Thump.
The sound of his own body hitting the ground was the first one Gugu heard. The first one after who knows how long. Centuries, millennia? Who could tell? The scent of fresh produce was the first one Gugu smelled. It was a familiar smell, reminding him of happier times. The bright blue sky, save for a thin white cloud passing by, was the first sight Gugu saw. But not for long.
Pushing his palms firmly against the soil beneath him, he propped himself up into a sitting position and took a look around. Beets in neat rows, a large field. Gugu took one of the beets, felt its rough exterior against his fingertips for the first time in… many years. He held the vegetable to his mask, opened the mouth to look at it more closely. It was nothing special, just an ordinary vegetable. And yet… what was this sting he felt in his chest? Like a splinter which you don't notice until it's already stuck deep in your skin. In the past, many things could trigger this kind of feeling in him, although he would never have admitted it. It was almost comical how something as mundane as a piece of food could make him feel this way after so long. Maybe it wasn't just that, though. Gugu gripped the vegetable more tightly as a thought emerged out of the fog still occupying his mind. Where exactly was he?
He looked around again. What else was there? Beets on sundried soil, little clumps of dirt, more fields to his left and right. Some trees in the distance. A few buildings, maybe a village? Gugu sighed, wondering why Fushi had chosen to revive him here of all places. Hadn't he just been in Renril? Or what remained of it anyways? Where was everyone else? He got up on his feet, although he felt a bit unsteady. There were so many sensations: the soil crunching softly underneath his feet as he tried to keep his balance, tiny rocks pricking at his soles, a gust of wind brushing over his skin. This wasn't the first time Gugu had been revived, yet he felt overwhelmed. It had been so long since then. Since the battle of Renril and his days fighting alongside Cam and his comrades. Another prick, stronger this time. They had a good life, he assured himself and pushed the thought aside. To keep his mind from wandering, Gugu decided to start walking. He didn't have a goal, but he didn't need one, either. He would reach the edge of the field, the edge of a village soon enough. He could figure out what he wanted to do then.
"Gunter! Get the boxes and put 'em in the trunk, will ya?" "Yeah, on it!"
Two voices echoed over the field. Or more specifically, they echoed over from a hill next to the field. Instinctively, Gugu turned his head to where the voices came from. Perched atop the hill, a tall building dominated the landscape like a watchful giant. Gugu felt a bit surprised to not have noticed it earlier. A building as tall as this one, a building like…
The fog in his mind clouded his eyes for just a moment as a memory came forward. The splinters were starting to get annoying at this point. As the fog cleared up, he could properly take in the tower's exterior. Not much had changed except for the addition of V-shaped metal beam structures on each side of the building, even the glass windows and their original frame seemed to be intact. Even after all this time, even after everything that happened… Gugu was glad that apparently, the Knockers didn't target this area much once Fushi had left. That's good, he thought, that means that… Thinking back to her wasn't as pleasant as he wished it was, but that didn't matter right now.
As he approached the tower, his tower, he spotted a young man walking by, carrying a box filled with bottles. It was nice to see that someone kept the shop alive, and that business seemed to be going well enough. All these details lifted the veil of the fog, bit by bit, memory by memory. The pain in his chest didn't let up, though. He stood in silence for a moment, reminiscing. However, his silence didn't make him invisible. The young man turned his head to look at him, a curious expression on his face. Shin. No, that was impossible. Nevertheless, Gugu clenched his hands into fists as if gathering courage, and approached him.
"Hello." "Oh, hi there. Can I help you?"