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Description
Light.

Very bright.

So bright it was blinding, even with his eyes shut as much as was humanly possible.

Yet that was just a mere fraction of the complete chaos the young boy was experiencing right now. Totally devoid of any sense of direction around him - up may as well have been down, left right, and so forth as far as he was concerned. That paled in comparison to the physical assault being unleashed upon him, as if countless needles were being jabbed into his body from every possible angle, and all at the same time. The pain was so intense that the slightest movement he had dared make only made it worse, so he had stopped after tucking himself into a fetal position and forced his mind to focus on something else. Instinctively, all he found himself focusing on was the one adult he'd loved more than anyone else - the caregiver who'd raised and protected him his entire life.

And ironically the very same person who'd caused him to be in his current state.

He knew the reason, and despite his cries, his protests, his literal begging, she'd done it anyway.

He knew that meant they'd be separated with no chance of ever seeing each other again, as did she.

He knew she'd done it to protect him; that was what she'd said to try to rationalize her actions.

He knew if she didn't send him away, that he'd most likely suffer alongside her right then and there.

He knew all of those things.

He just didn't think those were good enough reasons to now be without his mother.

He'd already lost his father before he was even born, only ever having 'known' him through descriptions and tattered photographs.

The friends and other adults he'd considered like family weren't around anymore either, for one reason or another.

And as darkness overwhelmed his mind, mercilessly casting the young boy into unconsciousness, he knew one more thing that utterly terrified him to his core.

For the first time in his life, he was alone.

Elsewhere, in a very different time and place...

Mazda was enjoying a stroll in the forest near her home. The young girl was also a self-declared protector of the area, and took that quite seriously. But today she wanted to focus more on just spending some time with her best friend Ayu - who had recently also become her stepsister as well - instead. So the two had snuck out to wander around for a while, laughing and chatting back and forth as they walked. Things were shaping up to be just another normal day.

And then Ayu noticed something. "It's unusually quiet right now, isn't it?" she asked.

Mazda paused and tilted her head slightly, listening a bit more carefully than she had been earlier. Her lips went from a cheery smile to a confused frown when the normal sounds of birds and other animals typically making noise - as they had been just moments before - were now just silence. She glanced around for any sign of why that was happening, but saw nothing particularly out of the ordinary at the moment. Though Ayu was blind, she too actively listened for any hint of strange activity around them. Chimu, the always present guide rabbit that regularly perched atop her head, perked up with twitching ears as he did the same.

"All the animals are quiet all of a sudden," Mazda stated, already raising her guard and moving in front of Ayu protectively. "Is something hiding nearby that scared them or something?"

Before Ayu could offer a reply, she gasped from Chimu suddenly tensing up and making his own noise.

"Chiiii!"

Mazda turned around. Though she couldn't have any idea what Chimu was saying, she knew that Ayu was able to interpret for him perfectly, and waited patiently for her to do so. It didn't take long.

"He says the air nearby feels strange, like something's about to hap-"

Ayu's translation was interrupted by a loud bang, sounding like a clap of thunder. Before either girl or Chimu could react, Mazda witnessed what looked like a person suddenly appear a few feet above a nearby pile of dried leaves and grass, then abruptly drop into the pile with a thud, the impact tossing bits of debris in all directions!

"What is it, Mazda?" Ayu asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Mazda gulped a little as she cautiously stepped forward to confirm what she thought she had seen. The young brunette was quite familiar at strange things happening in her forest, including strangers suddenly arriving from out of nowhere. Especially since she herself was not native to this reality, and had one day showed up from her own alternate timeline before meeting her adopted big sisters and parents.

Although she wasn't absolutely certain just yet that this stranger - looking like a young boy with red hair, perhaps about her age at first glance? - had similar circumstances as she had, Mazda could tell that he was definitely in need of some kind of help. She blushed and averted her eyes when she got closer, realizing that the mystery boy had ended up arriving without any clothes, though he was thankfully covered more than enough by the leaves and grass he'd landed in. And he seemed to be breathing more or less normally, though Mazda could see some random cuts and scrapes on him. She hoped those had been a result of the impact, and not a sign of something worse.

"Ayu, hurry and use your distress signal!" Even though Mazda was understandably shaken from what had just happened, she knew she had to act fast in an emergency. And this certainly qualified as such; she took a deep breath as Ayu rushed to comply with the request.

"This boy might be from another world like I am, and we need to get him help right now."

Mom...

Voices?

Am I dreaming?
I can hear someone talking... sounds like a girl?
Two, maybe?

Mom...
I'm scared...

Hurts to move.
Feel weak.

Eyes feel heavy.
Got to open them.
Need to see who that is.

Mom...
Where are you?

I'm on the ground.
Head spinning.
Can't think straight.
Where am I?

Voices getting softer.
Are they going away?

Mom...
Don't want to be alone...

One turned around.
Looking at me.
Saying something.
Sight blurry, but still see her.
She looks worried.

Kinda looks familiar too.
Wait...
Know those eyes.
Metal chain around neck.
Dog tags?
That's... is that...?

Mazda's eyes met the boy's own the moment he started to respond to her asking if he was okay. His voice was faint, clearly struggling to even speak while looking up at her through glassy eyes. She couldn't help but stay focused on him, not even turning when Ayu stated she'd summoned the requested help, already on the way to them.

The very brief question the boy finally managed to blurt out was not anything she'd remotely expected, however.

"...Aunt Lex?"

The mention of that name had caught Mazda off guard, even moreso since the boy had apparently mistaken the young girl for her mother. She tried to get him to repeat the question or elaborate on it, but his eyes closed once more and nothing she tried seemed to wake him up again.

Whatever this boy's story had been before his sudden arrival in her forest, Mazda knew she wanted to learn as much as possible about him.

And to help however she could.

Mom...
Did I make it?

Aunt Lex looks confused.
Why?
Feel sleepy.
Close eyes now.
Still scared.
But not alone anymore.
Hear more voices come closer.
More people bringing help?

Getting picked up off the ground?
Someone carrying me.
Too tired to see who.
Feels like... a blanket around me?
Must be safe now.
Gonna rest some.
Gonna feel better.
Then find you.
Aunt Lex help.
Other people help.
Look for you.
Help you too.

Mom...
Wait for me...

To Be Continued
________________________________________________________________

Guess there's yet another surprise visitor showing up all of a sudden in the forest.

Kisekae art contributed by , my thanks to him.

Mazda Montgomery by
Ayu Fukuzawa and Chimu by

Description
Light.

Very bright.

So bright it was blinding, even with his eyes shut as much as was humanly possible.

Yet that was just a mere fraction of the complete chaos the young boy was experiencing right now. Totally devoid of any sense of direction around him - up may as well have been down, left right, and so forth as far as he was concerned. That paled in comparison to the physical assault being unleashed upon him, as if countless needles were being jabbed into his body from every possible angle, and all at the same time. The pain was so intense that the slightest movement he had dared make only made it worse, so he had stopped after tucking himself into a fetal position and forced his mind to focus on something else. Instinctively, all he found himself focusing on was the one adult he'd loved more than anyone else - the caregiver who'd raised and protected him his entire life.

And ironically the very same person who'd caused him to be in his current state.

He knew the reason, and despite his cries, his protests, his literal begging, she'd done it anyway.

He knew that meant they'd be separated with no chance of ever seeing each other again, as did she.

He knew she'd done it to protect him; that was what she'd said to try to rationalize her actions.

He knew if she didn't send him away, that he'd most likely suffer alongside her right then and there.

He knew all of those things.

He just didn't think those were good enough reasons to now be without his mother.

He'd already lost his father before he was even born, only ever having 'known' him through descriptions and tattered photographs.

The friends and other adults he'd considered like family weren't around anymore either, for one reason or another.

And as darkness overwhelmed his mind, mercilessly casting the young boy into unconsciousness, he knew one more thing that utterly terrified him to his core.

For the first time in his life, he was alone.

Elsewhere, in a very different time and place...

Mazda was enjoying a stroll in the forest near her home. The young girl was also a self-declared protector of the area, and took that quite seriously. But today she wanted to focus more on just spending some time with her best friend Ayu - who had recently also become her stepsister as well - instead. So the two had snuck out to wander around for a while, laughing and chatting back and forth as they walked. Things were shaping up to be just another normal day.

And then Ayu noticed something. "It's unusually quiet right now, isn't it?" she asked.

Mazda paused and tilted her head slightly, listening a bit more carefully than she had been earlier. Her lips went from a cheery smile to a confused frown when the normal sounds of birds and other animals typically making noise - as they had been just moments before - were now just silence. She glanced around for any sign of why that was happening, but saw nothing particularly out of the ordinary at the moment. Though Ayu was blind, she too actively listened for any hint of strange activity around them. Chimu, the always present guide rabbit that regularly perched atop her head, perked up with twitching ears as he did the same.

"All the animals are quiet all of a sudden," Mazda stated, already raising her guard and moving in front of Ayu protectively. "Is something hiding nearby that scared them or something?"

Before Ayu could offer a reply, she gasped from Chimu suddenly tensing up and making his own noise.

"Chiiii!"

Mazda turned around. Though she couldn't have any idea what Chimu was saying, she knew that Ayu was able to interpret for him perfectly, and waited patiently for her to do so. It didn't take long.

"He says the air nearby feels strange, like something's about to hap-"

Ayu's translation was interrupted by a loud bang, sounding like a clap of thunder. Before either girl or Chimu could react, Mazda witnessed what looked like a person suddenly appear a few feet above a nearby pile of dried leaves and grass, then abruptly drop into the pile with a thud, the impact tossing bits of debris in all directions!

"What is it, Mazda?" Ayu asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Mazda gulped a little as she cautiously stepped forward to confirm what she thought she had seen. The young brunette was quite familiar at strange things happening in her forest, including strangers suddenly arriving from out of nowhere. Especially since she herself was not native to this reality, and had one day showed up from her own alternate timeline before meeting her adopted big sisters and parents.

Although she wasn't absolutely certain just yet that this stranger - looking like a young boy with red hair, perhaps about her age at first glance? - had similar circumstances as she had, Mazda could tell that he was definitely in need of some kind of help. She blushed and averted her eyes when she got closer, realizing that the mystery boy had ended up arriving without any clothes, though he was thankfully covered more than enough by the leaves and grass he'd landed in. And he seemed to be breathing more or less normally, though Mazda could see some random cuts and scrapes on him. She hoped those had been a result of the impact, and not a sign of something worse.

"Ayu, hurry and use your distress signal!" Even though Mazda was understandably shaken from what had just happened, she knew she had to act fast in an emergency. And this certainly qualified as such; she took a deep breath as Ayu rushed to comply with the request.

"This boy might be from another world like I am, and we need to get him help right now."

Mom...

Voices?

Am I dreaming?
I can hear someone talking... sounds like a girl?
Two, maybe?

Mom...
I'm scared...

Hurts to move.
Feel weak.

Eyes feel heavy.
Got to open them.
Need to see who that is.

Mom...
Where are you?

I'm on the ground.
Head spinning.
Can't think straight.
Where am I?

Voices getting softer.
Are they going away?

Mom...
Don't want to be alone...

One turned around.
Looking at me.
Saying something.
Sight blurry, but still see her.
She looks worried.

Kinda looks familiar too.
Wait...
Know those eyes.
Metal chain around neck.
Dog tags?
That's... is that...?

Mazda's eyes met the boy's own the moment he started to respond to her asking if he was okay. His voice was faint, clearly struggling to even speak while looking up at her through glassy eyes. She couldn't help but stay focused on him, not even turning when Ayu stated she'd summoned the requested help, already on the way to them.

The very brief question the boy finally managed to blurt out was not anything she'd remotely expected, however.

"...Aunt Lex?"

The mention of that name had caught Mazda off guard, even moreso since the boy had apparently mistaken the young girl for her mother. She tried to get him to repeat the question or elaborate on it, but his eyes closed once more and nothing she tried seemed to wake him up again.

Whatever this boy's story had been before his sudden arrival in her forest, Mazda knew she wanted to learn as much as possible about him.

And to help however she could.

Mom...
Did I make it?

Aunt Lex looks confused.
Why?
Feel sleepy.
Close eyes now.
Still scared.
But not alone anymore.
Hear more voices come closer.
More people bringing help?

Getting picked up off the ground?
Someone carrying me.
Too tired to see who.
Feels like... a blanket around me?
Must be safe now.
Gonna rest some.
Gonna feel better.
Then find you.
Aunt Lex help.
Other people help.
Look for you.
Help you too.

Mom...
Wait for me...

To Be Continued
________________________________________________________________

Guess there's yet another surprise visitor showing up all of a sudden in the forest.

Kisekae art contributed by , my thanks to him.

Mazda Montgomery by
Ayu Fukuzawa and Chimu by