Chapter -10: Reflections on the Self
Outside EiznekCm Home
"Arorua, what is TAKING you so long?!" Lehcar screamed, unknown that her daughter had climbed out of Nerehc's window.
"IT'S A REALLY HARD PROBLEM, MOOOM!" Arorua continued fibbing. "Positives are a REALLY hard topic! Okay, hopefully Nerehc's pulling some stupid prank and he's just hiding, just gotta do a quick search of town and—AAAH!!" She fell back when a cloud of smoke exploded before her.
Sipa shook the smoke away and found the girl on her rear. "Oh, hello. Is Nerehc home?"
"Well, he WAS, but," Arorua stood and brushed off, "all of a sudden he's just gone like… wait, you didn't have anything to do with TELEPORTING him, did you??"
"I just GOT here, Nerehc called me a few minutes ago, but I couldn't call back." Sipa showed her her cellphone.
Arorua read that Nerehc called at -7:07 and it was now -7:11. "But then… where did he go?"
"To another dimension, apparently. Interesting way to hide your connection."
"Another dimension? You mean he got pulled to the Posiverse?"
"Maybe. Unless any other dimension is readily available to us."
"Well, what's he doing in there?? Mom keeps yelling at me to watch him since the Halloween incident, if he's out there causing trouble again!"
"Well, maybe he got pulled over there by force, I dunno. Look, lemme go to the Posiverse and ask around."
"Sure, just turn right at the next block—you can't just GO to the Posiverse without your Positive looking in the same reflection!!"
"Yah, unless you have magic. But until he's back, you can use this to fill in for him." Sipa held up a tiny bottle of blue liquid.
"Oh yeah, she'll really take a bottle over her son."
"No. Look." So she plucked it open, spilled the liquid on the ground, and let an exact Nerehc clone sprout up from the substance. "I've been breeding him to use as a practice target. Named him Ner-Ner. Hmhmhmhm! Cute little guy, isn't 'e?"
"…" Arorua approached the wide-eyed clone and held a hand to his face. "SEAWEAVEL!" She flinched at his shout.
"Ummmm still teaching him English."
"YORGUS-SPORG."
"…Well, it sounds like him." Arorua noted. "We'll just say the math finally discombobulated his brain."
"Or you could tell 'em I did it." Sipa grinned.
"Um, sure… Just hurry and find him. It'll only keep its appearance for so long."
"Yeah, but you can still beat 'im around afterward. Bye-bye!" She vanished in a smoke puff.
"ARORUAAAA! What's going on??"
"Uhhhh we're on our way! And don't be surprised if Nerehc's a little… slow-minded. Come on, boy!" She slapped her legs and stepped backward. Ner-Ner got on all fours and pounced after her.
Sector -W7 Treehouse
Yenmihc, Ebnog, and Ahcniea sat around the floor and watched TV, eating rice out of a bowl using spoons, 'cause that's how rice is eaten here. Of course, Ahcniea had to reach up and grab her own pieces since Yenmihc didn't bother to drop a few pieces for the tiny girl. "Huff, huff, huff." Lirpa ran in from the balcony door, sweating and panting as Ahcom sat on her shoulders. "10 laps… 65 minutes…"
"Good, can I get off now, my legs are all soggy!" whined Ahcom.
"I needed, huff, a weight." Lirpa set her down.
"Well, change before you eat with us." Asia told her, eating her own rice several meters above in the air. "I don't want your sweat dripping everywhere."
"Yes, 'cause it'll soooo magically evaporate to your vicinity." Yenmihc remarked.
"Tsk." agreed Ebnog.
"You guys oughta follow my example." Lirpa stated, wiping herself with a towel, "'Cause then people like Ahcom—AAAAH!" A puff of smoke blew her back.
"Oops, sorry Lirpa." Sipa said. "If only I poofed a few millimeters backward. Alright guys," clapped hands, "buck up, we're going to the Posiverse."
"No." Yenmihc stated.
"Tsk." agreed Ebnog.
"Why?" questioned Asia.
"Because Nerehc just suddenly vanished—or at least his phone did—and I think he's in the Posiverse so we gotta see what 'e's doing."
"Just because your boyfriend is avoiding you, it's not our deal." Yenmihc stated.
"Yes it is, 'cause he's our Supreme Leader and our only means of defending against the Dictator. Come on, I have a spell to get us there and I need some back-up."
"Sigh, why do we have to do this?" Ahcniea asked.
"Because if you don't, I'll give all six of you a month's worth of hail-sized lice."
"Ulp!" Asia immediately flew down. "We're at your service!" The others eye-rolled, but complied.
Sipa's room was the one of the treehouse they visited the least. An eerie bright red color, red paint splattered everywhere, sculptures of Demon Saints that hung upside-down on the ceiling, upside-down Crosses, a dark magic circle on the floor, and many symbols and decorations that heavily supported the Dark Arts. Sipa flipped her turnable dresser mirror over to face them. "I use this to visit the Shadow Realm sometimes and borrow some of their tools. But I wonder if my dear Positive will be making a visit… Oppotus Lookin." She tapped her wand on the mirror as an image projected: it looked like her room, except it was definitely more Arceist-centered, and a similar girl in a yellow dress walked in. "She is. Excellent. Now let's all hold hands, 'cause if I go in, you all are able to follow me. Get ready…" She watched as her Positive got in front of her dresser and searched inside her drawers. "Now!" They formed a chain and leapt into the mirror as though it were liquid.
Posiverse; Sector W7 Treehouse
Apis pulled a golden Cross from her drawer. "Here's my special bookmark!" She shut the drawer and walked away when-
"OOO-UUH-OW." Seven people (including a rabbit) came tumbling out of her mirror.
She turned confusedly as the people who were clearly her friends groaned and tried to shove the others off. But a girl who looked to be her twin abruptly shoved them off faster, stomped up to Apis with a serious face, and yelled, "Imperio!"
A cloud of green gas puffed into Apis's face, and her eyes fell blank and emotionless. The others finally recovered and brushed their selves—Asia frantically sprayed her hands and brushed her hair. "Okay, I'm going to make this girl drive me to their Moonbase. First, Asia fly out and look around for their hangar, don't get caught."
"Siigh." Asia begrudgingly flew out Apis's door and kept near the ceiling as she peeked down each corridor. Seeing the coast clear, she eventually made it to the hangar where a silver train was parked. She made her way back to her friends. "All they have is a train."
"What?! Well, we won't be sneaking THAT out anytime soon. We'll have to call their Moonbase or something and ask for a R.E.P.M.A.C.S.; without them realizing it's us. Come on."
Asia flew down first to confirm the coast was clear before the girls made it to the living room where there sat a big TV; much nicer than the old one in their treehouse. "Hopefully Yenmihc is still the leader here; go for it."
Yenmihc eye-rolled and marched up to the TV, seeing a large red button with 'Moonbase' written over. Yenmihc pressed as a voice screamed, "Calling Kids Next Door Moonbase. Calling Kids Next Door Moonbase." The screen buzzed before a chubby boy with glasses appeared. "This is Kids Next Door Moonbase. What is your transmission, Sector W7?"
"Yah, um… our train-or-whatever is busted, so we need a R.E.P.M.A.C.S.." Yenmihc explained with no hint of hiding her intentions.
"Wait, it's a S.C.A.M.P.E.R.! S.C.A.M.P.E.R.!" hissed Sipa.
"I mean a S.C.A.M.P.E.R.. Whatever the hell that is."
"Um, okay. For what purpose?"
"To, um… do… some non-suspicious stuff."
"…Uuuumm… sigh, fine, whatever, I'm too busy to talk about this. Be there momentarily."
So within 5 minutes, a couple of small ships hauled in a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. to the hangar as -W7 watched. Those ships landed as the pilots stepped out to greet them. "Well, here's your S.C.A.M.P.E.R.." the female pilot said. "When do you think your ship will be… hmm… it doesn't look busted." Indeed, the silver train looked shiny as ever.
"Well, uh, it's going faster than it's s'posed to." Yenmihc replied.
"Kinda thought it was s'posed to. Mind if we do a check?" the male pilot asked.
"Er, we… IMPERIO." Sipa puffed gas and put them under as well. "Sigh, okay, Ahcom and Ahcniea will come with me, the rest of you stay here and keep watch on these guys 'til we come back. And try and keep your Positives from knowing what's going on. Be back in a few." She and the aforementioned girls, plus the hypnotized Apis, entered the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and shot off for the sky.
"Yeah, well… you guys do that, I'm gonna see what this universe passes for TV." Yenmihc said before she and Ebnog left.
"Tsk-tsk."
"…Well, I'm not staying in this stuffy place." Asia said before flying to the lovely clouds above.
"…Hmph!" Lirpa folded her arms in anger and sat on the floor. "I have to do EVERYthing!"
In the living room, Yenmihc had already lain lazily on the couch and switched on the TV with the remote. While she was searching through channels, Chimney and Gonbe walked in with casual faces as the former looked at herself on the couch. "Oh, hey Me! I didn't realize you were already here!" Chimney greeted with a grin. "What's on today?" She sat beside herself.
"I dunno, crap? Don't this place have anything good on?"
"I think Boruto is on right now. That's a good show!"
"Gyom-gyom!"
Chimney took the remote and changed it to said show. "…Eh. Better than Multiple Pieces." Yenmihc figured.
"Yaaah. You like it!"
"…" Gonbe looked at the grumpy rabbit on its belly. "Gyom-gyom?" he greeted with a smile.
"…Tsk." Ebnog spared a brief glance.
Aipyks
A flying saucer took land atop a dark Island Cloud just outside of a small town in this glum, poisoned sky. The hatch opened and Atnort Eerfnud marched out coolly. "So if Anna played her cards right, Nerehc is gone. Let's hurry up and recruit these angels already."
"On the contrary, you will be carrying that task." Aluben stated, waiting inside the ship.
"What?! I already tried to, I thought you were coming so you could help!"
"I'm waiting to see if you'll still be of use to me, ergo giving you one last chance to prove your worth in persuasion. The fact that Nerehc is disposed of may give you a fighting chance, but should you expectantly fail, I'll have to do it for you. …Just for fun."
"Just for fun?! I could barely take these guys before, what's the point of going in there again, getting my butt whacked, then you're just going to—" He was forcibly bent backward, grunting.
"I already have no use for arguers. Now if you can't persuade a couple birds to your side, I'll have to let you snap. Is that what you want?"
"Ow… no…"
She released. "Then show me otherwise. I need… rest." The hatch closed.
So with no further arguments, Atnort stepped into the town, viewing the giant cloud-tree in the distance. Already, swarms of dark-winged angels soared down from the tree like warplanes, blasting machineguns. Atnort quickly dodged and blasted beams of blue lightning that became the only light in this dark place, and that brightness was easy to detect and dodge as they surrounded and stormed Atnort together. Alighting his boots with lightning, Atnort flew and zipped around in the air, clashing with Nimbi. The light from his flashes shone into the saucer's windows, alighting Aluben's sleeping, mistakably-dead form.
Downtown Water 7
The sun was always so bright over this town, it would be hard to imagine it any differently. Definitely a perfect day for a certain Nimbi child to lie on a rooftop and watch the clouds float by. They always looked so big and fluffy, Aisa dreamed of feeling their pure softness under her bare feet, lying down awash in endless dreams. A group of tiny flapping dots flapped just under the clouds, which Aisa recognized as birds. They were so lucky… being able to fly wherever they chose, bearing no weight on their bodies. What Aisa would give to feel that weightlessness on her bones. To have wings that worked. Feeling nothing but the air around her.
One more bird flew above, but this one looked noticeably different. It had four wings, not two, but those other two bore a shape like… arms? And her bottom looked not like a feathery tail, but two wide legs…
Asia never felt better air in her lungs. The sky was so clean and clear, so impossibly beautiful, she never felt so great in her life. This was truly the Heaven they could only hear about in dreams… the pure, clean world. "Ouch!" Until what felt like two gumballs struck her right cheek. After hurriedly sterilizing it, she looked to the town below. The people looked like dots from here around the white buildings, but a certain dot stood on a building, waving its tiny arms. Asia shot down down down like a rocket, strong wind pushing against her face.
Aisa's grin had never been wider as she waved the fellow Nimbi to come down. Asia ceased her descent and flapped in place as she faced Aisa. "What?" the former asked crudely.
"I saw you flying over and, I had to speak with you! I've never met another Nimbi before- oh?" Aisa took a moment to further study the girl. "Wow, you look… a lot like me."
"Pbbth, beg to DIFFER. You look FILTHY, your hair's a mess, your dress looks like a sack, and… uck, I don't wanna imagine the state of your feet." No way this can be my Positive, I can't REALLY be this dirty in this universe!
"Hey, my family isn't rich, all right?? Besides, I've grown accustomed to the earth beneath me, and this dress catches the breeze beautifully. To be honest, I've never imagined other Nimbi being so… clothed. Wouldn't you prefer feeling the wind better than being so congested?"
"Well, I come from a region of the sky that's a little fogged. I know plenty of people that died from the pollution there, I take extra precautions to avoid that."
"Wow. I'm sorry about that. …Is that why your wings are black?"
"What? No, they're supposed to be black, why would they…" She finally noticed Aisa's wings, "White?"
"Wow, you must be from really far away!" Aisa beamed. "I've always dreamed of meeting another Nimbi! What's it like up in Skypia; how's it feel, sleeping on clouds, talking to birds, flying?"
"Whaddyou mean? Don't you fly?"
"Well… no." Aisa frowned. "I'm a flightless Nimbi. My wings don't work. I can't tell you how much I wish I could; I've always wanted to fly up there and visit my homeland. …But where do you come from; are black wings a common trait?"
"Well, eh… yes, actually. But the skies in my region are barely inhabitable; the humans below are always polluting and no Nimbi can tell a normal cloud from one of smoke. A lot of them are always dropping from the sky, some have to move to the surface world, 'course that isn't very pleasant either, that's why I carry these around." She pulled out hand-sanitizer, shampoo, and general body soap from her pockets. "I keep telling my friends to do the same, but they don't listen, so who'll be laughing when I'm the last to die?"
"Boy… to think I only had to worry about not flying and just being poor. But why've you never thought about moving to clear areas of the sky?"
Asia glanced away. "I… didn't think there were any." She replied quietly what was technically a fib. It was amazing she never realized she was her Negative, yet.
"Well, that's the beauty of having wings." Aisa declared more brightly. "To be able to fly anywhere of your own accord! Search for what wonders lay out there. That's just what you did and it led you to this place, didn't it?"
"I guess, but…but I'm just so accustomed to where I live. This clean air just feels too… good to be real."
"But you aren't feeling all the air you should, all those heavy clothes on? ? If you're actually planning to go back where you live, I'm getting you used to my OWN version of air. First by ditching those shoes of yours." Without hesitation, Aisa walked up and yanked off Asia's shoes.
"HEY, don't!" Asia crossed her legs and gripped her socks before she did anymore. "Feet attract more dirt than anywhere else, that's why they're disGUSTING!"
"…Okay, you definitely need some work." So Aisa began trying to pry her socks off.
Somewhere else
Expectedly, Lirpa abandoned her post and was going for a jog around town. If she was forced to go on this little adventure, ditched by her teammates, she would surely make use of this town and keep her body in shape.
"Hmmm… such a small town, such a dull town…" said April Goldenweek to herself, standing at a canvas on a roof. "The repetition intrigues me… so little there is new to paint. …"
"Huff, huff, huff." But April suddenly noticed a jogger coming down the street before stopping just under her roof for a breath. There was something about the jogger April couldn't quite put her tongue on.
"Hello there." Lirpa looked up at April's call. "May I ask why you're running?"
"Why do YOU care?!" proclaimed Lirpa. "Unless YOUR friends are a bunch of JERKS who use and ABUSE you, never saying please or THANK YOU while they LAY around! I hate them ALL and just wish they would DIE, and I would never cry over them 'cause THEY'D NEVER CRY OVER ME! Uh huh huh huh huuuuuh!" She ran down the street crying.
April's frowning toneless face didn't alter as she painted her canvas. In just a brief instance, her imagination sprung to life without warning, and she reached a new level of artistry. In a brief instance, she took this dull town and turned it upside-down.
…She literally painted Water 7 upside-down. "It makes for symbolism." she said to the readers.
Sector W7 Treehouse
"AAAAAHHH HA HA HA!" laughed Chimney, slapping Yenmihc's back. "What a good filler episode. And 10 more 'til we get back to main story! But say though, that's some crazy story you got there, Me. So you friends with a little person, an angel, a Ganonist, a pro athlete, and some shorty with no discernible skills?"
"Yes… that is the brief description of them."
"WAH-HEY! You got one heck of a party, Me! Why, it sounds almost as cool as MY group!"
"Then you must know how AGONIZINGLY ANNOYING they must be. Ahcniea can't help herself for JACK, and yet she's less of a case than Ahcom who's too lazy to open a DOOR by her shrimpy self, Lirpa is so much of a BITCH about everything, I wish she'd just CORK it already, Asia can't go ten seconds without disinfecting her inner cells, Sipa is constantly cursing us to become Ganon-lovers, and Ebnog here: he's the most BORING rabbit you'd ever HAVE." The rabbit spared a disinterested glance at her. "I couldn't have been in charge of a team of nice, normal people, but they're the worst possible choices I coulda had, I hate everything about them and if I could, I would wipe my memory of their EXISTENCE."
It was amazing to hear herself talk about her friends that way. How much work it took to withstand their company. "…WAAAAAAHHHH!" Chimney squeezed her opposite in a tearful hug. "WHERE 'AVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIIIIIIFE? My on'nanokos are SO ANNOYING. We gotta CARRY Aeincha everywhere, Aisa's got the worst odor, I'd give ANYTHING to shut Apis up about Arceus, April, ehhh, kinda creepy, and Gonbe loves me too much. Next thing you know, we get a freakin' GIANT girl STOMPIN' up the place, squish squish, squish-squish, and that'll be the highlight. OIIIII I have such annoying friends."
"Then why do you hang out with them?"
"'CAUSE THEY MY FRIEEEENDS!" She almost deafened Yenmihc. "And I love them 'cause they're fuuuuun. Why do you hang out with yours?"
"Well, someone has to. Though Sipa might as well take over that duty. I find way too many flaws to even consider them my friends, though."
"Eh, but flaws are easy to get past, the problem is you all hate each other, you oughta fix that about them. I know what makes my friends love me, TAKING THEM ON A TRAAAAIN! You drive trains, Me?"
"No way. I prefer boats. Much calmer. And safer."
"You kidding me?? I challenge you to show me what a boat has over trains!"
Random steamboat somewhere
BOOOOOOOOOOOM. The gentle ocean waves washed by as Yenmihc drove the slow, steady vessel, streams of smoke emerging from the chimneys. "Naaaaah. This is boring." Chimney said boredly.
"Gyom-gyom." replied Gonbe with similar feelings.
KND Moonbase
"This is Numbuh 777 of Sector W7, requesting permission to land." Apis spoke through the terminal.
"This is Numbuh 802, permission granted." So the brainwashed girl flew the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. into the hangar without trouble.
"Perfect." said Sipa. "And to make sure they don't discover you:" She cast a spell and turned her Positive into a snail. "Ahcom, guard her. Oh, and I think your name is 'Mocha' in this world." She heard Ahcom's defiant huff a brief moment before she searched for Moonbase Office, while Ahcniea peeped around from under her hat.
The journey up Moonbase went without trouble, so clearly it wasn't suspicious of "Apis" wearing a black dress. She recognized the door to 'Supreme Leader's Office' as the same as Nerehc's, so she knocked. "Come in." called a voice inside, so Sipa walked in casually.
"Oh, Numbuh 777, hello!" Panini Drilovsky greeted brightly from the office desk. "What can Ay do ya for?"
She was already confused. "Er, I was wondering where… how is it spelled, Cheren is?"
"Oh, um, Numbuh 3621 is… on a private mission right now." Panini replied regrettably. "And Ay… don't know when he'll be back."
"Wh…Where has he gone?"
"Well, ehhh… Numbuh 6:00 was kind of kidnapped by a demon into another dimension, so eh, Cheren decided ta follow. Using GKND's Dimension Transporter. Ay'm sorta filling in for him, so, if there's something ya wanted to ask him…"
"What… dimension exactly?"
"Ay think he said… Termina?"
"…" Sipa looked down in deep thought. Piecing it all together… it almost made sense. "Well… never mind, then. I was only… going to ask him…"
"Siiiigh." Panini sighed sadly. "It's only when a boy's been stomped by a boot so many times that he thinks he has ta be the hero fer everything. Ay mean, it's somethin' to admire about him, but… what if he doesn't come back?"
"So, you're… really loyal to him, huh?"
"Ay… guess so?" Panini quirked a brow at the way that was phrased. "He is Supreme Leader… and the only boy who can stand ground against me in Pokémon A/B fer 5 minutes. And Ay mean, he can put up a fight, but… goin' to that place alone.."
"Did he want you to go with him?"
"Not exactly, he… well, he loves workin' solo."
"If you're devoted to your master, you should go with him."
Panini raised the brow higher at this wording. But still… "I should?"
"Yes. I would be honored to die for my master. Because I know that his priorities are above mine."
"WEEEEeeeell, dyin' for him would be a real waste in strength."
"Then you bare no loyalty."
"'ey, Ay'm plenty loyal to Cheren, but in my defense, he's a baby. …So then… maybe I shoulda gone with him." She glanced away contemplatively.
"Yes…" Sipa spoke with interest, "Maybe you should."
"…Well, um… will ya be needing anything else?"
"Oh yeah, my sector developed a fascination with dark arts and we request items regarding such."
"…I'll uh… see what Ay can do about that?"
"Good." Sipa nodded. "And, don't be surprised if we sound confused upon your delivery. Good-bye, Ini-…" She took a moment to spell it, "Panini." So when all was all said and done, Sipa left the office and returned to the hangar, where a few guards stood around her ship as Numbuh 802 stepped out.
"Hey, um, quick question, we inspected your S.C.A.M.P.E.R., nothing suspicious, just protocol, and er, your friend 'Mocha' here claims to be Numbuh 7-Feet Tall, but our records don't read any operative by that numbuh ever existing."
"…Oh…" This caught Sipa off-guard. "Well, that isn't actually her number, she's sort of, eh, sensitive about her height." Ahcniea peeped around from under her hat, slipped down Sipa's dress, out of the bottom, and crawled around, "See, she's actually 2-Feet, but she was hoping to be 7 feet by now, but how could that happen, right?" Ahcniea climbed up 802's backside, then up his helmet, "Lirpa- I mean, Ah…pril keeps nagging her to exercise, but she's never gonna listen, she's ultimately hopeless in the end-"
"What- H-H-HEY, what's happening-" Numbuh 802 started moving his arms weirdly, "H-HYAAAAH-AAAAAH!" He raised his gun and frantically began blasting his fellow guards. "Somebody stop me, my arms are outta control!"
"WAAAH help! Help! 802's gone berserk!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
As soon as all the other guards were clear, 802 bashed his head against a ship and knocked himself out. His helmet bounced off, revealing Ahcniea having forced two needles through his hair and scalp, before jumping off. "Where I fail in cosmetology, I exceed as a surgeon. Plain and simple."
Sipa picked her up, "Glad we can count on you when's important." With that, she returned in the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and saw Ahcom cowering at the sight of the unbelievably slow, tiny, harmless Apis snail. She yelped when Sipa zapped it back to normal.
"Nnnnnmmm…" Apis began to feel really dizzy, but once again- "Imperio." Sipa had her again. "Let's go back. Hopefully the others haven't blown their selves to their opposites too badly." And the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was gone before anyone realized. "I would die for my master… but certainly not before those under me."
Water 7
"Mmm-m-m-m-m-m-m-m!" Asia shuddered in her new green dress with black diamond patterns around its bottom, her bare feet stiff against the rooftop with her toes forced up. "Why-y-y are you maki-ing me-e-e wear thi-i-i-i-is?" she stuttered as if on vibrate.
"So your skin will catch the air better once you fly." Aisa replied, lying casually on Asia's clothes with her right foot over her left knee. "I can only feel those goosebumps from my treehouse balcony, I'm not letting you miss experiencing them firsthand. I can't complain about you keeping sanitized where you live, but it's time you know what real air feels like."
"Huuu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u…" This unusual chill on her juddering legs was unnerving.
"Oh- come on, just FLY you big baby."
Asia gulped, and very slowly, her feet pulled a few inches off the roof. "That's right! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Aisa flapped her arms. Seconds passed as Asia steadily hovered into the air, Aisa gazing with delight when her body shrunk into the blue.
Asia flipped horizontal, stretched her arms and legs, and began to fly. She was a decent flyer all her own, but this much chill was odd on her bare arms and legs. Her wings seemed to flap a bit better due to not poking through that thick sweater, and without her heavy clothes in general, she seemed to drift up more. She was so worried about her body catching the smog and filth of the atmosphere… but she never knew any area with clean, clear skies… never any area where she can breathe so freely.
Aisa could feel that excitement and freedom Asia was feeling, and she was glad for her. Wearing that dress which her mother got for her, Asia truly did look like Aisa. It was almost like their meeting was fated, because Asia totally resembled the Nimbi Aisa wanted to be: flying free with strong, sturdy wings, unafraid of anything. …Well, the germaphobe part not so much, but at the moment, Aisa believed she was staring at a fantasy mirror way up in the sky.
Indeed, after 20 minutes of flying, Asia wasn't tired. This was real air she could get used to, and she loved it. Even though her feet felt frozen, this was her ideal dream sky, and she wouldn't have it any other way. "…WAAAAAAH!" But no such sky could exist when giant freaking trains blazed by and almost splatted her like windshield fly.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Yenmihc and Ebnog were flat as pancakes against the back wall.
"Tsk-tsk!"
"YAAAAAAH. THIS is how train-riding SUPPOSED to be, AAAAAYYYYYE?"
"Gyom, gyom!"
"CRAFT LIKE THESE SHOULD NEVER EXIIIIIIIIST!" Even Yenmihc never yelled this loud. She felt like her lungs would burst.
Around and around and around in circles the train went, like on a magic invisible track that required no laws of physics, so it was just lined however, because it's funner that way. The train was aimed directly at the base of the fountain, and, after 3 more seconds, it crashed.
Sector W7 Treehouse
"YAAAAAAHHH!" It was uncanny how fast Chimney and Yenmihc got bandaged. "WAAA-HAAAAAA." Limping back into the treehouse with an ecstatic and scowling expression respectively. "Oi, I hope we never have to do THAT again! WE ALMOST DIIIIEEEED!"
"Gyoooooom!"
Sipa's S.C.A.M.P.E.R. returned, and by this time, the members of both sides rushed into the living room to view their injuries. "CHIMNEY/YENMIHC! ARE YOU OKAY/YOU AREN'T DEAD?"
"Oh, HEY on'nanokos! This be Me, and she's my FRIEEEEEND!"
"Gyoooom!"
". . . . . . . . ." Both teams stared with utter confusion at their opposites.
April was still painting. "I knew it was a matter of time before our shenanigans caused us to reflect upon ourselves."
"You've been ignoring me ALL DAY, JUST like these guys, CAN WE PLEASE JUST GO?!" screamed Lirpa.
"Yes, um… let's get out of here." Sipa casually led her possessed Positive away, her friends joining. Yenmihc spitefully smacked Chimney before limping after.
"Asia, wait!" Aisa rushed up to her Negative, who was gliding rather than walking to her friends. "You, um… forgot these." She presented her clothing and lotions.
"Oh… thanks." Asia took them.
"You're my… Negative, aren't you?"
"Y…Yeah." Asia looked away.
"I thought you were. It was kind of… obvious."
"Mmm…" She wasn't sure where to draw on this.
"You can keep my dress. Use it to… remember me." Aisa smiled. "Remember your time here. Remember what it felt like to breathe."
"…" She returned the smile. "Sure I will. And I hope… you'll get to fly, too." She glided back toward her friends.
"And every once in a while, give your toes some breath, too!"
"Ehehehehehe, think about it."
"Awwwww." Aeincha frowned. "I wanted to talk to my Negative."
April finished painting her picture and turned it. "A reflection of what could be." It was of Lirpa with tear waterfalls down her eyes, very fat, and eating mountains of treats.
In Apis's room, the -W7 members one-by-one jumped back into the mirror and vanished. "Hmmmm… I should release her, but then again I'm saving her from a godless fate." Sipa said as she observed the mindless Apis.
"Let her go, Sipa." Asia ordered.
"Fine. Release." She waved her wand and Apis shook her head dizzily. The two were already gone beyond the mirror before she recovered.
The rest of W7 ventured to the hangar where the pilot operatives finally broke out of their trance and untied themselves. "Ahh hey, you guys are here!" Chimney beamed. "Our ship is busted, help us out."
". . . . ." They both pulled a juice carton from their B.A.J.O.O.K.A., dropped it on the floor, and squished it before returning to their crafts and leaving.
EiznekCm Household
This was by far the most awkward breakfast they ever had. Arorua's heart was racing with nervousness, but the fact their mom hadn't noticed yet was astonishing. "So, um… Nerehc seems active this morning." Lehcar said.
"Yes, he… really is joyous." Arorua agreed.
"BOGGIS-booog. BOGGIS-booog." Ner-Ner had discovered a random stage and was shaking and dancing in a really weird manner, flailing his arms and side-stepping in place. Also, his arms glitched about in a poorly animated fashion. "Boog. Boog boog boog-boog-boog, boog. Boog. Boog. Boog, boog boog boog-boog-boog. Boog. Boog. Boog. Hogs-. MogisimOOOOGUS, hogs. a. spogs. Hogs. HogisimOOOOGUS. Hog: gus: spog. Buuk bawk bok BAAAAWK BOK. Bokaga-boooog-bok, bok. Bok. Bok. BOOOOOK-bok. Bawk. Boookaga-gakaga-gaKA: gagagakaaaaga. Whadon DEARTH: dis. ALL O' DISH: HOGGUS-SPAAAAWK."
Bum. Dun-DUN.
Vast jungle; Termina Dimension
The stars were beautiful above this endless jungle, the critters of the night making their rounds and sounds. Things were in harmony here, and nothing could disturb. But one of those stars mysteriously flashed, and began to shoot down. Zooming a bit closer, this star was Nerehc, unconscious from the sudden flash of light that struck him. Flying straight like a meteor at an angle, he was aimed directly for a house within the shrubs. He crashed and destroyed its front, so Cleveland Brown began his storyly slide. "No no no no NO NO!" Crash. "Darn it! How many meteor-dives from space can one kid do?!"
For several hours did Nerehc lay in his crater. Like the tree that fell in the forest, but no one was around to hear. …Except Cleveland, but that's how fast he moves. By the time his head began to stir, he felt very numb and his vision was blurry. He felt like he was imagining the caws, cricks, and croaks in the jungle air, and the cracking of twigs under a pair of feet, shuffling of shrubs drawing closer. He thought he was imagining the upside-down shadow approaching him. "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"