Chapter 4

World unknown, time unknown, the silhouette of the figure woke up coughing and bleeding. Body felt like broken and swollen and eyes were heavy like their head. They groaned in pain and discomfort, and limbs felt rough and numb, which made every movement a impossible task. Red alert blinked soundly in the background as the fire slowly destroyed every equipment in the compartment slowly.

"....co..py....ok..a ..." A broken radio sound joined the sounds of fire and the alarm. Even if the statics stopped most of the sound, the sound clearly belongs to someone masculine. Either a youngster or an adult.

Whatever that was. It caught the person's attention. The light of fire revealed the appearance of them and turns out the person was just a girl in her teens. Half her face was bloody and bruised and her body was covered with some kind of black spandex like suit. She looked around dizzily for the radio and with all this going on, it was hard to spot it.

Her teary eyes searched the place and soon found it half burnt and broken. Her eyes widened and she tried to stand but failed. The movement hurted her body causing her to cry out in pain.

"Lu.....na.....ta..talk.....pl..ea..co.....me..in.." The radio sounded again, which encourages the girl to crawl to it. She winced every once and while but tried her best to ignore the pain. It was so hard though.

"W... wait.... hold on.. I'm coming." She intended to yell but it only came out as a mumble. For her, half her strength was required to utter a single word.

"L...luna....l.....co...m....in.....L....na" The radio sounded again.

She winced as she looks at the device and breathed in and out to lessen the pain. It didn't work though. But it gave the encouraged her to proceed with her way to the radio.

"Coco... Coco... I'm hurt....can you hear me?" Her strained small voice said when neared the device. Because of the device half destroyed, the reply came was just statics.

"Coco..can you...hear me?" She intended to shout but couldn't.

".....Lu....." Was all it could reply.

She sighed and knew she cannot hear everything from it any longer. It's pretty much done. But she kept her faith.

"Coco..If your hearing me.... do not try to track my location.....send some essentials to somewhere random. Time or place don't matter..... then keep low profile...I repeat, don't track me or contact me....and lastly, the time machine is about to explode. Send it somewhere else and away..... please be safe." She said all those and the radio bursts in flames soon after.

"I hope you got this." She mumbled.

She finally looks around and she's hundred percent sure the time machine is about to explode. She has to act fast and it's easy said than done. "I'm gonna die. Shit, I'm gonna die." She said to herself and tried to crawl towards the entrance which was half open and some chunks of metal blocking the way.

Actually it was few feets away, but for her it was like so far. Very far. Ignoring the pain, she crawled. If don't, she's dead for sure. Each stretch and movements made her cry out in pain. The raging fire made her go bit more faster and faster. In the end she touched the door to another cabin which was also where the emergency exit is. All it preventing her from escaping the death is a jammed door and a small cabin.

She dearly wish she had her equipments. Without them, she feels helpless and weak. Only if she could heal her wounds with light beam gun. But the only option now is to use her raw and remaining strength. With shaky hand, she reached for the jammed door and just like expected, it didn't even budge. She tried again and again, and at some point she was desperate and afraid to the point she banged the door hardly with her damaged hand. Nothing worked out though. The heat of the fire intensified and that alone made her think she's going to die.

Her eyes searched for anything except for the jammed door and what she found brought some relief. A vent. It's basically a waste disposal. And a waste disposal has an opening to throw out trash. She's not trash, but don't mind it much when there's death only few feet away.

She crawled to it and tried to rip open the metal grill. Thankfully, this time it worked. To live she threw herself into the waste disposal and with the hatch of the disposal was damaged, it couldn't handle the force and weight of her fall and it quickly broke off. She finally could feel the cool breeze tickling her body and a small smile appeared on her face. She's gonna live.

However, she doesn't have much time to lay around. The time machine is about to explode and the worst it could do is to create a shattered time tunnel or even create a strong vaccum that could change everything. The earth will be in chaos.

"Coco... please be quick." She muttered and crawled out of the waste and spotted a massive treeline. It's not a safe distance but all she could do is wait for Coco to do what she asked him to do.

Just like before, she barely even made it to the treeline while keep awake. When she adjusted herself behind a tree, small blasts happened on the time machine. It's gonna wipe out everything if Coco don't act fast.

"Please, please, please, please. Coco, hurry up." She mumbled and looked horrified at the sight. It's now or never. Fire broke the exterior of the ship and fire emerged melting the metal and it started to glow white. A signal before the feared explosion. The explosion could do anything that is still unknown to the human kind. The time machine is one of those creations that not even the inventors don't know most about. That's the reason, she wants Coco to throw it across the time tunnel, far away from any life formed or just throw it all the way to the time when earth wasn't a thing. It still may have effects though. But not to the level of extreme like the explosion happening right here and now.

The white brightness intensified and she was about to lose her hope when the glow just disappeared. Her eyes adjusted to the normal surroundings and there was nothing except some burnt grass. The time machine is gone. Coco accomplished his mission.

With that last thing and a smile, she closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness.

**************************

"Shizuka, I'm sorry okay. What else you want me to do? Don't just blame me okay?" Yumi followed Shizuka out of classroom.

"Don't think I'm mad at you. I am just upset." Shizuka stopped to reply.

Yumi crossed her hands and looks down at the tiled floor. "you just acting all different to me. I know your dear friend returned and all. But I'm starting to think you don't give a crap about me anymore. Was I just a replacement all this time?" She questioned with a pissed voice, only to gain a hurt look from Shizuka. Yumi immediately regretted saying that. Shizuka didn't deserve a false accusation and it clearly hurted her feelings.

Shizuka turned to completely face Yumi and a little drop of tear slid down her cheek to chin. "So that's how you think of me, Yumi? Sure Nobita' spot cannot be replaced and neither you cannot do it. Because you already have a spot. Just, you don't see it. If you think if I'm a horrible person, you should not talk to me." Shizuka said with anger and sadness and walked away.

"SHIZUKA." Yumi called but couldn't run after Shizuka. Guilt overpowered her senses and she could do nothing except stare at the way Shizuka went.

Indirectly, Nobita' the one to blame. Shizuka is a nice person and Nobita is the reason Shizuka hurt again. If it wasn't for him, Yumi never would be on edge all the time. Not would have ruined her relationship with any of her friends. There's a feeling that, others will look down on her for what happened to Shizuka.

That glasses better should have stayed where he was all this time. Just one day appearing and steal her joy and happiness in one go. The first time she ran into him, little did she knew who or what will he become in her life. A spotlight stealer. He's having the care and attention she supposed to have. Yumi wanted to pull on her hair, but didn't. Last thing she want is to hurt herself because she can't harm him.

Her eyes widened ar her own thoughts. Never in her whole life somebody had this kind of effect on her. She's a careless and free going girl, but Nobita is the first to make her question herself. Her charms don't work on him. He's... different.

"That's nothing like you two." Yumi heard a familiar voice speak. She turned to look at Dekisuki standing there watching her. "I'm sorry for listening all that. I happened to come across." He apologized.

"No problem. It's nothing secretive anyway." She said shrugging her shoulders.

"Pretty much, yes." He nodded.

"So, you were saying?" She wondered.

Dekisuki sighed and walked past her and waves at her to follow, which she did.

Dekisuki stayed silent for few seconds and looks at her as they walked.

"I don't recall seeing you two argue before. I know the reason, but I do understand your mindset in this matter." He started.

Yumi scoffed at his words. "So, the typical terms one use when they got little no clue of what's going on. I know you're smart and all, just don't think you read minds." She said, earning a chuckle.

"Trust me when I tell you this. I too felt left out, but actually it wasn't the case. Before, I don't get along with them much but they never alienated me. They accepted me so easily." He continues.

"What is the point? I don't feel left out. It's just somebody decided to interfere." She replied coldly.

Dekisuki nodded and looks away.

"Just like you said I'm smart. Not smart enough to conquer the space I dream of traveling one day. But I did see something that nobody saw. Gian, Suneo and Shizuka. I never seen them devastated and broken like the day Nobita and Doraemon left. I always saw them together, but one day it all changed." Dekisuki said.

"So, Mr Glasses hurted them more than I ever did. Now they just forget everything and welcome him while I'm here, talking to you about our ruined friendship. Shizuka is mad at me and not him? What kind of logic is this?" She whined.

"I'm not the person to talk about Nobita' importance. Just think of it this way. What happens when someone so dear to you comes back after a very long time. You can't blame them if they are so excited and happy, and don't give another person some attention they deserve. But I know they or me never think of you as an outcast or replacement. They need time. I do too. Just wait, Shizuka will talk to you again. I'm sure by tomorrow, you two make it up to each other. That's how she is." Dekisuki comforted. Yumi looks down at her moving feet and sighed.

"I don't know. I opened my mouth too wide and I should have kept my anger on him to myself. I hope you are correct." She said.

"And what really happened with you and Nobita. I thought nobody hits your nerves that easily." He asked.

She scoffed at Dekisuki. "I don't know the answer myself. But we ran into each other and he had the audacity to disrespect me." She said.

"So how did he disrespected you?" Dekisuki asked.

"He ..um....he....." She tried to say but couldn't remember anything serious. He said to get off of him. "I don't remember it. It's just sounded arrogant and that's it. He has a bad influence on Kota too." She replied.

"As far as I remember. Nobita is not someone to mislead children. He is a kind person I ever saw. Sure he wasn't perfect, but I always saw something different in him. He helped everyone even though he knew it's almost impossible." Dekisuki explained.

"Praising him in front of my eyes. Are you kidding me? I sure as hell didn't see those qualities in him. He's arrogant and rude. Face it and don't be blind. He's a bad influence, I'm telling you." She said.

"I'm not supporting anyone here. But I request you to know him more. Maybe that will change your mind." He said.

"Never in a million years." She mumbled but saw the seriousness in his eyes and she gulped. "fine. But I won't hold back a punch if he keep his shitty attitude." She said and they both walked outside the building.

Rainy clouds created a gloomy atmosphere and cool breeze hit their skin, creating goosebumps and sending small shivers all the way too to bottom. It didn't rain though. Since the morning, clouds formed a darker shade on them, but that's all there is. No rain, thankfully. But 99 persent of population missed one serious detail of pink and purple in the cloud and only one noticed it.

As Dekisuki along with Yumi made their way out, first thing they saw was Shizuka, with her back on them. She's looking forward and when both of them looked, Shizuka is looking at Nobita. He's strangely stood on the spot facing the hill few distance away from their new school. It's not big as the other hill behind their old school, but it certainly was dense with thick trees. Confusion written all over Dekisuki, he decided to move closer to Shizuka.

"What's wrong with him? I noticed him doing the same thing this morning." Dekisuki asked snapping Shizuka out her state. She shrugged and was unaware of what's going on either.

"I thought I was the only one noticed it. He's strangely interested in those stormy clouds. I don't know." She replied.

"Well, we should ask him if something's bothering him." Dekisuki suggested.

"I tried to ask, to a point I was prying. He didn't mentioned anything at all. Do you think we should ask again?" She asked.

"I think it's best if we ask him. We don't bother him if he doesn't want to talk." He replied.

"Sure thing." Shizuka replied.

"Well, what about me? Should I ask him myself?" Yumi asked to Dekisuki. Her voice indicated how much she's sticking with her words.

Dekisuki looks at her and shook his head. "We do it peacefully. I think you and Nobita don't want to get into another argument." He said.

"Yeah, whatever." Yumi mumbled earning a glare from Shizuka.

Yumi looks away frustrated. Not like she don't want to talk to Shizuka and apologize to her. It's just, the timing is worse again.

Is this day gonna get any worse? or is it as pleasant it can be?