Once again, Raika opened his eyes. This time, though, he only saw a nondescript tiled ceiling.

He frowned. Tiled ceilings were not common in homes, like he had just been in-

He then turned his head, and in a sudden jolting panic saw a slightly familiar layout, including green uniforms.

But . . .

He then closed his eyes for a few seconds in sheer relief as he remembered that he and Searchman had been in the strange "reality" of a plot that had never occurred- and never should, really. Who would ever want it in the first place? Certain not his navi, who had been most affected.

The room he was currently in was one of the few that had been used the main military base division for the net savers in the "hospital" part. Raika had been there a few times, including a strange case of a dog that someone had claimed to be a dinosaur, of all things. That had not been the truth, but had just been a costume for an elementary school parade. That was certainly not what had occurred this time, to say the least, unless one counted the fact that it had not been what someone thought it was at first.

Raika opened his eyes again, very glad that he had remembered of his and Searchman's recent rescue. If it had not been that, then definitely, he would be escaping and running from the law- again.

Where was his navi, anyway? Raika frowned, still feeling weak, but not as much as when he had first woken up to see Lan and Megaman in their cross fusion form.

He turned his head, but did not see his PET on the table nearby, where it most likely would be if the device was in the room.

He closed his eyes again, concentrated- and saw nothing.

Raika frowned, and tried again. Surely, surely, he could visualize what he was after, which was at first the room that he was in- but more than just visualizing, actually- and then to where his navi's PET would be. He knew where the most used rooms for treating injured navis were, and how exactly to get there. He should be able to see it.

Raika then inwardly scoffed. Here he was, treating the "reality" as reality, which it definitely was not, and he should never hope that it was. It was still a bit disappointing, though, that there were somethings that he would miss, abilities included, after all. But to lose them entirely, though, including the sheer usefulness they could have if one used them just right . . .

He focused on the table nearby him. Even though it lacked a certain green device, there was a clipboard there. Raika stared at it. The pages pinned to the small, thin board- not to mention the whole board itself- should be easy enough to move.

He then blinked twice, and tried again. Several minutes later, the clipboard remained where it was, as stagnant as ever.

Even a few more minutes later, he was quite sure that he had had none of the extra strange abilities that he had somehow acquired in the virtual reality. He then rolled his eyes, attempted to chastise himself, even with an odd feeling of sheer loss. Not having the powers meant something else had definitely not occurred, and that was certainly much worse.

Raika then nearly laughed- though he wondered at his reaction, in a way. At least his younger uncle would certainly be going to his home later that day (if he was not already. He was not really sure how much time had passed after apparently falling asleep in the van that had been inside the dimensional area).

Yes, indeed, and Raika would never be asked where he was- if he was not actually missing, anyway. He could easily ask Searchman to find that out later, though.

Raika was then suddenly distracted from his thoughts as he heard a door open. Craning his neck a bit, he saw the uniform of the medical attendants in the building. He attempted to sit up, but was motioned by the man to lay back down.

Raika did so, feeling a bit dejected. It seemed somewhat that even the medical people knew of his incompetence of failing his most recent mission- though they "most likely" did- and just wanted him to forever lie down in sheer failure that he would always be known as. It would not be that, of course, but Raika wished that he was allowed to at least sit up currently.

The official's face was neutral as he stopped by the bed, standing with the general straightness of someone in the military. "Status report," he commanded.

Raika almost made a retort at the familiar order. He had not heard that in quite a while, even though he had quite often when he had been in the military school before, including in this same sort of room. The command was just asking for facts, and nothing more.

It was nothing similar to what he had experienced at Nikomi's home in the "reality", who had definitely never been inside a military building before. Then again, any words that the kind man had said would mostly be in his own language, which Raika- and Searchman- had attempted to learn, without any sort of download or dictionary. It was almost surprising- though not really, in a way- that Searchman had learned the queer words a bit faster than he did.

He hopefully remembered most of them, anyway. At least he recalled that they belonged to an actual language, and not one that had just been created by a bunch of computerized codes combined in such a way that it somehow had seemed like one.

Raika saw the almost stern face still gazing at him. He inwardly sighed, then responded in a tone that almost matched the nonchalant one of the officer near him.

"Still weak, though not as much as earlier," he intoned, careful to not show any sort of emotion. Some of the doctors here did not appreciate such insolence, as he had heard it termed at one point. It could be that the certain one would be the same.

Perhaps he was correct, as the man nodded, seeming to not care what he actually felt. The attendant picked up the clipboard and flipped over the first paper latched onto it. Raika could see a thin tablet that he had not been in a position to notice earlier. It was a bit odd that it had been hidden, but different attendants had various ways to be organized. Perhaps the paper on top had been meant to be a temporary notice of something.

Raika then answered a few more questions concerning his general health, and then was actually allowed to be raised to sitting position, though he needed help, much to his disgust. The attendant, and then an actual doctor performed a general health test.

The doctor nodded. Raika noticed the man's name tag- Dr. Petrov- but did not care too much about the name. At least the doctor seemed thorough and definitely knew his practice enough to not waste any time.

"You seem healthy enough," the doctor reported, nodding slightly.

Raika also nodded, feeling a bit of relief. At least he was in good condition, considering his time in the virtual reality system. If he was, then there was more of a chance that Searchman was the same.

Both the doctor and the attendant then left the room. Raika then felt a swift jolt of fear.

Would anyone ask what had actually occurred in the "reality?" Surely they would. Then again, if they did, and it had just been a reality- which it was, of course- then it would be just fine. Nothing would be amiss at all. Searchman would not be trapped, ready for instant deletion- well, as a navi, he would be deleted- and himself- well, he was truly more concerned about Searchman at the moment, but he would be set for instant execution as well.

Nothing, nothing could ever betray the laws that had been set in Sharo for years, after all. Not ones that had been so long standing as this one, which had been in place only a few years after the creation of navis and the cyber world, almost, really.

Raika attempted to calm himself. If the doctor- surely the doctor would pick up on someone be nervous about something than the lower status attendant- asked him about the "reality", then he could respond with some things that had happened, but not all. There had been quite a lot that had "occurred", and not everything had to do with him and Searchman.

Perhaps even Searchman was finished with his own examination, and had been questioned about the program. Raika was certain, though, that his navi would be just as cautious about certain events, just like he would be. Most likely he would at least be questioned first at the human net op, though.

There was a knock on the door. Raika frowned. He was certain that it was not Lan- he seemed too rambunctious for that- and maybe it was not Chaud, either, unless he had been invited into the area. It would not make sense for one to be without the other currently.

He was not prepared for the door to open, and a very familiar uniformed officer to appear. Raika could not stop himself from betraying his own nervousness at the sudden appearance of his uncle, who was also the area chief of the Sharian military.

He tried to calm himself as he briefly looked down at the covers, hearing the chief cross the room. He had not seen the chief for a long time-

No, once again. he just did not remember it. He had wished for the chief- sometimes- as someone that was familiar, but . . .

It was still two days. Just two days.

Just two days ago he had seen the chief, though it seemed like months. It was, in a way . . . but only for him- and Searchman.

Raika looked up, and surprisingly, he saw the chief's face turn into a rare part, almost smile.

"Hello, Raika," he said.

Raika only barely managed to stop himself from flinching. Why was the chief being nearly . . . pleasant? It did not make sense.

He did the only thing that he could think of at the moment. Raika bowed his head in disgrace, looking down at the covers again.

"I apologize for failing the mission, and requiring cost of backup to compensate for my failure," he stated in a neutral tone. He wished that he was standing up, so that his apology would seem more genuine.

"I accept your apology, Raika," he heard in response.

Raika looked up again. The chief's face was now stern as he usually saw it. Had he actually witnessed the pleasantry that he had thought that he had seen? He was not quite so sure, now.

Chief Malenkov continued. "However, as such, you will need to receive punishment."

Raika nodded. "Yes, sir."

He barely heard the assignment- afterschool cleaning for two months- but was startled by the next topic, though of course he should have been prepared for it from the chief.

"I assume, Raika, that you have experienced a reality within the program that you and Searchman were hooked up to?" the chief asked.

Raika nodded, somewhat panicked. Lan and Chaud were one issue, which he would probably have to deal with later, not to mention perhaps some questions from the doctors nearby. If he could somehow manage to fool the chief, of all people, though, into being content with a lesser summary, it would be quite almost insane. None that he knew had ever managed it.

"Tell me about it," Chief Malenkov ordered, his features as stern as ever.

Raika did- briefly- leaving out certain parts. He knew that what he was stating did not seem a whole, and by the somewhat dubious look on the chief's face, he did not fully believe it either.

The chief was frowning. "Is that truly all, Raika?" he asked.

Raika lowered his gaze, not quite sure how to respond.

"Raika."

Still, though, Raika did not look up. He was not really sure if he could manage somehow invent something, or even just state that some occurrences had been too wild to be true. They were, of course, but still . . .

He then did flinch some as a hand come down onto his left shoulder. Raika looked at the chief again. The hand then went back to the chief's side, and his superior spoke again.

"I'm sure, Raika, that there were probably many startling things within the reality," the chief began. "Perhaps they seem too strange to say momentarily, or too violent." He then continued, his eyes narrowing. "However, for not only just documentary purposes, it needs to be said what actually happened, jarring or not. I'm quite sure that you can do it. Someone did do the work to set up the system in the first place."

Raika was stunned into silence as he watched the chief leave the room. He then sighed, clenching the white sheet. He still had an almost tendency to run, including grabbing Searchman from where he was, and leaving the base. With his navi's abilities, it would be –less- difficult. If he could somehow convince someone to allow him to visit somewhere else- his cousins from his younger uncle came to mind- then he could take off again, and it would not be quite as the same as before, but he and his navi would be alone without the pressure that he still felt. No one would be actively after him.

But he could not, though. Searchman's capabilities were not meant to escape from highly guarded areas, military bases included. Most likely, he would just be caught, and perhaps even separated from his navi for a while- if just that.

. . . If only he and Searchman could just go about their regular duties again, and him attending school, as if nothing had ever occurred.

"I want you to dust around the rooms on the main floor," Aunt Suraiya stated, her smile a bit gentle. "I'm sure you can manage it, just like you, and also my children had many times before."

Raika nodded. Once again, he was visiting his oldest uncle's home. He was quite sure that he had been invited due to his uncle's request, but he did not have a full confirmation.

He turned to his aunt again. "Yes, I can do it," he affirmed.

He could, definitely. Raika and the other cadet trainees had had plenty of practice with the work that was required not only in their lodging, but school areas and sometimes others areas, including for punishments. He had also had plenty of other mundane common household chores assigned to him.

His aunt then left the room, presumably to dust on the upper floor, as she had done the basement earlier.

Raika then inwardly scowled a bit. Two months of interrogation, and still he had not told a sufficiently amount of information about the virtual reality. Luckily, his uncle- and a few officers superior even to the area chief- had not decided to take away Searchman for a while as punishment.

Raika then sighed as he almost mechanically sprayed a cloth with the dusting solution. Did his uncle seem to think that staying at his home- a much different environment, to say the least- would cause him to tell more?

He began in the room to his left, a small bathroom, with the cabinets, then went to the kitchen for the cupboards. A small while later, he had made his way to the living room. Raika bent down and ran his cloth over the small wooden part of the front sides of the couch. He had spent several visits when he was younger here, including this room, before he had gone to the military school. His cousins- the youngest children of his oldest aunt and uncle- had still been home then, and had spent a lot of time almost equally exasperated and maybe even somewhat genuinely glad that he was there. He almost wished for the long ago time again, unburdened by strange things like virtual realities.

Raika shook his head, forcefully blocking the memories. He managed to dust a small table by the couch just fine, without any- well, sort of- intrusive thoughts. (Plus, he had Searchman now, anyway.)

Raika then surveyed the rest of the room. Of course, being a military base, there were no hanging pictures, as nails or even tape were not permitted on the walls. There was the fire place mantle, though, which seemed to have small framed photographs on it.

He rolled his eyes slightly. If his aunt had randomly put family photos on the mantle-again- it seemed to change what was there sometimes, including non-breakable items when his cousins were much younger- hopefully he would not be among the carefully aligned frames. Most likely, his aunt had been the one to put the pictures there. At least the all of the current pictures of himself that his aunt would have would be one with his military school uniform, and not from the rare occasions that he had been adorned in civilian garments for a few brief missions where less obtrusive clothing was required.

Raika reapplied the spray to his cloth, and headed toward the mantle. The pictures seemed only of the chief's children- all eight of them- and with recent pictures also, but then then to the right of those, there was his annoying same-age cousin from his younger uncle among several other siblings, including his youngest sister, cheery as she usually was. Marta, at least, was not as in the least amount as exasperating as her older brother.

Of course, then there he himself was, a serious look on his face with his uniform, obviously taken at his school. Raika did not usually take pride in pictures of himself- such thing was unnecessary- but at least his aunt had not chosen some silly photograph. Unfortunately, he knew some, where, first, he had not expected the picture in the first place, and second, the situation almost made it impossible to stand at attention for the photographer.

Searchman had even been in at least one of the pictures, after having been coerced into computer game by not only his cousins, but an almost order of his uncle, of all people. Unlike his cousin's navis, his own navi had been unfamiliar with the territory, and had a few slip ups in the gameplay.

Unluckily for him and Searchman, his aunt had taken a picture at an odd moment for both of them. And of course, also done by his aunt, the odd photograph was in one of the physical family photo albums.

Raika was pretty sure that the mistake that was forever displayed in the picture would never be recorded as an error within his school's strict correction records, but it definitely was not assuring that the photograph was still very much assessable. Needless to say, most of the time, he avoided the albums- though he generally did on habit, anyway.

From the corner of his eye, he saw another picture frame just to the right of his own. Raika nearly shrugged, not truly caring which family friend was in the picture, or possibly even his aunt and uncle themselves. He then moved in front of the frame-

And froze.

Raika stared, not wanting to believe what was there.

It was impossible. Or at least, it should have been.

A younger child, around seven years old. Red hair, and odd dark eyes.

To him, the connection was impossible to miss. Apparently, though, his aunt had not known about it- most likely, anyway- and his uncle- surely his uncle had seen the pictures by then- not to mention, his aunt had probably told her husband about them being there in the first place-

Raika blinked, several times. The photograph was still there, as much as the other ones were. He was then angry. Why in the world had his aunt chosen now, of all times, to put frames right in plain sight!

But again, perhaps she just truly did not know.

Raika attempted to calm himself, without success. If the picture was there, right with the other family members, right where anyone could see them . . .

He could hardly believe it, but . . .

At least for one awful truth, the virtual reality had been correct.

How, was a good question. He did not know. He had even asked Searchman about any sort of sibling- a brother, in this case, after being rescued. Unlike in the "reality", his navi had not remembered any such occasion of Raika just not recollecting about a sibling when asked by his oldest uncle. There had been two times in the program that it had occurred, if he recalled correctly.

Here, in the actual reality, though, there had been nothing. And yet, the picture was still there; one that should not exist in the first place . . .

Not to mention, very illegal. As illegal as perhaps he himself was- maybe- but Raika suddenly thought of his navi, a trained soldier with a high success record, being held in constraints before his data was carefully eroded away by the single touch of a button.

Deleted.

Raika barely managed to quickly swipe his cloth over the picture frame, very glad now that he had somehow managed to save the photographs until last. He had barely turned around, though, when he heard his aunt's voice from nearby.

"Oh, I see you saw the pictures," she stated cheerily, apparently unaware of Raika's inner turmoil. "Don't they look nice?"

Raika did not answer, and then almost started a bit when he heard his aunt speak again, his voice closer this time. He was dimly aware that he would be punished- or at least reprimanded- in his school for such inattention, or slammed by an enemy he was supposed to be engaged in battle with, but surprisingly, he almost did not care at the moment.

"Raika, are you all right?" his aunt asked.

Raika attempted to clear his face, but he was almost not sure how currently.

"You saw the picture of Peter, right, Raika?" his aunt stated, her voice more gentle now.

Raika just stood there, berating himself for his lack of a proper answer at the same time. How was he supposed to respond currently, though, anyway?

He then looked at his aunt, and to his surprise, she was smiling, but it almost seemed a bit sad. "I'm sorry, Raika," his aunt then continued. "When I had first put the pictures up, I had hoped that you would not react too badly to Peter's picture being with them, but he still was your parent's son, just like you. I had truly forgotten that you might see it while dusting."

Raika clenched his fist for a few seconds, and then nodded. Really, if his aunt truly did not know . . .

"Here, let me have the cloth, Raika. I can finish."

He then shook his head, perhaps more firmly than he should. "No, I was already done," he managed to get out.

Raika then quickly left the room- a bit rude, but he still did have to put the cloth away to dry, and the container with the dusting spray needed to be returned to the proper cupboard. He quickly did both, then went to the room he was staying in, and closed the door. He did not lock it, much as he wanted to. Doing so would just cause reason for more concern from his aunt.

He then marched to one wall in his room where he could hold a PET at the right angle that the screen would not be seen from two security cameras stationed in the room. He could have done the same from his bed, but standing seemed more proper at the moment.

Raika opened the top of his PET. Searchman was there, as he nearly always was. Even though his navi generally attempted to hide his emotions, just like Raika had been trained to do, he still saw sadness in his navi's gaze.

Indeed, his navi had been much more affected than he himself was within the whole virtual reality- that was apparently at least a part of their currently reality.

Raika quickly opened up a note-taking program, and typed a few words. He wished that he could just say them, but the security navis in his chief uncle's home were not the type to miss the lower hertzes in most sounds, including voices.

I'm sorry, Searchman.

Raika then saw words swiftly appearing on the screen below his, which would be his navi typing a response, unseen behind the white program screen.

Raika, I will say this again, like I had before. It is not your fault.

He closed his eyes briefly. His navi had stated that many times in the virtual reality that they both remembered- which was most of it, anyway. They had both been surprised by not recalling any times about Peter Malenkov when he was younger from the "reality", especially Searchman.

Though the whole situation not being his fault . . . Well, he somehow knew- sort of- that it was not, but still . . .

He then hurriedly typed some more words, hoping that his navi would believe them.

It's not your fault that apparently you're still my older brother, either.