"GOOOOOOOD MORNING, SLEEPYHEAD!" Said a familiar voice, even more enthusiastically than usual, for some reason.

"Yeah." I said. 

Looks like DYN2 decided to meet me in a dream again. It's a weird feeling, being here. It's certainly a dream, it's got the atmosphere, at least, but it's not carved out from my subconscious. It's entirely someone else's world. The whole thing feels sort of blurry, in a sense. Whatever that means. 

"So, that was one hell of a day, right?" Said a tank top and khaki clad DYN2. "'Least, the first half was. You got a bit dull for a while there. Though, I can hardly blame you for taking it easy. Especially considering everything buddy ended up doing! Neat stuff, really. Quite inspired."

"I guess."

"Though, I sure do wish you were more involved in some of it. Oh, of course you were usually there, maybe just off in the background retrieving something, but you never really got into the thick of it! Which is understandable, considering all the compounding circumstances, but I think a number of people would like to see you grow a bit of chest hair, ya dig?" They said, extenuating their words with pointless shadow boxing. "Anyway, considering the current state of your pal, I get the feeling you'll be able to show some real chutzpah sooner or later. I dearly look forward to it."

Can't say I'm too fond of the way they said that last bit. 

"Or, perhaps you'll actually get less intense! That's a possibility! In truth, anything is! I don't know what comes next! Exciting, isn't it?"

"I... Guess." Looks like I'm not getting an ominous, vaguely threatening warning today. That's good, at least.

"Whelp, that's all I had to say. I'll be sending you back to bed now! That is, unless you have something you want to say, but I can't imagine-"

"Uh, actually..." Whew... Okay. To be honest, I don't really know what I'm going to say here. Heck, I'm not even entirely sure what it is I want to convey in the first place. I'm not even sure if I want to talk about it now. Maybe I should wait until I have a better picture of the situation. Really, I should have talked to Sis about this. Uh-

"Hm? You were saying something, were you not?" DYN2 said. His face seemed to be one of genuine intrigue, but for a moment I thought he bore a cheeky grin. 

"Uh, y-yeah. Actually. Kind of." I said. 

Well, it's not like I'll only have one opportunity to talk about it. 

"Uh... It's about Si- Y-Your daughter, actually."

"Is it now? Please, go on."

"Well, it's just..."

It's just... It's so many things, actually.

And yet, as I stand here, as I look DYN2 square in the eye, with every ounce of conviction I could possibly muster,

I couldn't think of anything. 

It's her name situation, her inclination towards violence, that dreary look in her eye when we were in the forest, her leaving... But I can't bring myself to talk about any of it. I didn't know how.

I really should have talked to someone about this. Maybe I should have talked to Sis about this, herself. At the very least I should have thought about it some more. Or any at all.

As I showed up to battle utterly alone and unarmed, I couldn't help but question why I came in the first place.

And if it was even my place to come here at all.

"Bit tongue tied, are we?" DYN2 said. "Or do you perhaps just really like the sound of your inner voice?" 

I could say the same thing about you. 'Cept, not inner- whatever. 

"Uh, yeah, actually." I said. "A-about the first bit, I mean, uh... I do have one question, though." This much should be fine, right?

"Spit it out, then! Or don't. We do have all the time in the world, after all. Kind of. Stuff's weird in this dreamy bit." 

"Uh-" Wait, that's kind of odd, isn't it? "Why are we in a dream, exactly? It's not like you had anything you particularly needed to tell me, right?"

"I take it that wasn't the question you wanted to ask."

"Uh, n-no, but I am curious."

"Well, to be entirely honest with you, it's because I wanted to speak with you alone. It's more fun that way."

"Oh." I guess I can understand that. Kind of. "You're not... Avoiding her, right?"

"You're reading too much into it." They said, casually. "I mean c'mon, we lived together for 8 years, after all."

I guess that's fair, probably. For now, anyway. Though, there's a good deal about that I want to question about that, too. Though, I get the feeling that if i ask about any of it I'll just be greeted by a steaming pile of 'don't worry about it.' So, I'll refrain for now. Back on topic.

"Oh, alright. Uh, anyways, uh... How's your daughter doing?"

"Kind of an odd question, isn't it?"

"W-well, it's an important one, right?" 

"Hm. I suppose it is. Well, she's a very bright girl, and I couldn't be more proud of her." They said. Well, that's a pretty basic answer. 

"Uh... But..." What... What am I even trying to say here?

DYN2 sighed. "Alright. Let me tell you this, not as whatever it is I am, but as a friend." They said, like a school teacher that thinks they're far cooler than they actually are. "You're not going to do much if you show up to battle alone, unarmed, and confused."

Oi, that's the same metaphor I used. 

They continued, "Whatever it is you think you're going to find here will remain out of your reach. You won't find it here, certainly not like this. Though I certainly find your efforts, eh, commendable, a knight without his sword and his steed isn't much more than a man in a suit."

Pretentious. But ultimately a fair point. Though I question the hesitation at the word 'commendable.'

Wait a sec. "Uh... Are you saying that you want you want me to 'battle' you?" 

DYN2 smiled creepily. "Who knows?" They said, dropping their casual and friendly tone.

Huh. 

"At any rate, I'll leave you to it. We shall meet once again in the morrow. Ta ta!" They continued, and with a snap of their fingers, they were gone.

Why are you talking like that? Oh, whatever.

I was soon greeted by the ceiling of our cabin/house/our place near Basenholm.

I sat up groggily. It seemed like it was pretty late into the day at this point. Not quite noon yet, but late-ish. 

S was still asleep, from the looks of things. 

"Oh, you're awake. 'Morning." Sis said. She was just kinda standing around for some reason.

I looked over at her and began to say something, but once I saw her my heart just sank. For several reasons, I imagine. I kinda felt like a failure. 

I also questioned what I should do, what words to say, how to even go about getting my proverbial sword. Once again, I questioned how much was too much, if I was overstepping my bounds or a multitude of other things. I thought myself into a every corner my brain could imagine.

But,

there was one thing, at least, that I knew I could do. One thing that I really should do. 

I looked over at S. If what he said yesterday was true, he'd probably be out for a while longer.

"You okay, bro?" Sis asked.

"Yeah." I said, turning back over to her. And, as I stretched my arms before I got up, I said the simple phrase, "Do you wanna go fishing?" 

And as I saw her eyes light up like the night sky, I couldn't help but smile, just a little bit.