In The Sanatorium of Flower Bud Village, the secluded Princess of the land laid in bed with unshakable guilt. For the longest time, Dia had confided in her loyal nurse and longtime friend, Gina. She also secretly felt comfort in the thoughtful Doctor Alex through her recent crush. The young girl was still reserved and reluctant towards strangers that would approach her, but she managed to be content with her social life. Despite the parents that chose to abandon her emotional needs with their careless breakup, she still had the family she needed in Gina and the rest of the hospital still.
For a while though, her inner bitterness had got the best of her, making her act unexpectedly selfish towards her best friend, and especially cruel towards the unlucky few who happened to wander into her room. She noticed her sudden change, and feared the cruelty that resided in her heart. It was because of this, that she suspected that the happiness she once remembered may have been a lie.
One morning, the worrisome princess got out of her bed and thought over the corrupting mentality that slowly took over.
"What is this... why am I doing this to everybody? I swore to myself that I would never be this way after what I saw from my parents, but, I'm just like them in the end, aren't I? I really am their daughter..." she said as her voice quivered.
The chill in her body suddenly overwhelmed her.
"I... don't recall when I started acting this way, and yet the feeling if it is so eerily familiar. Is this cruel person the true me? Have I been lying to myself all along, thinking I could actually be one of the more compassionate people in this world? Has my fate as their daughter doomed be to this way of life? I... why does this cruelty feel familiar? Why is part of me actually... enjoying it?" she cried.
Suddenly, a nearby mirror cast an eerie light. Entranced by the glare, Dia felt drawn to the mirror, slowly making her way as if commanded by an omnipotent force. After what felt like forever, the sickly maiden finally gained a good view.
The image revealed a wicked young lady with eyes as cold as ice, and a mouth which effortlessly resisted forming a malevolent smile. Unfortunately, Dia recognized this young woman as herself, and yet the image behind the reflection was the room of a lavish mansion.
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
My Other Self
"Are you... me?" Dia asked with a look of dread in her sparkly emerald eyes.
"Perhaps later, but not now. You're far too... weak" the reflection answered back.
"I am another you from another existence, and from the signs I'm starting to see, I am also your destiny." she coolly proclaimed.
"D-destiny? Are you say that I am meant to become you?" she asked quietly.
"Well, there are plenty of signs pointing to the inevitable. I, too, once thought like you. I actually cared about those around me, and wasted my pathetic sentiment on them, until I realized how useful they can be for other purposes" the reflection explained.
"Other purposes? Whatever do you mean?" Dia asked, not too thrilled at the kind of answer she expected.
"Why, for entertainment, of course!" the Darker version answered as she made a disturbing grin.
For some reason, Dia heard gentle humming coming clearly from the mirror. "W-wait.. I recognize that voice, too" she softy uttered.
"Oh, good. Well then, that saves me the trouble of reintroduction." the reflection said. "Gina, attend me!" she barked.
"Yes, mistress!" an unmistakable voice cried back. A figure rushed immediately into the mansion room and stationed herself attentively at Dark Dia's side. While her ringed sky blue braids and glasses were especially recognizable, Gina's attire was instead those of a maid's. Her eyes then towards the other Dia in confusion. "I'm afraid I do not understand, Mistress Dia. What exactly is going on? Why is your reflection so sad?"
"Did I allow you to ask any questions, servant?" The reflection snapped fiercely.
The obedient maiden shook in fear as she bowed her head in apology. "I-I-I'm sorry mistress, I swear I'll never do it again!"
"You've made such a promise before, yet I've had the displeasure of seeing it broken quite a few times already. Your discipline problem has really irked me as of late!" the commanding maiden yelled.
"I-I understand, mistress" she quivered.
Dark Dia then turned to face her somber counterpart.
"You are not mistaken. This is also your old "friend" Gina, the one that practically took you into her care as your sister and the only one you could ever truly talk to. But in my world, I have many more things to preoccupy her with. And with my substantially healthier body, I get to have waaay more fun with her" she grinned.
The aggressive lady then took a nearby vase, only to let it crash on her maid's back. Gina's tears swelled as she witnessed the gentle version of her mistress staring right back at her in horror.
"Servant, stop your gawking and clean up this mess at once!" Dark Dia ordered.
"Yes, mistress" Gina answered dejectedly.
With overwhelming tears running down her cheeks, the kinder Dia pressed herself against the mirror and started reprimanding her heartless self.
"HOW CAN YOU DO THAT TO HER! SHE'S BEEN SO LOYAL TO YOU, AND YET YOU TREAT HER LIKE DIRT! SHE DOESN'T DESERVE THAT TREATMENT!" she shouted at the mirror.
"Is that so? You're an amusing little hypocrite, I give you that" her reflection scoffed. "Not too long ago, you yourself gave your nurse friend a few demands if I'm not mistakened. It sounds like you're beginning to realize what she can really do for you."
"SHUT UP!" Dia cried. "SHUT UP AND STOP ALL OF THIS!"
Her reflection was not amused at all. While Gina scrambled to pick up the broken pieces of vase, Dark Dia swiftly kicked her in the gut, knocking the poor maid to the floor. Her cold face transformed into a truly grim expression.
"I see... so you'll fight it as long as you can, huh? What a useless struggle, trying to resist your true nature. It's so laughable, it's pathetic. Honestly, what do you think kindness will win you in the end? Real friends? A warm comfort in your heart? Or is it that satisfaction in your soul that you are somehow better than your useless parents?" she questioned.
Dia felt a pain in her chest like a sharp dagger. "You're comparing my feelings to some twisted contest?" she answered back.
"It makes perfect sense" Dark Dia answered back in a rational voice. "You're parents left you behind in the midst of their fighting, more than likely believing you're a useless thorn at their side. This pride in your "compassionate" must be the one thing that makes you feel so superior than them, isn't it? Well, you will one day learn how hampering a kind heart can be one day. You'll understand how trust is only capable of being betrayal, how no one in the world can truly stay friends forever, and that the only way to gain true satisfaction is to ruthlessly trample on any pathetic insect you ever come across".
"N-no... that can't... that can't be right! You're wrong!" Dia cried.
"Ha! Naive fool! You'll know well these words someday! They'll be burned completely into your memory, and you'll appreciate it! Stop being such a crybaby and accept the truth!" Dark Dia shouted back.
Weakly, the damaged maid got on all fours. She slowly crawled to see the more gentle mistress in the eyes.
"My mistress, no... Miss Dia... Don't listen to her. You must... fight it. I can see it... in your eyes... you're not like her.. You're really so kind at heart... and... you mustn't give up. Don't... give in to her... and fight it..." the maid moaned.
"SILENCE! I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK!" Dark Dia yelled as she once sent her maid to the floor with a swift stomach kick.
The poor maid cried out in pain, and the kinder Dia panicked.
"STOP IT! STOP IT! I REFUSE TO BECOME YOU! I'LL NEVER BE YOU!" she shouted.
In response, Dark Dia glared straight into her counterpart's eyes with immeasureable malice. "LIKE HELL YOU WON'T"
The sickly patient let out a violent scream. She was just about to shatter the mirror into pieces until she was caught off-guard by a gentle embrace. The image of the manor, the unfortunate maid, and the dark reflection all dissipated in that instant.
Slowly, she turned around and saw a concerned Doctor Alex.
"Please calm down, Miss Dia. Everything will be alright" he assured.
After her recent panic, Dia took in a deep breath.
"I-I'm sorry I worried you, Doctor" Dia said.
"It's... it's okay. The situation with your parents must've really gotten to you. And having to leave so suddenly leaves you without a satisfying resolution with them. It must be hard having the two people that should be close to you distance themselves so selfishly. It must be giving you nightmares" he rationalized.
"...h-horrible ones" Dia added.
The Doctor looked at his patient with a strong sense of empathy as he gently caressed her cheek. "I apologize that I won't be able to remedy your sorrow as your obligated Doctor; however, if you ever again feel yourself coming apart like this, you can always know that you have Gina and I to talk with".
Dia nodded in acknowledgement. She also happened to know of one more friend who would always spend his day offs from carpentry just to see her.
"You mustn't worry so much. There will always be someone around to take care of you when you need it." Alex calmly explained.
The princess' mind grew especially conflicted that day. "That may very well be possible, but will there ever come a time that I can actually be there for someone? Will there are come a time that I will actually given instead of receive? I don't want my heart to go away. I know how painful it is to be lonely, and yet all I've ever done is take from people! I don't want my life to continue this way!"
She soon found her head buried deep into her doctor, allowing all of her sorrows to run down his white coat.
"THANK YOU!" she cried aloud.
As she continued to let her tears out, she soon felt her heart throb. For the first time in her life, she felt true love for a significant other, and yet it regretfully served to deepen her sorrow. Her mind thought back to the suffering maid, and then to the image of her faithful nurse Gina. She considered everything she had done to take care of her, and convinced herself how important her hapiness mattered more. Even more than her own. And yet she looked again into her doctors eyes, and felt sudden warmth she's never experience before. Again, the distraught princess was completely at a loss.
"What am I supposed to do?" Dia thought to herself.