CHAPTER 3 - Talk It Out

"Tomoko!", yelled Sohara as she and the others ran to my collapsed body.

"She was shocked with 47 milliamps.", said Ikaros after examining me.

"Oh, Tomoko...", said Sohara.

"What do we do now?", asked Nymph.

"I'm not sure...", Sohara admitted.

Even though everyone had just arrived at Mikako's house, they knew that there was absolutely no point in staying. Especially with me in my current condition.

"I can carry her back to your house if you would like.", offered Ikaros.

"I...I suppose that would be best.", said Sohara "Th-...thank you for...trying... to help, Mikako.", she continued.

Instead of responding, Mikako just looked at her for a moment, and gave a brief smile.

"Alright. let's go back home...", Sohara told Ikaros.

Ikaros picked me up with absolute ease. It was to be expected from her. After all, she was able to carry thousands of pounds with no trouble at whatsoever.

"This is all...so fast.", Sohara whispered.

Sohara, Nymph, Astraea, and Ikaros walked outside of Mikako's home, and prepared to head to Sohara's house.

"I'm...so hungry...", claimed Astraea.

"Wh-what?", asked Sohara.

"I'm gonna go...find something to eat...", Astraea said before she took flight.

"...Seriously?", thought Sohara.

Sohara didn't realize it immediately, but Astraea left due to feelings of awkwardness concerning me. If I were awake, I wouldn't have blamed her...

"Well... I suppose we should get going...", said Sohara. "Ikaros, you go ahead and get Tomoko back to my house. We'll meet you there.", she finished.

"Understood.", said Ikaros as she took to the skies.

"Nymph, would you like to go with Ikaros too?"

"Nah, I don't mind walking. Not like I have anything better to do anyway."

"Alright."

Out of everyone in the group, only Sohara and Nymph remained. They proceeded to walk home together.

"Mikako...I can tell when you're feeling guilty...", said Sugata still at the purple haired girls house.

"Oh, please. I did my best to help, and that's what matters.", she said grinning.

"... So you say."

"Sohara...", said Nymph.

"Yes?"

"I'm all for helping... her out... but what about Tomoki?", Nymph asked.

"... It'll all work out... It has to.", Sohara responded.

"... The only way he can go back to normal... is if she merges with him."

"But..."

"Don't you find this to all be a little... odd?", asked Nymph.

"What do you mean?"

"... How do I put it... It's just, think about it... she has no parents, no family, she looks like Tomoki's mom, the only friends she's ever made are probably terrified to see her again... well, if you want to get technical, Tomoki's family is hers, but still... She's simply just... here."

"You're right... she doesn't really have a family... does she?", said Sohara.

"Anyway, I'm getting off topic. My point is, I want to help her out... but if her going back is the only way to save Tomoki... that's what I believe we should go by.", Nymph said with eyes closed.

Sohara truly began to realize the intensity of the situation. Tomoki, the one she loved, was in just as much trouble as me. As for Nymph, while she did care for me, as much as she could, she thought it to only be natural that Tomoki was the priority in saving. It wasn't that she thought I didn't matter, she just formed such a strong connection with Tomoki, that she would do whatever it took to save him. Again, he was the priority to her. I, was merely there.

MEANWHILE

Ikaros was almost to Sohara's house. She would occasionally look down at me, as she was also feeling conflicted in terms of choosing me, or Tomoki going back to normal.

"Master is... upset.", she said as she flew down to the street of both Tomoki and Sohara's houses.

Her instincts kicked in, and instead of taking me to Sohara's house, she took me inside of Tomoki's, in order to see her troubled master.

"... and she's even disobeying my orders to get me back to normal!", Tomoki could be heard screaming to himself, venting his frustration.

Tomoki was, of course, very upset. Not that I blamed him. After all, I was to blame. He was shrunken, barely noticeable, and incapable of even opening his room's door to get out.

"I am back, Master.", said Ikaros as she walked into his room.

"Ikaros! I thought you said you wouldn't be gone that- ... You brought back Tomoko! Great! Good job, Ikaros! Now I can go back to-", Tomoki said before being cut off by Ikaros.

"That's... not why I brought her here.", she admitted.

"Eh?... Wait, why is she sleeping?", he asked Ikaros.

"She... went unconscious in an attempt to rid herself of perversion left inside of her from you...", she told her master.

"Eh? Why the... how the... NEVER MIND THAT! She and I need to merge now!", Tomoki demanded.

"Master... that simply won't happen..."

"Why not?!"

"...In order for you to merge with her, it's a necessity for her to also want to merge with you.", she told him.

"N-no... I forgot... Damn it! Then I'll just have to convince her!"

Sohara and Nymph enter the room

"You aren't convincing her of anything! Hasn't she been lied to enough by you?!", said Sohara.

Perhaps my time being unconscious ran out, or perhaps Sohara's sweet voice defending me again woke me up. Regardless, I was awake.

I began to fidget in Ikaros' arms, and was confused as to why I was there.

"Mmm... What's... huh?", I said as I awoke.

"Tomoko! You're alright!", Sohara said with a relieved smile.

I gasped... I then remembered why I went unconscious, and the acts that I had done.

"Tomoko... it's alright. Are you okay?", asked Sohara.

I was embarrassed, and my fidgeting caused me to fall out of Ikaros' arms.

"Ah!", I shouted as I fell. "I... I'm truly sorry for... what I did...", I admitted on the ground.

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault!", Sohara attempted to assure me.

I wanted to believe that, but it was still me who... went on another rampage. The motivation may not have been mine, but I felt that the actions certainly were...

"Mmm... Where is... everyone else?", I asked.

"They're just doing their own things right now.", she told me with a smile.

Tomoki had a puzzled face. Not only did he not understand what we were talking about, but he was eager to get back to normal.

"I... what the hell is going on?", Tomoki said sarcastically smiling.

"K-kya!", I shouted in realization that I was in the room with Tomoki again.

"Can I... have a moment with Tomoko... alone?", Tomoki asked the other two girls.

"... Tomo... you better not be planning to fondle her...", Sohara warned him.

"Wh-what?! Hell no! Her? Are you kidding me?! She's basically ME!", he responded.

I simply looked down in sadness. Not that he didn't want to fondle me, goodness no. It's just that... his last statement... It stung... so much...

"Hmph... no way! I don't trust you to be with her alone! You'll probably just-"

"No... let me hear what he has to say...", I told Sohara. "After all... if I can help him find a way get back to... normal... that would be great... right?", I finished as I looked to Nymph, Ikaros and Sohara.

"I say let her. What's the worst that could happen?", Nymph questioned.

"...Alright... but if he does anything fishy, you yell for us, okay?", Sohara told me.

"*giggle* Got it.", I said smiling back at the one who was so very kind to me.

They left the room, but Sohara and Nymph simply couldn't resist... they each placed one ear on the door, and began to listen. Ikaros, however, just stood a good distance away.

There I was... sitting a few feet away from Tomoki... I'll never forget... he was... looking at new so strangely. How should I put it... it wasn't exactly angry... it certainly wasn't a happy expression... just a mixture of emotions. So many were all over his face.

"Tomoko... make yourself comfortable.", he said with that continuing expression.

"A-alright... but, I'm already sitting down. I'm pretty comfortable.", I told him smiling.

"Hey, Tomoki?"

"...", he just... stared at me... I didn't let that sway me though.

"I'm... really sorry that you... got shrunken because of me... simply existing...", I said looking down.

"... You know, Tomoko, we can be a team...", he told me.

"How so?", I asked the shrunken boy.

Of course, looking back, I can see where he was going with that... he was planning to trick me into merging with him again.

"Well, remember last time? When you were separated for the first time?"

"Y-yes... very... very clearly...", I admitted.

"Clearly?"

"Yes... those are... the only memories I have... where I was in control of myself..."

"...Exactly what other kinds of memories do you have?..."

I jumped at that question.

"I... my memories... they're... they're... you're memories..."

"I'd say I... have most of your memories... in my head... and you know... it hurts... that every memory in my head... all of them... they don't even belong to me..."

"The worst part... is that the memories I have of... when you transformed into me... I didn't have control... of myself..."

"Whoa whoa whoa... you weren't even an individual at that point... you were just a transformation!", he responded.

"Yes...I know. That's all I was... But don't you get it yet? ... I'm... I'm... me now... the memories of you transforming into me... they're the only memories I have of what can be considered as 'me'... and I wasn't even in control... I know that I myself didn't exist yet... but that doesn't change the fact that I have memories of you transforming into me... in my head...", I said, attempting to not fall into depression due to the facts I had just told him.

"...I... see...", he said with a new expression.

"That's why... every time something new happens in my life... I can't help but take note of it... it makes me... so happy. Happy to... to finally live!"

"That's why...", Sohara thought to herself.

Hearing me say that, she immediately remembered the things I had said to her last night and this morning concerning my new memories:

("...This...this is my first time having a drink...it feels nice to be...free...")

("Oh, it's nothing...I just... realized... that I finally smiled for the first time since being separated last night... I know it sounds dumb... but it really does mean alot to me...")

Even Nymph began to feel something tugging at her heart at knowing how happy living truly made me.

I began to speak to Tomoki again, just barely holding back tears.

"So... you said we could be a team? What did you mean?", I asked him with a shaky voice.

"Er... forget I said that! We uh,... jeez...", he responded.

He stared at me and began to think to himself.

"Why am I feeling sorry for her?! I can't get back to normal without her! I have to make a move! But... why can't I?!"

"Are... you okay?", I asked him.

"I'm fine! JEEZ!"

"Thank you though... for letting me get all of that out...", I told him.

"Get what out?", he snapped at me.

"Oh... it's nothing...", I said smiling at him.

"Alright... the conversation is over.", he said with his eyes closed.

"But... you didn't even get to say anything. I'm the one who was talking the whole time."

"It's cool... we're done here...", he said.

I didn't exactly realize it, but he was actually beginning to feel empathy towards me. If only I had known... it would have made me burst into tears of pure joy.

"Okay... Sohara! We're finished talki-", I shouted before stopping abruptly.

Sohara opened the door with lightning speed. Unfortunately, she didn't warn Nymph of this, and this caused the Beta type Angeloid to fall forward.

"Waaa!", she shouted before hitting the floor.

Due to me sitting close to the door, Nymph actually landed right next to me.

"N-Nymph! Are you alright?", I asked her.

"Yeah... just fine.", she said as she looked up to Sohara with irritation.

"Ehehehe... sorry about that...", Sohara responded.

"Wait a minute!", Tomoki yelled. "Were you two listening to us?!"

"N-no! Why would I care to do something like that!", Nymph snapped at him.

*giggle*

"Wh-what's so funny, Tomoko?", Sohara asked.

My giggling continued.

"Just... that I've got some really silly friends!", I said as I jumped up and hugged Sohara, continuing to giggle out of happiness.

Nymph stared at me, as I was filled with seemingly spontaneous joy. She began to feel something... more about me than usual.

Ikaros was standing just outside the doorway. She too, was staring.

And lastly, Tomoki, the one who seemingly wanted me gone the most, stared with feelings of newly found compassion.

All of them staring at me, and I didn't even get to notice due to having my eyes sealed shut during the warm embrace I gave Sohara.

"...Tomoko..."

"Yes Sohara?"

"... Like I said before, it must be pretty annoying to have only that school uniform to wear. Tomorrow, we're gonna do what I had wanted to do with you today... get you some new cute clothes.", she told me.