Chapter Text
Wishes are beautiful things. Sacred things. A bond between you and the Universe. But they are also dangerous things. You must always think carefully before you wish. You must never wish selfishly. You must never make a wish that will hurt someone else.
You open your eye and emerge from the fog in your mind, a half-remembered voice lingering in your ears. You don’t remember what you were thinking about. You could try to reach for it, but you know that won’t work. It will only slip through your fingers as surely as handfuls of lightless sand, growing further and further away the more you try to recall. So you don’t.
Above you, the leaves of the Favor Tree rustle in the breeze. You push your hair out of your face and examine them each in turn until one catches your eye. It’s small and bright and already a bit curled in on itself, all the way at the far end of a branch. You stand on your tiptoes and reach up, carefully cupping the leaf in your palms.
There. Now all you need to do is think of a wish.
You probably should have thought of one beforehand. But that’s okay. There are plenty of things for you to wish for.
Like for Vaugarde to be saved. That’s the obvious one. So obvious that everyone else has probably already wished for that. It would be pointless to add one more to the pile. Consider the wishes of the people around you. Will your wish conflict with someone else’s? Is it a wish that needs to be made at all?
So you should think of something else. Something smaller. Something nice and unobtrusive that won’t interfere with anyone else’s wish.
In that case, why not wish for something after all this is over? Everyone else has their own hopes for the future, after all. So you should be able to have one too.
You think about Bonnie. They miss their sister so much, even though they’re always trying to be brave. They’re so young. Too young to be separated from their family like this. The thought of it makes your chest hurt. You want them to be able to go back home. To see their sister again. And you’d like to be there too, you think. So you can know they’re safe. That they made it.
You close your eye, your wish on your lips. You breathe in. And stop.
…that wouldn’t be very fair, would it? Bonnie…probably wouldn’t want you there. They don’t like you anymore. Don’t even want to look at you. You’re not sure what you did, but it must have been pretty awful.
You…shouldn’t force them to stay by your side for your own selfish reasons.
…But that’s okay! That’s fine. There’s plenty of other things you could wish for. Plenty of other things you could do with your future. After you beat the King.
…
But now that you’re thinking about it…why are you so set on making a wish just for yourself? Especially when everyone else is wishing for Vaugarde’s salvation. That’s a nice, selfless wish and here you are, just thinking of what you want. Selfish.
You really aren’t important enough to hog a whole wish to yourself, are you? So you should do the right thing. Choose a different wish. One that will help everyone.
Maybe you should just wish for Vaugarde to be saved. One more to add to the pile can’t hurt, surely. Or you could wish to defeat the King. Basically the same wish, just…worded differently.
But you aren’t that worried. About fighting the King, that is. Maybe that’s weird. You should probably be at least a little nervous. After all, the King has the power to freeze everyone in time. Has almost frozen the entire country, and will freeze the rest if you don’t stop him tomorrow. There’s always a chance you could lose, but you don’t really bother thinking about things like that.
Really, it bothers you more that Mirabelle is anxious about it. She’s been so stressed throughout this whole journey. She admitted to you, one night around the campfire, that she wished she could be more like you. So confident. So fearless.
…you never really thought about yourself like that. But she’s probably right. You can’t remember being scared any time recently.
No…that’s not quite…
You raise a hand to the side of your face, feeling the fabric of your eyepatch through your glove. The skin beneath it is completely numb. Too many destroyed nerves for you to feel anything.
You remember. The Sadness, looming. Bonnie’s frightened cry, and the sound of twigs snapping as they tripped, trying to back away. Their legs, shaking. Their eyes, wide and horrified.
The first thing you’d felt when you awoke, before you could process anything else, was panic. Where was Bonbon? Were they okay? Were they hurt? You can recall voices desperately trying to reassure you, shaking hands pushing you back down before you could throw yourself out of bed, and then the searing agony that had consumed your entire face the moment you’d tried to blink. And not a whole lot after that, for a while.
…you don’t like remembering this. It’s something you’d rather forget. You probably will, in time. You forget a lot.
…
The King will probably be a lot stronger than a simple wild Sadness. You wonder if you’ll lose any more body parts fighting him. An arm, maybe? Or a leg? Or your remaining eye?
If it’s just you, that’s one thing, but…
But what if it’s not. You don’t want to think about that. And yet…
If only you could keep them all safe tomorrow. There’s only so much you can do, you know, they’re bound to get hurt, but, if you can…
You want to protect them.
You look at the leaf you've chosen, and wish. You breathe your wish into the leaf, repeat it three times, and fold the leaf closed, keeping your wish safe. All done!
Gently, you let the leaf go, and walk back to the town.
You have a sleepover to go to, after all.
You’ve been in plenty of Houses over your journey. There wasn’t a town or city in all of Vaugarde that wasn’t willing to open its doors to Mirabelle and her party of Saviors. You’d always felt a little awkward at first, especially since there were usually a few pushier Housemaidens eager to proselytize to you and Odile. But once you got settled in, it was nice enough. Houses were so bright and inviting.
This House is nothing like any of them. It’s dark and still, like some sort of dead creature that you’ve crawled inside. Ugh. You shudder at the mental image.
It doesn’t help that this particular House apparently has a “Death Corridor”. You’re not sure why a place like a House of Change would have such a thing in the first place, but maybe that’s just a thing. In the Change belief. Death Corridors. Kind of weird, but what do you know?
At least this “Death Corridor” just seems to be for show. You run around inspecting everything and fail to find any sort of switch or tripwire or anything whatsoever, and you’ve yet to be dropped into a pit of spikes or shot full of arrows or anything like that. So you’re pretty sure you’re in the clear.
Mirabelle is still stressed though. She has so much to deal with already, the least you can do is reassure her. So you make a big show of standing in the middle of the corridor with a confident smile. “See?” You say, bouncing up and down a couple times for emphasis. “Everything’s fi–”
WAH! The floor is covered in debris from the broken pillar. Your heel lands directly on a tiny pebble and your legs go sliding out from under you. You hit the floor with an “oof”.
“Ah! Siffrin! Are you okay?” Mirabelle calls from the other side of the corridor. You lay on your back, blinking at the ceiling in surprise.
How embarrassing. Defeated not by any sort of trap but by the tiniest of pebbles and your traitorous boots. For a moment, when you were slipping, you’d thought you activated something. But no, nothing to worry about besides your own clumsiness.
You’re still lying face-up, stewing in your carelessness, and it is for this reason alone that you see something in the ceiling shift with a faint click, though it’s too dark to really see what’s happening. And then something very large and very fast is hurtling down at you.
You don’t have a lot of things going for you, but what you do have is excellent reaction speed. You somersault backwards, land on your rear, then scramble back a few more paces as the massive boulder slams into the ground exactly where you were laying a split second earlier. The impact of it rattles every bone in your body so badly that you narrowly avoid biting into your tongue. Stars! You stare at the rock and avoid thinking too hard about the fact that you were very nearly turned into a Siffrin crepe.
“SIFFRIN!”
“OH CRAB OH CRAB!”
“FRIN! NO!”
Footsteps as your friends sprint around the boulder. You watch the panic in each of their faces dissolve at the sight of you sitting on the floor, unharmed and unflattened. They’re all staring at you. It’s a little embarrassing, so you give them a sheepish wave.
“Trap disarmed,” you say.
Mirabelle clutches her chest. Her legs wobble beneath her. “Oh, thank Change! I thought…”
Ah, from their point of view, it probably looked like you got squashed.
Everyone still looks shaken, though, so you give them a thumbs-up and a cheeky smile. “Wow! We sure almost were off to…a rocky start!”
Isabeau stares at you for a moment before a cackle escapes his lips. “Pft! Okay. Still concerned that you almost died. But that is really funny.”
You didn’t, though? So it’s fine.
Odile sighs, pushing up her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Well, I suppose we should be used to your…usual methods of disarming traps by now. But do try to be more careful.”
“So you’re saying…I shouldn’t be any boulder?”
“STOP!” Bonnie wails!
“Please do not!” Mirabelle adds in at the same time, although she looks a little more at ease.
“I agree!” Isabeau adds hastily, but he’s still grinning. “Sif, we really can’t take your trap-disarming skills for granite!”
Bonnie growls at both of you while Mirabelle buries her face in her hands.
“Okay, kids, while I’m sure you’d love to stand around here all day making puns,” Odile says. “We really do need to get a move on.”
Ah, she’s not wrong. You pick yourself off the ground, dust off your cloak, and continue to lead the way.
The first floor goes smoothly enough, with the exception of one close call as Bonnie nearly knocks you into a tear, something that seems to upset them far more than you, and one swift and humiliating defeat at the hands of a kitchen counter. The Sadnesses are nothing you haven’t dealt with before. The ones guarding the last orb were much stronger, or maybe you were just weaker then. Either way, you and your allies make it on to the next floor.
It’s not much different, although the Sadnesses are stronger and there are more rooms to poke around in. You find a pair of scissors in a gardening room that might make for a decent weapon, accidentally insult Mirabelle’s tiny, dying plant, and pick up some extra tonics in the back of the room, squeezing back past your allies as they shy away from you.
The next room you find is the Head Housemaiden’s office. You rifle around in the drawer for a few minutes while your allies discuss her. Nothing but boring papers. The other desk and the dresser are similarly lacking any important items, so you turn to go.
You’re halfway out the door when you realize that one of your allies isn’t following you.
“Um, Siffrin?”
You turn to look at Mirabelle. She hovers by the Head Housemaiden’s desk, hands cupped in front of her like she’s worried that she’s being a bother, somehow. If she spoke up anyway, it must be important, so you nod your head to encourage her to continue.
“I just–I’m pretty sure there’s something in here. I can’t remember what it is, but…can we search for a little longer?”
“Sure.” You don’t think there’s anything, but you don’t mind looking anyway if it’s for her peace of mind. There’s still time before the curse catches up.
“Hey, how about we all poke around a bit?” Isabeau suggests. “We shouldn’t leave everything to Sif all the time.”
But…but searching for things is your job. Are you…not doing it well enough? Do they not trust you to be capable?
You must be making an amusing face, because Odile chuckles. “You don’t have to look so upset, Siffrin. None of us are trying to steal your position. But it would go faster if we all searched.”
Well, she has a point. This isn’t really about you. It’s just practical. So, to searching you and your allies go.
Bonnie is already rifling around in the smaller desk, tossing papers haphazardly onto the floor. “All this stuff is boring. I wanna find something cool.”
“Oh?” Isabeau says from beside them, pausing his search of the closet. “Like what?”
“Like…like a great big sword! Then Belle can use it to defeat the King!”
“Huh? But I don’t know how to wield that kind of sword!”
“You’re really cool though! So I bet you can do it!”
Mirabelle giggles before resuming her examination of the papers on top of the desk while Odile searches the bookcase. You aren’t left with anything to do but return to the useless desk drawer. You inspect everything more thoroughly this time, determined to prove that you are good at your job.
Yep, just papers once again. Unless the King really needs to fill out some funding request forms, you don’t think these will help. You’re ready to give up, but as you pull your hand from the drawer, you brush up against something that seems to be dangling down from the top. It sways back and forth, bouncing lightly on the back of your hand. Huh?
You feel around the top of the drawer. Sure enough, something’s stuck to the underside with a bit of tape. You pull it free and extract it from the drawer.
Got a Rock Key! That’s bound to be useful.
“Found something,” You say, giving the keychain a flick. Ding ding! Today, at least, you have proved that you are still capable of doing your job. Well, you did very nearly miss it. Twice. But aside from that…
“Oh, that’s it!” Mirabelle turns to you, relief spreading across her face. “A key! I remember now. Thanks for finding it, Siffrin.” She smiles at you.
At least that’s sorted, then. You lead everyone back outside. No sooner have you and your party have cleared the doorway does yet another massive boulder descend from the ceiling and smash down right in front of the door.
Yikes! Why are there so many boulders in here? At least this one didn’t almost crush you.
You and your allies stare at the very large, very immobile boulder for a minute.
“...there wasn’t anything else useful in there, right Mira?” Isabeau asks.
“Uh, I don’t…think so?”
You really hope not.
The key you’d picked up comes in handy almost immediately at the door to the right of the office. You slide it into the keyhole.
“Wow, it’s a good thing you found that,” Isabeau says with a nervous laugh. “Or else, wouldn’t we be totally stuck right now?”
Yeah…if Mirabelle hadn’t asked to look longer. Or if you hadn’t noticed the key on the top of the drawer. You were so close. So close to being stuck. Unable to move forward, scrambling to find a way through as the curse drew closer and closer. All because of your carelessness.
You clench the key tightly in your hand and unlock the door. It’s…fine. You just…have to do better.
There’s another key to be found in the library, but you make sure to inspect everything else as carefully as possible, until you can feel your allies getting restless. Nothing else to be found but a book for Odile and some tonics.
To the other side of the House you go. The first room you come across is a classroom. More places to search, more things to miss. You inspect the blackboard as Mirabelle nervously explains the many classes she’s taken. Behind you, Bonnie wanders around the desks, munching on an apple and examining each one intently. Are they still looking for a sword? You don’t think there’s going to be one in a place like this.
Mirabelle is saved from having to share any more of her school-based woes by Bonnie’s shout.
“Hey! This notebook thinks it can tell me what to do!” They’re glaring down at one of the desks, as though the notebook on it has personally offended them.
Odile grins. “How dare it have the audacity to do such a thing.”
“Yeah! It’s my odd-acid-y!”
“That’s not how you use that word, but hey! Clearly you’ve gotta disobey it now! Can’t go letting those notebooks boss you around,” Isabeau says.
Bonnie grins and begins flipping through the notebook. The pages stick to their fingers, apple juice dripping all over them. Whoever this belongs to, they’re not going to be happy.
Mirabelle seems to be thinking the same thing, because she cringes. “Uh, Bonnie, maybe…”
She doesn’t get the chance to finish. Bonnie gives a shriek of delight and begins bouncing up and down, something clutched in their fist. “AHAH! I found it! I’m the master key finder now!”
“Yes you are, Boniface.” Odile pats them on the hat.
“So does that mean I can replace Frin? Can I be the leader now?”
“Absolutely not.”
Bonnie pouts.
You…would’ve found that key, too, eventually. Right? You’d have looked there. Wouldn’t you?
“You know, Bonnie,” you say, sticking out your tongue. “This might just be the key to our success.”
“URGH!”
You get a laugh out of Isabeau, at least.
“Fine, I guess you can still be leader,” Bonnie says at last. “Cause if you’re way in front, I won’t have to hear your crabbin’ puns.” They pass you the key. It’s not a scissors key like you were expecting. It’s also very sticky.
Hopefully that’s the only thing of importance in here. Double hopefully, there won’t be any more boulders.
You fight another strong Sadness, get a crest, and are forced to be the tie-breaker between two alliances. You hate choosing between your friends–allies. You pick the Beauty Alliance, because going down just feels right, and you have nothing in this situation besides your instincts. You are rewarded with threats of potatoes.
There are more boulders down there, because of course there are. You hope they stay put this time. You do find a key down there, and Mirabelle’s stolen book.
If you’d gone the other way, would there have been a key there too? Or did you just get lucky? It was a 50/50 chance after all.
You hope you don’t have to rely on luck anymore.
Third floor time. Your stomach is full of delicious madeleines, but your mind is heavy with the weight of the conversation you’d just had. You…don’t want to think about any of your allies dying. But Isabeau was right. It was probably best to discuss it now. Just in case.
…throw my ashes to the sky, you said. It felt right, at the time. But you don’t know. Mirabelle asked if it was common where you came from. Is that…
………
What were you…no. Don’t get distracted, Siffrin. You have a country to save.
The third floor goes more smoothly than the second one did. You take a nice picture at a mirror, get a key, unlock a door, get another key, unlock yet another door, fight a Sadness, get a crest. Get lost several times along the way. The whole house is a labyrinth. At least your allies seem just as lost as you are.
“There are more paths blocked by tears this time,” Odile says as you pick up the crest. “We should be careful with this one.”
“I wonder.” Mirabelle chews her lip. “Since I’m immune to being frozen, maybe I could pass through? Then I could let you know if there’s something over there.”
“I’d rather not take that risk,” Odile says. “But we might not have another choice.”
“Um, if we do…get trapped, it’s an option, though, at least.”
You don’t like it either. Sure, the Sadnesses can freeze you, but the tears just feel…different, somehow. You can’t explain why…they just…feel wrong. Bad. Like it would be the end. You don’t know if that would be the case for Mirabelle too, but you sure don’t want to find out.
You need to choose right.
You stand in place for a moment outside of the weird Sadness room, passing the crest from hand to hand.
“Sif?” Isabeau is watching you. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” you say quickly. “Just figuring out where to go.”
You pick a direction and start walking. You don’t remember where the tears all are. But you think there were more in the left wing. Are there any over here? You don’t remember, because of course you don’t.
You find the first row of tears up a pathway on the left. You stare at them for a minute, crest in hand. It’s too dark to see what’s beyond them. The residual energy of the House can only light so much.
It…doesn’t feel right. You don’t have any reason for it, you just get that feeling. It’s all you have to go on right now. You ignore the tears for now.
You find the next row further to the left. Yes. This feels better. It just does.
You use your crest on them before you can lose your nerve.
On the other side, you find a use for the key you’d found on the previous floor. That feels like a good sign.
“How very fortunate for us,” Odile says. She’s frowning at the note stuck to the door. “Finding this key, choosing the right pathways…everything’s going a little too well.”
“Ah, c’mon M’dame, isn’t it a good thing? I say we’re due a little good luck!”
“I suppose.” She’s looking at you. Does she expect you to have an answer?
You shrug. You don’t have any more of an idea than she does. “The house is helping, maybe?”
“NO!” Mirabelle yelps, her voice surprisingly loud in your ear. “That’s not how the House of Change works! Change is something you make for yourself! You have to choose it! It isn’t about luck at all.”
Well, then, that settles that matter. Maybe you are just getting regular old lucky. But it doesn’t feel that way.
Not the Change God then, but…there’s something, isn’t there? To lead you?
………..
Hmm. Your head hurts. What were you even thinking about again? Something about luck? Yeah, you sure have gotten lucky, haven’t you? That’s good. You suppose.
You and your allies stop for a bathroom break. You don’t really need to go, but you could use a moment to yourself. You slink into a stall and close the door.
…
Stars, what are you doing? Missing the trap…almost missing the keys…leaving everything up to chance. You just can’t stop messing things up, can you? You blinding idiot! If you weren’t so lucky, you’d have gotten yourself and probably everyone else killed by now.
You slap your cheeks a couple of times. Get it together, Siffrin! You can’t be making silly mistakes like this, not when you’re about to go fight the King.
If you slip up, if you lose…you’ll all probably die. No room for error. No second chances.
It would be one thing if it were just you. But it’s not. People are counting on you. Your allies are counting on you. It’s their lives on the line. You can’t bear the thought of them getting hurt, just because of your incompetence.
You’d wanted to believe you could keep them all safe, but…
But that’s kind of silly, isn’t it? You’re just one person. And not a particularly talented person at that. You’re fast, but that’s about all. Will that be enough? To be useful? To be a worthy addition to the team?
…would it make a difference, if you weren’t here?
You’ll…just have to do whatever you can to help everyone. That’s all you can do.
…
Okay, enough doubting yourself. You’ve had your little moment and you’re over it now. Besides, it's all worked out so far. You’ve got plenty of reason to be confident going into this final battle.
You breathe in, and out, and exit the bathroom.
Mirabelle’s upset. Of course she is. How could she not be? This is her home, her friends. Of course she wants to save them all as fast as possible. Even if going into this battle without eating first would be a mistake. Never use crafts on an empty stomach ! You think you heard something like that once.
You offer what comfort you can, even though you’re not the best one for the job.
It’s not all bad, though. A few minutes later, you’re digging into a plate of wonderful, delicious malanga fritters, and all of your worries are gone. Your mind is filled with only thoughts of fritters. Yum yum yum. Fritter time.
Bonnie is looking at you. They seem proud, you think. And they’re even looking you in the eye! Maybe…could it be…have they forgiven you for whatever it was you did?
You try to smile at them, but your mouth is full of fritter. You eat and listen to the others.
“You should eat something too, Mira,” Isabeau says. He’s holding a few palmiers. They look good, but you have eyes for one snack only. “It might make you feel a little better.”
“Yeah,” Mirabelle says. She chews on one of her nails. Her eyes are still shiny with tears. “Um, w-what snacks do you have left, Bonnie?”
Bonnie digs around in their hat. “I’ve got a bunch of stuff! More palmiers! And some potato samosas! Oh, there’s a gross cheese one too. I made it in case Frin…” Bonnie looks at you for a long moment. You keep eating. Yum. “Nevermind. And more malanga fritters.”
MORE!? You finish stuffing your face and stare at Bonnie. They stare back for a moment before dumping another several fritters into your hands.
“I have no more malanga fritters,” Bonnie amends. “Uh, you can have some carrot slices though. That old guy gave me a whole bunch. Or you could try my super secret–”
“CARROT!” Mirabelle shouts, jumping to her feet.
You nearly drop your fritter in surprise. A narrowly avoided tragedy.
“Wow, Mira, I…didn’t know you were so passionate about carrots,” Isabeau says.
“No, no, not carrots! I just–I remembered something. Yes, yes, if I do this and that, and…” she nods to herself, mumbling a bunch of words you can’t make out under her breath. “A shield. It would definitely be a shield.” She clenches her fists, her expression determined, before wheeling around to face you. “Right. Siffrin, do NOT move! I’m about to try a very volatile craft skill on you!” She claps her hands together.
WUH?! You quickly stuff as much of your snack into your mouth as you can. If you’re going to die, you refuse to do so without finishing your fritters. That just wouldn’t be fair!
Whatever Mirabelle’s craft is, it doesn’t kill you. In fact, it makes you feel like you’ve been covered by a warm blanket. It’s nice. You are warm and full of malanga fritters. You could stay like this forever.
The moment is ruined somewhat by Bonnie hurling a spatula at you. It bounces harmlessly off your head.
“Woah! Sif, are you okay? Bonbon, don’t just throw things at them!”
Bonnie grumbles, crossing their arms. “Belle said it was a shield. I was helping!”
“Did…did you feel anything?” Mirabelle asks, eyes focused intently on you.
You didn’t, so you give a thumbs up.
“Can we use it against the King?” Bonnie asks, looking even more excited than Mirabelle. “We’ve gotta! Then he won’t be able to do anything to us and he’s gonna be scratching his head all confused like a big crabbin’ idiot!”
“Having a skill like that at our disposal can’t hurt,” Odile says. “Though maybe you shouldn’t use poor Siffrin as your test subject without asking.”
“Oh. Right.” Mirabelle deflates a little. “I’m sorry, Siffrin.”
“It’s fine,” you say. Better you than one of the others. Besides, you’ve let her test plenty of crafts on you before. Why would you have any problem with it now?
“Nevermind. We probably don’t even need a stupid craft like that,” Bonnie says. They’re glaring at you. What did you do this time?
“Well, testing it now is better than testing it when we go against the King,” Odile says.
“It’ll help for sure,” Isabeau says. “The King will never know what hit him. Or, more like, he won’t know why he’s not able to hit us! ”
Mirabelle giggles. She seems to have relaxed slightly. “You’re right. We’ll definitely kick the King where it hurts.”
“Ooooh!”
“And where’s that, Mira?”
“His…his…HIS STUPID CRABBING BUTT!”
“YEAH!!!!!”
“But…” Bonnie looks at Mirabelle. “Why did carrots make you think of shields? Is it a carrot shield? A shield made of carrots?”
“Oh, not carrots. It just reminded me of the CARROT method.”
“What’s that?”
You’d like to know too.
“Oh, it’s…” Mirabelle bombards you all with a bunch of terms you don’t understand even a little bit. Even Odile doesn’t seem to know what she’s talking about. Only Isabeau is nodding along.
“Sounds boring,” Bonnie says.
Well, however Mirabelle learned it, you’re glad she has a skill like that. None of you know how strong the King truly is. You don’t know how much protection this shield will give you, but it’s better than having none at all.
You wish you could learn a cool skill like that. Too bad you don’t understand anything she said. You hope the skills you do have will prove useful.
You’re not sure what you expected it to be like, finally facing down the King. You never spent much time thinking about it. You had a vague idea what he was supposed to look like, you’ve seen the pictures in the papers back when they were still being printed. He’s a lot taller than he looked in those. You feel a bit like an insect looking up at him.
You refuse to be intimidated, though. Everyone’s counting on you.
He rambles for a bit. Trying to appeal to Mirabelle, asking you about…something. Getting in a little villainous monologue then, huh?
That makes you feel better. You know how a story like this will end. The hero Mirabelle will defeat him with the power of her faithful allies and save the country. And then the curtains will fall, and you’ll all live happily ever after.
Well, this isn’t a play, of course. It would be nice if it was. To have an expected outcome. But it’s not. You just have to do whatever you can to bring about the conclusion you want.
Your dagger is drawn. Feet braced on the floor. The King rises up, looming over you. Promising you your beautiful end. But the time for talk has ended.
You snap your fingers. Your body feels lighter. Faster. Beside you, Mirabelle claps her hands together, and the warmth of the shield washes over you.
Isabeau is the first to strike, with a blast of paper craft from his papier-mache gloves. The King staggers for a moment before brushing it off. Huh. You remember to look at the King’s hands, curled into fists in front of his face. Protection craft.
Not good for you. You don’t think you’ll be doing much attacking in this fight. If only you knew another craft type skill. But it’s a little late to learn.
Odile slows the King. For a moment, you think it might be enough to keep him from attacking. But then he raises his hands.
“Ooh, ooooooh......It is time, saviors.”
For a moment, you see something, a flash, a vision of the future. It sears itself into your eye, into your brain. Pain explodes across your body. You grit your teeth, stumbling backwards from the force of the blow.
And then your head is clear again, the vision ripped away, and you’re still standing. Injured, but not down.
But…
You exchange a look with Mirabelle. Her eyes are wide. You both know it. If you didn’t have that shield…if whatever had dug itself into your brain had remained a moment longer…
“Oh...... Oooooooh...... You're still here......Good. Let us fight to the death, then.”
The battle continues, the King and your allies trading blows while you offer support. He doesn’t unleash that big attack again. Maybe he can’t? Something like that must have a long cooldown. His other moves are strong, certainly he’s the strongest enemy you’ve faced so far. But you’re chipping away at his armor, bit by bit. And you’re still more or less in one piece.
Heh. You’re doing pretty good. What were you even so worried about in the first place? Silly. You stick your tongue out at the King.
And then, before you can even finish your taunt, your feet are no longer on the ground. The King’s blow sends you flying backwards as effortlessly as if he were launching a pebble across a pond. You feel about as helpless as one.
Your body strikes the ground once, twice, thrice, before rolling to a stop, face down on the floor. For a moment, everything is still and silent.
“SIFFRIN!”
“SIF! Sif, are you okay?”
You open your mouth to reply, but the only thing that comes out is a strangled wheeze. Stars, it hurts. You can’t breathe. Hurts too much. Something’s cracking in your chest. That…hah…can’t be good.
Are you dying? You sure feel like you are. You try to open your remaining eye. The world is blurry. Your head spins. Your limbs won’t move. You think something must be broken. Several things, probably.
Hnng. Don’t breathe. Breathing hurts. Bad. You can taste blood in your mouth. Did you bite your tongue? Or is it something worse?
Stupid. What were you thinking? Why did you think it was a good idea to try to taunt the King? Now you’re going to die, all because you decided it was a good time to get cocky. You blinding idiot! Of course you’d die in a stupid way like this!
From your fading vision, you see Mirabelle running towards you. No, no, she shouldn’t bother. Stay in the fight. Don’t get distracted because of you.
It’s Bonnie that reaches you first, though. “FRIN!” You feel them grab your shoulder through your cloak, struggling to flip you over. Even more pain shoots through your body at the movement. AAH! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! You see stars behind your eye. You’re too weak to cry out.
Something cold hits your face. Wuh? You splutter, choking a bit on it. Some of it gets up your nose. Smells like coconuts.
Your vision is a little clearer now. You see Bonnie, hovering over you, empty bottle of crafted water in hand. “Don’t die Frin!” Their eyes are filled with tears. “If you die, I’ll never, ever forgive you!”
You can see Mirabelle out of the corner of your eye. She stops a few paces back, her hands raised. Healing craft washes over you, like something warm flooding through your body. Your arm snaps back into place, and maybe a few ribs as well. You clench your teeth together to keep from making a sound. Ow…It’s not a pleasant feeling, but you can breathe again.
Your body still hurts, but you can’t afford to just lie here. The battle hasn’t stopped. Isabeau and Odile are still fighting.
Mirabelle has already turned back to the King. Yelling something that you can’t quite make out over the sound of craft striking metal. You pull yourself to your feet and move to join her, ignoring the shaking in your legs. You only make it a single step before Bonnie plants themself in front of you, arms stretched out to block your path. Ah. They look mad again.
“Stupid Frin! Take a tonic if you’ve gotta go fight more.”
They stuff one into your hand. Uh, fair enough, you suppose. You uncorked the bottle and gulp it down as fast as possible.
…it’s sweet? But you…only have a few of those. You don’t…you’re not dying anymore. Bruised up at worst. A sour one would’ve been more than enough.
There’s no time to complain, though. You’ll just have to try not to get hurt again. Don’t go making them waste all their supplies on your carelessness.
Your legs aren’t shaking now, at least. You snap your fingers and dart back into the fray.
You fight. And fight. You’re hurting, but so is he. He moans and strikes and summons tears, but you and your allies stay standing. You can do this. You are doing this. And you’re helpful, too. Probably. You’re keeping everyone’s speed up. You’re strengthening your allies’ attacks. All of you work together seamlessly, as a team, against only him. You’re going to win this. You think he knows that, too.
“Why are you all fighting against me?”
Yeah, he definitely knows it, if he’s decided it’s the time for another villain monologue. You exchange a look with your allies. They’re all exasperated. They’ve gotten tired of his babbling. You’re getting tired of it too.
“Really?”
“YOU DARE ASK THAT QUESTION?!”
Hah. Good for him. He’s only serving to make your allies more angry. Not helping his case at all.
But he keeps going.
“But don't you see it? Don't you want it? This perfect ending?
“Right now...You are fighting me, a being close to divinity. The Universe Itself follows my will.
“And yet......You are all facing me, without fear. You're all so powerful......So united......
“And...... I can see it. Oooooh......You're all so stunningly......So wholeheartedly......Happy.”
What….?
You don’t…need to think about the things he’s saying. He’s distracting you. You ignore him, listening to your allies snap back in reply.
“Even now, don't you agree? Don't you want it?!
“Look at you all!!! You're all so powerful!!! You all managed to get this far!!! Don't you want to be immortalized right now? As winners?!
“DON'T YOU WANT IT ALL TO END LIKE THIS!!!!!!”
What is he…?
No, just ignore him. The last desperate plea of a villain who has lost. And he has lost, or at least he will. Very soon.
He tries that attack of his, one more time. But you’re ready, this time. You can spot it coming. Mirabelle raises her shield. Odile and Isabeau strike and strike and strike, you offer support. He gets weaker and weaker, more and more sluggish. Just a little longer. Don’t let your guard down yet.
And then, at long last, the King slumps. His energy spent. This is it now, well and truly. The end.
Mirabelle steps forward. Her head held high. Eyes blazing.
“King... I don't...I do not want time to stop now. I don't want eternity. I don't want to be stuck here, in what you deem a "perfect moment"!!!”
“Ooooh......But...... Do you truly think your life will get more extraordinary than this? Do you truly think you will become more powerful, more fulfilled than you are right now? Fighting me?”
More babbling. You don’t need to care about what he’s saying. Your friends have all the words for you. There’s nothing else for you to add. All that’s left now is for the King to disappear.
You watch Mirabelle bring her palms up, all of you joined together for the final attack. And with her final strike…
The sun is warm on your face. It’s just barely starting to crawl down towards the horizon. You lean on the balcony for a moment, letting the breeze rustle through your hair. It was so cold and still inside the house.
You look out into the distance. What a view! It’s even better when the landscape isn’t stained in the lightless ink of an ever-encroaching curse. You can see so far now!
You can almost…
……….
Well, anyway. That’s it, then. You sort of never thought this moment would come, but it did. Vaugarde is saved. The King is defeated. Your journey is over.
And they all lived happily ever after, you think to yourself. That’s how this story goes. Everyone take a bow before the curtains close. You’re glad that this story has a happy ending.
You look around at your fr–allies. Bonnie is still leaning against the railing. They seem to have cheered up a lot now that you’ve assured them that their sister must be fine. Odile is taking a moment to rest by the room’s entrance, looking a bit ill but otherwise pleased. Isabeau hovers in the corner. He still looks upset for some reason, you guess because Bonnie interrupted whatever it was he was trying to say. But he’s cheered up a little now that Mirabelle has promised a group hug.
And Mirabelle herself is positively glowing. Finally at ease, sitting there on the bench in the sun. What a weight off her shoulders, for this all to finally be over. For her home to be safe.
They’re all happy, and that makes you happy. Even if you’re not friends, even if you’re just allies, it’s still nice.
You should go talk to the Head Housemaiden. After all, your journey’s over now. You’ve spoken with everyone. Done all that you need to do here.
Oh, you’ll probably be able to spend a bit more time with everyone. There’s bound to be some sort of celebration back in Dormont for you all to attend. Vaugarde does love its parties. And you’ll get to rest at least one more night before everyone parts ways. You’re all tired and a bit battered from the fight. But this is still the official end of your journey, isn’t it?
That’s right. Mirabelle will stay here, or maybe go off on a pilgrimage all on her own. Isabeau will go back to Jouvente to pursue his dream. Bonnie back to their sister. And Odile to Ka Bue.
And you…well, you’ll return to traveling, of course. Just like before. That’s fine. It’s what you’ve always done. It won’t be any different than it was before.
…your chest feels tight. You don’t think about it, though. Why should you? You’re happy. Everyone’s happy. This is the ending you wanted for everyone.
This is the ending you wanted.
…
You approach the Head Housemaiden. You really have to crane your neck to look up at her.
She smiles down at you. “Traveling one! Are you done talking with your companions?”
You nod. So much energy for someone who just got unfrozen.
She claps her hands together. “Yes, wonderful, wonderful! I'd like to thank you for accompanying young Mirabelle this far. I'm very grateful. Siffrin, yes? If there's anything I can do to thank you, please don't hesitate to let me know!”
You can’t think of anything you want right now. Just seeing everyone happy is enough.
“I know you will go back on your travels soon, but I do hope you'll keep in touch, if only for young Mirabelle…”
Keep in touch? You…could do that, couldn’t you? Vaugarde has a postal service, and it should start functioning again soon enough now that the King is gone. So…you could send letters to Mirabelle. To any of them.
They…wouldn’t be able to send anything back to you, though. Not if you’re traveling around. But that’s okay, isn’t it?
“But no matter what, know that Dormont will always be open to you! Please come back any time! We’d all love to see you again.”
Yes, that’s right. You can…come back to visit. It won’t be the same as traveling together, but…
But what? What else were you expecting?
Your chest still feels tight.
“Now, perhaps it’s time for you and your friends to return to Dormont. I’m sure everyone there would love to thank you in person.”
You give another nod and turn back to your fr–allies. You don’t bother to correct the Head Housemaiden. Might as well focus on correcting yourself, first.
Mirabelle has stood up from the bench at last, bouncing a little in place. “Oh, is it time for a hug now? If everyone’s done talking?”
“CRAB YEAH!” Bonnie runs across the balcony to throw themself at Mirabelle, burying their face in her dress. “Za! Stop being all mopey and come hug us!”
Isabeau laughs, shooting you a nervous look before he moves to join in the hug, enveloping both Mirabelle and Bonnie in his wide arms. You hover next to Odile as usual. She’s watching them with a grin.
“Dile!” Bonnie extracts their head from the hug pile long enough to look at Odile. “You wanna join us?”
Odile chuckles, shaking her head. “Hah. I’ll pass, but thank you.”
“Awww…” Bonnie pouts. “But I bet Za a shiny rock that I’d be able to get you to come hug us if we beat the King.”
“Hey! I never agreed to that! I’m not gambling with the preteen, M’dame, I promise!”
“...is that so.”
Bonnie’s smile is mischievous. “But you didn’t say you wouldn’t, either!”
She gives him a stern look, before tilting her head at the group for a moment, considering. Then, she steps over towards them, close enough to pinch Isabeau on the cheek.
“Yowchie?? M’dame?”
“There you go. That’s your hug.”
“Hehe!” Bonnie grins. “It counts! I say it counts! It’s a hand hug for your face! You better find a good rock for me, Za!”
Isabeau makes an exaggerated pouting face. “Aww…M’dame, how could you betray me like this?”
“Perhaps this will teach you to avoid any sort of gambling with children in the future!”
“Don’t say it like that! And I wasn’t! I said I wasn’t!”
"I, of course, would never stoop to such a thing," Odile says, before leaning down to whisper something in Bonnie's ear.
Bonnie responds by kicking at her leg. "Hey! No fair! I say it's a draw!"
"M'dame?! The hypocrisy!"
Sandwiched in between Bonnie and Isabeau, Mirabelle giggles. She pulls the two of them closer.
…
They look like they’re having fun. You guess no one was betting on you, though. Oh well. You’re fine here. You like watching them anyway.
The big group hug lasts a very long time, Isabeau squeezing Mirabelle and Bonnie, the former beaming and the latter bouncing up and down.
“Ahem,” Odile says, still standing a bit off to the side. “While I hate to ruin the moment, there is something I’d like to do back in Dormont before we leave. And, frankly, I’d prefer not to spend any more time up here.”
Ah. She does still look pale.
“Right, M’dame! Sorry about that.”
“I’d like to get back to Dormont, too. And–and see everyone from the house.”
The three of them detangle themselves from each other. It reminds you a bit of one of those Sadnesses you saw before. Not that you think your allies are like Sadnesses, of course. It’s just a little funny.
This time, you follow along behind your allies, Mirabelle leading the way. She knows the house best now that it’s back to normal.
The halls are crowded with previously frozen housemaidens eager to offer their thanks and congratulations, and, in the case of a certain book thief, a heartfelt apology. Mirabelle seems kind of overwhelmed by it all. You can’t blame her. You’d rather not have all that attention on you either. You tug down the brim of your hat and follow along, eye on your own boots.
For a town that was frozen less than an hour ago, Dormont is abuzz with life. Tables have been dragged out into the open, heaped with plates of food. A whole assortment of stews and pastries and various drinks. The air smells amazing. Smells like victory.
All the houses are empty, doors flung open as their residents gather outside, talking animatedly among themselves. When you’d first arrived in Dormont yesterday, you’d thought the atmosphere seemed awfully calm for the last bastion of a country frozen in time. But now you realize that there must have been a tension in the air that whole time, one you could only notice due to its absence.
Mirabelle is quickly dragged away by her adoring fans, and the rest of your group split off from each other, so you do the same. You’re hungry after that battle, so you head straight for the food. Everything smells wonderful. You fill a bowl with some sort of rich stew and grab some sort of round pastry and a glass of wine, avoiding the wretched croissants.
You take a seat at one of the tables and dig in. Nobody pays you much mind–you’re far from the most popular of the saviors, but that’s just fine with you. You’re happy to just sit and watch.
The Blind One is playing a cheerful little tune on some sort of stringed instrument that you don’t know the name of. The jeweler and her wife dance along to the rhythm, hands locked together as they sway back and forth. You’re glad they could be reunited at last. There’s the Flower-Growing One, offering some flowers to a shy-looking person you’ve never seen before. And there’s Mirabelle, looking a bit intimidated as she receives a gift from that stylish woman you met yesterday.
You look around for your other allies. Isabeau is entertaining a group of excited children. A couple are hanging off his arms. There’s Bonnie, their plate piled high with food as they taste and rate everything on offer. Odile is talking to the Boulanger, a frustrated look on her face. You watch them all and take a bite of your pastry. It’s full of some sort of cheese!
You’re busy spooning stew into your mouth, eating around the potatoes, when you suddenly feel eyes on you. Someone standing off to your blind side. Your shoulders stiffen as you turn your head to look.
Oh. It’s just the artist kid from earlier, staring up at you silently. They bounce up and down on the balls of their feet, head tilted to the side as if sizing you up.
You smile at them. “Hi?”
The kid giggles. They’re hiding something behind their back, you realize. After a moment, they pull it out and hold it up to your face.
It’s a picture of you and your allies, all celebrating! Everyone is smiling.
Your chest feels warm.
“It’s me and everyone.”
The kid nods emphatically.
“Thank you for your drawing. It came all the way with us to fight the King.” You hope it didn’t get damaged in that final battle. You don’t think your heart would ever recover.
The kid looks proud. They tuck their drawing to their chest and scamper away. You kind of wish you could have kept the new picture as well. But that’s okay. You already have one amazing drawing and a photo of your allies.
You sip your wine. Meh. It’s not as bad as some drinks you’ve had. Someone should invent an alcohol that doesn’t taste like alcohol. That way, you could get drunk and have something tasty at the same time.
Not that one glass of wine with a meal will get you drunk. You’re not that much of a lightweight, no matter how much Odile might tease you. Maybe you’ll have one more drink. It’s a party after all, and you’ve just helped save an entire country. What better time to indulge a bit
Besides, it’ll probably be the last time you drink for a while. You’d really only done so with Odile and Isabeau. Not much point in going drinking once you’re on your own again. It would be a waste of money, anyway.
…
You polish off your glass and pour yourself another.
It’s getting dark now. The day’s almost over. You’ll all probably spend one more night in the clocktower before heading out. Or, no, Mirabelle will probably go back to the House, right? You’re not sure if there are any spare rooms there, and you don’t want to impose. The clocktower is perfectly comfortable.
You finish your second glass of wine and your meal. It’s good, though not as good as Bonnie’s cooking. You’ll miss it. You don’t think anything you can make on your own will taste half as good.
You sit and stare at your empty plate for a while. You’re getting tired now. It’s been a long day. Mhm, you can’t wait to sink into a nice soft bed. You’ll probably get one to yourself tonight. Bonnie will want to share with Isabeau, if Mirabelle stays back at the house. So you can hog the covers as much as you like.
“Hey, Sif?”
You turn. It’s Isabeau. He’s managed to shake off the kids clinging to him apparently, long enough to get something to eat. “Can I…uh, sit here?”
You’re not sure why he has to ask, but you nod. He puts his plate down next to you and takes a seat.
“So, um…enjoying the party? Well, I guess parties aren’t really your thing, but…”
You shrug. “It’s fine. Good food.”
He chuckles. His face is dark. He keeps looking back and forth between his plate and you, before he stops.
“Wait, are you–you’ve been drinking?”
Why’s he saying it like that? “Yeah? A bit?” You’re a little tipsy, you suppose. Not enough to really be impaired. If you got jumped by a Sadness right now, it might be a problem. But hopefully that won’t happen.
He looks disappointed for some reason. Why? You’ve gotten significantly more drunk than this before. Did you miss something? You can’t think of anything in Vaugardian culture that would make it unacceptable to have a couple glasses of wine at a party. You’re pretty sure it’s the opposite, in fact.
“Should I…not have?”
“No. No, it’s fine.” Isabeau says in a strangled voice. He stuffs a pastry into his mouth. “Wow! Haha this is really good!”
You grin. “Would you say it’s…p-asty?”
Not your best work. It gets a laugh out of Isabeau anyway. “Sif! You’re gonna make me choke!”
He keeps sitting beside you as the party slowly begins to die down.
“So, uh,” he says, swirling a glass of wine of his own around. “What are you going to do, now that all this is over? Since you said that comedy club thing was a joke.”
“Go back to traveling.” Of course. It’s what you’ve always done.
“Right,” he says. “Right, of course. You, uh, anywhere you plan to go next?”
“Not really. I’ll just wander. See where I end up.”
He looks at you a little strangely. “Oh. Is that what you do?”
What does he mean by that? What else would you do? It’s not like you have anywhere you really want to go.
“Yeah? Why?”
“Nothing. I…well, that does sound like fun, I guess.” He takes a sip of his drink. “Just, seeing where the wind takes you. Must be pretty freeing.”
He doesn’t sound satisfied for some reason. You feel like you should say something more. “Maybe I’ll go to the country down south. I haven’t been there before.” At least, you don’t remember ever being there.
“Ascedia, you mean? That sounds pretty cool. I’ve heard they’ve got these massive flower fields all over the place. Apparently they use some sort of craft on the bulbs that makes them change into a bunch of different shades over their lifetime. I bet that’d be cool to see. Maybe you could…tell me about it. Sometime. If you feel like coming to visit.”
You could…come visit him? That would be nice, you think. You’d like that.
“You…don’t have to, though. If you don’t want to. Just…you know. If you’re in the area.”
Ah, okay. So you shouldn’t go out of your way to visit him. That makes sense. You’re his ally, not a friend. It would be kind of weird if you traveled across the country just to tell him about some flowers.
“...what about you?” You ask. “What will you do now?”
Wait, didn’t you already ask him that yesterday? Whoops.
He decides to humor you with an answer anyway. “Oh, well…I’ll go back to my old job for now. I guess.”
Huh? But didn’t he say…or are you misremembering things?
Probably. You do that a lot.
You must look confused, because he continues. “Oh, I’m still planning to become a clothing designer. But it’s a little tough, you know? To just change careers like that out of nowhere. Probably would be good to have a stable job while I get my foot in the door.”
That makes sense. You don’t know much about stable jobs. You just do odd jobs wherever you can. It’s enough to get by as long as you’re smart with your money.
You listen to Isabeau talk about his dream for a little while as the party winds down. It’s nice, you think. For him to have something that he’s so passionate about. You wonder what that’s like.
By the time the sun fully sets, you’re ready to sleep. Turns out saving the country will really tire you out. Mirabelle, as expected, returns to the House, dragged along by some excited housemaidens eager to catch up, to hear all about her journey after they’d been frozen. The rest of you return to the clock tower. Sure enough, Bonnie wastes no time climbing into bed next to Isabeau and stealing his pillow. Odile settles into her own bed, reading a book by lamplight. You take the one in between them, too tired to do anything but sink down into it.
One last night with everyone. Or mostly everyone. If you had a bit more energy, you might have liked to stay up with everyone for a while longer. But you can’t. Your body is just too heavy. You don’t remember anything after you lay your head down on the pillow.
The Head Housemaiden sees you all off, along with the rest of Dormont. They bid you farewell, loading your arms with food for the road and tearful words of thanks. The Boulanger silently slips some silver coins into your hands. He must have remembered you didn’t have any. You don’t want to take it, but making a fuss would be even more embarrassing. You pocket the money and give him a half-hearted smile.
“Don’t forget, you’re welcome in Dormont anytime,” The Head Housemaiden says to you and your allies. Or at least, you think it’s the Head Housemaiden. She looks completely different than she did yesterday.
You return her smile and ignore the tight feeling in your chest.
“Yes!” Mirabelle says. “Please come back and visit! I’m really going to miss all of you. Even…even with everything that happened, I’m glad I got to travel with you.”
She’s still glowing, you think. She’s grown so much over this journey, even if she can’t see that yet. You hope she’ll be able to, one day. Even if you aren’t around to see it.
You know she will. She’s always growing. Always changing.
The rest of your group walks together until the path out of Dormont splits off in three directions. It’s almost perfect, you think. Like you were destined to part here, at this crossroads.
You’ve all already agreed to it. Isabeau will go back to Jouvente. Odile will escort Bonnie back to Bambouche, then catch a ferry back to Ka Bue. Or to wherever she wants to go.
And you’ll figure out where you’re going later.
You all pause for a moment at the intersection. Isabeau is the first to break the silence.
“I’ll miss you, Sif!” Isabeau says to you. His expression is warm. “You should come visit me in Jouvente, okay! And tell me about flowers. And because…uh, there’s still…that thing. That thing I’ve gotta tell you! So…we’ll have to meet again soon.”
His face is dark.
“ Gems alive, Isabeau,” Odile says, giving him a look. An exasperated one, maybe.
“M’dame?” Isabeau squeaks.
“You’re really going to…” She sighs. “Fine. Do what you will.”
“...please don’t look at me like that.”
…?
“I’ll miss you, Za!” Bonnie throws their arms around Isabeau’s stomach. “You better come visit so you can meet my sister! And give me my rock!”
“I sure will, Bonbon!” Isabeau says. He lifts Bonnie up into the air and swings them around.
“Hey!” Bonnie yelps, but they’re grinning. “I’m not a little kid anymore. I helped defeat the King! So I’m basically a grown up now!”
Isabeau puts them down. “Yep, you sure are. Pretty soon you’ll get to start paying taxes. And take out a mortgage.”
“Ew, nevermind. I’m gonna stay a kid for now.”
“Haha, you do that.” He gives them a pat on the head. Bonnie beams at him for a moment, then they’re expression slumps.
“You promise you’ll come visit?”
“I promise.”
“...Super duper promise.”
“I super duper promise!”
Bonnie seems satisfied with that. They turn to you, but won’t look at your face. As usual. They drag one boot along the ground.
“Miss you, Frin…” They mumble.
It’s nice of them to make the effort for you. Even if they hate you.
“You better take care of yourself! Now that I’m not around to feed you! You better eat three meals a day! Plus snacks! Okay?”
Bonnie doesn’t need to worry. You can take care of yourself. You’ve been doing it for as long as you can remember. You smile at them. “Okay.”
“You better…” Bonnie pouts. They stare at their boots. “And…and you can come visit sometime. If you want. I guess.” They turn away from you. “Okay. Goodbyes all done.”
“Very well,” Odile says. “Goodbye to both of you as well. If you even find yourself in Ka Bue, feel free to visit me.”
“I still can’t believe you never told us what your research is…after all this time…”
Odile shrugs, but she’s smiling. “Well, if you want to take any more guesses, this might be your last chance for a while.”
“...” Isabeau stares at her, then sighs. “Crab. I can’t think of anything now. I’ve guessed all there is to guess.”
“Then you might never know.”
“Awww…”
“Is it…King-Defeating-ology?” You try.
“I think they call that “regicide”. Also, not a real field of study.”
“But you would be the expert on it.”
Odile shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “Take care, Siffrin. You too, Isabeau.” She reaches into her pocket, pulling out two slips of paper. “Here. If you ever want to write to me, you can address your letters here. It’s where my father used to live, but the post will save them for me.”
Oh. You accept the piece of paper with Odile’s contact information on it. You feel kind of warm and fuzzy.
“Thanks, M’dame! I’ll send you one as soon as I’m back in Jouvente! And then one every day afterward!”
She chuckles at that. “On second thought, maybe I should take that back.”
“Too late, M’dame! You’ll be cursed with letters for the rest of your life!”
“What a cruel fate,” she says dryly.
“Hey! Can we crabbin’ go already!” Bonnie stomps their foot against the packed dirt. “I wanna…wanna see my sister.”
“Of course, Boniface. Goodbye, Isabeau. Siffrin. I hope to see you again one day.”
“Same to you, M’dame!”
You nod and smile. You hope you’ll get to see Odile again too. Though, she lives so far away, so you might not.
…
It’s fine.
You wave goodbye as Odile and Bonnie set off down the northeastern path, Isabeau to the southwestern one. You kind of want to stay and wave until they’re out of sight, but you should get going too. You’ve got plenty of things to do, after all. Yep, plenty of things.
You start off down the southeastern path. Your footsteps are loud on the packed dirt.
That’s it, then. You’re alone once more. That’s how it was always going to be.
You don’t really know where to go now. Maybe you’ll visit some more towns in Vaugarde. See some plays. Do some odd jobs for money. Or you could go visit that southern country, like you told Isabeau you might. And then maybe someday, you could come visit. And tell him about flowers.
You can visit all of them, at some point. Not right now, though. You just said goodbye. It would be weird if you went running off back to Dormont or over to Jouvente.
But…maybe later. The thought makes you feel a little lighter.
So, there are things for you to do. You’ll figure it out. For now, you walk down the path out of Dormont. And keep walking, one foot in front of the other. The path will take you somewhere, eventually. Wherever you go from here, it’s fine.
It’s fine.