The horizon was beginning to pale as a thin dawn began to wipe away the last remnants of night. Leon was standing along a quiet riverbank. The first light touched the water, fine grains of some mineral flickered with silver and gold across the surface as though the stars had come down from the sky to rest.
Where am I?
Blue pedaled trees stood in rows along the shore, their branches full of blossoms. Intense blue petals that caught a breeze every so often, loosening a handful of petals that spiraled toward the mist that clung low to the water.
I was at my house... With all the girls...
The fog around Leon's mind cleared faster than when he was in Maria's Dreamscape Forest or when Leon was in his own home back in his old world.
"She got upset about us wanting her to wake up! So this must be another dream...but it's not mine."
"You're here with me, of course it's your dream come true."
Leon turned around to the sound of Rika's voice, but her teasing lacked the usually angry tone.
"Rika!"
Leon's eyes widened the moment he saw her. Instead of her usual ninja style, or the schoolgirl with fishnets outfit from the previous location, she wore a distinctly feminine dress.
The base was a tight, sleeveless qipao in emerald green, patterned with delicate white flowers. However, it also had a moderate V-neck that reminded Leon of a kimono, along with a wide kimono-style obi wrapped elegantly around her waist.
Yet the dress wasn't what surprised him most, It was her hair.
It was still pulled up into her usual high ponytail, but it was three times its normal length. Tied into a massive bow that hung behind her back.
"Why are you getting so surprised? I told you I'd be here. I'm only a little late. Now let's hurry before sunrise."
Rika grabbed his hand and began pulling him downstream of the river.
"The river runs east to west, but it only lines up a perfectly few times per year."
"Hold up, when did you get a dress like this?"
"Huh? The stash is new but I wore this Kipaono before plenty of times. For once, can you not be a Bumpkin Fiancé"
FIANCÉ! When did Rika openly agree to marry me?!? And what happened to "Farm boy"? Now it's "Bumpkin Fiancé"?
"Cut it out with the staring. I know I've been busy working with my Father and Brothers lately, but that doesn't mean I can't dress like a woman. I'm still a ninja, a girl and your fiance. I can be all three, you know."
"Yeah of course..."
...But when has being a ninja and being a girl ever been a point of contention with you?... Is this because we're in her dream?
Leon thought began to put the pieces in place.
Maria couldn't eat me, so she sent me to a dream of being back home. Playing games with cute school girls so that I'd stay blissfully asleep.
But when that failed she sent everyone to their own blissful dream and this is Rika's dream.
Rika finally stopped pulling Leon down the river once they had arrived at an intricate wooden bridge. Its arched frame rose in a perfect half circle above the river. Its dark wood softened by age and mist, but freshly painted red accents traced the railings.
"Here we are! Do you see all the other bridges east of us? They perfectly encase the rising sun this time of year."
"That sounds pretty cool actually."
"I've been wanting to show this to you, my Bumpkin Fiancé"
"I..."
Leon cut himself off.
Rika was starting off to the east, smiling happily. Troubles of her past were non-existent. Struggles of expressing her emotions were gone. Just the two of them, happy together.
"Hey... Rika, why is your hair so long? I mean it's always been absurdly long, but it's even longer than usual."
"What are you talking about? Well yeah, it slowly grows but my last mission was only a few days. It didn't grow that much."
"You don't cut it?"
"Why would I do that?! Long hair is a symbol of beauty! It's not like it gets in my way! What? I can't be a ninja and have long hair!"
Leon could hear the frustration building in her voice, but he couldn't just let them stay trapped in a dream.
"Yet you cut it, didn't you. Rika, I think you can... Did everyone else?"
"Why wouldn't they?! I trained under my father and brothers! Why would they train me then not let me take the Twilight Trials? Because I am a girl?! Who would do that?! Who would lie like that?!?!"
So this is why she hates men, why she hates lying, and why she left her home and went to Jeif'he.
"... I don't know... But speaking selfishly, I'm happy they did."
"WHAT! How could you say that!"
"Because I got to meet you."
"What?!... We... What are you talking about! Are you stupid!?"
"I am. I'm a stupid Farm Boy who's only been on a farm once or twice. I'm a glorified punching bag. But I'm happy you left your home. I'm happy I got to meet you, and I'm sorry you cut your hair."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Farm boy!..."
Rika froze as those words left her lips.
Dawn started to break. The Sun rose through the eastern horizon, One by one, it slipped perfectly into the half circle arches of the bridges stretching down east of the river.
Leon looked away.
"Damn, it's a shame I'm going to miss this. You'll just have to take me once we get out of this dream. Hopefully your hair is back to this length too, it's beautiful on you, Rika."
"Shut up Farm Boy."
"Ouch!"
Rika had thrown one of her Bosu into him.
"You're in a dress!? Where did you even get one of these?"
"It's my dream, I do what I want! AND if you tell ANYONE about what happened here, I'll drown you in this river!"
"I mean, Tsukihi is going to find out the next time she eats my memories... Ow! Hey! How's this my fault? Bad Bumpkin wife!"
Rika stopped throwing her metal nails and tackled him to the ground the moment he referred to her as his wife.
She straddles his lap as she pinned him to the ground. Her short blade materialized and pressed against his neck.
However, Rika's face was completely turned away, Her cheeks a burning red.
"The moment you realize this was a dream and you lose your ability to express yourself instantly. What am I going to do with you?"
"Shut up Farm Boy."
Leon began to feel himself dissolved. In his fleeting moments, the sun of dawn filled an arch completely, then climbed higher, spilling its light across the wooden bridge and moving on to the next.
"Looks like I'm getting kicked out. Time to wake up the others next."
"... can you... watch till the end..."
"If I did. I'd never be able to leave this dream. We'll go together in the real world. I promise!"
"...Alright... It's a date!"