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Uzi sat up and rubbed her head, groaning as she clambered to her feet and dusted herself off. Looking around, she had absolutely no idea where she was or how she got here. Her outfit was also strange, as she found herself wearing a maid’s uniform despite not even owning one. The place she was in seemed like a mansion or a manor of some kind, with intricately decorated walls and expensive-looking carpets.
A young woman, probably no older than 16 if Uzi had to guess, approached Uzi. She was wearing a dress and had long hair tied up with a bow but apart from that she couldn't make out any other details for some reason. To Uzi's confusion, the girl seemed almost excited as she squealed and ran over to Uzi once she saw the drone.
“Hi! What's your name?” she asked as she grabbed Uzi's cheeks and spun her around, lifting her up off the ground. Uzi wanted to bite her and push her away so she'd let go but she was set back down on the ground before she had the chance to.
“Don't do that again, human ,” Uzi hissed as she glared at the young woman, “My name’s Uzi.”
“Ooooo, Uzi?” the woman responded, “My name's Tessa!”
Uzi grimaced and gave a shaky thumbs up. “Great.”
Before Tessa could respond, a taller lady carrying a fan marched around a corner and, like Tessa, Uzi wasn't able to make out any details on her for some reason. The woman, presumably Tessa's mother, stopped and glared at Uzi before looking at Tessa. Based on her body language, Uzi could tell that she was less than pleased.
“Tessa James Elliot! What have your father and I told you about bringing in these dusty old drones?” the woman barked as she pointed at Tessa, then at Uzi as she said the last part. Tessa brought her head up as if she wanted to say something but let it hang down, her hands behind her back as she stood up straight and just listened to her mother's scolding.
“There are enough broken drones clogging up our library as is!”
“Y-yes, mother,” Tessa squeaked once she was sure that her mother was done scolding her. Seemingly satisfied, the woman turned around and left but not before making one last statement.
“You're on your last warning.”
Once the woman had left, Uzi approached Tessa who, although seeming a little relaxed, still looked a little disheartened.
“What was all that about?” Uzi asked, debating with herself whether to place her hand on Tessa's shoulder.
Tessa perked up upon hearing Uzi's words and spun her body around to look at the drone. “Oh, um, yes. Don't worry about it, just, uh… here, why don't you just hurry along?” Tessa said, practically pushing Uzi along until she was by a door. “I'm sure the others would love to meet you!”
Upon entering the other room she noticed a worker drone sitting against the wall reading a book titled “101 Dog Breeds”. He was wearing a black suit and a standard worker drone hard hat with black, leather dress shoes. His platinum blond hair was long and fluffy and his visor was a pale yellow colour. He looked very similar to how N would look if he was a worker drone.
Unless…
“Oh, hi there!” the drone said, looking up from his book and smiling at Uzi. His voice was warm and friendly, and he already seemed like the kind of person who didn't even know the meaning of the word “anger”. The sudden action startled Uzi and she flinched, taking a step back and bringing her arms into her body.
“Sorry if I scared you. My name's N,” the drone said as he put his book down and stood up to walk over to Uzi.
“Wait, N?” Uzi asked as her digital eyes hollowed.
“Yep. What's your name?” N asked, reaching his hand out to shake Uzi's hand. But Uzi didn't meet his hand with hers. She just stared at N, his ever-present smile, his gorgeous hair. Not a single word exited her mouth.
Did he really not remember her?
“I…” Uzi eventually began in a shaky voice, “Uzi. M-my name’s Uzi!” she said as a hint of desperation began to creep into her voice and expression.
Surely he remembered her.
He had to!
They'd been through so much together!
“Uzi, huh? That's a nice name,” N said, retracting his hand once he realised Uzi didn't want to shake his hand. His grin faltered when he noticed Uzi's expression and the way her shoulders appeared to droop.
“Hey, you okay?” N said as he sat down against the wall and gestured for Uzi to join him. She obliged and sat down next to him, bringing her knees into her chest. Uzi sniffled a few times, shuddering as she tried not to be too loud.
“Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just…”
Uzi paused to take a breath, considering what wanted to say. A small part of her wanted to ask N if she truly didn't remember her, or at least if the name “Uzi” meant something to him. But she decided not to as, deep down, she knew the answer already.
“I dunno. It's just that… there's someone… I dunno you just remind me of him,” she eventually said, not wanting to tell him that he was the one who he reminded her of.
“Oh,” N said, placing a hand on Uzi's shoulder. “Maybe I could help you find him.” N chirped as that grin returned to his face, his voice warm and bubbly.
I think I already have.
Uzi sniffled again. “Th-thanks for the offer, but, um… I don't really want help,”
“Don't worry. Just remember, the offer’s open if you ever change your mind!” N said.
Uzi nodded and she couldn't hold back the smile that crept across her face. Even if he didn't remember her or what they had together, he was still the same old, kind, friendly N she knew from before.
“Why don't you tell me about this person? Maybe thinking about him will help you to feel better,” N suggested.
Uzi was reluctant and she sighed, resting her arms on her knees as she looked forward. “Well… he looked a lot like you, only a lot taller. Yellow eyes, blond hair. He was… really nice to everyone, even people who wronged him.”
N nodded, prompting Uzi to continue.
“He… he meant a lot to me,” Uzi continued as she felt her optics beginning to sting. Digital tears began to trickle down her visor.
“Oh…” N said, scooting a little closer. He frowned when he noticed the tears on Uzi's visor and he moved his hand from her shoulder to her cheek and turned her head to look into his eyes.
“Please don't cry. You'll see him again one day, I'm sure,” N said, stroking her cheek in a comforting motion.
“I doubt it,” Uzi said in a weak, shaky voice.
“Don’t say that, you wi-”
“You don't get it,” Uzi interrupted, “he's not… he's not here, okay? I don't know where he is, or if he's even…”
Uzi's voice trailed off and she gritted her teeth, her sniffling now becoming more intense. She struggled to hold back sobs as her arms slid off her knees, her fists clenching by her sides. Her head turned away from N's face and leaned back against the wall, staring upwards as she began to cry, failing to hold her sobbing back. N sighed and just rubbed her shoulder, trying to provide what little comfort he could.
“Who… who was he to you, if you don't mind me asking?” N said after a long pause, looking at the side of Uzi's head. She took a while to respond but she eventually spoke in between the sobs, sniffles and whimpers.
“He… he was… a good friend. The best friend I've ever had,” Uzi said in a barely audible whimper.
“I see,” N said.
There was a long pause before N spoke again.
“Good friends are hard to come by, huh?”
Uzi nodded in agreement, her cries beginning to weaken into quieter whimpers and sniffles.
“Sounds like he really meant a lot to you. I'm… sorry you've been split up from him.”
“Yeah,” Uzi said.
“You know… if he is out there, he's probably searching for you just as much as you're searching for him.”
Uzi brought her head around to look into N's eyes. She didn't say anything except for a short hum in agreement. Closing her eyes for a short moment, she felt herself beginning to calm down and eventually all that came from her was just a handful of quiet sniffles. Just N's mere presence was comforting for her, even though they didn't have what they once had.
After a few more minutes N stood up and reached for Uzi's hand. Uzi took it and N helped her up.
“I'm sure you'll find him eventually. After all…”
N paused and tilted his head to the side as he smiled.
“Purple and yellow go well together. Let's get going to reunite them.”