All the ways you come back to me

Myosotis (Forget me not)

PART III - D'jok

Really, how did Aarch manage to endure them for so long without exploding?

D'jok walks out of the training room and goes toward his office, massaging his eyes to try to get rid of the headache he feels coming on. Behind him he can still hear Rocket's voice giving instructions, followed by sighs and complaints of all kinds from the players. D'jok can't help but roll his eyes.

Reaching his office at the end of the hall, D'jok sits in front of the PC, grabbing his half-full cup of coffee which has been lying there since yesterday. Refreshing his emails, he drinks the liquid in one go, hoping it will give him a boost. No email from the league appears in his box, reviving his headache which was just starting to settle down.

Now that he's in his place, he often thinks about his former coach and regrets giving him such a hard time back then.

One of his strikers thought it would be funny to sabotage their last training session by stealing all the balls from his mates. His goalie refuses to talk to the defenders. The other striker is having a difficult breakup. One of the defenders has a scandal on his back. And he finds himself in the middle of it all, waiting for the league to reach him again to confirm his right midfield won't be banned because of his foul in the last friendly game... Really, the time when he was running himself on the field seems so simple in comparison.

Fortunately for him, he did not start this new adventure alone. Rocket shares the coaching responsibility with him, making sure to pass on all his techniques to the youngsters. Thran followed immediately too, taking over Clamp's job with great skill: their equipment surpasses by far the ones of all the other teams, and no technical problem has ever remained unsolved for long. Tia takes care of all their communication, their interviews, their image and the curious paparazzi too. Dame Simbai has gone to spend a quiet and well-deserved retirement on the Wambas planet, leaving behind her apprentice Haileen, who is more than her equal despite her shyness. Ahito preferred to move to a simpler life outside football, but he does come visit them at the academy almost every day, and even if he has no official title here he quickly took the role of the too nice uncle, pampering a little too much the young players. Mark lives with Nina in the city, and visits them from time to time.

Of course they all go back in the holotrainer sometimes to teach a move or a feint, but they all hung up their jerseys a while ago. His coach's office is a great reminder of this: jerseys, photos, cups and medals hang on the walls, reminding him of the time when everything seemed so simple. At least until some of them disappeared.

Mei and Micro-Ice disappeared in an instant, taking with them the eight children of the Galactik Club, leaving behind them thousands of questions. They searched for a long time, hoping to find a sign somewhere, an answer, anything. But unfortunately, at that time, they never found anything. So when everyone was sure the SKs would fall apart, too weakened by loss and grief, they decided to stick together and continue to pay tribute to them. The sadness had turned into a rage to win and no one had been able to stop them. The two Cups they won afterward were dedicated to them, one for Micro-Ice, and one for Mei. The two most beautiful cups of their lives. They fought so hard, so fiercely, that in addition to setting a historical record they had become legends, symbols, those who never gave up. So when their age finally prompted them to stop their careers, eight years after losing their friends, they decided to take over the Faculty together. To take the Snow Kids emblem as far as possible. To keep the memory of them alive a little bit too, other than by those trophies and pictures hanging on the walls.

Except, obviously, playing on a team and managing one are two completely different things. At first, they tried to teach young people to use Akillian's Breath, only to realize they wouldn't win this battle. It appeared that no one born after the Great Ice Age could retrieve the Breath as they did. So they opted for another method. The team kept the name "Snow Kids", and continues to represent Akillian, but is now made up of players from all over the galaxy. Kids with different physiques and abilities, but most importantly, with different fluxes. Convincing the league was not an easy task and managing such a heterogeneous team was even worse, but with them, the SK's legend could continue.

That is, if Rocket and him could manage to channel their chaotic team toward something productive.

We have to be honest, so far the adventure has not been a success. The first Cup they played together was a real disaster, their elimination during the qualifications against the Cyclops being a good enough proof. The second one was much better, taking the new Snow Kids to the semi-finals, only to be beaten by the Xenons. And even then, Sinedd was still by their side, helping Rocket and D'jok manage the players. He was the only one the players did not dare to complain to nor disobey. Whether it was his former Shadow reputation or his stern look that made him intimidating, this ability had come in very handy in imposing discipline. No doubt Artegor would have been very proud.

And then, as suddenly as she had disappeared, Mei resurfaced. In one piece. Alive. Sixteen years after her disappearance.

Her father put the Black Manta on the academy roof without warning him first, something that didn't happen anymore now that the Pirates were no longer officially wanted. D'jok had almost lectured his father when joining him, reminding him that the paparazzi are no longer interested in Sonny Blackbones visiting the Snow Kids, and also that he was past the age of playing secret spy games. But when he spotted Mei asleep on the gurney slowly exiting the ship, it was as if time had gone back years in a split second.

Of course, Mei was far from alright. She refused to tell them what she had been through, or any details, but in her eyes it was easy to read that no moment had been pleasant. If losing her had been terrible, finding her was heartbreaking. Mei found it hard to accept so much time had passed, but grief and remorse were eating her as well. If only she had managed to keep Micro-Ice close to her, everything would have been easier, taking a weight off the burden she was already carrying…

Shaking his head, D'jok forces himself to stop the thoughts that are running around in his head. Sinedd decided to quit coaching and move to the edge of town to a quiet spot, taking Mei with him. Their respective parents are not far away and his former teammate has all the peace and support she deserves to move on. Hopefully she will manage to find her peace again. Micro-Ice's search sadly stayed unfruitful. D'jok is well aware his father worked on it for months on end, but now, two years after finding Mei, hope has become too slim to hold on to it anymore. Turning the page is never easy.

D'jok gets up from his desk, grabs his jacket and heads out for the field, hoping that watching his players slaughter football would distract him enough to get him out of his meandering thoughts. Watching them practice will probably make him want to scream in frustration, but this time he'll deal with it. In any case, the situation of the young Snow Kids is not promising: with one year to go before the next Cup, minus a coach, players who hardly listen to him, one of whom will probably be banned from playing, the hope of reaching the final is slim. And winning the Cup, he'd rather not think about it. If only the league could decide to give him a sign for their fate to be sealed once and for all.

In his pocket, D'jok feels his phone vibrate.

Rushing to take the device out of his jacket pocket, thanking the football gods for hearing him, he stops dead in his tracks when he sees "Maya" written on the bright screen. Hesitating for a a second, he turns off the ringtone and puts the device back in his pocket. Not that he ignores his mother voluntarily, he would never dare, but he doesn't have the force to hear her speak to him about her flowers right now, nor of the last visions she had. She'll leave a voicemail if she really has an emergency, and in the worst case, he'll see her this weekend for lunch. Right now, he has more urgent things to deal with and his mother knows how much work the academy represents, she won't hold it against him. Probably.

Passing through the last door leading outside, D'jok passes under an ice arch, the practice field coming into his field of view. The goalkeeper is in the middle of an exercise with the defenders, while the midfield players are practicing passes with the strikers. D'jok frowns even more when he notices that his arrival does not discourage the youngsters to shoot balls to their teammates' faces nor to shout at each other. On the edge of the field, Rocket waves to him from the bench he is sitting on.

D'jok joins him quickly and his friend can't help but smirk when he sees his dejected expression.

- Honestly D'jok, you should be used to it by now.

- No really it's unbelievable, they spent two Cups together already and they're still not able to play together nor to listen to us.

Rocket looks doubtful, sliding aside to make room for him on the bench.

- Honestly, I think we were worse.

It's the redhead's turn to let out a laugh, maybe it's a little true.

- We owe Aarch an apology then.

- Speak for yourself, I was an angel in comparison! He's coming over for dinner next week with Adium by the way, you can come by if you want. Tia won't mind having you with us.

D'jok nods with a smile, promising to think about it. His bad mood is almost gone until he sees one of the attackers tackle a defender, despite the fact that they are assigned to different exercises. The two players immediately get up and start bickering even more. D'jok lets out yet another sigh and puts his head in his hand, instantly giving up the idea of going to separate them.

- Really, are we xoachs or babysitters?

- D'jok, you were exactly the same, recalls Rocket, laughing harder. I can think of at least twenty examples right now.

- Maybe, but at least we won our games! And I wasn't that bad, stop exaggerating.

They were worse than them. Definitely. But grumbling never hurt anyone.

In his jacket pocket his phone starts vibrating again, cutting off the exchange between the two coaches, and D'jok pulls out the device with haste.

The incoming call screen displays "Maya".

- The league is finally calling back?

D'jok frowns, wondering why his mother is trying to call him again, but puts his phone away without picking up.

- No, my mother. This is the second time she's called me today.

- Maybe you should answer, then? I know you two are a little distant now but-

- I'll call her back later, D'jok cuts in. I'm not in the mood to argue with her right now. And I have to keep up with the training, we'll never get better if we don't focus for a bit.

Rocket doesn't answer and they just watch the training from afar. Some of the players end up taking their exercise a little more seriously, so the two coaches can start brainstorming new workouts for everyone. By themselves, none of the players they recruited were bad, far from it, but running a team of such different people poses monumental challenges. Each came from different planets, the only commonality they share is football. Other than that, whether it's their physical appearances, their abilities, their characters, their fluxes, everything pits them against each other, making collaborations even more than laborious.

If one day they manage to create a collective spirit between them, they will be the new kings of the galaxy, D'jok is absolutely convinced. But for the moment, the goalkeeper throws balls in the stands angrily and one of the defenders takes a nap in the middle of the field. They still have some work to do.

- D'jok!

From the door of the academy, they see Thran trotting in, one arm raised to get their attention. He joins them a few seconds later, and D'jok can't help but consider the worst when he sees the technician's tense face.

- What's going on? Please, no more bad news Thran...

- No, no, it's... well, I don't know actually. I just ran into Tia, she's been looking for you for a good ten minutes already.

- What for? What's going on? Don't tell me we're still having problems with journalists...

- No, she told me she saw Maya with Haileen in the west wing, did you know?

- Wha... in our infirmary?

- Yeah, is everything ok?

What is his mother doing in the faculty infirmary? It's possible she dropped off some medicinal flowers, sure, but coupled with the two calls he ignored, D'jok can't help but think of the worst scenarios.

- I'll go take a look, thanks Thran. Finish watching the training without me, we'll discuss about it later.

He pats Rocket on the back as he gets up from the bench and walks quickly in the direction Thran came from. D'jok refuses to panic over this, but now he feels like a fool for ignoring his mother's calls. She could have hurt herself while gardening, or fallen on a patch of ice. The woman who raised him is no longer young, and when he thinks about it, D'jok definitely feels like an idiot.

Trotting in the corridors and climbing the stairs four by four, he arrives quickly in the medicalized area of the big building without crossing Tia. He will have to thank her later. He passes in front of the massage rooms and the relaxation zones , zigzagging between the plants of all kind which invade the space. No sign of his mother for the moment, nor of Haileen for that matter, which is surprising considering the time that the young doctor spends to pamper her precious plants.

At the end of the hall he finally sees the door to the infirmary, which has been left ajar.

Picking up the pace, D'jok quickly reaches the doorstep, finally catching sight of his mother's profile in the doorway. The woman stands with her arms crossed and a smile on her face, so focused on what's going on in the room that she doesn't see him coming. D'jok pushes the door open further so he can enter, placing a hand on his mother's arm to get her attention.

- Maya?

The woman jumps, grabbing the hand he just put on her arm with a quick movement and looks at him with round eyes, clearly surprised. She seems to be fine and D'jok can't help but feel an immense relief come over him, even though he just scared her.

A crash resounds at the back of the room, making D'jok tense up.

- No no no no, everything is fine!

Haileen, leaning over a bed, is visibly trying to calm someone with a slightly shaky voice. The person must have fallen behind the medical bed, surprised by his arrival in the room, and does not seem to want to get back on the mattress. D'jok is not sure what is happening. Did his mother take someone to the infirmary? Not one of his players anyway, he saw them all at practice this morning. He hasn't seen Ahito for a few days, maybe he got hurt? Or Mark maybe?

- What is going o-

- I promise it's okay, look, he's nice too... He scared you but he's sorry, I promise!

The person gently passes the top of their head over the mattress, as if to gauge if Haileen is telling the truth. The man seems to be in the same age bracket as him, his ruffled dark hair is gray in some places, hiding a little his white skin and his blue eyes. His stern gaze studies him with distrust.

D'jok feels Maya forcefully grab his arm with both hands, urging him not to move.

Eighteen years isn't enough to prevent him from recognizing the eyes that are studying him carefully, and D'jok feels dizzy. Micro-Ice survived the crash of his capsule. Micro-Ice has found his way back to them. Micro-Ice is there, in front of him.

So despite his mother holding him tightly, and Haileen's trembling voice spouting reassuring words, he can't help but take a step forward. Which turns out to be a big mistake.

The moment he advances his foot towards the bed, he sees his friend jump forward, abruptly getting out of his hiding place. He passes Haileen in an instant and takes advantage of his inertia to pass under his arm, rushing in the door remained ajar in his back. The time seems to stop, freezing the three others for long seconds. D'jok realizes that Micro-Ice is running down the hallway, probably trying to find a way to escape, so he turns around and runs after him.

- WAIT!

D'jok hears Maya and Haileen shouting at his back, but decides he doesn't have time to wait for them. Ahead of him Micro-Ice is rushing down the stairs he used to get there, so he speeds up again. He follows the dark-haired man all the way down, until he reaches the first floor where Micro-Ice goes through the double doors about ten seconds before he gets there, rushing back into a corridor. Micro-Ice runs like crazy, and none of his "Hey!" or "Wait!" are answered. But it's the fact that his friend is going from door to door without any logic that confuses him the most. The building didn't change since the time they were there together, and Micro-Ice should know which way to go to get out quickly. Instead, they've been going in circles for several minutes now, moving from hallway to hallway at a frantic pace, and D'jok can't catch up. Panic is obviously making Micro-Ice run much faster than he seems to be able to handle, and D'jok feels the weight of years preventing him from accelerating as much as he once could, his knee pinching him more and more.

D'jok starts to despair of catching up with him before he stumbles upon an exit of the building when, while opening a door on the fly, Micro-Ice collides with Rocket. The coach, focused on his phone, didn't see the other one coming and both of them end up on the ground in an instant, knocked over by the impact. Continuing to run towards them as fast as he can, D'jok simultaneously sees Micro-Ice get up with haste to resume his race and Rocket remain sitting on the ground, looking at both of them, visibly stunned.

- ROCKET! STOP HIM!

It doesn't take much for his former captain to pull himself together, leaping up to grab one of Micro-Ice's legs, throwing them both to the ground with force. D'jok takes only a few seconds to reach them, but the younger one is already struggling ferociously to force Rocket to let go. The coach holds on, trying to catch the second leg which is assaulting him with merciless kicks, then D'jok dives in, trying to immobilize the arms of his friend. The scene lasts very long seconds, and Micro-Ice does not cease at any moment to struggle against them, not answering any of his calls to calm down. Soon it is Haileen's voice which resounds in the corridors, calling to know where they are, and when she joins them guided by the cries she immediately jumps on Micro-Ice to prick him with a syringe, administering him a tranquilizer. Micro-Ice continues to struggle for a few seconds before his trembling limbs finally slow down, and D'jok sees the panic in his eyes dissipate until his eyes close, swept away by sleep.

A silence takes place, interspersed by gasps of air.

- What the hell is going on? Rocket mutters, looking at Haileen and D'jok with incomprehension. Is it Mice? Is it really him?

Having no answer to give him, D'jok turns to Haileen. The young woman presses her fingers into the unconscious man's neck, surely to check his condition, and shakes her head.

- I was reassuring him to take some blood, it was really not the right time to scare him Mr. D'jok, really, really not!

- But I don't understand, how did he get there? What's going on?

- Your mother arrived with him about twenty minutes ago, she told me she found him in her garden...

- What... In her garden?

Haileen shrugs to say she doesn't know the answer.

- She's been trying to reach you, I think.

D'jok shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. He definitely feels like an idiot.

- But if it's him, Rocket continues, what scared him this much? He clearly didn't want to be caught.

- Madame Maya said he didn't remember her, maybe he didn't recognize you either?

There is silence in the room again and Rocket nods.

- We have changed a lot since then... Mei recognized us right away, but maybe he's having more trouble?

D'jok shakes his head.

- I'm not sure that's it... Maya must have given him her name, even without recognizing her face he should have remembered her... He didn't remember the academy either, we just ran around in circles when he could have gone through the first exit he came to. I think that's more than not recognizing us.

- I'm going to take advantage of his sleeping state to run some tests. Validate his identity first, and a more complete scan, to clear everything up. Haileen seems to be thinking out loud, her eyes methodically scanning the sleeping man in front of her. And when he wakes up, he should be calmer, it will be easier to talk.

Rocket and D'jok exchanged a look.

- I think we'll have to call Sinedd.

Haileen took advantage of Micro-Ice's deep sleep to take him back to the infirmary and run some tests to make sure of his identity as well as his more general condition.

In the meantime, Rocket and D'jok managed to warn all the former Snow Kids who rushed to wait with them outside the doors of the infirmary, between excitement and amazement.

D'jok took the time to call Sinedd too, who kindly told him to get lost: "Call me back when you're sure it's him, and what state his head is in. Mei is just starting to get her head above water, so I'm not going to put her in a stressful situation again without preparing her first. Give me a full briefing when you can, and I'll explain it to her gently."

Of course D'jok understands, but at the same time, he is so eager for her. When she came back, Mei was so sure she had made a bad choice and caused the death of their friend. Maybe finding out that she did save him would bring back the smile she lost. At least he hopes so.

On their side, the wait is long. Thran and Ahito sat on the floor against the wall, talking absentmindedly as they glance at the closed door. Tia and Rocket settled into the chairs in one of the relaxation areas, Tia helping her husband apply an ice pack to his shoulder where a kick hit. D'jok, too, emerged from the interaction with a scratch on his forehead where a fist managed to hit him. In the hallway Mark paces back and forth, eyes unfocused, while Nina absentmindedly looks at her phone to pass the time. At the end of the corridor, D'jok sees Maya studying with concentration one of Haileen's many plants. Shaking himself inwardly, the redhead decides to go see her. He owes her an apology.

Seeing him arrive, the old woman takes his hand smiling, and drags him away to make sure that nobody hears their discussion. Once they arrived in a room apart, they sat down on one of the soft sofas used for decoration.

- I'm really sorry I didn't pick up, I saw your calls but I-

- Don't worry about it, you were busy, I understand.

- No, actually... I could have... I should have answered, or called you back, I'm so sorry.

Maya smiled gently at him and put her arms around his shoulders, as she used to do to reassure him when he was younger. The size difference makes the gesture a bit awkward, but the feeling is the same, and D'jok needed it badly.

- I hope it's him. D'jok whispers after long seconds of embracing. If it's not him, I don't know if I'll ever be able to recover…

- Don't be silly D'jok, of course it's him! Maya lets go of him, looking him in the eyes. You saw him as well as I did!

- It's not that simple, the whole galaxy knows we're still looking for him. He could be a clone, or a robot, or someone trying to blackmail us, or a-

- It has to be him, I'm sure.

Maya's face shows no trace of doubt, and D'jok feels his jaw tighten.

- You know as well as I do that your visions and rituals don't always come true, it's not necessarily-

- The forget-me-nots guided him to us, as it did for Mei before him. D'jok, it has to be him!

- Maya...

- Just because you don't believe it doesn't mean it's not true, you should know better by now.

Maya grimaces, still disappointed he doesn't share her beliefs and D'jok lets out a sigh, rubbing his eyes. He really doesn't want to deal with this right now.

When Mei, Micro-Ice and the children disappeared, they spent many, many months searching in vain. So Maya had finally offered to send a request to the Akillian spirits with whom she had apprenticed as a medium in her youth. D'jok had seen his mother perform many rituals in his lifetime, either to protect them from misfortune or at the request of a client, but he had never seen any results. But they had been searching for months, and they had no leads. No one found anything wrong with the proposal, convinced that they were not risking much even if it failed.

So Maya offered flowers to a spirit, forget-me-nots symbolizing the unbreakable bonds, asking it to guide the departed on their return journey.

And then, as usual, nothing.

Not that D'jok would have held Maya responsible for a lack of results, especially concerning this pseudo magic he had been around all his life without ever seeing it act. But when his mother suddenly assured him that her request had been heard, and that his friends would be home soon, it hit a nerve. False hope is painful to hear, and seeing her mother lose herself in her certainty was even worse. The subject caused many arguments between them, so much so that D'jok eventually decided to cut ties after a few years. And then, after a while, he decided that if this tragedy was going to cost him two of his dearest friends, it was not going to cost him his mother as well. The reconnection had been laborious, but D'jok makes the effort to help Maya plant her little purple flowers in her garden, and she makes the effort not to try to convince him again and again. Everyone turns a blind eye to the disagreements, gritting their teeth as they swallow their frustration, but they manage. Mei's return nearly set the world on fire again, her rescue shuttle landing on a planet growing flowers and perfumes for the entire galaxy, but they had managed to get past it.

However, right now, D'jok really doesn't have the patience to hear the story again.

Maya must be feeling the pressure because she suggests he goes back to the others, cutting their discussion short. They haven't been able to come to an agreement in almost twenty years, it's not going to happen now.

Outside the door of the infirmary the situation has not changed much. Tia and Rocket are talking in low voices, still sitting in the recliners. Mark has stopped walking back and forth in the hallway and is staring at a point on the wall, arms crossed. Ahito is now sleeping against his brother's shoulder, and Thran gives D'jok a questioning look when he arrives, trying to make sure he's okay. The redhead responds with a nod and sits on the floor next to him, grunting a little when the gesture makes his knee bend. Further away Maya has returned to checking Haileen's plants, and carefully avoids looking in his direction.

The afternoon passes slowly, and it is only a few hours later that the young doctor comes out of the infirmary to give them her verdict. All the former Snow Kids have risen to their feet, surrounding Haileen, tension palpable in the air.

It's him. The blood and DNA tests leave absolutely no place to doubt anymore.

The announcement passes through the small group like a tornado, a hesitant euphoria slowly taking over, chasing away the doubts and sorrow that had been building up for so long. They exchange smiles, eyes watering, struggling to believe it. Mei will be so happy…

- And how is he? Ahito finally asks in an emotional voice, D'jok and Rocket said he didn't recognize them? Was it a temporary panic or more?

In front of the group, Haileen takes a deep breath, obviously trying to figure out how to formulate her answer.

- That took the longest, he was much more willing to talk when he woke up. I... We talked for a while, and I asked him quite a few questions to get started on his psychological examination. I would need a lot more time to say anything, really it's too early to draw any conclusions-

- Haileen. Rocket pressed in a firm voice, cutting off the young woman in her justifications. We get that you didn't put him through a full set of tests in three hours, but do you have a first diagnosis?

- Well... Physically he's doing pretty well, I only saw some old wounds that have already healed, his hands are quite damaged and he needs a new diet to put weight back on and give him strength, but nothing alarming at this stage. As for his head, my first observations tend towards dissociative amnesia...

- Dissociative ?

- He doesn't remember anything before his escape pod crashed. I'm so sorry...

The news hits like a cold shower, reducing the joy of finding their friend to a throbbing torpor. Even though they knew something was wrong when Micro-Ice didn't recognize either Maya or her former best friend, they had really hoped it was just shock.

- Is there anything we can do about it? Tia asks in a voice full of apprehension. I mean, does it heal? Even partially?

- Well… If my diagnosis is correct, this type of amnesia is caused by a physical or mental shock. Mei said he was injured and unconscious when she put him in his escape shuttle, and he must have been alone on an unknown planet when he woke up. The amnesia may have been caused by one of the two. Forgetting what he had been through so far was a good way for his brain to push him forward, but now that he's here... With an environment where he feels safe, appropriate stimuli, and a supportive environment, I would say anything is possible, yes.

D'jok feels himself nodding, clinging to that assumption. If there's a way to get him to regain the lost memories, they'll get there, together. And he already knows the same certainty thought has formed in all his former teammates' heads. Nothing has ever stood in the way of their teamwork, it wouldn't happen now.

- Can we go see him? Thran asks, rising his chin to try to catch a glimpse of something behind the doctor despite the closed door.

Haileen smiles sweetly, but threatens them by pointing her index finger.

- I explained to him where he is, so he shouldn't be as scared as he was this morning, but I warn you! No more than two at a time! And if he tells you to get out, you get out!

She has barely finished her sentence when Thran and D'jok have already passed her, closing the door of the infirmary behind them, cutting off the cries of indignation from their teammates.

On the bed at the back of the room Micro-Ice sits cross-legged over his blanket, still looking groggy from the anesthetic. When he sees them enter the room he suddenly tucks his head between his shoulders and looks at them hesitantly. The panic is clearly no longer as prominent, but D'jok distinctly discerns the doubt in his posture. He's already scared him once, so he's got to find a way to approach as smoothl-

- Hi! I'm Thran!

The technician walks up to the bed without hesitation, a big smile on his face as he holds out his hand for Micro-Ice to shake. D'jok, still motionless in front of the closed door, prepares to turn around, convinced Micro-Ice would not accept the gesture or the proximity. And yet, after staring at the former defender for long seconds, Micro-Ice finally relaxes a little, slowly extending his hand to shake the one held out to him.

- Hi…

Thran must see this as a good sign, because he sits down on the bed next to him before he even releases his hold, quickly explaining who he is and how they know each other. For his part, D'jok barely dares to breathe.

And then Micro-Ice turns his head towards him, with a questioning look, surely expecting him to introduce himself. The redhead clears his throat, forcing himself to move forward a little to give himself some composure.

- I'm... I'm D'jok. Sorry if I scared you this morning, I didn't think you... I didn't mean to.

His old friend stares at him for a while without answering, looking him up and down, then shrugs, looking embarrassed.

- I'm sorry I ran away too... I shouldn't have…

D'jok can't help but smile, the realization that Micro-Ice is actually in front of him, talking to him, is starting to sink into his brain.

- Why did he scare you anyway? asks Thran, still sitting next to him. We all agree D'jok doesn't have the most friendly face in the galaxy, but running away is a first, I think you offended him.

The redheaded pouts, directing an irritated look at his colleague.

- My friend told me I was worth some money, and that I should be careful who I came across...

- Did Maya tell you that?

Micro-Ice frowns, obviously unable to see who Maya is.

- The woman who brought you here, his mother. Thran clarifies, pointing to D'jok to support his point.

- Oh... No, Soria told me.

- Soria?

- We ran away from Asteriat together, she brought me back to Akillian. She wanted to sell me too, that's why she told me to be careful with the people I was going to meet.

A silence passes, and Thran and D'jok exchange a worried look.

- But she changed her mind, Mice quickly clarifies. She wanted to do it because she needed the money, but we became friends, so she just let me go...

- Okay, okay. D'jok tries to reassure him. It's good advice, she was right to give it to you.

Micro-Ice nods, obviously relieved they don't hold a grudge against his friend. D'jok sees Thran pull out his phone discreetly, already typing the name into his phone to try to find a match on the woman or the place he mentioned, so he takes charge of continuing the discussion.

- How did you know you were from Akillian? Did you remember?

- No, but since I have the Breath, Soria told me that I may have lived around here. I didn't recognize anything in the city and got lost quickly, but I really like the snow.

- How did Maya find you then? Did you run into her by chance?

- No, I just... I was looking for somewhere quiet, I'm not used to seeing so many people...

- So you went to her garden, continues D'jok, suddenly remembering what Haileen had told him earlier.

Mice rubs his eyes, and answers absentmindedly.

- Her flowers are pretty, I've seen them before I think...

- Forget-me-nots?

Micro-Ice nods, looking down at his fingers, tired from the exchange, and Thran gives D'jok a meaningful look.

D'jok and Thran don't stay in the room much longer after that, leaving the place for their teammates. And while the technician is still searching for information on his phone, D'jok feels his headache coming back to pound into his skull. At the end of the corridor, Maya throws him a questioning glance.

Really, what an idiot.

Rocket approaches to inform them he warned Sinedd of the last news and that the old Shadow thought of coming by tomorrow if Mei took the announcement well. Tia has the delicacy to ask him if the exchange had gone well.

- He's… lost. But nothing like this morning. We were able to talk without any problem.

- I'm looking for the place he said he was coming from, Thran chimes in beside him, and he mentioned a friend of his too, but I can't find anything yet.

- Are you looking on the public records? asks Tia.

- For now, yes, I'm going to go get my computer and see if I have more results on the Technoid's servers in the Pirate's folders. But what intrigues me is that he said they ran away together. I don't know what kind of place he ended up in but there might be other people there to help.

The afternoon ends slowly, and the evening slowly takes its place. Each of the former Snow Kids had time to introduce themselves to Micro-Ice, and despite their friend's amnesia, they're all happy to have him back. They all realize that this is just a new beginning, that the road to potential recovery may be long and eventful, but they are willing to do it together, as always.

Micro-Ice ends up being too tired to see other people, so they all sit in the hallway outside the door, talking with Haileen. Each of them lists the information Micro-Ice shared with them, and the doctor writes it all down, creating a folder they could all access later. Haileen also gives advice on how to approach him without rushing him, and especially what the next steps would be.

At the end of the hallway, the door to the stairs openq with a bang.

Mei bursts in, Sinedd on his heels, and for a moment D'jok feels like he's been transported back in time. Mei looks furious. Jaw clenched, shoulders tense, step quick and ponytail done in a hurry. If he had dealt with Mei in such a state when they were younger, D'jok would never have ventured to stand in her way and it was certainly the same for all the other former SKs. But here, letting her pass could have negative effects for the two former missing ones. Mei is still fragile, and who knows how she might react to finding out Micro-Ice wouldn't recognize her.

- Mei, wait...

- Since this MORNING?

The whole group takes a step back. Since she had returned, this was the first time Mei had shown so much enthusiasm for anything.

- Why am I only finding out about it tonight, huh?

- Mei-

- Let me through, I want to see him.

All of them remain silent, unsure of what to do, so Haileen takes over:

- It's not against you Mei, but you have to be aware that it's not the same man you've spent all these years with that you'll find inside...

- As if you knew anything about it. Mei's icy voice leaves no room for comment. Let me through. Now.

Behind her, Sinedd shakes his head in dismay, as if to say that he has already tried and nothing would change her mind. Mei takes advantage of the collective hesitation to force her way in and storms into the infirmary like D'jok did that morning: with haste and noise. If Micro-Ice gets scared, the situation could quickly become explosive.

At the back of the room Micro-Ice suddenly wakes up, startled by the opening of the door, jumps to a sitting position and turns his head towards the intruder in a flash. When she sees him, Mei stops at the entrance, as if frozen. A moment of hesitation passes between the two friends as they stare at each other without saying anything. Then they see Micro-Ice straighten up, and a smile slowly appears on his face.

D'jok feels his heart stop beating.

- You. I remember you.

Something in his voice changed suddenly, an emotional realization transpiring in every syllable.

Mei, with a smile on her face and her hands trembling with emotion, strode the few feet between them and fell into his arms, laughing.