Several months passed, and Ken still had not seen nor heard any news of Mustang.

He had begun to accept that he had died that day.

‘What's wrong?’ Alyssa spoke, breaking his thoughts.

‘Oh’ he mumbled, straightening slightly, ‘I um…its nothing.’

She stepped towards him, reaching out to hold him by the arm. Around them other people milled about in the dimmed room, the only light shone through the glass from inside the great aquarium before them.

Alyssa tilted her head back as the glass arched above them, reaching out towards it, touching its cool surface as a great stingray drifted above them, gliding gracefully through the water as it flapped its large wings slowly.

‘You're thinking about Mustang aren’t you’ Alyssa said.

‘Is it really that obvious?’ Ken asked glumly.

She lowered her arm, turning to face him.

‘There’s nothing you can do for him.’

‘He saved my life’ Ken said. ‘I would be dead if it wasn’t for him.’

‘I'm glad he saved you’ Alyssa said, ‘more than I can express, but…’ she paused then. ‘You will do no good by worrying like this.’

‘How can I not worry?’ Ken said, speaking quietly to her. He paused. ‘I sometimes…I think.’ He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to speak. ‘If he has really died…then it would be my fault.’

‘No’ Alyssa shook her head. ‘That isn’t true.’

Ken turned away from the aquarium before him, at last facing her properly.

‘He chose to confront that man’ Alyssa told him, ‘and while I thank god that he did…’ she faltered then, falling silent and smiling sadly at Ken. ‘If I lost you’ she whispered, ‘I would never…’

‘Don’t’ Ken said abruptly to her, caressing her cheek tenderly then, ‘don’t think of such things.’

‘I just don’t know what I would do if I lost you’ Alyssa finished. ‘You are everything to me; you are my whole world…’

Ken stopped her then with a kiss, holding her tenderly in his arms.

‘Alyssa…’ he breathed into her ear, his grasp tightened slightly and he bowed his head, nuzzling into her neck. ‘I love you so much…’

‘It makes you think…’ she mumbled, smiling over his shoulder as she held him back, ‘…how previous life is.’

Ken let go of her, stepping back as he held her shoulders, gazing down upon her.

‘You're so beautiful.’

She smiled, stepping forwards and pecking him quickly on the cheek playfully, before taking his hand and pulling him along.

‘Come on’ she said, ‘I want to see the baby jellyfish again.’

Ken frowned at her in amusement, unable to stop himself from smiling.

‘Everything will be ok in the end’ she told him briefly glancing back as she tugged him along, ‘just give it time…’

They left the aquarium a few hours later after having a meal in the café, heading back home on the train, Ken walked Alyssa home before returning home alone himself, where he found his family waiting for him.

‘Did you have fun?’ his mother asked.

‘Yeah’ Ken mumbled. ‘It’s fine.’

It was many weeks later, when Ken started going back to school on a regular basis. His visits with the therapist became less frequent, until he felt he no longer needed them at all as he began, a little more every day, to return to his regular routine.

As the days went on, the fear also began to ebb away, along with the restless nights, along with the terror.

Ken’s family did everything they could to support him, to help him heal, and slowly, Ken returned to his old self again.

One day, Ken received a call to his home from one of his friends, inviting him out.

‘You haven’t been out in ages’ his friends voice came to him from the phone. ‘I think it would be good for you. So how about it?’

Ken thought for a moment, holding the phone to his ear.

‘I think you should go’ his sister encouraged; sitting close beside him she could hear the call.

Ken smiled warmly at her, before turning away.

‘Yeah.’ He said after a time speaking to his friend. ‘I’ll go.’

The next day, Ken went to college.

‘You're getting better.’ Alyssa said to him as they stood at the front gates of her school.

‘I feel better’ Ken smiled. ‘I really do.’

He grinned at her again, wider this time.

‘I think things are finally returning to normal.’

She kissed him on the cheek quickly, before turning and dancing away, pausing one last time to wave back at him, before vanishing.

Ken smiled after her, turning away and walking quickly back, heading to his own college. He met his friend who was waiting for him.

‘Hey Ken’ his friend Phil said. ‘There you are. Hurry up or we’ll be late.’

‘Alright’ he sighed. ‘I'm coming.’

He followed his friend towards the school, passing through the gates.

He glanced behind him for no particular reason, perhaps doing so purely by chance, perhaps doing so because his subconscious sensed something there.

His heart stopped suddenly in his chest. What he saw then, suddenly brought all the terrible memories of what happened that day flooding back.

‘Ken?’ Phil paused. ‘Are you alright?’

Ken ignored him, instead staring away, eyes wide and frozen as if in shock.

He moved away, taking a step forward.

He ran in the opposite direction, ignoring his friend as he called after him. He ran across the road, stumbling to the side as a car skidded to a stop to avoid hitting him, though he didn’t slow.

The figure he had be running after turned at the sound of the car skidding and the horn sounding from the angry driver. Ken ran to the figure, slowing to a stop before him with tears in his eyes, his chest rising and falling as he breathed deeply.

‘Ken’ Mustang said in surprise, staring down at him as he stood there casually with his hands in his pockets. ‘What are you doing here?’

Ken stared at him, gasping.

He stepped forward then, embracing Mustang tightly.

Mustang blinked in surprise.

‘Ken’ he uttered, ‘…what?’

‘You saved my life!’ Ken sobbed into his chest. ‘You saved my life…I would be dead if it wasn’t for you!’

‘Hey’ Mustang said softly, placing his hands upon Ken’s shoulders and pushing him back gently so that he could look into his face.

‘You saved my life…’ Ken cried, tears streaming from his eyes then, ‘even after I said all those horrible things to you….’

‘They were just words’ Mustang answered quietly.

‘But I said such terrible things…I wished you dead! Oh…’ Ken said, suddenly remembering as his eyes travelled down Mustang’s body. ‘You were shot…’

‘I'm fine now.’

Ken lifted his head again, beginning to tremble.

‘Come with me’ Mustang said to him. ‘Let’s take a walk.’