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He dreams of a dream, he thinks it almost ironic. Or maybe cruel? He doesn't know.
What he does know is that he's in an all too familiar dreamscape, the one he had been toured through by her. He tries to ignore the melancholy of that thought, as he looks around the grand land of Penacony. He didn't fall asleep in the reverie, so this is his own dream, but it feels oh so real.
Walking around for a while yields no new findings, but all the places are as he remembers. Everything is as he remembers except she isn't here. He finds himself in front of the Dreamscape Sales Store, and can see Dr. Edward's eye. He never really understood the doctor, but he looks to his left and... for no certain reason decides to go that way. Back to where he first met her, and he can almost envision her. Her gentle smile, her kind eyes, her everything, yet it's also just out of his mind. "You've started to forget her", he pushes that thought far out of his mind, he won't- he can't forget her.
Almost as if his thoughts beckon her, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a sliver of grey. He turns fast enough to turn himself dizzy, yet she isn't there. He considers his eyes playing tricks on him, but she's his weakness and as such, throws rationale to the wind. He starts to move to where he saw her, and feels as if it's familiar. He looks to his side and notices the Clock Diner. He remembers this place, he remembers it too well. She lent him a budget, and he bought a cake roll and a drink. They split the cake and- and... it was fun.
He thinks about trying to interact with it again, but doesn't exactly know where to start. This isn't actually Penacony, after all. And, out of the corner of his eye, he sees the sliver of grey again. He doesn't turn immediately this time, though. He turns slowly, yet she's gone just as fast. He follows again, he has to know what's going. Is his mind truly playing tricks on him or... or is there something more?
The Clockie Statue, he runs past. He remembers them talking here, he misses that. He misses their idle chat, yet what's more so at the forefront of his mind is where he's lead to. The view, was beautiful but it was even better with her here. A pang in his chest, yet he keeps moving. He keeps seeing her in the corner of his eye. Leading him, following him like a moth to a flame. Letting himself get burnt up by the flame that he had run into himself.
A pause. He doesn't know why, but he pauses. It clicks, he thinks, he was supposed to go right here, wasn't he? He had been expecting her to trail him all around Penacony, he'd always fall to her whims after all. Yet she was in his left peripheral instead of his right, yet this pause didn't last long. She'd always matter more than what he thought, so he went left towards the pinball machine. The pinball machine was weird, yet familiar to the one he'd normally experienced. He didn't have to solve anything, or change its trajectory. Almost as if it knew where he'd need to go.
As soon as he got out, he was greeted by the Dream's Edge. The pinball had taken him further than he had expected, completely off course from it's remembrance of it. Almost as if something else was influencing it. The Dream's Edge was as he remembered, but he didn't know where he was in it. It was as messed up as he remembered, yet there were no enemies, and no people here. It was a private audience of himself with the void of reality.
He moves, solving one puzzle after another. The shadows of her still teasing him at every movement, he needed to get to wherever it was. He pleaded in his mind to not be lead to where he thought, he couldn't go there- if he did... he didn't know if he could hold on. After a couple puzzles, Dream's Edge started to contort, and change. It was no longer as he remembered as his mind got clouded. He needed to see her, he thought, it was absolutely necessary. As the area around him started to fall apart, he tried to keep moving.
A couple more steps would prove that fruitless as the area in front of him no longer existed. And he realizes now, that he hadn't seen her in a while. Or what he thought was her, he had been leading himself in circles. If he wasn't dreaming, he would've thrown up, the nausea took full control over him. He kneeled onto the ground, and only one thought permeated his mind, "I miss her", he missed her oh so much. He would do anything to see her again.
Why was it so unfair? Why did they have to take her away, she was special, she was the light of his life. They hadn't known each other for too long yet the impact she made on him was too severe, he had always wondered why those of the Luofu would fall in love when they knew they would just lose them. He lets out a wry laugh, in a cruel twist of fate he had finally gotten his answer, you don't decide when or who you love. It wasn't fair. He'd never forget the feeling of her body fading away, the tears that had fallen and fallen forever, with no end.
He would never forget. He couldn't forget if he wanted to, she had imprinted herself on him in an irreparable way. His mind would be forever infested with her, like a swarm of fireflies invading his brain at any moment of any day. He had been truly captivated by that silly girl, and everything that surrounded her. He knew she had never been truly truthful with him, but to him that didn't matter. They would be together, so he couldn't care less.
Like a bucket of water being splashed over him, taking him out of his thoughts was a touch on his back. His nausea subsided only slightly, as he was finally taken back to the Dream's Edge. He looked up and was somewhere completely different from before, he was at the Observation Deck, he was so close to where he took that image of them that would ensure he'd never forget. He stood up, whatever had knocked him out of that state was already gone but he had an idea. He had to move forward.
Moving forward was easier said than done, his whole body felt like sludge as taking even one step felt impossible. He had to, though, for her. One step, and another, and another. He would keep moving, no matter what. As long as she was the light at the end of the tunnel, he would never stop going. She was his everything, after all.
After an eternity, he had finally made it. He truly had no clue how long it actually took but however long was worth it as he reared the corner and-
There she was. Just as he remembered her. She was looking out upon the view, the bright light accentuating her, coating her with a beautiful contrast of light and dark. He stood there, completely captivated by her figure as she started to turn. She greeted him with a masked expression and he could only stare.
"You finally made it.. it's not nice to keep somebody waiting, you know?" That masked expression turned into a smile, and it seemed so real, and genuine and- she was here. He didn't know how or why or what caused this but he walked forward. Initially, a light movement that swiftly broke into something more akin to a jog as he stood face to face with her.
"I'm- I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. I'm sorry we couldn't spend more time together, I'm sorr-" He got cut off by her, as she put a hand on his mouth. He realized he was getting too worked up and let out one more, "I'm sorry". She stared at him, a mixed expression on her face, he could only wonder what was going on inside her mind.
"It's okay, it wasn't your fault. I'm still here, after all. I died in a dream, so I can infest other peoples dreams... although it has to be somebody I was close to." She stared into his eyes, a feeling he can't quite place in them, yet something that he feels is oh so familiar. "I wanted to see you again too." She continued, as that same expression was laid across her face.
Before he could say anything, or do anything else- she held out a hand. He was confused for a moment, but put his hand in hers, and she stared to move. He moved in tandem with her and they started to circle. She made a gesture and he followed it, and he realized they were dancing. One step, another and they were even closer now. They were a hairs breadth away from each other, yet they kept moving dancing to their own rhythm.
This simple dance continued on for some time, nothing too exaggerated yet all too memorable, just like how their relationship has been. She's been his light, yet she wasn't exaggerated, or over the top, she was just her. And, that was enough, that was all he needed. All he ever wanted was her, she was everything to him. Even if it was just in this dream, he was happy to see her again.
He twirled her and let her fall back as he caught her. He pulled her up as she faced her back to him as they kept moving, ending right in front of the main observation deck. She was in front of him and he was staring at the view from behind her, taking in two of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.
As he was staring at her, he realized what that feeling in her eyes was, it was love. He knows because it's what he's feeling right now, this feeling taking over his entire body as he holds her close to him. He wants to hold her forever, he wants them to be together forever. He knows it'll never be, but even if it's just in this dream he's happy to pretend. He's content with just being with her.
He stares down at her, as he notices now that she's staring right back at him. They simply stare into each other's eyes for some time, getting lost in them. They both know how each other feel but no words could describe it, their love was not bound by simply words, all they needed to do was be together. But, he knew this night couldn't last forever, as the sky seemed to get darker.
She started to speak again, "It's almost time, time for you to leave.", her eyes now carried a melancholic look to them. He didn't want to go, he wanted to stay with her but he would abide by her rules, "Will I... see you again?". She paused for a minute, staring right at him, almost as if looking straight into his soul, "If- If you remember me, then I'll be here. I'll be here as long as you recall our time together.". She seemed on the verge of tears and he noticed that he was too, the tears starting to fall down his cheeks.
"I will. I'll remember you. I will never forget you for as long as I live. I... I lo-", and he was cut off. Her lips met his, out of nowhere. It was a short kiss, absolutely, but his mind was buzzing for more. His lips felt like static and he stared at her and she was completely red. He wondered if his face was the same shade as hers, but that thought was way further back than what just happened.
After a moment, he was the one who initiated it. He kissed her, and this time it was longer. It was more passionate and it was the only way they could truly tell each other their feelings, they were in love, after all. But, nothing can last forever as the kiss broke apart for a second time. They just stared at each other in content, yet despite this feeling the world started to crumble apart.
He wished that time would stop, that this moment would continue on forever. Them together in this perfect world, just the two of them as they would talk, dance and do whatever for the rest of eternity. But the Aeons weren't kind, and time would still press forward, no matter their wishes.
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. We will meet again, no matter what"
After that, she hugged him as she started to crumble apart with the world. He embraced her back as he felt her disappear- for the second time and it was just as bad a feeling as the first time it happened. And he was left in the crumbling dreamscape waiting for reality to take him back, while longing to stay in this perfect world forever.
A shock, and he opened his eyes. He awoke on the Astral Express's couch, as Pom-Pom stood to his side. He wasn't paying attention what they were saying... something with the word, "tears"? He held his hand up to his face, and he felt wetness. Oh. He was crying, but how could he not? He couldn't forget her, he loved her.
He still misses her, yet he somehow believes in the future- he'll find a way to bring her back, no matter what.