Awake When Asleep

Episode 1: Does this make us crazy?

"W-why did you do that?! You could've- that would've been- don't you know how long it'll take to...?!"

"Chill, chill! Gosh... how does it look? Did I break myself? Do I look broken? I can't tell, it just hurts." I couldn't hold back any whimpers between my words, but at least I can try to calm Nyao-B down. This is maybe the 8th time I have broken both my legs here. It doesn't hurt any less, let me tell you, nor does Nyao-B freak any less either. But it's a little reassuring that when I come here next, my body will be fine again, right? I mean with something like that who wouldn't live a little more wildly!

"I can't believe you... you know that if you die, it'll take at least a week before you can come back. Don't you want have more fun here? I can't imagine it being that fun with legs like this." She briskly touched some of the newly bent bumps in my legs and shuddered, "They feel just awful. I hated it when I broke my arm that time we tried some Kaiden water sports, getting hurt as much as you would just be so stressful." I smiled widely, even though I was screaming on the inside, which she surely knew. Nyao-B shook her head and stood up, "I guess I'll leave it to you to wake up, try to stay calm enough to feel the sleep coming on. Oh, that doesn't make much sense, does it? Um, what I mean is... well, maybe just try to not think about the pain? Ah, but that'll be pretty hard, won't it? I mean, with your legs looking so bad and all- not that you look bad! You look great! Uh, not that broken legs suit you, I just mean that--"

"Wake up so I'll be fine next time, got it. Don't feel like you have to stay here with me though- go find Nyao-E! She should be over there..." I grunted and shakily pointed ahead of us to a thick brush and she looked from there back to me.

"I don't know. Leaving you like this would be... awful." She turned back to the other direction, "But, if Nyao-E doesn't know why we're taking so long she might feel bad about not knowing your condition." She turned back to me, "But a good friend wouldn't leave you here like this, even if we're just dream friends." Nyao-B looked again to the brush, "But it's getting so dark now, Nyao-E will surely be upset if we don't find her."

"Nyao-B, if you don't go now she might move!" I shouted.

"Ah, right, there's no time to lose! I'm- I'm sorry. I'm going to go get Nyao-E, okay? I'll be back soon," She turned a little wobbly and went off in the other direction, "I hope...."

I sighed in light of the silence and tried to focus on falling asleep. It's not easy to purposely feel sleepy here, not that any sleep remedy would work on the three of us anyway. ...I say that, but, I'm pretty sure I heard a thud and saw a baby blue light shimmer through the woods where Nyao-B just went off too. So, well, shoot. I think she just woke up. I have no way of getting to Nyao-E like this, so we'll just have to accept her wrath the next time we see each other. Don't take that lightly though, Nyao-E's rage is an intense thing, I tell you what!

........Sometimes I wonder if she's like that in real life, too. Sometimes I wonder if Nyao-B is really that unsure in real life. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really representing myself as I am in real life. I feel... like there's a lot of uncertainty between our friendship. But we agreed to not talk about it, so I think it's better to just not think about all that, as hard as that may be. I just don't want them to I think I don't trust them, just because we don't know each other in reality. Time and again I wonder; why us? Why do we get the chance to always come here and no one else? Maybe there are others, and they're just hush hush about it? I wouldn't get why though. There is literally nothing to be afraid of. ...Is there?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Whoa, it's already pretty dark out, isn't it? How much time has passed? I can't really tell, when I think about super deep things, I get lost on thought. My legs are pretty numb now, though the pain is still at its dulled intensity. I'm still feeling that jut in the eye from Nyao-E's brush from earlier, too. Maybe that black eye really will happen before I regenerate next time- hey, wait, what was that? Did you hear that? Oh fuck, oh shit! If a monster approaches me right now I'm done for! Say hello to a week off of Kaida, deuces Nyao-S! Or worse, what if it's the Spider Clan? God, I can only imagine how they'd love to see me like this. Oh no, it's getting closer! It sounds quiet, I think just one person, and it smells like- like- ...strawberry cinnamon tea with honey crackers?

"Whoa, holy shit. This again? I'm... almost impressed!" Scanning the person approaching me, I realized it was Nyao-E; her tabby ears twitching in an alert fashion, as usual. She looked at my legs and smirked, "So this is why. Figures." She lightly stepped toward me and peered to the night sky before sitting down next to me, putting her weight on her arms that rested behind her. "Tell me your story, I want to hear what happened this time."

My dog ears lowered and rotated in slight confusion, "You're not mad? Nyao-B and I couldn't get to you in time...."

"Well, yeah. So I won, right? I figured it was time to find you two when I saw Nyao-B's neuron light shine through the woods. She woke up, didn't she? Shame I couldn't tell her good morning." Nyao-E stretched herself out and lied down, hers arms now behind her head. "I'm feeling a little out of it myself, though. I think it's almost time. How about you, hm?"

I looked up toward the dark sky, "Kind of. Since Nyao-B woke up, we're soon to wake up too."

"What if we're not in the same region as her, and it's still night? You know how weird time is here." Whoa, did she just bring up real world talk? Huh... "I just mean to not make those judgement calls too soon. So hey, I'll stay here until you leave first, okay? I promise." Oh, never mind. Forget I thought that.

"I... well, okay. I don't mean to keep you asleep though."

"Don't worry about it too much. So, your story?"

"What? Oh, ha ha! Yeah, no... I was just... being brave as hell. Jumped off that boulder right there."

"Wait, that thing? Brave as hell, you say? Well jeez, kind of just sounds dumb. If that's what bravery is, count me out. It's a pretty big drop, Nyao-S. Nyao-B must have had a heart attack. It'd have been annoying if you died again. You've already died four times now."

"Psh. You care so much, my heart is melting." I said with a sneer. Nyao-E chuckled and gazed across the familiar star ridden sky, though the stars here were different and the night sky was always a deep purple. The stars were varied, and weren't just round balls of burning gas waiting to explode. These ones were special; and came in numerous shapes. Looking at them gave the feeling as though we were where we really belonged. Oh... at least, that's how I feel.

Nyao-E looked over to me slowly, "Hey, it's weird how their stars are, right? Compared to the real world, I mean. They're pretty cool. I wish ours were like them. Not that I don't like our sky, of course. Earth forever, right?"

"Duh. *yawwwn...* Earth for life, girl."

"Uh oh, you are sleepy. Well, fine then." She turned her head away from me and back to the sky. I began to feel light headed and aloof, slowly feeling my mind drifting away from my body as the sparks in my head begin to fire up. Before my brain was completely awake, I heard Nyao-E softly say 'good morning' as I shot out of Kaida in a blast of my awakening thoughts.

Good morning, Sylvie.