Pomni and Hiyori snuck out of Hiyori's safe house, whatever Hiyori called it, and began to walk.
Hiyori: So, did you make any new friends yet, Pom Pom?
Pomni: Well, technically the only friend I have truly made is Ragatha. Don't know if Gangle counts.
Hiyori: Oh, I like Ragatha, yes! But she was often busy helping other people. Gangle on the other hand often helps me make posters for small shows!
Pomni: You perform shows? I thought Caine-
Hiyori: Well after a little permission from Mr Mouthface, we were set on making our show entertaining for those staying at the Amazing Digital Circus! But I didn't do it alone.
Pomni: Well, who exactly helped you other than Gangle?
Hiyori: Why, my dear bunny Jax! Me and him would spend so many hours together.
Pomni: Jax?! But he's a total jerk! The only time I ever saw him do anything nice is shouting at Ragatha for not helping herself!
Hiyori: You know, he's not always such a [ERROR] hole. In fact, me and Jax get along well. It might be because I'm a magician and he's a rabbit and that we're technically the same age, but I think it's because I know him better.
Pomni: I notice you're glitching a lot...are you okay?
Hiyori: Oh, I'm fine! It doesn't hurt at all.
Pomni: O-okay...just why are you here in the first place?
Hiyori: I...I'm not sure. Last thing I remember was Jax being worried about me and everything going black...and then I woke up here.
There was a moment of silence before the two kept walking.
Pomni: So...what was you and Jax's relationship?
Hiyori: Oh he makes me laugh and teaches me tricks. I'm the one who kept his apathetic pranks in check. But I wonder what exactly he's doing now.
Pomni: I've only known him for a week. Apparently everyone hates him.
Hiyori: Oh they do, but sometimes, they are glad to at least have some disruptive behavior in the Amazing Digital Circus. Things tend to get a little boring.
Pomni: Are you both-
Hiyori: NO! We're platonic...for now. We ain't ready for all that lovey dovey [ERROR].
Pomni: *shocked and scared, pointing behind Hiyori* B...B...!
Hiyori: What? Is this a game?! I love games!!
Pomni: B...BUGS!
There they were again, the disgusting insects crawling around on the floor. Hiyori wasn't that scared, instead she begin making the insects explode with magic, or whatever kind of light that came from that wand of hers.
Hiyori: Come on, Pomni! Let's get rid of these things before we get to the exit. We don't want these things to follow us through the Ferris Wheel!
Pomni stood, paralyzed as her new friend started to destroy more and more of the bugs. While Pomni had a knife, Hiyori had a wand that, just like Caine's cane, can use magic against monsters. She wondered if there had been more humans in the circus that had an ability similar to Caine.
But her thoughts were interrupted by a scream. A familiar scream of terror.
Pomni: RAGATHA!!
Pomni immediately ran, refusing to let Ragatha be eaten by those bugs. It had been Ragatha's worst fear, after all. Probably made worse by the fact they're like mini Abstractions.
The jester finally saw the familiar rag doll, cowering in fear as a medium sized pink centipede crawled toward her. Ironically, her most disliked bug of them all.
Without even breaking a sweat, Pomni charged and stabbed the centipede right in the middle. It screeched and shook violently, eventually breaking into pixels.
Ragatha: Oh my! Pomni! Thank goodness you're okay...where'd you get that knife?
Pomni: I...I got it from someone.
Ragatha: What?! This place is abandoned! Who would be living in this glitched world of nothingness?
Pomni: There was this girl...she was short like me and...she was very sweet.
Ragatha: That poor thing, she must have been in this place for years! Let's go find that girl.
Pomni: O-okay...I think she was this way? And how did you get here?
Ragatha: Me and Jax decided to go through the same hole you fell through. There has to be a way out of here, right?
Pomni: Through the Ferris wheel, Hiyori said.
Ragatha: Oh, good. Then we can...wait. Did you say Hiyori?
Pomni: Yes, I did. That's what the human said. You knew her, right?
Ragatha: Yes I did. She looked up to me, even though she hung around with Jax a lot...but ever since Hiyori abstracted, Jax hasn't been the same.
Pomni: So...she really did abstract, didn't she?
Ragatha: Yes, but if she's back to normal, maybe Abstraction can be fixed!
Pomni: I'm not sure. I don't think we can risk letting the abstractions loose in this place. It might make it more dangerous.
Ragatha:...Good point. Anyways, where the heck did Jax go?
...
Jax was annoyed to find more of those neon colored bugs crawling around. Some attempted to get to him, but he easily swatted them away.
Jax: Stupid bugs...
He then saw another group of bugs, lined up in front of him. Jax got an idea and threw his lucky bowling ball at them. They immediately were hit and all exploded into pixels.
Jax: Ha ha! Strike!!
Jax immediately picked his bowling ball back up and put it in his pocket. For some reason, his overalls still stayed the same with his heavy bowling ball inside his pocket. He had been used to this by now.
Jax suddenly felt something touch his shoulder. His pupils shrunk. Had one of those bugs managed to sneak up on him while he wasn't looking? Jax panicked and slapped the thing hard.
Jax: Get off of me you disgusting, %$@!#ing bug!!
He turned around, expecting to see the pixelated remains of a gross creature. But what he saw scared him the most.
There, laying on the ground unconscious, was Hiyori. Hiyori, his best friend who he had sung with, danced with, joked with. The one he willingly stayed with until the end. Lying on the floor, glitching rapidly.
Jax: H...Hiyori...?
Without hesitation he rushed to her, kneeling down. Jax grabbed her, trying to shake her awake.
Jax: Hiyori! HIYORI wake the %$@!#ing up! Come on! I...I don't want to lose you again!
There seemed to be no response. Jax looked at her limp, glitching body with shrunken pupils. Suddenly, without warning, Jax was slapped in the face.
Hiyori: Ha ha!! Got you back!!
Jax: H-HIYORI! What the actual %$@!#?! You scared the %$@!# out of me!!
Hiyori: What? It's good to prank someone who you know once in a while.
The two stared at each other in silence. Then Jax pulled Hiyori into a hug.
Jax: Hiyori...you actually came back.
Hiyori: Of course I did, silly! We had a pinkie promise that we'd be together again!
Jax: Did we?
Hiyori: I did promise you, didn't I?
Jax: Whatever. Just...how?
Hiyori: I...I don't know. But the good thing is that I'm here now! I'm not going to leave you alone again, forever!
Jax: Hiyori...I'm sorry I left you when you abstracted.
Hiyori: It's okay, I would've done the same thing too. And it's fine if you forgot about me.
Jax: To be honest...I never forgot about you. I always kept your hat in my room. It was the only thing you left behind.
Hiyori: My hat! I miss my hat! Can we go get it, please?
Jax: Just remember to not touch anything in my room, okay?
Hiyori: Okay!!
And so the two began to walk, Jax slowly becoming more comfortable with his old friend...