Back at the base, the conversation about the surprise visitor continued.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, "
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy as Zora's words sank in. The idea that everybody could be dead in the coming months due to the Spade War was unsettling, to say the least. It cast a somber shadow over the already mysterious encounter with the older Asta. Noelle's mind was racing, trying to grapple with the implications of Zora's theory. If this man was indeed a version of Asta from the future, it meant that there were potentially grave events lying ahead.
Asta, for his part, was still processing everything. The idea that the mysterious man could be a future version of himself was mind-boggling. He had so many questions swirling in his head, but the uncertainty and weight of the situation made it hard for him to put his thoughts into words.
Zora continued, "But here's the thing that bothers me, though. If that really was Asta, who time traveled from the future, and we're all gonna die, why didn't he tell us?"
Finral responded, "If that was actually Asta, he would have probably been more straightforward about it. He's not the type to keep something this important hidden, especially if it concerns all of us."
"I think so too," Zora said, glancing toward Asta, "Asta, what would you do if you were in that situation?"
Asta, obviously still deep in thought, jumped at Zora calling his name.
"Oh, um… what?"
Zora facepalmed and let out an exasperated sigh. "Pay attention, kid. If you were future you, coming back in time to warn us about some impending doom, would you just stand there looking all mysterious and cryptic?"
Asta scratched his head and frowned, "I guess not. I'd probably just come out and say it."
Zora nodded, "Exactly. This whole situation doesn't add up. Either that guy wasn't actually you from the future, or he had a really good reason to not spill the beans."
The room fell into a contemplative silence as Zora's words hung in the air. It was a plausible theory—that the man they had encountered might not have been Asta from the future after all. The weight of uncertainty still loomed, and no one seemed to have a clear answer. The thought that the man might have had a reason to keep silent tugged at their curiosity, though. It was a puzzle they couldn't quite solve, and it left them all with a sense of unease.
Yami leaned back against the bar, his arms crossed. "Well, this is turning out to be a real headache, isn't it?"
"Noelle," Zora continued, staring Noelle down as if she were transparent, "Are you sure that the man you saw was really Asta? Any chance you could've made a mistake?"
Noelle's brow furrowed as she considered Zora's words. The logic made sense, but something deep within her still tugged at her heart, a feeling she couldn't quite put into words. The whole encounter had been surreal, and the idea that it might have been a hoax or a misunderstanding didn't sit well with her.
Noelle bit her lip, torn between her own feelings and the need to provide an honest answer. "I don't know, It's just... something about his eyes felt really familiar, but different at the same time. I can't fully explain it, but I believe my instincts. Plus, do you know somebody else who would know my name and has no magic? Still, I can't deny that there's some uncertainty."
Zora's gaze held steady on Noelle as if trying to read more than just her words. After a moment, he let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Shit. Well, I guess it's all we've got to go on for now. If we're actually dealing with time travel and future versions of ourselves, it's bound to be complicated and messy. Just speculating won't do anything. We need more information."
The room was filled with a mixture of tension and curiosity as they mulled over all the possibilities. Vanessa broke the silence, her voice carrying a touch of resignation. "So, what's our plan then? Do we just wait for him to show up again?"
Yami straightened up from his leaned position and glanced towards Vanessa. "You know we can't do that, but we also know little to nothing about the guy.. For now, I'll keep an eye out for any unusual occurrences, and Zora, you gather information about time magic and the specifics of time travel."
"Aye, sir, will do," Zora responded.
"But remember guys," Yami continued in a serious tone, "we can't let this distract us from our responsibilities. The Spade War is still ongoing, and we have to do everything we can to prepare and protect the Clover Kingdom."
As the conversation continued, it became clear that the encounter with the mysterious man had raised more questions than answers. The room buzzed with speculation and uncertainty, but amidst it all, there was a shared determination to uncover the truth and prepare for whatever might lie ahead.
Noelle's heart still raced from the encounter, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. She stole another glance at Asta, who was engaged in the discussion and couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and confusion. The weight of her feelings and the implications of the encounter weighed heavily on her, but for now, there was a more immediate concern at hand—the impending challenges they all faced.
As they continued to discuss their next steps, Asta's gaze drifted towards Noelle. He noticed the turmoil in her expression, the way her eyes flickered with a mixture of emotions. He wondered if she was feeling the same sense of confusion and uncertainty that he was.
Just as he was about to say something, Yami's voice cut through the room. "Alright, enough of this heavy talk for now. We've got our own futures to worry about. Asta, Noelle, you two better be ready for your training tomorrow, and the rest of you better not slack off either."
The room erupted into a mix of groans and chuckles as Yami's words lightened the atmosphere. Asta grinned, his attention finally pulled away from his thoughts. As the night wore on, the discussion shifted towards lighter topics, and the mystery of the encounter was temporarily set aside.
"Strange to see you up so early- it's usually Asta instead. Noelle, are you sure you're alright waking up this early? We all stayed up pretty late talking about that trespasser."
Vanessa was understandably worried. It was early morning, and Noelle was slumped over the bar like a deflated balloon, staring blankly at the shelves in front of her.
"Yeah, I guess," responded Noelle flatly.
Vanessa sighed, "You and I both know that's a lie. Didn't we promise not to lie to each other?"
Noelle somehow deflated even further as she sighed, "Yeah, I guess."
"It's Asta, isn't it."
"Well… yeah…"
Vanessa chuckled, "What, no weird remarks? No water spells? Well, I guess you basically confessed yesterday, so I guess there's been a little progress? I mean, even Yami noticed…"
Noelle drew a circle on the bar table with her index finger, "Oh, shut up... speaking of Yami, don't you have your own problems to worry about?"
"Eh, I guess. But you see, mine's an obvious lost cause… and yours is far from that. Let me take my mind off my own problems sometimes, will you?"
Noelle sat up, "Oh, c'mon, be more confident in yourself, Vanessa, there's nothing you can't do with that body of yours…"
"You're smiling, you know," Vanessa remarked, "No, no, no! Don't stop smiling- just- I think Asta's happiest when you're happy, you know."
Noelle blushed, "R-really? Then-", Noelle paused, the red in her face quickly intensifying. "Hey, don't try to change the subject! Just because you're uncomfortable with your own problems doesn't mean you can just avoid them!"
Vanessa sighed, flopping her body over on the sofa. "Hah, guilty as charged… but my feelings really are a lost cause…"
"No, they aren't."
Vanessa stretched out on the sofa, resting her head on one end. "You say that, and that all I need is more confidence… which is ironic, by the way-"
"Hey!"
Vanessa laughed, "But… right now, I'm losing out to a girl with even less confidence in herself than I have- and she's in it as deep as I am, I can tell. How can I-"
"Oh, good morning, you two."
It was Yami, also awake much earlier than usual.
"What were you two talking about so early in the morning?"
Vanessa scrambled on the sofa, sat up, and fixed her clothes.
"...Er, nothing much. Just- um-"
"Oh, I know. It's about Asta, isn't it?"
Vanessa sighed in relief as Noelle blushed, just quietly enough so that Yami wouldn't notice.
Yami snorted in response to Noelle's panic, "Hah, was I right? Hey, I won't press- I did enough of that last night- oh, speaking of the kid, I see that he's not up yet. Rare."
Both the girls nodded in agreement.
Yami sighed, "Kinda feels… quiet."
Both nodded again, although this time, Noelle hesitated a bit.
Yami took a seat on the sofa right next to Vanessa, causing Vanessa to nearly blush, and Noelle to snicker silently.
"Quiet is nice every once in a while, but I'm just hoping the kid isn't thinking too deeply about the man who came in here last night. You know how he gets."
Asta was awake. More specifically, he hadn't slept. The first time in a while, he noted. Just… too many things to think about. But it definitely wasn't out of excitement this time. He didn't even notice that Nero wasn't in his usual spot when he turned in to sleep the night before. He just laid down, blankly staring at the ceiling.
"Was that really me?"
"If that's me, and if what Zora and Noelle said was correct, what's gonna happen to us?"
"How could I possibly let everybody die before me?"
"If that's not actually me, who was he, and how did he know Noelle?"
It was thoughts like these with no answers running on repeat over and over again through Asta's mind, each time growing in intensity. It was impossible for him to sleep. The reality was that Asta, while seeming without worry and selfless almost to a fault, was exactly like everybody else. Anxious, insecure, and always confused about his true purpose. He was just good at hiding it- although he of course didn't know it himself.
"...Maybe I should get up."
"I wouldn't be able to help everyone otherwise."
"I'm not royalty like she is. I'm not talented like she is. I'll never be as good as she is."
"But I wonder why she said that she looked into my eyes all the time. What does she see in me?"
Author's Note: Thanks for continuing to read! Those who have read the original may realize that this rewrite goes in a slightly different direction. Hopefully it can prevent me from writing myself into a corner like I did last time. Anyway, if you've got any suggestions (or if you just wanna talk) feel free to leave a comment! Interacting with commenters really makes me feel like I'm doing something by writing.
Again, thanks for the support!
