Much of the rest of the day was spent with Frankie detailing more and more what Pneuma had shown him and what she was even like as a person, as not even they knew too much. When Frankie mentioned how forward and flirtatious she was on top of her more mature and quiet persona, the duo would blush silently and contemplate what exactly that meant.
To them, it was no massive surprise, as even with what little they DID know about Pneuma, she was essentially another side of them… but her clear romantic interest in Frankie mirrored their own, and still too unsure themselves on how to spit it out, made talking about that aspect of her awkward. In turn, Frankie would babble on incoherently to try and change the subject, a small bit scared to press on for further questions he wasn't sure he knew the answer to or not… Christmas really couldn't have come any sooner.
Yet… despite all these mushy feelings and passionate rants about the people and wildlife that had yet to really be explored in Frankie's own recesses, Pyra and Mythra would listen on in contently, honestly relieved that Pneuma was… just here. And her having just as much a positive on Frankie as they did only made them smile… it was hard to believe for the two of them but… things were starting to look up, more than they ever had before.
The rest of the day was spent outside for a change. Still feeling alien to Frankie's home, Pyra had suggested to take a look around, now that the opportunity finally lent itself to them. No court sentences to decompress from, general anguish from whatever their overworking minds fed them, a need to relax from work, or any electronic temptations to distract them from what had been there all this time… even if Mythra really REALLY tried to make a case for the latter.
While the air was still a bit warm from the last few bits of Summer lingering around, the cool fresh breeze that constantly blew was a very nice addition to the colorful centerpiece that lay before the three of them; a large vine decorated with beautiful pink flowers wrapping around the entire backyard fence, a lovely herb garden just in front of where Frankie would park his car after work, and that didn't even include the numerous flowers and succulents adorning the front and back porches- all courtesy of Frankie's own mother.
Pyra was enamored and excited while Mythra, while pleasantly pleased, had interests elsewhere, namely Frankie's cooking setup on the side of the house, of which the latter was happy to show off- as he had a large rack of ribs all seasoned and ready to be smoked for that night's dinner. He demonstrated the smoker that was attached to the side of his big charcoal grill- the same one Mythra nearly combusted on her first go. There, he threw in a large pile of apple wood chips- perfect for giving a subtle sweetness to the would-be tender meat, which was already being injected with apple juice. With everything ready, he opened the ventilation, closed the lid of the grill as he inserted a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, and performed the sign of the cross for good luck in smoking.
Mythra was amazed and confused at the prospect of just… leaving the food to cook itself for hours on end- it sounded absolutely perfect for her! Indeed, Frankie would explain such a process would serve only to make the meat rich and juicy on the inside, but so delectably charred on the outside, all it required was a little bit of patience… and perhaps au gratin potatoes for a side. Frankie going on and on to Mythra about dinner plans that night made her eyes widen and mouth water… she wouldn't admit it out loud but… she was sure she had found the perfect guy… if Frankie could read her thoughts, there'd be much screaming between the two of them.
Pyra eavesdropped on the two of them from afar, her own taste buds tingling in anticipation, but she was more focused on the foliage that she assumed was difficult and tedious to maintain for just one person… and indeed, the imperfections and imbalance of some of the vine and even the few bits and pieces of a few too many chopped down branches from the umbrella trees were a dead giveaway to her that Frankie was no green thumb… but the yard itself looked nice at least. Her most enamored sight was set on the flowers of the vine, wrapped around the hibiscus bush… she couldn't resist the lovely array of trumpet flowers and gave them a good long whiff… to her immediate regret as she heaved over in sickness at the pungent, foul smell of the blossom. The noise drew Frankie and Mythra over quickly to comfort her. Pyra delivered a large pout Frankie's way for not warning her about the smell sooner, to which he sheepishly apologized.
As they say drew to an end at last, and their tummies full, it was finally time for bed. Frankie immediately took his nightly shower as he bid Pyra and Mythra goodnight, with Mythra retreating to her own plushie filled room- of which she had added quite a few more friends to her bedside- namely Skully the Duskull, Yo-Yo the Aipom, and Bob… the Mimikyu. He was no Jimmy to be sure… but even she couldn't resist its strange imperfect charm, though she wouldn't admit it, especially in front of Jimmy.
Pyra on the other hand… lay in bed a long while, lost in thought. While they day started off a bit tense, she did have to admit that getting to see more of what Frankie's little home had to offer was more than enough to set her mind at ease… it was a bit rough around the edges, humble, but just striking enough to stand out in her eyes… kind of like Frankie himself. She blushed to herself nervously, and then happily as she enveloped herself in the blankets just thinking that… her dreams really were coming true…
But…
She still had one thing on the mind… one large and imposing thing… it wouldn't leave her no matter how much she tried… everyone seemed asleep, so she decided that she'd finally put a rest to this situation one way or another… all she needed was one more person.
"Mythra… Mythra, wake up…" She whispered as she nudged Mythra again and again.
"Heheh… one million Dummies… heheheheheh… they're all around me…" Mythra spoke happily in her sleep, completely unaware that Pyra was hovering just above her.
"Mythra, get up!" She whispered sharper and a bit louder, getting Mythra to jolt awake at last.
"What?! Who?! Wha- Pyra! This had better be good! Wait- you didn't hear what I was dreaming about did you…?"
"Well…" Pyra shrunk sheepishly into herself as she looked away.
"What am I even saying of course you did…" Mythra grumbled with a deep red blush. "You better not tell him or I'll slug you."
"T-trust me Mythra, I'm in no real hurry myself… well I mean- maybe I am but- it's still not been that long- but at the same time I've never felt quite like this before and I just-"
"Okay, okay- one at a time- what did you need me for? You know I hate being woken up…" Mythra interrupted. Pyra took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Alright… Mythra… you know the monolith thing Kaito and Miko first tried to look into when we first appeared to them?" She asked.
"I mean sure, but it's kind of hush-hush right now, isn't it? Frankie's in no hurry to get back on to researching it without spending a fortune that we don't have."
"That's just it, though, Mythra! The prospect of it all has been bugging me all night and I can't sleep because of it! We're getting down to the bottom of this right now, with or without him!"
Mythra scoffed in disbelief.
"What? So we're just gonna go behind his back and keep him in the dark from whatever it is we find? That's a new low, Pyra, I wouldn't have ever expected it from you."
"Mythra, if you'll just LISTEN-" Pyra's sudden pressure got Mythra to shut up as she looked at her in surprise. Pyra sighed heavily before continuing. "I'm not keeping anything from him… that's never done us any good… whatever happens, we're BOTH going to let him know the first chance we get. He deserves that at least, but all of that is besides the point. Whatever it is that's out there holds keys to… well… US! And if you wanna talk about becoming more human- Frankie, Kaito, and Miko all never wait to have someone tell them what to do, they just do it! We've been Blades for so long, but even more than that we've…lived so much of our lives for others, but now! Now that we have a chance and a genuine FEEL like we can do something to change that… we should at the very least take THIS matter into our own hands, that's MY decision, now what's yours?"
Mythra was flabbergasted from the confidence Pyra was showing. Even herself, as cocky as she was, found it hard to genuinely follow through with her confidence a lot of the time beyond just fighting good. Her insides would eat her up for not paying attention to herself enough as it was, and putting on a front only made things worse… but with a place she was finally comfortable with…
"You're… you're right Pyra… let me wake myself up a little bit and we'll meet up in the den to try and… do whatever it is you have in mind." She answered. Pyra smiled brightly in response.
"Thanks, Mythra… that means a lot to me…"
"Heh… anything for my absolutely adorable baby sister…" Mythra chuckled as she pinched Pyra's cheeks playfully.
"Ihra! Cuh ih ouh! I nah Fray-ee!" Pyra demanded.
"Bah, you and him are so similar you might as well be~" Mythra let go of her and began to sit up as Pyra walked away with a huff… but not before one last comment.
"Have you looked in a mirror lately, Mythra?~" She asked slyly as she finally disappeared.
"H-hey! Hey! W-what's that supposed to mean, huh?! G-get back here so I can kick your butt! PYRA!" Mythra shrieked as her entire body flushed a deep red.
…
Pyra sat at the couch up against the wall of the den, donning her Blade armor once again… just in case. She figured if Frankie could interact with the world that Pneuma had kept in their subconscious… whatever they find with their two powers' combined might spell equal amounts of trouble. Before she could get too lost in thought, she smiled at the sight of Mythra, in her own Blade armor as well.
"Great minds think alike I suppose." Pyra commented as she walked toward Mythra.
"Oh, whatever- I just thought a quick little return to form like this might help things memory flash wise… control over them or another quick important boost or something like that."
"Good thinking, Mythra!" Pyra then turned her attention to a strange device in Mythra's hands. "Uh… Mythra… is that Frankie's phone?"
"Sure is. I stole it from him while he was still snoring away, he's still knocked out back there… mmm… but even like that he's just so nice and so sweet to look at and it's comforting to know that he's getting such good rest and the idea we might be a part of that just makes things all the more-"
"Mythra…"
"I-I MEAN! I-I toOk it because we might need to take pictures or-or something…" Mythra turned away nervously as she finished, snapped out of her little daydream.
"Do you know how to do that, though?"
"Of course I do! It's just hitting buttons! If I could figure out how to call Frankie…" Mythra quickly demonstrated her limited but useful knowledge of this new technology by shifting on over to his camera app and aiming it Pyra's way before snapping a picture of her. "I can figure out how to take a picture!"
Mythra showed Pyra the image of her, wide eyed in surprise from the sudden flash of the camera.
"Well… you certainly know a lot more than I do, Mythra…!"
"O-oh… I-it's just… stupid stuff really… there's a lot more I need to know…"
"Okay, Frankie… are you ready then?" Pyra teased.
"Sh-shut up… I'm Mythra… not Frankie…" She pouted. As she did so, she awoke the phone from sleep mode and glanced her eyes down to the wallpaper. She brought it up to her face to get a closer look and stopped in shock, blushing a bit.
"Mythra? Is everything okay?" Pyra asked.
"Th-this is what he has for his screen on this thing…"
Mythra turned the phone to Pyra's direction, her own face blushing in shock as she looked at the wallpaper… it was a picture of the three of them at the pier, smiling widely in the spoils of their prizes from the carnival. Mythra held on to Smokey tightly as she grinned toothily, Frankie had a happy closed mouth smile as he snapped the picture from up above, and Pyra an open mouth smile as she showed the karaoke box to the camera.
"We… we really mean a lot to him, huh…?" She asked suddenly.
"Sh-shut up! Don't put those thoughts in my head! Wegotamissiontodohereyoysaiditsoyourseldwecantbedaydreamingabiutsuperawesomecoolthingswedowithhimorotherjunklikethatnoyoucantputthosenicethoughtsinmymindwhatwouldheevensayifheknewyouwereoutheresputteringsuchnonsenseimean-"
As Mythra ranted, Pyra thought long and hard about what this simple act really meant… she knew Frankie was lonely after his mother died… and with seemingly no other family around him besides Kaito and Miko… that kind of smile must have been one he hadn't experienced in a good long while… not to mention their own smiles that seemed so forced before but now just came so… naturally… all because of them…?
She was more confident than ever now.
"Mythra."
"WHAT?!"
"Grab ahold of your core crystal… we're going." She demanded seriously.
"O-oh… r-right… okay Pyra… right behind you."
"Good… let's do this…"
With a confident grimace, Pyra took her hand and placed it on her chest, envisioning the sight of a faraway place that still existed somewhere today that she thought she wouldn't ever dream of seeing having left it behind from what seemed like forever ago… but now… was a different story… THEIR story.
…
In an instant, the surroundings around them shifted to the mountainous vegetation and rocky spires Pyra had envisioned so long ago. It was a different day, but the same location nearby to the Temple of Apollo, tourists and all. With Pyra and Mythra working on this vision together, as Blades, they didn't need to hold focus in an anchored spot as she did with Frankie, only a human. This had the added benefit of making their vision much clearer. When they were satisfied with what they saw, both girls headed out on their own little excavation.
"So… about how long do you think we've got in here?" Mythra asked.
"Longer than I did with Frankie, that's for sure… but I don't think dawdling around would do us any good."
"Right…"
The two of them knew where to go, so they walked their way toward the pattern Miko and Kaito had found last time, albeit in a much more relaxed and focused manner. Every so often, the vision they had conjured would flicker somewhat, but beyond that it remained stable enough to really take in their surroundings.
They followed Kaito and Miko's general path as far as they could, until it seemed to lead them to a dead-end. The area was still mainly filled with similar ruins and tourists, with no sign of the stone anywhere.
"That's weird…" Mythra scratched her head as she looked around. "...I thought you said Kaito saw the stone, but…"
Mythra stopped as she noticed Pyra looking off to the side.
Now the two of them were staring at a gate with some rubble behind it, a big "WARNING: DO NOT ENTER" label plastered on the front. Seemingly the area beyond it was closed off due to rockfall of some kind.
"If I remember correctly…" Pyra pointed her finger up and down the area in front of her. "Kaito and Miko ran in this direction last time, but now it's blocked off."
"I…see…"
The two Blades looked between each other and the gate with increasing concern, both of them slowly realizing the implications.
"Do…you think someone…blocked this area off…on purpose?" Pyra took long pauses as she asked and Mythra took pictures of the surrounding area. While there were certainly rocks blocking the entryway, the timing did seem very coincidental.
"But like…when would they even have done that…?" Mythra put her hand to her chin in deep thought, her mind racing. She then shook her head. "Nah, let's not worry about that right now, it…might really be because of a little avalanche or something."
"Right…" Pyra glanced at the ground in doubt, but pressed forward with Mythra. "But in any case, how are we supposed to-" Pyra stood right in front of the gate, searching for a potential way around or over it, to little avail.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten, Pyra." Mythra chimed as she simply walked forward.
As her body was about to collide with the gate and rocks, Mythra's body fizzled into beams of light sparking across her body and absorbing it. This caused a slight ripple in their surroundings, though not enough to seriously distort the vision. Mythra continued through into the rocks with absolutely no break in her stride, as if she was walking into a hologram (which Pyra soon realized was basically literally what she was doing).
"Oh right…" Pyra had gotten so enraptured in the sights that she'd forgotten that their presence here wasn't physical and thus no obstructions could actually block their path.
"Hehehe, I remember Kaito mentioning stuff like glitches in video games where you can walk through walls an' stuff, this is pretty cool!" Mythra giggled from "inside" the rock. She stuck her hand out to gesture for Pyra to follow her. "Coming?"
"Oh Mythra, you and your game lingo…" Pyra chuckled as she followed Mythra through the barricade meant to keep tourists out.
The rest of their walk was somewhat uneventful, making their way through the wooded area until they finally came across the spot where Kaito had sprinted towards before being abruptly stopped by the living room.
And there before them it stood…the odd stone, again shaped exactly like the core crystal on both of their chests. It looked even more alien and in contrast to its surroundings than it did in the vlog. And it…seemed to resonate with a strange energy.
The two Blades glanced at each other. They both somewhat assumed they would recall something about this strange object, given it was shaped like their Core Crystals and all, but even standing right in front of it, it didn't seem like they recognized anything about it.
"Well…nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess…" Mythra said.
"I…suppose…" Pyra agreed.
The two of them both walked towards the object, not noticing that their vision was starting to fray and spark behind them the closer they got.
"Uh…Mythra?" Pyra started walking faster as she finally noticed what was behind them.
"What…uh oh…this…isn't…good!"
The two of them started running towards the object now, trying to at least get a better glimpse of it than Kaito did. As the two of them reached it, they placed their hands on it, both awkwardly expecting something to happen, but their hands simply phased through it. They really began to panic as the vision around them fell apart.
"L-look, there's something written on here!" Mythra frantically pointed to the upper half of the stone. Her and Pyra managed a single glance at it before their vision blanked out. They only saw the word for an incredibly brief moment, but the two of them still saw what it was.
"The Monolith."
…
"Leaving us, meh-meh? But…why…"
"I mean…it's your decision, chums, but…there's such a thing as being hasty-"
"One does not choose to abandon their post lightly, I feel we should respect their choice…it's the least we can do for them, after all-"
"Pyra…this is gonna take a lot to even accomplish…are you sure we should be pursuing it?"
"I…I really don't know Mythra…I…I love them all, I don't want to abandon them…but…watching them all grow old as we stay the same…I…I just can't take it anymore…and I know you can't either!"
"…well…"
"I know I'm being selfish, a big crybaby…I…probably should've just kept my mouth shut…what would he even think-"
"You can ask the man yerself, ya know-"
"H-huh?"
"When did…we were just…"
"Oh pipe down about it, you lot worry too much about folks other than yerselves. Just tell me what you want, I'll make it happen. Until those smiles on your face are genuine ones…even if I'm not there to see 'em."
"Salvager's promise."
…
Catching their breath, Pyra and Mythra were able back in the den of their home, looking at each other intently over the things they saw and remembered… such a concept at this time was such a huge hurdle to jump over… but they did it… how to feel though… they weren't sure.
"You… feeling okay, Pyra…?" Mythra asked sheepishly.
"Yeah… yeah, I am…" Pyra responded as she placed her hands over her core crystal, gently shutting her eyes and slowing her breathing down before smiling sweetly with a light chuckle. "As… ethereal an experience as that was, I… feel almost relieved if you could believe it."
"Easy for you to say…" Mythra sighed. "I still can't help but feel like… a lot of these feelings of ours could've been avoided if we just… DID things differently… not being able to put a name or face to all these friends of ours makes it all the more frustrating…!"
"I know, Mythra, I know… and… truthfully, I'd be lying if I said I didn't understand what you're trying to say, but… this is where we are now…" Pyra ended her sentence somberly, yet fondly at the same time. Mythra's frustration was her own, and it was an impossible feeling to ignore or argue against, but her heart was still beating normally, and kept an enlightened mood as she spoke, telling her more than enough of what SHE should be feeling.
"Y-yeah… this is where we are…" Mythra parroted as she tried and failed to discreetly glance over to Frankie's room. Pyra caught on quickly and leaned in a teasing manner.
"Hey, you can't hog him all to yourself, you know!" She chirped.
"W-w-Wha! Th-that wasn't! H-he's not the only one who- K-Kaito and Miko are just as- j-j-j-j-j-j-j…. Shut up…"
Pyra couldn't help but laugh at Mythra once again. True, that infatuation was her own as well, but joking about it with her made her process it all the better… but just as she did so, she felt a twinge come from her core crystal- as did Mythra. Both looked down at their crystals quickly, and then back up to each other in alarm.
"You felt that too?" Mythra asked, snapping out of her fluster.
"I did… I think someone's having trouble sleeping at this moment…"
"Well… that's not gonna fly- come on, let's go talk to him."
"And tell him everything?" Pyra asked quizzically as Mythra began to walk off- halting her immediately. Pyra was confident from the start of her decision, Mythra was not. But even so, she found it hard to disagree with both her and herself about what needed to be done.
"Yeah… tell him everything… but one thing at a time, alright…?"
"Of course, Mythra… let's not keep him waiting now.
…
Frankie tossed and turned uncomfortably as he processed more and more about what all the reports that Kaito and Miko researched even meant. Addam was certainly a concern no longer- but a Trinity Processor? Pyra's hunch of information being withheld being true? Why was this mysterious ancient book even here to begin with? And what about Pneuma? He couldn't help but worry his own worry was causing Pneuma to worry and send her deeper back into Pyra and Mythra's consciousness as a result. All these open ended questions were driving him mad and he couldn't stop worrying about any relatively recent going-ons that had yet to be uncovered… this- on top of his genuine fascination with the world and people Pneuma had showed him left him totally confused on how to even feel in this situation. His heart was really overworking itself at this point in time… and it was doing so good at first too… he tried not to cry too loud as to not alert Pyra and Mythra… but…
"Frankie? Are you okay?" Pyra's voice rang out like a soft, soothing wind chime as he darted his tear filled eyes open, darting them over to one of the doors to his bedroom.
"We're coming in, Frankie. Don't think you can try and hide anything from us!" Mythra's sharper but oh so resonant voice added abruptly. Both of them together managed to lessen the fear his heart was experiencing just a tiny bit… but that didn't exactly fix the problem at hand… though if they wanted to help…
Pyra and Mythra stood anxiously on the other end of the doorway, bolting to attention as the doorknob jiggled lightly as Frankie opened the door slowly. Their brows furrowed at his melancholy stance, hunched over and looking down at the ground, trying not to make eye contact with them.
"H-hi girls…" He mumbled.
"Frankie… Frankie, what happened? Have you been crying?" Mythra asked worriedly before Pyra could even get a word in.
"M-maybe…" He admitted.
"Big Guy, no…" Mythra took one of his arms and led him back to bed.
"Pyra, c'mon don't just stand there, he needs some attention…" Mythra softly, but sternly told her sister. Frankie nodded sadly in response, his tears welling up even more as he was sat down.
"It's okay, Frankie, we're right here for you…" Pyra said as she and Mythra sat down at his sides, pulling him in for a warm hug.
"H-how did you know-" Frankie began.
"Did you forget, Frankie?" Pyra asked.
"We're your Blades… we can feel what you feel, y'know?" Mythra explained.
"Blades… right… I forget that sometimes…" Frankie admitted.
"Hey, don't let that stop you now!" Mythra chuckled. Frankie tried to look away in response, only to see Pyra's equally worried face staring up at him.
"You're worried about everything from this morning… aren't you…?" She asked.
"This morning…" Frankie sniffed huffily. "If that was all there was to it, I'd almost prefer that…"
"Well, what do you mean?" Mythra sat herself up straight, still clinging gently to his arm.
"I-it's just that… look, the Addam stuff I'm over… mostly- but… there's… so much more I can't get my mind off of… like your memories for one-"
"Oh- well you don't have to worry about that! We've got some things to say that you might enjoy!" Pyra exclaimed.
"H-huh…?" Frankie asked, his heart sinking suddenly.
"Pyra…! One thing at a time, remember…?!" Mythra whispered angrily.
"W-well- I thought it was appropriate considering…" Pyra excused herself.
"Well we're ripping the bandage off a bit too soon don't you think…?!"
"What are you two on about…?" Frankie asked.
"W-well…" Pyra began, taking a deep breath. "We… Mythra, and I… decided to investigate the monolith from… when you first awakened me and stuff…" she explained, slowly, but confidently.
"You did what?!" Frankie screeched, jolting up from the bed.
"Frankie, Frankie, calm down- your main concern was the idea that Pyra and I would get hurt- but look at us! We're perfectly fine! There's nothing to worry about!" Mythra cried.
"Yes! Yes there IS something to worry about! You and Pyra got a hold of memories? What kind of memories??" He interrogated.
"Frankie, please- if you'll let us explain-" Pyra stood up tall and was about to walk over to him to speak more but Mythra suddenly cut her off.
"Wait. You're the one who's been crying all this time about how we deserve to remember our past life or lives- but you're throwing a tantrum over us doing exactly that?? Maybe not to the extent we'd like, but still uncovering something??? Isn't this JUST what you wanted????"
"W-w-w-well- I-!" Frankie looked around nervously as he tried to cover himself.
"Frankie, look- I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt- we haven't spent a month living under the same roof with you to just have another Mexico situation on our hands. But for god's sake- EXPLAIN yourself!" Mythra pleaded.
"Mythra! We're not here to confront him!" Pyra shouted.
"Well if he didn't want to be confronted, he shouldn't have blown up at us like that!" Mythra hollered.
"Well if you had just held on to those memories of yours better, we wouldn't BE in this predicament now would we?!"
Mythra and Pyra recoiled in shock, with the former turning back to Frankie, who was now staring directly at them, tears just barely visible in his eyes.
"EXCUSE me?! You think it's just that easy when the world as we know it did a complete 180 on us while we were still asleep?! When we still don't even know what the hell happened to any and all Blades besides us?!" Mythra yelled as she got closer to Frankie.
"Well that isn't my fault, is it???" Frankie asked back as he got closer to Mythra.
"You two! That's enough- please!" Pyra shouted over them, only to be completely shut out.
"I never said it was your fault! But put yourself in our shoes for a minute- yeah?! There's more important things to us than trying to fulfill your own little ultra specific needs!"
"So you put yourself in danger and went behind my back just to even FIND those important things?"
"In danger?! Sorry- but who're the ones who've been fighting since their own damn birth or creation or whatever the hell you wanna call it against their own will because they had to fulfill their roles, huh????"
"If I may- if this is how we're going about things- for the record, Frankie. Going against your wishes was MY idea- but I'm not apologizing for that. It was something I felt like I NEEDED to do. I think you know just as well as I do you can't leave that eating feeling alone for too long until you explode, this was one for me. What I AM sorry for is seeing how this is affecting you- none of this was my intention to begin with. And regardless of how you feel about it, the fact of the matter is that it cleared things up for me and her, and the whole time, I was thinking about YOU and what YOU wanted to know." Pyra sternly added.
"W-w-well I just-"
"Just what? Huh? Come on. I'm waiting for it. What on earth could you possibly want that would make you go back on YOURSELF and what you've been telling us over the past few weeks and make everything needlessly complicated and contradictory? Go on Frankie, tell us. Or can't you? We're not going anywhere. And if you think you can just lie your way out of this, I think you know as well as we do that isn't going to work, so you better speak now and get back on track before we-"
"I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU, OKAY?!" Frankie erupted. Pyra and Mythra's angered expressions shifted to those of surprised concern.
Now, Frankie had really begun to let his emotions leak out. Tears fell from his face as he shook uncontrollably.
"I-I didn't m-mean to… b-blow up at you like that I… I feel like shit for doing that now…" He blubbered.
Mythra's brow furrowed even more as she looked at him further… the sudden outburst, the seemingly completely different person he had become in this unfortunate surprise, even the words he said were just… fueled by raw, unadulterated emotion he needed to get out more than anything.
'Crap… he's just like me…' Mythra thought as she began to tear up herself. She quickly dove headfirst into a tight hug, catching Frankie off guard and stopping his crying temporarily as she rested her face into his chest and breathed slowly before looking up at him worriedly.
"Is that what all this has been about, Frankie… you've been scared…?" She asked.
"Mm Hmm…" He nodded back, continuing to cry as he hugged Mythra tightly back.
"Oh… you big… stupid Dummy… why couldn't you just have said that from the start… you know we hate seeing you upset…"
"C-cuz… it's such a dumb thing to say and-"
"No… no it isn't." Pyra chimes in confidently, walking over to the two of them. Her confident expression changed again to one of concern as she looked intently at Frankie. "You've been doing a lot for us lately, Frankie… now it's our turn… please just tell us…"
Frankie sniffed harshly again as he continued crying while Mythra kept a tight hold on him, looking up at him every so often to get an answer from him.
"But-but we already talked a little about this not too long ago-I don't wanna retread old ground or-"
"No. Enough of that. There's clearly a lot more you need to say, so out with it now, or else we're gonna be sad too!" Mythra demanded as Pyra nodded affirmatively.
"…ok…" He whispered as Pyra took one of his hands and led him and Mythra back to the bed.
"Now… let's start from the beginning… you don't want to lose us… that's…" Pyra turned away briefly as she fidgeted with her hair nervously. "A-a lot to think about b-but… why is that?"
"Pyra…" Frankie sighed as Mythra rubbed his shoulder. "I've already told you that with my mom gone I basically had to grow up and handle everything on my own… do you know how much stress that put me under? Do you- do you know how much of a struggle it was to get out of bed in the morning? If not to meet with a cousin to go over confusing paperwork- but to wake up and really let it sink in that I was legitimately alone? Not away, but alone?" Frankie chuckled hopelessly as he got up suddenly and walked over to his dresser to rummage through it quickly.
"Look- look at this! Do you see what I'm holding?" He asked as he waved around two pill bottles in the air towards them.
"Propanolol…" Mythra read.
"Trintellix…" Pyra finished.
"Anxiety… and depression…" Frankie explained. Pyra and Mythra gasped in horror as he walked back over to bed with the bottles still in hand, sniffing indignantly once more.
"I had… so much to think about… every single day for a year… you don't think… any of… THIS-" He waved his arms wildly in emphasis, "Was all possible after things got flip turned upside down without a little bit of extra help, do you? Cuz I can tell you it wasn't. I needed to figure out how to take care of it all on my own…! It was just… stupid. I didn't have anyone to cry to… call up family? Yeah- sure… so easy when you're thinking day in and day out you'll just be bugging them about the same old crap they already know cuz they were there to experience it firsthand. Or just… feeling like you or they or… whoever just CAN'T… or… just… do it yourself cuz you felt like you needed to…" Frankie sighed angrily again as Pyra, who nodded in contemplation at first, and Mythra hugged him closely.
"It's okay, Frankie… just let it all out… we're here…" Pyra cooed.
"Doesn't matter what you have on your mind, just get it out and don't hold anything back…" Mythra reassured him.
"You… you promise it's okay…? You won't think less of me…?"
"I don't see how we would but… yeah…" Pyra smiled.
"Yeah… just get it over with so we can see our happy and friendly Frankie again, yeah?" Mythra asked.
It was then he began to scream. It took Pyra and Mythra by surprise at first, but it was nothing more than a sign to let them know he still needed them… and they stayed right there… not moving an inch, keeping him close just as he did the same, bawling his eyes out like a wild animal… but he didn't care… he kept crying, and crying and crying… screaming every so often, only to be quickly soothed and reassured by Pyra and Mythra themselves… he even swore he heard Pneuma's voice enter his mind throughout all this.
"Don't be afraid… cry as much as you need to… we aren't going anywhere… I'M not going anywhere…" is what he heard from her.
When he finally settled down, Pyra and Mythra sat him back up.
"Feeling a little better, Big Guy…?" Mythra asked.
Frankie mumbled a noise that vaguely sounded like "I dunno" as Pyra sighed.
"It's okay… it's all okay… you won't lose us… that's a promise… for us and for you…" She said gently, petting his hair all throughout.
Frankie sniffed again and chuckled pathetically.
"A-and how do you think I feel even now…? Gaslighting myself day in and day out into thinking that this techy stuff was the job I've always wanted, huh?" He asked.
"You what…?" Mythra gasped.
"Frankie… you told me you wanted to get into a higher position in this field of work… you clearly know your stuff- what are you talking about…?" Pyra asked.
"I did… I did. I said all those things." Frankie began. "But that's a part of the whole gaslighting thing, y'know? I wanted to be a Paleontologist or something… digging for and studying fossils of people and animals millions of years from the past- Mammoths, Pteranodons, Neanderthals, Anomalocarises! I didn't wake up way earlier than I should have in elementary school for no reason, you know! They had all these kid's shows and documentaries HOURS before school about animals and dinosaurs and things like that! I've been burning this knowledge into my brain since before even Kaito and Miko were born!"
Pyra and Mythra smiled briefly as Frankie went off on his mini-tangent, only to frown once more as the mood was brought down again.
"You know, my mom and I butted heads about a lot of professional things, especially when I got older and out of school but… I did agree with her that it was more important to get into a steady job than it was to go for a job you wanted… who really has time to listen or care about what species of Penguin is on the verge of extinction… or why Falcons are more closely related to Parrots than Raptors like you'd expect them to… Raptors meaning Birds of Prey, not the little meat eating dinos."
"Yeah… I mean… I get what you're saying there…" Mythra commented.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, we'd love to hear about this stuff whenever you feel the need to." Pyra responded.
"Hey- he already got to me! Did you know that there're these things called seals that are evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor of dogs and bears that took to sea life so they wouldn't have to compete with the other two species?" Mythra asked.
"Well- the Arctic ones weren't so lucky- Polar Bears' diet consists of mostly seals… gotta get those calories in when every day is never ending winter… but Walruses won't give in so easily- they have those tusks for a reason…!"
"Hey! You didn't mention that part! Cheater!" The three of them laughed heartily before settling down again.
"Well… maybe this is me romanticizing the whole thing but… you've got Mythra and I here with you now- and I know firsthand I'm not staying at that library forever- you've got help now, Frankie! So I say you should go ahead and try to pursue this Paleontology field of yours!" Pyra advised.
"O-oh… w-well… I'm not sure "Paleo"ntology would work at this point in time, now…" He admitted.
"Oh yeah? And why's that?" Mythra asked, a slight bit of crossness in her voice.
"Let's just say… Pneuma opened my eyes a lot when she showed me your world… so much so that just staying on the Paleo side of things won't cut it- Archaelogy- now THAT'S a field of study I won't mind sticking my neck out for- specially with all the new stuff Kaito and Miko have been digging up." He explained. "You guys had LIVING dinosaurs hanging out in the fields and it was so normal you can just talk about it like you're going to the shops? ¡Tà Loca! That's what I'm really mad about!"
"No- you're not allowed to be mad- stay put!" Mythra teased as she squeezed him tighter.
"A-and you know… all the structures and people like those fuzzy little guys and the cat-people would be interesting to look into… I do wonder where exactly that would even put you on the timescale, though… obviously after the last ice age if only modern humans and humanoids exist in that time… but you're certainly much much more advanced than science can explain… and how non-avian dinosaurs even existed at a point in time at all is a mystery in and of itself after their extinction… reverse evolution, maybe-"
Pyra chuckled.
"There he is… there's our Frankie…"
"Yeah… our big Dummy…!" Mythra squeezed Frankie once again as he smiled at both of them.
"It's just… I don't know what we'll find the more we look into these things… what you'll find and what you'll remember… what that'll mean for… ALL of this right now… that's terrible to say… isn't it?" He asked somberly again.
"No, not really… it's an honest thing to say. I'd rather that than anything else." Pyra said.
"Hah… yeah… we WERE talking about what we were able to remember, weren't we?" Mythra asked.
"Yeah… I think it's about time he heard." Pyra looked at Frankie, "Are you okay with that?"
Frankie stayed silent and looked down worriedly.
"Hey… no matter what happens, we're gonna be here for you, kay…?" Mythra advised.
"Okay…" Frankie answered back.
With a smile and nod, Pyra and Mythra explained everything they had felt and found on their excursion… their emotions, the emotions of the friends they had but still couldn't fully see or understand… the closure they felt from it all… Frankie's heart slowed down considerably the more he heard them speak… it wasn't as bad as he was anticipating… but he was definitely still a bit worried about things.
"Yeah, that'll take time to go away… don't sweat it, Big Guy…" Mythra said to him.
"Well… alright… but you see what I mean yeah…? About my iffiness on going through with this, I mean…"
"Oh… we see all too well, Frankie… but if there's one thing we CAN be sure of… your friends will have your back no matter what." Pyra said.
"Even if you feel like… you don't deserve that kind of kinship…" Mythra admitted.
"Yeah… I'm afraid we're still a bit guilty for thinking that now…"
"Well… yeah-" the three of them chuckled nervously at each other before taking one big breath and exhaling… finally calming down after everything that took place that night. "And… for what it's worth… I am glad you're okay… I don't wanna lose you… remember…?"
"We know, we know~" Mythra responded.
Pyra sighed sweetly as she looked at Frankie again, noticing he was still in a somber mood after all this.
"You need another round of friendly cuddles, don't you?" She asked.
"U-um- I mean- if they're JUST friendly cuddles- sure but I mean- I don't think I really deserve any after what I did to you both not that long ago-"
"Oh, shut up, get over here." Mythra playfully teases as she pushed Frankie down onto the bed as she and Pyra cuddled up to his sides happily, causing him to smile in just as much content as he delivered cuddles back.
"What a night, huh…?" Pyra asked.
"At least it's over… I guess…" Frankie added.
"H-hey uh… friends do these kinda things all the time… right?" Mythra asked.
"Oh for sure- Kaito and Miko can't bust us this time around!" Frankie exclaimed while Mythra let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I could go a day without their stupid little comments."
"Um… Frankie?" Pyra asked as she moved a bit closer to him.
"Yeah, Pyra? What's up?"
"You said you take those pills to help with anxiety and depression but… those ones you showed us looked… pretty full if you ask me…"
"Yeah, they didn't even look like they were opened."
"Oh… well, it's a 'take it if you need it' thing, not really ones you absolutely NEED to take every day- that's what the doctors said."
"Mm… so you've been dealing with those things better I take it?"
"Y-yeah… you could say that… a whole month's supply has yet to go down…"
"W-wait… you said a month?"
"I did…"
"O-oh…"
"…"
"D-DUMMY!"
