Chapter Text
The faint light of a flickering lamp post was the only thing to illuminate the crumbling theme park. Its shadow stretches across the dim, muted grass, silencing the gentle wailing of dying flowers.
The sky was dark and all-consuming, not a star to light the way for any travellers. He knew it was a trick of the light, but felt so strongly that the sky was closing in with every breath the suffering landscape took. Perhaps, when it finally reached its destination, it would all be over.
When he reached out a hand to the sky, as if to feel its approach, he was struck with the image of a crudely drawn star. Despite the fading of his hand, it stood out amongst the sea of never ending darkness. Each finger pointed to a different direction he could go.
In the end, he had chosen the sky.
By the 6th day, his own memories had started fluctuating. At first, he was soothed by the presence of a somber cat girl, but even she had disappeared eventually. All he had was an impression of a life, and the deep seated feeling that he wanted to be here. That there was value in this, too.
He did not know how long he had been in this abandoned place, waiting for the draw of death and finality to sink its teeth into him. It seemed to spiral so quickly, in the faint scenes that played behind his eyes, but it simultaneously felt like years had passed.
Yet, everytime he considered leaving this place, a voice played in his mind.
‘No. You can’t. You must do this, it’s all you can do.’
To be martyred for a cause he couldn’t even remember, what a waste of sincerity. Yet, he listened and remained.
A single star lit in the night sky.
With patience he didn’t truly have, Tsukasa waited.
A presence settled next to him on the grass in silence. When he turned to look, unable to bear the curiousity anymore, the person was staring at the night sky. Wonder danced in those piercing eyes as they admired the wasteland that Tsukasa had created with his own two hands.
Eventually, he couldn’t stand the silence anymore.
“… You’re weird.”
The boy startled, turning to him with a confused smile. For a moment, Tsukasa was worried he had offended him, but was relieved to find yellow eyes sparkling with amusement.
“It’s beautiful. Anything that comes from you is.”
Tsukasa turned away, face burning with embarrassment. “It’s really not.”
“Of course, I liked the old Sekai better,” The boy continues, “but that’s only because it meant that you were happy. At least, that was what I thought. … Were you?”
“I think so.” Tsukasa muttered, wishing that he had a more concrete answer. “I had fun with everyone. I just… I don’t know. I’m tired.”
That desperate need to feel needed by others, only to realise that you never were. Perhaps that was what broke his heart, unable to find worth in his existence unless it was to serve others.
A notebook was deposited onto his lap. He looked up at the boy, confused.
“It’s from everyone. Emu, Nene, Saki… Touya got everyone in his singing team to write about their fond memories with you, too.” Rui offered him a soft smile. “Everyone’s slowly forgetting. I am, too. But… Even when our memories falter, won’t the words on the page stay?”
“I don’t understand.”
“… What I mean is, I’m grateful you were there for the part of my life that you were, and I don’t want to forget you.”
The words seeped into the ground, staining it in hopeful shades of pale green. With it came a gentle hand to guide his memories in the right direction.
“… Rui…”
Rui’s smile faltered, before it brightened with irrefutable joy.
It was too much. It wasn’t enough.
“Before you, and everyone else, I was so, so lonely... I had decided that I was destined for solitude. But… You gave me the chance I needed to change.”
Tsukasa’s hand was carefully covered with Rui’s own.
“Thank you, Tsukasa. Please don’t forget.”
‘Please don’t forget what good you’ve done.’
“Please don’t forget that you deserve to live. That you matter just as much as everyone you’ve helped.”
Tsukasa didn’t realise he was crying until it started raining.