It was too silent when Ren turned off the machine. Nobody welcomed them as usual when they're back to the base. He looked around and felt the eerie atmosphere around the room. He turned around to see Yamato looked at him in horror.
"Shouldn't we back to Earth, Ren?"
Ren couldn't answer him. He was sure that he had landed the plane on Earth, but the feeling inside him told him that they weren't on Earth. He knew that Yamato had the same feeling so he didn't voice out his thought. Slowly he jumped off the plane and walked to the door. He peeked outside just to be faced with the strange view. Everything he saw in front of him was far enough to be called as Earth. Slowly he opened the door, let Yamato saw what he had seen and the latter stopped beside him. He saw him gulped nervously. No trees, no blue sky, no green grass. They could only see tall grey buildings everywhere.
"Ren, where are we?"
Yamato's voice was trembling slightly. Ren himself confused with the sight in front of him. He had landed at the same coordinate like usual.
"Did you do something with the coordinate indicator, Ren?"
"No. I didn't even touch it. It indicated the same coordinate like before."
"But where are we now? It's impossible … "
Yamato shut his mouth suddenly when they heard a little voice from the corner. Ren pulled him to hide behind the boxes beside the door and dragged him to stay behind him. His eyes widened when he saw strange creatures moved over and walked away in front of them. He felt Yamato gripped his arm tightly. Those strange creatures were armed and he could see clearly that they were observing the new thing in the room which was their plane.
"Ren … "
The whisper in his ears made him snapped. He then gave Yamato a sign to move to the door which the latter obediently followed. They tip toed through the open door and ran away right away when they got out of it.
"We shouldn't leave the plane, Ren. We should stay until it ready to fly again."
Ren looked at the panting Yamato behind him and shook his head. "You know that it needs at least forty eight hours to get ready to fly again after our long journey."
Yamato gulped and looked away. He knew that his friend was right. "So what should we do now? Where are we? I don't like to be here, Ren. It feels creepy."
Ren looked at Yamato and observed him. The latter was slightly trembling and he could see the uneasiness on his gestures. He reached his hand and gripped it. "Stay close to me and don't move without me knowing where you are going, okay?"
Yamato nodded furiously. He looked around and was going to say something when he found nobody in front of him. No Ren, who just told him to stay close to him. His heart beat rapidly at the realization that he probably lost his friend. He was alone, and the realization made him trembled more.
He turned around when he heard hasty steps moved over. And his eyes widened when he saw a group of strange creatures was walked over him. He gulped hard before started to run away from the place.
Everything was blurry and he couldn't pay any attention to everything around him. He just ran and ran. He didn't want to be captured by those strange creatures. Not when he didn't know where he was. Not when he knew that nobody would save him later. Not when he lost Ren right in front of his eyes.
He almost couldn't feel his feet when a hand pulled him hard and made him stopped. He blinked and realized that he was stood among people with strange clothes. He looked at himself and his eyes wide opened at the sight. He was wearing a pink fringed tassel costume. He felt like a clown but he didn't wear any mask or make up. He looked around and found that most of those people around him were wearing those strange clothes. Not the same with his but alike. He saw a campfire burning in a barrel nearby. He walked over and could feel the heat on his face. The real heat from the real fire. He sighed. At least there's something he could recognize in this strange place.
He turned around and was going to ask someone about something when a hand pulled him. He turned and his eyes widened to see his friend was gripping his hand hardly. He didn't ask. He just followed where Ren dragged him. He didn't even voice out any complaint when Ren pulled him along their run. After long and winding road finally they reached the plane.
Without word Ren pushed him to enter the plane and he tried to start the engine but failed.
"I can't stand any more minute in this place. I don't know where are we now but seriously, I don't want to be here more longer. Please, Ren. Let's get out of here. I hate this place. Let's go home."
Yamato wailed was the strangest thing he had ever seen in his life, but he found him cute in a way. He just couldn't resist it. He tried turn on the engine on and on with the pressure of Yamato's scared yet trembled voice when he informed him about the arriving of the strange creatures and they were ready to attack them.
After few times trying, finally he managed to turn on the plane and in the last second before the attack he blasted the plane to the sky.
"Don't worry, Yamato. We're going home. I'll take you home right away. We will definitely go home. I promise you that."
"Ren, come on. Let's go home."
"We're going home, Yamato."
"Ren, come on."
"I know. We are."
"Ren!"
He snapped and opened his eyes. He blinked many times, trying hard to acknowledge where he was. No panels of the plane. It's just tables and chairs scattered all over the room.
"Where are we?"
Yamato looked at him annoyedly. "Still in the classroom. And we will be locked here if you don't get your ass out of there and move out."
Ren was still stunned. Where's the cute Yamato he met few times ago? The Yamato who wailed to go home and wearing a pink fringed tassel costume? The Yamato who pleaded him to take him home?
"Ren? Are you going home or not?"
Again, Ren snapped and looked at the latter just to receive sour face for his dumbness.
"Ah, Sure."
He grabbed his bag and followed Yamato walked out the building. The blue sky, the green grass and trees welcomed him once he stepped his feet out of the building. I'm on Earth. Unconsciously he sighed hard, feeling grateful for the fact that he was truly on Earth yet regretted the fact that he wouldn't see the cute Yamato who wore that pink fringed tassel costume again.
A/N : The part until Ren woke up from his dream was truly my dream few days ago. Not the dialogue though. I just made it to enlighten the story.