Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Before we get to this, a few Basics to take care of:

Every piece of published original fiction exists as its own universe in the Multiverse contained within Yggdrasil, which has broken. Until it is fixed, everything is held in stasis via Time Loops to keep it from getting worse. Projected completion date for the repairs is Infinity. The Infinite Loops is the story of various characters from the universe caught up in the Time Loop, as they deal with the problems caused by having Infinite Time on their hands. Shenanigans ensue.


Of course, there are a few rules as to how the time loops work;

One person in a Loop, is the Anchor. They are the person who first starts time looping.
There is always at least one Anchor present in a given Time Loop snippet, though it may not be the local one.
The standard pattern for a loop is that the Anchor (and whoever else is Looping there) come to awareness in a loop at a particular point in the story. From there, events will play out as influenced by the Loopers present, acting with the benefit of their foreknowledge, until either a predetermined end point is reached or the anchor dies.


To be Awake is to be aware of the time loops (that is, to have gone back in time this time.)


The Anchor is the only character guaranteed to be Awake. Even after others have started looping, it is mostly random as to whether they will be Awake this particular loop.
Crossovers, fusions, and alternate pasts can also take place. It is perfectly possible, for example, to have the characters Awaken into a loop which conforms to a fanfic universe rather than reality.


Loops do not have to be in chronological order, but it is strongly preferred that they not require a mutually contradictory order (where A must be before B and B must be before A.)


Just about every Looper is very, very stir crazy.

And lastly, This is a community project from the SpaceBattles forum. All Snippets that are not mine will be marked with the original authors and all snippets are posted with permission.

1.1

Madoka sat at her terminal, her head resting in her hands. She sighed heavily.

"What troubles you, young one?"

Madoka gasped slightly as she turned around to see Hypnos standing at her doorway. She sighed once more.

"Hey, Hypnos," she greeted. "I'm just making some preparations for the next Smash expansion… and baseline is a mess."

Hypnos looked at the screen and considered what he saw. "You needn't not be troubled, I believe the hero chosen is the perfect one for the job."

Madoka nodded. "Yeah, I know Kirby is up to it. But it doesn't make it easier to watch."

Hypnos nodded. "Perhaps you need a side project to ease your mind."

Madoka tilted her head. "Side project?"

Hypnos produced a packet of paper. "Skuld asked me to give you this."

"A new branch? She wants me to watch over a new branch?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Hypnos waved as he walked out. "Said something about it being your wheelhouse."

Madoka looked at the packet in her hand.

"Zombie Idols in the Saga Prefecture? How odd…" she thought aloud. "... Oh, Oh dear… These girls may be zombies but they're definitely not ready for what comes with that in other branches…"

She groaned; so much for this being a side project.

She then turned to her computer and started typing. "For now, I'm going to have to keep them from looping into any malevolent zombie branches."

She made a note to contact Hephaestus to help her requisition the paperwork. There was good reason for it, so it might be done faster. The Horror Hunger attributed to being a zombie wasn't something that could be shrugged off so easily, even for a veteran Looper.

"… As for the Anchor…" Madoka thought with her head tilted backwards, tapping her chin in contemplation. "Well, at least the the choice is obvious…. Good luck, Sakura."

Sakura woke up from the hard floor beneath her. That was the first thing that was wrong. Where was her futon? For that matter, where was everyone else? The zombie girl stood up and looked around. Was it supposed to rain today?

Something stirred around her. She turned around and saw her bandmates rise from the floor.

"Oh hey, guys!" she greeted. " Does anything seem- Ah!"

The Legendary Tae Yamada jumped at her, par for course, but that was when she noticed that her bandmates were in fact just shambling zombies again.

"Wait, that can happen? We can just unawaken?"

She decided to lead her bandmates to the basement where meetings were usually held.

"Um, Hello?" Sakura called. "Manager?"

"So, you've finally awakened!" a voice echoed

She turned around and found Kotaro Tatsumi, her mysterious manager, clad as always in a white shirt, a burgundy waistcoat, and a blazer draped around his shoulders.

"Finally Awakened?" Sakura asked. "We've all been awake for a while now… I think..."

"For awhile?" Kotaro scoffed. "I only raised you lot a few days ago."

"But… I could've sworn…"

Kotaro laughed. "You're probably just confused because your brains are rotting! Have a seat while I explain a few things!"

Sakura sat down, tuning out the frankly insane idol manager, to try to figure out why this was happening. It couldn't be a dream, could it? It was way too real, even her bandmates were the exact same people. Maybe it was a vision or something, maybe she was given warning for something. But what exactly was she trying to avoid?

1.2

Masterweaver

Sakura flinched as, again, Tae smashed through the door and rebounded against a wall. You would think I'd be used to this after five times going around, she thought to herself, but--

As she moved to help the zombie, though, she noticed something strange about her. Specifically her hair--done up in spherical odango pigtails, instead of her usual wild mane.

"...Eh?!"

Tae moaned incoherently as she rose up, twisting her limbs back to a normal orientation. Sakura noticed the silver tiara on her head.

"...Tae-chan... why are you dressed like Sailor Moon?"

"Raafgraaa!" Tae declared, striking a pose.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment or two.

Then Tae remembered she was a feral zombie and lunged at the very confused Sakura.

1.3
Masterweaver

Sakura followed the wayward Ai and Junko, again, as they snuck out of the mansion. "Please, I know you don't think this will work. I know Kotaro-san is... well, crazy. But you have to understand, I ran away too! And I got shot!"

Ai scoffed quietly.

"Look, just..." Sakura grabbed her shoulder, pointing at a window. "Look at yourself, Ai-ch--Ai-san. Actually look. It's not just the bandages. Your eyes are red and sunken. Your skin is grey! And Junko..." She sighed. "Junko, with all your stitches... and me, with my skull showing through my head... At the very least, you need to know how to apply the makeup to hide all that, if you're going to try traveling."

Junko looked at her reflection, before glancing away.

"...This is... scary," Sakura admitted. "I get it. This is strange and Kotaro-san is crazy and Tae-chan is... still feral. But... it's not just you. It's Lily-chan, a little girl, and Yugiri-san, from another time entirely. And Saki, she's not on board either, but..." She bit her lip. "All I'm saying is that if we want to get out of this, we need to do it together. Because right now all we have is each other. I'm not asking you to think this will work. Just... for us all to work on it together. Come back to the mansion, please. Kotaro-san is crazy, but he's about the only person who will see us and not try to put us down."

Ai stared at her reflection for a moment. "I... I have friends in Tokyo."

"That's on another island entirely," Sakura pointed out. "How are you going to get there?"

"...I..."

Ai stared at her reflection, sorrow in her eyes.

"...Saki was a captain in a biker gang," Sakura said, gently. "She would know how to get around when legal paths are shut. Yugiri could pretend to be an adult for when we need it, Lily knows how to act cute and innocent... I'm only going along with Kotaro's plan because I think I have to. If you have another idea, then..."

Junko rubbed the back of her head. "...Minamoto-San, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but... we're strangers."

Sakura inhaled, keeping her immediate reply to herself. "...then... maybe we should get to know each other. But not out here. Not where anybody could see us. Come on... please?"

Ai hung her head. "...damn it. She's right, Junko. We can't do this on our own." She turned back toward the mansion. "But I'm not going to just do what Kotaro wants--not without questioning everything."

"Of course!" Sakura agreed. "Come on, quickly, before we're seen!"

1.4

Sakura decided that there wasn't any greater purpose in her going through time. The events of her unlife were too strange to try and fix. This time, her tenth go around, she had gotten to the band's second appearance and Saki was starting to screw around with Tae as usual. She grabbed a mic.

"Alight! That's enough!" She craned her head upstage. "Give me a beat!"

Kotaro obliged from backstage. Sakura bobbed her head as she got the feel of the beat.

"Listen here, you yanki bitch, get this through your brain.
Cause I've been living this life over and over again.
I'm sick and tired of taking the brunt
Of your scare tactics you worthless--"

Saki took the cue and interrupted Sakura before she could finish the lyric.

"Okay, runt!
You think you're clever, steppin up to me?
A scared little egg is all I see!
Why Should I be filled with dread.
Anyway you look at this, we're better off dead!"

At this point, Yuigiri, was free styling on her shamisen, and Lily stuffed Tae's mouth with a microphone.

"This is weird, I get it, we're dead and we sing.
And I know that you're not into this idol thing.
But every time I perform with you guys I feel new life,
And all of us have had to deal with strife!
Ai, Junko, I know you want fight,
For your chance to get back into the limelight!
Yui and Lily, you want to be adored again, right?
So come on,everybody! Together let's Fight the Fight!"

Sakura had to admit, that wasn't her best version of the rap battle. Saki didn't even warm up to her afterwards like she usually did. What Saki did do was tell Sakura to meet her on the back porch.

In a situation all to familiar to Sakura, no word was said for what seemed like a long time. Which was odd considering how many times she did this, she should at least be able to curtail that aspect of her unlife.

"So," Saki began, "You were talkin' about time travelin' earlier. Livin' this life over and over again, yeah?"

'That's what you got out of it?' Sakura thought to herself. " Y-yeah, That's what's been happening. I wake up on the cold floor, and I'm already a zombie. Then after a few months I start all over again."

Saki considered this. "Eh, crazy or not, that's pretty cool."

She sat down next to Sakura. " So, any juicy details on the future?"

Sakura hummed. " Nothing that's my place to say…"

"Eh, that's probably a good call. Any movie ever will tell you that nothing good comes out of knowing the future."

Sakura nodded.

"Welp, anyway. I guess I could give this Idol thing a try. Can't say I ever thought of that being a route to taking over Japan, but at least there'll be a lot of people seeing my face."

That was a later reaction than usual, but at least Saki came around eventually. It was weird, she was bonding more with her bandmates through these repeats than the first time. There might not be a bigger reason for her time-traveling, but the fore knowledge certainly helped her connect with her bandmates.

1.5

Masterweaver

Sakura helped Tae up with a gentle but firm grip. "Now, Tae-chan, we don't lunge at people through doors. Come on, let me show you all your new friends."

"Rgaaaaa!" The zombie clamped her teeth around Sakura's shoulder.

"Yeah, that works." Sakura dragged her down the hall, opening a door. "See? These are the other zombies, Tae-chan. They're not awake yet, not like me--"

"Hey egghead! Something's wrong with the crew!"

Sakura's eyes went wide, and she snapped her attention to the blonde zombie shoving back a woman with a scarred neck. "Saki-chan?!"

"Well, don't just stand there! We've gotta do something about this--" Saki stepped around the group. "Damn it, we might have to get Shades to help. You go find him and--"

She was interrupted when Sakura rushed across the room fast enough to tear Tae's head from her body, grabbing her shoulders and staring into her eyes. "How much do you remember?! Do you remember Arpino?!"

"Wha--yeah, of course I remember Arpino! How could I forget--?"

Sakura hugged her tightly. "You came back... I don't know how, but you came back... Oh Saki-chan, I've missed you!"

"Mrraaaa," groaned Ai, grabbing Saki's ankle.

"...Sakura," Saki said, "I'm happy you're happy and all, but what the hell is going on?"

"Oh!" Sakura leaned back, apparently ignoring Lily tugging her hair curiously. "We've gone back in time. Well, I was the only one going back, um, for thirteen times, but now you came back too! This is before the metal performance that wakes everyone up."

Saki glanced at Tae's head, still gnawing on Sakura's shoulder, and looked across the room to see her body blindly stumble into Junko. "...Yeah, that matches up. So, what do we do from here?"

"Um..." Sakura released her grip, twirling an awkward finger through her hair. "Well... I haven't figured out why this is happening, so usually I just... try to help the girls out, keep them together as best I can... just be there for you all, I guess. Hey, if you're coming back in time too... do you think it's a zombie thing?"

"I... guess it could be. Has Shades ever said anything?"

"I asked him once. He just threw another one of his crazy metaphors at me."

"Fair enough." Saki shrugged. "Well, whatever. I'm with you now, and we'll figure this out together."

"Yes!"

"But first, we've got to get Ai to stop chowing down on my leg."

"Oh! Right, right." Sakura knelt down. "Ai-chan! Ai-chan, look at me! I know where there's squiiiiiiid!"

1.6

It was novel the first time it happened; Sakura travelled back to the point where she was still alive. Maybe this was the second chance she was waiting for. A second chance at life! She exited her house after hugging her mom for what was probably an uncomfortable amount of time. She walked out of her house, let out a breath and then looked both ways. It didn't help her as the truck swiftly hit her.

The second time it happened, Sakura was determined to not get hit by the truck. So she walked out of her house, looked both ways, and then counted down from ten. At 5, the truck whizzed past. Sakura continued walking down the street, content in her victory. Until she fell down the sewer...

The third time, Sakura was convinced that she was the butt of some cosmic joke. She had managed to miss the truck. The sewer was closed this time around. She almost made it to school until she was shoved off balance by a classmate falling right in front of the same. Damn. Truck.

Sakura sat down in the meeting dungeon pouting.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Saki asked.

"No matter what I do, I keep freaking dying!"

"Uh... yeah," Saki intoned, "we're zombies."

1.7

Masterweaver

"Okay, I've got an idea."

Sakura turned to the blonde. "An idea? About what?"

Saki held up her hands. "Hear me out on this. You died by getting hit by a truck, right?"

"Yeah?"

"And then you got hit again, got all out of whack, but pulled off a great number at Arpino."

Sakura rubbed her arm. "Yes...?"

"And THEN you started coming back in time."

"...Where are you going with this, Saki-chan?"

Saki jerked a thumb at herself. "I died in a game of chicken--ran my motorcycle off the cliff. And when Maria got caught up in the rivalry with the Korosuke gang, I did the same thing... and managed to save her--my old boss's daughter--and bring the gang into our fans. Like I earned their respect, you know?"

"Alright..."

"So! What if this repeating thing was triggered by us repeating the way we died? And overcoming the whole reason we died, sort of?"

Sakura frowned. "I... guess that makes sense, but... shouldn't we all be time traveling then?"

Saki shook her head. "Big sis hasn't lost her head again, Shrimpy didn't have another heart attack, Disco's not been in a plane, Sparkles..." She trailed off for a moment. "Actually, Sparkles did get hit by lightning at Saga Rock. So... yeah, she should be time traveling. Weird."

"...Wait, what if..." Sakura clapped her hands together. "What if I started time traveling first because I was the last to overcome my death issue? And because you were the one before me, you came into it a bit after I did?"

"Huh... yeah, that does make sense."

"So Ai-chan should start time traveling any repeat now! I don't know about the other girls, but maybe if we help them deal with their death issue... hmm." Sakura rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "But that only gets them time traveling, though. It doesn't get us out of the time travel thing."

Saki shrugged. "Hey, better to know something than nothing!"

1.8

Sakura woke up again from the hardwood floor. Which of course meant another go round. Which gave her ample room to try something. The rustling on the floor told her this was her chance.

The rest of Franchouchou shambled up sand started to advance to the the only sentient thing in their sight. Sakura put her fingers to her mouth and whistled loudly, causing the zombies to shudder and put their hands to their ears. They were about to go after the source of their discomfort when they were stopped by Sakura's outstretched hand.

"Alright girls, eyes on me!"

The zombies were taken aback by this.

"You heard me! You guys aren't awake yet, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you guys do whatever you wan--" She turned her head. "Tae! Tae, get in line! That's our first rule: no lunging at people!"

The Legendary Tae Yamada paused and then obeyed the order.

"Alright, is everybody with us? Saki, are you with us?"

"Rrrggh..."

"Alright, I guess I'm alone this time around," Sakura noted. Maybe Saki had her own time traveling adventures without her, she hadn't thought to ask.

"So, here's the deal: we're all going to walk to the meeting room and meet Mr. Kotaro. If you all are quiet during the meeting, then it'll be feeding time!"

She whistled again, this one being softer, enough for the zombies to focus on her, and she led them down to the meeting dungeon.

1.9

"Hey, Saki?" Sakura asked during a break. The two of them were sitting alone in the dance room.

"What's up, egghead?"

"How are your solo time travel adventures?"

Saki raised an eyebrow. "Solo? You've been huggin' me everytime we start again! Wait, you've been time travelin' without me?"

"Yeah, I think it's happened 5 or so times since you started time traveling with me."

Saki stared at the ceiling. "Huh, wild. You doing alright without me?"

"Oh, yeah. I think I have a handle on dealing with everyone when they're unawake."

"Oh, bitchin'! Ya think you can teach me sometime?"

"You think you'll be around when Ai starts time traveling?"

"I dunno, I dunno if she's even gonna be time travelin'"

Just as Saki said that, Ai walked through the door.

"You guys ready to continue?" she asked.

The two girls nodded and stood up.

"I hope everyone joins us eventually…" Sakura thought to herself.

1.10

Masterweaver

Tae floated through the wall, moaning loudly as she rattled her chains. She was followed by Lily, a headless Yugiri, a fried-looking thing that had Ai's hair, and--

Sakura looked away, both thankful and disturbed she didn't have a stomach this repeat. "Poor Junko-chan..."

"Sakura!" Saki broke away from the group, rubbing her ethereal chest. "Oh wow, you look like shit."

Sakura looked at her and flinched. "I can see your teeth through your cheek..."

"Yeah, that's creepy and all--I can't see myself in the mirror."

"Saki... I think we're ghosts."

"Of course we're ghosts, egghead! What I want to know is why!"

"Eh?"

Saki threw a hand out. "We're usually zombies! Why are we ghosts this repeat? Why's that different? What the hell is going on?!"

"I... I don't know," Sakura admitted. "But, um... Kotaro might?"

"Ugh... fine, let's go bug Shades. Wonder if the pup is a ghost as well..."

1.11

Masterweaver

Ai had gone through many confusing situations in her life. From getting literally struck by lightning, to waking up as a zombie, being thrust into a chicken suit, having her limbs fall apart, discovering one of her new friends had an unfortunately distant relationship with her father, finding another friend in a depressed panic after losing her memories... basically ANYTHING to do with Tae, actually, that could be added to the list. And while she might not have handled all the situations with a calm demeanor--which she couldn't really be blamed for, given a cop had pointed a gun at her for being a walking corpse--she liked to think she had handled it with an intelligent one.

So, waking up without the usual blanket and pillow, and finding three of her bandmates shambling about groaning, that was an easy situation to consider. Without hesitation, she grabbed Junko and pushed her into a chair. "Saki! What happened to them, do you know?!"

"Eh?" Saki looked over from her own struggles with Yugiri. "Oh hey! You remember Arpino?"

Ai gave her a flat look. "Yes, of course I--" She blinked, staring past Saki at the rain outside the window. "...Wait. Have we gone back in time?"

"Well... yeah. Sakura and I aren't sure how it works--how'd you figure that out?"

"The rain. It was snowing last night... or it will be, after Arpino, but I remember it was raining when the poker--wait, you and Sakura?"

"We've been coming back in time for a while," Saki explained, finally putting Yugiri in a chair. "Speaking of, Tae should be smashing through that door right about--"

The door shattered as Tae lunged through, a wildly screaming Sakura clinging to her shoulders. "SAKI-CHAAAAAAAN! GET THE ROOOOOOPE!"

"Dang it!" Saki rushed for the window, tugging at the covers. "Ai, other side!"

"Right!" Ai grabbed Lily, sat her in Yugiri's lap, and went for the rope holding the fabric. "Hang on Sakura!"

"Ai-Chan?! Are you time traveling too?!"

"Apparently, but we can cover that later! Let's get Tae settled with some squid first!"

1.12

"So… What do you guys do with theses repeats?" Ai asked as soon as they were alone in the dressing room, awaiting the first performance.

"Let everything play out normally, usually." Saki explained. "I personally want to start messin' with people, but Egghead here says no."

"They may not remember but, they're still our friends!" Sakura stated. "Besides we don't let everything play out. We take care of Tae, we talk to Lily and make sure she's okay…"

"Help you with your fear of lightning…"

Ai quirked her eyebrow at that.

"But, there are some things we do like to have fun with…" Sakura started.

"And tonight's one of 'em!" Saki cheered. "Speaking of, Which track are ya thinking of tonight?"

Sakura tapped her chin in thought. "How about track 4?"

"Hold on!" Ai shouted. "You have different scenarios for this?"

"Pretty much," Saki shrugged.

"Well, mind letting me on this?"

"Oh it's nothing," Sakura assured.

"ALRIGHT LADIES!" Kotaro shouted, "YOU'RE UP!!"

"Okay, sir!"

On the stage, Ai was starting to get even more anxious.

"Are you guys crazy? We're even less prepared than when you guys did the Rap battle."

"Don't sweat it," Saki sighed.

"What about the others!? They're just shambling around!"


"They'll get in line"

"TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!"

"Ai," Sakura called, " Trust us."

Ai stumbled, sighed and nodded. Sakura turned to the restless crowd.

Sakura took a breath, and sang, "LOVE IS LIKE A BOMB…"

The theater was in silence and then a hard drum and guitar riff started playing. The unawake zombies stood in line and started head banging.

"What was that!?" Ai asked when they got home, finally processing what just happened.

"Eh, some american song I heard when I was alive," Saki said. "Wanted to pander to those metalheads"

"Believe it or not that's one of our cleaner options" Sakura chirped.

"So… this time traveling thing…"

"We don't know nothin'," Saki said.

"But at least we'll be going through this together," Sakura assured.

Ai considered that. "And everything will play out the exact same way?"

Sakura shook her head, "Not the exact same, but… I don't think there's any way to be prepared for the surprises."

1.13

Saga Rock was always a rush, no matter how many times Sakura did it. Although strangely the freak lightning bolt always seemed to hit Ai. It wasn't all that bad, the lighting gave them killer special effects, phrasing aside.

Something did catch her eye this time though. Maybe it was because she was riding the high of Saga Rock, but now, she caught Ai just looking at her lap, where everyone else in the van was either celebrating or sleeping. Ai was just staring… perhaps not at her lap, maybe past it.

They arrived home,and everyone filed out of the van and started their nightly rituals. As everybody washed their makeup off (a harder feat than usual, given the water proofer) and got changed into their night clothes, Sakura noticed that Ai did these rituals more by muscle memory (which apparently is still a thing zombies have), still staring straight ahead.

Sakura sat next to her, "Ai?"

Ai visibly jumped, although it would've taken a trained eye to see it.

"Are you okay?" Sakura continued.

"I-I'm fine… I'm just … processing…" Ai then sighed. "I'll be alright."

"If you're sure."

Everyone went to bed. Sakura had a hard time going to sleep because of Ai. In a twist of fate she was jostled awake just as she was falling asleep.

She saw Ai with her head lowered and her bangs were obscuring her eyes.

"Ai?"

"C-can we talk?"

"Um… sure?"

The two girls walked out to the back. Ai still had her head down.

"We were all struck by lightning," Ai said.

"Yeah."

"We survived it, because we're zombies," Ai said. " But still, you would think that I would be okay. That I would be over my fear."

"...But you're not?"

"That's what I'm trying to process… I should be over it… but…"

"It still reminds you of the first time."

Ai nodded. " It felt felt the same way… Except there was less burning."

"Sometimes, when I time travel, I start a repeat before I die…" Sakura began. "And it's sort of become a running thing… I try not to die, which doesn't seem that hard. But, somehow, someway, I always keep dying. Usually to the same. Damn. Truck."

"So… you've developed a rivalry with it?"

Sakura sighed. "I don't know. There are some things in these repeats that we can change. And some things we can't, not for lack of trying mind you."

Ai considered this. " I think… I think I'm going to to try some things out. Thanks, Sakura."

"Um… yeah… Good night."

1.14

Masterweaver

"Saki?"

"What up, Sparkles?"

Ai took a slow breath. "Why, exactly, are you trying to convince Kotaro to get us a showing in Tokyo?"

"Oh that?" Saki glanced around for a moment. "It's a time travel thing."

"Just for fun or...?"

"Okay, so the way I see it: Sakura died when she ran out to turn in her idol audition and got hit by a truck. Arpino happened--she got hit by a truck and almost couldn't do the show, but she did anyway. I died trying to prove myself awesome with a motorcycle stunt, then I did the same thing to prove Reiko awesome and I survived and did it. You got struck by lightning when your career was about to take off, and then at Saga Rock which sort of launched us into the big leagues. And now we're all time traveling."

"Ah. So you want Junko to confront her issues with her death, and the quickest way to get her on a plane is to get a show on another island."

"Yep. I figure this will definitely prove--"

"Nothing."

"What?"

Ai crossed her arms. "Science isn't about proving something does happen, it's about figuring out why something happens. You've got a theory, great. But you have to consider what happens if you're wrong."

"...What do you mean?"

"I mean--what if Junko starts time traveling without ever having stepped foot on a plane again?"

Saki opened her mouth, paused, and shut it. "Huh. That's a good point."

"Look. I get that you and Sakura tend to be lonely after spending repeats without me. I understand wanting others in on this, I... I do too. But I don't think we can force it." Ai shrugged. "If it happens, it happens."

"Alright, alright, I'll lay off on the plane." Saki tossed up her hands. "Just a suggestion, really."

1.15

Skaz Wolfman

–Shocking Behavior–

More than ten times, now, Ai Mizuno had joined her friend Sakura in these weird time repeats. Sometimes, like the first time, Saki also remembered the time repeats, but sometimes she didn't. Sakura and Saki told her that they'd had a few repeats "without" her as well. According to Saki, she had not yet experienced a repeat where Sakura didn't remember. Odd.

As she had learned from Sakura and Saki, the trick to not getting bored by these repeats was to make changes. Like writing and performing different songs, developing different choreographies, or trying different things with Franchouchou's public image. For example, last repeat Saki had decided to show up to every event dressed as a cowgirl, and when they weren't singing she exclusively spoke in a weird American accent. Sakura and Saki had started doing things differently just to stave off boredom, so their choices had been informed by what they thought would be fun and amusing. Ai, on the other hand, after getting over the initial shock of mental time travel A) being a thing that could even happen and B) happening to her and two of her friends, realized that this was a wonderful opportunity to satisfy her inner perfectionist and make Franchouchou literally the best idol group it could possibly be. If Junko, Yuugiri, Lily, and Tae would start remembering along with them, it would be even better.

Whatever they changed, however, there were certain things that were unavoidable. Beyond their control. Like getting struck by lightning at Saga Rock. Dying to a lightning bolt had, understandably, given Ai a pretty strong case of astraphobia. Getting struck by lightning again, and not only surviving it but finding out that lightning had a pretty cool effect on zombie physiology, had not been enough to completely defuse that fear. Understandable enough; glowing and getting an autotune voice was cool and all, but not cool enough to counterbalance the trauma of death by electrocution.

Living through the experience repeatedly, however? That, eventually, got Ai rather intensely curious about what else she was capable of doing with electricity…

…

Kotaro threw open the door to the girls' collective sleeping room. "WHICH ONE OF YOU STUPID CORPSES MADE THE LIGHTS GO OUT?!" he demanded.

Everyone (but Tae, who was chasing Romero around the room) pointed at Ai, who was glowing bright blue.

"What the hell did you do, you brain-dead dumbass?!" Kotaro screamed at her.

"Stuck a paperclip in an outlet," Ai replied in heavy autotune, staring at her hands. Experimentally, she rubbed her fingers together, throwing sparks into the air.

"WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT YOU STUPID FU–"

Kotaro abruptly shut his mouth and gulped. Quite suddenly, Ai was standing inches away from him, with a finger raised towards his face. He could feel his bangs trying to stand up, and she wasn't even close to touching him.

"No, please, by all means Tatsumi-san, feel free to finish that thought. I'm dying to hear it," said Ai.

"Um…never mind," said Kotaro, clearing his throat and adjusting his tie as he backed away from Ai. "I'll just, hmm, go see to the circuit breakers. Uh…as you were, gi–ladies. Good night." Then he ran out of the room and slammed the door.

Ai turned back to the others. "Anybody got an gaming device? I wanna see if I can power one by holding it."

Saki pulled a GameBoy out of her pocket and looked down at it, then shrugged and said, "Screw it, FOR SCIENCE!" before chucking it to her.

To everyone else's shock and Saki's dismay, the device promptly exploded in Ai's hand.

"…whoops," Ai said sheepishly.

…

Over the next few days, Ai's experiments destroyed a TV, a laptop, two stereos, four phones, and no less than ten microphones.

"I think your problem is that you're in a hurry to fly when you don't even know how to crawl, yet," Junko said sagely. "Maybe try to figure out something that doesn't involve circuitry?"

"Such as?" Ai asked dejectedly, glaring daggers at the blasted fragments of her latest experiment.

"Fuckin' magnets, how do they work?" Saki sang in English as she scooted into the room, with Sakura beatboxing and scooting along behind her. Both of them had their faces painted up in black and white.

Junko wrinkled her nose. "You shouldn't say vulgar things like that, Nikaido-san; not even in a foreign language. It's unbecoming. Plus there's a child in the room!"

Saki stopped and stared at her. "Dude, Lily's like six years old, you really think she understands English?"

Lily looked up from the manga she was reading and narrowed her eyes at Saki. "I'm twelve," she muttered. "Bitch," she added in English.

"Hoshikawa-chan!" Junko gasped, scandalized.

Meanwhile, Ai's eyes widened and she suddenly stood up. "Saki, you're a genius!" she exclaimed as she ran out of the room.

…

Later that night, Ai trudged through the house with a 'so done with this' look on her face, most of her body covered with random metal objects clinging to her still faintly-glowing skin. No one dared say a word to her as she flopped down on her futon.

…

Over the course of the next six weeks, Ai's attempts to manipulate magnets simply resulted in accidentally shooting them at her friends. One day, in a very much unappreciated twist of irony, she managed to put that damned poker through her own head. The one thing she managed to do "right" was tase Kotaro after he gave her a vicious verbal reaming for causing a blackout at an event, especially after he had expressly forbidden her from attempting anymore of her "special effects". And that "success" just made Ai feel even guiltier than causing the blackout.

As a result, she gave up on her electrical experiments, and her performances started to suffer. After a couple days, no one even wanted to try approaching her, because Ai proved much more cantankerous and aggressive in her funk than a depressed Sakura. And no one felt more frustrated by her despondence than Sakura herself.

"You know, it's weird," Sakura said to Yugiri one day. "Twice, when I was at my absolute lowest, Ai inspired me not to give up on myself. The first time, she didn't even know me. And now she's in a funk and I'm not sure how to help her. I tried reminding her of what she told me; about how failures and mistakes aren't so bad if you learn from them, but I must have said it wrong because she just glared at me so evilly I probably would have dropped dead if…y'know…"

"It's only to be expected," Yugiri replied, idly plucking on her shamisen. "If it's true what you said, that Ai lost her life to a bolt of lightning, her sudden obsession with electricity could be her way of trying to master that which once laid her low. In this way, her drive is akin to that of a samurai training for a rematch with one who had bested him in a duel."

"Hmm…AHA!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed, leaping up to her feet. "I know how I can help her! Thanks, Yugiri-oneesan!" said Zombie #1 as she peeled out of the room.

"Glad to be of help," Yugiri said aloud to the room in which she was now alone.

…

Sakura found Ai sitting in the backyard, chin on her knees and staring moodily at some heavy-looking gray clouds off in the distance.

Sakura ran over to where Ai was sitting, sat down in front of her, and slammed down a stack of textbooks in the grass between them.

Ai flinched back. "Sakura? What do you want?" she asked wearily.

"I know what your problem is, Ai," said Sakura with a mile-wide smile. "You need to study this problem. Study like it's an exam that'll determine your whole future! Study like I did for the high school entrance exams! And you need a study coach, and no one is a harder studier than I!"

Ai cocked an eyebrow. "You think you can help me?"

"Doesn't matter if I think I can; I'm going to," Sakura said fiercely. "Look, when I felt like my life was going nowhere, you gave me a goal to aim for. And when I gave up on myself, you didn't. Time I repaid my debt to you, Ai Mizuno, so I'm going to help you train for your rematch with electricity!"

"…my what?" Ai asked blankly.

Sakura ignored the question and cracked open the first book. "First things first, we're going to study the principles of electricity, from the cosmic level to the subatomic. Then we're going to study how the human body interacts with electricity, and then do some experimenting to figure out how different our zombie bodies are, and then work on applying all of the above–"

"Sakura!" Ai said emphatically, "We don't have time for all that. What you're suggesting will take years. You and me and Saki might be able to sleepwalk through our performances, but we still need to help the others prepare."

Sakura blinked at Ai. "Ai…I've been living through these weird time repeats for almost a decade, already. I'm pretty sure we've got nothing but time. I understand why you're so impatient about this, you've got a strong emotional investment in this project. But you need to take the long view about these things. In the time she's been repeating time with me, Saki has memorized all the stats for every Pokémon there is. With my help, you can do this. You wanna waste another day waffling between slamming your head against a wall and moping in frustration, or do you wanna get started down the path to mastery?"

Ai still looked skeptical, but a corner of her mouth twitched up. "Yeah. Okay, let's go for it."

…

Several Loops later:

"Um…are you sure about this, Tatsumi-san?" Ai asked apprehensively. She was once again 'in full-Sparkles mode', as Saki amusedly put it, but this time on Kotaro's orders.

"Look, this is no time for you to be a deadbeat with performance anxiety!" Kotaro growled, his head poked out through the driver's side window, "If we can't get this van started, we're going to be late for the event! NOW PUT YOUR FREAKY ELECTRICITY FETISH TO GOOD USE, YOU DECREPIT ROTTING–"

"Hey, Shades, why don't you just bring the van back to life?" Saki asked, "Y'know, like you did with us?"

Kotaro's mouth snapped shut and he glared at Saki. Or, at least, it could be assumed that he was glaring at her from behind his omnipresent sunglasses.

Ai sighed and rubbed her hands together. "Here goes nothing," she said as she reached under the van's hood and grabbed the battery posts, while Kotaro tried to turn over the ignition.

Ai's electric-blue aura dimmed as the van roared to life. Ai's eyes widened like saucers and she jumped back from the van. "Whoa……I actually did it! And I didn't blow anything up!" Ai exclaimed, clapping excitedly.

"Never doubted you for a minute," said Sakura, slapping her friend on the back.

And then jumping back when she got shocked by Ai's leftover static build-up. "Sorry, Sakura!" Ai gasped, while Saki and Lily laughed and Kotaro screamed for everyone to get in the van so they could get going.

"Don't sweat it, Ai; you saved the day, after all," said Sakura as everyone piled in.

"Hell yeah! All hail the queen of the zappy zap!" exclaimed Saki.

"Queen of the zappy zap, eh?" Ai echoed with a smile. "Nah…this is just the beginning, Saki. And I'm not stopping until I can make the lightning in the sky dance along with us."

1.16

Masterweaver

Junko stretched as she woke up, quietly running a finger through her hair. "Mmm? Oh, it's raining."

"Graaaaa," said Lily helpfully.

"Lily-chan, I would very much appreciate it if you did not try to mimic Tae-chan's behavior."

"Rrrr?" Saki turned her dull eyes toward her.

"...Saki-san, this is not amusing," Junko said, standing up. "Girls, if you... would..."

Four red pairs of eyes tracked her every movement, their owners shambling forward.

"...Girls?" Junko backed away slowly, eyes darting toward the fireplace. "Girls, this is really not funny at all..."

At that moment the door smashed open. Junko covered her head with a squeak, peering through her fingers as a familiar black-garbed zombie looked around the room quickly.

"Oh Tae-chan..." Sakura walked through the shattered door, shaking her head. "Every time..." She brought her fingers to her lips and whistled sharply, drawing the attention of the undead in the room. "Okay girls! Are you ready for some squid?"

A series of groans greeted her. Junko blinked in confusion.

"...Junko-chan?" Sakura gave her a worried look.

"...Sakura-san... what is going on?"

Sakura's eyes went wide. "Eh?! But--Saki said---and she and Ai--wait, do you remember Arpino?"

"Yes, I--"

"So you are time traveling, but..." Sakura clutched her head. "This doesn't make any sense!"

"Graaa," Tae reminded her, shoving the grumbling Saki forward.

"Right, right, squid. Well, um, Junko, I don't know everything, but I'll tell you what I do know while we get everyone fed and calmed down. Okay?"

"...I suppose?"

"Great! You take up the rear, and I'll lead everyone to the kitchen. Girls!" Sakura flailed her arms, getting the zombies' attention. "Come on, come follow Sakura-chan, she's going to get you some nice dried squid!"

Junko stared as the group started to follow Sakura's cheerful encouragements out the door and down the hall.

Tae paused in the doorway, looking at her curiously. "Jrrrkaaa?"

"Hmm--? Oh, yes, I'm coming." Junko followed after the zombie, giving her a wary look. "Don't... worry about me!"

Tae grunted, following her into the hall.

Chapter Text

2.1

The Rap Stars of Saga

"Yo, What up! Ya'll know me as Number 1, but let me introduce you to DJ Dead Beatz!" Sakura announced through the old folks home, "And here's my partner in rhyme, MC Ride-and-Die!"

"Sup, Geezers!" Saki cheered, "I know ya were expecting some Idol action, but Egg Beatz and me thought to mix things up!"

"That's 'Dead Beatz'" Sakura corrected.

"Say that again? You steppin up to me? Ya wanna die?"

"Maybe I do, What about it?"

Off stage, Ai held her face in her hands.

"What are they doing?" Lily asked, watching the insanity unfold.

"I ask myself that everyday..." Ai answered.

"But... We just met yesterday..."

2.2 Skaz Wolfman,

–Saki Knievel–

“WAZZAP!” Saki screamed into her microphone as loud as she could. “How y’all doing, fair folks of Saga Prefecture? It’s ya girl, Number Two, the Big Bad Boss of your hometown idols, FRANCHOUCHOU!!!”

Despite the fact that Franchouchou hadn’t really hit their stride yet this Loop, the sheer energy and force of personality behind Saki’s intro was enough to elicit wild applause from the gather crowd.

“YEAH!” Saki roared back to the exultation. “Now, let’s all talk some real shit for a minute.”

(In the line behind Saki, Junko summoned every ounce of her idol decorum to refrain from facepalming. Next to her, Ai showed no such restraint. Sakura made no comment.)

“See, most idol groups set a lot of stock in putting on a certain image. Y’know, proper behavior and all that crap.”

(Junko and Ai gave despaired groans in stereo. Lily snickered, but Sakura made no comment.)

“But despite our fancy name, Franchouchou are idols of THE PEOPLE! As a former captain in a gang of lady bikers, I’m one of the last people to be put up on a pedestal of propriety like your typical idol,” Saki continued, stepping up to the edge of the stage and pacing it. “But like I said, Franchouchou ain’t no typical gaggle of show-geese.”

(“Show-geese?! What is that supposed to mean?” Junko hissed under her breath towards Ai, who shrugged back. Lily buried her face in Yugiri’s side, shaking with laughter, while Sakura made no comment.)

“We’re a cut above the rest; the best of the best!” Saki suddenly roared into her mic, stopped and throwing pointer finger out towards the crowd. “Not because we think we’re better than anyone, but because we know that we aren’t! We’re just like the rest of you, and our job is to lift your spirits and shine some light on your day!”

(“…alright, maybe she’s onto something,” muttered Ai, while Junko’s brow only furrowed deeper. Sakura didn’t appear to have an opinion on the subject.)

“And to show you that I’m not just talking out of my fine behind here, I’m going to do something no sane idol would ever have the stones to try!”

(“…nevermind,” Ai sighed, while Junko shook her head disapprovingly. Sakura continued to stand perfectly still, not saying anything.)

Then Saki threw down a smokebomb, and at almost the same time there was a thunderous roar of an engine way over on the other side of the crowd. Everyone turned around to behold Saki sitting on a motorcycle, on top of a raised platform that dipped down into a ramp. She was wearing a rhinestone-encrusted longcoat, with a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of aviator shades. Then there were more roaring engines as a baker’s dozen buses rolled up onto the field in front of the ramp. On the other side of the buses was the river.

Meanwhile up on stage, which was still most obscured by smoke, ‘Saki’ popped up through a second trapdoor; she grabbed the mannequin of Sakura and dropped it through the trapdoor. Then Sakura took off her blonde wig and dropped that through the trapdoor, took out Saki’s contacts and replaced them with her own, and pulled off Saki’s tee-shirt, revealing her normal one underneath, and she dropped that in the trapdoor as well. “So, how’d I do, girls?” Sakura asked the others.

“You certainly conveyed her attitude,” said Ai, sounding torn between feeling embarrassed and wanting to compliment Sakura on her performance.

“And your vocal impression was spot on, Sakura-chan,” Yugiri complimented, while Lily gave her two thumbs up and a huge grin.

“Yeah, right? Thanks for helping me with that, by the way, Junko,” said Sakura, beaming.

“Never have I been more ashamed of myself for helping someone,” Junko groaned, “But you’re welcome all the same, Minamoto-san.”

Meanwhile, the real Saki raised her mic and said, “That’s right! I, Number Two and paradoxically the Big Bad Boss of Franchouchou, shall amaze you as I jump over thirteen buses and into the history books as Japan’s first ever Daredevil Idol! Witness your sister’s rise to greatness, wonderful people of Saga!” Then, in English, she screamed “ MUSIC, COME ON! ”

On stage, the girls could hear Kotaro grumbling indistinctly backstage. Then heavy, energetic rock’n’roll started blasting out of the radios of the thirteen still-idling buses.

Saki kickstarted her bike and gunned the throttle, roaring down the ramp. Fire started gushing from the tailpipes as she began the jump, and as she soared over each bus, sparklers erupted from them right behind her, each bus having a different color. As the bike sailed past the last bus, a second burst of fire thrust the bike further. Saki jumped off of it, throwing off her coat to reveal the wingsuit she had been wearing underneath. She threw her arms forward and tilted to her right, gliding over towards the stage as her bike splashed into the river.

As Saki made it to the stage, she brought her arms back to her sides and dropped down to the stage, using her momentum to power an electric slide towards the center. “Lovely people of Saga, let me ask you,” Saki yelled into her microphone, in the face of thunderous applause, “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!”

The applause redoubled as the crowd started roaring praise at the stage, while Saki swept the hat off her head and bowed deeply. Then she flung the hat out into the crowd…and then Tae ran after it and leaped off the stage. Sakura ran after, yelling, “No, Zero, come back!” Then, whether she meant to help or was just caught up in the moment, Yugiri decided to jump after Sakura and Tae.

Lily and, in spite of herself, Ai both collapsed in laughter at the impromptu crowd-surfing, Saki sidled up to Junko and gently elbowed her. “So, you still sure it’s better to be adored from a distance as a perfect little princess, when you could make people lose their shit like this?” she asked as she put in a backup pair of contacts and put her shades away.

“The world has room for proper idols as well as rodeo clowns,” Junko replied coolly.

“Aww, c’mon Junko. Idols are supposed to inspire people, right? What’s that look like, if not a mob of inspired people?” asked Saki, throwing an arm around Junko’s shoulders.

“Hmm…I’ll admit, your approach has merits,” Junko conceded, “It’s just…not my style.”

“I’ll buy that argument, if you at least try crowd-surfing with us,” said Saki, gesturing towards the crowd as Lily, apparently deciding she was missing out, took a running leap off the stage as well.

Junko actually snickered as she shrugged out from under Saki’s arm, and then gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Not in a thousand years, Nikaido-san.”

“Suit yourself, I’ll ask you in a thousand years then,” said Saki with a wink as she dashed towards the edge and swan-dived at her new swarm of fans, leaving a slightly confused Junko behind.

2.3   Masterweaver

"...Ai-san?"

Ai glanced up from her textbook. "Yes, Junko-chan?"

"...About... the time traveling." Junko wrung her hands warily. "We're not always in the same repeat, but... has there ever been a repeat without Sakura?"

Ai considered. "...none I can remember. That's strange... maybe she stumbled into some time anomaly at Arpino, and the rest of us followed after particular repeats where we did as well."

"Maybe... but, um... that's not my point." Junko swallowed. "Do you ever think... do you ever think Sakura gets lonely?"

Ai took a breath, shutting her book. "In repeats where she's the only one that remembers? Knowing how everyone thinks, how they react? Watching the same show, over and over, with only her own power to change it? Yes, she would grow distant, grow unable to see others as people... she would feel as if she were the only person in the world, yes."

"That... isn't exactly what I meant. Do you think she misses us? If we're not in the repeat?"

Ai nodded. "Yes. I think she misses Lily and Yugiri, and Tae... even Kotaro, I'd guess. I know that when you're not in the repeat I... wonder when you'll come back."

Junko let out a breath. "My first repeat... it was me and Sakura. She told me you two were also repeating, and... I asked if I should sneak out of the mansion with you."

"What did she say?"

"She... well, she actually had to stop and think. She said, on the one hand, that if I didn't have the issues that made me run out, I didn't need to go through it again. But... on the other hand, that was when you and I bonded. The thing with the police... and what happened afterward."

"...The same thing happened when I asked."

"...Ai-san... when I'm not repeating, do you--?"

"I go with you, every time."

"...I go, too. And Sakura--"

"Sakura is always there."

The two of them were quiet, examining their own hands minutely.

"...We..." Junko looked up. "Ai-san... We need to be there for Sakura, don't we? Whenever we repeat."

Ai locked eyes with her. "Yes. I came to that conclusion too." She smiled wryly. "There's only so much Saki can do."

"Heh... yes, Saki-san is a bit..." Junko considered carefully. "Well, she means well, I suppose."

2.4

“You know, at some point I should figure that something like this would happen..." Sakura said.

Ai sighed.

"You should have figured?" Junko repeated.

"Yeah there are repeats that are different for some reason," Sakura clarified, "but this only raises more questions."

Ai glared at Sakura.

"How are you able to talk normally?"

"Mmph mmph mmph mmph," Ai mumbled from underneath her bandages.

"I suppose I'm lead singer now," Junko said.

2.5

"So... not that I mind..." Sakura started, "but how and why?"

"Gonna need a bit more there, Egghead," Saki answered.

"We're alive in this repeat!"

"Beats the hell out of me, Kinda cool though."

"I must admit it was interesting growing up in the future, so to speak," Junko said.

"What I object to is that our band still has a Zombie gimmick!" Ai groused.

"Oh, right, that's why Tae hasn't changed much..." Sakura reasoned. "She's a method actor."

"And Sis is sort of our front manager while Shades handles the back end stuff. That took some getting used to."

"I feel bad for Lily though, She liked being a zombie..."

"I wouldn't sweat it," Saki said as she stretched out on the couch, "She has 6 big sisters willing to help her out with whatever issues she'll face."

2.6

The Repeat was going off without much happening. Sakura and Saki (to a lesser extent) were taking a break from shenanigans. Today, Sakura was helping Tae with some dance steps. It was taking a bit, but Sakura was managing to make progress. The others were there, checking on their progress as well.  The only person who wasn’t was suspiciously their self proclaimed “team leader”.

Said team leader unceremoniously kicked through the door, shouting, “Alpacas!”

Before anyone could ask, Tae let out a long sigh.

“ Finally!” she groaned. “Damn, you girls are hardcore!”

Tae started stretching her arms. “I mean, I get that the Zombie part is real, but you guys even let me go on stage in full char--” Her arm the popped off, as it was wont to do. “Oops. Ah well.”  She re-attached her arm. “Hey, you guys mind if I take a break? I don’t know how, but my whole body is stiff, man! I really shouldn't be feeling this old! ”

“Um… yeah, let’s take 15…” Ai suggested.

“Great! Hey, Junko, sorry about picking on ya. Thanks for being a sport.”

Junko just nodded in shock as Tae left the room.

A moment of silence permeated the room until finally, Saki broke the silence.

“What the fuck was that!?”

2.7  Masterweaver

"...I will admit, when you suggested we work on something together I had assumed it would be more brazen."

Saki chuckled, working her spatula around the rice. “Yeah, when you think Biker Captain, cooking skills don’t come to mind. Course, I don’t really care for any normal.”

Junko managed a small smile. “So... being a time traveling zombie idol must be a dream come true for you.”

“Hey, look at that! You do have some sass!”

“Just a touch.” Junko flipped over one of the chicken breasts she was monitoring. “How did you become interested in cooking, Saki-san?”

Saki sighed. “...Yeah, so you know how things can be different in some repeats?”

“Yes. Was this a changed repeat?”

“...I don’t know.” The blonde continued stirring her rice. “Like... I’m always a biker captain, but what that means—what I actually did... that can change. Sometimes I got into cooking because of my love of Drive-in Tori. Sometimes it’s a holdover from my prebiker days. Sometimes Reiko teaches me, or I teach her...” She trailed off for a moment, before clearing her throat. “And sometimes I just don’t do cooking at all.”

Junko nodded slowly. “I have noticed discrepancies in my own past as well. Hard points that rarely change, with flexibility between them...”

Their conversation was interrupted by a set of beeping. Saki quickly put on her mitts and rushed over to the oven, opening it and peering inside. “Damn it, the cookies aren’t done yet! Temperature must be off a little.”

“So... why have you kept cooking and baking?”

“Eh? Oh, well... it’s something to do, obviously.”

Junko leveled a flat look at her. “Our next performance is the one Lily-chan’s father attends.”

Saki shut the oven with a shrug. “Alright, you caught me. It’s not just Lily, though. Sakura is a big fan of sweets. Actually everyone has a favorite food... and I mean, as kickass as I am, there are times kickass isn’t what the crew needs.”

Junko nodded, turning back to the chicken. “I used to help build the sets for my performances... in some repeats. Being skilled with carpentry is a pretty consistent trait for me.”

“Yeah, people aren’t just one thing.” Saki let her eyes rove over Junko’s body with a smirk. “In fact, you seem to be a lot of things, all stitched together.”

She laughed at Junko’s glare. “Sorry, sorry, it was just too obvious!”

“Are your cookies burning?”

“Huh? Oh shit!”

2.8 Masterweaver

"...Sakura-han?"

"Yes Yugiri-chan?"

"...Why are you balancing your head on a large tube of cardboard?"

"I like to feel tall."

2.9

Sakura burst into the dance studio wearing a blue leotard  and a cape, with Tae following after her wearing a facemask.

"Ladies," she announced, "let me introduce you to a new band. I am Zombie Sexbang, this is Ninja Tae and we are Zombie Dance Party!"

"No," Ai said. "You are not doing that"

"But it's a huge hit with the americans!"

"We're barely getting things started in Saga! No!"

"But I've been spending 3 weeks teaching Tae how to play a keyboard!"

Tae shambled over to a piano as if taking the cue.

"Go, Ninja Tae!" Sakura shouted.

Tae then played a very rudimentary reggae tune. Ai glared at Sakura.

"It... sounds better with effects," Sakura defended.

"Take off the costume, get in your dancing gear, and take this seriously."

"Yes ma'am.”

2.10 Masterweaver

Saki whistled low. "Who would have thunk Yugiri could be such a talented goalkeeper?"

"I'm more surprised Tae-chan hasn't been dismissed from the game," Sakura managed.

Ai shrugged. "Most of her fouls are awarding the enemy team penalty kicks. If the ref isn't going to call misconduct, that's his own business."

"...Is nobody going to ask why we're a soccer team this repeat?" Junko pleaded. "I mean... we're still zombies, but Lily-chan is a child! Why is a child on an official football team?"

"She's registered as a nineteen-year-old midget," Ai replied. "Which, technically speaking, is true."

"And it's soccer," Saki added. "Not football."

"But--I mean, I was still an idol this repeat. Our pasts didn't change! Why is Tatsumi-san making us into a sports team?!"

Sakura shrugged helplessly. "It's popular this time? Oh, break's over, we need to get back on the field!"

2.11

“H-hello? This is Number One of Franchouchou.” Sakura said into a camera she was pointing at herself. “I-I don’t know how or why, but we’re stranded on this mountain top.”

“She’s lying!” Saki yelled from behind her. “We’re here because our dumbass manager wanted us to do some weird training!”

“Number Two!” Sakura whined. “You’re ruining it!”

“No one wants to do your damn horror movie, Egghead!”

The camera’s feed cut and then came back on, focused on Lily who was building a fire.

“Of course, there’s our youngest member. Poor thing must be scared out of her mind.”

Lily looked at the camera with her eyes half lidded in an unamused fashion. “So…. are you going to actually help us? Or are you going to keep doing this dumb horror thing?”

The camera stayed still on her before the feed cut.

The feed came back as Sakura continued to point the camera at herself. “So I was going to show you guys how Number 3 was doing, but…”

The feed quickly switched to Ai glaring hard at the camera.

The feed went back to Sakura. “.. So, I’m going to check on Number 4!”

The camera then switched to Junko fishing., “Our sweet, Number 4, forced to fish for our survival!”

“I actually like fishing,” Junko corrected. “ Although I would prefer you didn’t talk so loudly. You’ll scare the fish.”

The feed cut to Sakura sitting next to Tae. “Seeing as Number 5 would probably slap me… it’s just you and me, Zero, two idols against the unforgiving supernatural--- TAE, NO, THE CAMERA’S NOT FOOD!”

2.12

Sakura was prone to doing some rather silly stuff through the repeats. Most ideas were shot down by Ai, whether she remembered or not. This time, Sakura entered the dance room wearing a gothic dress under a black cloak, carrying a hat box while she herself was headless.

“Sakura, what are you doing?” Ai asked.

“Okay, So hear me out,” the hat box began. “ What if we went full horror for a show?”

“Can you even see out of there?”

Sakura turned the hatbox around so that her head was looking out of it. Her trademark bow was now black with white polka dots on it.

“Yeah, I don’t think that you can pull off ‘Scary’, Egghead,” Saki snarked.

“It does seem more adorable than horrifying,” Yugiri added.

“Actually,” Ai mused, “she may be on to something.”

“Yeah!” Lily exclaimed. “It’s like halloween!”

“Halloween?” Junko asked.

“I’ll explain later,” Ai said. “But If we’re doing this, is the poker still by the fireplace?”

“Um… yes?” Sakura said. “Why?”

“Please,” Ai replied, “there’s no way I’m doing this half-way, I’m a professional.”

2.13 Masterweaver

Sakura quirked a brow as she followed Tae into the room. "Okay, knocking down the door is slightly better than shattering it. Good work, Tae-chan!"

"Grraaaa."

She brought her fingers to her lips and whistled. "Alright! Anybody who remembers Arpino, tell me now!"

"I'm here," Saki confirmed. "Don't think anybody else is here this repeat."

"Oh, I am sorry, I assumed this was some new tradition."

The two of them spun their gaze to Yugiri, who was suddenly standing up straight and adjusting her kimino.

"Am I to understand that this is the night prior to our original awakening?"

"...yes," Sakura managed. "...You're taking this really well, Yugiri-neesan."

"Is there any reason I should not?"

"I mean... time traveling, and..."

Sakura trailed off at Yugiri's slowly rising eyebrow.

"...she's got a point," Saki admitted. "Being raised from the dead after a hundred and fifty years is kind of hard to top."

"I am sure you two shall inform me of the pertinent details after we attend to our companions." Yugiri fondly petted the blue hair of the zombie trying to gnaw her leg off. "Speaking of which, what exactly is the usual method?"

"Round them up and get them all downstairs for some squid, and everybody who isn't Sakura pretends to not be Awake until after the Metal concert," Saki replied.

"Are we... are we not going to be shocked by this?" Sakura asked. "At all? I mean I'm happy, sure, but this isn't just random?"

Saki shrugged. "Hey, if she's rolling with it, I'm rolling with it. Besides, this way Lily doesn't have to wait for her if she ever repeats."

2.13

"Today's the day, Ai!" Sakura declared. "Today I will have my victory over That truck!"

"Don't you think you're taking this rivalry too far?" Ai asked.

"Look, just because you've made friends with what killed you doesn't mean I can't have my own rivalries."

"I never declared lightning my enemy."

"Trucks may have taken my life! BUT THEY WILL NEVER TAKE MY FREEDOM!"

Sakura ran out the door, into the patio and out of the arch where that. Damn. Truck. Promptly hit her head on. She sailed through the air and landed on her back as per tradition.

Ai walked out the door after Romero scared the truck driver away and leaned against the wall across from where Sakura was laying.

“You know,” Ai began, “I would say something about the definition of insanity, but I hear that’s a misquote.”

“Next time,” Sakura said while she started to get up, “next time I’ll have my revenge.”

“Right,” Ai agreed sarcastically, “you show those metal machines what for…”

“I don’t appreciate your sass, Mizuno,” Sakura admonished.

“I do have one question though,” Ai stated as they walked back to the manor. “I’m not sure if I’ve remembered when you have, but… Do you ever forget? You know like the first time?”

Sakura looked at the floor. “No, actually. In fact my memory has been pretty good since I started repeating. I just sort of remember everything without really trying.”

“Do you… pretend? You know, when you’re alone?”

“I… thought about it... “ Sakura answered. “But, It just seemed mean. You guys are my friends whether you’re repeating or not, and I know… I wasn’t the most agreeable person.”

Ai nodded.

“Although…. It’s funny, going through these repeats, doing really crazy stuff and trying literally everything? It’s sort of helped. I mean, I still have my episodes… but now there are things I do JUST so I can do them! It’s actually kind of fun.”

“I do wonder why you and Saki do the things you do,” Ai groused.

“Well, Saki would probably fake amnesia to mess with us. I mean, she’s faked not repeating a couple of times to mess with me. But like I said, I think I’m seeing more merit in trying.”

“That’s great, Sakura. Is there anything that you’re going to try next?”

Sakura shrugged, “Arpino’s coming up and the repeat’s ending soon after that, so… Not much. There is something for next repeat I wanna try, but it requires bringing something back with me… so..you know.”

“Right, okay. I guess I’ll see you at rehearsal.”

2.14 Masterweaver

"...So... Yugiri..."

The older woman turned toward Ai, noting how she was looking around carefully. "Is there something amiss, Ai-han?"

"Well..." Ai sighed. "The thing is... I have a question that... I mean, I know for you it was a job. But you'd still know more about... stuff."

"Ah." Yugiri nodded sagely. "You are referring to physical intimacy."

"Well, yes and no... it's more..." Ai groaned. "Okay, you know how the repeats sometimes have things... change around? How our past is usually within a certain framework, but details can change?"

"I do know, yes."

"I... think, and I'm not sure on this, but I think it happens in the present too." Ai ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not sure, though. It's just... the thing I've noticed..."

Yugiri waited patiently for the girl to collect herself.

"...I'm used to people looking at me, being an Idol and all. And I know sometimes they look at me... differently. If it were our fans, I'd be okay with it, I wouldn't reciprocate obviously but it just happens. But... some repeats, it's Junko. And sometimes it's Saki. And--I don't know, I remember back before all this, when Sakura got hit by that truck and she woke up, there was a moment..." Ai shook her head. "The point is, when people aren't repeating, sometimes they seem to crush on me. But only sometimes. And... I don't know what to do with that information. I don't..."

Ah. "You are referring to love, then."

"...I mean, is a crush love?"

"Love," Yugiri said slowly, "comes in many forms. The love of family, of friends, and yes, of those whom one chooses. It is a choice, no matter the form. A construct of the mind, slowly seeping into the soul. Potent. Dangerous, in some ways. To rely on love alone as guidance... it can blind one to the flaws of others. Make one willing to commit the greatest of crimes. As motivation, love is truly the grandest of things. As method... it must be tempered by other things."

"...that is very deep, and doesn't help me at all."

"Mmm." Yugiri smiled faintly. "Did you expect advice for something so intimately tied to yourself?"

"Well... yes," Ai admitted. "Like I said, I don't know how to handle my friends sometimes crushing on me. I mean it would be weird enough if it was constant, but it comes and it goes and--"

"Do not focus on how they love you. Focus, instead, on how you love them."

Ai blinked. "...but I don't want to hurt them. I mean, I can critique their technique, but that's different from... this. This isn't what they're doing, it's how they're feeling."

"So you choose to refine their actions, but leave their emotions untouched." Yugiri took a brief puff from her kiseru. "You seek to improve them, without changing who they truly are. The love of a mentor for their students."

"Well... that... is one way to put it," Ai allowed. "So... I should turn them down because I don't love them in that way?"

"If that is true, then yes. It is possible, though, for you to love them in more ways than one."

"Yugiri, this isn't like... one person. This is the same person, in different repeats. And what do I do when they remember? Do I tell them about how their... not-remembering... if I..." Ai clutched her head. "Gaaaaaaaaaah!"

Yugiri smiled quietly to herself, deciding to take pity on the girl. "In my former profession, I was chosen to entertain many. And the rule was always simple. 'I am yours for tonight. And only for tonight.' This situation may be different, but if you truly wish my advice, then I shall say this: Should you choose to dedicate yourself, do so as fully as you can, for as long as those who you dedicate to can remember... and not a moment longer. If you cannot do that, do not pursue dedication."

"That's a strange... that's a dangerous way to love somebody."

"I said nothing about love. Only dedication." Yugiri tapped some more powder into her pipe. "For love, I tell you this: how you love is a choice. Who you love... perhaps less so."

Ai threw up her hands. "The worst part is I know I'm going to get that some time later, and I'll actually be grateful for the advice, but right now I'm just completely confused!"

2.15 Masterweaver

"Nikaido Saki?"

Saki nodded. "Yep. That's my name."

The clerk adjusted his glasses. "According to my files, you're dead."

"Damn it, they still haven't fixed that?" Saki groaned. "Yeah, somebody screwed up years ago--dumb computer glitch, I think."

"Ahuh." The clerk looked at his computer. "This also says you're... thirty-nine?"

"Not till May, but yeah."

He peered over his spectacles. "Miss, you don't look a day over eighteen."

"Ha! Charmer, but no thanks."

"...I meant that literally. You look exactly like your picture from twenty years ago."

Saki shrugged. "Makeup. Does wonders."

"A huh ." He turned to the papers. "And you want... a teacher's permit?"

"Friend of mine wants to learn to drive," Saki explained. "Now I could do that without the permit, but you know it's my ass on the line if she fucks up, so..."

The clerk looked at her flatly.

"...I don't know what made you think this prank would work, young miss, but frankly it is in extremely poor taste. Posing as a long-dead teenager you just happen to look like--"

"You're not the first person to make that mistake," Saki pointed out. "I'm telling you, I'm exactly who I say I am."

"Really. Can you prove it?"

Saki glanced out the glass door, blinked, frowned for a moment, then put on a cocksure smirk. "You want proof, fine." She opened the door. "Oy! Reiko!"

The purple-haired woman turned at her name--and froze. "...S-S-Saki?!"

"Yeah, there's some clerk in here who thinks I'm dead. Can you help out?"

Reiko blinked.

She blinked again.

"I... you..."

She glanced at the queue she was in, before slamming her purse into her confused daughter's hands. "Hold our place."

Saki turned to the clerk, smiling brightly. "See, Reiko's going to clear everything right up." She turned to the woman as she stepped into the office. "Glad to see you. It's great luck you were here--"

Reiko slugged her hard enough to send her head literally flying off her neck.

And then she blinked again.

"Okay," Saki said, "I totally deserved that." Her body turned around, picked her head off the decorative plant in the corner, and put it back on her neck. "Damn, still haven't lost the touch have you?"

"Ah..." The clerk held up a finger. "Your head just... fell off."

"Medical condition," Saki explained flippantly.

"...what."

"Anyway, so Reiko! I'm trying to get a teacher's permit to teach a friend to drive--"

"After that stunt you pulled?!" Reiko growled.

"...Ah--"

"No. No, I will be teaching your friend, and you---you're going to explain where the hell you've been all these years and--and--DAMN IT SAKI WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU THINKING?!"

Saki sunk in on herself. "...kind of think maybe I wasn't...."

2.16 Masterweaver

Yugiri took another deep drag of her kiseru.

"...what's in that, anyway?" Saki asked.

"This repeat? Opium."

The room was silent for a moment.

"...Yugiri," Sakura said slowly, "you know opium is illegal, right?"

The older woman glanced at her pipe. "I did not know that, actually."

"Eh, let her have it," Saki said with a shrug. "Cops aren't going to be busting through the door any time soon, and even if they did they'd be more concerned about the walking dead than a drug hit."

Sakura whimpered. "But Saki-chan, do you really think letting one of us get high on opium is a good idea? It could set a bad example for our fans and for Lily-chan--"

"She doesn't smoke outside the house, I'm cool with it. Besides, we're zombies. Come on, we all ate those mushrooms up in the mountain, and what happened? Nothing."

Yugiri pulled her kiseru back. "If you are truly uncomfortable with it, Saki-han, I can cease my indulgence in your presence."

"Well... I..." Sakura frowned for a moment. "It's less that I'm uncomfortable with it and more... I guess, that it... There was a point in my life where I would have been uncomfortable with it. And now I'm not, and I don't know why."

"Cause you're a time-traveling zombie idol and that's only the beginning of how weird your life is, so you don't sweat the small stuff," Saki explained.

Sakura gestured vaguely. "I mean, yes, but that's just the events, not--"

"Wait hold on." Saki looked at Yugiri. "You said 'this repeat.'"

"It changes," Yugiri explained simply.

"Mmmhmmm. So... what's the strangest thing you've smoked?"

"Wren feathers."

Sakura blinked. "...Wren feathers?"

"Powdered wren feathers," Yugiri repeated. "It was that repeat where Romero was a cat and Kotaro was a witch."

"...Oh yeah, that one." Sakura nodded. "Yeah, that was a weird one."

Saki looked between them. "Wait, when was this? I wasn't around for that one."

"Oh, well... I think it was... twenty-seven repeats ago for me?" Sakura nodded. "Yes, see, Kotaro resurrected us using a cauldron..."

2.17

It was sort of a constant that Ai Mizuno would get frustrated at her time traveling friends. Whether she remembered or not, she found herself being shown something ridiculous by the group’s number one.

“Sakura,” Ai asked, “where did you even get this costume?”

“You’re not asking me why?” Sakura asked, wearing a tuxedo and top hat, The Legendary Tae Yamada wearing a similar ensemble standing next to her.

“I don’t think I can take that answer,” Ai said, shaking her head.

“Well, you’d be surprised what kind of wardrobe Kotaro has scrounged up for us,” Sakura said plainly.

Ai sighed, putting her bandaged hand to her face and shaking her head.

“Are you ready, Tae?”

The elder zombie groaned and nodded.

“Why do you always include Tae in these things?” Lily asked.

“Because she knows how to have fun!” Sakura shot back.

“Rrrgh!”

“You tell ‘em, Tae!”

“Just get it over with!” Ai shouted.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she took her place beside Tae. She counted off and then sang Acapella.

“If you're blue and you don't where to go to

Why don't you go where fashion sits?”

Sakura snapped three times and pointed to Tae

“... PUTTIN ON THA RETZ!!” Tae managed, albeit painfully.

“Different types who wear a day coat

Pants with stripes and cut-a-way coats,

Perfect fits…”

“ … PUDDIN ON A WEZ”

"Dressed up like a million dollar trouper...

Trying hard to be like Gary Cooper”

“ SOUR DUPER!!”

“Come let's mix where Rockefellers walk with sticks and um-ber-ellas

In their mitts…”

“ PUTTIN ON THE RITZ!!”

“Alright, Alright!” Ai interrupted as she took a cleansing breath. “I have to admit that was pretty impressive.”

“ You actually got Tae to actually use words,” Saki added. “ Right on.”

“I understand the reference!” Junko said.

“But were not doing that,” Ai concluded.

“I sort of figured,” Sakura admitted.

“Although, I do think we could use the costumes,” Ai said.

2.18 Masterweaver

"Hey, pretty lady," rasped a heavyset man as he sidled over. "What's a woman like you doing in a place like this?"

Yugiri took a whiff from her kiseru, turned, and blew smoke into his face. "If you truly wish to impress me, you will either have to improve your manners or present a great deal of wealth."

The man coughed out the smoke before smirking at her. "Now don't be like that, miss. I'm just thinking maybe you'd like a bit more than a puff."

"I suggest you look for such entertainment elsewhere. Seducing me will only result in pain."

A calloused hand grabbed her arm. "Come on, sweetie, I'm sure you're a nice gal underneath it all."

Yugiri took another drag from her pipe, idly letting her eyes drift around the den of inequity she had entered. A few rough-looking women were watching her carefully, and a number of the men around were grinning.

"Actually, I am a disease riddled corpse underneath it all," she replied idly.

"Ha! That's a new one." The man leaned in with a smirk. "But I've had my shots."

Yugiri took note of the scent on the man's breath. "A few too many shots, if I guess correctly." To her amusement, the man's grip had yet to tighten beyond its initial grasp.

"What can I say? I came here for a good time." His voice dropped to what he probably thought was a sultry whisper. "And I can make sure you have one too."

Yugiri brought her kiseru to her mouth, inhaling thoughtfully. Then with an easy, almost languid twitch of her hand, she flicked the sparking contents into the man's eye.

"AARRGH!" The hand on her arm shot to the man's face. "You damned bitch!"

"You have yet to impress me," Yugiri replied simply, blowing smoke into his face. "If you will excuse me--"

"Do you know who I am?!" he demanded, seething.

"Do you know who I am?" she replied, calmly.

The man growled. "You're some idol wannabe. I've seen you on television."

"Hmmm." Yugiri smiled at him. "You know, there are a number of less than reputable individuals who would be willing to do anything to an entertainer, if they could just get their hands on her. It would be remarkably foolish for an ordinary singer to come into the presence of the criminal for a casual smoke, would it not?"

The man snarled, hand reaching out--

--she leaned aside, expression unchanging, and led the man's momentum so that he stumbled. Off balance, he was not ready for her to hook a foot around his ankle, and found himself without his legs underneath him. As his back hit the ground, a fancy shoe pressed into his chest, pushing the air out of his lungs as Yugiri stepped over him, not sparing a glance in his direction.

"It is interesting you bring up my idol career," she mused. "We have a show this saturday, with a meet and greet afterward. If any of you would like to attend... more patrons are always welcome, of course. Just do make sure to behave yourselves."

She stepped out without another word.

2.19

Six Little Zombies

Starting repeats became second nature to Sakura. It was to the point where she woke up on the floor and stretched as if it was just another day. Of course, as with everything else in her unlife, it wasn’t just another day.

“Sakura!”

Sakura looked up in surprise as she saw a small blue haired zombie run up to her and hug her. The small zombie’s exposed heart was beating erratically.

“Something’s wrong with Yugirin and the others!” Lily cried.

“Huh?” Sakura vocalized before she realized what was going on. “Oh, Do you remember Arpino, Lily?”

“What does Arpino have to do with anything!?” Lily cried. “Our friends are all scary and shambly!”

Sakura pet the smaller girl’s head, and then she stood up to face the 5 other shambling idols walking towards them.

“That’s enough girls!” Sakura commanded.

The zombies stopped and tilted their heads quizzically.

“I hope you guys are proud of yourselves! You’re scaring Lily!”

The zombies stood there stoically.

“Come on, let’s get you girls some dried squid, and then you get to meet Mr. Kotaro!”

Sakura led them to the kitchen, and then the meeting dungeon with Lily in tow.

“Sakura? What’s going on?” Lily asked as she took a seat.

“Oh! Right, I forgot!” Sakura said as she rested her head in her hand. “Um… How do I put this… We’ve been traveling through time?”

Lily’s eyes drooped to half lid. “What.”

“I know, it sounds crazy, but somehow all of us started time traveling! Usually We get to the point where we play Arpino, and then we’re back here!”

“So, Why aren’t the others time travelling?”

“Yeah, it’s weird. Sometimes… they just don’t? I think I’m the only one who goes alone…” She then heard footsteps coming down to the dungeon. “Oop, that’s Kotaro. Act like you’re not awake. I’ll explain everything else later.

2.20

“Interesting,” Yugiri commented. “This, ‘youtube’ can help us gain popularity?”

“More specifically, Junko.” Ai said as she fastened a camera on to a tripod, “we all have our fair share of fans, but Junko’s popularity is barely matching us, by virtue of being the shy one.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Junko said as she fidgeted behind a microphone. “I know it’s been decades, so I should just get over it…”

“I’m still waiting for certain people to get over ‘DJ dead Beatz & MC Ride-and-Die’.”

“Not gonna happen, Sparkles!” Saki said while she and Sakura set a white sheet up behind Junko.

Ai sighed. “ … So you’re fine.”

“Besides,” Lily added, “Your singing voice is super pretty. It’d be a crime if you didn’t have a few solos.”

Junko blushed.

It was only a week and the Youtube channel known as ‘fourchouchou’ took off like a rocket. With 1000 hits from the first video alone and almost 600 subscribers. The comments flourished with people gushing about Junko’s voice with the odd one making their compliments more lewd than it needed to be.

Junko wasn't allowed to read the comments, as she would probably fall to pieces (literally) from the compliments. At least it was still less personal than meet and greets.

2.21 Masterweaver

Yugiri stole close to the youngest of the bodies in the room. "Lily-chan?"

"Yugirin!" Lily wrapped her arms around the woman with a cheer. "You're here!"

"Oh Lily-chan..." Yugiri hugged her close. "I am... I am so very sorry I was not present during your first repeat. You know that--"

"That you'd never do anything to hurt me on purpose? I know. Sakura-chan explained everything." Lily smiled up at her. "It's not your fault."

"Perhaps not. And yet, I still feel a need to make amends."

"That's silly. I mean, I was kind of scared the first time around, but now..." Lily waved at the other zombies. "Well, just... they're not really doing anything threatening. Just shambling around. Like... well, zombies."

"Grraaaaa," said Junko.

"I wasn't so much scared because it was scary, but because it was weird. But now I know what's going on!" Lily frowned. "Kind of. I know as much as Sakura knows. And she repeats a lot, right?"

"That is correct..." Yugiri leaned back. "Are you certain that you are alright?"

"About this? Yes." Lily nodded. "I mean... the stuff we handled the first time through, we'll have to handle it again. Even if we know how... it's kind of nerve-wracking. But hey, I'm a time-travelling transgirl zombie kid! Compared to that, things like what we have to handle are nothing!"

"Hmm." Yugiri smiled softly. "Yes, I suppose it is a touch underwhelming. I do believe Tae should be arriving any time now..."

Unusually, Tae decided to enter the room through the window. Sakura rushed through the door minutes later, eyes wild. "Whoever's repeating, I lost--Oh, there's Tae-chan. What were you thinking?!"

"Rrrrg," said Tae. Perhaps it was the light of the moon, but...

Yugiri shook her head. No, of course not. There was no way Tae could be smirking .

2.22 Masterweaver

"...Sooooo," Saki said slowly. "We're all repeating now."

"Well, except for Tae-chan," Lily pointed out.

Ai rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Would we be able to tell if she was? I mean, sure she gets better over time, but it's a slow thing. If she only repeats every once in a while, she's probably horribly confused."

Junko frowned for a moment. "That's... huh, now that you mention it... there was something strange about how she acted when I started repeating. I mean, you were all mindless zombies, but she was... it's hard to explain, it's like whenever Sakura-san or I was distracted, she would get our attention and have us focus on the rest of you."

Yugiri nodded, her eyes contemplative. "There are a number of repeats where instead of just smashing through the door, she... well, she still enters the room violently, but she does it a different way. Knocking the door down. Coming through the wall. Crawling down the chimney... recently I thought I saw her smirking when she jumped in through the window."

"...yeah, I remember that," Lily replied thoughtfully. "I remember that, it was... oh my gosh..."

"Wait wait wait." Saki looked at her strangely. "Are you saying Tae's been repeating this whole time, and didn't tell us?"

"It is a possibility."

"So, what, she's been pranking us? All of us? Pretending she was still a mindless zombie just so she could surprise us?"

Ai crossed her arms. "Do you really think she'd do that?"

"I would."

"Yes, but you're you. Tae-chan is... Tae-chan! She goes bonkers over fried squid, needs orders to keep from being in crazy situations--"

"I mean she used to," Junko said. "But she acted on her own when Sakura-chan became moody."

"And she does play with me near the end of... um... whatever we're calling the time thing?" Lily frowned to herself. "We need words for this."

The argument was cut off when the subject of conversation smashed through the door, followed shortly after by a weary Sakura. "Hey, whoever's repeating--"

"We all are," Ai assured her.

"Okay, so--"

"Is Tae repeating?" Saki asked. "Do you know?"

"Huh?" Sakura blinked, turning to the black-clad girl. "Tae-chan, are you going back in time?"

The legendary Yamada Tae chomped down on Saki's ponytail.

"I think that's a no."

"This proves nothing!" Saki pointed out. "She might not be repeating this repeat! Or she could just be faking it to fuck with us!"

Junko gasped, clapping her hands over Lily's ears. "SAKI-SAN! LANGUAGE!"

2.23

“Masao!”

Lily was surprised when she suddenly found herself back before she died. She hopped off her bed, and looked at the mirror. She didn’t really know what would happen, how does one die of a heart attack when they know what’s going to set them off. Sure enough she found the offending whisker. Nothing happened, predictably.

She then stepped over to her door, and opened it. Revealing a huge bald man.

“Masao!”

Lily grabbed the man into a hug.

“Call me Lily, Papa.”

He hummed uncomfortably.

“I’m super tired, Papa,” Lily continued, “ Can we talk about this tomorrow?”

He nodded, “We have a shoot tomorrow, we can talk about it after. Goodnight… Lily”

Lily gasped slightly and then smiled, “Goodnight, Papa.”

“And then I keeled over, right there, on tape,” Lily concluded as Tae nommed her head, making extra sure not to mess with her star .

“Wow…. Hardcore…” Saki managed.

“That’s a new record,” Sakura groused. “More than 8 hours, good for you.”

“Sakura?” Lily asked.

“Don’t mind her,” Ai explained, “she’s just grumpy that she never manages to avoid her death.”

“I never get more than an hour!” Sakura whined.

“I never get more than 3 minutes!” Ai shot back.

“Didn’t think you had repeats before you died,” Saki said.

“It’s nothing all that special,” Ai said. “If the lightning doesn’t get me, it’s some stage accident. Still public, still hurts.”

Saki looked up to the ceiling. “ Actually, I have Shrimpy beat.”

“Really?” Sakura asked.

“Yeah, I survive the chicken race, but then I get shanked by some random chick a week later.”

“How interesting,” Yugiri added while taking a drag on her pipe. “ I don’t think I’ve ever began a repeat when I was alive. Perhaps it’s because I’m from such a far off time…”

“How about you Junko?” Sakura asked  “What happens when you’re alive when you start a repeat?”

Junko shuddered, “... I… don’t wanna talk about it... “

Chapter Text

The Following is one big Fused Loop with The Doki Doki Literature Club

3.1

The Doki Doki Literature SAGA Opening

Monika Woke up on the hardwood floor. That was the first thing that told her that she was in a fused loop. One where… well she wasn’t an AI, but she didn’t feel totally human either… Odd.

Lightning struck as she checked her surroundings. She seemed to be in the den of an old house… alone.

“Um… Hello?” she called out.

Lightning struck again as seven figures rose up. Monkia turned to greet them only to see sunken red eyes, rotting skin in various shades of blue. That was enough to send all her rationality out the window. She ran through the only door she could see and into the hall, grabbing a bannister to catch her breath.

“Okay, Monika,” she said to herself, “you’re in another zombie Loop. You knew you had to deal with this eventually, you have to not panic.”

She felt a ping.

“Monika?”

“Natsuki? Where are yo--AGH!”

She was met with a pink-haired zombie girl that looked a little emaciated.

“Are you alright, Monika?” Natsuki asked.

“You’re a zombie!” Monika cried.

“Yeah,” Natsuki said. “So are you.”

And then Monika was a zombie. She looked at her hands which were a deathly blue tone and more than a little rotten.

“...AAAAGH--”

Natsuki took her president by the shoulders and shook her. “Get ahold of yourself! Weren’t you just saying not to panic!?”

“Y-you’re right! A-are the others here?”

“Yeah, they’re zombies too.”

Monika shuddered.

“Zombies and Sailor Venus… you have some very eclectic fears, prez.”

“ I-in any case we should find them and figure out where we are.”

“I think I have an idea…”

They both heard a creak in the floor. The two girls turned to see seven figures moving towards them.

“Oh, hey! Those must be the locals!” Natsuki said. She raised her arm to greet them until she felt her other arm pop off.

Monika ran through the hallways holding Natsuki’s arm by her side. She eventually crashed into her other clubmates. One, a short zombie girl with peach hair styled into a bob, with a rather distinctive bruise on her neck. The other was a tall zombie girl with long purple hair with a hole in her uniform which revealed some stitching on her abdominal area.

“Yuri! Sayori! You’re zombies too! But at least I know you!”

“Are you okay, Monika?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, just being hunted down by zombies.”

“Is that why you have an arm with you?” Yuri asked.

Monika glanced at the severed arm she was carrying and dropped it with a squeak.

“Hmm… It’s sorta disappointing,” Yuri commented. “ Our skin isn’t nearly as decayed as I thought it would be, our limbs pop on and off way too easily, and there isn’t any bones in the sockets we leave behind.”

“Yuri?” Sayori more commanded than asked. “How about you… don’t?” The peach haired zombie nodded over to the club president, who was curled in a fetal position squeaking in terror.

“Oh,” Yuri vocalized.

“Girls? Is Monika in there with you and my arm?” Natsuki’s voice asked from behind the door.

“Yeah, they’re both here,” Yuri answered.

After some mumbling from the behind the door, Natsuki walked into the room.

“So, they’re Franchouchou alright,” Natuski confirmed as she retrieved her arm. “Although I think this is their first fused loop. Is Moni in any shape to give the Speech?”

The other two club members indicated their quivering leader.

Natsuki squatted down and poked her president. “Hey, this isn’t the best way to show them the club ya know, They don’t actually wanna hurt you... “

Monika coughed and sat up, “You-- You’re right… I-I think I’m good.”

“You sure?” Sayori asked.

Monika nodded. “Y-yes, I am better than a silly phobia.”

“I wouldn't call ‘necroambulophobia’ silly,.” Sayori pointed out.

Natsuki walked over to the door and opened it, allowing seven more zombie girls to enter. Amazingly, Monika didn’t scream. They all knelt down across from the Literature Club, the Club doing in kind.

“Um, Hello!” the redheaded zombie greeted sweetly. “I’m sorry if we scared you. It just kind of happens… you know, zombies and all.”

A tiny squeak emitted from Monika. The blonde looked at the red head. “Not helping, Egghead.

“Oh, um… right… I-I guess I should just introduce us then.” The first zombie cleared her throat. “I am Sakura Minamoto.”

She pointed at the blonde zombie.

“That’s Saki Nikaido.”

She motioned to a black haired zombie,

“Ai Mizuno,”

To the white haired zombie,

“Junko Konno,”

The zombie taking a drag on a pipe,

“Yugiri,”

The youngest zombie,

“Lily Hoshikawa,”

And the Zombie with a vacant look.

“And that’s the Legendary Tae Yamada.”

Sayori had to be the one to ask. “Why is she Legendary?”

“Wish we could tell ya, Peach,” Saki said.

“Alright… then.” Sayori took a moment to shake off the need to ask more questions. “Well, I’m Sayori.”

“I’m Natsuki,” the pinkettesaid, raising her hand. “Big fan, by the way.”

“Yuri,” said the one with purple hair with a nod.

There was a long silence as the three literature club members looked to their president.

“Moni?” Sayori prompted.

“... I’M FINE! I’mFineI’mfineI’mfine…”

Sayori’s eyelids drooped. “And that’s our club president, Monika… You’ll have to excuse her, she’s had a bad time with zombies.”

Monika squeaked and closed her eyes tight.

Sayori sighed. “Hey, Yuri, you wanna explain things while I Force Calm the prez?”

Yuri nodded and produced a journal marked ‘THE SPEECH’ in bold ink. “So, you guys have been repeating the same period of time over and over, right?”

Sakura nodded. “You guys too?”

Yuri nodded. “See, it all begins with the World Tree, Yggdrasil …”

“...And that’s how Yggdrasil was made~” Monkia cheered.

“Seriously, is she okay?” Saki asked.

“Yeah,” Sayori confirmed. “She’s just like this when she’s under Force Calm.”

“I am scared out of my MIND right now~” Monika chirped drunkenly, “but! Soy Sauce turns all my bad thoughts into happy thoughts~!”

“Soy Sauce?” Ai asked.

Sayori shrugged. “I dunno, that’s just something she just came up with while she was drunk.”

“So wait, we’re stuck repeating until Arpino, basically forever?”

Natsuki rested her head on her chin. “Well you guys are relatively new, so it’s very likely you’ll get expansions.”

“Yggy’s always remembering something,” Monika slurred. “Sometimes something will just *pop* suddenly it’s a thing.”

“Very astute, prez” Sayori said.

Monika grinned dumbly.

Sakura hummed in thought. “Okay, so… sometimes I begin these loops before I die, and no matter how hard I try, I barely get through the day without getting hit by a truck.”

Natsuki nodded. “Yeah, sometimes Yggdrasil kind of railroads things.”

Sakura looked at the floor again. “I knew it… I’m just a cosmic plaything.”

Sayori took a sharp breath but said nothing.

“Hey, Sakura…” Ai began.

“No, No, I’m … I’m fine… I mean we’re going to be going through a lot of …” Sakura looked at the Literature club. “Fused?” Getting a nod from the three of them and a goofy thumbs up from Monika, she continued, “Fused loops, there must be SOMEthing I can use to get revenge on that truck!”

“Oh wow, such young loopers and you’ve developed quirks,” Natuski commented.

“You have no idea,” Ai groused as she indicated Sakura and Saki. “ Meet DJ Dead Beatz and MC Ride-and-Die.”

“Oooh~ You guys are rappers?” Monika cooed. “ I too, am a woman of culture!”

“Okay, Moni, Don’t start spitting rhymes until your mind is a little bit clearer,” Sayori said.

“We should get going anyway, Mr. Kotaro is bound to be looking for us,” Sakura explained.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry,” Sayori smirked as she snapped her fingers. “He only just now remembered that he has eleven Zombies running around his mansion”

Sakura went wide eyed. “What?”

“Just a little magic I learned during the loops.” Sayori winked.

Sakura nodded and led the way to the meeting dungeon, ready for more adventures in the infinite loops withhe Doki Doki Literature Club.

3.2

Masterweaver

The Doki Doki Literature SAGA, An Uncomfortable Talk

Natsuki inhaled deeply, stretching her hands on her knees as she looked out over the mansion's lawn. "Okay. Just say what needs to be said. You're the blunt one, Nats, you can do this."

Lily stepped out onto the balcony, her expression curious. "Yugirin said you wanted to talk with me?"

"Eh, less wanted, more needed." Natsuki patted the bench beside her. "Come on."

The young girl eyed her warily as she sat down. "So... what did you need to talk to me about?"

Natsuki didn't look at her. Not directly.

"...So, I'm a video game character in my baseline. And I don't know how much you know about video games, but there's a lot that happens in the development process. Ideas that sound interesting but don't make it to the final product." She cleared her throat. "It's... a minor detail, one that doesn't happen every loop, but pret-ty often one of those ideas was that I might be a transgender girl."

Lily perked up. "Oh?"

"Like I said, that usually doesn't make it to the final cut. Most loops I'm born female--well, for as much a value of 'born' that you can get when you're just a bunch of pictures on a screen. But it happens sometimes." Natsuki shrugged. "And to be honest, because I am naturally a bundle of ones and zeros, that kind of thing is not nearly as big an issue for me as it would be for a natural-born human, BUT. I recognize it can be an issue, and I've experienced enough of what comes with transgenderism to understand why. So... that's why we're having this talk. Why I'm the one talking. Because this is one of those talks where we acknowledge the ugly side of reality--not because we like it, but because you have to be ready."

The girl bit her lip. "Is this the 'some people will hate you for being what you are' talk? Cause my pappy already gave me that talk."

"That's part of it. And the whole 'a lot of people are going to be confused' talk, but honestly? I think you're already in a good position with most of that. Figuring yourself out so young, having a supportive if not necessarily totally understanding father, the whole 'never going to face puberty' thing, and... yeah. No, this talk is mostly going to be about how Yggdrasil itself is going to react."

Lily winced. "Oh."

"Now for the most part, Yggdrasil flat out doesn't care about this sort of thing," Natsuki assured her. "You're not going to get any more flak then you would in a normal situation. Hell, the loops being what they are a lot of people have been genderbent for a few loops, and that form of bigotry--most forms, actually, they aren't accepted or tolerated by loopers. Transgender, bisexual, black, muslim, robot, alien, teifling... if you're looping, you're a person, and you're going to be judged on your actions, not on what you are."

"Okay...?"

"Buuuuut Yggdrasil is a tree, so it's twisted. And it's injured, so it's sick. And it's bedridden, so it tries to amuse itself, so it has a sense of humor. A sick and twisted sense of humor."

"I'm..." Lily swallowed. "I'm not sure I like where this is headed."

The pinkette pointed at herself. "My name is Natsuki. Nat. Suki. Yes, I know it's not pronounced that way, but it's spelled that way in english. So, because of puns, I've been Catsuki, Batsuki, Ratsuki, Fatsuki, Tatsuki, Scatsuki--you get the picture. Your name is Lily. So you will spend a loop as a literal lily, I garuntee it. You'll also spend a loop as a lil' E. That's an english pun. Or as Billy. Or as Silly Lily. Or Chilly. And those are just the english puns."

Lily frowned. "I'm... okay, that makes a strange sort of sense, but I'm not sure what this has to do with me being transgender?"

"It's the trans prefix," Natsuki explained. "Transformer. You'll be a car robot thing. Or transactor, you'll be good with money. Stuff like that." She paused. "And... well, this is the reeeeeeeally nasty bit. Are you ready for this?"

"I... guess?"

"One of the slurs for transgender people is 'trap.' So there are going to be loops where you are a literal bear trap." Natsuki clicked her hands together. "You know, a metal circle with jagged teeth. Like in the cartoons. Or maybe you'll just have one in your mouth instead of your teeth. Or you could just replace Admiral Ackbar."

Lily stared at her. "What."

"Yeah... it's beyond stupid, but it'll happen. Once or twice every thousand to ten thousand loops, but it'll happen."

"...I mean, that's just... dumb," Lily said flatly. "Like, seriously dumb. Like, I... it's dumb! It's not even mean, it's just DUMB!"

"Yep."

Lily huffed. "And I'm going to have to go through that?"

Natsuki hissed a sharp inhale. "See... every time that happens, and it's going to be rare, but every time that happens, you get a choice. Either you endure it, or you decide to skip the loop."

"Skipping loops like that sounds like a good idea," Lily grumbled.

"Well, to skip the loop you have to kill yourself," Natsuki pointed out. "Which, as a zombie, is actually much more difficult. I'd recommend disintegration or setting yourself on fire if you want to be thorough. It'd be painful, but it would do the trick."

Somehow, despite being dead, Lily managed to grow pale. "O-oh."

"Yep, that's the problem. That, and getting to the point where suicide is a casual option is not exactly mentally healthy. And... well, if you skip the loop, you'll leave the other loopers behind."

Natsuki looked out at the lawn. "We rely on each other, more than on anything else, to remain stable in these loops. Sometimes we need to skip, to get out, but most often... most often what we need is each other's presence. Now, you're also going to have the skip-or-stay option when you end up in other zombie loops and wake up, say, literally tearing out a man's throat with your teeth. That's going to be a lot more visceral and traumatic but, since you're not the Anchor, you will never be the only one in that loop, and the others are likely to be going through it as well. This, though... it's a much more unique burden for you. I'm just telling you it's going to happen. Not what to do, because that's a judgement call, but I figured you'd be better off knowing what could come. Even if it's not nice."

Lily nodded to herself, considering her words carefully.

"...Well... Yeah, I don't like that at all. But I don't think I'm going to run from it. I'm an idol, after all--a symbol for the masses. I should stand up to dumb meanness, that'll inspire a bunch of others to!"

Natsuki chuckled. "You know what, that's good to hear. And hey." She held out a fist. "Pride, right?"

Lily smirked, pounding it. "Pride."

3.3

Masterweaver

The Doki Doki Literature SAGA, Minor Scenes

"Hmmm..." Yuri took a small knife and started whittling a gentle line down the wood block in front of her. "That looks about right."

Lily walked into the room. "Yuri-chan, Saki was asking for--oh my gosh are you holding knives with your hair?!"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I apprenticed under Bayonetta for a loop."

"Who's Bayonetta?"

Yuri turned and looked at the adorable twelve-year-old zombie looking innocently up at her.

"...an interesting woman," she finally replied. "She does things with her hair. Taught me some of them."

"Neat! Anyway, Saki heard Natsuki say you had a motorcycle collection--"

"Probably nothing as fancy as her customs, but... yeah, I suppose I could show that off once I'm done here."

Lily blinked. "Show them off?"

"Subspace pocket."

"Right, the soul... hammerspace thing." Lily nodded. "So what should I tell Saki?"

"Tell her... that she's going to have to bring her best to the race tonight," Yuri said, an evil smirk crossing her face.

3.4

Masterweaver

"...Hey Monika?"

"Yeah, Natsuki?"

"So, we're all zombies right now--"

Monika inhaled sharply. "I'm trying not to think about that, thank you!"

"--and we all died in unique ways," Natsuki continued. "That's the nature of this reality. And I'm pretty sure our pre-Awake deaths are tied to our own baseline, but... I'm not sure how your death translated."

With a sigh, Monika pulled up the hair on the back of her head. "Signed up for an experimental brain-uploading procedure. Failed experiment."

"Ah. Yeah, that makes sense."

3.5

Masterweaver

Kotaro swept into the dungeon. "GOOD MORNING LAAAAAAAAAAAAAADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIES!"

"What do you mean?" Yuri asked curiously. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once," Yugiri assured her. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain."

"Good one," Monika complimented.

Yugiri gave her a confused look. "...What do you mean?"

"Oh, right, you wouldn't have read The Hobbit, would you?"

Sayori burst out laughing.

3.6

Masterweaver

"You seem to like Tae-chan a lot," Sakura said.

Sayori hummed, stroking the hair of the undead woman currently nipping her arm. "She reminds me of Hiroaka."

"Who?"

"Our player character. Technically he's a faceless insert-name-here, but we call him Hiroaka for simplicity's sake."

Sakura tilted her head for a moment, before blinking rapidly. "Oh, yes, that's right. Dating sim. I... that's kind of strange to think about."

"And being a zombie idol group isn't?"

"Graaagh," Tae agreed thoughtfully.

"Anyway, I'm Hiroaka's childhood friend," Sayori explained. "Well, that's the programmed backstory. So I'm usually the one that hangs around with him. The others..."

She sighed somberly. "I don't think they dislike him, so much as ignore him. It's... not exactly their fault, but they don't seem to understand his simplicity."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I think I understand. I mean, at the beginning of, um, baseline? That's the word?"

"Yes."

"Well, at the beginning, the girls don't really interact with Tae that much. I'm the one that mostly handles her. It gets better as time goes on, but..."

Sakura shrugged helplessly.

"Yeah..." Sayori giggled when Tae-chan bit down on her shoulder. "She can be quite a handful, can't she?"

"A little bit. Hey, maybe you could help me teach her dance moves!"

"I'd like that, Sakura."

3.7

Fears and Doubts

“Hello, Lily,” Sayori greeted. The small squeak of surprise brought a smirk to her face.

“How do you keep doing that?” Lily asked.

Sayori felt Lily sitting beside her. She took a breath and let it out.

“It’s an ability I gained through looping.” She opened one eye to look at the young zombie. “Have you heard of Star Wars?”

“I’ve seen a couple of the prequels…”

“Our Baseline… isn’t the happiest and there was a storm of emotions running through me. Another looper took me in and taught me the ways of the Force.”

Lily tilted her head. “So… You’re a Jedi?”

Sayori shook her head. "Jedi do deal with inner peace, for sure. But I needed control, I needed to learn how to utilize those feelings. I couldn’t learn that... Not from a Jedi."

Realization dawned on Lily as she quickly looked to the floor.

“I’m not planning on galactic conquest anytime soon, but it’s more productive than mere introspection.” Sayori inspected Lily, she was still looking at the floor. But the young zombie’s eyes didn’t show fear, but thought. “You seem to have a torrent of emotions going through you right now,” she assessed.

Lily sighed uncomfortably. “I’m…. I was talking to Natsuki, and she was telling me about how this tree apparently has a sense of humor…”

Sayori nodded. “Ah, yeah, she’s been more of a victim of that than most. Mostly because she has one of the more punnable names…”

Lily looked to Sayori. “It’s more than that… I’ve always been self-assured. You know, I’m always going to be Lily Hoshikawa… but then there’s going to be loops where I’m alive and I have to grow up. That’s going to be when I start facing myself. I thought that I would be twelve years old, forever, magically. But now… It’s a lot to take in.”

Sayori hummed in response. “It is a lot to take in, and fear is a natural response, but now you’re in the loops with us, and you have to face them.”

“Yeah,” Lily nodded. “I guess I just need to find a way to cope.”

Sayori stood up. “Tell you what, in the next loop we have together, tell me if you found something.”

“Um… Okay?”

“Spending countless years dealing with self doubt and depression isn’t fun. I don’t want anyone to deal with it more than they have too.”

Sayori left the room, and for some odd reason Lily felt an odd mixture of foreboding and… sweetness?

3.8

Masteweaver, Skaz Wolfman

Goals

"Okay everyone!" said Monika, smiling beneath her blindfold. "We need to talk about our to-do plan for the loop!"

Sayori stared at her. "Uh... I understand your necroambulophobia, but why the blindfold? Don't you have some sort of smartglasses that can filter in living appearances by this point?"

"...Good point. One moment, I'm going to go into my subspace pocket."

Natsuki glanced over at Sayori. "I thought it was ambulonecrophobia. Necro second, because 'walking dead'."

"Actually, officially it's kinemortophobia," Yuri corrected. "Greek roots, not latin. I googled it."

Junko blinked. "There's actually a name for the fear of zombies?"

"I'm not surprised," Ai mused. "There's a name for the fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth."

"Arachibutyrophobia," Sakura agreed with a nod.

Yugiri gave her a look. "How do you know that?"

"Lonely loops, looked it up online."

Saki groaned. "You all sound like you're about to start slinging around magic spells."

"What's the matter, Saki-chan?" Lily gave her a concerned look. "Do you have sesquipedalophobia?"

"No! I don't even know what that is!"

Lily grinned smugly. "The fear of long words."

Saki blinked for a moment, before glaring at the little girl. "Alright, fine, that was cute." Despite her anger, a small grin was on her face.

Monika popped back into reality, now wearing a set of goggles. "Had to program in a new filter, but I should be okay now! Anyway. Our checklist for the loop!" She counted off on her fingers. "First, we need to teach you how to ping and make a subspace pocket. These skills are essential for any and all loopers! Secondly, we have to educate you about the dangers of Yggdrasil. Fused loops, variant loops, punishment loops, malicious looping entities... there are universes out there that aren't nice at all. Apart from that, though, I am open to any suggestions. That said," she added, turning to her fellow club members, "as Franchouchou are the new loopers, I will put their suggestions on higher priority than any of ours, understood?"

"Makes sense," Natsuki agreed.

"NUMBER 1!" Monika pointed at Sakura. "What do you want to accomplish?"

"Uh, um... I'd like to beat that truck, somehow..." Sakura fiddled with her hair. "Maybe if I learned how to drive?"

"Alright, driving lessons for Sakura. Cars first, so I guess that would be Natsuki." Monika turned to Saki. "NUMBER 2!"

"Take over Japan!"

"Big dream! Might not be possible this loop!"

"Take over Saga!"

Monika crossed her arms. "Are you just trying to challenge us while we're here?"

"Nope," Yuri said. "I can confirm that Saki's dream of ruling the country has existed since baseline, according to the hub backups."

"That is still strange to think about," Junko mumbled.

"Okay, we'll go over a list of viable conquest methods later. And educate you on various political philosophies." Monika cleared her throat. "NUMBER 3!"

"I'm still trying to master my electrokinesis," Ai said. "I've gotten it to a point where I can semi-reliably charge something, but anything beyond that..."

"Not to sound stereotypical, but I think Sayori could help you there."

Sayori gave Monika a thumbs-up and a grin. “No problemo, El Presidente!” she chirped.

"Alright. NUMBER 4!"

"Meep!"

"What do you want to accomplish this loop?"

"Um..." Junko glanced around. "I'm... fine with being an idol? I don't need to do anything strange..."

Monika peered at her carefully. "...Alright. That's okay. We don't have to do anything big this loop. But I feel like I should insist that you write some new songs for us to sing."

"But Kotaro writes all our songs."

There was a moment where Monika was very, very still.

"...Kotaro."

"Um... yes." Junko tilted her head curiously. "He's our manager. He... he writes our songs."

"In baseline. He's not looping, so he doesn't make new songs."

"Well... no...."

"Do you mean to say," Monika stated slowly, "you've been singing the same songs since you started looping?"

Franchouchou started sharing concerned looks.

"Weeeeell," Sakura managed, "sometimes we sing other songs, when we find them."

"Find. Them." Monika's voice was disbelieving. "You... don't write your own songs."

"...no?"

Monika took a slow, deep, calming breath, and let it out.

"...unacceptable."

Sayori frowned. "Monika--"

"Our world!" Monika overrode her, "Is defined by two things--as Ai very well found out during her research binge. Our love of literature, and psychological horror. And the thing is, I, and the others, DO NOT LIKE that we are known for being psychological horror. So we have honed our skills with literature, to the point where we can define ourselves as The! Literature! Club! In the loops."

"Oh, she's going off," Natuski murmured.

She gestured at Franchouchou. "When you go out into the multiverse, you'll find something similar. I ask you this, would you rather be known for your rotting flesh... or for your gorgeous voices? You want to be an idol group, you HAVE to be an idol group capable of adapting to whichever realm you find yourself in. Being able to dance together, sing together, that's only part of it. Being able to attract attention, keep it, expand upon it... yes, you do that well. BUT. If you can only filk? If you sing songs that have been sung countless times afor? Then you will find yourself reliant on your library."

Yuri sighed, giving Franchouchou an apologetic look.

Monika shook her head. "No. No, I cannot--I will not! I WILL NOT let you stumble into the multiverse and find your skills wanting! I am going to teach you, ALL OF YOU! How to write songs! Beat, Rhythm, Tempo! Rhyme, Meter, Form! Modulation, Notation, Melody! You will breathe music and musical theory, and by the end of this loop you will have each! EACH! Written and performed one song! SO I SWEAR, UPON MY CODE!"

For a moment, there was silence.

"...Yeah, I'm down," Saki agreed.

"Could be fun," Lily mused.

"I thought Anchors were supposed to be the sane ones?" Ai asked.

"Mentally stable," Sayori replied. "Which... is a critical distinction. Excuse me, I need to drag Monika off for a moment..."

3.9

Masterweaver

The Revelation

"Right. Dancing." Monika looked around the practice room. "I know we've done karaoke, and I guess my martial arts training could translate to dancing pretty easily... have we ever had real dancing lessons or just 'let's spaz out for fun' sort of things? Cause I'm wracking my brain here and I'm thinking we might need to learn that for serious this loop."

"Bayonetta taught me some things," Yuri mused.

Sakura gave her a curious look. "Bayonetta? Is she a dancer or something?"

"...or... something." Yuri cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, most of her moves would probably not be appropriate but I think her stretches would work well."

"Maybe we should wait for Ai," Sayori suggested. "She's usually the one doing the planning, right? I mean that's what the girls told me after watching your anime."

"I'm in an anime," Lily breathed. "I can't believe it. I'm actually an anime heroine, like Sailor Moon!"

"Usagi's actually pretty cool in person," Natsuki said off-handedly.

"YOU'VE MET SAILOR MOON?!?!?!?!"

"All the senshi, actually. There was this big wedding a while back. Monika even has a laminated certificate from Minako!"

Lily gasped, pouncing on Monika--who shrieked and instinctively threw her across the room, before realizing what she had just done. "OH SHIT--I am so sorry--zombie phobia, I, you jumped, instinct, oh geeze are you okay?!"

"MONIKA!" Sayori grabbed her shoulder. "Deep breath. In... and out. In.... and.... out."

"Right. Right. Sorry. Yes. Okay..."

"Ow." Lily stood up, snapping her neck back into alignment. "That... huh. Hurt a little."

Saki rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Where is Ai, anyway? She's usually here by now."

As if on cue, Ai stepped into the room. All eyes turned to her, but her eyes focused on one person.

"...Monika?"

"Yes?"

"...Just Monika?"

Natsuki inhaled sharply. Yuri rubbed her brow with a sigh. Sayori stood, not quite challengingly.

Monika sagged. "So... you looked us up."

"Doki Doki Literature Club. Spent the whole night... going through the wiki, watching a playthrough or two..."

"At night?" Natsuki shook her head. "That wasn't a good decision, Ai, you're going to get nightmares--"

"I'm not like that anymore." Monika hung her head. "I... I know you can't trust me, but... I'm not like that anymore. I've done my best to help the others, we've all gotten therapy--"

"Why did you hide it?"

Monika looked up. "Wouldn't... wouldn't you?"

"Yes, from ordinary people, but we're zombies. With horrific deaths. So why did you hide it from us?"

Monika considered her for a moment. "...Honestly? Mix of reasons. It's habit, for one, I'm not proud of it, and... well, you are new loopers. You've got a lot going on right now, just... learning about all this. Why would we want to scare you more than you already have to be?"

Ai crossed her arms.

"They've met Sailor Moon!" Lily pointed out. "Monika even got... an autograph?"

"Sailor Venus gave her an official and laminated Certificate of Absolution for Crimes Against Love," Yuri confirmed. "Monika, if you would?"

Monika bit her lip. "Er... I seem to have misplaced it--"

Sayori sighed, producing the paper and handing it to Ai. The bandaged zombie examined it carefully.

"Oh there it is," Monika said quickly. "Thanks veeps!"

Natsuki and Yuri gave her a pointed look.

"Sailor Moon is amongst the original seven loops," Sayori pointed out quietly. "Ai, please. I know we aren't... exactly the best loop around. We would have told you. When... when we felt you were ready, when we felt you could accept..."

She trailed off.

Junko glanced around the room. "What... what's wrong?"

"...Our loop isn't nice," Natsuki admitted with a sigh. "Hell, it's a literal horror story. Psychological horror, mind, not all that blood and guts junk. We didn't want to tell you because... well, because it's horrible. But... yeah, I guess we should have at least mentioned it before..."

With a sigh, Ai handed the certificate back. "I guess... I guess I can understand. I don't think I'd have made the same decision. But... yeah, I guess I can get it. I... don't think I'll be sleeping in the same room as you all for a while, though."

"That's fair," Monika conceded. "And... I'm sorry. For, uh... you know. That... whole thing."

"Wait, wait wait wait, hold up here." Saki held out a hand. "So you're from a video game, right?"

"Yes?"

"Then how are you here?"

"It's... a fused loop--?"

"No no no, I mean how are you here if you're from a video game that exists in--?"

"Oh!" Monika laughed. "Most likely our pre-Awake selves were just random girls who just so happened to share names with the DDLC game characters."

"...what, that's it? Just coincidence?"

Natsuki sighed. "Saki, one thing you'll learn real quick about Yggdrasil--it loves stupid coincidences."

3.10

Driving

“You’re sure about this?” Saki asked. “I kinda hate ta ask ya to use one of your bikes for this.”

She and Yuri were in full make up, standing in an empty parking lot, with nothing but the faint sounds of a motorcyle… being driven in only the most technical sense of the word.

“It’s fine, I can just pocket another one if things get hairy,” Yuri confirmed.

“Yeah, yeah, the soul pocket thingy.” Saki pressed. “But, I’m a biker ya know? Saccing a bike for someone else…. That’s just hard core.”

Suddenly a motorcycle swerved in front of them. The cute redhead riding the motorcycle was struggling to control it.

“Down foul beast!” Sakura screamed, “You are but a machine, I am Human! YOU WILL OBEY ME!”

“She’s reaching Monika levels of melodramatic here isn’t she?” Yuri observed.

Saki nodded. “Yeah, I mean we kinda had to revisit our deaths, but Egghead was special.”

“Reverse Amnesia, right?”

“Man, it’s so weird to know that you’re an anime in other worlds.”

Yuri nodded.

“Thankfully Emo Sakura doesn’t come out all that often since we started this looping stuff,” Saki continued.

“Yggdrasil stores looper’s memories into itself. Things like amnesia don’t affect us.”

At this point, Sakura was doing some impressive donuts on the motorbike. It would be even more impressive if she did them intentionally. And thus she started to lose even more control and crashed into a lightpost.

“So, What did we learn?” Ai asked Sakura’s head, which was currently in her lap as both Yuri and Saki were rebuilding Sakura’s body.

“All motor vehicles are evil, and one day I shall conquer them all…” Sakura muttered darkly.

Ai sighed as she knew that was going to be the best answer she got.

3.11

Monika’s Anchoring Tip of the Day.

“Whoah!” Sakura yelped as she was pulled into a hallway. “Monika? What’s wrong?”

The zombified club president took a cleansing breath. “Sakura Minamoto, as the Anchor of my Loop, I welcome you to the ranks of being Loop Anchor!”

Sakura blinked. “ Um…. Thanks, I guess? I thought we already went through the welcoming thing…”

Monika shook her head. “Look, ‘Anchor’ isn’t just a title given to those who happen to loop more than others. It is a responsibility that must be upheld to the greatest of our ability. We are the ones who Loop first and We are the ones who hold more than any other Looper.” She fished a book entitled An Anchor’s Guide to The Multiverse from her Pocket.

“... Your family name is Salvato?” Sakura asked, glancing at the by line of the book.

“Sometimes, but that’s not the point,” Monika said while opening the book.

“You… really don’t have to--”

"An Anchor's first responsibility is to maintain the stability of whatever world she happens to be in for the Loop,” Monika interrupted, “Firstly, this means that no matter how bad a loop gets, don't suicide your way out. A Loop without Anchors is a crashed Loop, and Loop crashes are bad for Yggdrasil. A normal crash isn't terribly bad, but it's still a hiccup in the recovery process. Upwards of 90% of your Loops, you're going to be the only Anchor around, so the very existence of that iteration of that reality is going to be using your lifeforce as a lynchpin. Scary thought, I know, but there you have it. And even in loops with multiple Anchors, each Anchor is a point of stability and each Anchor lost destabilizes that reality by increasing the odds of a loop crash. So, that's rule number one: try to preserve your life if at all possible."

“Um… But, I’m already dead…” Sakura said. “How can I--”

“You won’t always be a… revenant.” Monkia coughed while saying that last word. “Like I’m not always an AI. That being said, you are a being with a soul, do not dispose of that.”

Sakura nodded dumbly. “O-okay...”

"Second point, and an extension of 'keeping the world stable'; be a productive Anchor! Whatever reality you loop into, no matter how hacked up or seemingly perfect it is, try to contribute something positive to it. There are going to be times when you wonder, very seriously and very validly, I might add, 'Does any of it really matter? Anything I do here gets wiped away when the loop ends, right? What's the point?' Again, that's a very valid thought. You're not losing your mind if you feel like your actions might not matter. What's important is that you maintain focus on what you can do, regardless of its impermanence. You may be a Sakura, but you still want to avoid falling into Sakura Syndrome.”

“Still sort of weird to have my name be a part of a mental disorder,” Sakura commented.

“So do whatever you can to make whatever loop you're in a better world, even if only a little. Focus on that goal as your own point of stability."

“Um, Okay... “ Sakura started. “Is that all?”

“Third, you're going to hear a lot of Loopers you meet talk about how 'insanity' is an inevitable part of being a Looper,” Monika continued, getting on a roll.

At this point, Sakura knew she was trapped.

“That's kind of true-ish, but don't take that to heart. What they mean by that is that every Looper eventually grows to a point where their thought processes, motivations, and the actions resulting them fall outside of the conventional standards of sane behavior. That doesn't mean, literally, 'You're going to lose your freaking mind, so get used to it.' I mean, some of the more cynical Loopers might actually mean that, but they're just wrong.”

Sakura decided it was useless to point out that she was literally talking to a Living Dead Idol as part of a madman’s plan to ‘save’ a prefecture. None of that was anywhere close to sane.

“As an Anchor, your job is to keep yourself stable, and to stabilize the world around you as much as possible. Doing things that seem insane to non-Loopers in order to contribute positively to the world, or to keep yourself from going mad with boredom, are okay. But beware the slippery slope into actual madness. That's a bad. A truly crazy Anchor is an unstable element. And the worst part of that is, as I said, you're going to get to a point where conventional psychological standards of health don't apply very well to you. That's why the Looper Community is so important; all we've got in this crazy, wacked out rollercoaster ride through infinity and eternity, is each other. So to rip from one of Sayori's favorite American movies, we all need to be excellent to one another."

That reminded Sakura of that time she and her friends became movie stars. It was quite nostalgic for Lily. Although she had to dye her hair because people would be sure to turn their heads that Lily Hoshikawa came back to life and started appearing in movies again.

"Which brings me to Bullet Point Number Four!” Whether Monika was taking Sakura’s silence as permission to go along, or was just merely automatically going through routine was irrelevant.“Take good care of your Loopers, be a good guest in other Loops, and be a good hostess to visiting Loopers. The reason there are Loopers who aren't Anchors is to keep us from losing it in the worst imaginable ways. Ways worse than you can imagine. I can see that you're on good terms with all of your Loopers, which is good. Some Branches have... less harmonious 'families', but they try their best. Most of them. The social contract that holds human civilization together is extra-specially important to us Loopers, and as much as your Loopers are Looping to keep you grounded and in high spirits, they're also part of your responsibility, and even if Saki is the leader of your group, they're all going to look to you for guidance at times because being the Anchor makes you the most experienced and the most powerful of your family.”

Sayori finally walked in and saw the poor Zombie Anchor being inundated by her own. She walked up behind her president.

“When you visit other Branches, there's an element of give-and-take involved. Most other Anchors will humor you in whatever you want to do while you're visiting, but it would behoove you not to make problems for them. Being a positive influence on your loop still abides, even when there are older Loopers around to 'clean up after you'. Same goes for Loopers visiting here; humor them, but also make sure they aren't trashing your reality and making things harder on you.”

Sayori rubbed her hands together and waved them behind Monika’s head.

“ We're all in this together, and as Anchors, we're the leaders in the Great Big Looping Family of Yggdrasil. And our leadership is a responsibility, not a privilege. But I think you'll do just fine, Sakura. You have a good heart…” Monika yawned, “ and that counts for a lot in the Loops. Just... Be yourself and try to take care of everyone who cares about you and ... and you'll be a great... Anchor…. "

Monkia fell backward, Sayori catching her.

“Not cool, Soy sauce…” Monika grumbled sleepily. “ Sunny needs this advice...”

“You did great, prez,” Sayori consoled. “She’s gonna make her admin proud.”

Monika let loose another yawn before falling fully asleep.

Sayori looked up at Sakura. “Sorry about that, “ she said, keeping her voice low. “When she gets on a roll, it’s sort of hard for her to stop.”

“I think it’s sweet how she’s trying her hardest to help us,” Sakura admitted.

“Yeah, she tries her best, even if it to her detriment sometimes.” Sayori lifted Monika using some Force assistance. “Come on, Matza, let’s get you somewhere comfy.”

Monika stirred, mumbling, “Don't worry about doing things 'properly',” before drifting off again.

3.12

Masterweaver

-Monika's Song: "I've Got Science!"

Translation

=-=-=-=

For a moment, the stage was utterly dark. And then, two large tesla coils burst to life, illuminating the three tables on the stage. The central one rested on a raised platform, stairs curving around the wires that dripped from it and trailed to the other two; all three tables had a pair of computer screens on either side of many vials filled with colorful liquid. Midway up each staircase stood a girl, smaller than the groups of three that attended each table, all dressed in labcoats of differing colors.

At the center table, a coral-haired snapped on one rubber glove--the sound reverberating through the audience. Then another glove. Then, she snapped her fingers, and the tesla coils started to hum--a hum that fell in tune with the music rising.

And then, because that wasn't impressive enough, she pulled down her goggles, picked up a microphone, and somersaulted to the stage floor with a maniacal grin.

今、私はすべての人を責めるわけではありません

私を見て、私のかわいい顔だけを見た人

正直なところそれは素敵だし、きれいな人たちには自分の場所がある

しかし、今すぐ！

私たちは、頭に入れたものは何でも学ぶことができる時代に生きています。

知識は力であり、私はあなたより賢いです -

- でも心配しないで、私は公正な女神です。

The other girls looked up from their chemicals and sang together.

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

As the music kicked up, they started walking up and down the stairs to the rythym. Monika twirled the mike in her hand, flicking her ponytail as lyrics poured from her mouth.

コンピュータサイエンス！

何人かのばかな少年は私を一人にさせないでしょう

彼は私を家に帰らせようとし続けた

だから私は今言った！ あなたのEメールの男の子は何ですか？

私たちは生意気なものについてオンラインで話すことができます、あなたは知っていますか？

そして、彼はその厳しい笑いとともに私にそれを与えました、

そして私はそれを自分の邪悪な微笑みで受けた。

その夜、家に帰って、私の指を伸ばして、

そしてキーボードをタップし始めた。

彼のソーシャルメディアを見て5分

彼の友人たちは私に彼に警告した（なんて甘い！ハハ！）

ウイルスをプログラムするための15分

今、彼のコンピュータはランダムな夜に大音量の音楽を演奏します！

The girls all raised their goggles for a brief chorus.

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

And Monika brushed off her shoulder with a smirk.

何年もの間毎晩

私は照らしました

塾

私をテストしないで、男の子、

私が持っている原因

科学！

The girls, having all swapped tables, started tapping keys on the computers. The screens flashed through a myriad of images, though the shape of the brain was a frequent motif as Monika went down her next lyric.

心理学！

だから私は、あなたが、私はいくつかのセクシーな友人を持って気づいたと確信しています

（子供ではなく、彼女はただかわいいですが、残りは、ハ、ごめんなさい！）

そして、あなたはすべてで、気づく最初じゃありません！

今ここに私のギャルパル、彼女は男からいくつかのルックスを得ていました

彼女は本当に欲しくなかった。

私はその男と話をすることにしました、あなたがするように、あなたは知っています。

私たちは彼の過去、彼の両親、そして少年ああの話を始めました

その男はすっかり混乱していた。

2週間後、私たちは最高の友達であり、何を推測します。

彼はゲイだ実現しています！ （そして、私はたまたまかわいいゲイの男を知っています）

イェーイボーイズラブ！

Again the chorus came up, and again the girls all raised their goggles briefly, transitioning tables as Monika held up a warning finger.

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

何年もの間毎晩

私は照らしました

塾

私をテストしないで、男の子、

私が持っている原因

科学！

And now the scientists started handling the chemicals, with green-flame bunsen burners and remarkably rhythmic bursts of colored clouds.

人類学！

今ダイヤモンドはきれいではないと言うつもりはない

ゴージャスな岩、本当に、一般的に宝石は

しかし、私は光沢のある岩のついた指輪は欲しくありません、あなたはその理由を知っていますか？

私は殺人光線を作るためにそれを離れて取りますよ！ （あなたはそれを聞きませんでした。）

いいえ、あなたが本当に私を感動させたいのなら、ここにあなたがすることがあります：

縄文時代から何かをもらって、それが何であるかを教えてください。

そしてもしあなたが正しいなら、多分私はあなたをデートに連れて行くことを考えるでしょう。

きれいな顔はいいですが、私は美しい心を崇拝します。

Blasts of fire and sparks announced the next chorus recitation as Monika swept her hand wide.

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

何年もの間毎晩

私は照らしました

塾

私をテストしないで、男の子、

私が持っている原因

科学！

宇宙物理学！

私は欲張りな女の子だ自由に認めますよ。

私はあなたがこれらすべての花火を見ている意味ですか？ クレイジー！

しかし、私が本当に欲しいのは自分自身のための場所です。

だから毎晩、私が空を見上げていると

惑星が見えます。 そして、彼らの衛星。 そして、の間のすべて。

ある日、将来的には、それらのうちの1つを取るつもりです。

私だけのために、それに家を構築し、誰でも私はオーバー招待。

それは夢です....それは私に少なくとも1ヶ月かかるだろう！ たぶん2。

ええ、誰にも言わないで！

This time, the journey of the performers was punctuated by the tesla coils screaming alongside Monika's sassy pointer finger.

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

何年もの間毎晩

私は照らしました

塾

私をテストしないで、男の子、

私が持っている原因

科学！

Somehow, impossibly, the electricity started arcing the two coils, shifting color as it passed through the clouds of chemical reactions

経済学！

さて、私は名前をつけるつもりはないです

そして、実際のすべてが、これは純粋に理論的であることに同意しましょう

私はトラブルに巻き込まれる場合、私は状況を修正する必要がありますので、

このことは、これらの素晴らしい曲を書いてから私をそらします。

しかし、その価格をジャッキアップこの一つの会社がありました

私が購読した後、理由もなく、そして私はこんな感じでした

いいえ。

あなたは私にこれをしません。

あなたは私の友達にこれをしません。

あなたは誰にもこれをしません。

それで、純粋に仮説的に、私はいくらかの投資をしたかもしれません

シェル市場を通じて株式を買って、彼らの競争相手に資金を供給...

基本的には？ 彼らは彼らのお金からみんなを詐欺したいですか？

私は私のお金で自分のサービスにそれらを負かす事になります！

もちろん仮説です。 （家の中の任意の弁護士はありますか？）

（があるなら、私は私のために動作するようにあなたを何を払うべきですか？）

私は悪じゃないので、しかし、私はそれをやっていませんよ。

ムワハハハ！

The screens of the computers ran various formulas and equations as the girls danced through fireworks and electric outbursts, Monika dominating the scene with her mastery of the microphone and swiftly shifting legs.

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

何年もの間毎晩

私は照らしました

塾

私をテストしないで、男の子、

私が持っている原因

科学！

私は楽しみのために、この科学のコートを着ていた何を、思いましたか？

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

認めます、私は学際的です。

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

これらのゴーグル？ 彼らは私の目を保護する以上のことをします。

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

誰かが私をショーの後に知恵のゲームに参加させたいですか？

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

私は科学を持っています！

| 彼女は科学を手に入れた！ |

私は

| 彼女！ |

私！

| 彼女！ |

私は……持っている

科学！

At that last drawn-out note, Monika reached out, and for all the world seemed to summon the electricity to her gloved hand. She cackled manicly with a gleeful smirk and crushed the sparking ball.

=-=-=-=

"That was... certainly a song," Junko allowed.

"Not my best work," Monika admitted freely. "I can speak japanese, but I'm not entirely fluent in it. Once I got a rhyming chorus, I realized I couldn't rhyme the whole thing, so I just cheated the lyrics with google translate."

Ai gave her a flat look. "I noticed."

"So of course, you decided to go with a science-based razzle-dazzle," Natsuki deadpanned.

"I think our dancing helped," Yuri assuaged her.

Lily crossed her arms. "You know, I thought Sayori was supposed to be the lightning-manipulator."

"Sleight of hand," Monika replied dismissively. "That and some really fancy tech in my glove, worked with Asami Sato on it."

Yuri cocked her head. "Who?"

"...right, that show didn't really become popular in Japan... I'll catch you up later."

Saki cleared her throat. "Hey, how'd you convince Shades to let you have such a wacky stage setup?"

"Said I'd pay for it myself. And I did."

"How?"

Monika grinned. "What, did you think any of those lyrics were made up? Everything in that song is true. Everything."

There was a moment's pause.

"...is this a looper thing," Sakura murmured to Sayori, "or is it a Monika thing?"

"Eeeeeeeeh, more of a Monika thing," Sayori admitted. "But there's some looper in there too."

3.13

Skaz Wolfman

–Thunder Down Under–

Ai Mizuno knew very well what an honest-to-God clap of thunder sounded like. She also knew that lightning generally required storm clouds to be present in the sky, and today the sky was cloudless. So, naturally, she went outside to find out what was going on.

What she found was Sayori in the back yard, either shooting lightning bolts into the sky from her hands, or drawing lightning down from the cloudless sky into her hands. Either way, she wasn’t glowing or anything.

“How are you doing that?!” Ai asked her, astonished.

“I’m a Sith, remember?” Sayori replied.

Ai blinked. “Okay…what’s a Sith?” she asked.

“Traditionally? Evil space-wizard-ninjas with red laser-swords,” Sayori explained as she casually drew a small glittery-pink metal cylinder from her jean pocket and clicked a button on it. With a snap-hiss, an incandescent red beam jumped out of the cylinder before stopping at a length of roughly three feet. “But my Master taught me a better way,” Sayori continued, turning around and giving Ai a cheerful smile.

Ai flinched backwards, however, when she noticed Sayori’s eyes were yellow. Then Sayori blinked and they were red, just like hers. “My Master taught me to use the very darkness that the Sith serve–not the way they do, as a means of self-advancement–but as a tool for making positive changes. Negatives into positives, light from darkness, all that good jazz. She took me on as her apprentice and taught me to use the Dark Side to manage my depression.”

“How does that work?” asked Ai.

“Basically, by becoming a master over dark energies outside of me, I gain control over the dark energy in my mind. What once was a millstone around my neck is now the battery I use for THIS!” Sayori exclaimed as she threw a hand in the air and loosed another streak of blue lightning into the air.

“…wait, you mean…your lightning is literally…no way, that’s crazy,” said Ai, folding her arms.

“Is it? Is it really? Is it really that outlandish, in a world where the dead can be risen and this loop’s versions of me and my friends just happen to be dead ringers in both names and appearance as the characters in a game that exists in this world and also serves as the alternate universe back-up of the world we actually come from? Just saying that makes my head hurt. Trust me when I say this, the multiverse is bonkers. The fact that I can channel my depression into free electrical energy is far from the craziest thing you’ll see in the Loops.”

Ai went from looking skeptical to looking thoughtful. “Huh. Do…does someone have to be depressed to do that? Could you teach me to throw lightning around without, y’know…” she trailed off as it suddenly occurred to her that the way she was asking the question could come across as insensitive.

Sayori’s smile shrunk a bit, but she didn’t seem to be offended. “The short answer? Yes. Yes, I could teach you the ways of the Dark Side. Not in this loop, however; you’d need to have a loop where you possess Force-sensitivity, first, just like I did. But every Looper visits every Branch eventually, so you can rest assured that it would happen. And no, you don’t have to have depression to do what I can do, either. Sith Lightning is a compressed and focused expression of pure negative energy, and can be drawn from any ‘dark’ emotion. Fear, anger, pride, hatred. Not just misery and self-loathing. But frankly, Ai, I don’t think this path is for you. You’re a very proud person, after all, and immersing yourself in the Dark Side can very, very easily inflate that pride into self-destructive arrogance. To follow the same path I have means facing your own darkness. Coming face to face with the worst parts of yourself; things you don’t even know about because they’re so uncomfortable to think about that your mind pushes them down and out of sight for your own peace. To embrace the Dark Side is easy, but the Dark Side is not just a tool or source of power. It was a will of its own and craves destruction. Wanton, unfocused, indiscriminate destruction, including your own, in the end. The Dark Side uses those who use it; it corrupts those whose wills are weaker than its own, which is practically anyone…though Loopers like us gain a pretty big advantage once we’ve got enough loops under our belt.”

“Is that how you’ve avoided being corrupted?” Ai asked.

Sayori snorted, “What makes you think I have? Because I wear a friendly smile and my eyes sparkle? Because I’m still a good friend to the three girls who mean more to me than my own life does? Because I didn’t give in to the intrusive thought of telekinetically bouncing you off a wall when you confronted Monika yesterday?”

Ai jumped back at that. Sayori’s eyes were shining yellow again, but that shine was already subsiding to dull-red. Her small smile hadn’t wavered at all, but Ai felt a tension in the air that made the hair on her neck stand up.

And then it was gone. Sayori giggled, and in spite of her better reason Ai couldn’t resist the feeling of calm that the sound suffused in her. “Relax, Ai. I’ve got no intention of hurting you. Desire and motive are different matters, but I have no intention of hurting you.”

Ai blinked, twice, and then steeled herself. “Hey, look, I get that you care about your friend and all but–”

“But nothing,” Sayori said flatly, tonelessly, and Ai found that she couldn’t force another word past her lips. “We would have told you before the end of the loop. We always do. Our omission was not for our benefit, it was for yours. Bad enough that we tell you this wacked out story about a god-tree-supercomputer being sick and impossible to conceive of universes that you’ll someday visit, and the only proof we can offer you are the souvenirs in our subspace Pockets and all the weird powers we’ve learned. We tried to make things easier on you by not throwing in the fact that we come from a psych-horror game. When it comes to other Loopers, Monika is honest almost to a fault, and certainly to her own detriment at times. But she believes in something called ‘utilitarian philosophy’, which means if she wants to help someone she wants them to feel comfortable around her, so that she can help them to the best of her ability without having to deal with trust issues and stuff. Once she’s helped them, she’ll tell them the truth and let them judge her however they see fit. And for better or for worse, Monika never begrudges other people their right, in her eyes, to judge her for what she was, once. She’s got a bit of a Martyr Complex, that way.”

Ai bit her lower lip, but she didn’t break eye contact with Sayori. “I get what you’re saying, but I still don’t like that you kept it a secret from us.”

Sayori shrugged. “Fine. I can’t tell you how to feel. But a word of friendly advice; most Loopers have an unspoken rule that we don’t judge each other for what we did when we didn’t know better. Every Looper has things they regret. If you don’t yet, you will, someloop. No one keeps their record spotless forever.”

“Huh. Y’know, yesterday, I had you pegged as more optimistic than this,” said Ai as she sat down on one of the swings.

“I like presenting that face to people, because that’s the kind of person I aspire to be,” Sayori admitted, holding her hand out palm-up. Electricity crackled over her hand before coalescing into a bright, sparking, blue-white ball of energy.

Which she then started hacky-sacking.

“And I do consider myself an optimist, when all is said and done. But I’m not blind to how things really are. I mean, how could I be, all things considered?”

Sayori fell silent, and for a time Ai just watched her play with her little ball of lightning. Finally she spoke up, “So…you can’t teach me? Or won’t?”

“Hey, I’m not a grudge-holdy sort of person, Ai,” said Sayori. “Like I said, you’re allowed to feel however you feel about whatever. I’m not going to hold it against you. Emotions are personal things, and you should never deny them. Yours or other people’s. If you really want to learn, I’m willing to teach you, Ai. But I honestly think you’d rather go a different route. Trust me, there’s a billion ways to control electricity in the multiverse. Monika can…well, she knows how to bend lightning, but she has trouble actually doing it. But like my Force powers, that’s something you have to be born in a loop with, she can’t teach it to you right now.”

“She can bend lightning?”

“Well, ‘bending’ is what it’s called, but really it’s just converting your body’s internal energy into electrical potential and then setting it free it a general direction of your choice. It’s a specialized form of ‘firebending’, which is a discipline that allows you to create and manipulate fire. But again, you can only learn it if you’re born with the ability to use it. If you were a firebender Monika would be able to teach you, but you’re not so she can’t.”

“So…how are you going to help me?” asked Ai.

“Like this,” said Sayori before she kneed the ball of electricity straight up, then spun around and kicked it straight at Ai. The ball flew right into her chest.

Ai had been struck by lightning before, many times by now, but if getting struck by lightning were akin to power chugging a few gallons of water, then this felt like having an entire Olympic-sized swimming pool injected straight into her heart.

So she was mildly surprised when she didn’t explode.

“Tell me, Ai Mizuno…does it feel like ‘unlimited power’?” asked Sayori with an impish grin.

Ai didn’t remember standing up from the swing, but she was standing up, and she was staring down at her hands. She was used to electrification making her body feel like it was vibrating, but now every cell in her body felt like it was vibrating just short of hard enough to fly free from her body. She could see her lightning scars glowing brightly enough to be seen through the bandages around her hands and forearms, in addition to the customary electric-blue glow that her body was now emanating.

“I don’t know about ‘unlimited’, but it sure feels like it’s as much as I could possibly hold,” Ai replied.

“Neat! Now I’m kind of curious how much of a charge your body can actually hold…but we’re not close enough to be conducting experiments on each other, so for now,” Sayori danced up to her and reached for Ai’s hand. Ai very quickly found herself standing on the other side of the yard. She didn’t recall consciously deciding to move away from Sayori, just thinking it was probably a good idea not to let the other girl touch her in this state.

Except Sayori was still right in front of her, somehow, and still reaching for her hand.

To Ai’s astonishment, Sayori grabbed her hand without suffering any ill effects. She could feel the massive reservoir of electrical energy trying to empty itself into the relatively super-low potential of Sayori’s body…but something was blocking it. It made her hand sting, just a little.

“We’re…gonna want to do this somewhere we won’t cause too much damage,” said Sayori.

The next thing Ai knew was the intensely uncomfortable, but not quite painful sensation of being completely blind and squeezed through a very, very narrow space, and then she and Sayori were standing in the middle of nowhere, as far as she could tell. Yellow grass stretched out like a sea in every direction, and in the distance Ai saw–

“Are those kangaroos?!”

“Yep! Welcome to the Land Down Under, Ai-chan!” said Sayori, slapping her on the back. “We’re at least a hundred miles from the nearest human population center, and I’m already sending out a mass Force Suggestion for any stray people and animals nearby to give us a very wide berth.”

Indeed, the mob of kangaroos were already making a hard right and bounding away from them with seemingly one mind.

“I can’t teach you to make lightning the way I can,” Sayori released Ai’s hand and stepped away, igniting her scarlet lightsaber as she did. “But I can try to teach you the disciplines I use to direct my lightning, and see if it improves your control. So go on and try to blast me. Don’t worry, you’re not going to hurt me,” Sayori turned around to face Ai as she finished walking. She was about ten meters away.

“Hold on, I don’t want to use this as a weapon–” Ai began protesting.

“Yeah, I used to be strictly anti-violence myself, too,” said Sayori. “Then my friends and I got a zombie apocalypse sprung on us, and there was dingle-all that I could do about it.”

Ai winced. Sayori continued speaking, “I talked to Sakura. She told me about your experiments in electrokinesis. Your mistake was jumping straight into messing with electromagnetism and trying to handle delicate circuitry. You have to start with the basics, which is ‘throwing big honking bolts of lightning in the general direction you want them to go’. Once you figure out how to do that competently, then we can work out how you do the smaller, more complicated things. So, start by discharging all the juice I just put in you in the right direction.”

“Ugh, phrasing,” Ai deadpanned. In so much as a person could deadpan when their voice was reverbing and auto-tuned.

Sayori smirked. “Right. But like I said, start with ‘aim’. Hit me with your best shot, Ai-chan!”

Ai took a deep breath, and then raised a hand in Sayori’s direction.

3.14

Masterweaver

Consulting the Expert 1

"Hey, Yugiri?"

Yugiri looked up from her shamisen. "Sayori-san. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I have a project I've been working on for a bit, and I'm thinking maybe I need a fresh perspective."

"Very well..." Yugiri gestured for her to continue.

Sayori knelt down. "You see, because of her past, Monika is kind of put off on the idea of love. And I think that's not a good thing--not for her. I'm fairly sure she's not asexual, and she's definitely not aromantic, but I don't know how to convince her to give dating a try. What do you think?"

Yugiri took a puff from her kiseru thoughtfully. "...Love cannot be merely chosen. It must be grown. And it cannot grow in a soil without love. Before you convince her to seek romance, convince her to seek friendship. The deeper bonds will form in time."

"...Mmmm." Sayori hissed sharply. "Yeah... I get what you're saying, but... thaaaaat didn't really work for me."

"Many seeds can share the same soil, even if only a few sprout."

"Hmmmm. Alright." Sayori nodded, standing up. "Thanks for the advice, Yugiri. I'll take it to heart."

3.15

"Yugiri! Got a minute?"

Yugiri put down her shamisen. "Natsuki-san, hello! I am not doing anything too pressing at the moment..."

"Yeah, so..." Natsuki draped herself in a chair. "I don't know if you've picked up on Sayori's thing with Monika--she's trying to get Monika to start dating."

"Ah," Yugiri said, nodding knowingly.

"And I mean, I get it. Sayori's sort of guilty that Monika's so consumed with guilt, and since she kind of is responsible for that being the first to die in our game--which is not her fault, but that's how she feels about it I think--I kind of think she's focusing too hard on helping Monika recover instead of letting her grow, you know?"

Yugiri kept her amused smile hidden behind her kiseru. "It can be difficult to cease assisting a friend, even when such assistance is unwarranted. Care is an expression of concern, after all, and your concerns run deep."

"I guess," Natsuki grumbled. "It's just... I dunno, sometimes I think she's focusing too much on what she thinks Monika needs instead of what Monika actually needs."

"Perhaps her focus is an expression of her own needs?"

Natsuki considered that thoughtfully. "...You might be right. You know, you're not half bad."

3.16

"Yugiri-san, I... feel I must request your advice."

Yuguri set aside her shamisen. "I would be quite willing to give it, Yuri-san."

Yuri bowed formally. "In your... previous life, you were trained to handle some level of intimacy, and it is in that regard I wish to approach you."

Yugiri quirked an eyebrow, straightening up. "I see..."

"I have started a romantic relationship with Natsuki, and we are conducting ourselves fairly amicably. However, I feel that we may be approaching a point where... I may wish to engage in more carnal matters, and I am unsure how to determine when she would be ready." Yuri glanced up, trying not to blush. "If I may request advice from you, I would be most appreciative."

Yugiri tapped her kiseru, considering her words carefully. "That you show respect for her opinion is admirable. While discussion should be foremost, remember there are other signals."

"Of course..." Yuri bit her lip. "Though... I am unsure how to read these signals."

"Be gentle with what affections you give, and only proceed beyond if she gives such affections back. If she stops, pull away."

"Hmmm..." Yuri nodded. "Yes... I believe I understand. Thank you for your advice, Yuguri-san."

3.17

"Hey, Yugiri, can I ask you something?"

"Monika-san." Yugiri looked up from her shamisen with a grin. "How can the sensei of love assist you?"

Monika blinked. "Uh... what?"

"Ah, my apologies. It is something of a jest amongst us here."

"Right, you were... well, I'm not here for love advice, actually." Monika sighed. "See, I've been trying to learn how to play stringed instruments and... I don't think I'm good at them, something just doesn't click with me. But you know how to play the shamisen, so I was wondering... maybe you could teach me how to play?"

"...Yes, actually. I would be most pleased to teach you."

"Thank you." Monika walked over and sat next to her. "Sensei of love, though? Really?"

Yugiri brought her kiseru to her lips with a wry grin. "It is an interesting title, is it not?"

"Yeah. So, how do we start this? Should I hold the shamisen a particular way?"

3.18

Masterweaver

Biker Babes

"Woo." Saki popped off her helmet, shaking her hair clear. "You know something, Papercut? You cheat like a bitch."

Yuri took off her helmet and swished her hair around. "Oh?"

"You kept swapping bikes the whole damn race!"

"No rule said I couldn't. And besides..." The visiting looper smirked. "Jack of all trades and master of none is oftentimes better than master of one."

The two of them locked eyes for a moment or two... and Saki's lips began to twitch. "Hell, I think I'm going to have to like you!"

"How was the race?" Ai asked.

"It was SO COOL!" Lily gushed. "Saki kept sweeping around all the cars and she hopped a bridge and Yuri changed motorcycles every two minutes and they got into a police chase and I think they were riding on walls for a bit--"

Sayori gasped. "Monika, please please PLEASE tell me you got that on camera--"

"Yeah, the drones caught it all," Monika assured her. "Fun fact: it ended in a tie."

"WHAT?!"

Monika turned to the two riders who had shouted as one. "Yes. A tie. You left at the same time, crossed the finish line at the same time."

"Are you sure?" Yuri frowned. "I... at the end there, I felt maybe Saki was half an inch ahead."

Saki growled at her. "Hey! If Glitch says it was a tie, then it was a tie!"

"But--"

"No biker's going to sell themselves short for me, Papercut. Don't get me wrong, you're still a cheat..." The blonde smirked. "...but hell, you're an awesome cheat."

"...I guess I'll take that as a compliment?"

"Why am I always 'Glitch'?" Monika grumbled.

"Same reason I'm always 'Cupcake,'" Natsuki replied. "Hey Yuri! VICTORY SMOOCH!" She pounced on the girl, knocking her to the ground.

Saki glanced at them and huffed. "Hey! Egghead, where's my victory smooch?"

"E-Eh?!" Sakura blushed. "Saki, I don't think we--"

Tae tackled the blonde with an eager growl.

Junko squeaked with a blush. "I--what? She, that--are we just going to let that happen?"

Yugiri chuckled. "Well, she did request it."

Ai rolled her eyes. "Once you're done playing around, we need to get back to rehearsal."

3.19

Masterweaver

Thoughts

"...You've been very quiet this whole time."

Junko glanced up from her book as Natsuki sat down next to her. "I have?"

"The other girls are more engaged," Natsuki clarified. "Ai's researching us, Sakura's hanging onto Monika's words about anchorship, Saki is trying to.... I think it's a war of mutual amazement, Lily is just so excited she's an anime character, even Yugiri is watching what we do with some interest. You, though... you're just nodding and going along with it."

Junko shrugged. "I... don't think they realize what this means, entirely. Reality being broken... us being anime characters... you being from another world, not even human..."

"Yeah, I get that." Natsuki hummed thoughtfully. "You know, I'm the least 'deep' of us Dokis, but even I get... philosophical sometimes. This whole situation... it might take some time to sink in. These girls are all more doers than thinkers... I don't mean they're stupid, just that they prefer to act instead of contemplate."

"Yugiri's a thinker."

"True enough. She's still engaged with us, though. She's observing us, instead of just..." Natsuki gestured vaguely.

"...Maybe we need a thinker," Junko pointed out.

"Maybe. So... whatcha thinkin' about?"

"...a lot of things. It's all jumbled. Do... do you think anybody else from this world will loop?"

Natsuki hummed thoughtfully. "Kotaro is a pretty sure bet, given how important he is in your lives. Tae... I'm on the fence. She fits most looper checkmarks, it's just whether or not she's intelligent enough to loop that I'm not sure about... Romero is also an edge case, I've heard of pets looping but that's pretty rare. A couple of you have pre-death family, Takeo, Reiko, Maria... all possible loopers from outside the mansion. Beyond that, I wouldn't expect anyone. I mean I guess there's that reporter guy, but..." She shrugged. "It's not an exact science."

"Reporter guy?"

"Side character in the hub backups. Starts connecting the dots but doesn't quite believe the picture they paint."

Junko frowned. "...the backups, do they... ever go into anything private?"

"There's the hotsprings episode, but the anime is pretty childsafe. I mean, aside from showcasing death scenes... and those are all pretty bloodless. I guess there's emotional drama shown..." Natsuki considered for a moment. "...I don't thiiiiiink there's anything there that any of you would object to the rest of you knowing? There's some stuff about Kotaro in the last few episodes, mind. Generally a good idea to share your backups with each other, since it'll be next to impossible to hide that information anyway."

"Oh." Junko glanced at her arm. "How... how exactly did they make our death scenes bloodless?"

"In your case? They cut back out to the plane falling with smoke trailing out of its engine. More an implied event." Natsuki paused. "Have you... ever Awoken on the plane?"

Junko shivered. "...yes."

The pink-haired girl wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "...I hate to be the one to tell you this... but the tree? It likes to mess with us sometimes. Monika has a zombie phobia, so of course we wound up here--where the zombies are harmless, innocent victims. I can promise you, her reaction at the start of the loop was genuine. And..." She cringed. "With your... fear of heights..."

Red eyes shot up. "No. No, please don't--"

"It won't happen all the time," Natsuki assured her. "And... maybe it'll be that you're a bird, or a pegasus, or some other flying creature--but, yes, sometimes you'll be in... aircraft. Or starships, even. I'm sorry."

Junko swallowed, leaning into her. "I... I really don't think I'll like that."

"I don't either." The other girl was silent. "On the other hand... you'll probably also have a disco variant."

"What?"

"You know, a loop where disco is still popular."

"Wait." Junko leaned back. "What do you mean, 'still popular?' Did disco go out of style or something?"

Natsuki laughed. "Oh honey, you have no idea...."

3.20

Masterweaver

Realization

"So where are the Dokis?"

Ai gave Saki a look as she sat down. "They're using the computer. Shopping, I... think." She shook her head. "Well, their version of shopping, anyway."

"How's it different from normal shopping?"

"Monika wrote a virus yesterday to leech money off American billionaires, for one thing. She says it'll probably be found and purged tonight, but she already has the money so it doesn't matter."

Saki whistled in appreciation. "Damn. I mean she's a computer program and all, so that's probably easier for her, but still--going right for the giants, that's pretty bold of her."

Sakura hummed thoughtfully. "You're not wrong, exactly, but... they're billionaires. Even taking a couple million won't really get their attention." She managed a sardonic smile. "Plus, you know, they get away with a lot anyway, so... it's not like they don't deserve it?"

"It's not them taking money from billionaires that's weirding me out. It's... how they're treating things." Ai frowned. "Like... they're skimming off the entire world's resources. Sure they're buying a few luxury items, but a lot of what they're getting is... resources. Gems they can sell in loops without a digital economy, food and water that will help them survive if they loop into a wasteland... and for all that costs, they're only using a little bit of the money for it. They're sending the rest to organizations that make the world better... or something."

For a moment, Franchouchou quietly contemplated the implications of that statement.

"...They treat money like it was nothing." Junko frowned to herself. "Are... are we going to be like that?"

"I... could see it happening," Sakura mused. "I mean... if we put away some yen every loop, over time we'd have a lot of yen."

Saki snorted. "Why are we talking about money? Did you see how many bikes Papercut had? I mean she hasn't really modded any of them, but I'm telling you--as soon as I can stick a motorcycle in my subspace pocket I am going to do it and spend every loop I can souping it up."

"Sayori has Star Wars powers!" Lily squealed. "And Sailor Moon is real! I can be a real magical girl if I loop into the right universe!" She jumped onto the top of an armchair, posing as the other girls all stared at her. "Pretty Soldier Lily-chan, fighting for love, justice, acceptance, and hamburgers!"

"Why hamburgers?"

"I like hamburgers." Lily shrugged. "Or fries. Anything I can slather in ketchup and mustard, really."

"That's not really healthy," Sakura pointed out hesitantly.

"We're zombies," Junko countered. "Well, we are... at the moment."

Another silence fell over them.

"...This situation... really does open up so many new possibilities," Yugiri mused. "Magics and technologies from other worlds... visiting realities both wonderous and vile... meeting loopers, like ourselves, trapped and traveling through time."

"I could actually take over Japan," Saki said, slowly. "I mean, it would take me a while to get what I need to do it... and I'd have to spend a lot of loops figuring out how to do it... but I could actually do it."

Ai quirked an eyebrow. "...you could. Huh. I always thought you were just crazy, but you actually could..."

"I'm pretty happy with my life now," Sakura said. "I mean, I still haven't won against that evil truck, but one of these days I will! And besides that, I get to be an idol forever--and I get the best group of girls to dance alongside!"

"Awwww!" Lily tackled Sakura in a hug. "We love you too, Sakura-chan!"

Ai rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her smile. "I guess... and I guess we could become a multiversal music group." Her smile faded. "But... there are other loops with zombies..."

Junko shivered. "I... really, really hope we aren't going to end up in those worlds too often."

"I've seen zombie films," Sakura assured her. "And I'm the Anchor. If we end up in a loop like that, I'll make sure things work out."

"You?" Saki snorted. "Egghead, you're not a fighter!"

"Poker."

Ai winced. "Did you have to bring that up?"

"Sorry Ai-chan!"

"...okay, you have some guts." Saki frowned. "Man, I'm just realizing--we're in a pretty low-key loop. Like, sure, Sakura got shot that one time, but you girls haven't been in that many fights... I'm going to have to teach you, in case we end up in some crapsack of a world with monsters and shit."

Junko opened her mouth for a moment, before really thinking about it. She curled in on herself quietly.

Saki looked over at her. "But... you know, there are nicer worlds out there too. Like... that pony world the dokis mentioned. Or some disney princess crap. Or the Sailor Moon world!"

Lily coughed into her fist. "Yeeeeeeeah, um, if that world's anything like the anime then I wouldn't say it's entirely nice..."

"Whatever. Point is, not every world is hell. And almost every world has heroes, right? So you need to know how to fight, but that doesn't mean you need to fight all the time. You can enjoy yourself."

Ai crossed her arms. "You of all people saying we don't need to fight all the time?"

"What, you think Dorami just drove around beating people up 24/7? Sure, I'd take any challenge, but I'd only challenge people when I needed to."

"It's weird..." Junko glanced up. "We're learning this from... well, from the stars of a dating sim horror story. What does that say about them?"

Silence fell, once more.

"...They are a study in contradiction," Yugiri finally offered. "Sayori is kind and caring, yet holds within her a sorrow so great it allows her to channel dark magics. Yuri is soft-spoken, intelligent, and as aware of the darkness as she is of the light. Natsuki is equally enthusiastic about cute things and dangerous stunts, and treats people both with kindness and with some degree of sass. And then... Monika. A terror in her home, yet so terrified of us; conductor of horrors that she forever feels the guilt of."

Ai glanced away. "Sayori... chewed me out for calling out Monika. And then teleported me down to Australia to teach me lightning control."

"...what," said Saki.

Lily gasped. "She can teleport?!"

"To Australia?!" Junko added.

"See, that's the part that's making me go 'what'," Saki said. "I mean, sure, teleporting, fine, but across the world? With no network--oh, doy, she's a computer program, she can just use the internet, right?"

Ai shrugged. "I mean... we weren't anywhere near civilization..."

"Okay, I'm going back to 'what' now."

"Girls, I think we might be looking at this the wrong way."

Everyone turned to look at Sakura.

"I mean... sure, they're weird, and they have crazy powers, and they're not exactly human. But... look at us. We died across the centuries, and we have different backgrounds, and... we're a zombie idol group. But that doesn't mean we're not people, right? The dokis have a history, and it's scary and strange, but in the end... they're like us. Ordinary girls thrown into extraordinary situations. We can be amazed or frightened, but... I still think we can be friends."

The room fell silent one final time.

And then Tae smashed through the door, throwing the four visiting loopers onto the ground with a roar of triumph.

"OW!" Monika spat out her ponytail. "Okay, whose leg is in my face?"

Sayori sighed. "That'd be mine, prez. Can somebody tell me where my arm landed?"

Natsuki growled. "Yuri, I love you, but if you don't get your fat ass off my back--"

"My head's over here!" Yuri snapped. "I don't even know how to untangle us all from this!"

Saki blinked at the tangled pile of mangled bodies. "...Okay, how the hell did Tae manage to carry all four of them at once?"

"Stop gawking and help us!

3.21

That’s a Wrap

“So… Does the stage always get destroyed?” Natsuki asked.

“Yeah, That’s my luck for you,” Sakura answered. “It does make for a more dramatic show though right?”

Natsuki hummed in agreement as they group started their own wrap up. A heavy silence loomed, as an unspoken topic sat at the back of everyone’s head.

Finally, though, Sayori chose to breach the subject. "This is your guy's last concert before the loop ends, huh?"

The Seven Members of Franchouchou looked to the members of the Literature Club. Each member looking at each other to see what the group had to say about that.

A clap got their attention, as Monika stood up.

“So girls, what have we learned?” She asked.

“Um…well…we’re stuck in a time loop among several other realities--” Sakura started.

“Yes, yes, there is that,” Monika interrupted, “but have you learned how to deal with that?”

“We were supposed to be taking notes?” Saki questioned.

“Well, no, but… We spent a whole loop--”

Sayori stepped in. “The prez is just trying to make sure that you guys will be okay without us, Make no mistake, we will see each other again, but it might be a while.”

“I guess the main thing we learned was how expansive this whole thing really is,” Ai pointed out, “It really removes any limits we had, and at the same time puts different limitations on us.”

“It will be interesting to see what foriegn lands we end up in,” Yugiri stated.

“Or who we will be” Lily added earning a bit of a smirk from Sayori.

“We have definitely learned a lot from you,” Junko said, “ But there’s not much to put into words.”

Monika nodded her head, “That much is acceptable. It does seem you guys are ready to go out on your own and show the Multiverse who you guys really are.”

“Um, about that,” Sakura raised her hand, “We were kind of thinking about what you said to us earlier...”

Monika raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah you asked us if we wanted to be remembered for our voices or be remembered for being zombies,” Saki clarified, “We were just thinking, well why not both?”

“Speaking from a strictly branding perspective, being Zombie Idols gives us a solid identity,” Ai explained.

“Plus, being a zombie is really fun!” Lily added.

“I can attest to that,” Yuri piped up, “It’s not too realistic, but this version of zombification is very entertaining.”

Tae took this opportunity to nom on Monika’s head. It took a great deal of personal restraint for Monika to not scream bloody murder, and she felt that should be commended for that.

“At this point, I think we’ve been zombies for longer than any of us have actually been alive,” Sakura concluded. “Taking that away… sort of takes away some of our identity.”

“You know what?” Monika said through hitched breath, “That’s fair…”

“So you guys are okay with being undead? Even the part where you may want to eat people?” Natsuki pointed out.

Sakura tilted her head, “What?”

Sakura then Woke up on the wooden floor, with nothing but the rain pouring outside and her thoughts settled on the last words her multiversal friend had uttered. She was so comfortable in her situation that she forgot one of the core parts of being a zombie. She remembered the zombie movies she watched when she was alive, and the ones Kotaro showed her. There was a chance that those movies could be looping too.

“Oh...Oh no…”