Chapter Text
It was about 2 meters in the sky, hovering there. Faint, so faint that you would have missed it if you weren't observant - but certainly present.
Hazel and Niko stepped into the golden wheat, talking about Niko's dreams. The dry, almost hollow stalks stroked against their legs as the two walked. Behind them, the painterly brown village slowly faded.
Niko talked about this dream as the kind that never really left your memory, as vivid as real life. Through a mouth still stained a little by soup, they had told Hazel about all manner of adventures, from de-rusting a rowing robot, to trying out pancakes in an empty cafe, and even conversing with a godly voice in their mind they called [_]. Accompanying these tales were some adorable drawings too.
That was 2 weeks ago now, and Niko seemed to have mellowed down a little bit about that dream now. It was a relief, honestly. She had never seen Niko so obsessed over a single dream. She'd honestly been a little worried that Niko's solitude had manifested in them making a complete imaginary world, although she was glad to see Niko so imaginative.
Either way, she decided that Niko's request to explore for a bit would help her get a bit more insight into Niko's inner world. "About that dream you had. Could you tell me how you think it all started, Niko?"
Niko responded, blushing slightly. "I remember waking up in a really dark room. I don't remember how I actually got there, but I really want to. I know I was doing -something- before waking up there, but I wish I did. I know I was feeling quite scared then, before meeting [_] or anybody else. It didn't feel like a normal dream."
Hazel pursed her lips at this. Though she didn't exactly know what to make of it.
"This is the only dream you had of this place, right? Did you see that place after that dream?"
Niko shook their head slowly. "No, I never dreamt or saw that world again like I did then."
The wheat around them bent and swayed.
"... and I think this is where the World Machine dropped me off." Niko said, their floppy sleeves tracing out unknowable shapes in a more upbeat way. "It was like I walked through the window of the bedroom. It was weird, but cool too!"
"What do you mean by that, dear? How exactly did-"
Niko just stood there, pointing in the air. As Hazel squinted, she barely made out a large bar floating in the distance. It looked almost unreal, as if it was a piece of the sky itself. Yet it did not possess that golden aura that filled the rest of the space.
"I'm not sure if it was a dream anymore. I didn't expect something to actually be there." Niko said softly. Their gaze turned distant. "Could we have a look?"
Hazel took a bit to reply. She logically knew that strange things like this weren't exactly a good idea to poke around with, but her curiosity got the better of her.
"Sure, but be careful. We don't really know what it is yet." Hazel found herself saying. Absent-mindedly, she wiped off the yellow stains dotted across Niko's mouth.
Niko stacked a few nearby hay blocks to form makeshift stairs. As they reached the bar, they pulled themself on top, until they looked like they were standing on thin air.
Hazel watched, in awe, a number of increasingly bizarre possibilities churning in her head. Had her child really discovered a new world? As she followed, climbing the hay, her wonder erupted twofold as she stood on the near-invisible platform. The wonder of just standing in the sky was exhilarating.
Niko turned back to her with a joyful grin. "There it is. The bedroom I woke up in. I can't believe it's still there, I thought it vanished when I left!"
Indeed, there was a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. The sides seemed to glow with a faint purple light. It was positioned in such a way that you couldn't see it unless you were standing directly on the platform, like an optical illusion. Hazel also noted the striking lack of wind: what was blowing on her face moments ago seemed to have vanished completely.
She clasped Niko's excited hands as they walked down the tunnel together. Soon, the fields behind them shrank to a distant light. As they continued, their footsteps started to reverberate with a soft echo.
As they walked, Hazel turned to Niko. "So it really wasn't a dream, huh?" The voice rebounded for a while. Niko nodded. " Yea, I guess not. It didn't feel like a dream, but it would've sounded weird if I tried to explain it. I didn't really know if it was real, either." There wasn't more to say. Both Hazel and Niko simply admired their ethereal surroundings.
They arrived at a large white window. As they crossed, they found themselves in a brightly lit bedroom, with a bed and a very old-school looking computer. Niko was practically jumping with joy, almost running around the place until they nearly tripped.
"This is the very room I woke up in! The one I was telling you about! I didn't think I'd see this-ow."
Niko's little rummage finally bit them in the back as they stubbed their foot for real.
Not exactly a cat's person's favourite thing to experience. They forced themselves to calm down.
Hazel sat down on the bed, kissing Niko better. With a small surprised smile, Niko then sat beside her, before flopping down on their back for a little rest, their bright yellow eyes gazing the wooden boards on the ceiling above. Hazel noticed a remote laying on the bedside table, and started fiddling around with it.
As she was trying to figure out how it worked, Niko decided to jump in to help. They looked at the remote, and after a brief second of recognition typed in a code to the computer. The computer's screen flashed on, turning white momentarily. And then it spoke.
["Who is this?"]
["Wait. Niko? How have you returned? I thought you were gone!]
["...And who is this woman with you?"]
Niko giggled, their face widening into a teasing expression. "This is my Mama, silly! I found this floating tunnel thing that lets me travel between here and back home. The same path that let me go back home in the first place. I dunno how it's there, though."
["I...I see. It should not have been possible for you to return, yet somehow you seem free to come here and there as you please."]
...
["I'm glad you've managed to return anyway, Niko. I've missed you, and I believe the others have too."]
Hazel simply stood and watched at this conversation, completely flabbergasted. The computer was really talking. She'd mentally made a note to trust whatever Niko said about this place at face value, and not to question anything.
Niko continued. "I haven't heard from [_] yet. Do you know where they are?"
["Unfortunately, I do not. They did check up on me a day after you left, but they seems to have disappeared since. I shouldn't even be running right now."]
At this, Niko's eyes fell.
Hazel didn't have a complete understanding of the situation, but she placed her hand on Niko's shoulder anyway. "It's ok, Niko. You can still show me all the other things you did, and the friends you made. They're still here, right?" The motion helped her feel better too, somehow.
After a moment, the World Machine chimed in.
["Why don't you two come visit me in person sometime? It'll be nice to actually talk to you face to face."]