Arle trusts Amitie, Ringo, and Carbuncle with her old, embarrassing name. Requested by a tumblr anon!

Silvana

Her heart pounded against her ribcage. Arle dug her thumb against one of her cuticles, feeling it prick open with a particularly harsh dig. Grimacing, she smoothed down her uneven cuticle, hoping it wouldn't start bleeding.

She had been wondering how Amitie and Ringo would react for some time now. Even though they had endured many battles together and bonded over Puyo, she still worried about what they would do. They were her closest friends, ones she treasured, and she felt like they had been destined to meet. Still, her hesitation prevented her from telling them.

She was comfortable with her new name, but her old one still lingered in her thoughts. At times, she was afraid she'd slip up and tell them the name she abandoned. Not even Carbuncle was aware she had an initial name, calling her 'Arle' without a second thought through his gu-gu-ing

As they sat on the floor and chatted in Ringo's bedroom, Arle decided it was time. Despite the little voice whispering in the back of her head, she knew she could trust them. They had gone through so much together from stopping Ecolo on more than one occasion to helping Ally save her world. Amitie, Ringo, and Carbuncle bravely stood by her side as she defeated Satan for the umpteenth time, and she helped them stop Ex from merging the dimensions.

She thought they deserved to know. No one else had been so earnest and compassionate with her. Carbuncle with his ever-present companionship and Ringo and Amitie sharing their trust, Arle knew they were her treasured friends.

"Hey, guys? Can I tell you something?" she interjected as Ringo showed Amitie her smartphone.

"Gu?" Carbuncle rose from his spot on Ringo's bed, blinking away a few traces of sleep. He bounced into her lap and rubbed his eyes.

"What's up, Arle?" Ringo asked as Amitie tilted her head. She quickly turned her phone on vibrate and set it aside.

She crossed her legs and gnawed on the inside of her mouth. Regret tickled down her back, but she ignored it. "So, uh, did I ever tell you that Arle isn't my actual name?"

"What? It isn't?" Amitie blurted, shock popping up in her eyes.

Carbuncle's mouth flopped open. Arle noticed her own hesitant expression reflecting back in his jewel.

Ringo's eyes widened, perplexed. "Oh, it isn't Arle? Well, that's okay, right?"

"Uh, I mean, yeah! I just…" She chuckled. "...never told anyone my real name. It's really girly and prissy. It doesn't suit me at all."

"But if you don't want to tell us, then you don't have to." Ringo smiled. "Whatever makes you comfortable, Arle."

"Oh, yeah! That's right!" Amitie bobbed her head in agreement. "Your happiness is our happiness, so telling us that your name was Arle must've made you happy, and that makes us happy, too."

Carbuncle quickly climbed onto her shoulder and nuzzled against her temple. "Gugugu! Guu!"

"A-ah! Carby, guys, thanks." She gently pulled him into an embrace and settled him into her lap. "Still, we've been through so much. I think you guys deserve to know."

Ringo nodded. "But only if you're comfortable with telling us. That's what matters."

Taking a breath, Arle creased her lips into a smile. She squared her shoulders and closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms fully around Carbuncle, whose ears tickled her chin.

"Silvana."

Silence settled around them. Arle swallowed and opened her eyes. Their blank expressions put her on edge. She was tempted to say she was kidding when their lips started curling into their cheeks.

Amitie broke first, a peal of laughter squealing out from the back of her throat. Ringo covered her mouth and chuckled into her palm. Carbuncle wiggled around and flailed his tiny limbs, his laughter particularly harsh.

"H-hey! Don't make fun of me!" Arle demanded, a hint of a whine in her voice.

"S-sorry, sorry, it's just-! You're right. It's a really girly name for a heroine," Amitie said, waving her hands.

"Gu! Guuu gugugu!" Carbuncle laughed so hard that a few tears trickled down the sides of his face.

"Well, gee, thanks for making me feel good about sharing my old name, everyone," Arle grumbled, glaring at the floor.

Ringo tittered and coughed. She quickly cleared her throat and set her fist to her chin, saying, "Sorry about that. I guess it was such a shock to hear such a feminine name that we just all started laughing." Sighing, she patted Arle's knee. "Thanks for trusting us with that information, Arle. We'll all keep it to ourselves, right, Amitie, Carbuncle?"

"That's right! It'll be our secret! No one else will know." Amitie pinched her thumb and forefinger together, dragging them across her lips.

"Gu!" Carbuncle jumped out of Arle's lap and rocked his head back and forth.

Furrowing her brow, Arle relaxed and smiled. Revealing her name hadn't been as stressful as she thought it would be. She patted Ringo's hand and took Amitie's, their warmth treasurable. As Carbuncle hugged her, she found herself grateful to have such kind, considerate friends.

"Gugugu gu gugu!"

"Wh-what? No, Carby, you can't tease me about my name or I won't give you curry tonight!"

"Guuuu!"

"Don't stick your tongue out at me!"