A/N: Hello to anyone who may be reading~ Well, didn't get a review for last chapter but I wanted to update anyway, so a big thanks to Ashlakia for following the story! It really means a lot! It's still told from Setsuko's POV, and here we'll have some character introduction and mingling. The next OC introduced is a familiar one from Just Kiss Me, my bestie Late-chan's, Kaoru Himito (last name first). Hope you enjoy!

{DISCLAIMER} I do not own Kuroko no Basket.

~Song Choice: Awake (Dreamscape Mix) by Mankind Is Obsolete~


(02) Welcome Home

The space between light and darkness was bridged by shadows, at least that's what my grandmother always told me.

"Setty, look!" Came a childish voice, and I looked toward the sound to see a happily smiling face of a lost child spirit. Her cute short ringlets of dark blue made me smile every time. The little girl I found had been lost and nearly taken under in the darkness of the hidden world, she had been scared and a crying mess begging for her mother...

It always pained me to see children so young within this place, that they had to experience such severe trauma to send their spirits to a place like this. It hurt me to find anyone in this place. No one should have to face such horrible trauma in life. Yet I see them... People of all ages in this place.

"Yes, I see it. Do you want to go there?" I asked her with a smiling face and I held my hand out to her. Ever since crossing the bridge of shadows and walking within the lighter parts of the fantasy realm, little Falendale became happy and excited as she played with colorful fairies. She was no longer afraid, and for that I was thankful. Her spirit was already ready to return to her body back on Earth.

"Yes, please!" The little girl beamed and took my hand. I assumed she was from some European country, due to the different accent, but I never asked personal questions unless I needed to. Same with my brother and I, we never gave out our family name until that person was a trusted Spector.

I beamed right along with the girl as I forced myself to skip with her all the way back to where she could happily return to the real world. Then, I prayed that she would be able to live on past whatever trauma she endured.

But it had been her last words that stuck to me.

"Will I see you again, Setty?" Those big brown eyes had looked up at me with earnest.

I forced the smile to stay on my face. Due to her being a child, most children would not remember their time in the hidden world... They would pass it off as an incredible nightmare-turned-dream and forget all about it by the time they were in their teens. "We may meet again."

"I sure hope so! Setty's like my guardian angel!" And then that smile made my heart clench on the inside. As I watched her go away, back to her physical body, I could only think...

Sadly, little one, I am no angel...


It was a dark place where we met. But it was okay, because after a while you get used to the dark. The dark was actually more comforting...

I sighed as I ran a pale hand through my light blue locks. My hair, after all this time, was finally starting to grow longer. Since I've been in the fantasy realm for so long it hasn't been growing that much...

A sudden dark figure landed beside me then, and I instantly turned — alert — to it. Crouching in black clothing was a mirror image of myself. Well... If I were a boy, that is. His skin was just as pale as mine, it covered a slim yet muscled build, but our small stature made it seem like we were fragile-looking — easy to break. His hair was the same shade of light blue as mine, with mine being longer than his but they were styled similarly. Round light blue eyes met my own as he stared at me.

A gentle breeze blew past, and that's when I heard it. The voice of the closest person to me.

/Greetings, Setsuko-nee./It was his voice, reviving the link we shared. A link that bonded us ever since birth. You could call it a psychic connection, or just us being fraternal twins, but it was a certain power we both shared with each other.

Telepathic talk. We were able to talk to each other with just our minds, and after coming out of the hidden world the first time, it carried over to the living dimension. Pretty much branding us as 'freaks' to anyone who knew about our abnormal bond.

/Tet-chun, I'm glad you could make it here./ It was strange, in a way, to be talking so close like this again. It's been some time since we've been together like this after all...

A ghost of a smile appeared on his pale face, and then a real one appeared on mine. He was always better at controlling his emotions than me anyway.

I instantly ran to hug him when he stood. He was about an inch taller than me now — which was also something I would have to get used to, since growing up I was always the tallest one.

"I really missed you." I spoke right next to his ear, and I just felt the emotions brimming from his form. He could never hide things from me. I was his older twin, I knew him better than anyone.

"I missed you, too." And he hugged me a little tighter around my waist, and I forgot that it works both ways. He knew me better than anyone, too.

When we finally parted, we were softly smiling at each other. "I'm a little surprised you came so early." I told him, talking normally for once. We liked to talk like this since it was more open. Normal, and human. But most of the time we liked to talk through our mental link, since it was more personal and only the two of us would be able to hear.

He looked away slightly then, and I realized that he was adorably embarrassed. "I was eager to see you..." /It's been so long./

I nodded at both statements, feeling the same way. "Well, we don't have to worry about being separated anymore." I couldn't stop smiling, I was feeling an odd excitement bubble up within me.

Tet-chun nodded his head this time, and I noticed the visible happy expression on his face — the face I always loved to see, because it really showed his purity and innocence. Oh how that face could crumble even the darkest of beings! "Are you ready to go into the real world, Nee-san?"

I took his offered hand without hesitation and together we found ourselves suddenly at the tall and ominous gateway. The same one you had to pass through in order to leave the hidden world. And the same one we stood guard of, that now we could let go of. It was a reassuring and uplifting feeling to be able to leave this crazy realm behind (if only briefly) and actually start living, but I also knew I could never completely forsake this place. No, I would be returning to check in on it. Just not all the time since I now had helpers. Speaking of which...

"Wait for me~!" A sudden rush of black caught up to us and I blinked at the doubled-over and panting girl. She looked up with sharp blue eyes. "I wanted to see you off properly before you left."

I smiled softly at the caring teen and bowed to her in thanks. "That is very kind of you, Himi-chun." Kaoru Himito was an old and close friend of mine. It was some time ago that I helped her broken spirit find its way through the fantasy planes and back into her body. It was by pure will of gratitude toward me that willed her to cross back into the hidden world to find me. She has solid determination, so I trained her to be able to fight and utilize the powers in the hidden world. She progressed so rapidly that now I was entrusting her with help keeping watch over the place. There were a few others, like her, that I knew (one was actually going to be helping Himito, she just wasn't present at the moment).

She stood up straight and I was always a little intimidated by her elegant-like features. She stood a few inches taller than me with long black hair, ivory skin, and sharp cerulean blue eyes. She wore a loose red suit that was both comfortable, and easy to fight in. She was someone I both admired and respected. Plus, she was a year older than me and Tetsuya, so she was my senpai as well.

"Hey, Kuroko-kun, take care of her please." Himito directed toward my taller and younger twin, and I saw him nod toward her.

"I promise to keep watch of her, do not worry, senpai." Oh yeah, and she happened to go to the same school as Tet-chun and was very established as the Student Council President there. So admirable...

I spoke up then, "Just make sure to be careful, okay? Remember I'm only a call away if you need me." I still felt responsible for all those I helped save, I guess it was a motherly-instinct or whatever. Maybe I was just a bit over-protective...

Himito huffed, but I could tell she appreciated what I said. "Will do, but I want you to enjoy yourself. Go and live, Suko-chan. I'll be in school in a few days, so don't worry."

And with that, Tetsuya directed me toward the gate and together we opened it. A bright light shone through and captured us and we sunk into the warmth.

The warmth of life.

. * .

Arriving in the real world was always a weird experience. The easiness of movement from the hidden world, plus all of the abnormalities around, were lost and your body felt heavier than before. Everything was more sensitive and raw. When one becomes a Spector, they are able to travel back to the hidden world with both their spirit and physical body in tact.

How one arrives in the real world is completely up to the person, as your thoughts are a powerful weapon in the fantasy realm. With Tetsuya and I, our thoughts can connect and amplify together, so often times we travel together. Our thoughts wanted us near home, so we wound up on the sidewalk in front of our house. I was always grateful for our 'dead' presence, since two blue-haired teens popping up out of nowhere would be shocking to anyone — but since we're easily overlooked (to the point we're considered invisible to the world), no one notices our arrival from one dimension to the next. That's how it's always been, or at least for me...

I stared up at the small, cozy-looking home that stood out against the moonlight. There was a flower bed in the front yard right next to the porch that held an old porch swing. A feeling of warmth bubbled through me at the sight of home, and I felt Tetsuya tug my hand gently.

"Grandmother is in waiting for us," And together we pushed back the gate on the white picket fence and walked on the cobblestone path that led up to the porch. Kuroko Household showed on the nameplate beside the door, and I smiled as the warmness threatened to bubble up and out of me.

The door was open, and we walked inside and tugged off our shoes. The living room and kitchen was on either side of us, and then there was a staircase leading to the upper floors where all of the rooms were. All of the rooms were relatively small, as it was a small house, but it's just us three living here so it was good for us.

We walked into the living room where we heard the sound of a rocking chair. Her smiling face greeted us instantly, reminding me of her unique sixth sense she had. Ever since our Grandmother was a little girl she's been able to pick up on other-worldly things than your average person. She was sharp in the mind, and even keener with us — she could tell where we were always, as if we had some sort of tracker in us that only she could use. I've always tried to get her to talk about how she has this rare gift, but she would never tell me... A part of me wondered if maybe she had been a Wanderer lost in the hidden world and found her way back over. After all, once you did, you were able to see the invisible beings around us, and she could.

"Tetsuya, Setsuko, welcome home." She got up to embrace us, and I smiled as I wrapped my arms around her shorter and frail form. She was strong in spirit, but her body was definitely getting older. Already her hair was gray, face wrinkled, but her dark eyes still shone in a lively manner.

"Thank you, Grandmother." It's so good to be home again, Was my unspoken thought, but she understood, and my family gripped me tighter.

. * .

Being back in my old room was sort of nostalgic to me now. I had been away in the hidden world for about a year now, so being back in the living realm was the same as having intense jet-lag.

"There's food downstairs if you're hungry," Came the sudden voice of my twin, and I would have jumped if I wasn't so used to it.

I smiled at him from my place on the bed, he was standing in my open doorway. "Thanks, but I think I'll probably get some rest. After all, I have to start attending Seirin High tomorrow, right?" I raised an amused brow, and saw him smile a bit.

"Yes, it will be fun having you there."

I snuggled into my pillow after he left and fluttered my eyes shut. I kind of forgot what resting was, it was so relaxing... You didn't really rest in the hidden world. Time was non-existent there, as well as bodily needs.

I sighed as I felt sleep sink in, and take me under its soothing waves.


Dreaming was weird. Especially when you understand that your dreams are actually apart of the fantasy realm. Because of that fact, my dreams were either a fantasy of mine, or they were visions of the future — those happened, often known as déjà vu, when you reached a high point in using your brain, or you spent too much time in the hidden world.

Tonight, even though I wanted peaceful slumber, I received a vision of some sort.

The first thing I saw was the color yellow. A bright and energetic light color that reminded me of warm sun rays... And then I felt the sensation of being held. Who was holding me...? Their hold was tight, but not painfully so, and their arms around me were comforting, and I unconsciously leaned back into the warmth. So nice...

I heard a voice then, a male voice, and turned around so I could see the person. I was instantly blinded by a white light, and my eyes could only focus on a pair of golden yellow eyes, and a smile that was as warm as the embrace I felt. I realized he was calling out to me, but I couldn't hear him.

And then it was over, and I woke up in confusion. Just who was he? I didn't know too many people (because I spent most of my time in the hidden world), so I don't think we've ever met before... Could it be that we're going to meet? I would be starting school, so I was bound to meet a lot of people, what made this person so special from the rest? Then again, I was already starting to miss the warmth his embrace brought...

I really wanted to know this person. I'm not very social, but I had a feeling that this person would reach out to me himself in the near future.

Premonitions were always so confusing and weird.

. ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ .

A/N: These chapters will be shorter than my usual ones, but this way I can write and get them out faster so I hope you guys don't mind! So... Who was the guy in Setsuko's vision? Well, I'm sure you all know xD

I really love getting feedback (as does any writer), so please let me know what you think! =D