"Harry... what in the world is going on?!"

Harry couldn't breath, though the air around him returned. Despite everything being back to normal, he stayed on his knees, eyes locked on the glowing being before him.

"..."

Already understanding, Harry turned his head to the girl standing beside him, her little hand gripping his arm for dear life. Her wide, fearful eyes were locked on the person before them as well.

"Hey, this is certainly serious. Don't just ignore me!"

"---!"

Harry spun back around. To the glowing figure of his dear friend Hayato.

This time his body swayed and morphed, much like before, but Harry held his breath, able to see the boy trying to come through the messy signal.

"It's been just a few days without me around me around and you're already turning into a thoughtless baboon?!" Hayato's playful smirk clearly came through. "And here I always thought I was the one that needed looking after?"

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"H-Hayato... " Harry reached out his hand, half expecting Hayato to appear right there where he could grab him. And drag him back to the citadel.

"Hayato, where are you?!"

His friend sighed. "Well I'm going to need saving, buddy. But that's why you've got to stop being a sniveling granny. I'm not dead... yet."

Yet.

Harry's neck snapped up. "How long---"

"There's enough time don't worry. Just focus on saving her right now from this." Hayato waved at the darkness around them. "It's consuming her soul. Thankfully she's able to ease it off a bit by your absorbing it from her. But you have to snap back to attention Harry Sakami! I'm fine for now, but no rescuing can be done until this darkness is gone from the Crystal inside her."

The twirling and swirling of Hayato's image started growing and spreading apart. His voice faded as well.

"Now show her the real Harry Sakami!"

"Wait..."

"Stop crying too, I'm not dead yet!"

"H-Hayato, wait!"

Harry lept up, wrapping his arms around his friend. But they just met air and he went staggering forward. He swirled back around.

And found himself back on the citadel grounds, the still wide eyed girl standing a few feet away. Shaking all over.

"Did it work?"

"Hm?" Harry, still shaken, stared back at the girl.

"Did I save you? L-Like... Hayato wanted me too?"