Pugs: *is trying to pry the authoress away from the PS3* C'mon, WG, we need to update this thing!
WG: *is hanging on by the controller* BUT I'M ALMOST TO THE CERBOREAS BOSS! LET ME BEAT THAT, AND I'LL UPDATE!
Sailor: You said the same thing at the 'Al-Khemi' boss!
Colin: And 'Swaine's Nightmare'.
Moon: And 'Shadar: The Executor'.
Tracker: And 'The Royal Jelly'.
Fanatic: And 'Porco Grosso'.
ATF: And Candlela… Candara… hold on. *looks up word, sounding it out* 'Can-del-bra-ca-da-bra'.
Scoobycool9: And 'The Red Dragon: Sentinel'…
Prince Tanabi: …PLUS 'Denny's Nightmare'.
Pugs: …And then 'Aapep'- and that's not counting all the bounty-hunts you went looking for afterwards! …I think you have a problem.
WG: …Fine, I have a problem, now let me face the boss!
FF2: *sigh* It's no use guys- nothing is going to pry her away from that game… until she starts playing 'The Last of Us'.
ATF: But she's got to take a break and update this story! I wanna see the next fluff…!
Moon: We know- you've been whining about it for the past six weeks T_T
Fanatic: …and he won't stop until WG and Pugs go through some fluff.
Pugs: Well, what're we supposed to do?! She's addicted to that game! Unless we make it to where she and I end up in the NNK-universe, there's no way-
WG: O.O *drops controller* PUGS, THAT'S BRILLIANT! *grabs him by arm* TO THE LAPTOP!
Pugs: 0_0 Oh, crud, what did I saAAY! *is yanked off-screen*
Disclaimer: Pugs belongs to Ruby-Spears©, WG is her own person, and our guest-stars belong to Studio-Ghibli and Level-5.
This next fluff should be kick-awesome.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Setting: After MIF3, set in the story 'Like A Brother', with references to 'Authors No Kuni'.
"How is she?"
FF2 sighed, shaking his head as he stood on the balcony with Fanatic, Scoobycool9, ATF, and the rest of the authors who were featured in the Author's Note. "Not good- she's been over-tired and depressed all week; she called in a sick-day from babysitting just because she didn't have the will to get out of bed." He told Puggsy, who had asked, as the cartoon stepped in the doorway.
It was almost the end of summer- two weeks before school started, at least- and throughout the season WG had been in a funk. …Oh, there had been a few good situations- such as her and FF2 meeting in real-life, going to Indianapolis, seeing Age of Ultron and Jurassic World, and having access to Netflix, Hulu, and Youtube on her PS3…
But, there had been an onslaught of downsides- for one thing, she and FF2 had to go back to only being able to see each other in the videogame Destiny, talk on the phone, or write fanfictions where they're actually together and not 1,000 miles apart; she STILL hasn't worked up the nerve to put her foot down with her sister when it comes to babysitting; her financial-problems are getting worse; she's too stressed out to even think anymore; her laptop is running slow so she can't even update as much as she used to- not that she's been able to since her free-time has been limited; she has several sketchbooks filled with incomplete fan-art; her homicidal/suicidal thoughts are back; her hamster just died-
(Puggsy's A/N: Okay, WG, I think you've listed enough!)
(WG's A/N: Excuse me for venting… kinda makes getting attacked by werewolves seem like a luxury, don't it?)
…Yeah- makes being attacked by werewolves seem like a luxury, don't it?
(WG's A/N: …Stop stealing my lines, Pugs!)
(Pugs' A/N: Couldn't help it XD)
*ahem* Anyway…
So, yep, it was easy to understand why the authoress was deep in depression, and getting deeper.
"What should we do?" Colin asked. "Get her a new laptop… or a hamster?"
"I say make it to where she doesn't have to babysit as much," Tracker scoffed, crossing her arms. "Much less slap some sense into her sisters into showing her some respect, and letting her have a break more than one day a week!"
"Well, considering they're both having financial problems we can't do much about that- besides, all the kids will be back in school anyway, so at least she'll have a little bit of a break…" Fanatic replied, then his shoulders slumped. "Ah, who am I kidding? She's going to be yelling and beating someone no matter how many kids are in her house!"
"Should I get the Creepypastas?" Moon asked.
"…more like a ton of wine. Lots… and lots… of wine." Sailor answered.
"And chocolate. LOTS of chocolate," Prince Tanabi answered.
"And maybe a punching-bag… with a shooting-range… and bacon." Colin added.
"Bacon, yes! A TRUCKLOAD- no, TWENTY TRUCKLOADS of bacon!" Fanatic exclaimed, drooling. Everyone looked at him. "(ahem) Y-Y'know, because… who doesn't love bacon, right?"
ATF rolled his eyes. "Oh, c'mon, guys! We ALL KNOW what the solution is going to be!" he said, putting an arm around Puggsy. "Pugs, here, takes WG somewhere private, gives her a bit of stress-relief and condolence, and helps her unwind until she wants more- okay, that sounded dirtier than I expected…"
*WHACK!*
Puggsy knocked ATF unconscious (for the umpteenth time since Shaggy, Pugsy, and Flip: Season 2 was written). "Yeah, alright, fine. I'll go talk to her, and take her on a trip somewhere," he said, then looked at ATF. "…and YOU can cover for her in babysitting!"
ATF sprang back to consciousness. "ME?! Why me?!"
"As payback for all those 'fluff requests' you've been sending us… AND those gay-innuendos you put in your SPF stories!"
The other authors snickered. "I'll have to re-read those stories again," Fanatic chuckled.
"…you just don't want me to open a portal and follow you two with a camera, again…" ATF muttered, crossing his arms, bitterly.
"You should have learned after we gave Moon permission to eat you," FF2 scoffed.
Moon looked at ATF, licking her lips. He inched away, hiding behind Tracker. "…I've been known to cause diarrhea," he warned her.
"Lets just get the plot rolling, before someone throws up," Tracker groaned, face-palming.
"Right… so, where should we send you two, this time?" Prince Tanabi asked Puggsy.
"Somewhere we can't be followed, is unknown to her sisters, and will—God willing- snap her out of her depression in a heartbeat so the therapy helps quicker." Puggsy suggested.
FF2 grinned, snapping his fingers. "I know just the place…" he said.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The next day, after telling her sisters WG wasn't feeling good (which, in an emotional sense, was true) and having ATF fill in for her babysitting, FF2 had his girlfriend and Puggsy board the TARDIS. "I don't know, FF2… going on a trip hasn't really been helping," WG sighed, even though she appreciated all her friends were doing to help her feel better.
"Trust me, where we're going, you'll be feeling better in no time," FF2 said with a grin.
"Unless it's Comic-Con where the Nostalgia Critic will be appearing, I don't think so…"
"Ah, cut it out with the depression already, WG- at least PRETEND to be happy, for crying out loud!" Puggsy snapped, getting irritated at the fact that the authoress was being a bit of a downer.
"Oh, excuse me for not smiling- after the summer I've just had, it's PRETTY HARD to feel upbeat!"
"Your summer was bad?! Try going through the stuff you put me through in Fanfiction- that doesn't just involve werewolf-attacks, either!"
"WE'RE HERE!" FF2 exclaimed, ceasing the arguing before it could go any further. "Here's your stop- I'll be back to pick you up in a week,"
Puggsy gawked. "A WEEK?! …Where are you going?"
"Ah, typical Time-Lord business- the Ood are being enslaved again. I'd take you along… but I already promised Fanatic he could help, this time. I gotta pick him up from the Darkwing Duck universe."
"A week, huh… ATF sure is going to hate us being gone that long," WG commented.
"No worries- I'll just pick you up a week from now, and drop you back off in our universe, one day after we left. …Which, I won't be able to do, until you both step out already!"
FF2 opened the TARDIS doors, and Puggsy and WG stepped out…
Seeing they were standing in the green pastures known as The Rolling Hills, seeing the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell, Court of the Cat King, far off in the distance. WG's eyes widened, as she looked around. "…Seriously?" she gasped, having a gleam back to her eye, a grin appearing on her face after so long.
"Seriously. …Now, go find some new clothes, so people don't notice you're not locals," FF2 said with a wink.
Without waiting, WG took off like a shot.
Puggsy shook his head, preparing to follow, until FF2 grabbed him by the shoulder. "Make sure she stays that happy, keep your wand on you at all times, drink plenty of coffee to keep your MP up… and if such situation comes up, do NOT leave her alone with the thief for any reason!" FF2 whispered to him, before giving him a slap on the back. "…Oh, and have fun yourself!" With that, he stepped back in the TARDIS.
"…Thanks a lot," Puggsy remarked, as the TARDIS disappeared, then ran down the path WG had gone down. "HEY, WHEREVER GIRL! WAIT UP!"
WG paused in her running- not because of the cartoon's shout, but to watch a herd of ulk run by on a path, down the hill. "Cool…" she whispered. "…man, I should've brought my camera!"
Puggsy caught up with her, out of breath. "You know (pant pant) it's pretty reckless to leave someone behind, (huff huff) especially in a world they thought only existed (wheeze) in a videogame!"
The authoress finally acknowledged his existence. "Oh, sorry Pugs… just got a little excited, that's all." She pointed northward. "C'mon, Ding Dong Dell is just down this path," With that, she continued walking. "And watch your back- if you think fighting creatures in the game is rough, it's probably worse in real life!"
"You don't say?" he rolled his eyes, trudging behind her. Why did I agree to go along with this? He wondered… then broke the fourth-wall in his thinking. …oh yeah. A court-ordered fluff-series. Frickin' fan-fictions…
Thankfully, they made it to the Cat King's Kingdom without any run-ins with any creatures. The moment they walked in the medieval-looking village, people began to stare, whispering about their odd attire- most notably why a girl was wearing men's clothing. "Sheesh, now I know how Oliver must've felt," WG noted, then grabbed Puggsy by the elbow, hauling him over to the nearest Hootique. "C'mon, we'd better change before they put us in a zoo!"
"…in your case, they'd do it anyway- and are you going to be using lines from the game throughout the whole trip?" Puggsy commented.
"Depending how much I remember- ooh! Something shiny!" WG ran over to a pot, where she found 20 guilders. "These should come in handy. To the shop!" She took off up the street, heading inside an owl-designed building.
Puggsy sighed, following. "…next time I'll just buy her wine…"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Thankfully, the Hootenanny had some spare outfits she claimed weren't selling, which she let the two have for 10 guilders. WG wore a white shirt with a dark-red open-vest, blue Arabian-styled pants with a brown belt, a pair of black boots, and a white bandana (which she drew a cross on, similar to her cap); Puggsy wore a red vest over a black shirt, a pair of gray-blue pants, and some large gray-and-black boots (he kept his fedora on).
They used the other 10 guilders to buy a bit of food for later. "Well, that's all the money we found… you sure there ain't a way we can convert dollars into guilders?" Puggsy asked, as they walked out.
"If there were, I'd have done it by now." WG replied, then shrugged. "But, no big deal. There's a way we can earn a ton, easily."
Puggsy slouched. "I'm afraid to ask what…"
WG scoffed. "Now who's being the downer?"
They walked into Swift Solutions. Puggsy looked over at the bulletin board where people posted their troubles- watching as a few pages disappeared in a puff of smoke, apparently being solved. "Huh, solving a dispute or two must be easy in this world," Puggsy stated.
"Alright, I got something!" WG said, running up to him.
"You got some guilders? How?"
"Not yet… Arm yourself, Pugs- we're going on a bounty-hunt!"
The teen groaned. "I should've known… alright, what's the hunt?"
"We just have to go after a wild ulk. It should be simple enough,"
Puggsy shrugged. "If you say so…"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
~One wild-ulk hunt later…~
"Yaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
The duo screamed as they ran across the field, a large, angry, rogue ulk charging at them! Quick as they could, they climbed up a tree. "I wonder if the Bebop crew ever had days like these…!" WG stammered, as she clung to a branch.
"Well, don't just sit there, 'Spike Spiegel'- DO SOMETHING!" Puggsy snapped.
"I'm thinking, 'Faye'! …Get out your wand! Maybe a couple 'sectum-sempras' will beat this thing!"
Taking out their wands, they tried to cast some sort of defense spell… only to find their wands were powerless. "They're not working… WHY are they not working?!"
WG paled. "Oh snap, I forgot- different world, different magic!"
"What?! That doesn't make sense!"
"Well, since there's a different 'breed' of magic in this world, it cancels out the magic we used in our universe, meaning until we get home, our wands won't- WORK!"
On 'work', the rogue ulk had charged into the tree, making the authoress nearly slip off her branch. One more charge, and it got Puggsy to fall in a dangling position. "Yikes! WG, open a portal, or something!"
"L-Let me concentra- WHOA!"
The ulk, on one last ram, knocked them out of the tree, right in front of it! It stomped its hoof on the ground, running and charging right at them! WG opened a portal-
*FWOOSH!*
A fireball hit the beast, diverting its attention, and it charged at a new target. There was the sound of gunshots, as a couple fiery bullets struck it in the side, distracting it long enough for a chain to suddenly appear on it for a short time, constricting it before disappearing. At last, the beast gave up, falling to the ground and disappearing in a puff of smoke.
WG and Puggsy looked over- and the cartoon could practically see hearts bubble over the authoress' head. "No… way…!" she whispered/squeaked.
The young wizard, Oliver, accompanied by the prince/thief, Swaine, ran over to them. "Are you two alright?" Oliver asked.
*Thud!*
Puggsy looked over… seeing WG passed out. "…for the most part…" he bluntly answered.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Once WG regained consciousness, she and Puggsy sat with Oliver and Swaine in a campsite; strangely enough, the other members of their group- Esther, Mr. Drippy, and Marcassin- were absent. "From another universe, eh?" Swaine questioned, after Puggsy had explained the situation. The thief turned to Oliver. "I guess our fan-base is larger than we expected,"
"So, you know you live in a game?" WG asked.
"Oh yeah. The 'tooniverse' isn't that far from the 'videogame' universe, especially since ours includes animation from Studio Ghibli." Oliver explained. "Sometimes we interact with characters from other videogames too- Kingdom Hearts, Tales of Symphonia, Legends of Zelda, Jak and Daxter, Persona… just to name a few,"
WG's eyes widened. "Awesome…!"
"Not all the time… Once we got visitors from Resident Evil- mostly a Nemesis and few infected mutants." Swaine muttered. "Then there was this time we wandered into some woods and ran into Slenderman… I couldn't sleep for weeks after that…"
"Yeah, it gets pretty creepy sometimes, if you're not careful where you wander." Oliver added, then nudged Swaine. "Remember that one time we stumbled into Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria two minutes before closing, and got locked in for almost a week?"
Swaine shuddered. "Worst five nights of my life,"
"Doesn't surprise me that the gamiverse has its connections," Puggsy commented. "No different than how worlds in the tooniverse connectify,"
The thief arched an eyebrow. "Gamiverse? Connectify? …Do you speak another language over there, or something?"
"He just has his own vocabulary," WG replied first, with a shrug. "So… where's the rest of your group, Oliver? Are you guys going to be meeting up later?"
Oliver looked at Swaine. "Um, well, it's just us right now. Swaine and I are just camping out together, this weekend." The young wizard replied, meekly.
"Really? Were the others busy?"
"Um, not really…"
"Oh… so what's going on?"
"(Just have to get all the details, don't you?)" Puggsy whispered under his breath.
Swaine nonchalantly waved his hand once, rolling his eyes. "Go on, Oliver- might as well just tell them the whole story (since you couldn't keep your mouth shut)," The thief remarked, muttering that last part.
Oliver gave Swaine a look, before sighing. "The others made us come out here together. Cassiopeia helped them use a certain spell to keep us from using Fast-Travel to go anywhere, and Marcassin took the dragon-horn so we couldn't call Tengri." He answered. "The only travel-based spell I can use is Gateway, in order to go back home, but Swaine has to come with me every time."
"Sheesh- what did he do to get on probation?" Puggsy asked (earning a glare from Swaine).
"For your information, he's in just as much trouble as I am! …even though he started it…" Swaine sneered.
Oliver gave him a glare. "I started it?! You're the one who started the arguing!"
"…Which wouldn't have happened if YOU were watching where you waved that wand!"
"For the last time, it was an accident! You didn't have to get so worked up about it-"
"You trapped me in a block of ice- I was frozen for SIX HOURS!"
"We would have gotten you out sooner, if you hadn't been freaking out!"
"You were going to use a FIREBALL on me! And I knew for a fact we didn't have enough healing items to treat 3rd degree burns-"
"HELLO!" Puggsy shouted, ceasing the arguing and reminding the twosome that they still had present company. "Yeah, we're still here!"
"Wow, so you guys really got into it…" WG said, surprised- she never knew Oliver and Swaine to get into an intense argument (Swaine and Esther, on the other hand…) "How did it lead to you two getting sent out here?"
"Well… Swaine was still sore at me, and neither of us would speak to the other." Oliver answered.
"…especially since I was still sore from all the frostbite," Swaine added. "The others got sick of it, and made us take this little trip in order to make amends and lighten up on each other,"
"Boy, does THAT sound familiar…" Puggsy commented, rolling his eyes, looking at WG (who withheld comment).
"Yeah… so, how long have you've been out here?" WG asked.
"Almost two days- actually, we didn't really start talking to each other until you two showed up," Swaine answered first, before standing up and stretching. "…Considering it's been a long enough day already, I'm turning in early."
"But it's only 5 in the afternoon!" Oliver retorted.
"Yeah, and it feels like '2 AM' in adult-time," With that, Swaine turned and crawled in his tent, giving a short wave. "Good luck on your vacation, you two."
"Heh, we'll need as much as we can get," Puggsy remarked, turning to Oliver. "Any suggestions on where we can get some new wands, Oliver? Ours ain't working in this world,"
"Yeah… Harry Potter had the same problem when he visited last summer," Oliver answered. "Luckily a wand-shop was built a few months ago. It's called 'Wandering Robin's Magic Shop', it should be located in the Fairy Grounds; Mr. Drippy might be able to get you a good deal, if you tell him I sent you,"
"Thanks! To the Fairy Grounds it is!" WG exclaimed, opening a portal to Teeheeti.
Oliver jumped back. "Whoa! How did you do that?!"
"It's her power- long story," Puggsy said, quickly, not in the mood for another long explanation.
"Yep- they don't call me 'Wherever Girl' for just anything. Lets go, Pugs!" WG exclaimed, grabbing Puggsy by the arm and yanking him through.
"TAKE ME WITH- you…" Swaine shouted, running out of his tent, stopping once he saw the portal close. "…dammit…"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Wandering Robin's- which was a shop built to look like a robin, like the other bird-themed shops in the game- was filled with different kinds of wands, potions, mystic gems, and cauldrons, plus a variety of weapons ranging from long swords, short daggers, and guns from Rogue's Revolver's to Highwayman Handguns.
Though, Puggsy's heart froze the moment he saw a vampire working at the desk- looking a lot like Edwin Miles Smith. "…oh dear Lord…" he gulped.
"Welcome to my shop- my name is Elric, I'll be your merchant for this evening. Is there anything you're looking for?" the shopkeeper, Elric, asked as he gave a fanged-smile. "Come, come, don't be shy. I don't bite… much," he smirked as he said this, watching Puggsy grow pale.
"My friend and I are looking for new wands, since ours use a different kind of magic…" WG spoke up, unafraid- mostly because she was eyeing a few pistols on the wall. "…and maybe a gun or two…"
"Lets just stick with the wands for now," Puggsy told her, sternly. "…the last thing I need is for you to be practicing a few trick-shots on me…"
She gave him a look. "Don't tempt me,"
"Ah, outside of the universe, huh? You're not the first. If you'd like, I can 'rent' you two a couple wands, in exchange for the ones you have- I'll return them the same day you return yours, unless you earn 2,000 guilders in order to buy them for keeps," Elric told them.
"Sounds like a fair deal,"
"Over here, then- just find a wand you feel most compatible with," Elric lead them over to his 'rental-wands' section, letting them browse. "…Oh, and I should warn you, if you try to just rent a wand and keep it anyway, you'll be hexed- nothing major, you'll either end up losing your hands, going blind, or waking up covered in flaming spiders."
"Uh, thanks for the warning," Puggsy replied, uneasily. No doubt this guy's Edwin's soul-mate… as if one of him wasn't enough, he thought.
Browsing through the wands, he came across one with a tip resembling a dream-catcher, the rim around it having small spikes sticking out, the end of it spear-pointed, and the shaft a marble-black color. It glowed when he passed by, giving him the hint that it was his type of wand to carry.
WG grabbed a wand a bit less detailed- it was oak-colored, with a ruby on the tip, the shaft having a swirling pattern, and the end looked like the handle of a sword, having a black-and-gold color. …She then tried to get another look at the guns on the wall, but Puggsy pulled her away.
Exchanging their wands, they walked out of the shop, deciding to browse around the tiny fairy-town. "So, what do we do, go around doing favors?" Puggsy asked, wondering how they could earn some guilders.
"I was thinking of looking for Mr. Drippy- I promised Anti I'd get his autograph for his birthday… and Marcassin's. And Esther's. …and an auroralynx, if we somehow manage to tame one," WG answered, clearing her throat. She then quickly pointed ahead. "Oh, hey, the amphitheater! Lets see if there's going to be any stand-up tonight!"
Puggsy scratched his head, a bit suspicious. "Ah, maybe later. I'm going to put this wand to good use (someone's gotta pay for a hotel room)… Just call me when you're ready to head to some other loceration," With that, he walked off.
WG watched him go, then let out a sigh of relief. She walked around the town, though for some reason, her enthusiasm slipped a tad.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After learning that Mr. Drippy wasn't in the Fairy Grounds- and Puggsy realized it was harder to use magic in real-life than in the game without having the spells memorized- they decided to head to a new location, via portal.
They were aiming for Castaway Cove… but ended up in the Golden Grove. "…Do you ever get your destinations right?" Puggsy criticized, as the authoress had a tendency to open a portal to the wrong location from time to time.
"If you think it's so easy, why don't YOU give it a try?!" WG sneered. "Wave the wand and cast Travel- go on!"
"I told ya, I don't remember the spell- why don't you do it?! You've got a wand, and you've been addicted to the game all summer! Have at it!"
WG blushed. "I… don't know the spell, either. And I suck at magic, anyway… just ask my old Hogwarts instructors…"
"Well, unless you can get your powers under control, or if there's 500 guilders lying around, we don't have a place to stay for the night!"
"Excuse me if I didn't fully prepare- you're the one who decided to take me on a trip, last minute!"
"Don't pin it on me- it was your boyfriend who picked the spot! I didn't know where we were going until the doors opened!"
"Well unless one of us remembers 'Gateway' and we can spend the night in Motorville, we're in for a restless getaway,"
Puggsy clenched his fists. "You know, you could at least show a little more appreciation! You think I want to be here with you?! I'm only here by force- the least you can do is lose the attitude and ease up on me!"
"Like I'm the only one with attitude! …You know, if you hate being around me, you can just fend for yourself! Let me know when you've got a spell right!"
"Probably sooner than you!"
With that, the two of them went their separate ways in the woods… yes, we know it's pointless since there's going to be the whole 'making amends' fluff-bit, but we need a bit of tension in order to have some build-up to it- just deal with it and keep reading!
(Fanatic's A/N:…who let the 'Security Authors' narrator in here?!)
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
*after making sure we got the right narrator*
Puggsy stormed down a path, coming across a clearing, before bumping into a familiar face. "Oof! …Oliver! Geez, sorry- I didn't see you," he replied, after colliding with the young wizard.
"It's alright- I wasn't watching where I was going," Oliver replied, numbly.
"Hey, what's with the long face? …Thief-Face giving you trouble, again?"
Oliver sighed. "Kind of… Things were pretty quiet after you left. We decided to pack up and head here to find some more provisions. We had to fight a few creatures on the way in, and during the battle he hit me with a Slugshot and cursed me- I claimed he did it on purpose to get back at me for the 'Frostbite' incident, but now I have a feeling it was by accident. Though, I didn't think about it until after we started arguing again, and he stormed off." He looked towards the woods. "I need to find him and apologize- it's not good to be wandering around here alone near dark, anyway."
"I'll help you searchify- I need to find some provisions, too, anyhow."
"Thanks. …By the way, where's your girlfriend? Is everything alright?"
"Eh… she and I just had a bit of a fight, I'm sure she'll cool-" Puggsy froze just then, turning to Oliver. "WHOA! HEY! What the jumping ignorpotomases made you think she's my girlfriend?!"
"Jeepers, sorry! I-I just thought you two were together… you said you were on vacation together, so I figured you were a couple,"
"We're not- she already has a boyfriend, and I'm married to another woman. See? Here's her picture," Puggsy took out his wallet, showing Oliver a picture of Brielle.
The young wizard arched an eyebrow. "She looks just like WG-"
"I KNOW! …*sigh* It's complicated- almost like the whole 'soul-mate' connection in your game… lets just find Swaine."
Oliver nodded. "So… you said you and WG had a fight? What about?"
Puggsy sighed. "I… well, she doesn't always use her portal-powers very good- I mean, there's times when she can get to any loceration no-sweat, but most of the time she takes us to the wrong place. ...I think it happens when she's stressed, which I didn't understand considerating she was just fine back at the Fairy Grounds…" he shook his head. "She's been like that for a while now- happy for a minute, but spending the rest of the time in a funk."
"Do you think she's broken-hearted?"
He shrugged. "I don't know… if she is, it's hard to figure out what- it's like she's missing several pieces at once. …You can talk to her once she turns up."
"I think I will… In the meantime, we'd better find Swaine."
Puggsy paused, rubbing his chin. "…If my instinctations are correct, there's a chance WG might have found him for us- and he may need rescufying."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Puggsy's hunch was half-right. WG found Swaine, but he didn't need rescuing.
…Actually, it was the thief who found the authoress, as he spotted her by a pond, sitting on the ground with her face buried in her arms. "Huh? Didn't expect you to be here, um… (what's her name?) …Wherever Girl, is it?" he asked, walking up to her.
"Yeah- just call me 'WG'. …What brings you here?" she replied, without facing him.
"Eh, had another fit with Oliver- he got in my line of fire in battle and thought I shot him on purpose," Swaine sighed, sitting down beside her, shaking his head. "Seems like we're back on page one in our banter. …What about you? Your boyfriend around?"
"No, he took off after dropping us-" WG paused. "Oh, you mean Puggsy?! He's not my boyfriend! …geez, there's my nightmare fuel for the night…"
"Heh, my mistake. So, where is he?"
"Well… you and Oliver weren't the only ones who had another argument. It's pretty common for us, actually," WG looked at the wand in her hand. "Only problem is, this one might be a little harder to solve. We were talking about using magic in this world, but neither of us remembers the spells- and it's hard to really earn any guilders without it,"
Swaine scoffed. "Tell me about it- why do you think I ended up as a thief? …Oliver might be able to help, lend you a few copies of his spells, get you in the swing of things- or you could just rely on your own natural wits and instincts, use whatever other weapons you can find, and try your knack at some bounties again… preferably simple ones, so you don't end up chased into a tree again,"
"(of all the dumb luck, my machete needed repaired…) I was thinking about getting a gun like you have, but we don't have any guilders."
"What about familiars? You've got some, don't you?"
WG mentally kicked herself. "We never formed our own, yet! …geez, you'd think that would've been first on my list…"
"There's a Familiar Retreat nearby- I can lend you one for the time being, that way you have some sort of defense… and, ah, use it to sick on that little loudmouth if he gives you trouble,"
WG blushed, smiling. "Nah, it'll be alright… but if you have a spare Purrloiner, that would be great,"
They walked along, and Swaine got a good look at her face- noticing tear-streaks. "Are you sure you're alright? …What exactly did he say to you, to make you so upset?"
"Nothing too bad. I'm fine, really,"
"Yeah?" Swaine brushed his finger against the corner of her eye, catching a spare tear. "Then what's with the tears?"
"Oh! Um… those… I-I don't want to talk about it,"
Swaine stepped in front of her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I know you're a stranger in this world, but from what I've learned about you so far, it's pretty obvious you two don't get along so well. If he's hurt you in any way… well, we're willing to help."
Heart, whatever you do, DON'T explode! Was the first thing that WG thought. She rubbed her arm, pulling away from him. "It's not like that- honestly, in our world, I'm usually the one giving HIM a hard time… but… this time, I'm the one doing it to myself."
Swaine arched an eyebrow. "Go on…"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Shh," Puggsy whispered, as he and Oliver stood atop a hill, looking down at the pond where WG and Swaine stood, talking. He raised his hand towards the wizard as he shushed him, noticing tear-streaks on the girl's face.
"What's wrong?" Oliver whispered.
"Be quiet, and we might find out," Puggsy whispered, as they crouched down, listening to the conversation.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I've been putting myself in a depression, lately," WG told Swaine, leaning against a tree while crossing her arms. "It's become a habit for the past 3 years, now- I've just become too over-tired, have too much to work on, and feel like I need a vacation every month,"
"We all feel like that sometimes- try running a kingdom; even when Marcassin and I work together, it's still tiring." Swaine replied, though noticed the grief in her eyes remained. "…I take it your job isn't the only thing bothering you, though. What's going on in that world of yours?"
"I… I have bad self-esteem issues. It's like people just can't take a hint- either that, or I'm just being too dramatic. The main problem is that no one understands that I need a break, I need to get out and live my own life, have my own things to do- stories that I need to write, get out more, unwind… Trouble is, after stressing myself for so long, I feel worse when I do get an opportunity to relax; that once I get a day off, I'm on a time-limit to enjoy myself."
"You think you're the only one? …Try living my life. I could never please my dad as a kid- I took off from home to make something of myself, just to show him what I was capable of…"
"…yet things didn't turn in your favor." WG sighed. "I get that. You put in all your effort…"
"But you don't get anywhere, and suddenly you're becoming something else…"
"…which is far from what you wanted- and you hate what you've become,"
"…yeah. …But, you still have the opportunity to change. If I can, you can- you seem like a smart girl, you'll probably get where you want to be. I did."
WG nodded. "I've been trying… it just gets overwhelming,"
"It will- but that's why you've got to keep your chin up, isn't it? If you keep acting depressed, you won't get very far. …Now, lets go find your- *ahem* 'none-boyfriend', the loudmouth's probably at the mercy of a few creatures,"
"GUESS AGAIN, FUZZ-HEAD!"
WG looked up, seeing Puggsy standing at the edge of the cliff- Oliver holding him back. "I should've known you'd be eavesdropping. …Hello again, Oliver," She said to Puggsy, before waving to Oliver next, both of them coming down the hill.
The young wizard walked up to her. "WG, if you want, I can mend your heart," he said, holding up his locket.
"It's alright. She's not brokenhearted… just really tired." Swaine replied. "You must be one hardworking teenager if you're so worn down."
WG rubbed her arm. "Actually, I'm 24. …A lot of people make that mistake,"
"Heh, well that's another thing we have in common- no one can get my age right, either."
"You can't be more than 50, can you?" Puggsy remarked, smirking.
Swaine gave him a look. "I'm only 30, dammit- see, this is what I'm talking about!"
"Still better than my case- I'm 24, I look 12, but I feel like I just turned 75." WG replied.
"Why don't you two hang out with us and unwind, then?" Oliver suggested. "I can teach you guys a few spells, and help you earn some guilders…" he paused, turning to Swaine. "…I mean, if it's alright with you, Swaine."
Swaine shrugged. "Sure- but if the loudmouth gives me any trouble, I'm using him for target practice," he replied, giving Puggsy a look.
"Right back at ya, you 'muggle born of mages'," Puggsy sneered.
"Oh, like I haven't heard THAT one before…!"
"Alright, you two, save it for later," WG said, stepping between the two. She looked at Oliver. "So, when's wand practice?"
Oliver looked, seeing the sun was getting low. "We'll start tomorrow. Right now, we should really set up camp and get some sleep,"
"Couldn't agree more," Swaine and Puggsy said in unison… awkwardly looking at each other, but withholding any more comments.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The next morning, while Swaine was sleeping in, Oliver took Puggsy and WG out to practice spells; thankfully, the authoress brought along some notebooks they could copy the spells in, from Oliver's Wizard's Companion.
Puggsy did well- the only time he slipped up was when he used 'Burden' instead of 'Fireball' on a creature. WG was having more trouble, as she kept getting the spells mixed up, having to repeatedly look to her notes while dodging a creature's strike. So far the only ones she knew were 'Healing Touch' and 'Fireball' (which scared Puggsy, knowing what a pyromaniac the authoress tended to be, at times).
"I told you I should've bought a gun…" WG commented once they wrapped up the lesson by noon. "Or a sword, at least!"
"How about forming your own familiars?" Oliver suggested. "We haven't gotten that far, yet."
"Yeah… I disremember Swaine saying something about letting you borrow one of his, WG." Puggsy said, adding in a wink (making her blush, glaring at him).
"Let's just form our own…" WG muttered. "(One more crack like that, and I'm Fireballing you in the face),"
Puggsy shrugged, then formed his own familiar first- it turned out to be a Ruff. "Welcome to the world, 'Hooch'," he commented. WG chuckled. "What? I happen to like Turner and Hooch, alright?!"
"No… I'm laughing because, in the game, that's what I called a Ruff I tamed!" WG giggled.
Puggsy rolled his eyes. "Just form your own familiar already,"
WG formed hers, finding it to be an Auroralynx. "Epic squeeness! …I'm going to name you 'Angel Mew'." She then snapped at a picture to send to her brother, texting him a message. "'Guess… what… familiar… I… formed!'"
Oliver smiled. "Neato! Now you guys have familiars to fight with. …If Esther were here, she could probably help you tame more to use," he said.
"I think we'll be fine, Oliver. We're only here for a week, after all." Puggsy began.
"OH MY GOSH, I AM SO JEALOUS OF YOU!"
Puggsy and Oliver paused, looking over at WG… who had just got a call from ATF- and no, the phone wasn't on speaker. "Eh, heh… I need to take this," she said, then walked off, telling her brother about the trip so far.
"...Yeah. Brace yourself if/when her brother comes here," Puggsy told Oliver, as they walked back to the camp.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
After fighting a few creatures in the woods, the small group decided to pack up and head to Al-Mamoon, namely so Puggsy and WG could meet Esther. As they crossed the desert, they fought more creatures… though after two or three battles, the authoress was starting to look a little weak- not just from any battle-damage, either.
"Mind if we rest? I feel like I'm suffercating from heat-stroke," Puggsy gasped, wiping sweat from his forehead; he took out a bottle of water, chugging it.
"Try… doing this… on a regular… basis!" Swaine commented, feeling warm as well. "Seriously, I'm with the loudmouth- I'm frying, here!"
"You'd be… less hot… without that… jacket…" WG remarked, taking a deep breath.
"There's the oasis, we can rest there real quick," Oliver stated, pointing at a patch of trees by a large pond, located behind the city. He then looked at the authoress- true, they were all burning up in the heat, but she seemed to be lagging the most (and compared to Swaine, that's saying something).
(Swaine paused and looked up at the paragraph. "…Watch it, pipsqueak…" he muttered to Puggsy, who mildly turned away, whistling innocently.)
"WG, are you okay?" Oliver asked, noticing she was slowing down.
"To be honest… no." WG said- then passed out in the sand.
"Sheesh, that's the second time she's passed out! …She really does need to get out more, doesn't she?" Swaine commented.
Puggsy sighed, shaking his head. "No… she just needs to watch her health, more." He commented, helping Oliver hoist her up, as they brought her over to the shade. "…crazified girl barely keeps her nutrition in-check…"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Oliver asked.
"She didn't eat anything this morning. Save for a bottle of water and a cupcake, the girl's been starving herself,"
"Don't tell me she's some sort of bulimic!" Swaine groaned. "…last thing we need is some thin girl who thinks she needs to diet…"
"No- she just forgets to eat. She gets so wrapped up in something else that she doesn't consider her own health first- that is, until she gets a moment to hear her stomach growl, or passes out,"
"Jeepers… talk about holding back," Oliver replied, then his locket glowed. "I guess she's overloaded with restraint. …You think she'd mind if we took some?"
Puggsy rolled his eyes. "Oliver, as big a fan as she is, she'll be pumped for it. Have at it,"
Oliver nodded, then used 'Take Heart', borrowing some of WG's restraint; this also caused the authoress to come to. "Ugh… my chest feels weird… what happened?" she asked.
"All that 'restraint' was affecting your health, that's what. Try getting more than a snack in, before your stomach caves in, would ya?" Puggsy replied.
"Yeah- the last thing we need is to be hauling you around every time you don't eat," Swaine added.
"Now that you mention it… does anyone have a cheeseburger? I could really go for a cheeseburger- and maybe some chocolate. Oh! And some salted ice-cream! I've always wanted to try some of that…" WG said.
"…I take it back. Better give her back the restraint before she eats everything in our packs," Puggsy joked.
WG gave him a look. "Shut it, or you're a sandwich."
"C'mon, lets get in Al-Mamoon," Oliver said, and they started walking towards the front of the city.
"…A sandwich?" Swaine questioned Puggsy.
"Yeah… you think YOU had a hard life…" Puggsy scoffed, rolling his eyes.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Oliver! Swaine! How are you two doing?" Esther exclaimed, once she saw her friends, and their company. "How is the trip- and who are these two?"
"This is Puggsy, and WG. They're from another universe, and visiting for the week," Oliver explained. "Swaine and I have been helping them out,"
"Nice to meet you- can I get an autograph for my brother?" WG asked Esther.
Esther giggled- then took out a picture of herself, and a marker. "Everyone always asks that… What's his name?"
"Surprised she hasn't asked for my autograph yet," Swaine commented.
"That's because I had too much restraint- sign away!" WG piped up, holding up her autograph book.
Swaine gave a deadpanned expression… then scribbled 'To WG- For God's sake, stop putting me in your fanfictions!' on one page.
She looked at his message. "Wow… you're the 7th character to write something like that!" she turned to Puggsy. "You were the first,"
"…and you have yet to heed my demand," Puggsy remarked.
Esther giggled. "I always like to meet our fans…" she said, then grimaced. "Unless they're some sort of perverted fan-boy,"
"Still mad about those DeviantArt bondage pictures, huh?" Oliver guessed.
"Esther, just say the word… and they'll never be able to draw again." WG said, holding up a gun.
"Give me that!" Swaine snapped, taking his gun back. "Geez, I think I liked you better when you were depressed…"
"Want to travel with us, Esther?" Oliver asked.
"It depends… have you and Swaine made up, yet?" Esther replied, giving Swaine a look. "Or has he just been making things worse?"
"Why is it always just me?!" Swaine sneered.
"It hasn't been bad- the only problem was when he shot me during a battle…" Oliver began, though stopped himself.
"He WHAT?!" Esther gasped, giving Swaine one heck of a glare.
"It was an accident!" Puggsy spoke up, quickly.
"Yeah, Oliver got in Swaine's range after he fired." WG added.
"Are you sure it was an accident?" Esther asked, turning to Oliver.
The wizard nodded. "Yeah… I mean, I blew up at him because I thought he did it on purpose… but I was just mad. It was just like how I accidentally hit him with 'Frostbite'… and I understand why he got so mad at me, first."
"Yeah… might as well admit I know the feeling of being snapped at for a mistake, too." Swaine agreed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"See? It was just a mishap- things are fine, now." Puggsy added.
"Alright… as long as it wasn't on purpose," Esther said, giving the thief a glance.
"C'mon, Esther- you really thing that Swaine would shoot Oliver on purpose? …Maybe Mr. Drippy, but not Oliver." WG commented.
"Drippy… or Puggsy, here." Swaine commented, nodding at the short teen.
"Watch it, thief, or you're getting a fireball to the face!" Puggsy sneered.
"…Now who's the pyro?" WG remarked.
Esther chuckled. "Alright, if you say everything is alright… I'll come with you." She said, then looked at WG and Puggsy. "Maybe I could help you and your boyfriend tame familiars,"
"I was just thinking tha- What the fluff?!"
"Why does everyone think we're a couple?!" Puggsy snapped, face-palming. "(See, THIS is why I didn't want to take part in this…)"
"(Note taken)"
"So, you're not a couple?" Esther questioned.
"We're a couple just as much as you and Swaine are,"
"…We're talking about OUTSIDE of fanfiction, people!" Puggsy stressed to the readers, then rubbed his temples.
"Yeah, not the best place to use us as a relationship-comparison," Swaine muttered. "(…she's half my age, people…)
"Um… anyone feel like going and seeing Marcassin?" Oliver asked. "My 'Fast-Travel' should work, now that Swaine and I have made up,"
"Yes, please do- before the next awkward-moment hits," Esther said, blushing.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
~A Few Days Later~
Safe to say, the trip went better from that point on (save for Swaine and Puggsy having a battle of words- though if we included that, we would need another story… actually, that's the main reason WG would write a Fangface/Ni No Kuni crossover. No, seriously, she's been thinking about it!)
"Stop before you fall behind in writing again, WG." Puggsy warned, having caught that paragraph.
"Fine… just wait until I'm down to one story," WG scoffed, as they walked towards Elric's shop to purchase their rented wands- having earned quite a few guilders in battles, bounty hunts, and granting favors. It was a lot more difficult than in the game, of course… but it made the trip more worthwhile, especially with the characters tagging along.
By the end of the week, everyone had returned to their own lives, and it was time for the twosome to do the same. After buying the wands, they walked out of the shop. "Hold it- I forgot my other wand," Puggsy said, going back inside. "Head to Ding Dong Dell, I'll meet you there,"
WG shrugged and- having perfected her magic with practice during the week- Fast-Traveled to the Cat Kingdom. Once she appeared, she noticed the TARDIS sitting atop a hill; her cell-phone rang shortly after. "Hello, FF2- perfect timing, Pugs and I were getting ready to leave,"
"Alright, well I'm by the TARDIS- and I can see you from the hill. …Nice outfit, by the way- is that a new wand?" FF2 answered. "By the way, did you meet Oliver? Get any familiars? Did you use any spells? Where all-"
"Okay, calm down, I'll tell you all about it once we meet up with you! …To sum it up, it was a great trip- thanks again for bringing us out here."
"Good, good… Maybe we could come back next weekend?"
"(Can I go too?)/(Me too!)/(Take me with next time!)/(Ditto!)" came ATF, Sailor, Colin, and Prince Tanabi's voices in the background.
"(GUYS! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT SNEAKING ON BOARD THE TARDIS?!) …Hang on, WG, I've got some stowaways to deal with,"
WG laughed. "I'll help you out once I get up there," She hung up. In a flash of light, Puggsy appeared. "Took you long enough- what, did Elric spook you?"
"Yes- honestly, I swear he and Edwin must have a mental-link! ...C'mon, lets get home," Puggsy said, bitterly. "Think I like this place better as just a game…"
WG rolled her eyes, and they headed back to the TARDIS.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
They arrived home, on the day after their departure. ATF greeted his sister first- who ceased his hyperactive exclamations by giving him Esther's autographed picture, and her auroralynx (she managed to get her own Purrloiner during the trip to fill its place).
As she and Puggsy walked down the hall to head to their apartments, the teen stopped her. "By the way… happy birthday," he said, handing her a box.
"Huh? …You remembered?" WG replied, surprised.
"Not at first… but I was clued in at the beginning of the trip. I asked Elric to keep something on hold at his shop- you know, in case you felt depressed once we got back." With that and a wink, he walked back into his apartment.
WG opened the box, shaking her head but smiling. "Son of a bitch," she scoffed, smirking as she pulled out a Highwayman's Handgun.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Puggsy: …And her sisters steered clear of her from then on XD …Seriously, though, sorry that this is late- I wanted to have it up two days ago for WG's birthday (July 31st), but kept getting writer's block.
*pause*
…That, and the girl hasn't stopped hugging me after reading it. (looks at WG) You know, it's REALLY hard to type with you clinging on to me!
WG: You got me another awesome gift, you should expect a hug.
Puggsy: T_T …For almost 72 hours?
Swaine: …I told you throwing in that bit where I console her would be too much.
FF2: What?! *turns to Puggsy* I TOLD you not to leave her alone with him!
Puggsy: Oh, so when she's with me, it's fine; but when she's with him, it's a dilemma?
Swaine: Only because I'm a lot more attractive than you.
ATF: *in the background* Agreed!
Puggsy: T_T …Where's the Fireball spell?!
So, yep, I'm 24 now. Also, special thanks to FF2 for getting me 'The Last of Us'!
[Great, now she's NEVER going to update]
…Or have more inspiration ;)
[...huh boy…]
Please review, but don't flame otherwise you'll be target practice for my new gun!
[…I knew I should've gotten her wine instead…]