The trio of friends made their way down the sidewalk, 2 of them huffing and puffing as they made it to the schools gates. AUBREY was a few steps behind KEL, leaning over and resting her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Meanwhile, not only was KEL jogging in place, he also had BASIL on his back, arms up, back straight, in perfect form for running.
BASIL had an embarrassed look as he got off of KEL'S back, rubbing his neck nervously. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know running that much would make me soon winded. I-I'm also sorry if I was too heavy or anything. . ."
KEL nonchalantly began stretching, not a trace of fatigue on him. "Hm? Oh, no worries bud! If anything you helped me with my training! Gotta keep my stamina up and that jog was perfect for it. Besides, youre light as a feather, man!"
AUBREY flung her head up with an annoyed look. "You call (huff huff ) that (huff huff) a JOG?!" She hiked up her backpack on her shoulders more. " (Exhale) Where you get the energy, or the desire to run that fast, I'll never know KEL."
Giving a wide grin, he gave a short snicker at her comment. "You guys just gotta work out more! I offer it but you guys never join. So now you pay the price~"
As AUBREY rolled her eyes and BASIL gave a friendly smile and nervous chuckle, the threes attention soon turned to the school after hearing the bell, their calmness turning to panic as they all began rushing towards the building.
KEL: "We can talk more after, I'll catch you guys later! Take care of BASIL for me, 'kay AUBEY?"
AUBREY frowned lightly with her cheeks getting warm. "Of course I will, and I told you to stop calling me that! It's just one letter, but it's still embarrassing!"
KEL stuck out his tongue as she did the same, making BAISL hold his hand to his mouth and laugh quietly. They made their way inside and rushed to their classes, waving goodbye to KEL as the two went into their class. After a scolding by their teacher for being just a few minutes late and some friends waving at BASIL'S return, they both took their seats and began their school day.
BASIL sighed with relief as he leaned in his chair, holding his chest again ad he closed his eyes. He was told he needed to do his missing assignments, but figured those could wait, his train of thought getting cut off by a tap on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, he saw CRIS, brushing aside her light blue hair with a welcoming smile.
CRIS: "Welcome back, BASIL! We missed you." She whispered. "Hasn't been the same around here without you."
BASIL slowly grew a more cheerful expression as he heard her, clearing his throat. "Th-Thanks CRIS! It's good to be back, hehe. Sorry I've been gone for a while. It was. . . hard to get out of bed for a while."
CRIS began looking concerned, holding a hand out and rubbing the top or his. "I can't even imagine. . . I'm so sorry for your loss. No one should have to go through that. But hey! You're here now, so let's just focus on work before MR. JOHNSON pops a blood vessel yelling at us to be quiet."
"I can tell you to be quiet AND be calm about it, CRIS" MR. JOHNSON said while writing on the board, making her and BASIL flinch before smiling nervously at one another before laughter lightly filled the room. "Now, open up your books to Page 127 and let's have MIKA-" He sighed and dropped his shoulders for a moment. " I mean "THE MAVERICK", continue where we left off."
"HA!" THE MAVERICK boisterous exclaimed, leaning in his chair. "Using my appropriate title, DAVID! A wise decision, for those who do not address THE MAVERICK appropriately shall face his-!"
"Please just read, MIKHAEL, we don't have to do this every single time. And dont call me by my first name. " THE MAVERICK was promptly cut off, making the class laugh once again, including BASIL.
He was glad nothing had changed since he had been gone, his class being this hectic and loud as usual. As things calmed down, he began reading his textbook, before his mind began wandering again. . . thinking about how long he was gone hecayde of his Grandma, yet still welcomed back by most of his class. They didn't hesitate to. . . but how would they react if it were SUNNY? Would they welcome him back as quickly as he would? These thoughts began plaguing his mind and distracting him from his work.
He still couldn't get his dream out of his mind, looming I'm the back of his thoughts as he prayed he didn't experience any incidents with the BLACK VINES during school. Not in front of his friends. . .He needed to be strong. Push these deep thoughts in the back of his mind for now and focus on school, and after. . . he can go visit SUNNY.
As class went on, he looked out the window, exhaling through his nose lightly as he watched the clouds pass in the clear sky. ("SUNNY. . .") He thought to himself. ("It's been too long. I'll visit you, I. . . I promise. . .I'll try, at least. . .)
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. . . It took him a few seconds, but SUNNY finally opened his eye, not realizing he had fallen asleep again. Rubbing the sleep from his eyelid, he stretched his body and slowly let his vision readjust, only realizing that he was actually standing upright. And not just that. . .MARI was gone. The HOSPITAL bed, the heart monitor, everything was just gone. It was just. . . blank. But. . . why?
He remembers lying in his bed as MARI was watching over him, her face being the last thing he saw before he blinked. Then suddenly, he was. . . here. He was becoming more confused as he looked around, nervousness rising before he covered his eye, a bright light forming over his head. It wasn't too blinding but it did catch him off guard. He expected it to engulf him, like it always had, but. . .
As he looked around, he saw a room forming around him. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he saw some sort of Library around him. He needed a few seconds to process what it actually was before it immediately reminded him of another Library he had visited. . . his LOST LIBRARY. But this one was different.
It wasn't as worn down or dark as his, everything was stacked properly with hanging chandeliers lighting up the room. Yet as different as it was, it rang a sense of familiarity inside him. He wondered why that was, gathering his bearings and taking a step forward.
(Okay. . . I can walk here. This has to be in my mind. . . or, a dream?) He thought to himself as he looked around, holding his hands close to his chest as he began walking around the Library. So many books surrounded him, all shelved and stacked properly, with matching labels. They all had dates written on them, too many to count, it was beginning to overwhelming him. . . until he saw a very specific date standing out to him.
JULY - 20XX
(The month of my birthday. . .)
He was hesitant at first, but he needed to know... So he opened up the book, turning to the date of his Birthday and immediately, his eyes began to glow white, his thoughts taking over his vision as he began to see it. . . His Birthday Party. He was watching his memory through the vision of his younger self, opening a present as everyone watched. As everything played out, he began noticing something. . .they were the smallest things, but they stuck out so much to him as his memories became clear to him.
Everyone's clothes, the color of the Gift Box, and especially the present inside. . .they were all different. He distinctly remembers he was supposed to get a giant building block set, but instead he opened the box and saw some kind of Toy car racing set. One he doesn't remember seeing or owning. Once he realized that, his vision began sinking into the back of his head, eye flashing back to normal as he stepped back and nearly fell from the shock of his vision returning to the book. Despite seeing only a fraction of that day, visions of the rest of the day filled his head, remembering what he could of that day to the fullest, and a Photo appeared on the page he read.
His panting was quick and deep, dropping the book. Once his mind had calmed down and he regained himself, he looked around at all of the books and realized... this wasn't his Library. This was his OTHER LIBRARY, the one that belongs to OTHER SUNNY. And all these Memory Books belong to him.. or, belonged.
What happened to him after reading the first word must have been him reliving his OTHER'S Memory. Since he was the one living in his new body now, he figured that it'd make sense he would have his OTHER'S Memories too. (All of this... is His memories then? It was so similar to how mine went, but... not completely.)
He was taking it all in that he now had access to his OTHER SELFS Memories from before the incident, and while looking around, he realized... He knew nothing about the MARI, AUBREY, BASIL- Anyone from this reality. The coma would definitely help explain why to them, but... he felt it wasn't right for them for not knowing anything about what they and OTHER SUNNY went through. He's already lying to MARI about who he is, so not being able to help her if they ever needed it. . .
Clutching his fist with a determined look in his eye, he stood up straight and looked over the Library and took a deep breath in. (Alright... I don't know how long I'll be here for, or even how to get out. . . But I should read as much of this as I can. Not just for me. . . for MARI.) Nodding to himself, he went off to read as much as the OTHER LIBRARY had to offer, wanting to learn as much as he was able to about his OTHER SELF. No matter how long it took. . .
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It has been quite some time, and SUNNY was decently far in the Libraries Catalogs, having gained many of the memories of his OTHER SELF, but still having so much more to go. Some of his memories played exactly as he remembered in his Reality, while others were drastically different, making a mental note of some as he went on.
He was going in a monthly order, climbing different latter's and reading shelf by shelf to make sure and not miss anything important. After his vision returned to normal, he blinked a bit before putting the book away, going to the next book. He gave himself a brief moment each time to make sure the memories properly sunk in before continuing, not wanting to stop in case he were to suddenly wake back up.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he still made his way through every shelf book by book, making his way through his Childhood Memories and beginning his Middle School Years. After finishing yet another book, he put it down and leaned back while rubbing his temple, processing everything and needing a few seconds to recover. His head was spinning as the memories blended with his own, rubbing his temples as a ringing got louder in his ear. He knew he had to regain himself and keep pushing on, so MARI wouldn't have to worry about him- or. . . her brother forgetting anything important.
Though not physically, he was mentally exhausted, beginning to think he needed a short rest. So he leaned back in one of the seats and let out a long sigh, closing his eye and going through all these familiar yet new memories of his past. Much like his original memories, everyone looked so happy, carefree, and full of life. Especially MARI... she looked so happy and content, not a worry in sight whenever they were together. A light smile began to form on his face, reminiscing on simpler, peaceful times... even if they weren't his own, it still made him feel calm.
"SUNNY..."
. . . That calmness was very short lived. His eye shot open, turning pale as a faint noise echoed in the OTHER LIBRARY. MARI'S voice, and much worse. . . the crackling noise. That crackling meant that wasn't OTHER MARI. . . It had to be his sister. Almost falling back in his chair, he steadied himself and immediately began looking around frantically, unsure where it was coming from as his heartbeat began to rise. His breath was growing faster and faster, vision warping as he couldn't focus on a singular thing, while trying to focus on everything at once.
"SUNNY. . ."
Anxiety was taking control, quickly fumbling to his feet and nearly tripping as he began running down the halls of the OTHER LIBRARY. His eye kept looking at his sides, up and down, turning to look behind him as he darted his way down the hall. It seemed like the LIBRARY had no end in sight, an endless hallway for him to desperately run from the crackling, snapping noise and voice that followed him no matter how far he was running.
"You dont deserve this. . ."
His eye was getting watery, teeth clenched as he was now focusing straight ahead of him. Nothing but darkness ahead. No matter how fast he ran or how closer he thought he was getting to the end, darkness was all he could see. No light at the end of the tunnel, no sign of reaching anything if he kept going forward. But he didn't know what would happen if he stopped, and he didn't want to find out.
"Not after what you did. . ."
Panting heavily, wheezing at this point, he shut his eye and kept his head down, his rapid heartbeat filling his ears. All he heard was rhe pounding of his heart and the crackling getting closer and closer, catching up despite his best efforts. He didn't want to stop, he wanted to keep running away and never wanted to look back, he never wanted to open his eye again as long as he kept hearing that crackling. Everything was getting louder and louder, so much so he covered his ears and pushed his palms into them to try and drown out the noise. He couldn't do anything else but run and block out the noise, feeling no end to this torment-
. . .
Everything went quiet after a dull thud. SUNNY was on his back, a sharp pain in his head as he winced on the floor. It took him a moment to finally realize he was on the ground, slowly sitting up and rubbing his head. His vision was doubled and blurry, trying to focus on anything, something something make his head stop spinning.
He wasn't sure what caused him to fall, his panic giving him tunnel vision in the moment before he finally regained his senses. Looking around, he saw something on the ground in front of him... another Book. But this one was completely different from the others; Not only was it grey, opposed to all the black covers the books around him had, the writing was smudged or blurred, unable to make out a single thing on the side of the Memory Book.
Confused, he slowly reached out his hand to the book, but immediately, a sharp piercing ring filled his ears, making him wince and cover them both. A throbbing pain pulsed in his head, teeth grit as he hunched over from the aching pain. He could barely open his eye, looking at the book as this pain went on. Taking a deep nostril breath, he reached his hands towards the Memory Book, expecting the pain to sharpen, but feeling it stay the same as he grabbed the cover and struggled to open it. Once he had turned the page, everything stopped. . . His eye glowing as he was taken into the Memory Books pages. . .
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Call it irony
Call it justice
Call it whatever you will
But the second SUNNY opened his eyes, he was taken back to a Memory was one he was all too familiar with. One he had spent years pushing back, only recently accepting it as reality. He was on top of the stairs. . . Looking at MARI.
Dread filled his heart the moment he realized what memory this was. This memory was brief, as almost immediately as he saw it, the Memory quickly faded, forcintnhim out of the Memory Book. But that brief moment reopened the wound left in his heart and tore it open, sending him back to the Library in a state of disarray and panic.
He dropped the book and began breathing heavily; Sharp frantic breaths through grit teeth, eyes turning red as he stared at the open pages. Not only was there no Photo after, the writing was blurred, but he couldn't focus at all on that. His heart was pounding out of his chest, hearing his breathing slowly begin to echo and fade with a beeping faintly growing louder.
So much was overstimulating him at once, the world spinning and getting darker around him, his shut eye tearing up as he put his hands on his ears. So many thoughts went through his mind at once, all while the beeping was getting louder and louder, tears falling down his cheek as he just wanted everything to stop.
BEEP. . . BEEP. . . BEEP. . .
BEEP. . . BEEP. . . BEEP. . .
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". . .NNY? . . .SUNNY?! . . . SUNNY!!"
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With a jolt, SUNNY opened his eye. . .
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CHAPTER 9: END