February 1st, 5737, roughly 2 years later…
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"That was tougher than I thought." Ayane told herself as she looked at the work she had done on REI37. "Okay, let's boot this thing up."
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Turning the machine around, Ayane pressed the button that sat under it, and held it. Then after a few seconds, a startup sound was heard. As the machine shook, Ayane placed it down on the table in front of her and stepped back. As it spun around, it began to roll around then stopped.
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"Is that it?" Ayane asked before looking back at the paper she had. "Did I do something wrong?" As she turned her back to the table, she was so focused on the paper she did not hear the sound of a silent propeller lifting off. "I don't see anything wrong. Maybe it's just me?"
"I don't believe so." A voice spoke.
"Oh, is that so? Well, that makes me feel a bit better." Now confused as to why she heard a voice, Ayane slowly turned around to see a floating ball hovering right in front of her face. "Whoaa!"
"Greeting, am I to assume that you are the one who woke me up?" REI37 asked as he began to make circles around Ayane from the bottom to the top.
"Rei…right?" Ayane asked.
"That is correct. My name is Rei. I was created by Master Byakuya." Rei responded.
"Master Byakuya? As in Byakuya Ishigami, one of the six astronauts that went into space?!" Ayane asked with glee in her voice. "So, he was smart enough to build his own A.I. on his own?
"No, he didn't build me on his own, he designed me, but nothing more." Rei stepped in on Ayane's speech.
"Is that so? But why do you call him 'Master'?" Ayane asked.
"Because that is who he is." Rei answered never really giving a concrete answer. Now realizing that the machine was on, Ayane quickly asked.
"Say, was there someone alive before me waking up?"
"There was. But he never gave me his name, so I always referred to him as 'Doctor.' It was simple like that." Rei was quick and simple in his answer this time.
"Is that so? Then tell me, do you know the name Senku?" Ayane asked in hopes of finally answering the question that has been on her mind.
"I do." Rei answered.
"Then do you know his relations with Byakuya Ishigami?" Ayane continued with her questions.
"I do." Rei answered. "Senku is Master Byakuya's son." After hearing the revelation upon her, Ayane fell to her knees and just looked down at the ground. "Miss are you alright?"
"Do you know what he looks like?" Ayane questioned once more without looking up at the machine.
"I do not. But based on the data I have of Master Byakuya, I may be able to see some resemblance if we are able to find him." Rei answered once more, only to see Ayane rise to her feet. "Miss?"
"Follow me." Was all Ayane said.
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Following behind his awakener, REI37 noticed how the girl carried herself. Just by looks alone was enough to see that for the amount of time she had been awake she had changed herself for her own survival. As her long black hair swayed from side to side with her movements, Rei was somewhat captivated. Then stopping just before the Cave of Miracles, Ayane turned to face REI37.
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"Is this Senku? If it's not, then we'll move onto the next one. Then the next, and the next until we find him." Ayane spoke up.
"Let's see." REI37 answered as he began to float and hover around the petrified statue. Scanning every part of the petrified human, Rei had begun to look very serious, then stopped. Turning his attention to Ayane, Rei spoke. "This is Senku. I know because Master always described him in perfect detail. So, when I analyzed the measurements of this statue I am 1 million- no 10 billion percent sure its him."
"Then we can revive him." But just as she got excited, Ayane quickly lost that excitement. "But I still don't know the formula, or if the acid even works."
"Acid?" Rei asked.
"In the Cave of Miracles there is an acid that has the capabilities to un-petrify someone. But I've tried many methods but came up short on how to fully un-petrify someone." Ayane also mentioned her many trial and errors, and how she was stuck in an endless loop.
"I see. But you have cleared that hurdle once before. What was so different from then than what you are doing now?" Rei asked.
"That's the thing I don't know. I thought I had it down, but in the end, I gave up." As Ayane's hopes began to dwindle, Rei spoke up.
"Then, I shall assist you in you!" Rei's proclaimed as he jumped in the air. "Afterall, that is my programing."
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After getting a giggle from Ayane, the said girl looked towards her new companion and nodded.
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"Alright!" Ayane yelled. "We have a ton of work ahead of us. Are you sure your prepared?"
"I am. Afterall, I'm programmed to see things you are not." Rei answered nonchalantly.
"Alright then. I'll be sure to count on you." Ayane answered.
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2 Months Later…
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Walking with a jar in hand, Ayane walked slowly to the Cave of Miracles. In her hand she held the final product of the revival fluid, something she was able to complete in no time, with the help from Rei, of course. Completely shaking from head to toe, every step Ayane took felt like she was walking up a very steep mountain, where even one wrong step would result in her falling to her inevitable death.
As she arrived at the Cave of Miracles, Ayane looked at Senku, and began to take very deep breaths. Even when she had tested the final product on the stone birds she found, she was still frightened at the fact that she may wake something she didn't know anything about. Breathing deeply to solidify her resolve, Ayane slowly but surely began dumping the fluid onto the petrified statue.
Now, the waiting game began. As Ayane waited, and waited, and waited. After a few minutes, Ayane began to bite her lower lip in fear. But in that moment, she hear a sound. It sounded so magical she thought it wasn't true. As she looked towards the statue, she began to notice cracks appearing all over the body. Seeing this, Ayane couldn't hold back her excitement, and drooped to her knees and placed her face close to the statue. Then, like a snake shedding its skin, the pieces of the stone began to break apart and fall towards the ground. In a matter of seconds, Senku was released from his stony prison.
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"Hello?" Ayane asked as she began to close the distance between their faces.
"April 1st, the year 5737, at 10:02 in the morning. You woke me up at a good time, miss." Senku responded as he flashed a big smile. "What you did was 10 billion percent amazing."
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Hearing someone else's voice for the first time caused Ayane to tear up. Then without thinking she lunged herself at Senku and embraced him tightly.
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"Hey! Get off!" Senku yelled as he began to try to pry Ayane's grip open.
"It worked. The fluid worked." Ayane began to cry as she spoke. "I spent nearly 3 years trying to find the right formula. I am so glad it worked."
"Hah, whatever." As Senku gave in, he looked up towards the sky as a young beauty wrapped herself around him.
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10 minutes later…
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"I'm sorry about that." Ayane apologized as she backed away from Senku after crying for about 10 minutes straight.
"It's fine. But still I want to know… How long have you been awake?" Senku asked as he rose to his feet, only to see Ayane turn around. "Hmm?" Then looking down, he realized the situation. "Oh. My bad." Senku apologized as he began to pick his ear.
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After handing him some clothes she had sewn out of boredom, Senku placed them on, to see it be a perfect fit. Astounded by this, he turned and smiled towards the new person in front of him. Smiling back, Ayane rose to her feet and began to direct Senku to her home. As she did, she began to explain what had happened to her over the course of about 4 years. Explaining as detailed and precise as possible, Senku didn't seem to listen, but Ayane continued to talk until they arrived.
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"That's when I found you and began to create the revival fluid." Ayane finished as the two teens set foot in Ayane's camp.
"So, this revival fluid, what's it made of?" Senku asked, seeming more interested in the fluid than Ayane's struggles.
"That's what you're going to ask, well whatever." Ayane turned around and bent herself downward, so she could look into Senku's eyes. "I'd rather not tell, since you are the science geek, having you in this Stone World is basically like having all the money in the world. You're a valuable, indispensable asset."
"But there are no dangers here, other than mother nature herself." Senku explained.
"But still, if I give you the formula you could end up reviving someone who sees you as an obstacle, and thus tries to get rid of you." Ayane gave a serious look at Senku. "So, whatever you, don't ask me for the formula, unless your willing to lose your life."
"So, if I'm prepared to die, you'll give it?" Senku asked as he brough his face closer and gave a big smirk as he looked with the same kind of conviction Ayane gave him.
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Ayane nodded in agreement, then spoke up once more.
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"I won't tell you anything. But that doesn't mean I'm stopping you from doing it yourself. If you wish to make it, then make it. But don't you dare come to me to so that I can save your sorry ass if you wake someone who just spells trouble." Ayane spoke with her eyes closed in disgust. But as she opened them, she noticed a smirk on Senku's face. "What's with that stupid smirk on your face?"
"Oh, nothing." Senku answered as he got up and began rummaging through all of Ayane's provisions. "You do realize you have poison's plants in here right?"
"And don't you realize that they are all separated by species?" Ayane answered. "And here I thought you were 10 billion percent smarted than me?" Ayane said while smirking, with her hand just slightly under her mouth.
"Damn bitch." Senku grumbled under his breath.
"Stupid nerd." Ayane responded back.
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The Next Day…
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As the sound of calm water began to flow past Ayane's ears, and the muffled sounds of birds chirping in the distance in synchronization with the wind as it blew past her, she herself looked up towards the sky as she floated in the lake. Breathing as calmly as she can, Ayane continued to look up at the sky. Its light blue color looking down on the water below, the thick, white fluffy clouds as they gently floated above her. Such a sight that was never seen before was now before her very eyes. Then closing her eyes, Ayane allowed herself to sink into the lake.
Sinking deeper and deeper as the seconds past, Ayane felt the cold from the water surrounding her, and its weight pressing down on her as she continued to sink. Hearing nothing but the water run past her ears as she sunk, Ayane kept her eyes closed. As the seconds passed, Ayane felt herself 'freefalling' down to the bottom of the lake that she began to think. She didn't think sad thoughts, but began to think about what her future would be like. She began to think about many upon many possible scenarios, but in the end even those thoughts slipped her mind.
After what seemed like minutes, Ayane's back hit the lake bottom. As she opened her eyes, she began to noticed small dust and dirt beginning to ascend, due to her falling so abruptly and disturbing the ground below. As it did, several fish began to swim around and bite at the water to try and grab what they could from the floating debris before it decided to fall back towards the floor. Seeing this, Ayane smiled. This is how life should have been some 3700 years ago, but no. The human race decided to sully the world with their presence. Some part of her wanted the Stone World to continue, but another part of her wanted to bring back the human race, it was an endless battle of fighting against herself, with both parts at a long stalemate.
But her thoughts were interrupted when a stone broke the surface of the water and began to fall towards her. Seeing this, Ayane slowly jumped to her feet, crouched on the floor below her and pushed herself up toward the surface once more. Swimming slowly and steadily, the light of the sun had begun to brighten by the second, until…Ayane slowly made her way out from the waters cold prison. Pushing her hair away from her face, she saw Senku standing there with another stone in hand. Grumbling at seeing him, Ayane lowered herself just a bit, so only her head was seen above the water and began to swim closer to shore.
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"What do you want?" She asked as she felt her feet touch land once more.
"You're running low on supplies, and instead of going around and looking for it myself, I knew it be 10 billion percent quicker to ask you to grab them." Senku answered as he gave a smirk.
"Fine." Ayane answered. But before she decided to move out of the water, she lifted her right arm, pointed at Senku, and pointed towards a tree in the distance. "Hmph." Was the sound she made as she moved her arm.
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Listening to the lady, Senku began to walk away, and began staring at the tree Ayane pointed at. After seeing the man himself walk and turn towards the tree, Ayane rose out from the water and began walking to shore. Grabbing a towel she made from leftover wool, Ayane quickly dried her hair as best as she could, before moving to dry the rest of her body.
Hearing the sound of something scrubbing against skin, Senku began to tap his foot, showing that he really didn't know what patience was. Placing his hand on the back of his neck, he began to crack his neck. Seeing this, Ayane ignored it and continued getting dressed. Upon hearing the sound of clothes slipping on, Senku sighed in relief knowing that the girl behind him was finishing up. As he turned around, he noticed Ayane putting her hair up in a ponytail.
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"Is that really necessary?" Senku asked. "What you're doing is 10 billion percent useless in this era." Seeing his words sink in, caused Ayane to chuckle embarrassingly.
"You're right." The girl answered. "I usually do it out of habit, but then again, my hair was shorter back then." Then, letting go of her hair caused it to fall elegantly down her back. Looking back at Senku, Ayane noticed the science man himself looking away from her. "Is something wrong?" She asked as she began to approach him, and bent forward, giving a clear view to her prominent chest's cleavage that was hidden underneath her loose clothing.
"Nothing's wrong. Now let's get going." Senku commanded as he began to walk away. As he did, Ayane smiled cheerfully as she followed behind the man.
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1 Hour Later…
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Collapsing under the weight of the basket, Senku was struggling to get up, and seeing this Ayane sighed in defeat. Taking the basket from Senku, she placed it down onto the ground and began to pick up what was dropped. Seeing her carry such a heavy basket impressed Senku. As he began to recall his conversation with Ayane after watching her pick up their supplies, and hearing how she had to survive, a question came into his head.
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"That wolf of yours…where is it?" After stating his question, he noticed Ayane jump. As her body began to tremble, she grit her teeth and continued to focus on the vegetation that was on the ground.