Subaru stood in front of the Appa Stand.
His body shook uncontrollably, each breath sharp and ragged as if the air was denser than it should have been. The world around him felt distant and foreign, he was somewhere he didn't belong. His mind was on the moon, distant, adrift in a place no one else could follow.
His eyes, dim and unfocused, stared ahead. They had lost their shine, dulling like a blade that has seen many battles but never been cared for. He wasn't seeing the bustling market around him, only the events of the past. The smell of blood stil clung to his nose, mixing with the scent of fresh appas.
He tried to take a step and stumbled, gripping the edge of a nearby crate for balance. One moment he was lying on the ground, soaked in the warmth of his and Rigel's blood, and now he was here, standing, as if nothing had happened.
His injuries might be gone.
But the memory?
That will stay engraved in his soul.
"Rigel…?" He mumbled, lifting a trembling hand toward his shoulder.
Fingers brushed against soft fur, something familiar and safe.
Rigel blinked at him, eyes shining, ears twitching, tail swaying slightly. Not torn open. Not twitching in death. Not gone.
Alive.
A heavy breath escaped Subaru's chest before it caved in.
He staggered upright on legs that didn't feel like his own. They felt like jelly, too unstable to support the weight of the world pressing down on him. The sun pulsed harshly, blurring the line between dream and reality. People passed by like phantoms, their presence ignored. Someone was saying something, but the sounds dropped down into an incoherent mess. He had become a filter to the world, an existence that should have ended.
"I—I can't—" he whispers, barely audible. His mouth tasted like iron, bile, and failure.
His vision doubled, then tripled, then shattered. The ground tilted sideways like the world itself rejected his return. The very laws of existence were trying to vomit him back out like rotten meat.
His knees buckled. The sky switched places, a blue blur that taunted him. Rigel yelped from the sudden loss of balance.
Subaru's back struck the cobblestone with a thud, the impact forcing out a breath and foam to spew from his mouth.
His fractured vision folded in on itself, darkening at the edges like the last page of a story set ablaze, spreading uncontrollably.
Subaru felt something soft nudging his cheek. Then a warm, wet lick. Then another, they kept attacking unrelentingly.
The feeling brought him back from the depths of his own mind, just enough to make him aware that he was still alive.
Groaning, he stirred awake, a low whine escaping his throat. His eyes gently opened, and everything was too bright, too loud. His bones felt hollow, muscles stiff. His thoughts were hidden behind a veil of smoke. His breath came in shallow rasps, each inhale trembling with desperation.
His blurry vision settled on the ceiling above him, one that shaded him and provided refuge from the world. He was lying on the bottom of some stairs, the appa stand just to his left.
He blinked twice.
"Rigel…?" Subaru croaked.
The small Eevee was nuzzling against his face, paws resting gently on his chest, tail wagging low and cautious. His eyes shimmered with concern and bewilderment.
Subaru's breath caught.
He sat up and grabbed Rigel with shaking arms, pulled him close, and clung to him like a lifeline. His fingers dug into soft fur, trying to convince himself it wasn't a hallucination, that the warmth in his hands wasn't some cruel trick of his memory.
"You're okay. You're okay," he whispered, voice cracking with every word."You're—you're alive. You're ok."
His throat closed up, and he buried his face in Rigel's side. The Eevee let out a soft, questioning chirp, but didn't resist, just leaned into him.
The ghost of blood and bile still haunted his mouth, but it was no match for the warmth in his arms.
His eyes moistened, pouring down regret onto Rigel's golden fur. A selfish cloud crept across the sun, covering it with its misfortune.
Rigel whimpered softly and licked his head, trying to comfort him the only way he knew how.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…" he said through gritted teeth
"Huhh… Are you alright boy?"
The voice came from above. Subaru pulled his face away from the fur and looked up through blurred eyes.
The green-haired Appa Stand owner stood in front of him, chewing on a stem, concern written deep into his weathered face.
"Here," he said, shaking a cup of water and a fresh appa in each hand "Forget about the money. Just take these."
Subaru reached out for the water with trembling hands. The rim of the cup clinked against his teeth as he drank, desperate and uneven. It was cold, sharp on his tongue, and it grounded him just enough to realize how badly his hands were trembling, how time was still moving forward while he stayed still. His stomach churned, stealing his appetite. So the appa rested on his lap, untouched.
Rigel sat curled against his side now, eyes watchful and protective. He might not know what happened to Subaru, but he would make sure nothing else happens.
Subaru was about to take another gulp–
Then, a flicker of silver drifted in the wind, a familiar thread that stood out even among the diverse species.
His eyes opened wide, and a breath caught in his throat. With Rigel in hand, he stumbled to his feet, limbs stiff from shock, and bolted into motion without thinking.
"Hey… Wait…"
Some people turned.
"Wait! P-Please, wait!"
His voice cracked. He was pushing past vendors, arms brushing shoulders. The crowd's chatter stopped, replaced by whispers and wary glances.
"Wait! Satella!"
She froze mid-step.
Heads turned, every eye lay on him. Gasps rippled through the street.
The silver-haired elf spun around, wide-eyed, anger and confusion colliding in her expression.
"What are you thinking?" The words left her lips like daggers.
Subaru stopped dead in his tracks, looking at her with pure confusion.
"I don't know who you are," she snapped, voice icy, offended. "But don't call me the name of the Witch of Envy!"
Subaru's mind raced with questions. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
"What are you thinking?!" she repeated, firmer this time
The people around them recoiled. Murmurs surged in waves.
"Ahh…" He couldn't form anything coherent. Sweat started dripping down his forehead.
"If you have nothing to say, I'm leaving. I have things to do." She concluded, turning away from him
Unbeknownst to them, someone watched, waiting for the silver-haired girl to glance aside, just once. That was all she needed.
Felt dashed behind the crowds, a smile plastered on her face.
"Felt!" Subaru called out to her
She closed the distance between her and the distracted 'Satella'. Then skillfully, she reached into a pocket, stealing the insignia before taking off.
Satella turned around, glaring at Subaru.
"Were you stalling me? Are you working with her?"
She didn't wait for a response. The moment her eyes landed on her empty pocket, she bolted, her fury now aimed at both Subaru and the fleeing thief.
Subaru stood perplexed, watching Satella disappear into a corner.
So that's how it was? She didn't trust him enough to give him her real name?
Rigel shifted in his arms, looking up at him. "Vee?"
This was the second time he had experienced looking into the future. Felt has just stolen the badge, a completely different scene than the previous ones. Which means…
"My power isn't future sight… I went back in time," He whispered, the words tasting like rust and realization."Return by Death, that's what I will call it."
He met Rigel's gaze. The Eevee's little nose twitched, ears perking slightly.
"V-vyeeh?" he chirped again, worried.
Subaru looked into his innocent eyes and gulped. A wavering smile made its way to his face.
"I'm okay," he lied gently, putting on his carefully crafted mask. "See? I'm good. Just need to breathe."
He reached down, picked up the appa, and rubbed it on his sleeve. The fruit was firm, the skin warm from the sun. He held it to Rigel's nose.
"Here," he said, "You've earned it."
Rigel blinked, then cautiously sniffed. He nibbled gently with a small, appreciative, "Ve!"
Subaru chuckled under his breath.
"You like that, huh? Of course you do. Best food in the capital, right?"
Rigel gave a delighted "vee" and took another bite, tail swaying at every chomp until there was nothing left.
"I do wonder if fruits have any special effects," Subaru said, trying to distract himself
If he didn't do anything, 'Satella', Felt, and Rom would die. But… was it his problem? He didn't owe any of them anything. And, more importantly…
He pulled the little fox-like creature closer, tucking him into his chest. Rigel purred gently against him, a low "Eve" of contentment. It vibrated in his ribs like a lullaby.
Subaru smiled, for real this time.
He couldn't put Rigel in danger. He already got him killed in the most gruesome way possible. No matter what, he couldn't do that again; he needed to make it up to Rigel.
Subaru's smile lingered on his face, thin and frail, but genuine enough to keep him from shattering again. He cradled Rigel tighter, shielding the tiny Eevee from the world, from the choices, from the chaos waiting to unfold. His heartbeat was uneven, but it still beat. That counted for something.
"I'll figure something out," he murmured into Rigel's fur. "I don't know what's right anymore, but I know I won't let anything happen to you"
Rigel's ears twitched at his voice, and he responded with a chirpy "Evee!" followed by a soft "Veev!", trying to communicate 'I'm here. I trust you'
"You're way too sweet for this world…" Subaru whispered, gently brushing behind one of Rigel's ears.
Subaru walked with his hands in his pockets, fingers curled around a modest handful of coins. They clinked softly with every step. The sun had already begun its descent, casting long shadows between the buildings.
He didn't see Felt or Rom again. Instead, he found work with a group of construction workers and offered to help in lifting supplies and buffing their strength. They paid him just enough for a night's lodging and a bit of food. No one asked questions. That was the best part.
He turned a corner and spotted the crooked sign of a nameless inn, an inn that one of the workers had recommended. The paint was peeling, and the windows were dim. It looked as tired as he felt.
Rigel rode silently on his shoulder, tail tucked in, ears low. He hadn't chirped much for a while now. Subaru felt bad that he had to use Rigel to make money, but he had no skills or connections. It was either that, or he would have to sell his flip phone without first understanding its true value.
Subaru rubbed his little head absently. "It's okay," he muttered with a soft smile. "Just one night. We'll figure out the rest tomorrow."
He paid for the room in crumpled silence, then headed upstairs. The floorboards groaned underfoot, and the walls bled cold air like open wounds. Their room had a single small bed, one stool, and a small window shuttered tightly. Nothing fancy, but he had to live within his means for now.
He walked slowly towards the bed before lifting the blanket. Rigel jumped from his shoulder onto the bed, bouncing once.
Subaru lay on his side, looking at the Eevee with a small, hopeful smile. Rigel yawned, curling up on top of the pillow next to Subaru's head. Subaru wrapped his arms around the Rigel, receiving a soft "vee" and a lazy smile.
This was the first time they had slept since arriving in this world. Things were finally looking up for the pair.
Subaru drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep, only half-aware of the way Rigel's breathing rose and fell beside him. The wind outside had stopped howling. There were no footsteps on the street below, no one talking, nothing. Just stillness, thick and unnatural.
He awoke to silence.
His breath came out in a visible puff. The blanket around him felt stiff, damp with the beginning of frost. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but his fingers moved sluggishly, numbed.
"...Rigel?" he murmured.
A soft chitter answered. The little Eevee had curled tightly into himself, shivering. His tail wrapped around his nose, ears twitching violently. "Vee…"
Subaru pushed himself up slowly, every joint aching, hugging Rigel into his arms.
The window was now coated in a thin layer of ice, fogged from the inside. He reached for it and pushed it open, but the wood was brittle, cracking under his touch. Heat was sucked out of room like he had opened a freezer.
Subaru stumbled out of bed with Rigel in hand and the blanket wrapped around them. The cold stabbed at his soles through the wood. The handle of the door glinted with a thin crust of ice, but he grabbed it anyway.
His skin stuck.
He gasped, a hoarse, panicked sound, and yanked back by reflex.
A layer of skin was torn off, stuck to the handle.
"Ghhk—!" He stumbled back, hand cradled to his chest, blood seeping red into the freezing air. Rigel let out a terrified chirp and jumped from his arms, glowing with a purple mist that transferred to Subaru.
Subaru understood. With a scream, he kicked the door. The frame cracked, wood chunks and frost were sent everywhere, and most of the door was sent flying to the opposite side of the corridor.
Subaru enveloped Rigel in the blanket and looked around wildly. "Hello?!" he called. "Is anyone—! Help! Please!"
No one answered.
They ran. He didn't know where he was headed, just away from there. Past doors left open and rooms that looked half-frozen, half-abandoned. Frostbitten corpses might've lain under some of those piles of snow. He didn't look long enough to know.
They made it outside, only to be greeted with streets reduced to icy veins, stalls frozen mid-collapse, and human-shaped statues. Nothing short of a frozen wasteland.
Subaru backed away, breath hitched. He turned and—
Collapsed against a wall.
His legs gave out like broken stilts, limbs that had rusted. His body felt heavy, there was no escape now. Rigel immediately leaped and pressed against Subaru's chest.
He tried to yell again, voice raw. "Is anyone—! Somebody! Please, help!"
But there was no answer.
Subaru's breath slowed. He reached out to stroke Rigel, but his fingers wouldn't close. The strength Curse gave him had burned out, leaving his muscles trembling. The pain in his chest had faded, replaced by a spreading numbness.
Rigel leaned into him, "Vee…" His voice cracked, broken by the chill. But still, he tried to use Helping Hand.
"I'm sorry," Subaru said, mustering the strength to wrap Rigel into the warmest embrace the situation allowed . "We were doing okay… weren't we?"
The air fell by several degrees.
"Evoo!" Rigel panicked, squirming and pawing at Subaru. He looked up at Subaru, his eyes brimmed with desperation and tears that froze before they could fall.
The sight of Rigel made Subaru freeze, guilt twisted through his chest. He wanted to say something. He couldn't.
Their tears froze to their faces, poking like needles. Crimson welled in spots as the cold seeped further and ruptured tiny vessels, turning their bodies into brittle cages of frozen blood.
Rigel's eyelids drooped slowly. He went stiff on Subaru's arms, fur hardening and gluing him to the fabric. "..vee…"
Then, the only sound came from the raging winds
The cold reached their hearts.
Then–
CRACK
Rigel shattered in Subaru's arms, breaking into glittering pieces beneath the pressure of the embrace. A soft gasp left Subaru's lips.
'I'm sorry,' he thought again.
Then his body slumped forward, impacting against the stone before crumbling. His pieces mixed with Rigel's, both turning to powder.
The wind picked up, scattering their mingled dust into the air like ash.
The world exhaled.
And carried their shared heart into the sky.