A/N: Hey! This story is a continuation of my other story "Nepzaki: Before the Branch". Pleaseeee go read chapters 1 - 3 for the first 3 parts of the prologue before you start reading this and/or the brother story. If you have already done so then do carry on!
CHOOSE YOUR FATE
Superdimension Nepzaki Re;Start 1T: Return of an APL (Side T)
"Have I… been here before…?"
Superdimension Nepzaki Re;Start 1S: Return of an APL [Side S]
"What is this place…?"
…
…
Side T follows Trenton Tamazaki on his journey through Gamindustri and beyond.
Please note that choosing Tamazaki will lock you out of Sylvia Tamazaki, her storyline, and various characters exclusive to her side for an indefinite period of time.
Knowing this, would you like to continue?
Yes
No
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Yes
No
…
…
Previous save data from the "Hyperdimension Nepzaki" series has been found. Would you like to import it? (Bonuses in Side T greatly differ from those in Side S).
Yes
No
…
Yes
No
…
…
Import successful.
… So you have chosen to follow Trenton Tamazaki…
… I wonder why that is? Perhaps it's because you found his character interesting…
…Or…
(… Maybe you've met him once before…?)
…
… Either way, there are no right or wrong choices. The story will continue regardless…
… I hope you're prepared for what's about to come…
… Until we meet again, dear observer…
…
…
It was 9 years ago on a really hot day in May. I was sitting under a tree out in our backyard cursing out the sun for burning me alive.
… At least I was trying to.
"Ow!"
"Stop moving around so much, it's only going to hurt more!"
Right beside me was Sylvia, who had a first-aid kit open next to her and was using what was inside to treat the scrapes and bruises all over my arms, legs, and face. I was around 7 or 8 at the time which would mean she was about 9 or 10.
"Why do you keep getting into fights?" I remember her being extra annoyed that day in particular. I don't remember all the reasons, but having to put up with my bs was certainly one of them, "Especially today! You, a 3rd grader, got into a fight with a bunch of 5th graders! Are you stupid or something?!"
"They deserved it…-Ow!" I still remember how bad it stung every time the cotton swab touched my skin. "They were saying a lot of mean things about you…"
I had serious anger issues as a kid. I'm definitely a lot better at keeping my emotions in check now, but back then other kids were able to get a rise out of me easily, which led to a LOT of unnecessary fights, admittedly. 9 times out of 10 I was usually the one at fault since I didn't know how to ignore people and typically threw the first punch.
However, that day was different. I felt completely justified in my decision to throw hands. I overheard some guys in Sylvia's grade talking about her. I think she had an encounter with them earlier on in the day and embarrassed them or something because they were calling her awful names and using a bunch of words that 5th graders really shouldn't have in their vocabulary to describe her.
I was already getting angry at what they were saying, but then I heard them talk about luring her behind the building after school to "put her in her place". Before I knew it, I was behind the school and found myself standing there, dazed, in the middle of some unconscious fifth-graders. Sylvia had gotten a note telling her to come and showed up not long after I dealt with them. I couldn't even get a word out before she grabbed me and quite literally dragged me home so she could treat me.
"So? Who cares if some smelly ol' boys were talking bad about me?" Sylvia didn't seem too fazed by my comment.
"I do!" I think suddenly raising my voice had startled her, "They were going to hurt you too! You can be mad at me all you want, but I'll beat up anyone who wants to hurt my big sister!"
"Ton-Ton, you could've gotten really hurt. Those kids are older and bigger than you." Sylvia continued to lecture me while she was applying band-aids to my arms and legs, "I can't stop you from getting into fights clearly, but from now on, don't pick fights with older kids, alright?"
"...Grr…"
"I SAID don't pick fights with older kids, alright?"
"...Oka-"
"The same applies to Alex when he gets older! Don't go beating up little kids either if you see him getting picked on! You're only allowed to scare them!"
"Okay! I get it!" I shouted and crossed my arms, "Older kids are off the table and only scare the little kids! Gosh…"
After I responded, I remember she hugged me out of the blue. I was confused at first but then she started giggling. "Still though… Thanks for looking out for me," She said, "It makes me really happy knowing you care about me so much~"
Yeah… Of course I cared. I've always had trouble showing it, but you and Alex mean so much to me.
I would do anything to protect you, even if it meant I had to throw away my own life…
…
…
… So why is it that the both of you are lying there on the ground instead of me?
Everything is a blur.
Everything sounds so muffled.
My head was pounding but I didn't know why.
There were voices… So… So many voices. Some were whispering, and others were yelling. There was only one voice—one person—that was screaming.
Whose voice was it? I couldn't make it out clearly because everything around me was so muffled. Their voice sounded familiar though, but I couldn't quite remember.
The noise around me gradually became less muffled and I was able to hear the sounds around me much more clearly than I could before. People were yelling for help, others were frantically shouting into their phones, and some were talking to me, I think.
That person who was screaming was still there though. Their voice had only gotten louder as my hearing gradually returned to me. That was also around the point when I recognized who it was that was actually screaming.
It… It was me.
Right… I remember now…
Prologue
Sylvia
Right as the truck was seconds away from hitting Alex, Sylvia moved. Sylvia moved so fast that it looked like she teleported to the middle of the crosswalk.
By the time she had gotten to Alex, the truck was already there. I watched her wrap herself around him like she was using her entire body to shield him… and then…
… Boom…
Just… like that.
I had to stand there and helplessly watch their bodies fly through the air before they hit the pavement.
They weren't moving.
Why weren't they moving?
Before I knew it I was pushing past and knocking people over to get to them. I didn't have time to wonder why I could move my body again. I didn't care about anything or anyone else, I had to get to them. I had to see if they were okay.
When I got to them I found Sylvia still clinging to Alex, who was nestled against her. I immediately scooped them up in my arms and noticed how…limp they were? Was that the word? I don't know. When I held them their bodies didn't have a lick of resistance and they kinda just… flailed in my arms.
"… H-Hey…" I shook them, "H-H-Hey wake up…"
No response.
"C-Come on, do y-you want me to s-say please…?" My voice grew shaky, "P-P-Please wake up…"
Still no response.
"Trenton…"
"W-W-What more d-do you want me t-to say…?" I asked, "D-Do you… want me to apologize…?"
"Trenton…-"
"I-I'm… I'm sorry… I'm so… so sorry for being a horrible brother to the both of you," The tears were beginning to form, "I-I shouldn't be the one holding you right now, it should be the other way around…!"
"Trent-"
"Alex, I should've been a better older brother. I shouldn't have antagonized you so much." I looked at him, "Why didn't I give you the same love Sis gave me growing up? Why did I always write you off as a nuisance when you were making genuine attempts to bond with your big brother?"
"And Sylvia… God Sylvia, I've been the biggest piece of shit in the world. I've been nothing but a fuck-up my entire life, but despite that you still loved me…" My vision began to blur, "I got so angry earlier that I ended up saying so many awful things to you like I how wished you died. Y-You know I d-didn't mean any of it, right…?"
"T-
"W-Why aren't you saying anything… Why…WHY?!"
"GET MAD AT ME! CALL ME NAMES! GIVE ME THAT DISAPPOINTED LOOK! DO SOMETHING!"
"HOW CAN I APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU AREN'T EVEN AWAKE TO HEAR IT?!"
"WAKE UP ALREADY!"
"WAKE UP!"
"WAKE UP!"
"WAKE UP!"
"WAKE-"
"TRENTON!"
Celia screamed in my ear, causing me to stop screaming and shaking them immediately. I felt her wrap her arms around me with all the strength she could muster.
"I'm sorry…"
Those were the only words she'd be able to get out in between her sobs.
All I could do at that point was sit there in a daze while tears trickled down my face and the red, white, and blue flashing lights got closer to us.
… Disabling Perspectives…
"Because of his sister's intervention, Alex is fortunately still alive. However, he's in critical condition," The doctor said, "Our staff is doing everything we can to save him but… if I'm being honest, it's not looking too good."
"…And Sylvia?" Mr. Fitzgerald asked.
"Her brother mentioned that she was somewhat fragile, claiming that her bones broke fairly easily. I'm surprised that she was quite active despite that, but…" The doctor paused, "Because of how delicate she is, the impact broke more bones in her body than it would to your average person. By the time the ambulance reached her, she…"
"… I see," Mr. Fitzgerald's voice grew soft, "Thank you. Please do all you can for Alex."
The doctor nodded before leaving the man. Mr. Fitzgerald, being a police officer, was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the accident when calls started pouring in. The man had seen quite a lot during his time on the force: A tipped-over truck driven by a driver who was incapacitated, people scattering about trying to help those in need, and various pieces of public property destroyed.
All of that was something he was accustomed to more or less. What he wasn't prepared to see when he stepped out of his cruiser was his son, who was in hysterics over two bodies he instantly recognized as Cameron's best friend Alex, and his older sister Sylvia. When he saw Trenton, who just had this blank look on his face, and Celia, who was as much of a mess as Cameron was, he realized how dire the situation was.
As Mr. Fitzgerald was beginning to walk back to the waiting room, he heard footsteps quickly coming up behind him. The man turned and was met face-to-face with his nephew, Kashi, and a young woman with unnaturally white hair.
"We… came here… as soon as Celia texted us…" Kashi panted, trying to regain his breath.
"Denikè wishes we… were able to come sooner…" The young woman, seemingly referring to herself in the third person, panted. "What… happened…?"
"… A truck driver from out of town had a stroke while he was at the wheel." Mr. Fitzgerald explained, "Despite being incapacitated, his truck kept going and destroyed everything in its path for over half a mile before it stopped in front of Monty Park,"
"Monty Park…?" Kashi echoed before he came to a horrific realization, "Oh…Oh God. Cameron and Alex were at the park! Uncle Evan, please tell me they're okay, please!"
"…" Evan took a deep breath before continuing, "Cameron is…physically fine, but… Alex was one of the casualties. The doctor told me he's in critical condition and that his chances weren't looking too good. Cameron's barely holding it together…"
"N-No…" The blood drained from Kashi's face
"O-Oh gosh…" Denikè was about to cover her mouth before she had her own moment of realization, "If Cameron and Celia are that big of a mess, Denikè can't even imagine how Sylvia and Trenton are right now…"
Hearing those words caused Evan to involuntarily wince and inhale through his teeth. He realized that Kashi and Denikè had caught wind of that judging by how they looked even more worried than before. Evan removed his hat and looked at each of them individually before speaking.
"… I'm sorry but… Sylvia is dead."
It felt like the world had fallen silent as the words left the man's mouth. The two stared at Evan in silence while his words were processed in their minds.
"Huh…?" Denikè's voice grew weak.
"Alex is in critical condition but he'd be dead had Sylvia not shielded him and taken the brunt of the impact." Evan winced hearing her voice, "If Sylvia wasn't born so fragile, it's possible she could've survived but… hypotheticals aren't going to bring her back."
"Y-You're joking, right?" Denikè would ask Evan only to be met with silence. The young woman suddenly latched onto his uniform and looked up at him, "Please tell Denikè you're joking! Denikè biggest bestie in the whole wide world isn't actually dead, r-right?"
"… I'm sorry, Denikè."
I'm sorry.
Those were the last words she wanted to hear. The young woman thought that the officer would reveal this to be some awful joke that everyone was in on and that Sylvia would walk around the corner and say something along the lines of "Gotcha!"
But no.
None of that happened.
When she realized that none of this was a joke and that she had truly lost her best friend she instantly broke down into tears and turned into a wet sobbing mess. She buried her face into the man's uniform and wept as loud and as hard as she could.
"Kashi,"
The young man, who was stuck trying to process his grief, looked in his Uncle's direction. Evan wrapped an arm around the crying Denikè and took notice of his nephew's lost look. "The way to the ICU is back the way you came, only you take a left instead of a right," Evan spoke softly, "I'll take her back to the waiting room where Celia and Cameron are."
"Uncle…?"
"...He wouldn't say a word after talking to the doctors. Not to me, not to his girlfriend, not to anyone. Eventually, he just got up and walked out." Evan said, "I don't know if he's there or not, but I'm not sure where else he'd be. Go take a look and if you find him, lend him a shoulder. I think he'd stop bottling it up if he saw you."
Kashi stared at his uncle for a second longer before giving him a subtle head shake. The officer returned the gesture and started to slowly walk away down the hall with Denikè who was still in hysterics.
Kashi hadn't really been to the hospital many times before. The young man could probably count the amount times he's been to one on a single hand—maybe both. The last time he visited was several years ago when he was younger, but that was a story for a different time.
While he didn't have any particular memories tied to a hospital, he did have this indirect one which was how he ended up meeting Trenton. Kashi's Uncle had gotten a massive promotion at work and decided he wanted to host a barbecue and invited the entire neighborhood. Plenty of people showed up and it was a pretty enjoyable time… for most of them anyway.
Kashi didn't have many friends at the time and all his attempts at making friends at the party failed spectacularly. Apparently, boys aren't as crazy about bugs as various forms of digital media make them out to be! Shocker.
Kashi was pretty down on his luck and thought the party sucked. He went somewhere to sit and sulk and that's when he noticed a boy who looked just as upset as he was. Kashi tried talking to him and was able to get out of him that his name was Trenton and that sometime before Kashi had gotten to the party, the boy's sister had fractured her leg while she was playing in the bounce house somehow. Their grandparents had to take her to the hospital and Trenton was left all by himself at the party. Trenton knew his sister would be fine since this wasn't the first time something like this happened, but the only kid here who'd give him the time of day was gone and he was bored.
Realizing that they were both in the same boat, Kashi hesitantly showed him a bug that he had on him. He thought the kid would scream and run away or tell him it was gross … but all he did was look at the insect with confusion…the good kind anyway. He wasn't sure if it was because he was so desperate for entertainment that he was taking whatever he could get or because he was genuinely interested, but the boy wanted to learn more about… whatever he was holding.
That was the start of their friendship.
There wasn't as much noise as Kashi thought there'd be in this part of the hospital. The young man walked past several doctors, nurses, surgeons, and more of the staff who were either out and about or at their appropriate stations. While it wasn't loud by any means, the boy knew they were all busy and walked fast so he wasn't in anyone's way.
Kashi would turn the corner and suddenly stop. There, at the end of the hall, he'd see someone sitting on a bench outside of a room with their face buried into their hands. Kashi took a few steps forward but he wasn't sure if they could hear his footsteps or not because they didn't react. Nevertheless, he took one step at a time until he was right beside them.
Kashi looked toward the room the person sat by and took notice of the names labeled beneath the room number:
Sylvia Tamazaki
Alexis Tamazaki
He'd look into the room to find only one bed in there. Kashi assumed that Alex was still being operated on which meant that the bed was Sylvia's. The only reason why he couldn't tell right off the bat was because he could only see the bottom half of the bed from where he was standing.
Kashi knew Sylvia for as long as he knew Trenton. He didn't have that connection with her someone like Denikè had, but she treated him like he was one of her brothers. Sylvia was someone close to him as well, which is why he found it odd that he didn't start sobbing uncontrollably when he heard she had passed as Denikè did. Maybe the realization that she was gone just hadn't hit him yet.
The young man looked at the person who hadn't acknowledged his existence yet. He tried desperately to find the right words to say but nothing was coming to mind no matter how hard he tried.
And then something suddenly did.
Kashi carefully took a seat next to the individual. He looked over at them and they still hadn't reacted to his presence. Kashi would then wrap an arm around the individual's shoulder and lean against them.
"... You know, just a few days ago she was telling me how she wanted to take you on a trip for our graduation." Kashi spoke, "Said that she could take you camping up in the mountains for a few days since you never got the chance to do that or go to that giant anime convention they hold every year during the summer. Heck, she was debating on renting a giant RV, packing as many of us as she could inside, and we'd just have this summer-long roadtrip where we'd visit as many places as we could in the country."
"..."
"She didn't have a concrete plan figured out but I think that was kind of the idea, you know? It didn't matter what it was going to be, she just wanted to do something with you," Kashi continued, "I thought she was being pretty ambitious. When I said that, she had this really serious expression on her face and looked me dead in the eyes. Do you wanna know what she said?"
"..."
"Trenton deserves something ambitious. I know he's keeping things from me right now but I believe it's for a good reason! Things have been difficult for the 3 of us ever since Grandma and Grandpa left us. Forcing myself to become a parental figure was… jarring, to say the least. Despite all of those changes, Trenton is still working hard and trying his best to succeed, even when the world doesn't want him to. I… think he deserves something big, you know?"
"I… I really shouldn't be saying this since he'd probably knock my lights out if he figured it out but … hypothetically, what if I told you Trenton was working so hard for your sake?
"For my sake? That's sweet but I'd rather he focus on himself than on me. All I want is for him is to succeed! That's the dream anyone would have for their loved ones, right? I wouldn't want him to hurt himself bending over backward just to make sure I was happy."
"…"
"The greatest gift I could receive is knowing that my brothers are out in the world living the lives they've always wanted."
"…"
"As long as they're happy, I'm happy."
Kashi would hear a shaky breath escape his friend's mouth. He would also notice that he was beginning to tremble, which only made Kashi want to hug him tighter.
"...S-She's… She's gone…"
"... I know…" Kashi closed his eyes
"S-She's gone K-Kashi, s-s-s-she…"
"It's okay," Kashi rubbed his shoulder and pulled him closer to him, "You can let it out now."
Trenton would let out a sharp exhale followed by a few shaky breaths. Only when he heard his friend's words did he finally break. Trenton kept his face in his hands but started to sob uncontrollably as all of his bottled-up emotions began flowing out of him all at once.
Watching his friend cry was what made "it" click in Kashi's mind, and soon would he join him as tears began streaming down his face.
Sylvia was gone.
… Enabling Perspectives…
We stayed at the hospital for as long as we could, but visiting hours only lasted for so long. Staying there wouldn't do anything for Alex's condition and… there was nothing that could be done for Sylvia. We left for the night with plans of coming back tomorrow to sort out the matters with Sis' body and…I hope only Sis' body.
I don't think I'd know what to do if Alex…
…
Celia's parents and Denikè's Uncle came for them not long before the rest of us left. I know neither of them wanted to leave Sylvia and Alex, but they eventually gave in and left for the night.
"Trent, um… About what I wanted to tell you earlier…"
I had just finished seeing Denikè off when Celia came up to me. Seeing how red and puffy her eyes were made me feel a bit bad since I had practically shut her out earlier. I was grieving, yeah, but it still didn't feel right.
"Earlier…?"
"Before the pep rally, you wanted to know what was bothering me," Celia jogged my memory, "I said I'd tell you after school at our secret spot at the park, but… I got caught up in some personal things. I tried calling you but… you probably weren't even conscious, huh?"
Conscious…"I guess you know what happened then…"
"I ran into… Silver… when I was leaving school. She told me everything," Celia noticeably choked up saying her name, "I um… Don't believe for a second you did any of that, by the way. I know it's easy for me to say since I wasn't there, but I like to think that at the very least you wouldn't ever do something like that knowing that it would affect me."
That was sweet of her to say, but to be quite honest I can't really bring myself to care about that entire ordeal right now. Whether she believes me or not won't change what's happened…
"But… I wanted to talk to you now before-"
"̷̙̯̻̜̥̇̏̈́̍̏̇̈͝D̸̢̫̺̣̂͌̐o̵̟̥̙͒̿́͆͠n̶͚͚̒͗͒͛̐̕'̶̗̪̦̜̇̆͌ͅt̴̢͕̺͍͇̗͔͑͛̏̽̽̃͆͜ ̵̩͙̺̼̼̯͍͚̓͐l̶̝̎ȉ̸̺̬̅̌́͒͐̊ͅs̶͖͆͌̅́͊̌̑͘t̵̢̧̡͇͕͔͍̔̈́̈̌̉̾͘͝ḙ̷̢̺͕̟̞̟́̔̎͐ñ̵͍͚͔͚̮̣̼͉ͅ ̷̞̯̖͍͚̘̾̌̔͗́t̶̨̛͚̂͋͌̎̀̕ȍ̶̢ͅ ̶͍̱̲̩̥̮͛͋h̵͍͙͎̲̗̯̭̥̹̉̈̐̅͘͝e̷̡̖͎̭̫̓̾̃͜r̶̨͙̣͙̀̌́͒̓.̷̨̛͓̲̊͋"̶̢̫͕̙̺͓̤̯̖͗̎͆̚͝
"... Look, Cel…" I turned away from her, "Do you think this conversation could wait until tomorrow? I promise I'll listen to you, but I just… I can't do it right now."
"I-I understand that. You're really hurting right now and I'm only adding to your list of problems." Celia hesitated for a moment before speaking again, "... B-But… I really have to tell you-"
"̷̡̡̯̯̱̝̦͓̽̑̅̚͜S̶̡̡̢͕̗̥̬̀̉̌̊̀́͜h̵̡͕͙̪̯̘̦̫̥͗̈́̎͆̉͊e̴̛͓̾́͋̋̽̀͝'̷͓̼̯̘̜̘̲͕̋̈̍͌͠ș̶̨̲̪̣͂̆̌͗̇͒̇̓ ̷̩̜̆͑̈́̚͘͜͠b̸͉̹̩͉̾͊̅̎́̀̕̕͜͝ë̴̞͇̹̞̜̠̭̾͗͜i̴̛̺͕͓̽̾ñ̴̫̼̺̖̲̫̙̮g̷̘̦̒̂̽̐̿̚ͅ ̸͖̙̝͓̜̙̤͙̺̒̋i̷̘͉̩͖̩̿̿̓̌̓̋͜͝n̶̜͚̆̿̍̉͘c̸̜͓͑̈́̉̓̍̓͝ơ̴̘͉̠͍͖̙̟̭̩̈́͆̏̓̽̒n̷̟̹͂͘̚͝s̸̱̰͒̀̏̽̽i̴̛̖͐̕͝͝͝ḏ̴̢̢̰̰̻̺̹̤̌̌ḙ̶̢̺̱̟̻͉̗̓̿̇̓̚ṟ̸̟̂̓͊ą̴̥̥͉̟̝͆̂̄͒̾̚ͅt̴̛̮̼̰͊̄̀̍̌̈́͘e̵͕͆̇̏̆̊͆́͆̂ ̴̨̢̭̰̋ó̴̢̪̈́̀̓̇͂͗͆̕f̸͔̲̲̖͐̈̓͊̄̂͊̉͑ ̴͖̘͎̞̗͙̞̋̇͐̔̅y̵̢̢̥̘̣̪̻̰̅͊̾̄̚o̶̺͖̥͇̭͙͐͒̿̐́̚ǘ̵̝̜̹̹͕̀̉r̸̛̮̻̅͝ ̴͚̞̫̹̜̐̅͆͒̍̚͘͝f̷̞̬̮͇̲̘͂̓̄̊͠ͅē̷͉͉̰̻̇̓͜e̵̡͕͕͇̦͕̲͖̫͛̎͆͋̏̚l̶̮͚̲̤̝̱̯͛̿̒̀́̐̓̎͊͜i̷̱̝̩̻̝̗̦̜̪͊͊̏͐͐͝n̵̮̺̜̙̠̘̑́̒g̶̫̭͉̋̈́ş̶̛̟̦͔͕̯̀̉́̏̀ͅ.̴̛̫̼̖̯̗̃̽̓"̶̧̱̘̩͓̇̒̋̈͝͝͝
"Celia, I just said I can't right now. For once, could you just listen and leave me alone?"
(Why did I say that?)
It's fucked of me, I know. I was the one who was pushing Celia to open up for once earlier, and now that she's trying to, I'm only pushing her away. It's not her fault she couldn't tell me earlier but… now isn't the time for it.
I didn't like telling her no. I really want to listen to her and hear what she wants to say… but I get the feeling that I wouldn't be able to handle whatever it is at this point.
"... Okay, I'm sorry. I'll… I'll leave…" I heard her say, "...Take care, Trenton… Goodbye…"
Hearing how she delivered that line only made me feel worse about turning her away. It's without a doubt shitty and selfish of me to not at the very least let her vent to me but…
…
I turned back to call after her but she was already gone… Which felt particularly strange to me. I was literally just talking to her so she should've still been in arms reach, but she wasn't there. As a matter of fact, her parent's car wasn't there either. They would've had to drive past me to exit the hospital parking lot but I didn't see anything.
It was like they just up and… vanished.
"Uncle has the car parked just around the corner, so we're ready to leave when you are," I heard Kashi come up behind me, "... Something the matter?"
"Hm? Oh, no. I just finished seeing Celia off," I turned to Kashi, "It wasn't… a pleasant farewell."
When I finished speaking, I noticed Kashi was giving me the type of look I'd give him whenever he says something weird. "What?"
"...Celia?" Kashi tilted his head, "Is that another friend of yours I haven't met or…?"
"... You're joking, right? This isn't the best time for jokes, Kashi." I gave him an unamused look, "Celia is-"
… That was odd. I felt some flick on my forehead and lost my train of thought. When I refocused, I saw Kashi staring at me and giving me this weird look. "What?"
"You were about to tell me who this "Celia" person was? " Kashi raised his eyebrow, "Someone you just saw off?"
"...Who?"
Celia isn't someone I know or is a name I've even heard before. I did just finish seeing Denikè off if that's who he's talking about, but obviously that's not her name so I don't have a clue as to who he could even be referring to.
"Trenton, are you feeling alright? You're not making any sense right now." His weird look changed to one of worry.
"Ehh… I guess I meant Denikè, or something. Sorry, I lost my train of thought and probably said some random name on accident."
That's probably what it is.
Yeah.
Yeah…
Tick
Tock
Tick
Tock
Despite my best efforts, I wasn't able to sleep. All I could do was lie in bed and stare up at the ceiling while listening to the clock on the wall.
Mr. Fitzgerald took Kashi back to his place so he could get his things. He had said that he wanted to stay at my house for a few days because he didn't want me to be alone. No matter how many times I told him it was okay and he didn't have to, he would just respond with "I want to" knowing full well I didn't have a counter to that. He probably assumed that I'd be lonely which… wouldn't be a complete lie.
Sometime later, Mr. Fitzgerald dropped us off at my place. When we got there it was past 1 in the morning so it was fairly late. Mr. Fitzgerald was going to take Cameron home, who was sitting in the backseat fast asleep with tears in his eyes. He's pretty much known us his entire life so this is probably just as hard for him as it is for me. I remember gently ruffling his hair before the car drove off and Kashi and I were left by ourselves.
Fast forward to now, close to two hours later and I haven't been able to get any rest. I think I had this similar feeling when our grandparents left us but… the pain keeping me awake wasn't as bad as it is now.
… I need water.
I slowly sat up, removed the blankets off of me, and carefully got out of bed. I say carefully because right next to me was Kashi, who was sleeping on an air mattress on the floor. That was typically where he'd always sleep when we had sleepovers as kids so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I do remember rudely waking him a couple of times in the past by stepping on him or something and boy is cranky Kashi an entirely different beast.
I left my room and walked over to the bathroom a few doors down. I didn't bother turning on the light since my eyes had already adjusted to the dark and turned on the cold water. After a minute or two I turned off the faucet and left the bathroom.
I walked past a few doors and headed back to my room before abruptly stopping in front of one of the doors. I turned my head and looked at the gray door beside me for a moment.
It was Sylvia's room.
I've poked my head in a few times, but I don't think I've been inside her room in years. We'd have sleepovers when we were younger but we'd normally stay in my room since I was the only one who had both a TV and a console. I think I preferred it that way since despite how much of a tomboy she was back then, she was still a girl—feminine things confused me greatly as a kid.
I stared at her door for a moment longer before I reached for the knob and pushed it open. I entered her room and honestly was kinda surprised to see that the layout hadn't changed all that much in the years since I last stepped foot in here. I mean, most of the baseball posters were gone and her desk and dresser had swapped places, but it was ultimately the same.
While I was looking around, I noticed something in the corner of my eye. I'd turn my head and see none other than a large metal baseball bat leaning against the wall. I picked it up and held it in my hands and honestly I'm not surprised that it still looks relatively new.
I got this bat for Sylvia on her 14th birthday… Well, her 14th birthday and my 12th birthday. The two of us share the same birthday but that's not important. The old one she had been carrying around for years had broke so I wanted to get her a new one…Man, she was kinda terrifying back then. I remember frantically explaining to her the reason why I got her the bat. When I told her, she started crying out of the blue and I got really worried that she hated my gift. It didn't help that Alex thought I made her upset and started attacking me either.
Those were the times, heh. She never needed to use this newer bat to protect me. We were both practically teenagers at that point, so the consequences of hitting people with bats were a lot harsher than before.
What was the name she gave this newer one? I know her first one was named 'Batrick", and I think this one had a similar name. She named it after this video game theorist she used to watch a bunch. Was it 'Mat Bat?' I can't remember for the life of me. I'll have to ask her later-
… Oh right.
For a moment, I forgot that Sylvia wasn't here anymore.
"Sis…"
("Tamazaki…")
I quickly spun around, expecting to see Kashi at the door but… no? He wasn't there. As a matter of fact, I could hear him snoring from the next room over. So if it wasn't him then… who was that?
("You are the one…")
When I heard the voice again, something wet fell onto my foot at the same time. I'd look down to see a familiar spot of red, prompting me to subconsciously touch my nose to find blood on my fingers. Not as much as earlier today, but it was still quite a bit of blood.
"You've got to be shitting me…"
If there was this much blood on my fingers, then that'd probably meant the head-splitting migraine was about to come back in full swing, wasn't it? I didn't even care about the voice at this point, I needed to go and wake Kashi before-… Everything is shaking.
Why is everything shaking? I quickly noticed the items that were resting on top of things like the dresser and desk were falling over. An earthquake? Here? In {REDACTED}? Not completely out of the question, but the timing makes all of this seem very odd.
("Please… Exit the room and head directly to your backyard… And please do not shout for now… I will explain all in due time…")
First off, I'm not even shouting. Hell, I've barely said anything at all. I'm not going to entertain the idea that whoever it is talking to me is reading my mind since it sounds like complete bullshit.
… Wait, I almost ignored the giant elephant in the room: Who the FUCK is talking to me?!
With the bat still in my hand (not like I would really need it since my fists are probably deadlier than this thing), I stepped out of Sylvia's room and back into the hallway. As I expected there wasn't anyone out here with me. I made my way back to my room and slowly cracked open the door and poked my head inside. There I would find-
"*Hooooonkkkk shoooooooo*"
… My best friend, who was completely oblivious to what was happening, still snoring peacefully in his sleep. He was still in the same position I'd seen him in before I left the room, which meant that he probably hadn't woken up and left either.
So if it wasn't Kashi, then that means that there's someone actually in our house fucking with me. Then again, I could just… chalk it up to being tired and hearing things. That whole 'Celia' thing or whatever the name was from earlier is probably a byproduct of that.
… No, no this is definitely different from that. I didn't get a nosebleed or a migraine during any of that earlier. Ughhh this is really starting to annoy me now…
Okay, whoever that was said something about going to our backyard? I could very well just be losing it but I don't lose anything from entertaining this yeah? If there's nothing out there then there's nothing out there. If there's someone out there, I have every right to beat the fuck out of them! Only gains as far as I'm concerned!
I reached an arm into my room and grabbed a nearby coat before closing the door slowly. I threw on the coat on top of what I was wearing whilst I walked down the hallway into our living area and went straight to our dining room. There's a screen sliding door in there that leads directly to our backyard so we don't have to walk around the house from the front door.
With my coat on and bat slung over my shoulder, I reached for the handle-
-and slid the door open, stepping outside into a pitch black void of…
…
…
… Wait a minute…
I looked around and blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining things. I stepped outside and found myself surrounded by nothing but black. Not darkness, actual black. I turned around to find that the sliding door I stepped out of was no longer there… or my house.
Okay so… I feel like I've been pretty calm up to this point, yeah? Like hearing things, bloody noses, horrible migraines? That's normal for me. Hell, those vivid daydreams can get wild sometimes, but they're typically grounded in my opinion.
With that being said, I've got nothing for this. Not a single thing I've experienced in my 18 years of life has prepared me for a black void of nothingness.
"... Huh, that's peculiar. It looks like I've managed to link up with someone somehow…?"
… Or a disembodied voice projecting their voice into my psyche. Nothing could have prepared me for that either.
"Wait… Could that be…? No, that shouldn't be possible. Haven't we already…?"
"Uhh… The hell's on going here?" I decided to speak up since it sounded like whoever was talking to themselves was going to continue to do so until otherwise, "This looks nothing like my backyard…"
"Oh, sorry, sorry. I'm just as confused as you are if I'm being honest. It's been so long since I've spoken to another person!... Err, another sane person… You are sane, yes?"
"Uh… I'd like to think so?" I thought on it for a second, "Actually, probably not. No sane person would ever find themselves floating in the void, or whatever."
"It may seem like a void to you, but it's actually much more than that. In truth, you're currently standing on a bridge between dimensions."
Yeah, he's lost me. "Yeah, you've lost me."
"Okay, I realize that might be a bit much so I'll back up a bit. Ahem" The disembodied voice cleared their throat, "First and foremost: introductions. My name is Hinato Alistair. I'm a researcher and scientist for the royal family of Dar-Ebb."
This voice sounded like it belonged to an older guy with how smooth and gravelly it was… probably. I've never had to identify people just by their voices alone so there's no chance in hell I'm going to start trying now…
(His voice sounds strangely familiar though)...
… Wait, what did he just say? He's a researcher or something for some royal family from where now? "Uhh… Is that Greek or something…?"
"... Greek, you said? I'm sorry, I can't say I know what that is?" How the hell? "You sound quite mature but I can sense the youth in your voice. Who might you be?"
You know I feel a bit uncomfortable sharing my name with this guy. I obviously don't trust him and something about all of this just feels weird.
(I think I should just play along for now).
"Uhh… Tre-... Tamazaki is fine."
"Tamazaki, hm? A foreign sounding name," The people who raised me did come from the east, so it checks out, "Well 'Tamazaki', I believe our meeting today wasn't by pure chance. I think we were meant to cross paths… Would you mind if I asked you something?"
"Yeah, actually, I would mind." I stated bluntly, "If I were to ignore the fact that you're just a figment of my overactive imagination, I don't even know who you are. I know your name (which sounds hella fake) and nothing else,"
I don't know what possessed and told me to just 'play along' with him for the time being, but I didn't feel like entertaining this delusion. I'm tired and there's only so much I can take before my problems end up becoming everyone else's in the worst way possible.
"N-now now, I'm sensing a bit of aggression." I could hear the nervous chuckle in his voice, "I know I'm nothing more than a stranger to you and you have every right to ignore me, but please at least hear me out first? You can decide afterward."
God I bet he's going to keep asking me until I fold. "I'll let you talk but I'm not promising anything else."
"Thank you, that's all I ask." Here we go… "As I previously mentioned, I'm a researcher and scientist for the royal family… or at least, I used to be. A few decades ago my country was destroyed and its people were slaughtered—including every member of the royal family I served… save for one: The young princess of the royal family: Uhrevia."
(I know that name…)
... Why does that name sound so familiar? I'm pretty sure I'd remember a name like that yet nothing's ringing any bells.
"Uhrevia had somehow obtained the power to rival that of the Goddesses and used it to destroy her country. I believe Dar-Ebb didn't fit the vision she had for the world and she chose to remove it in an effort to reshape it from the ground up. Many loved her: her people, her friends, her family… even I. Yet despite all of that, she killed everyone aside from myself," He continued, "There was a reason why I was hired by the royal family after all. Uhrevia knew that she couldn't let my talents die with the rest of the country, so she imprisoned me instead."
… You know it's a high possibility he's full of shit but the story's intriguing enough for me to let him continue.
"So for the past several years, I've been sitting here… trapped in a prison this demon constructed. I'm unclear what she fully intends to do with me, but I do know one thing: Uhrevia is creating something—something dangerous. Once it's completed she fully intends to use it to conquer my dimension. As soon as this dimension is in her grasp, she'll obtain the power to travel the multiverse and do the same thing again and again. It'll be the end of reality as we know it."
"So now that you've heard my tale, I'd like to ask you properly this time," He took a deep breath, "Tamazaki, I'd like for you to come to my dimension and help me stop Uhrevia. I know, I'm asking quite a lot from you, but the stakes are too dire. You're the first person I've spoken to outside of this prison in decades, so you're naturally the only person I possibly entrust this task to."
…
…
"... What's in it for me?"
"Huh?"
"Don't 'Huh?' me. I know you heard what I said. I asked you, 'What's in it for me?'" I huffed, "I'm going to be perfectly honest with you: The only reason why I'm entertaining the idea that you're somehow telling the truth is because one—I just happen to believe in the multiverse theory—and two—there has to be some kind of reward since you can't possibly be expecting me to do this for free."
"Ah, no, sorry. I just… I was expecting you to decline immediately after I finished, so to suddenly ask about compensation threw me off." He cleared his throat again, "Seeing as my country was destroyed, I don't possess the means of awarding you outstanding riches if that is what you seek. However, if you seek something other than monetary gain, then I may be able to help you."
The monetary gain thing almost ruined it for me but I decided to press on. Besides, if this is real and this guy is actually from another world then I don't think there would be any way to convert otherworldly currency into current world currency… unless they're the same, but I doubt it.
"If it's not monetary then what exactly can you do?"
"... Hmm…"
"Like I said, dude, I'm willing to entertain this idea so long as the reward is worth my time," I asked, "Is there any substance to your tale or are you just making up crap?"
"I… don't know you personally, so please forgive me for speaking out of line, but… I've noticed this distinct strain in your voice whenever you speak; like you're in deep pain. I often heard it in Princess Uhrevia's voice," He said, "You've… lost someone very close to you recently, haven't you?"
What… the fuck?
"..."
"... I'm sorry, that was tactless of me to say."
"... There was an accident. My little brother got stuck in the middle of the road while this truck barreled down the street toward him. My older sister ran to him and barely managed to shield him before the impact happened…" I spoke low, "My brother's in the hospital just barely clinging onto life… and my sister, she's…"
I don't know what prompted me to tell him all of that. This Hinato guy is nothing but a stranger to me.
Then again… Maybe that's why? I don't know if it's true or if I'm just making stuff up but I heard that it's easier to vent to people you don't know? Like, they're just strangers to you at the end of the day so nothing you say to them will impact your life or theirs, which is why it's so easy.
"That's horrible, I'm terribly sorry…" He offered his condolences but that wasn't going to do much of anything, "... Okay, I know what to do now. It'll be temporary aid for the time being but If you can save me, then I should be able to save your brother completely. Subsequently, taking down Uhrevia, while it wouldn't guarantee anything, would open several doors and allow me to find a way to bring back your sister."
He's kidding right? That has to be a joke. Even if he's actually from another world, bringing the dead back to life isn't something you can just do. He has to be toying with me, he has to.
"I understand there might be some skepticism on your end, and I wholeheartedly understand. However, it is as I said before: there is a reason why the royal family hired me and why I was kept alive by Uhrevia for all this time." He sounded particularly proud as he spoke, "Once I sever communications and bring you to my world, I'll use a modified version of the magic I'm using to speak to you to remotely keep your brother stable. That way you don't need to worry about his condition whilst you are here."
"This will take quite a bit of concentration and energy from me, however, so we most likely will only be able to interact with one another during periods when he's stable on his own."
"How are you even able to do that? I get you're some royal family's golden goose, but being able to keep a dying kid's condition stable? Remotely? From another world?' This just sounds too good to be true.
"It's strange, but your brief retelling of the accident provided me with a vivid description of the entire event from your perspective as well as a connection to another individual. Your brother has blue eyes, brown hair, and had a bicycle with him, correct?"
Again, what the fuck? That's way too specific to be a lucky guess. I'm starting to think this guy might not actually be full of shit after all! … Unless I'm actually imagining all of this.
"I'll take your stunned silence as a yes. With that being said, I'll ask you once more, Tamazaki," He started, "Once again, will you come to my dimension and help save me and the entire multiverse?"
Ḓ̶̛̗̩̈̃̈́ ̷͙̳̊̄̽̐̌͝E̷͈̅ ̶̥͖̿̀̂̐C̴̩̓ ̷̘̹̣͔̫͔̊̓I̵̛͉̰̙̽̅͘ ̶͖͈̭̑̔͌͝͝D̶͖̳͂̈́̊̃ ̷̧̖̖̓́͗́È̶̤̭̣̻̲
Save the Multiverse
"You better keep your end of the deal."
Go Home
"I've entertained this for long enough."
3…
2…
1…
Save the Multiverse
"You better keep your end of the deal"
Go Home
"I've entertained this for long enough."
"Does that mean you'll help?"
"Yeah, I'll do it," I told him, "If I can save my brother while also having a chance of getting my sister back, then I'm willing to do anything."
To be honest I don't have much faith in that last part, but I want to believe.
I wanna believe that I'll get them back.
I wanna believe that we can be a happy family again.
I didn't hear anything from Hinato for a bit, but after some time passed, I got flashed by this really bright light which REALLY SUCKS when you've been standing in the void of darkness for several minutes. When my vision came back, I saw what I think was a glowing brown cross?
Wait no, I think that's a d-pad, Like the ones you'd find on a controller?
"In that case, please take this. It's a form of condensed energy that will bring you straight to my dimension… As well as a gift, which effects you will discover in due time." Hinato sounded pretty exhausted whilst he talked to me, "After you arrive, I'd suggest spending some time familiarizing yourself with the world and how it works. In the event I'm unable to contact you for an extended period of time, I would advise you look for the Tome of History. That should help you until we are able to speak again."
Familiarize myself with the world and find this "Tome of History"... Sounds easier said than done for sure… Wait a second, "Where am I going exactly? I'm not going to that 'Dar' place or whatever am I?"
"Ah, right. Knowing that would prove… useful before you started your journey…" Okay seriously, it sounds like he's going to fall asleep on me any second now, "The name of the land you'll be visiting… is Gamindustri… Please take care, and try not to… do anything… rash…"
"Hinato?"
…
"Yo, Hinato."
…
I genuinely think he fell asleep after all! I was just saying shit before but I didn't think it'd happen for real.
"Eh, whatever," I looked to the D-Pad shaped energy thing, "Gamindustri, huh?"
I got hit with another sense of deja vu when I heard the name, but I'm not sure why. Maybe because it has 'Game' in its name or something? I don't really know.
"I do know one thing though," I reached for the energy, "I'm doing this all for you guys so… wait for me, okay?"
And with that, the final part of the prologue AND the first arc/chapter of Superdimension Nepzaki Re;Start1 (Side T) has come to an end! I really hope you enjoyed it!
But MAN writing all of that tragedy, drama, and angst was rough! When I was writing parts of these chapters, I did my best to channel the emotions I felt when I lost a loved one and was also grieving. I didn't get to go on an adventure to another world after, but it did make me reevaluate my life, haha.
Sorry if these last few chapters were a bit much for anyone! I had to do it for the sake of character development
Tamazaki: "Having me get my ass beat, putting my little brother in the hospital, and killing my older sister was for the sake of character development?"
Yep!
Tamazaki: "I genuinely hate you."
I know! Don't worry though, you're free from the character development chamber… for now. Sleep with one eye open~
So in the event you're reading this as it's being uploaded, you've probably noticed that I've released one chapter a week. The reason for this is that I like to write all the chapters in an arc before posting so I can keep the overall flow of the arc consistent for myself at the very least. For example: if I got a really neat idea for chapter 2 while I was writing chapter 4, I could just go back and implement it since I hadn't posted it yet! I can't tell you how many times that's happened in this first arc haha.
With that being said, the next bunch of chapters might take more than a week to come out. At the time of this being posted, I'm probably busy preparing for finals (since I'm a suffering college student) and don't have much time to write. So you probably won't see anything for a week or 2. maaaaybe 3, but hopefully nothing more than that. I hope that isn't a problem!
Oh, also! Thank you to everyone who has been reading, and a BIG thank you to the few on my old stomping grounds of who followed, favorited, or left an AUTHENTIC AND TOTALLY NON-BOT REVIEW (What the fuck does 'The first family' even mean? Also Hi ZX~) on Nepzaki: Before the Branch.
Similarly, thank you to those on AO3 who have been doing the same and also left a kudo, bookmarked, or commented (I'm glad I piqued your interest Flavioka! And Hi ZX2~)
Also I had a question that I'd be interested in hearing opinions on if possible: Do you personally like reading longer chapters? Or would you rather them be shorter? Every chapter I've posted up to this point has been pretty beefy and I know reading for long periods can get pretty exhausting, so I wanted to know if I should trim chapters down or keep them the same length. Trimming them down would probably mean cutting a chapter into two parts and I'd upload the second half a day later or something. Let me know what you think!
Now that we've set everything up in this first arc, we'll finally be heading to Gamindustri in the next one! What could possibly be awaiting our protagonist? Who knows! … Well, I do, but I'm not telling you. You'll just have to wait and see.
Thanks again for reading, I'll see you all later!