Re: Zero - Hidden by The Stars - Part 1

A snowflake slowly fell and reached Natsuki Subaru's skin, giving him a slight chill, ensuring him of where he now was. The vast and quiet Elior Forest, covered in white as far as the eye can see. The stories Emilia told about how vibrant and exciting life was here seemed hard to believe, given what it looks like now. Total silence ringed through Subaru's ears, his steps punching the snow and the occasional gusts of wind were the only things that warded off complete silence. 

Emilia: [It should be over here.]

Emilia pointed East towards an abnormally placed metal door in the middle of a field devoid of any trees. It's purple color contrasted the abounding white surrounding it so well, it would be almost impossible to not notice. It was almost like the door was wanting to be found, to be opened. 

The distance of Emilia's steps shortened and her pace slowed. Of course, this reaction was to be expected. Everyone in this forest that she once held dear was either murdered or frozen by her hands, and she was about to re-enter the grounds where she herself was frozen for 100 years. 

Subaru: [Relax, Emilia. You can now make everything right, so don't get hung up on what happened in the past.]

Subaru's encouraging words snapped back Emilia to her normal self. She clenched the vial with dragons blood that she had received after winning the Royal Selection and becoming the forty-second monarch of Lugunica. Emilia knew Subaru was right. Things were different this time, and she could now get back the life that was once stolen from her.  

After careful examination of the area, Subaru had given the okay for Emilia to start using the dragons blood on every elf that was destined to lie in a frozen sleep for all eternity. Emilia screwed off the top of the vial and poured the vial onto the palm of her hand, reciting incantations that Subaru had never heard before. The purple color suddenly radiated a beautiful bright light and begun shifting around. Subaru felt that this was the embodiment of magic, it's purest form realized. 

As the chant continued, the doors in front of the pair had slowly opened. Emilia seemed to be just as surprised by Subaru by this, but she couldn't afford to lose her focus here. 

???: [ The Witch of Frost should not be here. ]

Subaru and Emilia: [ ?! ]

???: [ She will return back to the Roswaal Manor, where her dragon's blood cannot reach here, and her dream can never be realized. ]

And in the blink of an eye, the words spoken by the mysterious voice had become reality. No, to say in the blink of an eye would be incorrect, it was instantaneous, as if the disappearance had escaped the claws of time itself. Emilia was gone. 

Subaru, quickly turned to the location of the voice. It's sound as clear as a bell and quiet as the snowfall, somehow made everything else silent, making the whispers feel like they were being spoken directly into Subaru's ears.

Pandora: [ I had dreamed about this day for countless nights. 400 years of waiting has finally brought you to me. ]

Subaru couldn't recognize the girl's face, but she wasn't lying. He knew her from somewhere, but no matter how much his memories tried to reach for her, he just couldn't remember anything. The painful memories of Rem's erasure had unwelcomely reintroduced themselves, but Subaru knew that now was not the time to think about that. 

She had the figure of a little child, with a blue ribbon attached to the side of her platinum hair that reached her ankles all paired with a slight smile and emotionless blue eyes. Dressed in a single sheet of white fabric worn similarly to a poncho and and blue string tied at the top to make a beautiful blue ribbon which mimicked the one attached to her hair. Everything about her was out of place. 

What should be shivers from the unforgiving cold lied complete stillness, as if it phased through her. The rules of everything awful in this world seemed to be ignored by her sheer vanity. 

Subaru: [ W-what the hell did you do to Emilia! ]

Pandora: [ She was no longer needed here, so I sent her away. The seal has been released, and with that, the return of my master has finally arrived. ]

Pandora begun walking towards Subaru. Somehow unable to call for Beatrice, he gritted his teeth, grabbed his whip and prepared to use Invisible Providence. Actions which he knew were pointless and done in desperation, but he couldn't falter to this obvious evil. 

However, much to Subaru's surprise, Pandora completely ignored his presence and instead continued towards the door. 

Subaru: [ Hey, get back here! Return Emilia here this instant! ]

A bead of sweat dropped down Subaru's forehead. With his experience dealing with nigh-almighty enemies, he could instantly tell she was one of them. But he couldn't stop here because of simple things such as fear, after all Emilia's dream was going to be taken away.  Gathering his courage, he rushed towards Pandora, winding his arm back preparing to strike her with his whip.  

Right before his arm could lash forward, a hand reached out from the pitch black inside the doors and grabbed it. 

???: [ Sorry about all this. ]

The voice was quickly recognized by Subaru as his own. Before he could react, the hand pulled Subaru towards the doors with extreme force, instantly overpowering him. The momentum had swung Subaru around, where he faced the strange man and――,

Pandora: [ Master Flugel, the Great Sage, welcome home. ]

All kinds of questions went through Subaru's mind, but the one that seemed impossible to answer ―― "Why does this man have my face?"

Flugel: [ I know you won't be able to forgive me, but eventually you'll understand... After all, we both want to save the same person. ]

The man, who Pandora called Flugel gave Subaru a slight push, sending Subaru down the abyss contained inside the doors. As Subaru fell deeper down, the sight of Flugel and Pandora facing him had slowly begun to shrink and the outline of the door was surrounded by a boundless shadow. The rush of the fall felt similar to that of jumping off a skyscraper. This continued until Subaru blinked, and when he opened his eyes he was faced with a reality he thought was surely impossible. 

The florescent lights from the convenience store crept from behind him, allowing him to see the white lines from the parking lot he was standing in. 

Natsuki Subaru had returned to Japan.