Walking though the forest, the first thing you notice is a loud voice.
"STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!" the voice cries out, over and over.
Following the sound, you reach a small clearing and see that a young woman in a plain skirt is nervously wringing her hands while watching from a distance as a young man is currently in the middle of throwing a temper tantrum.
"Is there a problem?" you ask.
The young woman quickly turns around, started by your interruption.
"O-oh! I… I… um… this might be a bit hard to explain…"
"I can see that. I assume that it has something to do with your friend, and it's bothering you because you know there's something on his mind but he doesn't want to share it?"
"I… yes." says the woman, her face becoming quite crestfallen. "It's just that… he's a very kind person and a very good friend, not matter how hard he tries to hide it. It's why I trust him, and it's why our friends do as well. I just wish that Siffrin knew that he could trust us, that he could me…"
Because he won't, not because he can't.
"Mind if I have a word with him?"
"Huh? Why?" the woman asks, mildly dubious of a stranger who would offer to get involved in a personal affair without prompting.
"If he won't talk to someone he knows very well because he doesn't want to hurt them, maybe he'll be willing to talk to someone he's never met before. And besides, reaching out to help people in need is the right thing to do, regardless of what your job title is."
You share a quiet look, from one hero to another.
Because even across dimensions, some things are practically universal, especially when it comes to friendship and heroism.
The young woman looks between her friend and yourself, and quietly nods.
She turns around and steps toward the trees.
You turn your attention to the Traveler, a young Hero known as Siffrin, who currently has a chip on his shoulder.
You have the feeling that it's going to be a rather long five minutes of your life.
It can't be more stressful than the time you confronted the Demon King and banished the Fog from the world.
…
…
…
As you make your approach, you see that Siffrin has gone quiet, opting to curl up into a ball and roll back and forth on the grass.
"Siffrin, was it?"
Siffrin stops rocking, and looks upward in order to glare at your intrusion.
"Who wants to know?"
"A traveler who was passing though, and offered to help someone with their difficult friend."
Siffrin gives you a dour look, and then smirks.
"So, what? You're saying that Mirabelle told you, a random stranger, to get me to spill all my fucking secrets like a pathetic little bitch?"
He's a witty one, but wit only goes so far when there's nothing to back it up.
"You don't have to pretend, you know."
"Hm?"
"This thing you do, where you hide behind irreverent and wit and sarcasm because you're simply too afraid of what will happen if you speak openly and honestly-"
SLAM.
The next thing you know, you are lying on the ground with a stinging left cheek as Siffrin straddles you with a dagger pressed against your neck.
His hand is trembling, and he is breathing quite heavily.
"What the FUCK do you want from me!?"
"Five minutes to have a reasonable conversation, after which you're free to go back to feeling sorry for yourself like the helpless victim you are."
"I… I'M NOT HELPLESS!" Siffrin falls silent. "It's not… I'm not… I… you…" the Traveler slumps, and his grip on the dagger loosens. "Five minutes, and then you'll leave me be?"
"Yes."
"… Okay."
"I'm glad you saw it my way."
You tilt your head down as Siffrin does the same, suddenly noticing the somewhat modest knife that is quite close to touching his ribcage.
Siffrin gives you a wry look.
"There are times when I miss having the Goddess Sword, but that would have been a bit overkill for this situation, regardless."
Siffrin snorts, and you give him a small smile.
…
…
…
"So, you don't trust your friends with the truth?"
"No… I can't tell them what's going on."
"Can't, or won't?"
"Won't implies that I have a choice."
"But you do have-"
"NO, I DON'T. Choices don't fucking matter when you're stuck in a time loop that forces you to re-live your friends' deaths over and over with no end in sight!" Siffrin takes a deep breath. "I've seen them die for who knows how many times. A hundred, a thousand, a million? It's all a blur. It got so bad that I forgot what their names were. Can you imagine how that felt, finally realizing that your acquaintances matter so little to you that your subconscious would do something pathetic like that!?"
"I can imagine that."
Siffrin glares at you.
"Can you?" he remarks. You meet his bitter gaze with a firm one. "Mirabelle, Isabeau, Bonnie, and Odile. Isabeau, Mirabelle, Odile, and Bonnie. Bonnie, Odile, Isabeau, and Mirabelle-"
"Clover, Yuzu, Regent. Yanagi, Kogure, Chloe. Fuzz and… Haru."
It's never a pleasant surprise when you figure out that you've forgotten something.
It results in shame, embarrassment, confusion, and self-loathing.
Plus, about nine times out of ten, you can't remember what it is you've forgotten.
So when you eventually do remember, you recite it in your head, over and over, so that you never lose it again.
"You act like the bonds of 'friendship' actually mean something." Siffrin scoffs.
"But they do mean something."
Siffrin turns away with a shrug.
"When you set out to defeat a terrifying King, demonic, tragic, or otherwise, there are always fears and doubts that eat away at you, not matter what kind of face you show to the outside world. Calm, witty, stoic, aggressive, cheerful… all Heroes have honest doubts at one point or another. That's why folk like us tend to reach out for the people who 'get' it. People who've faced the same hardships as us, people who would move heaven and earth to pull us out of the fire because we'd do the same for them in a heartbeat. You remember what that's like, right? You can't say that that doesn't leave a mark on you."
Siffrin fidgets with the black eyepatch that covers his left eye.
You choose not to comment, and press onward.
"You were stuck in a time loop, and the endless despair ate away at you until you forgot the names of your friends. That's why you've been beating yourself up over it, despite all protests to the contrary. I know… because I probably would have done the same thing in your place. I know… because I once went through something similar."
"Oh, really? You think that your experiences have anything to do with my pain? Do tell."
"Near the end of my journey, I was cursed with a Demon Fog that caused me to forget about everything that led up to that point. Over the course of five minutes, I was terrified because the Demon King seemed to be practically invincible, and while there were many things I didn't remember about my friends, I knew that I had to find some way to keep them all safe from harm, to protect them from the evil that would destroy them all without a second thought."
"…"
"That's how I know what it means to lose everything and scramble to get it all back, because you're not entirely sure if you can fully put your faith in the strange folk who confidently treat you like an old friend and a trusted comrade. I know what that uncertainty feels like, and I know that you do as well."
"…"
"I did forget for a while, but I remembered when it truly mattered, because my friends were that important to me. Just as your friends are that important to you."
"Are you done yet? Because I don't see how a bit of memory loss on your part is supposed to compare to watching my friends die-"
"But I have watched my friends die. They died because of my mistakes and my choices. The Fog messed with my head by making me see every choice I could have made, and I've seen alternate versions of myself that murdered my friends and slaughtered hundreds of innocent people in the name of true evil. To this day, I can still hear their screams, pleas, and angry accusations. All because those versions of me had the freedom to make such terrible choices."
It appears that Siffrin didn't have an appropriate retort for something like that.
You would have been very worried if he did.
"I…"
"The difference between you and me, Siffrin… is that even though we both have our own baggage to deal with, only one of us uses that as excuse to shut out the people who would follow us through hell and back. When the pressure is too much for me to handle, I let my friends know that I need a moment to step back and breath, to find a quiet place to let the pain out. They always give me that space because they know me and they know how I deal with the crushing weight of the world. And then they interrupting my brooding with cheerful smiles and bone-crushing hugs. Because they're my friends-"
"Shut up."
You turn to look at Siffrin.
"Shut up, shut up! SHUT UP! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME OR MY LIFE! MY PAIN! MY SUFFERING! MY ENDLESS AGONY!"
Siffrin's expression… his mouth is curled into a snarl, and his eyes narrowed with repressed feeling.
"I don't know everything about you… but I know enough to say this. I can't force you to change your ways. I can't force you to stop relying on sarcasm, wit, and playing pretend because you won't acknowledge that it's okay to feel pain and admit to experiencing any sort of weakness, for any number of reasons. You could say that this is the sort of thing you deserve, and maybe you'd be right. But think about Mirabelle, Isabeau, Bonnie, and Odile. Is this what they deserve?"
"I…"
His rage falters, and you take a deep breath.
…
…
…
You've been blessed with a lot of wonderful people in your life.
A young priest who was quiet and shy, but also strong and kind.
A rough, hot-headed bard with a big mouth and a burning passion that pushed you to go further and further.
A clumsy martial artist with a positive attitude that would never give up on anyone, no matter what mistakes they might make.
A dependable merchant with an unshakable will and a big heart.
A genius scholar who would never stop searching for ways to help people, if only in the little ways.
A nervous ninja who pushed himself to overcome his fears and doubts when the chips were down.
A fearless rival whose strength and drive inspired others, while pushing you to inspire him as well.
And a compassionate, self-sacrificing friend who would bear the weight of the world on her shoulders alone so that everyone else would live happy lives full of peace and contentment.
That's why you know how important it is to have friends that lift you up, keep you centered, and push you forward.
You have friends that you can trust with the future.
And so does he.
A jolly protector with a soul that is loyal, steadfast and true.
A little sibling who never stopped pushing to cheer his family up.
An observant researcher with a practical nature that belied a caring heart.
And a kind savior who never stopped believing in hope and salvation… and the strength of the bond between true friends.
…
…
…
And so, another long five minutes comes to an end.
Leaving Siffrin to think about the path forward, you find a quiet tree with a small alcove to watch from afar.
Mirabelle comes back into the clearing, and she carefully approaches Siffrin.
He brushes her aside with an apathetic expression and a twist of the mouth.
She reaches out, and he pulls away.
She begins to talk with passion, gesturing wildly.
He begins to talk with even more passion, gesturing furiously.
And then, his face falters… and he begins to sob.
She begins to sob as well, and embraces him.
Three more people enter the clearing.
The Fighter, Isabeau; the Researcher, Odile; and the Kid, Bonnie.
The three of them are startled to see their sobbing companions, but not for long.
For they all rush over to offer tearful hugs as well.
Nodding, you turn away and begin following the long path forward... towards your friends and beyond.
You're not certain of what the future holds for you or your fellow Heroes.
It's ominous, terrifying, imposing, unthinkable, impossible, and very, very scary.
But regardless of what it holds, you will always remember that it can be overcome with your trusted friends by your side.
The darkness can be beaten back, because the light is stronger than most believe it to be.
And you hope that Siffrin will remember that as well.
If only for their sake.
