Muv-Luv Reversal

by Zuoriel

Takeru has been leading a normal life until now. During the summer vacation of his second year in college he's invited by his high school friends to meet up again, to which he agrees. Shirogane doesn't know that this decision would release the nightmares that have been haunting him for some time, nightmares that would be better left forgotten.

75. Iceberg of the Soul (I)

A/N: To that one reader who asked about the meaning of 'adusted', I took the word from a Yugioh card. Adust means to be burnt, blackened, scorched. The meaning I'm trying to convey is that, despite being burnt badly by the events of the war, Keru's anger is so fierce because it was born from those fires.

That's all this time. Thanks for reading and commenting. Stay safe.

Zuoriel

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Chapter 75:

Iceberg of the Soul – Lights

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December 3rd? Time Unknown.

(In a location similar to the Hiiragi District. Near a small shrine.)

[Kasumi]

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"So, what did she do then?" I ask, minding my footing as we climb the stone steps in a hill, faint light pouring through the treetops.

Little Takeru-san puffs his cheeks, hugging both dragons to his chest, who bite and play with the leaves that sway in the air. "She got upset I showed her the pages, then punched my tummy so hard I went flying to the moon. Really, Sumika is so dumb sometimes," he nods to himself, the red kitty with a yellow tie softly nibbles one of his ears as it groans in complain.

"I believe you were the one at fault, you knew she disliked those pages of the book and you still showed them to her," I say, feeling my limiters move slightly as a hand raises to block a strong ray of sunlight from my eyes.

He pouts back at me, giving me a side glance. "But it was payback for not letting me read that before. And if she hadn't scribbled over those pages, we could have bought another new book to read," he nods to himself, the red kitty still lightly biting his ear, until the white rabbit atop his head stomps its feet, groaning a bit.

"Revenge isn't good, Takeru-san," looking into his eyes, I hold the light twist of his features, and how the dragons and the puppies seem to also stare at me in aggression.

"…Well, maybe it was a bit mean," he says, scratching the back of his head, both the pink and red kitties giving light taps to his hand. Takeru-san then pouts again, once more crossing his arms, causing the brown dragon to hiss in complain for a moment, its glasses almost falling. "But she didn't have to punch me into the moon."

"Takeru-san, don't exaggerate. Sumika-san wouldn't be able to hurt you that much," I say, flapping my limiters as the red kitty meows and rolls on his shoulder, playing with the tuna, who keeps on bouncing as if trying to hit the leaves that continue to gently rain down from the branches.

Yet, as if not minding any of the animals' ruckus, Takeru-san simply keeps on pouting. "I'm not exagge… I'm not lying! She really punched me into the sky!" Slowly raising a hand upwards, towards the sky… that had suddenly started to darken for some reason, his eyes blaze again as the black dragon remains attached to his arm without much care. "I could see the moon really well up there, you know. There was also this really slim machine that was flying, and there was a girl with a pink ribbon called Rina moving it and all."

"Huh? But… No, how could you-"

"It was Sumika's fault. Every time she uses her Drill Milky Punch, I end up in the sky. One of these days, I'm gonna turn into a star for real if she keeps doing that."

As he says that, the red kitty coils on itself, all of its hair growing spiky as needles, then tries to climb onto his head, only to be sent galloping away by the iron wall of the white bunny's hissing. As if munching on air, grumbling like the large machine was doing before I lost consciousness, the small thing doesn't relax until it sees the kitty back in the shoulder area.

"Um, Takeru-san?"

"Why are you still saying that? I'm not adult, Kasumi-san."

"Neither am I," I say, giving him a frontal look.

Which he simply answers by narrowing his eyes. "But you speak weird sometimes."

"…That is not true." I don't want you of all people telling me that, Takeru-san. "Anyways, um, don't you mind how they're always fighting?"

"Who is?"

"Well…"

Looking down at his chest, the brown dragon is trying to move the black one, so that both can rest in between his arms, but the black dragon remains slumped in place, comfortable in its position. While the black rabbit remains quiet and silent, the white one seems intent on receiving its attention, lowering its head and nudging the sleeping black bunny. Upon seeing the refusal, the ears of the white rabbit turn up as it thumps once more, groaning until Takeru-san raises a hand slowly to pet it for a moment. His hand is then caught by the pink cat, who nuzzles itself against it, making the puppies whine and tap his legs with their paws, the purple one standing on its back legs as it tries to lick Takeru-san's elbow while the blue one merely remains with its eyes fixated on his, whimpering as it rubs its face on Takeru-san's leg. And all the while, the red kitty meows loudly in complain, again nibbling his ear, while the tuna seems to enjoy the chaos as it bounces higher and higher. And he doesn't seem to mind, at all.

"…Your friends. Don't you mind that they're fighting all the time?" And anyways, how are you still walking so well with all of them clinging onto you?

"Oh, no, not really. They're always like this," he says with a half smile, stopping his ascent on the stone steps to crouch and extend some kindness to the puppies, letting the dragons stretch their wings. "It doesn't hurt or anything, and it's kinda comfy to hold them close," he says, hugging the puppies for a moment, kissing their heads before welcoming back the dragons into his arms, cradling both with one arm to leave the other free to tend to the animals on his upper half.

"I see… Well, if it you say so."

"You guys better be good, okay?" He tells them, lowering his tone and pursing his lips as he pets both puppies and dragons, who then seem to relax, if ever so slightly, in their pleads for attention. "Well, let's keep looking around. It got all dark now, though," he looks up as his brow furrows, wrapping his arms over both dragons again, rolling his shoulders to make sure the two kitties and the tuna remained in place.

"Yes, it was noon just a moment ago," I sigh, looking up at the dim threads of light that filter through the branches, the small distant stars up above, as we slowly continuing to rise.

It is also odd, despite how long it is taking us to climb these stairs, I am not fatigued in the slightest. There is no burning in my feet nor stiffness which impairs my legs' movements. Glancing his way, in the dim light that remains in the area little Takeru-san remains walking in the same energetic stride as if pushed by a tailwind.

His steps do not wane nor does he show hints of apprehension or exhaustion in his complexion. A simple breeze he resembles as he again tries to placate the puppies as they get too close to his feet, noting their displeasure with some faint barking, demanding attention. The purple one seems more aggressive in remaining close, walking by his side with almost no distance between them. The blue one's steps are more slow, slightly behind Takeru-san, as it walks and remains staring, staring right up at him patiently, firm and shining like a lighthouse in a foggy day.

The dragons are still bickering, the black one repeatedly bumping its head on Takeru-san's chin to get his attention, which makes the brown one spew some small embers its way. The tuna doesn't seem to mind all the chaos, and keeps on bouncing from one shoulder to the other. The pink cat grumbles as it slowly bends forward, lightly tapping the brown dragon with one paw as if trying to pacify it. Its efforts are not very effective. The red kitty simply remains playing with Takeru-san's hair or the leaves that are still falling. And the two rabbits are still curled together on top of his hair, seeming to be sleeping.

And he isn't even showing any signs of anger, despite puffing his cheeks as he scolds the animals. Was this how he used to be? Or, is this a representation of the most childish attributes of Takeru-san's current persona? He doesn't seem to recognize me, and also didn't react to my description of the Professor. All throughout this walking we've done, through that small park where he played with the red kitty and made sand cakes with both puppies as the other animals ran about and chased each other, through the bookstores and shopping malls, he has remained calm and bright.

…And I can understand now, why you want to bring some measure of peace back to our world, Takeru-san. It isn't as if it were completely different to the walks I've taken with the Professor, yet the sweet smell of the food in the shopping, the dust lingering in the air of the bookshops, all the bright and most colorful images on the books which he called 'Daemons & Drakes', and at the refreshing air that still remains now as we climb these stone steps under the moonlit skyline.

There is a soothing aspect to this air, to this pleasant silence, to the faint buzzing of insects. There is no rush, no haste in the steps, in the motions. It is all so calm, so simple, so… peaceful, not too different from that placid numbness that assaults me right before sleep as I hug Mister Bun. Even on the occasions when Takeru-san grabbed me by the hand and sped towards a store with a toy or a book he favored, it is all relaxing and soothing. And not sensing the colors of all those around us only accentuates the brightness of the stores, the multicolored lights, the kaleidoscope of butterflies and cocoons amidst a field full of flowers.

And as the stone steps hold steadfast, as the humidity of the night sets in and a chilly breeze blows through the trees, a small glimmer of lights reaches my eyes from the summit of the hill, beyond one of those large gates which indicate the entrance to a shrine, if my memory isn't failing me. But, why would there be such illumination coming from the shrine grounds? I believed their visiting hours did not extend to… well, whatever late hour it is supposed to be as of now.

"Takeru-san, do you know why are there so many lights in the shrine?" I ask, looking his way as I stop my ascent.

"Hm?" Standing a few steps behind me, one of his hands was stopping the white bunny, who wanted to jump from his head and was once more munching the air, and the other was halting the purple puppy, who was grumbling much as it pulled at its pants. "Maybe there's a festival going on?"

"You speak of a special date to celebrate?"

"I mean, that's what a festival is, right?" He says with a sigh, scratching the bunny's ears, petting the puppy. "You never went to a festival, Kasumi-san?"

"No, I never had the chance. So, um, do you think there's a path to your house close to this place?" I ask, staring at him while he placates the animals once more. If bringing him home is what causes this dreamscape to end, then it is perhaps what I have to do to bring both of us back to reality.

"Hmm… No, I don't think so," he answers, lips shrugging.

"I see. Then, should we look elsewhere?"

"Eh? Don't you wanna go see the festival?" He asks, coming closer.

"…It's fine. We should find your house first, it is dark after all."

"Mmgh… But, what if the person you're looking for is in there?"

"…He isn't, I'm sure. Come on. It'll take us much time to descend the stairs, so-"

A sudden and warm jolt in my hand, a strong twister of orange within my eyes, a faint scent of vanilla filling my nose. A wide smile and a tug on my arm. "Let's go see the festival, Kasumi-san. You never know if you might get another chance like this!" And without waiting for my reply, he starts to rush the way up the stone steps.

"W-Wait a mome- Takeru-san, don't run!"

"Then you start walking faster!"

"F-Fine, we can see the festival but please don't run," I lightly pull his hand, causing him to decelerate.

He then stares at me, in silence, as the two bunnies also do. The black one had raised its ears, apparently waking up from its nap, the white one was once more grumbling in discontent. "Okay, sorry. But you better not run away or-"

"I won't. So don't rush, we could fall."

"Okay. So, let's go! I'm sure you're gonna have lots of fun in the festival!" He says with a strong nod and a puff of his chest, irradiating more of that orange glimmer, warm as direct sunlight.

"…Thanks." So you always were as kindhearted as you're now, even if there is a certain rashness to the way of being of this small representation of your psyche.

Following after the starlight of his smile, we climb the last distance of the stone steps. And what unfolds once we do so is an expansive glimmer under the night sky. Much noise, concentrated brightness and smells. The laughter of most around, the rows yellow lanterns which cast light upon the grounds from above like marching fireflies, the many stands that are aligned and bustling with activity and odd trinkets, so full and noisy that it reminds me of the one time the Professor convinced me to put a mint candy in a can of soda and a geyser of bubbles began to burst from it.

Yet, unlike that time, the constant flow here is tranquil, pleasant as the breeze we could feel from the top of the hill at the end of our walks. As if multiple flowers had blossomed in unison as a strong gust blew, a shower of petals in different colors swirls everywhere I look. Strong, enticing smells float in the air, causing my tongue to trace my lips a few times, saliva building up below it.

It feels so… warm, and cozy, and welcoming. Nothing like the dead silent hallways, or the tense and grayed out meetings. Even if I can't sense the people in this place either, the scenery by itself paints such a radiant image.

"Come on," he pulls my arm, smiling again, "let's go see some stands!"

As I follow after him, as both of us pass right through the people in this place, many different stalls and foods reach my sight. Food I had only seen in blurred moments when speaking with Sumika-san, food I had sensed through the reminiscence of the Professor at odd times, yet now it feels real. As if it truly were in front of me, the small balls of octopus, the fish-shaped delicacies, or even the fluffy cotton candy clouds, the smell grazing me, daring me to step forward and take a bite. Yet, I can only purse my lips and knot my stomach.

As Takeru-san and I walk in, no one recognizes or acknowledges our existence, despite the abundant noise he and the animals are making, rivaling the surrounding sounds and drowning them at times. I can understand it with me, since I am an intruder on his mind. But, why would they not acknowledge his presence either? Isn't this his own dreamscape, his own inner mind? What does this mean, then? Was Takeru-san ignored during his childhood? No, all of our talks do not point to that being the case. On the contrary, he seems very happy whenever he tells me of the games and books he enjoyed with Sumika-san when they were growing up. Is this a reflection of his current self then?

"Kasumi-san, here!"

"Hm? Ah…" Filling my view, a small box with six balls that emanated heat and steam, which I believe are made out of octopus. Slowly gulping the excess saliva that clogged my mouth after taking in the aroma when grabbing the box, and actually feeling its weight on my fingers and the heat of the rising steam on my face, I see that Takeru-san also has one such box with him. "Takeru-san, how did you manage to make them hear you to buy this?"

Slowly, his cheeks puff as he brings one ball to his lips. "I couldn't."

"So, how did you buy this?"

"I didn't. I just took it from the stall," he shrugs, eating another ball.

"Wh- Takeru-san, you can't steal from other people," my lips twists as I frown his way.

He merely eyes me sideways. "It's their fault for not wanting to sell me some in the first place, and I did leave the money in the stall," still pouting, he eats another ball.

…Well, this is just a dreamscape so there is no actual theft occurring. I do wonder if he ever did something mischievous such as this when he was little. But… my lips twist in, traced by the tip of my tongue as I look down, at the food within the box. I wonder if I could taste it or if it will all be nothingness in my lips. Barely grasping the small wooden stick, the minute weight on my fingertips, the rising smell which greets me again as I take a deep breath makes my mouth water once more. And after a moment of hesitation, I lift one of them as my lips part and I bite onto the small meat ball.

"Mmgh!"

Hot.

It's too hot, my tongue is burning.

But it tastes good, and my cheeks constrict inward, and my mouth and palate remain burning softly.

Unlike the synth meat I'm used to, this is juicy but too spicy. The diluted aspect of the taste, of the texture is missing, instead I can sense the firmness, the resistance on my teeth. It doesn't feel as if it would merely disintegrate in my mouth without effort, on the contrary the taste spreads further as I try and gulp. Opening my lips ever so slightly, a few puffs of air aid me tame the spiciness. Gulping the rest slowly, my tongue hangs over my lips as I gasp. "Haa… This is too spicy. My mouth burns, ow."

"Of course it is," he says, not minding one bit as he keeps eating unaffected. "This takoyaki has spicy sauce, that's why I chose it," nodding once, he passes me a small bottle of water… that I assume he took from another stall as I was fighting the heat.

Taking a quick sip, I heave a sigh as I enjoy the freshness in my mouth. "So you like spicy food?"

"Yeah. You don't?"

"It's not that I don't, I just… never ate many things to begin with."

I don't have a complain with the diet the Professor has assigned to me, except her insistence on having me eat carrots. And I never ate, well, food that felt so… natural. Synthetic foods have always been on my plate, be it when under the Professor or… back in the ESP training facilities. Supposedly, all the synth ingredients of my dishes are fortified with the right vitamins to help me grow well and maintain a stable usage of my abilities, and I do not particularly dislike the taste they have.

However, I never tasted anything as intense as this 'takoyaki'. Not only the meat felt, well, juicy and firm, but the added spiciness is still lingering in my mouth despite the water I drank. It's as if part of that burning sensation had left a mark imprinted in my tongue. And I never had anything that carried such a strong, distinct taste in my life, not even after Kyozuka-san became the head cook of the base.

But, this is also so very weird. Usually, I can only 'see' what transpires in the minds of others, for only brief seconds. Unless it is a very clear memory or the person is welcoming to my scans, I cannot feel the sensations coming from the thoughts that they experience during their reminiscence. My scanning can only be detailed with surface thoughts, otherwise there is resistance from the minds of others. I know Takeru-san never feared me, and I never had any trouble to look into his mind, and I once could almost feel the 'fried food' he was speaking about, yet for me to be able to experience this many sensations-

"Ah! No, don't fight!"

"Hm?" Looking up, Takeru-san was trying to… separate the dragons as they hissed at one another. "Takeru-san, what's the matter?"

"The yakisoba, that's the problem!" He yelps, trying to hug the brown dragon. Who then groans as it releases itself, and then scoffs a small flare which engulfs Takeru-san's face.

Yet, as my breathing vanished from my lungs, as the fire spread fully over his features, it all vanished as quickly as it appeared. And I now find myself at a loss of breath, not in fear this time. His face smeared with soot and his hair taking an exaggerated circular shape, Takeru-san coughs a bit of smoke as he pouts, his cheeks puffing as much as they possibly could at the brown dragon who hisses and turns away from him, folding its wings and tail inwards.

"Ha… Hahaha."

"Don't laugh at me, Kasumi-san!" He yells, frowning a bit as he waves his arms up and down.

"N-No, I'm sorry. It's just… I didn't expect you to end up, well, in such a comedic look," I say, taking a deep breath as I place a hand on the base of my neck. "So, what happened?"

Rubbing his face with his sleeves, cleaning off parts of it and coughing a bit, Takeru-san then points to the dragons. "See, the black one jumped off my arms as soon as it smelled the yakisoba. It went straight to the stalls there and stole some of the sandwiches they have." I look upwards, to the roofs of the stalls, and see the black thing happily giving repeated bites to a sandwich, while having at least another three by its side. "Then, the brown one tried to scold it, but then they started to argue," he pouts, crossing his arms.

Indeed, the brown dragon is flying about, giving small shrieks and casting embers, yet the black one remains eating without a care. And it only seems to invigorate the brown dragon, before it flies away, going to try and line up at another stand. And yet, no one even pays attention to the spectacle. Looking further in, both kitties were trying to catch some small goldfish, ignoring the people that tried to do so with some small paper cups. The two puppies are now running around, panting and with their eyes sparkling at every little thing, barking and jumping at what attractions the stalls further in have in display. And… Why is the tuna bouncing so high in between all the stands?

"Takeru-san, why is the fish doing that?"

"I dunno. That one has too much energy," he says with a slow nod. And that was coming from you, of all people. "Well, if they're having fun, then it's all good. But these two sure ain't moving one bit," he looks up, at the two bunnies that remain comfortably sitting on his head, despite the circular shape his hair is in at the moment or the small trails of smoke that from it come out.

If my intuition is correct then, all these animals represent people Takeru-san likes much. The black dragon would be the quiet and shy squadmate, the brown one is the squad leader, the tuna is the loud and small of the group, the pink kitty is the hesitant girl who shot down the large HSST, the red one would be Sumika-san, and the puppies are… probably the mean squadmate and the Shogun? But then…

As I clean the rest of the soot off his face and ears, as my hands flatten and fix his hair, dusting it off, the two rabbits do not move. The white one grumbles when I lift it to clean Takeru-san's hair, while the black one slowly moves away when my hands get close. These rabbits… The black one, is that how this representation of your psyche sees me? Then, who is the white one? The Professor?

"Uh, Takeru-san?"

"Yes?" He coughs, dusting off his shirt, shaking his head and making his hair go back to its usual messy shape.

"Do you know why the rabbits don't leave your head?"

"No, not really," he shrugs again, closing an eye. "I mean, they're comfy there so I don't wanna bother them much. Bunnies are dangerous, after all."

"That's not true, bunnies are cute. Right?" I reach out to the rabbits, to try and hold them for a moment.

Yet, the white rabbit again groans and thumps on Takeru-san's head, eyeing me sideways with its ears flat on its head's sides. Merely placing my fingers on its soft and welcoming fur is enough to make it groan once more.

"See? She's super moody for some reason," he says, eyes narrowing.

"She? You can tell the gender?"

"Huh? Aren't all of these girls?" He asks, tilting his head, to which the white rabbit groans again as it has to shift its posture to not fall.

"But how do you- No, it doesn't matter. So, she's a girl?" Those little eyes lock onto mine, once more stomping its back legs. A small, delicate lowering of its posture, the white rabbit takes a step forward, again biting the air. Gulping on nothingness, my feet retreat on their own, tension in my stomach. "How come something so small and fluffy can be so scary?"

"She has a short temper, looks like," he chuckles softly, petting the moody bunny.

"Uh… Does this white rabbit have a name?"

"No idea," he then shrugs again, which makes the rabbit in question groan for a moment as it folds itself into a loaf again.

"I see…" I suppose this Takeru-san wouldn't know the Professor. But… Eyeing the other rabbit, it remains watching me as my hand approaches. Gradually standing up, a small waddle towards me makes its head meet my fingers. Unlike the other, this one welcomes my kindness. "Do you also not know this one's name?" I ask, he shakes his head. "Can I… take it in my arms?"

"If she lets you."

"So this is another girl, huh." Is this… me, then?

Tenderly wrapping my fingertips against what feels like living cotton, my hands sinking onto the softness, I bring the rabbit to my chest and its nose twitches and scouts my dress. After a moment, it hops and reaches my shoulder, the tickling of its nose sending a shiver from my ear to my back. Standing on my dress, its front paws press my hair, as if trying to climb, before it groans at me. Slowly, I place it on top of my head. And without waiting a second, my own representation in this dreamscape curls up comfortably. It feels… cozy, not heavy at all, and nothing like my limiters. It's as if I had another blanket on top of my head.

"Hehe, I think she likes you, Kasumi-san," he smiles, now having a small stick of cotton candy on his hands, that he again took from a nearby stall.

"I see. Um, do you… do you like the black rabbit?"

"Yeah, she's my friend too. Why?"

"Well, you said rabbits are dangerous before… Are you scared of the white one perhaps?"

And again, the white ears point up, another small groan followed by a thump of its back feet. Which makes Takeru-san chuckle, give it some headpats, which makes the rabbit curl down again. Why is something so cute capable of being so fearsome as well?

"No, that's not it. But Maya-nee once scolded me a lot when I asked her about bunnies. I think she wouldn't like you much," he says, looking down, his lips delaying a munch to the cotton candy.

"…Why? Bunnies are cute, what's wrong with them?"

"I dunno," again puffing a cheek, he sighs and we start walking again. "You see, there was one time we were buying some books, right? So, when we were near the cashier, I saw a grown-up buying a magazine that had a girl in a bunny costume on the cover, kinda like you."

"Me? But… that's not possible," I say, sighing. He pouts, then looks down. Takeru-san seems to stare at my hands for a moment, giving me a silent stare until I resume eating the blazing takoyaki.

"But well, she really looked like a bunny, with the ears, the tail and everything," he says, nodding as he takes a bite of the fluffy cotton candy. "I thought it was weird so I asked Maya-nee about it, but then she got a super scary face in place and grabbed my ears so, so hard! I ended up looking like an elf for a week after that," frowning for a moment, he slowly rubs one of his ears.

I nod, drinking water after the fire, which didn't burn as much as the first time. "I… don't understand. Why would she be upset at someone wearing a rabbit costume?"

"Don't ask me, I dunno either. But these rabbits are not bad, so I don't mind them being on my head," he smiles, rubbing the white rabbit's ears as it closes its eyes, its head softly falling onto his hair.

As we traverse the festival grounds, more and more stands appear in our view. All of them brimming with energy and light, it feels as if my steps were lighter in this place. Despite seeing some games to shoot down prizes or land circles on some hoops, we couldn't make ourselves noticed. Takeru-san seems a bit bothered by this since he wanted to win some prizes, but still, seeing so many lights, so many colors, more and more new things with every turn we take is enough for me. As if every fold of a paper would reveal a visage of a different land, from both the relaxing winds of a prairie under a full moon night to the fields full of flowers and fluttering petals to a quiet vision atop a hill.

"…Takeru-san, have you gone to many festivals?"

"Hm? Yeah," he nods with another half smile. "I usually went with Sumika, we challenged each other to see who would win more prizes in the games."

"And who won?"

"Me, of course. When it comes to games, I am unbeatable," he smirks, pushing out his chest as he nods twice. "But…"

"But?"

He slowly, gradually stops walking. As slowly as his features lose light, as his lips turn into a dim line when he looks back at the crowds. "It's a bit weird, you know."

"What is?"

"I think… I used to come with mom and dad too. But, you know," he kicks the air, his shoulders slumping, "I think that there were times where… they just weren't here, too. Like, I remember coming with them and Sumika and Haruna-san, but when I try and think of the times we came with Maya-nee, it's like mom and dad just… aren't there anymore."

"Oh… Is that so." Is this an effect of the shared memories? Perhaps, is his psyche suffering from the dissonance between his own memories of his childhood and the ones he's inheriting from this world's Takeru-san? "Does it hurt to remember?" Maybe, it's my fault for forcing him to face such memories too abruptly?

He folds his arms, looking up, blinking in silence. "Hmm… A bit. It's weird, because I can remember Maya-nee being with me and Sumika sometimes, but then mom and dad are not there. But it's, like, there are other memories where she isn't but they are with us. And it feels as if Maya-nee was never there to begin with," eyes lower and lower, further into the ground alongside his voice. "It's not that it hurts, but I don't know why I can't remember things well. It… makes me sad. It's also really weird, you know."

"What is?"

"I mean, there's a festival here and all…" he looks around, at all the stalls, at all the lanterns, at the stream of people coming and going in between as marching ants, "…but mom and dad aren't here, Sumika or any of my friends are also not here. Where are they?" His shoulders sag, lower as slowly as his eyelids, as his head.

I see, the confusion he feels is directly related with the erratic memories. "Then… Then, if you want to see them so badly, maybe we should be going back to your home?" Since that is a place that should not only be well defined in his psyche, but is also where this dream will end, as the place he seeks.

"…But why are they not here? Actually… Why have I been walking all alone for so long? It's… weird. They…" lips shake, voice cracks, ice crumbles, nothingness within, "wouldn't just go and leave me behind."

"Maybe they're in your house?"

"…Yeah. Maybe. I hope I really didn't get lost, mom and dad are gonna get really angry if I go back home late. But then…"

"What is it?"

"Ah, no, I was thinking about what to do with my friends. Mom doesn't let me have animals in the house, so… if I go back home, I don't know where to leave them," he says, sighing hard as he pets the white bunny, looking back at the other animals that are still playing in a stall nearby.

But if that's the case, if this representation of his psyche believes such a thing… Takeru-san does refer to his original world as 'home'. Would it mean that he wants to return there? That's why his child self is seeking his house, troubled by the duality of his memories, by having to leave his 'friends' behind if he does? Then, how do I bring him back with me?

…What if that only brings him more pain?

But Sumika-san needs Takeru-san to help her once we start up the 00 Unit.

However, the Professor didn't stop when I asked her to, when he was hurting so much in the medbay. If she continues to push him, if the Shogun would want Takeru-san to be as she remembers him to be… Will inheriting all the memories from another Takeru-san further divide his psyche? Or, maybe, will the Takeru-san I know disappear and be replaced with the scary fire he was engulfed in at the medbay?

Does that mean we are… killing Takeru-san with the recovery sessions?

…But I have to bring Takeru-san with me, or I may not be able to return either. Sumika-san has to be tuned, otherwise Alternative IV will fail and everything will end up like in those horrible memories he showed us when we met.

Yet, the Professor won't accept to have him stop impersonating this world's Takeru-san.

…What would be the best for him? W-What should I do?

"Ah! Kasumi-san, look!" Again pulling my hand a few times, again sending that warm and orange feeling into me, Takeru-san's voice sounds joyful. I look at him, he points upwards as a loud sound echoes.

Lights.

Many, many lights of different colors meet my eyes when I look up into the skies.

A curtain of sparkling shapes, a small trail of smoke raising to the stars only to burst and cause far more colorful stars to disseminate in the skyline. White flowers spreading wide, red twisters flowing outwards, yellow ripples in the moonlit sky's surface, and so many more colors and shapes. And they continue to appear, to rise up to join the stars for only a moment, a mere flash. And yet, these lights have taken my breath away, my heart lodged at the base of my throat and pounding. It is all I can see as a calm shiver envelops the back of my head.

"…It's so beautiful. What is this?"

"You never saw fireworks, Kasumi-san?" He asks, tilting his head, even the white bunny now looks my way as it gives out a faint groan.

"Is that what these lights are called?"

"Yeah. They're pretty, right?"

"But, how is this done?" And why haven't I seen any?

"Well… Uh…" his lips twist inwards, he folds his arms, "I think they always use them for important dates? I don't really know why, but part of me says sometimes the giant robots fly by and shoot them in the sky, but there are other times where they're just, you know, sent from the ground as always," he slowly says, scratching his head.

"I see…" Maybe the Professor kept me close by on such occasions? She never… really took any time to rest, at least not as much as she does since you've been in the base.

"I think they light up a fuse, then send the lights up with that fire. And then they explode. But those are not the only things that shine in these days."

"Really? What else is there?"

Going up to a stand as the petals of colorful fire spread wildly above us, he comes back with a small blue pack. Opening it, he takes out a few really thin sticks. Lightning them up causes many sparks to come out, like the bubbles from that soda I put the mint candy in.

"This is a sparkler, me and Sumika used to run around with them a lot," he says, waving the thing about, the puppies coming close and staring at it in wonder, the kitties also arriving to meow and try to strike it off his hand. "Here, have one for you!"

The almost imperceptible weight in my fingers is nothing compared to the heavy breath I take in as the sparks come out. Moving the stick to and fro above me as the fireworks continue to illuminate us, it's as if I were holding a comet, a sparkling shooting star.

"It's so pretty."

"Hehe, told you there were lots of fun stuff to do here!" He declares loudly, waving some of those sticks further above, as if entrancing the animals with the shiny sparks.

And as we play with the sparklers, we remain looking at the sky, enjoying the shower of colors, the curtain of brightness that defies the night, for as long as it'll last.

A faint rustle on my head, the small black bunny sits up to watch the fireworks as well, giving out a soft groan. The rest of the animals also seem to remain watching, all of them huddling close to Takeru-san, admiring the show alongside us.

There is only quietness, and that faint sense of ease, that feeling I had when the Professor took me on walks to the hill and we would simply remain watching the scenery from there under the sunlight.

Quietness under the faint yet strong echoes of light.

Under the brief yet colorful stars which illuminate the sky.

Some in simple explosions, others in curling and twisting patterns.

Yet, it all makes my heartbeats knock and knock on my neck, forcing a deep breath.

For in the reality I live in, it has been a long time since I could admire such a clear sky, so vivid stars, much less decorated with the apparently unending illumination from each and every color imaginable.

Our skies are far more dull, contaminated by the heavy metal clouds. There is little to no light pollution near the base, yes, but the imprinted foothold of the war still reigns over the night. And the air is far colder, far less clear and refreshing than the one I sense here. Yet, the stark black of the sky serves only to enhance the frail sparks of colors. Coupled with the freshness of the air, it all spreads a numbness on me as if I were taking a dive into a warm bath. Slow blinking, slower breaths, I can only watch and admire.

Admire it all, until the last frail thread of fireworks vanishes from the sky.

"…It was so beautiful."

"Right?" He says, equally low as me. "So, did you enjoy the festival?"

"Yes. Yes, I did. Thanks for letting me see this, Takeru-san," I smile his way, and he returns the gesture. "But… it looks like everyone else is already leaving."

All the people that had gathered were quick to depart, or perhaps we were lost in our admiration, and some of the lanterns are already going off. A few stands seem to… deflate and fold into themselves, as if made out of paper. How odd, I am certain that is not how they are supposed to be dismantled. Then again, this is Takeru-san's mind.

"Yeah, the fireworks do mark the end of the festival, after all. So, do we keep looking around?" He asks, hugging both dragons as the kitties climb up his legs and the tuna bounces right onto his shoulder once more. This all makes the puppies a bit bothered, again rustling themselves against Takeru-san in their demands for attention. All the while, the white rabbit remains sleeping on top of his head, its breathing completely calm.

"Yes, let us go before all the lights go out," I nod, patting the small bunny on my own head. It slowly nuzzles itself against my fingers, before it too slumps back onto my hair.

Talking of the games and foods, we descend the stone steps. Halfway through the motions, light began to pour once more from the branches of the trees on the sides. It's as if the abovegrounds were in a permanent state of dusk, perhaps because that is how Takeru-san remembers them as.

Back to the ground level, what resembles the city that was here before the BETA invaded, yet not feeling any fatigue at all, we once more resume our search without any destination or direction in mind through the clean streets filled with a faint buzz of chatter, some bins and lightposts reflecting the incoming sunlight like a mirror as a pleasant wind follows behind our steps.

"So then, since she was so buried in the snow, I decided to call her Snowmika," he says with a wide smile, the red kitty again nibbling on his ear.

"Takeru-san, it's really mean of you to bully Sumika-san."

"It's not bullying, I was just trying to get her to play with us instead of staying by the side," he retorts, pursing his lips as he pets the red kitty for a moment. "But then she got against me with Jouji, and when they buried me under the snowballs they started calling me Snowkeru."

"I-I see… Did you fight with her all the time, then?"

"Eh? We're only playing around. It's not like she's always punching me to the moon."

"That seems a bit more, uh, intense than mere games to me."

"…You're a bit too serious, Kasumi-san. You may look young but you really sound like an old adult," he says, eyeing me sideways.

It's not my fault you're so carefree, apparently since you were little. And as if in agreement, the small bunny on my head groans back, faintly stomping his legs. "Anyways… What other games did you play with your friends? Were there some you played in your house?" Perhaps, recalling good times would allow him to find his way within this dreamscape with more ease, without focusing on painful memories.

"Hmm… I think we did this kind of contest by Christmas, like a really big snowball fight or something with some nice food as the prize. But…" like the slowness of the clouds which obstruct the sun's rays, his steps wane, "I don't think I played that with Sumika and the rest."

"So, did you have other friends?" Perhaps, he engaged in this game with the Shogun? Is this a memory of this world's Takeru-san?

"No, it's not that," scratching his ear, hugging the dragons, which are now thankfully asleep, he mulls in silence for a moment. "It's neither with Sumika or with the Pickles and Yuuhi. I can't remember well, again," then, he pouts. The blue puppy groans, rustling against his leg until Takeru-san has to pet it for a little while.

…So, a fuzzy memory of those 'other loops' he took? It hurts, remembering the friends he couldn't save, perhaps?

"There's also the games on the TV," he says as he resumes walking, back to his usual cheerful stride. "But, for some reason, I can't remember if we played with them when Maya-nee was around."

"You mean videogames like Magorea's Mask?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Nodding and smiling as brightly as the incoming sunshine, a few sparks return to his voice. "Sumika complained I always beat her in fighting games, though."

"Why? Are they hard?"

"No, but she said me always using the crouch-kick was cheating," he pouts again, the red kitty once more grumbling in discontent, lightly slapping his cascading hair. "It's not my fault she doesn't play to her outs."

Lips shrinking, I hold his stare. "Takeru-san, if you knew she wasn't that good, you should have been nicer to her in those games."

"Her fault for not getting her game on. And anyways, she always beat me in the card games we played. So we're even," he declares with a nod, puffing a single cheek as he looks away.

"…And, what other things did you do with her?" I ask, getting closer as we cross a street.

"I think we read a lot of books together, folktales and later on CYOA stories. When Maya-nee was around, that's all we did."

"…What does CYOA means?"

"Oh, 'Choose Your Own Adventure'. They were role-play books where we played characters in the story, and we tried to make it to the end by using dice to see whether we won or not. Though," his brows lower, eyes blazing again, "Sumika always managed to roll nat twenties at the most weird times."

"Nat… twenties?"

"Yeah, rolling a twenty on the die. It gives you perfect success on any action you take."

"…You mean that dices can have twenty faces?"

"Yeah, there were many dices we used when playing D&D. There was the pyramid-looking D4, the normal dice with six faces, the pointy D20, and a few more," he says, swaying as the kitties keep hitting his long bangs. "So Sumika would always, always roll a nat twenty when doing these stupid actions."

"You're not saying that just out of rudeness, are you?"

"Of course I'm not!" Puffing his cheeks and holding my stare, his eyes blaze. "You're mean, Kasumi-san. Why do you look at me like that?"

"Well, you could be being biased towards Sumika-san's choices, since you do seem to like making fun of her."

"Mmgh… You know, I'm gonna start calling you Kasumean if you keep being bad with me."

"Come on, now. Do not get upset, I was-"

"Fine, I get it. I'm the bad one here, hmph. If you hate me that much, fine, I'll go home all by myself," he then turns away from me, walking faster all of a sudden.

"Ugh, wait please. Sorry, I didn't mean anything ill with my words," I give him a small bow as I place myself in front of him again, which dissolves his puffing cheeks but not his or the white bunny's groans.

"…I'll forgive you, just this time."

"Sigh… Thanks. So, why did you call her actions dumb?" I ask as we walk together side by side again, crossing a street.

"Because she always did these silly things outta nowhere, and always got good rolls for them."

"Could you give me an example of these 'silly things'?"

"Like, there was this really big gate, right? As tall as a mountain, all made of steel, letting out a small heatwave under the sun."

His features turn stern, his tone also lowering as if in threat as he raises both hands, the sleeping dragons still firmly clinging to his arms as if they were vines. I nod, holding my breath, huddling a bit closer as our steps slow down.

"So, we had to get past that door to infiltrate the fortress to help Dennis save Prince Horace from Lysanderoth. But we couldn't find a way to do that, we couldn't blow it up with magic because that would alert the golem army inside, we couldn't climb the mountain because it was guarded by basilisks, and we couldn't try to sneak from another entrance since we didn't have a rogue in the party."

"And, what did you had to do?"

"See, we had to wait until it was night, use a small spell on the lake nearby to make a distraction with a water elemental, since it couldn't be turned to stone by the basilisks and would melt the clay golems, and in the chaos some of us would get to sneak into the fort while the others played decoy."

"That seems like a well formulated plan. I do not see a problem with it."

"Yeah, it was our best shot with what we had. But, what does Sumika thinks would be a good thing to do instead?" He asks as he shrugs, my shoulders compact as do my lips while I remain silent. "She just walked up to the gate and asked the guards to let her in!" He yells, rolling his eyes while shrugging in slow motion.

"And… it worked?"

"Yeah, because she rolled a twenty and had a big enough charisma modifier."

"That seems too reckless. Her idea could very easily backfire, if she enters the fortress on her own. Why would she do that?"

"Because maybe being nice would help us with the guards since they weren't the bad guys, she said," he pouts, shrugging his lips. "So she had to infiltrate the place all alone until she found a way to let us in," he then sighs, pulling the ears of the red kitty for a moment. "She almost got found out twice, and even then she insisted we shouldn't hurt any of the NPCs because they were kind with her character."

"…But she's right, if they did help her then those people weren't bad," I retort, causing the white bunny to grumble again.

"We had to escape by flying! We almost got shot down and all!" He says as his eyes blaze again. "And even then, all the golems kept chasing us. But Sumika made such a mess when we tried to fight them off. We lost lots of XP thanks to that."

"But that sounds… fun," my gaze lowers as I sigh. It'd be nice if we could play like that when Sumika-san wakes up as the 00 Unit. Even if only one time…

"Yeah, it was a bit fun, to try and beat the book without resorting to fighting," he smiles, briefly, "even if we lost a lot of really good treasure," but immediately pouts as he overlaps his arms once more. "Well, at least it wasn't as bad as when Yuuhi gets mad," he nods, which causes the purple puppy to let out a small bark.

"Did you also play this game with her?"

He purses his lips, silent for a moment. "I mean, yeah, we did. But Yuuhi's luck is awful, she always rolls ones. All the time. Also, horses hate her."

"…Why horses?"

He shrugs, one eye closed. "I dunno, it just happens. Like, every time there's a horse nearby, Yuuhi's character gets hurt by it. One time, she had cast a spell to make herself invisible, trying to sneak into some enemies, but their horse got scared of Shion's warrior as it attacked and started to sprint. But since Yuuhi was invisible, the horse didn't see her and just ran over her," his lips purse again, restraining a smile, as the purple puppy softly bites his pants, "and then it scored a crit, which killed Yuuhi's character since it had very low health."

"Eh?! They can die?"

"Of course, it's not fun otherwise."

"I think our definitions of 'fun' are a bit different, Takeru-san," I frown a bit, feeling my limiters move.

He and the white bunny seem to pout in unison, both groaning in synchrony at me. "That's not true. If your characters never died, then you wouldn't need to take care of them."

"…Take care of them?"

"Yeah. Since they can die, you have to think well what you're going to do. And since there's no limits to what you can come up with, it's really fun to try and see what might happen!" I believe this is the same he told me when we played that CryRing game before… just that now he's blazing and sparking, no restrain to his joyful retelling. "Though, we never really managed to beat the games in Steelman mode."

"I suppose that is some ruleset that punishes you for letting your characters die?"

"Yeah, their death is permanent so you can't just make another member for the party. We only did that with smaller books, but even then someone would always die. It sucks, really," kicking the air, he sulks as he scratches the pink kitty's chin, making it start purring.

"I see. That… sounds like a lot of fun." It is understandable, you'd wish to restore some sliver of that to our world. But, if both Takeru-sans wanted the same, why was he blazing so painfully at the medbay? He did say a moment ago that the Shogun would easily become angered. I wonder if that has anything to do with what happened. "Um, Takeru-san? About before, is the Sho- Ahem, this Yuuhi so easy to anger?"

"Well, just a bit," he admits as he chuckles, then has to stop walking and ruffle the puppies' hair as they both barked at him, lightly hitting his leg with their paws. "It's that whenever there's horses nearby, Yuuhi gets run over by them. Since it always happened, she got really bitter about it too. It was so bad that when she was invited to some important meeting or something about how warriors should learn to ride horses, she refused a lot. Her eyes were so full of fire I thought the house was getting burnt down," he says with a nod, the purple puppy groans and repeatedly barks, louder each time, until Takeru-san gives it the attention it demands.

"I would refuse too, if such animals presented themselves as ill omens in our games. If her good characters all die to the horses, I can understand the frustration at the outcomes. But I doubt she'd do something as drastic as burning her residence down." He's again exaggerating much, why do you like to be so dramatic all the time, Takeru-san?"

Rolling his shoulders as if doing a little hop, he raises both arms quickly as he shrugs his lips. "I'm not lying, she did set the kitchen on fire once."

"Eh? How?"

"I told her she couldn't cook anything and she got so mad she tried to prove me wrong. But since she didn't knew how to do anything, the kitchen ended up exploding."

"…Then, it was all your fault?" Hurting a girl's feelings on such sensitive subjects is a cruel thing to do, Takeru-san. Furthermore, assuming females have to be good in the kitchen is also a mistake. Just thinking on handling a knife is scary enough to make me not want to try.

Small embers, a faint pout. "Was not! I only made fun of her because she said the lunch Sumika made me couldn't be that tasty. She was just jelly she couldn't cook something as nice as that," he nods, the purple puppy barks a few times at him, and he has to pet it to get the doggy to calm down.

"I see… You were completely justified, then."

"You're a bit contradictory sometimes, Kasumi-san," he says, eyeing me sideways again, both puppies grumbling as they stare at me.

"I am not. She was who hurt Sumika-san's feelings first, so you were merely defending a friend. Did this Yuuhi do any other mean things like that?" A minute growl, the purple puppy lunges and barks at me, making me stumble backwards and hit a wall. The blue one remains simply eyeing me, as if about to howl.

"Well, Yuuhi can be a bit blunt, yeah," he nods, crouching to fiddle with the puppies' heads, scratching their ears to calm both down. "But she isn't bad, she just hates to lose. Like, a lot. Even more than Shion."

"I see… Did you play any games exclusively with her?"

"Shogi, since Sumika doesn't like that too much. Yuuhi always beats everyone in that, though."

"Hmm, is that so. Then, if you could choose, who would you like to play with? To go look for this Yuuhi or to go back to your home to play with Sumika-san? Or, would you like to go somewhere else to play with the ani- friends you have here?"

"And why can't I do all that?" He asks, raising a brow.

"Well… I don't know. So, you do know where your house is, right?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"Are we going in the right direction, then?"

Scratching his head, folding his lips, he stars to look around the street. "Hmm, I guess? I mean, I think we're- Oh!" Flinching a bit, a smile flourishes forth. "Look! There's an art gallery over there!"

"An art gallery? Oh, is that where there are paintings and the like for show?" I ask, gazing at the tall and completely normal-looking gray building in the other side of the street. How does he knows there's an art gallery there?

"Yeah, I think me and Yuuhi visited one. And… I also went with a very good friend, I think?" Folding his arms, he tilts his head.

"I see. But, back to the point, do you know how-"

"Why don't we go take a look there?" He says, not waiting for my reply as he crosses the street, not even minding the cars that are coming and going. Not that they can hurt him as he still fazes through them, but for him to be so rash.

"Takeru-san, please stop getting sidetracked," jogging after him, my hands meet the air as he rushes me to the building in question. Even the doggies make it to the other side faster.

"Come on, it's gonna be fun!" He says, smiling again in rivalry to the sun.

Sighing as I surrender myself to following after the tornado of impulsiveness, I nod and approach the building in question. In any case, I do like drawing so maybe I could find something to learn a bit more. The Professor hasn't brought me any art books for a long time, after all.

Entering the place, a freshness surrounds me whole. As if a blanket of pleasant winds it were, the AC's caress falls upon me as I step into the lobby. So I can even feel this sensation as well. The rest of the place seems rather normal, a simple lobby with some seats, a few planted flowers, and a few elaborate paintings lay on the walls. The people here are all grayed out, however.

"Did you came here once, Takeru-san?" I ask as I approach him, while he's looking up and around along the animals.

The brown dragon seems to have woken up, taking quite the interests in the pieces left on display, flapping its wings excitedly. The puppies also seem keen on observing the art, slowly pacing along the wall instead. The tuna remains bouncing, the kitties don't seem to be too interested in this building.

"I think," he says, not looking at me as he continues to stare at the paintings. "Anyways, let's go to the place where they have all the fun stuff!" Nodding much, he marches towards the elevator.

And smacks his head against it, despite the light indicating that it's in this… Hm?

"What's with this?" He pouts, clicking the button, making the chime of arrival resonate. "Now that it's here, let's get- Agaah!" Once more, he walks into the wall, the 'door' refusing to part. "What's wrong with-"

"Takeru-san, I believe this might be a painting on the wall."

"Huh?! Really?" He extends a hand towards it, and the flatness of his palm courses through all the extension of the elevator. "Uwah, you're right."

"I suppose, this must be a simple illusion." If the personnel could see us, I believe they would be chuckling at how well the trick worked. It is malicious of them, to also set up a chime and a calling button. This feels… like something the Professor would do, just for fun. Perhaps, this art gallery is owned by a relative of hers?

"Mmgh… Now that I think about it, I think I also fell for a trick like this when I visited an art exhibit or something," he crosses his arms, pouting and groaning along the white bunny, who was awakened rather rudely when he ran into the wall.

Flickering some fire upwards, the brown dragon seems to chuckle in its own way. The puppies also seem to find this funny, rolling on the ground, barking back at Takeru-san, who puffs his cheeks at them. A small rumbling echoes, both the white bunny and the black dragon rustle in their places, fur becoming needles, claws tightening on his arm and exuding a singular ember. Even the red kitty seems about to burst, hissing at the other three animals as a lone hair tenses up into the shape of a thunderbolt. Yet, the brown dragon continues to let out small embers while pacing above him back and forth, the puppies waddle and bounce about Takeru-san, tapping the 'elevator' before looking back at him.

"…I think they're making fun of me," his lips shakes along his fists, pouting much.

"It was rather funny, albeit dangerous," I admit, to which more embers flicker in the air.

A small shiver on top of my head, the bunny was quivering. Soon after, my own knees imitated the small gesture as a blurry shadow coursed through my sight. Blasting away as if performing a boost jump, the white rabbit lunges from Takeru-san's head, hitting the brown dragon in midair and tumbling it to the ground. In unison, the black dragon and the red kitty leap forth, aiming at the puppies. In a matter of seconds, the six of them begin to quarrel in close combat as if they were in a coliseum, scattering a cloud of dust around them as they fight.

"H-Hey! Stop it, don't fight!" He yells, waving a finger. They do not pay much mind, however. "Mmgh… Kasumi-san, help me stop them!"

"What? You want my help?!"

"Of course, you're the older one here!" He says, eyes blazing again, as he throws himself into the cloud of dust, shouting and waving his arms to catch the dragons.

The pink kitty meows softly by my side, trying to become a needle ball in threat, and it is ignored at large by the quarreling animals. The tuna does not seem to mind much of anything, launching itself like a cannon ball to stop the fight instead, smacking the Sumika kitty right in the face. And a blur of furs of many colors with Takeru-san in the middle of it all flickers in my sight for a moment. A small groan on my head, the bunny which represents me moves a bit, as if deciding whether to jump in or not. It then turns to look into my eyes, thumping and groaning as I stay quiet.

Sigh… It seems scary, but even if it hurts this is only a dreamscape. Feeling nothingness on my mouth, my steps waver their way to the loud battlers.

…

Bits of fur float in the air, intense groaning like a stuck engine failing to ignite proper combustion, a few patches of red in my hands, more all over Takeru-san's body as if a zebra he had become. Molding my arms onto my sides as I grasp the tie, I keep the kitty which represents Sumika-san quiet despite its loud wails. The black dragon was simply resting on the floor, Takeru-san was placing the glasses back on the brown one as he pulled the tip of one of its wings. Both puppies had their chins on the floor, covering their noses with a paw in apology. However, the white bunny remains looking away from us, thumping its tiny legs when I approach, groaning and seeming about to rush in aggression once again, like those super fast cars in the game Takeru-san likes so much.

"Listen here, all of you!" He shouts, brows narrowed, waving a finger around. "I don't want you to fight again! You could end up really hurt." Still releasing a few sparks, he points to the dragons. "You two, you can't start setting everything on fire every time you quarrel. I don't want to see you spewing any more embers today."

Small sparks fly off his eyes as he holds their stares, the brown dragon lowering its head and folding its wings and tails, the black one simply rests on the floor, limp and silent. Takeru-san then looks at the puppies with shrugged lips, both hands on his waist.

"And you two, you can't start making so much trouble just because you can. You can't snap at every little thing," both puppies slowly crawl towards him, trying to lick and rest their noses on his shoes, yet he remains firm in his scolding. "Don't think I'm gonna forgive you just because you're adorable. And you, too," he shrugs his lips, tapping the red kitty's forehead, "No more fighting the puppies, look at all the scratches you left me with!" He raises his arm, swollen lightning scarring it. Kitty Sumika growls lowly, trying to make itself smaller in my arms.

"Takeru-san, I think this was enough," I say, petting the red kitty as it tries to curl in my hold.

"No, if I don't scold them they just won't stop fighting each other," he says with much impulse as he nods.

"But do they understand what you're saying?"

"Of course they do, look," he points to the doggies and dragons, all of them with their heads lowered and whimpering softly. "They know they were being bad, and if I don't do this they'll just keep fighting. It's like when me and Sumika were little and broke stuff as we played in the backyard," he concludes, sighing and dispelling the high shoulders and scary voice.

"I suppose you're correct… But they already understood, there's no need for you to remain so angry." He did get a bit upset while we practiced with the games against the Valkyries, but Takeru-san didn't remain this angry back then. Maybe he used to be like this before?

"I'm not angry, I'm just teaching them to be friendly with each other instead of being fighting all the time. So, you're the last one. You can't just go full aggro on everyone else," he says, low, as he walks up and crouches by the white bunny's side. The little thing thumps again and turns away, groaning again, not dispelling its anger at Takeru-san's soft caresses and pats. So he heaves a short sigh and stands up, crossing his arms and making a scary face, his aura swirling red for a moment. "If you all keep being bad, I'm not gonna make you any more food, you hear me? No more yakisoba sandwiches, no more apple pies, no more ramen, no more strawberry muffins!"

As if reacting to the threat, all the animals went stiff. Both dragons let out a small shriek, the puppies wail and again try their hardest in their waddles and wails for sympathy, even the white bunny raises its ears and hops closer, staring right at Takeru-san.

"Um, Takeru-san? Aren't you being a bit too hard on them?"

"No, they need to know that they crossed a line," he says, puffing his chest. What are you, their father?

"But can you actually stop them from eating those things?"

"Well… I can stop making them and that's it."

"Wait, you can cook?"

"Of course I can! I… think?" He then tilts his head, twisting his lips. "I mean, I do know a few recipes but… Mmgh, it gets hard to remember well what else did I knew, though."

…So he remembers that. Takeru-san said he knew how to cook, that he learned back in his world. So, even if his appearance is that of a child, this is a representation of the current Takeru-san. Unless this world's Takeru-san also knew how to cook, for some reason. Which would explain the haziness of what dishes he knows he can prepare.

After a moment of further scolding, he pets all the animals and brings them back on his person, the rabbit to the head, the dragons on each arm, the kitties to his shoulder along the tuna, and the puppies again stand close to his feet. All of them enveloped by that aura of orange and yellow, the blanket of kindness he extends even when he's a bit upset.

We then climb the stairs, the pink kitty purring as Takeru-san praised it and the black bunny for not fighting. Reaching the exhibit, a vast expansion of little glimmers showers my sight. Be it the paintings, the sculptures, or even the small optic illusion trinkets seem to pull my eyes to them, all I can do is look around in place.

The illumination also seems to have been chosen deliberately, as there are no windows in this vast hall and only a single source of light brightens the place and the pieces from up above, a calm and warm white light. It leaves ample visibility to see what's in the other end clearly yet it also is pleasant and kind to the eyes. The spacing of the pieces is also comfortable, which aids to not be overwhelmed by colors and choices.

"…It's amazing, this place."

"Hehe, there's lots of stuff to see, right?" He says, nodding as he raises an arm to allow the brown dragon to take off towards the paintings.

"Yes," I follow the dragon, seeing colorful representations of nature, buildings and flower fields, windmills and small villages. The minute detail of the strokes, the depth of the colors, the perspective of the image which feels as if I were actually looking through a window to the scenery. "It's so beautiful, I wonder how they can make things like this. Especially the monochrome ones." It is amazing, the usage of shadows and varying grades of gray to showcase the depth.

"The mono-what?"

"Oh, it means black and white. See, that painting of the tower? It only uses black, white, or a mix of the two. And the detail of the shadows, of the texture of the land, the falling boulders, the thunder which strikes the top of the building… I wonder how they managed to do that by hand."

"I mean, maybe they just used a black page first and painted over the white parts as they went?"

"Eh? A black page?" I look at him, Takeru-san nods back with a small smile as he petted the black dragon. "Do you know how this is done?"

"Yeah, well, not everything but I did come to a place like this, I think. Look, there are no scribbled lines in the white and black parts, right? That's because it's better to just paint all the shadowy areas first and once the paint dries up you use white on top of it to have things look more clean. Or you use a black page if most of everything is black. Like, uh," he scratches his head, groaning as he looks up, "you do the painting layer by layer, kind of?"

"I see… It makes sense, I suppose. It does makes me wonder how much work and time it must have taken," and how many failed attempts they had to do before completing this singular piece. A small cold shiver runs down my sides, just imagining it all.

"Well, making pretty things takes time," he nods, then his eyes open wide, giving forth a small smirk. "I guess you could say you can't spell painting without pain."

"Takeru-san, don't start with the puns again."

"Tch… You're so lame, ruining my fun. I just wanna make a pun, no need for you to pull out a gun," he then looks away, trying to keep his lips shut despite the quiver of his chest as he drowns the chuckling.

"Sigh…" Must you always try to make jokes about every subject we talk about? "But I didn't knew you liked art, Takeru-san."

"I don't like it much, I just like to learn new things. I can't draw very well but I still find it fun to see how things are made."

"I agree. Let's keep looking, then."

Coursing through the hall along the happy barks of the puppies and the brown dragon, and the small tickle of the bunnies' noses on our heads, more and more fascinating things appear on every corner. Both the fine usage of shadows by contrast, the ample illumination, the variant from showing scenery or people, or merely abstract twisters which leave me a bit baffled on their possible intent going by the name of the pieces. It is all so interesting, yet it makes part of my throat feel hollow.

After all, all of these pieces… probably no longer exist in our world. All of this gallery, of this city, of all the possible marvelous pieces that were in this nation and many others… are simply gone, lost to the BETA.

…It is also very mean of Takeru-san, to never have told me of what he knew of art despite knowing I like to draw.

Both kitties don't seem to interested and remain sleeping on his shoulders, as does the dragon on his left arm. Takeru-san and the puppies go from one place to the other, looking at the pieces without stopping to admire them proper, but I suppose that's just how he is. It doesn't take long for the brown dragon to land on him, demanding attention as well. Yet once more, that small ball of cute white sends everyone else galloping away.

Now that I think about it… Unlike the other animals, however, the white bunny has refused to leave Takeru-san's side for even a second, almost as if it craved being showered by his glowing aura. The one in my head has complained at me a few times during our walks, yet it is my own representation so it makes sense for it to be at ease with me. And the other animals do leave his side at times, as right now where they're roaming freely to inspect the paintings and other offerings in the hall. And yet, the bunny remains as a loaf sleeping on his head.

I do not recall the Professor being so, well, possessive. Could this rabbit be someone else, then? If I am also a rabbit in this dreamscape… but Takeru-san didn't seem to have been close to other ESPers, from what he has told me.

It's also odd, this situation. He took off towards this place, as if to avoid my prior question. I cannot sense his thoughts, which makes sense since I am already within his mind, yet his colors are again fluctuating easily, as opposed to when I bring up his house. Even as we talk of the paintings, as he goes in great detail about the ones he recognizes are about shows and games he favors, there is no hint of apprehension or displeasure. He's merely enjoying his time along his 'friends'. Trying to enjoy days past, embracing the nostalgia, unwilling to return home?

"Uh, Takeru-san? Shouldn't we be on our way?" I ask, getting closer.

"Hm? Well… We did already see everything here, I guess," he scratches the back of his head, looking up. "It's okay, though. If you have to go look for your friend, you can go. I'll be alright on my own."

"Huh? No, that's not true. You were lost when we met, right?"

"W-Was not! I was merely… taking a long walk."

"Do you not want to go home?"

"…It's not that I don't want to, I just wanna stay with my friends for a while longer," he says, rustling the animals' heads, his lips cascading in slow motion, the sparks flickering to nothing within his eyes.

"But you can keep playing with them even after you go home," since your squadmates are still waiting for you in the base. And me and Sumika-san will always stay with you. My hands reaches out, grasping his in my hold, my thumb moving back and forth over his tiny knuckles. "Come on, we've been walking for a long time already, right?"

That is also a concern. As much as I've enjoyed spending time within this dreamscape, if we dally for too long perhaps people will forget about him. Or even me, maybe. It is hard for me to tell for how long we have been walking, and my sense of time should not be trusted during a mind dive.

Pursing his lips, hugging both dragons tightly, he gives me a faint nod, allowing my hand to spur his feet to action. The crawling orange is more subtle this time, a faint warmness or a tender brush all over my arm. While most of the animals do not seem to mind our departure from the gallery, the white bunny's ears perked up as soon as I started taking him to the stairs. And it keeps staring straight ahead into my eyes, drowned growls every so and so. It looks like a kettle of fur in warning of its boiling point. It even keeps looking back to the hall as we descend, did it want to keep looking at the paintings?

Burying the premature shadows of hesitation, Takeru-san once more engages me in discussion of what I thought of the art gallery, if I enjoyed my time there, the energetic and fast stream of questions seeming to be unending. Amidst the streets, the honks of transit, the buzz of the people we keep passing through, we continue our walk as he tells me of swirling rides on roller-coasters and visiting aquariums, of getting lost within the lush foliage while chasing a squirrel, and of his very first failings when it came to cooking, described by himself as turning pizza into charcoal. And even then, he remained stoic and unmoving as a wall in defense, saying this Yuuhi's failures were far worse then his.

As we move on to less populated streets, as the silence sets as a cloak and the sun's glare eases on our shoulders, a tingly feeling appears on the back of my head.

Brief at first, yet repeated. Distant yet constant, until it starts gaining strength like repeated waves reaching the shore, further and further with each repetition.

Needles poking the scalp, tracing lines from my nape to where my limiters usually are. A gradual lowering of the sounds around us, a slow tilting of my sight. The street seems to curve diagonally, as if turning into a spiral. Color fades, yet the warmness of his hand linked with mine does not disappear.

A moment of dizziness, a second of blurriness in my eyes, a beeping echoing in my ears, it all slowly fades away, as slowly as a cube of sugar sinking into my morning tea.

And my throat feels sore, so I cough for a moment. Dampness obstruct my sight, so I rub my eyes softly as the needles disappear from my nape.

When my vision refocuses once more, a large shadow covers the sky. Clouds, many clouds. All of them taking a dark color on one side, glowing on the other where they take in the last threads of the afterglow. The sky is already darkening, a faint orange remains behind distant buildings while traces of yellow and pink overwhelm the rest of what's not yet conquered by clouds. Why did it became this late so abruptly?

"Kasumi-san? Are you okay?" Takeru-san pulls my hand, looking down I see his brows and lips curving down as he stares.

"…Yes, merely a bit tired. Didn't you… feel that?"

"Feel what?"

So he didn't sense that shockwave? The animals do not seem disturbed in the slightest. What was that, then?

"No, it's nothing. It did became late all of a sudden."

"Well, we have been walking a lot," he nods, pulling me as he walks once more.

"That is true. So, is your house close by?"

"Hmm… I think we're close. Ah," stopping suddenly, lips remaining barely open, I follow his gaze on the street.

Down a few meters, there was a house which is a perfect copy of what his own house resembles in the images I could perceive in our talks. Faint, the way in which his fingers slip from my palm. Shoulders sagging, Takeru-san looks down. Quiet, silent, still, unmoving.

"Don't you want to go home, Takeru-san?"

"Eh?"

"That building over there, that is your house, isn't it?"

"…Yeah."

"Is something the matter?"

"No, nothing. Just… Why are the light's out?" He asks, tilting his head, briefly glancing at his home before once more turning away as if recoiling from a source of heat.

My lips twist then retract, about to simply say that's due to no one being there at the moment. Brushing my hair, inhaling slowly, I then reach out for his hand once more. "Perhaps they're merely saving energy. You know, to not have the lights on while there is natural light?"

"But it's already getting dark, though."

"Well, that's true but-"

"And our windows don't face the sunset anyways, so if you don't turn the lights on you can't see anything," he again counters immediately, as stubborn as a mule, as incessant as the snow in winter.

"But anyways, since we finally found it, there's no reason to stay standing here, right?"

"I… guess," he says, rather, whispers as he gives the slowest nod Takeru-san has ever given me.

"Your friends must be wanting to rest, too. Let's go?" I ask, giving a minute squeeze, a slow pull to his hand. He looks up, then nods again, slower this time.

As we slowly approach his home, a cold gale blows. Hitting us right in the face, scattering a newspaper and a few leaves. For every step we take, the wind howls and swirls around, the clouds melt and fuse, covering and blocking the sky, enlarging the shadows of the lightposts and houses, showering us in the yellow glow of the setting sun. Just a short distance separates us from our destination, and Sumika's house is also pitch-dark. The blinds of the windows are down, not a single sound can be heard nearby. Only our footsteps along the howling wind.

Takeru-san remains silent, simply looking at the door, petting the red kitty that gives out a small cry.

And in only two or three steps more, we end up face to face with the entrance to his house.

He doesn't seem willing to take the first step, all the animals huddling closer to him as the wind howls again. Will this take us back to the base? Will he end up returning to his own world? In any case, there is nothing else I can think of to put an end to this dreamscape. So, joining my fingers with his, giving a small smile, I step forward and grab the doorknob.

With a delayed and creaky echo, the door opens and we enter the place. In the darkness, I can see a set of stairs nearby. A door further in down the hallway, an open space to my left. And the scent, the strong scent of vanilla I felt before.

But the fine color of the wood in the floor, the nice cream colored walls, the few paintings that decorate the place…

"It's a nice house, I like it. Where is your room Ta- Huh?" A strong hold onto my arm, his fingers were shaking. "Takeru-san?"

As if using me as a shield, he does not move a single millimeter. Even the animals have gone dead silent, quiet and stiff. Before I can utter another sound, the wind howls again. A loud noise, a sharp slamming, the door closes itself and takes away what little light we had. Further creaking, more disturbances, the windows prey to the gale.

"T-That was scary. Takeru-san, where is the switch?"

"…The lights won't turn on," he whispers, not looking up, his aura dimming more and more with every passing second.

Blinking for a moment, my eyes adjust to the low illumination and easily find the switch. Yet, as I push it repeatedly, nothing happens.

"Maybe it's broken?" I ask, yet he remains silent, only the howling gust from outside answers. "Well, let's go further in. Is your room upstairs, Takeru-san?"

"Yes…"

Wrapping my fingers over his hand, I walk towards the stairs. Not even two steps after I feel myself stopping, my arm bending backwards in tension. As I look back, I spot a small white ball by Takeru-san's feet.

The white bunny was stomping its feet again, yet it was not groaning this time. The deep sound resembles more the beginning of a rumbling, an angered hissing. Takeru-san remains still, his eyes locked forward, towards the open space. The puppies both bite and pull at his pants, the dragons and kitties do the same to the clothing on his arms, and after so long the tuna lowered itself to the floor, somehow standing on its tail yet remaining quiet.

"Takeru-san, what's the matter?" I ask, pulling his hand.

Which slowly slips from my grasp as he starts taking steps forward, into what looks to be a dining room. The white bunny stands up, hitting his legs as if practicing boxing. Yet, he does not stop his slow steps. The other animals follow closely, in equal slowness.

Peeking into the place, all I can see is a table, a few chairs, a rather new-looking television, and a kitchen further in. Amidst the quietness, Takeru-san keeps walking towards the kitchen.

Until he stops suddenly, subtly starting to shake.

And then falls to his knees, all of a sudden.

Rushing along the animals to his side, his chest hiccups as the sound of stuck breaths come from his lips, his arms as vines cling to his shaking shoulders, his eyes unmoving…

…from the collapsed body that laid in the kitchen, a very pale looking woman with long hair in the same color as Takeru-san's.

"It seems this winter was too harsh for her, Takeru."

A voice, cracked and low, echoes in the room. There is no one around us, yet as I look about the place my breathing and heartbeats stop cold. Suffocated by the air, the sudden smell of incarceration, coughing and hacking is all I can do, covering my mouth with a hand, supporting myself on the table with the other.

The contact on my fingers feels odd, as if sticking to my hand. Abandonment and dust conquered the table, which was fine moments ago. As the stagnant air continues to linger, the smell of humidity, of strong yet unpleasant dampness fills the room. The paint starts peeling off like skin after a burn. In its place, crimson moss seems to surge, to ooze from within. Other parts simply blacken as if under constant fire, markings of candles pressed against the walls, at times large stain of humidity corroding it all from inside out instead..

"Haa… Haa… It's a lie…" he says under his breath.

Looking back, Takeru-san is clawing at his head with shaky hands. Cracks spawn in the floor, fissures that seem to extend towards him as does the moss. All the animals are on top of his hunched shape, meowing, barking and pulling at him, yet he does not move, still speaking under his breath.

"Takeru-san, please stand up. Let's get out of-"

"No, no, no, no," he shakes his head, the pressure of his fingers upon his scalp allowing me to see part of the skin. As I place a hand on his shoulder, he continues to shake and quiver.

The same dizzying sensation, the needles pierce my nape again. And as they do, that same stagnant smell grows stronger as a voice echoes once more.

"You see Takeru, mom went on a voyage."

"No! She never left!" He screams, dampness falling upon his cheeks.

"She was really sick."

"It's a lie! Mom never had to go to a hospital!"

"T-Takeru-san, please calm down!" Covering him with both arms, bringing him closer as I crouch by his side does nothing to stop the hands that claw and dig at his head, the slowness of the tears that come out.

It's my fault. If I hadn't brought these memories so suddenly to his mind, he wouldn't be suffering like this. I… I have to get him out of here, before anything else happ-

Static, interference, or something that resembles that echoes close by. The television that was nearby, shaking as if the earth was rumbling, displays a blurred image. Distorted by scanlines of black and white as if the screen was a pond being permanently showered by pebbles, two people in suits sit on a table, perhaps in a news' program.

"…It has been confirmed, in accordance to Mr. Kawamoto's testimony, that the victim was one Jinguuji Marimo, a teacher living in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture."

"No! No!" He thrashes in my hold, the animals' cries louder as they cling to him as well.

The static-ridden voice continues to report the news, distorting like a molten radio, looping over and over. Coughing, short of air, I can't even seem to move him one bit. His legs are becoming bruised by those lines, those cracks that spawn on the floor and cling to him as if they were parasitic roots. Crawling, inching closer, it feels as if I had bugs or spiders climbing on my back, the soft poke of those long and skinny legs, the contraction of my neck in sudden stiffness as the sensation raises to it and the back of my head.

"Come on, we have to leave…" Panting for a moment, I push an arm under one of his, yet its as if he were stuck to the my feet slip and I fall back onto the squishy and humid moss that's coating every corner of the house, the television's screen flickers and another different image appears.

"It seems that the power plant has exploded. The cause is still unknown, and the damage is still being-"

"It's a lie! It has to be! Make this stop!" Leaning onto me, he leaves dampness on my shoulder. He's still clawing at his head.

Knifes which sink for dear life, his teeth upon his lips. A broken exhaust pipe, his throat as he coughs, drowning in his own cries. Little comfort, the licks of the puppies, the nuzzling of the kitties, of the rabbits. Both dragons start spewing embers at the moss, at the cracks in the tiles, keeping it all away from Takeru-san. The white bunny looks back at me, thumping.

Yet, as I stand up, my palms almost slipping on top of the moss, before I can even try and lift Takeru-san, something else enters my sight. On the opposite end of the table, someone was hunched over in the same way little Takeru-san is as of now, both hands crushing the back of his head. But… why are there two different-

"Why did she have to die too?! Sensei, you said everything was going to be alright once I wasn't a conductor anymore!"

Takeru-san, the see-through shadow, screams as it hits the table, shaking the entire house, widening the cracks, dust falling from the ceiling, and making me shiver as I step back. It's as if I had my face right besides a fire, the lack of air, the emptiness in my stomach, the repeated blow with each cry of both of them.

"Cough… Cough… We have to get out…" Slowly walking, I grab the little shoulders, lifting them off, finding next to no resistance. "Takeru-san, stand up. We have to leave."

"It's a lie… It's not my fault…"

"My dear Takeru. If you're reading this, it means Dad has gone to meet Mom and Grandma." Another voice echoes, further choking comes out from his lips.

"Dad… D-Dad never died…"

It's my fault.

Because I wasn't careful.

He was always being tormented by these nightmares, and kept doing his best while saying nothing during the recoveries.

A quiet rumbling, the shadowy Takeru-san that was hunched over the table begins to crack. Small at first, growing larger gradually, pieces fall apart from him. A void where his heart should be, as if he were nothing but an empty statue. Yet, tears keep falling from the cracks in his face, in a slow yet constant stream.

The same voice from before echoes, slower and lower, "We had to take Sumika-chan to the hospital. When your mom went to call her for lunch she was very weak, couldn't even stand by herself."

W-What? Sumika-san was… sent to a hospital? Looking down at him, his fingers cling to my arm, shivering and shivering. Still repeating 'no' over and over under his breath, no amount of caresses to his hair seem to break through the shock, nor does it get easier to move him. His feet remain limp on the floor, both doggies trying to help me by biting into his pants and pulling strong.

"We couldn't determine the reason, but her vitals were plummeting very fast. Her heart stopped just as few minutes ago," a cold voice slowly tells.

"N-No… it can't be… it's all a lie, a nightmare…"

"It's alright, Takeru-san. Don't listen to these voices, just listen to me, okay? Let's get out before-"

"Sumika-san is dead. Your fight is already over."

It hurts, how his hand crush my shoulders. It hurts even more, to see his lips part wide, to hear nothing come out of them, to have his eyes squint so hard they might regress into his skull.

Unable to scream, simply resting on me. From the bottom of my throat, a soreness rises and gags me as I cough. As if a pincer had taken hold of my head, a deep and sharp cutting feeling pierces me. From my nape, through my ears, right into my eyes, barbed wires and shards of glass, stingers at the minimal movement of any muscle, and coughing. Much coughing, as if my heart wanted to be spit out, as if I had to spit it out because it was rotting within me as it beats faster and faster against my chest.

Is this… how you always felt every morning? Were you putting on a front so that I didn't feel this? Why didn't you say anything?

Dragging us both through the moss and cracks, the dragons start cutting and clearing the way to the front door. Taking in a deep breath once I make it outside, my feet entangle on themselves as the freshness returns to my nose.

Rolling for a moment, a momentary shock courses through me as I hit the ground. Softly rubbing my head, I sit on the floor. From the outside, the house looks just as before. Yet, the acceleration of my heartbeats tells this was no illusion. Wobbling as I rise back up, coughing again, my fingers meet the shaky hair as he coughs and fails to calm his breathing.

"Takeru-san, come on. Put both hands over your mouth, take a few deep breaths," I slowly whisper, grasping his hands and bringing them up to his lips.

Eyes still closed, he hiccups as he tries to restore calmness to his breathing. Any more stress and he might start hyperventilating. The puppies whimper, resting a paw each on an opposite leg. Both dragons rustle against his back, the kitties coming to lay by his shoes along the tuna. The black rabbit slowly comes closer to me, simply remaining by my side as he continues to fail to regain his breath. The white rabbit, however, is behind him. Ears up and alert, groaning every so and so as it looks into the open door.

A soft coughing, followed by a dry and faint whisper. "I'm f-fine… I'm okay…"

Letting go of his hands, I start petting his head as he has done so many times for me. "It's alright, don't force yourself, Takeru-san."

Simply hugging him as we both remain on the floor, I start rubbing his back and close my eyes.

The soreness eventually vanishes from my throat, the numbness from my lips. The small jolts of pain leave my limbs, my heart once more calms down into a steady rhythm. Now able to hold the air in my stomach, now feeling his grip softening, I open my eyes again and slowly start to stand up. As we do, I see that the sky is already dark, a few stars visible through the clouds.

"Are you… feeling well?" I whisper to his ear, still holding him.

He nods, sniffing and wiping his eyes as he moves away. "Yeah… I think."

"Um, uh… Takeru-san, well, I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have insisted to come here so much."

"…Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why is my house like this? Why are mom and dad not here?" He asks, looking up at me, dampness still lingering in his gaze.

"I… I don't know…"

"Is this… really my house? Why is no one here, then?"

"I, well, uh…"

"And… what were those voices? W-Were they telling the truth?"

"I… well… I'm sorry," it's all I can say, rubbing his head. This is all because I didn't see your pain, because I wasn't careful enough.

"…Then, was that the truth?" Upon his gaze, my lips regress and regress until it starts to hurt. "But I can't stay here… If this isn't my home then, where is it? Is there… someplace I can still call home?" He pulls my sleeves, I can't return his stare.

And I take a step back, and another, and another. Unable to look up, all I can do is hear him sob again. And he starts coughing again, failing to take deep breaths. And he keeps asking why, saying it's all a lie.

…What do I do?

I cannot possibly take him back with how he is as of now. But then, how do I return to the base?

Even if we do, how can we let him recover? I don't think the Professor can shield him even further from the inquiries of the nobles. And if he's this hurt, Takeru-san might not be able to keep walking forward as he has been. All this time, he was smiling through it all, doing his best to endure these nightmarish feelings… and now, he just can't anymore.

…What can I do? What should I do? I… I don't wanna hear him cry anymore… I… ugh…

Again, needles pierce my nape. Sight grows blurry, can't feel my arms or legs. Cold all of a sudden, mouth drying up, I stumble for a moment. And as the pain subsides, clutching my forehead I look up.

"…I think I get it," a light and dry voice says, very close by.

A tall shadow, right in front of me. Basking into a glistening halo of moonlight, he remains quiet as he stares at the house.

Long and unkempt chestnut hair, dry and with some strands stuck together. It all falls on his shoulders, on the rather long and worn down red scarf he's wearing.

Lines of orange within the dark of his clothes, tattered gloves that reveal swollen fingers with long and cracked nails, and a skin that was paling far more than my own. It is all a stalwart shadow contrasting against the white and cold moonlight, the dark blue of the skies. An ice wall which does not even flinch or close his eyes as the cold wind howls again, as the clouds swirl into cyclones above us both.

The exhaustion lingering in his voice, in the eye bags left under his eyes, in the hunched and low posture he takes on. Cracks in his lips, like in his mud-stained boots.

Takeru-san, a Takeru-san that was just a bit taller than me, is now standing in front of me, dressed in the darkest attire the nobles of the IRG usually endow. The animals all gather to his feet, slowly touching his lower legs, speaking up softly. Moonlight breaks through the clouds again, showering upon his features, perhaps making him seem more pale than he actually is. And yet it contrasts against the full dark of his dress, the quiet kindling within his eyes which take in the moonlight as the breeze passes and makes both strands of hair and scarf flutter to the wind.

Sighing hard as he sits on the ground, petting the animals, he looks up at the moon, eyelids almost fully closed. "This feels as if I were dreaming, as if I were seeing something that happened a really long time ago. A trip down memory lane. I guess that's why no one sees me, why everything and everyone is so gray."

Unlike what I expected, his voice is so slow, so calm. It's as… it feels as if I were floating on my back atop a body of water, a rather cold body of water yet not unpleasant by any means. Unlike what the Professor and everyone seems to say about 'this' Takeru-san, this is… similar to that day when he told me of Galaxy Wars, right before I entered his office. A calm and silent sorrow, being taken away by the slow current of blue.

"It's simple, when you think about it," he chuckles, giving a cracked gesture that does not resemble a smile despite the rise of his lips. "This isn't 'today' anymore. This is 'yesterday', isn't it?"

"Uh… Um… T-Takeru-san?"

And slowly, he looks back at me. Lips clearly marked downwards, blinking slowly yet leaving his eyelids barely open. Dark, so dark blue. As if it were a net, a cage he was trapped in, that is what his aura now resembles. A strong, impregnable blue. And yet, there are cracks in the ice, there is something flickering within the ice, in the tense expression and posture. As if unyielding against any hammer even if it were the Mjolnir itself, spears risen in defense.

"Hm?" His eyes remain on mine for a moment as only the wind betrays the silence, as his unblinking stare cascades onto mine. "You… were following me as I walked the city, right? Your name was… Kasumi, was it?"

"…Y-Yes. Um, Takeru-san, are you… alright?"

Making that cracked gesture that does not resemble a smile, he shrugs slowly. "I guess. Maybe, kinda."

As he pets the animals, his aura takes on a deep blue of sorrow, as if his features were constrained by vines and roots, as if the thorns were piercing through his very being. There is no anger to be felt in the Takeru-san I now see. Which is… odd, considering the strong reaction he had in the medbay. This feels… like an invigoration of the emotions the little Takeru-san had when that mean noble left him alone without dinner in his room. But this isn't the Takeru-san I know. This is a manifestation of the memories I allowed him to recall, this person is this world's Takeru-san.

…Then, why do the stingers remain in my chest, at the base of my throat?

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"Takeru-san, you're… a Royal Guard, right?"

"…I suppose, yes. A commoner member, a…" he looks down, the rustling of furs growing slower, "baseborn, more accurately."

"So, uh, um… you're, I mean… Do you truly feel alright?"

"Yes, maybe. Is something the matter?"

"No, it's just… well, I heard that, uh, some royal guards are very… angry, adusted at times."

Slow and dry is his chuckle, which shortly turns into more coughing. "Yeah, I can see what you mean, bunny girl. But don't worry, I ain't like the more, uh, intense of our ranks," he nods, not dispelling the coldness which matches the night yet not seeming unwelcoming either.

"So, uh, what are you going to do now, Takeru-san? Your house is… well…"

Remaining inexpressive as he caresses the animals, he whispers back after a sigh. "There is little for me to do here anymore. Not gonna lie, it was nice coming back here, to spend even just a second reminiscing of these peaceful days. But… this isn't where I should be," he then chuckles dryly once more, a single teardrop escaping his left eye, "…even if there isn't anywhere I should be, anyways."

"Huh? What do you mean? Do you not have, um, fellows in the Imperial Guard?"

Grimacing for but a second, his expression tightens as if he had touched ice. "…Doesn't matter. By the way," he slowly stands up, dusting off his uniform, taking a few steps towards me, "isn't the other one with you today?"

"…The other one?"

"You know, the one that's always with you. Dressed in white, with purple hair, and that smug smirk."

"…Why?"

"Eh?"

"Why… do you know… Do you know the Professor?"

"…So she's a professor?" He whispers, grasping his chin and nodding slowly.

"Huh? I… uh… yes, she is. So, you've seen her in… your dreams?"

"Yeah, doesn't she always appear with you? Guess you're alone now, huh," he says, still lacking any and all energy.

The animals hurry closer, the bunnies hopping in between us. The black one sniffs his hand, welcoming the slow caress of the torn glove before hopping my way, asking for me to again take it atop my head. The white bunny does the same with him, only thumping and groaning at the delay in tiredness of his gestures, like a wave retracting back to the ocean after hitting the shore.

"Um… Takeru-san, have you dreamed about these animals before too?"

"Kinda? I guess, at times. It gets hard to remember, everything just spins at times," he shrugs, placing the moody white bunny back on top of his messy hair. If it weren't for his clothes and the exhaustion which lingers in him, it's almost as if I were talking with the Takeru-san I know. "Still… Sigh." His shoulders then drop as do his lips, the blue darkening in his complexion.

"Are you feeling well?" I ask, extending a hand.

He again tries and fails to smile as he shakes his head. "Yeah, I'm… fine. It's just a bit distressing, is all."

"What is?"

"I just wonder what it says about me, dreaming about a loli bunny girl escorting me through the city," he then sighs again as his posture lowers.

"What is wrong with that? Bunnies are cute."

"Yeah, I guess you are… cute. It's just, you know, weird. I feel like we're going to skip the MPs and go straight to the yanks if I gotta explain this one."

"…I don't understand."

One eye closes as he shrugs. "Better that you don't, I suppose. Sigh… Still, thanks for keeping me company, bunny girl," he nods back, starting to walk past me. As he does the animals hurry to follow him, the dragons cling to his arms once more, the kitties and the tuna jump to his shoulders and the puppies hurry as they bark in complain.

As I turn to follow him, a distorted image reaches my sight. Like when I cannot focus anymore, the rest of the neighborhood is becoming colorless, swirling and crumbling apart. So silently, so quietly, as if was never there to begin with, simply crushed like lonely leaves on the ground.

"Why is this all falling apart?"

"Because it's just yesterday, this… isn't real anymore," he says, voice lowering.

Looking back at him, more crumbled buildings were in his path. Yet… the scenery down the street is the same as the one near the base. Almost as if it were a reflection of the nearby buildings, as if a mirror was placed at the next street, the crumbled version of Takeru-san's house was close to us, the Gekishin which fell upon the remains of Sumika-san's house is also visible under the moonlit skyline. And yet, the path does not seem to lead back to the base. On the horizon, a vast wasteland seems to expand, like the one… that he showed me and the Professor when she threatened him with a gun.

"Um… Takeru-san?"

"Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

"…No idea."

"Then, why are you walking into that wasteland? Your home… I mean, if you wake up now, uh, we can-"

"It'd be nice, to stay chilling here. But this… isn't my home anymore," looking down, the fissures of blue seem to spawn all over her body, as if a shock of electricity they were. Yet, he remains still, inexpressive. "I don't know where I should be, but wherever that is has to be past this wasteland. It's always the same in all of my dreams, anyways."

"So you… you dream of an eternal wasteland?"

"Yeah. I never have managed to make it to the other side yet. Guess all I can do is keep crawling forward on my own," he says, beginning to frown as he turns around, "like every goddamn day since this invasion started…"

"Stop, please!" Rushing to his side, I grab his hand. It feels cold, too stiff and swollen. "You don't know if that's the right way, maybe you can wake up if we go elsewhere." If he follows the same dreams of this world's Takeru-san, then… there is no other representation of his psyche nearby, so our Takeru-san is being affected by the shared memories. And if I don't stop him-

Slow, he places a hand on my cheek. Almost like a towel is the softness which rubs my face for a second, as I'm unable to look away from the cold expression with small candles as eyes. Even slower, he parts my bangs as if they were curtains, ruffling them for a moment. Then, he seems to pet the bunny on my head, that wavering expression again in his face, that exhausted smile.

"You don't have to force yourself to follow me. This is my own burden after all, can't push you to tag along," he whispers, slowly turning around and walking off towards the ruins ahead.

As he does, with every step he takes my limbs grow numb, my sight grows blurry. The shiver on my nape, the jolt through my legs, it's like when I halt a recovery session. Am I… waking up? This opposition, is it like when I was trying to enter his mind and I was rejected? But… But…

Takeru-san then turns back, the wind blows and swirls his scarf and hair. The tired expression betrays the stoic dark of his dress, he gives another cracked smile and nods. Then weakly raises a hand, waving at me as he starts walking with the moonlight as his cloak.

"Later, bunny girl. See you in another dream."

…What do I do? My lips part, no sound comes out.

Should I let him wake up on his own terms? His silhouette grows hazy, I can't feel the wind anymore.

This might not even be the Takeru-san I know, maybe all I did was guide the one I know to the memories of this world's one, to the wrathful guard.

Merely trying to move forward send pain into my soles, palpitations fading as everything dulls and numbs, as moving anything causes pain to flare up under my stiff muscles.

I do not know if it is safe for me, to delve deeper into his mind. If he becomes that wrathful guard, he might harm me. I don't know what consequences that might have. Yet, to leave him alone… when it was my fault he's feeling this shock at the memories…

…But it hurts, merely trying to remain aware and focuses. If anything like what happened in the house occurs again…

A faint groan, a tender pressure. A tiny stomp on my forehead, the black bunny jumps off me. It lands and looks back, staring at me for a second. It groans loudly, thumping its legs again, before it dashes away in hops in chase of the blurry figure in the distance.

…

I… I can't… I have to…

"Haa… Haa…" Frowning, I hit my cheeks with both palms, taking a deep breath.

As the remnants of the peaceful city disintegrate calmly to the wind, turning to ash and dust, leaving nothing but a void in its place, I also rush into the ruins. Through the debris, through the concrete and fallen steel limbs, ignoring the spikes and stones which sink onto my feet, the prickling spider legs that crawl up my back, until his shape becomes recognizable again.

"Takeru-san, please wait!"

He was crouching, playing with the black bunny. Looking up, he raises a brow. Standing up slowly, those calm features merely observe as I gradually lose speed, panting and sweating, until I stop a short distance away from him. As I claw at me knees, bending my dress, something soft yet rough covers my eyes. Forcefully rubbing the sweat of my face, Takeru-san then pets my head, slower and stronger than usual and without the orange aura filling me with warmth. Yet, there is a certain relaxation coming from the slow freshness of this blue aura that kneads my hair.

"What is it, bunny girl? It's alright, you can go back to wherever it is you gotta be. I can-"

"Let me go with you."

"…What?"

"I want to accompany you, until the dream is over. Until… you go back home." Even if you're not our Takeru-san, this is his psyche. And if the memories are trying to be assimilated, then you'll guide me to him. And also, I… don't feel anything bad from you.

He blinks, leaving his hand on my hair. Lips part, close, retract inwards. Takeru-san then sighs with closed eyes, his hand slipping off my head, falling limply by his side. "It's not a good idea. You shouldn't stay near me."

"Why?"

"Well, everyone ends up leaving me anyways, or ignoring me, so you don't have to worry. I'm… used to this, bunny girl."

"I… still want to accompany you. Also, my name is Kasumi."

"You're sure you wanna come with?"

"Yes… for real."

Blinking slowly again, he chuckles dryly. "I see. Thanks, really," and finally, as the moon covers his face again, he smiles, earnestly yet small.

"No, it's nothing… So, um, do you usually walk with the ani- friends through the wasteland?"

"More like they just follow me. I've no idea why, but they give me this sense of deja vu. Can't just leave them alone in this mess," he shrugs, leaving his hand for a small moment on each animal, scratching their heads.

A small poke on my leg, the black rabbit stares at me. Groaning when I don't lift it immediately.

I wonder, if the one in front of me is this world's Takeru-san, and he says he saw me and the Professor in his dreams… Is this because his memories are mixed with the ones from our Takeru-san? Then, what is it with these animals forms? It is all so confusing.

The Takeru-san in front of me shows no hostility, no anger or any violent emotions. He's blue, completely sad and quiet. Not despairing, but unable to lift his good spirits as he always does. Simply… lips pursed in discouragement, shoulders sagging in quiet loneliness, and a forced ice mask in over his face. It's like nothing I've seen in Takeru-san thus far, and it also does not align with that I know of this world's Takeru-san. His quietness is a bit… unnerving, considering the usual loud cheerfulness he displays, both in the base and as he was in his child form.

But that doesn't change what I have to do, for it was my fault your memories are in such disarray. No matter where it is you're going, I'm going to follow you and bring you back. No, wait, is it him or our Takeru-san? If they end up fusing, that will only make things worse, right? Or would it clarify everything in his heart?

…No, I cannot doubt. For now, this Takeru-san does not seem like a bad person. Just like the little one in the house, he's saddened to the core. But instead of crying, he's keeping quiet and marching on… perhaps as Takeru-san was all these days, saying nothing on his pain as we kept doing recovery sessions after his duties.

As I put the rabbit on my head again, we start walking alongside the puppies.

After a moment, Takeru-san looks at me and gives a small nod, his bottom lip retracting fully behind his teeth as he whispers words of thankfulness as we march into the wasteland of cracked dirt and cloudy skies.

So I reach out for his hand, and a small grip returns mine own. The puppies bark once, the kitties rustle under his large red scarf, and both bunnies seem to curl once more into a loaf of bread.

In silence, we slowly venture forth towards the unchanging scenery that extends deep into the horizon under these skies brimming with stormclouds, towards whatever is waiting for us after light's out under the moon's guidance.