Our Adventure Will Never End

Source: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/92676873
Entry 6 With Passion and Purpose

I look around the “new” environment I’ve arrived in. I guess being direct is the best way huh Ina? Unfortunately it seems like I’m out at the moment, my office is empty…save for an intruder from across time and space. Hmm I guess I should try and see what time exactly I’ve been sent to. No wait…preserve the scene Ame! You can’t investigate if you go around messing with everything! Look around…does it look like someone has been in recently? Ame doko? The door, has it been opened recently? Is the air stagnant? Is dust sitting on the desk? A date or something laying out in the open…that would be nice. Carefully, I take a few steps around the office, searching for signs of life. The air is kinda gross…and the desk is covered in a fine layer of dust. I think it’s safe to say the door hasn’t been opened in a while so…I’ve not been visited by anybody recently. A blessing and a curse. I’m going to have to investigate things very carefully to not disturb the peace this room is having. I see a few folders on my desk. I should…should recognize them. Hmmm case file…#-0008 “Odyssey”…#-1138 “Britanniae”… #-1607 “New World” she’s been around that’s for sure… I recognize the names but…the file numbers are different…hmmm…what is she currently on? Has she left anything behind? I open up the drawers in her desk, hoping to find a clue, a hint, something that will point me in the right direction.

Let’s see…scribbles…junk…trash…damn you are messy Ame! Clean this SHIT up sometime! I’m suddenly reminded of the work the takodachi’s did in my study…I’ll…be better about it. I briefly insert my hands into my coat pockets…still there… Anyways…let’s see where I’m at. 0 notes. 0 hints. 0 Ame. I leave the desk and wander towards the door. Ah wait…I shouldn’t open it up. If there isn’t a clue for me here... just leave things be. I can just go back a bit and test the waters. I’ll find something…eventually. Now that I think about it…how long has it been since I arrived? I wasn’t keeping track of timeeeeeee…Pouting isn’t going to get you anything Ame, let’s just continue the investigation. Hmm…I don’t think I’ve made that deal with Ina…or even met Myth yet. Those were cases I worked on shortly after…when was it…after that Tokyo trip? I think that's the time frame at the very least. So that means…no…I didn’t see any notes on that case, was it before? If only I had my diary…oh wait…this Ame’s diary should be here somewhere. I search around the room, trying to disturb as little as I can. The shelves…my desk…the floor…nowhere! Damnit! Did she lose it? No…she might’ve taken it with her! Aha! I think…oh shit! Is she in Tokyo right now?! Then Kronii should be there with her! If the timelines match up…and they should…Ok…I’m going to assume that I’m in Tokyo at the moment with Kronii…But that doesn’t really solve me much. I…when did she propose this plan to this timeline’s Ame then? When did she find the time…

I lift my cap off of my head and scratch the back of my head. Sigh I know at the very least the deal wasn’t made after meeting Myth. Logically it’s impossible. Ina has my soul, but this Ina didn’t have this Ame’s. Did Kronii tell her as soon as they met? No…Kronii wouldn’t have laid that on her after first finding her, doesn’t make any sense. Where did she have enough time to lay out this plan to Ame…What cases…what time…Wait…did she? Did she?! Think this through Ame! Why did she point out that everything was supposed to happen that day? What was significant enough for her to mention that? I drop my cap in disbelief. A vacation…where everything that was supposed to happen happened…Did she need to make sure of something? The way she said it…She didn’t follow through with the events for that day! She…that’s why she KEPT VANISHING! She was leaving the timeline! She was…she…my heart drops…head is light…this…this feeling…I hate it…she was…the whole…time…I can’t think straight….FUCK!

“It seems you didn’t inherit all of her memories. That’s a real shame isn’t it?”
I turn around…I’m familiar with this feeling of dread. Yeah… this is where she was going…to meet me here…My blood turns cold, I’m scared. I…I walked right into her trap. Heh…she’s the lord of time…of course she’d know I was here…I bite into my tongue with my left canine tooth…fuck it… You need to keep your shit together Ame, don’t show her your fear, she wants to know she’s in control of the situation. Just c-clear your throat and speak normally. I clench my fists as tight as they’ll clench, don’t shake, don’t show emotion, face her with determination.

“Hey…What are you doing here?”
“You didn’t know where to go back to, so you just guessed huh? Quite the lucky guess! I already knew that of course but…you didn’t, did you?” She’s taunting you, trying to get a rise out of you. Don’t say anything else yet. Just analyze the situation. She can’t be gone for too long; she eventually has to meet with me again at the house in Tokyo. What can I do in this brief period of time then? Jump back? She’d just follow me… would I even discover something going back? Kronii is aware that I know the time period the deal is made…but there has to be something…anything…an inconsistency somewhere.

“Cat got your tongue Ame? Awfully quiet. Or maybe…you’re just so entranced by my perfection. My flawlessly executed plan all coming together, and you’re realizing the hopelessness of your endeavor to try and stop it.” This BITCH! This smug bitch…never letting an opportunity to praise herself escape her grasp. Ok…that’s my angle for now…if I pretend to submit…it might get me the time I need. Just butter her up, she won’t say no to hearing a compliment.

“Oh Kronii, you ARE the Lord of Time after all. How could I even hope to outsmart someone who can see the future?”
“I know, it’s wonderful isn’t it? Something just feels good about being…perfect.”
“You know what else Kronii, that self-assured hubris you have. Always flaunting it around. Who did you get that from I wonder…”
“What are you getting at Ame? Feeling a little jealous perhaps?”
“Heh…jealous? I don’t know what I’m feeling at the moment to be honest.”
“Well…you won’t have to feel it for too much longer. So go on, be a good girl and run on back home to your other mythical characters and wait for me to fix things ok?” Kronii is smiling, it’s a gentle smile. Maybe she does truly believe she’s righteousness. Maybe she truly does believe she is saving us. I however am not letting this delusion of grandeur end MY life.
“If you’re interested in further chatting, keep hanging out. I’ve gotta go back and finalize somethings.” She winks at me and vanishes into the air. God…she’s so…ugh

Ok…I’ve afforded a bit more time for myself. Alright, so I guess that pretty much confirms my theory. She has to pay attention to the other me in Tokyo and tell me her plan. Is that really right? No…that doesn’t make sense…She’s leaving Tokyo to come here…To stop me? No? What is she doing? Actually…a better question is what am I doing right now? Forget what Kronii is doing, Kronii can do anything she wants. I can’t! I…I’ve been side tracked…I came here to find out what I was doing, not Kronii. I’ve been misthinking. When did I start to misthink? Was that her goal…to throw me off of the trail? Is that why she showed up? C’mon detective, don’t let her get the better of you. Alright…alright. There is an inconsistency here…what is it? Memories. Why did she bring up memories? I didn’t inherit them all? Then she must know something about what I saw…or thought I saw…at the end of time. That’s the only place I have ever had that happen to me. Is…was I trying to tell myself something? Wait Ame…this…office. Her office…this whole room is a clue! No…not just a clue! This whole office is the answer! That’s why it’s so filthy, so untouched! She hasn’t come back! She learns about the plan at the end of time! She never returns to the office after that! Those files! That’s why they’re labeled differently! Those weren’t investigations…those were timelines! She’s visited those timelines! Those timelines…Ok ok okokokOKAY! So she’s with me in Tokyo right now, keeping that timeline consistent. This Ame has almost just received her mission from Kronii. Roughly 3…no she’d be on the 4th right now. Right? Why did she bring files in on them though…Maybe it wasn’t her…Kronii might’ve done it…Alright detective, things are clearing up. How much more time do I have before Kronii returns? Probably not much. Alright…what do I do with this knowledge? Was that the first or second time she vanished…I have no way of knowing…It could’ve been at any point during the day. If I’m lucky it was the final time before night…during night we…we… Are you really Kronii? Are you really lying to me? Sending me sweet nothings for my love while you actively plot my death? Our deaths?! Sigh I stare silently at the wall for a few moments, it's empty compared to mine. No photos of my friends, none of my computer equipment, just a plain ol' boring room...

Maybe there’s a 2nd Kronii, her good half, and she's sealed away at the end of time. Could I deal with a plot development like that this late into the story? Kronii is all encompassing, the lord of time, she wouldn’t need another version of herself running around. One is already too many… She’s not back yet…maybe I did luck out but… I still don’t know what to do. Even if I did go back, Kronii would know I did. I’m only afforded this time because she HAS to be there in the other timeline with me. I don’t think I have the mental to think of another opportunity like this so…just gonna stay here. Everything on that day is supposed to happen huh…so what happens if I do something that isn’t supposed to happen Kronii? Well…I guess there’s not much point to preserving the scene anymore, she…nobody will ever return to this office. Heh…kinda bittersweet…I’m the final visitor. Alright well…lets at least take a look at these files. These all go first huh. No…wait…didn’t she mention that the first timeline to go was…Oh… I’m a moron…this timeline ENDED. That was the point of the whole getting here! Man…so much to keep track of, this sucks without my diary. So what are these files then? I open up “Odyssey” and skim through it. Ah…more like…battle plans I guess. Specific triggers are laid out through various timelines… “Britanniae”…yeah… where you would go to tip the balance between chaos and order. Something on this large a scale across this many timelines…Wait…but why would she need multiple triggers if one timeline failing is the ultimate trigger? Yet another layer to the crime… I suppose she has had plenty of time to plan out. Every step forward is two back. I continue to search around the room, looking for extra hints or clues but I come up short. Nothing here…just these three files. Why just these three files? What is the point? Are they red herrings? Is this to distract me from the real evidence? Sigh Head hort… I reach behind myself and stretch. I should assume I’ve spent considerable time here and Kronii could be arriving at any moment. Well…her showing up might be for the best right now. I’m at a dead end. These memories…these files…this office… what am I missing? What haven’t I seen yet? Actually…there is…something I haven’t seen yet…but I…I
promised…

I zone out and daydream, thinking about things here and there. I think I’ve had a good life…but I’d still like to experience more. There are so many adventures to go on. So many people to meet and sights to see. And I want to do them with my friends. I want to laugh more, I want to eat more, I want to smile more, I want to cry more! I still want to live! This dark musky room, it used to be full of so much life! So much fun! She’ll never experience these things again. The very least I can do to repay her is to make sure I carry on her legacy. I suppose we have our own pride as Detective Amelia Watson.

Snap “Miss me Amelia?” There she is…standing in front of me…literally snapping me out of my trance.
“Kronii. Do you need to snap your fingers or?”
“Hmm… no. I just like the feeling, the…experience…y’know?” Her reply as cool as ice. Not a hint of doubt of regret in her words.
“That’s…well you snap your fingers…I” Digging into my pocket it I grip it with my left hand. “I prefer my watch!”
“Your watch? That broken pair of training wheels? You think that somehow…compares to me? I am perfection…”
“Yeah yeah yeah, perfect this perfect that, been there done that. Any new lines Kronii?”
“Ah…gwah… ha?” I’ve got her! She always falls for this… I pull out the watch with my left hand. Time to perform the bluff to conquer all other bluffs!
“I know you’ve seen them Kronii, our dreams”
“Dreams? Our dreams? Ok I’ll humor you. You think I do something as worthless as dream? I don’t dream Amelia. I create! I shape reality as I see fit! Surely having seen the end of time, you realize that all of my so called “dreams” have occurred.”

I stay silent…I can’t imagine why she did this…I still can’t… but there’s a part of me that…that wants to believe I can fix it…like I fix everything else…I have to at least save face, there’s a chance I do change things. I…can only hope…
“Th-That’s what you think, but I’m not a constant! I’m a variable!” I raise my voice, I need to be serious!
“You are here by my design Amelia! I trained you! I gave you the watch! I sent you on those investigations! I created your myth, and you exist as such! There is nothing I did not prepare for!”

I’m at a loss of words…what she’s saying…yeah…it’s probably all true. Kronii found me lost in time, she taught me how to control the flow, she gave me her watch, she sent me on investigations to practice my skills…She…I…we fell in love…was that by design too Kronii? Ugh…I have no rebuttal, I’m here in a dead timeline arguing with the evilest ex of all time. But…maybe…maybe I can try to mislead her, deceive the deceiver…that might be enough to let me slip through this timeline away from her. Alright, worth a shot Ame!

“You see them…just like I do…they haunt you…just like they do me…Showing you times that have long since passed of us spending time together.”
Kronii remains silent, staring intently at me.
“You know it! I know it! Why do you lie to yourself Kronii!”

“Sigh…Oh Ame…Do you really think I’m going to let you weasel your way out of this situation like you did at the end of time. I was clearly too kind to you back then. There will be no extra information for you to pull out of me. The investigation is closed, thank you for your service. You may die now!”

Instantly Kronii pulls her swords out and swings at me. Oh…this is bad…what do I do…I…there’s only one thing for me to do… Now! My right-hand digs into my right pocket, gripping a handful of sand. I smirk, I think I’m actually about to pull this off.
“Take this Kronii! Pocket sand! Sha shah!” I throw it at Kronii’s face, hoping to dull her perfect vision for a few moments. Brilliant Watson!
“Arghhhhhhhhh” She hollers out. Her right arm extends out towards me, the blade aiming straight for my head. I move out of the way as fast as I can and pull my watch up.
I close my eyes and pray it works. “(THE(ザ)WORLD(ワールド))”
I shout at the top of my lungs, raising my left arm out and facing my palm out towards Kronii. My watch in hand definitely catches her attention.

Sure enough, she’s frozen…if even for a moment! Sigh Holy SHIT! Her sword is piercing right through the watch. A microsecond later and it would’ve pierced through my hand. Panting My hand drops to my side, my watch sliding out of her blade, it drops to the cold office floor and shatters. Close…too close…I feel tired…really tired…That took…a lot of mana…and that was just to stop one person…albeit that person the lord of time but…ok. Thinking time detective! Where do we go that gets us the most time…what wouldn’t Kronii suspect… It has to be...Her reality marble! She didn’t notice me enter last time! She didn’t notice IRyS! Something there is off, whatever it is, will save me. Maybe she’s been lying the whole time about that place, she’s been lying about everything else…Sigh... Sorry Ina…I’m breaking my promise…But I believe in myself…I hope you will believe in me too…I can stop her! Alright…you can do this Ame…You were BORN to do this! Forward, to the far edge of fate! Training wheels? I’m a time traveler too!

A Wish to Decide the Future:
Entry 5 A Past Already Past:
Entry 7