Chapter Text
"How bad is the damage?"
"He managed to break nearly every bone in his body. Fortunately we found him on time."
"Is he able to survive the procedure?"
"Yes. He'll survive."
"Then do it." Kisumi wasn't known as the top Seeker for nothing. Sure, it had taken him months to find a group of humans and another week until he'd finally cornered one by himself. Although the human had been stupid enough to jump out of a window, five storeys high and thought that he had gotten away with it. Well he'd thought wrong. Nobody escaped Kisumi.
"It's too bright."
"Sorry, I'll adjust that." The lights dimmed slightly. "Better?"
"Yes. Thanks."
"How are you feeling, Haruka?" Kisumi strode in, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Adjusting alright?"
"I don't know." Haruka rubbed his eyes, staring at his hand. Why did it only have five fingers? He should have known that, from the stories that he'd been told by his Grandmother that humans had five fingers on each hand making ten in total. They had a strange obsession with tens.
"You should try walking. They walk fast, faster than the last planet." Kisumi stood up and demonstrated, his bubblegum locks bouncing as he did. Haruka sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, putting his feet on the floor. He stood up and Kisumi grinned. Haruka took a few steps, glancing at how long his legs were. How tall was this human? Not as tall as Kisumi, since he wasn't on Kisumi's eye level.
"How do you like your new host?" Kisumi gestured at the mirror. "He's tall, young and fit. You should be able to do more than when we were on Samezuka." Haruka turned to the mirror, lifting his hand up to touch his face. He didn't look like Kisumi at all. His Grandmother had said that humans varied in appearance, but Haruka had never seen or heard about a human with hair this colour, although Kisumi's was also strange too.
"You can leave in a few days. We have a mission for you." Haruka whipped his head around to look at Kisumi. "I know it's not your usual thing, but this human is special." Haruka raised an eyebrow. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow. Get used to this new host." Kisumi clapped him on the shoulder before leaving.
"I'm a human..." His voice sounded odd too. Not like how he had pictured it. It did suit the human though, he could imagine how this human would be considered special.
"No you're not!" Haruka froze. Who had just said that? "You're not a human! You're a Soul!" He looked in the mirror but saw no one except himself. "Get out of my body!" Then everything went black.
"Haruka? Can you hear me?"
"K-Kisumi?"
"Good to have you back. I think you tried to do too much. You're not used to this host yet."
"Right." Haruka sat up, rubbing the side of his head. "Kisumi-"
"I'll leave you to get some rest. Tomorrow we'll talk."
"You bet we will!" Haruka merely nodded, wondering who was talking to him. Was he going insane? Were there some new side effects of their medicine that he hadn't been told about yet?
"Get some rest, Haruka." Haruka was going to do just that. As soon as he figured out who was interrupting his thoughts.
"Morning, Haruka-san." He groaned, rolling onto his side. "Kisumi-san has requested you go to him immediately."
"I will." Haruka sat up and saw the neatly folded clothes set out for him. Blue. His favourite colour. He wondered how that would work with the red hair, maybe someone had already thought about it? Clothing on every planet was different and what was fashionable on one might not be on another. He quickly got dressed and went to find Kisumi, he should have asked where he was.
"Haruka!"
"Kisumi."
"We need to talk. Let's go into my office." The perks of being the top Seeker meant he had his own office, overlooking the ocean. Haruka's eyes widened when he saw the ocean, pressing himself against the glass. "You like the ocean here too, huh?" Haruka nodded. "You can go outside when we're done here. Sit down." Haruka reluctantly tore himself from the window and sat down opposite Kisumi.
"What do I need to do?"
"This human, was part of a larger group. They're living somewhere in the mountains but we don't know where. Your human knows where."
"And?"
"He hasn't completely faded yet, so you can tap into his memories to find out where they're living." So that was the voice inside his head? He wasn't going insane after all.
"How do I do that?"
"Close your eyes." Haruka did as he was told and felt something being put into his hand. "Relax. Think about home, think about where they are." Haruka realised it was a pencil and clutched it tighter, thinking of home. His home? Their home?
"Don't you dare move my hand!" Haruka flinched. "Don't do it!"
"Haruka? Are you okay?"
"Fine. I'm thinking of Iwatobi."
"No, you have to let the human takeover momentarily and then think of home." Let the human take over? How was he meant to do that?
"I'll takeover permanently and never let go!"
"Think of home-"
"No! You're not finding them! You're not finding my family!" Haruka threw the pencil, snapping his eyes open as it hit the window.
"He's a stubborn one, your human," Kisumi said. "He jumped out of a window in the hopes of killing himself."
"He did what?"
"I thought that would be enough."
"We'll try again later. Don't worry, you're not as used to it as I am. It'll take time." Kisumi picked up the pencil and laid it on the desk. "Go to the ocean." Haruka didn't need to be told twice and sprinted out of the room, heading for the nearest door that would take him outside. He quickly stripped and walked into the ocean. It wasn't too cold, so it must be summer. That was what his Grandmother had called it. Winter was when it was cold and summer was when it was warm.
"How the hell do you know about seasons?"
"W-Who are you?"
"I should be asking you that since you're the one in my body!" Haruka floated in the ocean, momentarily shutting his eyes and saw the outline of a group of mountains. Rocky edges, dusty red and unforgiving. Was that where the humans were? Why would they choose somewhere like that to stay? Why not live by the ocean?
"You didn't just see that. You didn't."
"So that is where the humans are?"
"No it's not! I visited there as a kid. It's nothing important." Haruka ignored the voice, gently moving his hands to keep himself afloat. No matter the planet, the ocean always felt calming to him. Whether it was purple, red, or in this case blue, the water called out to him like a mother to its child. Kisumi had once joked that he was the only Soul who was born in the ocean. His Grandmother had laughed and said that it was possible since his parents had been on a water planet when he was born. He wondered where his parents were now. They wouldn't be on this planet with him, they had probably visited it before and were probably in a different galaxy nevermind different planet. He had Kisumi though, the two had been together on every planet since they'd started travelling and no matter the appearance, Kisumi was Kisumi and he wouldn't leave Haruka alone. Haruka wasn't sure if he was grateful for that or not. But for now he'd forget about everything and just swim. He'd worry about the human later.