Chapter Text
Hydan glanced at the girl clutching the bedsheets. There was no gentle way to say it.
She pointed at herself. “We’re… from a video game?”
“Not exactly. More like your world parallels one.”
Her tail swished slowly. “I… see.”
She looked at the monitor again, a soft, sad smile forming as her legs kicked lightly against the mattress. “Maddie’s not gonna be happy.”
“That’s why I wanted to talk to you first,” Hydan said. “You know her better than anyone.”
Mewmew pressed her lips together, fingers tracing the edge of the blanket. “It’s a lot to take in… but thank you for telling me. Maddie will want to know too. We’ll just need a plan.”
Silence settled between them, heavy enough to twist Hydan’s stomach. Seeing Mewmew, usually bright and bubbly, so tense felt wrong.
Finally she exhaled and stood. “Okay. So… this game. Tell me about it. That’s a start.”
“It’s called Deltarune. It’s about a human named Kris who travels through dark worlds with two companions.”
She stepped closer, leaning over his shoulder to see the screen. Her hand brushed him lightly, and he tried, and failed, not to blush.
“So those are the main characters?”
“Yeah. But there’s also a meta‑narrative. The player controls Kris’s actions… even when Kris doesn’t want them to.”
Mewmew’s ears shot up. “W‑Wait. You mean all those flirts Kris did. That was the player’s fault? Then that means—”
Hydan looked up at her. Her eyes were wide, cheeks red. “Flirts?”
“You said you played it! When Pink fought Kris, the player kept making flirts! Randomly!”
“Whoa— I never got that far. I haven’t even played chapter five yet!”
“Oh.” She deflated slightly. “S‑Sorry. I got carried away. Maddie’s personality is rubbing off on me, mew.”
“It’s fine. Actually… I have an idea.”
Her ears perked. “What is it?”
“We could spend hours talking about this. But wouldn’t it be easier if you just… experienced it?”
Her eyes lit up. “You mean—”
“Wanna play chapter five with me? We can compare notes and figure things out together.”
“That’s genius! Um… but you should probably play. I’ll just watch.” She scratched her cheek, embarrassed. “I don’t really know anything about videogames.”
“That’s okay,” Hydan said, standing. “I’ll be right back.”
“Not like I have anywhere to go, mew,” she said, watching him leave. He really was strange, letting two strangers stay in his home. Not many humans would do that.
Still… one question gnawed at her. Why his house? If this world had billions of people, why him?
She glanced at the humming title screen. Whatever this “game” was, it had answers.
“Alright! I’m back.” Hydan returned holding a bean chair. “Figured you’d want a better view.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to— Ah!” She yelped as she sank into it, tail fluffing in surprise.
Hydan grinned. “Sorry. Forgot you’ve probably never sat in one.”
“I‑It’s fine…”
She watched as he powered on the TV above the computer. “It’s nostalgic for me,” he said. “I used to do this with my uncle when I was younger. Weird being the one playing now.”
He grabbed the controller, took a breath, and looked at her. “Ready?”
Mewmew clenched the hem of her skirt, giving a nervous smile. “Ready as I’ll ever be…”
—
Alice chopped vegetables with practiced ease, Maddie floating beside her with arms crossed and a permanent scowl.
“You know,” Alice said lightly, “if you think any harder, steam’s gonna come out of your ears.”
Maddie snapped toward her. “Wha— hey! That’s not true!”
Alice chuckled. “It’s strange having people here. Even stranger having… well, you here.”
“If anything, YOU’RE the weird ones,” Maddie shot back. “Who just lets strangers into their son’s house? I don’t get it!”
Alice paused, knife hovering mid‑air. When she spoke again, her tone had shifted; quieter, more honest.
“My son… he doesn’t have many close friends.”
Maddie blinked. “Why are you telling me this? I barely know the guy.”
Alice nodded. “Exactly. You don’t know him. But I do. He spends most nights alone at that computer. He’s kind, but he keeps people at arm’s length. Call it selfish, but… I want to see him happy.”
Maddie stared at her, thrown off. She’d expected defensiveness, not vulnerability.
Alice set the knife down and met her eyes. “I’m not asking you to fix anything. I’m doing this because I trust him. I don’t understand what’s happening — honestly, he seems to understand more than I do. But he trusts you. So I’m choosing to trust you too.”
The words hit Maddie harder than she expected.
Trust. That was the whole thing, wasn’t it?
Trust in her, trust in Mewmew, trust in Hydan, and trust in herself.
Maddie hovered a little lower, her posture less combative now. “So… you trust him, and because he trusts us, you’re trusting us too?”
Alice nodded. “Exactly.”
Maddie looked away, arms uncrossing. “That’s… weirdly reasonable.”
Alice smiled. “I try.”
For a moment, Maddie floated in silence, watching Alice chop vegetables with steady hands. The rhythmic sound was oddly calming.
“…What’s your name?” Maddie asked finally, her voice softer.
Alice blinked, then her expression warmed. “Alice. My grandmother loved Alice in Wonderland. She named me after it.”
“It’s… a nice name,” Maddie muttered.
Alice raised an eyebrow. “Just ‘nice’?”
“Oh shut up! I’m still getting used to all this!” Maddie snapped, cheeks puffing slightly.
Alice laughed — a real, relieved laugh. “Fair enough.”
Maddie felt her shoulders loosen. Something heavy inside her eased, just a little.
Alice set the knife down and turned to her. “Can I ask you something?”
Maddie narrowed her eyes. “Depends.”
“I don’t know how long this situation will last,” Alice said, gesturing vaguely around the kitchen. “I don’t know if you’ll be here tomorrow or for months. But while you’re here… could you keep an eye on my son?”
Maddie blinked. “Why me? I barely know him.”
“I know,” Alice said gently. “But he’s… happier with you two around. More animated. More alive. I haven’t seen him like that in a long time.”
Maddie stared at her, thrown off by the sincerity.
Alice continued, “I’m not asking you to fix him. I’m not asking you to be anything you’re not. I just… want him to have people who care. Even if it’s temporary.”
Maddie huffed, placing her hands on her hips. “Fine! We’ll look after him. But don’t expect me to let my guard down. Deep down, he’s still a pervert.”
Alice giggled. “Oh, I’m sure he’s thrilled to have an animated cat girl in his house.”
Maddie’s mouth twitched. “Is that something you should admit out loud?”
“Probably not,” Alice said with a wink. “But I trust him. He wouldn’t intentionally hurt you. And if he does…” She smirked. “You can always threaten him again.”
Maddie froze. “Grk— Y‑You heard about that?”
Alice’s grin widened. “Hydan tells me everything.”
Maddie groaned, floating upward to hide her face. “I’m never living that down…”
—
Mewmew nervously stared into the screen. A few hours in, and they finally reached the pink doorway.
It was uncanny how closely the game replicated the dark world. But what unsettled her most were her friends, or the replicas pretending to be them. Their personalities were nearly identical, and certain events seemed familiar, if sometimes exaggerated; at least she hoped. But despite the accuracy, everything felt… wrong. Robotic. After one or two interactions, they ran out of things to say. They couldn’t move freely, stuck on rails or locked in rooms until the player advanced.
They were nothing but empty shells.
Yet each time she saw one, especially Orange, her heart panged with a sadness she couldn’t describe. They treated Maddie and her so kindly, and now they were gone. They never even got the chance to say goodbye.
Now they stood before her room, ready to fight the fake version of herself. Her hands trembled as she grabbed the ends of her skirt tightly.
“Are you alright?” Hydan’s voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up at him; his eyes shone with worry.
“Uh! Oh, yeah! I’m o‑okay, mew!” She gave a shaky thumbs‑up, but his expression didn’t change. Her shoulders slumped. “I… I just need to take a sec…”
Hydan sighed, setting the controller down and turning the chair to face her. “Right‑right… sorry. I forgot how overwhelming this probably is. Should we stop here? We did do a lot today.”
“N‑No! It’s fine! It’s just… seeing everyone like this… it’s a bit jarring.”
Hydan paused. He tried to imagine being thrown into another world where his entire life was digitized into a game. The thought made him shudder.
The two of them sat quietly, exchanging small glances, waiting for the other to speak.
Seeing her so defeated made his stomach twist. Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe he shouldn’t have shown her this. He was supposed to be helping her, but all he’d done was make things worse.
“It’s strange… seeing everyone again,” she whispered. “I know it’s just a videogame, but… I wish I could see them one more time.”
Hydan opened his mouth, then closed it. Nothing he said would help. So he waited.
“Watching you play this game, seeing all the differences… it’s like watching a video. The moments, the people, the places; they’re there, but they’re fake.” She reached toward the screen, fingers trembling. “They can’t move beyond what’s shown. I can’t reach them. Can’t interact with them. There’s nowhere outside what the game wants to show.”
Her ears flattened. Her tail wrapped around her legs like a shield. Hydan grimaced; he wanted to reassure her, but anything he said would be hollow.
He shifted in his chair. If he couldn’t comfort her, maybe he could at least understand her. “Hey, Mewmew?”
Her ears twitched. “Mew?”
“What was your dark world really like?”
She blinked. “Huh? But… you’ve seen it. You played the game.”
He shook his head. “No. I mean your world. The real one.”
Mewmew’s gaze drifted back to the screen. Her fingers twisted the hem of her skirt. For a moment, she looked like she might refuse; then her shoulders softened.
“It… was really pretty,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen a sunset like that. I used to sit on the cliffs for hours, watching the sky change colors. It felt like the whole world was alive.”
Hydan didn’t interrupt. Her fragile smile said more than her words.
“Before I found the dark world, everything was dull,” she said. “Just… background noise. Same places, same routine, same day. I didn’t even know what ‘change’ felt like.”
Her tail curled tighter.
“But then I found it. The dark world.” Her eyes brightened. “Gardens that stretched forever. A castle so big it made you feel tiny. People everywhere — laughing, arguing, living. And magic…” She giggled softly. “Magic made me feel like I could do anything! Hee hee…”
She leaned forward, hands clasped. “And then I met Ory.”
“Ory?” Hydan asked gently.
“Orange,” she clarified. “She was like a little sister. Easily provoked, sure, but she was kind. She wanted so badly to be human, even though she wasn’t.” Mewmew’s smile softened. “We used to sneak out to the outer walls when everyone else was busy. She’d complain the whole time, but she always came with me.”
Hydan watched her eyes shimmer with nostalgia.
“I never meant to meet the other flowers,” she admitted. “I was terrified. I didn’t belong with them. I only found Ory because I stumbled across her.” She laughed weakly. “So I called myself Pink. It helped me blend in.”
Her voice wavered.
“If I hadn’t made Ory promise to keep me a secret… maybe I would’ve had more time with everyone.”
Her ears drooped.
“Sorry, Ory… you deserved better than what your dumb big sis did.”
Hydan gripped the side of his chair. “Pink…”
She wiped her eyes quickly, forcing a smile. “I’m okay, mew. Really.”
But her tail stayed wrapped tight around her legs.
Then her eyes widened at the name, the one she and Maddie agreed on.
“W‑What did you call me?”
Hydan closed his eyes. “Maddie’s here too, right?”
“I‑ Um! I d‑don’t know what you’re talking a‑about, mew!” She glanced away, wiping her forehead.
She sighed. “H‑How did you know?”
“I didn’t at first, but… you started referencing the light world.”
“To be fair… Maddie’s memories mix with mine since we fused for the first time…” She scratched her cheek, petting her tail with the other.
“How long have you been with us?”
Maddie appeared, floating over Mewmew’s shoulder, looking away. “Ever since you got to the castle…”
“Oh…”
“I’m really sorry!” Mewmew bowed her head. “It’s just — I couldn’t hide it from her, plus she already found us so… you know…”
Hydan paused, then looked at Maddie, who still refused to meet his eyes. “N‑No… I should be sorry too. I didn’t want to—”
Maddie cut him off with a huff. “Look. I get it. I’m well aware I’m not the most level‑headed person; it makes sense.”
“That’s not what I—”
“Dude… if you’re suggesting that I’m not, then you need better glasses than the pair you’re wearing! Even Mewmew agrees how crazy I am!”
Mewmew blushed. “W‑Well…”
Maddie smirked. “See? So stop feeling down, both of you!”
The air felt lighter as the two chuckled.
It almost amazed Hydan; here they were trying to figure out how to explain Maddie’s situation gently, and here she was comforting them.
“Look… I won’t say it doesn’t hurt that you were keeping this from me,” she said, pointing at Hydan. “But I’m choosing to trust you.”
He hesitated before giving a small smile, "Thank you."
With the encouraging nod of both girls, he spun around, picked up the controller once more, and walked through the door.
—
Maddie didn’t know how to feel seeing Pink on the screen. Part of her felt relieved; nothing had changed. But another part twisted uncomfortably. Watching the game’s version of her attacks, her movements, her expressions… it was like seeing a reflection that wasn’t quite hers.
When the battle started, it was almost identical to how she fought Kris. The timing, the patterns, the rhythm; all familiar. Even if the game had some interesting interpretations of her attacks. It was her, but not her.
That being said...
“WOULD YOU JUST MOVE ON ALREADY!” she shouted, tired of watching Hydan die for the fifteenth time. “I get the point! You don’t have to beat us!”
“Just one more…” Hydan sighed, restarting the battle. “I was so close last time. I just need to beat this…”
“Honestly, if I just used normal attacks, maybe this would be much easier…” she muttered.
“I don’t think that’s how it works, mew,” Mewmew mumbled, sinking deeper into the beanbag chair. Her tail flopped limply over the side as she yawned.
“Who cares! This is taking way too long! He’s been at this for—” Maddie glanced at the digital clock on his desk. “Three hours!”
She watched him narrowly avoid the bombs, tanking almost all the damage. To her surprise, he managed to heal back to full health, finally entering what looked like the last phase. Unfortunately, the next few moves obliterated Kris and the goat; Ralsei? She thought that was his name. Leaving only Susie, the purple companion who always hung around that blue idiot.
“You’re gonna die.”
“I’m not gonna die,” he grunted.
“You’re gonna die,” she repeated flatly, crossing her arms as he grazed past the bullet patterns.
“I’m not gonna— Oh.” His luck ran out as he ran straight into the large bomb attack. He stared at the ‘game over’ screen in silence.
“See? I told you. Now we can—”
“Just one more.” He picked up the controller again.
Her eyebrow twitched.
“Oh my god! Enough! Enough! ENOUGH!”
“M‑MEW!?” Mewmew jolted as Maddie dove into her body, taking control.
Mewmew’s back arched with a loud crack. “Augh!” Maddie grimaced through her. “Why does your spine do that?!”
She stomped over — or tried to, tail swishing wildly- and ripped the controller from Hydan’s hands.
“Let me do it!”
“What!? Hey!”
“I just have to use the flirt option, dodge the bullets, and use that one thing Ralsei has, right?”
“I— yeah? Are you sure you can—”
“Mewmew’s never played games before, but I have,” Pink said, eyes locked on the screen as she restarted the battle.
Hydan watched, slack‑jawed, as she bobbed and weaved through bombs and bullet patterns, building her tension points with ease. Before he knew it, she was already in the final phase.
“How are you doing this!?”
“I told you, I’ve played games before!” She flashed a smug grin as the Doki meter climbed halfway.
“T‑This isn’t fair! I had this in the bag!”
“Oh, shut up, NERD!” She laughed, finally gathering enough.
But the scene that followed wasn’t what Hydan expected.
Pink broke down on screen, half Maddie’s color, half Mewmew’s, fighting herself for control. And then he saw them.
Green strings.
“Those strings…” both said at the same time, whipping their heads toward each other.
“You know about those!?” She blurted.
“W‑Wait, before I answer, how did those strings form?”
She hesitated. “I‑I don’t know… I grew desperate. Angry that my body wasn’t listening. Then I saw these strange… green strings forming around me, piercing my body.”
Her voice shook. “It was painful. I could feel it forcing something. I don’t know what. But it wasn’t pleasant.”
Hydan swallowed hard. He grabbed his phone and pulled up an image.
Pink leaned in — and froze.
A giant floating puppet stared back at her, colorful body parts dangling from hundreds of massive green strings.
“W‑Who is that?” she whispered.
“Spamton NEO,” Hydan said quietly. “Originally he wasn’t that big. But after tricking Kris into giving him a new body… the same strings appeared.”
Pink's breath hitched. Her tail curled tight. Mewmew's internal voice trembled.
“W‑What happened to him?”
“He… died after the strings were cut. He reverted to his actual form until turning into either a pair of glasses or a scarf if you attack him.”
The controller slipped from her hands and hit the floor.
“W‑What?”
“S‑Sorry…” Hydan winced. “But… you’re here now, right? That string thing didn’t happen. You’re okay.”
Pink stared at him for a long moment. Then forced a smile, Mewmew’s gentleness pushing through.
“R‑Right… yeah. You’re right, mew.”
She bent down to grab the controller. Hydan turned away, cheeks flushed.
“What?”
“N‑Nothing…”
She shrugged and finished the battle, watching her pixelated counterpart fuse into one body.
“Still could’ve done it,” Hydan muttered with an admittedly adorable pout.
“Keep saying that, nerd,” she teased, until a sound effect caught her ear.
She turned back to the screen.
Pink kissed Kris on the forehead.
“D‑Did you just kiss Kris?”
Her face exploded into red. “S‑Shut up! It was Mewmew who did it, not me!”
"They were pretty cute, mew!" Mewmew chimed internally, sing‑song.
“Shut up! N‑Not that it matters anyway… now that we’re here.” She huffed. “Apparently they flirt with anyone anyway…”
“I see.” Hydan cleared his throat. “So… the shadow crystal. What’s up with those? All the secret bosses had them — Jevil, Spamton, Gerson, you, and… the knight.”
Her eyes widened. “The knight? I’ve only heard rumors in the dark world. Are they not just rumors?”
He nodded. “In chapter 3, the final boss was the Roaring Knight. If you damage it enough, it drops a shadow crystal before leaving.”
Pink placed her hand under her chin. "Huh."
She sat back down, looking at the screen silently as Hydan progressed through the rest of the game, getting the rest of the flowers and confronting Flowery.
The battle was relatively easier, Hydan managing to beat it on the second try. It was her first time seeing them fight; was Flowery really this strong?
She probably knew him the least; was this how strong he was with everyone? She almost wished that she could be there; it would have been a spectacle to see.
She watched as a familiar face showed up: Asgore. The speech that followed caused her to tense. Asgore, he knew? He knew about the dark worlds?
"How the hell?"
Her thoughts were interrupted when a black blur kidnapped the king.
"Was that?"
"The Roaring Knight," Hydan confirmed.
Flowery gave chase, quickly catching up with the knight. He punched and kicked, but it simply shrugged it off.
"Wait! Don't—" She was cut off as Flowery pushed back against it until it slashed him in half.
Her eyes widened in horror as she cupped her mouth. "I-Is he... dead?"
"I... don't know," he stated simply.
"Look it up," She muttered, a dark expression on her face as her shoulder trembled.
"Huh?"
"I SAID LOOK IT UP!" She gave a tearful expression, her face red.
"O-Okay!" He scrambled on his phone, frantically looking it up, making several typos in the process. "H-Here! I-It says he doesn't die... Kris and Susie manage to tape the stem up after they leave."
Immediate relief flooded her as she leaned back, "Thank god... If he died like that- I..."
She paused before glancing at him; his entire body trembled, his breathing uneven. It seemed her yelling also shook him.
"Hey... I'm sorry I—"
"N-No! It's understandable, I don't know what I would do if—"
"No... It's not your fault any of this is happening, I shouldn't take it out on you."
He silently nodded as the two sat, only interrupted by the occasional sniffle. Without a word, she watched him complete the game.
She stared at the screen as the credits went by.
“Wow,” Mewmew whispered internally. “This… this is a lot to process, mew. For both of us.”
“Hydan?”
He tensed like he’d been caught doing something wrong. But when he looked up, Pink was smiling softly, now resembling Mewmew's own.
She stood, patting her skirt down, then looked him in the eyes with gentle sincerity.
“Thank you.”
“Huh?”
“For showing me this. Genuinely. I think… we both needed to see it.”She reached out and took his hand. Hydan’s face flushed instantly.
“But… if I could ask… please don’t mention any of this for the rest of the night.”
“Oh.” He glanced down.
“We just need time to think things over. Let’s relax for tonight.”
Hydan met her gaze again. “Okay.”
—
Hydan, Alice, and Maddie, currently steering Pink’s body, sat around the dining table. Pink’s eyes widened at the spread.
“Holy crap…” she muttered, staring at the mountain of food like it was a religious experience.
Alice chuckled, resting her cheek in her palm. “I may… have gotten carried away.”
Hydan watched in amusement as Pink immediately shoveled food onto her plate. Meat piled high, salad barely touched; the ratio was almost comedic.
After the day they’d had, the sight made Hydan’s shoulders finally loosen. For the first time since morning, he could breathe.
“Thank you, this looks amazing!” Pink chirped — Mewmew’s gentle tone slipping through for a moment, tail swishing happily.
“Yeah, holy shit… I haven’t had a meal this big in freakin’ years!” Pink added between bites, ears perked with delight.
Alice blinked at the speed Pink was demolishing the chicken. “Now I’m glad I bought that whole chicken… I was worried it’d be too much.”
Hydan’s stomach dropped. He could already hear his wallet screaming. “I’m gonna need to go to the store more often, aren’t I?”
Alice patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. “Most likely.”
Pink kicked her feet under the table, Mewmew bubbling up inside. “So this is what lighter food is like? It’s so different, mew!”
“Much better than ghost food!” Pink nodded, tearing another chunk from a chicken leg.
“Ghost food?” Hydan asked, leaning forward. He vaguely remembered something about it from the games.
Pink swallowed and gestured with her fork. “It’s food monsters like me can eat… but it’s pretty bland. Anything else just passes through me. But now that I’ve got a body, I don’t have to worry about any of that, mew!”
Alice smirked. “Looks like you’ll be cooking a lot more.”
“Please spare me,” Hydan groaned.
Pink shrugged. “Hey, a cat’s gotta eat!” She stabbed another piece of chicken; then paused mid‑bite. “Wait, you can cook!?” She pointed her fork at him accusingly.
“Uh, y‑yeah… I’m not great, but I know a thing or two.” He rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks warming. “But don’t expect me to cook for you all the time.”
“Yeah‑yeah,” she waved off, taking a swig of soda.
Alice dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “So, about you living together—”
Pink spat her drink across the table. Hydan stiffened like someone had hit pause on him.
“W‑WHAT!?”
“Well, it had to be talked about, no?” Alice asked, smiling innocently.
“I— I guess,” Pink coughed, wiping her mouth.
“So, what’s the plan? You seemed down earlier. Did you figure something out?”
Pink froze. Hydan felt his stomach sink.
Great, he thought.
The mood dipped instantly, but before it could spiral, Hydan blurted, “U‑Um… we’ll talk about it later. We n‑need a break after all that… stuff.”
Pink glanced up, giving him a small, grateful smile.
Alice sighed softly. “Right… sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Pink murmured, pushing a piece of broccoli around her plate.
Alice cleared her throat. “So… what exactly is your plan for tomorrow?”
Pink flinched. She had definitely forgotten about that.
“I, uh… didn’t think that far,” Hydan admitted, rubbing his head.
“Of course,” Alice said, amused. “Well, you could always go clothes shopping.”
Hydan’s mind immediately conjured the image of walking Pink through a store, tail swishing, ears twitching, people staring, and his nerves spiked. But he knew it had to happen eventually. Better to rip the band‑aid off than let it fester.
“…Could be a start,” he said.
Pink stabbed another piece of chicken, ears flicking thoughtfully.
He gave a small glance toward her. “So… you think you’ll be able to change for tomorrow?”
“Hyuh? Why would I change tomorrow?”
He stared at her with a deadpan expression. “…Because you’ll be out in public?”
She gave a smug little smile. “What’s wrong? Don’t want people to see you standing next to someone as pretty as me?”
He looked away. “Well… kinda?”
Her cheeks flushed instantly. “I‑IDIOT!”
“That’s not what I meant! I mean— it’s just, your clothes?”
“My clothes?”
“It’s a bit… out there.”
She glanced down at her skirt. Everything about her stood out: the dress, the gloves, the ribbons, the bells.
“I guess it makes sense.” She leaned back, folding her arms. “I can always use magic to transform.”
Both Hydan and Alice stiffened. “Sorry?”
“What? I said I can use—”
“I know,” Hydan said, “but… you can use magic here?”
“Oh right. Lightener world.” She rubbed her head. “But it wouldn’t hurt to try.”
She closed her eyes. The room fell silent.
Then, a soft flash of white light. The bells holding her hair vanished, and her hair fell past her shoulders in a smooth cascade.
“Holy shit,” Hydan muttered. “H‑How.”
She shrugged. “I dunno. Probably the same reason I’m not reduced to an anime figurine.”
“So when Maddie levitated those pans around…”
She shook her head. “That wasn’t magic. That’s just ghost stuff. At least, from what she told me, mew.”
“Wait, so doesn’t that mean you can just magically change your clothes?”
“To a certain extent. Only certain outfits from the show,” she explained. “Though, I DO have an outfit in mind.”
Hydan stared at her; now that her hair was down, she looked familiar. Too familiar.
“Wait… you look like that shopkeeper we bought the pink key from.”
“That WAS us, you IDIOT!”
“Wait, really!? YOU’RE the shopkeeper!?”
“What’s that supposed to mean!?” she shot back.
“You talk so different from the Shop! And you looked different too!”
“Shop?” Alice asked.
Hydan glanced at her. “Later.”
She nodded.
“So it’s the… what’s it called again? Sailor uniform?” he asked, turning back to Pink.
“Technically it’s a school outfit, but yes.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just go as you are? I mean, I think people would notice more if you weren’t in costume. With your… tail and ears.” His mother asked.
“W‑Well… wouldn’t everyone just stare?” Hydan questioned nervously.
“Bah! I’m an idol! What kind of idol would I be if I couldn’t handle a few stares? Besides, I’ll kick their asses if they do anything, mew!” She winked.
“R‑Right…” Hydan said wryly.
—
Maddie stared up at the moon through the window in silence, its pale glow washing over the room in soft silver. The quiet felt heavier than usual.
Behind her, the bed rustled as Mewmew stood, padding over on light steps until she was at Maddie’s side.
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” she whispered.
“Different,” Maddie replied, eyes still fixed on the moon. “Another world, huh.”
Mewmew’s ears dipped slightly. “Part of me wonders if I’ll wake up tomorrow and this is all a dream… or won’t wake up at all.” She let out a small sigh. “Do you think you’ll miss home?”
Maddie closed her eyes for a moment. Thinking back to her time with the other flowers, even if it was a short time. “…Yeah.”
She turned to Mewmew, and a small smile tugged at her lips; tired, but real. “But…” She thought back to dinner, to Hydan’s awkward kindness, to Alice’s warmth, to the ridiculous amount of chicken. “It’s not so bad here.”
Mewmew leaned her shoulder gently against Maddie’s. Maddie didn’t pull away.
Together, they looked back at the moon, its light stretching across the floor like a quiet promise.