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A lot of things have changed since nir granchild dissapeared and Toue took over Midorijima, but Tae still makes her rounds around the West District. The people there no longer greet nem excitedly, or really greet nem at all. They don't really react to anything anymore, eyes blank and unseeing, will shattered and kept broken by the daily transmissions of Grand Music throughout the island.
But still, Tae comes. Ne bring the medicine and hormones that the people no longer care about but still need. Tae feels like ne are caring for a village full of vegetables, keeping their empty husks clean in the naieve hope that one day some semblance of thought would return to their staring eyes.
Caring for and entire district would be a challenge for a person in their prime, and though Tae hate to admit it, ne is not as young as ne used to be. Nir bones ache from being on nir feet all day, and as empty and devoid of life as nir house is, sitting down in nir rocking chair will be a welcome relief. Tae walks as fast as ne can bear to through the shadows of the approaching dusk.
Suddenly, the world tilts on its axis. Tae has a moment to panic, a moment to curse, before darkness overwhelms nem.
Ne wake up in a place unlike any ne have ever been. There is a floor and ceiling of pulsing blue hexagonal tiles that stretch out into the distant darkness. Lines of code pour down the sides, crackling and fizzing faintly. Tae has never seen anything like it, but if ne had to guess, ne would say it was a Rhyme field.
A distant voice bellowed, echoing off the tiles and sending a visible shudder through the blue pulses. Suddenly, a bright light shined in front of nem. Tae squinted, shielding nir eyes from the haze as they peered intently at the figure forming in front of nir eyes. A mesh formed, and then color creeped up from faer feet like paint poured into a mold.
In front of Tae stood Usui, radiantly shining and adorned in polished brass, ten slender arms reaching out to nem. Ne stared, dumbstruck by the sudden appearance of the avatar of Rhyme in nir midst.
Usui spoke, in faer booming voice, serene smile unmoving.
"TAE SERAGAKI."
Tae quickly recovered from nir shocked state.
"Usui!" ne yelled back, feeling as if nir voice would be lost to the distant void.
Usui walked-no- floated towards Tae, arms shifting and posing like a flower blooming, until fae were close enough to touch. A pair of hands, cold and textureless, came to clasp nir cheeks softly. Faer face moved closer, smile fixed on like a mask, and the voice that came forth from it was not Usui's, but something softer and fragile like the bones of a bird.
"I'm so sorry..." the voice breathed against her skin like a gentle breeze. "Forgive me... Tae Seragaki."
Tae stared up at the avatar, uncomprehending. "Sorry for what?" ne wanted to ask, but then the face in front of nem was fading into nothingness.
"No!" Tae yelled, grasping for faer, but faer ten arms dissipated like fog when ne tried to hold them. "Stop!" ne cried, as Usui dissapeared completely.
"What are you sorry for?" Tae asked the empty space, before the world blinked out like a light.
Tae awoke on the hard ground, feeling as if ne had taken a pounding. Ne stood up shakily, back aching, unsure of nir footing in the darkness of the now early evening. Nir feet automatically began walking home, even as nir mind was racing.
"What on earth was that?" Tae asked the empty air.