I was finally let go from Seria's torture after reading all the material and passing a pop-quiz. By then, it was early morning, so I quickly leapt onto the bed and fell asleep again.

I am absorbed by a very odd dream. First, I was underwater, in a seascape with fishes. But then, along the ocean floor, Rishya was running, being chased by skeletal Aria-fishes and whimpering. And then Kali appeared and beat them up. But then, for some reason, Kali was groping Rishya. I saw her delightful cleavage being massaged. But then, I felt strange, dropped into a trapdoor, and fell endlessly into a bright light.

Eventually, I stopped. My stomach lurched and I felt sick. I opened my eyes with a squint.

I was now in my bedroom.

Ah... not the one at the Furious Stallion. My bedroom. The one I left back on Earth. It's not that big. Drawers, hung-up business suit, television, fan, alarm clock, bed, Flan-chan Dakimakura. Not much else. It's dark out.

Oh, but I'm there as well.

I'm standing over myself.

Oh shit. Doesn't this kind of thing happen when you die? I died!?

No... no... the other me in bed is still breathing.

I died... in the other world? And I'm going back to Earth!? What!? When did...

"You did not die. This is your unconscious realm."

I turn and see yet another me stood outside the suddenly open bedroom window. Well, a child me. About ten. The child me is also holding the hand of a toddler, who is cowering behind the leg of the other me.

Both of them are shimmering slightly.

"I am you. You can trust me. We must leave this place now."

"How? How do I know I can trust..."

"When you were twelve, you thought it was cool to believe you were the reincarnation of a confederate space pilot called Plaguebringer Eli the Firestorm, and..."

"Shut the fuck up, I'll follow you."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

The child me smiles wryly, and holds out its other hand. I take it.

Oh my god. It knows about my Chuuni phase. Hah...

Although, back in the nineties, no-one called it that. Anime exposure was pretty low in Britain as well until DVD's became a thing.

But don't all kids like to imagine they are the sliver of something great? It comes as a knee-jerk reaction. At that point where your innocence starts to die, but before the press of life hammers you into a shape that society needs. Santa is gone. Fairies are gone. But you still want to believe something. Anything. So, you dream.

Maybe my appeal of girls at that age is because they still have that ability to dream?

Suddenly, I am in another place.

It's bright again. A field I had an attachment to as a kid. I had a secret treehouse base I made there with my mates Clive and Paul.

This time, though, the 'base' has ghosts around it, phasing in and out. Repeating actions over and over.

A lean woman in a leotard with a streamer stick. A man with amazing facial hair holding a clock. A man looking frustrated with a baseball in hand. A woman sat with a punk hairdo and a fag in her mouth. A grumpy, glaring old man. Others.

"They are all part of you, now." The child me speaks again.

Oh. I see. No way.

Those... they're the Multivultus Scientica.

"That's right. Their souls were in the Akasha of Earth, and you have taken a snapshot of them. And when you need that snapshot, you call upon them."

Huh… seems my theory about that was right, then. It did always almost feel like I was being possessed.

"Much like how this child is also now yours."

I look again at the toddler. I realise it has blue skin, and where its eyes should be, there are holes, through which electrical wisps sometimes flare.

My thunder spirit!

Suddenly, the toddl... my thunder spirit... lets go of child me, and totters over and grabs my sleeve instead. I feel a jolt.

The child me smiles wistfully again, looking way more mature than I ever was at that age, and looks up to the sky.

"You had best go." Young me says. "We will continue to be here for you."

"We will, onii-chan."

Suddenly there is a naked Aria walking from amidst the flurry of ghosts, who have all stopped to stare. She does have light-beam censoring, though. I thought dreams were uncensored…

Dream-Aria strolls right up to me, blushing and naked, stands on tiptoes and kisses me deeply suddenly, taking me completely off guard.

She... she's summoning me back again... right?

I have to go.

I disappear.

I suddenly land with a crash on a table. It's the staff table I was sat at earlier. It buckles and instantly collapses. I gasp for air as if I've just been holding my breath.

I feel horrid danger as I hear a blade sing in the darkness.

Suddenly, Seria and Aria come rushing down the stairs in their nighties.

"Don't kill him! It's not a thief!" They shout in unison.

Violet, in pyjamas, nearly guts me like a fish. She halts just in time, the blade tip pressed against my chest. Seems that really was a sword-cane. I nearly wet myself.

"The boy... what the fuck are you doing?"

I really don't know. I hope I look as confused as I feel.

She sighs and sheathes the blade.

"Magical Etranger bullshit, right? Buy me a new table in the morning. And go to fucking bed."