[Dream] - 008
[Payment from the 00 Cycle]
A piercing scream rings out in the white space. Something dark and constricting overwhelms her and it feels like her is gagged and restrained. Yet she feels like she can tell the whole world the truth. The thoughts she had to bury deep inside or pretend that it wasn't there, she could tell them all.
"Atoli!" A muffled call. She does not even blink. "What have you done to Atoli!?"
A chuckle. This one is nearer and a lot more clearer and her mind tries to register each word this man is saying. Because he was Sakaki-san. The always nice, always comforting, always righteous Sakaki-san. "What did I do hmm? Everything, 'The Terror of Death'."
"Everything?"
A waves of static covers her hearing, but she hears his voice again. "I consoled her when she cried and held her when she needed it. I spoke to her gently and was always by her side. Yes, I made real something that could never have been done in reality. That is why I am Atoli's special"
She wants to call out his name and she does. "Sakaki-san..."
"Atoli, who was it that hurt you so much and slighted you?"
A flash of images - Chigusa crying alone in the her ruined desk after school, her parents' angry faces as they parted for work, her 'friends' ridiculing faces, and Haseo's back as he walked away - ...
She whispers. "E...very ...one."
"I see. So everyone just decided that you are worthless."
"Yes. Everyone decided that I ..."
"But you're worthless in my eyes Atoli. But ones who are truly worthless are those who do not realize your true worth." Ah, it's just like Sakaki-san to say such things. "Atoli, it's time to go. Go and show those who deemed you worthless that they are the truly worthless ones. If it is you and I, we can do it."
Something pulses.
She knows - somewhere, somewhere covered up by black spots- she should not listen to this man. He is acting very dangerous, unlike the Sakaki of Moon Tree she admires. But her heart wants to follow his words. She wants to believe in him so very much. And all she can do is repeat his name.
"That's right! There is no need for you to be hurt anymore. Or those that hurt you."
That final, final voice of reason is silenced.
"Destroy all those who had hurt you!"
Everything escalates - her heartbeat, Innis's powers, and those images. When they resonate together, Atoli is covered in brilliant green glow and.
And Innis awakens.
--------------------------------------------
Slash. Slash.
"I want to you to look at me more!"
Swish. Swish. Shoot.
"Atoli! Open your eyes!!"
"NO ONE EVER LOOKS AT ME!!"
She is soaring like the birds she loves. The winds as she glides, even though it was fake, feels refreshing. It makes her feel powerful - useful.
"Stop Atoli!"
"Atoli, are you really okay with this? Open your eyes!!"
Shut up.
As she twirls and twirls around,she finally catches him off guard and again, slash, slash. She is almost gleeful. "Let's listen to people until the end, shall we?"
Another round of shots is fired and Innis shoots its most deviant attack.
[/DATA DRAIN]
=================================================================================
She jerks awake. Her eyes are filled with tears.
Was she having another nightmare about that incident? This ... this was probably recorded. But when she looks around for her Dreamberry, there isn't one. For that matter, she is not even in Somarium. She is back in the World, to the city where it is forever in sunset. Mac Anu, just outside of the Chaos Gate. But instead of that comforting orange glow, the root town is draped in chilling red. What was going on? How did she come back?
And where the other players?
Atoli backs away from the sight. This wasn't her World... no matter how much she looked! When she back up though, she steps on something. She looks down. It is Zelkova-sama.
Gasping, she kneels down and touches his back hesitantly. At her touch, he dissolves with glittering light.
"What ... What is ..."
She doesn't finish her thought. She runs through the streets, looking for her friends. But all she finds is more dead players who dissolves as soon so she gets to them. At the end, she decides to head to guild's @home. Yata-san and Pi-san ... maybe they know what was going on. They must.
But when she is standing in front of the wooden gates, she freezes.
Haseo is sitting against those gates, his head down and unmoving. Atoli trembles as she walks towards him, her hand outstretched. When her white-gloved hands touches his shoulder, he too vanishes.
"Very well done Atoli."
She doesn't need to turn around to see who this man is.
"...W-we defeated you."
The familiar chuckle resounds. "Whatever are you talking about? I'm invincible," A hand grabs her arm not-too-gently, "all thanks to you."
Sakaki's smirking face greets her.
-
..... !!!
*this time wakes up for real, sweating and shaking at the same time. She can't even bring herself to turn off the Dreamberry now.*
A piercing scream rings out in the white space. Something dark and constricting overwhelms her and it feels like her is gagged and restrained. Yet she feels like she can tell the whole world the truth. The thoughts she had to bury deep inside or pretend that it wasn't there, she could tell them all.
"Atoli!" A muffled call. She does not even blink. "What have you done to Atoli!?"
A chuckle. This one is nearer and a lot more clearer and her mind tries to register each word this man is saying. Because he was Sakaki-san. The always nice, always comforting, always righteous Sakaki-san. "What did I do hmm? Everything, 'The Terror of Death'."
"Everything?"
A waves of static covers her hearing, but she hears his voice again. "I consoled her when she cried and held her when she needed it. I spoke to her gently and was always by her side. Yes, I made real something that could never have been done in reality. That is why I am Atoli's special"
She wants to call out his name and she does. "Sakaki-san..."
"Atoli, who was it that hurt you so much and slighted you?"
A flash of images - Chigusa crying alone in the her ruined desk after school, her parents' angry faces as they parted for work, her 'friends' ridiculing faces, and Haseo's back as he walked away - ...
She whispers. "E...very ...one."
"I see. So everyone just decided that you are worthless."
"Yes. Everyone decided that I ..."
"But you're worthless in my eyes Atoli. But ones who are truly worthless are those who do not realize your true worth." Ah, it's just like Sakaki-san to say such things. "Atoli, it's time to go. Go and show those who deemed you worthless that they are the truly worthless ones. If it is you and I, we can do it."
Something pulses.
She knows - somewhere, somewhere covered up by black spots- she should not listen to this man. He is acting very dangerous, unlike the Sakaki of Moon Tree she admires. But her heart wants to follow his words. She wants to believe in him so very much. And all she can do is repeat his name.
"That's right! There is no need for you to be hurt anymore. Or those that hurt you."
That final, final voice of reason is silenced.
"Destroy all those who had hurt you!"
Everything escalates - her heartbeat, Innis's powers, and those images. When they resonate together, Atoli is covered in brilliant green glow and.
And Innis awakens.
Click to view--------------------------------------------
Slash. Slash.
"I want to you to look at me more!"
Swish. Swish. Shoot.
"Atoli! Open your eyes!!"
"NO ONE EVER LOOKS AT ME!!"
She is soaring like the birds she loves. The winds as she glides, even though it was fake, feels refreshing. It makes her feel powerful - useful.
"Stop Atoli!"
"Atoli, are you really okay with this? Open your eyes!!"
Shut up.
As she twirls and twirls around,she finally catches him off guard and again, slash, slash. She is almost gleeful. "Let's listen to people until the end, shall we?"
Another round of shots is fired and Innis shoots its most deviant attack.
[/DATA DRAIN]
=================================================================================
She jerks awake. Her eyes are filled with tears.
Was she having another nightmare about that incident? This ... this was probably recorded. But when she looks around for her Dreamberry, there isn't one. For that matter, she is not even in Somarium. She is back in the World, to the city where it is forever in sunset. Mac Anu, just outside of the Chaos Gate. But instead of that comforting orange glow, the root town is draped in chilling red. What was going on? How did she come back?
And where the other players?
Atoli backs away from the sight. This wasn't her World... no matter how much she looked! When she back up though, she steps on something. She looks down. It is Zelkova-sama.
Gasping, she kneels down and touches his back hesitantly. At her touch, he dissolves with glittering light.
"What ... What is ..."
She doesn't finish her thought. She runs through the streets, looking for her friends. But all she finds is more dead players who dissolves as soon so she gets to them. At the end, she decides to head to guild's @home. Yata-san and Pi-san ... maybe they know what was going on. They must.
But when she is standing in front of the wooden gates, she freezes.
Haseo is sitting against those gates, his head down and unmoving. Atoli trembles as she walks towards him, her hand outstretched. When her white-gloved hands touches his shoulder, he too vanishes.
"Very well done Atoli."
She doesn't need to turn around to see who this man is.
"...W-we defeated you."
The familiar chuckle resounds. "Whatever are you talking about? I'm invincible," A hand grabs her arm not-too-gently, "all thanks to you."
Sakaki's smirking face greets her.
-
..... !!!
*this time wakes up for real, sweating and shaking at the same time. She can't even bring herself to turn off the Dreamberry now.*