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Shion didn’t need to sleep. How could he, anyway?
Before him, a white haired boy and an exhausted redhead laid on the ground, a glowing jar separating them. They laid on their backs, turned slightly towards each other. The jar between them was almost like a little night-light, softly illuminating their surroundings. The two boys had been apprehensive, hesitant to fall asleep and distrustful of the other. How could they not be? It hadn’t even been a week of knowing each other. They were all strangers to each other. ..To Eito and Shion, at least.
Everything changed so fast, from the moment Takumi burst out of his room on the second night.
Shion had been walking around the school, looking for Sirei. He was on the rooftop when he felt something surge within him. Moments later he saw the door to one of the rooms swing open. The moment Takumi had laid eyes on him, tears welled up in his eyes as he yelled and ran towards him.
“Shion!”
“Shion…?”
“That’s- That’s your- wait, what day is it..” Takumi muttered to himself, frantically looking around. He watched the redhead flit about before realization dawned on him. Immediately, Takumi spun on his heel, making a mad dash towards the stairs. “Eito.. He’s..!”
It wasn’t hard to keep up with Takumi after that. He rushed to the war room, grabbing his infuser before sprinting to the gym. Upon seeing the scene about to unfold, he rushed forward and put all his strength into knocking Eito unconscious. He took the boy by complete surprise, shocking even Sirei.
The commanding officer stood there in shock, expecting an explanation for Takumi’s erratic behavior. Instead, Takumi spun on him, cutting down Sirei. It was only when the bomb in his chest activated did he snap out of it, realization setting in as he was hit with the consequences of his actions.
After the explosion, the recovery drone retrieved him, and after a few moments Takumi returned to the gym. Takumi quietly stood over Eito’s body for a long time, his face dark. He seemed lost in thought, before taking a deep breath and kneeling down. Dragging Eito by one of his legs, he hauled the unconsious boy from the gym to the entrance hall.
Before he could reach the fire extinguisher, Takumi hesitated before turning around and calling out into the empty room. “Shion? Are you here?”
That name again. Was Takumi talking about..?
Takumi’s face lit up as the ghost boy showed himself to him. He looked relieved, before his expression quickly shifted to one of guilt. He had just killed Sirei, after all. Shion had watched it all unfold.
“I know you probably don’t understand what’s happening right now, but..” Takumi trailed off, searching for the right words. “This.. this isn’t the first time I’ve.. met you, Shion.”
Ah, so he was talking about me..
“Shion? Are you talking about me?” He spoke softly, staring directly into Takumi’s eyes. The eye-contact must have unnerved him, because Takumi looked away first. He nodded.
“Sorry, right, you don’t.. Yeah. Shion.. That’s your name. It’s what Sirei would have..” He trailed off again, eyes drifting towards the inner door, the directions of the remains of the commanding officer. “A-Anyways..”
Takumi set down Eito’s leg, faced Shion, and explained everything to him. While Shion couldn’t exactly wrap his head around everything Takumi told him.. He could understand where Takumi came from. Considering the unknowns in regards to hemoanima, it wasn’t too farfetched to assume that Takumi had seen a multitude of timelines and have lived through these hundred days thousands of times.
“I.. I have a few things to do. I’ll come back for you. I swear,” Takumi said, grabbing Eito’s leg again as he grabbed one of the fire extinguishers. “If everything goes well, it’ll be soon.”
Shion followed him up until the wall of undying flames, watching him leave, disappearing with Eito. Over the next few days, he watched the Special Defense Unit panic, flitting about trying to figure out what to do. Hiruko quickly reined them all in, taking control of the situation.
As the next few days passed, Shion considered revealing himself to them, but…
Would they even believe me? And what about Takumi? He said he’ll be back..
Mulling these thoughts over, Shion decided to keep his distance as he tried to find the words. What could he say? How could he convince them that Takumi and Eito hadn’t just defected? According to Takumi, there’d be a battle on the seventh day. With so many of them refusing to fight, would things be okay?
It’s so lonely..
With Sirei gone, Shion had no one to talk to anymore. None of them even knew about his existence in the defense room, except for Hiruko. But.. she didn’t seem interested in meeting him yet. Not with more pressing matters to attend to.
One day passed, then two, then three..
The sky was still dark, dawn just barely beginning to break when Shion felt a disturbance early in the morning. Someone was extinguishing parts of the wall surrounding the school. He focused, manifesting his avatar and checking what it was. If the alarms weren’t going off, then that could only mean…
“Shion!”
Takumi..!
The flames parted, revealing the red-haired boy. He looked a little roughed up, but he seemed to be doing well. Behind him, Eito followed at a distance with a disgruntled expression. He seemed to be carrying a jar of some kind. They both had their class armor on, like the last time Shion had seen them.
“How are you doing? Is everyone okay? No one died, right?” Takumi asked, jogging up to Shion. When he shook his head no, Takumi visibly relaxed somewhat before tensing up again and looking back at Eito. The taller boy seemed irritated, his grip on the jar tightening as he jerked his head towards the academy. “Right. I’m glad everyone’s okay.. Sorry, we can’t talk too long. Don’t worry, we’ll have time to later.”
“Later..?” Shion watched as the pair jogged to the school, moving quickly and quietly while ascending the staircases. They were headed towards.. The Defense Room?
They stood in front of the wall of fire guarding the door, catching their breath. Eito carefully set the jar down, before sitting down. Takumi didn’t join him, calling out for Shion again. In a few moments, he appeared to the two of them.
“Shion, you trust me, right?” Takumi asked, face determined. He looked desperate. Eito eyed the two of them skeptically, seeming to bite his tongue as he glanced away. Shion stared at him for a moment before nodding hesitantly. Takumi beamed at him in return, before pointing at the wall of fire. “Do you think you could bring that down?”
“You want to go inside?” According to Takumi, during the first hundred days they had entered the defense room on day ninety-five. That was when Eito had killed him for the first time. Now it’s day five, and Eito and Takumi would be entering the room ninety days early. He glanced at the white-haired boy who had his gaze focused on the fluorescent lights on the floor.
“Don’t worry. He won’t.. I won’t let him hurt you, okay? Actually.. We’re here to save you. We’re friends, after all.” His voice was low as Takumi followed Shion’s gaze to look at Eito. He must have felt the two staring at him, because he lifted his head to scowl at them. It was jarring to see someone he thought was kind to look at him with such animosity.
“Save me..” Shion echoed, before looking back at the defense room door. The undying flames roared, the wall standing firm. He could feel Takumi’s gaze shift towards him. “You really care about me..”
The words he murmured were quiet, but must have rang clearly in Takumi’s head since the redhead coughed and looked away, cheeks warm. What a strange reaction. Shion raised a hand and lowered the wall of undying flames, watching them die down until completely snuffed. Takumi smiled gratefully before nodding to Eito and leading the way in.
Eito’s eyes widened as they walked in, looking around as he carried the jar. Takumi, on the other hand, moved with confidence as he walked up to the pod. He glanced at Eito, who opened the jar. With what seemed to be a practiced motion, he split open the pod before dropping the baby into the jar. The two boys watched with bated breath, the blaring alarm systems getting distant as their gazes flit between the jar and Shion’s hemoanima avatar.
Shion stared back at them. When he didn’t disappear, they let out the breath they had been holding, relaxing. As the emergency power supply kicked in, Eito double-checked the jar before standing up. “We should get going. If no one was awake this early, they’re definitely going to be awake now.”
"Right.. come on, Shion.” Takumi said, taking the jar from Eito and taking careful steps down the stairs. It seems like it was his turn to carry it. Eito walked ahead of him.
Wait, what?
“M-Me?” Shion asked, following after them. Eito sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He seemed extremely agitated and annoyed..
“Yes, Shion. You’re coming along.. That’s why we came back. To.. how did he put it? To save you?” Exasperation dripped from his words as they quickly descended the staircase. Warmth bloomed in his chest at the words, a funny feeling. Right. Takumi had mentioned that. “Takumi hasn’t slept in days. He’s not the only one, either..”
Ah. That must be why he seemed so annoyed. Upon closer inspection, Shion could see the dark circles under Eito’s eyes as they emerged into the entrance hall. Glancing backwards, he could see Takumi had similar circles under his eyes as he carried the jar with his body. “We really had to rush to make that thing.”
“Sorry..” Shion said quietly as Eito examined a fire extinguisher and swapped it with the one they came in with. Eito glared at Shion before shaking his head and holding the door open for Takumi.
“Sorry? For what? It’s Takumi’s fault, his idiotic idea, and I..” Eito hesitated, before smiling. “I just want to see what he ends up doing. He made quite a convincing argument when he tried to sway me to join him.”
“Convincing argument..?” He gave Eito a quizzical look, who in turn scoffed as they jogged over to the wall of flames. According to Takumi, Eito had a cognitive disorder that caused him to see humans as nothing but repulsive, disgusting monsters leading him to harbor a deep hatred for humanity as a whole. “What did he say to you?”
“That’s for me to know, and for you to wonder.” he said simply. Eito grinned as they walked over where the wall of undying flames used to be. The school was defenseless now. He seemed thrilled at that.
The two of them walked for a long time, with Shion hovering alongside them to take in the sights. It was quiet, with Eito keeping his distance from Takumi. Despite them being on what seemed to be the same side, it looks like they didn’t entirely trust the other just yet.
They walked for an entire day. When the sun began to set, they finally slowed down to rest. Takumi set the jar down before sinking to the ground. Eito sat on the other side to have the jar separating them, and then some.
“…Shion, how are you holding up?” Takumi was the first to break the silence. A few moments later, he appeared. Shion looked around, starry-eyed.
“I’m.. I’m doing fine. This is all so.. These sights are so.. new.” He said softly, his gaze raking over the ruins surrounding them. He could hear Eito scoff, turning his head away.
"That’s good! That’s good..” Takumi said, yawning. The exhaustion seemed to be catching up with him. Despite this, he had his eyes trained on Eito, who was also glaring at him. He kept nodding off, before tensing up again to lock eyes with Takumi. It seems neither of them wanted to let their guards down in front of the other yet. “You should rest, Eito.”
“Oh, Takumi, you are just too kind. I’m fine after you oh-so-graciously hit me upside the head and knocked me out for a time. I think you should get some rest instead!” Eito countered, curling his lip in disgust. Takumi’s jaw clenched at that, his mouth opening to retort before it snapped shut. It seems they’ve done this song and dance several times already. Shion stood there, looking between them.
Are they fighting..?
“Um.. if you two want to rest, I could keep watch..” Shion offered. They both turned to gawk at him, before looking at each other. The silence that stretched between them felt like it lasted an eternity before Eito finally spoke.
“Well.. I guess I could relax a little, though the smell-”
“Oh, quit it already!” Takumi spat, frustrated before immediately regretting it and shaking his head. Eito seemed satisfied at getting him to snap at him, watching the guilt that wracked Takumi’s expression with unabashed glee. “Sorry, I-”
Eito shook his head, relaxing slightly as he scooted even farther away. Takumi scooted away too, though he kept his mouth shut this time. Shion kept standing there, lost on what to do or what he could do to help. As the sky darkened, the two boys started to struggle to keep an eye on the other.
Takumi crashed first, nodding off before his body went still, save for the rise and fall of his chest as he fell asleep at last. Eito glanced at Shion, who was still watching both of them before letting his eyes rest for a few moments. He’d jolt awake with a grimace, before falling asleep again. This continued, until he too finally succumbed to his exhaustion.
Shion sat down, hugging his knees. The night was quiet, almost tranquil. He gazed up at the sky, watching stars twinkle overhead. The moon- No, the artificial satellite.. The artificial satellite floated high above. It looked so small.. was the rest of humanity really cooped up in there? He’s supposed to be saving humanity, power the missiles, at least that’s what Sirei had told him. He had long accepted his role. But..
“We’re here to save you.”
Takumi’s words rang in his head. Shion hugged his knees a little tighter. He wants to save me..? Did he even deserve to be saved? Someone that barely has an identity outside of being a weapon?
“We’re friends, after all.”
Friends.. That’s right. Takumi had seen countless outcomes, has lived these hundred days over and over again. Of course he’d regard Shion as a friend. He had all the time in the world to get to know him a hundred times over. So then… why did he feel so guilty? An overwhelming sense of guilt washed over him, almost suffocating. The flames in the jar dimmed as he let out a sigh.
As these thoughts floated in Shion’s head, he saw Takumi stir. He twitched, groaning as his eyes opened groggily. “Shion..? Is something out there?”
Upon hearing him speak, Eito also jolted awake. The grating sound of Takumi’s voice causing him to sit up immediately, scowling as he glared at Takumi. His gaze softened slightly when he followed Takumi’s eyes and saw Shion sitting with them.
“What’s wrong, Shion?” Eito asked, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the jar. “It’s dimming.. is there a leak, or..”
Aah. They’re.. worried about me.
That sense of guilt only amplified at the realization. Shion glanced around, eyes landing on a small bug crawling across the concrete.He pointed at it. Eito and Takumi followed his finger, spotting the small bug. “I.. Um..”
“A roly poly?” Takumi asked, getting onto his knees and getting closer to it. The bug sensed his approach, curling up and ceasing its movements. “Did it scare you?”
“Roly poly..” Shion said slowly. “Is that what that’s called?”
“You seem annoyed, Takumi. What’s that irritated look for? Shion went through the trouble of alerting us to such a rare sight. Does the beauty of the humble pill bug not entrance you?” Every word Eito spat dripped with sarcasm as he crawled over to scoop up the bug and hold it out for Shion to examine. Shion leaned forward, smiling slightly as he curiously watched the roly poly uncurl and begin to crawl around Eito’s palm.
“N-No! That’s not at all what I..” Takumi sighed, looking down at the bug in Eito’s gloved hand. “Sorry, I just.. forget it. Are you okay, Shion?”
Shion was quiet, before nodding. “Yes.. I’m fine. You two should go back to sleep. I insist. I’ll be sure to alert you if I spot anything that requires your immediate attention,” he said as he stood up and stepped back.
Eito and Takumi exchanged glances before scooting away from each other again and laying down. Despite the bitter words they exchanged, they seemed a little more relaxed. This time, Eito fell asleep first, his expression softer than before as he drifted off. Takumi gave Shion a reassuring smile before closing his eyes and going back to sleep.
Their faces look more peaceful than before. Relaxed. A little more.. trusting.
They trust me..
Shion clenched his fist, trembling slightly. He wasn’t sure that they wanted him to do just yet, but they trusted him to protect them. They didn’t want him to die for them. They wanted him to live.. Shion couldn’t put a name to the odd feeling stirring inside him. It was alien to him, a feeling unlike any he felt before.
Even if he couldn’t exactly describe what he felt at that moment, one thing was for certain. The flames that had previously dimmed had grown a little warmer, a little brighter as they illuminated the two boys that laid in front of Shion.