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Chapter Text

Part 1 - A Disturbing Perspective

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First AN

This is just a one-shot, and will most likely stay that way. I've split it into multiple parts, so this won't all just be one long chapter.

After going back and re-reading a Sekirei story called 'In Flight' by gabriel blessing, in one of the author's notes (at the start of the chapter) he mentioned that he had begun reading an old visual novel called 'Saya no Uta', or 'Song of Saya'.

After looking it up, and watching a playthrough of it on YouTube, I fell in love with it, the soundtrack too. Though I don't like horror too much, Lovecraftian stuff has always fascinated me.

The visual novel was written by Gen Urobuchi, the writer of Madoka Magica and published by Nitro back in 2003. Let that serve as a warning.

Oh, and this as well:

-STORY WARNING-

This fanfiction, as well as the original Saya no Uta should be read with caution. Both are full of gore, disturbing sounds, and many crimes against humanity and your sanity. Though, this story won't have the sounds, and less crimes against humanity.

-YOU'VE BEEN WARNED-

If you wanna know a general plot summary of Saya no Uta, and get some more insight of why I wrote this thing, read the Second AN at the bottom of the chapter.

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I had a dream last night.

No, not a dream, but a memory.

One from before that happened.

I stood in a city, burning to the ground.

I remember the heat... The sounds of the fire crackling... The light of the flame allowing one to see in the nighttime... The stars in the sky...

I was able to remember it all.

I even remembered what my little sister looked like.

A short girl, her long, red hair no longer clad in twintails.

Her hair flows to the ground, as she cries, her tears drying up from the intense heat of the flames that rage around her, but remain a distance away from her.

She wears a flamboyant kimono, that seems like it's made of translucent materials in places.

Huh... so that's what a kimono looks like?

"Oniii... chan?" She asks, hesitantly as she sees me. So that's what she sounds like.

She cries at me to stay away, but the younger me ignores her plea.

Her rushes towards her as a gout of flame blasts him, causing his body to impact the remains of a building.

My vision blurs... I hear voices...

My little sister, crying for me... She tells something, mentioning power... She didn't want something...

I suppose I'll never know, as the past me goes unconscious... My dream ends...

"OniI-chAN!" A horribly distorted voice shouts as I am awakened from my slumber by something impacting my stomach.

"Kotori?!" I shout, looking at the thing I call my sister, standing on my stomach. Just looking at it disgusts me still.

The only way I can even tell that it's 'her', is the fact I've gotten used to hearing her voice.

"yeS, mY OnII-ChAn?" She asks 'sweetly'.

"Get offa me, you're heavy." I say, annoyed.

With a 'nod', she leaps to the ground, pushing my stomach further into the bed. I lay against the bed, exhaling in an annoyed manner.

"WhA? Don'T JUst go bACk tO slEeP, Onii-cHan!" It, or rather, she shouts.

I sigh loudly. "Fine." I say, looking over at my alarm clock, reading the time. Ugh, way too early. "Go on downstairs, I'll start cooking in a minute."

"okAY, ONIi-chAn!" She shouts, closing the door behind her. I exhale in relief.

Finally. I can't stand dealing with this shit for long.

I look around my room. It all looks the same. All brown and red, everything made of putrid flesh. Everything, from my bed sheets, to my alarm clock, to my door.

People too. I can only call that thing my sister, it takes all of my willpower to actually see her as my sister. The only reason I believe it's her is due to remembering what she looks like. Though to me, she and everyone else resemble moving balls of flesh, eyes, and god-knows what.

The streets are slick with gore. The sky is black, making it seem as through light comes from the gore itself.

I know this is all in my head, but I can't help it. When I touch things, it feels like flesh. It smells putrid, like it's rotting. Food is the same, it all tastes horrible.

Five years ago, I was caught in a fire, as was my sister. She lost her memories of the event, I lost all of my memories, as well as my sight, albeit temporarily. This was fortunate, as I was able to understand my situation.

As soon as my vision returned... I experienced true horror.

For days on end, I was plagued with nausea. I couldn't stand looking at the world. The doctors said nothing was wrong with me, just mild nausea. No irregularities in my brain or anything.

As time passed, it got worse. I began to feel the disgusting matter. I began to smell it. People's voices became distorted sounds. I eventually managed to associate certain sounds with certain parts of Japanese.

At one point, I wanted it all to end.

I wanted to end.

I don't blame the doctors, or anyone for that matter, they did what the could. My sister cares for me. My parents, despite their frequent absences due to work, care for me.

It's just hard to see a flesh monster as human.

The only reason I can even remember what the colors red and brown were was due to some of my memories tricking back. Before that, I had no concept of color, nor did I even think anything was abnormal. I merely thought everything was odd, and was wrong. Though that's to be expected as my gut reaction was sever disgust.

I had even forgotten what Kotori looked like until last night...

That dream, despite how bad it may have been to a normal person, was one of the most beautiful things I've seen in the past five years.

Lifting the foul blankets off of me, I turn to my side and see her. The most beautiful thing in the world to me.

In a world of horrendous, endless gore, she is what's kept me sane. When I wanted to die in the hospital, she saved me with her mere presence.

A girl, appearing no older than my sister lays in bed next to me. Her long, green hair wraps around her lithe, pale body. Her white dress, complemented with a small, black bow on the collar, next to its spaghetti straps, is extremely bright.

"Mmm." She lets out a sound as she opens her beautiful, green eyes. As she notices me, she smiles the most beautiful smile in existence. "Good morning, Shido-kun!" She says, her voice harmonious like wind chimes.

I smile back at the only thing that really, truly matters to me anymore. "Good morning, Saya-chan."

Once downstairs, I begin to cook, with Saya's instructions, of course.

She claims to have a monstrous form, one that can't be seen, smelled, heard or touched by anyone, but I kinda doubt it. The only reason I don't completely doubt it is how she cried tears of joy when we met, having been the first person to interact with her, aside her creator, who she called father before he passed. I had yet to leave the hospital, yet I met her, and we haven't separated since.

I became the only person who could see her.

She became the only light in my life.

We soon became lovers. Despite the fact that her 'body' will forever look like a thirteen-year old to me, I will always love her.

Is it immoral? To others, yes. But to me, it's the most normal thing I have left.

Though, normal is subjective.

Unfortunately, even food looks horrible to me, so Saya instructs me how to cook for Kotori. I'm quite proud of the fact I can cook better than my mother, despite not being able to see what I'm doing exactly.

She points me to things. She could hand them to me, but it'd be hard to explain floating produce or telekinesis.

Her intangibility to others really comes in handy, since my family just phased through her.

I've yet to mention her to anyone. This, as well as everyone looking like they do, causes me to have become a loner. I also avoid talking or looking at others as much as possible. Saya does follow me to school, though she remains outside, where I can't hear or see her.

Though she can't interact with people, even if she wanted to, she can interact with objects and corpses. Anything alive, aside from plants are out of her grasp, save for me.

Saya tried to hide it, but her diet consists of meat. Or rather, it did. I've gotten her to eat various other things, instead of consuming squirrels and dogs.

Has she ever eaten a person...? Eh, it's not like I care.

"EarLY THIs moRniNG, in The subURbS oF tEngu CIty..." A distorted, foreign voice says, causing me to look at the source. Looking to the side, the television's 'screen' morphs and twists before me. Guess Kotori turned on the news.

The voice mentions a certain street name. One pretty close by...

Eventually, the news anchor says what happened. "Ah. A spacequake, huh?" I say, mostly to myself.

Spacequake was the term commonly used to describe a strange phenomenon that's been happening all around this world for the past thirty years. The first was dubbed the Eurasia Disaster, having killed one-hundred and fifty million people in the blink of an eye, wiping whole countries off the map.

Spacequakes continued to happen all over for the next six months, leaving nothing but barren earth behind.

As a matter of fact, the area where we live now was built not long ago, this whole area having been scraped clean thirty years ago. That spacequake was the last one for a long time.

They stopped happening for a while, but recently started up again. This time only in Japan.

Five years ago, starting here in Tengu City, they began again.

"Again?" Saya asks. It unnerves her as much as I. These things can't be a natural thing. Something has to be causing them...

"Why the hell did they start happening again?" I ask myself.

"I wONdeR wHY..." Kotori says, looking at the tv.

Fortunately, spacequake alarms and shelters have been built. As well as a special JSDF disaster response team, who I'm also highly suspicious of.

After all, how could entire sections of a blood red city be rebuilt in mere days?

It was hidden to the public, of course. Still, seeing a collapsed pile of gore... I mean, a building, be fixed overnight, it certainly raises some eyebrows.

"Seems like we've been getting a lot of those." I point out, absentmindedly.

"hMM.. seEMs tHat WAy, hUh? mAYbe it'S a Bit EARlY." Kotori says while leaning against the 'couch', confusing me.

"Early? What is?" I ask the blob of flesh.

"NoPHing..." She says with an odd 'tone' voice. Looking over at Saya, I raise one eyebrow. Getting the message, she walks over to Kotori.

"She's eating a lollipop again." She explains.

Sighing, I walk over to Kotori and stop next to her. "Kotori, turn this way for a sec." But she remains silent, looking away from me. Eventually, I get fed up and smack her on the head.

"AgGH!" She shouts, turning to look at me. Sure enough, a small, straight thing is stuck in its'... her mouth.

Sighing, I remind myself to keep up appearances. "Haven't I told you not to eat sweets before meals?" I ask, grabbing the stick.

She resists by clenching her teeth on the stick. "NnNnnNN! nNNnnNnN!" She lets out a distorted whine.

Eventually, I relent, not wanting to drag this out. Truth be told, I don't give a damn what she eats. "Fine." I let go of the lollipop. "But you'd better eat all of your breakfast." I said, pointing at her face.

"OkaY! i lOVe You, oNIi-chAn!" She says.

...

...I really hate you, Kotori.

If it wasn't for the fact it'd rouse suspicion and cause me a plethora of problems, Saya and I would be living together, far away from you and everyone else.

I move back to the kitchen, with Saya in tow, and continue working on the food.

"Now that I think about it, today's the middle school opening ceremony, right?" I ask my sister.

"tHAt's rIghT~" She drawls out.

"Then that means you're coming back at lunch..." I think to myself, deciding to reward the 'girl'. "Any requests for lunch, oh sister of mine?"

"hMmmMM..." She holds an 'arm' to her 'chin' in contemplation. Reaching a decision, she suddenly stands up. "deLUxe KiDS PlaTe!"

The Deluxe Kids Plate was something Kotori adored, offered at a nearby restaurant. "Well, screw it. It's a special occasion, so let's eat out."

"rEAlLy?!" She shouts.

I nod. "Let's meet at the family restaurant after school." I say with a fake smile.

Kotori looks dead at me. "No gOinG bACk on yOur wOrD! It'S A prOMiSe! yoU hAve to BE thErE EVen iF an earTHqUakE sTARts oR a FirE ERupts or A spAcqUAKe hAPpEnS or tHe fAMily REstAuRAnt is CapTuREd by tErROriSts!" What the hell goes through her head?!

"No food if there's terrorists." I say.

"yOu haVE To bE tHeRe!" She shouts. I'd rather let the brat die if that happens, but... appearances and all.

"...Fine." I say, drawling out the word.

"wHOhooOo~!" She shouts while jumping into the air. Maybe I'm being to generous...? Saya just giggles at my expression, which in turn, causes me to smile.

We'll have to eat at home for a while, not that it matters for me, it all tastes the same. But for Kotori, this'll be the last time she eats good food for a while.

Opening the window in the kitchen, I'm treated to the same black void above as always. No sun, no clouds, no stars, no nothing.

Sighing in slight disappointment, i continue to cook for that thing in my house.

I just wish I could cook something for Saya...

Looking at my watch, I clear the gore off of it's lens, allowing me to see the time. 8:15? Not too bad. The gore seems to reappear on stuff after I clear it off every single time.

Fortunately, I'm a loner, so no one in school bothers me.

As if seeing the world like this wasn't terrifying enough, coming to school for the first time was a nightmare. My parents already had me avoiding crowds, not that there were many in this small town, but coming to a place like this? Seeing a horde of those... things? I nearly had a heart attack.

I've gotten used to it in the past five years, thankfully. The fact I'm avoided by all due to my introverted-ness is a blessing.

"Let's see... Year two, Class four." I read out loud from the crimson paper I received from the school, while strolling through the halls.

This school, Raizen High School, is pretty close to home, so I don't have to stray far. Oh, and it also has a spacequake shelter, so Saya and I can be safe. Though, I doubt it would even affect her.

Entering the classroom, a fair number of creatures... students have amassed, though homeroom hasn't started yet. Not all of them were in their seats, most likely talking with one another.

They all look different, just like people, but one can only pick out people that they're familiar with. I don't recognize any of them.

Haah... I hope Saya's having more fun than me.

As I turn to look at the seating chart, written on a... is it a chalkboard or a whiteboard? No clue. Anyway, I hear a voice. "iTSuKa sHIdo." A distorted, feminine voice calls out.

Turning around, I see yet another unrecognizable creature, looking at me intently. "...You talking to me?"

"yEs." It responds with a nod.

"Why do you know my name...?" I ask, confused. Barely anyone in school talks to me, as they all find me weird. Even when there's someone who needs help, or if someone has to answer a question, everyone, even the teachers ignore me. So why does this girl want to talk to me?

"yOU dON't rEmeMBer?" She asks.

I don't remember anything, you disgusting thing.

"Uhh..." I trail off, veiling my anger and annoyance with confusion.

"i sEE." She says, walking off, plopping down in a seat. She takes out a big book and begins to read. Looking that the board, I find what can only be her name. Origami Tobiichi. Did we meet before the fire? Before all of this?

Does it matter? She certainly doesn't matter to me.

The bell then rang, signaling the start of class. My seat, by some twist of fate, is right next to Tobiichi's. How odd.

The door opens, revealing another thing. It's presence causes students to murmur amongst themselves, excitedly. Apparently, we have the same teacher as last year.

"aLrIgHt, gOoD mORnIng EvEryonE." It addresses the class. "foR tHe folLOwiNg YEaR, I wILl Be evERyone'S hOmErOOm teaCheR, okAmiNE TAmAe."

Feeling strange, I tuned out the teacher and turned to the side. Tobiichi was staring at me. What the hell do you want?

More importantly, Saya was in the tree, outside of the window behind Tobiichi, waving at me with a big smile. And just like that, all my worries leave me, as I turn back to the front of the room.

Three hours later, at lunch, everyone begins to pack up for the day's end. I gather my rancid textbooks and such, placing them into my horrid backpack, only to sling it over my shoulder.

Now I just need to take Kotori to eat, then I can spend the evening with Saya...

Unfortunately, a spacequake siren sounds.

FOOOOOOOOOOOM FOOOOOOOOOOOM

To others, it might be a loud, blaring siren. To me, it's like nails on a chalkboard. The horrible sound, worse than anything living could make, scrapes against my eardrums. I resist the urge to cover my ears.

I look outside to see Saya. We nod to each other in understanding, as she hops down from the tree. This has happened before, of course.

The horrible sound ends, followed by a mechanical voice, informing citizens. "tHIs is Not A drILl! ThIs is NOt a DrilL! tHe foREsHock has beEn ObseRVed. ThE ocCURencE oF a SPaCeqUakE is preEDIcTed. PeRsONs in The VicINity, PLEaSe MOve tO THe nEArest SheLTEr. imMEdiaTElY. I rePeaT-"

Due to this happening so often, the room is rather calm. We got into a line, moving towards the shelter as I see a creature running away. It looks like... "Tobiichi? Where are you going?!" I shout. "The shelter's this way!"

"i WiLL bE FinE." She says, running away.

Saya walks next to me, hidden from all. "What an idiot." She says, shaking her head at Tobiichi.

She's going to die, I guess...

Oh well, Saya's just gotten here, so that's fine. She give me a big hug that I return. No one will see me hugging air since I'm in the back.

Ignoring the teacher's instructions, Saya reminds me of something. "What about Kotori?" Looking at Saya, confused, she continues. "She wanted you to be there, even if there was a spacequake."

Neither Saya, nor I, care about the brat, but she knows my plans to remain inconspicuous. Sighing, I take out my phone, cleaning the grime off of its screen, I open a GPS app. Our phones are connected via GPS so we can find one another's phone. Looking at it, her position is still in the family restaurant.

"That idiot." I mutter.

Saya looks at the phone, and at me. "If she dies, your parents are going to come back."

'And most likely dote on me, as well as kill any free time I could have with Saya.' I finish inwardly. "Fuck." I turn to my lover. "I'm gonna go find her."

She sighs, annoyed at Kotori and the spacequake. She hugs me tightly once more, then she lets me go. "I love you."

"Love you, too." I say, running off.

"Stay safe!" She shouts at me. No one else says anything, or even notices me running away.

As I run down the streets, my mind wanders toward the eerie sight in front of me. Not the gore covered world, but rather how empty it is. No cars, no people, no movement. I haven't been this unnerved in a while.

Fortunately, I run often, having gotten much practice a few years ago, often running from those things to be alone for a while. I pace myself, but will still arrive at the restaurant winded.

Before I reach the building however, my sight is blinded. "GAH!" My eardrums nearly pop from the sound, as I'm thrown backwards with the force of a damn typhoon. Landing on my ass, I rub by eyes.

Light is a rare occurrence to me. Only ever really coming from cameras' flashes and flashlights, so this, which would have temporarily blinded a normal person, really hurt my eyes.

As my vision returns, I look ahead and realize how lucky I was. Nothing is in front of me, save a crater in the red earth. Just a big bowl, ending a few meters ahead of me.

I'm not worried about my health, only 'Saya... I almost left her alone again...'

Standing up, I look in the crater and see what looks like a gore-slicked throne. Next to it is another unfamiliar creature. Unlike everyone, who appears as blobs of unclothed flesh, this one has bits of armor strewn here and there, almost as though it's a cyborg of some sort. It then looks dead at me.

Pulling out a sort of gruesome sword, it moves.

"AAH!" I shout, falling back, narrowly missing the horrendous blade that nearly chopped my in half, horizontally. Sounds of thing crashing sound out behind me. Looking back, it has cut through them as well.

My body locks up... My mind locks up... I know I wanted to die in the hospital, but... I have a reason for living now...

I'm going to die...

Fear wracks my body as I begin to crawl away.

I need to run...

I NEED TO RUN!

I NEED TO SEE HER AGAIN!

I HAVE TO SEE SAYA AGAIN!

"yOu tOo, hUH?" It asks, in a feminine voice. A very tired, feminine voice.

What...?

She suddenly raises her sword again. "STOP!" I cry out.

"...hM?" She asks, confused.

"Why are you trying to kill me?!" I shout, desperate.

"is It NOt oBVioUs?" She asks. "YoU cAME TO KilL mE TOo, aFTeR aLl."

"No I didn't! I don't even know who you are!" I shout, surprising the thing. "Why the hell would I want to kill you?" I lie, wanting nothing more to kill this abhorrent thing staring me down.

I occasionally have the desire to commit complete and utter genocide of everything that moves in order to never see them again, but I refrain, knowing I'm justified single human, a weak one at that. I couldn't hope to kill everyone and everything, even if I had the power to do so. I still try to think of people as human, even if it takes all of my being to do so. As for animals? Well...

Saya needs to eat something. I've killed some for her before.

But this thing? It can't be human. No human could move that fast, or swing that large of a sword that fast, or with that much power.

It isn't human.

It wants to kill me.

I WANT IT DEAD!

If only I had the power to do so, but... all I can do is plead and cower in fear.

My thoughts are ripped away by dots in the sky. As they move closer, primal fear fills my being.

Those creatures... they looks human, but they're flying. With wings.

People don't have wings. Are they jetpacks? Those don't exist!

They even have swords on their hands! What the fuck is going on?!

Have I finally died and gone to hell? Did that spacequake kill me?!

Projectiles shoot out from the flying creatures, resembling bloody tumors. Missiles?

They're shot right at the girl in front of me... RIGHT AT ME!

"SHIT!" I shout, unable to do anything but cover my arms over myself. But... I'm still alive.

Looking up, the missiles have been stopped by the thing's outstretched hand, the one not holding a sword. Telekinesis?

The girl lets out an outfit exasperated sigh. "tHiS kIND of thInG Is USelESs, Why cAn'T THey eVEr lEaRn." Squeezing it's hand shut, the missiles explode in a rain of blood and gore. No, it was more like an implosion.

The flying thins continue to rain missiles down on the girl. DO THEY NOT SEE ME?!

"...diSApPeAr, DIsAPpEAr. AnYthINg ANd eVErYThInG, jUSt dISaPpeEaR!" She shouts fed up with the onslaught. She then swung her sword, causing a shockwave of wind to knock the oncoming missiles back.

The flying things retreat, but the girl is hit by a beam of red-hit blood. Her sword blocks it, knocking her back a bit. The shot came from behind me.

I then hear something land behind me. "ITsUka ShiDO...?"

Looking back, I see the voice's owner. Another creature. Looking closer, it's wings and sword seem to be another 'being' altogether. Perhaps a jetpack and sword?

Still, that emotionless voice. "Tobiichi Origami?" I ask. What the fuck is going on?!

She doesn't respond as she dashes at the other girl, causing another shockwave, knocking me back once again. DO THEY NOT FUCKING CARE ABOUT ME?!

Well, I suppose I feel the same about them.

My phone begins to ring, but I ignore the distorted jingle.

Their clashes become more and more intense, until one shockwave slams me into a wall.

As my vision blurs.. I have one last thought.

I hope Saya is safe.

I hope I don't die, and make Saya sad.

And I hope Kotori is fucking dead.

Second AN

-SPOILERS FOR SAYA NO UTA & DATE A LIVE-

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...

...

The General plot of Saya no Uta is that a college student, Fuminori, goes through a near-fatal accident that causes his perspective of reality to shift, due to a severe form of agnosia. He sees everyone and everything as red and brown gore, all resembling eldritch monstrosities. This soon affects his other senses as well.

The only thing holding his sanity together is a young girl named Saya, who appears human to him. Though her real form's never shown, she is suggested to be just like what Fuminori sees everyone as.

Unfortunately for his sanity, Saya doesn't have human values, and causes him to throw away his humanity pretty quick into the story.

The Saya no Uta fandom is basically barren here on FanFiction, as well as on Ao3 and Wattpad, so I wanted to contribute. One problem though, I couldn't think of an interesting concept for a fanfic centered around Saya no Uta only.

I did have an idea for a crossover.

Since Phantom erased Shido's memories after the fire, it gave me an idea. What if she messed up and gave Shido the same type of agnsoia as Fuminori by accident...?

Thus, I wrote this.

It'll probably be a one-shot, but I might write a bit more in the future. I dunno. It is gonna be split up into multiple parts, instead of a long ass single chapter I've seen some people do.

Also, in the VN, Saya can be seen and interacted with, she just looks like an eldritch monstrosity. Here, I bent the rules a bit, and made her completely invisible and intangible.

I hope you all enjoyed this part, and look forward to the next!

Chapter Text

Part 2 - Yet Another Perspective

...

First AN

This is just a one-shot, and will most likely stay that way. I've split it into multiple parts, so this won't all just be one long chapter.

-STORY WARNING-

This fanfiction, as well as the original Saya no Uta should be read with caution. Both are full of gore, disturbing sounds, and many crimes against humanity and your sanity. Though, this story won't have the sounds, and less crimes against humanity.

-YOU'VE BEEN WARNED-

...

Where am I...?

I can't see.

...I'm dead, aren't I?

Saya...

I'm so sorry.

It's been a while.

...?! What the fuck?!

A familiar voice echoed in my mind. How is it familiar?

Finally, finally we meet again -.

The voice is... nostalgic. Distorted, but not in the usual way. It sounds glitchy.

I'm glad, but just wait a little longer.

Who are you?!

I won't leave you again. I definitely won't make a mistake again. That's why...

The voice cuts off...

"Wha-? GODDAMMIT!" I shout, a light being shone directly in my eye. Knocking the light's source away, I hold my eye shut in pain.

"...nN? hE wOKe uP." A sleepy, distorted feminine voice says. Looking to the side, I see another 'person', it's voice completely unrecognizable to me.

"Who the hell...?" I trail off, the stinging in my eye returning.

"Hm? oH." It sways back and forth. Can this woman not form a sentence?

"I aM tHe ANalYsis oFFIcER hEre, mURasAme rEINE." She introduces. "uNforTUnAteLY, tHe mEdiCAl oFFiCer IS aWAy, buT DOn't WorRy. alTHOuGh I Don'T hAVe a lICenSe, i cAn hANdle SOme SiMplE NuRSiNg."

"Uh huh." I say doubtfully, as my eyesight returns. Stupid fucking nurse...

No, she doesn't know about my condition.

"Where am I?" I ask, looking around at the gore covered metal room.

"...ah. this is the medical office of the fraxinus. you were unconscious, so we brought you here." It explains.

"Fraxinus...?" I ask, confused as can be. Without a word, she begins to walk away. "Wait!"

"...foLLOw mE." She says. "THere'S sOMeONe I waNt to INtROdUcE yOU To. I kNOw yOU hAve A LOt OF qUEsTIons, But i'M BAd at ExplAIniNg. IF You wAnt aNy sPeCIfiCs, YOu shoULd aSk thE cOmMANdeR."

"...Alright then." I say, getting up out of the 'bed'. As we begin to walk, she trips and slams her head on a counter of sorts. "You okay?" I ask, feigning concern.

"...aAh, sorRY. ReCEntly I HAveN't bEen gETtiNg eNOuGh sLEEp." It apologizes.

"Don't worry about that, just fix your sleep schedule before you crack your head open." I lie, hoping its' head splits like a melon next time.

"...oh. eXcUse mE. IT's TIme FOr mY mEDicInE." She pulls out something, and pours all of its rotten contents down its throat. I resist the urge to gag, as it swallows them all. She then returns the capsule to the inside of its body, as the door opens, revealing a narrow hallway. Glad I'm not claustrophobic...

We walk before coming to a stop. The woman presses on what look like eyes, before the wall opens. "THeRe. pLeASe coME In."

Letting me in first, she stands to the side. I enter a much larger room, shaped like a grotesque spaceship control room. More people workin at stations here and there.

"...i bROuGht hIM." Reine sleepily says.

"GooD wORK." A male's voice calls out. It comes from another creature, which then introduces itself... himself. "heLLo. i Am tHE VIce CoMMAnDer HeRe, KAnnAZuKi kYOuhEi. nIce To mEet YOu." He says with a bow.

"Erm. Likewise." I say, awkwardly.

The vice commander turns to the back of a chair. "cOmmANDer, aNaLYsis ofFIceR mURasAMe REiNe HAs reTUrnEd."

The chair swivels around. "tHEn I welCOme yOU, To raTAToSkr." Revealed there is a familiar being, despite speaking with a totally different tone of voice, I know it's...

"Kotori?" I ask confused. The fuck is she doing here?

Before I can comprehend this nonsense, it... she begins explaining things to me.

"so ThiS hERe is A MOnsTer CALlEd a sPiRIt, aNd hErE Is THe AsT. tHeY'Re JdsDf's aNti SPiriT TEam. YOu'vE goTTen YoURseLf iNTo a pRetTY woRRisOme sITuaTIoN. iF Ee hAdn'T reCOverEd yOU, yOu'D pRObaBLy HAvE DIed tWo oR tHRee tIMes By Now." Information overload! "SO, OnTo tHE nExt tHIng-"

"Hold it!" I cut the damn thing's rambling off.

"WhAT iS It?" It asks condescendingly. "AfTer ALl tHe trOUBle tHiS coMmANdEr iS goINg ThROuGh to diREctLy giVE aN eXPlANaTiON. if yOu'Re gOinG to CRy, tHen Do sO wITh mOre diGNIty. SInCe it'S LIke tHIs, I cAn aT leASt gIVe YOu thE sPEciaL pRIvilEge Of licKInG The boTTom Of mY fOot."

I've know her for five years, yet she's never talked like this once. How much has she been hiding from me...?

Am I upset? No, just surprised.

I just didn't expect her to be as good of an actor as me.

"Re-rEAllY?!" The vice commander, Kyouhei, on a complete shift to his earlier polite persona, shouts in glee. He runs to her, but is hit in the stomach by her. He falls like a sack of potatoes. Or rather, a sack of flesh.

Okay... time to act again. "Kotori? ...That is you, right? You were safe?"

Considering they 'found' me unconscious, they probably just sat back, watching me get tossed around like a rag doll. I bet they were the ones who called me before I got knocked out.

"wHat's tHIs? DiD You fOrGEt yoUR litTlE siSTEr's fAce, ShIDo?" I did. I only remembered what you look like last night. "I kNEw YOu wERe baD At rEMeEMBErInG ThINgs, BUt I hADn'T exPECtEd IT To be THis BAd.

I hold back my rage with clenched fists. She doesn't know... she doesn't know...

"MAYbe it'D be A goOD iDEa To rESErve A sPOt aT a REtiREmEnt hOMe RIGht noW." It... she taunts.

"I'm... confused. Where is this, who are these people, and why are you acting so damn different?!" I shout, faking the vitriol on my voice.

She lets out a distorted sigh. "cALm dOwn. If I Can'T uNDerSTAnD wHAt YOu'Re aSKinG, thERe's No WaY i cAn anSWeR It."

"...Fine. You mentioned... Spirits?" I ask, fishing for info.

She points to the wall above the monitors. Is it supposed to be a screen? I can see basic things with my vision problems, but clearly not something this complex. It just looks like tv snow, but made of gore. "YeS. SHe is A bEINg tHAt dId noT eXIst iN THiS worLd oRIginALly. JuST by ApPEarinG iN THis wORLd, nOt By hER owN wIll Or aNYthIng lIKe tHat, THe suRROuNDiNg ARea gETs blOWn awAy."

"So spacequakes aren't natural after all." I conclude, surprised.

"HMph. SeEMs yOu aREn'T aS dUmb As I tHOUght." I think I hate this Kotori more than the clingy Kotori. "ANYwAy, THe sCAle Of tHe dEStrUcTIoN vaRIeS. iT coULd BE lIMitEd TO As SMaLl As a Few mETeRs, oR a laRGe As... THe eXTenT Of oPEnINg a HOLe in A cONtINEnt. LuCk wAs oN yOUr side, sHIdO. If thE sCAle of THis ExplOSIon wAs slIGhTLy lARGer, yOU miGHt hAVe bEEn BLown awAy INStaNTaNeOUsly." My eyes open at this information.

...Oh, god. Saya, I hope you can forgive your stupid lover. I really, truly do.

"AnYWays, WHy diD YOu Go ouT lIKe tHat whILE aN aLErt wAs sOUnDIng? ARe yOu An iDIOt? DId yOu WAnt to dIE?" She chastises me, fucking brat.

"Not, that's not... Look." I hold out my phone, with the GPS app.

"ah. tHAt." She says, holding out her phone.

"You... didn't drop it at the restaurant...?" I ask slowly.

"I WAs woNDErINg wHy you'D gO ouTSIde At a tiME lIKe THat. HoNEstLy, hOw stUPid Do yOu thiNK I Am, YOu DUmb bRthEr?" She sasses.

"Then, why-?" She cuts me off.

"It'S siMPle. WE aRe in fROnt Of tHe fAMiLy reSTauRAnt." I still, rage filling my body.

This fucking brat... nearly got me killed. This fucking...

She mistakes it for confusion. "AlRIght tHEn. i gUEss iT WOuld bE fAStEr lIKe tHis, cUt tHE fiLTEr." As she says that, everything, save the 'people' in the room, turn invisible. My eyes widen as I'm treated to the black void of the sky. Looking down, I'm standing on nothing, visually at least. The gore slicked earth sits far below me.

"We ARe cURreNTly fiFTeEn-thOUSaNd meTerS aBOve TEnGu ciTy. In tERms Of lOcatIOn, iT's rIGht aROUnd The fAmIly REsTaURant."

"...an airship?" I ask.

"YEs. The fRaXInus is An aIRShiP." She bragged. Damn brat.

"StILl, TO thINk tHat THis plACe WOuld Be foUND By thE trACkiNg deVIce Of a SImplE cELl pHONe." She takes a hand to her chin. "We cOMpLEteLy OVerlOOkEd That. we LEt oUr guARd doWn afTEr APplYing 'iNVisibLe' ANd 'aVOId' uSIng tHe reALizEr. We MUst coMe up wITh sOme CouNter mEAsuRes lATer." She speaks in nonsensical, technical jargon.

"WhEre wAS I? Ah YEs, asT. THEy're a TeaM spECialIZed fOr SpIRits." She continues.

"Anti Spirit Team, you said?" I ask, as she nods in return. "So they were there to kill that girl, huh?"

"so You're Not aS sLOw As I tHOUgHt, ShiDO. ThOUGh if You cONsideR it NOrmaLLy, havINg tHEm Dead wOUld PRoBAbly Be THe bESt fOr uS." Most likely, yes. The fact it nearly kills people when it shows up makes it hard to care for such a thing.

Especially when I only care about Saya.

"SuCh a moNSter COUld neVEr eXIst HEre. ThEy aRe tHe evILesT aNd dEAdlIEst pOIsoN." She continues.

"Hang on. Didn't you say they appear against their will?" I remember that from her fast speech before.

"THat's RIght. At lEAst, it iS wIDely beLieVEd tHAt thE exPLosIOn cAUsEd by fIRst eNTeriNg thIS WOrld iS unRELateD to THe SpIRit'S wISHes. bUt, theRE hAve bEEn sCArs Of deSTRuCtion aNd SPacEQuaKe vICtiMs rEsulTIng fROm The FIght wIth tHe AsT aftERwaRds." She explains.

"Makes sense. Even when she saw me, that AST girl kept attacking the Spirit, knowing I was nearby." I conclude. "I wouldn't be surprised if they attacked people too."

"WEll, thAt mIGht be So." It begins, thoughtful. "HoWEver, THat IS mErELy coNJecTure. It miGHt Be THat, iF tHe Ast DOes noTHinG, tHE SpiRITs wOuld dELighTFuLly BEgIn thEIr dESTruCTive acTIviTiEs."

"Doubtful." I explain. "That girl seemed... tired? She attacked me solely because she thought I was there to kill her. To kill someone just from seeing them..." I lie, knowing I've felt the same from time to time. Wanting nothing more to kill the repugnant beings that dare exist alongside me.

They're human, Shido... they're human...

"YOu Only MEt fOr a FEw mINuTes, But... coULd it Be yOu FEll fOr hEr?" She teases.

"Nope." Repressing the urge to gag at the thought loving that thing, I shut her down, faster than I'd like. No chance in hell could I ever love something like that. I bet even Saya's true form is more attractive than that thing.

"WeLL thEn, wHAt oTHer wAYs Do yoU thINk tHEre aRe foR dEAliNg WIth SpIRitS?" She asks.

"You guys clearly know about them. Have you tried talking with them at all?" I ask, wondering why they're giving me this long speech and asking such questions.

Why am I here? Why explain all this to me? Why not just bring me home after all this?

"If we could talk with them, we could come to an understanding." I say 'we', but I mean 'you'. Not wanting anything to do with these Spirits.

"ThEn lET us HElp yOu."

"What?" I ask, confused at her last few words.

"I sAId, wE wiLl aSSist You wiTH tHat." She begins. "AlL oF raTAtoSKr's pOWer Will go toWArDs sUPpORting SHido."

"Kotori, wha-?" I get cut off again.

"tHEre Are tWo mEThods OF deaLINg wIth A sPIrit." It raises a 'finger'. "ONe. THe APprOAch thE asT is tAking. ExTErmINatiNg tHEm tHRoUgh a clASh Of pOWer." She raises another 'finger'. "THe oTHer is tHe mEThOd of tAKIng tO SpIRIts. WE aRe rATAtoskR, aN orGanIZAtion cREatEd fOr tHe purPOSe oF reSOLving SPacEQuakes WitHOut kilLIng thE SPiriTs, tHRough coNVersATion."

It holds out her 'arms', dramatically. Gives me time to gather my thoughts.

"...Why is an organization going to be supporting me?" I ask, feeling like I've been signed up without consent.

"YOu'Ve GOt thE preMISe aLl wrONg. RaTatOSkr is An orGAniZAtiOn CReATEd fOr ShIDo's sAKe." She says.

Red flag. Red flag. RED FLAG. BIG RED FLAG!

"What do you mean by 'for my sake'?" I ask, slowly.

"WeLL, ShidO'S SPeciAl." It says, as though that explains everything.

"Kotori. What does that mean?" I say, annoyed now.

"You'RE tHe onLY oNe Who CAn sTOp tHe spirITS PeACefULly." She says.

"How?!" I shout, getting fed up with these non-answers.

"MakE the SPirIt fALl in lOVe, ANd kISs tTHm."

My brain blanks.

Everything stops.

Love... Make those things love me...?

Kiss those things?!

I can barely stand that thing I call my sister hugging me, how would I deal with this?!

...What have I done to deserve this?

"How..." I begin slowly. "Would making them fall in love with me stop spacequakes?"

"It JUst dOes." She fucking dodges the question again. "If YOu doN't wAnt THe AsT To kiLL tHEm, tHIs iS THe oNLy cHOice."

My fists clench.

What if I do want the AST to kill them?

It'd make my and Saya's lives a whole more peaceful.

Still, super powered people with jetpacks causing property damage isn't much better, either.

"We'LL begIN yOur trAIniNg tOMorROw."

Hold the fuck up.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet, Kotori."

It's eyes go wide, as do the eyes of all the other things.

"Okay, I get it. Crazy things are happening in this world and only I can stop it. But..." I breathe slowly. "This is all too much to take it."

"ReALly? YoU cAN't eVEn haNDLe-" I interrupt her bratty talk.

"No I can't." I all but growl, causing it to recoil. She likely never expected me to speak like that. "Give me some time. Let me think this over, please."

I lie. I'm not gonna think it over.

I'm not doing this shit. No way, no how.

Why save the world that I hate so much?

Why help any of these things?

There's no reason to.

A long silence passes. "fIne." Kotori speaks. "ReINe, seND hiM hOMe."

"VeRy wELl." Reine gets up and leads me to another room.

I tune out everything as I step on a platform.

My vision blurs and suddenly, I'm on flat ground.

I recognize this area... it's near home.

It's near...

Saya!

I calm myself, and begin to walk home, a spring in my step.

I want to see her. I need to.

Only she can help me sort this all out now.

I idly scratch the back of my neck... it's strangely itchy.

I return home in the evening.

Exhausted. Drained. Physically and mentally.

Spirits. AST. Saya... what's going on with this twisted world of mine?

"Welcome home!" Her voice, like wind chimes, soothes my soul as I open the door to my putrid home.

My angel, my love, my one and only light in this hellish world.

"Saya!" I run to her, while kneeling so I can hold her with my head next to hers.

"Sh-Shido?!" She shrieks, surprised as I bury my face in the crook of her neck and begin to weep.

"I'm sorry, Saya. So, so sorry."

"For what?"

"I... I almost left you alone again..." I can only release my emotions around her, my only source of comfort. "I almost died! I'm so, so sorry, my love..."

She rubs my head gently. "It's okay, Shido. You're alive. That's all that matters."

And so I weep in the arms of my soulmate.

After calming down, we returned to my bedroom, both of us sitting on my bed.

"Shido-kun. Tell me what happened." She says, looking right at me.

I let out a tired sigh. "The spacequake occurred right in front of the restaurant..." I let out a shaky breath. "If it was a few meters bigger... I wouldn't..."

I wouldn't be here.

Saya, noticing my sadness, hugs me once more.

"Plus, my theory was right. Something's causing the spacequakes."

"Really?" She looks up at me, surprised that I was right about that.

"Apparently, beings called 'Spirits' are being pulled into our world against their will, causing them."

Saya looks thoughtful. "That explains a lot."

"I'm not sure what they look like, but it was definitely a girl wielding a greatsword like a feather." I say. "She nearly cut my head off after... 'moving' towards me, faster than I could see. If I hadn't ducked, I would've been cut in half like all the tress behind me were."

"She cut an entire forest?!" Saya seems worried now.

"Yeah. Turns out that special squad sent to fix stuff after spacequakes, are there to kill Spirits. Really scared me when they started flying at me and firing missiles at us, not even checking to see if I was there." Saya clenches her fists. "You remember that Tobiichi girl from class? The one that was staring at me?"

"I do." She growls out.

"She's AST. Even when she saw me there, she kept fighting the Spirit. Their swords clashing knocked me into a wall, causing me to black out."

"So you woke up and came back?" She asks, hoping that's the end.

"Worse. I woke up in an honest-to-god airship."

"An airship?!" She shouts. "Those things exist?"

"Apparently so. Here's the kicker, the commander of the ship was Kotori."

"...she wasn't at the restaurant...?" Saya says lowly.

"The ship was fifteen-hundred meters above the restaurant."

"...that damn..."

I gently grab my love's shoulders, knowing where her train of thought is going. "Saya, calm down. Remember, we have to keep up appearances."

"Don't worry, Shido-kun." She says with a smile after exhaling slowly. "I'm not gonna kill her, just scare her a bit."

"None of that either." I say, causing the girl to pout cutely.

"Believe me, I want nothing more than to wring her neck after this, especially with her new demeanor."

"What do you mean?" She tilts her head.

"Seems like I'm not the only good actor in this house." I say with a grin. "She was acting... Bossy? Sassy? Not sure how to describe it other than 'more annoying than usual. She also threw me a big red flag."

"How big?"

"Their organization, Ratatoskr, was created to stop spacequakes peacefully. Or rather, to help ME stop them."

"What?!" Saya stands up, angry. "They expect you do talk Spirits down?! How?!"

"Apparently, I'm 'special'." I say, sarcastically. "Kotori wouldn't say any more. Just kept dodging my question."

"Special?" She growls out the word. "How would someone like you even hope to stop them?"

"Supposedly, make them fall in love with me, and kiss them." She scrunch up her face. "I know, I don't want to do it either. I'm gonna turn them down tomorrow. I want absolutely nothing to do with this nonsense."

Saya thinks all of this over for a moment.

"Shido." She walks up, cupping my face gently with her small, soft hands. I feel my tension wash away. "You only have to make them love you and kiss them, right?"

"R-Right." I say, unsure of where she's going with this.

"If these spacequakes keep up, we might get caught in them one day. So just kiss them, then leave them." She says, causing my eyes to widen. "The way I see it, you 'sealing' them will stop spacequakes, but it will probably also stop their powers."

"And if that's permanent... then I can just seal them, then forget about them. Saya-chan!" I hug her tightly. "You're a genius!"

"Ehehe~" She giggles. "Thanks Shido-kun."

Letting go of the hug. "I'll tell Kotori that I accept, then start my supposed 'training'. I can stop the spacequakes, then we can live together peacefully!"

"Just you and me, Shido-kun." She says, grabbing my hand with a bright smile.

Her smile is brighter than the sun. When she smiles, she somehow becomes even more beautiful.

I return the action, as I grasp her hand back. "Just you and me, Saya-chan." I say with a smile.

Everything will be alright.

Even with these Spirits.

Even with the AST.

Even with this nonsense with Kotori and those other things... people.

Even trapped in this fleshy hell.

It'll be fine.

I'll stop the spacequakes.

Only so that Saya and I can live in peace.

Just the two of us.

Together.

Forever.

Second AN

I want to make this clear: Shido does not care about anyone or anything except Saya. If he can stop the spacequakes, he will, just so that they can live peacefully.

He doesn't care about Tohka, or Kurumi, or Kotori, or Mio, or any of them. Just Saya.

AND ONLY SAYA.

In Saya no Uta, it's implied that Fuminori literally ended the world and all of humanity when Saya gave birth in the true ending. He had only had his condition for a few months. He was that attached to Saya in such a short time, that he lost any empathy he had towards anything else, no longer seeing humans as humans.

Shido's been like this for five years. The only difference is that he still tries to see people as people, as hard as it is for him. Saya is still the only thing holding his sanity together.

Fuminori lived alone, so he didn't have to deal with people, except at school. Shido has a clingy little sister, which tempers his mind. It's caused him to be more used to seeing people like that and faking his care for them.

Also, writing this chapter, then going back and capitalizing certain letters in Kotori's dialogue was a damn hassle here. Last chapter was mostly monologues, not here.

The next part is the final one. The one-shot's end.

I hope you all enjoyed this part, and look forward to the final one!

Chapter Text

Part 3 - Sister's Perspective

...

First AN

This is just a one-shot, and will most likely stay that way. I've split it into multiple parts, so this won't all just be one long chapter.

-STORY WARNING-

This fanfiction, as well as the original Saya no Uta should be read with caution. Both are full of gore, disturbing sounds, and many crimes against humanity and your sanity. Though, this story won't have the sounds, and less crimes against humanity.

-YOU'VE BEEN WARNED-

...

The Analysis Officer of the Fraxinus, Murasame Reine, sits in a room. It is devoid of anything, save a few monitors and a computer.

The door to the small room opens. "I'm here, Reine." The commander of the ship, Kotori Itsuka, enters the room. "Are you sure you want to keep working? Kyouhei said you were sick." She says, concerned.

"It was just mild nausea." Reine waves off her concern. "...I'm just here to give you my report on Shin."

"So, what have you figured out?" The smaller girl crosses her arms.

"First, we need to review the facts." Reine picks up a clipboard, and begins reading it. "After the fire five years ago, you lost your memories of the event, but Shin lost all of his memories, as well as his sight, which was expected to return fully, and quickly. The doctors reported that he was polite and calm, despite losing his memories and being unable to see."

'That's right.' Kotori thought to herself. Despite the memory loss, and vision loss, he was still the same, kind Onii-chan that she had all but grown up with.

"His eyesight returned shortly, but it caused his demeanor t change drastically. He was no longer polite and calm, but now skittish and afraid. He avoided eye contact and attempted to end conversations as quickly as possible. He was also wracked with nausea, insomnia and night terrors for weeks."

Her poor Onii-chan... he became totally different once his sight returned and no-one knew why.

"He seemed perfectly healthy, however." Reine continued. "No unusual brain activity or anything. Eventually, he got a bit better. His nausea, insomnia and night terrors went away completely. He was still skittish and avoided long conversations, but he was much better."

That's right, he suddenly got better. They didn't know what caused it, either.

Little did they know, he just needed a companion in that hell, and he was better.

"Over time, he has begun returning to normal, but still is wary of long conversations and the like." Reine concludes. "All-in-all, he seems fine now."

"But I know he isn't." Kotori says. "So, what have you found?"

Reine taps on the keyboard, causing four images of brain scans to appear on the screens. "This is Shin's brain before the fire." She points to the left image. "This is him after the fire." The center-left. "After regaining his sight." The center-right. "And yesterday." The right.

"So, what's different?"

"Nothing." Reine says.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing at all. His brain seems perfectly fine, completely healthy for his age, even."

"But... what could he have seen that caused him to be like that? Was it that thing you theorized before?" The short commander asks.

"Agnosia."

"What is that anyway?" Kotori, unfamiliar with the word, asks.

"Agnosia is common in people who have suffered strokes. It distorts one's perception of things. For example." She picks up her coffee cup. "One may be unable to comprehend that a cup is a cup, or have the sound of coughing become unfamiliar to them." She takes a sip, before placing the cup back down. "And I was right, he does have agnosia."

"How do you figure?" Kotori asks, skeptical.

"When he was here, I attached a transmitter to his optical nerve, in his neck, which allows us to see what he sees."

"And?"

The Analysis Officer looks the commander dead in the eye. "Comman- no, Kotori. Your brother has the most severe case of agnosia that has ever occurred."

The young girl is shaken to her core. Her Onii-chan sees the world differently. "How different does he see things...?" She hesitantly asks.

"Here." Reine says, holding her a trash can. "You'll need this."

"Why?" She asks, taking the can in hand.

"The reason I was sick earlier was from seeing through Shin's sight for just a moment." She says, more serious that Kotori has ever heard the sleepy woman speak. "Are you absolutely sure you want to see this, Kotori?"

"Yes." She says, resolutely. She has to know what's wrong with her precious Onii-chan.

"Alright then." Reine says as she taps on the keyboard again. The images change into-

"BLEEEEGGGGHHHH!" The young commander spends the next few minutes emptying her stomach contents into the bucket, unable to see, or even comprehend the imagery on screen.

Nothing but blood-red and brown gore. That's all that's shown on screen.

She eventually stops, and gathers her thoughts. "What... is that?!"

"It's the living room of your home, from Shin's perspective." Reine drops the bomb.

"The... living room...?" She looks closer, and is able to make out familiar shapes. Dear God, what has happened to her brother?!

"So he sees... everything like that?" She asks, slowly.

"Worse, he sees people like that as well. Here." She plays the clip.

Shido's reading a book. It's still legible, but as he turns the page, he flicks a bit of gore off of the new page, which was blocking some text.

He then looks up as a creature bounces in front of him. It lets out a hideous garble, completely unintelligible to them. "I'm fine Kotori." He says.

"...what? That... that thing is... me...?" Reine pauses the footage as Kotori tries to wrap her brain around that.

"I told you, he sees people like that too. They also speak in incomprehensible ways." The commander dry-heaves into the bucket again.

"How can he... understand them?" Kotori asks, her nausea returning.

"I suppose..." Reine holds a hand to her chin. "He was able to understand everyone perfectly, but slowly people began to sound like that, so he associated certain sounds with certain parts of Japanese. That's just my guess. I don't know how his other senses are affected, however."

The young commander stands back up. "When was this recorded?"

"Last night, a few hours after he left here." She hits play.

The thing 'speaks' again. "Kotori. I've made a decision." He says, causing the thing's eyes to widen. It dashes off, then returns quickly.

Kotori knows what this was, she had swapped out her ribbons quickly.

It speaks again. "Yes, I'll help you seal the Spirits." It glomps him as he says that. His hand moves to pat its back, but his fingers curl back for a moment in disgust, before coming down on the thing's back.

I speaks again, before running off. "Alright, then." He says to it, shutting the book.

"So..." She begins. "Onii-chan just sees everything like this...?"

"All but this." Reine says, bringing up an image of the city.

Kotori stares into the image of the rotten city and black sky, "He can't see the stars?"

"Kotori... this is daytime." Her eyes widen at Reine's words.

"He can't even see the sky...? How is he...?" She trails the question off.

'How is he still sane?' She wanted to ask.

"There was one other thing I found." Reine says. "Has he ever mentioned the name 'Saya'?"

"Saya? No, why?"

Reine responds by playing the footage again.

Shido walks down the festering hallway and into his room. He stares at the shut door, as a feminine voice speaks. "How did it go?"

"Seems like I'm gonna be busy tomorrow, Saya-chan." He says, apologetically turning to face something that causes Kotori's eyes to widen. Reine pauses the footage..

[Play Saya no Uta Soundtrack: Song of Saya I or Song of Saya II.]

In the red, fleshy room is a girl, no older than her, sitting in the chair at Shido's desk. She has long green hair and similarly colored eyes. Much of her pale skin is covered by a white dress, brighter than anything else in the room. The dress's black bow rests over her chest. Her feet are protected by thin, white sandals.

"What the hell...?" Kotori asks, completely confused. "Is this... a hallucination?"

"Not exactly." Reine says, as she plays the footage again.

"That training she mentioned?" Saya guesses.

"Yeah." Shido says with a sigh.

"Oh, right!" The strange girl says, happily. "I almost forgot to show you earlier!"

"Show me what?" He asks, as Saya picks up a drawing book.

"My project." She says, with a smile.

Reine pauses the footage again. Clicking in they keyboard, she brings up another angle of footage. One from a hidden camera in Shido's room.

Said drawing book is floating above the chair.

"This Saya girl can interact with objects, but not people, save for Shin." Reine explains.

"...this is unreal." Kotori says, slowly.

Playing the footage, Saya continues speaking to Shido. "Tell me if anything's differently colored."

"Alright." Shido says, as Saya flips though the book. Page after page of red from Shido's perspective, are random collages of colors to everyone else. This pattern continues until a certain page.

"This is-?!" Shido says excitedly. Shooting up, he takes the book from the girl's hands, and stares at it.

"What color is it?" Saya asks, hopeful.

"It's... pale green. The color of artificial glow-in-the-dark stuff." He says happily. "Saya-chan! You did it!" He says happily, as he hugs her without a second thought.

On the other screen, the pad just is covered in random colors, yet somehow they appear pale green to him.

"I'm glad, Shido-kun." She says happily.

He pulls away from the hug, but holds his hands on her shoulders. "I love you so much, Saya."

"I love you too, Shido." She says with a bright smile. One filled with pure joy, as they kiss.

[End music.]

The footage ends. "It's best we stop here."

"What? Why?!" Kotori cries out.

"Do you want to see your brother having sex?" Reine asks bluntly, causing Kotori's face to heat up.

"What?!"

"It would seem your brother and this 'Saya' are deeply in love with each other. Both romantically and physically." Reine says, taking a sip of her coffee. "...I would wager she's the only thing holding his sanity together."

"...How long have they...?" Kotori asks.

"They most likely met in the hospital. Her presence probably helped Shido escape his insomnia and nightmares."

Kotori's brain lurches, trying to comprehend all of this. Her precious Onii-chan sees the world as gore, and some strange girl, only he can see, is not only his lover, but also the only thing holding him together.

Oh, Shido...

"Reine. Don't tell anyone about this. Ever." Kotori orders. "Delete all traces of this."

"...Very well." Reine says, doing as ordered while the commander leaves the room.

She doesn't know how to deal with this. Her bother has been living like this for five years now...

...Well, so long as he has something keeping him sane...

Shaking those thoughts away, she makes a decision.

To fix her brother, without having him lose his strange lover.

I'm sorry.

I only meant to remove you and your sister's memories of that night.

I was wracked with guilt when I realized I had remove all of your memories.

But, you persevered.

You didn't let that stop you, you kept living. Happily.

Or so I thought.

How could I have done this?

How could I have put you in this hell of my own making?

I only hope you can forgive me.

Oh, Shido...

Oh, Shinji...

I'm so sorry.

Second AN

Well, this is the end of the one shot.

I had originally planned on writing a lemon with Shido and Saya, but ultimately decided not to.

Kotori and Reine find out about his condition. It's safe to assume seeing this would cause a person to become very sick to their stomach. Fortunately, they didn't get the same treatment as Fuminori's neighbor did in the VN.

I doubt I'm gonna write anymore of this, but who knows?

Please, let me know your thoughts, everyone. This was my first time writing a twisted character like this. It was a very different thing to write, but I quite enjoyed doing so.

Until next time!