There was something... off- for lack of a better term. While the ship and everyone in it were the same where was just a distinct feeling of wrongness in the air that I couldn't relax my guard; my hand unable to move from the pocket that held the .44 revolver that Forte had given me after the probe incident in the off chance a situation where I had to arose.
A feeling that today would be that day wouldn't leave me even as I entered the lounge where Mint sat in her usual place drinking tea with a platter of treats at her side.
"Ara, Will, please take a seat." Her smile welcomed me but my guard remained up. Getting a coffee I placed the hot beverage down and sat down opposite the young Blancmanche heiress.
"Why so stiff, Will? Did something happen?" She asked me in the same old voice as usual.
In just the same voice as usual.
"...No, nothing happened Mint; something just feels off is all."
"Oh? I haven't seen anything strange happen today. Did you perhaps have a fortune read by Ranpha earlier saying something would happen today?"
I shook my head in rejection. "No, its just a feeling is all- hopefully it'll pass soon."
"Yes, let's hope so." Mint took a sip from her tea before continuing. "Why don't you head down to the infirmary just in case though. Maybe you're just having an allergic reaction to something you ate yesterday; I'm sure Dr Cera would be happy to look you over."
I shrugged. "I'll just ask V**i*** to check with her nano machines. It'll be a lot quicker and won't into Cera's time."
"If you're sure; ****. Just have it checked either way."
"Yeah," I finished up the coffee and stood up from my seat. "I got it; thanks Mint."
The small girl smiled. "Any time, Will."
Waving the girl goodbye I walked off.
"...Who's *******?" Left alone within the lounge, Mint Blancmanche asked that question while out the boys earshot.
I returned to C-deck where the quarters for the girls and me were and made my way to our section of the deck. The feeling from before hadn't disappeared but for now I was putting out of my mind in order to focus.
-That's right I've gotta find ******a.
Yeah, maybe it was something I ate and I'll get better after having her check.
With that thought in mind I went over to the right side of the hall and-
-There only three rooms on the left, An unused room, Forte's and mine. What was I searching for again?
***l
Something akin to buzzing flashed through my ears for a moment but I shook it off and left the area; after all, I had no reason to come here to begin with.
**l*
...I entered the whale room to get my thoughts straight. The crash of the artificially created waves were always a source of calm for me so it would probably be able to disable that feeling I have.
-Maybe I should look at the animals too. The rabbits were always such cute little things.
I made my way over
W**l
The rabbits were happy to see me. The moment I entered the pen the adorable little creatures hopped over and helped themselves to the pieces of lettuce in my hands as well as setting themselves onto my lap.
A certain very small space rabbit jumped straight into my hands after the lettuce all vanished and leaned over to lick my face; causing a massive goofy smile to appear.
-I loved these little guys. There were soft, cute and could be very smart when messing around in the park on A-deck when I took them out for walks.
Soft, cute and smart; just like...
Like...
Who was that like again?
"Is there something troubling you, Will?" Kuromie, while the baby space whale sat on his shoulder like usual, had at some point come over and asked that.
"Yeah, why?"
"You were looking at the girl in your hands and frowning; the space whale is saying you feel off today as well."
So even the space whale is saying such things huh?
"...Its... I don't know. It just feels like something's different today is all." I gave just a vague explanation with a shrug since I couldn't fully explain it myself.
"...I see." Kuromie eventually replied after a few moments of silence between us. "In that case, why not return to your room and rest a bit then? The stress from everything we're doing might be getting to you."
"...Yeah, that makes sense. We're in a war after all- and I'm an ordinary guy at the end of the day. Dealing with something on just a massive scale is something that shouldn't involve someone like me.
Yeah, I'll take your advise. Thanks Kuromie."
The young boy gave a smile. "You're welcome."
I gave a nod, placed the rabbits on my knees and in my hand on the ground and let the pen.
"...Yes, I wondering that too.
Who is this ******* person he was thinking about?"
I made my way back to C-deck and entered my room that had been fully made shortly after the events with the probe. It was a room of relative comfort that was styled quite similar to my old room- minus a few details- so it succeeded in giving me the satisfaction of being able to relax in it.
Wi*l
-The buzzing form earlier returned but in greater intensity. My vision became hazy and the strength in my legs vanished; causing me to fall towards my bed. A headache swelled and droplets of liquid began falling from my head.
-What... is...
Wil*
-Who... is...
Will
-My consciousness vanished.
...When I 'opened' my eyes I saw nothing but darkness. There was no edges or traces of shifting planes of height so it all appeared to be a dark plain.
-Were my eyes even open?
-Were my eyes even functioning properly is so?
THUMP!
I 'felt' my heart beat in a mighty sound as it 'quickened' in my 'chest'.
-Did I have a heart to quicken?
-Did I have a chest in which to contain a heart?
My 'legs' refused to move along with my 'arms'
-Did I possess legs?
-Did I possess arms?
I was utterly frozen in place and time. Where was I... where, was I... where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I where was I-
WHERE WAS I!?
-Was I alive or was I dead?
-Was I in heaven or was I in hell?
Was I... stuck here? Trapped within the prison of his blackened world was I to remain while everyone else fought on?
Would my disappearance into this world of black be noticed? Would I truly be missed by anyone if it was?
Would Tact, Milfie, Ranpha, Mint, Forte, Cera, Shiva, Almo, Coco, Creta, Andrew, Amber, Eden, Sora be saddened that I wasn't there?
Would...
Would...
Would...
…
…
…
Would... what?
What else- who else... was there to mention?
Surely, there been someone else-
******a
Surely, there had been a sixth member of our group-
V**i**a
Surely, someone else had been there when I'd first arrived into this galaxy-
Va*il*a
Surely, there had been... a... girl... that was... also... there...?-
**nil**
Sure... ly... such... a... gi... rl … h-
V******
h... a... d... ex... si... t... e...
…
…
…
Will...
Who... is... that...?
Will...
Yeah... I... hear you...
Will...
I hear... you already Va...
Will
Va... nil...
Will
Va... nil... la...
Will
Va... nilla
Will
Vanilla...
Will!
Vanilla...
Will!
VANILLA!
-The phase of black fell and the world was filled with light.
"Will..." I was woken up to the sound of an overly familiar voice. Opening my eyes I found Vanilla looking down at me. We were both in my room that she'd promptly moved into when it had been fully made a day ago.
-What, was that dream?
I remembered it; the sense of wrongness in the air, the world of black and the feeling of something just missing.
Vanilla... gave me a small smile after seeing my eyes open and squeezed my right hand with her left after picking it up with her delicate fingers. A sense of warmth filled my body and it went back into a normal state after being stiff and constantly on guard like it had in the dream world.
As long as this girl was here... I could always live without worry.
Such was the bond we shared.
"Are you... okay?" Her face morphed into a frown after looking at the state of my probably pale face.
"...Yeah, now that you're here."
I saw red as it covered her cheeks. Despite that though a true smile appeared on her face at hearing my words. She appeared relieved at hearing them.
"That's good."
With that the conversation ended. For the next amount of indeterminable time we simply held one another hand and gazed into each others eyes.
-What was that dream about?
-Why had it happened?
Such questions remained in my mind for a while... but, eventually, they vanished into the ether and I simply enjoyed my time with the girl I loved.
Hello everyone, Willgm here to give you... well this. In I'm not exactly sure what as to what to make of this little side story. If one wanted to push things they could classify it was horror I suppose but in the end I can only label it as general as I have no true idea to what it is.
-What I can say though, is that the theme of this thing was isolation. The unease, the silent pressure on your back that says something isn't right. While I won't say what that black world represents I will say that, should things take a extreme turn for the worse, our main character will become a permanent resident of that world he briefly found himself in.
And should he enter it again, if he ever comes out; he'll likely emerged a changed person.
...Maybe this should be classed as horror after all since the implications, at least for me, sent shivers down my spine.
...Anyway, hope you enjoyed this little short and, maybe, look forward to more light-hearted ones in the future.
Oh, for those that are wondering this takes place the day after the probe arc.