act45side

What? What's this song...?

AAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

Umiriiiii!

Francis...?! Where did you just drop in from?!

Sakiko told us all about it! We're all just figments of your dream, ain't we?

Why would you go and believe her nonsense...

No! Don't you see, everything makes sense now!

We trusted you unconditionally because you made us!

Now that I've accepted it, I feel so light, so free. Umiri, I could do ANYTHING right now!

There isn't much time! You've gotta get outta this nightmare!

But how am I going to...?

It's your dream! You've gotta know!

But once I leave, you're all going to...

When'd you start getting so hung up on crap?

Don't you worry! Me and my brothers, we'll think of you when we hold our parties!

...Got it!

Go!

Don't let her get away—!

Umiri grabs her bass guitar case by the handle, bends her knees and lowers her center of gravity—

I'm—outta here!

Umiri, our sister! <i>Buon viaggio!</i>

Miss Nyamu...!

A song that none of them have ever heard is blaring at maximum volume.

Yet there is nobody in the room.

Call the security firm!

S-She started streaming!

Good morn-nyamu-nyamu, everyone! Nyamuchi here~!

Your girl's soaring through the skies of Lungmen right now! Haha, and I've got a LOT of patrol cars behind me in hot pursuit!

Whoooo! Feeling good!! Now this is one way to remember Nyamuchi the rest of your lives, huh?

And if you do get to hold onto any memories, remember one thing—

Nyamuchi is the drummer of Ave{@nbs}Mujica—Amoris!

(My memories... they're fading, piece by piece...)

(The last trace I had of her... it's being erased...)

(That song... that song...)

(A song of the soul...)

(I say... you're mine... you're mine...)

(Look... you're so close, yet still...)

(Light...)

(You're like light...)

(You always had the power to make people gather around you, basking in your light and warmth...)

(That's who you are... Saki-chan.)

Performing, shouting your heart out, again and again, never to stop.

...I apologize.

I apologize, for the countless times I've hurt you all.

But here and now, I want to see you more than anyone—I want to see you as you really are.

The destinies of Ave{@nbs}Mujica are one. I bear the weight of your lives on my shoulders, and so I will stake my life to protect you.

I beg you... all of you, wake up.

Midnight. The twin moons hang high in the night sky. Now is the hour of the dolls' awakening.

Let us commence the world of Ave{@nbs}Mujica anew.

The ending note settles. Sakiko's hand lingers on the keyboard.

Faint echoes of music reverberate on through the empty castle halls.

Saki... chan...?

From beside comes a voice long unheard, yet one she could not know any more intimately. She slowly lifts her head.

We finally... finally...

...We finally got to meet, Saki-chan.

It feels like I had this long, long dream... and I was this close to never waking up.

Saki-chan, we've been going in circles for so long. We almost missed each other again.

And before Sakiko stands not just Uika, but her entire band.

It was like someone gave me a pull, and then I just showed up here.

Blehhh! Why are we being so serious?

But Saki, you're smiling so happily.

Sakiko has to squint beneath the bright spotlight hanging above. Everything before her feels so unreal, so dreamlike.

But she knows, she knows—

Once more, they have played the music that belongs to them.

The girls of Ave{@nbs}Mujica have finally come back.

Yes! Of course I am, I'm so happy...

Uika... Mutsumi.

Nyamu... Umiri.

I missed you... I missed you so badly.

All of you—welcome back.

(Struggling chirping)

I'm guessing these things put us to sleep?

The dreams... they're not working...

No... no...

You can't leave... you have to... stay here!

(Piercing screech)

—Watch out!

Wolff!!

Morpheus, cut your losses!

Don't you lecture me with words you cribbed from a storybook!

Sakiko, take them and—argh!

Before Wolff can finish, an army of threads skewers through its arms, expelling the cotton within.

Oh, crap! Up there—

Countless Corettons circle above, weaving a massive dreamcatcher.

It begins to press in towards the girls, growing ever larger and larger.

Morpheus... see the error of your ways!

A huge pair of scissors falls from the sky, shredding the dream web into naught but tiny wisps of silk that drift in the air.

(Panicked screech)

Who was that?!

Nngh—!

The girl gives a few twitches in midair before plummeting to the ground, faster and faster—

Are... are we safe now?

What in the world is happening...?

Apologies for our lateness.

M-Miss Iris! We owe a debt to you for your aid... Thank you.

Sakiko is overcome with relief at seeing the familiar fairy. Her exhaustion swiftly catches up, and she feels the strength drain from her as she collapses.

A dull thud echoes through the hall.

Saki-chaaaan!

Sakiko... Sakiko...

(Who is it... now...)