…
…
..
.
.
WELCOME TO THE FIELD OF ORCHIDS
MY THOUGHTS WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO YOUR DREAMS
OMORI slowly blinked his eyes open before waking up on a sidewalk over a grassy field.
Sitting up from where he was laying, he looked around to see the field surrounding him filled with White Egret Orchids.
Huh… This place again… Just like before.
In the middle of the field at the end of the sidewalk, a white door appeared. The same white door that allowed him to go inside HIKIKO's HEADSPACE just like last time.
Ah… OMORI was starting to get it now.
The White Egret Orchids… They were what was giving him access to MARI's dreams, weren't they?
Was all of this possible because of the single White Egret Orchid placed on the counter in their room?
Guess BASIL wasn't lying about these things when he said that they could let your thoughts follow into other people's dreams. OMORI never figured that it would be this literal though.
He didn't quite understand how it fully worked. It almost seemed like magic, to be honest.
…
No point in questioning it. He should be thankful that it works the way it does at all. Not like there were any other methods of traveling through people's dreams that he was aware of.
Standing up from his spot, he took the time to stretch out his twelve-year-old body before curiously examining himself.
OMORI stretched his fingers out, looking over his pastel-colored frame. Seems like the paint job from before still hasn't worn off yet.
It was almost like she knew everything was going to play out like this… He should make a mental note to thank the MARI from his HEADSPACE for preparing him for this journey beforehand.
Assuming he'll ever see her again, of course. As unlikely as that was.
OMORI stepped up to the white door and placed a hand on it, feeling the grainy texture as his fingers rubbed along the surface.
His sense of touch was back again. Seems like all five of his senses would only be reliable when he was dreaming.
At least he'd be in his top condition while he was venturing forth into the unknown territory of his sister's dreams. That much by itself was a blessing.
…
Taking a deep breath, OMORI cleared out his thoughts as he refocused on his mission.
The last time he was in HIKIKO's HEADSPACE, it ended up with them falling overboard in a pink strawberry ocean after encountering a very rude toy robot. He ended up encountering her SOMETHING in the depths of that ocean, and he almost nearly drowned if it wasn't for HIKIKO coming in to save him at the last moment.
…
OMORI checked his back pocket, feeling nothing there. He gave a frustrated sigh at that.
He lost his knife during the struggle against SOMETHING, didn't he? Damn it…
Without that knife, he felt naked. How was he going to get his hands on another one?
...
After that, the dream ended prematurely as he was forced to wake up after witnessing what he could only assume was HIKIKO's version of BLACK SPACE. How she ended up there, he didn't know. Why he couldn't interact with anything and was only able to watch, he didn't know.
But the uncomfortable truth that she was hiding away lied inside that place. He needed to find out where the entrance to her BLACK SPACE was and try to enter it for himself.
Only after that would he be able to focus on getting her to forgive herself.
...
He could only imagine where he'd end up being once he opened that white door in front of him. Since it wasn't his HEADSPACE anymore, he had to be ready for every possibility. Who knows what sort of situation he was about to get into within his sister's mind?
Well… Time to find out.
Pushing the door open, OMORI stepped inside.
WELCOME TO BRIGHTSPACE
YOU'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN REMEMBER
HIKIKO opened her eyes to see a familiar bright empty void in front of her.
Sitting up from where she was laying, she looked around to find herself surrounded by all her belongings.
MEWO in the corner of the blanket, napping away. The broken toy piano, still missing almost all of its pieces. The laptop in the other corner, awaiting her input. The rope and chair in the far back.
All in all, the same as always.
HIKIKO walked over to pet MEWO. The lazy cat purred softly against her touch.
"Something's already happened. Why are you still waiting?" The cat asked her.
HIKIKO still didn't know how to answer.
After that, she slowly inspected the chair and rope that was dangling from the endless ceiling above.
They were back in their original positions. Looks like she'll have to set up another noose all over again when she decided to wake up.
…
Well, looks like she has some free time on her hands. Let's go play around with SUNNY and the others.
Turning to the white door in the room, she went ahead to go open it and stepped inside.
Today was going to be another perfect day, as usual.
...
...
...
Instead of entering the familiar playroom she's been so used to seeing whenever she entered the door, she instead found herself laying on top of warm sand as the sun hit her body.
Blinking in confusion, she slowly stood up and checked her surroundings.
This… didn't look like the beach that she was familiar with.
The ocean was entirely pink, for one... the sand that she was standing on didn't feel like sand at all, it felt more like clumped up brown sugar…
Behind her was a forest with different colored trees that she had never seen before...
Wait…
Pink ocean…?
Right, weren't they all going off in the middle of another adventure? They built a small boat, and then… they came across an ocean made of strawberry juice…
A giant mecha with a trident showed up and destroyed the…
…
Where was SUNNY?
The memories of the day before slowly came back to her as she was starting to grow increasingly worried.
The ship was destroyed, and they were all lost at sea. SUNNY was drowning in the depths of the ocean, but HIKIKO managed to save him before it was too late!
She saved him before it was too late, right?!
"SUNNY?!" HIKIKO called out nervously, spinning around and around as she looked for her little brother.
What happened after that? Where did SUNNY go?
If she managed to save her little brother, where in the world did he disappear to?
Where were all of her friends? Why was she all alone on this random beach she's never been to before?
"SUNNY?!" She called out again, "KEL?! AUBREY?! HERO?! BASIL?!"
No response from anyone.
She was completely alone.
"SUNNY?!" HIKIKO shouted out desperately once more.
Why did this keep happening to her?! All she wanted to do was spend time with her little brother!
Why does everything have to keep getting in her way?!
…
…
...
No, don't freak out… Don't freak out, HIKIKO. Just stay calm…
SUNNY wouldn't want HIKIKO to freak out. He'd want her to be completely calm and rational, to not stress herself out.
Like how a responsible older sister should be acting.
Calm down...
The monochromatic girl took several deep breaths to remain steady on her feet. Right now was not the time to panic.
The most important thing to focus on right now was SUNNY. He was missing again, and she had to go find him. Everything else could wait until then.
She had to make sure her little brother was all right.
The last thing she could remember was holding onto him before she woke up here… They were still together at that point.
Whatever brought her here, SUNNY couldn't have gotten too far, right? They had to have landed here together.
Slowly traveling around this sugary beach, HIKIKO did her best to search out for her little brother, repeatedly calling out his name in hopes that he would come back to her.
This was such a weird place… It was unlike anything she's ever seen before.
Could this place be… the island of COCKAIGNE?
"Hey look, Papa! I found another one!"
A shrill childish voice came out of nowhere, startling HIKIKO out of her thoughts.
Pausing in her steps, she saw a small little person with a grape for a head run-up to her with an excited smile.
"Wow! You're so tall!" The little grape person said in awe.
"Uh… Thanks?" HIKIKO blinked.
This creature looked like one of those so-called VEGGIE KIDS that SUNNY nicknamed, or at least it looked similar enough. She and her friends came across a few of these guys along their travels around the world.
Not sure if the grapes counted as a vegetable though… would SUNNY call this person a… FRUIT KID, perhaps?
It wasn't long before another FRUIT KID appeared, following after the first one.
This second one seemed much older, slowly walking towards them with a stick. Its head was all dried up and wrinkly like a prune, unlike the one currently in front of her.
Not a kid then. FRUIT ELDERLY? FRUIT ADULT?
…
She's just gonna keep calling them FRUIT KIDS in her mind.
This older FRUIT KID slowly shambled up to her before stroking its wise-old-man beard as it looked up at her, "Well look at that. Seems we just can't stop running into stragglers these days."
"Er… Hello." HIKIKO waved awkwardly at the two. "Where am I, exactly?"
"Welcome to the mystical island of COCKAIGNE! The greatest paradise for kids in the whole entire world!" The younger FRUIT KID remarked excitedly, only for the older FRUIT KID to give it a small whack on the head.
"Shush, lad. You're too loud." It scolded.
"Sorry."
The island of COCKAIGNE?
So, the stories about this place were true then… It really did exist after all...
"You truly are lucky to survive, young miss." The old FRUIT KID told her, "Not many seafarers are able to survive the wrath of PROTEUS. It is because of him that we haven't had any visitors in the last five hundred years…"
PROTEUS…?
Right, the name of that giant mecha robot…
"No doubt you have many questions. We'll do our best to help answer them, should you have any." The old FRUIT KID told her.
There was only one question in her mind right now that took precedent above all others.
"Have you seen my little brother, SUNNY?" HIKIKO asked, before explaining, "He looks a little bit like me, except shorter. Just about a few inches taller than you, maybe. I got separated from him somehow when I landed here."
"Ooh! Papa, she must be talking about the others!" The younger FRUIT KID exclaimed cheerfully.
Others? Did that mean everyone else managed to regroup and stay safe somewhere? Was SUNNY with them?
"Hmm, yes, I know who you speak of, lass." The older FRUIT KID nodded reassuringly, "Before we came across you, the boy that you describe did come along these parts."
"Really?!" HIKIKO quickly crouched down to their levels as she grabbed a hold of the small elder's body, "Can you tell me where he is?! Is he hurt?! Is he in danger?!"
The elder gave a quick strike to her head with his cane in response, causing HIKIKO to let go as she reeled back from the attack.
"OW!"
"Now, now. No need for hysterics." The elder FRUIT KID remarked calmly as it dusted its body off.
Rubbing her head, she gave an irritated glare at the small creature, "What was that for?!"
The nerve of this little piece of… Who the hell just strikes a girl for no reason?!
Ignoring the glare, it instead answered, "Your little brother is safe and sound in our small village. He was brought in by another young boy who was asking for aid. A gentle speaking child with a flower crown on his head."
Her previous thoughts evaporated from her head, as she focused on what the older FRUIT KID just said.
A flower crown...?
That must be BASIL! He must have somehow found SUNNY after they were separated and rescued her brother!
Bless that beautiful flower boy! She knew she could count on him to protect SUNNY when she wasn't around!
"Can you take me to them?! I want to see my little brother to make sure he's alright!" HIKIKO asked pleadingly.
"Yes, yes, of course." The elder politely nodded, "We shall lead you to our village so that you may reunite with your friends."
"Thank you so much!" HIKIKO responded gratefully.
HIKIKO stood back up as the three of them went on their way to wherever they were leading her. Despite knowing that she was going to see SUNNY soon, she continued to feel an anxious pit in her stomach that threatened to grow every second he wasn't in her arms.
Oh… She really hoped they would get there soon…
All she wanted was to spend some time with her brother...
"So hey, uh… What kind of fruit are you supposed to be?" The younger FRUIT KID asked curiously while she was lost in thought, "Are you like… meatloaf fruit or something?"
The moment he stepped through the door, he found himself lying in a comfortable bed looking up at the ceiling.
With a small blink of confusion, OMORI moved to stand up from his spot and looked around the area.
A curtain surrounded him, covering him up from the outside to give him privacy. Beyond the veil, he could hear a familiar voice speaking gently to someone else.
"And this should take care of your wilting problem. Be sure to hydrate yourself more often next time."
Another voice responded with a happy, "Thanks Doctor BASIL! You're a lifesaver!"
…
Moving out of his bed, OMORI gently moved the curtains out of the way to see where he was.
A small office room. Almost like a school nurse's office. Paint was chipping off from the walls. Cabinets and furniture were deteriorating. Mildew growing in corners of the room.
Not exactly a place he was expecting to see first...
He saw a young twelve-year-old green-haired BASIL waving goodbye to a small fruit creature as it left the door.
Hearing the curtains behind him, BASIL looked back to find OMORI up and about before smiling, "Oh hey! You're here, SUNNY."
OMORI nodded awkwardly, finding himself unable to say anything in response.
Even though this BASIL looked so similar to every other BASIL that he knew of, he still wasn't quite sure how to deal with this new BASIL that existed in HIKIKO's HEADSPACE. He acted similar enough as the one in his own HEADSPACE, but not knowing any of the potential differences made it hard for OMORI to gauge him.
Add in the fact that HIKIKO apparently imagines her SUNNY to act differently as well, OMORI really didn't know how he was supposed to act without arousing suspicion.
"You had a long day today. You're allowed to relax a little, you know." BASIL smiled warmly, "Sit down and let me get you some fruit juice."
Actually, he'd rather get a move on to continue whatever adventure was in store and help out HIKIKO. Not knowing how to say that though, OMORI ended up following BASIL's suggestion and sitting back down on his bed.
BASIL brought out some glasses and a bottle of juice as he made his way over to sit next to OMORI. Pouring their glasses, BASIL gently encouraged OMORI to drink, "Cheers."
"C-… Cheers." OMORI nodded awkwardly as he gulped his drink down.
…
Oh man, this tasted amazing. He wasn't sure whether it was because it was HEADSPACE making this taste so good, or the fact that he spent the whole day without functional taste buds. Whatever the case may be, being able to taste flavors again was euphoria.
BASIL giggled, "You're like a man dying of thirst."
"Ugh… Yeah, you could say that." OMORI shivered from the intense taste of the juice before giving a satisfied sigh.
"HIKIKO's not here yet, so enjoy this chance to rest while you can. It's gonna be a bit of a doozy from here on out." BASIL advised him as he sipped his own glass.
OMORI curiously glanced over at BASIL, wondering what he meant by that.
"Where is HIKIKO anyway?" OMORI felt he should ask.
BASIL gave a simple smile in response, "Don't worry. She's going to come to pick you up soon. She always does."
…
What?
OMORI narrowed his eyes at BASIL in confusion.
BASIL kept his calm smile up as he finished his drink.
BASIL was acting a bit… strange, now that he thought about it. Much more different than he was expecting.
What was different, he didn't exactly know… It was disconcerting, to say the least...
…
OMORI continued to study BASIL, trying to get a sense as to what was going on. For some reason though, he couldn't help but find himself staring at BASIL's hair.
There was nothing wrong with it… In fact, there wasn't anything strange or different about it at all.
It was the same green-colored hair that he was always so used to seeing back in his HEADSPACE.
So why was he suddenly so bothered by it...?
BASIL gave a blink, noticing where OMORI was staring at. Reaching a hand up to smooth his hair over, BASIL asked, "Something wrong?"
"Has it always been that color?" OMORI suddenly asked.
It was… It should be blue, shouldn't it?
Wasn't it blue the last time he was here in HIKIKO's HEADSPACE?
With a casual shrug, BASIL explained, "Oh, don't worry about that. It must still be wet from the strawberry juice when we went overboard. It should dry off soon."
…
That's not how hair color or strawberry juice works.
At least, he was sure that blue and pink don't make green... Right?
Well… It was probably just a HEADSPACE logic thing. Stuff that happens in dreams usually doesn't make any sense through the lens of the real world, and he knew that better than anyone. OMORI shouldn't overthink things too much.
Changing the topic, OMORI asked him, "So where exactly are we? What happened after the ship went overboard?"
BASIL hummed a bit before explaining, "We're on the island of COCKAIGNE. We all got separated during the crash, so now we're all sitting around on different parts of the island."
"We all got separated? How did that happen?"
BASIL shook his head, "I'm sure I'll tell you later when HIKIKO gets here."
With that, the discussion ended just as soon as it started.
OMORI frowned, feeling a little bit miffed from having his questions get brushed off like that.
Setting his glass down, OMORI stood up from his seat. BASIL looked on with a bit of surprise.
"In that case, I think I'd rather go see HIKIKO right now." OMORI decided.
"Are you sure, SUNNY?" BASIL asked in concern, "It'll be hard to find another chance to rest after this. HIKIKO's on her way here anyway, so there's no point to rush."
OMORI shook his head, "I don't need rest. I'm not tired."
He'll be able to rest once he's dead.
…
Despite the sad sigh that came out of his mouth, BASIL gave a teasing smile at OMORI, "You've always been the laziest out of all of us, but you can be so headstrong when you really want something."
Quickly finishing his drink in one gulp, BASIL exhaled in relief before standing up as well.
"If you're really in that big of a rush, I won't stop you." BASIL relented, only to tell OMORI, "Before I take you to her, there's something I need to give you first."
OMORI raised a curious eyebrow as BASIL pulled a small gift-wrapped present from his pocket. Handing it over, OMORI took the present and looked it over.
A bit late for this, wasn't it? His birthday was just a few days ago...
OMORI gave the flower boy a questioning look as he began unwrapping the gift.
BASIL didn't say anything, patiently standing by as he watched OMORI open his present.
Inside the present was-
…
"What the…?" OMORI looked on in shock as he grabbed the object hidden inside.
It was his steak knife.
Why in the world would his steak knife be with…?
"How did you find this?" OMORI asked.
BASIL shook his head and brought a finger up to his lips with a shush, before giving a knowing wink.
OMORI could only stare back in confusion.
With a chuckle, BASIL warned him politely, "Be careful not to lose that again. It's important to you, isn't it?"
…
Yes… It was important to him.
But that wasn't something this BASIL was supposed to know.
"Who are you?" OMORI cautiously stepped back a bit, knife at the ready. "Are you really BASIL?"
"I'm as much BASIL as any other." This BASIL replied cryptically, not even the least daunted by the weapon aimed at him.
This BASIL's strange behavior was starting to make OMORI feel uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do or how to feel towards this different imaginary version of his close friend.
It was sort of like… talking to a stranger.
Was this BASIL even the same BASIL in HIKIKO's world? At this point, he was starting to doubt it.
How did he know that this knife belonged to OMORI? Why give it back to him in such a secretive fashion? Does HIKIKO know too by extension since this BASIL was part of her HEADSPACE, or was something else going on here?
His mind was racing with questions, yet he couldn't find it within himself to ask out loud. Something inside him made him feel too intimidated to even try.
While OMORI kept his knife aimed squarely at BASIL, the flower boy noticed something out the window with a frown.
"Huh… Guess we didn't have to go anywhere after all." BASIL murmured to himself before facing OMORI, "Your sister is outside. Looks like she showed up earlier than I thought. You might want to put that thing away before she sees it."
Although OMORI still felt uneasy around this BASIL, he still took his advice and pocketed the steak knife away in his back pocket. If this BASIL had plans to harm him, he would have done so instead of giving OMORI the knife back in the first place.
Gotta make sure not to lose that again…It'll be a hassle if HIKIKO somehow ends up getting her hands on it.
He wasn't sure what the consequences would be if his cover gets blown, but he knew for sure that it wasn't going to make his mission any easier.
Still giving a cautious glare at the mysterious BASIL, the flower boy rolled his eyes, "Relax, your secret is safe with me. Just don't go waving around that knife like a maniac and you'll be fine." With a small nod towards the door, BASIL then encouraged him, "Go ahead and meet up with her already. She misses you dearly, you know. I'm sure you do too."
Not knowing how else to respond to that, OMORI kept his eye trained on BASIL the entire time as he crept his way towards the door. BASIL could only look on with a humorous smile at OMORI's paranoid behavior.
By the time OMORI found the handle, he quickly opened it and left the building as soon as he could.
…
BASIL was left behind as he gave a sad sigh.
"Good luck, OMORI. We're all counting on you..."
The legend of COCKAIGNE island. A paradise no longer.
On the journey towards the FRUIT KIDS village, HIKIKO was able to learn more about the situation she found herself in.
According to the elder and his living chatterbox of a son, COCKAIGNE island was once a former utopian island where children could truly live a carefree eternal life without the hardships of responsibility.
That all changed when a nasty old hag of a queen grew jealous when she learned about this place. She was bitter, old, and hated children of all ages. Knowing the existence of an island where children roamed free, she invaded the island in order to take it for herself.
With her magical wizards, she used them to strip the island of its magical eternal youth spell in order to steal it for her own. She's been sapping the island's magic for five hundred years now, growing younger and younger each decade. No longer did she look like the old hag that she once was, but her heart was still as bitter and cruel.
With her loyal army, she used them to invade the center of the island and drove out all the inhabitants to take the land for herself. What was once a peaceful town was now replaced by a towering castle-town filled with nothing but malicious adults.
With her queenly staff, she used it to summon a giant menace in the sea to guard the surrounding ocean from invaders and adventurers. Her loyal minion has deterred countless ships from traveling nearby, until no one was foolish enough to dare set sail on pink oceans again.
After so long without any contact with the outside world, the existence of the island slowly regressed into being nothing more than rumors, stories, and folk tales. COCKAIGNE was left to its own devices, forced to suffer under the reigns of a tyrant for five hundred years.
HIKIKO and her group of friends were apparently the only kids who have ever thought to set sail this far in such a long time.
"Ah, we have reached home." The elder FRUIT KID declared.
HIKIKO looked around to find herself in the middle of a decrepit old town. The buildings surrounding her were small, rundown, and seemed to be overtaken by plant life. If it wasn't for the collection of FRUIT KIDS going about their day, she would have thought this whole place was a sort of abandoned ghost town.
The younger FRUIT KID excitedly ran in front of her as it stretched its tiny arms to show off the whole area, "Welcome to ARCADIA'S BAY! Name patent pending."
"It was once called the town of EDEN." The elder chimed in wearily, "Ages ago, it was a humble town full of pleasant children. Unfortunately, without the magic of the eternal youth to help keep them young, they all grew up to be bitter adults and steadily migrated away to live in the center capital."
Despite the place looking like ruins of a lost civilization, there was a sort of homey vibe to it that HIKIKO couldn't quite place. Maybe it was the abundance of life that surrounded it that gave it such a welcoming atmosphere...
ARCADIA was a fitting name.
However, the name and history of the place were the least pressing matters on her mind.
"So this is where my little brother is, right?" HIKIKO asked, scanning the area to look at the different rundown buildings, "Which one is he in?"
The elder used his cane to point at the one closest to them, "The small office building over there, where we've set up a nursing station for injured fruits. Both he and his friend with the flower crown should be there."
"Yeah! The blue meatloaf guy is really cool! He's like a wizard!" The younger FRUIT KID yelled out excitedly, "I once fell and tripped on my face, and my juice was leaking everywhere, but then he sprayed some dirt and water on me and somehow the wound disappeared! It was so cool!"
HIKIKO smiled proudly at that. No doubt BASIL's experience in gardening has been coming in handy here. Guess fruit people aren't that much different than taking care of regular plants.
Knowing that her little brother was inside, she wasted no time rushing over to get to him as soon as possible.
As if on cue, she saw her little brother exiting through the door just as she arrived.
She couldn't contain her joy and excitement upon seeing him, causing her to call out with a wide smile, "SUNNY!"
Before her little brother even had the chance to know what was going on, HIKIKO had already scooped him up into her arms and was happily spinning around like a ballerina.
"You're okay! I was so worried!" HIKIKO cheered gratefully, smushing her cheek against his head as she asked him, "I'm so sorry for suddenly disappearing like that! You must have been so scared!"
OMORI could not respond, too busy keeping himself from getting nauseous as he got spun around like a spin top toy.
Sheesh, he hasn't been thrown around like this since… years ago.
After a while of being in his sister's warm embrace, HIKIKO finally set him down and kneeled to his level as she fussed over his hair, "You're not hurt, are you? Were you worried about me? I'm sorry for getting separated from you after our boat crashed! I should have been more careful and hold on to you tighter! Have you been waiting for me all this time? Did you get sick? Are you hungry or thirsty? Are you well-rested? Do you have any cuts or injuries from the boat crash?"
HIKIKO would continue to throw barrages of questions like these at OMORI relentlessly before he finally had the sense to interrupt her, "I'm fine! I'm fine, I'm not hurt. I'm okay."
With a look of doubting concern, she carefully examined her little brother's face as she asked, "Are you sure? You're not lying just to make me not worried?"
OMORI shook his head, "I promise, I'm fine."
It took her a moment to finally settle down, giving a huge sigh of relief before tightly hugging him.
"I'm so glad…" HIKIKO whispered happily, "I promise I won't ever leave you out of my sights for even a single moment, SUNNY. As long as we're together, I'll be sure to keep you safe."
…
OMORI slowly brought his arms up to hug her back.
He really wished that she would worry about herself instead. She was the one that needed help more than him, after all...
Satisfied that everything was going to be okay, HIKIKO pulled back to give a warm smile, "So I heard that BASIL was taking care of you. Where is he?"
"Uh…" OMORI looked back and forth between his sister and the building he just left from.
He wasn't sure if he wanted to directly acknowledge BASIL right now, not after what he just went through with the flower boy. The encounter with him shook him up a tad, and he didn't know if he could trust that BASIL around his sister.
Before he could do anything though, BASIL was already exiting the building himself before lighting up the moment he saw HIKIKO.
"HIKIKO! You found us!" BASIL cheered, already running up to the siblings with an ecstatic smile.
"BASIL!"
Letting go of OMORI, HIKIKO spread her arm out to catch the flower boy as he jumped into her grasp. The two of them hugged each other tightly as they told each other how happy they were to see the other.
OMORI could only sit by and watch with suspicious eyes.
BASIL's hair was blue again. Not green just like a few moments ago.
What did that mean? Was there some significance to that? Ugh, he was so confused…
As the two of them released each other from the hug, BASIL quickly asked, "But how did you even find us? I thought we all got separated!"
HIKIKO turned back to give a grateful smile at the two grape people standing from afar, "Just had a few friendly faces pointing me the way."
"Hello!" The small grape creature waved a stubby hand at them.
VEGGIE KIDS? They were even in HIKIKO's HEADSPACE as well? What were they doing here?
Well, that wasn't too weird actually if he thought about it. OMORI had lots of stuffed toys of these creatures as a kid. Even AUBREY carried around her MR. PLANTEGG all the time while growing up. MARI must've been inspired by them just like he did.
"Oh thank goodness! You have no idea how relieved I am to see that you're here!" BASIL gave a healthy sigh of relief before turning to face OMORI with a smile, "When you suddenly snuck away when I wasn't looking, I almost got worried something happened to you! But you just saw HIKIKO outside and got excited to see her again, didn't you?"
OMORI looked back at BASIL with a questioning look.
Snuck off? That obviously wasn't what happened.
"Next time, let me know before running off like that! You have such a bad habit of lurking away without telling anyone sometimes." BASIL chastised in a light tone, before giving a carefree shrug, "Oh well, I guess you can't help it."
Was BASIL trying to play dumb or something? Why was he acting so differently than just a moment ago?
…
OMORI really didn't know what was going on right now...
Noticing the way OMORI was staring intently at his hair, BASIL gave a curious look as he reached a hand up to smooth it over, "What's wrong, SUNNY? Is there something on my head?"
…
The hair, the attitude, the genuine confusion on his face… It was like a completely different BASIL.
It only gave OMORI further questions about what was going on. The whole situation was throwing his brain for a loop.
…
HEADSPACE was such a mystery to him. The people living in it, even much more so.
In the end, all OMORI could do was look away awkwardly, "No, it's nothing."
It was probably better not to act weird in front of HIKIKO and give her any reason to be suspicious. Whatever was going on with BASIL, it doesn't seem like he was trying to do anything to interfere with his goals of helping her. He could put this issue on the shelf for now.
BASIL tilted his head questioningly.
As this was going on, HIKIKO was busy scanning around the area again as she tried to search for the others.
Where were the others? KEL, AUBREY, and HERO should be around here too, shouldn't they?
"BASIL, aren't the others with you too? Where are they?" HIKIKO asked.
With his thoughts interrupted, BASIL shifted his attention to the older girl before exclaiming, "HIKIKO, you are never going to believe this! After we got shipwrecked and you went to save SUNNY-"
OMORI and HIKIKO stood by as they listened to BASIL explaining the whole situation. After the ship was attacked, PROTEUS seemingly summoned some sort of typhoon hurricane to attack the whole group, causing everyone to start flying around in the air. Before they lost track of each other, BASIL managed to catch a glimpse of their three missing friends falling towards the island in three different locations. Bringing a map of the island out of nowhere, BASIL proceeded to point out where he thinks they may have crash-landed.
Several icons were drawn crudely on the map, each depicting the theme of a landmark where they were located. The most noticeable ones OMORI saw were a familiar shape of a dinosaur mascot, a drawing of an active volcano, some kind of ancient tower, as well as a giant castle drawn in the middle.
"I think KEL, AUBREY, and HERO might have each landed somewhere around these landmarks!" BASIL explained, using a marker to draw circles on three of the biggest icons, "I'm sure they're still alive! If the three of us can somehow survive the fall, then those three can as well! All we need to do is go look for them to make sure they're okay!"
Huh… Now this was pretty interesting.
OMORI couldn't help but draw some parallels that were happening right now between HIKIKO and him.
Friends going missing and it was up to the gang to go around the land, trying to look for them? Sounds almost identical to what he had to do whenever his BASIL went missing. The only notable difference was that it was literally everyone except BASIL that they had to find.
He wondered what sort of significance that held.
...
How long has HIKIKO been traveling HEADSPACE for? How many cycles has she gone through before OMORI came around? Do they even share similar rules regarding how their HEADSPACE works?
So many questions... He wasn't even sure if he'll ever get an answer to any single one of them.
For now, he had no choice but to continue observing how it all plays out as he focused on his mission. That was all that mattered at this point.
HIKIKO grabbed the map from BASIL as he finished explaining what happened so far, giving it a thorough examination.
Looking up at her little brother with a smile, she said, "Looks like this adventure just got a whole lot more complicated than we originally expected, huh SUNNY? At least we can confidently say that we've gone through worse."
Well, she wasn't inaccurate with that statement.
OMORI gave a stoic shrug in response.
Giving the map one last look, HIKIKO made up her mind as she rolled the map away into her pocket.
"Welp, looks like we have our plan of action now," HIKIKO announced.
With an energetic bounce, BASIL asked, "Time to go rescue our friends, right?"
HIKIKO nodded, "This island might be dangerous. There's no telling what the three of them are dealing with. The sooner we get them all back with us together, the sooner we can figure out a way to get back home."
"Yeah!" BASIL agreed wholeheartedly, "We gotta make sure they're safe!"
Turning to her little brother, HIKIKO smiled warmly as she asked, "So what do you think, SUNNY? Up to continue this adventure?"
OMORI blinked in surprise at the sudden question aimed at him.
Why was she asking him?
"This island might be scary since we don't know what we're up against. Our friends might be in danger and there's no telling what could happen." HIKIKO told him, before reassuring, "But no matter what goes wrong, you can count on me to make sure you're safe! Okay?"
OMORI looked up at his sister with an inquisitive look.
Was she… asking for his permission or something? It wasn't like he had any real control in this HEADSPACE… Whether or not they continue playing out this story was solely up to HIKIKO's decision, shouldn't it?
What would happen if he just said that he'd rather stay here forever and not want to leave? Ruin the momentum before it even got started?
What would HIKIKO do then, if that was the case?
…
OMORI nodded along, going with what HIKIKO said, "Okay."
It was an interesting thought, but he knew that it would most likely be pointless. Doing something to mess around with the narrative wouldn't get him any closer to the truth. More likely, all it would do was hinder his progress at helping MARI.
There had to be some kind of reason for this island to exist in HIKIKO's HEADSPACE. A reason why HIKIKO decided to come here with all of her friends in the first place. Whatever that reason was, OMORI figured it would be better to go along with it so that they could be constantly moving.
MARI's BLACK SPACE existed somewhere here. Within that space was the truth that she was hiding away. The truth he has to find.
No matter how hard you try to hide the darkness, it always comes seeping out through the cracks one way or another. OMORI knew that better than anyone. He'd have a greater chance of finding those cracks by traveling around with HIKIKO instead of staying in the same spot forever.
"So, having plans to head out already?" The elder FRUIT KID asked while stroking his beard, "Are you sure that is a wise idea? The wildlife of COCKAIGNE has become much more dangerous in recent times compared to before. It would be safer to live in a community with walls to protect yourself."
HIKIKO gave the elderly creature a grateful smile, "Thank you for helping me find my friends again! If it wasn't for you, I probably would've gotten lost around these parts." HIKIKO continued with a sad smile, "Unfortunately, we can't stay here. We're still missing friends, and we think they might be out there. We need to go look for them so that we can find a way to head back home."
"Ah, I see, I see…" The elder hummed, "You wish to go save your friends. Nothing is more important than family. How lucky for them to have such close bonds with reliable children like yourself."
HIKIKO gave a look towards OMORI and BASIL before hugging the both of them within her arms, "We're the closest friends anyone else can ever be."
"I can see that." The elder nodded impressively.
"Man, I wish I had friends like that." The younger FRUIT KID pouted, "All my friends ever do is call me Raisin-Boy and laugh whenever I cry."
HIKIKO giggled as she brought the two boys closer and snuggled with them, "Friendships like ours are like a diamond in the rough. No one else could ever have what we have together."
"That's why we have to find the rest of our friends!" BASIL concurred, "Losing one is like losing a piece of limb! We can't live without them!"
OMORI gave a curious glance at HIKIKO as he listened to all of this. So this was how MARI thought of everyone else?
Hm… Despite being resentful to all their friends in the waking world, she still deeply cared for them in her heart. The fantasy of being together with them was still strong.
If only he could somehow help bring this love for her friends out again when she was awake… Have her reconcile with all of them, somehow...
Well… At least OMORI knew it wouldn't be impossible.
"Now, I understand that you all need to leave as soon as you can…" The elder began, "But if it's not too much of a bother… Would it be possible for you all to stay at least just a little bit longer?"
HIKIKO raised her brows at this, "Stay? What for?"
The elder gave a small hum, before rephrasing, "Maybe not necessarily all of you. I was regarding that question for the boy with the flower crown, to be exact."
BASIL nervously pointed at himself in shock, "M-Me?! But why?"
"Your skill in medicine and healing is impeccable, lad." The elder explained, "In all my years, I've never met anyone with such experience and knowledge before. The way you seem to make things grow and heal away injuries with only a drop of water, it's miraculous."
"B-But I'm just a simple gardener! I can't be that special!" BASIL argued back nervously.
"Regardless, I must insist that you stay to continue helping us!"
"You see, we haven't been living here for very long." The younger FRUIT KID continued off, "We used to have a home back in the garden lands before we all got kicked out by a whole bunch of nasty bullies. We only recently found this spot near the ocean and called it our new home." With a sad pout, he explained, "We lost a lot of fruits while migrating here. We're not used to things outside our element. Back then, we always had someone taking care of us and helping us nourish, but now we're on our own. We have no idea what we're doing."
"But BASIL can't just stay here forever, you know!" HIKIKO told them, "He has a home too that he takes care of! Friends that are waiting for him! You can't ask him to give that up just to stay here!"
"No no no, of course we're not asking you to live here. That would be far too outlandish of a request." The elder made clear, "We're asking you to stay behind long enough to at least teach us how to do what you do. That way, we can know how to take care of ourselves without needing to rely on anybody else."
HIKIKO was dubious of the idea, and was almost ready to quickly reject the request before BASIL slightly tugged her sleeping gown to grab her attention.
Looking at the small flower boy, he hesitantly looked up at her and said, "I think… maybe I should stay here for a bit and help them out."
"BASIL? Are you sure?" HIKIKO asked while crouching down to his level, "You know you don't have to do anything you don't want to."
BASIL shook his head and explained, "That's not the issue. When SUNNY and I were lost and needed help after we landed here, this town full of fruit people were willing to let us in and take care of us without a second thought." Glancing over at the FRUIT KIDS going about their day, he mentioned, "When we met them, these fruit people were in way worse shape than us. A lot of them were falling apart really badly."
As if noticing the flower boy looking their way, many of them gave happy and friendly smiles as they waved back.
HIKIKO could see the mended wounds on the surfaces of their delicate fruit bodies. No doubt healed up thanks to BASIL during his time here.
BASIL smiled and waved as well, "I really think I should do something to repay them for their kindness in accepting us. If it wasn't for them, we'd probably still be lost around here with nowhere to go." Giving a determined look, he told HIKIKO, "Teaching them how to properly take care of themselves with my gardening skills shouldn't be too hard. It's the least I can do after all they've done for us. Don't you think so?"
HIKIKO felt unsure of the prospect of leaving behind one of her friends in an unknown place like this. Knowing that they would have to continue on without him left a knot in her stomach.
"We promise we won't keep him for long." The elder stepped in to reassure her, "We may not look like it, but we fruit-kin are very quick learners. We'll hand him back in a heartbeat once we're done."
The younger FRUIT KID quickly cheered, "Yeah! Super fast! I once had to learn trigonometry by myself in only a week! I didn't understand a single thing they taught me, but I still got an A in the class somehow anyway!"
That didn't exactly inspire much confidence in her.
…
Turning towards her little brother, she asked, "What do you think we should do, SUNNY?"
OMORI looked back at her in thought.
Once again, she tries to have him involved in making the decisions instead of coming up with them herself. It was a pattern that was quickly growing noticeable.
Was his input on situations really so valuable that she needed to turn to him whenever she couldn't decide for herself? He couldn't ever remember a time when he had to get so involved before…
Still, seeing twelve-year-old BASIL giving him puppy-dog eyes behind his sister was almost comical. It seems BASIL was really set on doing this for whatever reason.
"I think we should let BASIL do what he wants." He ended up deciding, "If anything happens, we can always just come back later to pick him up again."
HIKIKO slowly smiled at her brother's answer, while BASIL fist-pumped in victory.
Heh. Consider this as his thank you for giving him back his knife and keeping it a secret, you garden-maniac you.
"Alright then. If SUNNY says so, then I'm okay with it too." HIKIKO nodded back as she gave her approval.
"Thank you for being so considerate." The elder nodded deeply, "We're in your debt, lads and lassie."
The younger FRUIT KID screamed out, "WOO HOO! WE'RE GONNA GET MAGIC MEATLOAF POWERS!"
When it was time to leave, HIKIKO and OMORI found themselves standing near the borders of the town entrance as BASIL and multiple fruit people came to see them off.
While all the FRUIT KIDS waved goodbye happily at them and wishing them good luck on their journey, BASIL slowly stepped up to them with a warm smile.
"You guys have a safe journey, okay?" BASIL reminded them, "I don't know how long this whole thing will take, but remember to come back occasionally once you find the others! I might get a little bit lonely without my friends…"
"No worries, BASIL. I promise we'll come back often to check up on you and let you know how we're doing." HIKIKO reassured.
BASIL turned to OMORI and waved goodbye, "See you soon, best friend! Remember to always follow HIKIKO's lead, okay?"
OMORI nodded back with a simple, "Yeah."
Before they started their journey however, HIKIKO actually wanted to take the time to go up to BASIL and give him a great big hug.
BASIL was surprised at first before slowly hugging her back with a pleasant smile.
"Before I forget… Thanks so much for taking care of SUNNY while I was away, BASIL. I can always rely on you." HIKIKO told him gratefully.
With a blush, BASIL gave back a humble smile, "Aw geez, you don't need to thank me for that! I mean, I made a promise after all! To always protect SUNNY and keep him safe when you're not around!"
OMORI silently stared at the two as he listened carefully.
To protect him when his sister wasn't around? Did BASIL really make such a promise to her?
MARI's body laid on her bed, lifeless as can be.
Blood on his hands from carrying her body up the stairs.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wake up from this nightmare.
A soft hand roughly grabbing onto his shoulders, shaking him to get his attention.
"SUNNY, listen to me! I can keep you safe! You have to trust me! I promise everything is going to be okay!"
The worst mistake he ever made in his entire life.
What a horrible promise to make…
When they were satisfied from the hug, HIKIKO pulled away while BASIL waved goodbye again, "Good luck rescuing the others, guys! I'm counting on you!"
"Good luck to you too! Hopefully when we come back, we see tons of new pro-gardeners creating a society back here!" HIKIKO waved back as she prepared to leave.
"Heheh… I dunno if I'm at that skill level yet, but sure!" BASIL chuckled embarrassingly.
With that, the two siblings finally left town and made their way outside to travel on the road ahead.
Taking a brief moment to stop and take in the fresh air of the island, HIKIKO sucked up a heap of air before blowing it out in a sigh of relief.
OMORI silently watched her as he stood at her side. HIKIKO noticed him staring and gave him a cheerful smile.
"Feeling nervous, SUNNY?" She asked teasingly.
OMORI simply shook his head.
"I guess not. We've been on tons of adventures already, so maybe this won't be all that different." HIKIKO giggled.
Giving one last look at the town behind them, HIKIKO hummed to herself in thought.
"Still… This is the first time we've ever had to travel separately like this. It's kind of a shame that we won't have BASIL or the rest of our friends to keep us company." HIKIKO murmured sadly. Then with a small shake of her head, she resumed smiling before giving a cheery outlook, "But maybe this isn't a bad thing! We've always been hanging out with all our friends, but when was the last time it was ever just the two of us? This could be a great way for us to finally spend some time together for ourselves!"
Ah, OMORI was starting to get the picture now…
This whole convoluted scenario was just a way to fulfill her current deepest wish, wasn't it? To spend some time alone with him.
With a bubbly demeanor, HIKIKO bent down to OMORI's level and quickly pulled out the map of the island.
"BASIL went ahead and circled the spots that he thinks the others are currently at." HIKIKO explained, before telling him, "How about I let you decide which place you want to visit first? Go ahead and pick whichever seems the most fun and interesting to you!"
…
Alright, HIKIKO… He'll play along if it'll make you happy.
Briefly looking over the map again, OMORI ended up choosing at random by placing a finger on the map without much thought.
It ended up landing directly on the icon of a golden dinosaur. He doesn't know what that was about, but it seemed like it would be an appropriate first choice to make. Especially since it was the closest location to where they were.
"The dinosaurs look cool," OMORI told her.
Giving a huge grin, HIKIKO excitedly put the map away as she exclaimed, "Then that's where we're going first! Oh, this will be so much fun!"
Standing back up, she grabbed her little brother's hand and proceeded to march forward with a brave smile.
"Onwards to adventure!"
Onwards to adventure then.
The road they traveled that would lead them to the dinosaur location brought them further inside the forest.
Despite the elder's warning of dangerous monsters lurking in the area, they haven't managed to come across any so far. It seemed like it was going to be a peaceful trip, more or less.
OMORI and HIKIKO were traveling hand in hand, with HIKIKO happily leading the way.
The trees seemed like they were made out of chocolate wood, and the pink leaves made him think of bubblegum. The wide assortment of bright colors sometimes made OMORI feel like he should stop to stare and marvel at the scenery.
Especially when the wind blew and brought all the leaves to follow along with the air.
"Such a beautiful place…" HIKIKO whispered in awe.
Yeah… OMORI couldn't help but agree.
The plants and animals that lived in this forest seemed to be majorly food-themed for some reason. Many times, OMORI had come across something that looked like it could be candy or pastry, only to get startled when it scurried and flew away.
HIKIKO would often laugh at his reactions.
He couldn't blame her. Honestly, he probably would too.
One of the many examples of the food-life that they came across were white roses that were actually cream-fillings in disguise, slices of pies hanging off from stems on the trees, and purple bushes growing colorful lollipops like they were berries, so on and so forth.
Maybe it was the fact that he spent the last few days without taste buds, but seeing all these various delicacies in front of him was starting to make his mouth water.
Even though this was all just a dream, he was starting to feel hungry…
Perhaps it was because of the way he was staring, or perhaps his sister had some sort of sixth sense that detected when he wanted something. In either case, it was almost as if she knew exactly what he was thinking as she told him to wait a moment.
He watched on curiously as HIKIKO climbed up the trees as gracefully as she could, grabbing a single slice of pie before swinging off a branch and landing stylishly on her feet.
OMORI had to blink at the sudden acrobatic display, taken aback a bit.
Before he could catch up to what was happening, HIKIKO was already busy picking up random cream roses off the ground and using it to evenly coat the pie with a fine layer.
Looking around for a finishing touch, she smiled brightly as stole a strawberry being carried by a random bug off the ground.
OMORI looked on in surprise as HIKIKO came up to him to present a perfectly decorated slice of pie in her hands, strawberry topping and all.
"Ta-daaah!" HIKIKO announced cheerfully.
OMORI kept staring at the pie in her hand like it was an alien object from another planet. In a certain manner of speaking, it could probably be considered as such.
"Go ahead, SUNNY. I know you like sweets, and it's been a while since you last ate. Eat as much as you want." HIKIKO giggled.
…
After a bit of consideration, OMORI took the food offered to him as he studied it in his hand.
It… It was just a piece of pie. A pretty tasty-looking one too.
Glancing up at HIKIKO, he saw her smiling at him with anticipation. Almost as if she was waiting for his reaction…
…
Well… Not like it'll kill him, since it was just a dream. If only he could be so lucky.
OMORI took a tentative bite and allowed the pie to settle in his-
OOOOHHHH MY GOD, THIS WAS AMAZING.
The cream frosting combined with the pie unleashed an explosion of sweet sugary flavor into his mouth, causing him to chew in stunned silence.
He couldn't even remember the last time he ate something so sweet and tasty! The only thing that could come close was back when MARI would still bake chocolate chip cookies all those years ago.
Unable to control himself, he quickly swallowed to take another bite, eyes closed as he relished the taste as much as he possibly could.
HIKIKO giggled nearby, watching him devour his meal in satisfaction.
"I knew you'd like it!" She said, clasping her hands together next to her cheek as she swiveled her hips happily.
It wasn't long before OMORI finally cleaned his plate, so to speak. With a small burp, he found himself tapping his full belly before giving a satisfied sigh.
How in the world was it possible for him to feel full like this in a dream? It honestly boggled his mind…
"You look stuffed." HIKIKO smiled down at him, "Was it that good?"
OMORI nodded, "Yeah. It really was."
With another giggle, she reached her hand out, "Let's keep going then."
OMORI gave her hand a nervous glance.
"Um… Think we can wait a minute before we go?" OMORI ended up asking.
His stomach was too full for him to move around at the moment. He felt like his belly might actually burst if he moved around too much.
"Too full to move around, huh?" HIKIKO asked knowingly, before giggling, "You should learn to pace yourself, SUNNY."
OMORI felt himself blush in embarrassment. When was the last time MARI ever teasingly reprimanded him like this for doing something silly or stupid?
Instead of waiting around, HIKIKO actually turned her back to him and crouched down to position her hands as a platform.
"How about I give you a piggyback ride? We can get there faster that way." HIKIKO suggested.
…
OMORI widened his eyes.
A piggyback ride?
He… He hadn't been given a piggyback ride in… years.
Back when he was still in elementary school, MARI would often carry him on her back all the time. He would hold onto her as tight as he could while she would run around like a crazed speed demon all over town.
It wasn't until she had that softball accident that injured her knee did they ever stop doing that. She didn't have the strength in her leg to support him like before, and he cared about her health too much to ever ask for another ride.
The last time she ever gave him a piggyback ride was… was when he fell asleep on the bus ride home from school and she decided to slowly carry him the rest of the way. He wasn't even awake to enjoy it at the time. The only evidence it ever happened was the photo BASIL took.
…
Was… Was he really allowed to do it again?
What about her knee? Wasn't it still injured from the softball game?
Wait, no… Since this was just a dream, HIKIKO's leg would still be in perfectly healthy condition. He literally just saw her climb a tree and land without any difficulty a second ago.
…
But… Did he even deserve to...
Noticing the way her brother was hesitating, HIKIKO curiously called out, "SUNNY? Are you going to get on or what?"
…
"Are you sure, sis?" OMORI mumbled.
HIKIKO smiled reassuringly, "Of course I'm sure! Don't worry, I promise it'll be fun!"
…
…
…
OMORI gave another nervous look at his sister before timidly climbing onto her back.
With his legs in place and his arms hanging around tightly around her neck, HIKIKO hoisted her little brother up with a bounce.
"Ready?" HIKIKO asked, before shouting, "HERE WE GOOOO!"
OMORI was not expecting HIKIKO to suddenly run at top speed, completely blazing through the entire forest faster than any race car known to man.
"WOO!" HIKIKO cheered out.
OMORI held on for dear life, watching the scenery pass by him in an instant as his sister left a trail of dust in their wake. Petals from flowers and plants burst into the air from the force of her speed, filling his vision with beautiful colors.
…
The warmth of his sister's back…
The breeze of the wind hitting his face…
The feeling of safety as she held onto him tightly…
…
He never thought he'd ever be given a chance to experience something like this ever again. He loved this.
He… He really loved this.
HIKIKO dreamed of picnic baskets too.
Just like him.
HIKIKO dropped him off right next to a giant landmark of a golden cherry in the middle of a grassy field. A picnic basket was conveniently placed nearby as if it was prepared just for any passerby who came strolling along to enjoy.
"Let's take a breather right here! All that running around has me pooped out." HIKIKO told him while slightly out of breath.
They both sat down on the picnic blanket and admired the giant cherry in front of them.
"Man, this place is so mysterious and magical." HIKIKO smiled impressively, "You'd never see anything like this back at home."
No, you certainly would not. Giant apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes? Maybe. But definitely not golden cherries.
HEADSPACE was truly a mysterious place. Even after all these years, he still didn't quite know how it all worked.
…
For some reason, he felt a sudden sleep spell wash over him as he sat on the picnic blanket. His eyes began to droop as if all of his energy was being sapped away.
HIKIKO glanced over at her brother before smiling, "Feeling tired from the trip already, SUNNY?"
He couldn't help it… It felt like he could pass out at any moment…
The beginning of this whole journey started off so energetically after all. Suddenly resting at a picnic site after all that excitement, could you really blame him for suddenly feeling so sleepy?
Ugh… He could barely keep his eyes open…
All of a sudden, he felt gentle hands wrapped around his head as he was softly pushed down to his side.
His head landed on something soft and comfortable. An almost nostalgic feeling rose within him.
It took him a moment to realize that his head was placed right on top of HIKIKO's lap.
Turning his head up to look at her, he saw HIKIKO giving him a gentle smile as she placed her hand on top of his head.
"Sssshh, it's okay. Go ahead and sleep. I'll watch over you until you're all rested up again." HIKIKO reassured him.
Along with the soft humming from her lips and the gentle petting from her hands, it wasn't long before OMORI was lulled by the soothing atmosphere of it all.
A sort of rumbling sound erupted from him. A sound he couldn't quite place…
Was… Was he purring right now? Like a cat?
HIKIKO practically had sparkles in her eyes as she stared at his face, almost as if she was holding back her giddiness from the sounds he was making.
It was almost instinctual. He had no control over his body right now. He couldn't help but purr as he closed his eyes.
…
…
…
This has been the most fun he's ever had in his entire life. Playing around with his sister again after all these years of loneliness, it reminded him of all the nostalgic memories of back when he was still just a kid who was enjoying his life day by day.
Back when MARI used to be alive.
Back when he… he used to be happy.
…
Why was he happy right now? He knew he didn't deserve it.
This feeling of contentment and satisfaction… He wasn't worthy to have such feelings like this.
How selfish was he to spoil himself with such a wonderful time, when he was the bastard who stole his own sister's life away from her?
A murderer like him didn't deserve any of this...
…
MARI...
I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…
I know I shouldn't be happy. I don't deserve to feel happy.
I'm so sorry for being happy.
I'm so sorry… for feeling like this...
I'm…
…
...horrible...