I'm so sorry guys! I've been so lazy as of late... Plus, I got a new game, so that's occupied a lot of my time. (No, not X/Y... sadly) I'll do better! Though, I know an apology won't do, so I'll make up for it by putting out the rest of this story, and a few chapters of the next. Hope you guys can forgive me.
Naomi felt uneasy as they kept running, splitting away from their other friends, but what else could they do? She definitely didn't want to split up even more, and she wasn't so sure they could just wait on them. They'd just have to trust Yoshiki's words that they would meet them out. She pushed open the door that led to the outside, then helped Yuka quickly get over the siding. The others weren't around yet... but that was to be expected. They were a little behind, after all. She wouldn't let her hopes drop. She had to believe they'd get out before the bell stopped. They made it the rest of the way to the forest, and after they were past a few trees, she was engulfed by a bright light. When her eyes fluttered open again, she noticed they were in their 2-9 class room. It looked all in order, like nothing had even happened... It was surreal, that all of them had been standing at the front being so light hearted not too long ago... When in reality, they had lost about half of their friends. She pushed herself up to sit, seeing Satoshi and Yuka in the room too. Good, they both made it out... Though, now...
Satoshi had kept glancing behind, guilt already clawing at his stomach. Even now, back in the classroom, he could hardly enjoy the victory of getting out of there. He sat up, chest heaving in an attempt to catch his breath after the sprint. Yoshiki and Ayumi would appear in a moment. They had been set behind by a floor, but the two had enough time to catch up. But, moments slipped by and the clock in the classroom ticked as every second moved forward. He didn't say a word, just watching with a solemn expression. Yoshiki and Ayumi would come through... After everything that happened, they wouldn't be stopped. It became harder to tell himself that when the clock kept on and there were no signs of their friends. Satoshi pushed himself to his feet, eyes glancing out the window with a darkening expression. There had been a time limit in Heavenly Host. Yuki had warned them about the fact the bell would only toll so many times. He couldn't lie to himself that time worked differently in the dimensions, though. The bell couldn't still be ringing, given how Yuki urgently told them to get out. Which meant... that fall... He never did hear Ayumi reply. His teeth clenched together, the realization coming with vivid horror. "YOU LYING BASTARD!" Satoshi suddenly yelled, an anger hitting him like he had never felt before. To the point his hands clenched in tight fist, and he needed to hit something. He settled on kicking the cluttered, unorganized desks into each other with loud metallic yells. Yoshiki had let him abandon him and Ayumi! He didn't even give him a choice to help them... He lied... and now he wasn't coming back.
Naomi felt the anxiety rise with each ticking second as she stood by Yuka. She was nervous, but she could tell Satoshi was more so. She jumped at the yell, and clung onto Yuka's hand lightly as he began taking out his frustration on the desks. She had never seen Satoshi so upset... but she could easily understand. At first she had only thought they weren't quick enough. That the floor set back had been too much. But, they hadn't heard Ayumi... She didn't want to think of it that way, even if Satoshi was coming to the obvious conclusion that Yoshiki had been dishonest. She didn't know what to say, since her own grief over Seiko was still strong. Now they had lost Ayumi and Yoshiki too... They went in with nine, and left with three. It was devastating that so much had been stolen, especially since those two had been so close to getting out. She looked down, completely at a loss for words to say to Satoshi as he raved.
Satoshi should have known something was wrong... He shouldn't have been so willing to leave, but he didn't want to risk Yuka and Naomi's lives. But what if they had just gone down there? Maybe all of them could have gotten out... Or, if Ayumi had died during that fall, he could have dragged Yoshiki out. Without knowing the details, it was hard to figure out what could have changed, but he was sure he could have had some hand in making it so more of them got out. How did this night turn so wicked? His anger was palpable, but he had no clue how to extinguish the flames. He grabbed at his scalp, nails digging in an attempt to alleviate the pressure. "Goddammit Yoshiki," he hissed, collapsing to his knees as his body trembled. He was thankful the three of them got out, he really was, but all he could think about was the loss. How their numbers dwindled to the lone three of them. Now... he had left his best friend to rot in that place. "We -we have to go back," he suddenly said, looking at Naomi in panic.
Naomi watched Satoshi with a deep frown, his own sadness magnifying her's. Tears began to well up in her eyes over all the dead, but she tried to reign them in. She didn't want to break down in front of them, especially Yuka. Her eyes widened when Satoshi made a shocking determination. She quickly shook her head, trying to wipe away her tears so she could give him a serious look. "S... Satoshi, we can't! We wouldn't be able to get back... and they wouldn't want you to endanger yourself after all this. They wanted you to get out!... Maybe... that's why...," she muttered, her voice giving out as her eyes glanced to the side.
Though Yuka was younger, she could easily tell what was going on. Those other two... Yoshiki and her brother's other classmate, Shinozaki... They weren't ever going to show up. With her brother throwing a fit and Naomi showing her own tears, the younger girl couldn't hold back light sobs. "Yoshiki-san...," she whined, using her free hand to rub at her eye. Though she was sad for the other students, she didn't really know any of them. She had just met them that night. But Yoshiki was over often since him and her brother were best friends. He was close to a big brother, since he was often nice to her and such.
Satoshi's eyes became cast over by his bangs when Naomi rejected the idea. He couldn't put either of them in more danger, and the charm needed two people. To just leave Yoshiki and Ayumi there when they could be alive was too cruel... too unfair. It was one thing to leave when they had confirmed all their other companions were dead. He couldn't keep his conscience clear knowing they were abandoning him, but now it was too late. It may have been Yoshiki's decision, but it was unfair... He might have been able to help him. Or at least have an exchange that created some closure. Ugh, he wasn't sure what he wanted in a realistic sense. All he wanted was to go back in time, before that damned charm, to where Ayumi was telling that story. When the scariest thing was Ms. Yui playing a prank on them. His eyes moved to Yuka, noticing the tears beginning to spill. He swallowed thickly, fighting the burning in his own eyes. He couldn't give up, since the three of them had to rely on each other. He couldn't just toss away the anger and grief, but he couldn't forget about the two that had gotten out with him. "Sorry..." he mumbled as he rose back to his feet on unstable legs. He wished he could do so much more, but there was such a small amount of power in his hands. He knew going back was a crazy idea that would never work... He just wish it could. He walked over to Yuka, patting her on the head.
Naomi's expression softened, though she still had a frown since the aching in her chest forbade even a fake smile. At least she could trust that Satoshi wouldn't do anything stupid. He couldn't go back by himself, and he wouldn't drag anyone down with him. She knew that rationality didn't push away his grief, though. She knew that too, since she was feeling a very heavy guilt herself. Seiko had been bad enough... but now they had to abandon two friends. She trusted that Yoshiki's lie had been for good reason, but it didn't make any of this easier to swallow. When Satoshi came over and placed his hand on Yuka's head, she felt the younger girl's hand release her's so she could tackle into Satoshi and sob into his shirt. She looked down quietly before deciding to approach the two, one hand going to the back of Satoshi's head and the other winding around Yuka. She rested her chin on Satoshi's shoulder without saying a word, closing her eyes and letting the tears finally slip out. She wasn't doing this for romantic purposes. Who knew when that would ever be appropriate, if it ever would. She was only doing this for comfort reasons, for all of them. To make it out of this and live a semi-normal life, they needed to lean on each other, since they were the only ones that would ever understand.
Satoshi could hardly believe he had been able to get himself out of bed that morning. Both Naomi and him had agreed on biting the bullet right away and go to school, even if neither were eager to. The moment he had fallen onto his bed, he fell into a dark sleep which had only been interrupted by his blaring alarm clock. He forced himself into the shower, telling himself he had to keep moving. He couldn't give into the depression in his chest and lie in bed all day. He had to continue on, because that's why Yoshiki lied to him. He had wanted him to go on... When he got to school, everything was normal except the people missing. But that was the weird thing... No one acted like their friends were missing. He walked over to a classmate, figuring he'd jump start the conversation he dreaded happening. "Have you seen Ms. Shishido?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"Eh? Whose that?"
The clueless face told Satoshi it was no lie. Maybe it was just a slip-up. He'd try again. "W-what about Yoshiki? You know, Kishinuma Yoshiki?" he asked, watching the clueless expression only sink further into confusion.
"What the hell do you mean? There's no guy with that name in this class."
"What about Shinozaki!? You know, our Class Rep!?" he asked, voice raising in panic. No, no, no! As terrified as he was of what would happen when the missing persons cases arose, this was much worse.
"Mochida, calm down! I have no idea what you're talking about. Ito is our Class Rep!"
Naomi sat quietly in class, her ears catching the conversation between Satoshi and the other classmate. Her eyes were wide and somewhat hollow, though she tried not to show that anything else was wrong with her. No one else noticed... The world had literally... left all their friends behind, even Ms. Shishido. No one... remembered... It magnified the empty feeling in her chest, but she bit back the tears and just stared forward, her fists clenched.
After classes, Naomi sought comfort from her phone, to maybe relive some happy memories. She had avoided anything like that yesterday, since she was much too damaged, but she needed to be reminded that they had existed. However, to her horror... every picture had the faces blotted out, other than her and Satoshi. While she stood in the hall, she couldn't keep her grip on her phone and let it fall onto the floor with a small tapping noise. Her legs gave out, and she ended up against the wall, holding her head in her hands. No... no no no! They can't have lost everything to do with their friends. It wasn't fair! She sobbed, uncaring of who saw and ignoring those who asked her if something was wrong. They wouldn't get it, because the people dear to her were gone from their minds.
Satoshi's thoughts became a tangled mess from then on. The world had just cast them aside so easily? It wasn't right. All their time together ultimately meant nothing to this world? When he settled down at his desk for the lecture, he ended up not catching a single word for their teacher. At least this awful day was wrapping up... ugh, school was going to hell. To pretend all there close friends and teacher had never existed... it felt wrong and dishonored their memories. His thoughts were only penetrated when he heard Naomi sobbing. He guessed she couldn't suppress the heartache this entire day was causing, but he quickly leaped into a more protective mode by the sight of her on the ground. His eyes caught onto her cellphone, and he reached over to grab it. The image on the screen clearly explained what had broken Naomi's composure. Those who died... their faces were blacked out. Was it like that... with all the pictures? His breathing became ragged, the world's insistence on ignoring them was even worse. He put a hand on Naomi's shoulder. People were staring and trying to question what was going on, but none of them could possibly grasp what they've been through. "Hey, let's go somewhere private, okay?" he mumbled to her, since they couldn't talk openly here.
Naomi continued to cry until she noticed Satoshi presence, and his voice. She tried to quiet her voice, giving small hiccups as she slowly rose her face. She must look like a mess... but she didn't care about such a thing at this point. Their friends... it was like they had never existed, like all their hard work and forged friendships were fake. It was hard to pull herself up, but she managed, since a private place would be better, where she wouldn't make a scene or attract unwanted attention. She used the wall to help her stand, while one hand was over her mouth trying to stifle her cries. Once she was stable, she gave a small nod to Satoshi, but had to grab onto his arm since her weak legs wouldn't hold her up on their own.
Satoshi watched her in worry. She seemed unstable enough, but she managed to get up on her legs. He stood up, brow furrowed in concern. He knew the breakdown was probably good, since bottling this stuff would make everything so much worse. When she grabbed his arm, he realized he should lead her. He moved a hand over the one clinging to him as a small form of comfort. He led them into a cleared out classroom and shut the door behind them. He let out a shaky breath, shaking his head slowly. Everyone had been staring at the two, and he knew they seemed off to them. How could they be okay after all of this? "They were forgotten..." he said, even though she had probably gathered that information on her own by now.
Naomi had done her best to keep moving, even if her legs wanted to give out. Plus, her eyes kept burning, but she didn't want anyone else staring at her like she was the weird one. But once Satoshi shut the door behind him, she let the tears flood out again, and her voice was replaced by heavy sobs. She covered her eyes with her free arm as her other hand clung tightly to Satoshi's sleeve. She could only nod in response as her shoulders shook. Losing their friends was one thing, but for this to be added to the heavy weights? It was too hard... It was as if Heavenly Host intended to steal everyone into the woeful darkness, even if they got out. Like getting out was no real victory.
Satoshi felt the burn behind his eyes worsen at her unrelenting sobs. He moved to pull her into a tight hug, burying his head against her shoulder and head. "But we won't, Naomi," he said with a tight voice, clinging to her in the desperate attempt to comfort her and himself. "No matter what... we'll remember them..." he said through gritted teeth. Even if their faces and voices faded from their memory, they could remember all the times they had. The school wasn't going to take them completely away from them. He wouldn't let it.
Naomi thought she was going to be easily dragged into a dark depression. It was hard to imagine anything healing this. But then she felt Satoshi move her into a close hug, and her sobs somewhat quieted. The sobs could still be heard, but they weren't as loud as before. Her hand lifted to desperately cling to the back of his shirt, and her head buried into the fabric. Everyone forgot, and they had no means of remembering their smiling faces. They had been left behind by everyone else... But Satoshi was right. They had risen from the school, and they remembered who their friends were. Suzumoto Mayu: cute, bubbly, and wouldn't let much bring down her mood. She liked to make others happy, loved acting, and hanging around Sakutaro. Morishige Sakutaro: somewhat antisocial, but he was always realistic and held a bright expression whenever Mayu was around. He and Yoshiki hadn't got along so well, but they remained friends, somewhat. Shinohara Seiko: charismatic and a little odd and perverted. She would take the best of situations, and put others' well beings before her own. Her best friend... Shishido Yui: their beloved teacher, who believed no student should be left behind. She cared deeply for all of them, as if they were her own children, and they had all gotten along with her so well. Kishinuma Yoshiki: a person who, at first glance, was a bit intimidating, but he was a lot softer than he'd let on. He was a little on the sarcastic side, but behind his sharp comments he cared about his friends, especially Satoshi and the class rep. Shinozaki Ayumi: a cheerful, smart girl who had stood as their class representative. She liked to tell scary stories and see others' reactions, especially Satoshi's. She cared about everyone's futures, was considerate of others, and had a strong heart. She could remember all of these details, and as long as she did, her friends' memories would never be truly left behind. She'd carry these with her always... The thoughts made her want to write these down on something, so she really never, ever forgot who their friends had been, and always would be to them.
Tears slipped out of Satoshi's eyes, landing against Naomi. The fact her tears had settled down was a relief, a small light that told him that they were still fighting. They wouldn't be drowned by the misfortune done around them. After all, to live the rest of their lives in despair would be a dishonor to all their memories. It was the reason Yoshiki had urged him on, probably well aware of his own fate. And, honestly, if the situation was reversed, he would have probably lied to Yoshiki. It was something friends, best friends, would do. Put the life of the other first, despite what may happen to themselves. "We'll live on for them," he said quietly, his voice tight but determined. They would mourn and allow themselves to feel grief, but they wouldn't crumble.
Naomi got her crying and breathing under control after a few more moments. She thought she could feel drops from Satoshi land on her, which only made her eyes sting again. But at his words, she gave a hopeful nod. If they didn't... if they let this cripple them completely, their friends' sacrifices would be pointless, and she'd never want to make their bravery all for nothing. So she would try... With Satoshi's help, they could make it through.