2DDLC: Element Guardians! (Sayonika + Natsuri)

Chapter Nine: Restart and Repeat

Running.

The action of moving fast—

What, what?

I look around me. The forest I'm running in seems familiar, the pattern of the trees, blades of grass.. When have I been here before?

I look behind me.

Animals. More of them. Running behind me, stomping their way through the forest, following me bravely. More birds joined, flying lower so I can see them.

Did I..?

I've already been here before. I've already had those dream.

But that's stupid, why would I have the same dream twice in a row?

I look back in front of me. The clearing. Everything's the same. The trees start to part, the ground starts to crack and become less alive, and the cliff is still right in front of me, ready to kill me with darkness at the bottom.

But I can't stop.

Exactly like last time. The land on the other side of the gap is taunting me; it's large and healthy flowers and trees swaying in the movement of the soft wind.

Paradise is over there.

I just need to get to it.

Last time, what did I do? I jumped.. And that didn't work out too well.

Maybe I need to leap out further.

I stick with my word, continuing to increase speed as the edge of the cliff reaches my feet faster; and when it does, I jump, using all my power to lift myself into the air.

It still surprised me at the sudden fall, though I should've expected it. Gravity takes course, and I stretch my arms as wide as they can go, not even close to reaching any of the small ledges or rocks in the other side of the stone wall.

Screaming doesn't help, and some how I am able as I am sucked down quickly, the darkness below gargling hungrily as it waits for me to land into it.

When it starts to eat my leg, I shut my eyes close and fell my body land right into it.

My eyes don't stay close long as I open them, looking around. The light to the dorm was off and the same darkness that's provided at night is spread in the room.

I notice Sayori shuffle beside me as she feels me stir, her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Monika?"

I shake my head. "Sorry, Sayori."

"Did you have another bad dream?"

I stay silent, resting a hand on her head to quiet her. She gets the hint and wraps her arms around my torso tighter, soon relaxing as she fell back asleep.

My eyes close again, and it isn't long until I fall asleep too.

Running.

What?

What?

Why am I back here, again?

I look around me, getting my theory confirmed. Trees. Bushes. A forest. And behind me; animals follow. They continue to trust me like they haven't been through this before.

Like we haven't tried to get across the same gap before. Speaking of the gap; the cliff is coming in head, the other side still filled with beautiful land.

And I still can't stop.

Or maybe I don't want to stop?

Being in the lead feels nice, but it also means that I have to think fast. Actually, do the animals even do what I do when I jump?

Do they get sucked into the darkness too?

I'd try and see, but there's no way I can turn around and stop.

Okay, Monika, think.

Jumping won't work; there's too much space between each rock wall, and the gap is too big. Then what else can I do?

There's nothing!

And why do I keep having the same dream, every time, and still aware of what happened before?

It's too late, as I already reach the edge, and am forced off the cliff, and into the large gap. I can't jump off air, so I helplessly fall down to the darkness again, like before.

Maybe I'll get saved?

That doesn't help me from screaming, nor falling faster down. But I don't close my eyes this time, instead I force my head up and look up.

What horrifies me is what I didn't know. What answers my question. Every time I've been jumping, the animals have been too. They all jump down, some screaming or howling, others staying still.

Even the birds, whose purpose is to fly, keep their wings close as they fall down to their death. All because of me.

I look back down, my brain feeling like it's being sat on and pushed to the bottom of my skull. I force my eyes to close after I see the darkness once again reach me, killing my legs instantly.

And every time I awake back into the darkness of my room. Every time I comfort Sayori to fall back asleep when she notices me gasping for air.

And every time I fall asleep, running back in the same forest, no way to stop myself from dying first.

No way to save these animals.

And it happens to repeat, all night.

(A/N: Heeey, sorry for that short and bad chapter, I wanted to try and put out two chapters on the same day so that this wouldn't be a waste, but it's almost 12 at night, and I'm really tired.
  The longer chapter will be coming out first thing in the morning since I'm really close to being done it. Like I said, sorry, I'll try and manage my time better! Anyways, thanks for reading! :) -AJ)