When I woke up the whole way again, it was to seeing the cuteness that was Erinn making me some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, which was one of my favorites. I then tried to move and smiled at how I barely felt any pain, minus the two parts on my shoulder blades where the wings were supposed to be.
"You're a miracle, you know that?" Erinn smirked as she laid the tray in front of me and on my lap. "You jump from the top of the waterfall and into the water and you barely have a scratch on you after 8 hours of rest. You're a naturally fast healer for a Minstrel," she said, that making Crux speak up.
"Well... we're actually not a Minstrel, miss Erinn," he said, that making her surprised.
"How did you know my name?" she asked in surprise.
"Because I was the one that protected you from those slimes and the Cruelcumber yesterday, remember?" Crux asked, that making Erinn gasp.
"You mean... you're Crux? The Celestrian Crux?" she asked, me nodding at that.
"Well, it's only half Crux... he speaks through the mind, and I speak through the mouth... my name is Drake, and going into how we are like this would take more time than we have. We need to find our way back to the Observatory, but we don't know how, since our wings blew up after the incident," I frowned.
"By the Almighty... you mean that the earthquake that happened this morning even affected the Observatory?" she asked, me nodding at that as I then dipped my cheese sandwich into the tomato soup and then bit into it... and it tasted divine.
"So the Protectorate also suffered from the attack we faced... I guess that's to be expected, however, considering that the blasts of dark magic were powerful enough to sweep the two of us off the place as well as scatter the... wait..." Crux was about to say before then doing something else. "Flapping Flappity Flap-flap! The Fyggs! Our duty was to get Yggdrasil to bear fruit in the form of the Fyggs, but they fell off the tree along with us! We need to find them!" Crux said as something else happened. he managed to move my hand away from the cheese sandwich and to the soup, him then slurping it all down in one go, which made me more shocked than anything else.
"H-Hey! How come you're taking charge of the body now? I was enjoying that slowly and now you burned our mouth!" I said in annoyance when I finally managed to take control again and Crux then complained, as expected.
"We need to get the Fyggs before something happens to them! We can't just sit around here and do NOTHING about it!" Crux frowned as Erinn frowned.
"Um... unfortunately, your options are rather limited right now. You can't really fly with your wings missing and the only pathway we have to the east towards Stornway is blocked by a landslide due to the earthquake. And not only that, but there have been more sightings of monsters outside of town, making it unsafe. I don't want the two of you... er... should I say that?" she asked as I smiled.
"Might as well, we are still two people, just in one body," I said... before I then got an idea of how to reveal a bit of the story, but keep my true knowledge of this world hidden. "But I feel I should let you know... I had a very weird dream while conked out on the bed. It said that it'd take a couple days for the roadblock to be removed, there was a decrepit train on the path there, and that a lone woman would get lost in a giant shape... you know, like a square or a circle," I said, that making Erinn gawk.
"I think your dream may have been referring to the Hexagon, which is the old path we used to take to get from here to Stornway before the pass was made. But no one uses it anymore, because it's filled with monsters. I don't know... I have a bad feeling about this lone woman your dream mentioned... or if any of it is to be true?" Erinn said as I then smiled as I felt able to move my body without issue now.
"How about this, miss Erinn?" I asked as I got off the bed, having finished the cheese sandwich, despite my burning gums. "Crux and I will go test my dream's theory out. If we go out to that pass and this decrepit train is there, then that must mean the other parts of the dream should hold true, and we'll go to this Hexagon place in search of the lone woman. If there's not a train there, however, we'll try to find a way to get through the pass," I said, Erinn nodding.
"Just be careful of the monsters. They've been popping up a lot, lately," she said, me nodding at that.
"No need to worry. I'm very good with a blade," Crux said as he then took control of my arm again and reached behind his back... He then showed off that he had, get this, an Iron Broadsword, which was impossible to get so early in the game! "I've been training to be the guardian of Angel Falls for 3 mortal years, so I'll slice those monsters to ribbons if they even look at us funny," he said, me smiling at that.
"Well, how about you put it away for right now? Because it seems you can control my arms whenever you get into a serious state and I don't think it's wise to brandish a weapon in front of this very nice, very kind lady," I said, that making Crux put the weapon away and for Erinn to look at me with a smile.
"I beg your pardon, but are you trying to flirt with me, Crux?... Er, Drake?" Erinn asked, me smirking at that.
"Naw, I'm just nice to all the ladies, so long as they're nice back. I'm not too good with boys, though. Long story short, I hung out with girls growing up for a good reason. All of my male friends in my childhood turned out to be bullies that wanted to abuse me. 90 percent of the females, however, were quick to defend me, so I just am nice to girls more often than I am to boys," I said, Erinn smiling at that.
"Good to know you don't play favorites, at least... just make sure to come back before dinner and don't get into a scrap you can't win," Erinn said, me nodding as I then walked myself and Crux out of her house and proceeded through the town and out of it, ignoring Hugo and Ivor in the process, who were currently bickering about who was going to hold a wooden sword to defend the town.
"Ignore those two for now. They're thankless to the Celestrians, complete unbelievers," Crux said to me.
"Kinda harsh, but I didn't really need to be told that. I can tell by their actions within a few seconds of watching that I'd not get along with them," I admitted truthfully. We then left the town and, not even a minute after doing so, we started to encounter numerous monsters. We had to kill 3 Sacksquatches, 4 Bodkin Archers, and 3 Teeny Sanguinies, which raised our level from 5 to 7, which also meant we could use skill points to add onto our skill tree. I decided to add the 6 points to Swords first, so we might be able to attack Metal Slimes easier in the future with Metal Slash.
"You must like swordplay as much as I do, hmm?' Crux smirked at me through my head.
"Maybe I do," I smiled as we then finally reached the area that would lead to the rockfall and we saw something in front of us that made Crux gawk.
"That's... it can't be..." he gawked at the train engine in front of us.
"Yep, looks like my dream was spot-on. A decrepit train by the rockslide, most definitely the Starflight Express," I smirked boldly.
"I believe your dream, then. That woman in the Hexagon must be in trouble, then! Let's get going, and fast!" Crux said before we then heard a voice... one that sounded very high-pitched.
"Hang on a moment, ya flappin' mortal!" said a voice before I felt a slight buzzing near my face and, considering I hated bugs, I accidentally backhanded my hand there, resulting in me needing to give a lot of explanation as the voice then turned out to be none other than Stella! "OW! Wot the 'ell was that for?!" Stella asked angrily as she made herself bigger and I then started to gulp.
"O-Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... I thought you were a fly and... p-please forgive me, miss!" I said when I looked her in the face and she looked at my face before then smiling.
"Well, okay, I'll consider your apology accepted, but only if you can tell me why you can see the Starflight Express and why there are two people in your body," she said, her voice still sounding high pitched, but also cockney... like, imagine Navi from Ocarina of Time, but with an accent similar to Yangus.
"Well, the short version is, we can see the Starflight Express because we're a Celestrian. We don't have our wings because they blew up during the attack on the Observatory that also destroyed this glowing train..." I said before feeling the top of my head and smirking at how the halo was still there. "But it appears the halo is there, still..."
"And as for why this mortal human is in control of the body and me the mind, it's because he was transported to this world from a different one... and he somehow took up residence in my body, against my will... I'm Crux, the current protector of Angel Falls. And his name is Drake," Crux said, Stella frowning at that and touching our halo, her then smiling at that.
"I find that second part to be a bit of hogwash, but I believe the first part, since I do see a halo on your head. Fine, then maybe you can help get the Starflight Express up and running, eh?" she asked, me shaking my head.
"Not right now. I need to rescue someone trapped in a nearby set of ruins before anything else," I said, Stella sighing and shaking her head.
"Fine then. But I do want you to try an' help get the ol' bird up and running afterwards, awright?" Stella asked, me smirking and nodding.
"But of course, my fair lady... and sorry again about the slap," I said, her smirking at me.
"Your affections flatter me, but I'm in high demand, you know? Only the best can hope to score a date wiv me!" Stella smirked as Crux then forced my feet to move.
"Can you stop flirting with the one in charge of the Starflight Express, please? You're making me feel ashamed," Crux frowned, Stella giggling.
"I guess your other side feels the Celestrian code, then. Never ask out or attack anyone ranking above them in the Celestial order. But don't worry, I'm not a Celestrian and not even the first in command of the Starflight Express. That'd be ol' Fatguts, I'm just the stunning and stupendous skipper!" she smirked.
"Nice alliteration," I smirked at her as we then proceeded to the Hexagon due south as the sun in the sky was directly above us, meaning it was noon. Once at the Hexagon, we went through the door and tried to go forward, only to see that the way was blocked.
"Damn, the way's blocked. How do we get through?" I asked, that making Stella look around before she then forced us to turn around, where we saw the blue aura of a ghost. I then looked at him and smiled. "Do you know how to get through, mister?" I asked. He simply turned around and we followed him to the start and to the left, him showing us to the statue, where he finally spoke. "Behind the statue... a button," he said before vanishing, me then looking there and seeing a button on the back, me then pushing it and us hearing a small scraping happen further in.
"I think that did it! So we can see spirits of the deceased, so that's good," Crux said, me nodding as we then went to the next part and, as I expected, the area was cleared for us to go through. On the way through, we ended up finding numerous monsters as well as loot in the form of a leather shield, numerous medicinal herbs, and we gained level 9, which meant we had enough to gain Metal Slash and an extra bit of power for sword usage.
"This is going to be fun," I smirked as we then finally got to the part where the lone woman was at. When we approached the area in question, we saw that Patty was, indeed, trapped and that she looked worried.
"Hey! Don't worry, I'll help you outta this mess, milady," I said with seriousness as I then went to her side and she smiled.
"You couldn't have come at a better time, mister. I'm not hurt, but I'm kinda stuck... can you be a dear and help me out?" she asked as I looked at Stella and she frowned.
"Oh no, I'm no good at heavy lifting, that, and she'd be spooked when I helped her since she can't see me," Stella frowned... before the ground started to quake.
"Oh bother! He's coming back!" Patty said, Crux brandishing his sword afterwards.
"Who is?" he asked as the Hexagoon then started to lumber in, his big body making Stella immediately get to work on trying to free Patty's foot.
"I was trying to run away from this bloke, but I got trapped by the falling rubble. Be careful," she said as the Hexagoon then roared loudly and I smiled.
"You think you can intimidate me with just your size? Let's RUMBLE!" I shouted as Crux then proceeded to do something different. He started to gain tension, which made me surprised. The Hexagoon then attacked us and I managed to dodge out of the way of the big lumbering mass before Crux then slashed him with a Dragon Slash, which I saw made the giant bull look very badly injured, as we had crippled his left leg with a large slash against the fatty skin. He then started to whimper as Stella had managed to get Patty's leg freed and she simply got back up as the Hexagoon then started to lick his wound and I smiled.
"Would you like to finish this lumbering palooka off, Drake?" Crux asked me as I simply looked at the big boy and shook my head. I then did something that shocked all the others in my group, including the Hexagoon. I cast heal and healed his wound slightly, which Stella gawked at.
"You... healed him? You okay, bloke?" Patty asked as the giant bull then started to coo a bit before then walking towards me gently and then licking me across the face, making me soaking wet with slobber.
"You're welcome, big guy... next time, be nicer, okay?" I said, the Hexagoon grumbling and nodding before then walking to the deeper parts of the Hexagon due north before then giving us a treasure box, Stella gawking at it.
"He's... giving us a treasure box as thanks?" she asked. I simply opened it up and smiled at how, within, there was a very good item in the form of a Magic Shield, which was amazing for this early on in the game!
"Thanks, big guy," I said, him grumbling at us before then simply going back into the area he got the chest from and I looked at Patty and Stella with a smile. "How about we get out of here so he can get some rest?" I asked.
"Um... sure," Patty said as Stella then simply shrunk to her tiny form and landed on my shoulder. "That was actually pretty incredible, mister. Being able to not only slice through that beasts' thick hide in one hit, but then heal it up so it could be befriended? You Angel Falls folk sure are weird," Patty said as I then simply smirked.
"Well, how about I just say this now. Me and Crux here aren't really from Angel Falls, we just ended up there during the earthquake," I said, that making Patty look at me in confusion.
"You and Crux? What does that mean?" she asked.
"Long story short, I come from a different universe and I was suddenly transported to this one out of nowhere. And when I arrived, I'd ended up becoming a part of this body, which belongs to Crux. But it's like I'm in control of the body most of the time while Crux stays in the head and speaks telepathically... it's kind of like this story I once heard called Tides of Destiny, where a similar thing happened to the two main characters in that world, only there was a girl trapped in the guy's head... which led to some funny quips when she had to involuntarily be in the bath and in bed with the man, since she was stuck in his head," I admitted, talking about the game Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny where exactly that happened.
"Okay, and how did you find out I was in there in the first place if you've never seen me before? Because I certainly haven't seen someone like you before," she frowned as I then smiled.
"Because I had a dream that said that you were trapped in a giant shape, and a girl called Erinn said that it was this Hexagon place. So, going on a hunch, I decided to trek through and eventually found you," I smiled, keeping the act going.
"Well, your dream saved my life. Now, I'm off to Angel Falls to... wait.. did you say Erinn?" she asked, me nodding. "Oh, she'll be so excited to see me! I haven't seen her since she was 3, she was so tiny!" Patty smirked as we finished leaving the place and then we went through the area on foot back to Angel Falls, just as the sun was beginning to set. And when we arrived, Stella and I followed Patty to the Inn, where we saw Erinn was working the counter and Patty smiled at her.
"Hey, hey! This place looks so quaint and comfy. Ol' Edwinn always had a penchant for quality," Patty smiled as Erinn looked at the fashionista with a nervous smile.
"Thanks, I do my best to honor my father's legacy," Erinn smiled. "Wait... you're Patty, aren't you?!"
"My, my! I can't believe you remembered, Erinn! You were so tiny back then! So, uh, sorry to be so blunt, but may I speak with Edwinn, please?" she asked.
"Ah... I had a feeling you'd be here to ask for him... sorry, but he's... not with us anymore. It's been 2 years now," she said, that making Patty gasp.
"Oh my! E-Edwinn's gone and kicked the bucket?!... Hmm..." she frowned before then looking around. "Well, if he's gone, then that means you must be taking the helm of this Inn in his place, right?"
"Yes, I try my best," Erinn smiled.
"Well, forgive me for being blunt, but how would you like to give running an Inn at Stornway a shot?"
"Um... I beg your pardon?!" Erinn asked in shock as Patty then started to explain.
"Listen, back in the day, your father was the best of the best when it came to running Inns. He was so good, he's the only Innkeeper to date that has been awarded an Inny for Inncredible Inntertainment by King Schott himself!" Patty said, Erinn gulping at that.
"I can't believe that. He never seemed to be that kind of person... you say he was that good, then why would he come here?" Erinn asked.
"See, that's something that I don't know either... but long story short, our Inn back home isn't doing too good, so I came here to try and get our best Innkeeper back. But even though he's gone, you have the same blood as he does. I bet you can be just as good, if not better at it!" Patty smiled widely as Stella then gave a bit of two-sense while I simply held my hand to Erinn's shoulder.
"Sounds a bit extreme, but I'd say that's a right flappin' good deal," Stella said, that making something weird happen. Erinn looked all around as if she'd heard a ghost.
"W-Who said that?" she asked, me then looking at Stella and she then looked at me.
"Wot? Wot're ya looking at me for?" she asked.
"There it is again! Who's saying that?" Erinn asked.
"I don't hear anything, Erinn. You doing okay? Or is it the shock?" Patty asked... and it was then that someone appeared in front of us, that being the ghost of Erinn's father. It was Edwinn in the flesh. And when Erinn looked in his direction, her eyes went wide... and it was only then that I'd figured it out.
"D-D-Daddy?" Erinn asked as I then took my hand off her shoulder, and then, after a second, put the hand back there, where Erinn only then gawked. "I-I can see my dad's spirit... but only whenever you're touching me, Drake..." she said, Patty then deciding to get in on it and touching my shoulder... where Stella was still seated at. And when she did, she gasped at how Stella then slapped her with a single hand, which Patty was spooked at the tiny fairy.
"Oh, flap! She's right! Anyone you touch can not only see spooks, but even me!" Stella gawked, me looking at Erinn and then at Edwinn.
"Um... Edwinn? Do you have anything you want to say to Erinn, per chance?" I asked, him then smiling and speaking.
"More that I'd want to show her something... there's a special item that's buried behind this Inn under a bush. Find it, and then ask your grandfather to learn the truth..." Edwinn said before vanishing, Erinn looking at me before then rushing out of the Inn with a very determined look on her face.
"H-Hey, wait for me, hon!" Patty said as she also gave chase, me then hearing Crux speak.
"That was odd... so it appears that whenever you are in contact with a mortal, they are able to see what a Celestrian can see, such as spirits and... whatever the heck Stella is," Crux said, that making the fairy frown and flap her wings faster.
"Oi! I am a fabulous fairy that just so happens to be the skipper of the Starflight Express, thank you very much!" Stella pouted as I then decided to leave the Inn in time to see that Erinn had found the Inny, which had been sealed inside of a special case and was still in mint condition.
"I'd uh... like to talk to my grandfather alone... or, at least, just with Crux and Drake nearby, just in case my father appears again..." Erinn said, me smiling at that as I looked at Stella and smiled.
"You want to stick around with Patty for a bit, Stella?" I asked, her frowning.
"Fine, fine, I'll leave you with the inny girl for a bit. I'm going to get me some food from that Inn. I'm getting peckish," Stella said as she then flew through the keyhole of the door leading to the Inn and I then joined Erinn to her place to find her grandfather, who looked at Erinn with surprise when he saw her Inny.
"Erinn?... I see you found it..." he said, Erinn then looking at her grandfather.
"Grandpa, please, I want to know... why would daddy leave Stornway's Inn to come here?" Erinn asked.
"Well, you were just a little baby at the time, but you were also incredibly sick. Your mother died shortly after she gave birth to you from the same illness... however, your father knew of the healing properties of the water in Angel Falls and he brought you up on it, leaving the Inn at Stornway in the process," he said.
"But... that's not fair to him... I got in the way of his ambitions..." Erinn frowned as I then held her by the shoulder and she looked at me.
"Well, from what I've learned from my own experiences, a good parent will always put their children first before anything else. He would rather lose everything he ever had if it meant saving his baby girl, I'm sure," I said, the grandfather nodding.
"You said his words exactly," he said, Erinn then looking at the Inny with a smile.
"You know, I always wondered why he had that faraway look in his eyes... now I know... he did all of it for me," Erinn said as I then looked to the left of the grandfather and tapped Erinn with my left finger, pointing her towards her father, who looked at Erinn with a kind smile. "Daddy... I'll do it. I'll take over your old Inn at Stornway! I'll continue your legacy! I'll do so good, I'll win my own Inny!" Erinn said, Edwinn smirking and chuckling slightly.
"I trust you will, Erinn... now I have no regrets," he said before he then started to get the glow around him to signal it was his time to go to the other side. "I'll always be watching you from heaven, Erinn... make me proud, hon," he said with a smile before he then glowed brightly and then, after he'd disappeared into the afterlife, I saw something form from him that made me shocked.
"B-B-Benevolescence," I stuttered as I then went over to the blue crystal and picked it up, Crux being surprised.
"Wait, you can see the Benevolescence? Because I can't!" Crux gawked as I then put the crystallized gratitude into the bag that he had, which was more along the lines of a hammer-space dream, as it also had spare Celestrian clothes and even some spare shields and weapons.
"Well, we have to wait a bit to get through the roadblock to Stornway, so how about, after a good night's rest, I go out to the landslide to try and help remove the rubble?" I asked, that making Erinn smile at me.
"Only if you'll allow me to make you dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow," she said, me smiling at how my stomach growled in response.
"My stomach says yes. I have to go pick up Stella first, though, before she eats all the food at your Inn," I said, Erinn smirking.
"I doubt she would eat that much," Erinn said with a smirk.