Chapter 23 – Secret Soul
As we started carrying the Red Puyo Soul back the way we came, we saw the Lor Starcutter flying our way and landed right in front of us.
"Hey, guys. Looks like you got the second Puyo Soul." Magolor said. Gooey was next to him waving his tongue at us, as his way of saying "hello".
"Yeah. And for real this time." Raffina said.
"We had to fight Dubior in order to get it." Adeleine added.
"Dubior? How did he get it?"
"Apparently, he just found the shiny rock lying around. And he was really stubborn about handing it over."
"Shiny rock?"
"That's what he kept calling it." Ringo said.
"Wait, you understood what he was saying?"
"Well, not all of us. Just Lidelle."
"*giggle* Yeah, I have a special talent where I can understand any language that's ever known. It really comes in handy." Lidelle said while rubbing the back of her head and praising herself.
"I see. That's pretty impressive, Lidelle."
"Uh…hey, guys. Do you think we can hurry this up? This thing's really heavy." I said.
"Oh, right. Of course. Step on board and we'll head over to the entrance."
"Yes! Finally!"
I was truly excited. We were finally going to go Another Dimension, and I was finally going to learn the secrets of my Red Puyo Hat. Why did it turn into a copy of me? Why did it try to destroy me twice already? Why does it not want us to collect the Puyo Souls? And more importantly…
…
…Just what is it planning?
We all got on the ship and me and Raffina placed the Red Puyo Soul next to the Green one. We both then joined up with the others as Magolor was making preparations for the trip.
"Alright. That should do it. Is everyone ready to go?" Magolor asked.
"Um…w-well…" I stuttered.
"What's wrong, Ami?" Misuki asked me.
"Well…it's just…I'm about to learn some of the deepest and possibly darkest secrets about my life. That hat is…or was…a huge part of me. What if I learn something that I wasn't supposed to know? Or maybe that I didn't need to know? This is like a huge step into my life…and honestly, I'm a little scared."
"I understand how you feel, Amitie." Arle said. "When I found out that there were multiple doppelgängers of me roaming around my world, I didn't know what to think. I was lost, confused, and I felt like I didn't know myself at all. I started questioning everything about my life, including my existence. But I didn't let it get me down. I used that revealed secret to my advantage and went on to be not only a great and powerful magic user, but to be the one true Arle Nadja."
What Arle said really affected me. To think she went through such an event in her life that made her question her existence, and she got over that and kept going. It truly inspired me. Inspired me enough to continue on with my curiousness for my hat. I want to know its secrets so that I can use them to finally achieve my dream.
To become a wonderful magician.
"Thanks, Arle. That really helped." I said.
"No problem, Amitie. Just helping out a friend." Arle replied with a smile.
"Alrighty then! Let's get going!"
"Poyo poyo!" Kirby cheered with me.
"Alright! Everyone hang on!" Magolor said.
And with a push of a button, the Lor Starcutter lifted back into the air and started flying through the sky. Midway through, it shot some kind of laser ahead and it formed the star-shaped portal we took to first come to Dream Land. We went inside the portal and traveled through the same galaxy-likeness to get to Another Dimension.
The place of my secrets.
Edge of the Universe - Another Dimension
We soon came out the portal and all around us was just deep blue space. We could see silhouettes of other areas in Dream Land. Most of them were ones we haven't been to yet.
We had to fly around these purple and yellow-ish walls and floors and some had these weird creatures on them. There were green ones that rested on the floors and walls, small winged purple ones that swarmed in groups, and bigger red-winged ones that shot energy balls at us. Dodging those made the ride a bit shaky, and I was feeling a bit nauseous.
But as I started regaining myself, I noticed something about these things…
"Hey, guys. Don't these things look familiar?" I asked.
"You know now that I look at them, they kinda do." Arle said.
"You guys see it too, right?" I asked Ringo and Raffina.
"Yeah, I see it too." Ringo said.
"They definitely look familiar." Raffina said.
"Well, that's because these things are called Doomers." Adeleine said.
"Doomers?" The four of us said.
"They live here in Another Dimension. And the reason they look so familiar is because of the one you saw when you guys first came here."
I had to think about it for a second. It's been kinda a while since we've came to Dream Land. A couple days, to be exact. But I did remember that day. And everything that happened on it. Including…
"Wait…you mean that Sphere Doomer? It came from here?" I asked.
"Yep. This is their home. And they're probably attacking us because we're invading it."
"Oh, geez. Now I feel really bad." Lidelle said.
"Don't worry, Lidelle. As long as we don't fight back, they won't bother us anymore." Ribbon said.
"Really? That works?"
"Yep. That way, everyone will be fine."
"sigh. That's a relief."
"I know, right? Being in a battle with these things can be rather scary."
"Glad we have to do that."
"Same here."
The two then high-fived each other while letting out some laughs and giggles.
Now these two have a lot in common…
"Speaking of which…where did that Sphere Doomer go anyway?" Ringo asked.
"I had Doomie go out and do a little favor for me. He'll be back soon." Magolor said.
"I-I see." Ringo's nervousness was showing again.
"In the meantime, we're about to land soon. I found the spot where this information is supposed to be."
"Really? How'd you do that?" Adeleine asked.
"Well…you'll see when we land."
"Okay…" Adeleine didn't know what he meant by that, so she just went with it.
When we landed, we were standing on the same purple and yellow-ish floor we saw while flying and we looked around the place known as Another Dimension.
There wasn't that much to look at.
But it was still pretty.
"Woah. So this is Another Dimension. It's…really amazing to look at, despite there being barely anything to look at." I said.
"There's stuff to look at. You're just not looking hard enough."
"Huh?"
We looked ahead in the distance to see Marx heading towards us. I didn't think he would be here. Especially since he said he'll take us here in the first place.
"Marx! There you are, you little runt! Why'd you ditch us like that without a care in the world?!" Adeleine shouted.
"Hey, hey, hey. No need for yelling. I was just doing you guys a favor."
"A favor?" I asked.
"Yep. I knew how badly you wanted to come here, Amitie. So I took it upon myself to guide you guys here once you got through the portal. A stroke of genius, I know."
"Marx and I agreed on this shortly after you came back from the Mirror World. We didn't tell anyone because we didn't want to jinx it." Magolor added.
"I see. Well, it worked out in the end. So thank you for doing this, Marx." I said.
"No problem, Amitie."
"Yeah, Marx. You were actually useful for once." Adeleine said.
"Yeah. Congratulations." Raffina added.
"I'm going to pretend those were words of gratitude." Marx sounded insulted.
"So where's this spot with all the writing?" I asked.
"Right this way. Just follow me."
We followed Marx deeper inside the area and the walls now had some kind of mini-galaxy inside them. I wondered if they took us to other universes. But when I asked Marx that, he chuckled and said that I watch too many sci-fi movies.
Well, it's not my fault Ringo got me into those…
Minutes later, we reached the end of the path and in front of us was a giant galaxy wall with shooting stars running across it. Much like the other walls here, it was pretty to look at. But it being pretty didn't change the fact that there was no writing about my hat here. And I was starting to feel cheated.
"Hey, hey, hey. That's weird. The writing was here when I was here." Marx said.
"Did they disappear at some point?" Arle asked.
"Maybe you have to make them reappear again." Misuki suggested.
"But how can you do that?" Maguro asked.
"You must use your power…to reveal the secret."
"H-Huh? W-Who said that?" Ringo asked.
Wait. That voice…
I looked around the area to find the owner of the voice. I knew who I was looking for, and it didn't take long for me to find the person standing on one of the surround pillars.
"Dark Meta Knight!" I shouted.
"So you finally got here huh, Amitie? And you've gotten stronger since our last battle. Impressive, to say the least."
"N-No way! H-How did you get out of the Dimensional Mirror?!" Adeleine asked in shock.
"I have my ways that need no concern right now. You wish to know the secrets of your Red Puyo Hat, right?"
"Yeah, I do. What do I have to do? Battle you again?" I asked.
Dark Meta Knight just let out a small quick chuckle before answering.
"Well, I see you're eager for another fight. But now's not the time. Get stronger and maybe I'll think about it."
"Fine with me. But then how do I reveal the secret from this place?"
"You must use your power…the power you gained recently. Place your left hand on the wall, and concentrate on your inner thoughts."
"My inner thoughts? What do you mean by that?"
…
…
"You'll find that out…on your own." Was the only answer Dark Meta Knight gave me before disappearing into that twisty thingy like last time.
"Woah. That guy was…mysterious." Maguro said.
"Yeah, no kidding." Misuki said.
"Did you really beat that guy in a Puyo battle, Amitie?" Arle asked me.
"Yeah, I did. It wasn't easy though. That's when I found out that I had lost my old spells and first used the Copy Ability."
"Sounds like it came in handy at the right time." Ringo said.
"Yeah, it really did. I'm just glad you're safe, Ami." Raffina said.
"Th-Thanks, Raffina." What Raffina said made me blush a little. I know that a lot of things have happened to me since coming here, and everyone's glad that I'm safe…
…but this is the first time someone's actually said the words. And it truly made me happy.
"S-So anyway, all I have to do is place my left hand on the wall and think of my inner thoughts? Will that really work?"
"There's only one way to find out." Adeleine said.
With nothing else to do, I went ahead and placed my hand on the wall and closed my eyes as I started thinking to myself of my inner thoughts. Not long after, the wall started to glow a bright white light. And soon a bunch of text appeared on the wall.
"Woah! It's working!" Ribbon shouted.
"But…what's with this language? It's not English at all." Misuki said.
"Hey, Lidelle. Do you think you can read this?" Raffina asked her.
"Yeah, I can. In fact, from the looks of it…this is all in Greek."
"Greek? What are Greek text doing in another universe?" Arle asked.
"Who knows. But we're lucky to have Lidelle with us." Raffina said.
Lidelle walked up next to me and began reading the Greek text from the very top. She looked pretty confident on what she was reading…and she also shivered a bit. Which in my mind, wasn't a good thing.
"What does it say, Lidelle?" Adeleine asked.
"If you are reading this, then the legend has already been reborn. The legend of the Red Puyo Hat.
Long ago, a magician created the hat to purify the soul of a dear loved one.
The effects didn't last long. The power from the hat switched souls with the loved one. And corrupted her body.
Fearing that it could cause universal destruction, the magician turned the body of the loved one into a corrupted soul. And sealed it away inside the hat.
What the magician used to seal it where 6 magic crystals called the Puyo Souls.
These Puyo Souls, plus the hidden power of the Light Soul, defeated the Dark Soul and sealed it in the hat.
But the magician knew the seal would not last forever. And so, the light and darkness of the hat have been passed down from generation to generation.
The previous owners…knowing nothing of the past events…until the time was right.
Now, current possessor of the Light Soul. You must use your new hidden power, plus the power of the Puyo Souls…to defeat the Dark Soul once again. And sealed it away forever.
Do not fail, Light Soul. The universe…is in your hands."
The Greek text then disappeared and the wall stopped glowing. Leaving us with confused and disturbed looks on our faces.
"Woah…" Was all some of us were able to say.
"I see. So that's the legend of the Red Puyo Hat, huh?"
We heard a new voice coming from behind us. When we looked to see who it was…me, Raffina, Lidelle, Arle, and Ringo were shocked beyond belief.
"L-Lemres?!"
"Hello there, everyone. Having fun on your little adventure?"
"L-Lemres…what are you doing here?!" I asked.
"Ah, Lemres. So you found your way here just fine, I assume?" Magolor asked.
"Yep. Just fine. The trip wasn't that all bad."
"Wait…What?!"
"Allow me to explain." Magolor said. "I needed more information on what's happened to you. So when Marx told me about the legend of your hat, I went looking for anyone who knew about it the most. That's when I found your friend here."
"When Magolor told me all that's happened, it was starting to make sense on why you guys just suddenly disappeared that one day. I then wanted to learn more on this legend as well, so Magolor brought me to this world." Lemres added.
"Th-That's insane." Ringo said.
But after hearing about the legend, and now with Lemres being here…it got me thinking of something.
"Hey, Lemres. Do you think that the seal broke when my hat blew off my head that one day?"
"Hmm…It's possible. It could explain why you had that body possessing power."
Now I was starting to feel really bad.
"Fiddlesticks. I'm sorry, you guys. This whole thing is happening because of my carelessness on doing my chores. If I would've done them, we wouldn't be going through this mess."
"Huh? Amitie…what are you talking about?" Arle asked.
"You know. What happened that day…"
"I know that, but what I mean is how is this your fault?"
"Huh?"
"I'm having a great time being here."
"Me too, Ami." Misuki said.
"And so am I." Raffina said.
"I totally don't regret coming here." Ringo said.
"And while we might have gotten here through unknown means, we're having just as much fun." Maguro said.
"Maguro's right. I've never explored a new world before. So all this is pretty exciting for me." Lidelle said.
"See? Everyone agrees. You don't have to blame yourself, Amitie." Arle said.
"Y-Yeah, but…"
"And besides. I'm pretty sure you don't regret meeting Kirby, do you?"
"No! Of course not! Kirby's my best buddy!"
"Poyo poyo!"
"You find Amitie as your best buddy too huh, Kirby?" Adeleine asked him.
"Poyo!"
"Thanks, Kirby. That really makes me happy." I said.
"So basically, Amitie…we don't blame you. In fact, we all thank you. We wouldn't be having this grand adventure in a completely different world if it wasn't for you." Arle said.
"And now, according to the legend, it's up to you to save it from universal destruction." Ringo said.
"And of course, we'll help in any way we can." Adeleine said.
"So, Ami. Ready to save the universe?" Raffina asked.
The question was obviously a no-brainer. I was so confident with my answer, it gave me a huge grin on my face. This former secret of mine…now that I know it, I must do what it says and complete my number one priority.
"Guys…"
…
…
…
"Let's go save the universe!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: With knowledge of the legend in her mind, Amitie now knows that the fate of Dream Land is in her hands. Only time will tell on future events that could make or hinder progress to said goal.
And now, I must say…that this story is going on another break. And it's for a good reason this time. I've recently downloaded Grammarly and with that, I'm planning to fix every error in this story. It desperately needs it as there could be ones that I just never noticed.
Still feel free to review, favorite, and/or follow the story. Until corrections are done, thanks for reading. Later.
