Scenario:Nectar - The Self Comes A-Tumblin'

The Self Comes A-Tumblin'

When Nectar begins to behave strangely after the incident with Orologia, Shinsha and friends grow worried. Fediel explains the former wedge is busy processing the information he's absorbed from Orologia's simulated world. Shinsha becomes anxious that Nectar's personality may change from seeing these failed possibilities.

---

Some time has passed since Orologia was separated from the failed possibilities with the help of Nectar's power.

Nectar, Kushina, Ugusu, and I are on the deck of the ship, basking in the sun.

Ugusu: Ahh! It's perfect weather today!

Kushina: ...
(Yeah! The laundry's going to dry fast!)

Shinsha: Doesn't the sunlight feel nice, Nectar?

Nectar: ...

Nectar: Yes, Shinsha.

Shinsha: Nectar...

Fediel: You there! Dyad!

Shinsha: Eep!

Shinsha: Oh, Fediel! You surprised me!

Ugusu: Geez, Fediel! What's the matter all of a sudden?

Fediel: Girl of the Gate, you and Kamuzumi... Ah, it's a different name now. Are the two of you not a dyad?

Shinsha: Um... Dyad?

Ugusu: A dyad means a mom and a dad!

Kushina: ...
(Or rather, the pairing before they become mother and father.)

Fediel: You do not need to be with child nor be of different gender to pass on the torch. But in any case...

Fediel: I am most interested by this dyad formed by the girl of the gate and the former wedge!

Fediel: Now, I insist on seeing a date!

Shinsha: A d-date? Um, well...

A date! I mean, I've certainly heard of the concept in conversation, but... Nectar and me?

Having never thought about it before, this catches me by surprise.

Usually, Nectar would swiftly say something in my place. But at the moment, he's...

Nectar: ...

Fediel: Hm?

Ugusu: Nectar's spacing out again.

Kushina: ...
(If he were his usual self, he'd have a few words for Fediel by now...)

Nectar: ...!

Nectar: Fediel. I cannot allow you to tease Shinsha any further.

Fediel: I have no intention of teasing! I am serious, from the bottom of my heart. Very serious!

Fediel: You, on the other hand... Hm, I see.

Ugusu: Hey! You figured something out, didn't you, Fediel? It's not nice to keep it all to yourself!

Fediel: Hm? Is there something you do not understand?

Shinsha: You see, Nectar started spacing out like this shortly after the battle against Orologia's dragon form.

Shinsha: And we don't understand why.

Kushina: ...
(It's like he can't stop thinking about something...)

Ugusu: We're kind of worried! Just the other day, he turned gray and started making a lot of copies of himself!

Nectar: ...

Nectar: It's nothing. I'm fine.

Shinsha: But...

Fediel: He's right. Generally speaking, the former wedge is fine.

Ugusu: Generally?

Fediel: He has merely absorbed an immense amount of information on failed possibilities.

Shinsha: An immense amount of... information?

Nectar: I'm still... processing.

Ugusu: Processing?

Fediel: Yes. For example, when you supply food to your stomach, your intestines work to digest it and turn it into nutrients for your body.

Fediel: Naturally, the more food there is, the more time it takes to digest. It is the same in the former wedge's case.

Fediel: At the moment, he is devoting time to digesting the failed possibilities he has absorbed.

Fediel: Just as food digestion diverts energy from other bodily functions, his thoughts and reactions are now busy handling information processing.

Shinsha: So... does that mean that once all of the information has been processed, Nectar will return to his usual self?

Fediel: Of course.

Ugusu: Well, that's good to know! So he's just full from eating a lot!

Kushina: ...
(I see... I'm glad it's not from catching a strange disease!)

Fediel: He may or may not undergo changes after processing this new knowledge, but his vessel will certainly not break.

Shinsha: What changes?

Fediel: I assume he's currently peeking into many of the failed possibilities.

Fediel: There is a chance that witnessing so many of them can impact his thoughts and behavior.

Ugusu: Is Nectar going to turn into a bully because of those failed possibilities?

Fediel: There are times when severe experiences can warp the soul. He may indeed become a malicious individual.

Fediel: Still! A dyad is a bond that can surely overcome even changes of the soul!

Fediel: I'd very much like to see for myself the brilliance of such bonds borne by mortals!

Fediel: Now, Girl of the Gate—a date! You must go on one!

Kushina: ...!
(No!)

Fediel: What? Why the refusal!

Kushina: ...
(A date's supposed to be something between only two people, right?)

Kushina: ...
(Seeing how distracted Nectar's been, it's too risky to leave Shinsha solely in his care!)

Nectar: ...

Kushina: ...
(There'll be no dating until the information or whatnot finishes processing!)

Nectar: Yes... Kushina's... right. We should... think about Shinsha's safety.

Fediel: Wha...

Fediel: How could this be...

Ugusu: I want to go on a date with Shinsha too! How about I show you a date between me and Shinsha, Fediel?

Kushina: ...
(No can do. You can't push Shinsha's wheelchair on your own, Ugusu.)

Ugusu: Oh yeah, that's true... A date means it'd be just the two of us.

Ugusu: But I really wanted to go shopping with Shinsha...

Shinsha: Hehe. Why don't we all go out for some shopping next time, Ugusu?

Ugusu: Yeah! Let's do that!

Fediel: But that wouldn't constitute a date...

Fediel: Rrg... Kamuzumi—wait, no. You! Hasten with the information processing and show me a real date!

Nectar: ...

Fediel grabs Nectar by the shoulders and shakes him, but as has been the case lately, he doesn't react.

After Fediel leaves, we decide we'll split up to help out with whatever (Captain) needs.

Since Nectar is still lost in his thoughts, we let him stay behind in our room with Shinsha.

Ugusu: I'm off to deliver letters!

Kushina: ...
(I'll go help with the cleaning.
Take care of Nectar, Shinsha!)

Shinsha: Of course! Take care out there, both of you.

Nectar: ...

Shinsha: Nectar...

Nectar: Yes, Shinsha.
I apologize... for my slow reactions as of late.

Nectar: It is not my intention to cause you any ill feelings...

Shinsha: Not at all! As long as you feel okay, Nectar, then I'm all right too.

Nectar: Thank you... for your kindness...

Nectar: ...

Shinsha: ...

Fediel told us that there may be changes in Nectar from observing all the failed possibilities.

Even if that doesn't happen, the fact remains that he'd connected with the boundary through the gate I opened...

And temporarily regained the power he once had as Kamuzumi.

I guess from the start I thought... that we'd be able to stay together forever and had found relief in that.

Nectar's been with me for such a long time... He even made me a promise.

And yet...

There's probably still remnants of him as Kamuzumi somewhere within those failed possibilities.

What if he goes back to being the Kamuzumi he once was, just like what happened during that battle?

Shinsha: ...

If Nectar returns to being Kamuzumi, I suppose that's a good thing. I should be happy.

But... I'm scared.

Could I ever be truly happy for him? Because all I can think about right now is how this will affect me, and I really hate myself for thinking that way.

Nectar: Shinsha.

Shinsha: Oh! What's the matter, Nectar?

Nectar: I will do my best... to speed up the information processing.

Nectar: I'm sorry for making you wait... but please, wait for me, Shinsha.

Shinsha: Of course... Of course I'll wait for you! I'll always be here waiting.

Nectar: Thank you... Shinsha.

Nectar: ...

Shinsha: Nectar...

I reach out my hand in search of Nectar's and grasp it tightly.

The hand that would've given me a kind and comforting squeeze now lies limply in my hold, cold to the touch as always.