"I mean, we try to force her to rest sometimes, but one moment we don't pay attention to her and the next moment she is cleaning the house, or the toilet, or doing something else. It seems like she doesn't really can sit still, right Fumi?"

"My goodness! You can't let your daughter work herself like that! You have to let her have down time, create..."

"Sorry doctor, I have to cut you off here. But how often did you think I tried that? She was like that since the first time I brought her here, and that was the time I brought her in when she was three. I tried reassuring her that I would still love her even if she won't do all that. I told her many times that I could hire someone for the housework, but she refused. She grew up, continuing like that. I tried finding her a hobby that was supposed to be calm, whether it was painting, knitting, sculpting, yoga or even just plain reading. But she always manages me to surprise me with how ridiculous everything got the moment she touches something! Rumi, you remember the rug in my workspace?"

"You mean the expensive looking one that everyone of your clients praises the moment they lay their sight upon it?"

"Yes! That one! Akane made it! To this day I wonder how she managed to do that with normal wool! The point is, I tried many thing. From little hobbies, to interesting gadgets. I even brought her once to a psychiatrist to let her work through things a little bit faster! The session ended with me getting my pay back and the psychiatrist thanking me for some odd reason."

The doctor continued to sweat intensely. This was a first, and he didn't know what to say.

"Rumi, any idea how to give Akane more down time?"

"Well, how about letting her continue to meditate? If I am honest, she gives off a strange air around her if she does so, but at least her body has downtime in that case. Well, her mind is another topic again though..."

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Akane woke up. Well she didn't really. She woke up in her own world. Being in the hud she would normally enter when she started diving down.

This time something seemed different though. Everything seemed, less materialized. It seemed like her realm was trying to change into a new form.

"How curious. Who would have thought that you would attain your flame so early on? I am proud of you partner."

Akane turned around, surprised at her partner. Since when was she here? She always was in a different area inside of her soul.

"Surprised? I can move around here now! Who would have thought that your soul would be so cluttered? It has so much stuff in it, so many rooms to explore. I might have to thank Frisk for this."

Akane looked at Chara for a moment, before asking the important question.

"What do you mean with flame?"

"Oh that? Let's just say that it is the crucial factor that a human need before they can use magic. You are still far from it though, let's just say that the important stuff is starting to manifest in your body."

"Magic?"

"Yes, magic."

"You mean like in all these fictional works, like Harry Potter, or more like the Fate universe, or..."

"No, no, no! Nothing like that. Completely different in any shape or form. It's nothing like these universes where you have either a catalyst of some sort, or just plain mana. Undertale magic works completely different!"

"Well, then explain."

"Sigh. I'll explain it to you then. How magic works is completely different than you hear about it in fictional works. I would even go so far that nothing similar is described about that in other works. Well, and even if there is, I didn't hear about. First of all, the most important factor here, is the soul of a living being itself, understood?"

Akane nodded.

"As you already know, our soul connects to a different dimension. You had to experience it the hard way by leaving your own soul, entering that realm itself. Anyways as you already know, your soul is the culmination of your being, your experiences, your knowledge, your feelings, all anchored down by your brain. But your soul isn't just that it's way more than that. It's, let me describe it as a pathway."

Akane looked at Chara intensely, curious about her next words.

"The realm where our souls reside is our pathway, able to connect to a world of our own. A world where our true selves reside, where our purest desire is laid bare in its purest form. A world that shows the very core of our being, showing who we really are. Our soul-core. You can't reach it, no matter what you try, there is only one way to reach it. By being truthful to yourself, you must overlap with your true self to connect to your soul-core. Only then you can use magic."

Akane nodded, she didn't really understand most of it.

"Confused? I would be too if I was you. You don't have to think too hard about it, all what you need to know is, that when the right time comes. You will be able to use your own magic."

------------------------------------------------------------------

At Akanes Soul-core:

"Sigh, way to go spoil things Chara. Oh? You are here?"

You look at a silhouette of someone. You feel startled.

"Go on your way now, observers beyond the 4th wall. This isn't a secret you should know of. As Chara just said to Akane. All comes, when the time is right."