[A: 6 C: 109] - Sands of Change
(Mirabelle) {Refoulement}
(You sat watch under the shade of one of the many, many giant bones littering this endless desert. It felt like you hadn’t made any progress in days! Not since you had found Antoine resting at that oasis. This journey was getting exhausting, and it was hot! But weirdly, not as hot as it should be? You think? H-heh, this place is strange. You’ve tried to wrap your head around it, but. . . It always gives you a headache!)
(You look over to Antoine. Their eyes were closed and they were resting happily against one of the giant bones. He’d been having trouble with the sand, but that wasn’t anything a bit of patience couldn’t get past. Besides, it’s not like he’s slowing you down or anything like they keep saying they are. Honestly, having someone else to talk to was, good!)
(Well, someone to talk to who’s not, Refoulement or Horizon.)
(You look down at the dark star Crest in your hand. . . Oh Horizon. . . If, i-if only you could understand it! It saved your life when you first got here, and had stuck by you ever since. The issue is that it’s. . . W-well, first off, it looked like how Siffrin described it in headspace, except it was, hard to look at? It was like looking through cloudy or broken glasses. A-and then second off, you couldn’t talk to it! The only sound it could make was some, garbled, white noise.)
(On top of all that, a few minutes after it appeared, it, turned into the charm that you’re now holding. It had turned back to help fight off some sadness, and to try to talk to you, but. . . That was it. . . Does it even remember you?)
“DOUBTING?” (Refoulement appears, looming over your shoulder.) “SAVED YOU. YES?”
(You're not as surprised as you should be when Refoulement poofs into existence. Honestly it was really growing on you! Hehe.) “Y-yes it did! I-I’m just, worried. . .”
“MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT.” (Despite how, traditionally, someone would be creeped out by a sadness draped over them, for you it was comforting.) “FRIENDS. FAMILY. SADNESS. PERCIVAL. SURVIVAL. HORIZON IS NOT ONE OF THEM.”
“I guess you’re right. . .” (You roll the star crest over your fingers mindlessly. It was right, you already have a lot to worry about, like what to do or where to go. You had been making your way to the distant tower that held the sun. You’re not really sure why, it’s. . . Just, it’s the only solid direction you could go.)
(Where is everyone else? Ramos, Bonnie, Isabeau, Odile, Pétronille, Siffrin. . . Considering Horizon was here of all places, that last one worried you the most. What happened to Siffrin? The last thing you could remember was some screaming, running into Sif, Isa, and Ramos’ room, seeing something bright, and. . . Poof! You’re here!)
(Well, not HERE, in this desert. At first you were in a weird place that was almost dreamlike. It was hard to remember, but you remember. . . You remember remembering, remembering things about your journey, both before and after beating the King. You didn’t know what was going on, but, Refoulement showed up, and got you out, and you landed here.)
(But what even was here? Why is Horizon here? Why is Refoulement so. . . Solid? And how did you meet Antoine? You would say that you’re dreaming, but you didn’t wake up when you got hit by a sadness, it felt too real. . . Maybe you’re hallucinating? O-or maybe-)
(The ground shook and the sands shifted as you felt a noise in your belly and taste its sugar in your mouth! You jolted to your feet, having almost had a heart attack!)
“Change-!” (Antoine gasped awake and grabbed their cane, scrambling to get up.) “What th’ crab?!?”
“I-I don’t know, are you alright?!?” (You look over at him, wide eyed.)
“I’m fine, miss.” (They casually pointed in a direction.) “That on the other hand. . .”
(Turning to look, you saw a large dark spire in the distance. It reached up and up into the skies, and the whole world felt a bit cooler. Refoulement chittered from over your shoulder.)
“STRONG.” (It leans forward more.) “FEEL STRONG. DANGEROUS.”
“Dangerous?” (Antoine looks at it, concerned.) “To us? Or. . .”
“ENERGY. WANT TO HUNT.” {You look at him.} “OTHER SADNESS. WILL BE THE SAME.”
“O-oh!” (Well! You make a face, then gather your things.) “W-well, then now is probably a good time to move.”
“Fine by me.” (Antoine shudders as he, and you, glance back at the fountain. After a few seconds, the darkness started to fade.) “. . . At least we have another direction to go.”
“I suppose, but. . .” (You rub your chin.)
*Go to the fountain.
“No, you’re right.” (You nod, clapping your hands together.) “Someone might need our help there.”
“Sounds good. Let’s get movin’.”
>>>
“It killed the other one!?” (Antoine exclaimed, shield at the ready.)
“And made itself stronger, yes.” (You cast [Heal Prayer], and the gash in your side starts to close.) “I-I think, I’ve heard about this type of sadness before actually.”
“Oh really?” (Antoine smirks, glancing at the sadness that looked like someone cut in half.) “Another little thing from the heroine days?”
“Er, kinda?” (You shrug, glancing around.) “It’s a long story-”
“FOCUS.” {You lash out from behind Mirabelle, diving at the sadness, and stab stab stab STAB STAB!} “STILL DANGER.”
(The sadness screamed at Refoulement and charged at it. Refoulement dodged the charge, and the sadness continued on, aiming now for Antoine! Luckily, they deflected the blow with his shield arm, and struck back with the cane he had in the other. Apparently, it was REALLY good for thwacking things!)
“Yes!!” (Your turn! You take a stance, before slashing forward, piercing the sadness, and jumping up and away with an uppercut of your sword.) “Just a little more!”
(The sadness screamed loud enough to make you wince, but was cut off by the roar of your own sadness as it lunged and pierced it through! It started tearing away at it. By the time you landed from your leap, Refoulement was stabbing its very, very dead corpse over and over.)
[Mirabelle is now level 62.]
[Antoine is now level 24.]
[Refoulement is now level 67.]
“Phew.” (Antoine puts his shield away and makes their way over.) “It don’t mess around, eh?”
“Y-yeah! It’s. . .” (You glance at Refoulement.) “. . . Very thorough!”
“I’ll say.” (He smirks.) “‘Ey Foul! I think it’s dead!”
(Your sadness looked up, before quickly slithering back to your shadow. Metaphorically? Physically? Both? You don’t know. You reach a hand around to cup its face.) “You did good! Thanks!”
“. . .” (It doesn’t respond, in any way you can comprehend anyways.) “. . . STRANGE THING. UNDER. SADNESS.”
“Strange?” (You tilt your head.) “Strange how?”
“. . . UNSURE. NOT. DANGEROUS.”
“Spooky.” (Antoine shook their head.) “Look at you two. A maiden and her sadness, there’s somethin’ about somethin’ in there. Heh, it could be a book!”
“Oh definitely!!” (You nod enthusiastically as you lean over the dead sadness.) “Oh!!! Maybe you should join our book club!!!”
“I’d love to!” (They follow.) “Who else’s in it?”
“Isabeau, Odile, a-and sometimes Ramos and Siffrin.” (Because it’s really Alex and Loop who likes to join. You glance up and smile at Antoine.) “We should find a horror-fantasy about a sadness!!!”
“Heh, sounds like a plan.” (Antoine chuckles.) “I wonder though. . . ‘Cause not every sadness is friendly like yours, right?”
“Right!” (You nod. Refoulement is pulling your attention to something under the sadness.) “I-I’ve met a few others like Refoulement, s-so it’s not uncommon O-oh! Apparently Perci’s the same with his sadness, too.”
“Oh yeah?” (He circles around as you start moving the sadness off of the spot.) “What’s it look like? He never did tell me.”
“Oh! Like a rabbit. Er, he has multiple actually!” (Refoulement reaches around to help you move the sadness.) “A cute, fluffy thing! It’s kinda. . .”
(O-oh. Er. . .)
{BREATHE. IT IS DEAD.}
“. . . Oh, ah.” (Altiare looked over your shoulder.) “Kinda like that, huh.”
“Y-yeah. . .”
(What Refoulement had found was, in fact, the body of a Saudade. It was being held in the arm of the sadness that was killed by the other, almost like it was being protected. Not that it was now, the poor thing. . .)
“. . . Cute?” (Antoine grimaced.) “Is’at weird to say about the dead sadness of my not-so-ex boyfriend?”
“Uhm, no? Maybe?” (You reach out to the rabbit, hesitate, then pinch one of its ears.) “Oh you poor thing. . .”
(One second you were just rubbing its ears affectionately, and in the next it disappeared in a flash. You recoiled back, and looked again to see a point of light floating where it once was. So, it’s not a coincidence. . .)
“Like last time?” (Antoine’s voice was quiet.)
“Yes, like last time.” (You said with a solid tone.) “I’ll check it, but you might want to. . .”
“Yeah, one sec.” (Antoine turned and walked a few feet away, before giving a thumbs up. Change. . . You, really don’t blame him, for, not wanting to see this. . .)
(You reach out towards the light.)
“Blood.” I curse, and get up from my unsteady spot on the Gleipnir’s port side. It had barely been a day, and my traveling companion had gotten himself into trouble. I rush over to the bow where I can already see no less than three people attacking my good friend, and a small crowd of others cheering them on. I yell and push through the group. “That’s enough!! Let him go!!”
“Aye? Says who!” A burly man who looked too well trimmed to be kind glared at me. He was nursing a bruised eye, clearly my friend’s doing. “Well then what’d you have me do to someone who strikes his captain, sir!”
The honorific was spat out like it had offended him in some way. Well, it wasn’t unearned. Zac had been looking for a new crew, and I happened to negotiate a very good working contract for him and the captain of the Gleipnir, something we both were fast regretting.
“Get him a round of beers, minimum.” I cheekily grin and roll my eyes, moving on in the conversation before the captain could react. “Jokes aside, in most cases I’d have him off my ship on the next port! That’s what reputable captains do, correct?”
“Reputable-!” The captain cuts himself off. “An’ what do you mean most cases.”
“Oh come on. Haven’t you met one person who’s just been begging to be smacked in the face.” I fold my hands behind my back, emphasising my ridiculousness. “Like, say, an officer closing down a pub, or a merc who doesn’t care about people. Blood, I wake up every day and see someone like that in the mirror!”
That got the crew laughing. Perfect. Manipulate through mirth; make them laugh, make them like you, and then it doesn’t matter what you say, as long as it sounds smart. The captain looked angry, but it was hard for him to do much now.
“Alright alright!” He grumbles. “We’ll let him off at next port, but if he can’t follow orders he ain’t working!”
“Whota’ pile o’ shite.” Zac finally gets up from the ground, curses at the ready. “No wonder you’re short a’ crew, noone wants a captain who’s got piss for brains!”
“Watch it you-!!!”
“That’s enough! We don’t want to cause any more of a scene in front of everyone, do we?" I stifle a laugh, and hold a hand out to Zac. “Come on, let’s find a cabin.”
“And see ya’ keep to it.” I hear the captain grumble as I help Zac up. Surely an attempt to regain control. Cute. I take a few steps away, letting that bastard think he’s got the last laugh, before finally glancing back.
“Ah that reminds me.” I lock eyes with the captain, whose name I never did bother to commit to memory. “I have to compliment you on your integrity, captain, as I’m sure you will have Zac’s pay ready at the end of the trip, as it is a minimum guarantee regardless of work-hours.”
I swiftly turn away, head down to hide a smile. Before the captain could realize what I meant, my companion and I were well below deck.
Finding our little corner of the ship was simple. I was a passenger, not crew, and had one of the more accommodating cabins. Zac already offered to sleep on the floor, since he could apparently sleep anywhere, and because apparently ‘you look like someone who’d break his back sleeping on anything a little lumpy’. Charming.
“I gotta ask, Perci.” Zac takes a seat and grins up at me. “Arent you worried about sinking the ship with that giant pair o’ steel balls ya’ got there?”
“I'm sure she can handle it.” I reply cheekily, patting the ship wall as I sit down. “So, when will we get to Goethia?”
“Worried about a knife in the back?” Zac scoffs. “Prolly smart. We’ll round %$^#&!#@ tonight, and after that it’ll be two more days.”
“Well then let’s make sure we make it then, eh?” I chuckle, and get my pen and notebook out of my pack. “I needed time to write in either case.”
“You ever take a break from that book or are you bonded to it?”
“We’re divorced, actually.”
“Ah now that’s more like it!”
(Change, that was a weird one. You rub your face and take a few deep breaths. It took a few seconds to get your balance back into place; the rocking of the boat felt so. . . Real. . . Hmm, are these memories you’re seeing even going to be useful?)
(You turn back to Antoine.) “All done!”
“Didn’t take long.” (Antoine makes their way back over.) “It felt like ages when I got stuck in the last one.”
“Time flies when you’re. . . Reliving memories?” (You unhelpfully suggest.) “This one was Perci traveling on a boat. . .”
“Probably to get away from home.” (He lets out a wistful breath of air.) “Let’s move on.”
“O-of course! Let’s go.”
>>>
(Wheeeeere. . . do you go now?)
(You’d been doing your best to follow where the pillar of darkness was, but over time you’d gotten more and more off track. Things looked off, and your only point of reference- the sun -had been shifting inconsistently. The sands seemed to morph under your feet, and mess with your eyes.)
(You had to pause for a second and close your eyes. Change. . . Oh you should be used to this Mirabelle! Everything is strange and changing, shouldn’t you be used to that? You are a housemaiden OF Change!! UGH!!!)
“STOP.” (Refoulement grabs you by the hair and leans over your shoulder.) “NOT AT, FAULT.”
“S-sorry- I-I mean-!” (You grimace as it lets go of your hair, and starts to fix it.) “NOT sorry! I-I am not sorry, j-just- Change. . .”
“. . . We gotta find your meds, miss.” (Antoine gives you an affirming smile from where he’s resting.) “Having your sadness pop up from nowhere every few hours does NOT help the heart!”
“S-so--” (You cut yourself off, and clear your throat.) “W-well, I’ll, do my best t-to, uhm. . .”
“Oh stop worrying about it! It’sa joke!” (Antoine ruffled your hair, then got a hiss from Refoulement, who had JUST fixed it!) “Ha! Well, any idea where to go?”
“No, sor- n-no.” (You shuffle on the spot.) “Should we just, go with our gut? O-or uhm. . .”
(Interrupting your thinking and fretting, you feel something move in your pocket. You start going through your pockets until you bring out the culprit, a certain Star Charm! It was jolting in your hand, until it launched itself in the air and in a flash, turned into the dark-hole headed sadness known as Horizon.)
“Welcome back?” (Antoine says, unsure.)
“Hello Horizon!!” (You say with a bit more enthusiasm.) “Do you need something?”
“##$%$###^$!$(((###&&&!!!!!!!” (Horizon’s form was being rapidly jerked around on the spot, glitching.) “&&:@$!*???/?”
“Nnnnnnope, sorry.” (Antoine leaned on his cane.) “Still can’t understand what you’re saying.”
“U-uhm, you can point to something? Maybe? O-or uhm. . .”
“&%$#.” (Horizon floated on the spot, before rapidly zipping in a direction, now sounding much more distant.) “&&$%$#!! #%$!$!!”
“Oh!” (You’re smiling again! Yes! A lead!) “It wants us to follow it!!”
“Well then, after you.” (Antoine does a jokey half-bow.)
(You cheekily curtsey back.) “Oh thank you good xir!”
(The two of you start your journey again, sliding down the sands and moving between dunes. Horizon calls from a short distance away, and each time you get close, it zips back again. It is definitely, definitely leading you somewhere. Honestly? Having an actual guide had given you and Antoine a second wind, and you were making great time!)
(Horizon’s time as a guide didn’t last for long, though. After a little bit of playing chase, it made some low-pitched noise, and reverted back into a charm. But now that it had given a direction, the two of you were able to continue on your own. For a time, anyways.)
(Eventually, you had to pause for a minute. You may have trekked across Vaugarde for about a year, but Antoine was missing a leg and happily settled down. It was during this, you sitting on the dune and Antoine laying on its slope, when you noticed something.)
(Well, it’s less you noticed something, more. . . more that you noticed the lack of something. There wasn’t much wind, and there weren’t any dust clouds. The horizon was clear, and there was almost no sand blocking the view! Well, almost, because there were a few little dust ‘puffs’ that showed up every now and then. Now that you were thinking about it. . .)
(You close your eyes, stand up straight, cup your ears with your hands, and listen closely. . . . The odd gust of light wind. . . A noise of some animal. . . And. . . A person yelled?)
(Someone's out here!!!)
“Antoine!!!” (You drop down next to them.) “Antoine I-I think I heard someone!!”
“Huh?!” (He sits up.) “What?! Really?!?”
“Y-yes! I’m sure of it, just- listen for a second.”
(You both stop for a minute to listen. After a moment, Antoine gasps.) “I hear ‘em!”
“!!! Which way??”
“I think. . . . That way, let’s getta’ move on!!”
(In a flash you were both off again. Please don’t let this just be a hallucination. You’d gotten so tired of being alone here, of not having your friends around, of being stuck USELESS and not making ANY progress!!! Change, even if it wasn’t your friends, if it was just, ANYONE, you’d be happy!!)
(Your feet sunk into the sand with each step, like the world was grabbing you by your doubts and dragging you down. You won’t let it, you WON’T! There’s no way you’re going to let this world tear you away from the people you care about! It’s getting louder, slowly but surely. You hear something hit something metallic, a scream, yelling, crafts- wait!! WAIT PLEASE BE WHO YOU THINK IT IS!!!)
(You crest the the dune with hope in your heart, only for it to be rewarded as a smile spreads across your face.)
(Isabeau, Odile, and Nihil. Nihil? How was it- you know what? You don’t care, because your friends are here and fighting off a sadness!!! Odile was hurt, Isabeau was holding off two of the sadness hands, and Nihil was trying to pin down a third! There’s no time to waste!!)
(You leap and slide down the side of the slope, clapping your hands together as you do and casting [Mega Sparkle Heal]!!!) “E-EVERYONE!!!”
(Isabeau looks over his shoulder at your voice, eyes going wide seeing you.) “MIRA!!!”
“Mirabelle?!?” (Odile gasps, the crafted discs of light stitching up her leg.) “Gems alive where have you been?!”
{Not now. Fight.} (Nihil’s “voice” echoes in your mind as it skips back from one of the hands.) {Good. To see.}
“Glad you’re okay too!!” (You slash at one of the hands, giving Isabeau a chance to back off.) “What are we fighting?!”
“I suspect a sadness from the house.” (Odile flips through her book.) “Six hands. We’ve beaten three, now we have two paper and one rock hand left.”
“And the weird spaghetti looking body is taking pretty big hits.” (Isabeau says through gritted teeth.) “But this’ll be a piece of cake now oh Change Mirabelle I missed you!!!”
“Missed you too, hehe.” (You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling if you tried.) “. . . I, think I have an idea, try and surround it!”
(And you’re off! You went right, Isa and Nihil went left, and Odile stood her ground. You slashed at a hand as you whizzed past, and Isabeau struck the body as he planted himself opposite from you. Nihil got across from Odile, and jumped away as the sadness attacked it. Odile took the chance and used [Slow IV]. Now’s your time!)
{With a thought, you moved from Mirabelle's shoulder, to her palm. A tear. Dormant.}
(You clasp the frozen tear, Refoulement, between your palms, close your eyes, focus, and use [Soothing Restful Song]!!!) “DISAPPEAR!!!”
(A single spinning disc of light with inverted shades spun out from between your hands, weaved around the limbs protecting the body, and struck that big sadness right in the face! In an instant, the sadness stopped, frozen in time. After a few seconds of waiting, the sadness crumbled into bits, and the hands fell to the ground.)
[Odile is now level 65.]
[Mirabelle is now level 63.]
“O-ohChange-” (You collapse onto your butt as a wave of exhaustion washes over you.) “O-ohthankChange that worked.”
“MIRAAAAA!!!!” (Isa hug-tackles you into the sand.) “Oh I am SO GLAD to see you right now!!!”
“It’s good to see you are unharmed.” (Odile’s face softens into a smile.) “And even better to see you wielding crafts so easily.”
“H-heh, it wasn’t that easy.” (You smile, hugging Isabeau back really tight.) “W-well, the time freezing one I mean, it still takes me out.”
“WELL WELL WELL!!” (You hear a certain beautiful voice call down from the dune above you. Antoine’s relief was audible as he spoke, working his way down the dune.) “If it isn’t everyone’s favorite troublemakers!!!”
“Ah, Antoine, yes?” (Odile bobbed her head.) “I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Would it be safe to say Mirabelle and yourself have been traveling together?”
“Yep. Crab, if I had a coin for every time she saved me. . .” (He chuckled, finally getting to the base of the dune. They turned to Nihil.) “And uh, who’s this?”
“Oh yeah! Uh, that’s. . .” (Isabeau finally lets go of you and glances at Nihil.) “. . . . Rrrraaaammmooooossss?”
“Twink that visited with Mira?” (Antoine raised an eyebrow.) “Gotta say, some pretty cool looking Changes if that’s the case.”
“Uh, yeeees. Changes. . .” (Isabeau looks awkwardly to you, then back to Nihil.) “S-should uh-”
{I am Ramos’ Sadness.} (Nihil beamed the thoughts into your head, and it looks like everyone else's too.) {Controlling body for now. World is broken, reality mix with unreality. Side effect: me.}
“What the-” (Antoine spun to look at everyone.)
“It, and Ramos, knows Mind Craft. Did Percival tell you of such a craft?” (Odile explains.) “It cannot speak, so instead sends us its words more directly. Also, its name is Nihil.”
{Hello :] }
“. . . Well, ‘aight!” (Antoine waves to Nihil.) “Good t’ meet you Nihil! This one of those other people who’re buddy buddy with their sadness, miss?”
“O-oh! Yes!” (You properly sit up and dust yourself off.) “It’s a very long story, and I’m not sure it’s even mine to tell.”
“‘Fair nuff, I won’t pry.” (Antoine sits down next to you.) “Mind if we take a break for a bit? I only got half the legs you all do.”
“O-of course!”
“That will give us plenty of time to catch up as well.” (Odile makes a little space for herself to sit.) “Now, Isabeau, since Ramos nor Bonnie is available right now, can you-”
“B-Bonnie?! Bonnie was here?!?” (You sit up straight, staring at Odile.) “W-what happened to them?!?”
(Odile winces, and she and Isabeau share a pained glance.) “. . . W-well. . . Er. . .”
{Hand.} (In a blink, Nihil is next to you and Antoine.) {Faster this way. Hand.}
(You barely hesitate at all before taking its cold hand, but Antoine pauses.) “Uh. . .”
“You can trust it, Antoine.” (You smile at them.) “It might feel a bit strange, but it’s faster.”
“. . . Oooo-kay then.” (Antoine gingerly takes Nihil's hand.) “I trust you, miss.”
(After a few seconds of nothing, you smelt a sharp wave of mint, and your head started to spin. You weren’t ready for it- C-crab you thought you were but this-- Images, garden sadness, butterflies, light, a moth? Forest, people, caves--)
“SLOW.” (You feel a hissing from your sadness.) “TOO MUCH. HUMANS.”
(It felt like someone yanked you back as you were about to fall. You take a few breaths, and then, the memories begin to flow again. Slower, this time, more selective. You could feel some memories at half strength, more directed. After a second, you realized it was likely Nihil showing you some memories, but not Antoine. . . .)
(. . . . .)
(. . . . . . .)
(. . . . . . . . . . .)
(!!!!!)
“B-BONNIE!!!” (You gasp and tug away from Nihil's grasp. T-that--) “W-wh, N-no!!”
“Wha? Huh??” (Antoine took his hand back and shook his head.) “I didn’t see what happened, you okay, miss??”
“M-Mirabelle! I- C-crab, sorry!” (Isabeau was in front of you and put a hand on your shoulder.) “I- I should’ve given you more warning or- or just talked to you I’m, c-crab I’m so sorry--”
“T-that, that didn’t. . .” (You were hyperventilating.) “D-didn’t happen, did it? Did it?!”
“Take a deep breath, Mira. Like Sif does, okay?”
(You nod, and follow along. Taking a deep breath in. . . And out. . . In. . . And out. . .)
(. . . . . . You feel calmer now. A little bit, anyways.)
“. . . . . D-don’t answer. I don’t want an answer, please.” (You finally say softly, closing your eyes.) “I’m- I’ll be okay, I just need a minute. . .”
“Take your time.” (Antoine encourages.) “We got plenty, here.”
(You nod. Isabeau sits down next to you, and you lean against him to hopefully get some rest.)
