Team Chronicle arrived in the town of Sai, hoping to find more inspiration for Agnea's Song of Hope.

"So this is Sai… The town where Mama performed." Agnea said as she looked around. "Giselle was here not long ago, so perhaps someone knows something…"

"Agnea, that was twenty years ago." Pearl said. "I doubt anyone would remember seeing her."

"Well, maybe there's a landmark or something around here?" Steven suggested. "Like a…I don't know, a statue?"

"C'mon, Steve." Eddy said as he turned to look at the half-gem. "I know Agnea's mom was popular back then, but a statue? That's…" he said before he ran into a stone structure. "Ouch!"

"Eddy, are you okay?" Agnea asked, helping her manager up.

"Yeah, I just ran into this…" Eddy started before he got a good look at what he ran into: a statue of a woman in a pose similar to one of Agnea's moves. "Statue…of a dancer…"

"That pose looks just like… The moonstep." Agnea said as she did a similar pose. "Could this statue be…"

"Yeah, I think it is! That's your mom, Agnea!" Mark realized.

"Consider my big mouth shut!" Eddy said. "Oh man, if only we had a camera…"

Just then, a short girl with wild red hair wearing a brown skirt and top that covered very little of her body walked up the steps before stopping in front of Agnea and Eddy.

"Out of my way, old lady and no neck." the girl said.

"O-old…?!" Agnea said in shock.

"No neck?!" Eddy said angrily. "Do you mind, we're having a moment here!"

The girl paid Eddy no heed as she approached the statue. "Take this! And that! And one of these!" she said before splattering paint onto the statue. "That oughta do it."

"What the - HEY!" Mark yelled, grabbing the girl. "The hell is your problem, kid?! What'd that statue ever do to you, huh?!"

"Mark, easy!" Frisk said. "You don't need to hurt her!"

Mark, taking a deep breath, let the girl go. "Why'd you do that?" he asked, more calmly than the first time, yet still stern. "This statue is important to —"

"I've heard it before." The girl interrupted. "'This statue is a symbol of our town's hope.' What hope?! We have no money, no good food — nothing! There's no hope for us here!"

"This gloom doesn't suit a desert town at all… But I know a way to brighten up the place." Agnea said. "Watch me shine!" she declared as she performed a short dance. At the end, the girl had a blank look on her face.

"What was that? You spun around so much I got dizzy." the girl said in confusion.

"It was a dance. Was it your first time seeing one?" Agnea asked.

"A…dance…" the girl mumbled.

"Laila!" a voice called out.

"Darn! Gramps found me!" the girl known as Laila said before running off as the group headed down the steps and saw an elderly couple watch her run off.

"That girl sure can run…" the man who called out to Laila said.

"She'll come home when she's hungry. More importantly…" the woman said. "That was a beautiful dance, young lady." she said to Agnea.

"Th-Thank you! It seems the other townsfolk didn't quite agree, though…" Agnea said.

"Nonsense. You were a sight to behold." the woman said.

"You all must be tired from your journey. You're all free to rest your feet at our house, um…" the man said.

"Team Chronicle, sir." Mark answered. "And Agnea Bristarni, a traveling dancer."

"Available for any occasion, for a low, low price of a smile!" Eddy added.

"But are you sure?" Agnea asked the old couple.

"We certainly are, Agnea. In fact, we insist. After all, something about you feels…familiar." the woman said as the group was soon brought to the old couple's house.


As they went inside, they were greeted by a group of children.

"Grandma! Grandpa! Welcome home." one of the children said.

"Thank you. Were you good boys and girls while we were out?" the man asked.

"Wow…there are quite a few kids here…" SE remarked.

"They're young ones from all over town. We watch over them when their parents can't." The old woman explained. "There aren't many jobs to be had here, so their parents leave in search of work."

"Are they new friends?" another child asked.

Agnea then approached and did a small dance before finishing with a pose.

"Whoa! That's amazing." another child said in awe.

"She's a traveling dancer." the man said as the children were excited.

"You're all too young to know, but another dancer visited this very town twenty years ago. She was a kindhearted woman named Cuani…" the woman said as Agnea perked her head up.

"Th-that was my mother!" Agnea said.

"Ah, it's no wonder you felt familiar. You look just like her!" the woman said.

"Hehe. It makes me happy to hear that you remember her." Agnea said.

"As if we could forget! Cuani was only passing through, yet gave from her own pockets to help us. She took care of us like she was our own mother. The townsfolk built a statue of her so that they'd never forget the hope she gave us." the man said.

"So that statue is of my mother… I can't tell you how happy that makes me." Agnea said.

"She met a little orphan girl while she was here… And she taught her how to dance. That little girl never stopped dancing, and now she's famous for it." the woman said.

"A famous dancer…?" Agnea asked before the door was opened as a woman which the group found familiar entered.

"Pardon me." she said as she walked in and turned to the elderly couple. "I thought I told you to leave."

"Wait, didn't we see her with Dolcinaea?" ZS whispered.

"Yeah, we did." Eddy remembered. "Definitely a bodyguard."

"You again… No matter how many times you come around, our answer won't change. This town is all we have left." the man said.

"This is our home. I beg you to reconsider." the woman pleaded.

"We paid a lot of money for this land. Which makes you no more than trespassers. My liege was gracious enough to give you time to leave… But no longer. I will force you out if I must." the bodyguard said as she approached.

"Stop!" Laila called as she pushed the bodyguard aside and stood in front of the couple. "I won't let you lay a finger on my parents!"

"Laila…" the man said.

"Get lost, you big oaf! Don't you have someone else to bully?" Laila asked. "I can't imagine what you'd want with a garbage heap like this!" she said as the bodyguard was silent for a moment before turning away.

"Let the others know there will be no mercy next time. You've been warned." the bodyguard said before leaving.

"Thank you, Laila…" the woman said as Laila was silent.

"Didn't I tell you all already?!" Laila asked before pointing at the group. "There's no hope for us here!" she said before running out as the group and couple followed her out.

"Laila!" the man called out.

"Did she run away again? At a time like this? You spoil her too much, Platt." a townsperson said as Agnea was silent.

"Laila was an orphan. She was abandoned when she was little, so we took her in and raised her as our own. But her heart's been closed off ever since, and all she ever does is make mischief around town…" Platt explained to Agnea and the group.

"She always says that there's no hope here. I wish we knew how to make her happy…" Platt's wife said.

"We have to do something. We have to find Laila." Agnea said.

"Right. I have a feeling about where she went…" Scarlet said.


The group headed back where Cuani's statue was, where they saw Laila standing in front of it.

"Why do I bother…?" Lalia said to herself. "Soon, this town will be nothing but a memory. And a bad one at that. There was nothing ever fun to do around here…fun…" she trailed off, thinking back to Agnea's dance. "So that was a dance…"

Lalia then began to copy the dance, humming to herself. To the group's surprise, she seemed like a natural.

"Well, would you look at that…" Lancer remarked. "The little spitfire's got some moves of her own."

"Yeah…what do you think, Agnea?" Eddy asked.

"I think…that I know how we can help her." Agnea said as she approached Laila, surprising her.

"Ah! Wh-wh-what…! What are you staring at, you idiot?!" Laila asked.

"Hehe. I was just admiring your moves. I'm happy to see you've taken a liking to dance." Agnea said.

"N-no I haven't!" Laila denied.

"I can teach you if you'd like. What do you say, Laila?" Agnea asked.

"Wh-what?!" Laila asked in shock.

"Your shoes… They're all tattered. You can't dance in those. Which means I'll just have to find you a new pair!" Agnea said.

"H-hey! I didn't even agree to dance with you!" Laila said.

"Never you worry about that. Just wait here, okay?" Agnea asked before running off.

"What's up with that lady…?" Laila asked.


Agnea (quickly explaining her mission to the group) went to the main part of Sai and entreated an old man for a pair of children's shoes, before returning to Laila, seeing that the shoes fit her perfectly.

"They fit perfectly! Thank goodness!" Agnea said joyfully.

"...I guess they do." Laila replied.

"Alright, let's begin! Just follow me!" Agnea said, as she performed the moonstep. "Your turn!"

"Fine, there's no need to get excited." Laila said as she started to follow Agnea's movements, before she slipped and fell. "Are you crazy?! There's no way I can do something like that!"

"This is called the moonstep. It's an advanced move, but… I know you can do it, Laila." Agnea said.

"I get it now. You just want to laugh at me, don't you?" Laila asked.

"Of course not. When I saw your moves, I knew. You've got the makings of a dancer, Laila." Agnea said.

"I do…?" Laila asked.

"But when you start, you don't need to worry about doing it well. You just need to have fun. That's the most important part!" Agnea said.

"...Fun…" Laila muttered.

"Come on, let's give it another try!" Agnea said.


After some time…

Laila became a natural as she finished dancing.

"That was amazing!" Agnea said as she clapped. "You dance wonderfully, Laila."

"That's the first time anyone's ever praised me so much." Laila said.

"Hehe… Thank you, Laila." Agnea said.

"Huh? What are you thanking me for?" Laila asked.

"It made me happy to see you have fun." Agnea said.

"D-don't be ridiculous. Wouldn't you be happier if I could do the moonstep?" Laila asked.

"Huh…?" Agnea asked.

"When I watched you dance…all the bad thoughts in my head disappeared. And…my heart felt warm." Laila said. "Hah… What's wrong with me?"

"Laila… What do you say we do it one more time, Laila?" Agnea asked as Laila nodded and the two danced once more before eventually ending with a pose as Platt's wife approached.

"G-Grandma…" Laila said.

"That was a beautiful dance, Laila. It reminded me of Dolcinaea…" Platt's wife said, surprising some of the group.

"Dolcinaea? You mean that the little orphan girl my mother taught was…" Agnea trailed off in surprise.

"That's right. Her name was Dolcinaea. She used to practice here all night with your mother." Platt's wife said. "I'm happy you've found yourself a good teacher, Laila." she said as Laila was silent. "Dolcinaea said she was going to be a star. And now she is. But not everyone here is happy about that. After all, when it came to the townsfolk, that girl-" she started before a townsperson ran up.

"C-Come quickly! The town's in trouble!" he said.

"Wh-what?! We'll go check it out!" Agnea said.

"I'm going with you!" Laila said.


Agnea, Laila, and Platt's wife raced back to the town to see Team Chronicle standing against the bodyguard from before, alongside several other men.

"Back off, jerks!" ZS said. "Any of you take another step forward, and you'll be spitting up sand!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Laila demanded of the bodyguard.

"...I told you there would be no mercy next time, didn't I?" the bodyguard said.

"Oh, there'll be no mercy, alright!" Mark said. "You lay one hand on any of these people, you'll lose it!"

"Listen to the boy! Stop this madness!" a villager said. "This town is our-"

"Ahahaha!" a voice laughed haughtily as walking down the steps was Dolcinaea.

"D-Dolcinaea?!" Agnea said in shock.

"What the heck?! What's her game?!" Eddy exclaimed.

"Greetings, you poor little slum dwellers! Allow me to free you from your filth!" Dolcinaea declared.

"I don't care if you're a star, the moon, or the whole damn sky! You need to come back down to earth and remember where you came from!" one of the townspeople said.

"Unfortunately for you, my memory just isn't what it used to be." Dolcinaea said. "Now go, Veronica!" she ordered as Veronica the bodyguard ordered the men to continue blocking off the townspeople. "I will be watching the show from atop the hill…"

"Understood." Veronica said as she followed Dolcinaea up the stairs.

"Oh dear… so that's who Dolcinaea truly is." Double D said. "Born here in Sai, but corrupted by fame and fortune so much that she doesn't even acknowledge where she comes from."

"She's aiming to destroy Sai and rebuild it in her own image, isn't she?" Connie asked.

"We have to stop her." Garnet said.

"Let me help you! I've got to teach these bullies a lesson!" Laila said.

"We can tell how much you care for everyone, Laila. But you have to leave this to us. You get the other kids to safety, you hear?" Agnea said.

"Agnea… Okay, leave it to me!" Laila said. "Good luck, everyone!"

"We won't let you down." Agnea said as she and the group headed up to the and soon found Dolcinaea and Veronica. "Found you!" she said as she and Team Chronicle approached.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little dancer and her entourage from before. Have you all come for an autograph? You all must be quite the fans to come all the way out here just to see me." Dolcinaea said.

"We're not here for an autograph! Far from it! We came here to stop you from destroying that town!" Agnea said.

"Unfortunately for you, I have big plans for this place." Dolcinaea rebuffed. "It is to become…Dolcinaealand."

"...What." Mark said flatly.

"It has quite a nice ring to it, no?" the superstar asked. "It will be a shining paradise built in honor of the realm's finest superstar!"

"Yep. It's official. She's crazy." ZS said.

"I'm giving these people something they can be proud of. They should be thanking me." Dolcinaea said.

"You… This town raised you! They took care of you! And this is how you repay it?!" Mark yelled.

"...Your jokes bore me, little boy." Dolcinaea scoffed as she looked over Sai's western side. "This is no home of mine…"


My first memory is of sand. As far as the eye could see… I can't even remember my parents' faces. I was abandoned here. Life was miserable. Dressed in flea-ridden rags, scavenging for food… But one day…an opportunity presented itself. A dazzling light descended upon this gloomy, destitute town. Everyone's eyes were upon her brilliant figure as she danced… She was a star. That's when I decided to prove myself to the world. After some time… I became a dancer and found myself in front of a grand stage during my travels. I wished to dance upon it. So I worked harder than anyone… Until I outshone them all. And I scaled the dazzling stairs to success.


"Do you all see now? I am, without a doubt…the realm's finest superstar!" Dolcinaea said. "I trained every day of my life so that my glow would never die. How could the world's most beautiful, shining star come from this depressing slum? It's simply not possible! Which is why I say this is no home of mine!"

(Cue: In Pursuit of Hope ~ Theme of Cammy - Street Fighter 5)

"It's just as Double D said. You've lost yourself along the path to your own stardom." Mark said as the group stepped forward.

"Y'know, I totally get where you're comin' from Dolcinaea. Back in the day, I saw myself hitting the big time a lot, and I thought 'why am I livin' in a cul-de-sac?' But as the time passed, and I learned my lesson, I realized one important thing: it doesn't matter where you come from, you can still be the guy you dream yourself to be!"

"You're right, Eddy! A true star would never cause each others pain! A true star is…" Agnea said.

"That's quite enough. Now would all of you get out of my way? This area needs to be cleared. And once it's gone, all memory of it shall follow." Dolcinea said.

"We're not going anywhere." Agnea said.

"That's right. This town is home to the legacy of Agnea's mom. And we're not gonna let you tear it apart!" Steven said.

"You stubborn little brats. You should know that such obstinance will only get you hurt." Dolcinea said. "Veronica. Get rid of them." she commanded her bodyguard as Veronica stepped forward to face them.

"You can try, but we won't let you lay a finger on this town!" Agnea said.

Protector of the Superstar

Veronica

"Let's make this quick, we can't let Dolcinaea's goons destroy anymore of Sai!" Undyne said. "Peridot, weaknesses on this lady!"

"Hit her with Knives, Axes, Fire, Ice and Darkness!" Peridot-2 said.

"Huh, most of the major enemies we've fought have had similar weaknesses, haven't they?" Sans remarked. "Someone's making this easy for us."

"Not too easy!" Moltar said, as he blocked a strike from Veronica that pushed him back a bit. "She hits hard!"

"So do we." Garnet said.

Veronica continued her advance on Agnea and Team Chronicle as she threw heavy strikes at anyone in her range. The team continued to hit her with her weaknesses, but she still remained strong.

"What the heck?! This strategy usually works!" ZS said.

"Wait…I get it! She's switching gears to keep her guard up!" Mark realized.

"She's doing what?" Rin asked.

"No, he's right. That's the name I can see." Peridot-2 confirmed.

"Okay, so how do we stop her from doing that?" Shirou asked.

"Keep attacking her, that's what! If we let her keep being defensive, we'll be here all night!" Rainbow Dash-2 said.

"Rapid fire attacks, huh? That works!" Moltar said, setting his gauntlets aflame. "Let's try this then!" he said, rapidly punching against Veronica's guard until it broke, leaving her vulnerable. "Now, guys, now!"

"All together now! Lion Dance for everyone!" Agnea said, boosting everyones power as they bum rushed Veronica and left her no opening to recover, hitting all her weak points until she finally had enough.

(end song)

"Gck… I failed…" Veronica said.

"You wish to give them a moment in the spotlight, I see. You are too kind. Take a moment to catch your breath, Veronica." Dolcinaea said as she stepped forward as Veronica pulled back. "I must confess, you all put on quite the show. There is something special about you, Agnea. Something rare that not all dancers have. You have a glow about you."

"Dolcinaea, stars are meant to-" Agnea asked.

"'Put smiles on peoples faces', Yes? What nonsense. I danced to prove myself to the world, to gain the peoples recognition. I thought only of my own happiness." Dolcinaea said, shocking he group to silence at her true colors. "You, neckless one. Your client is Cuani's daughter, isn't she?" she asked of Eddy.

"She is." Eddy said.

"I suppose youre faithfully following her teachings then." Dolcinaea inquired of Agnea.

"...I am." Agnea answered.

Dolcinea chucked. "You're such a fool. Though I cannot deny even the smallest bit of interest in you." she said, handing an invitation to Agnea.

"Is this…an invitation?" Agnea asked.

"The Festival of Grace-holy smokes!" Peridot-2 said. "This isnt just any invitation, Agnea! This is an invitation to the Main Event of the Grand Gala!"

"What does that mean?" Lapis asked.

"It means that Dolcinaea's challenging Agnea!" Peridot -2 said. "The Festival of Grace is a Dance-off between two dancers, the winner becoming the greatest dancer in all Solistia!"

"The green dwarfette is correct. The crowd shall decide which of us is the greatest star!" Dolcinaea declared.

"That's fine with me. Any objections, Eddy?" Agnea asked. "I know this probably wasn't the way you wanted me to get to the Grand Gala… but if Dolcinaea's inviting me to perform against her, then I can't say no."

"No objections." Eddy shook his head. "If you want to make a show of this, Dolcy, then I won't stop you. Just don't go crying when Agnea shows you what a real star is like."

"Ahaha….I look forward to it already. Until then, I leave this little heap of huts in your hands. We're leaving, Veronica." Dolcinaea said. "Tonight's show was brought to you by me, Dolcinaea Luciel! I shall await you on the stage! Ahahahaha!"


Returning to Sai after the confrontation with Dolcinaea, Team Chronicle and Agnea discovered that while brief, Dolcinaea's act of demolition destroyed Cuani's statue. The people of Sai almost had no hope left, but Laila suddenly made a surprising move. Declaring herself to be Sai's hope, she started dancing and performing Cuani's song. She stumbled a bit during it, but luckily, Agnea was right there to support her, and together, they put on a show that lifted everyone's spirits.

The next morning…

Laila, Platt and his wife were seeing Team Chronicle and Agnea off as they prepared to leave Sai for their next destination.

"Thank you, everyone… you helped me discover something important. Were you able to find something too?" Laila asked.

"I was. I found…the power of determination. Even when things seem too dark to go on…one day, things will change. If you just keep going, you'll find what you're looking for soon enough."

"Really? Hehe… I'm glad it wasn't just me then." Laila said. "When I dance… my heart feels warm. All the bad thoughts in my head disappear… and I'm filled with happiness."

"That's what we like to hear from ya, kid." Bismuth said. "Make sure y'stay thinking that way."

"Hehe. From now on…I'm going to share this happiness with the whole town!" Laila declared.

"Thank you, Laila." Agnea thanked the aspiring dancer.

"Again? What're you thanking me for?" Laila asked.

"...We should get going." Agnea said.

"Yeah. Where's the Grand Gala supposed to be, again?" Eddy asked.

"It's in the Crestlands, in a town called Merry Hills." Peridot-2 said. "If we make good time and charter the right ferry, we should arrive right on time before the Gala starts in a couple of days."

"Good deduction, Peridot. Let us be off." Double D said as they started to leave.

"Hey, everyone!" Laila called to them, scaling a building and doing a quick dance.

"Laila…" Agnea said, waving to her. "Let's meet again someday!"

"That's a promise, Agnea! See you soon!" Laila replied, as the group left.

In the town of Sai, Agnea uncovers the memories her mother left behind. A superstar despairs over her past while a young girl hopes for her future.

The traveling dancer and her entourage now make their way to the Grand Gala, in order to show the world what the purpose of a star is…