Chapter 1: What it Means To Be Home
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Subaru opened his eyes to a vast, blinding emptiness. The last time he found himself in such a predicament, he had been tricked into drinking a witch's brew. Deciding that engaging with this situation would only lead to more problems than answers, the boy crossed his arms and plopped down on the ground.
"Absolutely not."
Adamant in his refusal to explore.
The room was entirely white, devoid of even a speck of dust. No matter which direction he looked, there was no wall or structure in sight. His words echoed through the silent void, highlighting the room's complete lack of sound.
To anyone else this would be enough to put them on edge. A sense of unease would wash over them, trapped in this surreal, white expanse.
Subaru closed his eyes, leaning back into his arms on the ground. Whoever or whatever would eventually show up, it was merely a waiting game.
After what felt like hours the faint voice of a woman could be heard.
Subaru quickly sat up. "Gotcha!"
In the distance there was a faint silhouette of a person hunched over on the ground. Seeing no other way to get out of this situation he rushed over, taking note of the complete lack of sound his own footsteps made.
It didn't take long before he was right behind the weeping woman who was hunched over on the ground.
"Ma'am, is there something wrong?"
The woman didn't respond or so much as acknowledge his existence. All she did was continue to look on the ground as if she had dropped something.
Admittedly Suabru felt a sense of obligation to try and help. Reluctantly getting on his knees to look on the ground.
"Yeah I figured just as much."
The ground was just as devoid of life as the rest of the space. Whatever the woman was looking for was never gonna be found here. The woman suddenly stopped weeping which caught hsi attention.
Looking over at her their eyes had met.
"Wait… Satella?"
The woman, a figure shrouded in an ethereal glow, reached out a trembling hand. Before she could touch him, the pristine white expanse began to convulse violently. The once tranquil void was now a chaotic maelstrom, rippling and distorting with each passing moment. Gigantic, jagged cracks, like wounds in the fabric of reality, began to spread across the air. A deafening silence punctuated the growing turmoil, followed by a sudden, sharp crack. A piece of the ceiling tore loose and hurtled towards Subaru, striking him with a force that seemed to knock him out.
"Why does it feel like I was just hit by Garf again?"
The first thoughts that entered Subaru's mind were accompanied by a blinding, warm glow from the setting sun, which further blurred his already hazy vision. The chirping of birds forced his senses to start back up.
His vision was hazy, eyeballs throbbing. Rubbing his eyes, the strange sensation that coated his body refused to go away. With nothing else to really compare it to, it felt similar to the time he drank Echidnas tea. If you could even call it that.
From head to toe Subaru felt sore all over. The loud chirping of the birds only worsened the ringing in his ears, flinching from the pain.
To Subaru's relief, he was still in his tracksuit and not dead. A frown crept across his face as he realized that even this meager possession was a constant reminder of the self-imposed failures that had brought him to this point.
After everything Subaru had been through, he was surprised at just how well the thing had held up. Even with the occasional repair from Rem, the thing was sturdier than he imagined a tracksuit could be.
"Rem... man..."
He thought to himself, gripping onto the tracksuit tightly. Since she was out of commission the repairs that needed to be done after every loop was left up to him. It was easy to spot the difference between the repairs he had made and those Rem had done.
Subaru sat up, still feeling weak. Almost like a switch had been flipped, he was suddenly bombarded with the sensation of being wet. His socks, pants, jersey, and underwear; specifically in that order. It bothered him so much that he almost wanted to strip entirely.
The sheer amount of mud stains in combination with his now ruined tracksuit was the nail in the coffin.
"I just know today is not going to be my day."
A sudden gust of wind grabbed his attention to his surroundings.
"When did..." Subaru muttered, coming to the realization that he was in the middle of a rice field.
Not only did he have no idea where he was, Subaru was still thinking about the dream he just woke up from. Quickly mustering what little of his strength he had , he rolled up his sleeves and pants, making sure to let out an annoyed growl.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into this time!?" he exclaimed, growing more irritated with every step he took out of the mud.
Subaru realized pretty quickly the more he struggled the deeper he ended up sinking into the mud. His left eye twitched, quickly he lost his patience.
"If this is another prank from that damn clown I swear I'll get Ram to stick it up his ass."
Subaru continued forward. After a few grueling minutes of mud he made it out in one piece. Desperately attempting to clean the mud off only fueled the frustrations.
Drifting off to a memory of the time Rem helped him clean up all the fertilizer he had fallen into after being shot out the window by Beatrice in one of the previous loops had him stop in his tracks. At that time Rem didn't even fully trust him yet she still came to his aide out of the kindness of her heart.
It was that same kindness that always reminded him of the burden his own guilt brought on him. There was no way to save everyone, it wouldn't always be a happy ending even if he died a thousand times over. Knowing this didn't help to ease those feelings one bit.
"Hero... do people like me deserve to be heroes?" He quickly slapped his cheeks to get the thought out of his mind.
"Just great! My streak of bad luck never runs out in this god forsaken world! " Subaru angrily yelled, before finally giving up on his rather half assed attempt to get all the mud off.
It wasn't that suddenly being in a rice field wasn't a concerning topic at hand, but considering the "surprises" he'd dealt with before, Subaru was just glad he had all his limbs intact and not surrounded by dead bodies or a raging fire.
He cringed at the sudden memories of his previous deaths. The pain was the only part that could never be forgotten.
"You know, considering what happens in these situations with my luck I'll get off easy and get struck by lightning this time." he said aloud to himself.
"I consider Subaru to be one of the luckiest people I know." A faint yet sweet voice called out from behind him.
At that moment, it was as if the world faded to that void of white in his field, the sensation of his wet clothes, even the wild chirping of the birds all went dark. His ears rang dazed and confused.
It seemed like time had frozen in place.
He found that his body no longer responded to his wishes.
He was already feeling weak and this just took the wind right out of him.
His mouth began to dry up; not even a shred of moisture was left to be had. His calm demeanor didn't last long.
Suabru found himself riddled with anxiety in every fiber of his being.
It wasn't that he was afraid of the voice itself.
No, what he feared was that the voice wouldn't be coming from the person it belonged to.
"No..." he whimpered, with a loud crack in his voice.
Even so, such a simple word took him an extraordinary amount of effort to let out.
His heart began to ache, beating so fast that Suabru felt like it would explode at any moment. He shut his eyes as tightly as possible in an attempt to keep them from popping out.
Not even the technique he learned with Echidna had any effect on calming his nerves.
"It can't really be her, can it?..." was the only thought that crossed his mind,repeating over and over to himself like a madman.
For once, he understood what it really was like to feel "his mind tremble".
"Subaru… is everything okay?" The same heavenly voice called out once again.
It was filled with the same unconditional concern and care that she had always had. There was no doubt that she had to be the real deal.
Yet the fear of it being wrong once again kept him from responding.
He wanted nothing more than to believe that his beloved Rem would be right there waiting for him.
He wanted nothing else but to see her beautiful, glistening blue eyes that were always filled with an undying affection for him.
The smile that gave him the confidence to face the white whale head on. The woman he realized he loved, but was just a little too late to say it.
The young man screamed passionately into the sky, finally mustering the courage to turn around.
It took everything he had to gather enough courage. Subaru knew everything would be fine as long as she was there waiting for him.
He knew that all of his countless hours spent worrying about her wouldn't be for nothing as long as he brought her back.
He knew that if anyone else besides that beautiful blue haired maid was in front of him, he was going to be heartbroken beyond repair.
As the young man slowly turned around, his mind was flooded with memories of a beautiful, kind, and unforgettable blue haired maid once again. The one woman who, no matter what he did, would always love and support him.
The woman he knew he didn't deserve.
The woman that deep down he knew was the only reason he tried so hard to overcome the Sanctuary fiasco.
"Rem, please be there..." he whispered, almost as if admitting defeat, ready to give up if it turned out to be anyone else.
At that moment, nothing else mattered to him, and he didn't care if it made him seem selfish.
"I'm going to open my eyes, and unless you are a beautiful and admittedly sexy blue haired demon in a maid outfit, leave!" Subaru said sternly, still hesitating on whether or not to open his eyes.
He started to regret all the times he took her for granted, never letting her know how much he meant to her.
Ever since she went under he spent every day wishing he could tell her that the only reason he was able to figure things out was thanks to the effort she had always put in.
Without her, he would never have been able to solve anything. He'd be stuck at zero. His biggest regret was also the only reason he had to save her.
"W-well, I don't k-know ab-about sexy or c-cute, but I can assure you I'm d-definitely a maid, with blue hair, who happens to be a demon…" The soft voice muttered.
Her face flushed a bright red, covering her mouth with her hands in order to hide the smile that was plastered on her face. She never considered herself attractive in the slightest, but at the same time to assume the man she loves is lying was just as hard to believe.
This was definitely one of the most conflicting situations Rem had been faced with. Her heart was beating intensely after hearing the way Subaru described her, while also having a growing curiosity as to why he seemed so distraught.
"Why is he acting so stiff? Did I make him uncomfortable? " She thought while clutching her chest.
She had only awoken a few moments ago after hearing Subaru let out a few annoyed grunts, and was feeling even more disoriented after his comments.
However, she was quickly pulled out of her delusions when she was suddenly tackled to the ground by a crying Subaru. He buried his face in her chest, completely disregarding how others might view the action. She decided not to fight it and instead held him tightly while running her fingers through his hair, something she knew he enjoyed.
"I might not be as good as Lady Emilia, but I hope this is enough to soothe your pain."
As they lay there covered in water and mud, she found herself having trouble with the fragments of memories she was starting to discover.
The last one she could recall was when she was riding home with all the villagers in the carriages with someone. The details had gotten a bit blurry but for the most part recalling the events that went down was simple enough.
Growing more concerned as these thoughts continued to branch out. It started to give her a massive headache, and it felt like something was intentionally keeping her memories under lock and key and now they were starting to slip out.
Rem quickly redirected her attention to the area around them. It didn't look out of the ordinary, but even the rice fields in the village looked vastly different. The entire area made her feel uneasy.
It wasn't the rice field itself, but rather it was more the atmosphere that it carried. Upon closing her eyes and doing a closer inspection, she noticed a distinct lack of mana in the air. Once she noticed the lack of mana, she began to notice that her body itself felt odd.
She wasn't visibly injured, and it seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something major had changed. She felt so weak that it was hard to really move. She refocused her attention once again on the man who was starting to calm down in her lap.
A sense of worry washed over her briefly. She never liked seeing Subaru cry, even if it was tears of joy. Rem was visibly glad that, even if it was only temporary, she could have him all to herself.
However, the moment was short lived when a realization hit her, Subaru was missing his one defining feature. It made her question the situation for a moment. Was the Subaru crying on her lap the same one that she loved? She shook her head violently, telling herself off for ever doubting him.
"Subaru! I hav-'' were the only words that could escape her mouth before the man laying in her lap placed his hand on her cheek.
It wasn't fair. The look in his eyes was so full of love that she was convinced he would only ever look at Emilia that way.
"Eh? Should he be looking at me that way?! Lady Emilia would probably get a bit upset if she saw this…"
Subaru wiped his tears positioning himself so that he would be laying down on her lap while looking up at her. He was definitely enjoying the reunion, but part of him also knew that there was a chance this was nothing more than another sick joke from the witches, or even worse,being another delusion of his.
He often had dreams of being reunited with Rem. Even dreams of what would have happened if she had decided to run away with him on that fateful day. All the more lately there were all these "what if" dreams that played out a little too realistically.
The family they could have, the lives they could live. It was somewhat of a guilty pleasure of his to think about the names of their children.
"It's really you… right Rem?" Subaru asked with a weak voice that was ready to give up.
His expression shifted back to one of unease and anxiety as the possibilities of this all being a lie clouded his mind. Just being able to feel her thighs, catch a whiff of her scent, and get lost in those eyes seemed like it was impossible.
He grew tense and unsure of how to feel about the situation at hand. Despite how badly he wanted to hide it, Rem was able to see right through it. After all the time they had spent together, Rem couldn't help but chuckle a little.
Somehow, Subaru still believed he could hide his emotions from the woman who idolized him, deciding to keep her thoughts to herself for the time being and ask about what she noticed at a later time. It was obvious that seeing her made Subaru very emotional, and it was going to be impossible to get any sort of information out of him. Right now, she felt it was her job to comfort the man she loved, her hero.
"Yes, I am your one and only Rem." she said with a smile that always had a way to break through Subaru's doubts.
She pinched his cheeks a little to show him that he wasn't dreaming. Rem giggled a little, feeling like she was consoling a baby rather than the man who had saved Lugnica time and time again.
Subaru wasn't sure why, considering how the witches had tricked him once before, but he knew that the Rem he was looking at right now was the real deal. Something about the way she talked, smiled, and giggled served as a reassurance.
He reached for her hand and held it tightly, telling her that he had no intention of ever leaving her side again. Subaru was never going to leave her side, no matter what the reason.
"This time, I'll make sure of it." he silently thought to himself, putting the maid's hand up to his cheek.
She was covered in just as much mud as he was, but it didn't stop him from enjoying the sensation of her skin.
The two continued to enjoy their reunion, unable to really speak as they were both overwhelmed with emotions. Any conversation would simply lead nowhere.
The space around them fell silent, as if it was waiting for them to finish their reunion.
"Would you two hurry up and get the hell out of my damn field?!" a distant, raspy voice yelled from a distance.
They jumped up almost instantly, quickly getting on their feet, filled with both embarrassment as well as some guilt, seeing how they ruined some of the rice by lying on top of it for so long.
Not to mention, both of them were now in more mud than before. Both looked around to see where the voice was coming from, making brief eye contact. Eventually, they find the man at the top of a small hill at the edge of the rice field.
They looked at each other again and gave one another a smile before chuckling.
"Shall we?" Subaru asked while bowing to Rem in a joking manner. While he was more confused than ever before, he was just glad to have his Rem by his side again.
"I believe we shall, my dear hero~" Rem teased, lifting her skirt slightly and bowing back at Subaru in the same playful manner.
It felt like they were back at the mansion, being their silly selves, slacking off from their duties.
While she wanted to question why she suddenly had these grueling memories for the time being she decided to keep it to herself. They both broke out into laughter once again, the feeling of uneasiness finally leaving their minds.
They both understood there was a lot to figure out, but just being with one another was more than enough for them.
"I don't even wanna know why you two are dressed that way but just get the hell out!" The very obviously peeved old man shouted once again. This time he seemed to be waving his fist around, which served as nothing more than a half assed threat.
They both cringed at the man's yelling again. His voice definitely showed signs of abuse and age.
Subaru then reached for Rems' hand again, holding it firmly and interlocking their fingers. He began to pull her forward slightly, as he figured both of them were still exhausted.
"I'll talk to him and tell him this is all a misunderstanding!" He smiled back at Rem trying to give her some peace of mind.
Once again, feeling flustered, she simply nodded in agreement and began to follow closely behind him.
She was so curious as to why, seemingly out of nowhere, he was being so affectionate. Back then, from what she could remember, he would never act this way and save this kind of attention for Emilia.
As they got close, her gaze became fixated on a rather large object that the man was standing next to. She didn't recognize it, but it appeared to be constructed out of metal. It was truly like nothing she had ever seen, and it made her wonder if they might have ended up in a different region other than Lugnica.
"I wonder if she remembers what happened when she fought sloth and greed." Subaru thought to himself as he continued to pull Rem along.
Hoping that the old man would be able to serve as some sort of clue as to where they were and why the hell they were brought to the middle of a rice field. Subaru knew that, if anything, the man was not the one who dumped them here.
Overcome with shock once more; the air was almost impossible to breathe, and panic began to set in. The man was not standing next to anything that would have been possible to make in Lugnica.
There was no mistaking it, and it made sense why Rem had her eyes locked on it. It made him grip her hand even more tightly, not knowing that it slightly hurt Rem in the process.
Rem could tell Subaru was starting to panic.
"Why the hell… is he…" Subaru thought to himself while pointing towards the familiar sight. It couldn't be possible, yet there it was, mocking him.
"Why the hell do you have a car old man?!" He yelled, almost sounding more fearful than angry
It caused Rem to jump and snap out of her trance. She was confused as to what he meant when he said "car" but quickly realized it must not have been a good thing judging by his reaction and the way he was panicking.
She quickly pulled her hand away from Subaru and reached for her ball and chain, only to realize it was gone. She was shocked. How could she not notice it until now? She decided she had no time to dwell on it.
Rem was going to activate her horn and carry Subaru away from the "car" that he had mentioned. If anything, she could outrun the car and the man. Once again, she came to the realization that her horn was not activating.
This caused her to panic a little herself, as her horn had never failed to activate before.
"Is it the lack of mana?" she asked herself internally before attempting to pick up Subarbu.
This would only lead to yet another surprise for Rem as she failed to pick him up and slammed into Subaru's legs as a result.
"What? He's normally so easy to carry?" Rem thought to herself as she sat there staring at her hands in disbelief.
Yes, she felt weaker than normal, but she could tell that even at full strength she wouldn't be able to do it.
The sudden bump from Rem to his hind legs somewhat served as a snap back to reality.
"Rem are you alright?" he asked, crouching down to comfort her.
As if he didn't have a million questions already, the list was getting bigger.
"What the hell is going on here? Why does the old man have a fucking car? Am I back in my world? But then why would Rem be here with me? " All thoughts clouded his mind as he attempted to calm the panicking maid.
"Subaru… I can't use my…" she mumbled, her eyes still wide in disbelief of what was happening.
This kind of weakness had never manifested itself in her since she was born.
"Can't use what?" he asked while picking her up in bridal style, ready to make a run for it if necessary.
Subaru wasn't sure of what the hell was going on, but he wasn't leaving Rem behind. The old man grew impatient watching the young couple continue to mess around in his rice field.
He began walking towards the couple with a peeved expression.
"What the hell do you mean, 'why do I have a car?' Try walking to the farm from the city asshole! " He yelled towards Subaru, waving his fist like a madman.
Unfortunately, the man's words fell on deaf ears, neither of them paid any mind to the old man. They were both completely dumbfounded and afraid of the situation that was quickly beginning to unfold before them.
Subaru was attempting to maintain a calm demeanor while Rem was slowly losing her grip on herself. It was probably the worst situation they could find themselves in. They were completely drained, had no idea where they were, and as far as they knew, an enemy was walking towards them.
The old man reached the two,growing an even more frustrated expression seeing how the two were dressed. It gradually made him more irritated, as it seemed the two were fulfilling some kind of fetish in his rice fields.
He placed his hand on Subaru's shoulder, turning him around by force. He didn't care that the two were having a moment; they were ruining his crops.
"Oi! I've had enough of you two! Get the fuc-" the old man found himself biting his tongue.
He looked at the boy covered in mud and almost had to do a double take. The old man had a gut feeling that he should calm down and pay attention. He closely examined the young man as he seemed so awfully familiar.
He stood there in silence as he tried to recall where he had seen the boy previously.
"Natuski Subaru… Right?" the old man asked, scratching his chin, still trying to recall everything.
It was a name he noticed on a flier back when he drove to the city to drop off some crops for the local farmers' market. If he remembered correctly, some parents were looking for their son.
According to the parents and the local news the kid randomly, after stepping out for a run to the convenience store, vanished. At the same time all of the cameras in the area had been wiped or glitched out.
This managed to get Subaru's attention, causing him to look the old man straight in the eyes. He didn't recognize the man but noted that his clothes were not those you'd find in Lugnica either.
The man was dressed in a red flannel, beat up from years of work. A matching set of overalls with patches that served as almost badges of honor to show off the man's countless hours of labor. The clothes weren't completely unique, but the branding was what gave them away. In all the time he had spent in Lugnica, branding was never really a thing.
Subaru was then reminded of the way Echidna would always tell him to calm down. He took a deep breath, finding himself at ease. Once again, the way all the anxiety simply disappeared from his body was mind-boggling. He was honestly glad that it worked, unlike when he saw Rem.
"Do you know me?" he asked, with an almost entirely different demeanor. Subaru wasn't freaking out anymore and came off as a bit more curious.
"Natsuki Subaru… A high schooler, right? Son of Kenichi?" The old man seemed anxious about the answer, as he wasn't even sure if either of the names he had just listed were even right.
It was hard for him to remember exactly what the flier said, but he remembered a worried father handing them out all over the farmer's market that day. The way the man looked like he hadn't slept in weeks was what drove the old man to talk to him. He didn't think he would ever actually run into the missing boy.
Subaru took a moment before answering to gather his thoughts.
"How do you know my dad?" he asked, pressing Rems' face into his chest in order to calm the silently panicking maid.
She didn't resist and instead decided to bury herself in his chest. His beating heart served as a distraction from the fear that she was drowning in. She gripped his tracksuit tightly,tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
"Just have faith in Subaru…" Rem thought.
"Your parents put out an ad a few months back, saying their kid was missin' That was about six months ago, if I remember. " The old man mumbled, watching Subaru and his attempt to comfort the oddly dressed blue-haired woman.
He came to the conclusion that she must be the reason he was gone for so long.
The Farmer's anger began to subside. He was reminded of a time when he had risked everything for his late wife. Subaru's eyes held a familiar look, a look of desperation and hope, much like his own when he was young. Despite his initial fury, the old man found himself unable to sustain it any longer.
Subaru didn't immediately answer. If the old man was being honest, it pretty much confirmed what he was worried about.
Not only was this guy driving around in a beat up truck, but he also knew the name of his father. If this was Lugnica, the only person who would know what those things are is Echidna.
"I'm back after all…" Subabru thought to himself.
"Say old man… where are we right now?" he asked, taking a second to look around again.
Nothing seemed off, but he noticed that the feeling was a lot different than Lugnicas. Even for someone who had only lived there briefly like him, he definitely felt a significant difference. Lugnica just had such a different atmosphere to it than Japan did. Subaru just couldn't put it into words.
"Well... where do you think?" He scoffed at Subaru, losing his obnoxious attitude.
He was feeling a little better knowing that he might be able to help that restless father.
"Where else would we be? About a hour drive from the city! " The old man said.
He still thought it was odd that the kid was in a tracksuit and was carrying a girl dressed as a maid. It wasn't exactly a pair you would expect to see out on the outskirts of town.
"That's what I was afraid of. " Subaru mumbled, lowering his head to the ground.
Never did he ever imagine himself coming back here.
"Just what I needed... my luck couldn't be any worse!" Subaru chuckled, still trying to figure out how exactly he managed to not only come back to Japan, but also drag his one and only Rem into this situation.
"How should I explain this to Rem?" he silently asked before looking down only to notice the blue haired demon maid had fallen asleep again in his arms.
Subaru decided it was better to let her get her rest, seeing as they were both probably drained. It also served as a way to buy time until he could figure out just how exactly he was going to explain all this.
"Look kid, let me get the point. I don't know the situation, but judging how you're looking at that girl, I'll give you an option." The old man said, causing Subaru to look his way once again.
While he wanted to help the desperate father, he also empathized with Subaru. He knew the weight of such a decision, and despite the guilt it would bring, he decided to give the boy a choice.
"What would that be, old-timer?" Subaru asked, pulling Rem up even higher so he wouldn't accidentally drop her.
He was really starting to feel the fatigue kick in. Subaru didn't want to waste too much time talking to the old man. His body felt like it was going to give in any moment and collapse.
"I can take you back to your parents, and you can have all the fun of telling them where you've been for the past six months…" He took a quick puff from his cigarette, blowing out the smoke towards Subaru.
He hesitated, unsure if his next offer was the right course of action. The image of Kenichi's worried, defeated expression flashed through his mind. The old man took a deep breath, a sigh escaping his lips as he braced himself.
"Or I can drop you off at the next town over and pretend you never existed," he offered, his voice barely a whisper. Even as the words left his lips, he knew it was the wrong thing to do. There was no guarantee the boy could survive on his own, and the old man knew this all too well.
Subaru was a bit hesitant to answer. This world was nothing like Lugnica; he wouldn't be able to go to a different town and start another life so easily. If his parents had put out an ad for him, then everywhere he went, there was always the risk of being recognized.
No money to speak of, nor any real idea of how he would manage to find a place to stay for the night considering the sun was already starting to set. This wasn't some world of fantasy, this was Japan. Even in the best-case scenario, he would be taken home by authorities after a while.
"No offense, but if you don't mind me asking, why are you willing to do all that? As far as you know, I'm a runaway who ruined your rice fields," Subaru asked, uncertain of what answer to expect.
Sure, this old timer was being nice, but he did just scream at them for ruining his crops. That wasn't even including the fact that he obviously had some hesitation with the second option.
The old man continued to smoke his cigarette, turning slightly as if he were hesitant. Even he didn't quite understand his own actions. This was completely out of character for him.
As he finished the cigarette, he threw it on the ground, stomping on it to put it out.
"Don't get me wrong, I want to kick your ass for playing in my damn rice fields... but the way you look at that girl reminds me of myself when I was a young idiot," the old man grumbled, scratching his chin. He wasn't sure if that explanation would satisfy the high school runaway.
Subaru pondered his options silently. The fact that the old man wasn't threatening to call the police gave him some confidence that he wouldn't be betrayed. Besides, the old man was frail and feeble, easy enough to outrun if necessary.
He was hesitant about facing his parents. He had been missing for quite some time. While they were lenient about skipping school, disappearing entirely was a different matter. He doubted they would react favorably to his prolonged absence.
It wasn't like he had any real options to begin with; he just had to face what was coming next. Sooner or later, he was going to have to talk to them.
"If you will… Please take me to my parents." Subaru let out a deep sigh knowing that he was basically giving up and crying home to his parents.
This entire situation was crazy. Not only is he back in Japan, but he managed to drag Rem along one way or another. Not to mention the fact that Rem is back to normal, when just yesterday she was still under the effects of Gluttony's authority.
Admittedly, Subaru was debating on whether or not she should just use "return by death" and see where the checkpoint is, but ultimately decided against it since. The look on Satellas face from that dream struck a chord within him. The promise he made to not return by death so selfishly kept him in check.
There were just a million questions that needed to be answered, and it seemed like the answers to those questions were going to be painfully slow to get. It was irritating, but out of his control. He would just have to make a plan of action after seeing his parents and talking to them.
"That's the answer I was hoping for, but before I make you jump into the back of my truck, have you had anything to eat? I'm starvin' and my daughter is cooking dinner, I can't drive on an empty stomach, " asked the old man.
He grew a small grin on his face as the guilt left his body. While he did want to give the boy a choice, he didn't want that poor father to keep suffering the way he had been for months.
Subaru was thrown off by the old man's sudden shift in demeanor. Just a moment ago, the man had threatened to beat him up for trespassing on his property. Now, he was offering to take Subaru home and share a meal. The rapid change in attitude was jarring, to say the least.
Subaru suddenly felt Rem move in his arms. He looked down once again at the woman he had tried so hard to save. "She seemed pretty freaked out about something. We could both use some food to wind down from all this…" he thought.
Reluctantly, he had made his decision.
"Sure thing, I think we could all use some grub to cool off. " Subaru responded, smiling at the man as they walked towards the small beat-up truck.
There was nothing he could do in this world or the other. It was either take the man up on his offer or try to carry Rem God knows where with absolutely no strength. The man let down the trunk door,giving Subaru the chance to hop on.
The truck was pretty close to the ground, making it easy for Subaru to hop on without having to set down Rem. She was already dirty, but he wouldn't feel right setting her down like some kind of object.
"You know, if it wasn't for the fact that she was asleep for so long, I would probably be drooling all over her cute sleeping face." Subaru thought to himself, feeling a little sad.
He reminded himself of just how bad the situation was. He was no longer in Lugnica, and he had no idea if going back was even possible.
That's also when another thought popped into his head. "Wait, if me and Rem are here… are the others somewhere else? Or are they still back home?"
The worries continued to pile up just like any other loop. If there was a chance the others were brought to Japan too, wouldn't they have been in the rice field as well? After all, Rem was only a few feet away. There was no real way to tell.
"It's going to be a bumpy ride! I live about five minutes from here, so hold on tight! " The old man said as he hopped into the driver's seat.
The old man turned on the radio, which started to play what sounded like music from two decades ago. The sound of a decade old engine and the smell of burning oil was soothing. A sensation Subaru wasn't sure he would ever get to experience again.
Subaru remembered that his grandpa had an almost identical beat up truck that he would ride around in as a kid.
The old man pulled onto the small dirt road, Subaru found himself looking up at the sky. At a glance, there was no real difference between either world's sky. He couldn't help but worry about everyone else.
"Roswaal, Beako, Emilia, Ram, Petra, Otto, Garfiel, Frederica… I sure hope you guys are safe at home…" Subaru contemplated.
"Well Roswaal… I wouldn't mind if you fell on your face while I was gone."
Was this going to be the end of his adventures with them? Should he consider that a good or bad thing? Not like anything good ever happened in Lugnica without him dying first.
Subaru sighed, covering his eyes with his arm. Rem was laying on his lap, and he couldn't resist playing with the rest of the girls' hair.
"Home, huh… I wonder what my home is now…" he thought.
In all his time spent in Lugnica, he never really considered what he would do if he ever came back. Assuming he would spend the rest of his days in the world of fantasy. The world was a living hell from the moment he set foot in it.
Somehow, in that hellscape, he still managed to be surrounded by amazing people.
People who were all better than him in every way, shape, and form. To say he missed them would be an understatement.
He felt homesick, which was ironic considering that he was closer to home than he had been for the past six months.
"You know, I never considered why I was even taken to Lugnica, let alone why I would be brought back…" he said, staring at the all too familiar setting sun.
"Would you look at that, even the sun is a little different back in Lugnica."
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Hello my dear friends and readers, a lot of you might recognize the story and think "hey wait a minute". Don't worry I am the original author of "Where Loyalties Lie" which I had long abandoned and never really finished. I still had the itch to get the story out there so please enjoy the new and improved A Bond Beyond Worlds.