[Gurren Lagann] The Dream of Wonder
Title: The Dream of Wonder
Fandom: Gurren Lagann
Pairing: Simon/Nia, hint of Kamina/Yoko
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 679
Notes: Takes place in the setting of "The Sense of Wonder," from Parallel Works 2.
Summary: Free for the first time, Nia learns what it means to dream.
She does not remember how she felt when she gave him the red stone (he whispers to her later, much later, that she was smiling). In those days, she felt very little of anything. But the boy made her feel something, even though she does not know anymore (if she ever did) what it was.
The girl called him "Simon," because it sounded nice. In return, he called her "Nia." She remembers that much.
She does not meet him again until much later, but he looks the same. He still looks like Simon. But that is not what she asks him about--in Boss Genome's sprawling lair, few people grow and age. She asks him instead, "What is this thing you have given me?"
He curls his hands tightly. "You were the one who gave me something," he says. "I've kept it all these years."
(It hasn't been easy; Numbers aren't normally allowed to have possessions. But 33 is a maintenance Number, and few questions are asked when he turns up with the occasional odd thing. It's just keeping the same odd and beautiful thing for all these years that has been hard.)
"You gave me 'Nia,'" she says. "What is that?"
"It's a name," he says. "Don't you know? You gave me a name, too. That's how I started to find out about the outside world."
"The outside world...?"
"Everyone has names there," he says.
"Let's go there someday," Nia says.
"We can't," he says. "This is the only place for us."
But in the end, he changes his mind. She does not understand until too late what it costs him.
* * *
They are so far from the great castle that Nia's feet are raw and aching when the man with the name "Viral" calls for them to stop walking. She feels as if her eyes hurt more than her feet, from the tears.
"We're far enough," Viral says. "Let's rest."
"Rest?" Nia asks. Her voice is soft, because otherwise it would be hoarse.
"You know," Viral says. "Sleep."
She shakes her head.
"When you close your eyes, and it gets dark...?"
"Oh!" Recollection comes to Nia. "Boss Genome would put a black cover over my cage, and all the light would go away. Then nothing happened for a while. Is that what it's like?"
"Yeah," Viral says, "except you dream, too."
(In Boss Genome's castle, some of the Numbers are specially employed to suck up the dreams of all the other captives with their minds. They must be replaced often, for they go mad.)
"I don't know what 'dream' is," Nia says.
Viral sighs. "You'll learn."
* * *
Kamina, who was named by Simon, catches Yoko, who was named by Kamina, in a hall. He leans in as if he is practicing for his nightly tasks. "Simon never came back," he says.
"Did you expect him to?" Yoko asks, with her eyes serious and sad.
"Well...he's Simon," Kamina says. "He's not like the rest of us Numbers."
"But he's still a Number," Yoko says.
"What do you think happened to him?" Kamina asks. They are running out of time; someone is approaching down the hallway, and they can both sense it is not another Number.
"He must have disappeared," Yoko says.
"Simon doesn't just disappear!" Kamina says.
"Maybe he turned into something," Yoko says. "Something we can't have here."
* * *
"I'm sorry you have to go on alone, Nia," Simon says. They are sitting in a field of flowers the same perfect red as the stone she gave him.
"But you're here now," she says. "Let's go on together."
He shakes his head. "You'll wake up," he says.
"What is 'wake up'?"
"You'll learn," he says. "You'll learn a lot of things."
"I wanted to learn them with you," she says. "Why are you here but not here?"
He touches her cheek, then strokes a finger across her forehead. "I'm here," he says. "Forever."
When Nia wakes up, she is crying more tears, and she knows what a dream is.
Fandom: Gurren Lagann
Pairing: Simon/Nia, hint of Kamina/Yoko
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 679
Notes: Takes place in the setting of "The Sense of Wonder," from Parallel Works 2.
Summary: Free for the first time, Nia learns what it means to dream.
She does not remember how she felt when she gave him the red stone (he whispers to her later, much later, that she was smiling). In those days, she felt very little of anything. But the boy made her feel something, even though she does not know anymore (if she ever did) what it was.
The girl called him "Simon," because it sounded nice. In return, he called her "Nia." She remembers that much.
She does not meet him again until much later, but he looks the same. He still looks like Simon. But that is not what she asks him about--in Boss Genome's sprawling lair, few people grow and age. She asks him instead, "What is this thing you have given me?"
He curls his hands tightly. "You were the one who gave me something," he says. "I've kept it all these years."
(It hasn't been easy; Numbers aren't normally allowed to have possessions. But 33 is a maintenance Number, and few questions are asked when he turns up with the occasional odd thing. It's just keeping the same odd and beautiful thing for all these years that has been hard.)
"You gave me 'Nia,'" she says. "What is that?"
"It's a name," he says. "Don't you know? You gave me a name, too. That's how I started to find out about the outside world."
"The outside world...?"
"Everyone has names there," he says.
"Let's go there someday," Nia says.
"We can't," he says. "This is the only place for us."
But in the end, he changes his mind. She does not understand until too late what it costs him.
* * *
They are so far from the great castle that Nia's feet are raw and aching when the man with the name "Viral" calls for them to stop walking. She feels as if her eyes hurt more than her feet, from the tears.
"We're far enough," Viral says. "Let's rest."
"Rest?" Nia asks. Her voice is soft, because otherwise it would be hoarse.
"You know," Viral says. "Sleep."
She shakes her head.
"When you close your eyes, and it gets dark...?"
"Oh!" Recollection comes to Nia. "Boss Genome would put a black cover over my cage, and all the light would go away. Then nothing happened for a while. Is that what it's like?"
"Yeah," Viral says, "except you dream, too."
(In Boss Genome's castle, some of the Numbers are specially employed to suck up the dreams of all the other captives with their minds. They must be replaced often, for they go mad.)
"I don't know what 'dream' is," Nia says.
Viral sighs. "You'll learn."
* * *
Kamina, who was named by Simon, catches Yoko, who was named by Kamina, in a hall. He leans in as if he is practicing for his nightly tasks. "Simon never came back," he says.
"Did you expect him to?" Yoko asks, with her eyes serious and sad.
"Well...he's Simon," Kamina says. "He's not like the rest of us Numbers."
"But he's still a Number," Yoko says.
"What do you think happened to him?" Kamina asks. They are running out of time; someone is approaching down the hallway, and they can both sense it is not another Number.
"He must have disappeared," Yoko says.
"Simon doesn't just disappear!" Kamina says.
"Maybe he turned into something," Yoko says. "Something we can't have here."
* * *
"I'm sorry you have to go on alone, Nia," Simon says. They are sitting in a field of flowers the same perfect red as the stone she gave him.
"But you're here now," she says. "Let's go on together."
He shakes his head. "You'll wake up," he says.
"What is 'wake up'?"
"You'll learn," he says. "You'll learn a lot of things."
"I wanted to learn them with you," she says. "Why are you here but not here?"
He touches her cheek, then strokes a finger across her forehead. "I'm here," he says. "Forever."
When Nia wakes up, she is crying more tears, and she knows what a dream is.