Several Anime Girls Appeared in my World

Chapter 64: The Note, The Navigator, and The Brother

The simulated dawn cycle within Himeko's "Little Express" painted the cabin walls with soft hues of rose and gold, a serene counterpoint to the emotional turbulence that had preceded the uneasy slumber of its occupants. Lyra was the first to stir, her elfin senses, even in sleep, attuned to the presence of her self-appointed protector, Joey. She reached out on the bed, expecting to find the comforting, if anxious, presence of the young human nearby. Her fingers met only cool air.

Her silver eyes snapped open, instantly alert. the bed was empty, the thin blanket neatly, almost unnaturally, folded. A knot of fear tightened in her chest. "Joo-ee?" she whispered, her voice small and hesitant in the quiet cabin.

She slid out of bed, her bare feet padding softly on the metallic floor. The main cabin was empty, save for the faint hum of the probe's systems. Then she saw it – a small, crumpled piece of nutrient bar wrapper lying on the central counter, held down by a spare stylus. With trembling fingers, Lyra picked it up. She couldn't read the strange, spidery markings, but the intent, the feeling of absence it conveyed, was unmistakable. A low, keening sound, almost a whimper, escaped her lips.

It was this sound that roused Mirajane from the adjacent cabin she shared with Himeko. She emerged, her long white hair still tousled from sleep, her expression soft with concern. "Lyra, dear? What is it?"

Lyra simply held out the note, her eyes wide and filling with tears. Mirajane took it, her brow furrowing as she quickly scanned the contents. Her gentle face paled. "Oh, Joey…" she breathed, her heart aching for the boy's quiet despair. She understood the weight of feeling inadequate, the urge to flee from overwhelming circumstances.

Himeko emerged next, drawn by the hushed, worried tones. She took the note from Mirajane, her expression growing serious as she read. "He left," she stated, her voice calm but with an undercurrent of something akin to disappointment, not in Joey, but perhaps in their collective failure to make him feel secure. "He believes he can't help, that he's… a burden."

The commotion, quiet as it was, inevitably reached the third cabin. The door slid open with a sharp hiss, revealing Boa Hancock, already impeccably, if simply, dressed, her expression one of regal annoyance at being disturbed. "What is the meaning of this pre-dawn cacophony? Has the armored peasant started snoring like a Sea King again?"

Behind her, Erza appeared, her face grim. The night spent in forced proximity with Hancock had been an exercise in supreme self-control, punctuated by hissed insults whenever one of them turned over too loudly. "If anyone was snoring, it was likely you, Empress, dreaming of your own tedious perfection."

"My dreams are divine inspirations, unlike your doubtlessly brutish nightmares of… clashing metal and inadequate male companionship!" Hancock retorted.

"The boy, Joey, he's gone," Himeko announced, cutting through their burgeoning argument, holding up the note. "He left this."

Erza's head snapped up, her attention immediately diverted. "Gone? What does it say?"

Himeko read Joey's short, heartfelt message aloud. As the words filled the cabin – "I'm just… human. I can't help. I'll only get in the way…" – a complex series of emotions played across the faces of the listeners.

Lyra began to cry softly, a desolate sound that tugged at Mirajane's heart. She immediately went to the elf, enveloping her in a comforting embrace. "Hush, dear, it's alright. We'll find him."

Hancock listened with an expression of utter disdain. "Hmph. Predictable. A weak-willed, sniveling creature, fleeing at the first sign of actual responsibility. He was clearly never meant for greatness, unlike myself." Yet, deep within, a tiny, almost imperceptible flicker of something else stirred – Future Joey's plea: "I ask you not to let me abandon her again. Nor you… Even if I don't like you very much." This boy leaving… it felt like a failure on their part to heed that desperate, dying request, a thought she immediately and angrily suppressed. It was his weakness, not hers.

Erza's reaction was more conflicted. Joey's words of inadequacy, his feeling of being "just human," resonated uncomfortably with her own past vulnerabilities before she found her strength in Fairy Tail. But more potent was Future Joey's warning. The boy leaving was a form of abandonment. Had they, by their infighting and overwhelming presences, inadvertently pushed him to this? A knot of frustration and a reluctant sense of responsibility tightened within her. "He's a fool," she said, her voice rougher than she intended. "Running away solves nothing. This 'Conqueror' won't spare him just because he's 'human'."

"He's not a fool, Erza," Mirajane said gently, stroking Lyra's hair. "He's scared. And perhaps we haven't done enough to make him feel valued, or safe."

"Valued?" Hancock scoffed. "His value was minimal to begin with. This merely confirms it. Now, if this sentimental interlude is over, perhaps we can focus on matters of actual import – like how I am to return to my Luffy and my empire."

"Joey is of import, Miss Hancock," Himeko stated, her calm voice carrying an unexpected weight of authority. "He is a citizen of this world, a world that is currently a nexus of interdimensional activity, and potentially a target. He has also, by his own admission and by Lyra's clear attachment to him, become entangled in these events. We cannot simply abandon him to his fear."

She turned to her console. "The probe's sensors can perform a localized search for his bio-signature, though if he's intent on hiding in an urban environment, it will be difficult. His knowledge of this town, however limited, gives him an advantage."

"Then we search," Erza declared, her earlier frustration now solidifying into resolve. Future Joey's plea, however cryptic, had been a charge. And she, Erza Scarlet, did not shirk her responsibilities, however reluctantly undertaken. "He can't have gone far."

"And what if he doesn't wish to be found?" Hancock drawled, examining her reflection in a polished chrome panel. "Are we to drag him back kicking and screaming like a petulant child? I have better uses for my time and my energy."

"If he is in danger, or if he possesses knowledge vital to understanding this 'Conqueror's' plans – knowledge perhaps unknowingly imparted by his future self – then yes, we find him," Erza stated, her eyes challenging Hancock's dismissiveness.

The Pirate Empress met her gaze, a silent battle of wills erupting. "You seem unusually invested in the fate of this… insignificant local."

"Perhaps because some of us understand the meaning of responsibility beyond self-aggrandizement," Erza retorted.

"Are you implying—?"

"Enough!" Mirajane's voice, though still soft, had a core of steel that once again cut them off. "We will look for Joey. Himeko, what's the best approach?"

Himeko, who had been observing the exchange with a sigh, brought up a map of Healdsburg. "The probe is best suited for wide-area scans. I can monitor from here and coordinate. Given Joey's familiarity with the town and his likely desire to avoid contact, a ground search in areas he might frequent would be the next logical step. He mentioned his home, his parents, a younger brother…"

A thought struck Himeko. "His brother, Léo. Joey seems to be quite different from him, but there is a familial connection. Léo is outgoing, curious about the strange events in town. He might know Joey's habits, his possible hiding spots. Or Joey might even try to contact him, in his own way."

"How do we find this Léo?" Erza asked.

"Joey's house is logged in the local municipal records I accessed earlier," Himeko said. "It's a starting point. Given the sensitivity, and the need for discretion, perhaps I should make the initial approach. A lone woman asking after a 'missing young man' might be less alarming than… our full contingent descending upon a suburban household." She glanced pointedly at Erza's imposing aura and Hancock's regal, attention-demanding presence.

"You intend to go alone?" Mirajane asked, concern in her voice.

"I am more than capable of handling a conversation with a local teenager, Mira," Himeko said with a reassuring smile. "I will maintain communication. If I find Léo and ascertain he can help, or if Joey has contacted him, I will update you immediately. You three," she looked at Mirajane, Erza, and Hancock, "remain here with Lyra. Keep her calm. And please," her gaze sharpened as it fell on Erza and Hancock, "try not to dismantle the Little Express in my absence."

Hancock sniffed. "As if I would exert myself over such trivialities." Erza merely grunted, turning back to the schematics.

With a final check of her datapad and a small, all-purpose scanner, Himeko activated the probe's ramp. "I will be swift."

The streets of Healdsburg were slowly coming to life as Himeko, dressed in inconspicuous civilian attire she kept for planetary explorations, made her way towards Joey's neighborhood. Her progress was efficient, her senses alert, cataloging everything. She found the house easily, a typical suburban dwelling, quiet in the early morning light. There was no sign of Joey.

As Himeko considered their next move to locate Joey, she recalled his energetic younger brother, Léo, from their recent encounter at the bakery. He knew Healdsburg and, more importantly, possessed a brother's insight. It was a stroke of fortune when she spotted him emerging from a nearby park, skillfully bouncing a soccer ball, his expression as open and curious as she remembered.

"Léo, isn't it?" Himeko said, approaching him with her characteristic polite and disarming smile.

Léo stopped, his soccer ball momentarily forgotten. Surprise registered on his face, quickly followed by the same spark of admiration he'd shown at the bakery. "Uh, Himeko, right? Yeah, I'm Léo. What's up? Are you and your friend still checking out the 'energetically interesting' spots?" he asked, a hint of playful mischief in his eyes.

"Something like that," Himeko replied, her smile holding a new note of gravity. "Actually, Léo, I was hoping you could help. It's about your brother, Joey."

Léo's expression shifted from surprise to a familiar mix of concern and exasperation. "Joey? Aw man, what's he done now? He's been acting even weirder than usual lately. I haven't seen him since he rushed off from the cinema this morning. He's probably holed up in his room, or wandered off on one of his 'shortcuts to nowhere'." He remembered finding Joey in the alley near the library days before. "Why? Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"I don't believe he's in trouble, but he might be feeling… rather overwhelmed by recent events," Himeko stated carefully, her voice gentle. "We were discussing some… complex matters, and he left a note suggesting he felt he couldn't contribute further and needed to be alone. We're concerned he might do something impulsive, or simply hide away where no one can find him."

Léo absorbed this, his earlier flippancy fading into a more serious demeanor. "Overwhelmed? Yeah, that definitely sounds like Joey. He gets like that." He looked at Himeko, his eyes sharp with understanding. "This 'complex matter'… it has to do with all the weird stuff happening in town, doesn't it? The elf-girl, Lyra, and that other spaceman they caught?" His voice dropped conspiratorially. "Joey's been kind of obsessed with it all, even before he met you guys."

Himeko allowed a small, knowing smile. "It's related, yes," she confirmed. "And Joey, despite his anxieties, has shown remarkable courage and empathy. We value his perspective greatly. That's why we need to find him."

Léo kicked at his soccer ball thoughtfully. "If Joey's really taken off like that, he wouldn't go far. He hates new places. There's the old library downtown – he used to practically live there when he was feeling better. Or maybe… maybe the woods out by Miller's Creek? He always said that was the only place quiet enough for him to actually think."

"Thank you, Léo. That's very helpful information," Himeko said, genuine appreciation in her voice. "Would you be willing to help us look? You know this town, and more importantly, you know your brother's habits."

Léo hesitated for only a moment. His brother could be a handful, too quiet, too wrapped up in his own world, but he was still his brother. And this striking woman, Himeko, with her calm eyes and serious concern, clearly wasn't just humoring him. Plus, the allure of being involved in solving the "mysteries of Healdsburg" was undeniably strong. "Yeah, okay," he said, a new resolve in his voice. "I can help. What's the plan?"

Himeko smiled, relief evident in her expression. "Excellent. First, I need to contact my colleagues. They're waiting for an update." She activated a sleek communicator on her wrist. "Mirajane, Erza, Miss Hancock, come in. I've made contact with Léo, Joey's brother. He has some insights into Joey's possible whereabouts and has agreed to assist in our search."

The quiet Healdsburg morning, already touched by the extraordinary, was about to become significantly more focused.

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