Chapter 2 -- My first friend

AIO: Who says I can't combine past and present tenses? Who decided that?

________________________________________________________________________________________

The starlit night enduring, Reach walks over to Tomo who remains overwhelmed by the spectacle.

Reach: "Are you okay?"

Reach extends his hand.

Tomo: "Thanks."

Tomo accepts the offer and successfully stands up.

Tomo: "I'm okay. But are you okay? There's parts of you everywhere.."

Reach: "Haha, I'm fine. But I can't say it doesn't hurt."

...

Tomo: He has a gentle smile.

Kail and the others slowly walk over to Thane's unconscious body. Other townsfolk start appearing from their homes, worried about the clear commotion.

Mera: "What should we do?"

...

The other bartender, Mera's colleague Teamas - a younger adult with chin-length blonde hair, comes forward.

Teamas: "Thane tried to kill two people in front of our eyes."

Mera: ...

Teamas: "I know we don't really have disease-holders here, but it doesn't mean we agree with his morals."

...

Kail: "Teamas is right."

Kail: "Our town has been void of a leader for quite some time. Our rule has been to make decisions based on the general opinion."

The other townsfolk begin wandering over.

Kail: "Let's gather the majority and decide what to do with him."

Reach and Tomo observe the townsfolk for a while, who eventually bind Thane and carry him away.

...

Reach: Such deep-rooted hatred... I can only imagine where it comes from.

Tomo notices a large scar on Thane's now-revealed right quad as he's being carried away.

Kail strolls over to the two.

Kail: "Tomo, was it?"

Tomo: "Y-Yes."

Tomo: Who is this guy again?

Kail: "I'm afraid I have to apologise on Thane's behalf."

...

Kail: "While he is not a resident of our town, he has visited many times and is typically well-behaved."

Kail: "As you can tell, we are not particularly strong here. We do not have guards or any sort of military force, nor a prison. Honestly, being hard to find is our saving grace."

...

Kail: "Therefore, we plan to send him to the nearest village whom we have friendly relations with. Once he has spent time in confinement, we will ensure he makes up for the damage he's caused. We could use the might to reinforce our town."

Tomo: "What's stopping him from escaping? You saw how strong he is."

Kail looked down in thought.

Kail: "For the most part, he is an honest man. We know now that he despises disease-holders in a hateful rage, however, he does care for us ordinary folk. I would like to believe that he'll gladly help us."

Kail: "With that being said, he will then be banned from our town indefinitely."

Tomo: ...

Reach placed his hand on Tomo's shoulder.

Reach: "It's okay. He won't hurt you again."

Tomo: Reach..

Kail: "I feel it is not my place to decide whether he can grow or not. To put a cap on the potential of change."

Reach: Change, huh..

...

Kail removed his glasses, appearing to look at them.

Kail: "Reach..."

Reach: ?

Kail: "I had forgotten that name. I haven't seen your Dad for years."

Reach: ...

Reach: "He left a while ago, and didn't plan to come back. So it makes sense."

Tomo: ...A-Another deadbeat?

Reach: "There were no hard feelings of course. I'm looking forward to seeing him again one day."

Reach: "He saved my life."

Tomo: ...Not a deadbeat.

Kail faintly smiled and put his glasses back on, returning to Mera and Teamas.

...

Reach: "Come stay at mine tonight. It's safe."

Tomo: "O-Okay."

The two began to walk off.

...

Tomo: "So..."

Tomo: "What exactly is your disease?"

Reach smiled as they walked.

Reach: "I call it 'overhealing'."

...

Reach: "It's something along the lines of endless cell growth, or infinite healing."

Tomo: "Wow, that sounds incredible."

...

Reach: "It's not as great as it sounds."

Tomo: ?

Reach: "If left uncontrolled, I will actually heal myself to death. Or 'overgrow' too much."

Reach: "Ironic, isn't it?"

...

Tomo: "S-So how do you stop it?"

Reach points to the device on his outer left shoulder.

Reach: "That's what this is for."

Tomo: That device...

Reach: "It's... Constantly stabbing me."

Tomo: ?!

Tomo: "Th-That's horrible."

Tomo looks closer at the device, hearing the subtle noise of vibration.

Tomo: There's no... Blood?

Reach looks up to the stars.

Reach: "My Dad made it."

Reach: "He seems to have worked out the perfect rate for at which I need to take damage. At every moment, I am experiencing thousands of micro-stabs."

Tomo: My god...

...

Reach: "The device provides this odd ripple effect which slows down my overhealing. It creates a time lag when the device comes off, which is crucial for battle."

Tomo: "How... Bad is the pain?"

Reach looks back at Tomo. A dark, cold expression coming over Reach's face.

Reach: "It hurts like hell, all the time. Sometimes I consider ending it all."

Tomo, unsure how to respond, looked down at his feet.

Tomo: I can't blame him..

Tomo: I'm not sure I could live with that. Or do anything really... How does he even sleep at night?

...

Reach: "How about you?"

Tomo: ?

Reach: "What's your disease?"

Tomo: "Ah... Good question."

Reach: ?

Tomo: "Oh wait, I know this."

Reach: ...

Tomo looks back towards Reach.

Tomo: "I guess you could say... Forgetfulness?"

Reach: "Forgetfulness? Is that a disease?"

Tomo: "Umm... It's more like my brain is heavy. Memories are a blur..."

Reach: "Amnesia?"

Tomo: "Maybe? I can remember some things but not others."

Reach: ...

Reach: "Some sort of disease that affects memory, I suppose?"

Tomo: "Yes, that sounds right. 'Inconsistent memory loss' I'll call it!"

Reach: Is he naming his disease because I did?

The two approached the outskirts on the far side of town.

Reach: "So what do you remember? Where are you from?"

Tomo: ...

Tomo: "I'm not from here, I'm sure of that."

Reach looked at him as if to say 'obviously'.

Tomo: "I'm not sure I even remember my parents..."

Reach: ...

Tomo: "I do have a sister though. With green hair."

Reach: "I see."

Tomo: "My disease... It's as if I don't get to decide what I remember."

Reach seemed to understand.

Tomo: "The good news is that I haven't forgotten anything that's happened tonight!"

Tomo: "I remember it all clearly. You're Reach and you saved my life."

Reach: I see.

Tomo: "And there was that one person and that other person and that thing..."

Reach: ...

Reach: I-I see...

The two arrived at what seemed to be the last house within sight. Clearly separated from the rest of the town but not far enough to denote a town of its own.

The house was wooden and battered with only nature behind it. The backdrop of endless mountains and rivers justified why one would choose to live here alone. The combination of blue and green under the light of the stars was as peaceful as it is fleeting.

Reach: "This is where I live."

As the two walked closer, Tomo noticed an open dirt area to the side of the house. It was filled with wooden stands, weapons, and tools.

Tomo: "Is this a training area?"

Tomo detoured to the side.

Tomo: ?!

Upon closer inspection, Tomo noticed mass amounts of dry blood and deteriorated limbs. Tomo immediately thought back to Kail's rumours about the undead.

Tomo: "A-Are these...?"

Reach: "Sorry, those are mine."

Tomo: Th-That explains a lot.

Reach: "I train here every day, and occasionally in the forest nearby with weapons."

Reach: "These wooden stands..."

Reach picks up a small object with a long wire that descends into the ground.

Blip.

Pressing a button on the object, a combination of spikes and blades emerge from the wooden stands.

Instantly, the now-militarised stands slide towards Tomo at rapid speed, preparing to slice him to pieces.

Tomo: Eh?

THACK.

Reach comes storming in, dodging the spinning blades and kicking the nearest two stands away from Tomo.

A third stand charges Reach from behind, who backflips over the stand and buries it in the ground with another kick.

Reach darts back towards the button and presses it again.

The stands stop. Their spikes and blades once again concealed.

Tomo falls on his bottom.

Tomo: "We... We certainly don't have the same sense of humour..."

Reach: "Haha, my bad."

Reach helps Tomo up again.

Reach: "My Dad also made those. He did a lot for me."

Tomo: ...Does every Dad make killing machines for their sons?

Reach: "I never had any ambition, so I sunk myself into training. It was a good distraction from the pain, or perhaps a kind of escapism."

Reach: "Even if these things fought me for six hours straight, they'd never touch me."

Tomo: W-Wow...

...

Tomo: "I'd love to be strong. Like with powerful arms, and big biceps."

Reach: Do the biceps matter?

Tomo: "Who taught you how to fight, Reach?"

Reach: "My brother. He taught me the basics of combat a long time ago."

Tomo: ...

Tomo: I have a sister, don't I? With green hair?

...

Tomo: "But your actual strength - as in speed and combat abilities, aren't disease-related are they?"

Reach: "That's correct."

Reach: "I want to have the power to fight without my disease. To still be capable without it."

...

Reach: "But honestly, if you know my weaknesses, I'm not that hard to kill."

Tomo: "R-Really?"

Reach lifted up his left forearm and flicked it with his right hand. The flick strong enough to draw blood.

Tomo: ?

...

Tomo: I-It's not... Healing?

Reach faintly smiled.

Reach: "If I have even a single cell left, I'll survive."

Reach: "Sometimes I don't get the point of my organs. Why have lungs if I can survive without breathing?"

Tomo: "I don't... Understand?"

...

Reach: "Depending on the type of injury I receive and the way it's applied, my overhealing will respond differently. Take into account my device and whether it's attached or not, the possibilities grow."

Tomo: ...

Reach detached the device from his outer left shoulder and re-attached it. A fresh drop of blood streamed down his bicep.

...

Tomo: T-The forearm healed..

Reach: "My overhealing is... Indefinitely, inconsistent."

Tomo: Inconsistent...

Reach: "Using it is my last resort, and not by choice. I'm much stronger against ignorant opponents."

Tomo remained impressed and inspired.

Reach: "Come on, let's go inside."

The two walked up a wooden set of stairs into an old-fashioned house.

The house had an interior wooden frame, an attic that was viewable and accessible, and a scatter of old yet comfortable furnishings that were mostly covered in papers. To the far inner corner was a dust-stained window that showcased the illustriousness of the mountains.

Within the one large bedroom was a wide, thick mat that could only be Reach's place of rest. Surrounding it stood many open boxes.

Reach walked over to a box that lay third atop a stack and retrieved a small white jar. He opened the jar and swallowed two white pills.

Tomo: I'm assuming pain killers. That seems like a must.

...

Reach: "Make yourself comfortable. Though I can't say I ever have guests."

Reach begun to change out of his ragged clothes. Tomo walked out of the bedroom and sat on a small grey couch, removing his shoes.

Tomo: "Are you friends with the people of this town?"

Reach responded from the bedroom.

Reach: "I have nothing against them. I just don't really talk to them."

Tomo: ...

Reach: "I'm surprised Kail knew who I was."

Tomo: "Who?"

Reach: "Don't worry..."

Reach re-emerged wearing a loose maroon shirt and light grey pants. In his hand was a damp towel that he'd used to wipe his face and body.

Tomo: "Do you ever go to that bar?"

Reach: So he remembers the bar?

Reach: "No, I don't drink. It affects my medications."

Tomo: "So why were you out tonight?"

Reach: Suddenly his memory is perfect...

Reach: "Truth be told... I was actually thinking about leaving."

Tomo: "Leaving?"

Reach: "Not tonight, but... Sometime."

Reach: "I was going for a stroll to the entrance of town. To look out, for a while..."

Tomo: ?

Reach: "And as we've just walked, you'd know that the bar is directly between this house and the entrance."

Tomo looked at Reach, inspired.

Tomo: "Are you saying... That our meeting was fate?"

Reach: "No. I don't believe in fate."

Tomo: Oh...

Reach: "But... Perhaps it's more so that we were meant to meet... That something willed it."

Tomo: Is-Is that different to fate?

Tomo gazed around the room and grabbed a stack of papers to his left.

Tomo: "What's with all the papers?"

Reach: "They're not mine. They've been here for years... My Dad is a researcher."

Tomo flicked through the stack in hand.

Tomo: "That makes sense... I don't even know what some of these words mean."

Tomo: "'Mi-ner'... 'M-Minoxa'..."

Reach: ...

Tomo: "Does this stuff make sense to you? 'Monitor: Flame Empress, Peacemaker'..."

Reach: "Not really. Though I can't say I'm interested in his study materials."

...

Tomo: "He even has notes about your disease in here."

Reach: "I'm familiar with that part, at least. Fire is another thing I don't like. Water is fine."

Tomo: "Interesting..."

Tomo: Am I just going to forget all this?

Reach sat down on a chair adjacent to Tomo.

Reach: "How much do you remember about diseases in general, Tomo?"

Tomo: "Surprisingly, that part is quite clear."

Tomo: "People with diseases are actually the minority. And yet, among that minority, the majority die."

Reach: "Yep.."

Reach: "We're in a world where people die, unexpectedly, all the time."

...

Tomo once again thought back to the pile of dead bodies outside town.

Reach: "Alright, you should get cleaned up. There's water out the back."

Tomo: "Okay."

Tomo put down the papers and proceeded to wash himself outside using a large wooden bucket.

Tomo: It's... It's cold...

He returned wearing loose brown fixtures that were available nearby.

Reach setup the bedroom mat with a second set of pillows.

Tomo drank a magnitude of water that Reach had prepared, and the two entered their sides of the mat. Tomo noticed a knife, a small box, and the same jar of medications on the floor next to Reach.

Tomo lay on his back, looking up to the ceiling. The starlight outside providing a dim, comfortable setting within.

Tomo: "If you were to leave here, where would you go?"

...

Reach: "I'm not sure."

Reach: "Sometimes I think... As one of the few people with an objectively strong disease, I should be doing more to make this world a better place."

Tomo: The power... To make a difference...

Reach: "Most people are sick. Some mentally, some physically... Some with disease, and some without."

Reach: "Massacres, war, human trafficking... I can honestly empathise with Thane's hatred."

Tomo: ...

Reach: "As I got older, I slowly learned more about the world, but never ventured too far. There's still so much I don't know."

Reach turned over and looked at Tomo.

Reach: "So what do you think? Should we do something about it?"

Tomo: "W-We? And do what?"

Reach: "Hmm... We could start by exploring, and slowly search for an answer. Search for 'something' without knowing what that 'something' is."

Tomo: Exploring...

Reach: "Maybe if I can start by helping one or two people, I'll get closer to what I want."

Tomo smiled.

Tomo: "You already saved my life."

Tomo: "If above all else, you've made a difference to me."

Reach felt encouraged.

Tomo: "It could be a good thing that we don't know our purpose in life."

Reach: "You can always come up with a purpose?"

Tomo: "Hmm..."

Tomo: "If I had to choose... It'd be to live a life that's not boring!"

Reach smiled in response.

Tomo: "But again... Why should I come with you on this 'exploration'?"

Reach looked confused.

Reach: "Because you're my first friend."

Tomo paused for a moment, then turned away.

Reach heard a faint 'sniff' noise.

Tomo, smiling to himself, declared.

Tomo: "I'll come with you!!"

- - - -

The morning shine bristled over the mountains. Reach's device provided a peaceful white noise among the silence.

The two awoke. Reach took more pills, and Tomo noticed obvious signs of exhaustion on Reach's face.

Tomo: I wonder if he got much sleep..

Reach pulled out a brown bag from one of the boxes and began packing - pills, clothes, and what seemed to be spare devices from the small box that laid next to him.

Tomo: Did I bring my own bag?

Reach packed a white scarf, a button-up shirt with pink floral patterns, a black mask, and the same knife from the floor. Tomo noticed the latter and felt obliged to comment.

Tomo: "Reach..."

Reach: "Hm?"

Tomo: "Have you ever... Killed someone?"

Reach paused and looked down, seemingly in a moment of silence. Looking back towards Tomo, Reach continued.

Reach: "I have."

Tomo gulped.

Reach: "Do what you will with that information. You don't have to come with me."

Tomo: ...

Tomo: "It's okay."

Reach: ...

Tomo: "You saved my life, and... I don't think you're a bad person."

Tomo: "So I'm still coming!"

Reach looked somewhat relieved.

The two prepared for departure.

Tomo stood outside wearing a light brown shirt and light grey shorts, the weather pleasant enough to justify so. Reach emerged wearing a similar outfit to last night - black pants that weren't quite full length and brown laced boots, however with a black long sleeve shirt this time. Strung over his right shoulder was his bag containing belongings.

Unintentionally matching their shirts to their hair colours, the two walked towards the entrance of town.

Passing the half-destroyed bar, they noticed Kail sitting on a chair, eating porridge baked in hot water.

Tomo: "Morning!"

Kail: "Mmph-"

Kail swallowed his current mouthful.

Kail: "Good day. I was going to come find you two later."

Kail looked towards the inside of the bar.

Kail: "Teamas!"

...

Teamas emerged holding Tomo's bag which was left at the bar.

Tomo: "Ah! So I did bring a bag!"

Teamas handed the bag to Tomo and smiled.

Tomo: "Thank you."

Reach, having never been in close proximity to Teamas, remained silent.

Reach: C-Cute...

Kail: "Are you two heading somewhere?"

Tomo: "Yes! We are setting off on a journey."

Kail: "A journey?"

Tomo: "To explore, or search for something, but I can't remember what."

Reach: "No, that's the point."

Tomo: "Huh?"

Reach: "Don't worry.."

...

Kail: "Very well. Best of luck to the both of you."

Kail walked up and extended his hand. The two felt no need to obstruct the notion, and two friendly handshakes occurred.

Kail looked at Reach.

Kail: "I'm sorry that I didn't reach out all these years."

Tomo: Was that a pun?

Reach: "No, it's fine. I didn't make any efforts either."

...

Kail: "Your Dad..."

Kail pointed to his own eyes.

Kail: "He made these glasses for me."

Kail: "Without them, I'm completely blind... Isn't that amazing?"

Tomo: Wow...

Reach smiled.

Kail: "And your disease. It is truly astounding, albeit brutal. I'm sure you can accomplish great things."

...

Reach: "Thanks, Kail."

And so the two left, out of town, under the innocent blue sky.

- - - -

A lone green-haired woman, embarked on a conquest, steadily walks.

????: "Those mountains..."

- - - -

A middle-aged woman with divine magenta hair, sat comfortably, looking upward.

????: "What turbulence awaits us?"

- - - -

A person lay in inconsistent yet eternal slumber.

...

- - - -

The very embodiment of a strong desire or determination, a woman with dark navy hair, looked down upon a night-lit city from an enormous skyscraper.

????: "Can anyone do anything about... Him?"

- - - -

A man stays isolated within the pyramid.

????: "This is... A difficult life."

- - - -

The epitome of heat remained sat on a temporal throne.

????: "Those two... In the depths..."

[Chapter 2 -- End]