Chapter Text
This is probably a change you weren’t expecting.
…but, as long as we work together…
Everything is going to be okay. I promise.
____________________________________________________________________________
“Are you still sleeping, little brother?”
Not anymore. Omori rubbed his eyes, trying to fight his drowsiness. In the background, he could hear yet another fight between Aubrey and Kel, with Hero (unsuccessfully) trying to break them up. Omori lies on the picnic blanket, his little square, his domain that no one could enter.
As soon as his eyes became heavy again, he heard a clicking sound.
“Hey, Omori! Are you still sleeping?”
Omori got up (begrudgingly) and glared at Basil, camera in hand. Why would you ask someone that question? Basil must have gotten the hint, as he began sweating and looked to the left. Omori looked and saw Mari shrug while she made tiny sandwiches.
“Sorry, Basil. You brought this on yourself.”
“What- but you asked to-OW! I get it, I’m sorry!” Sorry doesn’t save Basil from the intense ear pinching that he deserves. No one interrupts his dreamless sleep and lives to tell the tale.
Omori heard another clicking sound from his left. When he looked, he saw Mari, camera now in her hand, with a smug smile on her face.
A new target has been acquired. Omori got up and slowly walked toward his sister. Mari waved the offending material in her hands, her impish smile showing her lack of remorse. Vengeance will be swift, vengeance will be merciless. Vengeance…
Omori hears his stomach grumble.
…in the end, it doesn’t matter if revenge is served best hot or cold. As long as it’s served with a side of sandwiches.
“Here you go!” she said, handing him a tasty-looking sandwich. “I got the bread back in the Orange Oasis. This bread apparently came all the way from…Heaven? I’m unsure. But it seems tasty!”
…Maybe some people deserve mercy.
Omori reached for the sandwich. As he touched the sandwich, his hand brushed hers.
For a brief moment, everything turned to white. The happy cries of children yielded to nothingness. The sun was replaced with a blackened lightbulb. He looked back and saw no Basil, just White Space and red hands in the distance.
When he looked back, he saw…Mari? But she was just like him. Snow white skin, jet black hair, and those black soulless eyes.
Just as it came, it left soon after. His head hovered over Mari's offering.
“SUNNY? Omori? Don’t you want your sandwich?” Omori didn’t move. He had a feeling.
This feeling…it’s like if you’re in a dark room all by yourself, and you can hear a skittering in the background followed by silence. A pang inside your heart and stomach, as though something was wrong and your stomach was about to drop to your knees. Omori felt that in his stomach and heart, but mostly in his head. A nagging pain like the beginning of a bad headache, as though someone was scratching and gnawing the back of his subconscious.
The dreamer was stirring. Omori knew that when the headache came, White Space often followed.
He took a deep breath. The pang inside him dulled. He grabbed the sandwich. The show must go on.
“Oh, Omori. You always space out!” said his sister. He sat back down beside her. Basil also had a sandwich and sat beside him.
“Hey, Omori. Sorry about waking you.”
Omori looked at him and sighed. Annoying as he was, he was important…to him. And to Omori as well, to an extent. Omori pats him on the head, a sign of goodwill. Basil’s smile could outshine the sun.
“HEY! Are you having lunch without us?” asked Aubrey.
“No fair! I want some!” said Kel.
“Settle down, you two! I’m sure there’s plenty for everyone!” said Hero.
The gang was all here. Safe, happy, and together.
They began eating while discussing plans.
“So, Omori, what do you want to do today?” said Hero.
“No fair. Why does Omori always get to pick?!” said Kel.
“'Cause all of your ideas suck, Kel!” said Aubrey.
As the bickering continued, Omori was left in thought. Headspace was stretched to its brim. Basil was safe, side quests were done, and it was as though Headspace itself was wrapped up with a neat little bow.
Omori shrugged.
“Oh, I guess Omori doesn’t know where to go…, I guess it is open to anyone!” Said Mari.
Immediately, the floodgates opened.
“The Orange Oasis!”
“I wanna go fly our kites!”
“Snowglobe Mountain is quite nice this time of year!”
Mari raised a hand to her chin and said, “Well, it seems like we all want to do something different. What about you, Basil?”
“Hmmgh?” Said Basil in the middle of a sandwich. He swallowed and said, “Well, I guess I kinda want to go to…Otherworld? Cattail Fields seemed pretty nice, I was thinking of adding some Cattails to my garden…. WE- we don’t have to go, of course. But…”
“What a great idea, Basil! I also wanted to go to Otherworld! Doesn’t that sound nice, Sunny? Can’t wait to stand on some nice red ground?”
Yep, buzzing again. Omori looked in confusion.
“Oh, right…not red, purple. I must have misremembered.”
Yes…someone must have misremembered. Details get jumbled all the time.
“So, are you three okay with that?” asked Mari, turning to Hero, Aubrey, and Kel. The three thought it over before smiling.
“Sure! That sounds fun!” said Hero.
“You can count me in!” said Aubrey.
“Sounds awesome, I can’t wait!” said Kel.
Omori sighed. When your favorite people are merely actors in a screenplay, every interaction loses its magic. It becomes…forced and routine, as the buzzing in your head grows louder and louder with each passing day.
As Omori hung onto Pluto’s head and ignored Kel’s cries, he pondered further…when did the buzzing start? He remembers it vaguely, starting after saving Basil…in a lighthouse near the pier. Or…somewhere. It was a place where the veil was removed.
Where he learned none of this was real.
No…even then…it was before. When “Mari” appeared to him, ethereal and clad in white. Ever since then, the buzzing in his head never ceased. It was a whisper back then, but now it’s screaming at him.
Omori looked up to the sky. In a sea of endless purple stars and planets, inky darkness encroached. It gobbled up the satellites like a cat laps up milk. The darkness is coming, and the buzzing in his mind is getting louder…something has to give…
“OMORI?!” yelled Basil.
Omori woke up from his trance and looked around. They were on Otherworld, sitting down near the picnic basket. Hero, Aubrey, Kel, and Basil. The crisp space air felt nice in his lungs. The bright purple night sky soothed his rattled nerves. He grabbed the last tube of space food and sucked on it. Mmmm, spacey.
“...that’s just Omori. Always spacing out,” said Hero, sighing. Basil breathed his own sigh of relief while Kel and Aubrey bickered, as usual.
“Give it back, Kel!”
“No way! Mr. Plantegg wants to learn how to flex! Just like me, right Plantegg?” said Kel, flexing his best. Mr. Plantegg did not flex, for it is a plantegg—a plantegg caught in the middle of a vicious tug of war. While that happened, Omori continued to eat from his tube.
“C’mon, guys! Not again!” said an exasperated Hero.
“Ehh, I’m sure it’ll be fine, Hero. They’ll wear themselves out eventually,” said Basil.
“Yeah, I know. But still…if only Mari were here…”
…what.
Omori stood up, dropping the tube to the ground. He looked around again. And Counted. Omori, Basil, Aubrey, Kel, and Hero.
No Mari.
Where is she?
She isn’t supposed to leave her spot.
Why is she gone? Where is she? She is NOT supposed to leave her spot. What’s going on?
Omori moved around frantically, knots making their home in his stomach. His breathing was wild as he moved from spot to spot, looking for a trace of her. His head felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer. His knees started to buckle.
“Omori! What’s wrong?” said a voice.
“Everything’s gonna be fine, Omori. Just breathe!” said another. He listened, at least a little. He breathed in and out. In and out. In and out once more. His vision came back, and he felt Basil’s hands around his shoulders. Hero looked horrified as Kel and Aubrey looked concerned. Aubrey was the first to speak after.
“Omori, is there something wrong?”
Omori looked at the picnic basket and then back at them. This wasn’t right. NONE of this was right. Hero’s eyes widened.
“Oh! Yeah, Mari left to get more food! She mentioned that there was a sale on Space food, and you know how she can’t ignore a good bargain! Don’t wor–ACK,” Hero wheezed as red hands were placed around his neck. Everything went dark with just Omori and Hero floating in an endless void.
Mari should NEVER leave her picnic blanket. The mere idea made Omori furious. The red hands gripped tighter as Hero’s body slowly faded away.
When Hero’s body was completely transparent, everything cut to black…
.
.
.
.
Omori opened his eyes. He was sitting on the picnic blanket in Otherworld, hearing Kel and Aubrey bicker as Hero and Basil looked at him with concern.
“Omori, are you okay?” asked Basil.
“Oh! Basil, he must be worried about Mari!”
Speak of the devil, dainty footsteps were heard from behind him. Mari, with an odd expression on her face, was carrying several tubes of space food. Mmmm, spacey. Everyone rushed over to her in an impromptu group hug.
“Hey! Sorry, I had left for a brief moment to get some food! Hopefully, everything was okay without me?”
“Well, Omori was worried about you, but other than that, everything was fine!” said Hero, taking the space food and handing it out to everyone. The group of friends enjoyed the leisure time, the sun shining on their faces, and that sweet, crisp, space air.
It was nice.
What wasn’t was Basil’s insistence on seeing Cattail Fields. Omori always had a bad feeling about the place. Something about it made him feel…odd. Almost like when he was near that pier, when…something was right at his fingertips. But his vote was overruled by Mari of all people.
“C’mon, little brother. Live a little! Cattail Farms is always fun! The peaceful sky, the pretty plants...I heard that the plants even attract real cats! I even heard...," she said, smirking as though she was telling the biggest secret. "...that the cats there even have two tails! TWO! Can you believe that?” she said. Aubrey’s eyes practically glittered at the thought. The rest of the gang also had their interest piqued. Except Omori.
“C’mon, Omori, please?” Aubrey asked, giving him puppy dog eyes.
“Yeah, Omori! Pleaaasseeeeeee?” said Kel, with another set of puppy dog eyes. Pretty soon, Hero, Basil, and Mari all stared at him, with enough eyes to make a pet shelter jealous.
Even if they were fake, he couldn’t say no to those faces. To his friends.
Omori gave a thumbs up, and everyone cheered.
“Great! I’ll hang back and clean all this up. You guys go on, and I’ll join later!” said Mari, lying on the picnic blanket.
Omori nodded.
Good, stay right there.
________________________
Huh, who knew that cats could have two tails? Well, Omori has seen cats with spider legs, so this is slightly more normal than that. But at least 20 times cuter. Aubrey seemed to agree, as she was trying to pet about 20 kittens at once.
“HEY! Stop that Nyow! I’m a dignified feline… that just so happens to be absolutely adorable!” One of them wriggled out of her grasp and walked off grumbling, while the others seemed to at least tolerate her. Meanwhile, Kel and Basil played tag in the field. Omori was half inclined to join them. Instead, he was sitting on a bench beside Hero, who was petting a cat that had just hopped into his lap.
“I may be a dignified feline…But I do enjoy an occasional pat every once in a while… especially someone who doesn’t pet as hard,” it said. Omori looked at it curiously. He never saw anything like it in Headspace, unless he was forgetting. Creatures kinda ebb and flow in and out of Headspace.
“Do you want some time with this one, Omori?” asked Hero.
Omori nodded. He held the cat and petted it around its neck. It was cute, but not as cute as Mewo. She would always take top prize as the finest feline. But this red one was nice.
“He seems to take a liking to you! He…kinda reminds of you…in a way.”
That was odd. Omori could only dream of being as dignified as this cat. He tilted his head.
“Heh. I don’t know why…but you do. You’re very cat-like in general.”
I guess Omori can agree with that. He nodded.
“Yeah, you get it….hey, Omori? You know that I’ll always protect you, right?”
Omori tilted his head again. Hero was a bit sentimental at times, but this was new.
“Sorry if it sounds weird, but you’re kinda like a little brother to me.”
Was this…making up for what happened back there? Did Hero even remember that? Omori saw Hero rub the back of his neck.
“So, if you need anything at all, just come to your big brother, Hero! What is it that Mari always says? ‘All it costs is your love?’” said Hero, flashing his signature smile.
Where did all of this come from? Omori nodded slowly. Omori liked Hero; he’s a great friend and is almost a brother to Omori (maybe with an added “in-law”). He’s kind to a fault, modest, charming, intelligent, and more. Omori could see Hero saying something like this…but it still felt odd.
“HEY, COME BACK!” said Basil. A green twin-tailed cat was walking away with a flower crown in its mouth. Basil was on hot pursuit. “Here kitty-kitty! Come on, give it back!”
Omori sighed. It’s gonna be one of THOSE days. He ran off the bench and followed, leaving Hero behind with the dignified feline. Basil and the green cat went deeper and deeper into the field. The more it went, the weirder the field got. It seemed as though it rained, and more spider webs littered the field, as footsteps became labored and muddy. Omori pulled out his knife and cut down a few webs. It got darker and darker, and whispers tickled his ear. Memories of the past moved within his mind, but he shut them out.
Omori heard the sound of an iron gate closing. But it wasn’t an iron gate; it was the wooden doors of a barn with red lighting. It unnerved him like at the lighthouse.
He walked up to the barn door, feet dragging like they were made of lead. He pushed the heavy door and saw a massive picture frame that seemed like a portal to happier days. Every fiber in his body was telling him no, but…he had to save Basil.
He walked toward the frame and jumped in headfirst. He crashed onto the bottom of a black staircase with a thud. When he stood up, he shivered. One step after another, he slowly walked. The pain in his head never ceased.
At the top, he finally saw Basil. He was staring at a family portrait. A family portrait with a beautiful family, all smiling, except for the baby with that same cliff-faced expression. A transparent lightbulb swayed in front of the girl. The more Omori looked at it, the more unnerved he became. Omori walked beside Basil. He grabbed his hand to get his attention.
“Oh! Omori, you’re here! I was looking for the cat, but I stumbled upon…,” Basil said, looking back. “This. I wonder who they are.”
“Doesn’t that girl look like…Mari?”
The air was still. Omori and Basil didn’t even breathe as they saw the lightbulb swing back and forth. It was almost hypnotizing how it moved. Slowly, he could see the lightbulb begin to take a new form. Omori’s heartbeat raced as the image got clearer and clearer, and he could feel Basil’s hands get sweaty.
“SUNNY OMORI?!” said a voice from behind them. To Omori’s shock, it was his sister. His heart wanted to beat out of his chest. His sister RAN to him, making his eyes widen. How is she doing that? She CAN’T run. She CAN’T move outside of her picnic blanket.
What is SHE doing here?
“OMORI! HELP!” screamed Basil. Omori turned around to see his best friend engulfed in darkness, teeth gnashing his insides, leaving a red mist in its maw. He saw a one-eyed creature, the same thorn, the same one that was plaguing his Headspace, slowly move toward him. Omori slowly backed away into the arms of Mari.
“Don’t worry, Sunny! I’ll protect you!” she said with a determined look on her face.
This wasn’t making him feel better. He was shaking; he was horrified. The demon slowly moved toward them. Omori wanted to run, but Mari stood her ground.
The monster was now face-to-face with Omori, just…swaying there.
Fear was foreign to Omori. From what he knew, he was the Dreamer’s solution to fear, always able to overcome any obstacle with ease and a sharp knife. But looking into a cold, dead eye, he wanted to scream.
Before the thing charged at him, he looked up to...
That’s…not...Mari….
Memories flashed in his mind before it all went black.
_______________________________________________
Omori woke up back in White Space. Mewo was sleeping peacefully, the laptop was buzzing away, and his tissues and sketchbook were just as he left them. Omori’s attention was on the lightbulb.
The lightbulb overhead flashed with darkness, flickering in and out. Omori could see black smoke escaping from the bulb. It swayed back and forth in a white, windless sky.
That's…not good.
Omori walked over to the bulb and looked above. He felt the oppression. The dread. Like an angry parent waiting to hear your story. Each movement made Omori paranoid that it was going to lash out at him.
He reached for it, but to no avail. It was just out of reach.
Omori jumped for the bulb but failed.
It continued swaying as darkness emitted from it. The smoke made Omori want to cough.
Omori was becoming frantic; he flailed for the lightbulb.
But it was no use. Omori was shaking. This was his one purpose. A red hand went up to the light bulb, but phased through. If anything, the bulb swayed more.
All Omori could do was wait for something to happen. He watched the lightbulb swing for what felt like eternity. The buzzing of his laptop and the hissing of the lightbulb were his music in an orchestra of silence.
Until the lightbulb fell. Omori tried to catch it…
But he failed. The lightbulb fell toward the ground.
And landed right into someone’s hands.
“You probably shouldn’t drop this.”
A girl, maybe a woman, with long black hair, porcelain white skin, and a wide smile stared at Omori. The same girl from earlier.
They’re almost like Mari.
But…that’s not Mari.
__________
Omori pulled out his knife.
Mari(?) was not supposed to be here. He could feel the ringing in his head. He didn't know what the truth was exactly, much like the dreamer, but he knew Mari was central to it. This doppelgänger needs to be erased before it sets something off.
“Now, Sunny. That’s not how you greet people,” it said with a smirk.
Omori was upset. He walked forward to her, knife raised and ready to stab.
A piece of rope was tied around his wrist, and his knife dropped to the floor. The ringing got worse.
“Much better. Now, I don’t want this, Sunny. But, we really need to discuss some things.”
Red hands raced towards Mari(?), in an attempt to erase it from this place.
When the Red Hands were just an inch away from it, they suddenly froze. They dropped to the ground before skittering away on their fingertips like scared puppies, allowing it to inch closer to Omori.
Omori’s eyes widened. Mari(?) giggled.
“Calm down! It’s just me, your big sister!”
“….no.”
Mari(?) raised an eyebrow.
“You’re NOT my sister. And I’m NOT the Dreamer.”
Mari’s(?) grip on the lightbulb tightened. Her eyes had a focused rage in them for a brief moment before quickly relaxing.
“Oh, Sunny! You’re just…confused! It’s me! Your sister!”
“Stop…” Omori tugged on the rope. It didn't budge. Another rope sprouted from the void and wrapped around his other wrist.
“Come on, Sunny! It’s me! You know me!” Her once happy smile was starting to quiver. Her black eyes began to shine.
“Stop.” Omori pulled on the rope harder. He turned his head away.
Mari(?) ran to him and grabbed his head, forcing him to turn and look at her crying face, that smile still plastered on.
“SUNNY! LOOK AT ME! I’M YOUR SISTER!”
Omori spat at it. Mari(?) flinched, and the rope fell from his wrists.
“You. Are. Not. Mari.” He said. He picked up the knife and held it upwards.
Mari(?) wiped the spit off their face and looked at the dagger, about to strike.
“You’re right. I’m not Mari,” it said. It started to laugh as though Omori said something funny. Omori stepped back as tears dribbled down its face.
“I’m so much better, I’m everything she isn’t. Sunny, I know you! And I know you're scared. This is why you’ve been lashing out, right?”
“Why you looked at me so weirdly?” it said.
“Why you did that to Hero...” The laugh died down, and a hint of melancholy briefly touched its face. Omori’s face contorted. It's not supposed to know that. “It’s okay, Sunny. You were…scared. I just…I guess it took me some time to understand. With the things going on in your world, Sunny, I GET it, I REALLY GET it! That's why I'm HERE!”
Omori simply stared at the girl. Mari(?) stared back, giggling occasionally and sometimes looking confused. The dark lightbulb was fuming in her grip.
“…you’re my brother, right? Or what’s left of him?” Her face turned to something of anger, a flicker of a roaring flame. Through gritted teeth, it asked, “What did she do to you?”
Omori wanted to get this over with; all of this was giving him a headache. Mari looked down at the lightbulb in her hands, anger turning to concern. She walked up to Omori and whispered in his ear.
.
.
.
.
“Was this because of the…?”
Omori stabbed it right in the heart. It pulled back and looked him square in his face.
“You…shouldn’t have done that. But don’t worry, Sunny. Your big sister, Hikiko, will always help you. I’ll just be…right…back,” said Hikiko(?). It smiled. It grabbed the knife and twisted it out of their chest.
It fell on the floor of White Space. The black lightbulb was still in its hand.
Omori just looked on. His head was still ringing in White Space. It’s not supposed to ring in White Space. Red hands came and covered the body, and Omori breathed a sigh of relief. What was that? A glitch? A blip in the Dreamer’s mind?
It reminded Omori of those “wise” creatures in headspace. Like Daddy Long Legs or Mr.Outback, figures who were here before Headspace was created and knew too much. Who overstayed their welcome. At least as the Red hands swarm the body, Omori could finally relax. He sat down on the floor. A Red hand came and handed him the light bulb. It pulsated while he looked above to the string.
He turned to see the pile of Red hands. As they receded, he backed away.
The body remained.
And if he squinted, he could see a rope mark around its neck.