Sorry...! A thousand sorries for my readers! I hadn't got the slightest clue that school was gonna give me an assload of assignments and tests after we got back from the school trip! But yeah, kinda expected since the finals were coming up AND I'm uploading this chapter right now, in the middle of the finals' batch!
Briixzyanaa: Yep, I was inspired to write Lag being angry after seeing the episode when he 'yelled' at Moc Sullivan: 'I'm... Lag Seeing!'
momoxtoshiro: Yes...! A baby is coming! Lag's and Sylvette's baby! Are you enjoying the story so far...? (still trying to calm down from the overexcitement...)
Right, now the disclaimer: I don't own Letter Bee/テガミバチ characters!
Letter Bee - VOID
Chapter 8 - The Empty Streets under the Light
"Finally, I'm done..." Sylvette sighed tiredly as she rolled her wheelchair from the kitchen to the bedroom. When she arrived in front of the bedroom, the memory of Lag yelling angrily at her came back to her, 'Lag...'
Sylvette opened the bedroom door quietly, not wanting to wake up the Letter Bee and his dingo. She peeked in to see that Lag, Niche, and Steak were all fast asleep. She rolled her wheelchair into the room and closed the door behind her before rolling to her side of the bed. She got up slowly from her wheelchair and sat on the bed. Just then, she heard a quiet mumbling which surprised her.
"Mother… Aunt Sabrina… please don't go… don't leave me alone…" Sylvette turned to see that Lag was sleeping on the middle of the bed and was mumbling in his sleep.
'Poor Lag…' Sylvette lied down beside Lag, having no trouble despite her growing stomach and stroke Lag's hair above his amber eye. Sylvette rubbed her growing stomach, feeling guilty for not understanding Lag's situation completely before she fell asleep.
The next day, Lag got up early as usual to prepare before going to the capital. Even with Niche and Steak by his side, Sylvette couldn't help but to worry about Lag. Lag and Niche were standing outside the doorway, along with the worried Sylvette. Lag noticed this, but he didn't know what to say to her after he had yelled at her while she knew nothing about what had happened to the important people in his life.
"Be careful, Lag…" Sylvette said worriedly before turning to Niche and Steak, "Niche, Steak, please take care of Lag…"
"Niche will always protect Lag! Because Niche is Lag's dingo!" Niche saluted, followed by Steak.
"NUNI!" Steak, who was sitting on Niche's head, saluted.
"Sylvette, about last night…" Lag started, the feeling of guilt came rushing in to his heart. Surprising Sylvette, Lag bowed apologetically to her, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have yelled at you! I shouldn't have let out my anger at you… I should have… been angry with myself… for being incompetent…"
"No, Lag! I should have understood you better! I should have… I should have understood your pain better… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Lag looked up to see that Sylvette was crying again, "Lag… You've done great… You're not incompetent…"
"Sylvette…" Lag put his right hand over her hands on her lap, "It's okay, Sylvette… I'm the one who should be sorry… Sylvette, I have to go now…"
"Wait a minute, Lag…" Lag was about to remove his hand from Sylvette's, but he felt that he was being pulled and a pair of soft lips touched his right cheek.
"Sylvette…?" Lag stood up and turned to Sylvette, who was looking at him with a smile on her face.
"Be careful, Lag… I'll be waiting for your safe return…" Sylvette said with a smile, although there were some tears left in her eyes.
Lag gave her a nod and a smile, "Yes, don't worry, I'll come back here," Lag rubbed Sylvette's growing stomach, "Wait for our safe return with our baby, Sylvette. We're leaving now!" Lag and Niche took off towards the Bee Hive and Sylvette waved at them before rolling into the house.
Lag, Niche, and Steak arrived at the Bee Hive a few moments later and headed straight through the busy main room with many Letter Bees and office workers going back and forth towards the Director's office. Lag knocked on the door before he entered the office, finding that Zazie, Connor, and their dingoes had already arrived.
"Good, everyone is here," Aria started, "First of all, you will go to the capital without your dingoes because this isn't an official delivery request and there shouldn't be any Gaichuus in the middle of the town. This is an investigation about the gatekeepers' absence and the events taking place in the capital."
"Niche will stay with Lag!" Niche protested, getting the attention of the other people in the room, "Niche will stay with Lag and Niche will protect Lag! Niche is Lag's dingo!"
Aria let out a sigh, "Niche, Lag will be safe. They won't be fighting against Gaichuus this time," Aria saw Niche puffing her cheeks as she was feeling annoyed, but Wasiolka's tug calmed her immediately, "Niche, even Wasiolka stays obedient. You should stay here in the Bee Hive along with Wasiolka and Gus."
Niche looked at Wasiolka, Aria, and then at Lag, "Lag should stay safe. If Lag is hurt, Sylvette will be sad! Lag is Sylvette's happiness!" Lag looked at her in surprise before Niche, Steak, Wasiolka, and Gus left the office.
"One more thing before the three of you leave," Aria said, getting the three's attention back, "The woman we found yesterday, Anne Seeing, had regained consciousness and told us that she saw a few shady people in the streets of Akatsuki."
"My mother has already woken up!?" Lag asked, feeling relief about his mother's condition.
"Yes, but she still needs some rest now. If you want to visit her, you should do it in later when she gets better," Aria told him, "You should all head out to the bridge now, and be careful!"
The three Letter Bees headed out to the north side of Yuusari Central, where the bridge, named the Crystal Bridge, was. The bridge was shining brightly, almost as brightly as the artificial sun. The bridge was made of crystals shining in different colors, amazing the Letter Bees as they passed through the bridge.
Lag was feeling uneasy as he passed the bridge, walking behind the two older Letter Bees. He felt as if many people were whispering to his ears, confusing him. He looked around the bridge to find the source of the voice, but finding that only three of them were on the bridge. All those voices he heard were still echoing in his head, but it got worse once they arrived at the capital.
The place was like a town similar to Yuusari Central, but brighter with gigantic buildings in the streets. A place so bright, so clean, and looked peaceful. It was a place where the people who lived in darker places such as Yodaka could ever dream of living in. As prosperous as the capital looked like to the three Letter Bees, the silence and the empty streets made the town seemed like a ghost town.
"It's so bright!" Zazie said excitedly, "I could even use the sunglasses just to look what's in front of me! I can't imagine how great it must be living in here!"
"Yeah, I bet the people here always eat a lot of tasty food every single day! Don't you agree, Lag?" Connor turned to Lag, but noticed that Lag was staring at the artificial sun motionlessly, "Lag? Are you okay?"
"What is it Lag? Are you feeling amazed that you get to see the artificial sun this close?" Zazie said jokingly, but got no response.
Meanwhile, Lag couldn't help but stare at the artificial sun as he could feel as if the voices in his head were coming from one source, which was the sun. As blinding as the light was, he kept staring at it as if the sun was telling him something.
-Lag's POV-
What was happening? Why was I feeling cold just standing here? Why were there people's voices in my head? The voices I felt… they were sad… Their words contained sadness, but what did that mean? But then, I felt as if I was being called by someone. Was that my mother? It was my mother's voice, wasn't it? But why did the voice came from the sun?
I felt as if I was being pulled upwards. I felt I was being pulled by something to the sun, the artificial sun which was shining brightly. I could feel that my body became lighter and lighter, feeling that I could fly and reached the artificial sun with my own hands.
"…ag…" I heard more voices again. They were calling out to me, but I didn't feel like I could speak in response.
"… Lag…" Those voices kept calling my name. But why me? What had I done to them? Did I even know them?
"Lag! Wake up!" I snapped as Zazie yelled and shook my body, "Lag! Your body is shining!"
"Lag! Your spirit amber is glowing too!" I heard Connor yelled behind Zazie.
"Za… zie…" I spoke quietly and Zazie let go of me. I looked at my hands, which were shining brightly. I felt that my spirit amber was reacting to something, but I didn't know what it was reacting to. My head was spinning and I wasn't completely aware of my shining body.
"Lag! What are you doing!?" Zazie's yelling suddenly snapped me completely.
"My body! What's happening!?" I yelled in panic, but the light on my body slowly faded and my spirit amber went back to normal.
-Normal POV-
"Lag, are you okay!?" It was Connor's turn to panic, "Your whole body was shining and so was your spirit amber!"
"I… I don't know…" Lag replied weakly, "My head became dizzy suddenly, and then I heard people's voices filled with sadness inside my head…"
"You really got us worried, Lag!" Zazie said in annoyed tone, "You were staring at the artificial sun when your body and spirit amber suddenly started shining as bright as the artificial sun. Are you feeling okay, Lag? Are you feeling sick?"
"No, I'm fine… Maybe I'm just tired…" Lag replied weakly.
The three of them were in the middle of the empty street, illuminated by the bright light of the artificial sun. The three Letter Bees made their way to the north, where the government building stood. They were about a few meters away from the building, when a figure suddenly stepped out of the building.
The three Letter Bees quickly hid behind a nearby smaller building, watching the figure from the distance. The figure had a body like a male human being, but the skin was covered in grey-colored animal fur. The figure looked around, making sure that nobody was around before he turned back to the building's door.
"Huh… The government's people have disappeared as well…" The figure turned away and folded his arms, "Oh well, the government won't stand a chance against the newly revived Reverse, namely Neo Reverse!" The figure ran away from the building, but running in four feet instead of two, although he had a human-shaped body.
The three Letter Bees watched as he went away from the building. Zazie and Connor went to look at the building up close, but Lag stayed behind. He felt suspicious after hearing the figure's saying, 'Neo… Reverse…?'
Neo Reverse! Is there any connection with the former Reverse? About taking down the government thing? Well, you'l find out soon! Next chapter update will either come next week or after I'm done with the finals, depends on the time! Please review, subscribe, or add this story to your favorites! And again, I'm really sorry for the late update!
