PPT tenth chapter, Amitie's perspective
"CYCLONE!"
Pop, pop, popopop… The sounds of puyo stacking up and exploding into garbage rained from Amitie's battle grid and over to her opponent. A tall, white haired man swore under his breath as the garbage puyo began to accumulate above his head.
His name was… Skeezo or something? Arle's creepy friend.
"Take this! Take that!" Skeezo's voice boomed over the noise of the battle. "Dark Sword! NIGHT BLADE!"
Fiddlesticks! Amitie gasped as all her garbage puyo popped out of existence. This battle was not going her way at all… But she had to fight back! She had to win…
For her friend's sake!
Earlier that day, Amitie was enjoying a walk in the sun. The sky was clear, and the air was warm with the presence of summer- which was not too far away! She had hiked the edge of Primp Town's woods, making her way to the school in the hopes she'd find one of her friends there. Maybe Lidelle was tending the garden they planted a month ago. ! The plants were in full bloom- Moon-sun Flowers, although they only bloom at night, are so pretty! They are Amitie's favorites because they glow a soft blue, kind of… well… like one of her close friends, Sig's, hair. The fairy rings are thriving, which are bio-lumy-nesent mushrooms that grow in a perfect circle, (and are very dangerous, according to Ms. Accord). Hydrangeas, as per Sig's request, are in abundance in red, blue and purple, and finally, the enchanted fruit trees are starting to bloom their wicked gold blossoms!
Golden apples are the rare delicacy on those trees. They only produce fruit once every five years! Apparently, there was a whole story about golden apples before they were safely bred to be eaten, but Amitie had fallen asleep before she got the chance to hear it. Oh well! It doesn't matter- golden apples are delicious! Ms. Accord also says it helps to replenish lost magic, which is why the juice is bottled and stored in case of emergencies. Amitie couldn't wait to try one whence fall doesn't quite understand how it works, but it must be some crazy power, like a 1-Up Mushroom from those videogames Maguro likes to play.
As she trotted along, Amitie closed her eyes, faced the sun, and took a moment to breath in the clean, warm air. She loved summer! It was her favorite season- Everyone is out of school for a few months, so Amitie will try to make time for all her friends before they get busy again! Although, Ringo and Maguro strangely still have school… kind of. They only have like, a month off during the three-month period. It's probably an Earth thing or something.o
She opened her eyes with a sigh of contentment and waited for them to adjust to the sun's rays. She turned around to keep walking, when suddenly, a blue blur speeded into her peripheral vision.
"What the- AHHH!" She only had time to blink and brace herself for impact when-
CRASH!
-Something slammed into her!
"OOF!" Amitie grunted as she hit the ground from the collision. "Ugh- Hey, watch where you're going!" She groaned as she rubbed the side where she was hit. That was going to bruise tomorrow…
Squinting open her eyes, she peeked up at the shadow who was crouching over her. A familiar lanky figure was panting with his hands on his knees- one hand was small, and one big and swollen-red… It couldn't be…
"…Sig?" Amitie gasped. He turned and his eyes widened when he noticed Amitie. He was uncharacteristically shaken up, his hands were quivering, and his breath was short. But his eyes were what gave Amitie a twinge of fear in her stomach. They were afraid. They kept searching, past Amitie and into the woods, like a deer in headlights. It was as if he couldn't see her.
Amitie immediately pulled herself up and grasped her friend's cold hands. "Sig? Sig, what happened? What's wrong?!"
Sig blinked violently and stared right at Amitie. "Help." He whispered. "He's coming."
"Who's coming? What's happening?" Amitie pressed, but her words fell on deaf ears. Sig turned his head and his breath caught in his throat.
"Please, Amitie… stop him. He's chasing me. PLEASE." He gave her a quick, scared glance, and sped off into the woods behind her. Amitie stared after him in shock.
Chasing him? Who would do that?
A muttering voice broke her from her stupor. "I sense his power… He must've come through here."
Amitie whirled around and spotted a figure racing towards the edge of the woods. His white hair and silver armor reflected the sun, but his eyes were dark and sullen. Amitie could feel his magic from here- unnatural amounts of it- that whirled angrily around his person, like mixing water and oil. She swallowed. There was something unnerving about the man, like he was alive, but not really. But he was quite handsome for someone who was undead, so it had to be something she didn't understand yet. She'll have to ask Ms. Accord later about him.
Amitie didn't want to jump to conclusions. But that had to be the guy chasing Sig! He just screamed "weirdo". Who wears armor in this heat?
Amitie nervously approached the man, who had his back to her. "Which direction did you go, boy?" he said to himself.
"St-stop right there!"
And that was how she got into this mess. Turns out, the man, Skeezo, was the creep chasing Sig after all. Amitie had to challenge him to a puyo puyo battle to get him to wear himself out, because this guy was weirdly persistent. Unfortunately for Amitie, the battle was not going her way at all…Start with an intro. Battle is raging, Amitie is getting tired, thinks back to when Sig ran up to her. Sig is seemingly distressed, even though emotions don't betray. He says a single word, help, PLEASE. Amitie looks back and sees Schezo running towards him. Flashback ends with Amitie's stop right there.
"SHADOW EDGE!"
Oh, fiddlesticks.
POP. POPOPOPOPOPOP.
Nonononono…
A looming silence echoes over the battlefield as a shadow covers the sun. Amitie looked up, disheartened, as an enormous stack of garbage puyo gathered over her head. That was it. She was done.
She lost.
The garbage puyo rained on top of her and she could barely hear the poundings of the puyo hitting the ground because of her thudding heartbeat.
Badum… badum… badum…
She could faintly recognize the pattering of footsteps running past her and the muffled voice of Skeezo shouting in victory, "Farewell, then! You've been bested!", but she just sat there, buried, underneath the garbage.
I lost. I lost I lost…
I failed. Sig needed my help and I failed.
Amitie's head was spinning in circles. She was supposed to be the hero, the great magician that saves her friends and family, but she couldn't protect her best friend. What right does she have to aspire to be a great magician if she can't even do that right?
Oh no, SIG. That creep just ran after him! Amitie had to get up. She had to stop him, even if she couldn't. This was all her fault…
Snap out of it, Ami! Amitie slapped her own face to wake herself up. You can feel bad for yourself after this is over!
Amitie wiggled around in the garbage puyo until she could find a way to push herself up. She grunted as she pushed up from her hands and onto her knees, then proceeded to dig through the garbage puyo until she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kicking and flailing, she wiggled herself out, rolling into the dirt with a loud gasp.
"Owww…" she groaned; her hands scraped up from her fall. Doesn't matter! Nothing matters, except finding Sig.
Jumping up, she was dismayed to find that Skeezo was nowhere in sight, which means that he ran off into the woods after Sig. Fiddlesticks! Amitie scrunched up her face in thought.
"It's okay, Ami. If I were Sig, where would I go?" Amitie murmured aloud. The forest was vast, and Sig had many favorite bug-hunting spots. But one thing she did know about her friend, was that he often went to the ruins if something was bothering him. For some reason, the ruins were like a haven for the heterochromatic boy. Must be because of Akuma, his guardian, who is obsessed with history.
Amitie had a general idea of where the ruins were, but not a specific one. She couldn't hesitate any longer, however, so she jumped into the woods and raced through the trees to find her friend.
"Siiiiiiig! SIIIIG?!" Amitie called frantically. "SIIIIIIIGMUUUUUUND! ARE YOU OUT HERE- OH SHOOT." She covered her mouth in a panic. Why was she YELLING? Sig was trying to HIDE from Skeezo! Yelling would just alert the creepy dude to his location. Dang, girl, get it together, you're smarter than that! Ami chided herself.
Speaking of the weird creepy dude, why was he after Sig in the first place? Earlier, he mentioned something about "wanting to ask Sig for his hand." He couldn't mean, like… a proposal, right? Ewwww! That guy is like a million years old! Creepy! He must mean something else… but what? Why was Sig so scared? Furthermore, he was spooked enough to physically ask for help for once.
Sig… doesn't ask for help.
Not when Klug was acting peculiar and wanted Sig for some creepy ritual, or when he was affected by Witch's potion that one time, or when his migraines hit. He never asks for help. He likes to handle stuff alone.
Life continues when the sound of the last puyo is popped, Amitie can see the garbage raining overhead, and her mind is blank. She lost. She could faintly hear the footsteps of Schezo running past her, muttering about annoying obstacles, and she sat there, buried, under the garbage. I lost, I lost I lost. I failed. Sig needed my help and I failed.
Amitie's thoughts run in circles until she snaps out of it with the thought, Schezo is still after him. She immediately freaks and pushes her way out of the garbage puyo. Schezo was long gone. Amitie didn't know where Sig went. Fiddlesticks. She assumes Sig runs into the forest, because that's his safe haven. Amitie starts running into the forest, calling his name. No, bad idea! She could alert Schezo to his location! Why was Schezo after Sig in the first place? He mentioned that he wanted something about his hand… like a proposal? Ewwww! That guy is like a million years old! Creepy! He must mean something else… but what? Why was Sig so scared? Amitie thought back to the amount of times Sig has asked for help, and concludes that it's exactly one- just now. Sig doesn't ask for help. Not when Klug was after him, or when he drank Witch's potion, or when his migraines hit. He likes to handle stuff alone.
Ugh, it's so infuriating! Amitie wished she could understand him better.
ABut at least this time he asked for help…r help…. But Amitie couldn't protecthelp him.
She failed.failed.
Her thoughts kept going back to this one statement.
Now Skeezochezo was going to do something awful to him, and it was going to be all her fault- because she wasn't a strong enough magician. Amitie could feel hot tears stinging in her eyes as she ran, and she rubbed them furiously.
NO! She would not feel bad for herself again. She already did that once todayn, but she shook her head. She would not break down while her friend needed help. Even if she was a failure, she was still his friend… right?
…Right?
…
Was she?
What exactly has she ever done for him?
Other than being an inconvenience and dropping Wwitch's potion on his head… scaring away his bugs… failing to protect him… Amitie slows down and stops.
She was lost in the woods and inand lost in her mindhead. The clearing looked like every other clearing, the path was muddled, eEvery tree looked the same, her head head was spinningspinning, and she needed to sit down.
Why did she think she deserved to be called Sig's friend?
She was a major screw up. She wasn't smart, or pretty, or quick, or… everything else Ringo and Arle was. She didn't possess any special abilities, she came from a poor house from a single father, and all she ever had to her name was the Red Puyo Hhat she had never taken off once in her life. She was supposed to be a great magician, and she managed to even screw that up. She wasn't just a failure,failure; she was a nobody.
And that broke her.
Her legs failing her, she plopped Plopping on the grass and , shehot tears slowly streamed down her face began to cry hot tears.
Why did she even exist if everything she does is was a mistake? She's just a clumsy good-for-nothing nobody.
She hated herself for stopping, she hated herself for crying, and most of all, she hated herself for thinking about herself- in that selfish Amitie fashion. She wanted someone to notice, but no one came. Because she was lost in the woods. Because she thought she
could be a hero, she thought she could save her friend, but she couldn't even save herself.
Who should go up to her? Schezo, Lemres, or Sig? Sig would mean the story would end faster. Schezo would mean we'd see angry Amitie. Lemres would mean extra dialogue and frustrated Amitie. Lemres would take too long because he'd take the time to ask if Amitie was alright, which would defeat the purpose of Sig doing that. So Amitie runs into Schezo.
As her tears began to slow, she felt exhausted and dizzy. No one was going to come for her. She was acting like a child. Even Amitie knew better than that. She had to get herself out of this mess and…
SBut she had to go find Sig.
It didn't matter if she didn't deserve to be his friend, she still owed him for breaking her promise to protect him. The problem she had to overcome were the woods- tBuhe woods looked the samet the woods were vast, and she didn't know where she was she didn't know where to look. Amitie took a deep breath to clear her mind and was about to choose a direction, when she picked out a voice from the rustling of the trees.
Was that… Skeezo?
Amitie could feel an intense fury burn in her chest. She immediately stood up and followed the direction of his voice.
"…Unbelievable, the time I've wasted on a child… I should go back to chasing Arle's power, at least she doesn't have any creepy bugs to deal with." Skeezo mutterings steadily grew louder as Amitie pushed herself through the undergrowth. Amitie stepped over one last log to find herself face to face with Skeezo.
But then, Schezo's voice was heard over the undergrowth. He was complaining about how this whole excursion was a waste of time and he better just go back to looking for Arle's power, when boom, Amitie was right up in his face."Whoa! Oh, it's you." Skeezo sighed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Honestly, children should not be wandering around in the woods by themselves."
How old does this guy think I am? Amitie wondered. "I'm a teenager." She pointed out. Why do I even care? Ask about Sig!WHERE IS HE
"Pah, still a child. I'm more than a century old." Skeezo snorted. "Your perception of time is adorable, little girl."
"Don't call me adorable!"
Skeezo rolled his eyes. "NOT WHAT I MEANT! Why are you out here? Do you yearn for the blue-headed boy?"
Amitie couldn't help but both gag and blush. "Okay, don't phrase it like that, golly. Arle was right about you. Also- WHERE IS HE?!" she exclaimed suddenly, her eyes narrowing with a ferocity that took Skeezo aback. HeSchezo is extremely disconcerted to see the normally cheery girl so furious. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying and she looked like she was about to murder the next living thing she saw. WHERE IS HE, she demanded.
"WELL?! WHERE IS SIG?"
"Somewhere back where I left him, I assume." Skeezo replied, keeping his composure.
"…Where, specifically, nimrod." Amitie's voice dropped.
Where is who? Schezo couldn't make heads nor tails of this girl, and then decided he didn't care. Listen, I've had a long day, so if you could just move-
SIG, you Nimrod. WHERE IS SIG?
Hearing the word nimrod come out of the girl's mouth was an experience. Skeezo swears. Witch swears. Arle swears- all of the time.
But this girl? She called him a nimrod, and Skeezo knew sShe wasn't playing.
Schezo had left Sig in the clearing after being scared away from the prospect of not only taking his arm, but his bugs too. The magical aura around this girl…
He wasn't scared of much, but he had genuine fear for his life at that moment.
"Uh-um." Skeezo swallowed. "He's in that direction." He pointed. "Towards the ruins. Keep going straight. It's not far."Little further back in that direction, he said.
He better not be hurt.
"He better not be hurt, Skeezo."
And just like that, any fear he had towards the girl melted into annoyance. "Excuse me, but what I believe you meant to call me is Schezo Wegey, the Dark Sorcerer. Not Skeezo. Where did you even get that from? Sh-eh-zo. Skee-zo. They sound nothing alike!"Schezo gulped, The boy is unharmed. Asking for his hand was too much to reckon with.
Amitie was already storming away. "Whatever, Skeezo!"
"SCHEZO! For the love of Puyo…" he muttered, insulted. Minus the lack of respect, this confrontation led to… interesting results. Why was he so terrified of such a young girl? He beat her easily in a puyo puyo battle. There was something about her, her aura… that seemed to encapsulate the strange magical hat she wore. It made him wonder about that hat's true power. Perhaps he could go after it… another time, when the girl was more reasonable.
Creep.
The girl stormed off, and Schezo began to wonder why he was so terrified. There was an aura about her, one that seemed to encapsulate the strange magical hat she wore. It made him wonder about that hat's true power. Perhaps he could go after it… another time, when the girl was more reasonable.
Amitie shoved through the trees, panicked thoughts through her mind.
Schezo had gotten to Sig first.
, Sig, please be alright please be alright please be alright… When she entered the clearing
She shoved through some brambles into a clearing of blue slated stone. A stone pathway led to the entrance of Primp Town's famous ruins… And at the entrance…
Amitie's, her heart dropped in her chest when she found Sig lying on the ground.
"Sig!" She shouted and knelt next to his head. His eyes were closed.
Oh god please be alive…
She dropped to his chest and listened, relieved to find a heartbeat and the slow, steady breaths of a heavy he was breathing.
"Sig, wake up!" AmitieShe shook his shoulders and Sig's head bounced on the ground a little before he opened his (beautiful) heterochromatic red and blue eyes. He blinked a little, surprised to see Amitie's anxious face looming over his.
"Amitie? What's wrong?" Sig asked with a yawn as he stretched.
Amitie sat back on the stone path, flabbergasted, until she exclaimed. "What's wrong! Are you okay? Did that creepSchezo hurt you? How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked furiously, holding up all of her fingers.
Sig groaned. "Seventeen," he repliedsaid sarcastically, rubbing his eyes, "and I'm fine."
Amitie felt the entire afternoon's weight her shoulders disappear drop with relief. She couldn't believe how lucky Sig and she were. "Thank goodness… what happened?"
Sig shrugged nonchalantly.. "Scared him off… wasn't hard to do. These guys helped," he added, opening his claw to reveal the bugs squirming in his palm. Amitie had never felt more grateful for his bugs in her life..
She Amitie could almost feel her emotions bubbling up again. Thank puyo…
goodness…She She isn't sure what to say next. AmitieShe wanted to ask him so many questions, about why Schechezo/Skeezo was after him, and if he was telling the truth- was he really alright?about if he was telling the truth, and most of all, how sorry she was.
"But then… earlier, you looked so scared. What did he want, Sig? What was he after?" Amitie pressed. She needed to know what could have caused that look in his eyes that burned in her vision, that look of being trapped.
Sig hesitated, his eyes falling. He didn't answer.
"Sig, you have to tell me. Please. I need to know." She begged.
Sig looked away from Amitie, so she crawled on the other side of him to stare at his face intently. He made eye contact for one second before sighing and pointing at his swollen red claw. "I wasn't sure at first… but I think he wanted this…"
"Your… your hand? But that's ridiculous." Amitie laughed nervously. "He can't just take your hand. You're attached to it, silly."
Amitie could feel the bile rising in her throat as Sig stared at her pointedly, waiting for her to make the connection.
"No…. nonono, He was going to actually take your hand? Like, chop it off?" Amitie felt nauseous. "Nope, that's disgusting. That's gross, and horrifying, and not okay, and I'm going to be sick."
Sig allowed a hint of a smile as he patted her hands. "It's okay Ami. Nothing happened. I'm fine."
"Someone should report him! Isn't that like, illegal? Threatening to harm someone? Why did… ugh." She held her stomach, her hysterics being cut short. "You know what, we'll talk to Ms. Accord first thing tomorrow."
"Okay." Sig said, resigned.
"You better make this a bigger deal, Sigmund. We'd have to start calling you One-armed Sig if you lost it." Amitie weakly jested. "Sorry, bad joke."
Sig let out a small huff of a laugh. Silence fell over them. Amitie had so much she wanted to say, but her words got stuck in her throat. She was so thankful he was okay. But she really needed to apologize.
"I'm…"
"Thanks, Amitie." Sig broke in first. "For helping me." protecting (helping? Find more effective word) me.
Amitie broke. broke. "But I didn't help(protect) you!" She cried out.
All the words she wanted to say came spewing out in one tremendous stream.
"I let him get past me! I lost! I'm supposed to be good at magic… it's my only redeeming quality! You've heard everyone- I'm the clumsy girl who has "great potential for magic", or somethingwith magic I've yet be discovered or something…" she said sarcastically with quote hands, " And now, I'm not even that. I failed, and I am so sorry because… what if he had gotten what he wanted? You would have been hurt- badly- and it would have been my fault! I-I… I don't… I'm sorry… I don't deserve to be your friend."
The sentence fell like a stone between the two of them. The silence was overwhelming, neither knowing how to respondSilence fell. Amitie knew she must explain, so she took a deep breath. "From the beginning, you've always helped me with my misadventures. When we adopted Tamaith the bird, when I requested you going easy on me in the tournament five years ago, when you , gaveiving me Accord's letters after when I would forgetting them, when you helped me set ting up the café before you got drenched in Witch's potion, and, staying by my side the other day when I collapsed… I could go on."
Amitie couldn't read Sig's expression. He was staring intently at her, waiting for her to was silent.
"But I've… I have done nothing to earn your friendship. You've stuck by me for some reason- and the second you've gone to seek my help,help; I've gone and screwed it up in typical Amitie fashion. It's just not fair for you… and it's, um… what's the word…" Amitie snapped her fingers, "it's selfish of me to ask any more from you, y'know? SoSo, I can't ask you to keep being my friend, after everything. For your sake."
Amitie couldn't bear to look at him, her face burning with shame. Sig was quiet, contemplative, in a very Sig mannerSig was quiet, contemplative, in a sig fashion.
He slowly reached out and cupped Amitie's face. Amitie looked at him, expecting some resistance, but not anticipating what he was about to say.
"Um… Hate to break it to you… you can't decide what's best for me." He said softly, gently. Amitie blinked in surprise. "You don't have to prove anything to me… I'm your friend. Friends don't compare to each other, I think…" He looked unsure, as if he wasn't positive he knew what he was saying.
Amitie was still livid. "But that doesn't matter! I still couldn't protect you. I can't help you!"
Sig practically rolled his eyes. "I'm not very good at this… talking thing, but even I know people have limits. I have limits. You have limits. That doesn't make you a failure."
He sighed, andsighed and pulled her into a hug.
"I know you are a great magician… I may not know a lot, but I also know you're my friend. And nothing you say is going to change that." He stated matter-of-factly, his voice low and quiet, reaching her ears when everything else wouldn't.
Amitie could feel the frustration bubbling up. How could he say that? He is so FREAKING STUBBORN! But, just as quickly as it bubbled up, it receded as he hugged her tighter. His breath was rhythmic and slow, and his presence was comforting. So as she hugged him back.
Why can't you see you… as I see you. Sig's unspoken thought echoed in their embrace. I wish I was better at this… hopefully she can understand through this hug…
"Thank you, for so many thingss…" Amitie whispered. For being alright, for being alive, for staying with her. I don't deserve this. But it didn't matter, because Sig wasn't about to let her go. His embrace was strong, but gentle. His claw was wrapped around her back and cupped her head. The kind of hug that cradles something important, something worth protecting.
Why did he see her as someone worth protecting?
Maybe she wasn't a failure after all… If Sig didn't see her as one.
The air was sweet and clean, the rustling of the trees werewas soothing, and Sig's warmth helped Amitie to relax and ground her emotions. Is this what Sig feels like all the time? Connected to nature- to his bugs? Out of focus from the rest of reality? His world is soothing and relaxed. I'm so grateful to be a part of it… for just a little while.