Episode I - Revival

Delicate hands ran across wet clay, pressing and carving beautiful and abstract patterns. A gentle smile rests on the face of the girl with delicate hands and a carefree style. Her gentle voice guides a soldier, and the soldier follows the instructions with furrowed brows and gritted teeth.

The girl with the gentle voice stops before looking at her friend. Her friend followed suit quickly― foot lifting away from the mechanism that spun the soon to be pottery. Their eyes met, and Kyoko couldn't help but notice the obvious ― to her, at least— agitation in the eyes of her friend. Kyoko rests a hand on her friend, and the agitation melts away for a moment before resuming the look her friend reserves only for, in this instance, Kyoko. She offers her friend a warm smile in turn.

“Too much?” Kyoko asks. Her friend made a quick but quiet sound and a less than obvious slow head nod as an answer. To be fair, Kyoko didn't expect much from her friend. The auburn haired girl glanced around the small pottery class. It was a school day, and Kyoko had skipped her classes in order to spend time with her childhood friend. She had hoped not many people would be here. A few younger high schoolers were chatting about, along with a few elderly, and the odd YouTuber making a video. It was quiet to Kyoko. A comforting smile spread across the younger girl's face. “Hey, it's okay. I'm here when you want to talk, okay?”

Her bestie eyed her for a moment before shutting those frequently guarded eyes and taking a measured breath. When Kyoko’s bestie’s eyes opened again, the pale golden gaze remained narrowed at the duo's connected hands. Her friend carefully rubbed a trembling thumb over Kyoko's hand. It was a wordless response. A code, in a sense. 

" Stay ” was the translation, or in this case, request. Kyoko gave a small laugh, and her friend looked away, embarrassed.

It was a silly request. Now, why would she leave her anti-social friend alone in a room filled with people?

“Did you think I'd leave you here alone? With people?” The melody of her voice came. She laughed softly, like small bells jingling, and her friend gave her no immediate audible reply. A simple twitch of the hand Kyoko held gave her the answer she expected. She gave another laugh, this one of pure joyous humor.

“I'd rather eat my shoe,” came the disgruntled reply. Kyoko laughed more, and she knew her friend was successfully calmed. “Can I have my hand back?”

“Oh, of course, sorry.” Her friend said nothing, simply standing up and stretching. Kyoko watched her friend for a moment before another laugh began to threaten to leave her lips.

“What has you laughing, lass?” Her sea dog of a friend asked. Kyoko held her laughter back, despite the burning pain that grew as she did so, as she pointed out her accidental art piece on her friend's hand. Her friend looked down at her hand, only to see a somewhat perfectly painted dragon in a star shape. “How the actual f-”

The duo heard a thud against the glass windows of the pottery shop. Kyoko looked over to the window, her eyes widening as she saw a man very animatedly gesturing for― something? Or someone…

Kyoko suddenly felt a burning pair of eyes drilling into her. Slowly, she turned to look at her friend, whose crossed arms and shaking head almost made her sweatdrop.

Their eyes met, and Kyoko knew immediately what her friend was accusing her of doing. “Hey! I swear I didn't agree to go on a date with that guy! I don't even know him!” For some reason, it felt as though her friend grew in size with each second that passed. “Come on! Be real right now! I promise, I don't even know him!”

After that, they both got sent outside by a staff member. Apparently, Kyoko and that guy she didn't know were making a ruckus, and it was their job to deal with it. Darn it! Kyoko’s bestie had to drag them away. The two of them were led to the park, and it seemed like that bright orange head of hair had anticipated decided to follow them.

Kyoko's eye twitched. The sounds of the twittering birds only added to her agitation. The lanky yet built man finally acknowledged them and rushed over, a surprising amount of swagger in his steps.

“Hello, ma'am,” he said, looking directly at Kyoko. “You seem like the popular type. Is there any chance you or your friend here needs a big bad someone to fight off all the boys after your hand?”

Kyoko blinked. And blinked. And blinked.

She looked at her friend who had gone back to the dreadful default state of “I do not give a fuck and there is nothing you can do to make me,” and even moreso “If I get dragged into this situation I am committing murder and getting away with it.” At least, that's what Kyoko views it as.

“Um.” She felt a bud of nervousness begin to grow in her chest and she quickly tried to push it down. “Sorry sir, but neither of us need any help with that. Thank you, though?”

The man seemed to pout before a sly grin spread across his features. “Then you must be in the department of looking for a boyfriend then, yes?”

At that moment, Kyoko had only one thought.

What. The. Fuck?

The man didn't give her time to respond. “Come on! How about a date? If all goes well, I'll even pay!” Before Kyoko could say no, and yes, she was tooootally about to say no, she heard a scoff from her friend.

“Fuck off.” Came the simple answer; not from Kyoko, of course, but it was still an answer! Her friend stood up and looked up at the man before them.

“Heh?” The man started, visible confusion on his face. “Whose kid is this?” 

Shit. No! I mean yes, go get him bestie boo, but FUCK! We don't need the cops to get involved!

“Wait wait wait, hold up!” Kyoko spread her hands out frantically. She knew her friend wouldn't start a fight, but she also knew her friend wasn’t gonna back out of finishing one! “Let's handle this a bit more calmly, yeah?”

Her friend looked from her to the new guy, then raised a brow. Kyoko's mind raced, grabbing the mental translation book she had on standby at all times.

In her mind a mini-Kyoko rapidly began swiping pages back and forth with more code books on standby as she internally analyzed the situation in a panic.

Okay let's see, mystery man asked out your beautiful, and amazing bestie boo while you're already in a bad mood. You stand up to the man after rudely saying “fuck off”, oh no and my bestie doesn't usually cuss either AHHHHHH. Okay, okay, then you raise a brow. WAIT! What time is it?

A kindly gaggle of teens run by. “Quick! Before we miss our next hour!”

And then some elderly couple walk by. “Hurry dear, we can't be late! That movie starts at 3pm!”

Okay. We're in the park and the nearest theater is about 30 or so minutes away and if they're running late that must mean that we're sitting pretty at 2:32ish pm! Conclusion! My bestie is eepy!

Kyoko looks at the man who hasn’t yet introduced himself, a kind and friendly smile on her face as she stands in front of her friend. “Sorry, my bestie is a bit tired right now. We just got kicked out of that pottery class over there because of the ruckus, you see, and we both have to be back home before this one has to head back to job training.” Kyoko sends a look to her friend, and hears a sigh.

“Yeah. What she said.” Her friend places a hand on her shoulder and looks at the orange haired man, offering and a hand in greeting. “Apologies,” came the drawn out response, “It's been a long day and you look like you're in your 20s so you can understand my hesitation.”

The man sighs and gives her friend a look. “Fiiiiine, I'll forgive ya. But you need to work on your apologies. That was kind of lame.” Kyoko’s friend simply shrugs. He accepts the hand, “The name's Yo, and you're right about my age.” Suddenly, he stops and looks at the both of them incredulously. “Wait, how old are you both?”

Kyoko smiles; time for her entrance! “I'm 17!” She then points to her friend cheerfully. Leaning herself on a left shoulder, casual as you please, she holds up a peace sign. “And this one is 18!”

Yo looks back and forth between them, his head moving in a jerky motion. His eye twitches, “O-oh. Um. Yeah, okay.” Flailing as if the information just slapped him like a wet fish, Yo scrambles upright, screaming.

“Ahhhh! Stay away, stay away! Nooooo thank you.” He begins to run away, before remembering himself. Yo turns to them and bows repeatedly, an expression of anguish on his face. 

He choked out, “I'm sorry to bother you, have a nice day!” before finally running away.

The duo stood in silence for a moment, gazing at the torn up grass Yo left behind. Kyoko laughed awkwardly before turning fully to face her friend. “Well, that went alright! Better than I expected,” she giggled. 

“Yeah, it di―” The world suddenly went slow.

Bestie grabbed her, spun, and threw her. As Kyoko was pushed to the ground, landing in a sitting position and leaning forwards on her elbow, she saw a green light sweep across the sky. Her eyes widened as her and her friend locked eyes. 

She saw something in those eyes. Something she never saw before. A singular sparkle, a small flicker of ― 

And then the world turned black.

~ ~ Kyoko's Theme ~ ~

The first thing she felt was a cold something falling onto her cheek. Her eyes cracked open from a long dark abyss only to be met with a paler darkness. Jagged, upside down rock hung from the roof of the cave. Stalactite or stalagmite..?  She tiredly questioned, her mind adjusting to the world in a painstakingly slow manner. Kyoko would have moved if she had more strength, but her laid prone limbs felt too tired and heavy. 

Another slow droplet descended onto the auburn haired girl and a cold wind rolled over her body. For a moment she caught the sound of something cracking, and a faint clatter. Her energy started to kick in, but she still didn't have the thought to move. Despite her dazed state Kyoko was acutely aware of two interesting factors.

She was buck fucking naked, and partially encased in stone.

Now, normally the mental association between lack of clothes and water droplets was chill with her, but it was way too dry for that. From where she could feel the moss tickling her shoulder blades, Kyoko flew into a sitting position. Thick stone fragments collapsed from her upper body, and she hugged herself.

“What..?”

Shaking her head ― dust crumbling― Kyoko’s brain had rebooted, and she realized something wonderfully important: she was finally free. All that time rethinking her relationships with her loved ones, running through the plot of every story she’d ever care about, and vividly imagining every pottery technique under the sun for hours upon end… It was behind her! 

“WOOHOO!” Her cheer resounded throughout what Kyoko now saw was a cave, with the haphazardly placed moss she’d woken up on growing on a natural stone formation in the center. She flinched hard, though, when a small swarm of bats swooped out of the cave at her disruption. 

Twirling around, she was suddenly blinded by a beam of light. Kyoko’s eyes squeezed shut briefly. Despite that, it was a brilliant white glow that seemed to call to her. With new found energy she leapt off her rock, though her muscles ached with the movement. Before any other thoughts could overtake her she strode out of the dark expanse she had awoken in without a second thought.

As her foot hit the prickly grass beneath her Kyoko felt a wobbly-ness in her ankle. * Oh god, * she mentally screamed, gasping. Her green eyes widened. Frantically windmilling her arms, Kyoko for a heart-stopping moment almost failed to catch her balance. 

Oh no, that was close! Inner Kyoko panicked as she rapidly tapped her feet against the green ground, stretching her limbs. Rolling my ankle when I need to survive in what must be a nature-reclaimed land by now would be horrible…

She tossed her braid back over her shoulder, reassessing. 

The world outside the cave was bright and vibrant. The beginnings of a new season soon to come visible in everything. Incoming greens caught her eyes and powerful, yellow rays of light assaulted her bare skin. Her grass and earth under foot made her pause. With her eyebrows scrunched together, Kyoko took a deep breath and stepped forward. After what felt like an eternity – but was only a small period of time – Kyoko was met with an audible crunching of something underfoot. 

It was more stone. There were pieces of it crusted to her body, and a thinner piece just got folded under her toes. “Great,” she sighed, “Getting the rest of this off is going to suck.”

Looking around her, Kyoko couldn’t help a smile. “But at least I’m seeing sunshine for the first time in who knows how long,” she exclaimed, spreading her arms behind her with her head tilted towards the sky.

The faint sounds of nature swarmed her being. The birds were twittering, the few bushes littered about rustled, there was a vaguely suspicious humanoid shape made of stone in the ground.

Wait.

What?

Her green eyes snapped to the stone figure and she approached it. The unpleasant stone that held her captive for who knows how many years continued to fall off as the earth and leaves underfoot crunched her her.

She sat close to the stone figure leaning to inspect it.

A person with wild hair and a slim body. Definitely a man, and his hair was most certainly gravity defying. He looked vaguely familiar, maybe she had seen him around school?

She peered at him, able to just make out more identifying figures despite the slight blurriness of her vision. 

Stupid nearsightedness. She mentally sighed exasperated. Well, I mean, he does seem familiar. Maybe one of Yuzuriha's friends? I know my bestie doesn't really have any other friends.

As she stared down at the man, well, boy it dawned on her.

Wait! It can't be! Her eyes widened as realization slammed into her hard than a ton of bricks. Holy he'll it's that science kid! Senku, was it?

She looked back to the cave from where she came, then down at the high schooler. If anyone can figure out what the hell happened, it'd be this guy. Right?

She dug him out of the mossy dirt encasing him. A twinge of sadness took over her as she came to yet another realization.

Senku's not the type to skip school if his reputation is anything to go by.  She glanced around. And this is nowhere near the park. Where are we?

After digging out the boy she began to drag his statue to the cave. If I'm out of the stone, and I came out of that cave, maybe that weird liquid had something to do with all of this?

The stone was heavy. Heavier than it looked at least, and she had some decent muscle on her due to her time carrying and making pottery. Even then, it took her a good while before she got him to the cave.

I need a chiropractor after this!

The process was long. By the time she was halfway done her muscles ached, a burning pain more intense than anything she knew she could ever feel before. The stone fragments on her body fell off and her feet were beyond sore.

If this doesn't work, she mentally cursed I will PERSONALLY smack the person who made all of this happen myself

Her hands gripped tighter around the slippery stone. The moist air had dampened it enough that grabbing it was more of a hassle than anything else. She got the statue halfway to her intended location before her stomach growled.

Where's a free, 3 star restaurant when you need it? She internally cried. 

Her eyes scanned the forest around her. Despite the ever so slight fuzz of the trees she didn't see much.

She glanced down at the statue, then at the cave.

What are the chances this guy is going to wake up and walk off?

A cold breeze blew by. Her eyes widened. A light flush of red crept up her neck, dotting her cheeks.

I need clothes.  Came the sudden realization.

If you had asked Kyoko how long it took for her to fasten clothing for herself you would be answered with less words and more of a -

What? Me? Forget how to make leaf clothing. Pfft. Nooooooooo.

Which just so happened to be now. With the vines and bushes in her pale hands Kyoko was met with the horrible realization that…

Making vine clothing would last in the long run. She'd need animal hide at some point, which meant making traps, making lures, and then skinning whatever she caught.

Okay so deer would be preferable because, well, a big body means more skin but what do I do about the meat? I don't know how to preserve that much.

She glanced at the leaves around her. They were small but as long as they did what she needed them to, it should all be fine. Right?

She tugged on the vines in her hands. It wasn't the studies thing but maybe it could help her catch rabbits? How many rabbits would she need though? But what if she attracted other animals with the rabbits? What if she attracted wolves? Were there even wolves in Japan? There would have to be, right?

Her mind continued to spiral. Thoughts racing at a rapid fire pace. Her head felt dizzy.

Why was she doing this again? Oh yeah she doesn't want to be naked in front of some dude who was a friend of her friend…

She forgot to put him in the cave. 

* Well. I feel stupid now.* She laughed to herself. She made her way back to Senku, the vines still in hand as she did so. Her back ached at the realization; she'd have to pull him further to get him into the cave.

If only I had some sort of shopping cart to put him in. An idea dawned on her. Her aura darkened, the gears in her mind turned, and the idea became realized.

Yes. Yes this will work. 

She approached the statue, her dark aura surrounding her as she did. With deliberate movements and a focused mind Kyoko wrapped Senku in the vines. It was admittedly an awkward way to go about it all. The vines had to be looped around him and she had to grab more in order to make her idea work.

If you squinted hard enough it looked like he was wrapped in a harness made of leaves and vines. If you didn't squint though it looked like a mass of vines had overtaken a statue of some random 16 year old.

She felt breathless after her work was done. His stone body was simultaneously light and heavy and she felt like maybe she did a bit much but better safe than sorry, right?

She sighed and glared down at the statue. She needed a minute to catch her breath. She felt her stomach rumble. 

I'd grab berries but I don't know if there are any nearby. There's not much left to do, I just have to pull him into the cave. Then I can grab something, right?

The sunset still hung in the sky albeit only for a bit. Her skin felt hot. The rays of light definitely weren't comfortable but it is how it is. She'd drag him to the cave, hope whatever the mystery liquid that fell on her would revive him and then grab something to eat. It was a simple plan but she didn't exactly have the energy to make anything as complicated as her friend usually did.

Where are you? She wondered to herself. They were close to each other when this all started. Less than 10 feet away. Where did you get dragged to?

Her heart clenched. She knew her friend. She doubted her bestie would bother to stay conscious like she did.

She had to push the thoughts away. It took some time, and her muscles ached even more, but she eventually got Senku into the cave.

Seeing the inside of the cave was a bit of a bizarre feeling. She was out of it for only maybe a few hours but being back inside made her skin crawl. It was like being in that cold again. Nothing but her own thoughts and memories keeping her company as she desperately clung to any and all stories she knew for what felt like an eternity.

The moment her foot touched the cool stone was the moment she realized, truly realized, she might not be the only one who felt trapped. Her gaze fell to Senku. She wondered what ran through his mind.

Did he already know what happened? Did he already accept that the world they knew was gone? Did he even realize the world was gone and reclaimed by nature? Would he know where they are if woke up?

It was silly to think all of this. Maybe she just wanted to not be alone anymore. She was out for less than a day but she had focused so much on basic things only to ignore so many other necessary things.

She just didn't want to be alone anymore.

She made it to the mound she had found herself coming out of. An imperfect dome of squishiness stared at her. She tried not to think much about it as she placed Senku under the dripping liquid.

There was a strong smell in the cave. Something both familiar and almost like a distant memory.

Just don't think about it, Kyoko. She thought to herself. The less you think about it, the better.  She casted one last look at Senku. She hoped she was right about this.

The next month or so went by at mind numbingly slow pace. She had somehow managed to catch and skin the necessary animals to make proper clothing for herself. In regards to the quality of it, well, beggars can't be choosers. Her clothes were functional and they didn't look horrible all things considered.

A simple dress that kept her warm and gave her the ability to walk far and even run. Of course she made shoes but that took surprisingly longer in her free time and did little to cushion the walking she had to do.

It felt like every day was dedicated to drinking, eating, hunting and more. It was draining mentally and physically. The first weeks were worse and it seemed to only get more painful.

She had made a base close to the cave. She was lucky that the vines were strong enough to catch rabbits. If not she'd have to chance the berries and mushrooms and, sadly, her knowledge on those two things weren't as great as she wished they were.

Her hands were sore, as were most of her muscles. Her eyes had bags underneath due to her growing fear of the night. She was teetering on the line of exhaustion, and it didn't help that every little thing reminded her she was impossibly alone in a world that used to house billions  of people.

The energy it took to survive was more than she originally thought.

On another note, the forest was always alive. It was simultaneously a comfort and a terror. During the day she would hear birds and the rusting of animals. She usually spotted some smaller creatures during the day.

At night, though, she'd hear the sounds of other animals. Animals that were bigger than your average dog. Animals that made her really, truly fear the night. 

Growling and heavy footfalls kept her up some nights. They stood out against the mostly silent night. It was always different animals. Sometimes it was simply a boar, other times something bigger or smaller.

She tried to convince herself it was just wolves the first time, and that she'd be safe as long as she was in the tree.

Even then, she made a point to be cautious and ended up making a spear for defense. She also hung-up her sleeping bag in a nearby tree after she found large claw marks at the base of some trees further in the forest.

It went without saying, surviving took a lot of energy. She didn't know how much longer she could do it alone.

Her one comfort were the stars and the moon. They were a contrast to the night sky, for obvious reasons. She couldn't name any of the constellations but she still found them all to be a comfort.

They shone overhead ever so silently. Distant but constant. It reminded her of the people she knew before all of this.

From her family, to her friends, even her classmates. Constants that she would see each day of her life. Her heart beat felt painful. Her shoulders sank as she watched the moon fall.

I'll find them. She thought determinedly. I'll find them and bring them back. Her eyes hardened and her gentle hands turned to clenched fists Whatever it takes.

Her eyes wandered from the stars and moon to the cave. She had left it alone for the most part. Something about how dark it got made her nervous, the all too familiar feeling made her keep away.

She knew she'd have to check on Senku again. She glanced at the sky. It was a full moon. She briefly remembered something her friend told her from, what feels like, eons ago.

” Most people stay up longer at night, well, when there's a full moon at least.”  She recalled. Kyoko didn't know if that was true or not. At the time she just assumed her friend was suffering from the change in time zones. Now, a small part of her hopes she was right.

Kyoko pulled herself from her sleeping bag and onto the supporting branch. Her spear was near the base of the tree so she just had to not fall onto it and she'd be fine.

Her muscles strained and cried in protest as she pulled descended the tree. Her hands holding the back in an attempt to not fall.

Even as she climbed her mind ran wild.

Echoes of the past began to linger and each moment of her life flashed at random. Memories of friends, of family and even lovers. Brief reminders of the luxuries she had taken for granted in the old world.

Her memories flood her with both joy and sadness.

It was strange how sudden it was. How her throat clenched and made her unable to speak. How her eyes and cheeks suddenly began to tear up and be stained.

She remembered her time with her mother and father. How they always did their best to be patient with her and how they always tried so hard to help your achieve her goals. She thought of her siblings who always annoyed her life younger brothers and sisters do. How they'd go from arguing one moment to laughing at something else the next.

She even thought of her friends.

From Yuzuriha who was talented in her crafts. A young prodigy or extreme workaholic. She remembered reaching out to the girl at first, how she was timid long ago.

I hope she's okay. Kyoko thought. I hope they're all okay.

And then her thoughts fell to the two people she knew could figure out the entire mess.

One was her friend. The first person to come to mind was a person who she knew would do anything to bring back humanity, but only for the right price. Kyoko was no fool. Her friend could be kind but she knew reviving this one would be a task left for another day.

Then there was the other person who came to mind. The genius school scientist, the man who - if anyone could - bring back the modern world.

Senku Ishigami.

She never met him. Kyoko had heard of him before, and seen glimpses of him from time to time but they never spoke to one another.

For one he was always in the science lab. For two, he was her junior by a singular year. While normally she didn't care much for age, the simple fact was she just didn't share any classes or clubs with him like she did with Yuzuriha.

That, however, didn't mean she was unaware of his mind boggling intelligence.

The moonlight shone down into the entrance of the cave. She swept her thoughts under a mental rug and slowly made her way into it.

Her feet felt like they were weighed down with heavy something . She didn't know if it was nerves or being tired.

The world outside the cave was a great contrast. Even in the darkness of the forest it was still light underneath the moon's gaze. She could hear the rustling of leaves, the sound of night creatures, and even the breeze at times.

But the cave was different. Besides the light from outside the inside was nothing but all too familiar darkness. She already felt the goosebumps forming on her skin. She swallowed the building saliva in her mouth.

It was silent. Painstakingly silent. Her mind flashed to her friend, the one she was with when this horrible event happened. She hoped her friend fell asleep and didn't hold on. The silence in this cave was almost as unbearable as the one in the stone. The only saving grace here was the hope for a miracle at the one source of sound there was.

Her footsteps were absorbed by the cave floor. The cold stone at first sent shocks through her feet, then became calming. The light accompanied her for a bit as she approached the center of the large cavernous maw.

Her eyes fell onto him. The stone figure of her one hope. The unmoving body of Senku Ishigami.

Her thoughts raged back and forth. A tsunami that moved eternally, concealed only by the greens of her eyes.

What if this doesn't work? She asked herself. She moved closer, now only an arm's length away from the boy. What if all of this was for nothing?  The thought sent a horrible chill down her spine and into the rest of her bones.

It had only been a month. She could be wrong. What if this liquid wasn't what brought her out of the stone? What if she woke up too soon? What if she was too late?

So many different things. Unanswerable questions ran through her mind. It was horrible.

She could almost hear the voices of her family. A deep seeded longing in her chest. Her nails dug into her palms as she shook her head to get rid of the thoughts.

Small flickers of memories. Birthdays, movie nights, and promises. Every smile, every tear, every moment she could remember flickered into her mind.

Hands being held, the screams of joy or rage, all of it. Gone.

“Please,” came her voice, strained as she held back tears. How had she managed this long just by herself? She didn't know. “Please.” Who was she begging? Him or the world? 

With her eyes shut she was forced to focus on sound. The dripping continued. Then followed more. Her face felt hot.

The knowledge that she would never see her friends or family coming back. She would never again hear the annoying voice of her brother, never hold her mother, never fight with her sister, never suffer her father's long winded speeches. The thought felt horrible.

But the worst part of all? She never got to say goodbye.

“Please, Ishigami. I don't think I can do this alone anymore.”

Her words hung in the quiet world for a moment. Then she heard something. A small cracking noise. Her eyes opened.

A small ray of light shone into the cave.

Her eyes widened. The stone was cracking.

Almost instantly her heart froze. The crack grew quickly and soon she was met with the eyes of the boy.

Crimson eyes were blinded by the sun's new rays. 

In a world filled with greens and browns, blues and yellows, she was met with the red gaze of science. 

She didn't know what to do, what to say. The first person she saw in who knows how many years (returned from stone no less!) and his eyes were already the most beautiful thing she ever saw.

In a world filled with ever consuming darkness, his eyes held the light that gave her hope.