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Chapter 59: The Present Dream Reality
Four years after the events surrounding "The Squid"
Samdy
'There are two ways to break the Curse,' says Gajeel. He has his arms crossed and looks around the group with slight discomfort.
We've regrouped in the forest and have shared our info. Only Layton and Lily aren't here yet.
This dream reality is a version of Kubo's childhood. According to Ary his greatest wish is to learn magic, the same wish the main character of his favourite novel has. From what Gajeel knows about Kubo, he doesn't have magic of his own. He was, somehow, born the exact opposite of us; he grew up in Fiore, the magical kingdom, without magic. Apparently, his life long goal was to become a mage.
Which is why he harvested magic from others.
'The first option,' Gajeel continues, and he steps from under the tree he's leaning against, 'is to turn this dream into a nightmare, without that bastards suspecting anything. If he realizes he's dreaming, it's over. He has to wake up as normally as possible.'
'Nightmares aren't hard,' says Greg, 'we can be scary.'
All heads turn towards him and I feel we all collectively sigh.
'The second option,' says Gajeel, 'is to help Kubo achieve his goal.'
No one was saying anything before, but it still feels like a new silence falls between us.
'Teach him...magic?' I say.
'Well,' says Ary, 'perhaps only making him think he can wield it is enough.'
Gajeel nods. 'That's what I'm thinking.'
'Just wait,' says Rose, and by the tone alone I can tell this will annoy me, 'why are we even considering this? This man ruined our lives. Let's make his hell while we can.'
Surprisingly, I find myself agreeing with her. 'Yeah. What happens if we kill him?'
'That's…,' starts Martin, 'a bit extreme, don't you think?' Rose turns to look at him with a deep frown. He shrugs.
'He killed three of us,' I say, 'I don't think he deserves any less.'
'If we kill the kid,' Gajeel says, with a sigh, 'we kill the person he's using to keep this dream reality intact.'
'Right,' I say, 'your girlfriend.'
Gajeel stares at me. There's no twitching in his face, no muscles tensing, just a stare. After a minute or so, he looks away. 'We're going with the first option. Ary, you should be the one teaching him. Make up a good story. And you,' and he points at the twins, 'you guys get some nets strong enough to get some rocks floatin' in the air, or something like that.'
The three nod.
'The rest of you,' says Gajeel, 'should leave this place.'
'What?!' is the collective shout.
'There's nothing left to do here,' he says, as if that explains anything. 'It's better if you wait on the other side, help Lucy and Ravin protect the-'
'Hell no,' I interrupt. 'We don't know if Ibisan is here yet. He must be. We have to find him.'
'And then what?' asks Gajeel, calmly, 'you'll tell him he's dead?'
Before I can fire back, Jacob steps forward. 'I agree with Samdy, for the first half. I can't leave either, not before I find a way to help Kai.'
There's a frown between Gajeel's studded eyebrows. 'I get that, but I don't think there is a way-'
'There is,' says Jake, 'there is a way to preserve this reality. Kai, Lily and Layton should be able to live on in a reality, whether it's ours or a dream one. I just have to figure out-'
'Hold on,' Kai interrupts, and I'm getting kind of lost as to where the discussion started, 'what do you mean, "live on"? I'm not dead. I'm trapped. And you want to put me in another prison?'
Jake just looks at him, opening and closing his mouth like a fish on land. 'I...I'm trying, I am. It could just be a-'
'I don't wanna hear it,' Kai says, backing away, 'I don't want…', he spreads his arms, 'this.'
He turns around and starts walking away, deeper into the forest. Jake stares at his back.
Caroline places a hand on his shoulder, but he doesn't respond.
'Jacob,' says Gajeel after a while, 'I think it's better you go to the other side.'
'After that?!' I say. Sasha turns her face towards me so suddenly I immediately realize it is not my place to speak, but I do so anyway. 'He needs to stay more than ever right now! Figure out how this works, making sure-'
'Sam,' says Caroline, 'that's enough. The other side might be more useful.'
I don't know why, but as soon as I look her in the eyes, I get angry. 'You shouldn't say anything at all. How can you be so calm, so hubby hubby with your new man, while Ibisan might be here? Have you even looked for him? Have you even thought about him at all?'
Her face breaks. Her stupid boyfriend steps between us, but it's Sasha who hits me in the face. I fall backwards, my cheek is burning.
'Shut up,' Sasha says, strangely soft.
Gajeel lets out a groan. 'You kids will be the death of me. Fine. Caroline and hubby, Rose and Martin, Tilly and Sasha, you guys go back. Jake.' He pauses. 'Are you sure there is a way?'
Jake looks away from the direction where Kai ran off to. He looks seven years older now, but he nods. 'Yes. I swear.'
Gajeel grunts. 'Alright then. I trust you. Get it done. Ary and the idiot twins, get to work. And big mouth; with me.' That's me.
The group splits. Sasha doesn't look at me. Rose runs back to town to say goodbye to Lily. Caroline whispers something encouragingly to Jake, who then walks off, not particularly determined. A portal is opened and one by one those who have no purpose here anymore leave.
Soon it's just me and Gajeel standing there, in a dream forest. There are no birds. The rays of sun between the trees are fake. The bright green of the grass hurts my eyes.
Gajeel stares at me again. 'You're a fucking idiot.'
Such a great, inspiring teacher. I shrug. My lip is kinda swollen from when Sasha punched me.
All of a sudden, Gajeel dashes forward, grabs the collar of my shirt and pushes me up against a tree. 'That cocky attitude won't get you far.'
'It got me here.' His teeth are sharp and I'm very aware of that, but I can't imagine him biting me.
Gajeel tightens his grip. 'Listen, punk. I'm trying my very best to fix the mess I've made. I can't have these annoying remarks and petty teenage boy tantrums you keep throwing around. Do you understand me?'
I try to avoid his eyes, but it's difficult when his face is almost literally in my face. So I stare at the studs.
'Why are you so angry, anyway?' he then asks. 'Parents didn't love you enough, is that it?'
I'm afraid to blink. Like I said; a very inspiring teacher.
He lets me go. 'They're not worthy being pissed over, kid.'
I say nothing. Gajeel just kind of stands there, then strokes some of the wrinkles he made in my shirt. 'Trust me. They're not.'
Someone clears their throat. We both glance to our right, in the direction of the village. Lily stands between the trees, her arms awkwardly wrapped around her waist. 'I didn't mean to interrupt, but...can I speak with you, professor?'
Gajeel nods. 'Sam, go find Ary and the twins.'
Name: Lily Solominta
Age: 14-17 (unsure since deceased)
Occupation: Mage?
I notice he has difficulty looking me straight in the eyes. One of his feet keeps tapping on the grass, while the rest of his body is calm as rock. Or steel, I guess.
When I came up here I had no plan and I still don't know what to say. Or maybe I do know where I want this conversation to go, but I don't know where to start.
Gajeel's foot stops tapping. 'There's no way I can ever make up for what has happened to you, Lily. Hell, I should be punished. Your parents have every right to hate me.'
My parents. I hadn't thought about them in a while. I can barely remember their faces, but I remember my father's laughter.
My parents are too good to be true. When I discovered my magic, they didn't shun me. They didn't think of me as a freak. They continued to love me, maybe even more. I can't imagine what it must've been like, hearing their daughter was dead. I'm still trying to understand it myself.
My father is the kind of man who doesn't blame anyone but himself. I can imagine him twisting what has happened to me so it looks like it was his fault. He would retrace the last years of my life back to the point where he agreed to send me to a school where I could learn about my magic.
I remember one morning on the weekends. This was before I went to MSM, I was around eight years old. Drove my bike down a hill after a bet with a few neighbourhood kids and scraped a tree. My elbow was bleeding. I left my bike and ran straight back home.
My father's eyes widened at the sight of blood, but he remained calm. From what I could tell, at least. He sat me down on a chair in the kitchen and searched a few cabinets for a bandage. My mother usually dealt with stuff like this, but she wasn't around just then.
'I'm sorry,' I said to my father, and I didn't know why. He looked at me.
'No, sweetie,' he said, 'I'm sorry.'
He finally found a first aid kit above the stove, put it on the table and searched with trembling fingers for something to disinfect the wound. I stared at him. 'Why? You weren't even there, it's not your fault.'
He grabbed a paper towel and pressed a bottle with brown liquid against it. 'Well, I'm your dad. It's always my fault.'
Since then, I caught him saying stuff like this several times per day. I asked my mother about it, who half rolled her eyes. 'That's just what he does. As long as he doesn't confess to a murder or something ridiculous like that, it's fine.'
I wonder what he said when he learned of my death. My mother is, in this regard, the more rational one. As a kid I would probably say she was cold and closed-off, but I understand her now. Perhaps, during my time inside the Curse, I have grown older. Maybe not in body, but in spirit. I've lived in my own house, I had to cook for myself, provide.
That all means nothing, of course, because this is all fake.
'Have you spoken to my parents?' I ask Gajeel. He shakes his head. 'But they do know?'
'Kuchiha sent a message.'
Right, the assistant.
'Well,' I say, 'I don't think that softened the blow. Is there any indication of their reaction? They don't have money for a lawsuit, I know that much, but any other attention drawn to the school, or you?'
'There is no murder case against me, if that's what you're asking.'
'You didn't kill me.'
'I might as well have.'
There's a pause. 'You're not to blame, and I don't think my parents will.'
He looks up. 'You can't know that.'
I find myself smiling. 'Trust me. The only one who has to pay is Kubo.'
There. That's where I wanted to go. That was all I had to say. It took a while, but we're here. And I hope Gajeel understands. I'm not angry to be dead. I don't feel dead.
Not being able to see my family. That's frustrating. Not being able to talk to them.
'Look,' says Gajeel, 'right now, Jacob is figuring out a way to get you and Layton into another Sleeping Curse. A better one. You won't be able to leave, but there might be a chance others can visit.'
I hadn't wondered if my heart is still beating inside this Curse, but it definitely jumped. My parents. I could see my parents.
Another, scarier thought creeps into my mind. What if they moved on? It's been four years.
Gajeel steps towards me and hesitantly places a hand on my shoulder. 'I truly am sorry for what happened to you. I will be till the day I die. We'll figure out a way, alright?'
I nod. I can't speak. My parents.
Name: Ibisan Almond
Age: 15-19 (unsure since deceased)
Occupation: Bear?
I wonder what they're saying. The girl tries her hardest to explain something, and Doki keeps screwing up. He stamps his feet around and his face is red.
I yawn. There are two boys in the bushes and I wonder what they're doing. One I've seen before, the other looks almost identical. Doki and the girl haven't noticed them yet and so far I'm not that concerned. Probably just intimidated by me.
Doki makes a sound. Something happened. He grabs a handful of my fur and points at a rock. I guess something moved. I lick his forehead, just to show I'm proud of him. Or something.
A third boy emerges from the trees. He crouches towards the other two. I haven't seen him before, I think. They whisper.
The girl moves her head slightly in their direction, but doesn't look. She's definitely up to something, I wouldn't know why she goes through so much trouble. If it's about me, attack me, let's get it over with. If not, do the other thing.
I just wanna sleep.
Doki makes a sound and comes running to me. He presses his nose in my belly and mumbles something. Then he steps away and takes the hand of the girl. I guess they're leaving. And it doesn't seem like Doki wants me to come with.
Fine.
The two boys who look identical sneak behind the bushes, following them. I wonder if I should follow, or maybe attack them. Is Doki in danger?
The third boy stays. I can see his eyes between the leafs. I look straight at him and I can sense he tenses up, but only for a second.
He stands up straight. His hands are folded in fists and he presses his lips down hard. He stares at me, narrows his eyes slightly. He relaxes his fists, his mouth opens slightly. As if he realizes something. He steps forward, away from the trees.
He starts making sounds, saying things. I just sit and wait. Doki talks about things all the time, I never know what he says.
Then there's one sound.
My ears move up. The boy notices. He repeats the sound. There are only a few paces between us. He takes a step closer and repeats the sound again. I stare at him.
He keeps saying the same thing over and over again.
'Ibisan. Ibisan. Ibisan.'
I know that sound.
And just like that, my ears pop. As if my head had been under water this entire time and I've just surfaced. I recognize each sound. Words.
'Ibisan. That's your name.'
I make a sound. The boy steps back, holding out his hands as to shield himself, but I don't do anything. I just growl. It's all I know. My mouth isn't formed to produce words. Just chew fish and occasionally roar.
'Do you understand?' the boy says. I make a softer sound, a grunt. The boy points at himself. 'Do you know who I am?'
Making sounds only scares him. I try remembering what people do. I shake my head.
'I'm Samdy,' he says, 'we used to be friends. I mean, we still are. Right?'
The name doesn't tell me much. But I do remember having a friend, besides Doki. Long ago, in a different body.
There was a girl as well. Blonde, pretty. Strange eyes. Her voice was inside my head a lot.
My back suddenly aches. I arch forward, letting out a groan. Samdy steps back to avoid getting scratched by my nails while my paws swing around. A pain shudders through my body. I get very cold suddenly.
My teeth hurt. My paws cramp up. My ears are pulled down, as if there are stones hanging from the lobes. My face feels like it's being pushed inside my snout.
I lay in the grass and there's ringing inside my head. I shiver. Unlike before I feel naked. As if it's not usual to have this much exposed skin. My fur is gone.
'Yo.' Samdy's face hangs above me. He pulls his shoulders out of the jacket he's wearing and lays it over me. 'You OK?'
I cling to the fabric as if it's a life source. The sunlight warms my bare skin, but my teeth are still clattering as if it's snowing. 'Y-y-yes.'
Samdy sits down next to me, his elbows leaning on his knees. 'Holy shit, dude. If I knew you were like this I would've brought honey.'
I open my mouth wide and close it, trying to get used to this smaller jaw. The joke only hits me later. And I laugh. It's a weird sound.
Samdy puts an arm around my shoulders and pulls me against him. 'I missed you, man.'
Words are still strange to me and when I try to speak I sound like a drunk hobo. It takes a minute before I get a grip on them. 'What the hell happened?'
As I ask that question, bits and pieces of my previous life seep in. School, Caroline, learning magic from a dragon slayer, Kai's demon, the trip to Lux, the battle at our school, the tiny old man in the night, an explosion.
Samdy has trouble finding what he wants to say. I open my mouth before he does. 'Wait. Only tell me what happened after.'
That seems even more difficult. 'Well….we're in a Sleeping Curse.'
Fake fighting, Ravin, dreaming, Kuchiha. 'Right. I don't understand but I do.'
Samdy grins. 'That kid that hangs around you...that's Kubo.'
'No way.'
'Yup.'
This must be some weird way to torture me. I don't understand why me, I never did anything. All I wanted was to sit around and have fun, occasionally destroy school property. The usual.
'So,' I ask, 'who else is here?'
'You mean, is Caroline here? Not anymore.' He sighs. 'And dude: she's married.'
'Oh.' It then dawns on me that Sam looks older. Time has passed on normally while I was here, in an endless cycle listening to nonsense of some kid that apparently is the evil headmaster of my school.
Samdy bumps his fists against my shoulder. 'Sorry, dude. But I guess there will be plenty of... nice dream girls.'
'So I'm actually dead, huh?'
He stands up. 'Let's get you some clothes.'
Name: Layton Warlock
Age: 15-19 (unsure since deceased)
Occupation: Lumberjack?
The bell above the door rings when I enter the shop.
'I'll be there in a sec!' sounds the voice of my father from the back. I close the door behind me and turn the 'Closed' sign around to the outside.
'It's just me,' I shout back. I breathe in deeply. There's no smell of wood, and if there ever was, I imagined it.
With the palm of my hand I touch the side of an unworked tree trunk, on display in the window. I don't actually feel it. There should be splinters sticking in my palm, but there's nothing.
My dad appears behind the counter, rubbing his hands in a cloth. 'Where's the wood?'
Right. I went out to chop. I forgot after I learned none of this was real.
I look at my dad. My fake dream dad. He looks nothing like my actual dad, but to an outsider he looks believable. I wonder how Kubo did that. Or maybe it's my imagination. An image of what I wanted my father to be.
Teaching me how to fish in a lake so blue it hurts your eyes. Cheering me on during school sports games, bumping his elbows at other parents and pointing, there, that's my boy.
He's part of a despicable town, that excluded Lily as if she was a monster, but he's still my dad. Even if it's fake. The pretended childhood I remember having here is real to me. I would trade it for the one I had in reality, any second.
'Son, you alright?' my father asks, walking around the counter.
I guess I'm crying.
'No,' I say, and my voice sounds choked, 'but it's fine.'
He's slightly smaller than me, but when he grabs my arms he feels bigger. 'Don't cry over some girl, Laurence. It's for your own good.'
I smile. If only it were that simple.
