Conscious, Conscientious

Clouds cast a subtle shade on the long path towards Fiction Country. Lammy and Zayza continued their steady pace, sighing jealously every time a dragon soared by high above.

“So…you talked with Deon at the tournament?” Lammy asked his companion. “What did he say?”

“It was only briefly, while he and his friend ordered food,” she recalled. “The first time, actually, he complimented my scars…”

“Oh…sorry about that…” Lammy stammered in discomfort.

“He didn’t know any better,” Zayza reasoned. “But I withdrew a bit when he did that, so I feel bad. He must have noticed, because he apologized to me the next time he ordered. He seems like a genuinely kind person—a lot like you.”

Lammy blushed. “Well…he’s an awesome friend,” he said. “Also, uh…I’m sorry if he hit on you. He does that with pretty much any girl he meets.”

“Oh?” wondered Zayza. “I don’t believe he did with me.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes—he was amicable, but not quite flirtatious.”

Lammy felt like his mind ran straight into an unforeseen wall. Hitting on girls was an inextricable part of Deon. Lammy doubted he wouldn’t flirt with or try and impress a woman as gorgeous as Zayza. In fact—she was almost exactly the kind of person Lammy thought Deon would go for.

Then again, he is dating again, Lammy recalled. Man…this Skrili girl must really mean something to him…

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the clouds were gradually darkening. Lammy felt a few light raindrops on his head and hands. He tried imagining an umbrella over Zayza and himself, but it appeared opaque, and the sprinkles simply passed through.

Zayza pretended not to notice his failed attempt. “Perhaps we should stop to let the storm pass,” she suggested patiently.

~

It didn’t take long for the wet weather to roll in. Soon, the pathway and the grass around it were soaking in the shower. Lammy and Zayza sat mostly dry underneath a bulky tree, the rain hissing soothingly against the wide leaves above them.

“I’d…” Zayza started carefully.

“Yeah?”

“I’d…like to try and find that memory again, while we’re waiting,” she finished, her tone serious.

“The one that flew away from you last night?” Lammy assumed.

Zayza nodded. “I think it may tell me how to exit the Dream World on command,” she said. “I’ve thought about it…With many of the memories I’ve found so far, after I try to remember something, they appear and end up providing the answer.”

“As if they’re trying to help you,” Lammy theorized.

“Precisely.”

Lammy watched the rain serenely. “I’ll go in, too. Those violent memories will probably come for you again,” he warned.

“We can handle them,” Zayza said. “I only want to hear their secrets when Kotono and Hiroko think it’s time.”

“You…you think those memories are about that?”

“I can sense it sometimes,” she shared. “When they get close.”

Lammy fell silent.

“They won’t get to me,” Zayza assured. “I just want to find that one normal memory, and then hopefully I’ll wake up.”

“Well…I’ll sure as heck keep them from getting to you,” promised Lammy.

Zayza smiled. “I shall see you in there, then.”

“Yep. Let’s go.”

Lammy closed his eyes, trying to relax. The continuous song of the rain made this particularly easy, on top of his fatigue from their hours of walking.

After a few minutes, he could sense Zayza’s presence floating in his mind. He knew it was time.

Sighing, Lammy mentally reached for this essence of Zayza, and allowed himself to drift off.

~

A black sky with deep red clouds filled Lammy’s vision. He’d made it into the Dream World successfully—though it looked even eerier than usual.

Peering down in his bodiless, aerial form, he saw the flat grassland was gray this time, with the distant mountains matching the bloodshot clouds.

In the center of this terrain stood Zayza in her Dream World dress, waiting and watching carefully.

I’m in, Lammy thought in her direction.

Good, she replied. There’s nothing yet…wait!

Straight-ahead, just as before in their last encounter, a memory orb weakly fluttered into view. It seemed less shy this time as it slowly began floating in Zayza’s direction.

This is turning out much easier than I thought, Zayza realized.

Vaguely, Lammy noticed a purple twinkle far in the distance, near the mountains.

What’s that…? he wondered.

What’s what? “OH!” Zayza suddenly exclaimed.

It happened so fast: Zayza ducked to the side as a streak of purple light zipped past her shoulder. She turned, expecting another attack, but she was far too slow: it returned just as fast, this time shooting right into her head.

Zayza stumbled back for a second, blinking to recover her vision.

Are you okay?! Lammy exclaimed.

She placed a hand on her head slowly. Yes…but…I’m remembering something.

What…is it? Lammy asked, fear sinking in. Judging by its rapid, aggressive movements, that was one of the dark memories.

It’s…foggy…Zayza said. But I see…a blue dress…a girl…no—a young woman…

Is it you? wondered Lammy.

No…but that’s all I know…

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when glassy shrieks filled the dreamy air. Lammy and Zayza recognized them all too well now: more dark memory shards.

Coming from the same direction as the first piece, a fleet of purple shards flew straight for Zayza—thankfully, much slower this time, but still at quite a rapid pace.

Zayza’s eyebrows furrowed as she turned to face them fully. She lit her fists with green energy.

No more of this…I have to trust Hiroko and Kotono’s timing, she said flatly.

The memories darted straight past the harmless memory orb, which by now had ceased its progression towards Zayza. A few of them slashed right through it, taking chunks of light with them. With a shiver, the orb slowly regenerated its lost parts.

Zayza aimed her hands, ready to launch her counterattack.

Wait—above!! Lammy warned despairingly. There’s so many more—this was a diversion!!

Allowing almost no time for Lammy to detect them, countless more shards had spawned in the sky and dive-bombed down at Zayza.

I can’t hit them all…Zayza responded, struggling to remain calm.

Me either…um…alright: I got this! Lammy assured, conjuring a last-instant plan. He focused on the space all around Zayza, from all angles. In a hurry, he imagined an invisible shield around her—the same one he’d conjured to protect them during Kotono’s mishap at the championship fight.

Lammy mentally sighed with relief. He was just in time: all of the shards crashed into his shield and spun out in all directions. He and Zayza watched closely as they floated in place.

A single shard pounced forward one more time, but to the same result. Then, they all waited.

Should I just keep this up until you wake up? Lammy asked.

We’ll have failed our reason for coming here. Being able to leave on command—if that’s what the normal memory orb knows—will give me more protection here, said Zayza soberly. She sighed. However…perhaps we’ll just have to try another time.

Lammy sent a mental nod. He wished Zayza could have achieved her goal, but it wasn’t worth the risk. He was just glad his barrier ended the onslaught.

But that relief didn’t last very long.

Again, they heard a long shriek in the distance.

There are more?! Lammy thought.

This time, there were much fewer memory shards making their way to the scene. But oddly, they didn’t seem to be in a rush. Instead, they joined their kind quietly.

I just got a sick feeling, Zayza admitted.

All at once, the dark shards began moving closer to each other, just outside the invisible shield. They began spinning as one, compressing into a tall, oval shape about Zayza’s height.

No—exactly Zayza’s height.

Within moments, the shards began taking on more specific forms and dimensions. Lammy’s thoughts filled with dread as he began noticing the shape of a head, a torso, and legs.

What…is this…? Zayza wondered, taking a step back.

Soon, the transformation was complete. Before them stood a faceless figure, formed entirely out of the shards, in the exact shape of Zayza.

While it didn’t have eyes, Zayza could feel its furious stare.

The Zayza-shaped being lifted its hand—its mannerisms matching Zayza’s—and touched the invisible shield. It paused for several seconds.

Then, it spoke.

“Outsider…you don’t belong in this realm…”

Its voice wasn’t human; it matched the glassy, searing sound the shards made when they darted through the sky.

Lammy had to fight the urge to flee when the being suddenly cocked its head to the sky. He realized it was talking to him.

“Stop interfering,” it continued. “This is between us.”

“Who—what are you?” Zayza asked, her voice shaking.

The being returned its gaze to her.

“Are you…that name I keep hearing when your pieces attack me…?” Zayza asked tremblingly. “Are you…Vayva?”

The shards screamed. Ragingly, they banged their fists against the barrier. Lammy struggled to make sure it didn’t vanish.

“OUTSIDER! DO NOT INTERFERE!!!” it cried.

All of the being’s shards began glowing brightly. It lunged forward, its light crackling against the shield.

Lammy tried reinforcing it, but amazingly, the being was still breaking through.

Crap…Lammy thought. Zayza!

He didn’t need to explain further: Zayza lit her green energy even more intensely into her arms. Only a blink after, a POP resounded, and the dark being barged through.

“Go away!” Zayza shouted, blasting a massive beam into it point-blank.

The shards exploded backwards, still remaining in Zayza’s form as they flipped through the air. They strained to slow their momentum, finally bringing themselves to a stop just above the gray grass.

Paces behind them, Zayza noticed the timid, round memory still waited quietly. It quivered, floating close to the ground as if to hide.

That memory—it’s my only chance to get away, Zayza told Lammy. I can’t let this monster touch me…not yet.

But…what if it’s not the right one you need? worried Lammy.

Then…I suppose we’ll learn the truth…she replied faintly.

Touching onto the ground, the being took a step forward.

I’ll cover you! Lammy declared. GO!

Zayza instantly summoned and fired a green beam at her adversary, and in the same movement, launched into the air. This time, the being separated into pieces to allow the blast to pass, and then reformed.

Then it jumped up after Zayza. She tried flying past it, but it simply matched her speed.

“REMEMBER!” the dark being shrieked.

It swiped a memory-filled hand at her, but Zayza fired a blast upwards, launching herself at the ground and dodging the attempt. She crashed against the grass, but stood up immediately. Looking forward, she spotted the harmless memory again.

Now! Zayza decided. She leaped forward, now flying right for it.

But from Lammy’s view, he knew she’d never make it in time: the being was closing in too fast. Lammy imagined a giant, Snowdust-inspired snowball and sent it slamming into the monster. It shrieked as it tumbled onto the ground.

Great! Zayza sent, checking behind her as she raced towards the memory.

But the being screamed even louder when it stood back up, its harsh light brightening further.

I uh…think I just made it mad! Lammy cautioned.

The being lunged into the air after Zayza, moving twice her speed.

I think I’ll make it…Zayza said.

Now the orb was just ahead. But as she neared, it suddenly flinched. Then, it began backing away, gradually speeding up.

“No, please don’t run!” Zayza exclaimed.

At this rate, Lammy knew he’d only have one more chance to divert the attacker. But so far, it merely brushed off both of his imagining techniques—it was stronger now that it took on Zayza’s form.

Wait…instead of targeting the monster…Lammy thought. Pardon me, Zayza!

This time, he imagined a hand: an enormous one. But rather than using it to attack the being, he placed it in Zayza’s path. Right as she reached it, Lammy commanded the hand to catch her, and then with a great toss, he made it throw Zayza even faster towards her fleeing target.

Zayza squealed as she went barreling towards the memory orb, closing in fast while pulling away from the monster. She plummeted head-first into the orb and then slid against the grass, clawing at it to catch herself.

A purple glow resonated around her for a moment. In a hurry, she stood.

I was right!! she proclaimed.

Great—now WATCH OUT!! Lammy screamed.

The being was practically upon her. But Zayza straightened her posture, managed a deep sigh, and brought her hands together in front of her chest. Then, she closed her eyes and raised her head.

Why does it have to have so many steps?! Lammy lamented.

The being was now directly before her. It desperately reached out a hand.

“Now, we can finally be—” it started.

But Zayza vanished from the Dream World.

Lammy felt the weight of the Multiverse lift off of him. She made it, he sighed.

Lammy…he heard in his mind. Lammy…come out…

~

“LAMMY!!! LAMMY WAKE UP! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT!!!” Zayza screamed, shaking him frantically.

Lammy’s eyes shot open and he shouted even louder, taken by surprise. He was back under the tree along the path, and Zayza was leaning over him.

“I’m back, I’m back!” he assured.

“Oh, thank goodness…” Zayza sighed.

“Um…you know I’ve always been able to leave on my own, right?” Lammy pointed out. “It was just you in danger.”

Zayza paused, and then let out an embarrassed laugh. “Oh…that’s right…I was just a little worked up…”

“But still…” Lammy started. “That was…pretty freaky…”

Zayza nodded.

“You think it was really that name you’ve mentioned? Vayva?”

Zayza shifted, leaning against the tree trunk again. “It grew incredibly agitated when I said that name,” she recalled. “It’s…hard to say why.”

She lifted her sleeve and observed some of her tattoo-like scars, growing quiet.

Lammy looked around. The rain had let up, and the sun was peaking through the sky again onto the path.

“Hey…maybe we’d better get going again,” he suggested softly.

He and Zayza stood, stretched, and made their way back onto the path to continue their long walk towards Fiction Country.

“Perhaps…let’s not take extra trips into the Dream World anymore…” Zayza uttered.

Lammy could hear the haunted fear in her tone. He expressed his agreement, trying not to bring attention to it.

Despite the inevitability, he wasn’t looking forward to their next Dream World visit, either.

~~~

Gibblezgorv let out a deep, rumbling sigh.

Sitting in his favorite spot, he stared beyond the fence at the gorgeous hills and plains over the horizon. The other dragons across the yard chatted, stretched, and prepared for another busy season of trips.

It almost felt like a dream—his lovely adventures carrying the ambitious Skrili and Deon to Crooked Plateau, then to Gloat Center, and finally to the Fiction Country border. He’d had more excitement in the past few days than the previous hundred years.

But now the fun was over. It was back to the usual day-to-day: sitting around for hours, not getting any jobs besides the occasional five-minute trip to the lower floors of Conscious City.

Gibblezgorv sighed again.

I hope young Skrili and Deon are having a grand time, but…when will they come back to Fantasy Country? he thought. No one else wants to fly an old fart like me around these days…

“Hey Gibble!” a young woman called to him.

Yawning, Gibblezgorv turned to find the small Dragon Rental employee, Quioy, standing before him with a big smile.

But his eyes widened with alarm when he observed the man standing beside her.

He was tall for a human, and just as slender as he was muscular, dressed in tight, dark clothing with thin rips all over. His black boots seemed light and quiet, ideal for hasty but silent movement. The man had silvery, spiky hair, and a black mask that covered all but his dark, thin eyes. Various sheathed, small weapons hung from his belt.

But peculiarly, so did a pearly white coffee mug.

The man looked up at him expressionlessly, offering no greeting.

“Gibble, this traveler was looking for a dragon with no war or battle history on record,” Quioy told him cheerily. “I knew you’d be the perfect fit! You’ve never involved yourself in conflict-related jobs. Plus, I know you’re looking for longer trips again, and he’s going on a multiple-stop trip!”

Gibblezgorv kept his eyes on the man. “What, may I ask, is your name?” he inquired.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you,” the man said plainly.

After a pause, Gibblezgorv returned his attention to Quioy, “Young one, I’ve lived many, many years…even for a dragon,” he said. “I’ve been to many places, and…I’ve met many humans. When you’re like me, after a while, you start to know a lot about a human just by looking at them.”

“Um…okay,” Quioy said uncertainly.

The man remained silent.

“Looking at this man, I know what kind of person he is,” continued Gibblezgorv. “I know what kinds of things he does—or perhaps, must do. And I do not wish to involve myself in his activities. I decline.”

Quioy was beside herself.

“…Huh?” she finally uttered. “You never decline…I’m sorry, I thought—”

“Don’t be sorry, little one,” Gibblezgorv assured.

A deep, booming laugh shook the ground. They all turned to find another dragon standing nearby. Gibblezgorv’s heart sunk. He was young—still smaller than Gibblezgorv, though likely to grow considerably larger in a couple hundred years. His black scales glistened in the sun as he flapped his sharp, lively wings.

“So be it, you old lizard,” the dragon jeered, its pink eyes glaring. “I’ll gladly take the job. I have no history of war, and I’m not so picky.”

“Think before you immerse yourself in this kind of work, young one,” Gibblezgorv advised. “This human is dangerous.”

“Humans aren’t dangerous to us,” the youthful dragon scoffed.

“But they are to other humans.”

The man stepped between them calmly. “It seems I have a willing dragon,” he said.

Quioy looked between all of them nervously, before perking back up. “Oh—sure! Of course! Let me go redo the data…His fee is smaller…”

“Don’t bother. It’s best we make haste,” said the man.

“Oh…okay…”

Gibblezgorv gave one more glare to the man, before returning to his peaceful view.

“Where to, human?” he overheard the young dragon ask.

“I’m searching for a particular individual,” the man uttered. “I’ll have to retrace her steps. First, we’ll head to Gloat Center.”