After the event at Zere Rocks, we then walked to the west towards the area of Bloomingdale and, along the way, we encountered Pink Sanguinis, Trigertaurs, Big Badboons, and Scarewolves, which didn't do much to hurt us, given we were leveled up to Level 20 in our main classes and levels 10-14 in the other classes. It was so awesome to have our stats very high from all the combined stuff, to the point where our attacks could defeat monsters in one hit! And after a bit of trekking, we managed to get to Bloomingdale at around lunch time.
"Mm... I smell food... let's go find it," Crux said as I simply had our nose lead us around towards the shopping area (by the weapons shop) and we saw the source of the smell was a small bakery that wasn't in the game. And it was filled with sweets!
"Mm... Honey buns, Tiramisu, chocolate cake... how much?" I asked the shopkeeper with a smile.
"Ah, you're interested? Well, lucky you, first customers get their first meal free," she said, me then having Crux choose the triple fudge brownies, which he ate with hearts flying from his mouth from the taste.
"I guess you still love chocolate, huh, Crux?" Pavo asked him with a small smirk.
"Don't judge me, I love the taste of sweet chocolate goodness," Crux smirked as he then finished up just in time for Carly to point towards the bay, where we saw the ship.
"That must be the ship that Simona mentioned. Let's go see if we can't get it," she smirked, us then going over there to see the old guy guarding the plank.
"Hey there... can we have this ship?" Keira asked with a smile.
"Ah, you're interested in her, are you?" the old guy asked with a smile. "This is the Pride of Bloomingdale. It's such a shame that she hasn't been out to sea since her owner passed away ten summers ago... the one who owns it now is his daughter, Ms. Bloom, who is extremely generous," he said with a smile.
"Could you tell us where we can find this Bloom?" I asked with a smile.
"She lives at the mansion behind the Flower Bud Inn. As for her name, it's Marion. Tell the guard at the gate that the ship tender sent you and he'll let you in," he said, us then going over there and for Stella to gain a wide smile.
"If we can get this ship, we can be able to sail to new horizons without a care! We'll be able to find more Fyggs if we do that, and maybe ol' Fatguts, too!" Stella smiled widely.
"If we get that ship, I can man the helm with ease. Trust me, I used to work on a crew before I became a warrior," Dillon said with a smile.
"Sounds like fun," I smiled at him as we then got to the guy in question and, after telling him that we were friends with the ship tender, he then let us in with a smile.
"So what do you think Ms Bloom will be like?" Carly asked as we went through the mansion to the room on the right.
"Who knows? I just hope she's nice," Veronica said. I already knew, though, but didn't dare say a word.
We then opened the doors leading to the living room and we saw that the red-dressed girl was currently speaking with two different people and was currently arguing with the girl about the flower headband.
"I don't want it, I shall never take this bow out!" she said, me then clearing my throat, which made the clueless doll look at our group with a smile. "Oh?... Wow! So many new friends!" she smiled widely as our group then went into the room and she then gawked at us. "So what can I do for you all?" she asked with a smile.
"We wanted to know if we could have access to the ship, by chance?" I asked, her then smiling.
"Oh? You want my ship? You can go ahead and have it, anything for... my..." she was about to say before seeing my halo and Pavo's wings. "Wait... you're... you're not like the others... you're here for Marion, aren't you?" she asked. I then decided to say something to make it so she wouldn't be upset.
"Isn't that... who you are, though? Aren't you Marion Bloom?" I asked. And that made the transformed doll then gasp before then frowning.
"U-Um... yes, yes that is who I am. I am Marion Bloom, ehehe..." she said, me looking at the others and seeing that they all had visible confusion.
"Um... Ms. Bloom? Would you be okay if I were to speak with you in private? Alone? I want to ask you some questions," I said, her then looking at the others and then nodding.
"Fine... everyone, please excuse us," she said, leading me to her room and then, once I was through the door, she then locked it and we then went to the other end of said room. "What did you want to ask me?..." the doll asked, me knowing that I had to choose my words carefully, since she was able to pry apart metal bars and couldn't feel pain.
"I wanted to ask if you might know where we can find a golden fruit?" I asked, that making the wooden girl gasp before then looking down at her chest. "The reason I'm asking is because... well, they're incredibly dangerous. One turned Abbot Jack into a monster, another one transformed an innocent man into a giant whale, and this one here..." I said as I presented the third one, which made the doll gawk at it. "It created a giant monster made out of stone that almost killed a traveler at Zere Rocks," I said.
"U-Um... w-well, I..." she said before then sighing. "Promise me something... promise me that nothing bad will happen to Marion... I'll tell you where the fruit is after that," she said, me nodding.
"I promise that nothing bad will happen to Marion," I said, her then sighing and nodding.
"The golden fruit... is inside of me," she said, that making Crux gasp. "And the reason... I'm not a mortal. I'm a doll made of wood, given life by the fruit," she said, me looking at her with a small smile. "I made a promise to Marion. To pretend to be her and make many friends... but I don't want anything bad to happen to her. She's my one true friend," she said with a sigh.
"So then... what is your name, then?" Crux asked.
"Marionette is my name... so... do you want the fruit, I guess?" she asked, me then simply doing something different and producing the feathers that I had gotten from Bryson's pillow, which I knew were mine. And after I got them out, I then held a couple out to Marionette and she looked confused.
"I'll trade you three Celestrian wing feathers for one golden fruit... do you agree? In exchange, I promise to not say a word about what you've told me," I said, her then looking at me, then at the door that led to the graveyard, and then to me again.
"Okay... okay, give me the feathers first, then I'll give you the fruit," she said, me then simply putting the feathers into Marionette's mouth... and what happened afterwards? Marionette gasped as she started to shine brightly and, after five seconds, she then gasped as she then started to breathe in and out and she then gawked.
"I... I can feel... something... I... I feel a thumping in my chest... what is-" she was about to say before she then gasped when she touched that area with her hand. "M-My hand! It's squishy... like skin... am I... am I mortal now?" she asked me... and then, after that, the Fygg appeared from out of her tummy, which I held in my hand. And Marionette? She was still standing there, in shock and awe. "T-This... mister Celestrian... thank you! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Marionette shouted in glee as she then rushed over to me and hugged me tight, me then gasping at the strength she was hugging me with and me gasping for breath.
"Ack! T-Too tight, too tight! You're crushing me!" I gasped out, Marionette then stopping the hug with a wide smile of excitedness.
"Sorry, I'm just so happy! I've finally made a new friend! And I'm so happy to finally be like this!" Marionette smiled... and it was then that I felt a presence among us.
"I'm so happy for you, Marionette..." the voice said, me looking around and then seeing a small shimmer of light from behind Marionette, but I couldn't see who it was. Why? Because it was daytime.
"Marion... I'm finally a mortal. I'm so happy!" the doll smiled widely.
"And so am I, my friend... I want to ask you, brave Celestrian, for a request," the ghostly ball said, me nodding at that.
"I'm all ears," I smiled.
"Well, I'm grateful to you, Allears," Marionette said, me smacking myself in the face.
"Um, it's a figure of speech... call me Drake," I said, her then giggling.
"Drake the Celestrian... tell everyone in Bloomingdale that Marion Bloom is going to be going on a journey with you and your friends... and Marionette... you will finally be freed from pretending to be me... all I ask is that you never return to Bloomingdale..." Marion said, that making Marionette look at her in confusion.
"B-But then I wouldn't see you again," she gasped.
"No, that's not true... I will always be watching over you... even if you can't see me, I'll always be by your side... you are free to be your own self... and know that I will always be your true friend," Marion said before her spirit then glowed even brighter and, in its place, a hunk of Benevolescence appeared.
"I'm going to be going on a journey with you, mister Drake... I want to grant her last wish and be my own self," Marionette smiled.
"Maybe we should wait to have you use the name Marionette until after we leave Bloomingdale, then. We don't want to confuse everyone, after all," I said, her nodding as I then collected the Benevolescence and we met back with the rest of our group, who were waiting outside the living room along with the other two visitors.
"So? How'd it go?" Veronica asked us.
"We talked a bit, and we decided that Marion would join us in our adventures. As for everything else, I'll only tell you once we've gotten on the boat and away from this pla-" I was about to say... before the bells started to ring at the church. And they were ringing in a very bad manner.
"Oh crud! The alarm's been sounded! What's going on?" one of the visitors gasped, us then going outside the mansion as the mayor was inside of the belfry of the church.
"Red Alert! Red Alert! We have a situation, everyone!" the mayor shouted. "We've got trouble in the Bad Cave to the north! The Tyrantula within is going to start spawning! If it isn't dealt with in the next 24 hours, we're going to be doomed by even more giant spiders! We need help, and we need it now!" he shouted, me then gulping. The Tyrantula... during my first playthrough of the game, I was stuck on that boss for a whole month! I looked at the others with seriousness afterwards.
"Sorry, but it looks like we're going to need to go take a slight detour to this Bad Cave. I can't very well let this city get invaded by man-eating spiders! Let's go spider hunting, guys!" I said, Marionette looking at me in confusion.
"What's a spider? And can I help out?" she asked, that making the two visitors look at her in shock, but I smiled.
"Can you be willing to get your hands dirty from fighting monsters? Because we need to defeat monsters in order to get to the Tyrantula, I'm sure," I said.
"You can't be serious, Drake! She's a dainty rich girl, and you want her to be put in danger?" Carly asked me in shock, but Marionette smiled.
"I want to help my friend, though! I'm coming with you, weather you like it or not! I want to repay his kindness," Marionette said as we then rushed out of town... and I sure had a whole heck of a lot to explain to all of them.