Frankie found himself in a wide open field. The sky was as blue as can be, the clouds were spindly white splotches high above the ground below; which, in and of itself, was a delightfully bright green, peppered with tiny little flowers of all different colors painting the scenery as a whole. There was also a gentle breeze and the sound of sea waves from so very far away crashing into each other faintly. It was beautiful, but… where was he?
"H-hello…?" He asked timidly, walking forward slowly, looking from side to side nervously. "Pyra…? Mythra…? Kaito…? Miko…?"
When Frankie didn't receive a response, he felt his blood run cold. All of this happened upon him so suddenly he didn't know what to do to keep the situation at bay… he decided to think about Pyra and Mythra to at least… keep his nerves down.
Breathing heavily, he imagined cooking a delicious feast with Pyra- a tender, juicy, beautifully golden brown prime rib with fresh beef gravy, mashed potatoes, and a heavenly sweet sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. He could even see Mythra waiting in anticipation- fork and knife in hand, eyes sparkling, tongue lolling out in hunger like an eager child who just got home from school for the weekend. This needed to be a reality, he decided.
Then he refocused to Mythra, the two of them throwing playful insults at each other and laughing all day long while Pyra overlooked them in exasperation. He also envisioned Mythra herself acting as a bit of a personal coach, boosting his confidence up and telling him how to keep a high profile… even if she was a bit more extravagant than he would've liked.
Mythra always made Frankie laugh… he knew that to be true, and he felt his worries float away as he opened his eyes to see a green haired woman overlooking the scenery next to a cliff edge where-
A woman?
Yes, Frankie saw exactly that. She was some distance away, but she was completely visible. She looked… robotic, for lack of a better term. The only thing human-like about her at all from where Frankie stood was her long flowing hair, done up in a striking ponytail and blowing gently in the wind as she stood completely still.
Frankie blinked in confusion. Unsure of what to do, not like he wasn't already, having woken up in a place such as this. At the same time though… he felt something tell him he needed to approach this lady. And he did just that.
Taking one step forward, he felt the breeze hit him just a little bit harder. He shivered suddenly but continued; the woman in his view becoming closer and closer with each step. His heart beat increased rapidly and his body shook uncontrollably. He didn't want to turn back, but he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't intimidated in the least. Still, he kept moving forth until he had finally reached just behind the woman. Still a few feet away, but he had done it just fine. Now all that was left was to figure out what to do. Start up a conversation? No, he was already terrible at that outside his very close circles, so that was completely thrown out.
But not if the woman had anything to say about it.
"What do you think?" She asked him.
Frankie stepped back in alarm as he looked around suddenly… no one else was around except himself. She asked again.
"What do you think?"
Frankie assumed she meant the view over the cliff. Without saying anything at all, he trudged forward cautiously, keeping himself ready for a fight if he needed to. As he came by her side, he looked over to get a closer look and found a human face.
"Look out there." She ordered suddenly, not turning to face him.
He complied and followed the woman's gaze. Down below was something so mesmerizing, Frankie could barely process it. A beautifully tranquil village…well, village seemed like somewhat of an understatement. So many large buildings, crafted entirely from stone and wood, yet managed to look pristine and cozy at the same time. They lined the ground naturally, leaving spaces for lush and densely green trees and foliage, lined with bright and full flowers that accented the color of the land without overtaking the peaceful serenity of the trees. It seemed like a near perfect utopia, a town anyone looking for a peaceful life would want to live in.
"Is it nice?" She asked him.
"Its… it's wonderful…" He said.
"Is that so? I apologize, I can't really tell."
"Huh?" Frankie turned to face the woman, who was walking away from him as he stammered over himself. "W-w-wait, you can't tell? What do you mean you can't tell?"
"I'm afraid it's as simple as that. I can't tell. Ah… but I suppose it would be difficult for you to understand, being human and all… blessed with the gifts of emotion and longing. The ability to do whatever your heart desires… you're a very commendable people."
Frankie paused. Was this lady actually a robot? Was this another one of Pyra and Mythra's peers from so long ago? Too many questions ran through his head as the lady looked up towards the sky, back still turned towards him.
"If you can, please tell me, how do you… feel? How do you wake up in the morning and decide what mood you'll set for the remainder of the day? Is it a difficult process for you?" She raised her arm towards the sky and reached for nothing in particular.
"Um… well…"' Frankie fidgeted a bit in nervousness, as well as a bit surprised by the sudden change of topics, unsure how to answer her question, but he gave it his best attempt. "The thing is, a lot of things can happen when we wake up… one moment, our hearts could be all happy and loving and stuff, but then after sitting there for a while, something bad just… comes into your head and it stays there and really affects how you're going to feel for the rest of the day and…" Frankie shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry… I'm not really the best person to ask…"
The woman had no response initially. Instead, what she did was catch a single dandelion fluff that passed her way in the wind, stroking it ever so gently as she looked intently at it. Frankie walked up to her once more and observed. She held onto it for quite a while, her somber expression never really changing. Any number of thoughts could've been running through her head. Thoughts that Frankie was afraid to open up.
"Mmm… if it's so confusing, maybe it's a good thing I haven't… you know, stepped away."
"Stepped away? What are you talking about?"
"Hm? Oh, I just mean from here… this high, lonely place where I can be by myself with no one to interrupt me. Mmm… Well… I suppose that is what it was until you showed up."
"O-oh! I-I'm sorry… I-I didn't mean to impose…" Frankie answered back, slowly backing away.
"Wait!"
The woman held up her hand in a bit of a sudden motion. This took Frankie a bit off guard as, up to now she had been relatively emotionless and calm this whole time.
The woman seemed to realize this too, as she looked at her arm and sighed before retracting it.
"I… apologize… that was out of line…"
"N-no, it's… okay…"
"You don't sound very convincing…"
"I don't? S-sorry…"
The woman sighed again as she inspected Frankie a bit further. In spite of his timid stance and way of speaking, his presence did liven things up a small bit, not to mention being quite easy on her eyes. She chuckled lightly and turned away again.
"Truthfully, it has been such a long time since I've been in the accompaniment of another soul such as yours." She smiled and tilted her head to face Frankie. "So I hope you can forgive me if I'm a bit all over the place, and such, hopefully not too much of a strain on your person."
"O-oh no! Of course not…! I just… want to know where I am…" Frankie looked beyond the cliff again, "It's all very nice but… you know…"
"Mmm… yes, I do see your point… unfortunately, I'm afraid I can't answer your question."
"What?! Why not?!"
Before the woman could give Frankie an answer, a loud roar suddenly boomed in the distance. Frankie reeled back in alarm as he faced the sound. The woman broke out into another smile as she did the very same.
"They're coming. If you care to, you can watch with me."
The woman walked ahead, barely giving Frankie any time to answer. With a gulp and a shiver, he rushed to her side and waited alongside her.
"Any moment now…" The woman turned to face Frankie, who was now looking over at her in concern. "Don't be frightened, they're quite intimidating, to be sure, but they're peaceful all the same, so long as you stay out of their way. And if you'll pardon the sudden shift in mood, I dare say we couldn't be any much farther out of their way!"
"Who's they?" Frankie asked. Then the earth started to rumble.
"Them."
The woman barely turned her head in the direction of the oncoming sound, but it only took Frankie a slight glance to see the 'them' she was referring to.
Two giant, hulking creatures, each the length of at least two sizeable buildings, lumbered their way towards him and The woman, shaking the earth with each step.
They gave off a distinct dinosaur-like appearance, with long, hunched necks connected seamlessly to a muscular torso that finally came to an end with a long tail. Spikes lined its back to give it an even rougher tone.
It's arms and legs protruded from its sides, the former being almost comically short, to the extent one would wonder what their purpose was. Their legs however were incredibly large and sturdy, again sending tremors into the earth.
"What…on earth are…" Frankie started.
"Rampaging Sauros…" The woman said as she approached one. She raised her hand gently and, seemingly out of obligation, the closest creature lowered its head to her so she could pet it.
"Not exactly much for rampaging at the moment, hm?" She chuckled, a smile forming on her face, though the happiness in it was…rather distant.
"...these creatures are likely long extinct in your world…mostly forgotten about…only remembered through the bones they left behind…such a sad fate…being forgotten…"
"Forgotten…" Frankie repeated, looking down at his feet solemnly. Thinking about how even Pyra and Mythra were forgetting about their world. He took a deep breath and returned his attention to the creatures, both of whom were courting and purring gently as they embraced lovingly. He then turned to the woman, who was looking down herself, a mixed and plain expression drawn on her face. He looked back up at the loving reptiles and spoke once again.
"You're right… it IS sad… scary… even…" Frankie said.
"You speak as though you have personal experience. Forgive me for being so blunt, but you don't give the impression of someone who really knows what they're talking about in regards to this."
"You're right… not like this. But I have two… very close friends who do." The woman looked toward him once again as he continued. "I don't know if what I'm looking at is real… or a dream or… something those two are projecting on to me themselves but…" He took a deep breath and smiled, "But gosh Dangit, THIS is a sight to see! Living breathing dinosaurs out in the open! No bells and whistles, no smoke and mirrors, no robots or pens and paper, just… HERE!" Then he started to laugh a bit. "If I told my seven year old self he'd see a real life dinosaur with his own eyes… ¡Oralé! He'd lose his mind!"
The woman smiled sweetly again and gave Frankie her full attention as she took the opportunity to speak, herself.
"Yes… this is exactly the kind of attitude that's always… fascinated me about you humans… living in the moment, switching emotions on a dime, experiencing nothing but pure, unsatiated wanderlust, you are an odd fellow, sir, but you've captured my interest."
"O-oh… well I mean… this is just me being a big huge dork about all this… things like this are what really get me going…" He looked up and smiled at the giant creatures, who were now building a nest as the female looked ready to lay her eggs. "Believe it or not… I have trouble living in the moment… there's a lot of stuff I think about that… well, keep me in check so to speak. I only am the way I am cuz I know damn well I wouldn't be able to take the heat if I acted any other way… but these moments of levity… of sheer… unadulterated once in a lifetime happenings…!" Frankie shed a tear as he calmed himself down, "I couldn't have asked to experience anything better…"
The woman's smile faded into an intrigued frown. Her eyebrows were raised curiously as she watched Frankie look on in marvel.
'Eons and eons of being witness to countless sufferings, conflicts, and needings… and this is what I'm greeted with after eons and eons more…'
Her thoughts swam gently in her head as she shut her eyes in pondering. Not a soldier, not an emissary, not some divinely blessed individual of which the powers of many are held within their grasp and their grasp alone over their power of a particular Blade or two… Frankie was just… human. Human and conversational… She smiled lightly and turned completely to face him.
"Perhaps you'd like to get a closer look?"
"Huh?" Frankie turned in surprise, her sudden question snapping him out of his trance in a jolt.
"I've never seen a reason to leave this little area before, but… I suppose giving you the opportunity to see this and so much more is the least I can do for you."
"Do for me? What have I done?"
She paused and looked away uncomfortably, wringing her hands sadly while Frankie cringed. His embarrassment was halted quickly, however, as her movements were very, VERY familiar.
"S-sorry to say this now of all times but… you really remind me of Pyra and Mythra."
She bolted her head up in alarm, eyes widened in surprise upon hearing those names. Frankie noticed this and stepped back suddenly.
"I-I'm sorry- should I have not said those names? Or is there… something else……" Frankie trailed off as he took a look at her chest, there sparkled a bright green cross, gleaming under the sunlight, right in the middle of her chest, her core crystal. Frankie was catching on quickly and was about to press for more questions until the woman covered it up quickly and took a deep breath once again.
"For me… you've done plenty already, you don't have to believe me so quickly, I understand that's difficult for you, but I assure you… this… is so much more… than I've experienced…"
"Talking… you mean?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Oh…"
"Oh, sir, please don't look so downtrodden, I'm merely stating how I……. feel…"
She turned again, this time in surprise at her own words.
"Miss? Are you okay…?" Frankie asked, concernedly.
The woman stayed static for a few seconds more… milling over what she had said and what it could mean. She shifted her eyes back to Frankie at that moment and stood up straight, keeping her hand to her core crystal once again.
"You've given me much to think about, good sir, and I assure you I'll do so in due time, but for now, as thanks for your planting… please take my hand, and we shall fulfill your desire." She then looked over to the horizon, where more creatures of the day were emerging across the sky, 'As will I myself…' She smiled brightly as she thought to herself. Frankie smiled slowly as well and complied.
That was when he realized he was holding her hand. Obvious or not, she held some connection to Pyra and Mythra, and that in turn made him think he really WAS holding either of their hands. He blushed heavily as he looked down at it nervously, misreading the situation, the woman blinked kindly and kept her chin up.
"Don't worry, this will be quick and harmless!"
"Q-qu-quick and harm-LEAHHH!"
In an instant, both had vanished from the top of the hill.
…
For a brief moment, it felt like Frankie was flying. Wait…flying? But…he also felt like he was underwater. There was a tidal wave of impossible to comprehend lights and sounds rushing past him that he was a hair's breadth from getting overwhelmed and flung away.
But…one thing was clear…her. This mystery lady, she was practically glowing with her clarity among the visual and auditory noise. So…Frankie focused on her. Intently. Both to keep his mind from being torn apart, but…also because it made him feel…at peace.
She helped turn this potentially nightmarish experience into…a blissful one.
It's a wonder all of this flashed through Frankie's head, because in reality the warp between him and the lady standing on top of the hill to standing where they were now was practically instant.
As for where that was, it seemed as though they were standing just outside the village, the white houses being much closer in view but in exchange there was much less visibility of the whole town. But the better look at the houses Frankie could see demonstrated that they weren't just pretty from a distance, up close he could see the detailed stonework that lined the edges of the walls, the well-placed balconies dotted with laundry of the residents. At first it seemed odd for there not to be flower pots or gardens surrounding them, but that was clearly because of the close proximity of the luscious plant life he saw before.
"Not just pretty from a distance, huh…" Frankie thought to himself. For some reason that statement made him think of Pyra and Mythra, as well as…
Frankie broke from his daze with the light tugging of the lady in front of him, which also reminded him that he hadn't let go of her hand.
And she hadn't let go of his, either.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment, and the lady took a moment before smiling sweetly and gently nodding her head to the smaller building in front of them.
Frankie, understanding well this time, followed suit.
This new building was clearly much shabbier than the others he'd seen, but it had a very charming allure to it as well. It reminded Frankie of the little fun safari stations he'd visit commonly as a child.
"Well that's quite accurate, this is much like those safari stations!" The lady blurted out a bit excitedly.
This really caught Frankie off guard, as he had not said any of that out loud, at least as far as he could tell. Did she…read his mind?
The lady, seemingly realizing how odd she just sounded, blushed for a moment before continuing.
"Ah…I'm sorry, that was sudden. I'll…explain that to you at some point, but for now let's focus-"
Frankie, a bit unsettled -but not entirely in a bad way- complied, as the two of them approached the front counter of the building.
"Odd… no sign of any wardens or anyone else of the sort anywhere." She intoned.
"I really hate waiting…" Frankie groaned as he looked around impatiently, as he did so, he got a better look at the interior- warm, exotic, rustic, humble, homely, even. It reeked of a fantastical middle age setting. He let out a chuckle before speaking up again, "Oh, if my mom were here to see this…"
"Your mother?"
"Well… she was quite the history buff- maybesometimesalittletoogullibleonwhatandwhereshereads- but she'd sure as heck love sightseeing in a place like this! But I just wanna see those beasts out there already…"
She smiled again and turned away patiently.
"It shouldn't be too much longer… I hope."
"MEH MEH MEHHHHHH!!!" A shrill voice suddenly called from above the ceiling. Frankie and his new partner looked upward to see a round… fuzzy… creature of some kind tumbling down the shelves of the back of the desk, with little trinkets and knick knacks following after.
The fuzzy thing landed atop its head with an audible squeaking sound as it flailed its puny little legs around wildly. It was red with blue pants and a camouflage colored bucket hat that fell to its side, certainly nothing like Frankie had ever seen before
"Ow… Not goody… very very not goody… Mamapon no get angry, please…"
"W-w-w-w-what in the fiery depths of hell is that?!" Frankie cried, scared witless from the mass of the unknown creature, heart skipping several beats as he watched it streak past them like a giant furry asteroid.
"It seems our Nopon Warden has arrived." The lady said, far too calmly for Frankie's liking.
"N-n-Nopon? Is that what you call it?"
"IT?!" The so-called Nopon flipped itself over and took his position to glare at Frankie, jumping up and down wildly, flapping its wing like growths angrily. "Very VERY rude of you, sir! Tokitopi not merely an it! Tokitopi proud and happy Nopon! Tokitopi not take insults from rude people like self sitting down!"
'Okay, cool, but can you take a Thesaurus, at least?' Frankie thought as he tried so very hard to follow along with what this Tokitopi… person was saying.
"Oh, he doesn't mean any harm, honestly, neither him or I really know what to expect venturing so far out from where we're used to, you can't necessarily blame him for being a bit… skittish."
"Skittish?" Tokitopi repeated, scratching his head. "Mamapon always say skittish baddy bad with new people… and skittish need cheering up!" Tokitopi turned back to Frankie and bowed politely, "Tokitopi very sorry, sir, only wish to stand up for self… Nopon not very goody at it, mostly, but bloody well should be!"
"Y-yeah… okay… it's okay…" Tokitopi smiled brightly towards Frankie, and Frankie smiled back, with the two having reached an acceptable agreement. At this moment, Frankie took a closer look at the warden, noticing his two wing-like growths from his head clutching onto his sides while his real arms dangled just the same. "S-sorry, I hope you don't think I'm weird, I've just… never seen anything like you before… if it helps, I think you're very interesting… especially with those things…" Frankie reached out to point at the growths of the Nopon, who smiled brightly as he took the both of them to give Frankie a hearty… handshake?
"No offense given sir! Always pleasure to intrigue young passerby!" He exclaimed.
"If you really are the warden, then may I ask you to take us on a guided tour around the area? My Driver wishes to see the creatures up close." The woman asked the Nopon.
"Driver?" Frankie asked. The lady smiled once more as she looked toward him.
"This isn't exactly a dream you have every day, sir. Your lucidity here is higher than average and everything you see is tangible, have you noticed that?" She again lightly tugged on his arm to illustrate that fact.
"Dream? How do you-?"
"I'm your Blade, I know these things. Now what have you to say regarding my question?"
"Well, I mean sure but-"
"Then, the fact that you're seeing this just as well as I can at all means something. And that's what I'm choosing to believe."
Frankie searched for an argument, but failed. What he DID know, however, was the last thing he did before falling asleep was cuddle with Pyra and Mythra, his… well, who he hesitates to call his current Blades in the real world. There was no doubt in Frankie's mind anymore of whomst he was speaking with. She seemed to catch that same feeling of realization as he did, but turned away to face the Warden once more. Frankie lowered himself a touch. She'd tell him herself when SHE was ready.
"Very well! Tokitopi wheeler have plenty fuel! Tokitopi set up and meet out front soon enough! Be ready for all day adventure!"
"W-wait, all day? But what is-!" Before Frankie could even finish, the small little Nopon bounded off excitedly to fetch his supplies, leaving Frankie and the woman behind to wait amongst themselves.
"Quite a different sort than what you're used to, I'm sure." She guessed.
"Y-yeah… we have different races of people but not… different species of people! This is… this is just… híjo… it's a lot but… orá, if this world is the same as Pyra's and Mythra's that's just…" Frankie's mind was going a mile a minute, whether it was from excitement, concern, or confusion, not even he could tell. It took a while for him to catch himself and choose his next words. "I never… nobody ever… knew… or at least talked about any of this!"
The woman frowned in shock as she looked back at Frankie.
"Is that so…? So you mean to tell me everything is…" She trailed off as she turned away. Frankie gulped and leaned back a bit.
"Nononono! It's not ALL gone! Pyra and Mythra existing in my time at all is proof enough of that! That has to mean something for my time… doesn't it…?"
"Mmm… I suppose you're right, but…" She looked upward, still turned away from Frankie, gazing at the ceiling wistfully and mournfully. Frankie could only look in sad sympathy as he looked intently at her face. He wanted to comfort her, but the only way he knew how… wouldn't be the best way to start.
"I'm… sorry… again…"
Strangely, this caused the woman to chuckle once more.
"You're very apologetic for the tiniest of things, don't you get tired of it?"
"W-well no, not really… I don't want people to think I don't care when I can't say anything! I'm so-" Frankie caught himself this time and blushed sharply before turning his back on her childishly. "Besides, you're one to talk, you've been laughing every other five minutes whenever someone says something interesting…"
Proving his point, She did just that as she spoke to respond.
"Oh my! I have, haven't I?" She giggled with her hand to her mouth.
"¡Mira! ¡Mira! You did it again!"
From soft chuckles to a short but definite guffaw, the lady placed her hands on her stomach as she tried to stop to speak again.
"I'm so-ho-rry! You've just been making it too easy! Oh! Now I'm doing it!" She couldn't control herself, she smiled widely and laughed heartily. Frankie was a tad weirded out at first for her sudden change in mood, but then he smiled in content… it was the first time he got to see her just act… Human.
"A-apologies, sir- Mm! Oh, but… I really shouldn't be calling you sir, should I? As a Blade, I really ought to know the name of my Driver, care to tell me?" She asked. Frankie looked at her briefly before asking her a question himself.
"You don't know?" She just blinked in response, waiting for an answer. Frankie didn't know what to make of that answer… but it was only appropriate no matter what, he figured. With a smile and light bow, he introduced himself.
"Frankie… I'm Frankie."
"Ah… I see…" She paused to smile dreamily for a bit… like something had just been replanted in her mind, something… so very long ago but… all too recent, just the same. She stood up once more and gave her own introduction.
"Then you can call me Pyra… or Mythra… it doesn't matter which one, the choice is yours…"
Frankie smiled briefly… it was her… the core of Pyra and Mythra as a whole… but… something was still off. Even her smile, though more sincere than before… was still a bit faded… like she wanted to say something more but didn't feel like she could say it. That had to change.
"Meh meh! All ready! Come along, now!" The two turned quickly to the excited Nopon, who was aboard a very simple and rustic jeep-like vehicle Frankie stepped in front of the woman, opening the latch and standing aside, directing her silently to climb aboard first.
"Oh my, what a gentleman~ thank you!" She exclaimed.
"U-uh… y-yeah… I guess…" Frankie responded nervously, blushing harder than he had before at that moment.
She grabbed ahold of his hand and took her seat daintily while Frankie followed quickly after, sitting a bit stiffly and short on breath, her compliment still floating around in his head… and the fact that it essentially came out of Pyra and Mythra's own mouth, at that… it would take him still a bit longer to really come back to reality. She, however, found his little daze quite charming, and couldn't help but deliver a chuckle one more time, perhaps a bit of a harder one this time, now aware of how often she's been doing it, now.
"Oi! Tokitopi! The wife's been goin' on and on about those clippin's ya gave 'er on the tour! Don't know whether to thank you or rip ya apart!" A large and burly man with feline features called out jovially, seemingly returning home with a bundle of groceries. No doubt about it, this had to be one of the Gormotti people Mythra had spoken of.
"Meh! All in day's work, friend! Only hope Hubby enjoyed it as much as Wifey!" Tokitopi responded loudly back.
"Course! Always know I can count on you, Chum!" The man laughed again before setting his sights on Tokitopi's newest party. "And what've we here? A couple o' fresh newlyweds or the next young buck and pretty doe yer settin' up?" Very quickly, Frankie flushed completely red and turned to deny his claim.
"NONONONO NOTHING LIKE THAT IS HAPPENING! SHE-SHE'S SO FAR AHEAD OF ME I'M NOTHING BUT A TAGALONG!" He waved his arms wildly as he spoke. The woman, however, didn't look phased all that much as she looked over at Frankie and then to the man commenting on them.
"I apologize for disappointing you, sir, but this is merely a bonding experiment between a Driver and their Blade, one that's been a long time in coming if I do say so myself."
"Aye- I gotcha- never been one for the whole Driver thing, meself. The missus was an A-Class fighter back in her time! HA! I'm gonna hafta ask her about her old Blade when I get home. You take care o' those two, kay, Toke?"
"Tokitopi always take care of friendlies! But time is money! Off with you now, shoo!"
The man and Nopon saluted each other a friendly farewell just as they both got ready before starting on their own paths once again.
"That was quite the display~" The woman teased lightly, leaning over in her seat slyly.
"C-come on… you and I both know that there's… plenty much better out there…" Frankie sheepishly replied, hiding himself from the woman.
"Well, forgive me for being presumptuous, but I dare say I'm quite interested in what makes you tick, you don't mind do you?~" She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously at him, causing Frankie to turn an even deeper red than before, now realizing that while he had overshot Pyra and Mythra's height recently, he was staring eye to eye with this woman… meaning she was quite the tall glass of water.
"W-wubBa-w-w-w-we-he-we-wuwhwuhwuwhwuwehuwwhwuwbuh…." He then hid himself in his shirt, shifting around bashfully as he made a slight squeaking noise on the inside. The woman chuckled and sat up straight once again.
"Oh dear… did I overstep my boundaries? I apologize, really… don't be afraid to speak up next time…" She said sympathetically with a polite bow.
"mfrfrr…" Frankie replied, still hiding away in his shirt.
"Aww… well thank you!"
"Alright, friends! No more lollygagging! Onward!" Tokitopi started up his vehicle once more, and the three were off to quite literally, see the world.
…
Despite the odd circumstances, the safari's overall layout was quite similar to what Frankie was used to, as they ventured on a set path with wildlife existing a short distance from them on both sides. Frankie and the woman looked around, the former of which was starry eyed at all of the wonderful prehistory that lay before him. It was like experiencing life in both the Ice Age and Mesozoic eras at the same time. The inner child in him jumped for joy as he peered over the edge of his seat, completely over the moon over something as simple as them hunting or eating.
What helped his excitement were the creatures themselves, the ecosystem of this one area alone feeling very distinct from what Frankie had become accustomed to. Various wolf-like creatures with loud and proud red mohawks scurried around in packs, and families of rhinoceros-like mammals dotted the overall landscape. And most intriguing of all, far far off in the distance (likely to maintain safe passage) Frankie spotted what looked to be a giant ape-creature the size of a house nonchalantly lazing about in the shade of the nearby trees and eating peacefully much like any ape would do.
All of this sense of discovery and wonder swept Frankie up in a daze, filling his head with questions and theories.
The woman, on the other hand, was less endeared by the animals and more so by Frankie himself, and his absolute passion and captivation with his environment. Of course, getting closer to what she was so used to her looking every day for so long was enlightening in and of itself, but as a Blade, she could genuinely feel Frankie's enthusiasm and wonder coursing over her entire person. It gave her a very unfamiliar tingle… one of genuine excitement. Clutching her core crystal and going into deep thought, she held onto that strange feeling for as long as she could, looking over endearingly to Frankie every so often as she did so.
'Pyra… Mythra… you did a good job…' she thought.
"Um… miss?" Frankie asked sheepishly.
"Yes, Frankie?" The woman asked back sweetly, in a tone eerily similar to Pyra's, only getting Frankie to blush deeper and stumble over himself a bit more.
"W-w-w-w-w-what can you tell me about those…?" He pointed over to a small herd of large white deer like creatures, whose antlers seemed to be formed of the woodland itself, peacefully grazing across the plains. The woman was happy to suffice.
Every so often Frankie and the woman would request to stop and pet some of the more docile locals, a state of complete bliss for Frankie… that is to say, bliss after teetering on a fine line of caution.
"No species goes extinct for no reason…" Frankie explained as a large flying creature that looked like a cross between a Wyvern and Raven flew overhead. "…And everyone here is living in a mostly modern society from what I've seen."
"Modern meaning?" The woman asked.
"Ah… I guess you wouldn't have the best frame of reference would you…?"
"Oh, don't get upset, go on, finish your thought!" She encouraged lightly.
"Well, it's mainly just me observing… like… Dinosaurs and Mammals coexisting in the same period without much competition, though I guess those Sauros things are exceptions and not a rule… but they do all look like they fill in some pretty interesting gaps in both paleontology and cryptozoology! Like that big ape we saw earlier, what did the tour guide call it again? A Territorial Rotbart? A bridge between the gap of both Sasquatch and Gorillas, potentially even Gigantopithecus, or even all three!"
"Oh, god bless you!" The woman said in slight shock.
"Oh, nonono, those are just the names of the creatures in my time!" Frankie explained, "And looking at everything here and now, with so much, well… LIFE that's even seeping into the villages, there must be loads more oxygen in the air here than later… probably why everything is so freakishly big."
"You don't frequently see creatures this size in your time?"
"Well… some exist but not anywhere close to where I live… and the ones that are, well… I'm not exactly the most thrilled over hummingbirds and gophers showing up in the yard… that just made the owl I saw with Pyra and Mythra last night even more special!"
"Mm… I see… but don't you wish you could see some of the bigger creatures you speak of?"
"Every day… but I don't exactly have the budget for that… I really wanna go to Tanzania in Africa… that's where they have all the cool stuff… big gray behemoths with gnarly teeth, long snouts, giant ears, and long pillars for legs… to see a real life African Bush Elephant would be just the most…!" Frankie took a deep breath and sighed while his female companion tried to picture this 'elephant' creature in her head… it looked and sounded like a complete and utter mess… probably a very good hunting strategy for unsuspecting prey, she figured- so she instead chose to focus on what she assumed hummingbirds were instead and instantly felt better.
"You're a very passionate young man, Frankie." She complimented.
"O-oh, w-well… yeah, I guess…" Frankie replied back shyly.
"Mm Hmm… your company has been very much appreciated thus far…" She looked to the sky as she kept speaking, "It really is quite a wonder how much different the world is with a simple change in perspective… even if it's on the back of a rusty old bucket like this one here!" Frankie and the woman both snickered to themselves so as not to distract or hurt poor Tokitopi who was driving innocently… but just then, the jeep snagged quickly and stopped in its place.
"Meh! Not goody not goody not goody!" He cried as he leapt out the jeep, only to sink ever so slightly into the seemingly normal ground below. "Nono… friends, we mustn't dilly dally! Tokitopi been bamboozled! Played fool by nature like fiddle! This very VERY not goody! Please stay back and no move!" The little red Nopon scuttled over to the front of the jeep to frantically dig the wheels out of the earth.
"Um… what's happening…?" Frankie asked.
"Sir, are you absolutely sure you don't need help?" The woman added.
"Tokitopi! Handle! On! Own! You! Stay put!" The Nopon strained and struggled as he himself became just as entangled with the earth below.
"This is… this is not normal…" Frankie intoned. "I don't care what he says I'm going to help him!"
"I'll be right behind you." The woman exclaimed.
"Nono! That's exactly what it-!!" But Tokitopi couldn't finish his thought as the ground suddenly began shifting and morphing eerily as Frankie and the woman made contact with the ground themselves. What the little Nopon had realized but failed to communicate to them was that the ground was sinking below their feet, so creatures above a certain weight were prone to getting stuck in.
"What the-?!" Frankie hollered in shock.
"No, no, Frankie, it will be okay, trust me! Please, try to remain calm, we-" The woman was cut off by Frankie's frantic grunting and heavy breathing as he wildly looked around for ways to escape but to little avail. "Frankie, that's enough!"
"That's enough?! We're stuck in what's essentially quicksand here and you expect me to stay calm?! How do you-?!"
"Please. Listen to me." She spoke in a softer voice, getting Frankie's attention better, now. "I understand you don't have much experience as a proper Driver… but just this once, please focus on me, keep your emotions in tune with mine… and everything will be okay…"
"My emotions… in tune with yours…" Frankie repeated through deep breaths.
"Emotions… in tune with Pyra and Mythra." She clarified. Frankie stood up straight and looked toward her concerned but reassuring face just before he became too misty-eyed and overly excited. With one last deep breath, he shut his eyes gently as the woman did the same, placing her hands together gracefully as small particles of light began to emanate from her person, quite literally working her own magic on the both of them.
All of a sudden, a brief burst of force exerted onto the ground around their feet, blowing the quicksand away entirely and freeing the whole lot of them, Tokitopi and jeep included, to move to safer ground.
"W-woah!" Frankie scrambled hastily to safety, barely registering the ladie's move. Frankie looked over to her, as she had also hobbled her way to the island of safe land.
"Phew…hehe…not half bad, if I do say myself!" The lady chirped.
"I…h-heh…yeah, not half bad…" Frankie barely responded, somewhat embarrassed at his outburst earlier.
Right then, Tokitopi, whomst the woman had also freed, pointed to their flank.
"There! Dastardly beasts spoiling Tokitopi's reputation!! No time for dilly-dally on own small achievements!" The Nopon angrily swore.
Sure enough, in the direction he pointed, two creatures appeared from the shadows of the trees surrounding them. They were very snail-like in appearance, although obviously these were much too big, the size of a sofa each.
"Oh dear, oh dear oh dear…we may not get through this without some sort of plan, I'm sorry!" She called out to Frankie, who simply nodded in agreement as he observed the approaching slug-creatures. Thankfully the creatures were as slow as one might anticipate, giving them ample time to plan a countermeasure.
"Some sort of plan?" Tokitopi asked incredulously, "You're Driver and Blade! You have plan by standing there! Make do with it before Tokitopi deal with creatures himself. Tokitopi will! As matter of fact, he just may! No one harms Tokitopi's customers and gets away with it!!" With a primeval scream, the Nopon rushed forward to enact his attack.
"For a round little Fuzzball, he's pretty scrappy…" Frankie intoned.
"Such is life as a Nopon… even if their bravery borders on recklessness!" The woman responded, just as said Nopon was quickly flung back to them with one good hit from the large creatures.
"You three in need of assistance?" A gruff voice suddenly called from behind. Frankie and the woman shifted their attention quickly to a duo of odd looking humanoids heading their way.
One was lightly dressed in nothing more than pants and boots, a large scar draped over his belly, his dark black hair streaking across his head like a thunderbolt. The other, a female… didn't look clothed at all. She had no private features from the looks of it, though on closer look, she was covered in what looked to be bright white fur with icy blue patterns adorning her body, hands and feet ending in large claws with a fluffy white tail coming from her backside, hair done up in twin tails with a drill style… or were they her ears?
"I do hate to be barging in on other people's business, but a situation like this calls for some major ass kickin', eh, Hilbert?" The white humanoid asked her male companion.
"Dahlia, I'm surprised at you, language like that isn't befitting of a lady!" The other, apparently named Hilbert, responded.
"Ain't no time to be a lady here, honey, there's a mess up there and we're right in the middle of it… fortunately for these young'uns."
She looked over to Frankie and the lady, which to her just seemed to be an ordinary Driver and Blade.
"An' somethin 'ere tells me this ain't a fighting sort of duo we have here." While she didn't intend to point that statement towards Frankie, he nonetheless felt very singled out by it. While he had some light self-defense skills, it was clear as day sparring with Mythra that he was well below average combat skills in this time period.
Before he could get too down on himself over this however, his companion walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring nod. She then turned to the Driver and Blade pair.
"Thank you for your assistance, we'll help out in the fight any way we can!" She said, holding onto Frankie's arm.
"Fair enough-" Hilbert chuckled and brushed his nose cockily. "-just try not to slow us down, eh?"
The two of them jumped down close by before directly facing the oncoming slug monsters. The Blade named Dahlia gestured to Frankie and the woman again.
"We'll 'ere take these wet rags! You two keep that one busy! If you can beat it all the better, but if not we'll come around to help once we can!" Her and Hilbert rushed the main cluster of monsters and began engaging in combat.
Frankie nodded nervously and his companion nodded more confidently, prompting them to face one of the approaching slug creatures. Once again Frankie was thankful for how slow these creatures appeared to be, as he could take his time to consider what to do. Even deciding to fight at all felt so awkward and a million thoughts rushed through his head on how to proceed.
But it seemed as though whenever his mind started overthinking things, his new companion knew exactly what was going through his head and acted accordingly to help calm him down.
"Ready?" She calmly grasped his wrist, causing both her and his hand to emanate a bright green light. Before long, a glowing, almost tacky looking sword appeared in Frankie's grip.
It was a mix of gray and green, emerald shards protruding from three different ends of the weapon, two along the handle and one set accentuating the tip of the blade. The sword also wasn't quite as heavy as it looked, but the sheer size and complexity of its design certainly made it feel heavier than it was.
"You don't have to fight well, just trust in me, okay?" She asked.
He looked at her with a worried scowl at first before redirecting attention to her core crystal. Pyra and Mythra's core crystal. It didn't matter who this woman thought she was, Frankie KNEW who she was, and that gave him just enough confidence to steel himself and trust in her. It didn't matter if this was some dream-reality or something of the sort, he needed to fight for her sake.
"Right… let's get this over with…" The woman said dryly, which Frankie took quick notice of just before she took the sword from his hand and quite literally leapt into action.
She approached the slug creature with an elegant yet swift series of blows, spinning and almost twisting her body to land precise, powerful strikes. The creature took heavy damage from each attack, and just like Frankie thought, this lady was much more adept at fighting than she led on.
Suddenly Frankie's eyes began to shimmer, just looking at her.
Not due to her fighting, no, but just…watching her move, seeing her hair flow as she took each dance-like step. He couldn't quite tell why, but he felt this warm aura emanating between them, drawing them closer as he observed her dance more carefully.
It was graceful, yet calculated. Beautiful, and powerful, like nothing else he had ever properly laid eyes on.
Hilbert and Dahlia certainly took notice.
"Daaaaamn, where on earth could a Blade like that draw so much power? It feels almost unreal, don't it, Dahlia?" Hilbert said, seconds after drop-kicking another slug.
"Hmm…" Dahlia pondered a moment as she held one of the slug creatures in her arms and crushed it with little effort. She really observed the lady's fighting skills, and while she couldn't feel anything familiar about her, she could feel a mass amount of energy coming off of these two simple tour customers.
"Aye'd say…the answer here is love." She leaned over and said quietly to Hilbert.
"Ey? What makes ya say that?" Hilbert asked as he grabbed one of the slugs with his legs, bent backwards into a handstand, and leg-suplexed the monster into Dahlia's embrace, where it proceeded to freeze and crumble.
"Ya know how the power Drivers give to their Blades can get all souped up the more they fight together?" Dahlia hurled the crumbled chunks of the monster she just produced at another group of monsters, forcing them back.
"Yea, like how you and me get more oomf behind our attacks the longer we stay close to each other in a scrap?" Hilbert proceeded to produce his Bitball -a ball-shaped weapon made for dynamic combat- juggled it off his feet for a few seconds, before finally spin-kicking it into one of the stunned monsters where it then ricocheted against the entire swarm, game-ending them all.
"Yuh-huh. It's like we get stages of that ol' strength boost, and it takes a good while to reach the max level."
"And what are ye getting at with dis?"
Dahlia pointed over to Frankie and the green-haired woman.
While the woman was fighting like a seasoned veteran with no misplaced steps in her approach, Frankie on the other hand-
"GyaaaaaaaAAAA-!"
-was either looking around frantically to try and focus on a target and easily getting overwhelmed to the point of near hyperventilation, or consistently getting hilariously knocked onto his rear end any time he tried approaching in a similar way, just now slipping on the slime secreted by the monsters and falling stiffly on his bottom.
"Ayiee……." …at the very least, he was able to breathe normally again.
"Oof, not exactly the combat mason-type, eh?" Hilbert winced. Dahlia placed her hand on his shoulder to respond.
"That there is true, but…" She gestured once again over to them.
Frankie's current predicament had him on the ground, in a daze, leaving him wide open for a monster attack, and no way to escape. But as the monster pounced on him, another bright green flash appeared, revealing the green-haired lady to have entered the fight and had now cleanly severed the monster in two.
This clearly sent another spark into Frankie's heart, and he couldn't help but just admire her with so much effort and energy. Which in turn, seemed to influence her mood, as she smiled, and the more into the fight they got, the more Frankie seemed enamored by her.
"Ohhhh, yer saying their bond is so strong that it makes the lass much more powerful despite everything, is that right?"
"Indubitably." Dahlia said before freezing a single slug monster with a breathy ice kiss.
"While for everyone else, we need to fight in the same place for a good long while before we can reach that maximum power boost…"
Frankie had finally gotten up, and now he and the lady were glowing a golden hue, but neither of them noticed. They held their sword together this time, and brought it down on the last slug that remained in their area, causing it to disintegrate and a small explosion to occur.
"...with those two, it's like they're always at that max level, no extra-long wait times, just full on, all the time."
"Ahh, I see now." Hilbert nodded as both he and Dahlia swung their fists to smack the last slug behind them without looking at it.
"Yessiree, like aye said, that there is called love."
The woman took a deep breath and stood up straight as she looked down at the corpses of their fallen enemies.
"Done… and done…" She said.
"You okay?" Frankie asked the woman.
"Hm? Of course I'm alright, I was more concerned about you!" She responded.
"O-oh w-well… yeah… I'm okay, but… well I saw how you looked before and during the fight… you didn't look too good, at least at first."
"Oh… you noticed that, did you…?" The woman sighed and turned away, placing her cheek in her hand, "Sorry, it's pathetic for a Blade, but… I'm not very keen with… ACTING as a Blade."
"Fighting, you mean?"
"In a sense…"
Frankie pondered hard about her comment. Pyra and Mythra were in similar spots, so it only made sense to him, but that wasn't the main thing on his mind, rather, it was the main deal with Blades in general. They were sentient, this woman was sentient, even Dahlia, as striking as she looked, was sentient, they were just as much as people as he was, or Hilbert was, or even Tokitopi or the Gormotti man in the village was, and at this point... even as Pyra and Mythra were. Like the woman, Frankie himself now had something more to think about.
"Well… I'm sorry…" He said.
"Oh… don't be, I may not have had the grandest of times but… it was nice to get a bit closer to you." She said with a smile.
"G-get closer?" Frankie immediately started to fluster once again. The woman nodded brightly as he shifted his eyes back nervously. They couldn't get too deep into their thoughts or conversation, as Hilbert and Dahlia proceeded to approach them with Tokitopi in tow.
"Big… slimy things… never good for business!" The Nopon said woozily before passing out right on the spot.
"He certainly lasted a lot longer than I expected him to when we first saw all this ruckus from far away… gotta respect a Nopon who's really dedicated to his craft and such…" Dahlia commented while Hilbert approached Frankie and the woman.
"Your fighting skills have a lot to be desired, kid. Better watch yourself next time." The man warned.
"I know… I'm not the best Driver, am I…?" Frankie asked meekly, letting the Woman reclaim her sword.
"Now, now, I didn't say that. You need lots, and I mean… LOTS of training, but… the bond and affinity you share with your Blade… THAT'S teamwork, THAT'S what the relationship between a Driver and their Blade should be like… with you two, well… quite frankly, I've never seen anything like it, I'm a bit jealous, I should say."
Frankie and the woman both looked at each other in surprise, really taking in what this person was telling the both of them, and while she smiled, he became a flustered mess.
"N-n-no! You're exaggerating, I-I've never even been in real combat like this before until now, there's no way I could-!"
"Thank you, sir, it's a position that I happen to be most proud of." The woman interrupted. Frankie gazed her way in confusion while she still continued smiling, getting the man to smile himself.
"Just what I like to hear." The quintet all gazed at the fallen slugs, not nearly as dangerous now that they were well, dead. "Well. We ain't got refreshments on this voyage! What say we get to cleanin' up our mess and finding some, eh?"
"Oh! Wait!" Frankie piped up, getting all the others' attention.
"Uh… can I do the honors?" He asked sheepishly.
"You? What can you do? We ain't exactly keen on just sittin' and waitin'." Dahlia said.
"Well… got any butter and garlic…?"
…
Tokitopi ravenously consumed the bits of Gastropod that sat on his plate with an almost angry expression on his face, not even caring the butter made his whiskers all soppy and greasy.
"You, uh… alright there, chum?" Hilbert asked, Dahlia at his side while she indulged lightly herself.
"Slugs dampen experience for wonderful friendlies! Embarrass Tokitopi far too much! Tokitopi never leave customers sour, am simply getting revenge!" The Nopon screeched as he continued feasting.
"Now, I'm rightly sure they don't blame you too much, probably too scared themselves in the midst of it all, just slow yerself down 'fore ya choke." Dahlia warned.
"Now, now, Dahlia, don't discredit the man too much!" Hilbert said, slightly muffled before swallowing pridefully. "In ten minutes I went from pitying that kid to praisin' his tail off! Never woulda thought to harvest these bits and bobbles quite like this for meself- much less make 'em so… delectable…"
"That kid could teach ya a thing or two… I'm sure your lady friend back home'd appreciate it." Dahlia dryly commented.
"Oh for the love of the architect it was ONE TIME!"
"One time that ya tried over… and over… and over again…"
"Yer a real buzzkill, ya know that, D?"
"Only doing my duty as your Blade, sir…"
Hilbert scowled at her before looking around to see that Frankie and the woman had separated from the group, which the rest took notice of as well.
"Oh no! It starting already! Bad things befalling Tokitopi much sooner than expected!"
"Ha ha- cool yerself, man. I think I know just where they got to…" Hilbert replied as he and Dahlia looked off into the distance to catch Frankie and the woman's bodies posted up against a tree, sitting side by side enjoying their own meals.
"To be young and in love…" She commented sweetly.
"The romance between a Driver and their Blade whenever it does happen is a wonderful thing, ain't it, Dahlia?" Hilbert asked.
"Mm… let's simmer down and let them be with their own thoughts in peace, eh?" The other two silently agreed with Dahlia's suggestion.
"Is it good and good?" Frankie asked the woman innocently just as she finished her last piece.
"Oh… it was divine!" She exclaimed as she set her plate down, "Everything… was divine… everything just felt so… ordinary… so… right… I… never knew I needed or even wanted any of this…" the woman said wistfully, as she sat back on the tree, contently placing her hands on her stomach, gently closing her eyes and letting the wind kick up her hair.
"Even with the giant slug monsters?" Frankie asked.
"Mmm… yes, I'd say so, though I am glad we were able to take them down…" The woman looked serenely over to Frankie before taking her hand and placing it just above his, wrapping her fingers around it gently, "Together…"
Frankie looked down in a fluster, before looking back up at the woman sheepishly.
"My, my, you're as red as a peach, don't tell me all it took was a few hours, now…" She inched closer to Frankie on all fours, eyes half shut as she stared directly at him with a knowing grin.
"U-uhhhh… w-w-w-w-w-w-w-well- I-I-I-I-I-I-I-…" Frankie's stunned stuttering got the woman to chuckle once again before sitting back down to her original position.
"Oh, Frankie, if Pyra and Mythra saw you acting like this over me… well… a lot of things could happen, couldn't they?"
"H-huh? How did-"
"Oh, no, Frankie, don't start that with me. As your Blade, you and I share emotions, and I can feel every last ounce of complete and utter passion you possess for the two of them… ergo, you must be absolutely burning up at the mere thought of someone like me existing, right?" The woman gazed sultrily at Frankie, partially to get a reaction out of him, partially out of genuine feelings… though it wasn't like Frankie could pick up on any deeper meaning in his flustered state.
"B-but- w-well I-I-I…"
"Take as long as you want, and say whatever it is you want, Frankie, but you and I both know it's going to happen sooner or later…"
"But-but-but…" Frankie took a deep breath to relax himself as he tried to explain, "Yeah… Pyra, Mythra, and I have been getting closer and closer each and every day… I don't… want to say too much to them cuz… well… there's still things about this world and the people in it that I'm scared of… plus, I don't… really think they deserve someone like me… barely surviving… hardly a fighter… no super strong musclebound hero saving the world every other Tuesday… but at the same time, I… don't want to lose them… even now they're still hurting, I know they are... and what if I'm jumping the gun? What if I'm not everything that I or they or whoever think they need? I can hardly believe they're enjoying these casual outings with me in general!"
"And you honestly think you need to be perfect to see more than what you think? If you can see their deeper feelings still lingering around, then surely you can do the same for... we'll call them, newer feelings, can't you?"
"I-I... I don't know, okay...? I try not to think too hard about it... I don't wanna put myself on a pedestal that they clearly need... one I don't know if I fulfill very well... even if they flat out tell me I still don't... feel right."
The woman sadly looked at Frankie, who curled himself up slightly, letting him stew in his own thoughts as he gently shut his eyes. Then she smiled sweetly as she brought his face closer to hers, giving his cheek a quick little smooch, instantly getting a rise out of Frankie- red in the face and wide eyed in surprise as he turned to face the woman, who coyly brushed a stray hair from her face.
"You're sweet, Frankie… and so very tender-hearted, and very fun to tease, might I add~" she began, looking up at the sky dreamily, "But please, don't sell yourself so short… you've given Pyra and Mythra a place to stay… to live like they want to live… not just get there halfway for the sake of others, but for the sake of themselves…" She glanced over toward him again, "And I can see their smiles in your heart, you know, they're making you melt, aren't they? They help you out just as well, do they not?"
Still blushing, Frankie didn't know how to respond, and rigidly turned away, removing all eye contact with the woman, who was amused and continued speaking.
"As I said before, you've given me much to think about… and I intend to do just that until… all of us are comfortable."
"C-comfortable?" Frankie asked nervously.
"Indeed, but how we get there… that's up for you and the two of them to decide… and during that time, I'll be here… pondering… dreaming… waiting…"
"Christmas." Frankie suddenly said.
"Hm?"
"I-I'll tell them on Christmas… how… I really feel… It's only a few months away…"
She smiled and scooted herself as close as she possibly could to Frankie, who jumped slightly as he gazed into her lovely emerald green eyes.
"That's to be said for all of us… yes…?"
Frankie furrowed his brow in embarrassment, his heart racing and racing and racing. This woman, this woman he knew and heard of was practically begging for an answer… but ignoring one in favor of the other was cruel… and he knew that. He also had no doubt in his mind who he had been speaking to this entire time, and with that in his mind and how Pyra described the situation herself, he came to a decision with a smile.
"…all of you…"
Now it was the woman's turn to blush. She looked at him in surprise before turning away to really think about what he just said… she supposed that would be another thought for her as she waited, and that was good enough for her.
"You know who I really am… don't you…?" She asked with a slight smile, brushing her hair from her ear.
"Y-yeah… I've known for a while…"
Just as Frankie said that, stronger winds started kicking up in the fields.
"Meh Meh! Storm coming?" Tokitopi asked. "Tokitopi's tour just barely start! Tokitopi senses bad review on horizon…" He then picked up his plate and glared at it ferociously. "Hear that, slugs?! This all your fault!"
"Hilbert, should we mosey on back home?" Dahlia asked.
"Indeed we should. Tokitopi, calm yourself down and get movin'. Let's go get those two lovebirds and get them home safely as well." Hilbert responded as the trio headed over to where Frankie and the woman sat.
"Mm… I suppose you're about to wake up…" The woman said matter-of-factly.
"Wake up... right..." He lemented, "So then... was all of this just... an illusion? Was any of this real?" Frankie asked frantically as he looked here and there in a slight panic.
"Frankie... this isn't your dream... you're in my dream… Pyra and Mythra's dream… dreams of a world long gone… OUR world and what we remember from it... dreams are the only way we can anymore... that's what I manage for all of us... and now you've given all of us hope… don't let that or the dream die out… promise me that."
Frankie looked at her quizzically for a bit, as she stared in at him sadly, her hair now billowing in the wind. The more and more he looked at her, he could see Pyra… he could see Mythra… this wasn't the first time he had been through their dreams… but now, instead of just seeing, he was experiencing… experiencing their thoughts and emotions all the same.
"…I promise…" Frankie turned away from her at that moment, nervously waiting for him in the real world to wake up and skyrocket him back to reality with a new perspective on… everything.
"Wait!"
Frankie turned swiftly to the sound of the woman's urgent voice. He could feel himself waking up, but… he had to stay… only for a few seconds longer.
"The truth is… I don't… want to be called Pyra or Mythra anymore…" She said with a frown, hands clutched toward her chest and core crystal.
"Really?" He asked. She nodded. Frankie smiled and faced her completely, heart racing rapidly as the two locked eyes. "Then… what CAN I call you?" He waited for her answer, the 'okay' and solid proof he needed to really keep moving… he knew and she knew… but now she needed to say it with her own voice…
She paused for a long, long, LONG moment, her own heart racing just as fast as Frankie's did, her hair blowing in the wind so graciously as a small smile formed on her face, tears building up in her eyes as she closed them so serenely before opening them once again, mistier than ever as her breathing grew heavy, and entire self grew… excited. No sense in hiding or distancing herself anymore…
"…You can call me Pneuma…"