An eternity passed while you were connected, but you regrettably had to end it and draw back for air. Your mind gradually began working again. You had promised to help people, purify their contaminated water and heal their sick and injured. But that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was her, the gorgeous girl in your arms, the sad girl that you could make happy merely with your presence. "I would love to stay with you and... talk about Enchanting." you finally answered her in a low voice. Was this really the truth? Were you really interested in learning about the art of Enchanting? Or was it merely an excuse you told yourself to avoid leaving this delicate blue-haired treasure out of your sight? That would be a difficult question to answer. Perhaps it was both.

She did not respond immediately. Her cheeks were still flushed, her sparkling eyes a little unfocused. She blinked once. Twice. You watched patiently and full of elation as she slowly recovered from her daze. "I... um..." Then she blinked for a third time and her eyes regained their focus. "I'm glad." she said simply with a timid smile that you couldn't help but return.

She drew back from your arms, closer to the chest and drew a deep breath. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it. She exhaled and laughed nervously. She took another deep breath and began explaining, with her voice growing steadier as she did.

"Enchanting is the Art of infusing an object with emotions, dreams or similar sentiments, but... you already knew that, didn't you?" You nodded and she continued. "First, you need an object to enchant. The material matters, it can determine both the effect of the enchantment and its ease."

She presented to you the softly glowing disk she had just infused with joy. "Gold is the metal associated with the Element of Light. This means that a Light mage would be able to enchant it easier than anyone else, and a Shadow mage would find it much harder. Gold is most well suited to various beneficial enhancements that don't fit well into any one category. It is also associated with the Sun. This matters more for Summoning, but in this case it makes the golden disk even more appropriate for mimicking the light of the Sun. Oh, the shape doesn't matter for the enchantment, but it's nice that this miniature sun will be shaped like a disk, like the real one, don't you think?"

You smiled and nodded. She put the disk down and took another object from the chest, a silver ring. "Silver is associated with Shadow and the Moon. You can use Shadow magic, so it would be a little easier for you to enchant a silver object, though not as easy as if you were an innate Shadow mage. It is used for protective enchantments."

She then exchanged the silver ring for a steel bracelet. "Steel is associated with Fire and the Stars. Um... I said steel, but the metal is really iron. Steel is..." she trailed off, lost in hesitation.

"Steel is just iron that has absorbed Carbon. So there's no difference between the two when it comes to Enchanting?" You finished her thought and prompted her to continue.

"That's right. And no, there's no real difference, so steel is far more often used than iron. Starmetal, iron taken from fallen stars, is the form of iron most closely associated with Fire and can be used to create more powerful weapons, but it is also rare. Iron in general is best suited for offensive enchantments. Oh, since it's associated with the element of Fire and you're a Water mage, you'll find it very, very difficult to enchant an object made of iron. But not impossible after you get some experience." Well, if you ever learned how to enchant, you'd make sure to start with something different than iron and offensive enchantments.

"All three of these, gold, silver and iron, are also used for Summoning due to their association with celestial objects. The material of the summoning circle affects the summoned creature to an extent. Balthazar must have used silver because he wanted the Djinn to protect me."

"And we all saw how well that turned out." your mind went back to the horrific burns she had suffered at the hands of the creature that Balthazar had left to serve her and you struggled to suppress your sudden rage. You would have words with him, that was a promise.

"Um... yes. I don't know what he was thinking, he should know how easy it is to make a mistake with complex orders. As he should know that I would never accept a summoned servant. I find the practice abhorrent. They are intelligent beings and summoning is no different to slavery." She frowned at the mention of slavery and you opted not to remind her of the Earthbound Ones that Dalton had enslaved to expedite the construction of the Ocean Palace that Balthazar had designed.

"Are these all the possible materials?" You asked her to get her to stop thinking about unpleasant topics and back on track.

"No..." She rummaged through the chest. "But I can't find the other metals in this chest. I won't be able to show you an example of them..." She sounded disappointed, though she really shouldn't be.

"It doesn't matter. Please continue." You reassured her.

"Okay. Lead is associated with the Element of Earth and it is used for static enchantments. Most buildings of Zeal and the islands themselves have an enchanted Lead core somewhere. It, um... won't be very useful for you unless you find yourself in a castle under siege..."

"Or I want to build a new home and start a family." You teased her with a smile.

She sputtered and went red once again. "I, um... yes. Lead could be used for that too. The last metal is platinum, associated with Air and used for... mobility or weight lessening enchantments. It is more narrow than the others, but no less important. Balthazar used platinum extensively in the construction of the Blackbird and the ritual arrays that keep the islands of Zeal floating are also made of platinum."

"Yeah, those are important. But you said platinum is the last? Is Water not associated with anything?" It would be disappointing if your element was useless for enchanting.

"No, I said it's the last metal" She smiled. "Water is the element of life. It is the only element that can be used to enchant organic materials like fabric or leather. Their enchantments can only ever affect their wearer but you can understand why enchanting clothes can be useful. And there is one last material that can be used for enchanting. Dreamstone. It is the best material for it, as it can hold more than a simple emotion or desire. The complexity of a Dreamstone enchantment has only the creator's ability as a limit. This was Melchior's specialty, this is how he created my Dreamstone Pendant and the Mammon Machine. Do you have any questions so far?" She asked you, with her voice a little strained.

"Yes, actually. You haven't mentioned your element. What are you better at enchanting?"

"It's... my element is unique, with no affinities like the classical elements. I am not especially good at enchanting anything."

"No, you are equally good at enchanting everything." you corrected her.

"I..." She looked down and stopped talking for a little time. When she continued, it was with the next topic. "After you choose the material, you have to choose what to infuse the object with. For anything other than Dreamstone, it needs to be kept simple. It would probably be easier if I gave you some examples."

She held the disk once again. "This disk is infused with my joy and I want to shape it to give out the sun's nurturing warmth. I could have used love too, but... it may have had unintended consequences." She spoke without looking at you in the eye. Wait, love? Did she say love? Did this mean that... you were unable to finish that thought before she continued. "If I had used anger or hatred, I could have turned this into a weapon, one that could burn people with rays of light. But I didn't want to do that."

She then took out the Amulet she had she had shown you once. "This Amulet is infused with my prayers for Janus' safety. I chose silver for protection, and in the hope that it would work better for him, a Shadow Mage."

"The recipient matters?" You asked.

"That has been my experience. Objects I enchanted as gifts have been stronger than those I enchanted for myself." Enchanting was an art of emotions. The stronger the emotion the stronger the effect, so it made sense for someone as selfless as her, but you doubted that would be the case for everyone. It also made you wonder if something you made as a gift would also be stronger than something you made for yourself.

"Other than the Amulet, I also enchanted the cloak I've been wearing since we met, with my... hatred of the cold. It makes the wearer immune to all Water Spells. You wouldn't be able to harm me with a Water spell even if you wanted to."

"I would never hurt you, and didn't you say that objects you enchant for yourself are weaker than those you meant for someone else?"

"Yes, I'm sure it would have been stronger if it was a gift."

"But... it renders you immune to an entire school of magic!"

"I really hate the cold..." She admitted as she looked down in embarrassment. Your mind got sidetracked by noting once again how cute the contrast between her red cheeks and blue hair looked and you couldn't think of something to say to her before she recovered and continued. "Those are the only objects I have with me that I've personally enchanted. The only other examples I can show you are Balthazar's. These..." She pinched one of the hooped earrings she now wore. "are made of gold, the ideal material for their health-enhancing enchantment. I can't tell what emotion Balthazar used for them, it can be difficult when the enchanter is someone you don't know well. For the golden robe-"

"That I still haven't seen on you." you teased her again.

"Yes, um... not-not now. He used gold thread to get around the limitation on enchanting organic material. I don't know why he didn't use silver, it's a simple protective enchantment, it would have been better if he had. And the hairpin that you gave me." She touched the hair ornament in the shape of a flower that she hadn't voluntarily taken off since you gave it to her shortly after you met. "It's gold-plated silver, right?"

You knew that, the seller had informed you that it wasn't solid gold when you bought it, but you still felt self-conscious about the material. "Yeah. I'm sorry, I couldn't-"

"Do not, ever apologize for your gift!" she chastised you fiercely with an intensity that was entirely unexpected. "It was heartfelt, not something that you meant to impress me with the size of your pouch. I love it. It's the second precious thing I have received from someone important to me..." She put her hand through her hair, stopping at the hairpin and the simple red ribbon that tied her long, flowing ponytail. She seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Um... what I wanted to say is that the pin is made of both gold and silver, so it can hold a more complex enchantment than combines the properties of both materials, though it would be much harder to enchant it like this than something made of a uniform material."

Gold and Silver, Light and Shadow, Protection and Enhancement, an enchantment that is more difficult than most. Thinking about the unexpected properties of what you had only meant as something charming to adorn her, something fit for what she had called a date, you had an idea. You would...
>...tell her to enchant it, she is good enough to do it by herself and she will need this strength in your journey.
>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it for her, as a gift.
>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it with her, together.
>Other (Write-in)

Party information: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/frozen-moment-chronoqm
Thread archive: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=ChronoQM
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Welcome to the our third thread! I hope you enjoy!

>>5452892
>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it with her, together.
The best gift is something that she can always remember we made together.

>>5452892
>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it with her, together.

>>5452892
>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it with her, together.

>>5452892
>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it with her, together.

adventure!

>>5452892
>>...learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant it with her, together.

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166 KB JPG

You would learn this art of emotions and dreams and enchant the hairpin with her, together. It would be something that she would always remember you two made together, the perfect gift to cherish. But you'd first have to confirm that it could be done at all. It was unfortunate, but you couldn't completely mask your intentions from the one person you needed to learn how to make them a reality from. "Schala, is it possible for an item to be enchanted by more than one person?" you asked her, trying to act nonchalant.

There was a glint in her eye as she answered. "Yes. It is not easy, those people will have to work closely and be in tune, but it can be done. It... helps if the emotion is shared as well." She concluded bashfully and you already had an idea of what emotion you might want to use, even if it may have been too soon. And now that she had confirmed it could be done, only one more thing was needed.

"Then can you teach me how to Enchant? I would like to learn from you."

"R-really? You would? That's wonderful, of course I'll teach you! We can start right away! You're smart, you'll understand in no time. Oh... it's too late to show you how to draw an emotion, but I can walk you through the next steps, hold on!" Her excitement at your request was palpable. Were you wrong that she had guessed what you wanted to do? Or was she just that excited at the prospect? In any case, she rustled back towards you, disk in hand, and nestled on your side. You put your arm around her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing in the world. In a sense, it was.

She held the disk between you. "Put your hand on it." she told you and you complied. She put her soft, warm hand on top of yours and continued with her instructions. "Now I'm going to run my mana through the disk to show you how to sense the emotion. Please follow what I'm doing, it's similar to how you identify the function of an enchanted item. Are you ready?"

You nodded and she was close enough that you could feel her long hair rustle on your cheek as you did. You sensed her mana pass through your palm and did your best to match that flow. Nothing happened at first. As far as you could tell, it was a completely nonmagical disk. You kept trying, adjusting your stream of mana to be more harmonious with hers and eventually, you felt what the disk contained. Her joy, radiant and pure and nourishing. It... warmed your soul, was the only way you could put it. Was this really what she had felt? It was almost overwhelming.

You ended the connection and the sudden absence of her joy made you feel... empty, for a moment. You spoke with some difficulty. "I... can see why you want to make a miniature sun with this."

"You can? Already? Oh, you're amazing..." she lowered the disk, leaned even closer on you and rubbed her head on your cheek. "And it's going to be more than a miniature sun. You, me or anyone else who can use magic will be able to adjust its light. I hope."

"Anyone else, other than us two? So you've noticed it too?" you asked her.

"I made the connection when the Djinn cast its first spell. Chrono's Wind Slash is like a version of Aero that he channels through his blade..." She confirmed your own suspicions.

"...and Marle's Aura is like a cruder version of Cure that she casts with innate Light Magic." you finished her thought.
Now her head fully rested on yours. Her voluminous hair were like a blanket on you. "Yes, I believe they can both use magic without ever being taught how and they must be really talented to have done as much by themselves. They may not be our descendants, but they must have an ancestor from our Kingdom. Some of our people must survive the disaster..."

"...the Earthbound take them in, they intermingle and after thousands of years magic becomes nothing but myth and our Kingdom is forgotten. But the potential for magic remains, ready to be unlocked by those talented enough." you finished her thought once again.

"Do you realize what this means? The child of an Earthbound and an 'Enlightened One' can use magic. Our people were divided for nothing. We left them behind to be hungry in the cold and dark for nothing..." You couldn't see her face, but the sadness in her voice made it easy for you to imagine what her expression must have looked like.

You tightened your hug. "We will fix that when we go back. You will fix that. You have the power to mend everything that is wrong with our Kingdom."

"Mother would never allow it..." she said dejectedly.

"Queen Zeal will not stand in your way. You are stronger than you think, never forget that." you tried to instill her with some confidence once again, but to no avail. She chuckled mirthlessly and curled herself into a ball, thin and fragile, inside your arms. You couldn't think of anything more to say on this topic that might help her, so you decided to move back to something hopefully more pleasant. "It's almost a shame that Chrono's element is Air and Marle's is Light. I could have helped teach a Water mage how to unlock their spellcasting, but neither of them is one."

"I... Gaspar and Melchior taught me some techniques to discover my unknown element when the Ritual of the Revealing failed. These techniques might be able to help Chrono and Marle. Perhaps Lucca too, her purple hair may mean she's a descendant of royalty. You know how... generous some of the previous Kings have been with spreading their... colours." She seemed to have perked up somewhat now that she had focused on something she could do to help.

You chuckled. "I have read about it, and everyone has a blue-haired neigbhour now. Your ancestors had been naughty. I'm lucky you're not like them."

She swallowed hard. "No. I am. Lucky, I mean. To have met you. You are more incredible than I ever imagined. Thank you..."

"For what?" you asked with a heavy voice and a light heart.

"For being you." she stated then remained silent, huddled in your arm. You began gently stroking her hair. This must have been what her happiness had felt like. Time passed like this, with you both simply enjoying each other's presence in silence.

"This isn't working." she said suddenly and your blood froze. What... what did she mean by that? What wasn't working? "I will never finish the Enchantment like this, you are too distracting. And you have people you promised to help as well. We can't keep wasting time. I didn't think I'd ever ask this of you but... p-please go."

She had a point, you were loathe to admit. But was there really nothing more you could do here?
>Leave now as she asks.
>Stay for a little more, make sure she's OK, then leave.
>Stay and resume trying to learn Enchanting.
>Stay and... do more fun things with her.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5455679
>Leave now as she asks.

>>5455679
>Leave now as she asks.
That was super sweet but there’s work to be done. Hopefully we’ll be able to make it up for her later.
For now. Part with a smile!

>>5455679
>>Leave now as she asks.

>>5455679
>>Leave now as she asks.

>>5455679
>Leave now as she asks.

>>5455679
>Stay for a little more, make sure she's OK, then leave.
Just a little longer.

>>5455679
>>Stay for a little more, make sure she's OK, then leave.
something is off

>Leave now as she asks.
>>5455696
>>5455703
>>5455707
>>5455715
>>5455908

>Stay for a little more, make sure she's OK, then leave.
>>5455925
>>5456921

Sorry for the delay, I was too tired to write yesterday. There will be an update tonight, stay tuned.

"You're right, I should go." You placed a kiss on the crown of her head and rose at once before your resolve could falter. There was a part of you that wanted to stay, to stretch this moment just a little longer, make sure that she was OK and nothing was off, but there was work to be done. "I'll make it up to you later!" you promised and made for the door.

"There is nothing to make up for... but if you want to, I won't say no." You heard bashful voice from behind you. She then began humming that same tune almost immediately and you turned to see her engrossed in her work already, probably to make up for the lost time. She was holding the disk and doing... something to it, something that were going to learn eventually. You kept walking away but when you reached the door, you found out that you sadly had to interrupt her.

"Err, Schala?"

"Yes? What is it?" she stopped her humming - and her work - to answer you. She looked at you curiously, then at the closed door in front of you. Her eyes went wide as understanding dawned on her. She scampered off the floor, rushed to the door and used the Pendant to open it with a muffled "I'm sorry..."

You stroked her hair one last time as you passed her by, crossed the door and turned to wave at her with a smile. "I'll see you soon!"

She smiled warmly, the Pendant in her hand, as the door slid closed between you two. You let out a drawn-out sigh the moment she was out of sight. Did... did you really miss her already? You'd see her again before too long, so you put that thought out of your mind, hurried back towards the Director's office and turned down the corridor that Lucca had disappeared to. It was only then that you realized you had never asked for directions to the water tank you were supposed to purify, but you opted to keep moving forward. You'd wasted enough time already to turn back and ask. Luckily, you found a man who was able to point you in the right direction. You thanked him and moved on.

File: 18821082_p0.jpg (1.08 MB, 1000x1284)

1.08 MB JPG

Following the man's instructions you reached a wide but shallow, well-lit room. Various dials and valves lined out its walls, with only a few of them being labelled. A metal ladder one one corner lead upwards and there was a partially disassembled control panel in front of you. Light emanated from the open parts of the panel and you could hear the noise of someone working inside it. It could only be one person. You coughed to draw her attention. There was no response, so you called out. "Lucca?" There was no response either and you tried one more time, louder. "Lucca!" You were ready to start banging on the metal surface of the panel if this wasn't enough, you needed her to tell you where to go, but it wasn't needed. The noise stopped, the light moved, and Lucca stood up on the far side of the panel, looking annoyed. "Hi Gaius. You took your time getting here. What happened?"

"Enchanting, err... takes time, I couldn't have come earlier. I'm sorry." you lied without a second thought.

Lucca smiled mischievously. "Suuure. And I'm sure nothing indecent happened while you were alone with your Princess, right?"

You decided to remain silent to avoid further incriminating yourself, but you were betrayed by your own body as blood flowed to your face when you remembered what had happened in the room after Schala had told you she no longer needed your help, the kiss, the discussion that followed and the long quiet moments when you held her trembling, curled up form in your arms.

Lucca chuckled. "Heh. Your face tells me everything I need to know. Now, what do you need? How can your... nanomachines decontaminate the water?"

You tried to recover from your embarrassment fast so that you could answer her. "I... just need an opening that lets me touch its surface. How are your repairs going?" you asked in turn.

"They're going. I still haven't found what went wrong. It wasn't supposed to break down in less than a day!" She sounded exasperated as she revealed the true source of her annoyance. "Just climb that ladder, there's a hatch at the top that opens to the tank. It's full, you should be able to touch the water. Be careful of the chemicals that leaked inside it, I'm told that they're nasty."

"I will." You nodded. You weren't really worried about these chemicals, your healing would keep you safe against them too. You let Lucca go back to her repairs and headed towards the ladder. It was taller than the room and at the top of it you found a hatch just like Lucca had said. You struggled to turn the valve on the hatch, it had almost rusted shut. But you did it and when you opened it you were greeted by a foul smell. Sulphur. Whatever had contaminated the water, it was now definitely not potable, but that's why you were here.

You placed your hand on the water's surface. It was calm, as it should be inside a closed container, but it burned a little. You then began expending your mana for the basic Water Manipulation that would allow you to separate water from its contaminants. The burn and itchiness in your exposed hand kept getting worse, but it was nothing that you couldn't cure yourself and you paused to do just that. After curing yourself and while waiting to catch your breath, you wondered what exactly the water may have been spoiled with, but the only way to find out would be to take a sample and analyze it in an alchemy lab and since you lacked both a lab and a beaker to take that sample with, you'd have to make do with the unknown substance and keep healing yourself. You put your hand back in the water and resumed purifying it, but you heard an angry yell from down below before it was time for another break. You quickly withdrew your hand, cured it for good measure and almost fell on your rush to climb down. Had something happened to Lucca?

You reached the bottom and saw her outside the panel, angrily cursing someone or something that wasn't there. "What's wrong?" you asked her.

She answered you in between swears. "That %$@^*%$ idiot! I clearly told him to first press this button, then flip that switch, then press this other button and only at the end to turn the valve. Why would he turn the valve first? It ruined the entire filter!"

You decided it would be a bad idea to tell her that you had almost forgotten her instructions already. But was there something else you should say to her now?
>Suggest she simplifies the interface.
>Suggest she makes the system more robust.
>Just sympathize, she knows best how to fix it.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5457978
>>Suggest she simplifies the interface.

>>5457978
>Suggest she simplifies the interface.
>You should always assume people will make a mistake, sometimes it just happens sooner than later
>Maybe a contingency in case something goes wrong? Make it stop the process or something

>>5457978
>Suggest she makes the system more robust.

>>5457978
>Suggest a manual of some kind that people can always refer to. Perhaps with very simple instructions for normal use, and detailed instructions on later pages for skilled mechanics to work with?

>>5458155
Support

>>5457978

>suggest either simpler interface or manual, >>5458155
>depending on what she would prefer.
They both mean extra work but maybe she would consider one more boring than the other. Making the system more resilient to mishandling would probably mean much more work on all points of failure and likely introduce new ones.
Maybe she could commandeer the guy responsible for operating the machine, have him write the notes and check them after him?

>>5457978
>Suggest she simplifies the interface.

>>5458236
Change to support both

>>5458155
>Suggest a manual of some kind that people can always refer to. Perhaps with very simple instructions for normal use, and detailed instructions on later pages for skilled mechanics to work with?

>Suggest she simplifies the interface.
>>5457985
>>5458241

>Suggest she simplifies the interface.
>You should always assume people will make a mistake, sometimes it just happens sooner than later
>Maybe a contingency in case something goes wrong? Make it stop the process or something
>>5458019

>Suggest she makes the system more robust.
>>5458079

>Suggest a manual of some kind that people can always refer to. Perhaps with very simple instructions for normal use, and detailed instructions on later pages for skilled mechanics to work with?
>>5458155
>>5458255

>Suggest simpler interface or manual
>>5458236
>>5458246

I did not expect a tie like this.

>>5458574
I'll change mine to interface or manual

You looked at the mess of indicators, buttons, switches and valves on the control panel that Lucca was in front of. You could clearly see what she had to do to avoid this problem repeating, it only remained to be seen how hard it would be for her to see it too. "Don't be so hard on the guy, I'm sure he was doing his best. You realize that not everyone is as smart as you are, right?"

"Of course, no one is as smart as I am. That goes without saying. But the procedure is so simple! How could he have made such a mistake?" She protested, gesticulating towards the controls in a sweeping motion.

You glanced at the control panel again and shrugged. "People make mistakes, all you can do is fix them and try to prevent them from happening again."

"I suppose so." She conceded. You could tell that her burst of anger was dissipating. "Back to work then, I have to fix it and figure out how to prevent it from happening again tomorrow."

"Why don't you simplify the interface?" you suggested. "Are all these buttons really needed for a water filter?"

"Yes! Each of these controls a necessary function. You have no idea what chemicals are in the unfiltered water. Although... some of these are are only ever used in sequence, I could merge a few. I could make the activation sequence controlled by a single switch too. I'm sure I would have thought of that." She boasted and looked at the panel intently, considering how exactly it could be made better.

"You could also write a manual of some kind that people can always refer to, if you prefer. They'll never forget the sequence this way." You offered an alternative suggestion that she might find less boring than the other. Either could work, as far as you could tell.

"A manual? Do you have any idea how long it's going to take to write everything down?!"

"Err, then perhaps just some very simple instructions for normal use, and detailed instructions later for skilled mechanics to work with? You could commandeer the guy responsible for operating the machine, have him write it while you dictate and check the notes?"

"Hmmm, that's not a bad idea. It's gonna be poetic justice to have him help fix his own mistake and this way the quick start guide will be done soon. I can leave them a detailed manual next time we come here. I hope he can write fast. Thanks!" So, she would have thought of simplifying the machine, but not leaving instructions?

"No problem." At least all bases would be covered now. These people would still have clean water even after you left. What the hell were the chemicals that contaminated the water anyway? Were they related to the end of the world, or were they caused by something else?

In any case, Lucca ducked back under the control panel and you went back to your work too, climbing the same ladder and putting your hand to the water for one more time. It still burned, though not as much as before. You began pouring your mana and eliminating the impurities inside it like before. The process didn't require your active attention, so your mind wandered. With the earlier talk about mistakes, your thoughts went to the Ocean Palace Incident. You still didn't know why exactly it had happened. Could the cause have been just a mistake? Was there a way to prevent it entirely or was the problem something more fundamental, something that couldn't be fixed? Balthazar had been vague on how to stop it, other than by preventing its construction entirely or keeping Schala away from it at all costs. Something must have gone wrong with the Mammon Machine, that blasted thing was the part she was needed for. You hoped the Melchior of the Present, the one that Chrono and Marle had met could tell you more.

Soon enough, you realized that you could detect no more pollutants in the tank. You were finished, though you had no idea how much time had passed.You had to admit that you felt a bit disappointed at how... mundane it had all been. You'd purified a few thousand cubic meters of heavily polluted water and the only effect that an observer would be able to witness would be a mild current and the dissipation of the smell, not even a change in colour as the chemicals were colourless. There was no observer of course and the flashiness of the spell was unrelated to its effectiveness, but still...

You closed the hatch, healed yourself for one last time and made your way down. "I'm done." you called out to Lucca.

Her head popped out from an opening. "Grrrr, I still need time. Don't wait up for me. Chrono and Marle must still be cooking fish. Or maybe your girlfriend finished with her work too and she misses you? Go on ahead, you don't want to keep her waiting!" She chuckled, then looked for your response with a grin.

Lucca had left the Director's office before you had asked him about people to heal, she couldn't have know about that. But was there a hurry to go tell him the good news and ask if they were ready for your next task? Or could you take a break and spend a little time elsewhere first?
>Go directly to Director Doan.
>Wait for Lucca to finish.
>Check up on Schala first.
>Go see what Chrono and Marle have been up to.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5460181
>>Go directly to Director Doan.

>>5460181
>>Go directly to Director Doan.

>>5460181
>Go directly to Director Doan.

>>5460181
>Go directly to Director Doan.

>>5460181
>Go directly to Director Doan.
We've maybe got things to heal!

>>5460181
>Go directly to Director Doan.

>>5460181
>Check up on Schala first.
Maybe she wants to help

>>5460181
I want to check on Schala so badly but fear it would come across as not trusting her to be fine.
On that note her hiding behind the impenetrable door only she can open is so double edged. What if she fainted or hurt herself somehow?

Anyways
>Go directly to Director Doan.
let's get the show on the road. We can catch up on our way to the next dome, hopefully.

"I'll be going directly to Director Doan, actually, he said there are some people that the Enertrons couldn't heal. I might be able to help them." He said he'd have had them gathered by the time you were finished and the sooner you helped them the better.

"You can do that? These nanomachines are very versatile!" she joked with a grin. She was the one who had come up with that explanation in the first place!

"Yeah, err, blood and water are both liquids and through blood I can mend flesh." you repeated what you had told the Director to explain your capabilities, she hadn't heard this one before either.

"So that's how it works?" She chuckled. "Anyway, I'll go to Chrono and Marle one I'm done here. Your Princess might already be there by the time you finish, we'd discussed it and the open area around the farm is the most suitable area for them to cook and have the children eat without bothering anyone. See you two there! Oh, and when you talk to the Director, tell him to send Royn over so he can get started on writing that manual while I fix things." She waved and disappeared into the bowels of the machine.

"Alright, I'll have him sent over. See you later!" You waved back without thinking, then walked away of the room just as you realized that she couldn't see you.

You stopped when you reached the crossroad that could lead you to the room Schala had locked herself in. You missed her, you couldn't deny it, and your mind was coming up with justifications to go see her. She might have finished and wanted to help with your patients. She liked helping people and you were sure she'd be great: she'd be attentive, kind and orderly and she'd know enough to assist you, even if she couldn't heal herself. The Princess as a Nurse, your Nurse? That would be... you quickly drove that image away from your mind, but a more unpleasant one came in its place. What if she needed help? She was hiding behind an impenetrable door that only she could open, that could be double edged. What if she had fainted or hurt herself somehow? For a moment, you wanted to check up on her badly, but... no, you trusted her more than that. She'd be fine, she probably wouldn't have finished yet and she'd just ask you to leave again so as not to distract her. She had work to do and so did you. With a sigh, you turned to the direction of the Director's office and went down the dark corridor.

You found the Director where you had left him, alone in his unembellished office. You greeted him, reported the success of your task and relayed Lucca's request.

"Great news, great news!" was his answer. "Everyone will be happy when rations end after just a few hours instead of days. Your nanomachines are truly marvelous! I'll talk to Royn. But first, I have taken the liberty of gathering those you might be able to help in a nearby room. I'll lead you there, if you're ready."

"I am. Let's go Director" you nodded.

Smiling but without another word he picked up his cane and walked around his desk. You made a motion to help him but he waved you off and led you out of his room and to another, more spacious one, where seven people, men and women, waited. The Director introduced you as a miracle doctor who may be able to help them when the Enertrons couldn't and led you to a smaller adjacent room where your patient and you could have your privacy. He bid you farewell and left you sitting on the room's single chair, waiting for your patients to arrive.

You didn't wait for long. The first patient came in at once and you began your examination. He was a middle-aged man who was suffering from arthritis, something easy enough to fix as your mother had tought you, though time-consuming and requiring a mana expenditure greater than that of a simple Cure or Remedy spell. Healing spells worked best for recent injuries and illnesses, the older the cause of the problem the more difficult it would be to fix with magic, though this man's issues hadn't began too long ago. You healed him and he thanked you profusely before leaving.

The scene repeated with the next patients. A broken bone that had set incorrectly (you had to break it again before curing it), kidney stones (how does that even happen to someone who doesn't eat anything), a paralyzed arm (luckily it had happened recently too), a persistent sickness, and other such trivial ailments. All curable with your magic, and so all these people left extremely grateful to you. Except for one old woman who didn't have anything that you could detect and left complaining about prideful kids who play at being a doctor.

When the seventh and last one left, you leaned back on your chair and closed your eyes. This had been more tiring than you had expected. Between purifying the water and curing those people, you were reaching the limits of your mana reserves, though you could still cast some more spells. It had been years since you last had to treat people like this, and you had had both your mother's help and the Mammon Machine's infinite power to draw from the last time you did. You were concerned about your mother. It had been more than a day since she had last seen you and you had promised to be back by nightfall. She must have been mad with worry at your absence. Wait, was time even passing at the same rate between time periods? More time could have passed for her - or less. There was no way to know that without moving to a new time period. Or maybe Chrono, Marle and Lucca would know, they were more experienced with time travel than you were. You'd have to ask them.

After a little time of relaxation, you heard a timid knock on the door. "Please come in" you invited them as you opened your eyes and stood straight up, trying not to make your fatigue show.

The person who walked in was none other than Director Doan, holding a hooded child by the hand. He sounded solemn and a little unsure of himself when he talked. "Hello again Gaius. I have spoken to those you cured and saw the clean water with my own eyes. Thank you for everything you have done for us. We couldn't ask for more, and yet... I apologise, but I have a more personal request. This is my granddaughter, Adalyn." He pushed the girl forward. "Adie, please remove your hood and say hello to the kind young man." The girl did as he asked and lowered her hood, though she didn't speak. She was shy, blonde and... had two large blotches of scar tissue around both of her closed eyes. Burns, possibly caused by chemicals. She was blind. "Can you please help her?" Director Doan pleaded.

While you couldn't see the full extent of the damage, it looked... no, you should at least examine her before venturing an opinion. You approached the girl and kneeled in front of her. She whimpered and moved back, towards her grandfather. "Don't be afraid Adalyn, this won't hurt at all." you tried to reassure her.

"Listen to Gaius Adi, he's a good man. Stay still, I'm right behind you." her grandfather added and put his hands on her shoulders. It worked. The girl's breathing eased and and didn't draw back when you approached your hands on the sides of her head and began probing with your mana in a process that would tell you what was happening inside her body but that she couldn't be able to detect.

The result was discouraging. Her burns had indeed been caused by some unknown chemical, not by exposure to fire. The damage to her eyes was extensive. Even the optic nerves had been damaged. You couldn't help her. Your remaining mana wasn't enough, even if you drank the Elixir and kept trying it wouldn't have been enough. You didn't think it was impossible, your mother may have been able to do it and in all likelihood so would you, eventually. But you just didn't have the power right now and there was no way to tell when you would, if ever. You prepared to deliver the bad news, when...

A voice whispered in the back of your head and it made an offer. The power you needed could be yours. Power enough to make your dreams come true for a moment. Power enough to save this girl right now. It was a simple offer. There would be no consequence to this, at least not for you. The consequences for the girl would be extremely beneficial. All you had to do was accept it.

Will you? Do you wish for the power to heal this girl?
>Yes
>No

>>5462037
>No
Fuck you Lavos. We gotta accept that we can't do everything.

>>5462037
That sounds fishy.
>no

Help ease her suffering. We can’t currently cure her, but we will look into it and return if we find a way.

>>5462037
>No
There's only noise that has been on the back of our heads.
Fuck off Lavos with your gay Mammon Machine.

>>5462055 (You)
I mean, it’s obviously temptation of some sort. But what? Simplest answer is indeed Lavos that triumphed in the future, but in that case having his attention is troubling and we should discuss it with others.
What if it’s something else though, and what else could it be?
We got some bizarre encounters before we even left our own timeframe, it’s a phenomenon worth pondering. What is a nature of a dream?

>>5462037
>No
There is always a cost.

>>5462083
You think this is all a dream? I hope not, would be a lame reveal.

>>5462085
I suppose that depends on what exactly is relationship between the dreamscape and reality. I mean we are de facto basing our decisions on an old man from our dreams. We’ll need to talk with Schala about it regardless

>>5462120
The man knew things. I wanna hurry and go to sleep desu.

Support talking with Schala.

>>5460351
Wtf, my ip keeps changing. Backlinking.

>>5462037
>>Yes
pussies

>>5462037
>No
oh shit we have to tell schala about this

>>5462037
>No

This wasn't all for naught, however, as we still discovered the source and extent of the damage. With that knowledge, we now have a solid goal to work for.

I'm sorry guys, this week is busier than usual and the update is giving me some trouble to write. I'll try to finish it tomorrow or Thursday, but it's not certain that I'll be able to do it and I don't want to make any promises that I won't be able to keep.

>>5464460
Null sweat OP, don't let it become a chore for you.

No.

Your refusal was absolute. The ocean of your mind was calm and silent. You had seen first-hand what the mindless pursuit of power had done to your people. You had heard what it had done to Queen Zeal, once a kind, beloved monarch who had turned into a power-hungry despot practically overnight when the Mammon Machine was completed and who used her own daughter as nothing more than a tool to fulfill her own ambition. There was always a cost to such power, one that you weren't willing to pay. You had to accept that you couldn't do everything. Just like your father had said, you couldn't save everyone.

A wave of anger washed over you for a moment, an anger that was incongruous with your previous calm. The whisper returned, in a voice that was hardly distinguishable from your own. You may not care about the girl, it said, but there were others you cared about. You would have to make the right choice when the time came, or you would find yourself without the power to protect what you cared about the most.

You took a deep breath, exhaled slowly and put that whisper out of your mind. The only thing that mattered right now was the little girl in front of you. You couldn't currently cure her entirely, but you could help ease her suffering.

"Cure II." You chanted the name of your most powerful healing spell and kept pouring more mana in order to at least heal her scarred skin. Her blemishes began to recede and as they did, you saw Schala's burned face over that of the girl for a brief, terrifying moment. Doubt crept in. Would you have made the same choice if it was her? Would you have been willing to reject this power if it meant condemning someone that you cared about so much to permanent darkness, if it meant that she would never open her eyes again and look at you with that tender expression that made your heart melt? To your shame, you didn't know. Perhaps the whisper was right and you had rejected its offer only because you didn't really care about this little girl. You prayed you'd never have to find out.

Soon enough the last marks on the girl's face disappeared entirely, along with the last drops of your mana. The Enertron hadn't restored it, you would now have to either sleep or drink the Elixir that Schala had given you if you wanted to cast another spell. But that would be a concern for the future. You looked up at Director Doan's hopeful face and grimaced. "That's all I can do. I can heal her skin, but not restore her eyes. I'm really sorry..."

The Director said nothing in response and just pressed his granddaughter's shoulders after his hopes had been dashed. The girl, Adalyn, scratched the now smooth skin on her face, and put first her fingers, then her palms over her eyes where the burns used to be. She smiled, turned to face you, extended her arm towards you and, after groping around in the dark a little, she... patted you in the head as you were kneeling in front of her. "It's OK mister Gaius. Don't be sad. Papa promised he will find me new eyes. Now my friends won't be scared of me, thank you!"

You were dumbstruck by her gratitude, and it allowed her grandfather to recover as well. He addressed her. "You're right Adie. Devyn will do his best and so did Gaius. We should return to your friends now and let him rest, he looks tired." He then turned to you. "Thank you for everything you've done. I wish you and your friends the best in your travels."

The old man took his granddaughter's hand and began leading her out the room. When they were almost out, Adalyn happily waved at you with her free hand. "Bye Mr. Gaius!" The door closed behind them and you were left alone with your thoughts.

You let yourself go, lied down on the floor and closed your eyes. You really felt tired, the Director hadn't been wrong about that. This hadn't been for naught, however. You had healed her superficial scars, and discovered the source and extent of the damage. You couldn't heal her fully right now, but that knowledge would be enough for you to find a way and return to help her if her father hadn't found new eyes for her, by whatever means he had planned to do that. And yet, Adalyn's gratitude for what little you had done only made you feel more guilty. You had lied to them. You could have done more. You had just chosen not to. Had it been the wrong choice? Power is just another tool, a part of you wanted to believe, and it can be used responsibly by the proper wielder. Should you have trusted the mysterious whisper on the back of your head?

A whisper... on the back of your head. It suddenly clicked. You realized the source of your distrust. The only noise that had been on the back of your head for the past seven years had been the Mammon Machine's buzzing. You knew no one else who had experienced something similar, except... for Schala, who had told you that ever since she first used the Machine, it would speak to her sometimes, in whispers and dreams. You broke out in a cold sweat. Was this the same whisper, trying to tempt you as it had tried to tempt her? How? And why? You had to know. You had to tell her about this!

Your eyes burst open, you jumped upwards and rushed out of the room and straight towards Balthazar's safehouse. Was she safe? You were already irrationally worried about leaving her alone in that room before and now that whisper had given you a real reason to worry. A million scenarios played out in your mind, none of them pleasant. You shouldn't have let her out of your sight, you shouldn't have let her stay in a room that you couldn't get in to help her if she needed it.

Panting heavily, you reached the door that could only be unlocked by her Pendant. You knocked on it hard. "Schala, it's me, Gaius. Open the door, I need to talk to you!" You waited, but there was no response. You knocked again. "Are you alright? Are you in there? Say something if you are!" No sound came from the room now either and your panic rose. She had been attacked, she was dead, she was hurt, she was bleeding out right now and you couldn't get in to help her.

You took a deep breath and let those thoughts wash over you. She was fine, she had just finished with her work before you had. Lucca had said that Crono and Marle had been near the farm, she must have stayed with them to wait for you. You felt a twinge of envy at her not coming to see you right away after she was finished, but you recognized it was a senseless thought and she must have had her reasons. You shook your head and began quickly making your way out of the building.

On your way out, you saw Lucca some distance down a crossroad. She was in a parallel corridor, heading in the same direction as you, though she was walking unhurriedly and she hadn't noticed you. You paused to consider. Should you go with her or continue on your own for the rest of the way?

>Call out to her, walk together to the others.
>Go ahead on your own, you'll see her there.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5467786
>Call out to her, walk together to the others.
Calm down Gaius, breath.

>>5467786
>>Call out to her, walk together to the others.

>>5467786
>Go ahead on your own, you'll see her there
Gotta go fast.

>>5462124
My old post

>>5467786
>>Call out to her, walk together to the others.

>>5467786
>Call out to her, walk together to the others.

>>5467786
>Call out to her, walk together to the others.

Once again, sorry for the delay folks. Update probably tomorrow. I hope things will start getting better again next week.

"Hey, Lucca!" you called out to to the girl in the distance. You'd walk together to the others, you were calm now, there was no reason to hurry ahead on your own. You shouldn't worry about Schala, she was fine and you'd see her soon.

She stopped, turned on her heels and came to you. "Gaius! Fancy seeing you here. You're still in the building, so there were people you could heal?"

You began walking to the exit of the building before you answered, you weren't in that much of a hurry anymore, but that didn't mean you weren't anxious to see Schala again. "Yeah. Seven adults, though one of them didn't have anything, and one little girl. The Director's granddaughter, actually."

Lucca began walking next to you as you spoke. "His granddaughter? You healed Adalyn?!" she uttered in surprise.

You scratched the back of your head in embarrassment at her undeserved amazement. "Err... not exactly. I healed her burns, but her eyes were... beyond my power."

"Oh, so your magic can't heal everything. That's a letdown..." She sounded more disappointed than she probably should be, for some reason, but it didn't take her long to continue. "Still, it's better than nothing. That poor girl... you know what happened, right?"

"Err, no, I wasn't told anything." you admitted.

Lucca took a deep breath and exhaled. "Her mom had taken it upon her herself to take care of the Dome's children. She was like a teacher to them, though there's no school here. One day, some of the older kids decided to sneak out to see the outside. Adalyn's mom went after them before something bad could happen and Adalyn followed her without realizing how dangerous it was. They were attacked not too far away from the Dome. Adalyn's dad, Devyn, the Director's son, was able to fight off the robots and save the children, but not his wife. They returned without her. That attack was when Adalyn got hurt too. They say that he's not been the same since."

"Oh..." you said, not knowing what more you could say to something like that. You walked in silence for some time before you decided to change the subject. "How did the repairs go?" you asked her "Did you finish?"

"Yeah, the repairs are finished, the controls were simplified and the basic manual was written. I left Royn studying it. He thinks I'm gonna test him in a few hours but who has time for that? His fear of screwing up again will keep him in line, though with the new interface even an idiot won't be able to screw up now. Probably." She chuckled and so did you.

As you approached the area that Lucca had said was your destination, an ethereal song gradually became audible and you fell silent. You stretched your ears trying to make out the words to no avail. But you recognized the melody, the same tune that Schala had been humming while she worked. The singer must have been her! You quickened your previously leisurely pace.

File: 16649350_p0.jpg (191 KB, 500x603)

191 KB JPG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXzGj540NPs

You were proven right when you moved past the last wall that blocked your line of sight to the farm and the open space next to it and you saw the source of that song. It was her, just as you had thought - or hoped? Schala, instantly recognisable even with her back turned to you and surrounded by half a dozen children, was singing with the voice of an angel. An everchanging, scintillating pattern of coloured lights was playing in front of and around her and she gently swayed in tune with the melody, her long ponytail dancing left and right as she did. The children varied in their responses to the performance. Some were clapping at her song, some were clumsily dancing with exaggerated moves of their own devising, and some just stood there mesmerized.

Lucca nudged you forward, then chuckled. You hadn't realized that you too were just standing there mesmerized. You were unable to take your eyes off of Schala as you and the purple-haired inventor advanced together. So much so that you were caught completely by surprise when you heard a second girl's voice greeting you and you focused to see Marle waving at you two. She was sitting next to Chrono with a grill between them on one side and Schala with the children on the other. You hadn't even noticed them there, despite them being directly in your line of vision.

"Hey guys! Are you finally finished? Come, we saved you some fish!" Marle happily welcomed you and gestured for you to join them.

At the sound of Marle's voice, Schala quickly but gracefully turned to look at you, singing all the while. She was holding the golden disk that contained her joy, the origin of these dancing lights. When her eyes met yours, her face lit up like the sun. Then her eyes went to your side, to the girl that was walking next to you, and her expression darkened immediately. She missed a note, frowned, then pointedly turned her back to you and resumed performing for the children.

Puzzled by her reaction, you approached her, passing by the children who were arrayed in a loose circle around her, and gently stroked her back and her long ponytail. That was enough to get her to stop her song and look at you directly. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Lucca, still at your side, wave at the blue-haired girl in front of you.

Schala's already cloudy expression grew even darker. She wrapped her arms around the back of your head, pulled you in and kissed you savagely, possessively, as if she was marking her territory in front of everyone. It was brief but no less intense and she lightly bit on your lower lip as she withdrew. Far from hard enough to cause you pain, but enough for the sensation to linger.

For a moment she gazed at you with foggy eyes before the storm in her eyes lifted and they went wide. Her cheeks reddened and with her arms always wrapped around your head, she spoke timidly. "I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." She let go of you, brushed some loose strands of hair out of her vision and looked down demurely. "Um... I'm happy that you came. Will you stay with us? With me? Just for a while?"

You found it difficult to answer immediately. You were already tired and her proximity and strange behaviour made your mind even more sluggish. What did you think about this behaviour? And how would you answer her invitation?

>She shouldn't do that again.
>She didn't do anything wrong.
>You liked her being more assertive.

AND

>Stay with them. With her. Just for a while.
>You have to speak to her in private.
>It is time to head underground and watch the 'video' that you came here for.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5472649
>>She shouldn't do that again.
>It is time to head underground and watch the 'video' that you came here for.

>>5472649
>She didn't do anything wrong.

>You have to speak to her in private.

>>5472649
>That was.. passionate. But also strange. Not inherently bad, necessarily…
>Resolve to ask Schala about the bout of jealousy, you felt the same not long ago. Were they just natural? Because in hindsight both cases looked a bit exaggerated, especially for the normally gentle Schala

>Stay with them
Let’s not immediately ruin The Moment.

>>5472649
>She didn't do anything wrong.
>Stay with them. With her. Just for a while.

>>5472649
>>She didn't do anything wrong.
>Stay with them. With her. Just for a while.

>>5472649

>Talk about the weird voice, feeling and what she just did. Could the Pendant be a source of the connection with Lavos?

>Stay with them. With her. Just for a while.


Hey QM, finally finished catching up with the other two threads and really like the quest. I've gotta ask, though, why did you choose to go with Chrono instead of Crono for the name of our no-longer-mute-or-protagonist friend?

>>5472649
>You liked her being more assertive.
>Stay with them. With her. Just for a while.

>>5473181
I'm pretty sure that the speak in private is the option to talk about Larvos.

>>5473345
Yeah, I know. Just figured it would be good to be specific. Don't have any strong feelings on whether we do it in front of everybody or in private, i just don't want to leave it for later

>She shouldn't do that again.
>>5472685

>She didn't do anything wrong.
>>5472690
>>5472925
>>5473093

>You liked her being more assertive.
>>5473241

>That was.. passionate. But also strange. Not inherently bad, necessarily…
>Resolve to ask Schala about the bout of jealousy, you felt the same not long ago. Were they just natural? Because in hindsight both cases looked a bit exaggerated, especially for the normally gentle Schala
>>5472754

>Talk about the weird voice, feeling and what she just did. Could the Pendant be a source of the connection with Lavos?
>>5473181


AND

>It is time to head underground and watch the 'video' that you came here for.
>>5472685

>You have to speak to her in private.
>>5472690

>Stay with them. With her. Just for a while.
>>5472754
>>5472925
>>5473093
>>5473181
>>5473241

So she didn't do anything wrong and you're going to stay with them, with her, just for a while. She's going to be relieved, I can tell you that much.

>>5473181
Welcome aboard! It's great to see new people joining us. Thanks for the kind words, I hope you stay and continue enjoying the quest! To answer your question, the characters used in the japanese version are the same for the name of the game and its protagonist. クロノ or Kurono. I dislike the inconsistency, an inconsistency that was caused, from what I've read, by the game having a 5 character limit for names and not some conscious decision, like the changes from Sara to Schala or from Jaki to Janus.

Besides, I personally find Chrono more natural.

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong." you told her, meaning every word. That had been passionate and also strange, but not inherently bad. You pushed some more loose strands of her hair behind her ear, brushing her skin with your fingers. "I will. Stay, I mean. With you." you added, fumbling your words.

She looked up at you with sparkling eyes. "Th-"

But her words were interrupted by a little boy tugging at her long sleeve. "Miss Schala, is he your husband?" he asked her innocently.

"Um... no, he's-" Schala stammered.

The boy interrupted her again, regarding you with narrowed eyes. "Why not?"

"It's... too soon." she looked at you wistfully as she answered.

"Why? You're so old!" he asked again but you had to take your attention off of that repeating exchange.

Another boy addressed you. "What's your name?"

"Err, I'm Gaius." you were caught a little by surprise by the sudden question, even though it wasn't odd at all.

"It's a strange name." he commented.

Another child, a girl that was a little older, spoke up. "Adie's grandpa took her to see a Gaius. Was he you? Where is she?" she asked you. She was about the same age as Adie, now that you thought about it, they must have been friends.

"Yeah, I saw them. I don't know where they are, they left before I did." you answered both of her questions.

The girl looked like she wanted to say more, but Schala saved you from the continued interrogation. "Come children, we should let Gaius rest, he's tired and hungry. How would you like to play tag?" she said in a cheerful tone. A chorus of agreement came from them all and she led them to the open area just a little further from the makeshift campfire. She was right, you were both tired and hungry, and you were grateful for the peace and quiet she had provided you, but you still couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment when she left your side.

With things now calmer, Marle gave you and Lucca each a container that was made out of some glossy, brightly coloured material with a transparent lid and a small amount of grilled fish in it. "We saved you both a little."

You accepted the container, took a seat around the heated grill and asked. "Thanks. Did you all eat before Lucca and I arrived?"

"Chrono and I did, but Schala gave hers to the children when she arrived. She said she wasn't hungry, you two had eaten before you first met us." Marle couldn't have known, but you knew that to be a lie. You hadn't eaten anything since before you had left the kingdom of Zeal, neither had Schala and she had spent a day more than you had in this future.

Lucca happily took her own share with a hearty "Don't mind if I do!", sat down - closer to Chrono and Marle than to you - and dug in. A wonderful aroma that made you salivate filled the air when she opened her own container, but you still didn't follow along.

You tuned the others out as your mind wandered. Schala's refusal to eat even a reduced serving had been nothing unusual, from what you knew of her she was used to putting others ahead of herself. But her bout of jealousy had been uncharacteristically intense for her normally gentle self. You hadn't disliked it, far from it, and she had admitted that she was feeling jealous when you had insisted on asking what was bothering her on the way to the Dome, but was that really all there was to it? Was it natural, or was it perhaps related to the oily whisper you had heard and what you had felt yourself not long ago? Perhaps you should talk to her about the weird voice, that feeling and what she just did.

Your eyes searched for her on their own and your mind emptied when they found her. She was nimbly moving back and forth, merrily switching from being chased to chasing after letting them catch her, children running and laughing all around her. Your heart ached for you to join the hunt, to chase her down until she was out of breath, to catch her, embrace her, caress her messy hair and... no. You shook your head, drove that last image out of your mind, simply watched and waited.

You didn't have to wait for long. Her movements gradually became slower and more sluggish. She excused herself and returned to the camp. The children continued playing on their own, not minding her absence all that much. Her face was red and she was breathing heavily as she approached. Your eyes were locked on her. Hers darted fretfully to your left and right before they settled on yours. Her genuine, wide smile was infectious, you couldn't help but mirror it. She dropped down next to you, took a deep breath and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Her breath gradually calmed down. Her hair was coming undone so she untied the red ribbon and shook her head to let it completely loose. She then caught it again with both of her hands and began tying the ribbon to remake her ponytail, but as she stretched to fix her hair, her stomach growled and she froze mid-motion, completely mortified.

You looked at the still-closed container in your hands, holding barely half an adult's portion of grilled fish. You had already decided that you would...
>Eat it.
>Give your share to the children as well, once they finish their game.
>Share your meager portion with her.
>Share your meager portion with her... and feed her yourself.
>Other (write-in)

>>5478777
>>Eat it.

>>5478777
>Share your meager portion with her... and feed her yourself.

>>5478777
>Share your meager portion with her.

>>5478777
Share with her.
Feeding her optional but fine. Well maybe not so optional if she’s being difficult about it. She decided what to do with her portion, we can decide what to do with ours and we can’t have her collapse in the wasteland.

>>5478777
>Share your meager portion with her... and feed her yourself.

>>5478777
>Share your meager portion with her.

>>5478777
>Share your meager portion with her.

I'm sorry for this delay too. I guess things did not get better this week. Update tomorrow, that's a promise.

>>5481388
null sweat OP, don't burn yourself out on us.

You would share your meager portion with her, of course. You couldn't let her go hungry, no matter what she had decided to do with her portion. You couldn’t have her collapse in the wasteland. You'd feed her if you had to, but you hoped she wouldn't force your hand by being difficult about it.

You waited until she finished tying her ribbon around the ponytail that you adored and adjusting her golden hair ornament back into its proper position. She smiled warmly at you, her earlier embarrassment still faintly visible on her cheeks. You smiled back, then opened the lid of the container in your hands.

The sound made her look down at what you were holding. "You haven't eaten yet." she commented.

"Neither have you." you stated matter-of-factly.

She put on a polite smile. "I wasn't hungry and the children were happy to have a little extra." It was undoubtedly a half-truth.

You answered immediately. "Marle told me about it. Just as you decided to give your portion to the children, I'm deciding to share mine with a girl who needs it."

"...who?" she asked apprehensively.

"You." Your smile grew wider while hers faltered.

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry." she repeated her lie, all the while staring at the grilled food in your hands.

You leaned towards her, placed your hand on her back and spoke in a hushed tone. "Schala..." You could feel her shivering when you whispered her name. "You don't have to lie anymore."

She protested once again. "Ever since we left home, you struggled, you fought. You helped people. You saved me, and you got hurt. You need this meal more than I do. You deserve it more than I do..." her voice lowered as she spoke.

"No I don't. You did all these things too. And..." you chose your next words carefully to avoid fully exposing her lying to Marle. "I have had just as much food as you did. Now, let's eat. Or do you want me to feed you?" you teased her and that was enough to convince her to accept something for herself.

"...okay." she finally nodded her agreement.

Happy that she had, you tore the piece in half with your bare hands, as you had no knife with which to cut, or other utensils for that matter. Its texture was harder than that of the fish you were used to back home, more similar to that of meat. Schala huddled closer to you. You put your hand around her back, on her shoulder, pulled her as close as you could and placed your shared lunch in the middle, half on your thigh and half on hers. She took her half and nibbled it, while you took a larger bite out of yours. Its flavour was unlike that of any fish you had eaten too. If you had to choose, you'd say it tasted like pork, though it was not entirely the same.

After you both had the first bite, Marle asked from the other side of the grill. "How is it?" She sounded full of excitement.

"It's great!" you said. It lacked seasonings, but it had been grilled to perfection. You couldn't answer another way.

"Delicious!" Schala agreed.

You swallowed another bite and added. "You two did a fine job with the cooking."

"Oh, it was mostly Chrono." Marle objected with both of her hands raised. "I just helped him a little and tried to keep the children at bay until Schala arrived and kept them busy."

"You helped a lot." Chrono spoke and Marle beamed at his praise.

Lucca added her own thoughts. "Chrono is a talented cook. Just wait until we get back to the P... back home and we can probably celebrate. It'll be a veritable feast, right Chrono?"

He nodded. Schala purred in contentment from your side and you turned to see that she had finished her share and was licking her fingers clean. Those fingers could have been yours, a part of you whispered, she never refused your playful offer to feed her. You quickly banished that thought and its accompanying image, tempting as it was. Your heart swelled at the thought, you couldn't deny its appeal, but this was neither the time nor the place. Perhaps next time you had lunch - or dinner - together.

You thought of teasing her for this undignified behaviour for a Princess - and for someone who claimed she wasn't hungry - but you decided she wouldn't appreciate it right now. You devoured the rest of your portion. It did little to help with your hunger, if you were to be honest. If anything, it served more like an appetizer and left you even hungrier than before.

Both of you having finished, she leaned into you and you tightened your embrace. It felt so comfortable, but that comfort ended when she suddenly jerked to the side. "Oh!" she said. "The Pendant. I almost forgot!" She reached inside her robes and passed it back to you. "I hope we don't encounter another of those doors, I don't want to use it again."

You accepted it wordlessly and secured it inside your pocket. You knew that to her, the Pendant was a symbol of sadness and helplessness. You didn't want dash her hopes by reminding her that Balthazar's note had said he would build more secret rooms for her. You just hoped there would be nothing as dangerous as the Djinn behind the next one.

Lucca did not remain silent, however. "That Pendant!" she exclaimed. "It's-"

"It is. We'll explain everything later." Marle stopped her from finishing that sentence and possibly saying something that you didn't want to be overheard by the locals. Lucca's gaze rapidly shifted between Schala and you on one side, and Marle on the other. She grinned mischievously and nodded in understanding. She... had probably come to the obvious but wrong conclusion and now thought that you and Schala were Marle's ancestors. It wasn't a big problem, someone would clear out the misunderstanding when you could. You put that out of your mind.

Schala, after that exchange, returned to nestling beneath your arm. Her slender body pressed on your side, her head rested on your shoulder. Her soft hand sought out yours and your fingers intertwined. The sound of her gentle breath was soothing. Your stomach was - well, not full, but a little less empty. The grill in front of you radiated a pleasant heat. The last few hours had been tiring. Your eyelids felt heavy, so heavy. Your eyes began to close...

>Close your eyes. Rest for a moment.
>No, you have to talk to her first!
>No, you have to see that video first!
>Other (Write-in)

>>5482380
>No, you have to talk to her first!

>>5482380
>>No, you have to see that video first!

>>5482380
>No, you have to talk to her first!

>>5482380
>>Close your eyes. Rest for a moment.

>>5482380
>Close your eyes. Rest for a moment.
Sweet dreams

>>5482380
>No, you have to talk to her first!

>>5482380
>talk to her
Seems important we’d be on the same page.

>>5482380
>Close your eyes. Rest for a moment.

>No, you have to talk to her first!
>>5482384
>>5482482
>>5482763
>>5482815

>>No, you have to see that video first!
>>5482429

>Close your eyes. Rest for a moment.
>>5482712
>>5482718
>>5482878

No rest for the wicked, I see

Your head drooped and came to rest on top of hers. Her luscious hair made for a comfortable pillow. You felt yourself beginning to doze off...

No, you had to talk to her first! You couldn't rest, even for a moment. You forced your eyes open and jolted away from her. It was enough for you to wake up fully. She let out a little yelp of surprise at your sudden movement and stared at you with curiosity burning in her eyes and a hint of something you hadn't seen before. Was it... anger? "Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm sorry I startled you, but I need to talk to you..." You explained, then inclined your head towards the others. "... in private."

Her tension left her features immediately at your explanation and she deflated in front of your eyes. "Oh.... yes, I wanted to speak with you also and I wanted to show you the surprise I promised in respect to my use of Haste on you, but... I forgot when we were alone." She blushed and looked down in embarrassment.

You removed the hand that had been embracing her and clapped it with the other. "So we both have something we want to say. Great!" You jumped up, then turned to address the others. "Thanks for the meal guys. You don't mind if we leave for a while, do you? Oh, and, err..." you remembered your panic at the thought that Schala was endangered inside that locked room, beyond the reach of all help and decided you should avoid going back in there. "Is there some place close-by we could go to?"

Marle was the one to answer "None of us mind. That building over there was abandoned not too long ago. No one will bother you and it should still be in good condition. We'll be right here when you're done!" She concluded and happily squeezed Chrono's hand.

You looked at the building she had pointed at. "Thanks. Then, Schala, let's go." You extended your hand towards her. She nodded in agreement, took your hand and pulled herself up with your help. She then dusted off the behind of her robes and... you couldn't help but steal a glance at what she was patting. You heard Lucca begin to speak, only for her to get instantly silenced by something - or someone. It was probably for the best.

You walked to the indicated house at a brisk pace, with Schala half a step behind you. As Marle had said, it was empty and in a good condition. Its spacious interior wasn't very dusty either, it must have been abandoned very recently indeed. You searched for an agreeable place to sit and have that talk and you found it in the form of a living room. The sofa inside was ugly and crude, but it should still work fine for your purpose. You gestured inside the room. "We should sit here." you told the girl that was always close behind you.

She took two quick steps ahead of you and gracefully twirled to face you, causing her long hair to swing wildly. She then put her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "Then, what did you want to talk to me about? Or shall I take the lead for once?" she asked with a smile and a glint in her eye.

>Let her take the lead this time.
>No, you should go first.

AND

>Talk about her bout of jealousy.
>Tell her about the strange whisper that offered you the power to heal the blind little girl.
>Ask her what the song she was singing means.
>She called the hairpin the second precious thing she received from someone important to her. Ask her what the first was.
>Ask her what she meant when she said she already knew, after you both read Balthazar's note.
>Tell her about the old man in your dream.
>Talk to her about modifying Haste's duration so it's not fixed.
>Other (Write-in)

(Reminder that you may pick more than one topic. I'd also greatly appreciate write-ins that touch on the specific points you want to cover, either as part those general topics or not)

>>5483405
>Let her take the lead this time.

>Tell her about the strange whisper that offered you the power to heal the blind little girl.
>Talk about her bout of jealousy.
>Tell her about the old man in your dream.

>>5483405
>>Let her take the lead this time.
>Tell her about the strange whisper that offered you the power to heal the blind little girl.

>>5483405
>>Let her take the lead this time.

Ask ALL the things! Seriously though take what you feel is appropriate amount.

let's hope we don't get too distracted to forget what we wanted to ask... ahem

>Tell her about the strange whisper that offered you the power to heal the blind little girl.
this one looks super sinister and important

>Tell her about the old man in your dream.
this one may not be entirely a good idea but I'd like to ask that anyway.
I mean if the voice leeches off Schala somehow we may be revealing something important to it. But we don't currently have reason to suspect as much.

>Tell about the bouts of jealousy. Is it just our mutual possessiveness or is there another effect at play?

>The song
was it perhaps also something she sang during her trips to Algetty? Or to her baby brother? we should learn the lyrics so we can mess with Magus hehe

>The hairpin
I'm not actually sure if I want to ask that. But I guess it goes with the possessiveness. Could it be something she got from Magnus? Or from father? Or from Mother? Maybe better not speculate out loud.

>Balthazar's note
did she know she was meant for a tragic end, or that we're in some sort of pretzel continuity already?

>Haste's duration
I sort of expect she'd be talking about it but we really need to make sure she's not hurting herself over this.

>>5483405
>>Let her take the lead this time.

>Talk about her bout of jealousy.
Nothing negative, just curious where it came from.
>Tell her about the strange whisper that offered you the power to heal the blind little girl.
>Tell her about the old man in your dream.

>>5483405
>Let her take the lead this time.

>Tell her about the strange whisper that offered you the power to heal the blind little girl.
>Ask her what she meant when she said she already knew, after you both read Balthazar's note.
>Tell her about the old man in your dream.
>Talk about her bout of jealousy and your panic attack

>>5483405
>Let her take the lead this time.

>Everything

>>5482718
I am this

>>5484041
>>5484045
My id changed again

>Let her take the lead this time.
>>5483432
>>5483435
>>5483467
>>5483653
>>5483855
>>5484041

Topics:

>Whisper
>>5483432
>>5483435
>>5483467
>>5483653
>>5483855
>>5484041

>Jealousy
>>5483432
>>5483467
>>5483653
>>5483855
>>5484041

>Dream
>>5483432
>>5483467
>>5483653
>>5483855
>>5484041

>Note
>>5483467
>>5483855
>>5484041

>Everything else
>>5483467
>>5484041

That's unanimous for letting her take the lead. I'm tentatively calling the topics as the whisper, her jealousy, your dream and maybe the note if I can adequately fit it. This is gonna be more than one updates anyway. Everything else will have to wait until the next time you have a talk with her.

"By all means Princess, take the lead!" you answered her question playfully and gestured in encouragement. You had decided what you wanted to talk to her about, but that could wait. You loved seeing her decide to take the initiative for once and you wanted to embolden her to be more confident in herself. You just hoped you didn't get so distracted as to forget what you wanted to say...

Still leaning forward, she clasped your extended hand with both of hers. It was still impressive how soft and warm they always felt. "I'm glad! I... hope you like it. Please, have a seat."

"Where should I sit, Princess?" you asked her with a grin. You thought it might be fun to turn this into a little game, since she wanted to take the lead.

"Wherever you... oh. Oh!" Understanding dawned on her face as she looked at yours. She stood upright trying - and failing - to suppress a grin of her own and pointed at the nearest sofa. "O-over there will be fine, my Knight." She tried to speak in an imperious tone, though the effect was ruined when she let out a cute little giggle. At least she seemed to be enjoying herself.

You followed her instructions dutifully and plopped down at the exact place she was pointing at with your arms at your sides. Her Knight... Lucca had jokingly called you Schala's Knight before. You weren't really sure how you felt about it. Strangely, Marle had gotten embarrassed back then too. Oh, of course, she was a Princess as well and it was obvious that she and Chrono liked each other. You hadn't realized it at the time, but Lucca's joke had been aimed at all four of you. They were all a fun group. You hoped that Schala would be able to set her jealousy aside and make friends with them. But then again, you had felt a pang of jealousy yourself when she had given Chrono the sword that you had found. Were you really that much better?

While your mind wandered, Schala kneeled in front of you so that her eyes were on the same level as yours and put one of her hands on your chest. Your heart began beating faster. "Close your eyes." she commanded and you obeyed. In the darkness, you felt her other hand touch your ear and caress the side of your head before coming to rest on your cheek. The pressure on your chest increased as she shifted her weight. "Don't resist this. Please..." she whispered and you felt her exhale on your face.

"Slow."

What... you had no time to think before her lips pressed on yours in a gentle kiss. Your mind emptied like a bucket that had been suddenly upturned. There was nothing in the world except for her touch on your chest, on your cheek and on your lips. It was as if time had frozen. It may not have been the first time, but it was still incredible. You were still not used to her kiss. You'd never get used to her kiss.

Regrettably, it didn't last forever. All too soon, she withdrew and breathed heavily on your face. You opened your eyes without her telling you to, only to stare directly at hers, just a few centimeters away. You could easily get lost in those beautiful green orbs, sparkling like the most precious emeralds. "What..." For some reason, you found it hard to speak.

She smiled timidly. "I told you I felt guilty about using Haste on you. I had to give you back the time that you lost, the seconds that I stole from you, with my spell. This is how. I couldn't think of another way. Um... could you tell that you were slowed, or that this spell lasted longer?"

"No. Neither." you answered hoarsely.

Her smile grew warmer, more confident. She ruffled your hair. "It worked! After the battle with those robots ended and Haste didn't... it was agonizing to see you like that, your life ticking away purposelessly with every second. When I finished enchanting the Sun Disk, I sat and thought of a solution, a way to dismiss a spell when it was no longer needed or extend its duration further. It was really quite simple if you applied Gaspar's Theory of Relativity on the time axis of a spell's formula. I can show you how if you want, it should be applicable on any spell, not only those of the Time element." You nodded without a word. It would definitely be useful to not have to reapply Blind or any other similar spell once it run its course.

[Your party's spells no longer have a fixed duration]

"Um... did you like it? Shall I do it again, after every cast of Haste? Tell me what you really think. Please."

>Yes. It was sweet.
>No. It was a waste of time.
>You're not sure. Maybe there's another way?
>Other (Write-in)

>>5484870
>>Yes. It was sweet.

>>5484870

Just to be sure I understood what happened, she slowed us down during the kiss, so minutes passed for her and seconds for us, is that right? If so...

>"I wouldn't mind the kiss, but won't you use up twice the mana this way, once to speed me up, another to slow me down? And if we do it after every battle, I'll just slow down the rest of the group. No, no need. We can think about that once there's no end of the world to stop."

>>5484892
>Just to be sure I understood what happened, she slowed us down during the kiss, so minutes passed for her and seconds for us, is that right?
That is exactly right.

>>5484870
>You're not sure. Maybe there's another way?
>"Kissing you is always great, but I think it might not be a good idea to do it in the middle of combat."

>>5484870
>Yes. It was sweet.
I don't think she meant we'd do it in the middle of combat of after every combat. She waited until downtime now, she can just do an extra long slow at the end of every day.

>>5484870
>Yes. It was sweet.

I understand she found a way to make the spells variable length, which is marvelous and that alone I feel removes any reason for her to feel guilty about wasted haste (as the combat haste has the inherent value of keeping us alive) though I understand she may feel differently.
As for the slowed kiss, that was sweet and intense but we love every second of her company no matter what rate we go. Downside of the slow is that we feel her closeness for shorter time than we otherwise would have. In other words I’d not make a default habit out of it, as much as one option to spend *time* together.

>>5484870
>>Yes. It was sweet.

You didn't have to think long to tell her the truth. "Yes. It was sweet. Kissing you is always great." you replied immediately.

She beamed at your words. "I'm so glad! Then it's settled. Every day before we rest, this is how I'll give you back the time that I steal from you."

You mirrored her smile. "I have some concerns though. Won't you use up twice the mana this way, once to speed me up, another to slow me down?" You hated the idea of curbing her enthusiasm, but there were a couple things you'd like to clear.

But contrary to your expectations, she didn't seem to mind at all. If anything, her voice grew more confident after your question. "Yes, that's right. But you shouldn't be concerned about that. Tell me, how much mana do you have left?"

"None. I spent the last of my reserves healing the people of the Dome." Especially a little girl that you would tell her about later.

She looked at you tenderly and you felt your breath catch in your throat before she spoke. "And this is why I l... why I like you. You give your all to help people." She paused and caressed the side of your face again. "But even after enchanting the Sun Disk, I used naught but a fraction of mine. I could go on for days without rest, casting the amount of spells I cast today, and I still would have mana to spare. It is a small price to pay to give back what I take from you."

"I... see. That's incredible." Discounting the cost of Enchanting, she had cast fewer spells than you had today but manipulating time like she did could not have been cheap. If she had that much mana at her disposal already, just how strong would she be once she was allowed to fully develop her powers? How much of her potential had the Mammon Machine - and her mother - robbed her of? You couldn't wait to find out. "I hope you don't really go for days without rest though." She laughed melodiously before you continued. "There is one more problem though."

"What is it?" She still looked and sounded confident she would have an answer to whatever problem you had.

Without giving her a chance to react, you launched yourself forward, closing the few centimeters that separated your lips in an instant. You put one of your hands to the back of her head while the other moved to the small of her back. She tensed in surprise for a moment, then that tension disappeared as she melted in your hands and over your body, the resistance offered by the hand she had put on your chest disappearing entirely. When you pulled back, you breathed and spoke heavily. "I love every second I spend with you. The downside of your Slow is that I will feel your touch for a shorter time than I otherwise would have."

She giggled. "Is that all? You can spend as much time as you want until you're satisfied!" she happily offered.

"I will never be satisfied." you stated firmly, then pushed yourself forward to steal a quick kiss from her. She giggled again and you began stroking her long hair as she draped on top of you.

You spent some time like this, in a comfortable silence, before she shifted beneath your arms. "Um... I wish we could stay like this forever, but there is one more thing I wanted to ask of you, I cannot forget it again." You stopped to give her the chance to say what she wanted. There were things you wanted to tell her as well and you were already getting distracted by her closeness.

She removed herself from your arms and returned to a kneeling position in front of you that didn't really look very comfortable. She stared you right in the eyes as she spoke. "When the Djinn attacked me and I went down... everything became a blur." At her words, the memory of her horribly burnt face returned and the rage you felt at the time threatened to resurface. You clenched and unclenched your fist, then let the ocean of your mind calm down like you had back then.

"Are you alright?" she asked, both her face and voice full of worry.

"Yeah, I just remembered how angry I felt then. I could never forgive anything that tries to hurt you."

She smiled sadly. "You shouldn't be like that. This is close to what I wanted to talk to you about also. Even in that blur, I knew that you were not the one who healed me..."

Was she upset that you hadn't helped her? You tried to explain your reasoning. "Yeah, I'm sorry, I-"

She put her finger on your lips to silence you. "Shhh. Don't be sorry, please. You made the right choice when you helped Chrono instead of me, I'm happy that you did what was best. Marle healed me and I opened my eyes right on time for me to witness you prevailing over the Djinn. You were amazing..." She moved her finger from your lips and brushed your cheek with the tips of her fingers. "You are amazing. And I want you to stay that way. Please, you should make the right choice again if the time comes and you have to choose between helping me and helping someone else. You should always choose to help someone else. Will you promise me that?"

This was how she saw it? But that wasn't how you had seen it. You hadn't deliberately chosen to help Chrono over her, it was simply the only option in that particular situation that made sense. If you had stayed to heal her, then Chrono would have been left fighting the Djinn on his own and Marle would have been able to do little to help him with her crossbow.

Schala saw your hesitation and took your hands in hers and pleaded. "Please, even if it puts me in danger, promise me that you will always do what is best. You can't put my life above the life of another. Yours, or anyone else's."

Was this really something that you could promise?
>Promise her. You won't put her life above the life of anyone else.
>No. You can't make that promise. She is too important to you.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5486923
>Promise her. You won't put her life above the life of anyone else.

>>5486923
>No. You can't make that promise. She is too important to you.

>>5486923
>>No. You can't make that promise.
That is not a promise we can make in good conscience. Even if we meant it now, can we honestly tell it's what we'd do in the heat of moment?
What we can do is promise to remember her request and her selflessness should such a situation arise. But at the same time we'd be praying - obviously not to Lavos - and working to never place ourselves into such situation.

Making such commitment is dangerous anyway. Nobody knows the future and in the end it's up to our wits and consciences anyway.

>>5486923
>>Promise her. You won't put her life above the life of anyone else.

>>5486923
>>No. You can't make that promise. She is too important to you.

Some moments will have people in danger, and we may have to choose. With the Djinn, it was the right move to attack it instead of helping her as her injury wasn't fatal. But if it ever comes to trading lives, then we may pick her, not only because of our feelings for her, but because she's quite possibly one of the most powerful people ever.

If anyone can save more and more lives, it's her. It's the objectively best utilitarian choice, a̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶n̶'̶t̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶e̶ ̶I̶'̶l̶l̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶m̶y̶s̶e̶l̶f̶

>>5486923
>>5486934 and >>5487001 +1

>>5486923
>No. You can't make that promise. She is too important to you.

Looking at her tenderly, you gave the only answer that you could. "No." you told her. "I can't make that promise. You are too important to me." Your mind was coming up with reason after reason to justify your refusal. But ultimately, if you were to be honest with yourself, the truth was simple. You had feelings for her and you couldn't bear the thought of losing her. If you were ever placed in the position to choose, you would choose to save her, even against her selfless wishes.

You could see it in her eyes that this was the answer she was expecting, the answer she was afraid you would give. She squeezed your hands even tighter, leaned forward and pleaded once again. "You can't. You shouldn't. Please, I'm-"

But her voice was drowned out by a discordant, hoarse, triumphant laughter coming from the back of your head and echoing inside your skull. You would sacrifice another's life for her. Where would you stop? Was there something you wouldn't do for her sake? Would you sacrifice ten, a hundred, a million? Would you sacrifice your mother? Your friends, your kingdom, the entire world, lying to yourself all the way? Would you accept the power necessary to save her from her inescapable fate?

"-us? Gaius, talk to me!" You slowly returned to your senses only to find that she had climbed next to you and was frantically calling out. When you didn't respond, she brought her ear close to your mouth to listen for your breath. Her hairpin, red and gold, glinted right in front of your eyes.

You blinked, but of course she couldn't see it. "Schala?" you whispered her name, raising your hand to pat her on the back of her head.

She froze for a moment, then turned quickly and examined you with her green eyes, now wet and full of worry. You smiled at her, trying to inject a confidence that you didn't exactly feel in your features. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, she pulled back to give you some space and wiped her eyes with the back of her long sleeve. "How do you feel?" she asked you.

You hesitated. You considered telling her that everything was fine and you were just tired, you didn't want to worry her overmuch, but it was something you had already decided you needed to speak to her about. This latest episode only made it more urgent. "I think I may be going crazy and not just for you."

She shifted her position without laughing at your little joke. "You look exhausted. Come, rest here." She curled her slim legs, barely visible underneath her long robes, beneath her body, wrapped her delicate hands around your head and tenderly pulled you down and towards her until you came to lie with your head on her lap. It was the softest pillow you had ever felt. And the view... you tried not to focus too much on it.

She began stroking your hair gently, never letting you out of her sight from up above. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"I... have been hearing a voice, inside my head." You told her about Adalyn, the blind little girl that you didn't have the power to fully cure, the voice that had offered you that power and your rejection of its offer. You then told her about the voice's triumphant return after your declaration.

She was obviously shaken, her face pale. Her hands began trembling as you spoke. "This voice..." she asked after you were finished. "What does it sound like, in your head?"

"It sounds almost indistinguishable to my own. Maybe a little hoarser? More sinister?" You were unsure how to describe it. You were unsure if even there was a difference. "And..." You had already made the connection before. "It feels like it comes from the same place as the buzzing of the Mammon Machine that I used to hear back in the Kingdom of Zeal."

She bit her lips at your answer. Her hand pulled on your hair without realizing it, a little painfully. "No, no, no, no, no... why you? Why did it have to come to you?" She suddenly became aware what she was doing, let go of your hair in shock and abruptly pulled her hand up, as if she had gotten burnt. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" She took a deep breath, regained her composure then resumed stroking your hair. "I recognize your description. Seven years ago, when I first used the pendant to turn the Machine on there was a connection. A voice spoke to me for the first time. It still speaks to me sometimes..."

"...in whispers and dreams. Sweet things, grand things, horrible, horrible things..." you echoed something she had told you, when you asked her what the Machine was doing to her. Was it really only yesterday? It felt like months had passed since then.

"You remember." She smiled weakly.

Still lying on her lap, you placed your palm upside down on her upper arm. "How could I forget? You've lived with this for seven years? Since you were twelve?" She nodded slowly and you continued "I was wrong. You are much stronger than you think."

Some colour returned to her cheeks at your praise. "I'm not... for the longest time, I thought I was going insane, hearing voices that weren't there. I was still not sure that it was real until it came to you. I wish it hadn't..." Her soothing touch moved from your hair to your cheek. "I-I'll help you in any way that I can!"

"Thank you. There's an entity that whispers in both of our thoughts? This must mean that I'm only crazy for you then." She chuckled mirthlessly, though her anxious features relaxed a little. It was calming to know you weren't alone in this, like she had been for all these years. You had questions for her now that she had confirmed she had experience with this thing and you weren't sure where to start. "What is that voice?" seemed like the most important to begin with.

"You were unconvinced when we last broached the subject. You wouldn't believe me if I told you now. Ask me again after you've also watched how the world died." was her tense reply.

You were unsure of what exactly you had been unconvinced, but you decided not to press her right now. You still had many other things you wanted to know. "What does it want?"

"I don't know. It has never asked me for anything, only offered and... advised. But that has to mean that the price will be too terrible to contemplate, doesn't it? There is always a price to offers such as these..."

She was right. No matter what the whisper had told you, there was always a price. It may not have been the only reason you had rejected it, but it was certainly an important one. "What has it offered you?"

"Everything that I would find tempting. Power. Immortality. Freedom. Vengeance..." She looked away from you as she spoke that last word.

It had offered you power too. Immortality was the prevailing dream in the Kingdom. Freedom... you could see why she would find it appealing. But vengeance? It did not sound like something she would be tempted by. It was beginning to feel like an interrogation, but every answer she gave only fed your curiosity. "Vengeance on whom? And for what?"

She remained silent, staring in the distance. Her touch on your head became more tense and repetitive. She spoke up after some time, but not to answer your question. "I won't ask you for a promise, but please, please never give in to what it tells you. It would be too horrible if you did." She paused for a moment. "Sometimes I wonder..."

"You wonder what?" you gently encouraged her.

"I wonder if Mother heard it too."

Silence fell as you contemplated the implications. Had Queen Zeal heard that whisper, accepted its power and came under its influence as a result? It was... scarily possible. But it would be difficult to know the truth without asking her directly and you doubted the Queen, as she were now, would be forthcoming about something like that. "Can it affect you in other ways?"

Her gaze returned to you. Her eyes met yours once again. "What do you mean?"

"After the whisper first made that offer, I thought about your safety, alone in that locked room and had a full-blown panic attack. And your bout of jealousy when Lucca and I came and found you singing that beautiful song to those children... were these just natural? Because in hindsight both cases looked a bit exaggerated, especially for you, who are normally so gentle."

"I believe it can't create something that wasn't already there. If it could, we wouldn't have been able to refuse. It would have created in us the desire to accept, wouldn't it?" Her argument made sense, so you nodded in response. "Your panic attack simply means that you were worried about me. I'm ashamed that it makes me so happy..." She let out a drawn-out sight. When she spoke, her voice was even gloomier than before. "As I am ashamed by that display you witnessed. I longed for you to see me at my best and instead I... I ruined it."

"You ruined nothing! You did nothing wrong!" You began rising. You wanted to comfort her, to drive out the distress you could now see in her sad eyes, but you were stopped by her hand.

"Don't stand up, please. You still look weary." She gently but firmly pushed you back to lie on her lap. You did not resist. She wasn't wrong, you still felt tired and it was so comfortable on her lap. You lied back down before she continued. "When I saw you walking together with her... it was like a stab in my heart. I thought about what you two could be doing on your own and... I couldn't take it. I know, I know it's irrational, but I can't help it. I told you that I'd get over my jealousy, but it's proving more difficult than I realized..."

Her eyes moistened again. You raised your hand towards her face and she took it with both of hers. Your fingers intertwined. It was as if she was praying above you, with your hand caught in the middle. She sighed again. "This is the real me. The Schala who wants to be with you isn't a perfect princess. She's just a fearful, cowardly girl who's too envious over nothing. Even still, can you accept her?"

>"No, I don't think I can."
>"Even if she's not perfect, this is the Schala I want to be with."
>"You're perfect just the way you are."
>Other (Write-in)

Terribly sorry for the longer than usual delay. I think it's time I was honest with myself and admitted that I've caught a mild case of the curse and the updating schedule will remain erratic for the foreseeable future. I will not give up though. Please remain patient while the turbulence continues.

>>5492329
>"Schala, this just make you a real person. A person that I feel in love with."
>"And honestly, if you were some kind of model princess, I wouldn't have ever met you to begin with, wouldn't I? You would be back at the castle, worrying about the earthborn, but not sneaking out to help then."
>"If this is flawed Schala, then I prefer her over the perfect one."

>>5492336
Oh
"And don't ever say that you are fearful or cowardly again. That is simply not the kind of person that is capable of doing what you do."

>>5492329
>>"Even if she's not perfect, this is the Schala I want to be with."

>>5492329
>None of us is 'perfect', though you come pretty close.
>I accept you.
>I don't want to argue your assessment though.
>I only want to be with you
>(if you would have me)

in weakness or in strength, above clouds or below.
We don't want to acquiesce entirely to her self esteem issues, or deny her effort or choice if she wants to move in some direction, her inner kindness is unlikely to change if it hadn't during what she already went through.


Lavos headmate is worrying though. What exactly is extent of its access to our consciousness? And what would he do to Schala if we began drawing on him?

take your time, friend, and stay safe./spoiler]

>>5492329
>>5492339 +1

>>5492326
>"Even if she's not perfect, this is the Schala I want to be with."

>>5492329
>"Even if she's not perfect, this is the Schala I want to be with."

You raised your other hand to firmly grasp the back of her palm. "Even if she's not perfect, this is the Schala I want to be with. I prefer her over the perfect one." you declared with conviction, trying to take away her doubts through your words, then continued speaking with a half-smile. "Besides, if you were some kind of model princess, we would have never even met to begin with, would we? You'd be back at the palace instead of sneaking out to help the Earthbound and you'd have never given me the time of day at all!"

Her grip on your hand tightened. "I would. No matter who I was, I would." she said with a sudden intensity. "But... you're not wrong. I would not have come to the waterfalls if I knew a better way to help them and I hadn't needed to calm my nerves after evading the guards."

So that's why she had come there that morning. "See? We wouldn't be here, we wouldn't be together, we wouldn't have the chance to change the past if not for that chance meeting." You wouldn't have had the chance to save her, you left unspoken. Her fate would have really been inescapable. "And don't ever say that you are fearful or cowardly again. That is simply not the kind of person that is capable of doing what you do." you added.

"That's not true. You have become too biased..."

"It is. One day you'll finally see it too and then the world will tremble."

You felt her whole body shiver at your words. "Don't... don't say that again, please. I don't want the world to tremble."

"Then what do you want?"

File: Schala cute.png (800 KB, 600x599)

800 KB PNG

She hesitated for long moments before finally answering quietly. "I want... you. You are perfect." then placed her lips on your entangled fingers. They were soft and warm and your heart was about to burst at the gesture.

Her adoration made you self-conscious. You took a deep breath and tried to calm down your beating heart, just enough to say what you wanted to say. "Err, no, I'm really not. I make mistakes, I worry too much and... I get jealous too and too possessive of you. I hate leaving you alone even for a moment, and when you gave the sword to Chrono, I felt a stab in my heart too. Just like you, none of us is perfect, though you come pretty close. I'm not perfect either. But I want to be with you, if you would have me."

Her shock was evident in her face and she quickly pulled her hands back, letting go of yours. They awkwardly hung in the air for a moment before you put them back down as she began speaking at the same time. "O-of course! How could I not? Our hearts are so similar... but no, you are wrong in this. You are perfect. For me."

You swallowed hard. Your face felt warm, your heart was beating so fast that you felt it might escape from your ribcage. As you still lied on her thighs, her captivating face hanging above you, looking at you with those wide, tender eyes, flanked by her simple golden earrings, the golden hairpin adorning her azure hair, one thought dominated your mind. "You are so beautiful. When I'm with you, it feels like a dream. One that I never want to wake up from."

Her cheeks turned a deep crimson at your words. "It's not a dream. I hope it's not a dream..."

You gazed into her eyes, enthralled by their green and unable to look away. But the moment ended when you stifled a yawn and remembered that you had something else that you wanted to ask her about before you forgot all about it. "You said that the voice had been talking to you in whispers and dreams. Are all of your dreams sent by it?"

"Um... no, I believe it's just a specific kind of dream, showing me what it would be like if I accepted his power. Seeing myself as Queen Zeal, with everyone prostrating themselves before me... it is not something I would dream, because it is not something that I want."

"What do you want?"

"I already told you. I-"

"No, err... I mean, other than... me. Is there something more specific? Something I can get you, or something you would like to do?" She loved the hairpin, and you loved that she did, but what she had called a date had gone horribly wrong - or horribly right, a part of you whispered - and you suddenly felt you should make it up to her. You wanted to do more for her, to make her as happy as she could possibly be.

She answered immediately "Thank you, but you have already given me a precious gift. I want no more like that, at least until I can give you a gift in return. As for something to do... I'm sorry, but nothing springs to mind. I'll think about it."

"Then I'll wait for your request. I, err... asked about dreams because I saw a strange one yesterday, I wonder if it's related."

"What did you see?"

"There was an old man standing on an endless, dark void. We talked, I told him about myself and how we found ourselves in the cave that we slept in. He offered me advice. He told me I should follow my heart and I did that when I kissed you after our training."

"Was that why you decided to kiss me?"

"I think I have wanted to do that since I first laid my eyes on you" all these years ago, you did not say out loud. "The old man's advice may have played a part in my deciding to do it, but I'd like to think I'd have the courage to have done it anyway, you're simply irresistible and it was the best decision I took in my life." She smiled and you paused for a moment, but she did not speak. She must have sensed there was more, so you continued. "And he told me I should trust the friends I would meet in the north. Those could have only been Chrono, Marle and Lucca. I did... we did that too, and it was the right decision too. The first can be explained as my subconscious pushing me to do what I already wanted to do, but the second? I couldn't have known that we would meet them. It was like a vision from the future."

"Oh, I see. It is concerning to suddenly begin having dreams of the future, especially now at the same time as you began hearing his voice. I can tell you with certainty that it was not a vision from the future. If it was, you would have observed the scene of that meeting unfold in front of you, as if you were floating there yourself without a body, not had an old man describe it to you. I wish I could help you more than that, but I'm afraid I cannot. The dreamers of Enhasa say that dreams can reveal the truth but I avoided learning more. My dreams were my escape, even if they were not always pleasant. I... did not want to risk that. It seemed better than learning the truth."

"Was the dream you saw last night a pleasant one?" you asked her, suddenly curious.

She blushed again and looked away. "It was." she stated simply.

Your curiosity intensified at her cute reaction. "What was it?"

"Um... I don't remember." she lied. She couldn't have forgotten, or she wouldn't have reacted this way, or been so certain that it was pleasant. But any thought of teasing her about her evasion and asking her for more details quickly fled your mind as she ruffled your hair. "I like your hair. It's wild and dark like the night, or... the depths of the ocean. Stroking it feels like I have my own poyozo doll with me."

You recognized the evasion for what it was, but her touch was too soothing to object and her compliment was adorable, if perhaps clumsy. Instead, you returned her compliment with a similar one of your own. "I like your hair too. It's soft and warm, like a blanket that is the colour of the sky."

She laughed and the sound was music to your ears. "A blanket?" she asked, as she moved her hands from your hair to hers and swung her sizeable ponytail around her and on top of you. A blue, solid waterfall fell on your face and you began laughing together.

When you stopped, you parted her hair to look at her. "You're beautiful." you said once again.

She smiled warmly. "And you're tired. You should go to sleep. I know his voice can be terrifying, but you can resist it, I know you can. I've done it so far, and you're stronger than me. I don't know of how much help I can be, but I'll be with you for as long as you want me to." As she spoke, she began a gentle, soothing massage of your skull.

You closed your eyes and murmured. "You're of great help. Please, never leave."

She didn't answer. You couldn't see her reaction, but you could picture her pretty face above your. She began quietly singing that song from earlier and you felt your consciousness drift away. You had more things you wanted to say, more things you wanted to do today, but she was right. You were tired. The last thing you heard was the sweetest voice pausing her song to wish you "Sweet dreams."

You are standing on nothing, on a floor that you can't otherwise sense. There are five doors surrounding you. Beyond them, nothing but a featureless void. You can hear nothing, see nothing other than the doors. The void, the silence, the five doors... everything is the same as before. "Oh. This dream again." you say out loud. There is no response and no echo as you might have expected. Last night's dream was already extraordinary. Seeing it twice in a row? What does this mean?

No, wait. You were wrong. Not everything is exactly the same. Something has changed. There is now a padlock on the plain, unassuming wooden door in front of you, the one you chose to enter yesterday. You approach it and rattle the padlock, but it does not budge. You will not be speaking to the old man again tonight.

The other four doors remain unchanged, however. Two large, ornate double-sided gates stand on either side of the wooden door and two regular sized doors made out of glass complete the circle.

The gate on the left is menacing, made out of some rough red material and flanked by two severe stone statues of humanoid creatures that are not quite human. It radiates power, but approaching it fills you with a sense of dread.

The one on the right is a welcoming blue, engraved in a repeating vertical wave-like pattern and flanked by two simple golden columns. When you come near it you are overcome with a sense of longing and despair.

On the other side of the red gate is one of regular sized doors made out of dark smoked glass. It is imbued with a sense of confidence.

And the final door, between the dark glass door and the blue gate, is another glass door, one made out of an opaque frosted glass that swells with hope.

Which door will you choose to enter now?
>The dreadful red.
>The despairing blue.
>The confident dark.
>The hopeful light.

>>5497188
>The hopeful light.

>>5497188
>The despairing blue.

>>5497188
>>The despairing blue.

>>5497188
>The despairing blue.

>>5497188
>>The despairing blue.

>>5497188
>The despairing blue.

>>5497188
hmm I'm most interested in the Light one.
But if we're going to be locked out, I'd maybe rather get with the blue and red over with first.
Since there seems to be a clear lead, let's go with
>Blue

>>5497188
>The despairing blue.

File: just a dream.png (1.4 MB, 1920x1080)

1.4 MB PNG

That overwhelming longing... you feel as if it calls out to you. And such absolute despair... what could be the cause of it? A tiny part of you is screaming that you're better off not knowing what is behind the blue gate, that nothing good can come out of it, but you ignore it. You have to find out. With remarkable ease you push open the double leaves of the gate and step through into the darkness.

The environment shifts the moment you cross the threshold. The temperature is icy-cold. Everything is now illuminated by a pale blue light and there are... ripples in the void in all directions. It is disorienting. You hear a quiet sobbing coming from behind you and quickly turn around. All five doors have disappeared and standing instead in their place... it's her, with her back turned to you, her long, blue ponytail swaying at the movements of her head. What happened? Why is she crying? What is this dream?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjmYH3kC11k

You call out to her. "Schala?"

The sobbing stops immediately. She sniffles but does not wipe her tears. Instead, she gently touches the golden pin on her hair with the tip of her fingers. "Gaius? Is that really you?" She doesn't turn to address you. Her voice sounds hoarse.

"Yes, it's me. What's wrong?" You hesitantly walk towards her. Your footsteps echo. This entire situation feels wrong. It is almost enough for you to stop, to run while you still can. You gulp and force that fear down. You can't leave her like this, even in a dream. You come to stand a step behind her before she responds.

"It's been so long. So long..." She shivers, slouches and hugs herself in front of you. "It's so cold... hold me. Please..." her pleading tears at your heart. You know she hates the cold. You rush to embrace her from behind, wrapping your arms around her. She clutches your forearm and squeezes tightly, as if she's holding a lifeline. Her touch is cold. Almost as cold as a corpse's. "I've missed you so much. Your warmth... I had almost forgotten how it feeels."

"Shhh. It's alright. Everything will be alright. I'm here now." You whisper in her ear. "What can I do for you?"

"Just... keep me company. That will be enough for the moment." You rest your head on her shoulder and keep holding her in silence as tightly as you can, trying to will your warmth to be transmitted to her faster. Time passes before she speaks again. "Do you remember when we first spoke?" She waves her hand and the scenery changes. You are now both standing on that nice, quiet spot between the waterfalls that lead to the clouds underneath the floating islands of the Kingdom of Zeal. Time is frozen. The water stands still. No sounds can be heard. It is night, the stars are shining from above. Two moons are visible on the sky.

"How could I ever forget? It was only two days ago. It was early in the morning. And there is only one moon orbiting our planet."

"Oh... only two days ago. Then I shouldn't... I'm-I'm sorry. It's like my memories are being washed away." She waves her hand again. One of the moons disappears, the wrong one. The smaller moon remains and is soon replaced by the sun hanging up above as night turns into a bright day. You don't have the heart to tell her that the moon was wrong or that the sun should be just rising above the clouds on the horizon.

"You didn't recognize me at first, yet you invited me to sit with you and spoke to me as if I was a dear friend. You shared your burdens with a stranger and they were so similar to mine... I had found a mirror, someone who could understand, someone who was like me but better in every way, my other..." She trails off and sighs. "I envied that confidence. You admired the Earthbound Ones and felt sorry for the unfairness of their situation. When you spoke, it was like you were giving voice to my own feelings, better than I ever could. I was so scared to ask you to come with me, but you put my worries to rest and accepted without hesitating for one moment! You even bought me that beautiful hairpin, a precious gift from the man that I... did all these things really happen? I'm-I'm not so sure anymore..."

A lump is stuck in your throat. You feel your eyes getting moist as she speaks. This dream is wrong, this is all wrong and you can't understand or do anything. "Yes. Everything happened as you said."

"I'm glad. I haven't forgotten anything that matters." She waves her hand again and you are now standing outside the cave in which you arrived in the future. The scenery is as you remembered it this time, frozen in time. "We got separated and you found me. You found me-" Her voice breaks. Her nails dig into your forearm painfully. You do not complain. Instead, you swallow that lump in your throat, but it does not go away. She continues "Then later that day, before we slept together for the first time, you believed in me. You trained me..." You don't have the heart to interrupt and tell her that it was after you had woken up on the next day. "You kissed me. You chose me. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't. When I came to know you, you were everything I always imagined you would be. You were handsome and kind and smart and brave and strong... you were much, much more than I deserved. On those waterfalls, when you first discovered my true identity you said that it made a difference, but that's not really true, is it? This is who you are. A real hero, who always wanted to help people, no matter who they were. I wanted, I so desperately wanted, for you to not compromise that selfless part of yourself, but you treated me differently and it made me so happy and so sad at the same time... and I know you treated me differently not because I was the Princess but because... tell me. Did you love me?"

What is it with this dream? Yet, it's just a dream. You can be truthful here. There's no need to fear her response. What does your heart say?
>"Yes. I love you Schala."
>"No. I don't."
>"I'm not sure."

>>5498193
>"Yes. I love you Schala."
>"I feel in love with you ever since I first saw you during the funeral, a small bit of happiness in that sad day, that I also had lost my father. Getting to know you only made that childhood love stronger, that it goes beyond your beauty."

>>5498193
>>"Yes. I love you Schala."

Oh boy this is going to be one proper clusterfuck to unravel.

>Yes

I wonder what significance there could be to the moons. Just a dream anomaly, or a meaningful difference? Are we going to have to go to space?

>>5498321
I think thats just future!schala going insane

>>5498193
>"Yes. I love you Schala."

>>5498193
>"Yes. I love you Schala."

>>5498193
>>"Yes. I love you Schala."

>>5498193
>Yes. I love you Schala.

Resting your head on her shoulder, you squeeze her tightly. What your heart says is as clear as day. "Yes. I love you Schala. I have been in love with you ever since I first saw you during our fathers' funeral. You were a small ray of happiness in that sad day. Getting to know you has only made that childhood love stronger." The words spill forth with no effort. You speak and your heart sings with joy.

"Oh... that mysterious boy attending Father's funeral. You weren't supposed to be there that day. Then I saw you again, there in the crowd on the day the Mammon Machine... my wish to meet that boy came true. It makes me so happy to- Have we said these words before? I can't remember. I can't remember." A sob escapes her lips. Her nails dig deeper into your forearm, deep enough to draw blood. "It makes me so happy but... I wish you didn't. It will only make what needs to be done more difficult for you." She... flickers and disappears from your arms, only to reappear a few meters ahead of you, with her back still turned to you. There is a momentary distortion around her that briefly makes your eyes hurt.

With her gone, you lose your balance and take a stumbling step forward before you regain your footing and look back up at her. "What? What needs to be done? How can love make things more difficult? What's going on? Schala, talk to me!"

She shudders and wraps her arms around herself once again. "I'm sorry my love. I'm so sorry. We were not meant to be. You were wrong. I'm not as strong as you thought. I won't be able to hold on and I will ruin everything. I will hurt so many people... I will hurt our friends. I will hurt you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I know what I'm asking, but there is no other way. You need to hurry up."

You raise your hand towards her. What is she saying? "No! You're wrong! I refuse to accept any of that! What do you mean? Hold on to what? Hurry up for what? Where are you? HOW CAN I HELP YOU?"

File: just a dream 2.png (1.29 MB, 1920x1080)

1.29 MB PNG

She begins slowly turning around. "Hurry up Gaius!"

File: just a dream 3.png (1.29 MB, 1920x1080)

1.29 MB PNG

Once she's turned to face you, she raises her trembling hands and looks down on her bloody fingernails. Her eyes are obscured by her hair, but her cheeks are still wet with her tears. "Hurry up and kill me!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeG4JH9f180

You woke up with a start, gasping for air. You frantically sat up and tore the blanket off of you. You were drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Your mouth was parched. You madly looked around the room, searching for her. Schala. Where was Schala? Oh, she was right there. You found her right where you had left her, sitting next to you on the couch with her eyes closed. She was breathing peacefully and her sight was enough to calm down your fraying nerves and wildly beating heart. You took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. You rubbed your forearms. There was nothing there, not even a scratch. Just a lingering discomfort where her nails had dug into them and even that was fading quickly. It was just a dream after all. There was no truth to it. The previous night's dream of the old man, while uneventful, had been much preferable. He had even given you some great advice, unlike the despairing Schala of your dream. Think about what she had asked you to do made you queasy. An unwanted image floated to the surface of your mind, an image of you wrapping your fingers around her neck and slowly choking the life out of her while her eyes pleaded, not to let her go but to remain strong and do what needed to be done... no. No. What was wrong with you? Kill her? You could never hurt a single strand of her hair!

What a horrible nightmare. Yet, something good had come out of it. You loved her. It felt so good to finally admit your true feelings about her, even if you had only admitted them to yourself so far. It was as if a burden had been lifted and you felt ready to soar. You loved her. The thought gave you wings.

And your sleep, restless as it had been, had left you feeling refreshed and ready for a new day of adventure together with your love and your friends. Your mana had been fully restored as usual. And just like yesterday, you inexplicably knew how to cast a new spell.

Choose one
>Water Manipulation II (Utility)
>Water Mantle (Defense)
>Water II (Offense)
>Heal (Healing)
>Shadow Manipulation II (Utility)
>Shadow Mantle (Defense)
>Dark Bomb (Offense)
>Shadow Tendrils (Offense/Utility)

You stood up, filled your canteen with water and drunk greedily. With the storm in your mind now calmer, you took stock of your situation. You had fallen asleep on her lap after your talk and she was still sleeping serenely. It didn't look like she had moved at all, but there was no one else who could have covered you with that blanket. She must left after you had fallen asleep, taking pains not to disturb you, only to return to sit on that sofa and sleep in a position that couldn't have been the most comfortable for her. How long had she stayed awake? Oh L... god, you loved her so much. You pondered whether you should wake her up right now to wash off the bad taste that nightmare had left you with the wonderful flavour of her lips and tell her right this moment how you really felt.

With great difficulty, you tore your eyes off of her. The room was undisturbed. The bright light of day was shining through the shuttered windows. You couldn't find your staff. Where had you left it? You wracked your brain trying to remember, with little success. You had it on you when you fought the Djinn, but you could remember no more than that. It could have been left on any of the places you had visited after that. You'd find it if you visited them in order, if someone hadn't taken it already.

You also wondered about your friends. Had they also found some place to sleep? And what would they think about you and the woman that you loved disappearing in an abandoned house for hours? You could have felt embarrassed about something like that, but you didn't. You loved her. They could tease you about that as much as they wanted.

Regardless, you had to make a decision. What would you do now?
>Wake her up.
>Look for your staff.
>Look for the others.
>Practice with your new spell.
>Other (Write-in)

>>5500416
>>Water II (Offense)
The R-series fight is coming..
>Look for the others.

>>5500415
>Heal (Healing)
>>5500416
>Wake her up.

>>5500415
Woud Heal allow us to do more for the blind girl?
If yes, let's take that.

>Look around if our friends are around
>Wake her up if not and go look for them and/or the blind girl

also we still have the video to watch and quests to progress. Onwards, to adventure!

>>5500415
>Heal (Healing)
>>5500416
>Wake her up.

>>5500415
>Heal (Healing)
>Wake her up.

>>5500415
>Heal (Healing)
>>5500416
>Wake her up.

>>5500415
>>Heal (Healing)
>Practice with your new spell.

Spell
>Water II (Offense)
>>5500423

>Heal (Healing)
>>5500424
>>5500429
>>5500515
>>5500522
>>5500552
>>5501136


Decision
>Look for the others.
>>5500423

>Wake her up.
>>5500424
>>5500515
>>5500522
>>5500552

>Look around if our friends are around
>Wake her up if not and go look for them and/or the blind girl
>>5500429

>Practice with your new spell.
>>5501136

You learned Heal and are about to wake your girl up and confess to her before doing anything else. But we've hit page 10, so these things will have to wait for a new thread to be created in a few days. Stay tuned and thanks for sticking around even as the pace slowed down! Thread #3 has been archived along with the others in https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=ChronoQM

For the rest of this thread, I'd once again like to hear from you. I had been a little anxious about how certain recent things would be received, so do you have any feedback, positive or negative, or any questions for me? And I am curious about something else too: Chrono Trigger, the game this quest was inspired by, is one of my favourites of all time. Have all of you played it? By now it should be evident that my style and focus are not quite the same as the game's, and I admit I was very anxious about that as well when planning the quest.

Oh, and to those from the future who end up reading this in the archives, I'd appreciate if you answered some of my questions when you catch up, including the previous one about the pronunciation of Schala's name and whatever I end up asking in the next threads.

>>5501186
I like how things are going

>>5501186
Too much focus on romance with schala and all that shit for me. Kind of feels like this quest was specifically made for it, which uh, is fine i guess but I'd personally be interested in getting more into the other things of the CT setting.

>>5501186
You are good for now.
I've played it, I replayed it earlier this year, it's not a dialogue heavy game so it's to be expected that a quest would have different writing. I think the most noticeable difference is your take on Lucca.

>>5501186
I'm enjoying all of it a lot.
As >>5501326 said there's a lot of focus on Schala though personally I'm fine with it and I assume from meta perspective it makes sense because of her role in the plot.

Thanks for the feedback folks! I'm always happy to hear from you!

>>5501306
I'm glad to hear it. So do I!

>>5501326
The quest was definitely made with the possibility of a Schala romance in mind, and I'm both happy and a little surprised that it progressed as fast as it did, but I'd also like to think that I've been pretty decent about letting anons choose and not forcing a particular outcome. There were plenty of votes that led us to this and I hope you guys aren't dissatisfied with the choices you've been offered about this matter or anything else.

I feel like the romance/adventure balance has been recently thrown out of whack due to my worsening schedule. We didn't even get to the scene of the OP pic this thread, as I was sure we would when I posted it. If everything had gone well and I had been able to keep up the same pace for this thread as I had for thread #1 then Gaius, Schala and the others would be in the ruins of Site 32 by now, and mutant-infested ruins are not very conducive for romance, especially with the extras that have been planned for the area. Schala and the relationship with her will continue being very important, of course, but the romance will probably take up less exclusive screentime than it has in Arris Dome until you get to the next safezone.

>>5501331
Huh, out of all things, I never expected Lucca's characterization to be a point of contention. I hope it's just different from what you expected but not something you dislike.

>>5501408
I can't really comment on her role in the plot and the meta perspective on the romance, but I'm glad you're still enjoying it so much too!

Next OP is coming along, it'll be done either later tonight or tomorrow at the latest. If the thread has fallen off by then, look for the announcements in the usual channels.