In-Between Rumors
Have you heard? There lives a witch deep within the Woods of Nahe.
Legends say the Witch of Nahe has been around long before Primp Town was founded. Only spoken tales exist to certify her existence, but none have ever seen her true form. What does she look like? A crone? A maiden? Something beyond your wildest dreams?
Some say she is beautiful when she cries. Her haunting voice wails into the night, piercing through the velvet sky. She is forlorn, but none have gathered the courage to ask why she sobs. She is too powerful, too pained to listen to reasoning and conjecture.
As the centuries passed with loneliness as her morbid companion, she is believed to be mad. Her mind is corrupt, and her heart is broken. Ravaged by agonizing years of isolation, the witch may tempt her guests to come inside her abode, and you will never leave once those crooked doors slam shut.
They say if you find her home made of twisted bark and roots, she will ask you what happened to her world. If you cannot answer, then she will strike you down in an instant. No one will find your flesh. You'll just be another victim of the unknown witch.
"Well, that's the dumbest story I've ever heard, Tarutaru!"
Amitie flicked her head up, a trickle of drool clinging to her lips. She looked around, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. She was sitting in her classroom, evidently haven fallen asleep during her break period. Yawning, Amitie stretched, and her back cracked.
Directing her attention to the source of the yelling, Amitie found Raffina and Tarutaru standing in the hallway. Raffina stood on her tiptoes, fists balled at her sides as she glared up at Tarutaru. Furrowing his brow, Tarutaru insisted he was telling the truth, and Raffina scoffed. Curiosity seized Amitie, and she flounced over to the doorway, cheerfully greeting her friends.
"Oh, hello, Amitie. Did you enjoy your drooling slumber?" Raffina sneered, crossing her arms.
Amitie chuckled, quickly rubbing her mouth. "Yep! I had a great dream about-"
"Amitie, you've heard of the Witch of Nahe, right?" Tarutaru asked, knocking into Raffina and pushing her aside.
Raffina grunted and steadied herself. Rubbing her forearm, she snapped, "Watch it, Tarutaru! I could've been bowled over!"
Tarutaru mumbled his apology and pressed his fingers together. Asking Amitie again if she heard about the witch, he groaned when Amitie simply tilted her head.
"Is there really a witch in the woods?" Amitie asked, breaking into a broad grin. "Goody! If she's a witch, then she must be a great magic user!"
"Oh, don't be silly." Raffina shook her head at Amitie's presumptive thought. Cocking her hip out, she crossed her arms. "In fact, because I've never heard of this supposed 'legend,' then it must not be true. If there was really such a powerful witch, then wouldn't the entire town know of her? Wouldn't they want to stop her if she becomes hostile?"
"It's been three hundred years since her last sighting," Tarutaru insisted, "because she only came to Primp Town once! The legends say she came at night and called out the name of her beloved, but when he didn't answer, she sunk back into the shadows of the forest. After that, there's been no sightings."
"Oh, just now, why did your vocabulary become so flowery? It sounds cheesy to me!" Raffina laughed, tossing her head back, and Tarutaru reddened, blurting out that he was being honest.
Amitie hummed as Tarutaru persisted with his belief in the witch to the unimpressed Raffina. While Amitie had never heard about the specific rumors, she remembered Ms. Accord teaching her class all about Primp Town's greatest magicians. While she was not exactly paying attention, a smidgen of the lesson clung to her memories.
Like Tarutaru said, Amitie recalled Ms. Accord discussing a sorceress with an potent aura, one which frightened the villagers of Primp Town's earliest days to remain inside their cabins. As the night stretched on with no one making a sound, the alleged witch ambled throughout the unpaved streets. She had slammed her fists on the cabin doors, crying out the names of her lost ones. Afterwards, the witch was never seen again, and no one saw her true form. Some alleged she was a demon, but the notion of her being a miserable witch remained as the solemn truth for years to come.
"Actually, yeah! I know what you're talking about, Tarutaru," Amitie said, snapping her fingers, and Raffina gasped as Amitie reminded her about Ms. Accord's lecture.
Quickly shutting her mouth, Raffina straightened and asked, "So, it's true? If Ms. Accord says so, perhaps it is."
"That's what I've been saying this whole time," Tarutaru huffed, crossing his arms.
"But goody! Do you guys think this witch is still around?" Amitie gushed, raising her fists to her chest.
Tarutaru scratched his head. "Well, unfortunately, like I said, no one has ever encountered her. Even in the past, she was just a voice and had a really strange and strong aura. No one's caught a glimpse of her."
"And if any did, then they certainly aren't around anymore." Raffina smirked, jerking her attention to Amitie. "Hey, Amitie, let's find this witch. If she's a really powerful witch, then meeting and battling her would make excellent training for a gorgeous, powerful maiden like myself."
Tarutaru itched his cheek, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. "Uh, would the witch even wanna come out of hiding just for you, Raffina?"
"Of course!" Raffina wrapped her arm around Amitie and pulled her closer. "I'll be needing a neutral party, so Amitie will be coming with me. Since you don't want to believe in me, Tarutaru, you can stay behind, and I'll fill you in on the most beautiful battle of Raffina and the Witch of Nahe!"
Before Amitie could protest, Raffina spun her around and began shoving her out the door. She caught Tarutaru's flimsy wave, wondering she was getting herself into as Raffina blathered about locating the witch as quickly as possible.
She only half-listened to Raffina as she was dragged out towards the forest. Her thoughts swirled with a mixture of eagerness and awe. If she were to really meet a great sorceress such as the Witch of Nahe, then she wondered if the witch was willing to impart some magical knowledge upon them. With centuries of experience, the witch must have mastered spells beyond Amitie's imagination.
Amitie beamed as they arrived at the Woods of Nahe. The taller trees towered over them, casting shadows along the earth and covering the girls. Raffina huffed, mumbling that she hoped any mosquitoes weren't around as she fanned her face. Sunlight split through the crevices of heavy leaves, and the humid air consumed them as they stepped into the forest. A swarm of insects swarmed through the shrubbery, their buzzing overpowering Amitie's thoughts. Regardless of the bugs, the forest's natural scent of pine and honeysuckle calmed her.
"Honestly! Tarutaru should have picked a different day to start such a rumor. It's way too hot to look for some old witch," Raffina said, lifting her nose to the sky and marching down a dirt path. She yelped as a flying beetle rushed for her face, and she swatted it with a well-timed slap, launching it into the dirt. Squishing it, she stomped it to bloody pieces and whined, "And these bugs are going to get annoying really fast! Can't they go bother someone else?"
Leaping over a few displaced tree roots, Amitie frowned and replied, "But you're the one who wanted to look for the witch in the first place. You can't blame Tarutaru or the bugs." She snickered, crossing her arms and skipping up to Raffina, her finger nearly touching the other girl's nose. "Besides, don't you wanna become stronger at magic if we find her? She can teach us stuff that not even Ms. Accord might know."
Raffina swallowed her pride and sputtering retort, a streak of scarlet staining her cheeks. Glaring away from Amitie, she hissed, "A maiden never backs down on her claims, but she can most certainly complain if the circumstances suddenly become nettlesome."
Amitie threw back her head and guffawed even as Raffina snarled at her to be quiet. She knew Raffina was a bit hypocritical, but hearing her complain after making bold proclamations always made her laugh. She wrapped her arms behind her back, scanning the forest ahead as Raffina grumbled, fanning herself and mumbling about her skin care regime.
Spotting a wooden cottage up ahead, Amitie recognized it as Oshare Bones' store. Grinning, Amitie wondered aloud if he might know anything about the witch. Hearing Raffina agree, Amitie trotted off towards his abode.
Amitie rapped her knuckles on his door, calling, "Oshare, are you home? It's me! Amitie!"
A delighted cry resounded from within the shop. The door ripped open, and there stood Oshare Bones, a pink, linen dress in his hand. His bright grin gleamed, but it faded once he noticed Raffina.
"Hello, Amitie. It seems you brought..." Oshare took in a breath. "...my least favorite customer. How totally dreadful."
Amitie shifted her gaze between Oshare and Raffina as she entered the store, finding both of them glowering at each other and asked, "Uh, what's up now?"
"Well, this petty skeleton couldn't handle my criticism about his most recent fashion line and banned me from his store." Raffina brushed lint of her shoulder, smirking at the collection of Oshare's designer shorts resting on a nearby table.
"I wouldn't accept your criticism because you had nothing good to say! It was all, 'this is bad' or 'this is bland.' You never mentioned anything about the designs, the colors, the fabric, or anything useful," Oshare spat, waving at the door. "So, make like trash, and throw yourself out, you little toad."
Raffina clenched her fists and stomped towards the skeleton. "Do you wanna Puyo battle me? Is that it? The winner of this match will-!"
"Oh, um, hey, I have a question!" Amitie shot her hand into the air, and Oshare relaxed, turning to her with a sigh. Scratching her neck, Amitie asked, "So, we heard a rumor about the Witch of Nahe, and since you live here, we were wondering if you knew anything about her. Whatever you can tell us will really help."
As if her question was the catalyst of destruction, Oshare deflated. His bombastic personality dropped along with the dress he was holding. It crumbled to the floor, wrinkling, and the metal coat hanger clattered, sounding like a bomb to Amitie.
The rare seriousness he possessed startled the girls. They exchanged a wary glance, unsure of how to proceed until Oshare cleared his throat. He quickly snatched the dress and smoothed it between his bony fingers. Setting it aside on a nearby counter, Oshare raised his shoulders, took in a breath, and seemed ready to collapse.
"You two are really investigating the witch? I wouldn't recommend that," he said, graveness tinting his voice, but he broke into a sudden smile. "And with that out of the way, dear Amitie, I have this dress right here that would look grand on you! It's-"
"Not so fast, buster!" Amitie proclaimed, her grin cemented on her face. "Do you know about the witch?"
He sucked down a breath, glancing away. His behavior made Raffina's eyebrow raise, and she smirked, cocking out her hip.
"He most certainly does. If he's acting this suspicious, then there's no reason to doubt he doesn't," she retorted, laughing victoriously with the back of her hand pressed to her chin.
"You two are just going to badger me until I spill the beans, aren't you?" Oshare folded the dress over his arm, appearing like a regal butler. He tapped his foot, seemingly deep in thought only to sigh. "Fine, fine. If you two are just going to heckle me, then I'll talk."
"Goody!" Amitie rung her hands together, blind to the hesitation in his voice. "Do you know the witch's name? What's she like? Have you met her personally?"
"Too many questions, sweet pea, and for the record, I have met her."
Raffina set her hand to her elbow and touched her cheek with her other hand, asking, "How? What was the meeting like?"
Oshare peered at the floorboards, replying, "It must have been at least three years ago around the time I set up shop. I was closing up, but when I went to shut the door, a hand suddenly sprung out and grabbed the door." He shuddered. "I thought I was being assaulted, but when I saw her, she appeared so frail that I had no choice to not let her inside. It'd be cruel if I didn't."
Raffina smirked. "A frail witch? Well, this is disappointing."
"I made her some dinner, and she asked if I could get the stain out of some cloth." Oshare hummed, tapping his finger to his skull. "I can't exactly remember what it was, but the fabric felt so worn down that I feared if I ran it under water, then the whole thing would come to pieces."
"Did she say anything specific?" Amitie asked, tilting her head.
"She mentioned that the cloth was given to her by a friend, one she hadn't seen in a very long time." Oshare lowered his voice. "A friend who was dead for several centuries."
Amitie gasped, her hands shooting over her mouth. Raffina furrowed her brow, her grip on her elbow becoming tight. They waited for Oshare to continue, but he shook his head and sniffled. Amitie was confused; she didn't realize he could produce tears.
"Oh, dear, she was such a sorrowful girl. She looked like she was just barely older than you two, but she suffered so tremendously." Oshare crossed his arms. "She was so thankful when I got the dirt of her cloth, and she even gave me some strange coins."
"Do you still have the coins?" Raffina asked.
Oshare nodded, heading over to his cash register and commenting he kept them safe. He opened it, the loud ringing echoing in the otherwise silent shop. He fished around among a few bills before collecting three rusted coins, each containing slivers of copper and gold etched into them. Amitie marveled over them, extending her hand, and Oshare deposited the coins onto her palm. The rust trickled on her fingers, but she paid it no mind. She smoothed her thumb against the coarse texture, ignoring Raffina grumbling in disgust. Amitie could make out faded markings, indicative of a language that was lost to time.
As Oshare offered her hand towel, Amitie thanked him and returned the coins. Cleaning her hand, she felt a wave of somberness wash over her. She stared at the remnants of rust between her fingers, watching them faintly glimmer under the fluorescent lights.
If the witch had held onto the coins for hundreds of years, Amitie assumed the witch's homeland no longer existed. The language and currency seemed to belong to another time, one Amitie could not imagine. She pursed her lips, trying to shake off her sadness, but Raffina spoke up, cutting through her thoughts with a knife.
"Hold on. We don't know if you even saw the Witch of Nahe. Is there anything provable that you can discuss with us?" Raffina interjected, her expression firm as Amitie gasped.
"But Raffina, he has no reason to make this up," she replied, and Oshare grumbled.
"Well, as much as I love gossip, I'm not keen on revealing her whole life story," Oshare remarked, but under the oppressive heaviness of Raffina's snarl, he choked up and sputtered, "b-but I guess I can!"
Raffina smiled, all traces of wickedness vanishing. "Thank you. I appreciate your cooperation."
As Amitie huffed at her, Oshare set the dress back onto one of the several racks within the store. He smoothed down his coat, saying, "Now, I also heard the rumors, too, about the sorceress who ran around and pounded on doors. I flat out asked her if she was the Witch of Nahe when I made her dinner, and she had the gall to giggle at me. She said, 'Is that what everyone's saying about me? I was nothing but a waste of space at my school, but having people say that about me is kind of charming.'"
"Wow! That means it's gotta be her, right?" Amitie asked, jerking her attention to Raffina, who frowned, her attention elsewhere.
"She was so totally down on herself that I felt like she was gonna start crying, and guess what? She did. Like the legends say, she cried and cried about her loved ones, all whom were dead and gone." Oshare shut the cash register and then tossed away the cloth he gave to Amitie in a nearby bin. "It was sad, pitiful really, to see her in such a state. I tried to offer her clothes, but she refused. Even though I kept insisting, she said she had to wear her rather ratty outfit."
Amitie stirred, apprehension tickling her stomach. "Why? Your clothes are so nice."
Oshare looked at her, his expression more melancholy than Amitie had ever seen from him. "Because she said it was the only thing she had left to remind her of where she came from."
Raffina raised her eyebrows, murmuring, "That's...tragic. I guess that really explains the legend well. If she lost everything, then it makes perfect sense on why she seems like such a crybaby."
"Yeah, that's really, really awful. I can't even imagine it." Amitie's eyes welled up with tears blurring her vision, and Raffina offered her a handkerchief from her pocket. Quickly wiping her eyes, she thanked Raffina.
"Now, I don't know if the witch is still around, but you shouldn't go looking for her. The other half of those rumors say she's violent when angered, you know," Oshare said, and he swept his arm at his array of clothing. "Instead, let's dress you up, Amitie! I've got the latest and stylish dresses made custom for you."
"Sorry, Oshare, but I really have to meet the witch now, and I promise that I'll definitely come back tomorrow!" Amitie exclaimed, bouncing in place, her hat wobbling as she jumped. "Maybe Raffina and I can talk to her, and we can bring the witch out of her funk. She sounds like she could use some new friends after so many years of loneliness, right, Raffina?"
"Well, I still want to battle her regardless of what she told Oshare. She may claim that she isn't as good as the rumors make her out to be, but that could just be self-deprecation," Raffina replied, "and ladies shouldn't demean themselves under any conditions! They should be bold and resolute while also maintaining their feminine charms. Oh, la ti da!"
"Like you have any charms," Oshare sneered as Raffina chortled.
"If I wasn't in such a good mood, then I'd really teach you some manners," she snapped, and she pivoted, ordering Amitie to follow her.
As Raffina pushed open the door, Amitie waved goodbye to Oshare. He called out for Amitie to be safe, and she grinned, shutting the door behind her. Oshare lowered his hand to his chest, wishing he could just whistle away all his worries. Settling with a sigh, Oshare went back to organizing his dresses.
She wasn't supposed to come back. She was supposed to remained trapped in the void in-between the remnants of their universe all for the sole protection of the harmony he created.
As Amitie and Raffina learned about the witch from Tarutaru, Satan flew through dimensions. The black hole he was warping through felt like it was taking far too long, but he had to be patient. He already learned such a virtue during his process of remaking everything as he needed to maintain equilibrium and harmony in a world of inhabitants who never questioned their past.
Violets and grays shot by him. Flashes of colors burned like supernovas and exploded in a final blast before burning out of existence. He saw glimpses of other worlds in mirrored fragments with strange creatures and solemn environments. Worlds torn apart by war passed his vision while he caught sight of places of love and unity.
He wished he could have touched those worlds, transforming his playground into one of those kinder places, but he had his silent duty. Everything needed to remain the same. If even one little detail was out of place, his entire universe could collapse underneath his feet, sending him spiraling into an endless void, one he was certain she faced every waking moment of her life until Ecolo rescued her.
He remembered welcoming the doppelganger to his world out of his pity. His mistake had caused her mind and heart to shatter, and he was surprised to find she was even still alive. Although she was the original Arle, or at least part of the original, she was not the right one for his world. If she arrived, speaking of the truth, he knew everything would end in an instant.
Satan could already hear the screaming of his world's people. In his internal scenario, he imagined their denial as the doppelganger took pleasure in ripping them to shreds, especially lapping up Arle's distress like a fine wine. Arle was like a delicious meal that the doppelganger would rip her teeth into and savor each taste of Arle's despair.
He had already lost everything once. He was not willing to let it all slip through his fingers like grains of sand again. Even if it was part of his fabrication, they were all the same. He ensured they all remained the way as they lived before. Maybe he had enhanced some bits of their personalities by mistake such as Rulue's obsessiveness or Draco's gullibility, but they were still the ones he had come to know.
"Hey, hey, Satan, come on! You're going way too fast!"
Satan sighed, his wings flapping as he continued pushing forward. He had no time for Ecolo's whining. They already troubled him enough by allowing the doppelganger a chance to invade his world.
"Hey, Edgy Prince! Cool your jets! I just wanna talk! Am I really so annoying that you'd just ignore little old me? The most innocent and happiest space-time traveler?"
Telling himself to ignore Ecolo, Satan continued flying only for his leg to suddenly be yanked. A harsh yelp split through his fangs, and he nearly toppled into another world. His wings rapidly fluttered, keeping him afloat as Ecolo clung to his leg.
Beaming up at Satan, Ecolo asked, "So, what's your big scheme?"
"Release me or face a world of pain, little..." Satan paused. "...blob."
"I prefer gremlin since blob implies I'm super big and fat," Ecolo replied, releasing Satan and floating next to him.
Satan flipped his hair out of his eyes, the whipping pull of gravity tugging them towards Ringo's world. Lying on his side as the vortex took control of their bodies, Satan replied, "I'm going to handle this matter once and for all. Stay out of my way, but be reassured that I will not be going after the denizens of your favorite world."
"Well, how kind of you!" Ecolo gushed, the corners of their lips turning upwards in a sickening grin.
Satan narrowed his eyes, murmuring, "You're planning something of your own, aren't you? You've possessed Arle in the past and nearly drowned the world of Suzuran in Puyos. What is your game in all this?"
Ecolo shrugged, casting a glance at a fragment containing the world of Primp Town. As Amitie and Raffina exclaimed they would seek the witch, they grinned and replied, "Just boredom."
"There's more to it. I'm not blind." Satan raised his hand, ebony energy gathering in cloudy wisps between his fingertips.
Yawning, Ecolo waved off Satan's concerns. "I just wanna watch. Besides, I didn't know what you did until Stingy Armor told me." At Satan's bewildered look, they added, "It's a nickname for the other Arle. Was that too hard to figure out, dumb-dumb?"
A flare of indignation flashed in Satan's eyes, but he turned his attention to the end of the portal. Swarming white and blue filled his gaze before the soft sensation of leaves tickled his cheeks. Blinking, Satan experimentally tapped the ground and discovered he was in a tree. Gripping the worn bark, Satan peered down and noted he was in a forest on the outskirts of Suzuran.
"Where is she?" Satan demanded, glaring at Ecolo who hovered next to him.
"Well, I left her with Ringo, but that was about a day ago," Ecolo replied, and Satan's eyes widened.
"You-! A day ago? She could've left! She might already be in my world!" Satan sputtered, the temptation to strangle Ecolo storming across his mind.
"Well, you better get to searching, big guy!" Ecolo sneered, rounding above Satan's head. "If I know Ringo, then I bet she wouldn't just let Stingy Armor go so easily. Let's start looking!"
From his time with Ringo, Satan knew she was a precocious girl. She was intelligent and reasonable, possibly having the skills of a word sleuth to keep the doppelganger at bay. Nodding, Satan decided it was worth it to at least investigate Suzuran before rushing back to his world.
As Satan flew ahead of them, Ecolo grinned. Everything was going as they predicted.