Ryan knew he was dreaming somehow or other. Of course that knowledge might have had something to do with the fact that there were some things he just knew. One of them was the ironclad fact that no matter where you lived, there were a few well-known facts that could be counted on: one of those facts was that refrigerators did not sprout wings and fly. Of course, the dancing flowers might have also played a part in tipping him off.
A giant marshmallow went rolling by, and Ryan stepped out of its way. Four wheels of cheese and another flock of refrigerators went by, the cheese wheels rolling in front of him while the refrigerators flew overhead. Ryan managed to catch a ride on the back of a coffee table as it came galloping by, but he didn't really know where he was going. Hell, he couldn't really remember how he'd even fallen asleep in the first place. That thought should probably have worried him, but for some reason Ryan was completely calm about the whole situation.
Of course, if he'd been in his right mind, that fact would have worried Ryan more than anything else.
A tablecloth glided overhead like a bizarre parody of a manta ray; Ryan waved to it as it passed over his head. The coffee table he was riding had joined up with a herd of other coffee tables by now, and they were all steadily coming closer to the floating castle made of ice-cream that Ryan had just spotted off on the horizon.
"Cool. Literally."
XxXxX
Agito was getting perturbed by Crouger's continued absence. He was not worried for the other Guyver, since Crouger had proved on more than one occasion that he was capable of taking care of his own safety. But Crouger also had a tendency to overestimate his own battle prowess at times, something that could quickly become annoying. However, it was not like dealing with Fukamachi's overprotectiveness and self-sacrificing nature, which Agito was extremely grateful for.
It was difficult enough at times to deal with Fukamachi himself; Agito didn't even want to find out how much more annoying it would be to have to deal with Crouger if the boy had been like a second Fukamachi. Agito knew that he had managed to earn Crouger's respect when they had fought, but he was still well aware of the fact that Guyver V barely tolerated him on a personal level. Crouger's strength, wariness, determination, and shrewd mind were assets that Agito knew he would have to be very careful about putting to his own use.
Crouger was a very independent person, one who would not put up with being manipulated. It was not even possible to convince him that the manipulations were for his own good, since Crouger had stated on more than one occasion that he would decide his own good. With Fukamachi, Agito could at least count on his own nature to cause him to worry more about others than about his own survival.
But with Crouger—Agito smiled slightly—Crouger was enough like himself not to care so much about the survival of others when those others would be a danger to him. There were times that Agito could predict Crouger's reaction to something by remembering how he himself felt about that very thing. It was nice to have someone on their side who would not raise pointless moral objections when it came time to do the things that needed to be done.
But still, not all of Crouger's personality was to Agito's liking. There was the matter of his constant tendency to make light of situations, no matter how inappropriate. Then there was his taste in music, which Agito didn't mind as much as Crouger's proclivity towards turning it up to the point where it could be heard through walls and doors. If someone happened to be in the same room with Crouger when he was playing his music, he would usually turn it down, but it was still annoying to have to do that. But working with Crouger did have its benefits, not the least of which was the presence of another Guyver to aid them in their battles against Chronos. He would just have to learn to deal with Crouger.
But still, there was the problem of finding Crouger now. The other boy had been acting stranger than usual of late, and Agito had wanted to speak to him about what was troubling him. Not so much because he was worried for the other Guyver's mental health, since Crouger had proven on more than one occasion just how resilient he was, but because there might be something affecting Crouger. Something that could affect any Guyver—perhaps even something that could affect him. It was likely a remote possibility, but it was still a possibility, and Agito was not a person who left things to chance.
So Agito made an attempt to contact Crouger through the link that the three Guyvers shared. Concentrating on the part of the link that connected him to Crouger, Agito found that he was unable to even sense the other Guyver. Agito narrowed his eyes, focusing harder on the link between them. When he was still unsuccessful, Agito decided to contact Fukamachi—together, the two of them would probably have a better chance of finding Crouger.
+Fukamachi,+
+Yes, Agito? What is it?+
+I have not heard from Crouger of late. I've tried to contact him through his Bio-Booster, but I have not been able to do so.+
+So you'd like me to help you, Agito?+
+Yes. Thank you, Fukamachi.+
Agito nodded to himself and focused on Crouger's link to him, knowing that Fukamachi was also doing the same. Trying to track Crouger through the link that the two of them shared through their Bio-Booster Armor had not worked when Agito had been trying it on his own, but perhaps with Fukamachi's help he would be able to locate the other Guyver. Agito waited for a full five minutes after trying to contact Guyver V.
+Agito,+
+Yes, Fukamachi?+
+I can't find Ryan anywhere,+ Fukamachi said. +Have you had any luck?+
+No. I've not heard from him since early this afternoon.+
+Where do you think he could be?+
+I am… unsure about that, he seemed to be troubled by something.+
+Troubled by what?+
+I don't know,+ Agito huffed, annoyed.
+Well, do you think he's going to come back soon?+ Sho asked, sounding worried.
+I am not sure,+ Agito said, considering what Sho had said.
There was no answer from Fukamachi, and Agito sighed in frustration. It wasn't like Crouger to just disappear this way. There were times when he was distracted by something, but when Sho called, Crouger was usually quick to answer him. It was an odd situation, but then Crouger was not a person who Agito knew as well as he would have liked, if only so he could have better predicted Crouger's actions. Still, this prolonged absence had to end sometime. Perhaps it would be best if he simply waited for Crouger to return on his own. The other Guyver tended to keep to himself at times, and Agito could understand the desire to do such things, as he was also an intensely private person. But staying away this long and ignoring him and Fukamachi when they tried to make contact… it was not like Crouger to do that.