[She was the heroine of Ango's first successfully published story - a dark fairytale about a man bewitched by the bloodthirsty spirit of a cherry tree. He'd won some stupid literary award for it, and then there was a movie adaptation that won even more awards, and for a while he got to enjoy the jet-set lifestyle of international film festivals and wild after-parties. But the fame faded quickly, and he had to keep writing. Novels, screenplays, short stories, magazine articles... nothing else ever quite managed to hit the same success as his first work, though. He was always chasing after her.]

Listen, I really appreciate you guys coming to rescue me and all, but... I can't go.

[Hibiki's a good kid, and he knows that even Misfire and the brat are only trying to help him. Ango doesn't know the white-haired woman, but she looks like she takes her job pretty seriously... and Sakuya is a danger to all of them. Maybe even to the Dream Sphere itself. Still...]

I mean... she's right. I created her, so I can't just leave her... it's my fault she's like this. I thought she was gone for good after I awakened as a Dreamer, but... I missed her.

[He shrugs, smiling to himself.]

She's been living rent-free in my nightmares for a long time. She may not be a good person, and she may not even exist outside of a washed-up writer's imagination... but she was there for me when nobody else was. It may not be love, but it's gotta count for something, right?

[Ango puts his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw. He's never actually fought with a sword before - as a Dreamer, he normally uses throwing knives - but he's got a feeling that it doesn't matter. The weapon feels light and familiar in his grip.]

So... I'm sorry, but I can't let you hurt her.