When the doors close, Ally fears she'll never see Arle again, but the voice coming from behind her soothes her heartbreak. Requested by a tumblr anon!

Storybook Ending

"Sayonara!"

Ally waved with both hands, her farewell echoing in the castle. The smiling faces of her friends vanished among the throng of starlight and comets, the dimensional doors closing and encasing her in silence. She stood perfectly still, her smile etched on her face, and she waited, the distant chirping of crickets and cicadas whispering through the windows.

Dropping her hands, Ally hung her head. She had gained so many friends along her journey. All sorts of kind, mischievous, and oddball companions came her way and out of her life with the simple closing of doors.

She swallowed a heavy breath. She knew that she couldn't ask them to stay. They had their own worlds and lives beyond that of her realm. She had thought of joining them, but she had her world to protect and rights to wrong now that she and Rafisol were connected.

Ally could accept everyone leaving except for one person. The heroine who had touched her heart and left her aching for love, the one who had accepted her right away and strove to protect her, Ally longed for her hand once more.

"Arle," she whispered, a subdued haunting in her voice. She staggered away to a pointed window, catching sight of the evening moon casting fine rays onto the forest and distant villages. Clutching the windowsill, she saw Arle's face imprinted in the moon's crevices, forming her tiny dimples and burning gaze, features that captivated Ally.

Resting her hand to her cheek, she grimaced. Her heart panged, and she gripped her shirt, squeezing tightly. It was a far worse pain than anything Rafisol enacted. The agonizing hole left in her heart from her beloved leaving, it was a pinpricking torment that slowly grew as she wondered how or if they would meet again.

Certainly, they had vowed to come together. Ally said they would all reunite one day, but the schism tormenting her heart sneered otherwise. She had lost Arle the moment the doors closed. As soon as goodbye slipped past her lips, she was gone for good.

Ally sniffled and pressed her palms over her eyes. Dry hiccups tortured her throat. She knew she should have been happy that everyone was safe and sound as they went home, but she wanted Arle with her.

She fell in love with her heroine, and despite proclaiming her love for everything, she never said those three sacred words to her.

Falling in love with Arle hadn't been hard. Her bravery and boldness, her sense of adventure and magic, her style and wit, it was all love at first sight. Every attribute she exhibited Ally loved. How she handled situations, how she mastered Puyo battles and sorcery, how she could take down powerful beings like Satan, Lagnus, and Rafisol, it made her heart swell and burn with adoration.

The kindness she gave only to her, that sincere, sweet smile gracing her face meant only for her, it was enough to make Ally feel like she would boil over.

Sucking in a harsh breath forced her tears to reside. She gnawed on her lower lip and clenched her fingers into her palm so tightly that her fingernails dug into her skin. The distance between herself and her beloved, it was far too great and continued jabbing into her heart, a pain far worse than anything she ever endured.

"Arle, Arle," she crooned, bending forward and screwing her eyes shut, "I miss you already."

"You don't need to miss me anymore!"

She gasped, tears flicking off her eyelashes, shimmering like small pearls. The voice shouting out behind her sounded too familiar and false. It was like a daydream coming to life, a scene she thought would be part of a cozy fantasy. She almost didn't think it was true until a hand gently set on her shoulder.

"I came back for you."

Ally turned, her vision a kaleidoscope. She made out splotches of honey auburn and pure blue, but the dimples and eyes were just as she knew. She threw her arms out, a cry slipping out of her faster than she could stop herself, and she toppled to the floor, sending her beloved with her.

"Arle! Arle, you're here!" she cried, burying her face into her chest plate. She shook her head, almost disbelieving the pine, yet spicy scent belonging to her.

"I couldn't leave you behind. I just..." Arle gently brushed through her hair. "...really wanted to be with you."

"But..." She raised her head. "...what about the others? Where is-eh?"

Floating above them was none other than Ecolo waiting by a dimensional door. They yawned into their palm and stretched their limbs. Catching eyes with her, they broke into a smile and waved.

"I convinced Ecolo to let me come back. They owed me after a certain...debacle," Arle said, leering over at them.

"Heeey, I apologized for possessing you," they whined, crossing their arms. "You should be happy I brought you back to your girlfriend, so...get over it, 'kay?"

Ally rolled over and sat up. As Arle followed her lead, she asked, "But why did you come back? Shouldn't you be with the others?"

"I really didn't want to leave you behind, so I asked Amitie if she could look after Carby for me, and I think all the trouble where I'm from is gonna be minimal for a while." She giggled. "Even Satan and the rest of them need a break after this." Arle grasped her hand and brought it to her lips, gently kissing her knuckles. Looking up, she smiled. "But what I wanna ask is are you okay with this? Because I know that I'm more than okay being with you."

The tears welling in her eyes gave Arle the answer she needed. Ally clung to her once again, laughing and rolling on the floor with her beloved. They nestled together, their foreheads and noses touching. Lacing their fingers together, they stayed there on the marble floor and gazed into each other's eyes.

At last, the the heroine and her princess were together as the final page turned.

"Well, isn't this is a storybook ending," Ecolo teased, opening the door and vanishing. Grinning over their shoulder as the door closed, they watched them stand and leave together hand in hand, a happy ending fully achieved.