40 - Vignette- Post-Game (related to Ch. 39)

xxxxx


Beautiful Nightmare

The clouds were soft to the touch. They felt exactly like how they looked - like white puffs of cotton candy.

Shiki laid on top of the surface, a delighted smile on her face. She looked to her left smiling widely, because Neku was lying on the clouds with her, looking just as content.

"Doesn't this make you feel amazing?" she voiced out, rolling along so that she was closer to him. She was now on her front, her elbows supporting her as she held herself up.

Neku had his eyes closed and he opened one to look at her. "It does, in a weird way."

"Right?" Shiki nods happily.

He had both eyes open now and he lifted his hand to poke the side of her face. "Gotcha."

She poked his face in return. "Two can play at that game!"

Not giving in, Neku poked at her sides this time, making her giggle. They both continued to poke each other until they were reduced to a fit of laughter.

Shiki sat up, trying to move out of reach. Neku seemed like he couldn't be bothered to move, still spread out on his back.

"Hey."

"What is it, Neku?"

"What do you think would happen if I disappeared?"

The girl merely tilted her head. "Disappeared? What do you mean?"

"Just...if one day…I just went away."

"I'd...I'd hate that." She would feel lonely.

"Shiki..." He reached up for her again, this time, brushing a strand of black hair away from her face.

She held onto his hand, liking the way it felt against her cheek.

"...goodbye."

With a sudden force, his hand was torn away from her grip, and she watched in horror as he fell through the clouds, sinking rapidly until she couldn't see him anymore.

"No! Neku!" She scratched at the clouds, trying to move them away, but they wouldn't part for her.

She started punching the clouds. They were no longer soft - they were a sickeningly solid barrier.

She hit them, again and again, not caring how much her hands hurt. Pounding against the empty space where Neku was, the clouds were no longer white.

They were red.

"Neku!"

"Shiki…?"

And suddenly she wasn't in the clouds anymore. She's was in a normal room - Neku's room.

Neku was right in front of her, holding her by her shoulders. "You woke up..."

She couldn't stop herself from throwing herself at Neku, hugging him in a vice like grip. "You're alive!"

"Of course I am," he said, rubbing her back. "I'd be playing another Game if I wasn't. Or maybe not, since last time was my last chance...Anyway, did you have a bad dream?"

"Y-yes."

"From your outburst, I'm guessing I died in it, or something," he said.

She gave him a nod, though he must have felt it; more than saw it.

"Geez, I have to be the one dying in dreams too? How lame am I?"

She pulled back, as he gave her a grin, in an attempt to cheer her up. She let her breathing calm down, thankful that she hadn't cried.

"You were really lame. Not only did you die, but before that you were acting so cheesy that it was scary." This was her telling him that she was okay now.

"Not my fault, you're coming up with these dreams." He got up, taking something from his desk.

It's only when he fitted her glasses on her that she realised she hadn't been wearing them. She also noticed the blanket around her that hadn't been there before.

"Yeah, you fell asleep here. You've been out for the past hour, "he explained, helping her up.

Shiki drew the blanket closer to her. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine, let's just get some work done now. That's why you came over in the first place."

She agreed and now they were sitting on the carpeted floor, books open and pens ready.

She realized how soft the carpet was. Almost like the clouds.

"Neku, what would you think would happen if I disappeared?"

He didn't even look up from the books.

"I'd get you back."

She looked down at her hands. "Even if getting me back made your hands bleed?"

"Even if that happened."

He reached forward and Shiki assumed that he was going to point out one a mistake, but he covered her hand with his.

"But don't do that for me. I wouldn't want your hands to bleed. How else could you make more Piggies?"

She was touched by his sentiment, ignoring his nickname for Mr. Mew. "N-never mind...it was just a dream."

"Yeah. I know. Still, even though it was a nightmare, it makes me happy to hear that you actually were -" He stopped abruptly, withdrawing his hand.

"I was actually-?"

"No, it's nothing."

"But-"

"That answer's wrong by the way."

"Huh? It is?"

"Yeah. Here, I'll show you how to do it."

"O-okay."


A/N: Tadaa! I wanted to do a dream-related chapter, and Shiki did fall asleep in 39, so why not have it relate back a bit? That being said, this should make sense without having ready 39 x3 This is more than double the length of the last one, weirdly enough. Hm. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it :D

- Dina (19 October 2013)