Following the chaotic aftermath of the battle against the Fallen Angels, New Meridian was blessed with a night of peace, though rest fell short for the Black Egrets who worked tirelessly to ensure the citizens were safe.
Crystal Square was setting up to undergo major reconstruction and further investigation on the new threat that turned the district on its head.
All of the fighters who partook in the battle got to enjoy the peace they fought for — Parasoul and her squad returned to Canopolis and the universe trotting warriors found a home with the Player, Filia, and Squigly.
Poorman Apartments
6:05am
The player lay in wake, staring at the ceiling with a deadpan look on his face.
He had to sit through the combined snoring of his bunkmates, Gwen, Ryūko, and Ruby, which made getting a full night's sleep impossible.
'Oooooh my god. What are the freakin' odds that they all snore?! People are always going on about the dream of having a house full of women. It's every man's dream, right? Wrong! Oh, so wrong.'
Ruby turned over on her back, scratching her stomach from underneath her night shirt, "CreScEnT roSe! GIVe mE... StRenGth... Nnnggggheheh," she smiled with a trail on drool running down her cheek.
Hearing her, the Player rolled his eyes, 'Great. Add a comical sleep talker on top of that.'
Amidst the snoring, there was a gentle rattle sauntering along the room before noticeable crunching could be heard shortly after.
The Player turned over and saw Butterscotch by his food bowl, eating away.
"They're keeping you up too, bud?"
Butterscotch raised his head from the bowl and briefly looked in the Player's direction, acknowledging him for a second before going back to eating.
The Player smiled at him before rolling back over to continue ceiling gazing. His expression became serious as he found himself lost in thought.
'...I wonder how Parasoul's doing. I'm happy I got to see her after we've been apart for so long, but I wish it wasn't under those circumstances. Maybe I should man up and give her a call to see how she's doing. I know Umbrella will be happy if we patched things up, and then we could all be friends again. But then again, if Parasoul finds out we've been letting Umbrella sneak down here to visit, that'll make things worse.'
The Player raised his hand and stared at his palm, remembering what he felt when he grabbed Parasoul the day she left.
'Our connection weakened that day. I still don't know what she meant when she said she wasn't her father, but...it seems there's more dirt on the Renoir name than just Nancy being the Skullgirl, and Parasoul is hurting because of it.'
The Player clutched his hand into a fist, thinking of all the things piling up and how there were no answers to any of it.
'I'm supposed to help them, right? I'm supposed to keep everyone from hurting, but it's starting to feel like "the player" is the cause of their pain. If I weren't here, would things be okay?'
Just then, he remembered Marie's words; "You are the key to solving our world's greatest mysteries. Anyone you give that power to will be able to do anything. You can break the cycle of pain so many of us are forced to burden."
He lowered his arm and exhaled.
'No. Stop thinking like that. You promised. Too many people are counting on you for you to doubt yourself... Like Parasoul. She needs you, and I have to do right by her, but... where do I start? As if all the Skullgirl drama wasn't enough, now she has giant monsters terrorizing her kingdom,' he sighed heavily and threw his arm over his eyes. 'What a mess.'
There was a long pause before the Player removed his arm and revealed the astonished look on his face as he continued looking at the ceiling.
'Wait. No... There isn't a Skullgirl problem.'
He was lost in thought, deep thought, as he began piecing together key events from the past.
The rattling of Butterscotch's collar caught the Player's attention as it drew near. He looked over again and saw Butterscotch sitting beside the couch, looking up at him.
"Hey, bud. Was the food good?"
Butterscotch's tail began to wag, and he got up to put his front paws on the couch's cushion, wanting to interact with the Player.
The Player reached over to pick the young pup up so they could share the couch. He sat Butterscotch on his torso to pet him.
"It's just you and me, pup. I doubt we're gonna get any sleep with these roommates of ours. You know what we should do? we should make the girls have a slumber party down here, and we take the bedroom for a night. What do you think?"
Butterscotch responds by wagging his tail and licking the Player's face. He just liked being talked to, and it excited him.
The Player chuckled and turned away to get the kisses to stop, "I'm glad you agree. Y'know... Now that I'm thinking about it, it'd be really nice to have a boys' night. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of women in our lives, so a day hanging with the fellas would be a nice change of pace."
He continued petting Butterscotch while thinking of his idea.
"Yeah, just you, me, and Lev? That sounds great. Or rather it sounds great on paper... Lev can't safely detach from Sienna. Still... Nice thought, right?"
Butterscotch's tail responds with more excitable wagging.
"I guess I'm just hyping you up. I know Ruby has been taking up all your company, but how about we go for an early morning walk?"
Butterscotch knew what the word 'walk' meant, and he let out an enthusiastic bark.
The Player flinched from the sudden bark but snickered after, placing his finger over his lip, "Whoa, bud! Keep it down. We don't want to wake anybody, right? But it seems I have my answer. C'mon. Let's go for a quick stroll around the park."
The Player gave Butterscotch an affectionate body ruffling pet before moving over and sitting the dog on the floor so he could get up.
He went upstairs to get ready but was quiet about it so he didn't wake Filia or Squigly, he even went as far as running the water slowly when washing his face and brushing his teeth to keep noise to a minimum since the girls' bedroom was just across the room.
After he was done, he went back downstairs with gentle steps. Back in the front room, he put on a clean shirt, jeans, and casual shoes.
Butterscotch was sitting by the kitchen with his leash in mouth, waiting patiently for his owner, although his tail was showing he was barely keeping himself restrained.
It didn't take long for the Player to get ready, and when he saw Butterscotch watching him with his leash, he laughed in amusement.
"Look at you raring to go. You probably have to go to the bathroom, huh? Let's get to it then," the Player got down to secure the leash around the dog collar and, in the process, got an idea. "Actually, bud, before we go to the park, I have someone I want you to meet. After that, we'll head over."
Butterscotch didn't care where they went. All that mattered was that he was getting to spend time with his owner and be out to let out all that morning energy.
The Player got up and grabbed a roll of doggy bags for their walk as well as his hoodie from the rack. Once everything was accounted for, the pair quietly headed out.
--
Construction Site, Grand Cathedral Ruins
6:37am
After a bit of walking and a few bathroom stops for Butterscotch, the traveling pair make their way through New Meridian and reach the ruined cathedral.
The Player navigates through the construction site and proceeds into the ruined building.
They enter the old chapel area and follow the diverging path that lead to the inner depths and beyond that the usual maze-like labyrinth to reach the catacombs.
Although Butterscotch was leary of the area, he stayed close to the Player and trusted his every step.
They eventually reach a peculiar wall where the Player slowly dragged his hand along the surface in search of something.
"...Hmm. Am I off kilter again? Kinda crazy that I don't know where this place is by heart yet, and it's been months. One sec, pup. I'm just looking for the entrance."
The Player continued along the wall and even backtracked to make sure he didn't accidentally overlook what he was looking for.
"Riiiight... abooout," a few easy steps to the left, and he stopped, "here."
He closed his eyes and focused, inhaling through his nose and exhaling from the mouth ー a light from beyond the wall shines, as though outlining some kind of illusory passage.
A unique door with a stained glass mural of a skull and heart materialized before them, and the Player smiled, looking down to Butterscotch.
"There we go. Pretty cool, huh?"
Butterscotch wasn't following whatever was going on and briefly looked up to the Player before facing forward again.
The Player knocked on the door before grabbing the handle and cracking it open.
Skullgirls Repose, Grand Cathedral Catacombs
Beyond the door, Marie was already awake and getting the day started with crown molding dusting. She kept herself afloat and was so focused on her work that she hadn't acknowledged the initial knock.
"Hola, Marie," the Player casually greeted her.
Marie looked over her shoulder after hearing his voice, her smile on display as a natural cause of genuine joy from seeing her friend.
"Oh, Player! Good morning. I wasn't expecting you to drop-"
Flakes of dust from the duster dropped to Marie's nose, and she unintentionally inhaled them. Her face contorts, building up to an impending sneeze.
"A-A-Aaaa-CHOO!"
The sneeze was enough to make Marie lose focus and drop from the air.
The Player was able to sprint into the room and catch Marie before she hit the floor, holding her princess style, "It seems you're the only one making unexpected drops, Marie."
Marie snickered before he helped her down, "So it seems. Thank you."
"No problem, but how are you up this early and already cleaning?"
"Never know when you might have company. Case in point ー you."
"Sure, but I already know you're a neat freak. I guarantee you this place was spotless before I came over."
"There's always work that needs to be done. You just haven't trained your eyes the way eye did," Marie's expression grew somewhat smug with a hint of pride as silence fell between them.
The Player wasn't following her sudden and unexplained visage until he caught on, "...Did you just make a pun?"
"Was it funny? I was working on it."
The Player squinted his eyes at Marie and didn't respond.
"What?" She asked, looking innocent.
"Eye thought you were better than that."
Mirroring the Player's initial reaction, Marie looked at him, confused on the proud look he gave her before pouting when she picked up on his eye widening gesture, "That was tearable," she flatly responds.
The Player chuckled and dug into his shirt from the collar, pulling up his necklace charm.
"Well, I am your other half."
Seeing the charm warmed Marie's heart, and almost immediately, she formed the most sincere smile she's had in a while.
In fact, Marie was so distracted with punning around with her friend that she overlooked his companion, so when the Player motioned his arm to keep Butterscotch from potentially charging at her, she froze with her hands over her mouth.
Following her surprise to Butterscotch, he threw his head back at himself for being late on introductions, "Right, how could it slip my mind that fast? I brought a guest. I hope you don't mind."
"You... You have a dog?"
"Yep, and his name is Butterscotch. Don't worry, he's friendly. Maybe too friendly... But you're not a stuffed toy or Sagan, so you'll be fine."
"Who?" Marie questioned, briefly looking lost.
"Nobody," the Player playfully dismissed. "Basically, you don't have to worry about anything. He's friendly. I promise."
Marie looked down at the dog and just stood there as Butterscotch pulled forward to try getting Marie's scent, but the Player kept him back in hopes of easing the two into one another.
Butterscotch turned back to the Player after he clicked his mouth to get his attention.
"She's a friend, bud. Her name's Marie. There's a bit of a misunderstanding in regard to her power so the world is a little confused," the Player crouched down to him to unhook his collar. "Because of that, we have to protect her. Want to be her guard dog?"
Although it was sweet seeing the Player speak to Butterscotch, Marie grew more neutral from his words.
"No. I'm still a Skullgirl. The world has every right to assume that I'm capable of just as much destruction as the others."
"Pfft! Not while I'm here."
Marie inclined a brow at the Player, expressing confusion at his statement.
The Player reeled his gaze up to Marie and noticed her look. Now that he had her attention, he stood up, "Guess I might as well come clean. So, Marie, I had a long time to think about this, and I've decided that I want to change the way the world sees the Skullgirl."
"What?"
"I want to show everyone that there can be a good Skullgirl. I honestly feel that the Skullgirl doesn't have to be about setting the world on fire."
"That's impossible. The Skullgirl has existed as an unstoppable monster since... Since long before any of us. It's etched that no good can come of a Skullgirl. I respect your tenacity, but that's still dangerously naive."
"I can't accept that as an answer anymore."
"Why?"
"Because you exist," he casually answered as though it should've been obvious. "So does Umbrella. If it were anyone else? Sure, I'd be more inclined to agree. But my time here has shown me there's a new cycle on the horizon. For once, in this kingdom's history, there is good in having a Skullgirl, and that's because of you two."
"...No. You can't change a monster. There has been far too much bloodshed for that to suddenly change. No matter how you try to justify it, I am and always will be one of those monsters so long as I have this power," Marie held up her hands and stared into her palms. "I've accepted that. You should, too."
The Player angled his mouth on a slanted decline in doubt of Marie's words, "Deep down, I feel you don't believe that. How could you after what you said to me? You wanted to rid the world of corruption, remember? You're a Skullgirl who wants to do better. Don't you see how big that is? You're too hard on yourself and are more than what you say you are."
Now that he was off the leash, Butterscotch cautiously approached Marie and began sniffing around her shoes.
Marie wasn't used to anyone beside the Player being amicable toward her, so she initially stepped away from the curious pup, as an inate precaution, but after she backed away, Butterscotch calmly approached her again.
The Player watched as Marie awkwardly stood stiff as Butterscotch circled around her, and once he did his thing, all he could do was wag his tail and prance around her in excite
Butterscotch couldn't detect any malice in Marie, and because of that, he took an immediate shine to her, causing the Player to smile.
"And I'm not the only one who knows that. He knows it too," he grabbed Butterscotch from behind and held him over to Marie, prompting her to take him when ready.
Marie looked on, drawing a mental blank as her friend was holding another potential friend for her to have.
She had to wonder, as a Skullgirl, does she deserve this? Does she deserve to be happy despite knowing what her future entails? The inherit danger she possesses as the current bearer of the Skull Heart was too great a risk to think otherwise.
Do I deserve to be happy as a monster vs am I capable of doing good as a monster
It was a complicated dilema, and one Marie couldn't see having a positive outcome. Not as a Skullgirl. The world was going to hate her regardless, and it wouldn't stop until she was dead.
But that was a given, as is the fate of all Skullgirls.
And yet, in spite of that, she had two souls who chose her and what they believed over what the world thought.
In her heart, in that moment, their acceptance was the only thing that mattered. It made Marie reflect, and then it clicked...
Unlike previous Skullgirls, she had someone smiling at her.
She had someone who believed in her
She had someone who wanted to protect her
She had a friend. Friends.
She was blessed to still be herself and realize that.
Marie's arms moved on their own, and she grabbed Butterscotch, holding him close. He was soft and warm, welcoming her embrace.
She took a step back and sat on the edge of the bed, looking down to this smiling dog who looked back into her skull marked eyes and saw light rather than darkness.
The Player took a seat beside them, maintaining his smile despite Marie's silence.
"If... I'm not a monster, what am I?"
"You're Marie. Marie Korbel. The Skullgirl who will change the world and be the light the future needs. But above all of that? You're our friend."
"Even with that, everyone will want me dead regardless."
"Don't let that bother you because it won't happen. You trust me, right?"
"Of course. But that'll just put you a risk..."
The Player playfully rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Hey, I'm already in a constant state of danger because I'm the player, so this is just another Tuesday for me."
Marie faced forward and let out an unconvinced "hmm," in response.
Seeing that she still wasn't convinced, the Player quietly exhaled from his nose. He then stood up from the bed, "Okay! Let's go."
"Huh?"
"I promised Butterscotch we'd go to the park, so we're going. As in you're going too."
Marie gave him a look as though he were crazy, "What? I can't go out in public."
"Yes, you can. Just put on a disguise and we'll go. It's still early, so hardly anobody is outside. It's fine."
"I honestly feel that's a bad idea. There's too much of a risk. Besides, I won't be fooling anyone just walking out in the open the way I am. There will be chaos in the streets."
"I know you can regenerate, so sealing up that flame in your torso isn't the problem. If you're concerned about blending in, just let your hair down.
Marie's look became incredulous as she just looked at him, unsure if he was being serious with his answer, "...Let my hair down," she repeated in hopes of helping him understand how silly it sounds.
"Don't knock it. You'd be surprised by how effective a new hairstyle can be. I know it sounds dumb, but trust me, it works. No one will recognize you."
Marie still couldn't wrap her head around the logic and inclined a brow at him while the other remained flat, showing her doubt, to which the Player just looked back at her as if waiting for her to switch up her appearance.
With a sigh, thinking it was pointless, Marie sat Butterscotch on her lap and removed the skull clips to let her hair down.
Following his observation about regeneration, she restored her torso by neutralizing the Skull Heart's power, which killed its flame, giving her the appearance of a normal girl.
It may have been a stupid idea, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling at the thought of being free and spending time with her friends.
The Player's first reaction was unreadable; his head eased back in a puzzled manner.
When she noticed the Player hadn't said anything, Marie slightly pouts, "Well? Do I look any different?"
"Unironically? Yeah. Like... A lot. I mean, I know I said this stuff works, but I wasn't expecting it to make you look so non-Marie...ish"
"That doesn't make sense."
"Well, if you really think about it- actually, no, yeah... It doesn't make any sense. You got me there."
Marie giggled at the Player's nonsense and looked down to Butterscotch with a smile.
"Sooo, you're coming with us, right?"
Marie still wasn't open to the idea, but the Player's persistence made it hard to continue declining since it seemed important to him.
"I still think this is a bad idea, but if it'll make you happy-"
"And it will," the Player casually interjects.
Marie's eyes briefly fell flat from how fast he replied, "...Then I'll tag along," she finished her sentence.
"Woo!" The Player fistpumped triumphantly.
"But I don't plan on being out for too long. No longer than 30 minutes to an hour."
"That's fine. That's honestly more than what I was expecting. I was expecting you to say 10 or 15 minutes."
"Oh. Well, I suppose that'd be more appror-"
"Nope! 30 minutes to an hour. It's locked in."
The look on Marie's face fell flat. Her head drooped and her eyes slowly peer aside for being too lenient on the time.
"Wear this," the Player said, offering his hoodie, "I'm sure everyone knows what your maid outfit looks like, so you'll blend in better with this."
Marie took the sweatshirt and held it out to get a good look, but all she took away from it was realizing how baggy it was in comparison to her frame.
"It's a tad big."
"Yep, and that's why it's perfect. No one will be able to tell it's you. If we run into anyone, you can put the hood on and keep them from seeing your eyes."
"Ooh. Yes, I see. Brilliant foresight."
"I dunno about brilliant, but you get used to improvising disguises when you have friends with Parasites."
Marie giggled, "Right. That makes sense."
The Player moved Butterscotch from Marie's lap to his own to get the leash back on.
Marie put the hoodie on and despite already knowing how big it was, when she actually got it on, it was far more than she was anticipating. It was practically a dress.
"Perfect fit," The Player cheered enthusiastically.
Marie held up her hands as the sleeves loosely hang, "You sure about that?" She questioned.
--
Their plans established, the Player took Marie from the Grand Cathedral and ventured back to the city.
Marie was in charge of Butterscotch, holding his leash and walking him as they went along, or rather Butterscotch was in charge of Marie as he followed his nose wherever it took him, having Marie awkwardly waddle after him since she didn't want to hurt the small pup.
The Player had to actively coach Marie on properly walk a dog, and most of that was spent with laughter since constantly fumbled about from being so clueless on the basics of dog walking.
She could lift buildings, conjure the dead, and fight monsters... but she couldn't handle a young pet.
It was comedy gold for the Player, much to Marie's humorous dismay.
Marie's grief didn't last long, she slowly got accustomed to working in tandem with Butterscotch and applying the right amount of authority whenever he was doing something she felt he shouldn't be or wandering to parts she felt unsafe.
New Meridian Dog Park
6:43am
"Here we are," the Player announced.
Marie clicked her tongue twice to get Butterscotch to follow along, "Come on. This way."
Butterscotch ran ahead and calmly walked ahead of them, matching Marie's pace.
"Very good, lady. You're a natural."
"Am I?" Marie looked at him, uncertain of his praise. "It still feels like I'm doing it wrong."
"Nah, you're fine. We made it without too much trouble, so be proud of yourself."
When they arrived at the park, Marie quickly spotted a few others with their canine companions and she froze, keeping Butterscotch from going any further.
"You okay?" The Player asked, looking back at her.
"People," Marie cautiously alerted.
The Player quietly chuckled and grabbed the hood of his sweatshirt, pulling it over Marie's head to hide her if she was feeling exposed.
"That's what this is for, remember?"
The hood initially fell over her face and blocked her sight, so she had to manually adjust it so that she could see properly.
The Player pats her back, prompting Marie to keep walking.
Although hesitant at first, Marie went along with the Player's gesture and they continue down the walkway.
During their walk, an oncoming passerby and their dog sprint by.
Jogger: Good Morning.
"Morning," the Player smiled back.
"M-Morning," Marie's response was a tad delayed, having not anticipated the greeting. She was astonished she was able to walk around and not attract any negative attention. "This... This really works."
"See? Told ya. Just gotta have a little faith in me."
"Huh? I did have faith. I was just..."
Player once again found himself chuckling at Marie's literal-minded goof, "It's cool, Marie. I'm just messing with you."
"...Oh."
The Player crouched down and whistled, getting Butterscotch to approach him. He unhooked the leash and granted the labrador full freedom.
Butterscotch joyfully sprints out into the park to burn off all that wild energy he had.
"D-Don't wander too far!" Marie almost unintentionally called out with that iconic echoing Skullgirl base in her voice.
"It's okay, he won't run off," the Player assured to ease Marie's worry. "He loves this place and has a few spots he likes to hit up," he rolled the leash up and held it out for Marie to take. "Could you put this in the hoodie pocket?"
Marie did as she was told and tucked it away.
The Player sat down on the nearby bench and Marie followed his lead, sitting next to him and looking out to keep an eye on the dog.
"Dang. I wish we brought one of your books along, you could've either finished reading the one we were on or started the next one."
Marie looked over to him and eyed him curiously. There was brief silence between them before she finally opened to speak.
"If you don't mind me asking..."
"Hmm?"
"Why did you want me to come with you? There's better company for you to have."
"Like who?"
Like who? Marie was almost dumbfounded that he would even bother to ask, but she managed to keep a straight face, "Filia or the Contiello," she answered.
"Pfft! Right. They were both out cold. I live in a pretty noisy environment these days, and they just sleep through it. I was the only one up and besides, I wanted to talk to you personally about what was on my mind. I felt like that was something only for us, y'know?"
Marie once again let silence settle between them before responding, "I see."
"Not only that, but I want to help you adjust."
"Adjust?"
"To the world you're going to be apart of soon. You won't have to live your life being hunted anymore because I have a plan to fix all of this. It won't happen overnight, I know. It'll take some time, but it's because of that I want to integrate normalcy into your life again."
Marie followed his gaze out to the park as they watched Butterscotch exploring.
The morning breeze gently brushed by and blew through Marie's hair. The smell of fresh grass was in the air as the birds chirp.
Marie, seeing the magic of peace for the first time in a while, quietly admires it now that the Player brought it to her attention.
It didn't take long for all of this to overwhelm her, but she couldn't get enough of the experience despite how simple it was.
She closed her eyes and gently inhales the air, fully embracing the breeze.
Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over her. Marie began to feel that her role as the Skullgirl was becoming the Player's burden, and the last thing she wanted was to see her friends get hurt because of her.
She's been through it once before and couldn't live with it again.
"Why are you doing all of this for me?" Marie asked softly. "I understand the others, but I can't for the life of me understand why you'd go so far for a Skullgirl."
"I told you why, and I'm sticking to it."
While Marie continued looking at him as though she were trying to solve puzzle. Why, why, why? It didn't matter how much he faith he had, after centuries of doom and gloom, the odds were infinitely against him.
She felt a strange sensation in her chest and raised her hand where her heart would be. Suddenly, a young girl flashed where the Player sat.
She appeared around the same age as Marie and had orange hair, she even wore a maid outfit that matched Marie's.
Marie gasped softly at the sight, but it was a very brief glimpse of something that wasn't truly there, and when she resurfaced to reality the girl's face was replaced by who was actually there.
"Marie. You okay?"
"Huh? O-Oh! Yeah. I was just...thinking."
Something must've been on her mind, and the Player gave a concerned look, thinking she was troubled, "I know we said 30 minutes, but you don't really have to stay out that long. I did stop by way earlier than I should have. I know you're a ullgirlskay, but you still need your rest and I probably got in the middle of that."
"No, it's fine," Marie assured.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely. You know... I think I finally figured it out."
"Hmm?"
"You remind me so much of my best friend."
That was a noticably heavy drop, and one the Player wasn't anticipating. He looks out at nothing before turning to her, only to find that she was facing forward, "...Your best friend?"
"Yeah. Before everything with the Skull Heart happened, I had a dear friend who meant the world to me. She was so cheerful and full of life. Always finding the best in a bad situation and standing against impossible odds or whatever she felt was unfair. I was weak back then, and she fought for me. It was because I was weak she died. She died fighting for me and I just want to do right by her name."
The Player continued looking on and not speaking a word as Marie went on.
"If something happened to you, I would stain everything Patricia fought for, and I don't think I can live with losing another friend."
The Player settled on Marie's confession and remained quiet for a bit longer before composing his thoughts, "I'm...sorry about your friend, Marie. I can't begin to imagine the pain you must've went through leading up to this, but I know exactly how you feel because I can't lose you either. That's why I'm willing to fight for this belief that'll help free you from this torment. You lost Patricia, but you're not alone. Everything she fought for, lives within you and that brought us together. We can make something far greater for the world, but it'll take a lot, and in order to do that I need you and everything Patricia left you that's keeping that corruption in check."
Marie's eyes widen a bit and she stares out to nothing in mild disbelief. What the Player said, she felt was profound and was beginning to piece together the puzzle she couldn't solve before.
Before long, Marie snickered and turned to the Player with a tender smile. She was speechless, and all she could do then was close her eyes and lean over, resting her head on his shoulder.
The Player redirected his look down to Marie as she rests, or maybe it was a bit more than that...
--
The sound of a water drop hitting the surface of a larger body of water echoes as Marie kept her eyes closed and her mind focused.
She stood on the surface of an ethereal ocean among the infinite sky, holding her hand to her chest, remembering Patricia. The ocean mirrored her younger self in the same pose, making it appear they were standing atop one another.
When Marie opened her eyes, she found herself looking down to the reflection of her old self before opening her hand and seeing the charm she treasured so dearly.
"So... Your mind's made up?"
Marie didn't move when she heard his voice, as if she was waiting for him to call out to her.
The Player and Marie stood back-to-back, his hands in his pockets.
"...Mmm," Marie nods
"I wasn't expecting it to play out like this. It's a lot different than with the others."
She didn't respond.
"...I don't know what'll happen, but if we don't try we'll never find out. We'll never know if we can make a change if we're afraid to fail. It's heavy and a bit scary, especially after everything we've been through, but..."
"Together it doesn't have to be," she finished his sentence.
"Right. That's what all of this is about."
The two linger on it for a bit, understanding the promise they were making to each other and the future without the use of words before turning to face each other.
"Marie, I'll keep you safe," the Player promised.
Marie paused before shaking her head, "I'm pretty sure...that's my role in all of this," she affirmed with an accepting smile. "I'll keep you safe, too. Friends forever?"
"Forever and always," he confirmed.
They combine them to serve as the definitive reminder that they are Always Friends.