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Defeat. Loss. Failure.
The exact word doesn’t matter. Regardless of how he describes it, there’s no mistaking that today certainly has not been the success Tsukasa had hoped it to be. In battle, this would be the moment a brave warrior drops to the floor and curses the earth and his wavering spirit, digs his fingers into the soil and screams out his frustration. In reality, Tsukasa is now walking home alone.
Oversubscribed. That was the word used in the email. The phrasing was very polite and very delicate and encouraged them to apply again next year. It made it sound like the reason they hadn’t been selected was simply because they didn’t have enough spaces, but the four of them had easily been able to fill in the blanks between those words. The spaces had filled up with troupes considered better, ones that had met a bar that his own troupe apparently could not meet. And it’s not like they can’t use the show elsewhere, because he’s sure as much as the rest of them that it really is good, but it was written specifically for this festival. A festival where it will no longer achieve its debut.
A day should never be written off entirely as ruined. Especially when it’s only mid-morning and the rehearsal plans for the day have been rearranged. Still, there’s something about the cold air that feels a little more stinging against his eyes and cheeks today as he continues the trek down the street, hands deep in his pockets. What will he tell Saki when she asks why he’s home so early? She’s heard him rehearsing the lines so she knows what they’ve been aiming towards. Can he really force his sister to listen to the bitter explanation of rejection? How pitiful. How shameful! To think, a rising star like him, the esteemed and respected leader of their troupe, escorting his friends into an unpromising end…!
Tsukasa stops. Ahead of him, there is no-one out on the street. It’s quiet, the noise absorbed by the snow piled at the edge of the roads. But, there is definitely someone behind him. The footsteps have halted along with his own, but when he whips around, there’s nobody there.
Hm. Tsukasa watches for a second longer, then turns back to continue his miserable amble home. The dialogue was sharp, so that can’t have been the issue. Perhaps the length of the show? They had been quite close to the time limit in their application. Could it have been too long, or perhaps not quite long enough? Did all the selected performances fall within a mere second of the total limit?
“Who’s there?” Tsukasa snaps his head around again, but the presence he’s so sure is there still fails to show itself. He waits longer this time, but still nothing.
So now he’s being followed? On a day like this? This isn’t fair. He isn’t in the mood to get kidnapped. Tsukasa balls up his fists inside his pockets and picks up his pace, scowling down into his scarf. They’ll get feedback in a few weeks, so then he’ll finally know what they did wrong and how they can begin to the fix the problem-
A hand touches his shoulder.
“Searing Roundhouse Kick!” Tsukasa yells as he whips around, throwing his leg out and connecting directly with the person standing behind him. It hits perfectly as they tumble to the ground, and he’s pleased for a moment to see his training paying off, before he remembers he’s potentially in a very dangerous situation. “Hey! Why are you following- me…”
The fire in his voice flickers out as he receives full sight of his mystery attacker. The clothing is mostly black, intentionally inconspicuous and a mask over the mouth, but that doesn’t stop him from noticing the face. Perfectly styled golden hair, passionately intense eyes, skin so smooth it could have only been crafted by an extensive care routine. It’s familiar. Too familiar. It’s…it’s…!
“Me?!” Tsukasa takes a step back, wondering if his fan club has gone so far as to start mirroring his appearances. A flattering thought, certainly, but this is far too close to be any kind of recreation.
“What’s wrong with you?!” The other version of him pulls his mask down from his mouth, glaring up at him from the floor. “Why’d you kick me?!”
“What?!” Even the voice is the same. It’s remarkable. “No, what’s wrong with you?! Who are you? You were following me! Why do you look like me?”
“Hey! Keep your voice down!”
“Aren’t you yelling too?!”
“Crap, I am!” Other-Tsukasa slaps a hand over his mouth, frowning, before he takes a deep breath, pulling himself off the floor. He stands up in a strong movement and brushes off his clothes, face to face with Tsukasa. “Listen, I’ll keep this short because we don’t have a lot of time. I’m you from the future. Are you going to PXL?”
“Oh, okay, you’re from the future. No, I’m on my way home now- what are you talking about?!”
“I said stop yelling!”
“I bet you’re only saying that because you don’t want the police to come and arrest you for stalking!”
“They should arrest you for assault!” his other self exclaims, then huffs again. He’s the exact same height to the millimetre. So that means he hasn’t grown at all since now? Disappointing. No, wait. There are other problems to focus on here. “Okay, fine. Let me prove it. Ask me whatever you want and I’ll know the answer.”
“How old are you?” Tsukasa challenges. His other self doesn’t seem impressed.
“How does that help me prove I’m from the future? I’m twenty-nine.”
“Twenty-nine?” Tsukasa gasps. “But your skin still looks so young!”
“Hmm!” He grins proudly, putting his hands on his hips. It’s truly a wonder to observe this pose from the other side. “I mean, it’s not like twenty-nine is old at all, but- that’s right! I moisturise every day. Around twenty-three, you’ll discover these cucumber infused face masks that hydrate like nothing else. Even after wearing stage make-up for up to eight hours, the next morning it feels like nothing but water has touched your skin!”
“Wow…the future is really amazing…” Tsukasa pauses. “Wait. I still don’t think that proves anything. Okay! Tell me! What- happens tomorrow?”
“How would I know that?” His other self frowns at him. “I don’t even know what today is. Also, wait- you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow! How would you know if I’m right?”
“So you’re a liar!”
“How?! At least tell me what today is before you decide that!”
“Today is…” Tsukasa makes a face, letting out a low hum. “Bad.”
“Bad?” His other self studies him for a moment, his thinking face just as intense as Tsukasa knows it to be, then his eyes spark in recognition. “Wait! I know. Today was the day you found out about the Sapporo festival, right? It’s about that time of the year.”
“It- it was!” Does that prove it? No, it’s possible he’s been eavesdropping. If he’s been following him all the way from the park, that information would have been easily attainable.
“I remember.” He nods sagely. “I spent a long time wondering if I should have suggested more action for the middle section, during the race scene…I was concerned it was my suggestions that caused them to place other groups above us.”
“That's what I was thinking too…” Tsukasa looks at him again. It isn’t quite a mirror image, because his hair is styled differently and his face is more mature, but- there’s something about the look in his eyes that he knows nobody else could fake. “So…you really are from the future?”
“I am!” His future self nods securely, then puts a hand to his head. “Future Tenma Tsukasa! Tenma, written as ‘soaring pegasus’!”
The instinct takes over automatically. “Tsukasa, meaning to govern!”
“I am-”
“Tenma Tsukasa!” They finish together, in the same pose, and Tsukasa instantly feels pure kinship with his future self. They are one in the same, a wondrous, talented, destined for success star. Someone of such a calibre like himself would surely be able to achieve a feat as great as time travel, of course. Why had he ever questioned it?
“It’s really me…” he says with admiration. “But why are you here?”
“Well, actually.” Future Tsukasa’s face straightens into a firm seriousness. “I’m on a mission of grave importance. You could say it’s a matter of international- no, universal significance!"
“It’s that serious?!”
“I don’t think here is a good place for us to talk.” Future Tsukasa glances behind him. “It’ll be a problem if anyone sees us together. Rui warned me about creating paradoxes, so we have to stay hidden as best we can!”
“Rui? Like, a future Rui?”
“Well, he’s just a normal Rui to me, but yes,” Future Tsukasa says. “Is there somewhere else we can go? We’re not too far from home, right?”
“True, but I feel like my- your- our parents might be kind of confused if I bring a random doppelgänger back home…”
“I’m not a doppelgänger! I’m older than you so that makes me the original, right? And I lived there for so many years! I know it inside out. I even know about Saki’s secret snack stash.”
“Saki’s what?”
“Ah, it might be a couple months too early for that. Don’t tell her I told you that! It’s secret!”
Tsukasa crosses his arms. “I would never keep a secret from my dear sister.”
“Except for the Sekai.”
“...That doesn’t count.”
“She’ll find out eventually. But I’ll spare you the details of that for now. Okay, if not there, we can just go straight to PXL! Let us go together and save the world!”
“The world…” Tsukasa shakes off the lingering feelings of disappointment and tries to focus on right now. It still hurts, but this is to protect the universe. To save the world! If he’s needed right now, then this is where he’ll be. “But, why PXL? Are you trying to stop one of the rollercoasters from exploding? I saw a movie where that happened once!”
“No, there’s something there I’ve been instructed to find.” The way he speaks is so serious yet so enrapturing. Like a true hero. Yes, this must be his future destination. “I’ll tell the others to meet us there.”
“Ah, okay…” Tsukasa goes to grab his phone, then stops. “...Others?”
“Of course! You didn’t think I’d embark on such a monumental mission entirely by myself, did you?”
“What?!”
-
Thanks to the cold weather, it isn’t too difficult to weave through the park back to the stage area unnoticed, but avoiding disaster doesn’t really make the concept any easier to digest. He sits on the stage as he waits, his future self glancing at the stalls and curtains with some kind of fond nostalgia. Nostalgia…for this very normal place he comes every day…isn’t that weird…?
“What is happening to me…” Tsukasa murmurs to himself, head in his hands. “Save the world…cucumber-infused…it sounds good…”
“I know you can handle it, so don’t worry!” Future Tsukasa tells him, either reading his mind or just hearing the things he’s saying aloud. “I guess you messaged the others already, right? What did they say?”
As expected of his future self to know him so well. He had managed to send one simple ‘EVERYONE. HELP. IM TIME TRAVEL???’ to the group chat on their way here, though he hasn’t had a chance to check his messages since. There seem to have been quite a few replies.
Emu: !!!!!!congratulations!!!!₊·*◟(˶╹̆u╹̆˵)◜‧*･
Rui: Oh, again?
Nene: what
Rui: Do you need any help?
Emu: i wanna help too!!!!!!!ᵔᴥᵔᵔᴥᵔ
Nene: no what
Nene: are you talking about a new show?
“I should probably tell them what’s going on…” Tsukasa murmurs as the two of them read the messages.
“It seems like they understand,” Future Tsukasa says. “As expected of my friends, no matter what decade they’re in!”
“So everyone is still friends? Do we still work together?” Tsukasa stops, putting a hand up. “Wait, am I allowed to ask you those things? I don’t want the universe to explode! Ahh, I should’ve listened more to what Rui told me about paradoxes!”
“No, he said it was fine to answer questions, so long as it’s just the four of you. Of course, I understand your curiosity! But don't worry, the four of us are still as close as ever.”
“Really? Hm, of course! So we-”
“Tsukasa!”
The question is lost as the sound of shoes against the path suddenly becomes audible, and Emu comes running into the clearing by the stage. Behind her follows Rui and Nene, both looking vaguely concerned.
“Tsukasa? Is everything okay?” Rui starts. “If it’s about the application, we can always apply next year, like I said. Don’t worry.”
“Yeah, we don’t have to be- oh my gosh?!” Emu skids to a halt, locking eyes with Future Tsukasa. “Another Tsukasa?! Why? Are we going to do a show together?”
“At least question it a little!” Tsukasa snaps at the same time as his future self.
“Oh, my,” Rui says as he walks up, Nene behind. She looks a little pale. “So this is what you meant…”
“Everyone!” Tsukasa stands up firmly, holding out a handle towards his other self. “This is my future self! He’s here to save the world!”
“Wow, you look so much younger than I remembered…but! Yes!” Future Tsukasa stands up and pulls a pose so cool that Tsukasa tries to make a mental note to add this to his repertoire. It’s not technically plagiarism if he created it himself, right? “I am your Tsukasa but from the future! I’m here to save the world!”
“Two of them…?” Nene asks, eyes darting side to side. “No…two of them…”
“It’s okay, Nene,” Tsukasa assures her. “I know it seems overwhelming, but he’s the real deal!”
“Yes! I’m here to help, don’t worry!” Future Tsukasa adds.
“You’re from the future?!” Emu gasps. “That’s amazing! Can you tell me about what happens? Have they invented any new colours yet?! Because I have an idea!”
“Uh, no?” Future Tsukasa hums. “I mean, I’d have to ask Rui about inventing stuff. I already called him so he should be here shortly…”
“A future me…?” Rui says, the curiosity in his voice already verging into danger. “I certainly have a lot of questions to ask…”
“Wait, wait wait wait-” Nene seems to shake off her malaise. “What are you doing saving the world?”
“You say that like you wouldn’t expect me to save the world,” Tsukasa says, raising an eyebrow.
“If Rui is involved, then kind of, yeah…”
“Hey-!”
“You look like you’re dressed from one of those games Nene likes!” Emu says, leaning to the side to examine his attire. “Do you have superpowers? And a gun?”
“What?” Future Tsukasa stares at her. “No. Why would I need a gun?”
“Ummm…time travel monsters?”
“That’s not a thing,” Future Tsukasa says, then glances towards Rui. “Is that a thing? You didn’t tell me anything about that!”
“I don’t recall ever reading anything about that, but things might be different in the future.” Rui seems pleased at the prospect of a scientific anomaly in front of him. Of course he does. “But it’s very interesting that you’re able to be here for so long. Usually time travel methods are so fragile they can only be used for a few minutes at most before time-space collapse. Did you use a machine? Or was it some other method?”
“Yes, it’s a machine! It’s back behind the Wonder Stage since it wouldn’t look too out of place there. We were going to use the school, but it’d be a bit awkward to get out on a weekend. But it’ll only stay for so long, so that’s why we have to be quick!”
“Not to mention that would likely seriously kill the teachers,” Nene mutters.
“Hey!” Tsukasa turns to her. “It’s technically not us this time! I mean, it is me, but it’s not me!”
“What, you think they’re going to give your future adult self a detention?”
“I’m a responsible and well-behaved student!”
“It’ll be gone in a few hours, so our time is limited,” Future Tsukasa says, then perks up. “Ah, Rui! You made it!”
Tsukasa turns around to see another Rui walking up to them, dressed in similar clothes. Again, the hair and style is a little different, but that expression is unfailingly Rui.
“Oh my, this certainly brings back a lot of memories,” he says as he approaches. Just seeing himself had been reasonable enough to adjust to, but seeing another time traveller makes Tsukasa feel slightly dizzy. There’s a whole world somewhere out there, full of- themselves. People from across the timeline. That’s crazy…that’s unfathomable…that’s…
“Wait, you stopped for soda?” Future Tsukasa asks, eyes narrowing.
“I missed this flavour,” he explains with a smile, a drink with the park’s logo in his hand. “I thought I’d get some whilst heading towards the stage. Sorry, did you want some?”
“You said not to be seen by anyone!”
“It’s fine, I kept my mask on. Nobody would’ve recognised me.”
“You have purple hair! You worked here for over a year!”
“Huh…” Emu stares with wide eyes between the two of them. “They don’t have blueberry soda in the future…?”
“They do, but they drastically lowered the sugar content,” Future Rui tells her sadly. “It’s not quite the same as it used to be.”
“Oh no…! I’ll be sure to ask future me to put more sugar back in! Wait, is future me here too?!”
“All four of us are here,” Future Rui tells her. “We were trying to see who we could find first to help us on our mission.”
“Me from the future…?” Nene looks somewhat afraid. “No, I don’t think I want to know…”
“Nonsense!” Future Tsukasa tells her. “Our Nene is a remarkable singer and actress! I’m sure you’d be enthralled to meet her!”
“That’s so exciting!” Emu says, clapping. “But what do you need to do to save the world? Are we gonna help? Can we save it together? Are we already together, technically? Are there four people here, or six?!”
“That’s quite the philosophical question,” Rui says thoughtfully.
“We’re here because there’s something we need to find,” Future Rui explains to the group. “It’s not possible for us to locate it in the future anymore, so I built a time machine as a last resort so we could come back to a time we know it definitely still exists.”
“That’s quite a mission to go on to find a missing item…” Nene says.
“It’s more than that!” Future Tsukasa says as Future Rui sips his soda. “Without that, we’ll be at a complete loss! This is our final chance to make things right before the fabric of the universe collapses!”
“Rui, do you still have that skeleton key you made that can unlock any door?” Future Rui asks.
“Uh, the what?” Tsukasa asks.
“Hmm, I do, but I have to admit I’m not quite sure where I last placed it…” Rui says with a pained smile.
“What?! Is it really a good idea to lose something like that?”
“Is it a good idea to make something like that…?” Nene adds.
“We can unlock the box we need to locate the item here with that key!” Future Tsukasa says. “You need to find it immediately!”
“I’m sure it’ll be in my room somewhere,” Rui says lightly.
“Oh god, that means it could be anywhere,” Nene says in dismay.
“Let’s go find it!” Emu says, bouncing up. “I think if we have four people and two are the same people then we still have six! And with six people it should be super easy! And also, two of them are Rui so that’s an extra bonus!”
“Does that mean two Tsukasas count as a double penalty?” Nene asks.
“Hey!” Tsukasa yells alongside his future self.
“Actually, it’ll be a little more like eight,” Future Rui says, and holds up his phone. The interface is slightly different, but it’s still very recognisably their group chat. One new message at the bottom.
‘we’re on our way!!!!! ─=≡Σʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ’
-
They’re already waiting outside when they reach Rui’s house, perched atop the wall. It takes maybe less than two seconds for Future Emu to spot them, jump down, and come running up to try and grab all four of them into a hug at once.
“Ahh, everyone is so cute-!” she says, and it’s both surprising and unsurprising to Tsukasa how she basically hasn’t changed at all. Is this really a grown woman? “Ahh, tiny Nene-!”
“H-hold on, Emu, don’t scare…me.” Future Nene appears at her side, grabbing Future Emu’s arm before she can squeeze Nene into her next life. “Wow, you really found everyone…”
“It’s future me!” Emu says, and it’s a little startling how Tsukasa can practically see the communication waves travel through the air as Emu stares at her future self. They’re having a full conversation and he can’t understand any of it. “Amazing…”
“It’s a little embarrassing, somehow…” Future Nene says, staring at her younger self. “Like looking back at a class photo…”
“Well, I’m not embarrassed about it at all!” Future Tsukasa exclaims. “My past self is just as great as I am now! But of course, I already knew that back then too! Ha ha ha!”
“Of course!” Tsukasa joins in. “Ha ha ha!”
“...You’re more normal than I expected,” Nene says to her future version, and seems relieved despite her alarm. “You didn’t go insane hanging out with these three for so long?”
“It’s incredible, I know,” Future Nene tells her. “I'm not really sure how I handled it.”
“Wait, Future Nene, where are your special cool future clothes?” Emu asks her, eyes wide. “Everyone else is dressed like powpowpow!”
“Um, I didn’t really see the point…”
“I know everyone probably has a lot of questions to ask, but it’s probably better if we start on trying to find the key first,” Future Rui says. “We’ll have a chance to talk later, I’m sure. This shouldn’t take too long.”
This is either a lie, or a severe misunderstanding of what constitutes as ‘long’. Rui’s room isn’t too big, but it hosts a lot of items that could also potentially have something else inside. Boxes full of mismatched screws and tools and mysterious piles that start as clothes and turn into machine parts. A lot of balloons. The floor is barely visible underneath it all.
“Didn’t we only clean this last month…?” Tsukasa asks in horror, lingering at the doorway.
“Yes, that’s why it’s not too bad,” Rui says.
“Not too bad-?!”
“It’s the dog robot!” Emu says, jumping over one of the piles to the steel puppy in the corner. “He’s still here! Hi, puppy! Barkbark!”
“Ah, Rui, the spinny machine is here too!” Future Emu joins her, picking up the compartment that still makes Tsukasa dizzy to look at. “There’s so many fun things here! Why don’t you keep these things in your room anymore?”
“No, I’m not trying to die,” Future Tsukasa says flatly.
“Oh, this brings back memories.” Future Rui navigates the mess easily to admire one of the blueprints on the wall. “The prototype for this was a great success, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, but the heat expulsion wasn’t great,” Rui says with a sad smile. “If not for that, it would have been perfect.”
“Ah, yes, I remember…I think it took another year before I could find the parts I needed…”
“Can we really find something as small as a key in here?” Nene asks. “You said you only have a few hours, right?”
“I don’t think it should be so hard,” Rui says, then pauses, one hand on his chin. Oh, that’s a troubling expression in this context. “But…there is one small problem. I accidentally left a few parts out in the yard before the snowfall. It’s not impossible that the key is out there.”
“Outside?” Tsukasa stares. “Why did you leave your stuff outside?”
“Well, it was hot in the summer,” Rui says simply. “And I was planning to bring it in, but then it snowed.”
“There’s six months between those events?!”
“Many substances aren’t safe for indoor use,” Rui says, face pulling into hurt. “Don’t you always tell me to be more considerate of my health, Tsukasa…?”
“That’s a very good argument,” Future Rui adds. “I agree with that reasoning.”
“Oh, thank you,” Rui says back.
“Okay, forgetting that- let’s divide into pairs and take a section of the room each!” Tsukasa instructs. “I’ll go outside, and you three can go left, right, and center. If we see anything that looks like a key, we can check with one of the Ruis to see if it’s what we need. Understood?”
“Okay, understood!” Various voices call back at him, and Tsukasa is pleased to see he can still act as a leader even to versions of his friends many years his senior.
It’s not quite snowing again, but Tsukasa can feel the threat of it as he steps into Rui’s yard. It’s a very good thing he brought his gloves if he’s going to be shifting through snow for something that might not even be here.
“Okay, if Rui was launching missiles out here, they’d probably land somewhere around here…” Future Tsukasa walks over to the corner of the yard, near the cluster of branches that will be a bush once spring rolls around again. “Maybe we should have picked a better month to travel to…”
“You can borrow one of my gloves!” Tsukasa offers, removing his left one and handing it over. “Technically I’m still wearing both of them so it’s not a problem.”
“Hm, good thinking!” Future Tsukasa pulls up his mask again and starts brushing away the snow from the ground. Tsukasa crouches not too far from him, trying to look but also unable to stop eyeing his future self.
There are so many questions he needs to ask. But where to start? The future is interesting, sure, but the amount of acting and performing knowledge he must have gained in all those years…is it possible to learn all of it in the next couple hours? Sure, he’ll learn it eventually, but maybe, if he can get a headstart…but more than that, there’s something important nagging at him.
“Is the future…bad?” Tsukasa starts, and his future self glances away from a box full of screws he’s managed to dig up.
“Hm? No. It’s not bad. It’s actually pretty amazing!” He grins. “I’m more of a star now than I’ve ever been before! Every day holds a new opportunity!”
“Hm? Even with the world about to end?”
“Especially now!” Future Tsukasa exclaims. “Because this is where we’ll make our biggest difference!”
The way he speaks is so cool, so determined. When Tsukasa watches footage of himself back, it sometimes feels as if his presence isn’t quite there, like his speech and mannerisms are missing something. But with his future self, that feeling is gone. Whatever barrier he’s facing, he must have overcome. It’s hard to imagine, especially after the failure earlier today, but maybe it is possible. No, of course it’s possible. This is him! His own body and mind!
“Then, is Saki still healthy?” Tsukasa asks, sitting up.
“She is! Leo/need are touring worldwide!”
“As expected of my sister!” Tsukasa hesitates. “And…am I a star?”
“Of course!” His future self gives a half-pose from the floor, then stops. “But, aren’t you already?”
“...No.” Tsukasa trains his eyes on the empty sheet of snow in front of him. “I’m not, yet. I will be! But…not yet.”
Future Tsukasa seems to consider this. “You feel frustrated that you’re still not hitting your full potential, right? Because you know your performances can be better.”
“Yeah…”
“I understand that. But to be honest, that feeling never fully goes away.”
“Huh?” Tsukasa turns to his future self, but despite that terrible revelation, he doesn’t appear distraught at all. How can he be inspecting a palm full of rusty screws so easily? “So I’ll never feel satisfied with my acting? But there are times even now where I can feel like I’ve done a good job! It’s just that I know I can do even better!”
“Yes, you’ll be pleased with your performances and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. But you’ll always think back and analyse each word you said, each interpretation you chose to follow. But that’s natural, is it not?”
“By your age, I would’ve assumed there wouldn’t be anything left to worry about…”
“Becoming complacent is the only way to ensure you never improve!” Future Tsukasa declares, standing up. “Every time you look at yourself and think ‘I can do better’, that means you’ve unlocked a new stage to aim towards! The times where you struggle the most are the times where you’ll improve most dramatically. Working on a skill every day means you won’t recognise that improvement fully at first. Of course, if you look at me from a future so far away, the difference is easy to see, but I only became the way I am now one day at a time. It takes a lot of small days to add up to big years. And it happens sooner than you think! But it also takes a lot longer than you want.”
“That’s…” Tsukasa staggers back. “Really good advice?!”
“Why do you sound so surprised?! You don’t believe in me? You don’t believe in yourself?!”
“Of course I believe in myself! I believe in myself the most!”
“Then say it with your whole heart! Say it like you mean it! I believe in myself!”
“I believe in myself!” Tsukasa stands up tall, cupping his hands over his mouth. “I believe in myself more than anything! Even though we didn’t make it into the festival, I’m still going to be a star!”
“That’s right! You are!”
“I am!”
“Hey, are you two even doing anything out there?” Nene calls from the doorway, joined by her future self in giving them despairing looks. “Or are you just yelling?”
“We are!” They call back together.
“Which question are you answering?” Future Nene asks, raising an eyebrow. “You know we don’t have a lot of time, right?”
“I know that!” Future Tsukasa says. “I’m just telling my past self how great an actor he’s going to become!”
“Hm…the acting of a Tsukasa more than ten years in the future…” Rui chuckles from behind. “That sounds very interesting to see.”
“It is very interesting.” Future Rui smiles. “It’s a shame we don’t have enough time to put on a show together. Maybe another time.”
“Uh, what other time are you suggesting?” Future Nene gives him a look. “Also, how are you going to have an audience when we’re not supposed to be seen by anyone outside of our troupe…”
“We could wear disguises?”
“No-”
“Rui Rui Rui! We found a key!” Emu’s voice cuts them off, running over to the door with her future self, holding up a fist into the air. “Hmm, is this the right one?”
“I don’t know…is it the right one?” Future Emu tilts her head.
“I don’t know…” Emu tilts her head the other way, face scrunching up. “Is it?”
“I’m not sure…” Future Emu twists her mouth to the side, frowning.
“Oh, they ended up in some kind of loop…” Nene murmurs as both Ruis move to take a look at the object in Emu’s hand.
“Ah, yes, this is the key,” Future Rui says, taking it away from Emu and apparently breaking the spell. “Good work, Emu.”
“So it wasn’t outside after all?” Tsukasa crosses his arms, fighting off a shiver.
“It was inside of the cushion!” Emu says proudly. “I thought it would be a good place to store things so I opened it up!”
“Of course.” Future Rui nods. “I should’ve thought of that first. That is a very good place to store something.”
“It’s definitely not-” Future Tsukasa starts.
“You said there was something at PXL you needed to unlock?” Rui asks. “Is this all you need?”
“Yes, we should head over there now,” Future Rui says. “We’re almost out of time, after all.”
“Out of time?!” Tsukasa yells. “For what? What’s going to happen?!”
“Let’s go go go super fast!” Future Emu says with a laugh. “It’s almost time for the finale, right?”
“That’s right!” Future Tsukasa exclaims, jumping into another pose. “Everyone! Follow me! I’ll show us all the way to victory!”
“I mean, we all know where the park is…” Future Nene mutters.
“This way! Let’s go!”
-
“Okay, we’re almost there!” Future Tsukasa calls from the front of their group, rounding another corner. Their future selves are in the lead, but Tsukasa isn’t going to fall behind. “Keep up, everyone!”
“Hold on- it’s slippy-” Nene stumbles a little as they pass a particular icy patch.
“Then let’s slide!” Emu grabs her arm as she skates across the ice, eliciting a short yelp from Nene.
“Is the world seriously going to explode?” Tsukasa yells.
“This is fun, isn’t it?” Rui comments with a laugh as they reach the clearing of the stage.
“To the storeroom!” Future Tsukasa directs. Even through his pounding heart, Tsukasa can feel the intensity of the situation, the concentrated focus of the troupe in front of him. Whatever they’re doing, it’s clearly something so important that he can barely imagine it. A future full of extremes and adventure. He’s almost expecting something to jump out at them when Rui unlocks the store cupboard, but it looks just the same as normal when the door swings open.
“Okay, it should be towards the back…” Future Rui says, making his way down the narrow corridor amongst the mess. He navigates it the way only someone with years of experience could manage. “Let’s see…”
“Wahh, so many old props!” Future Emu picks up a masked teddy bear, swinging it around. “Do you remember this one, Nene? Haha, I still remember all my lines! ‘You must defeat all my many cousins before you can enter the final room! But it won’t be easy! Wah ha ha!’”
“Yeah, I remember.” Future Nene glances around with a fond smile. “It’s kind of weird seeing this place like this again…”
“Huh? But that show was only a few months ago!” Emu frowns. “Don’t you have a store cupboard in the future? Did it explode too?”
“What?” Future Nene seems vaguely amused. “No, it’s still here, but a lot of it was cleared out after we stopped using the stage. It would be a little unfair if we left this much mess to the future troupes wanting to use the space.”
“Oh…future troupes…” Emu pauses, face a little conflicted. “But…is the Wonder Stage still here? Is it still special to everyone?”
“Very special,” Future Nene says with a soft smile. “It makes a lot of people happy.”
“Yeah!” Future Emu adds, holding up one of the bear’s paws. “People come here every day and every day they leave with big big big smiles! So don’t worry!”
“Ahh…” Emu relaxes into a grin. “I’m glad!”
“It’s here.” Future Rui lifts up a box that had been sitting beneath one of their prop chairs, slightly unassuming with its thin layer of dust on top. If Tsukasa had to select one thing in the room he felt capable of saving the world, this would definitely not be it.
“Oh, I recognise that,” Rui says, gathering with the rest of them as Future Rui inserts the key into the lock with a click. “But, isn’t that…”
The lid swings open, and all of them lean in to look at the coveted contents of the box. Tsukasa prepares himself to see treasure and riches, black matter and machine parts, a hole that leads down to the core of the universe. Instead, there’s just a few piles of paper. Future Rui takes the topmost one. It’s- a manuscript.
“What?” Tsukasa stares. “That’s- what?”
“That’s it…?” Nene asks.
“Oh, thank goodness.” Future Rui smiles as he flips through the pages, using his phone to take a few photos. “I knew it would be here. Ah, I really should’ve made a digital copy.”
“Halt!” Tsukasa crosses his arms in front of his chest in an ‘x’ shape. “What is this? I thought you were saving the world!”
“This is saving the world!” Future Tsukasa exclaims. “The copy we had was missing a whole three scenes!”
Future Nene glances his way. “Wait, what did you tell them?”
“It was a mission of grave importance!” Future Tsukasa says. “Without this, the world would have fallen into disrepair!”
“No.” Future Nene’s eyes fall so flat that her expression could have been drawn with a ruler. “We literally just needed to look at a script. Rui was going to go, but Tsukasa didn’t trust him so he went too, and I didn’t trust Tsukasa so I came as well, and Emu wanted to come too.”
“I thought it would be fun!” Future Emu says brightly. “And it was!”
“So- the world isn’t going to end?” Tsukasa feels vaguely cheated, if a little relieved. “I thought the future was doomed!”
“I already told you, the future is great!” his future self tells him. “And even greater now that we have the missing parts for our script! If anything was going to save the world, it would make sense for it to be a great script, right?”
“Well, when you put it like that…” Tsukasa nods slowly. “Yes, it makes perfect sense.”
“All those years and you’re still an idiot,” Nene says with a sigh.
“I couldn’t help but notice that the atmosphere feels a little off, though,” Future Rui says, turning to their group. “Did something happen today? I hope we didn’t pick a bad time.”
“It’s because today was when we found out we couldn’t do our show for the Sapporo festival, right?” Future Emu says. “Everyone has that wuhhwuhh look in their eyes! That’s why you’re a little sad, right?”
“Ahh…” Tsukasa looks away, feeling the other three deflate slightly at the question. In all the excitement of the day, he had almost forgotten about that. But even after all this is over, at the end of the day, they still won’t be going to that festival. There may be a lot of things to look forward to, but that isn’t one of them.
“There’s a lot of things I’d like to say, but our time here is drawing short,” Future Rui says with a wistful smile. “The machine is going to leave soon.”
“Oh…” Emu picks up the teddy bear from where her future self had set it down amongst the other plushies, interrupting their tea party. “Well…it’s okay! I wanted to talk more, but we’re all still here, right?”
“That’s right.” Future Rui’s voice is kind. “We’ll be here together for a lot longer. And we’ll meet again someday, right?”
“Hmmm…hmmm…?” Danger. It looks like Emu is trying too hard to figure out the logistics of that comment. Tsukasa tries to find something quick to say before a cosmic event can occur, but luckily Rui gets there first.
“Is it okay if we take a look at the time machine?” he asks. “I’d be very interested in seeing what was used as an energy source.”
“Of course,” Future Rui says. “Please help yourself.”
A gale has picked up back outside, but it’s not quite as cold as Tsukasa would’ve expected it to be. Maybe it’s less of a natural wind, and more the universe trying to revert things back to how they should be. They return back to the stage area, only to find a brightly coloured, sticker covered machine sitting on the empty space behind the stage.
“...It’s…not very subtle,” Nene says after a moment.
“I thought it would look less out of place like this,” Future Rui explains. “People generally don’t suspect anything that looks like it’s trying to be noticed.”
“I helped decorate!” Future Emu says, as if that’s not obvious.
“Oh…?” Rui peers at the sides of the machine, running a hand along the seam between the metal panels. “I don’t think I’ve seen this style of soldering before…”
“As time passes, you’ll find more ways to stretch the boundary of each kind of material,” Future Rui tells him. “And it’ll be much easier to avoid authority once you’re out of high school.”
“Hey! Stop being a bad influence on yourself!” Future Tsukasa scolds. The wind picks up again, and Tsukasa has to grab his scarf before it flies away. “It’s time to go.”
“It would seem so.” The door slides open as Future Rui presses the button on the front, but before they start to enter, their future selves turn back to face them in farewell. “Actually, I regret to have to tell you this, but for the sake of avoiding any paradoxes, I do have to remove your memories from our meeting today.”
“What?!” Tsukasa takes a step back, covering his head with his arms. “But I’ve been given such good advice today! How can I improve to meet my full potential if you take that away?”
“You’ll figure it out again, right?” Future Nene says.
“That’s right!” Future Tsukasa nods. “It’s in you somewhere, after all!”
“Well, I expected something like this…” Rui says with a saddened smile. “I’ve been wondering how you were going to deal with the issue of a time paradox.”
“But it seems kinda sad…” Emu says. “What about the blueberry soda…?”
“It’s okay,” Future Rui assures her. “The melon one is still just as good.”
“Um, I think you should be concerned about other things within this scenario,” Nene tells Emu.
“But since I’m erasing your memories anyway, I’ll let you in on a secret.” Future Rui gives them a knowing look. “Next year, you’ll get in. And the show will be better than ever.”
Tsukasa looks up. “Really-?”
“Yeah! The future is super super fun!” Future Emu says. “It’s like now but it’s even more fun!”
“Mm, things are pretty nice right now,” Future Nene adds. “It’s not always perfect, but it feels like things are getting better all the time.”
“Lots of people are going to keep coming to the park!” Future Emu tells her younger self, spinning in a small circle before grabbing Emu’s hands. “PXL is going to get super busy and make everyone smile in a way that Grandpa would’ve super duper loved! It’s really shiny every single day!”
“Really?” Emu’s eyes sparkle. “I can’t wait to see it!”
“You’ll get that lead you’ve always dreamed of,” Future Nene says, smiling softly towards herself. “And you won’t struggle with that high note at all anymore.”
“...Thank goodness,” Nene says. Her future self seems to hesitate for a moment, before wrapping her into a quick but close hug.
“You’ll be amazed how much easier it gets,” she murmurs. “All of it.”
“And you’ll all keep making wonderful shows that can be enjoyed by all kinds of people,” Future Rui says to his younger self. “You’ll be surrounded by your precious friends the whole way.”
“I suppose I have to believe you, don’t I?” Rui says with a chuckle.
“And I!” Future Tsukasa throws out a hand, pointing with full force. “You’ll keep improving every day! You’ll find yourself bathing in the sunlight in the horizon you’re chasing before you know it! Just make sure you take a moment to look around to realise where you are, because otherwise you might not notice.”
“I will.” Tsukasa nods then clenches his fists tight. “I will! Wait for me there! I’ll show you everything I’ve got!”
Future Tsukasa nods. “Of course!”
“Okay, then let’s get going,” Future Rui says, and retrieves a small device from his pocket. “Rui, could you please give me the reflective coating you have in your hand? It can interfere with the signal.”
Rui laughs, and hands it over. “I know myself too well, it seems.”
“I’ll need the one hidden in your pocket too.”
“...It was worth a try.” He at least has the decency to look sheepish.
“It won’t be too long, I promise,” Future Rui tells them as he steps into the machine alongside the others. “We’ll see you soon, everyone.”
There’s a flash. Tsukasa opens his eyes and finds himself staring at a mound of snow, swept up into a neat pile. The sky is getting dark and his cheeks feel a little cold despite his winter clothes. The stage and stalls are empty aside from his friends. A little snow is carried by a breeze in the air, but it’s starting to settle, letting his scarf lie flat.
“...Huh?” Emu says, blinking. “What…”
“We’re still here?” Tsukasa says with a frown. “I could’ve sworn we already went home…”
“Yeah, I thought we did…” Nene says, touching the zip of her coat.
“It seems the day went faster than we realised,” Rui says, glancing at his hand. “Though I agree, it does feel a little…peculiar.”
“I thought that could only happen when you go to sleep!” Emu says, hopping forwards to the pile of snow and scooping some up into her glove. She examines it with the tilt of her head. “When time just goes pop!”
Tsukasa checks his phone, staring in confusion at the evening time in the corner. No messages since this morning. So they really did just spend the entire day here. The entire day…moping? Because of the festival rejection…?
“I don’t know why, but…” Tsukasa puts his phone away, pulling his face into deep thought. “I don’t feel upset anymore.”
“Me neither!” Emu says, shaping the snow into a ball with cat ears. “I was feeling really bluhh about the festival, but now I just feel okay!”
“Right?” Nene says. “It’s like I almost feel…hopeful.”
“Yes,” Rui agrees. “Somehow I’m already looking forward to planning our next show.”
“That’s right!” Tsukasa nods, putting his hands on his hips. “Everything is going to be okay, isn’t it?”
Usually when he says things like this during a low period, the others will try to offer a smile but take a while before it reaches their eyes. Yet, now, they’re all looking at him like they genuinely believe him. And he’s not even trying to force out the best case scenario. He believes it too, even if he can’t say why. It will be okay. It absolutely will be okay!
“It’s getting kind of cold though,” Nene says, pulling her coat tighter around herself. “If we’re going to discuss the next show, can we go somewhere warmer…?”
“Let’s go get ice cream!” Emu says, holding up her finished snowcat in all its glory. “All the snow is making me really really want to eat a big parfait! I want something with blueberries!”
“Somehow, I was craving that too,” Rui says with a laugh.
“You want to eat ice cream?” Tsukasa asks in disbelief. “When it’s this cold?”
“Well, the dessert shop does have other options too,” Rui says. “And it’ll certainly be warmer there than out there.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind that,” Nene says. “The brownies were really good last time.”
“We can get some to share!” Emu says, placing her cat on top of the heap so she can grab onto Nene’s arm. “And I think our next show is gonna be even better than this one! That’s why we don’t feel sad anymore!”
“Maybe you’re right,” Rui says with a smile. “Then, shall we get going?”
“Of course!” Tsukasa hits a pose, body moving almost of its own accord. This isn’t one he’s done before, but something about it feels right, a level of coolness he hasn’t previously been able to express. But what he knows in his heart, he must reflect in his movements. Because he knows it, for sure.
This defeat will certainly lead to success. Before he knows it, he’ll be exactly where he needs to be. They’re going to keep getting stronger together, one day at a time. And next time, it will be better.