Work Text:
Six turned the crank of her music box. Again and again. She would never notice the time passing; the sweet, enchanting melody lulled her into a paradisiacal illusion where she felt warm and safe.
Lie !
Part of her mind tried to bring her back to reason. However, Six didn't hear it; the music box was what mattered most to her in this twisted world. She adored this melodious paradise; the room in the hunter's cabin protected her from the outside world.
Or is it the Tower ?
No malicious person will harm her. The Hunter had forgotten her; he will never return to execute her, nor the strange boy.
The boy...
The one covering his face with a paper bag was truly bizarre, and that didn't change the fact that he had saved her. But he never came. Six waited for him to arrive, hoping to see the door smashed down with an axe. So, she kept turning the music box, holding onto the hope that he would return to save her again.
Except that he hadn't done it.
He hadn't come.
Why ?
Her mind screamed. Her heart ached at the mere realization.
WHY ?
She turned the crank again so that the melody could soothe her. Her thoughts were nothing but fog and dreams.
He will not come. He will not come back.
Six stopped. She thought she heard a faint voice above the music. She looked toward the door from which the sound was coming. It rang out again, barely audible, yet it seemed familiar. Six couldn't quite place it.
"Hey !"
The girl in the yellow raincoat heard it as clearly as day. She knew now whose voice it was.
Mono.
It was that of her partner, her best friend... and (even if she would never admit it to herself) of her love.
She glanced at the door and then at the music box. Instantly, the room had changed. It was no longer the moldy wooden planks, nothing but a strange floor with a sinister, violet light.
Mono called again. He was standing in front of her, yet he seemed so small compared to her, and he was no longer wearing his mask. Six didn't understand at first; the melody was buzzing in her ears, and she had only seen him brandish an axe before bringing it down on the music box.
Everything went black. Her paradise had crumbled. She no longer felt safe. Because of him.
She woke up slowly, her eyes meeting Mono's. She had hardly recognized him without his paper bag, however she knew it was him.
Six felt strange; she just felt free, confused, grateful, and angry. She couldn't process each of her emotions. Mono snapped her out of her daze by extending his hand, his face filled with worry and relief.
It's also strange to be able to read his expressions so easily.
An ominous rumble echoed through the air, the walls began to crumble, revealing flesh and eyes. The Signal Tower seethed with fury.
Six quickly grabbed the boy's hand and let herself be swept away in a frantic run, the Eyes following them furiously. Everything began to crumble around them; the Tower was collapsing.
Mono let go of her hand and pushed his friend ahead of him so she could get further on. She had managed to reach the bridge and crossed it as fast as her legs could carry her. She stumbled at the end, facing the exit door. She looked over her shoulder; the bridge was finally collapsing as well. Mono jumped suddenly to close the gap between them.
Without thinking, her heart pounding with fear, the girl in the yellow raincoat turned around and just managed to grab his hand. The two children stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, and Six was about to lift him before a memory hits her.
"We did it..." Mono gasped.
They had managed to escape from the Signal Tower using a television. Six was so happy, she watched the screen blinking. The transmission was gradually losing its grip on Pale City.
Unfortunately, she had forgotten one important thing...
Mono was also part of the transmission.
Six stared at her friend in pure horror as the boy inspected his hands, their colors and outlines fading with glitches. He looked up at her. The girl ran to hug him tightly, silent sobs making her tremble. She felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her.
"Six... I'm really happy to have met you... even if it was brief..."
Mono hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear.
"My only regret is not having told you those three words sooner... I love you..."
The television switched off immediately, leaving nothing but a lifeless black screen behind. Six made an effort not to cry openly, clutching the boy's trench coat tightly to her chest. She had collapsed to her knees, overcome with grief.
And then, the TV came back to life, and the tall man in the hat... no... Mono was waiting for her on the other side. Six didn't hesitate. She got up and rushed to reach the tall man in the hat.
She wanted to find him. She wanted to see the boy again at all costs, even if it meant going back in time.
Six was coming to. She stared at Mono's face, which took on a fearful expression. He tried to open his mouth, but it was too late. His hand was released, and he fell into the depths of the Tower. The girl in the yellow raincoat watched him disappear before getting up and leaving, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Forgive me, Mono. I had to do it to save you... but I promise you that we will meet again.
All she has to do is board the Maw, a large, terrifying ship that feeds the hunger of its guests, to take the Lady's place and be devoured in turn. It will all begin again when she awakens. She will meet the other girl in the yellow raincoat and the Pretender again, witness their deaths, and then find Mono on a tree branch in the moonlight, only to be captured by the Hunter.
So the boy will come to save her as he always did.
History will repeat itself. This is all just an endless cycle. A time loop impossible to break free from.
After all, it's a nightmare from which we can never wake up.