#interlude chapter

Tim offers you coffee. You accept. The exchange feels like muscle memory — practiced, safe.

“Optics are… holding,” Tim says once you’re seated. He’s composed, voice steady, fingers resting flat against the edge of his desk. “The response has been consistent.”

You nod. “The assumption’s settled in.”

“Yes.”

There’s a pause. Not awkward. Just careful.

“We should be mindful going forward,” he continues. “The holiday season amplified visibility. That won’t last, but the impressions will.”

“I agree,” you say. “We may need to adjust proximity. In public.”

“Boundaries,” Tim says.

“Yes.”

You both write it down, metaphorically. No one asks which boundaries. No one lists them out loud. You understand each other too well for that.

Silence stretches again.

Outside, a siren wails distantly and fades. The building hums around you, business as usual.

“The end date remains unchanged,” Tim says at last. “January fifteenth.”

He says it like something that can still be controlled.

You breathe out. Not in relief. In acceptance.

“That still works,” you say.

He nods once. “Good.”

Another pause.

This one is heavier.

You look at the window instead of at him. “My family… expectations are stable. For now.”

Tim’s expression doesn’t change, but something in him stills. “I’m glad.”

You almost say thank you again.

You don’t.

Instead, you gather your things. He stands as you do, instinctive, polite.

“We’ll keep communication open,” he says. “If anything feels off.”

“I’ll tell you,” you promise. “Same goes for you.”

“Yes.”

At the door, you hesitate — not long enough to be obvious, but long enough to feel it. Tim notices anyway. He always does.

Nothing is said.

You leave.

Later, alone, you realize what you didn’t talk about.

Not the way his hand had rested at your waist.

Not the way your breath had caught.

Not the way the room had gone quiet for half a second too long.

You told yourselves it was situational.

Seasonal.

Contained.

Rules were reaffirmed.

Terms remained intact.

Everything was recalibrated.

Except the part neither of you wrote down.

And that, you suspect, is going to matter.

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Warden frowned down at Assassin’s very slowly healing body. The tire tracks over him were unusual, but he figured in the same situation, he’d have done the same. He stood back up as Surgeon walked towards him, glaring down where the tracks led away, hands behind his back.

They stared for a minute or so, contemplating, down the small path out of the woods. Warden turned his attention to the dozen or so men lying dead around the embankment. He was suitably impressed inwardly. But it also stung. 

He honestly didn’t think that gunman had it in him.

Surgeon’s orange eyes glowed faintly in the dark. The worst of the paralytic was gone, leaving only the barest of numbness in his finger tips and the soles of his feet. It had taken a considerable amount of fortitude and will to have even overcome it so quickly. It wasn’t the first time he’d sampled one of Assassin’s paralytics. It was, admittedly, the second time, and it was only the sheer volume the Doctor had administered in his pathetic desperation that hindered him earlier. 

Even with his superior healing capabilities, the dosage was staggering and could have killed a mere mortal. Thankfully, Surgeon was neither mere, nor a mortal. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

Perhaps he would need to pare back Assassin’s access to certain poisons and chemicals in the near future, however.

“Are you expecting an apology?” asked the Warden, his voice in his usual uninterested tone. 

He was silent for a minute before he turned to look at him with a sidelong glance. “Are you offering one?”

Warden stared at the dead bodies and remembered the ambush in the bedroom. He shrugged. “Not really, no.”

“That’s that then. I’ll take an explanation, however.” Surgeon faced him. It held a mildly curious look. “It’s not like you to be so careless.”

“He was under the bed.”

Surgeon took that in and shrugged. “Hm. Interesting. Fair enough.” He knelt to Assassin’s still body and put a hand to his forehead. He blankly started healing him a bit before standing to let the body take over.

“If anything, the apology I want comes from him.” His orange eyes coldly watched as the wound knit itself closed. A moment later, a rattling gasp came from Assassin before his body jerked to life. As his golden eyes snapped open, Surgeon’s foot came down onto his chest. A crushing force as the asian man let out a strangled cry.

“I’m very disappointed in you, Assassin,” growled Surgeon, leaning into it. 

He let out another cry of pain but it was colored by rage as well. After a minute, he let the man in the black suit up, stepping back, hands folded behind him. As Assassin rubbed his chest, he bitterly snapped back, “You try taking three headshots in a row.”

“I have. Don’t be such a baby. I didn’t top you up on the latest formula for you to be useless against one lone gunman.”

“Maybe you shoulda given me that new stuff instead of to that useless piece of shit.”

“That useless piece of shit just made off with the Doctor,” sneered Surgeon, exhaling in disgust. “And you let that happen.”

“I’m not the only one who failed you tonight!” retorted Assassin, glaring at Warden.

The older man folded his arms across his chest and rolled his eyes but didn’t respond to him. He simply turned his attention to Surgeon. “Well?”

“I can find them,” snarled Assassin. He turned for the trail and clenched his fist. “I can make this right.” 

The last moment before he’d taken that headshot was that delicious look of helplessness in the Doctor’s eyes, but even now, he couldn’t enjoy it. Not when he’d finally slipped out of his grasp for the first time since he’d come to the Mansion. And now…he didn’t have the Doctor there to play proxy to Surgeon, especially when he knew that the storm of punishment was looming over his head.

Assassin was furious. Blindly, hungrily, desperately furious.

But Surgeon didn’t care.

“Let them go.” Surgeon’s voice was low as he stared into the distance. “Let him run. Let him find some corner of this world to hide. We have all the time in the world. We’ll find them both. So let him wait. A few weeks. A few months. A year? It makes no difference. Just long enough. To think he’s finally safe. To drop his guard, like he always does. To let his guardian think he’s won. For them both to be tired and comfortable enough to make a mistake. He always does.”

The orange eyes took on an inward look, the corners of his mouth curling ever so slightly. “And when he does, I will bring them both home. I have all the time in the world…and he is borrowing his from me.”

He turned sharply, back towards the mansion, hands clasped behind his back. Passed both Assassin and Warden. 

“Come.”

The Warden knew better than to disagree, and to be fair, he wasn’t anxious to start a pursuit now.

Assassin was a different story, yet he also knew better than to be disobedient. Especially now. He glared at the stars above him, digging his nails into his palms until he felt blood.

He was going to find them both. And when he did, nothing on God’s green earth was going to stop him from smearing them thin into pulp. Not even his desire to take the Doctor back completely.

Riko Sakurauchi is vaguely aware of the pleasant floral scent as she starts to break away from sleep. The pillow feels more comfortable than she could remember, coaxing her to snuggle and drift back to blissful oblivion. How long has it been since she has felt this relaxed, this sated from rest?

Something odd about her whereabouts prickles at the back of her mind, enough that she is forced to blink her eyes open to assess the situation. Silky green and silver greet her as she sweeps her gaze around the familiar yet unfamiliar room.

Slytherin… the prefect dorm-?

Her eyes widen a fraction when she locates another girl seated on the window sill, reading a thick tome. The light that filtered through the panes is Charmed to resemble sunlight, but retains the Lake's unique tints since this is the Slytherin Dungeon as opposed to the Ravenclaw Tower. Dia Kurosawa's silhouette is enveloped in that soft glow, giving her an unapproachable yet picturesque aura, like a painting to be admired from afar.

Disorientated from vestiges of sleep still, Riko sluggishly gets up in a sitting position.

"Good afternoon, Sakurauchi-san."

Riko tilts her head. "Good afternoon, Kurosawa-san… h-how long have I been asleep? And, how did I get here-?"

Dia slightly lowers her head, the book now closed in her lap as she turns to face Riko. "Apologies. It has come to my attention that you have not had much sleep the past few days. Therefore, when I found you napping in the living room, I took it upon myself to place you on my bed, as it would be more comfortable than the chair."

Fragmented memories of her reading books come to mind. Riko coyly meets the older witch's concerned eyes. "Thank you, for everything. I know I must be intruding and-" She jolts in realization and tries to get off the bed. "Oh, I'm so sorry for taking up space, I didn't mean to just fall asleep and-"

"Sakurauchi-san, it is fine. I did not feel sleepy last night anyway, and a few hours of nap on the couch is more than adequate." Dia is now standing beside her, her hand gentle but also firm on her shoulder as if to keep her from leaving the bed. "You need to rest more than I do."

Riko sighs shakily. That brief sense of contentment from earlier seems like a figment of her imagination, now that reality has caught up again. "H-How is-?"

"Takami-san and Watanabe-san are fine. Kanan-san is taking care of them, and I have requested Mari-san to inform me should anything peculiar happens." Dia summons one of the chairs beside the desk and places it close to the bed before sitting down.

Kanan Matsuura is Chika and You's childhood friend and someone they both look up to, while Mari Ohara is her fellow Ravenclaw Housemate with a reputation for her quirkiness and brilliant grades at many courses. The two seniors are also Dia Kurosawa's most trustworthy friends, and have been helping her cope with that terrible incident just as much as Dia has.

She didn't know them back then and neither did they, yet circumstances had brought them together and, already, they have done so much for her.

"I see. Thank you, again, for…" Riko swallows the huge lump in her throat. "I'm not ready to face them yet."

"Of course, that is understandable." Dia's husky voice is kind. "However, you will need to face them eventually. The first term may be over soon, but surely they would like to see you before they go home for the holidays, and vice versa."

Riko gives her a slow nod, not trusting herself to speak any longer. Despondency soon devolves to dread while guilt makes it difficult to breathe. She could still hear Chika's agonized scream as those hooded figures struck her down with a Cruciatus Curse. She could still see the blood staining You's robe and fair hair when she blocked a cutting Hex from hitting her. Most of all, their blank eyes when she desperately wipes their mind clean of the incident, of their research group, of her…

"Shhh, it is okay. Let it out."

A hand is gently caressing her back, and Riko does find it easier to breathe after a while.

"You should not have involved yourself with me. Kanan-san and Mari-san too," she chokes out, her voice feeble and strained.

"But we are," Dia says evenly. "We share a common foe, a common goal. What happened has happened. We are in this together now, Sakurauchi-san. Please do not hesitate to depend on us more."

Riko flinches from the selfless offer. She understands the gist of the Kurosawa heiress' situation, that those hooded figures are the same ones that attacked the Pureblood for reasons unknown. Even then, she is grateful for the company and support. She wouldn't know where she would be now, if Dia and her friends hadn't found her curled up beside Chika and You's prone bodies. She was a complete sobbing mess then, and she refuses to become one again.

She swallows down a whimper and subconsciously pulls the blanket closer so the floral aroma fills and soothes her sense once more. "Thank you, Kurosawa-san."

Dia's small smile is just as warm as it was back at the campsite.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

'Depending on the proficiency of the Charm, memories are either suppressed or irreversibly erased. Therefore, it is possible to recover those memories-'

Riko stares hard at the wizened page of a thick tome she had managed to find from her family library. She is by no means an expert in the Memory Charm, but if she is trained properly and learns as much as she could about spells and the body, she might be able to reclaim the memories she had wiped from Chika and You's minds.

This is it then, her new goal. Surely, by becoming a Mediwitch, she would be qualified to do just that.

Sighing tiredly, she rubs the bridge of her nose and sinks back against the chair. At least she has accomplished something today. The holidays have been horrid so far, as she is unable to speak to her parents about what truly transpired at school due to that accursed Unbreakable Vow. Other than the feeble excuse of wanting to research and study more, she could not explain to them the reason behind her distance and subdued demeanor.

Chika and You have been sending her letters, their lively entries bringing her both joy and guilt. Their parting at King's Cross Station was awkward and brusque, with her making pitiful excuses about family commitments. She doesn't understand why the duo is still so attached to her, since the Memory Charm should have eradicated everything and made her a simple classmate to them. Yet, it is as if the whole mess with the quill never happened and they are still close friends.

I miss them. So much...

At least, according to those letters, they don't seem to be suffering from any aftereffects of the spell and are as energetic as ever.

Riko slaps her own cheeks and stands up determinedly. This is no time to be despondent. While her family library isn't as vast as Hogwarts' collection, she is certain that she would discover valuable information. It feels therapeutic even, studying and researching on her own, rather than learning from a sentient quill. She feels that, by understanding the origin of something, the newfound knowledge is earned and is safe, controllable within her ability.

It's New Year's Eve today, so she might as well make the last day of the year as productive as she could.

She has no idea how many hours have gone by, but when a commotion outside snaps her concentration, she notices that the sky has turned dark. Frowning, she approaches the window with her wand out, dubious of the possibility of intruders since the Sakurauchi residence is well-Warded.

Suddenly the alabaster windows blast open with a strong gust.

"Good evening~! How is my favorite kouhai-chan doing?"

That peculiar pitch could only mean one person. Riko closes her eyes and reopens them again just to make sure she isn't hallucinating. There, mounted on a majestic Hippogriff, is Mari Ohara with her signature Cheshire grin. She has never been particularly close to the flaky senpai, so how did the blonde find out where she lives and why is she here?

Her inner question must have been obvious on her face, for Mari holds up her finger and says. "Just want to confirm something, Rikocchi. You don't have any plans tonight, right?"

Riko hesitantly shakes her head.

"Alright~ Then you're coming with me! I've already informed your parents that I'll be borrowing you for, oh I don't know, a few days~"

"Huh? What-? Where are we-?"

"Come on!"

Mari has been helpful and encouraging so far, and her presence within the property means Riko's parents must have approved of her entry. Therefore, it wouldn't be harmful to see what the older witch wants, would it? Perhaps the loneliness over the holidays have worn Riko out more than expected, for she reaches out and takes the blonde's offered hand.

This could sort of resemble a pivotal scene in a fairytale where the prince in shining armor picks up the locked up princess with his gallant steed, except the said princess is hoarsely screeching in fear and confusion, while the said prince is cackling in glee as they soar above the clouds.

Riko regrets not rejecting the invitation outright. All she could do is cling to Mari's back as the Hippogriff sail across the sky with twirls and spins every now and then. She has never been a fan of flying growing up, preferring the Floo Network or Portkey as method of travel. And, with her recently acquired skill of Apparition, she sees no point in ever touching a broom again in her life, not after watching all the reckless stunts Chika and You pull during Quidditch.

But this is, for a lack of better word, insane!

"Lighten up, Rikocchi! Have some fun~!"

"This is so not fun, it's dangerous- yeeeeeeek!"

When they finally descend in a condensed forest, thankfully in one piece, Riko practically leaps off the Hippogriff just to savor the safe sensation of terra firma again. Her knees are still shaking though, making her glare and folded arms not as intimidating as she has hoped.

"Mari-san…"

The blonde senior has the audacity to giggle. "Oho~ Not bad, Rikocchi! Work on it a bit more and you could be as scary as Dia!"

Riko resists the urge to stomp and tries to breathe calmly. "Just where have you brought me, Mari-san?"

Mari merely winks and sends off her Hippogriff back into the night sky. With one crooking finger, she beckons Riko to follow her. Though dubious, Riko has no choice but to follow her companion through this unfamiliar landscape. The forest trail is narrow but appears to be meticulously maintained, with the hedges trimmed and the soil compressed evenly. The quiet atmosphere is not unsettling like the oppressive aura of the Forbidden Forest, but it does share that ancient and magical presence.

"Just where are we-?" Riko murmurs and is about to cast Lumos when Mari stops her with a light tap.

"No light or any traceable spells, not in this territory, at least not until the coast is clear. Ah, there she is~"

Riko tenses when she spots a large silhouette padding towards them. She blinks when the wolf smoothly transforms into a familiar ponytailed witch.

"Kanan-san?"

"Hey. Glad you could make it."

"Make it to what-?"

Kanan chuckles exasperatedly. "You didn't explain to her, Mari?"

"I want it to be a surprise~"

Riko looks between the two older girls, but she pushes the confusion away for the time being and approaches Kanan anxiously. "How are Chika-chan and You-chan? T-Their letters said you had a snowball fight-?"

"Yup! Between them and Shiitake, I had no chance!" Kanan smiles amiably as her voice softens to an understanding tone. "They are doing just fine, but they miss you a lot."

Something inside of Riko deflates and she just feels weary. "I see... I do too, so much, but I-"

She blinks in surprise when Kanan ruffles her hair. "None of that here, not today at least. Mari and I are going ahead to make sure your entry won't be detected. Will you be okay on your own for a bit?"

"S-Sure? I'm not a little kid," Riko resists the urge to pout, though it does feel oddly refreshing to be treated like this. She often has to play the older sister figure within her group of friends, so this is a pleasant change for once. "You won't explain what's going on here though-?"

"Mari's kept this a secret this long, I'll do the same," Kanan and Mari exchange a small smile before the two change into their Animagus forms.

Riko leans against a tree, her fingers nervously wrapped around her wand as the wolf and the cat darts into the shadows. She has no reason to distrust the two older witches, and this forest does lack that ominous aura as the Forbidden Forest. The whole trip so far has thrown her routine schedule of research out of loop but it isn't wholly bad. This rather reminds her of the spontaneous excursions Chika would come up with, or the rare childish adventures You would lead them around the Black Lake.

No matter how much she tries, she keeps sinking back into that quagmire of remorse. Thankfully, true to Kanan's words, she doesn't have to wait for long.

"Good evening, Sakurauchi-san. Apologies for the wait, and for Mari-san's behavior as well."

"Kurosawa-san?"

Riko is astonished to find Dia carefully descending in front of her on an unusually large broom. The Kurosawa heiress is dressed in a simple vest and jeans, an unexpected outfit for someone of her station and making her appear like a Muggleborn.

"I assume neither Mari-san nor Kanan-san explained why they have brought you here?"

Slow nod. Dia shakes her head in exasperation. "I do not understand their intention either, but perhaps it is best that we talk inside." She gestures at the forest and at a direction beyond the canopies. "This is the Kurosawa Estate, and a complex system of Wards prevent any outsiders from entering the grounds. This trail is the only method of approach via Muggle means, but we can at least fly over the Manor and enter my private wing this way. Please get seated behind me."

Humbled and just a little apprehensive, Riko glances at her surroundings one more time before sitting on the invisible cushion of the large broom. "I've never seen this kind of broom before…"

"Ah yes, this one was specifically modified to fit one extra passenger," Dia's voice is rather monotonous. "I used to fly around with my little sister."

"I didn't know you have a little sister-" Riko bites her lips but the inadvertent question has already slipped out.

"... Ruby is four years younger than me, and she will be attending Hogwarts as well, for next year." Dia clearly doesn't want to speak more on the subject, so Riko nods and gingerly holds onto the handle in front of her seat.

Once Dia ensures that Riko is secure, they effortlessly ascend over the canopy and towards the distant Manor. The maneuvers are precise and steady while maintaining decent speed, making the whole ride a pleasant experience as opposed to the heart-stopping skydiving she did with Mari earlier. Nostalgia fills her as she recalls how Dia was the Slytherin Seeker when she first came to Hogwarts, and the times she sat with Chika and You in the breachers cheering for Kanan. Chika wanted to become a Beater after seeing her childhood friend's daring strikes, while You found the agile Slytherin Seeker to be cool and aspired to become one too.

Smiling wistfully, Riko leans forward and subconsciously wraps her arms around Dia's waist as if this would fend her from the night chill and these distant memories.

If Dia has any objection to such proximity, she does not say anything. Riko relishes in the warmth as she dazedly appreciates the view below. The Kurosawa Estate is truly a sight to behold, the extensive network of buildings and ground comparable to Hogwarts itself, just on a smaller scale. The mixed style of traditional Japanese ceramic roof tiles and Western arches present a rather austere atmosphere for any onlookers.

The central Manor resembles more like a fortress than a simple residence, so Riko is slightly relieved when Dia veers off to the side and descends towards an open area closer to the hedge that encompasses the entire Estate. This private section is more simplistic in appearance, with a quaint two-story house that has wooden verandas and traditional Japanese shoji doors.

Riko has the odd sensation of something cool traveling up her body as she carefully steps onto the grass, possibly the effect of the Wards accepting her presence. Unlike the frigid night air in the forest, the surroundings feel warm from heating Charms as if she is indoors. She glances around the garden in wonder, admiring the aesthetic arrangement of ornaments and small ponds with miniature bridges.

It must look breathtaking during spring, when the flowers bloom and the koi fish visible beneath the water.

Stretched on the porch are Kanan and Mari in their Animagi forms, appearing comfy and right at home as if they are Dia's house pets. Riko smiles in amusement at the idea.

"Well then, the two of you owe Sakurauchi-san an explanation," Dia puts away the broom and conjures a cushion for her guest on the porch before pointing her wand at her friends.

Mari purrs lazily and flops against Kanan, who lolls her tongue and wags her long tail. Riko couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

Dia's tense shoulders relax slightly as she lowers her wand and sighs in resignation. "Again, I apologize for their behavior, Sakurauchi-san. I hope you were not forcibly taken away from family gatherings or other engagements."

"It's okay, Kurosawa-san. I'm rather… humbled to be able to come here," Riko suddenly feels out of place, since she hasn't known any of the three older witches for long. The adrenaline has faded enough for the timid side of her to surface, making her drop her gaze uncertainly.

Dia furrows her brows and resumes glaring at the wolf and cat. Like chided children, the two Animagi transform back.

"We do this every year, Dia."

"Yes, but why did you involve Sakurauchi-san?"

"We thought she might like some company. It's New Year's, yes?"

As if on cue, a grandfather clock chimes somewhere behind the shoji doors, signaling that is is already midnight. Kanan and Mari share a grin before pouncing on their friend in a group hug.

"Happy birthday, Dia!"

The Kurosawa heiress stumbles a little but accepts her friends' fervent attention with grace. Riko frantically checks her pockets and despairs when she only finds her wand and nothing else. Then again, nothing would have been good enough to count as a present anyway.

"I didn't know it's your birthday, Kurosawa-san, I'm sorry I didn't bring a gift-"

"Do not fret, you did not know and it seems like you were brought here abruptly in the first place," Dia sends another withering glare at her smirking friends. "Besides, you have already given me a present."

"I have?"

"You seem to like the way I have arranged the garden, a small personal project that I am rather proud of," Dia holds her chin high and gives her an uncharacteristic child-like smile. As if embarrassed by the slip in composure, she then coughs and gestures for Riko to follow her onto the porch. "I am glad to have you here, Sakurauchi-san. Let us go inside where it is more comfortable, and I will bring some refreshments."

"Hehe, we shall party all night long~! Are you ready, Rikocchi?" Mari lunges at Riko's back, placing her hands on the younger girl's shoulder to usher her.

"Mari and I have prepared quite the cake, we'll definitely need your help to finish it," Kanan folds her arms behind her head and brings up the rear as the four witches enter the house.

The amiable atmosphere makes Riko's heart flutter in joy, something she hasn't permitted herself to feel since that incident. Before Dia could close the shoji door behind them, a horned owl swoops down and deposits a parcel onto her hands. Riko vaguely recognizes the bird as Dia's familiar, but what catches her attention is the small forlorn smile on Dia's visage as the latter inspects the present and the card attached to it.

She is familiar with such expression - sorrow and helplessness carefully veiled so that friends would not worry. Before she realizes it, she has already placed a comforting hand on Dia's arm, wishing she could do more for the older girl.

Dia gazes at her solemnly and repeats what she said earlier, in a softer voice. "I am glad to have you here, Sakurauchi-san."

Riko smiles. "I'm glad to be here too."

And it's not because she wouldn't have to endure loneliness back home, but because she gets to spend more time in Dia's company.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Riko ended up spending the remainder of the holidays at the Kurosawa Estate with Kanan and Mari. As the heiress, Dia had many duties and was rarely seen until well after dinner time, so Riko was left in the other two witches' rather enjoyable company.

Kanan seems to know exactly when she is feeling down and would provide comforting words, while Mari's unpredictability doesn't even give her the time to feel melancholic. Through them, Riko learns a lot about the Kurosawa family, of how they hold great pride in their Pureblood status and does segregate the Muggleborns and mixed lineages. While it isn't wholly in a condescending way, they do believe that they have special privileges as descendants of an ancient bloodline.

This is the reason why Kanan and Mari are unable to enter the Estate through the front entrance, as Kanan is a Muggleborn and Mari has Muggle heritage. The Sakurauchi line has diluted over the centuries, with marriages to Muggleborns or Half-bloods and so on. Therefore, even though Riko's mother and paternal grandmother are Purebloods, the traces of Muggle lineages in her blood would have barred her entry as well. Dia has specially set up her private wing so that her friends could enter via the forest trail.

Riko doesn't know why, but Kanan and Mari seem to enjoy sharing Dia's little secrets with her, such as Dia's favorite dessert or her borderline-fangirl idolization of the Deputy Headmistress. Even then, Riko only grows more fond of the austere heiress, finding these uncharacteristic sides of her rather cute and make her more approachable.

However, there is one topic even Kanan and Mari would not touch upon, respecting their friend's privacy. Riko has only caught glimpses of Ruby from afar, for the younger Kurosawa lives on the other side of the Estate under the elders' careful scrutiny. From what Riko could deduce, Ruby's magical abilities, while much better than average witches', are not up to the Kurosawa's standards and thus she is allowed very little freedom. The siblings only get to interact with each other during lessons and meal times, though Riko could tell that Dia cares about her little sister very much and vice versa.

Still, everything is merely speculation. Dia never elaborates much, and Riko doesn't pry. Family politics isn't something an outsider like her could interfere with after all.

"Ohayousorou!" "Riko-chan, you're early!"

Riko smiles warmly at her two best friends, who envelopes her in bear hugs the moment they spot her at the train station. The relaxing holidays are therapeutic enough for her to face Chika and You again.

It's a new year and the second term of their Second Year at Hogwarts. She is ready to confront her demons.

There's just something magical about Chika and You, for they easily break through her reserves and soon after, she finds herself laughing with them as they settle down in their compartment. She misses Chika's silly puns and adoration of mikans. She misses You's piles of fashion magazines and spirited salutes. She recalls how some of her Ravenclaw peers questioned her choice of company, considering the Gryffindor duo's less than mediocre grades and boisterous disposition. Even now, her answer is still the same.

They may be dorks, but they're her dorks. Her precious, courageous friends who didn't even hesitate in throwing themselves in harm's way to protect her.

"Hmm? Is there something on my face, Riko-chan?"

I stared too much. Blinking, Riko flusters and is about to wave it off when she does notice bits of chocolate dotting Chika's cheek. Chuckling fondly, she points it out and waits for You to clean it up like she usually does.

To her surprise, You merely nudges and teases Chika, while the latter grumbles good-naturedly and wipes her own cheek. Riko shrugs away the peculiarity and soon their conversation falls back to normal.

However, as time goes by, Riko notices more and more of the nearly indiscernible distance between them. Sure, Chika and You still act buddy-buddy with each other, but nowhere is the closeness they share as a couple. Back then, as long as they're only in Riko's company, they would inadvertently express their affection for one another.

Those cute secretive glances they share, shy blushes and content smiles, where have they gone?

Hoping she is just being paranoid, Riko forces out a chuckle. "You know you don't have to hold back around me. Thanks for the consideration, but I'd rather you just be yourselves."

The duo looks confused. "What do you mean?"

"Usually you'd hold hands or, um, you'd kiss You-chan's cheek just to make her flustered-?"

"Eh! W-W-Why would Chika-chan do that?" You sounds shocked while Chika's jaw drops. "Why this all of a sudden, Riko-chan?"

Dread settles in her stomach but she persists. "But, that's normal for a couple, right-?"

"We're not a couple!" The duo denies simultaneously. "We're best friends, Riko-chan. We've known each other forever, it'd be weird if we go out..."

Riko feels numb while their words reverberate in her chaotic mind. But that's exactly it! Both of you have crushes on each other as long as you can remember! You both confided in me, that you didn't want to ruin your lifelong friendship, so neither of you did anything! I was the one who managed to make you two confess!

Color drains from Riko's face as realization claws at her. And I was the one who took away all that. I Oblivated you both, and because I was too weak and inept, you had to save me and shield me and you paid the price and lost so much-

"Riko-chan?!" "Where are you going-?"

Filled with nausea, she runs out of their compartment and past startled students down the hallway. She needs to go somewhere secluded but she is practically trapped on the train. She opens the connecting doors and enters the next cart, then the cart after that, and more, just to get as far away as possible.

Suddenly, she runs into someone and almost tumbles backwards if it weren't for steady hands wrapped around her. She looks up to see Kanan's concerned expression and feels a familiar sting at the corner of her eyes. Before tears could leak out, Kanan pulls her into a warm hug.

Somewhere behind, she could hear Mari chatting with Chika and You, who must have run after her. It seems like the blonde is successful at diverting their attention, for soon their voices become inaudible beyond the connecting doors.

"We'll take care of Chika and You, you just keep going to the last compartment in the next cart, okay?" Kanan murmurs gently near her head before loosening her hold. Giving her one more encouraging pat, the ponytailed girl leaves her to her thoughts.

Riko dabs at her eyes and swallows the lump in her throat. Really, how could she ever repay them for their kindness?

Taking a deep breath, she follows Kanan's instruction and soon reaches the destination. Gingerly, she knocks on the door and pulls it open after hearing the occupant's permission.

Dia appears taken aback, a textbook still open in her lap as emerald eyes glance at her up and down. "Sakurauchi-san, what happened-?"

"M-May I stay here, please?"

"Of course."

Riko hastily enters the compartment and closes the door behind her, hoping her movement isn't as embarrassingly desperate as she thinks.

Rather than gesturing at the empty spot opposite of her, Dia scoots away from the window to make space. Riko gratefully takes the seat, prepared to wallow in melancholy while staring out of the window.

Yet the silence doesn't last for long. The warm and dependable presence beside her soothes her, and soon she finds herself opening her own books and discussing several topics with Dia.

A part of her hopes the train would never stop, though she doesn't understand where such thought came from.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The second term is hard, not just from her personal issues but from the intensive courses as well. Now that she's aspired to become a Mediwitch, she has discussed with her Head of the House and Deputy Headmistress, receiving permission to take Advanced courses for various subjects.

This change in schedule allows her to spend more time with the three Fourth-Years and less time with Chika and You, which has its pros and cons. While the heavy workload distracts her enough that she would not feel guilty distancing herself from her best friends, she also longs for their company and all the what-ifs had she never found that accursed quill.

While Chika and You not being a couple still bothers her, she's able to pretend nothing is wrong since they are usually at the library or around other students. Like old times, she enjoys helping them with their assignments and even berating them for their antics. Sometimes Kanan would join them, and with the older witch as mediator, she's able to achieve a sense of normalcy.

Due to them sharing the same House, Riko also spends quite a lot of time in Mari's company. The blonde's randomness, while exasperating and rather irritating at times, is just her way of showing affection. Riko subconsciously begins to think of Mari as a sister and a part of her likes to believe that Mari thinks the same too.

And there's Dia. The Slytherin prefect, as a Head Girl candidate, is very busy with various duties just as she had been back at the Estate, yet she is always there for Riko whenever she needs her. Since that time on the train, Riko has consciously acknowledged Dia as a place of refuge, though she realizes that it's been the case all along since that fateful day.

Also, whenever their eyes meet in the hallways, Dia would nod or smile at her, and such simple acknowledgement is enough to lift her spirits for the rest of the day.

Their secret group of four still meet at Dia's prefect dorm, as it grants them enough privacy, but soon they notice that the space is no longer big enough to accommodate their research or practice sessions. Riko almost wants to suggest the Hut, her old hideout with Chika and You back then, but she feels sick at the thought of returning there. As if understanding her dilemma, the three Fourth-Years never mention it either.

It is by pure luck that, two months into the second term, they discover the Room of Requirement. Riko's pet Kneazle Sandy, a loyal and intelligent familiar, would often wander around the Castle with Animagus Mari, and that's how they ended up stumbling upon the odd door opposite of the troll tapestry on the 7th floor.

This almost-sentient room provides anything they need, and they are able to train and study to their heart's content. However, in spite of the available resources, they have no breakthroughs on those enigmatic black feathers found on those hooded assailants. There just aren't enough samples to analyze these magic-imbued items, and whichever diagnostic spells cast upon them bring an array of results that could not be categorized.

The frustration only pushes her to study and improve herself more.

"Sakurauchi-san, perhaps it is best that we call it a day."

"N-No, Kurosawa-san, I haven't even gotten past your defense, let alone disarm you."

Panting, Riko raises her wand again and attempts to aim in spite of her trembling arm. She knows that she is well over her limit but this isn't enough. An enemy would not take pity on her just because she is exhausted.

Her spell dissipates upon hitting the invisible shield Charm around Dia, who simply stands there. In fact, she has barely moved since their duel began. And she hasn't even unsheathed her saber.

"You were never this stubborn, Sakurauchi-san, what happened?" Dia speaks in a severe tone, and Riko cringes like a child caught red-handed. Frowning, Dia glances over at the grand ornate mirror at the corner of the room and lets out a deep sigh.

"You must stay away from the Mirror of Erised. It will only do you more harm than good."

Riko lowers her head, ashamed yet unable to admit her faults. Sometimes the pang of longing becomes too much, and she finds herself staring woefully at the reflection for possibly hours. Within the mirror, she is happy, Chika and You are still a couple, and they are in their Fifth Years and have successfully passed their N.E.W.T.s.

"... if only Ruby and I are Muggleborns, or even other Purebloods, we might be happier."

Puzzled, Riko looks up to find Dia staring wistfully at the direction of the Mirror.

"I am proud of my family history, and so does she. It is my great pride and joy to be entrusted various responsibilities as the heiress, to be able to live up to and surpass my family's expectations. But, at the end of the day, what is the point, if my own little sister cannot be happy? Am I… happy?"

"... Kurosawa-san?" Riko tentatively approaches the older girl, whose expression is oddly calm and devoid of turmoil in spite of the sadness laced in her tone.

"All of that is merely wishful thinking, is it not? The Mirror shows us what we desire, and that is just that, a desire. It will never become reality."

Riko winces. She knows that, the rational side of her has always known, but the pitifully hopeful part of her refuses to see the truth.

"I am not saying these to discourage you, Sakurauchi-san." Dia's voice is quiet and lulls Riko into a peaceful state of mind. "We could work as hard as we could, to try to make that desire a reality, but it is also important to acknowledge your own limit. After all, how can you achieve your goal, if you collapse along the way?"

Riko tucks her wand inside her pocket and offers a weak smile. "Right. I'll rest and strive to become even better the next day."

"Good. We will resume the duel tomorrow." Before Dia moves to tidy up the area, Riko grasps for her sleeve, stopping her. "Yes?"

"Um, I was just…" Truth be told, Riko doesn't know why she did that, but she feels like there's something she should do, especially after the taller witch disclosed a rather personal secret. Peering up shyly, she then notices dark circles under Dia's eyes. "You need to rest too, Kurosawa-san."

"I will, but there are still some tasks I need to finish before-"

"No. Like what you've just told me, you need to rest too." Normally, Riko would've felt weird using such a firm tone towards a senior, but she sincerely hopes Dia would listen to her. The heiress has always appeared indomitable, but up close, signs of fatigue could not be hidden.

A revelation then occurs to Riko. "Is it because... I'm taking too much of your time? You've already helped me so much with my assignments, dueled and researched with me-"

"Not at all. I… I enjoy being with you. Helping you I mean," Dia looks away and puts on a stern expression before returning her gaze to the shorter girl. "I am well aware of my own limit. I just need a few more hours or less. You should head back to your dorm-"

"Then let me help you. What is it? Is it organizing the list of students for the Hogsmeade trip?"

"Sakurauchi-san…"

"Please."

They stare at each other for a while, neither willing to relent. Surprisingly, it is Dia who averts her eyes first, and Riko cheers inwardly while maintaining a calm expression. "Very well. I just have some paperwork…"

Perhaps it is sometime after midnight that they have finished everything. Riko stretches, her limbs burning with fatigue and neck stiff from the lack of movement, but her mind feels oddly awake. It feels rather refreshing, to work hard on something that has nothing to do with those feathers or the academic workload.

"You would make a good prefect, Sakurauchi-san."

Riko shakes her head, pleased but also flustered by the compliment. "You think so?"

"I know so. You have the right type of mentality to commit yourself to such demanding position," Dia murmurs thoughtfully, "I am certain many professors would not object, and Professor Toujou may have already placed you as a candidate already… although, she was the one who gave the prefect badge to Mari-san last year…"

"Did I hear my name?"

Blinking, Riko looks towards the door to see Mari strolling in with Kanan behind her. The two Animagi would usually patrol the school grounds at Dia's request, the cat around the Castle and the wolf in the Forbidden Forest. While the hooded figures haven't been seen since that day, they agree that it's prudent to stay on guard while searching for clues. So far, nothing has been found but at least they did understand the domain so much better now.

"Right… I think I sort of remember, in my First Year," Riko did wonder why the prefect had changed to a different witch within a week.

"Too much work. I enjoy my free time, thank you very much~" Mari shrugs with the kind of nonchalance that she knows would tick off Dia. The Slytherin pinches the bridge of her nose, as if to rein in her temper.

Ever the peacemaker, most of the time anyway, Kanan gives Riko a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Well, I agree with Dia, you'd make a wonderful prefect, Riko-chan."

"Speaking of which, what're you doing here still? I'd thought Dia would've sent you off to bed already, like the fussy mother hen she is~" Mari's grin only widens when Dia glares at her.

"Sakurauchi-san was very helpful, unlike someone," Dia huffs as she organizes the various parchments on the desk. "But yes, now that we are finished here, we should all retire. It has been a long day."

Riko almost feels reluctant to leave, but after they descend the stairs and reach the intersection, Dia turns to her and bids her goodnight before parting ways.

It is only after the two Ravenclaws arrive at their Dormitory that Mari giggles. "You should smile more often, Rikocchi. It fits you, and makes you look very cute~!"

Blushing, she immediately scowls and ignores her senior's smirk as she heads for her room.

The rest of term passes by rather uneventfully. Riko pours all of her efforts in those Advances classes, aiming to pass her O.W.L.s when her peers are just starting to prepare for the mock exams. Guilt will probably always lurk at the corner of her mind, but she is able to use it as fuel for her determination and she isn't as prone to bouts of depression anymore.

True to her promise to Dia, she balances her studies with sleep while making sure the older witch does the same. Mari, and even Kanan, would tease her about how they have never been able to get Dia to listen to them before. Riko is dubious of that claim, considering how close the three Fourth-Years are, for she is simply a kouhai fortunate enough to be tutored by the talented Slytherin.

Still, it makes her rather giddy to know she has certain influence over Dia.

By the end of the term, Riko could very well admit that she's tired and looks forward to the summer break. Those O.W.L. exams are indeed as stressful as the rumors, though she couldn't quite relax yet, not until she receives her grades. Unlike the rest of the applicants, she would know the results sooner since they're needed for her to plan her course schedule for the next year.

When she does receive the notification, she is utterly stunned, since she hasn't expected to receive Outstanding on all her O.W.L.s. She almost thought the parchment in her hand is a prank, but the Ministry of Magic's seal is proof enough.

Ecstatic, she clutches the document close to her heart and searches through the school for that one person to share her joy with. While her grades are the result of her hard work, she hadn’t accomplished it by her lonesome after all. Now that she has regained her sense of self-worth, she feels more confident in challenging the unknown in the future.

One day, she will definitely recover Chika and You's memories, and resolve the mystery behind those attackers.

She spots the Slytherin prefect walking down the hallway ahead of her and, before she realizes it, she is already calling out her name.

"Dia-san!"

Startled, Dia whirls around with an eyebrow arched. Riko is only vaguely aware that she is babbling, but she could no longer contain her joy as she shares the results of her exams with the older witch.

" - so because of these, I can continue on to take N.E.W.T. level course. Ah, of course, it will be another full year before I can even attempt tackling those exams but, I believe I can do it. No, I will do it!"

Now that she's finished speaking, she peers up at Dia and tries not to fidget under those intense emerald eyes. Slightly embarrassed by her outburst and out of character behavior, she is about to apologize when Dia holds out her hand and smiles gently.

"Congratulations, Riko-san. I too, believe in you."

Even though it had been a slip of tongue on her part, Riko is quite pleased to hear the senior return the gesture. Their distance has dwindled one more step, and that delights Riko in a way different than her marks.

She tries to fight down the flutters in her stomach as she shakes Dia's hand, relishing in the warmth and the simple connection between two people.

"Thank you, for everything, Dia-san."

His days are spent keeping the shack in running order, making sure their sailing preparations are on schedule, and, most importantly, keeping tabs on what his brother is doing in the lab. That last task is a new add-on but Stanley feels it’s warranted given Ford’s injury, which he refuses to go to the doctors for, and Ford’s tendency to straddle the line between brilliant genius and mad scientist when it comes to his inventions.

Also, his brother does not do bed rest well. At all.

“Screwdriver please, Stanley.”

Stanley sighs and obediently reaches into the tool kit on the ground beside his chair, snags the required tool, and hands it to Ford. Despite Ford’s promise to take things easy, Stanley walked into the lab earlier that day to his brother at his desk, elbows deep in what looks like an unfinished miniature replica of the murderbot, except sans claws.

Stanley promptly threw a shit fit. As one does, really.  

“Why are you building another one?! Are you a glutton for punishment or something?”

Ford jolted from his desk and whipped his head towards the entrance. “Stanley,” he said, his hands out in a placating motion. “I know what this looks like, but I think I know where I went wrong with my last design.”  

“The whole design is wrong. It’s a robot that murders people via laser beam.” Stanley crossed his arms with a scowl and leaned against the door frame. “And what happened to taking it easy? You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I am taking it easy,” grumbled Ford. “I’m sitting down, aren’t I? And for the record, I did not design it with laser beams. Or for murder.”

Stanley scoffed. Semantics. “And how many hours have you been working on that thing straight? Five hours? Six?”

“I do take the occasional breaks.” Ford sighed in exasperation at Stanley’s raised brow and judging silence. “Look, if it makes you feel better, you can pull up a seat and help me with this. Besides, the sooner I’m done, the sooner I can get back to bed. How does that sound?”

Which brings Stanley to the present, slouching in his chair by the work station beside his brother and bored to tears. So far, his duties entail handing random things to Ford so that he doesn’t have to get up and jostle his injuries, and reigning Ford back from trekking into mad scientist territory.  

Stanley yawns and scratches his stomach. “I still don’t know why you’re so eager to make that robot work. What’s so great about it?”

“It has a lot of potential to be useful for our travels,” Ford mutters from his desk without turning around. The components of the robot are splayed before him in an explosion of nuts, bolts and other doodads, and Ford is seemingly plucking random bits to screw back into the machine. “I originally designed it to collect data on the water sprites for us so that we don’t have to be there to do it ourselves, but I redesigned it as a scouter instead. Spanner, please.”  

Stanley blinks as he fishes out the spanner. “Wait. You mean, we didn’t have to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn when this thing could’ve done all the data collecting for us? Why the heck didn’t you invent this sooner?”

“I only thought it necessary when you drove the boat like a madman.” Ford snorts and grabs the spanner. “But yes, it could’ve done the work for us and then some. The original design was also waterproof, heatproof, shockproof and it ran on solar power. Self-sufficient and nigh indestructible!”

He pauses and breathes a little “huh” in revelation. “In hindsight, I see how the AI is a bad idea,” he says, a touch contrite. “Ah well, you live and learn!”

With that, he sets the robot upright, pulls a set of exposed wires from its back and hooks them up to the large battery beside it with a level of gusto that Stanley will never understand.

The metal egg starts vibrating violently. Stanley scoots back with a perfectly manly yelp as the dotted light bulbs lining its circumference begin to flare to life. One by one, the spindly legs twitch, initially slow, almost lethargic little movements that grow more rapid and violent with every passing second.

“It’s alive!” Ford all but gushes like a proud father. The robot has barely managed to lift itself to standing with the way its legs are shaking like a newborn fawn. Stanley leans a little closer and is torn between being impressed at Ford for making his design work so quickly, feeling horribly curious at what the robot can do, and feeling marginally terrified at what the robot can do.

“See?” his brother laughs. “Nothing to be afraid of at all! What the – ”

The robot shudders violently with an electric crackle and all at once, its lights wink out with several faint popping noises. The legs immediately turn motionless, buckling under the egg’s weight, and the whole thing collapses on the table with a thump that rattles the remaining bolts and nuts on the desk. A stream of dark smoke starts pouring out from the machine.  

Ford’s face turns crestfallen. “I don’t understand! What happened?”

“Don’t know and you’re not about to find out either.” Stanley bats Ford’s hands away from his pet project while breathing a mental sigh of relief. “That’s enough freaky science for today. You can finish this tomorrow after you’ve rested. Come on, it’s bed time.”

Tomorrow becomes the day after that, then one week, then two. Although the initial problem with the robot is resolved quickly, fresh ones keep cropping up with every new feature added to the machine’s design.

Stanley is a bit surprised that Ford, now fully healed and as energetic as ever, keeps asking him to join in on every single robot-building session.

He’s accepted every time despite having no idea why Ford even bothers. It’s not like Stanley contributes anything meaningful to the project, even when he’s helping to assemble bits and pieces of the bot.

Still, he’s glad to be included in one of his brother’s nerdy projects. Working on the robot is growing on him along with the realization that lab time with Ford is becoming another activity they do together, like D, D, & More D, or their nightly Airing of Grievances, where they get to spend time side-by-side, cracking jokes and ribbing on each other.

Something small ricochets off the back of his head and hits the ground with a soft clinging sound. “Oy, knucklehead! Have you finished screwing everything together yet? You’ve been hogging the screwdriver for the last hour.”

Stanley glances up from his portion of the robot and rolls his eyes at a smirking Ford who’s standing a few paces away from his workstation.

“No, your Highness.” Stanley drops the screwdriver and idly rubs the spot where he’s been hit probably with a stray nut or something. “Putting these bits together doesn’t magically happen in a blink of an eye. Although we could’ve built this deathbot faster if we just duck-taped everything together like how I wanted, but some people vetoed that idea and called it, ‘utterly ridiculous.’”

“You keep your uncouth ways away from my robots,” Ford sniffs with such an air of faux offence that Stanley can’t help grinning his shit-eating grin. Ford doesn’t last for more than a second before his composure breaks and he chuckles. He strides next to Stanley and claps his brother on the shoulders. “It’s coming along nicely though, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. How long do you think we’ll need before we test this baby out in the wild?”

“Maybe a few more days, we’ll see.” Ford fishes something out of his pocket and places it on the table. “I got you a snack in case you’re hungry. There’s more upstairs if you want.”

The bag of toffee peanuts stares back at Stanley.

A wave of vertigo hits Stanley like a freight train and his mind spins and his stomach lurches - Can you explain what this was doing next to my broken project?!

This was no accident, Stan; you did this!

You ignoramus! Your brother was gonna be our ticket out of this dump! All you ever do is lie and cheat right on your brother's coattails. Well this time you cost our family potential millions!

He jerks himself back with a sharp inhale of breath as awareness swims back into focus. He can feel the pinpricks of sweat dotting his forehead, and the wild hammering of his heart, like he had just run a marathon.

The bag remains sitting there, untouched and unblemished.

What in the holy hell was that?

“Stanley? Is everything alright?” he hears Ford ask, and it grounds him to the present like a rock.  

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he winces at the croakiness of his voice and clears his throat. “Just got a bit dizzy from sitting too long. No big deal.” Stanley pushes the packet away from him, making sure not to look at it this time. Whatever that was, he most certainly does not want to deal with it with Ford nearby. “I’m good with the snack, thanks. I think I’ll take a breather upstairs instead. Do you want to come up with me?”  

Ford shrugs and thank goodness, it looks like he buys Stanley’s explanation. “Sure, I’ll join you. I could use a break myself.”

As they make their way to the elevator, Ford adds quietly, almost shyly, “I’m glad we’re working on this together. We haven’t done a project like this since the Stan O’ War.”

Stanley nudges his brother with an answering quiet grin of his own. The sappy dork. “Me too, Pointdexter. Me too.”

(The persistent nagging feeling that something is missing follows Stanley all the way up their elevator ride like an ill omen. Stanley shivers.)

“Hey Ford.” Stanley says once they’ve settled in for their nightly chats in Ford’s parlour. A pot of mint tea sits on the low coffee table in front of them and its warm, spicy scent fills the small, cozy room. “You said the murderbot is the second project we worked on together. Did we ever finish our first project?”

Ford pauses, and something like apprehension flits through his eyes. “No, Stanley, we never finished the Stan O’ War.”

“Huh. That’s a shame. Why’s that?”

“Well, we didn’t get to the finishing touches because of the fight.”

“The fight?” It takes a few seconds before it clicks. “Oh, you mean the one where we went our separate ways afterwards?”

(Once upon a time, Ford had explained to Stanley why they parted ways: “We had a fight shortly before high school ended. There was an incident that exacerbated everything.” His brother had looked away at that point and cleared his throat. “I…got mad, but Pops got even angrier. He took matters into his own hand, and well, you ended up striking out on your own. I went to college. We lost contact for a while.”)

(It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Stan had gotten kicked out of his home for screwing up. Just what did he do to warrant said kicking out, well, he’d rather not know.)

(He was happy with leaving some memories buried under the sands of time.)

“That’s the one,” Ford hums in agreement. A longer pause fills the room this time. “Stanley,” Ford starts with more hesitation, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Do you want to hear about what happened in detail?”

Stanley chuckles nervously. “Eh, I think what you told me is enough.”

Unlike Ford, he’s not a glutton for punishment.

He dreams of an abandoned beach under a desolate sky of grey-blue. A set of old swings sits on the sand yards away from the churning ocean water, its metal frame twisted, bent and rusted, ravaged by age and the elements. One of the two wooden seats is broken in half with a part of it lost to decay while the other piece hangs perilously from the frame by fraying, rotting rope. The other seat is intact but the wood is warped and stained dark from dirt and mildew. The swings sway quietly in the wind off-tandem, one always lagging behind the other.  

He wakes up in the morning, eyes wet and with a heavy heart. From his bed, he takes a deep breath and exhales. He repeats this a few times.

“Everything is going to be okay,” he says out loud to the seven little holes in the wooden beam above his head. The Big Dipper mark stares back at him.

They don’t.

In fact, after three mini flashbacks – At least you'll have one son here in New Jersey forever. I guess you better come visit me on the other side of the country. This is all your fault, ya dumb machine! –  Stanley is ready to concede that things are getting worse.

The only saving grace is that those flashbacks weren’t anything of substance, each of them darting through his mind before dissipating into the nether. They aren’t strong enough to knock him out, but they do give Stanley a pounding, excruciating migraine that has him curling into his bed with his covers thrown over his head and the blinds to his room drawn tightly shut to plunge everything into soothing, blessed darkness.

He jolts awake when he feels something warm on his forehead. “Hmm. Ford?”

“Hey, sorry for waking you up. I wanted to see how you’re doing,” a blurry Ford-shaped creature whispers back. Stanley’s mind helpfully reminds him that he isn’t wearing his glasses.

“Surviving,” he croaks out, squinting up at the blob that’s probably his brother. “What time is it?”

“Noon. I haven’t heard from you all morning so I thought I’d come up and check on you. I miss seeing you at the lab.”

“Crap, sorry.” Stanley winces. “I missed our robot building session.”

He moves to get up, but is gently pushed back down by Ford. “Don’t worry about it, you need your rest. From the looks of it, it’s pretty bad, huh?”

A fresh, throbbing pain floods through his head. Stanley squeezes his eyes shut and grunts.

“Is there anything I can do to help? I can bring you some chamomile.”

Another grunt.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.”

He manages to crack open his eyes and catch the sight of his brother’s retreating back and –

They were sitting by the swings on the beach. It was a calm evening, the clear sky above them bleached a mix of orange and yellow from the setting sun. From their seats, they have a perfect view of the gentle lapping waves of the ocean as they slosh lazily against the golden sands of the shore.

Stan was younger then, barely at the cusp of manhood at seventeen years old but excited to see both his and his brother’s future opening up before them, at the possibilities of taking the world by storm as the dynamic duo.

After all, it was them against the world. It has always been that way. No stupid college from across the country was going to change that.

“Hey. Joke’s on them if they think you wanna go to some stuffy college on the other side of the country,” Stan said. “Once we get the Stan O' War complete, it's gonna be beaches, babes, and international treasure hunting for us.”

There was no way his brother would give up their dream, not when they worked so hard on it.

His brother sighed and looked wistfully at the school pamphlet in his hand. Stan hated that pamphlet already. “Look, Stan, I can't pass up a chance like this. This school has cutting edge programs and multi-dimensional paradigm theory.”

He hasn’t seen Ford’s eyes glow like that since they first discovered the remains of the ship as children. Hasn’t seen Ford look that genuinely excited about anything in a long while in fact. Instead, he has gotten used to Ford looking like he was…

Like he was…

Bored. Resigned. Tired even.

Stan swallowed the growing lump in his throat. “Beep boop. I am a nerd robot. That's you. That's what you sound like,” he said irritably.

There was no way Ford would leave Stanley behind.

Right?

Ford gave a good-natured laugh. “Ah, well, if the college board isn't impressed with my experiment tomorrow, then okay, I'll do the treasure-hunting thing.”

“And if they are?”

Ford punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Well then, I guess you better come visit me on the other side of the country.” With a last little chuckle, Ford got up, brushed the sand off his pants, and walked away.

Stan made sure to keep smiling until his brother’s retreating back was out of sight even when his cheeks hurt.  

Stanley slams back to the present as awareness floods his senses. He gulps in a few breaths, and takes in the darkness of his room, the weight of his blankets over his body, and the lumpy feel of his worn mattress against his back.