A.N: Hello! Here is the second chapter of this commission fic! I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter Two: Sleep Warrior
"Chiaki?"
Sonia slowly and carefully approached her Class Representative, watching as the Ultimate Gamer still held her Nintendo Switch in front of her face, unaware of anything happening around her. The Ultimate Princess cocked her head to the side, trying to meet her friend's eyes but failing to do so.
"It is rare to see you roam around the school in the middle of the night, Chiaki..." Sonia stated, walking alongside the short-haired gamer. "Is everything alright? What are you up to?"
Due to the other girl's fixation on her console, Sonia could not see that Chiaki was actually fast asleep and sleepwalking. So they kept walking together, with the princess making sure her classmate didn't bump into any walls or hurt herself in any way.
"Playing video games at night in the hallways... This is very intriguing!" Sonia cheered, her enthusiasm threatening to wake her sleeping classmates inside their dorms. "I shall accompany you if you do not mind, Chiaki! I wish to learn more about your unorthodox pastime!"
The gamer gave a weak and subconscious nod. In her dreams, the girl faced another batch of enemies coming after her ship. She began to take them out easily while her high score kept growing in the real world as she cleared another level.
"Nanami! You shall have a battle partner by your side from now on! Make sure to wipe every enemy squad with her! We are putting our faith in the two of you!"
Her captain's words reached her ears as another ship flew next to hers. Inside, the dreaming Chiaki noticed Sonia dressed in military equipment, confidently maneuvering her vessel.
"Chiaki! I have come to help you deal with those pesky enemies!" With those words, Sonia fired a huge canon that completely disrupted the formation of the following foes. "Yes! No one shall defeat us!"
Hm, it seems Sonia has joined me... I wonder how... Unsure of how her campaign had turned into a co-op mission, the Ultimate Gamer nonetheless took the lead, moving towards the enemy lines with her new ally in tow. No matter! I'm glad to have a friend to help me!
"Glad to... have you to in... the fight against evil... Sonia... I think..." Chiaki muttered, unaware that her classmate was currently walking beside her, inspecting her curiously. In turn, Sonia had no idea she had just appeared in the gamer's dream. "I know you'll be... of great help..."
Suddenly, the sleepwalking girl stopped walking. Sonia's eyes widened as Chiaki extended a hand in her direction.
"With you... we're sure to... win the day..."
"Huh? 'Win the day,' Chiaki?" Confused as to what her Class Representative meant – after all, how was one supposed to win a day? At the lottery, perhaps? – nonetheless shook her hand. There was also the question of what Chiaki was doing. This was another mystery. "Well, in any case, I am happy to keep watch over you as you partake in... your new activity, Chiaki!"
A small smile adorned the sleeping girl's lips as she resumed playing on her console. She was past 100,000 points now and had no intention of stopping any time soon. With Sonia still at her side, Chiaki resumed walking. Meanwhile, the battles in her dream were still going on.
"Come, soldier... We have... a universe... to save...! Zzz... the villains... need to be... vanquished..."
Proceeding forward, Chiaki cleared another level on her Switch. Sonia kept pace with her unexpected commander, watching her as the Ultimate Gamer eventually reached the dorm building's main door and sleepwalked outside to the campus grounds.
I have to say... Chiaki's pastime is intriguing but also a little strange...
Sonia walked with her friend and classmate, who was still expertly playing her Gala Omega game. Everything was fine until the Ultimate Gamer sped up, forcing Sonia to jog to keep up the pace. They eventually reached the fountain in the center of campus, where no sound could be heard save for the small waterfalls.
"You quite like this fountain, don't you, Chiaki? I believe I have already spotted you playing video games with this tall Reserve Course student here," the Ultimate Princess said, looking over Chiaki with a smile. "Do you perhaps have made plans with him to meet up here?"
She blushed at the thought that she may have interrupted something private. Not that this theory gave much more sense to Chiaki's earlier words about vanquishing villains.
The short-haired girl failed to answer at first, instead sleepwalking inside the fountain. A quiet sound of pleasure escaped her lips at the pleasant temperature of the water.
"Hajime... and me... are good friends... He's better... than he thinks... He is... special..."
Sonia listened as Chiaki walked around the fountain, speaking in a voice so low it was barely audible. The princess could see a small and satisfied smile on the gamer's lips.
"Nagito... he's mysterious... and misunderstood..." Chiaki sleepily added. "Want to... be his good friend... too..."
"Huh? Nagito?"
Unsure of what she was supposed to do with those words, Sonia joined Chiaki in the fountain, staying close to her.
"Yeah... Nagito... seems happy... but feels lonely... want to... truly understand him too... be his... first true... friend..."
Sonia smiled. How like Chiaki. There was no one her Class Representative would leave behind, no matter how much they believed they were worthless. Perhaps she wasn't as talented as Chisa in raising the self-confidence of others, but she could produce unrivaled energy trying, at least.
However, in her dreams, something far different was unfolding. The dreaming Chiaki and her ship arrived on a planet almost entirely of water, closely accompanied by her blonde ally. She exited her battleship, using the break their enemies had granted them to relax.
The two classmates dove into the water, enjoying the soothing feeling of the warm water against their fatigued bodies.
This feels very pleasant... A break from the battle shall do us plenty of good! I think...
Meanwhile, the sleeping Ultimate Gamer simply walked around the fountain, still playing the game on her console. Sonia looked at her fondly, although she still had many unanswered questions. Still, seeing one of her best friends having fun was enough for her.
"Zzz... This is a... wonderful feeling... So free... Best planet..."
The Ultimate Princess scratched her temple, listening to Chiaki's incoherent mumblings. Sonia knew Chiaki could be a bit of an airhead sometimes, but it was still out of character for her to walk in a fountain while playing her video games at night in her pajamas.
In short, she was starting to suspect something was up.
"Hm, Chiaki...? Perhaps it would be best to get out of the fountain now..." she suggested gently. "I'm sure the Academy would disapprove of us dirtying the water like this..." Seeing she wasn't getting her attention, she changed course. "Shouldn't we be looking for those villains you mentioned earlier, Chia-"
"Relax now... Return to... home base... later... Zzz..." Chiaki sleepily said, cutting Sonia before she could finish.
Wait a moment... Sonia brought her hand to her chin, deep in thought. Could it be that Chiaki is...? A lightbulb turned on above the princess's head as she came to an important realization. Chiaki must be asleep right now! That would explain her... statements and strange actions!
To further prove her theory, Sonia noticed that the gamer's body language and expression indicated she was not awake. She felt a little silly for not realizing sooner. More than that, however, she was surprised.
I have never heard of anyone moving in such a way during their slumber... She thought, realizing she had her cellphone on her. Let me use the Internet to see if this is common!
Sonia googled something in the language of Novoselic about walking while asleep. She quickly looked through a couple of websites, making sure to keep an eye on her classmate. Now that she knew Chiaki was unconscious, she didn't want her to inadvertently get hurt.
Hm, most interesting... It appears to be called 'sleepwalking' and affects a select few individuals... Well, whatever it is, I find it very intriguing! If I can act as Chiaki's guardian angel and look after her for a while longer, I would be delighted!
"Zzz... H-Huh...?"
Suddenly, the Ultimate Gamer started acting up, her eyes opening and widening for less than a second, and her fingers leaving her console.
"C-Chiaki...? Is something wrong...?"
Chiaki placed a finger to her ear as if listening to someone with an earpiece. Of course, she didn't have one, but things were very different in her dreams.
"Nanami, over! Nanami, respond!" Her captain said, his voice panicked and frantic. "T-The enemy has gotten new... and stronger forces! *bzzz* You and Nevermind are our only hope! W-We need your firepower! *bzzz*"
"Captain?!" the dreaming girl called out, hearing nothing but static on the line. "C-Captain?!" She sighed, realizing he couldn't talk anymore. "Don't worry! Sonia and I will return to home base ASAP! Please keep the others safe until we return!"
Seeing she was acting strange, Sonia walked over to her friend in the real world, noticing some urgency in how her face twitched. The sleeping Chiaki brought her console back to her hands, pressing the buttons and nudging the joysticks at light's speed.
"Zzz... Emergency... The enemy has made... a comeback... wiping out our... fleet..."
Sonia smiled, unable to imagine what kind of dream was playing in her friend's mind. It appeared that, whatever it was, she and her own dreamy self were in a dire position. Chiaki walked out of the fountain, prompting Sonia to follow her, assisting her so she would not trip and fall.
That would be one heck of a wake-up call.
"Sonia... we need to... get back into... the ship..." Chiaki mumbled to her ally. "Our forces are... getting killed... need our help..."
The blonde chuckled, thrilled to hear some action was happening in her classmate's slumber. It surprised her: this dream appeared weirdly heroic and intense compared to how Chiaki would usually sound.
Well, as long as Chiaki is not putting herself in harm's way... I should play along!
As the two girls started heading back towards the dorms, their dream selves went back inside their respective battleships, getting ready to move out at once.
"Right! Chiaki, let us save our comrades together!"
With Sonia's words, they sailed into the skies once more, desperately hoping they were not too late to rescue their allies.
"Chiaki, my brave comrade, where are these enemy forces headed, if I may ask?" the real Sonia asked, deciding she would humor her sleepwalking friend for a bit. It seemed like Chiaki was having a lot of fun in her dreams, so she wanted things to continue this way.
"The villains... have prepared a... major attack... for us... Need to reach... station..."
While mumbling, the sleeping Chiaki moved again, her fingers resuming her game on the Switch. She pointed to the roof and sped up the pace, forcing Sonia to jog once more to keep up.
"Y-You want to go on the roof, Chiaki?" Seeing the short-haired girl nod slowly, Sonia rolled her eyes and giggled. "Well, to the station we go, comrade!"
Sonia carefully held her classmate's hand as they went up the stairs. Chiaki played her console with only one hand but remained as skilled as before, even though she was still fast asleep. They eventually reached the rooftop. Obviously, there was nobody there.
"There we are, Chiaki!" the blonde cheered, guiding her and ensuring she didn't trip. That would make for a pretty tragic ending. "The station!"
Chiaki sounded satisfied as she walked around under Sonia's surveillance. The Ultimate Princess looked fondly at her, amused by her sleeping gimmicks. Meanwhile, the gamer kept cruising through her game like it was nothing. Her high school was still far away, but she had made excellent progress.
Especially considering she was sleeping!
Still, this is very strange... None of the websites I consulted said anything about such extreme behavior during sleepwalking... Sonia thought, making sure to keep a watchful eye over her classmate. Perhaps I should...?
Slowly, the princess approached the sleeping Ultimate Gamer and softly grabbed her shoulders. She shook them gently, watching as this did...
...absolutely nothing.
"My, it seems you're sleeping deeply, comrade!"
Sonia began to shake Chiaki around more vigorously, making her head bob back and forth like a bobblehead. She was determined to wake her up, curious to know what her reaction would be. She had missed the part online about how this was a bad idea.
"Ungh... ship... malfunction...?"
"H-Huh?" Sonia's eyes widened as she looked at Chiaki's face. The Ultimate Princess noticed her eyes were opened very slightly as if she had just drowsily woken up. "Malfunction? W-What malfunction, Chiaki?!"
Before she could get an answer to her question, however, the Ultimate Gamer's eyelids shut again, and she fell right back to sleep. Sonia sweatdropped.
"Zzz..."
I-It seems I wasn't quick enough... The blonde thought, scratching her temple. S-Still, I'm slightly worried... W-What is it Chiaki was saying about a malfunction...?
The wind continued to blow, making both girls' hair flow. It was then that Sonia truly realized what was unfolding: she was on the rooftop of Hope's Peak Academy in the middle of a silent night with a sleepwalking girl playing video games.
"T-This is slightly worrying..." she realized. Usually, Sonia was very much into horror stories and the likes, but not really when she was involved in them! "C-Chiaki, could you please wake up...?" she asked, getting some chills from the cold wind. "L-Let me return you to your bed and-"
"...final boss..."
"T-The final boss, my comrade?" Sonia asked hesitantly, seeing her friend's expression steadily filling with concentration.
In the gamer's dreams, her and Sonia's ships faced a very threatening vessel, bigger than any they had seen so far. Undoubtedly, this could only mean one thing: this was their most powerful enemy yet.
"M-My, what a gigantic ship..." the blonde muttered, unable to do anything but stare. "I-Isn't that the Captain's ship over there, comrade?" she asked with worry.
Chiaki gave a somber nod. "Yes... I think... It is engaged in a battle against this new foe! We need to rush to the rescue!"
However, before the girls could even move their respective vessels, a terrible noise threatened to rupture their eardrums. They stared, terrified, as a massive shell hit their Captain's boat, causing a deafening explosion.
"C-Captain!" Chiaki cried, speeding up through the skies as quickly as she could. "H-Hang on, Captain!"
"N-Nanami... I-It's me..."
The dreaming girl's eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice coming from her earpiece. "C-Captain! Sonia and I are coming to rescue you! Please give us a mome-"
"It's no use, Nanami. We are sinking too quickly to be saved." The man let out a hollow laugh. "I guess I was too weak... From now on, you're the Captain, Nanami. Make us proud." Another laugh. "What am I saying...? I know you will."
With those words, the line cut as the ship crashed, turning it into a pile of debris. Chiaki looked down to her feet, her small hands curling into angry fists.
Captain... She took a deep breath and stared right ahead. I promise that Sonia and I will avenge you! "Let's take him down together, comrade!"
Even though small tears had appeared in the corner of her eyes, Sonia nodded with determination. She put her foot on the pedal and followed her ally as they flew through the skies at increasing speed.
"Right, Captain Nanami! Let's take him down a botch!"
Chiaki smiled at her foreign friend's small mistake, preparing all the canons at her disposal for their face-off against the final villain.
Meanwhile, in reality, the situation had not changed much. The Ultimate Gamer was still unconsciously playing her Switch, having reached the final level. It seemed like she wouldn't get her high score tonight, but it was close enough to be impressive.
"Take him down... the final boss... together... avenge our late Captain..."
Sonia, who had been deep in thought about her classmate's sleepwalking status, looked up, noticing Chiaki was on the move again. Her eyes widened with horror as she saw her near the edge of the roof, carefreely playing her Gala Omega game, unaware of her surroundings.
"C-Chiaki, no!" she screamed, rushing to her side. "B-Be careful! Y-You're gonna fall off!"
"You are going... to pay for... what you did...!"
However, the Ultimate Princess's warnings never reached her short-haired friend as she walked off the roof, sleepily plummeting to her doom right before Sonia's despaired eyes.
To be continued...
A.N: I hope you liked it! Please leave a review, and I hope you all have a nice day!