Prologue: A drop of hope to the heart

His bones shiver in the icy hail of the sky's tears, yet he trudged, the burden of shame and confusion overpowering. One step in front of the other he went, his destination a final resting place, an objective burned firmly into his mind.

A graveyard, the semi- circles of finality stared indifferent at the boy, silence a chilling yet obvious reply as red stained the walkway. Quietly, the boy went in search of a particular gravestone, his stubborn search born from a sense of disorientation. He wished to confirm, he wished for an answer to the madness of this situation, for the unending sense of awry he felt. Regardless of how much he deserved it.

His tiny disgraceful figure walked the entire length of the graveyard, his battered and bruised body throbbed in agony, crimson rivers flowing freely on his face, horrid gashes carved deep into his skin. Stubborn, he walked, his steps uncertain as he swayed side to side in his search, yet the results were the same once again. Nothing, none of the familiar writing of that name was in the sea of names. The crimson rivers slowly bleeding the source dry, his working right hand covering a few of the incisions futilely, his vision blurring more as time ticked on uncaring.

His will begun to weaken slowly, the name not found under the scrutiny of his dark purple gaze, the search unfruitful. "Hk" he choaked out. The sound escaping him unintentionally as unsteady steps grew more frequent and his vision more blurred. The bells of doom ringing louder than ever, his heart spiralling into the ever-disheartening sense of impending doom, his throat painfully dry, the sourness of sadness robbing the moisture. He sniffled shameful, the rain hiding his unworthy tears.

"He isn't here" he muttered. His legs buckled under the weight of fatigue, the will holding him up merely embers of the once scorching flame, the flood of anxiety and relief incongruously dousing the flame, the sky's tears unrelenting against his back. He repeated his words, his last anchor rejected by reality, his mind anxious of his memory, death's encroaching embrace panic inducing. Mineta's pants grew shallow as he laid, the gashes' crimson rivers flow slowing down, the source quickly running out of supply. He cursed, begged, and pleaded, terror filling him, the chill of the embrace not helping ease the ache of his pounding heart. The beating slowed, the end almost upon him.

He breathed, his mind lost in thought, shame the foremost emotion. He remembered his deeds, he remembered his failings, he remembered his cowardice. The burden of each sin weighed heavy on his mind, his current fate the price for each. A part of him screamed indignant, death to heavy a price to pay in its eyes yet another part whispered back, the whisper an atrocious affirmation of his worst fears. That he deserved it. That his fate was crafted for his horrid, ugly figure, for his contemptible cowardice, for his hideous fragile heart. This pain his just dessert. The conflict one-sided, his heart grimly deciding the victor. This lonely end deserved, the world seemed to agree, its eyes deeming him insignificant, how hard he found it to disagree, the ton of regret too heavy to ignore. However, the embers of rejection fought.

Regrets, the numerous stars in the sky seemed like a paltry sum compared to his, the many things he wished to see, the many milestones he wished to reach, the many smiles he wished to see again, the one smile he wished to see again. That smile… "At least…she's okay" he muttered somewhat muted. As selfish as it was… as unheroic as it was, it was the single thing he would not regret, that single thing.

"Is that all?" a voice asked? As the clock of finality ticked down its final seconds, he heard a voice. An air of disappointment filling the unplaceable playful voice, his end not to its satisfaction.

Incredulous, he listened, his mind conjuring up the random voice, he was sure. Nothing but a desperate illusion born from a wayward desire, even in the face of death, the embers glowed.

He spat lethargic; he had done all he could… "Those words do fit you, but I wish to hear it. Is that all?" the voice spoke. The fabric of reality shaking with each word, the endless drumming of tears ceased, the ever-pervading sense of awry overpowering…Had he lost his mind on the edge, yet still…those words sent slight tremors in his heart, even now it fought desperate "Mineta Minoru, death largely can't be helped, but is that all? Is this how it ends" the voice prodded. His heart selfishly beating faster, rejection, he yet again was rejecting punishment.

He spat, the liquid of logic fiercely attempting to douse the flames, hope too dangerous, hope was futile, hope was painful "Minoru, is that all? Is this how you wish to leave things, despair in your wake. The tears of loved ones endlessly flowing, loss forever scarring their hearts. Out of sight, out of mind, right?" it mocked slightly.

His heart burning more fiercely, no… "Minoru, is that all. Your lonely figure dying pitifully, no soul for miles. No loved ones lost to you. Is this how it ends?" The flames warmer, the pain dulled, his vision clearer. The dam of logic evaporating, his heart now in rejection to this end "N..o" he said.

The first words leaving his mouth "Minoru, do you wish to gain all back? Do you wish to be amongst those you care about? Do you wish to mend the hearts broken by those tragedies? Do you wish to see that smile, that one that set your heart ablaze?!" it shouted. His mind no longer questioning, a chance to fix everything, a chance to be amongst them again, a chance… a chance to see her. Even if his mind was playing nothing but a cruel trick, even if this led to nothing, even if this was just his last desires mocking him, he wished for it, his want earnest "I…want it" he said. "Is that how you proclaim your desires?" it spoke. "I..want it" he said louder. "Are you afraid of your desires? Are you going to lie down, whispering wistful like a coward? Stand up and scream it" it spoke passionate.

The words struck him like a freight train, his body antsy. He knew he was dying, he knew this was mostly all in his head, he knew it would likely amount to nothing. But "Fight it" he muttered those words, those precious words. His body quaked in agony as he moved, the bruises throbbing, begging for rest, warning of the price, however "fight it" he muttered still. Slowly, he moved, his body screaming, his vision blurring, head pounding yet he powered through. That smile…it couldn't be lost, it couldn't be. Legs, arm, eyes, ears all blared in acute pain, his effort astounding, he clawed deeper and deeper still, his fight, his effort all meaningless all just to die standing. However, he had nothing to lose, nothing at all and so "I…WANT IT ALL!" he screamed. Body aching, his stance unsteady, he made it to his feet, the trivial battle won "Congrats" it spoke amused.

For the first time, he saw the figure he was talking to. The entity was of average height as seen by his own height stopping just short of its waist, his eyes to blurry to make out any other detail except that it might be human, its silhouette vaguely so "Minoru, you've piqued my interest and I, therefore wish to help you, to satiate those desires" it said. Its words oddly clear, white noise assaulting his ears while it spoke, its tone sure of the outcome, unease for from his mind.

"I can grant you said wishes as for how…You can say I'm something akin to genie, however, I would be wary of such insults" it spoke. His swaying the same, his body still standing, his eyes finally taking in the suspended drops of rain, was he…dead? "Though, Kindness is virtue, it's not one I choose to live by. Hence, I wish for something in return" it continued. Ignoring the confusion plain on the boy's face, it's pitch relentless. "Akin to a brick layers want to build, a doctor's want to heal, a heroes want to save. I merely wish to watch one walk the path I laid, simple curiosity" it said. A play of innocence, his instinct from the moment his eyes met the silhouette… even the world itself would shiver under its menace, his eyes sceptical for a moment "H…ow?" Mineta chocked out.

"How indeed" it said amused. The pillars of reality shaking intensely, the cause a slender and smooth stick like thing's mere gentle touch of the ground, its grin too wide "How does a god make things?" it asked rhetorically. A god? Why- "The why, what, who, where can wait for another time. An answer is what you should consider, will you accept it?" it cut him off. Its hand reaching out for a handshake, the pain slowly returning.

An answer? the offer to good to be true to simply accept. His mind still questioning, paranoid and tired. His heart still hurting, burning and pounding. He considered; the offer akin to a drop of water offered to those on the verge of dehydration. The deal far from being as simple as it said, he knew, however "De…al" the fear of hell could not stop him. The fear of pain could not stop him. The fear of this path could not stop him, he wouldn't allow it not ever again. Not ever again "Then" it spoke. Its hand outreaching. Mineta reach out his working hand, the meeting chaotic.

The fabric broke, a familiar pull grabbed him. His grasped immediately lost, he tumbled and slammed into the concrete walkway, his consciousness fading powerless to stop it "On my name, Oz. I will grant all that you wish" it said. Its voice still clear as he tumbles, acute pain returning "However, you must conquer this path" it said. His ears pounding barely functional "Failure will be permitted; however, victory is what will aid you to your wish" the darkness engulfed him, his body twisting and turning, his eyes witness to the brutality laid onto him, pain forgotten "I will be watching with great interest" it voiced, the dregs of consciousness snuffed out.

The deal implanted within his mind, with his soul. His hand desperate to reach the drop of hope, his heart it forlorn need "-Fun…" it muttered, a sinister smile accompanying the darkness. Amused by his desperation. Regardless, he clung to his wish, he would keep her safe.