Rook’s Dream

Malleus sends all of Sage’s Island to sleep in Book 7 so that they might enjoy “unending happiness,” and for Rook this seems to manifest as a dream world where Vil and Neige are best friends attending Royal Sword Academy together, having been co-starring in movies since they were children.

After Rook has shown them five hours of movies featuring his favorite actors Epel asks if Rook has really forgotten about what happened at the VDC, but Rook’s dream has rewritten it as an event where Neige and Vil performed together.

Silver asks if Rook harbors a secret desire to transfer to Savanaclaw and Epel explains that Rook used to be in Savanaclaw and transferred to Pomefiore after meeting Vil. Ortho concludes that rather than Rook desiring to be in Savanaclaw, that was the dream drawing the logical conclusion to Vil never attending NRC.

Sebek suggests that Rook’s desire to see Vil pursue his career is stronger than his desire to be close to Vil, but Idia explains that the “happiness” being crafted in the dream worlds seems to be superficial, with no in-depth understanding of the subjects (this is possibly the dreams being limited by Malleus’ own limitations: specifically, his inability to understand true happiness. More here ->)

Idia suggests that Rook wanted both Neige and Vil to be happy, resulting in a world without the cattiness or sabotage of the industry, but Epel says that that is probably not the only reason.

Epel explains that Vil’s sense of rivalry towards Neige is so strong that he did something during the VDC that he would normally never do, and Ortho wonders if Vil would have never overblotted if he didn’t see Neige as a rival.

Epel shares how it had to have been a heart-breaking experience for Rook as well, who had more faith in Vil than anyone, and we see Rook himself explain this in Book 6, where he reveals that he still has nightmares about Vil’s overblot.

Grim explains Rook voluntarily drinking Vil’s cursed juice during the VDC and Epel says that not only was Rook ready to risk himself to stop Vil, but he was so devastated over the revelation of what it is that Vil had nearly done that he actually wanted to be cursed to sleep forever.

Ortho assures Epel that the dreams are judging sad events and adverse experiences as “tragedies” unilaterally, resulting in Rook forgetting what happened, but it does not mean that Rook actually wants to erase the time that he, Vil and Epel spent together.

It is Epel who comes up with the idea for waking up Rook, saying that he is going to remind Rook of everything that happened.

The group performs the Absolutely Beautiful routine for Rook, which nearly succeeds in awaking him. In order to counter the paradox, darkness appears in the forms of Vil and Neige performing the RSA song from the VDC together.

Epel begins yelling at Rook to remember what Vil is really like saying he is no where near that friendly and is far more poisonous and beautiful. Epel tells him that he is being more of a traitor now than the day he voted for RSA, which successfully awakens Rook.

Rook aims his bow and arrow at the Dream-Neige and Dream-Vil, who try to protect each other, with Rook declaring that the harmony of their noble friendship is proof of his terrible betrayal. 

The group successfully fights back the darkness, with Rook thanking Epel and asking for his forgiveness. Silver asks for Rook’s assistance and Rook says that he should be the one asking for permission to join the group in order to repay his debt of gratitude.