-Chapter 7-

            “You know, you’ve been acting strange for a while now…”

            These were the words Eiko Shinohara spoke to her young student Tsukiko Matsuura on a certain evening in early-May. In response to this matter-of-fact statement, the young girl simple gave a grin and laughed.

            “Heehee, you really don’t need to worry so much about me, Ms. Shinohara.” Tsukiko replied. Still, no matter how Shinohara looked at the situation, it was weird.

            “… If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’ve become happier sitting up here in the hospital, despite the pain and ill symptoms you’ve been suffering. I can’t understand it.” responded the teacher, narrowing her eyes.

            “Do you think so?” Tsukiko tilted her head in an exaggerated manner. In a sense, it was almost as though she were making fun of Shinohara.

            “… Be honest with me. You don’t like being in my class, do you?” Shinohara asked, silently averting her gaze as she did so.

            “Well… yeah, I don’t.” Tsukiko gave a somewhat apologetic smile. “It’s not your fault though. Hmm… well, maybe it’s more like… you don’t help make it any better, you know?”

            “Heh… I see.” Shinohara could only laugh at herself. “Honestly, I can’t fault you for feeling that way.”

            Eiko Shinohara had always felt that she was a poor teacher. Compared to her old friend Mariko Yamagata, who had a sociable personality and could get along with anyone, Shinohara had always been much more of a loner. That side of her personality led to Shinohara struggling with communication, especially during her training to be a teacher. Still, she pushed through those struggles in order to obtain the same occupation as her close friend. Unfortunately, by mere happenstance, the two would become assigned to teach in different districts of Starlight Academy. With each district being closed off from one another, it effectively meant being separated from one another.

            Shinohara’s self-doubt would only grow and feel affirmed during her first several years teaching. Because she felt she lacked the kind of personality necessary to really unify her class, the students under her care ended up forming their own cliques, and for a brief time, there was even some bullying taking place. The situation culminated in the incident where Haruto Kawashima and several other students all got into a fight. At the time, Shinohara was penalized and given extra work, including assisting manual labor around Central. It was a truly troubled time for her, where Shinohara truly felt as though her life was a waste.

            “Ms. Shinohara…?” Tsukiko waved her hands at her silent teacher.

            “Oh, excuse me…” Shinohara snapped out of her daze, still unsure what to say to her hospitalized student.

            Tsukiko studied the face of her depressed teacher. Up until now, she never really thought much of her. Shinohara was simply the adult assigned to her class who she’d end up seeing every day. But after enjoying her time making use of the dreaming world she’d gained control over, Tsukiko began to wonder if anyone else longed for a particular dream the way she did.

            “Ms. Shinohara, do you have a dream you’d like to see?” Tsukiko asked out of curiosity.

            “A dream…?” Shinohara folded her arms and thought to herself.

            Naturally… she’d like to see her again.

            “Yes… There’s someone I’d like to see again.” Shinohara spoke, after giving it some thought.

            “Wow…” Tsukiko was a bit moved. After all, the desire to meet someone she longed to see again was the very thing she had been able to gain with the power of these dreams.

            And so… Tsukiko held out her hand.

            “Hm? What’s this about?” asked Shinohara, confused.

            “Take my hand, and I promise… you will surely find a way to meet the person you want to see… even if it’s only a dream.” Tsukiko smiled.

            “Oh…?” Shinohara muttered, casually accepting the handshake.

            At the time, she wondered if perhaps it was some kind of charm thought up by the kids and didn’t think much of it. But that night, the vivid dream she had made her realize there was much more to this than she realized…

---

            “How’s the food? I think I’ve really refined my recipe over the years!”

            “It’s amazing… Ahh, I can’t believe it, but somehow your cooking is even better than I remember!”

            It was the early afternoon on Saturday, May 20^th. While Yuko was busy taking care of various clinical tests and appointments at Central Hospital, Mariko Yamagata decided to spend the day with her old friend Eiko Shinohara. The two hadn’t seen each other in quite some time, and Mariko had earlier promised Eiko a meal. The two were both currently in Eiko’s room in the dorms, where Mariko had just finished preparing the promised lunch.

             “That’s great! I’m so glad you like it!” Mariko happily clapped her hands together.

            “Mm-hmm…! So delicious…” Eiko stared at Mariko, her face stuffed, but with teary eyes of joy.

            “My, you don’t need to get that emotional over it. Haha.” Mariko giggled.

            After saying that, Mariko proceeded to start eating her own serving. The two continued to exchange small talk as they enjoyed their meal together. Before long, both had finished their food and a fair bit of time had passed.

            “Well, it’s been wonderful getting to spend this time with you, but I should probably go check up on Yuko soon…” Mariko spoke, glancing at the clock on the wall.

            “Oh, yes… It seems we’ve let the time slip by so quickly…” Eiko muttered, a bit of a sad cadence in her voice.

            However, not noticing Eiko’s mood, Mariko simply took the dishes to the sink in order to give them a quick rinse before leaving. A few silent moments passed by as Mariko dutifully washed the dished.

            “… Hm?” Mariko blinked.

            Eiko had embraced her from behind.

            “Eiko? What’s the matter?” Mariko asked, concerned.

            “… It’s been so lonely without you.” Eiko’s voice was muffled as her face lay pressed onto Mariko’s shoulder.

            “… Yes, but it’s been a long time, Eiko.” Mariko understood what Eiko was getting at.

            “Time means nothing, because I still think of you every day…!” Eiko’s embrace tightened. “You understand, don’t you? I couldn’t ever forget you so easily, Mari…!”

            “…!”

            With a loud clanging sound, a plate tumbled into the sink.

            Eiko had pulled Mariko from the sink, turned her around, and kissed her. Mariko was stunned as Eiko’s moist lips pressed desperately against hers.

            The sensation brought back memories... Memories of younger days.

            During their final years in high school, and up into their time together in Central, Eiko Shinohara and Mariko Yamagata had secretly been lovers. But once they’d both become teachers and it was decided that they’d end up teaching in two separate districts, Mariko chose to end their relationship.

            At the time, she explained her feelings to Eiko: that things would be better that way. The two would be able to start fresh new lives as adults, and focus their attention on helping raise the next generation of students who were living their lives in Starlight Academy.

            Their final days together were hectic, with many an argument over whether it was truly the right decision to end what they had with each other. But with their impending separation, there was little they could do. In the end, the two ended their relationship and bid each other goodbye when it was time for Mariko to move to the eastern district.

            Deep down, Mariko knew that Shinohara likely had difficulty accepting the situation. Once they reunited in Central after all these years, Mariko had a feeling this would come up.

            “Eiko… I can’t be by your side. You know this.” Mariko spoke just as their lips parted, blushing as she averts her eyes.

            “I know…” Eiko whispered. “I know, but… This may be my only chance to see you again…!”

            “Nhah!” Mariko squeaked just as Eiko firmly grabbed at her chest, giving her breast a squeeze.

            “Mari…!” Eiko moved in, trying to land another kiss, when…

            “I told you, we can’t!” Mariko shouted, pushing Eiko away.

            Eiko stumbled and fell to the floor. The two simply remained still as an awkward silence filled the air. Only the sound of the still-running faucet reverberated throughout the room.

            “Eiko, I’m sorry…” Mariko fixed her disheveled clothing before turning off the sink. “Like I said, I can’t be with you… It wouldn’t be right for us to do this now, when I’m going to be leaving tomorrow.”

            “Mari…” Eiko mumbled, dejected.

            Mariko had grabbed her bag and made her way to the doorway.

            “I’m glad we could spend this time together today.” she said, placing her hand on the doorknob. “I’ll see you tomorrow before leaving. Excuse me.”

            And just like that, Mariko left the room.

            Eiko still sat on the floor, lost in thought.

            “No, Mari… We’ll meet again before then. And this time, surely… You’ll understand.”

            After mumbling those words, Eiko could only chuckle to herself.

---

            “I am right here.” Eiko spoke with a cold smile, staring Mariko directly in the eyes. “We are now forever connected.”

            “No, you’re not the real Eiko! This is just a dream I’m having!” shouted Mariko.

            That night, after going to bed, Mariko was once more having a bizarrely vivid dream. At first, it was a dream of her days as a student in the library club with Eiko. However, after her awkward encounter with Eiko earlier in the day, Mariko didn’t want to dream about her, so she left the library. Thinking she’d escaped that dream, she wandered around the colorless version of Central, until Eiko suddenly reappeared.

            “Oh, sweet Mari… I understand it’s a lot to take in, but please listen and understand. Our dreams are connected now! This means that even with you far away in the eastern district, we can still see each other here in our dreams!” Eiko explained.

            “There’s no way something like that could be real…” Mariko tried her best to be rational, but she was too lucid to pass this situation off as some kind of confused dream state.

            As bizarre as it was, even though she could tell this was still a dream, it felt almost as real as reality, and she knew that the person in front of her was independent of anything thought up by her own mind. In which case, it just might be the real Eiko. But she couldn’t help but feel that such a situation should be impossible.

            “Trust me, it’s real.” Eiko smiled. “I don’t fully understand it, but this is all thanks to my dear student Tsukiko. You see, she’s the one maintaining this dream space.”

            “It’s… Tsukiko?” Mariko was surprised to hear the name of the young patient girl come up here.

            “That’s right… My guess is that maintaining something like this is the reason behind her poor condition as of late.” Eiko raised her arms, showing off the surrounding scenery. “But I don’t mind. Can’t you see? Because of this magnificent ability, the two of us can be together! We’re no longer bound by the restrictions in reality, or Starlight Academy’s strict rules!”

            “…I don’t understand what you’re saying at all.” Mariko began to feel troubled by the explanation. “If Tsukiko is doing this, then why are you and I here?”

            “Well, she’s the one who introduced it to me not long ago, which I’m quite grateful for.” Eiko smiled. “I’ve had many great dreams thanks to her, after all.”

            “Okay, but then what about me?” Mariko asked.

            “Well, once I saw that you were the one accompanying that girl Yuko here, it was simple… All I did was ask her.” explained Eiko.

            “She’d involve a stranger like me in something like this?” Mariko clenched her fist.

            “Well, she was hesitant at first, but…” Eiko tilted her head. “I convinced her, in exchange for continuing to keep the dream stuff a secret from the doctors. Not that it really mattered, hehe.”

            After Eiko finished speaking, an awkward silence lingered for a moment. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Eiko chose to speak up once more.

            “Hey, um… Don’t worry, I know it’s a lot to take in. We’ll have plenty of time together from here on out.” Eiko reached out to Mariko.

            “And what about Tsukiko?”

            At Mariko’s words, Eiko’s hand paused.

            “Hm? What about her?” Eiko asked.

            “What about her…? Didn’t you just say it yourself…?”

            “Huh…?”

            Mariko slapped Eiko’s hand away.

            “What about Tsukiko?! Didn’t you just say that you believe this dream stuff is why her condition is so poor?! Why aren’t you stopping her?! More to the point, why are you even encouraging her to continue?!” Mariko screamed. “Eiko, you’re a teacher!”

            “Eh…?” Eiko was stunned by Mariko’s outburst. Slowly, she brought her rejected hand close and stared at her palm.

            “You know… I’ve known for a long time now that I’m a failure of a teacher.” spoke Eiko with a troubled expression. “You’re right. Once I realized the potential of these dreams, even with my suspicion of this being behind her condition, I never once considered making her stop.”

            “Then stop talking all this nonsense… Forget about me and go help your student.” Mariko pleaded.

            “Forget about you…?” Eiko balled her hand into a fist. “Like hell I could just forget you! Especially when I have this amazing opportunity right in front of me!”

            “The Eiko I know would never be so selfish!” Mariko shouted in frustration.

            “Then the Eiko you know is gone! All that’s left is me! Just this pitiful lonely woman who has no one! Why do you think I’d go this far for you, huh?!” Eiko shouted.

            “This isn’t for me at all… Eiko, you’re just trying to run away!” Mariko grimaced.

            “I’m not running from anything… I’m thinking of the future! The only immediate future the two of us can share together! Here in this world of dreams!” shouted Eiko in frustration.

            “I won’t be a part of this at the potential expense of a sick little girl!” declared Mariko.

            “Stop being so stubborn! Tsukiko doesn’t even concern you, Mari!” Eiko grit her teeth.

            “I refuse… I can’t accept this. Not with you the way you are now, Eiko.” Mariko glared Eiko straight in the eye.

            “Khh… Mariiiiii!!” Eiko shouted as she rushed at Mariko, tackling her.

            “Ahh! Eiko, stop this!” spat Mariko as she tumbled to the ground beneath Eiko.

            “I refuse! This is it! Why can’t you understand, Mari?! This is all I have left!!” tears spilled from the frustrated Eiko’s sobbing face as she screamed at the one she’d pinned beneath her.

            “Eiko, no…” tears welled up within Mariko’s eyes as well, having seen what’s become of the girl she once loved.

---

            “Wh-what’s happened to you… Tsukiko…?”

            While the pair of teachers confronted each other, elsewhere in a dark void left by a collapsed dream, Haruto Kawashima had fallen to his knees after seeing his friend Tsukiko Matsuura’s wrathful side emerge for the first time. After Yuko Maeda revealed the unexpected truth of the ‘parents’ Tsukiko was meeting in her dreams every night, she banished Yuko to the depths of sleep. At this rate, Yuko may never wake again.

            Haruto had always believed that Tsukiko would never hurt anyone with this power. And yet, she’s lost herself in her fury, and even more than that, her appearance began to warp. The right half of her face was shaded over in grayscale, now lacking any color. At the same time, her right eye glowed a deep red. Haruto couldn’t understand the meaning behind this change in appearance.

            “What’s happened to me? Isn’t it obvious?! Everything… everything is ruined!” a fierce aura emanated from Tsukiko as she screamed. “I’ve lost everything! I don’t need these dreams! I don’t need reality! It’s all useless, because I don’t have anything! I’m empty!”

            Seeing his cherished friend break down like this caused Haruto’s heart to ache. Still, after hearing those words, he knew what he had to do. He may not fully understand what was going on, but he did know one thing…

            “You’re wrong!!” Haruto shouted, placing one foot on the unseen ground, and lifting himself up.

            That’s right… the one thing Haruto did know, was that…

            “You’re wrong about all of that! Even before you began having these dreams, you were never empty! Because… you have me!” he shouted, finally rising back to his feet.

            He knew that he loved Tsukiko Matsuura.

            “Aagh…!” at that moment, Tsukiko clutched her head.

            “Tsukiko? What’s the matter?!” Haruto asked, concerned.

            “Noooo!”  Tsukiko screamed, the aura around her bursting forth, pushing Haruto away.

            “Tsukiko!” he shouted, resisting the force and trying to get back closer to her.

            “I know…! I know that you only pity me!! That day, you just saw how badly I was treated and took pity on me! That’s the only reason you’d be so nice to someone like me!!” Tsukiko shouted in hysterics, clutching her head. “Aaagh, my head… my head…!!”

            “Y-you’re wrong!” Haruto shouted. “Don’t you remember?! You’re the one who reached your hand out to me! If anything, you’re the one who saved me!”

            “Nooo! No, no, no, noooo!” Tsukiko thrashed about, screaming. Soon, more and more of her body was losing its color.

            Haruto could only stand by and watch her, unsure of what to do. He knew something was hurting Tsukiko, but didn’t understand what. Sure the shock of the truth about her parents had caused her to lose her cool, but he had the feeling this was something else.

            “Damn this stupid dream world… What the hell are you doing to Tsukiko?!” Haruto shouted at no one in particular.

            That’s right, even with Yuko gone for now, what they’d talked about before still stuck in his mind. Haruto knew he had to save Tsukiko from herself. But in a situation like this, what could he do?

            Suddenly, the aura surrounding Tsukiko violently pulsed even more, pushing Haruto further away despite his struggles. Despite this, the boy stayed on his feet, and kept trudging forward, despite the resistance.

            “It’s wrong! It’s all wrong… Gaaaaah!” Tsukiko screamed, her body losing even more color.

            “I won’t… give up on you…!” Haruto grunted, taking another step forward, one after another. Slowly but surely, he made it closer to Tsukiko’s side.

            “Tsukiko…!” Haruto shouted, wracking his brain trying to think of what to do in this dream world to bring her back to her senses.

            And then it hit him.

            This is a dream world.

            “Tsukiko! You don’t need your parents!” Haruto shouted.

            “Ghhaah…! Nooo! Shut up!! Go away! I hate you! I hate everyone!! Gyaaaaah!” Tsukiko continued screaming, as she clutched her aching head.

            “I know that’s not true! You know that’s not true!” Haruto raised his hand to his chest. “And I know you, Tsukiko! So let me show you…!”

            “Nnngh… Show… me…?” Tsukiko opened her left eye as she struggled to glance toward Haruto.

            At the same time, her aura threatened to knock Haruto down. But… he didn’t concede. As he fell to his knees and was getting pushed away, he forced his body forward, continuing to push his way closer to his suffering friend, over and over again.

            “I’ll show you… my dream!” Haruto shouted, planting his feet on the ground and spreading his arms wide.

            “Your… dream…?” Tsukiko whispered. Her body had almost totally lost its color. And yet, deep down inside, Haruto’s words gave her a sense of hope. A feeling of… warmth.

            And just like that, everything went black.

            Nothing could be seen. It was as if everything that had been occurring there had never happened at all. The space had become an empty, black void; devoid of anyone or anything.

            And then…

            A series of torches suddenly lit one after another, illuminating what was now a large, dark chamber of some kind.

            “Ngh…. Huh?” Tsukiko looked around as the light revealed her location.

            It was some kind of giant medieval throne room, like something out of a fantasy movie. In this room, Tsukiko was behind bars, locked in what appeared to be some kind of giant bird cage hanging from the ceiling. As Tsukiko slowly registered this information through her throbbing headache, she suddenly realized that it all seemed just a bit... familiar.

            At that moment, the large steel doors at the front of the chamber burst open. And there… a gallant figure stood, shadowed by the bright light from outside. Upon a closer look, the heroic figure was none other than Haruto, donning a familiar-looking set of fancy knight’s gear, and holding a large overly-stylish sword. His long cape flapped in the wind upon his arrival.

            “I have arrived, now release Princess Tsukiko right now, you fiendish Demon King!” Haruto roared with all of his heroic might.

            Suddenly, a comically maniacal cackle echoed throughout the room, coming from somewhere nearby.

            “Bwahahaha! If you want the princess, you have to get through me first, you foolish hero! You’ve stood in my way for the last time!” a large shadowed figure dashed past Tsukiko’s cage, heading right for Haruto with intent to strike.

            “Haruto… you…” Tsukiko began to realize what was happening.

            After all, this was a dream. A simple fantasy.

            In this place, where the mind’s dreams are made manifest, one can take on whatever role their heart desires. With that in mind, at the very moment, Haruto is…

            “Hyaaaah! Take this, you monster!” leaping forward, Haruto swung his glowing blade straight at the shadowy creature, who in turn swung its own heavy axe at Haruto.

            The two blades clashed with an exaggerated burst of light. It was a fantastical display far beyond anything that could realistically happen.

            “Hyaaaah!!! I will… save the princess!!” grunted Haruto.

            The clash knocked the Demon King away, who responded by firing off some dark fireballs. Haruto dodged them all, pushing his way in for another swing, which the devilish shadow blocked once more with its axe. As the two struggled, soon, the Demon King’s Axe began to crack.

            “Your power…! No way…!” the sinister being gasped.

            Light enveloped Haruto’s body, and just then, he pushed forth, breaking through the Demon King’s axe with a huge burst of energy, shattering it to pieces.

            “This can’t be…! Noooo…!!! To think, you had the holy power on your side…!” bellowed the beast.

            “You’re finished now! Prepare for my ultimate technique! Shining… Slash!” calling upon the most powerful energy from his holy blade, Haruto slashed the shadowed beast clean in two. Finishing him off for good.

            At the same moment, the room was filled with a burst of light and the bars of the cage surrounding Tsukiko shattered. Tossing aside his holy blade, Haruto rushed to her side, catching her in his arms, all while the rest of the room slowly disintegrated into the light.

            “Well… what do you think?” Haruto asked, slightly embarrassed.

            “… Hahaha! Oh Haruto, what even was all that?” Tsukiko asked after a heartfelt laugh, tears welling up in the eyes of her smiling face. Slowly, the color was starting to return to her body.

            “I-it’s embarrassing, okay?” Haruto blushed. “But don’t you remember? That day you first came to get me out of my own dream…”

            “Oh yeah… You were having a dream like that…!” Tsukiko suddenly remembered that he was having a similar dream the first time she pulled him into the world of dreams. “Wait, it was based on that fantasy cartoon we watched a little while back, right?”

            “Haha, yeah… I thought it was so cool, the way the hero swooped in to save the princess at the end…” Haruto smirked shyly. “I kinda wanted to be cool like that too… Did it suit me?”

            “… Maybe a little, heehee.”

            With the two sharing a smile together, the two continued to linger in the white void, just a bit longer.

---

            “… Heh.”

            Meanwhile in the real world, the Guardian had awoken in Yuko Maeda’s body and gone to Tsukiko’s hospital room. Although the room seemed normal for a moment, a second later a huge array of thin wriggly ‘lines’ had covered the entire room, even wrapping around the sleeping body of Tsukiko in the bed. On the ceiling, a glowing red eye glared toward the intruder as if shocked and furious.

            Within a moment, the Guardian dashed into the room, trampling the thin writhing appendages on the floor underfoot. The eye on the ceiling began to glow red, and suddenly several of the appendages from the walls and floor began to grow out, becoming thicker and getting poised to strike.

            “As expected. Instant hostility.” muttered the Guardian, who held out her hand toward the appendages. A purple glow emanated from her hand, and suddenly the writhing tentacle-like appendages hit the floor with a thud. The Guardian had immobilized them with her gravity magic.

            “…!” the red eye on the ceiling narrowed its gaze in frustration, and began to shift its location.

            “You won’t escape!”

            Just as the Guardian was about to dash forward, she realized that some of the appendages on the floor had wrapped around her legs, immobilizing her.

            “Kh…!” clicking her tongue at the minor nuisance, she began to kick her legs furiously, as if to shake them off. However as she did so…

            “Nh?!” The Guardian ducked immediately.

            Glancing toward the eye again, she realized it had started launching projectiles from its appendages to try and shoot her down, instead of trying to land strikes.

            “Well, aren’t you resourceful…” chuckled the Guardian.

            “…” seeming annoyed, the eye shifted its location again, trying to make its way to the doorway.

            “Not so fast!” the Guardian’s palm once more glowed with a purple aura, using gravity magic to pin the glowing red eyeball in place on the wall.

            “……!!” panicking, the eye darted back and forth, trying to find a way out of this situation. It seemed to truly be stuck in place.

            All the while, the Guardian approached the bed, ripping apart the thin appendages that were wrapped around Tsukiko. With those being ripped apart, the eye was visibly in pain. In particular, the glowing red of its pupil was dimming considerably. The writhing appendages all over the room began to slow their movements, now barely moving at all, let alone attacking.

            The Guardian could only assume the eye had lost the source of its power now that the girl had been ripped away from it. Though, the Guardian had no way of knowing that at that very same moment, Haruto was showing Tsukiko a heroic dream. It’s safe to say that the eye was already losing some of its power even before its appendages got ripped apart.

            “Let’s go…” the Guardian muttered, picking up the sleeping Tsukiko, carrying her in her arms, and leaving the hospital room with her.

            The eyeball, still stuck to the wall with the Guardian’s gravity magic, writhed in frustration as it could only watch the two of them leave the room.

            Out in the hall, the Guardian placed the sleeping Tsukiko down on a bench a fair distance away, before returning to the doorway of the hospital room. And then…

            “Sleep well, thee who possessed this hospital room.” the Guardian spoke, as if offering a prayer.

            With the snap of a finger, the Guardian pointed straight into the hospital room, and a burst of red flames gushed forth into the room.

            “……!?!?!” the eyeball struggled, but could do nothing as it and its tendrils were all burnt to a crisp, along with the hospital room.

---

            “Huh…? What’s going on?” muttered Eiko, glancing at her surroundings.

            In the midst of her frustrated appeals toward Mariko, the ground began to shake. Both of the women looked around, noticing that the colorless buildings surrounding them began to dissipate into the air. Not only that, but the grey dome-like sky that was high overhead also began to dissolve, leaving only a bright white void beyond.

            “No… no, this wasn’t supposed to happen!” Eiko shouted in a panic as she got off of Mariko.

            “Eiko, what’s happening now?” Mariko asked in confusion as she sat up.

            “I… I don’t really know for sure. I’ve never seen anything like this happen before.” She responded.

            After a moment of silence as their surroundings slowly started to dissolve more and more, Mariko took it upon herself to continue their discussion that was interrupted.

            “Eiko… I still don’t quite understand any of this, but I do know one thing… You must understand that these are mere dreams.” Mariko spoke gently.

            “I know that, I really do, but… Ever since I began having these dreams, they all seemed so real… At first, I made do just dreaming of you… Reliving those sweet days that in reality are just a mere memory…” Eiko tightened her fist, before turning around to face Mariko again. “I just wanted to go back… To return to those simple days, when I was happy…!”

            “Eiko…!” Mariko let out a slight gasp at the tear-stained face that turned her way.

            “But it looks like… This dream is ending.” Eiko fell to her knees.

            That’s right… deep inside, on an instinctive level. Eiko began to realize that this was the end of the dreaming world. The confidence she had in her plan, trying to force Mariko to concede and participate in the dreams, the very idea had been crushed before it even had a chance to start.

            “What does it mean for it to end?” Mariko asked, kneeling down by Eiko’s side.

            “I don’t know…”

            “Is… Tsukiko okay?” a hint of worry came to Mariko’s voice.

            “I really don’t know…! If she isn’t though, if this is a sign that something awful has happened to her, then… then it’s all my fault…!” Eiko grit her teeth, falling deeper into her self-loathing mentality. “I suppose I really was just a fool…! Blinded by a foolish dream!”

            Just then, Mariko silently took hold of Eiko’s hand. Holding it gently between her own palms, she looked Eiko straight in the eye.

            “We all make mistakes, Eiko. What’s important now is confirming the situation and making things right.” Mariko confidently declared.

            “But… but I…” still a mess emotionally, and lost over what to do, Eiko could only lower her head, a feeling of shame washing over her at seeing the one she loved behaving so confidently and rationally in a situation like this.

            However, Mariko saw through it all. She knew Eiko was falling apart, and quickly losing faith in herself. So Mariko raised her hand, and…

            Slap!

            “Wake up, Eiko! Now is not the time to doubt yourself!” Mariko shouted.

            With a look of shock, Eiko simply lifted her hand, touching her red cheek before glancing at Mariko.

            “Fine… fine, I get it!” pushing down all the negativity inside herself, Eiko rose to her feet.

            Their surroundings had now almost entirely crumbled, leaving just the ground beneath them. The two were almost completely absorbed by the bright light taking over this space.

            “Mari… I’m sorry for everything.” Eiko whispered. “Don’t worry, once we wake, I’ll make sure to check on Tsukiko.”

            With a proud nod, Mariko smiled at Eiko.

            “I really messed up…” Eiko lamented. “I made such a mess of our reunion, huh?”

            “Eiko, I…” Mariko whispered.

            At that moment, Mariko debated with herself whether to express her true feelings. The feelings she held deep inside, that she’d become so skilled at ignoring.

            No… Not at a time like this. Sorry Eiko… But with my departure tomorrow set in stone, the last thing I want to do is hurt you even more… By expressing my own love for you.

            Resolved to end this properly, Mariko simply shook her head.

            “Let’s greet the morning together, Eiko.” Mariko spoke, with her usual bright smile.

            “Yeah… I’ll see you then, Mari.” and Eiko, too, found it in herself to smile.

            Coming to terms with this solution, the two women closed their eyes as the light enveloped them.

            Their dream had come to an end.

---

             “This dream is about to end…” Tsukiko looked up.

            Haruto followed her line of sight, but as they both stood in an empty white void, there was nothing to see. Though, Haruto also had a distinct feeling deep inside. Yes, he didn’t entirely understand it, but even he could instinctively tell that this dream world was about to end.

            “Tsukiko…” Haruto whispered.

            “You don’t have to say anything.” Tsukiko shook her head with a smile. “I’ll bring back big sis, don’t worry.”

            At that moment, Tsukiko closed her eyes, concentrating hard. After a moment, she stretched out one of her arms, her palm facing forward, and then…

            “…!” Yuko Maeda opened her eyes. “Huh…?”

            She had appeared in front of Tsukiko and Haruto in the middle of the white void, as if she had been there the whole time.

            “Whoa!” Haruto flailed backwards at Yuko’s sudden appearance.

            “Welcome back, big sis.” Tsukiko smiled.

            “Tsukiko…? What just happened? We were talking, but then… It was like I blacked out or something…” Yuko wracked her brain trying to get a grasp on the current situation.

            “It’s okay big sis, things are already over.” spoke Tsukiko.

            “Huh? They’re over…?” Yuko blinked, and then glanced at Haruto, looking for an explanation, but he simply shrugged.

            “All I wanted was to regain a happiness I thought I’d lost… But instead, I was the one who got lost searching for that happiness. So much so, that I forgot about the happiness that was already by my side…” Tsukiko confessed with a sullen expression.

            “Tsukiko…” Yuko gave a gentle smile, before embracing the girl.

            “Big sis…!” squeaked a somewhat embarrassed Tsukiko, who then just closed her eyes and returned the hug.

            “I hope you know I’m proud of you, Tsukiko.” Yuko whispered. “I know it must’ve been tough… But I’m glad you found a way forward.”

            “Yeah… thanks, big sis.” Tsukiko had a relaxed smile.

            “…” unsure of what to say or do in a situation like this, Haruto just awkwardly looked away. He glanced around at their surroundings, and sure enough, he could instinctively feel that this white void, this world of dreams, was fading.

            “It’s time…” Tsukiko spoke, leaving Yuko’s embrace. “It seems this was the last dream.”

            “Last dream? What do you mean?” Haruto asked.

            “I don’t know how to explain it, it’s like… I’m forgetting.” Tsukiko tried to explain.

            “Forgetting? What are you forgetting?” Yuko asked, concerned.

            “It’s like… I don’t think I know how to do this anymore.” Tsukiko folded her arms.

            “Huh…?” Haruto tilted his head in confusion.

            “Up until now, I was able to make these worlds where our dreams connected, because I knew how to do it. Any time we were all here, I was just making it happen, using my dreams as a base, because I knew how to make it all work, like it was normal.” Tsukiko moved her arms around, trying to get across her explanation. “But now, it’s like all that stuff has just left my mind. I don’t think I’ll be able to link our dreams like this again even if I wanted to. It almost feels like I never even knew how to in the first place. Do you get it?”

            “I feel like I kind of get it… but I kind of don’t, too…” Yuko pondered.

            “I really don’t get it at all, but whatever you say… If this is the last dream, then it’s the last dream.” Haruto shrugged.

            “Yeah, so… I think we’re all gonna wake up soon.” Tsukiko announced.

            Yuko and Haruto both nodded at her words.

            “Both of you… thank you so much, and sorry for all the trouble.” Tsukiko, for the first time in a long time, truly smiled from the heart.

            As Yuko and Haruto both smiled in turn, the light surrounding them all soon grew stronger, and they all faded away into the bright light of the void.

            Their dream had come to an end.

---

            “WAAHHH!!”

            With a loud shout, Yuko flailed around. This reaction was, of course, the response to being woken up by continuous droplets of water being splashed on her face.

            “Kyaaa!” Tsukiko similarly squealed and tumbled over, falling on top of Yuko.

            For some reason, the two were both sitting on a bench in the middle of a hospital hallway, when the fire alarm’s sprinklers started spraying water all over them. The loud ringing sound of the fire alarm pierced their ears at the same time.

            “Wh-what the heck is going on?!” Yuko spat, after finally getting a grip, rising from the bench, and moving her and Tsukiko somewhere out of the range of the sprinklers.

            The two both looked down the hall and noticed the sight of a fire dying down a little ways away.

            “What the heck? Did a room catch on fire…?” Yuko pondered.

            “Wait, is that my room?!” Tsukiko squeaked out in a quiet voice.

            “Huh? Oh, hey, it might be…” Yuko realized, taking another look.

            “Tsukiko! Ms. Maeda! Are you both okay?!” suddenly, the hospital’s head doctor, Dr. Miyamori, came running over, shocked to see the two girls out in the hall.

            “Y-yeah, we’re fine!” Yuko confirmed with a nod.

            “Okay, both of you should head downstairs. We’ll handle things here.” replied the doctor, as more of the hospital staff came rushing to the scene.

            “Understood.” Yuko nodded, deciding to lead Tsukiko downstairs to her guest room.

            Neither would be fully sure of what had occurred that night while they slept, why they both awoke together on a bench in the hall, or why Tsukiko’s hospital room had caught fire. But needless to say, it was a bizarre and hectic night for everyone involved.

---

            “Once again, thank you both for taking the time to come out here.” bowed Dr. Miyamori, thanking Yuko and Yamagata.

            It was now Sunday morning, May 21^st shortly before noon. The commotion regarding the fire in the middle of the night was all resolved relatively quickly as the fire died out with surprising ease. The room was entirely burnt up and damaged, but the fire never spread outside of it, so the staff were all able to return to sleep after confirming the situation.

            Things basically went as planned the following morning, with some final checkups of Yuko and Tsukiko. In particular, Tsukiko seemed surprisingly healthy, which shocked the doctors. Of course, they still planned to continue watching over her in the hospital for a while, but it was a surprise to see Tsukiko have such a healthy morning.

            Currently, everyone was gathered just outside of Central hospital to see off Yuko and Yamagata before they made their return to the eastern district. In addition to Tsukiko and the doctor, Ms. Shinohara and Haruto had also come. Everyone was engaged in small talk as the two placed their bags into the trunk of their vehicle.

            “It was no problem at all. We were happy to help.” Yamagata responded to the doctor’s gratitude with a smile.

            Meanwhile, Haruto and Tsukiko were both eagerly getting in one last chat with Yuko.

            “WHAT?!” Haruto shouted, flabbergasted. “You two SLEPT together?!”

            “Come on, it wasn’t a big deal Haruto…” Yuko chuckled to herself a bit. “Her hospital room burned up, so I took her to my room. They were fine letting her stay there with me for the night considering the circumstances.”

            “Heehee, it was fun. Like a mini slumber party!” Tsukiko giggled.

            “No way…” Haruto slumped over. “Somehow, I can’t help feeling like I missed out on something...”

            As the trio continued their light-hearted conversation, Shinohara approached Yamagata.

            “Mari… Thank you for last night. Things with Tsukiko seem to have worked out, so…” she whispered.

            “My, whatever do you mean? I didn’t see you last night. Are you perhaps thinking of a dream?” Yamagata responded, giving Eiko a knowing smile.

            “Heh… You’re right, it was all just a dream, wasn’t it?” Shinohara laughed at herself, understanding her intent.

            Despite everything, it seems the two of them had come to terms with their situation, each in their own way.

            Before long, everyone’s conversations began to wrap up, and Yuko and Yamagata both took their seats in the small golf kart-like vehicle.

            “Big sis! Thank you for everything!” Tsukiko called out.

            “You better not forget us!” Haruto shouted with a pouty expression.

            “Don’t worry, there’s no way I could forget about a trip like this!” Yuko smiled at the two of them.

            “Mari… take care of yourself.” Shinohara spoke, with a somewhat lonely smile.

            “You too, Eiko. And remember… You aren’t alone. You have your students by your side. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time as a teacher, it’s that.”

            “… Maybe you’re right.” Shinohara smirked.

            With their goodbyes said, Yamagata started the engine, and soon the two began to drive away, leaving behind the hospital and the group in front of it that all waved goodbye to them.

            As they watched the pair drive off into the distance, Shinohara glanced at Tsukiko.

            “Tsukiko… um…” Shinohara stuttered, unsure how to broach the topic she had in mind.

            “Yeah, the dreams are over. Sorry it turned out like this.” Tsukiko spoke quietly, without facing her.

            “No… I should be the one to apologize.” Shinohara whispered.

            With that, the two glanced at one another. It seems they both understood.

            The group soon dispersed, now that Yuko and Yamagata were out of sight. Surely, their ordinary lives at Central were going to continue as usual.

            Meanwhile, Yuko and Yamagata were continuing down the road. Before long, the buildings of Central were behind them, and the pair was now driving through the grassy plains, heading back to the large wall and its gate that lead to the eastern district.

            “My… we weren’t even in Central for two days, yet it feels like so much happened on this trip.” Yamagata sighed.

            “That’s for sure…” Yuko responded, stretching out her arms.

            “If anything, it was certainly a memorable trip.” Yamagata chuckled.

            “Yeah… In a way, I feel like I learned a lot… both about myself, and this place.” Yuko gazed at the passing scenery with a look of wistfulness.

            “Indeed, I found myself thinking a lot about the past…” Yamagata spoke.

            “Yeah, both my past… and what awaits me in the future.” Yuko responded, and with those words, a smile returned to her face.

            “I can’t wait to get back home. I’m gonna have so much to tell Chisa about…” Yuko chuckled.

            “And tomorrow I’ll be back to teaching class like all of this never even happened…” Yamagata gave a wry smile.

            “Please go easy on me in class…!” Yuko pleaded, jokingly.

            “My, I’m not so sure I can. Midterms are coming up, you know.” Yamagata smirked.

            “Gah…!” Yuko recoiled.

            The pair continued to laugh as they approached the large gate. Soon, they’d be returning to the eastern district. They’d return home.

            As they left behind Central, the two could only feel that the experience of their short visit was a bit surreal, much like that of a dream.

[Chapter 7 END]