I don't suppose I've ever told you about Yukiya. Much. Actually, it would be better to just show you what he's like, but considering he's out cold and trapped in some kind of nightmare world at the moment, it isn't exactly an option here.

I guess I could say he's a loner. Secretive. Uh... fiery. He doesn't talk a lot, and when he does it's rarely about normal everyday subjects. Mostly, he just likes to talk about fire. He used to have that dangerous glint in his eyes, like nothing would satisfy him more than to burn the whole school down, but the glint is no longer there now-or, rather, there's still a glint but not a dangerous one anymore. It has become more of a merry, excited glint, like something amuses him immensely that I can't put my finger upon. Perhaps hanging out with all of us has mellowed him out. Perhaps hanging out with Ririka has mellowed him out.

Yes, it's probably that.

The fact that Yukiya and sweet, muddled little Ririka are somehow friends has always kind of puzzled me, but maybe it's that opposites attract thing or something. They are seen together a lot, just talking, which makes me wonder what they even talk about. Do they have common interests? As far as I know all Yukiya likes is fire, and Ririka likes clothes. Not very compatible.

Compatible or not, being with Ririka has helped Yukiya lighten up a bit. I mean, at the start of the school year he was this sour-faced, mood-swingy person who always looked like people owed him money. Now he smiles more, he talks to everyone in our class and joins in our banter, and during group pillow fights and other stuff he's always present, laughing in that hoarse, slightly aggressive manner.

It shows in the way he mindhacks too. He used to concentrate on ferocious, nonstop flaming attacks and rarely gives a damn what other people are doing. Now in mock missions he has become more of a team player, aiming not only to hurt the enemy but also to protect the rest of us. Always laughing as he throws his fireballs, always enjoying himself. And Ririka would be by his side, laughing her adorable silvery laugh. I like hearing them laughing together. There's a certain harmony in it that didn't use to exist. Despite being opposites, they probably understand each other better than I could ever imagine.

I guess that's why even though Shun and I had been really surprised by the peace and tranquility in Yukiya's mindscape, Ririka doesn't find it one bit odd.

"Ooh! It's just like I thought it would be!" she exclaims, clapping her cute little hands.

I'd never tried re-entering someone's mind just minutes after I last left it before, but apparently it works like expected-not much difference can be seen, same wettish hill, same cozy little houses, same trolley track, and the same giant wave frozen in place, looming over our heads.

Now that I actually have time to look at the wave, it's beautiful. If I were a better artist I would have wanted to paint it, but watercolors and me just really aren't the best of friends. Oil painting I can handle, because if I make a mistake I can cover it with more paint (yay!), but this really isn't the point right now.

Shun and I had quickly explained the situation to Ririka as soon as we got unhooked. The poor little girl was horrified and concerned and said about a thousand times that she was sorry she didn't unhook us earlier, but it really can't be blamed on her. The numbers on the monitors are tricky stuff that even teachers with good judgment and experience still have trouble figuring out, and Ririka isn't really the most decisive person out there. Anyway, now the responsibility of spotting is handed over to Shun, and Ririka and I are now back in Yukiya's quaint little fishing village, ready to fly over some waves.

At least Ririka looks very ready, happily perched on a large beige colored double-breasted coat. I'm a little less ready because no matter how many times I've seen Ririka do it, flying still seems kind of scary to me. The few times she's given me a ride, she always made sure to not go very high or very fast, or else I'd scream.

This time she's guaranteed to go high at least, since the frozen wave is already like twenty stories tall and who knows if anything taller would come after.

"Let's go!" Ririka cheers, bouncing about. I gingerly climb onto the coat, getting into a kneeling position and clutching helplessly at the coattail in hopes that it would keep me from free falling into the ocean. Ririka checks over my position and deems it satisfactory.

And then we soar.

It feels like piccolos, xylophones, jingle bells, with a trace of a really busy clarinet. In seconds we are flying over the wave that nearly killed Shun and I. The thought of it makes me shudder and I instinctively call for my elega. It materializes easily into my hands, and I suddenly realize that if I hold the elega with both hands I won't have any left to grip the coattails with, so I end up making do with holding the narrower side of the elega with my left hand and grabbing the coattail with my right.

And then we have cleared the wave, and what's behind it is no longer the lush little islands I saw before all the waves happened.

Behind the wave, everything is dark grey. And it's pouring, but not really making a pitter-pattering sound because there's nothing concrete for it to pitter-patter on. And it just gets greyer. And greyer. And so grey that eventually it's just an endless black hole.

I have no clue where poor Yukiya is in all this mess, but for some reason Ririka does.

"Right by the black hole thing," she tells me confidently, and I'm not one to undermine her authority. When it comes to Yukiya, Ririka's the one who knows best. I'm not sure when it started, but when Yukiya gets all weird or morose or hard to talk to we always send Ririka to sort him out. Her contagiously sun-shiney attitude never failed to get him to open up.

Water tornadoes have started appearing out of nowhere, but it's kind of surprising how easily we can evade them by flying. Ririka's making circumnavigating water tornadoes look as easy as riding cute Dumbo rides in Disneyland, while I on the other hand am having trouble even holding on. Luckily my elega is waterproof.

"Almost there," Ririka explains to me. I begin to wonder why the hell I am even needed here-clearly Ririka can handle this herself well enough. I watch as we draw closer to the giant black hole of nothingness, and note that the number of water tornadoes is increasing by the minute. In fact, it's become so wet I can barely see, barely see anything in front, barely see the rocks jutting out of the water underneath, barely see the figure sitting on one of them, barely see that the figure is Ririka-

How?

Ririka has the same question. She gazes down at the figure with much confusion. "It's me?" She points at the figure, and points at herself, and points at the figure again. Brow furrowed, she looks like a six-year-old. A very wet six-year-old.

I have no idea how two of the same person could exist in the same mind-we've never come across something like this, the teachers never told us anything about the subject, and frankly the fact that something like this is possible has never ever crossed my mind.

I attempt to wipe away the water from my face so that I can actually get a good look, but the rain is pelting down so hard it's about as useless as trying to dry your face while standing in a shower. Ririka is similarly soaked in front of me, but she doesn't seem fazed.

I wouldn't have time to be fazed either, if there were much more important subjects at hand such as unexpectedly finding another me in someone else's mind.

After a discussion that involved a lot of sputtering and spitting out water on both sides, we decide to investigate. Ririka swoops down lower, and I lean forward trying to see better.

And then out of nowhere, we are hit by two water tornadoes that come crowding in from both sides, making it impossible to dodge. I scream and for a brief moment I seem to be free-wheeling through the air, landing again in the accursed ocean water.

Being somewhat more experienced in drowning by now, I find my way to the surface quicker this time, following the piccolos in my head. It's also easier because I can hear Ririka-little tinkling silver bells hovering somewhere above. And then I can see her, trying to fight the wind, the rain, the water tornadoes, trying to reach for me. But everything seems to be pushing her in the opposite direction, and being extremely lightweight she just keeps being blown further from where I am. I hear her shouting something, but the winds are so loud by now that there is no way I can figure out what she wants to express.

And then a wave swallows me, and when I next pop above the surface, the flying Ririka was gone and all I can see is the other Ririka, the one perched on a rock. Being swarmed by what looks like ten water tornadoes.

I have to help her, I think. All that water. She won't be even able to breathe. And that's when it hit me.

I'm fine. I'm supposedly in a tumultous ocean, and yet I'm perfectly fine. I don't even feel the slightliest breathless. None of that feeling of exhaustion and near-death that I had experienced the last time in the water with Shun.

How?

And then the water seems to just go away. My feet touch the ground, and I am left standing, completely unharmed, watching as the water tornadoes sweep Ririka away towards the black hole. I hear her screaming. And I hear Yukiya, screaming too.