The Disappearance of Osomatsu-san

Chapter 85: Hollow Promise

"Someone.. anyone.. help me.. please.."

Oso's eyes snapped open upon hearing something ring in his ears.

"It hurts.. so much.. and it's so dark.. and cold in here.. please.. save me.."

It sounded so pained, like the owner of the voice was struggling to get his words out, almost as if he was choking on something.

"I.. I want my nii-san.. I'm scared.. Ichi-niisan, where are you..?"

Wait a minute.

"I can't.. I can't take it anymore..

Jyushi..?

He got the reply he wanted, thankfully.

"I'm scared.. I'm really scared.. Ichi-niisan.. where are you..? Everything is so.. dark.. I can't see anything, nii-san.."

Even though Jyushi didn't really answer him, at least he got a reply.

Jyushi.. Jyushi, can you hear me?

"H-huh..? Who.. who are you..?"

I am Matsuno Osomatsu.

"Osomatsu-niisan..?"

Ah. Did Jyushi mistake him for the other Osomatsu then? Oso would have corrected him, but Jyushi sounded so terrified.. he needed reassurance, Oso knew. Well, it wouldn't be too bad. After all, he was Osomatsu as well.

...Yes. I am Osomatsu-niisan.

"Where.. where are you..? Please.. please help me.. it hurts.."

I'll help you, don't worry. How does it feel?

"I can't.. I can't see.. and I can't.. move.."

..Alright. I'm going to save you, so please. Hold on for me and for your nii-san, okay?

"...Okay.."

Good. So please.. rest, will you?

"..I'll rest.."

..We'll be there when you wake up. Promise.

It was Jyushi's voice that was echoing in his head, something only he could hear. He noticed that the Monochrome Dreamland seemingly darkened in atmosphere. The papers fluttering around them were turning into dust. Black dust, that is. He turned around to check if it was as bad as he thought, and much to his frustration, it was. The papers that were below them were now dust, and they were piling up rather quickly. Oso floated up a bit, seeing as how the dust might be able to touch his feet soon. He wondered how many papers turned into dust while he was trying to pick up Jyushi's voice.

He noticed that Kara seemed to be panicking by the sudden change, and Todo's grip on him had tightened out of instinct and protectiveness. Ichi looked worried as well, and so did Lonely, as they floated over to him, surrounding him in a circle. Kara was beside Todo, who was beside Lonely, who was beside Ichi, who was beside Kara. Oso felt a bit suffocated at the lack of personal space between him and his four clones. "What's going on, Owl?" Asked Lonely, fiddling with his fingers. "It.. it suddenly became like this.. what is going on?"

It seemed that the Monochrome Dreamland was falling apart, Oso noted. Besides the fact that it was darker now and most of the white things in the area were now black as coal, some of Jyushi's "memories", also known as the papers fluttering all over the place, were starting to turn into black dust and fall on the ground like snow. Oso decided to reach out for one of the papers that were still in an alright condition, but upon touching them, they immediately turned to dust as well. The papers stopped fluttering upwards too, and instead, it was the black dust that was fluttering upwards, slowly but surely.