There were few things that actually managed to surprise Vector at this point.

After more than just one lifetime of what others would call surprises, he had gotten used to it.

However, he had not expected Tsukumo Yuuma to cry and smile and attempt to die together with him.

He had not expected that he'd genuinely smile right before being absorbed by an entity that dared to consider itself a god. He had expected the pain that his second death brought upon him, though.

What he had definitely not expected was the fact that he would wake up again. Moreover, he had a horrible headache.

And on top of that, he woke up in a familiar place. Too familiar for his taste.

What the heck?

He was in his palace. His palace that was devoid of any destruction.

His palace that was supposed to be ruins. On top of that, he was at the place where he'd executed everyone.

Vector briefly wondered whether he'd been transported back to the past or whether this was a really bad dream, but then he heard a voice that he'd recognize anywhere.

"Vector," Astral's voice resounded in his head, clear and neutral as he was used to it. "I have obtained the Numeron Code and I am willing to resurrect you. But before that happens, I want to give you a chance to come to terms with your past... and there's someone I want you to meet."

Vector did not buy it. Astral would not just give him another chance at life out of nowhere, not like that when Astral had the power to erase Vector from Yuuma's memory, to undo all the suffering he'd caused to the boy.

"Why would you do that?" Vector asked, knowing Astral was not physically present. "You hate me, Astral. You have no reason to try and save me."

"That is..." Vector heard hesitation in Astral's voice, and he knew what the reason for this chance was.

"Yuuma asked you to?" Vector asked, letting his laugh slip out. He had said it before and it was still true: Yuuma was such a simple soul. Naive. Gullible. But he did not feel like he was actually capable of betraying Yuuma again, anymore.

So he sighed, and he realized he'd heard Astral sigh as well.

"You're right," Astral said and Vector could make out from Astral's tone that Astral did not understand why Yuuma would want to see Vector again. Vector did not understand either. Probably no one did, except for Yuuma. "But I only did it with the condition that you have to go through a trial before coming back to life. He's the one who chose the place and nature of the trial, though."

"And when will I get out of here?" Vector was aware that there had to be a trick to this. Astral would not just let him sit in one place for days in order to avoid whoever Yuuma wanted him to meet.

"When you've found an answer, whatever that answer may be," Astral said, and with those vague words he stopped speaking.

Vector had responded with "What?!", but after three minutes without an answer, he'd decided that there was no helping it.

He'd have to go along with Astral's stupid plan, because otherwise he might end up being stuck in the place that held the only nightmares he'd ever had in his life.

Vector had a vague idea of who Astral wanted him to meet. If this was the past, then it was likely that he was supposed to look for his mother.

He was aware of his true memories, and so it was clear to him that the one person who had cared for him back then had to be her.

Not that he wanted to meet her, anyway.

She'd died because of him, whether he killed her on his own or if his father had done it did not change the result. Ultimately the situation itself had been caused by his foolishness.

If Vector regretted anything, it would be not having killed his father right away.

He grinned at the thought, realizing he ultimately would've played into Don Thousand's hands anyway.

So he kept walking through the familiar hallways, realizing that he apparently couldn't be touched or seen by anyone.

Nobody bothered shouting "Prince Vector!" at him and everyone walked through him.

That meant he was kind of ghost here. It explained why he wore the clothes he'd died in, too.

And he felt he was forgetting about someone important, someone that he should have a plan for in case he met him.

But he couldn't put his finger on who that was, and so he walked into his parents' chamber, opening the familiar door. Apparently, he could touch objects.

"How did the door open like that?" His mother asked, seemingly happier than usual. She could not see him.

His father was in his bed, weaker than before. Ill.

Vector was painfully aware of what point in time he'd been transported to. Quickly slamming the door shut behind him, he ran down the next hallway, leaving as much distance between himself and his parents' chamber. Panting, he let himself slide down the wall and took a moment to breathe slowly, trying to calm his heartbeat.

This was one day before he would tell his father that he'd formed a peace treaty with the countries they'd been at war with.

One day before Don Thousand would mess with his memories.

"Astral..." Vector muttered, rage entering his tone.

Having to relive this day was, even by his standards, a cruel thing.

But why would Astral - and Yuuma, anyway - choose the day before? And who did they want him to meet, then?

Vector looked to his left and quickly realized where he was right now.

The familiar, wooden door and the distinct scent of lilies. The fact that he'd instinctively walked this way.

"My room, huh?"

Vector didn't hesitate when he stood up and opened the door... to meet himself.

"So you've really come here," his spitting image said, sitting on a chair with a friendly expression and obviously capable of seeing him. There was no hatred in that expression, no madness. This was - Vector had no doubt - his past self.

Quickly closing the door behind himself, Vector entered, sitting down next to his other self.

"So I assume you're in on this?" Vector asked, eyeing his past self warily.

Prince Vector did not stop smiling when he answered his future self's question. "There was this person called Astral who told me someone very special would come here. He also told me I'd lose my memory of ever having met that person, and that I'd recognize you immediately. I can see why now. So I thought it's for the best if I don't move around too much and just wait here." He poured water into a glass and handed it to Vector. Their fingertips touched and Vector realized that this was the only person here that he could actually touch.

Vector grinned at hearing his own catchphrase, existent in the past as much as it was in present. He took a sip of water, glad to have a moment to think before saying anything. Prince Vector reminded him a lot much of his own act as Shingetsu Rei. The whole friendly expression. Everything.

And then, somehow, he wondered whether it was possible that he'd instinctively used his original personality for his scheme to trick Yuuma, because - obviously - he'd be best at pretending to be 'himself'.

"Astral told me I would have to meet you," Vector now replied, not really happy about this.

"I wonder how I will end up becoming you," Prince Vector said, tilting his head to the side. There was no judgement in that voice, just genuine interest in him. "You're me from the future, right?"

Vector realized that since Astral would erase Prince Vector's memories of him, nothing would change, whether he answered his past self's questions or not. So he figured that it couldn't be wrong to answer, and so he did.

"I am," Vector now replied, focusing the red jewel on his other self's head to not look into these kind violet eyes. Besides, he really liked the jewel. In fact, he almost missed having it. "And would you believe me if I told you that an evil being from another world will alter your memories, causing you to go insane and murder thousands?"

Prince Vector's smile weakened a lot, but it did not disappear.

And Vector noticed it, and he immediately knew the answer to his own question: Of course the prince believed him.

Because that was what he had used to be: Naive, kind and gullible. Almost like... Tsukumo Yuuma.

Vector felt a little sick at this point. He'd hoped he'd be able to take pleasure in his past self's suffering, but he had not expected himself to be this... accepting. Why would Prince Vector, a man who desired peace more than anything, accept this?

"But my story will have a good ending, won't it?" Prince Vector asked, his smile now brightening up again. "Otherwise you would not be here."

"I don't know if dying twice and having to talk to your past self in order to be revived again is a good thing," Vector said, a bit of mockery swinging with his voice.

"So that's why you've been sent here?" Prince Vector's question was a rhetorical one, he took a sip of water. "What are you supposed to accomplish by meeting me? If I'm able to help you, I'm glad."

Vector shrugged. "Astral said I would have to find an answer. And I honestly do not like the idea of being stuck with my past self in my past life, so..." That was pretty much it. He did not particularly like his other self. It reminded him of all the things he would never be again and didn't even want to be. But he also could not bring himself to hate the boy sitting in front of him.

"Tell me about your life," Prince Vector's words did not allow the answer "No" and Vector felt that the kind prince would not even accept if he tried to argue. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware that the only reason why he listened was that he wanted to get out of here.

And so he told his story to his past self.

"And here I am, apparently given a new chance at life thanks to the one person who desperately wants me to be you," Vector concluded his story. He had not left out much, except for unnecessary details - such as his nightmares. But whenever he'd thought of one of the nightmare, he'd felt like Prince Vector had seen his thoughts within his eyes, and it had scared him.

Occasionally, Prince Vector had tried to hug Vector, but of course Vector was too prideful for that - the thought of needing himself to comfort him seemed so absurd that he did not even consider it.

"Well, you are me," Prince Vector simply replied with his everlasting smile. Vector could see him trembling though. Of course he did. His former self was kind and would not hurt anyone. "And I'm sure Tsukumo Yuuma likes you the way you are now. From the way you talk about him, I'm sure of that."

"So," Vector began, but he was interrupted by his spitting image.

"So," Prince Vector said, looking out of the window. "Tomorrow, you said?"

"Yes."

"I see."

Silence.

Again, Vector tried to focus the red jewel instead of looking at those eyes.

He felt the prince's stare and he was not comfortable at all. He had never been comfortable with gullible souls like his.

Ironic, wasn't it?

"I'm surprised you didn't try to change the past yet," Prince Vector suddenly muttered. It was so quiet that Vector had almost missed it, but just almost.

"How would that even be possible?"

"Well, think about it. You can touch objects. You could..." The prince did not continue, his voice stuck in his throat.

They were one and the same person after all. Vector knew that his other self had different reasons to think of this option, but the result was that they only needed a small amount of words to understand one another. "I could convince you to kill our old man before Don Thousand can interfere. I could kill him by myself, actually. That's what you mean, isn't it?"

Prince Vector gave no more than the slightest hint of the nod, obviously not happy about his own idea, but this one time it's Vector who smiles.

"I would not do that," he said, strange confidence and calm in his voice. And for a moment, he'd wondered how that could have happened. He was sure that when he'd arrived here, he'd have killed his father. But by now, he knew that this was not the way. Talking to his past self - and the existence of a gullible idiot whose words were in his mind more often than he could bear to admit - had changed his mind. "That's the one thing this idiot and you have taught me, I guess. And besides, I'm sure Don Thousand would find a way to make us go insane anyway." He couldn't keep himself from laughing a little about that.

Prince Vector's face lightened up again, and this time Vector met his gaze. He figured that his other self was happy about knowing he wouldn't become someone who'd murder his own father, no matter how despicable he was.

Somehow, Vector wondered when the last time had been where he himself had last smiled like that.

He quickly remembered. It was when he'd died.

"It seems you have found your answer."

Astral was now in the room - visible - and he was looking at the two orange-haired boys with a serious, yet satisfied expression.

"I have," Vector said, standing up. And with a grin he ruffled Prince Vector's hair, knowing that both in the past and the present, he could not stand that at all.

Prince Vector grimaced, laughing a little. "I guess this is goodbye. Astral, you'll erase my memory of this, right?"

Astral nodded, crossing his arms as usual. "That's the case."

"Doesn't matter anyway," Vector decided, his good mood very apparent. "We're the same person."

Prince Vector simply nodded, but before Vector could raise his hand to wave good-bye, he stopped him. "Wait. Astral, can I make one change to history?"

Both Astral and Vector were confused now.

"For what?" Vector asked, as he had not expected his other self to be the one to try changing the past.

"Well, this..." Prince Vector pointed at the red jewel on his forehead. "You've been staring at it for a while now, wouldn't you want it back in the present?"

And Vector's eyes widened a little, a chuckle escaping him. His other self was a ridiculously simple soul. But then again, changing the past to get his belonging back might not be that bad. He indeed liked it a lot. And placing his jewel somewhere he could retrieve it easily did not make any changes to history, did it?

And this time it was Astral who smiled. "Yuuma has it, actually."

"Tsukumo Yuuma?" Prince Vector seemed to be surprised. "I would really love to meet him."

"Trust me, you'll change your mind," Vector simply replied to that. "Anyway, now that that's solved, I think we should get going." But deep down he was in delight about knowing that his jewel was still in a good state - everything in Yuuma's attic was, anyway.

"Alright, let's go."

Vector could faintly see his other self smiling.

A flash of light.

A new life.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.