Starstruck Crusading

### **Chapter 1**

"*Aaah*, that gameplay is so good. The lore of this game's pretty bad though," you sigh to yourself. Time to go sleep, you think, but when you try to leave, the game stops you. The game's helper, Amia, asks if you want to restart the game, or play out the post-game. "Please, please. please Y/N! The lore improves! Give us another chance!" she cries, distraught. You sigh and click restart as the world around you comes to a close.

"Guh- where am I?!" you cry, disoriented. "This is the wrong place! How could that rift just spit me out like that?! This isn't the tutor- oh.. eh, where am I?" you exclaim. As you take in your surroundings, you notice there is a group beside you. "Medako- Medako, haha... do that again, *I'm begging you*!!!" a boy with glasses exclaims. "Max, you know beggars can't be choosers... ah, fine." says a tall girl with short purple hair and outfit with stars in her hair. "How does this not get repetitive to you?" a boy with a top hat scoffs sarcastically. "Hey, guys. That person just fell out of some... *portal!*" a... TV head cries? Oh crap, they're coming over here. As you quickly dust off your jacket and fix your beret, they arrive.

"Hello! Are you... okay?" the purple-starred girl asked. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, just a bit disoriented, I'm all right now." you assert. "Hey, Medako, can you do that with your magic?" the TV asks. "Lin, I don't even know what spell that wa- oh, I'm sorry. What is your name? I'm Medako!" Medako exclaims. She has short, purple hair with five yellow stars in her hair that are nestled deep into her hair as if they refuse to come out, like they stick to it. She wears a purple, vertically striped dress with brown shoes. Her yellow eyes stare at you inquisitively. "I'm Tbot51! My friends call me Tbot." the boy with the top hat smiles. He has dark blue hair, a top hat and a tuxedo. He has black claws that float above his head with orange outlines, as well as glasses. "It's nice to meet you t-" you start but are cut off by the other person with glasses. "Hey! I'm Max!!" the boy says. He has a cyan-light-blue almost hair and outfit scheme, and he wears hoodie and sweatpants and what seems to be the same kind of glasses as Tbot. The last, and possibly most interesting person, was Lin. "Hello~! This is 'our' hang-out spot, we don't normally get visitors... but you seem cool! I'm Lin!" Lin giggled. They have a TV for a head constantly showing neon static with a diagonally striped dusty-rose and black colored sweater and boots.

"I'm Y/N. I'm pleased to meet you all." *What a strange group of individuals.* "So, what brings you through that portal?" Tbot asks. "Aah. I've been trying to get home, and I tried to ask a witch to help me... but I guess they scammed me." you laugh, a bit awkward. Of course, that wasn't the truth. You didn't really know any witches, but Amia kicked you out. You clutched your sapphire necklace in anticipa- no, you didn't. You lost your necklace... you lost your necklace. *Oh god. I can't leave without that. I'll be stuck here... forever. But I can't tell the group already, I just met them.* "Oh, crap! I dropped my necklace!" you exclaim. You think back to where you last had it... at the end of the game. "My necklace..." you mutter, defeated. "Oh. That sucks." Tbot mutters, amused almost. "Tbot! No, that's really rude! It could have meant a lot to Y/N." Medako retorts. "It's alright... but I have a bit of a journey to do to get it back." you sigh. *It's not alright! Without the stupid necklace I can't get home!*

"Journey? What journey?" Max asks. "Ah, uhm... a long one." you smile awkwardly. "Medako, Tbot, Max. Huddle up...!" Lin whispers. As they huddle together, you begin to think of the future. Your plot route is already different from your first attempt, and it fills you with determination. "DB gang meeting, over! So, wanna join us, Y/N? We'll help you get that necklace!" Lin shouts. "Aah, my ears!... but, yes. I'd love that." you say. The original run was just you and Amia, so it seems like this'll be a fresh start. You try not to think of your otherworldly multiverse origins as the story continues.

"So, we're DB gang, right? Me, Medako, Lin, and Tbot. But... we have Y/N. They're un-DB ganging our DB gang." Max scoffs, *playfully you hope, or you and Max are gonna have to throw hands.* "Don't be so blunt, but... yeah. We need a new name, for at least as long as Y/N accompanies us." Lin sobs. "Everyone, brainstorming time!" Tbot calls, and all the members look hella tired. "Sure... ah, Starstruck Crusaders?" Medako suggests. "What's with 'starstruck'? Medako, you just like space. I know, you're an alien, but chillax." Tbot retorts. *She's an alien? That's crazy... how can she be so open about it?* "Crusaders sounds cool though, how about that?" Max suggests. Everyone agrees, and the crusaders are off.

*- DB Gang has joined your party.*

### **Chapter 2**

So, after a bit of a timeskip, you show them where you dropped the necklace. You'd have to go around a considerable bit of the world to find it however, much farther than your first playthrough. *Not to mention, the fact Max keeps getting distracted by \*berries\* of all things. Berries! Berries!!!! They're not that cool!* As you think to yourself while DB Gang chats around the fireplace surrounded by your tents, you just feel annoyed. "Oh, guys, I found this!" Max calls, rustling around in his tent from the near distance. He pulls out a large white backpack that's a bit ripped and torn. "What's that?" Tbot inquires. "I found this backpack next to a berry bush!" he replies, elated. *Of course, he found it next to a berry bush... I can empty out my backpack now, thankfully.* "May I empty out my backpack now...? It's getting heavy. Do you plan on eating all of these on your *own*...?" you ask, slightly irritated for no clear reason. "Yeah, just put them in mine." As you empty out your backpack and fill up his, he starts talking again. "It's full of pink berries!" "Yes, it is." Lin retorts. "No, Lin! The berries have medicinal properties, I'm not going to eat them randomly... but, if I wanted to I could, since they're sweet, like candy." Max smiles. *Candy?*

*Aaah, candy. You haven't had some in so, so, long. You desperately wanted some... but you're already keeping up appearances. It'd be weird if you, a calm and collected person, threatened to kill Max with a blade you found on the side of the road if he didn't give you the pink berries. The most logical answer? Stealing them. It's alright... you're only taking a few. He doesn't look that strong, anyways.* "Hm, it's getting late. Look, there's a bat just there. It's probably best we all go to bed." you suggest, trying to get Max asleep. "Yeah, I'm going to sleep." Max calls before going into his tent. "Yeah, I'll see you there later." Medako calls, and soon Lin and Tbot are fast asleep. You couldn't sleep if your life depended on it. The thought of candy was absolutely elating, and you were dying to try some.

Around fifteen minutes later, you decide it's go time. Max was especially diligent in berry collecting now, so he should be fast asleep. You slowly zip open your tent, snag your backpack, and start slowly treading to Max's tent. You zip open the tent to find Max knocked out. Perfect. You open your backpack and his and begin filling your backpack with the pink berries. As you're just about to go, you find someone standing behind you. "Aaaaah!!!!" Medako screeches. "Medako, shush! Stop screaming!" you sputter. "Y/N, what the hell are you *doing*?! Why are you stealing the berries from Max?!" she whisper-screams. "What are you doing awake?!" "Well, my magic feeds off of the nighttime stars! What are *you* doing- oh wait, stealing Max's berries!" she retorts. "Man, I just wanted to try some... ugh..." "Try some? You're sick? You should have just asked!" "No, it's just... I really, really like candy... a-and I haven't had any in a while and I heard the berries were sweet, like candy, but I... didn't want to ask." you confess, embarrassed. "Please don't tell anyone... I just wanted candy."

Medako picks up a berry and stares at it for a while. "Hey, you know, I could duplicate a ton of these. They'd probably lose their medicinal properties, though." "Really? Are you *joking*? Screw that guy's berries, I want candy! Could you really...?" you cry, relieved. "Yeah! I just need a couple, go put the rest back." she replies. As you're putting Max's berries back, you hear Medako muttering something, but you decide to pay no mind. You return to Medako happily as you see a small pile of berries next to her as she sat on the floor casting spells with her wand. "Woah~ can I try some?" you ask. "Go for it!" she calls, clearly distracted by the berries. You take a berry, and as you bite into it you gasp- it's *so* good. "Thank you, so much!" you say. "No problem, I'll be up all night making these- they're pretty fun. Go to bed soon!" she replies. You suddenly feel extremely fatigued, so you head back to your tent, and as soon as you're inside you crash onto the sleeping bag, exhausted.

### **Chapter 3**

"Good morning, Tbot!" someone with a vaguely familiar voice calls... Max? "I'm up, Max. Don't scream, you'll wake up Y/N." Tbot replies. *Too late, I'm already up.* As you exit your tent disheveled, you see your backpack, filled halfway with candy and you gasp in joy. You hastily grab your backpack and take it back inside your tent as you start devouring a good twenty of the berries. *They're just basically- perfect...* about fifteen minutes later, Tbot's calling you. "Y/N? Time to go. We're moving camp. Get out, so Medako can pack up the tents with her weird alien magic." "It's not weird. But sure." you reply, upset he called the berry duplicating girl's magic weird. You pack up your things, and leave the tent. Medako is already packing up Lin's tent, and Max is looking around while Tbot stares at him funnily. *Those guys are weird.*

*"Guys! Come on~!* I'm already like a million feet ahead of you guys!" Medako calls, on top of a hill. "It's not- huff- our fault you're so goddamn tall!" Max calls. *I'm only just noticing she's, like, 5'11.* "Alright~ I'll wait, haha." she scoffs. "Second..." you croak, on top of the hill. You've always been pretty athletic, but *damn* she was fast. "Yay, you did it Y/N!" she replies. You look down at Tbot and Max and see Tbot is actually crushing Max into the ground, and he's about to come in third. "Berry kid, hurry up." you snickered. "Be nice Y/N. He's not so bad." "You're just biased." By now, Max is finally making it up the hill. "Haha. Slow." you mutter, and the group carries onwards.

"Ooh, those flowers are pretty." you notice, perplexed by the meadow ahead of you. Out of the corner of your eye, Medako picks up like 24 lavender flowers and just enough pink roses for a bouquet. "Orchids! Michael would like these." Max mutters before delicately putting some orchards into his bag. "Who's that?" you ask, curiosity piqued. "No-one." he scoffs. You eventually found a F/C (favorite color) flower and stuck it on top of your ear. *This is cool.* "Better." you assert cheerfully. "Nice, Y/N. Let's keep goi-" Lin starts. "Woah, that cave's huge!" Max exclaims. You're a bit taken aback too, it seems huge compared to the plains you just went through with your group. "The entire range is mountains; we can't go anywhere but through the cave." Tbot notices. "We can't go over it, we can't go over it, we can't go under it, we can't go under it- oh, no! We'll have to go *through* it!" Max mutters softly, but barely enough to hear it over the tentative crunches of the leaves under your feet.

"Stay alert. We don't know how long this could take. We should map it out." you say, rummaging around in your backpack for a decent weapon other than your rusty dagger- when you see it... "Primordial Sapphire Scythe - +39 atk, +2 def, +50sp. atk." A legendary item! It must have glitched in with you- you remember it from when you completed the game. *Thank you, plot armor!* You take the scythe out and slash it around a few times. This is pretty damn great.

"Ooh, Y/N! Where'd you get that?" Medako asks, eyes lit up. "Cool weapon!" Lin compliments. "Where'd you get that? Can I have it?" Tbot asks jokingly. Max doesn't bother saying anything... as he should, you suppose. "Do we all have a weapon?" you ask. "I have a void sword, and my claws." Tbot remarked. "I have my Blast Coil!" smiles Max. "I'm Medako. I think that says enough." Medako giggles. "Uhm... no, haha." Lin confessed. "Oh, Lin, you can take this sword. I have my claws." Tbot says. As Lin holds the sword in their hand, it glows a faint... black? "Thanks Tbot!" Lin piped. You then notice a sign - "Noxious Fumes Ahead- Possibly Poisonous, (don't spend too much time in the cave)". *Meh, should be fine as long as we don't take too much time*. "We're ready for the cave system, hopefully. Let's go." you say, heading into the depths below.

### **Chapter 4**

"Do you think there are bats in here?" Max hesitated. "Yeah? Why?" you reply, confused. "It's a cave. Of course there are gonna be bats." Tbot says. "Oh." Max mutters. "Hey, look! I found something!" Lin chirps from ahead of the group. "Lin! What?! Why'd you go away from the group?" you call, running towards Lin. When you get there, there's a large room-like area covered to the brim with crystals. You pick up a crystal and start inspecting it, but when you hold it for about half a minute, you suddenly start to feel nauseous. Your head swirls, and you can't comprehend it. You drop the crystal to the floor and it smashes as you struggle to compose yourself, you suddenly ache for your necklace. You feel completely suffocated- is this what it's like to have a heart attack? "Y/N?? Are you okay?" Max asks. "Yes, thank you for caring." you reply. *Maybe, he isn't so bad after all. Medako hasn't said anything in a while...* You look over to see Medako collecting 2 crystals silently, with dull eyes. "Medako?" you ask.

"Hey! Yeah?" she replies. "Oh, nothing. Has the group gone ahead? I've just noticed they're all gone." "Yes, I think so. They shouldn't be far! Let's go, Y/N!" and she exits the room. *What were those crystals? Ugh... wait, wasn't there a sign in the entrance before we went in? You're starting to feel lightheaded.* You catch up to the group and notice Lin isn't feeling too well. "Lin? You okay?" you ask. "Yeah. I'm fine." they reply, but you can clearly see something isn't right. "Lin, you're not okay. Should we take a break?" Tbot asks. "No... there's something I forgot to tell you guys." you confess. "What?" everyone asks, in unison. "There's... poisonous gas in this cave. We need to go. It'll choke us, or something. I already am feeling a shortness of breath." you scoff, upset you could forget such a detail. "No more breaks, we need to go until we reach open space or a clearing." you add, already moving ahead. "I had that happen too!" Max replies. "I haven't been affected." Tbot asserts. "What? Why?" you ask. "Dunno," he jokes, but you're just annoyed.

"Let's go, guys." you call hoarsely*. I should stop talking, my lungs feel weak.* You look around and see Medako is gone... you decide not to worry about it, I mean, who knows what special protection her alien immune system has against poison air. Dead end. Dead end. Dead end. Dead en- "Guys! I found a secret tunnel behind this dead end!" Max shouts. You speed-walk over to him and see Tbot and Lin already there. "Y-Yeah? Let's see it." you scoff, and there actually is a secret tunnel. Tbot volunteers to go ahead, since he's unaffected, and everyone agrees. "Guys! We're outside!" Tbot calls. "Yeaahhh! Come on!" a familiar energetic voice shouts. You volunteer to go last, and Max and Lin go through the tunnel. Right as you're about to cross the tunnel, something catches your eye. A crystal? *No. You're not picking another one of those things up.* Suddenly, you feel possessed. The crystal glows, and like a marionette doll you pick up the crystal and shove it into your jacket and carry on.

### **Chapter 5**

"Aw, that cave sucked." Max scoffs. "Yes, I agree." you sigh. A thick, dark forest surrounds you with no clear path as you consult the map you brought. Right past this forest named Glimwood Tangela is a small town, thankfully, and an ocean. After that, guess what... *another cave. So many caves. 2 is just.. so much! It's not like the author was running out of ideas or anything..."*Oh, a clearing is up ahead," you point out, slightly raising your arm. "Oh, yeah, is that a crystal in the middle?" Medako replies. As you all walk closer to the crystal, Lin starts speedwalking and then dashing toward it. "Lin?!" you call, confused.

Lin stands at the crystal, confused. It looks like it's- no, it is glowing. Lin is caressing it gently...."Haha... i-it's con-consuming me... my body and soul..." Lin chants. "Lin's acting weird. Is this normal? A glitch in their programming? Eh?" you notice. "...that's not normal. Lin?" Tbot calls. Max starts walking over to Lin... which is probably not the best idea. "Lin?" he asks, tapping them on the shoulder. Lin shows no reaction, but suddenly, they snap around with their sword in hand and swing, but narrowly miss Max due to him taking a step back. As you and Tbot run over to Max, you notice Lin's TV head is no longer displaying static. The static is replaced by an archery target, and you notice that Lin specifically tries to block their TV screen when it potentially gets damaged.

As you try to formulate a strategy, Lin speaks. "Gotcha, claw boy.*" Oh crap, they got Tbot.* Lin blocks his attack and then sweeps their sword under his legs and throwing him off balance before shoving him aside. "Ow. That hurt." he winces, a grimace on his face. "Max. Make your berries useful and force feed Tbot. I'm dealing with Lin." you say, brandishing your scythe. *All right. Boss battle time. The clear target is Lin's TV screen, and you noticed they rely on distractions and diversions after watching Tbot get folded like origami. The best course of action would be to hold Lin off and wait for an opening and then strike their target with your sc- ow, my cheek!*

It got grazed, and a thin line of blood is seeping through. You decide it's not play-time anymore. You fish into your pockets and find a candy berry Medako gave you. You plop it into your mouth and you suddenly feel faster. Guess speed boosts are cool, too. You start attacking Lin who is parrying all your attacks, even when you try your best. Suddenly, an interface appears on the side of your screen and informs you it can also double as a spear. *Best. Weapon. Ever.* "*Torn connection!*" Lin cries when suddenly 4 swords jab into you from behind you. You take minor pain and scars- thank god the physics aren't realistic.

Lin takes a moment to... recharge?... and you see an opportunity. "Good luck by shining days!" you shout, throwing the spear high into the air and watching it... shoot a laser beam down at Lin's screen, and they display a rebooting screen as you switch back to the scythe, adrenaline coursing through you as you stab and slice into Lin. 3/4th hp left on Lin, your interface warns you. It also says you have an HP bar now, you're at 3/5th's hp now. You'd do well to try to dodge attacks rather than rely on parrying. You dodge attacks, until Lin gets a lucky blow and sweeps you off your feet. *Oh God, not like this, not like top hat kid-*

"*Sunset shimmer!*" Medako calls, casting a spell seeming to paralyze Lin. "Medako, where have you been?!" you screech. "Nowhere. They'll be paralyzed for around 2 minutes. Get in all the damage you can. *Overhead aurora!"* Medako chants, getting some nice damage. "*Thousand blades*!" you chime in, attacking to bring them down to a nice 2/5ths HP. Lin comes off paralysis, and you both fight Lin- you take aggro, and Medako is buffing you from behind. "Vaporwave override!" Lin shouts, teleporting behind Medako, knocking Medako to the floor before plunging the sword into her in her back. "Shooting s-star..." Medako hoarsely coughs, teleporting to Max and Tbot. Max is still trying to desperately force-feed Tbot more berries, and seems visibly upset when Medako adds to the body pile. Lin turns from you and runs over to Max, which you clearly aren't having. "*Shining Cage*!" you scream frantically and watch Lin knock on the magical cage while you prepare an ultimate. "(*insertcoolthingyou'dsaytotriggeranultimatemove*)!" They bend over, and it seems as if their whole world comes to a close as they lean over, almost looking over the ground before collapsing.

### **Chapter 6**

"Oh god." you mutter as you carry Lin over to the body pile. Max seems exhausted- which all he did was feed berries. You totally carried that boss fight... but I guess you are the only one with a legendary weapon. "Are you all okay?" you ask. Tbot seems better, Medako's had better days, but Lin is totally unconscious. "Uhm, I think we won." you joke. "Yeah." Tbot smiles tiredly. "We spent all day doing that. I'll set up camp." you volunteer. You've had some camping experience, so you set the tents up and start a fire in no time. "Max, are they doing better?" you say, walking over to them. "Tbot and Medako are fine in their tents. Lin's still asleep." he says. "I'll bring Lin to a tent and hope they don't murder us all." you mutter, picking Lin up. "Hey, Y/N?" he calls back. "Yeah?" "Come back when you drop Lin off... I'll meet you at the fire." he says. A rustle is heard in the surrounding forest, but you pay no mind and are more focused on whatever Max of all people wants. *Weird, but okay*. You drop Lin off gently at their tent and pray that they don't wake up and go crazy.

Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye you see 2 pairs of yellow eyes staring at you from a tree. The mouth of it is barely visible, but that's all it seems to even be. It pounces on you, somehow invisible. "AaaaaAAAAHHH!" you cry, taken aback. Suddenly, your face feels something slimy against it. It takes you aback at first, but it appears to be a hunter slime! You love hunter slimes dearly. Hunter slimes are just so cute... "Oh, hi there~ I'm sorry for screaming. What are you doing so far from your home?" you coo, dazed by the slime's adorableness. You crouch down and pet the hunter slime, adorable as ever. It jumps up and throws itself against you again and you pet it*. Aw, it likes me..*.! "You're so cute! Do you... want to stay with me?" It smiles even more somehow in response. "Well, that's settled! You're coming with me, you little cutie." you cheer before sticking it in your backpack gently. You've always wanted a hunter slime, and now you have one! For now, at least.

As you walk back over to the fire humming a tune, you wonder what Max could say. *Maybe his backpack is empty because of the boss fight, and he's too much of a wimp to go out and get more during the dark alone. Maybe he's finally going to tell you who Michael is.* "Hi, Max." you greet awkwardly. "Hi, Y/N. I just wanted to say... thanks for saving us all," he admitted. "Huh?" "I mean, you saved everyone, You carried the whole boss fight. If you didn't come along, we'd probably all be dead, haha." he confessed. "Oh, yeah, it's... nothing, and thanks for healing everyone back there. You're actually pretty cool." you allowed. What happened next; you didn't even believe.

"Friends?" you awkwardly blurt out.

*Y/N, what are you thinking? Stop being awkwa-* "Sure. Night."

### **Chapter 7**

You sit awake in your tent, playing with your newfound hunter slime. You've done extensive research on hunter slimes, and know what it takes to keep one as a pet. They *do* eat only meat, but there's a convenience store up ahead and you're sure that there will be more in the future- if not, you can just go hunting for small animals. "Hm, what should I name you?" you mutter softly. Shadow sounds cool. You've always wanted a hunter slime, but now that you have one you have absolutely no idea what to name it. *Shadow? Hm... maybe. Nightshade? No. Huntie? No, that's stupid. Mocha? Overused. Cookie? Maybe. Crumble? No. Mocha cookie crumble? Yummy.* You pause, considering why you've derailed from actual names to food. You've gone too long without something decent from... any restaurant. But anyways, Shadow will do. "Hey, how about your name being Shadow?" you ask the slime. It boops you, which it's done for a while now, so you assume that's a good thing. "Aww, hey Shadow!" you smile and hug Shadow tightly.

Suddenly, you feel fatigued. Time to go to bed. You put up a sticky note in front of your tent saying "Do Not Enter" and then crash onto the bed and fall asleep. Suddenly, it's nine-am and you're still so tired. How long did you play with Shadow? You have to feed it too... you fish around for some jerky in your bag, which you have a lot of. "Here, Shadow." you say, and Shadow eats it clean off. "Good slime." you coo. "Stay here, while I go look outside, okay?" you smile. You open your tent and see the group separated into partners- Lin and Tbot, and Medako and Max. "Goodmorning, everyone." you say, trying to make your presence known. Everyone greets you, and you try to get to Medako as soon as possible to keep us moving- Shadow needs a bed and water bowl.

"Hey, Medako, when are we leaving?" you ask tentatively. "Right after breakfast. What's the rush?" she replies. "Oh, uhm... nothing. Do you like pets?" you reply. "Yeah!" "How would you feel if someone here, say, had a pet with them?" "Uhm... as long as they aren't malnourishing it, I'd be fine..?" "Cool, bye." You repeat your interrogation with the entire group and decide to tell them about your newfound best friend tomorrow. Max and Tbot are making... hot dogs? to eat. You casually walk back to your tent and pick up Shadow and put it into your backpack lovingly with some plain jerky. "Is breakfast done?" you call. "Yea," Max replies. "Come get it before he eats it all." Tbot jokes, and you rush out of the tent.

*This tastes... horrible.* "Who made these, again? I can't recall." you say, trying to seem as innocent as possible with a forced smile. "Me and Tbot!" Max says. "Is this your first time making these?" you scoff. "No?" "Then why do they taste like raw chicken feet..?" you accuse. "...Whatever, Y/N." they mutter. Guess you'll starve until you reach the gas station*. Maybe I could get a croissant.* "Guys, hurry up!" Medako calls. "Yeah." Lin mutters. "Lin, why haven't you ate?" Tbot questioned worriedly. "I'm not hungry." "You know, you've been feeling off since yesterday." "I'll be fine." Clearly, Lin's being stubborn... but Lin does need help. "Lin, I kicked your ass yesterday and I'll do it again if you don't eat. Also, you haven't been feeling well. You're totally hungry." Assuming they don't have get their ass handed to them before that, seeing as how they won't have any energy to fight back. "Do you want some soda, or something?" Max asked. Where'd he get soda? "Fine, if you all insist..." Lin scoffs with a small hint of happiness in their voice. *Wait, how do they eat? They're a TV head... something tells me I don't want to find out right now.*

"Alright, everyone up! We're leaving, get your stuff." Medako called... *and we're off.*

### **Chapter 8**

"How long have we been walking?" Max complains. "Dunno, but it's noon now. We're almost there, I can see an exit!" Lin exclaims, clearly happier and energetic now that they've had a bite to eat. "Let's go!" you cheer, running toward the exit. You're on a hill, and you can see civilization down there. "People!" Medako beamed. You're at the exit of the forest waiting for the boys, and you can slightly hear their conversation. "How can they enjoy other people they don't even know?" "Dunno, I'm surprised Lin was so cheerful to Y/N." *Wait, Lin isn't normally that energetic?* "Yeah. Maybe they had some sort of ulterior motives..." "Lin wouldn't do that, haha." "But I don't think Lin is actually happy to see others." "Yeah." You've heard enough, and you dash down the hill.

You're all at the convenience store now and you're tired. You buy the bed and water bowl when Medako pops up. "Whatcha buying?" "Nothing...?" as you try to walk away, Medako keeps messing with you. "Medako, relax. Do you... need something, maybe?" you ask tentatively. "No!" "So... why are you following me around?" "No reason." "...Kay." You're now at the candy section when you see Tbot buying... how much chocolate is that? "Tbot. What are you doing?" you berate. "None of your buisness!" he retorts. After you and Medako pick out some candy, Medako comments on Tbot. "I knew he really liked chocolate. I didn't know he liked it that much." she admits. "How will he buy it all..? Or carry it, for that matter?" you scoff. "He'll figure something out, and if not we'll all help him out. If not us all, then just me. Or, maybe you too." she replies cheerfully.

As you're buying the food you lose yourself in thought, just thinking about nothing in particular*. It's a bit weird that this store is so far from civilization, no? It's like this place is a set up,* you think to yourself. As you check out your small items you could fit in your backpack, everyone else shows up and starts checking theirs out too. As Max is checking out, he calls "Oh, Michael!" he exclaims. *Michael? The orchid guy?* "Hey, Michael!" Tbot cheers. "Who's Michael?" you ask. "Oh, he's-" Lin says. "Hey, guys! Who's this?" Michael smiles. "Oh, this is Y/N." Max introduces. "Hello, Michael. I'm Y/N. Pleased to meet you." "Nice!" he replies. "So, how have you b-" Max starts, but is cut off by Lin gasping. *Great, more pains. Who's there this t-* "Boo!" a high pitched voice cries behind you. You turn around, but there's nothing there. "Scared ya?" a voice cheers behind you. "It's n-not funny! Cut that out!" you fumed. "What if I don't wanna?" "What if we don't wanna?"... two voices giggle. *Two? I thought there were just one.* "Hey, guys, are you seeing th-" you sigh, but nobody is there.

### **Chapter 9**

"What'd you do with my friends?! If you don't reveal them right now, I'll-" you threaten. "Re~lax! They're safe." a voice calls. *Suddenly, two child-like people jump in front of you with extremely pale skin. What's up with everyone here being paler than a vampire? Have they heard of sunlight?* One is wearing a devil costume, and one an angel costume. The devil has black hair and red, piercing eyes, and the angel white hair with blue eyes. They float slightly above you playfully, expecting you to attack them any moment now. "Hello, Y/N! We've been expecting you." the devil grins widely. "What have you done with my friends?" "We'll give them to you... so long as you behave." the angel smiles, putting its hands on its cheeks innocently. "Which games are you playing with me?" you scoff. "Tic tac toe, and a couple of our favorites." they say in unison. "That was rhetori-" "We know! We also know a lot about you." the angel smiles. "What?" you gasp. "We know about your portal, and your necklace, and your cute little adorable pet... and your plot armor." *What the hell are these monsters...?* "What are you gonna do about it?" you let slip. *This is so random. Why are 2 children in costumes attacking me inside a grocery store?*

"Hm, well I heard from a little birdie someone was tired of your plot armor, huh?" the devil chants. "Oh, yes, stories tend to be boring if the main character is too overpowered, no?" the angel mutters, a finger on its cheek innocently. "Yes, come here, friend..." the devil grabs the angel and turns it to face itself. *What are they saying now? It's impossible to understand, and trying to pick it apart and comprehend gives me a headache.* They turn around menacingly, and you tense. "The council has decided." the angel smiles. "Yep." the devil jokes. "What are you sa-" "*Onigumo ichizoku, kitsune ni saraware, yūkyū no kutsū taeshinondekita.*" the devil chants. *What the hell... I can't speak. My voice isn't working, it hurts to try, my throat feels horribly hoarse. On the bright side, it's sort of... catchy, in a strange way.* "*Yurusan, yurusan, yurusan, yurusan, inochi o kou nazo- sarasara shinai ga*," the angel cries. "What the hell-" you sigh. Your voice works again! "What was that?" you growl. *The author is totally out of ideas. This is more random than- actually, I don't have anything to compare this to, but it's pretty random.*

"I'd recommend you watch your wording around enemies." the angel smiles. "And, why is that?" "Your plot armor just went bye-bye!" the devil smiles. "What?!" *Well, damn. No more plot armor.* "Now, then, how about a game of rock paper scissors? Best of 3." they smile. *They're relying on chance, banking on the possibility I lose to get me killed.* "Will you both be playing? It's a 1v2." you inquire. Best to not get cocky- I have the potential to get killed like a side character. "Hm. How about this? You won't die, no matter what." the angel proclaims innocently. "Hey, what?" the devil turns. The angel pulls it aside and begins to chatter in that unfamiliar language. "Yes, the council has decided again. You're living, congratulations." the devil grins wickedly. "Yeah? What about my question?" you scoff. Oh, crap, too much sarcasm. Please don't skewer me. "Oh, I guess only my twin will play against you in rock-paper-scissors." the devil scoffs. "Yeah, I hope you have fun." the angel coos.

*Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!* You have paper, it has rock. *Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!* You have scissors, it has rock. *Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!* You have rock, it has rock. R*ock, paper, scissors, shoot!* It has paper, you have paper. *Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!* You have paper, it has rock. "Hehe!" you giggle. "Hey, how'd you lose there?!" the devil scoffs. "Well... aah, don't make fun of me!" the angel cries adorably. You'd console it, if it didn't take your saving grace in this realm. "You're not getting away that fast, we still have one more game to play." the devil cheers. "What is-" "Uno!" it exclaims. Out of all the games, why Uno? You always forget to call when you have one card. "How about... dots and boxes?" you negotiate awkwardly. "Ooh, ooh, I know!" the angel smiles. "Let's flip a coin! Y/N has no plot armor anymore~ so it's fair game! Heads is Uno, tails is dots and boxes." the angel giggles. *Coin, please don't fail me now. Please, please, please, please...* It's tails! "Yeah!" you exclaim. "Aaah, fine." the devil scoffs, and the angel pulls out a pack of paper and two markers.

### **Chapter 10**

*One game of dots and boxes later...*

*There's one box left. It's my turn, I can win it.* As you draw the line connecting the box, the devil's grin gets wider and wider. "I win!" you cheer. The devil's eyes narrow while it smiles that evil grin, before drawing yet another connecting line. "Didn't see the other line, did you, Y/N? That's what happens when you rely on your little plot armor."

*Damn it, oh god, is this the end, what'll happen to me now? Will they lock me up? Will they trap me in a small room? Oh, god, please no, please no, oh f-* "Guess it's a tie!" the angel exclaims. *Oh, right, I won rock paper scissors.* "So, what now?" you inquire. "What else is there to do other than a coin flip? Heads is you win, tails is *we* win." the angel giggles, two feet away from your face. You sigh. You blink, and the coin is tossed and clatters to the floor... tails. "Aha! Guess dear Y/N's out of luck." the devil smirks. "Hey, Y/N, do you have that crystal you grabbed in the cave?" the angel asks, but you're too stunned to speak. "No, they don't," the devil scoffs, searching your pocket and backpack. "they dropped it when they ran down from that hill." You hear Shadow hissing at it. "It's okay, Y/N. Here you are~ your very own crystal," the angel coos, handing you the crystal. It practically yearns for you, and you for it, so you snatch it up and place it into your pocket. "Enthusiastic, are we? Good." the devil laughs, now behind and above your head. It stares at you, staring daggers into the back of your soul. The angel spins you around happily.

"Good, Y/N~ now, we've been in an alternate reality since you realized we were here, so we'll bring you back to your 'friends' now. Cause some chaos, 'mkay?"

You nod enthusiastically and take the angel and devil's hand as you arrive back to your friends.

### **Chapter 11**

Your friends stare into your eyes worriedly. "Hey, Y/N, you alright?" Medako says, holding both of your hands and standing in front of you worriedly. You glare at her before taking your scythe and slashing it at Medako, hitting her directly in her head. "Aaah- Y/N, what?" she cries. "Get them!" Max calls, attacking you with- is that a bullet on the ground, there? *Is that his 'blast coil'? Pitiful.* You turn and throw your scythe, knocking it out of his hands, the energy of the crystal giving your plot armor back slightly. "Ow. That hurt, if these physics were real, my head would be cut clean off." he mutters, your hearing somehow enhanced by the crystal, you assume. This comes with a hinderance though, your vision is constantly shaking. Is this what Lin felt like? You hear the rustling of grass behind you. It's just my footst- oh, no, it's Tbot with his stupid claws. "Die!" you scream and turn around to hit him, when suddenly you fall flat. You look around dazed, but you just can't move your body. Your legs feel weak as you crumple to the ground, dazed. You can hear the group shouting, but no Michael. He must have ran off. "Shoot them, Max! Michael, feed them the berries from Max's backpack!" Tbot calls. *Of course he's playing team healer. Ow, that hurts.*

You go undazed quickly, and turn to Tbot, but he's already put his claws up as some sort of shield to protect him. You try to break the claws in half with your scythe, where hopefully his face is, but it turns out he's already backed up considerably. His claws hold your hands up while you flail around uselessly. "Let me g-" you go dazed again. You do that a lot. How much will you keep that up? Out of the corner of your eye, a missile is shooting towards you. The sound rings in your ears painfully as you wince softly. It hurts a lot, obviously, but it seems like Tbot is slightly damaged too.

"You'll regre-" Ow, a bullet. Does he have a gun? No, that's Max with the blast coil. You keep mistaking that. Max seems like the kind of kid to have a gun, too. Suddenly, your world goes black, and you're down for the count.

### **Chapter 12**

That was quicker than expected. Their synergy is really good, you couldn't keep up. You guess that everything's easier with a strategy and adrenaline. *If only I had gotten a combo off on th- what am I thinking?* You look around at your surroundings, and see that you're in your tent. Shadow is bouncing around happily. This sight calms you, and you feel better. "Where is everyone, Shadow?" you mumble sleepily. The slightly see-through material of the tent shows a night sky accompanied with a crackling fire. Your friends chatter happily in the near distance. You exit your tent groggily. "Hey, what happened earlier?" you ask. Somehow, you feel eyes glaring at you, although your friends seem delighted to see you.

"Y/N, we were so worried! We knocked that crystal out of your pocket, and you went back to normal." Medako grins. "We're all glad to see you're better. How are you feeling?" Max asks. "Hey, more sleep might be good for you. It sure helped me a lot," Lin advises cheerfully. "Yeah." Tbot agrees. You could honestly cry. "I'm good on sleep, haha.. thank you all." you explain. "What's next?" you ask. "We're just outside the store. The ocean is up ahead." Tbot remarked. "Alright! I'm going to take a walk." you reply.

As you walk, you feel two pairs of eyes staring at the back of your head. A feeling of uneasiness fills the air as you tense yourself. You take a few steps backward, beginning to feel scared. "Gah!" you exclaim, tripping. As you stand back up and dust your clothes off, you notice your flower on the ground. You pick it up and notice what you tripped on is your scythe. You reach for it, confused. I didn't take this thing out, why is it here? Suddenly, it starts sliding away from you and floats upwards. The twins hold onto it on each side, the devil maliciously smiling and the angel disappointed. "Y/N, you failed us." the angel sobs. "And, that is my problem exactly why?" you scoff. "At any rate, you're not getting this back." the devil berates. "Here you go, Y/N! A bow." the angel says, handing you a bow with vines carved into it, and a quiver filled with limitless arrows. A ruby glimmers slightly at its bottom. +30crit damage, +15 atk, shoots 2 arrows protruding from the middle. You equip the quiver and notice it fits you perfectly, and your bow trembles in your grasp. "Yes, Y/N. Here's a crystal for you... take care of it!" the angel elucidated. You look at it, not with yearning, but with disgust. You see the memories of your past glimmer slightly into it. "*Haha, Y/N, you're so stupid! I thought you were smarter than that! You're supposed to be the smart kid!*" the crystal echoes into your head*. No. No.*

"*Y/N, you need to stop playing video games. You're getting addicted. Don't make me hit you, I love you*." the crystal berates. *No, no, I hate it, make it stop!* You grab the crystal out of the angel's hands and throw it into the surrounding forest, it shatters into a thousand pieces. "Y/N, you weren't supposed to do th-" the angel starts, but you grab the bow and shoot in the middle of the twins' heads, beheading both of them. "...So, anyways," you chirp, walking back to the campsite.

### **Chapter 15**

"Hey, Y/N!" Lin waves. "Hey, guys!" you smile. "We're about to go to bed." Medako scoffs. "What's with the attitude...? We'll need energy for tomorrow, Medako." Tbot replies. "Wait, what's tomorrow?" you inquire. "We're going to the beach." Max explained, annoyed. What? Oh, yeah, the ocean. "Do we have... a boat rented out?" you emphasized. "...No." Tbot sighs, averting his eyes. "How are we going to get across the ocean? I get that it's barely an ocean, more like a wide saltwater river, but we can't swim there." you challenged. "Max is going to commit a crime." Lin explains. "What?!" you gasp. "I'm going to cast a spell on Max and change his appearance, he steals a boat, and then we're off." Medako groaned. "Is this a normal thing? Why are you so casual about committing crimes?" you gawked. "Well, only the major characters have weapons like we do. We'll be fine." Tbot explains.

"That's not my point! What if Max gets caught!?" you berate. "Meh, he won't. If he does, we'll break him out." Tbot clarified awkardly. "You all give me a headache. I'm off to bed. Have fun committing crimes." you dismissed. You entered your tent, frustrated, and took out Shadow and fed it. "Aw, you're so cute." you coo warmly. Suddenly, you feel fatigued, and your body completely crashes.

"Y/N, wake up!" Medako screeches. "Yeah?" "What is that monster in the corner of your tent?! It's *horrifying*!" she cries. "Oh, yeah, I was gonna tell you all. This is my pet, Shadow, and it's not horrifying. It's adorable!" you chirp. "Does it bite...?" she mumbles. "Yeah, but it doesn't hurt. It's more of a nibble." you smile. "Aw, it's actually kind of cute." she says, bending down to pet it. It boops her affectionately. "Cute~" she smiles. "Where's Tbot and Max?" you ask. "Outside," Medako proclaims. "Staying in here is boring, I'm packing Shadow up and getting ready." you mutter. "Can I play with it when we get to the beach?" "Of course."

"Hey, guys? You awake? Blue boys?" you call out into the wilderness. "We'll be there in a sec!" Tbot calls. You sit around the extinguished fire lamely as you wait for them to return. "Hey, Y/N! We're back!" Max shouts. "Nice. Where'd you two go?" you smile. "He got berries." "I got berries!" they both say in unison. Of course you did. "Hey, is there breakfast?" you ask. "I got a frying pan and eggs," Medako chimes, "but I haven't cooked anything. "I'll cook us something. Does anyone have any salt?" you call, and cook some scrambled eggs. They're not your best, you didn't have butter, but they're pretty good, so it'll do.

"Is everyone ready?" you ask. "Yeah!" everyone cheers. "Let's go!"

*(loving the filler chapters.)*

### **Chapter 16**

"Hey, Max, you remember the plan right?" you ask. "Yeah?" "Okay, you should go now. Medako, do the thing." you say. Medako takes out her wand and twirls it, when suddenly a flash of light blinds you all. "Ow, my eyes!" Lin exclaims. Max now looks like a random person. "Good going, Medako!" "Thanks," she smiles. "Okay, Max, you can do it!" Tbot cheers. "Yeah, bye." he walks off. "Does anyone have anything to do while we wait? I can't stand being bored." you scoff." "Uhm, no, sorry Y/N. I left my Uno cards at home." Lin laughed*. That's all right. I forget to call out 'uno' after I have one card, and I'm quite bad at it. It's likely for the best. "*Yeah, me neither. Sorry..." Medako allowed. You assume Tbot doesn't either. *What should I do after I go across that ocean? The last cave is just there. The last cave. I'll have beaten the game, I'll have my necklace... I'll be able to go home. But do I really want to go home? These people are nice, sure, but better than another reality world? Sure, they have their pros and cons. Medako's annoying sometimes. Tbot never has much to offer to a conversation, or what it feels like. Max is pretty okay. Lin... doesn't really stand out? I have nothing against any of them, really, but... they aren't perfect. I could find better in another reality, right?*

"Max is on the boat!" Lin exclaimed. "Right," you sigh, "Medako, teleport." you aired. A flash of light blinds you again and you're on the boat, whizzing away. "How long will we be on this boat?" Lin asks. "Around... six hours. Hey, Max, why pick this one? It's not that big." you notice. It's only about 20 feet wide and 10 feet long. "This was the fastest one he'd allow me to test-drive." Max admits. "What?! Test-dri- Nevermind. It's, like, 2 pm. I'm not sleeping on this stupid boat. We're gonna have to pick up the pace." you fume. As you rack your brain trying to find a solution to avoid staying the night on this boat, it finally clicks. "Tbot, are you waterproof?"you exclaim. "That's a stupid question." "And, that's good that you're not waterproof. Paddle." you smile. "That's stupid. What of a difference will paddling-" "Stop being picky. I'm not trying to sleep overnight on this boat." you chastise. "Medako, you paddling wouldn't probably be that useful. Lin, you probably shouldn't paddle. Max, uhm... same with you." you command.

"Haha. Tbot gets all the work," Lin giggles. Medako is looking out at sea worriedly, *maybe she's seasick.* Max is just spaced out. Tbot is paddling with a vengeance. You decide to open your backpack slightly and let Shadow see the vast expansion of water you travel upon. "Y/N, why is there a stowaway on the boat!?" Lin shouts. Tbot and Max look around worriedly as you break a slight sweat. "Uhm- oh, right, I never told you guys. This is my pet, Shadow." you explain, holding Shadow towards the group. Its eyes light up seeing them. "Aw, it's cute." Lin smiles. "I know, right? I'll show you all at the beach."

### **Chapter 17**

"We're finally here!" you exclaim, tears of happiness in your eyes. "Y/N? Why are you crying?" Tbot asks, confused. "...No, I'm not crying. You must be seeing mirages." you scoff, trying to wipe the tears discreetly. "First things first, it's dark. I'm hungry. What are we eating?" you ask while Medako sets up the tents. "I have stuff to make curry!" Medako exclaims. "How'd you- nevermind. Curry is delicious. I'm game." you agree. So does everyone, and soon you have a nice pot of curry by you, Medako, and Lin with the power of friendship and "oh my god these people have been eating crappy hotdogs and smores by max and tbot i need to feed them an actual meal" of the creator! "This is really good, Medako, where'd you get the stuff for this?" you ask again before chewing another bite. "You never know with her, haha." Lin laughs, and Medako scratches her head embarrassed. You finish your food while the rest are still eating and take Shadow out to play a bit. You watch it play on the crisp ocean waves happily, and you almost feel inclined to join it.

You sit down on the soft sand comfortably. "Hey, Y/N, what do you think's in the cave anyway?" Tbot asks, coming to sit near you. "Ah- look, I don't know. I know the cave goes downward, and there's some sort of energy core, but that doesn't quite matter. It's pretty easy to navigate, no main casualties to be found. other than a good ton of bats." you reply, focused on Shadow who was now digging a hole in the sand contently. "I don't want you to leave this reality." Tbot reveals bluntly. "What? Are y-you mistaken?" you sputter, taken aback. "You're stumbling on your words. It's obvious. But we all know your intentions." he asserts. "...What gave it away?" you mutter with a hint of a smile. *It's funny. They've never broken the fourth wall like this ever.* "Medako does magic, that's the main reason. But none of us want you to leave. They all agree on that." Tbot disclosed. "...hehe, that's something to lose sleep over, no? I'll think about it." you conclude. "Great! That's all I had to say." he smiles before standing up and walking off. How weird. These people aren't like the normal NPCs, are they? Different, somehow, yet the same. But then again... ah, what a strange group of individuals. It's messing with my head.

You decide not to think about it until you go to sleep, and you focus on Shadow again. Lin, Medako, and Max are all playing with it casually. Your heart almost melts. You sigh in relief, you were so busy talking to Tbot you didn't notice that Shadow could be gone. *I don't think Shadow should go to the cave, it might get too distracted by all the bats, seeing it is a hunter... and if I don't leave, I'll just be exiting the cave, right? It's no big deal.* "Hey, guys, I'm going to bed, leave Shadow in my tent when you're done playing. Alright?" you call, standing up and dusting the sand off yourself. "Kay!" Lin exclaims.

### **Chapter 18**

"Good moooooorning, Shadow. It's a brand new day!" you smile, petting its head down lovingly. You grab your backpack from your tent and leave Shadow inside with some jerky and leftover curry in a paper bowl. You look around to see you're the first one up, and the sun says it's around 9 in the morning. You walk around aimlessly while you wait for the others to awaken. You suddenly feel hungry and grab some curry- which for some reason, is piping hot. "All right, who forgot to turn off the-" "Hi, Y/N," a voice calls behind you. "Hello, person behind me." you reply. "What's with that? It's Max." the voice, which is Max's, scoffs. "Oh, good morning, Max. I've never been too familiar with voices at first." you mumble, pouring yourself curry. "You know, this curry's really good. Soothing to all humans, cos-" "What are you saying?" you reply. "Nothing," he quickly exclaims, now getting himself some.

Everyone is up now, lively as ever, although the happenings of yesterday still continue to linger in your head. The morning seems to whiz by, and you feel tense the whole day as you consider your options. You were never decisive, so you save it for later. What a role model you are. "Hey, guys, are we going or no?" you call. "Yeaaahhh!" the group calls. "All right, I'm going ahead. The path leads to the cave, I'll meet you guys there!" you exclaim, heading down the path. *Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. What if the next universe is the one though? The one with everything I could want. Hell, it could have the people here but with more people, and a better plot line, and, and, I get my plot armor back! Aaaahhh. The decision is tough. Hm. I guess....* "Hey, Y/N! We're heeeerrreee!" Lin cheers. They're around nine feet behind you now. "Oh, hey, guys." you reply, turning your head to face the group. "Look, the cave is just up ahead." Tbot notices. Suddenly, the air feels tenser, as if you're waiting for something to happen. You stare at it. "Y/N? We came all this way for you to stare at the cave?" Max scoffs, poking your cheek. "Stop that. Let's go." you mumble, walking toward the cave.

"Huh, think there will be bats in here?" Max asks- is that a hint of hopefulness in his voice? Don't they have rabies. "Hell yeah, there's a crap ton of bats in this one." you reply. His eyes seem to light up, even in the dim lighting of the cave- that you're not sure where the light is coming from, for that matter. "What's your deal with bats?" you reply. Suddenly, Max's... ears? pick something up, or something, because he starts speed-walking ahead for some reason. "Max?" someone calls from the distance. Their voice seems to echo inside the cave. All right. Who's there. "Hello!" Max exclaims, now running.

"Oh, hey Michael!" Tbot exclaims. "Hiya!!!" Medako cheers. "Hello!" Lin smiles, waving. "...Cool, so who's Michael?" you say, catching up to the group. "We met last time! Though, we didn't have a proper meeting. I'm Michael." he introduces. *Did he just bow?* Your eyes adjust to the darkness now, and you see he has brown fluffy hair, questionable fashion choices- he's literally wearing shoes that could choke him if sentient, and cateye glasses, or whatever they're called. Other than that, he has the standard vampire attire. "Of *course*, you're a vampire." you laugh. "I'm offended...?" he mutters awkwardly. "Why're you guys here? Did Max want you to visit?" "No, I didn't know you were here. Why are you in a cave?" Max replies. "Uhm..." Michael mumbles awkwardly. "But, anyways, it's great to meet you, Michael. I am Y/N. Pleased, again, to be your acquaintance." you reply sweetly. "But with that, I will be on my way. I am sure that we will meet in the future." you reply, swiftly moving ahead. "Y/N can be like that. Don't worry, they aren't leaving us behind. Let's go, you too Michael." a voice consoles. It was starting to worry you that you hadn't located your necklace in, about... you don't know how long it's been missing. A week, at least. Suddenly, you see a glow. Could it be...?

The crystal you saw at the end of the game. It glows vibrantly. "Oh, you're pretty, aren't you?" you mumble before looking around. Amia is sitting on a ledge with your necklace. There is an adjacent empty... room? next to the crystal. You walk behind the crystal and locate your missing necklace. It glows softly, and you feel a rush of power flow within you. "Hello, Y/N! Missed m- haha, you didn't. I'm probably just like Paimon." "Who?" "Don't mention it! But, anyways, you found your necklace. Wanna leave? I won't stop you..." she says. "Ah. I need some time to think." you reply, briskly strolling into the empty room.

### **Chapter 19**

Stay, or leave? This universe is one in a million. There's really nothing else like it. These people... they're pretty nice, no? It'd be a shame, to leave them behind. Nothing here has been driven by obviously-set-out plot, right...? Other than the totally random devil-angel twins. Those were definitely put there to keep the plot going and nerf you. But maybe... this world isn't a game? It's hard to believe. An actual reality that runs on RPG logic. When has that showed up? Surely, some pixel RPG, but you haven't been there so you wouldn't know. This is shiny and brand-new. No quick fixes... no take backs.

You value your options carefully. The burden of your decisions weigh heavily on your shoulders. You walk out of the room slowly, the tensity in your veins and in the air around you. "Amia." "Hey, Y/N! Have you decided?" "Yeah." "So?" "I would like to stay." "Is that what you really want?" "Yes."

What I really want? I've only wanted one thing, haven't I? Right from the very beginning. What I want...

*a place to belong.*