Part 209: 1/16/10

1/16/10

I decided to show Aigis what shopping was all about, but we ended up getting interrupted.



Old Lady: Have you seen a kittycat around here?
She’s a precious little white spotted cat named Mewlie. She slipped away when I wasn’t looking.
I’m so worried about where she could have gone…
She’s almost as old as I am, so I doubt she could have gotten very far…
A white, spotted cat… Did you see one, Aelita-san?
I might have…
Old Lady: My stars, really!? Whereabouts might this have been?
Near the strip mall.
Old Lady: Thank you, dear, thank you! I’ll go look for her.
> The old lady left to look for her cat…

After she left, we decided to take a look around ourselves.



If you don’t mind, Aelita-san… Could we help her look?
It seems the old lady will suffer greatly if they remain separated for much longer…
Sure.
Yes, let’s do our best!
Hmmm, what’s the phrase usually used in situations like these…?
“What goes around, comes around to hit you in the back of the head”…!
…That’s it!
> Aigis seems happy.
She could be so hungry by now that “her stomach and spine are only a minute away.”
……
Or is that “an instant away”…?
…Anyway, we should hurry.

We searched all over town.





But we weren’t able to find the cat, unfortunately.



I can sense hostile reactions, such as Shadows, but this…
I’m useless… aren’t I?
I’m sorry. I was the one who began this search…
……
It’s not working out after all… How could a machine like myself have feelings like a normal person…?
……
It’s getting dark. We should return to the dorm for today.
Thank you very much, Aelita-san.
It makes me happy that you took the time to indulge me in this.
> Aigis is smiling…
> You feel that you understand Aigis better now…

I just wish she wouldn’t be so hard on herself, nobody’s perfect after all.



I’ll be going back alone today… I need some time to think.
I’m sorry… and after you invited me out, too…
> You decided to go back to the dorm separately.

Mitsuru and Akihiko have their tests today and tomorrow, so I decided to hold off on Tartarus for one more day. Even though they said they were fine I didn’t want to push it.



Um…
Did you know that Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai went to take their entrance exams today?
I can’t believe they can concentrate with all that’s going on.
It’s no big deal. I’m not going to give up.
I suppose we are going against fate…
But, I want to do as much as I can right now.
…I don’t want to give up on the future.
By the way, if you’re going to Tartarus, I’ll go with you.
There are two more weeks until the last battle. I can’t forget that because of an exam.
W-Wow… That makes me wanna do my best too…

We’ve been thinking a bit about the past recently.



He didn’t believe in the future…
So perhaps he also thought like Strega.
But, this is just speculation. The dead cannot speak in their own defense, and the truth is lost in the darkness…

Hard not to really.



Didn’t someone else say something similar?
It was Ikutsuki.
Oh, that’s right. It was Ikutsuki-san.
Do you think it was just a coincidence?

What with how scary the future can be right now.



So, I’ll say this again…
We are still moving toward the future, and we won’t let Nyx stand in our way.

Still, no point reflecting on it too much.



Do you have any friends besides us who don’t believe in the cult?
Yes, I do.
That’s reassuring.

I mean the past can’t kill us.



And the most popular searches on the Internet are “Nyx”, “cult”, and “end of the world”.
Isn’t that strange…? Why are people looking forward to the Fall?
Because it’s interesting.
Even if it is interesting, I think people are going too far…
There’s a number of people who have already given up the will to live…

Mitsuru and I took out Koro-chan later.



Koromaru’s always energetic… Watching him is soothing, in a way.
> Mitsuru is taking down all the posters she can find…
Hmph… There’s no end to these…
You did see all those posters on the way here, didn’t you? There must be several hundred of them.
…Perhaps the temperature isn’t the only reason I feel a chill.
Well, our course is clear. We have to believe in ourselves and our comrades, and push forward.
Let’s do this together…
……
Thanks for getting me out of doors today.
I needed a break… The air feels fresh out here.
I’ve been tense, what with the college entrance exams to deal with…
> You spoke with Mitsuru for a while.
Woof.
> It seems Koromaru is done playing.
Hmm? Done already?
Well, I suppose it is getting cold, so let’s got on home.
> You decide to go back to the dorm with Koromaru.