Chapter 3: Si Vis Pacem

Kafka stared at the script on her phone, reading through it again and again as she sat on the couch, in the living room of their current safe house. Her eyebrows furrowed with each second as she scrolled through the pages.

She never questioned Elio in their time working together, his scripts always true to his words when events unfolded. Even if she didn't like the outcome, it was meant to happen. But this script about the Trailblazer puzzled Kafka. Sure, it was the script of Penacony; but with one massive change: keep the Trailblazer in Penacony at all costs. No method, nothing.

"Is something the matter, Kafka?" A firm robotic voice gently asked her, making the Devil Hunter turn her head. Her eyes locked into a visor, and she gave a confident smile.

"Nothing to worry, SAM. I'm just going over the script." She replied in her smooth suave tone. "Have you prepared for your trip?"

SAM, the last soldier of a long-forgotten empire called Glamoth, stood taller than any of the Stellaron Hunters. In fact, S.A.M was an acronym for Strategic Assault Mech, the name of the suit this ancient warrior wore. Yet underneath this intimidating armor was a young lady named Firefly. The armor dissipated in flames, revealing the woman underneath.

Firefly was dressed in her usual outfit: brown blazer over her green and white dress, stockings and headband. She fixed her hair as she stood before Kafka.

"Yes, I have." She answered plainly before her gaze went downward. "We will meet the Trailblazer again, won't we?"

Kafka nodded. "There have been some changes. The new script, have you read it?"

Firefly nodded in return. The Trailblazer was an eccentric person to her, even when they first locked eyes those years ago. She was kind, caring and surprisingly flirtatious. But underneath that sweetness and aloof was a hardened warrior. She felt a chill remembering the missions with her. SAM was a killer, no doubt. But she has seen Stelle match that ruthlessness, almost to a whole other level on a bad day.

With the new knowledge of Stelle's past catching up to her, there could be answers as to why she is the way she is. Yet, she still longed to see her old friend.

"I just hope it won't be too awkward seeing her again without her memories of us." She comments.

Kafka chuckled. "Oh, I don't think it'd be too bad, would it?"

The two ladies left the safe house, gathering all of the Stellaron Hunters along with them. Normally the script called for Firefly to travel to Penacony, but they weren't going to take any chances - not with a new outside player in this game of destiny.

Firefly seemed to ponder for a moment. "Kafka, about the script…"

The former Devil Hunter turned towards her. "What about it?"

"...you think I can go off-script?"

A sigh leaves the older woman. It was a common question amongst the Stellaron Hunters, though really it came from Silver Wolf and Firefly. When they do try to deviate, it never works as it all comes back to the predetermined path. But now…

"I'm sure you can improvise, right?" Firefly's face seemed to brighten up.

Kafka stared out the window of the shuttle that they boarded heading straight to the Asdana star system, gazing out into the vastness of space. A sudden weight in her chest began to form as she thought of Stelle.

"We'll be there…" She muttered.

The Trailblazer stared at the view in front of her. Even through the window of the Express, the Reverie of Penacony was a sight to behold. But it wasn't anything too grand that she hasn't seen yet. But instead of being filled with wonder, she felt tense. This was a location with high concentrations of Memoria, a substance she found out that could meddle with her mind. With little info Stelle got from Benny about her memories as the Courier - that bastard - she'll have to find the rest of it herself.

She packed her knapsack, a small black leather bag tied down with latches and pockets complete with a little keychain of Pom-Pom, and headed out along with the others. Welt and Himeko had waited for them before they left, keeping true to the promise that they will keep an eye on her if her reactions to memoria became catastrophic. They dismounted from the train and went through security protocols of the hotel: metal scanners, ID verifications and physical searches by the security made of cartoon-ish robots of dogs, dinosaurs and televisions. March said it was like being a celebrity with all that attention when they were finished. Stelle didn't quite share her thoughts, it was like going through a border checkpoint. The Family was not kidding when they said they kept an eye on the guests.

Speaking of guests, Stelle looked up to see two buildings flanking what appeared to be some kind of mechanical core or metal sculpture. March commented that each row were floors of the hotel, and it went higher than even she could see. Stelle then understood the existence of the high security, even if it was costly. While Himeko and Welt were busy checking in, Stelle gripped her bandaged hand - now clad in a black fingerless sap glove. Dan Heng said the previous owner left them years ago when she found them in one of the drawers of her room. How the Reverie allowed it inside instead of her baseball bat was beyond her. Still, it felt comfortable in her hands.

"Welcome to the Reverie!" A friendly voice came from the side, as Stelle turned to see a young blue-haired boy dressed in a blue uniform. "If you need help checking in, please direct yourself to the concierge."

"Oh, thank you." She nodded. "Are you part of the staff?"

"I am!" The boy smiled and bowed. "I'm Misha, one of the bellboys. If you need help with your baggage, let me know."

Stelle only was able to get another nod as a response before trouble began to arise, March called her over and she went over to see what's up.

"I'm sorry, but your name isn't on the list…"

"But in the information I received from the Astral Express, it states we've already reserved rooms. Please check again for me."

"Of course, give me a moment…Astral Express, four premium rooms for Mr. Welt Yang, Miss March 7th, Miss Himeko…and Mr. Dan Heng. Those are the names on the list."

Stelle blinked in confusion. Why wasn't she invited?

"Yes. I understand. No wonder Stelle's name is missing. When we responded to the invitation, she hadn't even arrived on the Express." Mr. Yang explained. "Something came up with Dan Heng's schedule, and he couldn't make it."

"So why not reassign the room to me? I'm from the Express." She chimed in, catching the attention of the group in front of her.

Himeko nodded. "Yes, we can vouch for her."

The receptionist sighed. "It's not that simple. We can't make the sudden change-"

"Because we're on the eve of the Charmony Festival, Penacony's most important moment of every era." Someone else butted in into the conversation, which Stelle was starting to think was becoming a trend. "And with the Family's invitation, guests from all over the cosmos have thronged this place."

The new person was a blonde man in an outfit that could be described as a garish gambler, with a dark green collared dress shirt (that has a chest window of all things) under a dark brown-ish coat with a fur lining. The back of his coat is literally a roulette wheel. This mystery man put her on edge, but not just because he was a newcomer.

"Hotel security is on high alert, with zero room for error. And with such a last-minute change, it's not something that this young lady's words can resolve on a whim." The gambler turned towards the Express crew. "So, my esteemed guests from the Astral Express, please don't make it harder for her."

Stelle watches as Mr. Yang and Himeko talk for her, to which the gambler introduces himself as Aventurine of the IPC. Another reason to distrust him, knowing what the IPC did to Belobog a few weeks back. Apparently, he also arrived earlier while the discussion was going along, though his tone suggested annoyance.

"...Leave it to me." Himeko says to Mr. Yang before approaching Aventurine. "I've heard that the IPC has also received Penacony's invitation, so forgive me if I'm mistaken, but you must be the representative. The IPC's elite certainly does have an extraordinary air around them…" Stelle's brows furrowed. What is she planning?

"I suppose such an exceptional figure such as yourself wouldn't mind paving a convenience for us?"

"I'm going to pause you right there." Himeko and Aventurine turn with surprise to see Stelle who barged in. "Mind if I talk to Miss Himeko for a bit?"

"I suggest you make it quick; I've been waiting for more than ten minutes." The gambler frowned, but Stelle could see the curious look in his eyes. 'What are you planning?' He seemed to say.

"Stelle, what seems to be the problem?" Himeko asked.

"The problem? Are you kidding me?!" The Trailblazer whisper shouted. "You're trying to convince a corporate executive to do something for us! Since when they ever owed us a favor?"

The navigator sighed. "I understand your confusion, but we're put against the wall here. We don't have many options to work around…"

"With a deal with the IPC? Just to speed things up?" Stelle retorted. "Remember the last time that went down?"

"And we were able to manage. Look, not every IPC representative is what we expect them to be. And the sooner we can defuse the situation, the better."

Stelle paused. Himeko did have a point; it was much faster to ask favors. But Aventurine didn't look like the trustworthy type - and he definitely had an ulterior motive with the way he acts. He reminded her too much of Benny.

"Some defuse plans." She sighed, muttering to herself, before she suddenly turned to Aventurine. "Hey, who's in charge of the staff?"

"What?" The IPC representative was confused. "Did you not hear what I just said earlier? They're busy, it'll take more of your time to wait."

"And what then? Shouldn't there be a policy for that?" Stelle crossed her arms. "I'd say this is an error on the hotel's part for not having a contingency for something like this."

That definitely made heads turn, and the receptionist shrink in embarrassment. Even the Astral Express was worrying that letting her speak was a bad idea.

"Bold statement. Many individuals all across the galaxy would kill to be in your shoes. And you stand in their very establishment to mock them? Pray tell, what will you do when security comes to take you away?" Aventurine shoots back.

She smirked. "Then they'll just reveal themselves that they can't handle a simple problem without kicking people out."

"Interesting choice of words."

Soon a man with light blue hair with small wings on the side of his head alongside a woman with similar hair color and wings of her own. The man was dressed in a white suit while the woman had a beautiful dress that reminded Stelle of an idol, or a singer.

"Mr. Sunday and Ms. Robin." Aventurine greeted. "I apologize for the commotion but there's been a bit of a…kerfuffle with one of your guests. Apparently, she claims your services are not to her standard, high as it may be."

The Trailblazer didn't back down though. "It's called constructive criticism." She snarked. In her head, however, she was sweating bullets. She definitely got their attention now, but not in a good way. It's likely she just jinxed herself and had both her and the Express kicked out of Penacony.

To their surprise however, Sunday bowed. "My apologies. I understand your frustration with the confusion. The Family takes pride in the Reverie, and we wouldn't want any guests unhappy with our services. After all, the Family cannot allow guests to enter the Dreamscape with burdens."

Stelle held her tongue. Did he know about the fact that she was technically not invited and was replacing Dan Heng? Still, it was a small victory for her as they were escorted to a nearby lounge to wait for the issue to be resolved.

But another problem arose: the last sentence Sunday spoke about. Were her new memories considered burdens?

As she worried over more potential mental damage, the Express Crew went over to Robin who invited them to speak about some matters. She didn't really pay attention too much, noting that March was in awe of the fact that she's in front of her idol or something. Then Sunday approached them not long after.

"I have instructed Miss Alley to resolve the system error as soon as possible. I have also upgraded your rooms as token compensation." He spoke. Relief swept over the group, no longer worried about being delayed even further. While Sunday went on to continue talking about "how the administrations will communicate to not have this incident again."

"Enjoy the rest of your day, we apologize for any inconveniences. If you need anything in Penacony, the Family is here to serve."

"And may your dreams be beautiful and pleasant." After they said their greetings, the two siblings left.

Stelle sighed. "Finally. We can check in now, right?"

"Since Mr.…Sunday vouched for us, I think we can check in normally." March answered. "Also, what the heck was that earlier? Himeko already got it covered."

Himeko sighed. "Stelle, that was reckless of you. We're lucky Mr. Sunday is very accommodating."

The Trailblazer rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to strike a deal with another IPC dude. That's that." She huffed, though the disapproving eyes of the crew made her regret it a little.

Welt shook his head and sighed. "In any case, let's not waste any time then." The crew finished where they left off and finally had the receptionist, Alley, check them in normally. They were shown the elevator that led them to the guest rooms.

Stelle took the time to read the Dream Advisory as they walked.

Maintain a calm mind. Seems easy enough, if she doesn't have any headaches and sudden flashbacks, otherwise the dream might warp. This one seemed to be the one she had to look out for.

Enter the dream lying on your back. Memoria is a liquid, makes sense. Wouldn't want to drown in it.

No hypnotics. Memoria had sedative properties? Then again, sleeping is the only way to dream, and sedatives would probably worsen the effects or something…

Do not enter the dream naked. She held in a snicker. Why would a rule like that be here?

Do not assume the identity of another individual. Another rule that is sensible. Hotels with their privacies and policies. She could imagine how many people tried to play off as celebrities.

Not long after, they arrived at a resting place - it seemed to be a bar of some sort. Himeko and Welt settled down, while March and Stelle settled not too far from them. While the two older crew members were talking to each other, March seemed to be tuning in on their conversation from afar while Stelle was zoning out, playing games on her phone. After winning her sixth battle in her nondescript gacha game, she turned off her phone.

"You think we're here solely for vacation?" She suddenly asked March.

"Hm?"

"I mean, it's a hotel with whimsical places, cartoon beings and that IPC jerk is suspicious. We're not here JUST for vacation, right?"

The pink haired girl gave a pause before nodding. "Right on. Himeko told me and Dan Heng earlier about hidden messages in the invite. She said something about the Family not actually being the ones that sent us the invite, and it's possible that a Nameless sent us a distress call."

Stelle sighed. "Of course they'd be something like that. So, I guess we're gonna find some Nameless while we're vacationing." She opened her phone again to check the time before looking at the bar in the public lounge.

"I'm going to get a drink. Sarsaparilla sounds nice about now." She stood up and walked over to the bar. She felt a need to have one last drink before entering the dreamscape.

Surprisingly her room was easy to find, being on the second floor on the left hallway. Maybe because her phone had a navigation system linked with her Dream Pass. A sigh left her as she saw where her room was.

The door was open.

Stelle's body tensed as she saw a person through the doorway. And not just any person in the doorway, a familiar face: Aventurine.

"How fortuitous, we meet again." He greets in that same sickly-sweet tone. Stelle's hands instinctively curled into fists but kept them hidden behind her back as she approached him.

"I don't mean to tell you, but this room is mine, Peacock. What are you doing here?" She snarked, closing the door behind her.

"That's right." He answered, much to her annoyance. He seemed to sense it as he raised his hand as if to stop her. "Calm down, I'm just here to soak in the festive vibe. This may be your room now, but half a system hour ago, it was still mine. A lucky block number, a lucky floor, a lucky room number. You have no idea how much I went through to book this precious space... And now I've given it to you. Treasure it well."

Stelle narrowed her eyes. Her hunch was correct. "You set me up."

"Woah, now. Setting you up? Sounds a bit harsh, doesn't it?" Aventurine chuckled, crossing his arms. "No. If I hadn't set this up, it's likely you wouldn't be able to even step foot on this planet. So, relax and let's chat. With everything said and done, I think I deserve at least this much, right?"

Stelle made no movement as the gambler took a seat on one of the chairs in the hotel room. Seeing as there was no other way to make him leave, she sighed. "What do you want?"

"Straight to the point, I like that." He comments. "Simply put, my friend, I need your help. You may or may not know this, but Penacony's far murkier than it seems. The Family's eyes are everywhere, but you get the drift. My goal is simple: Help the IPC retrieve some things that belonged to them in the first place. If you agree, when this is done, you will stand to reap great rewards, as well as the Preservation's protection."

"Sorry to interrupt but the last time I've dealt with the IPC they nearly ruined a planet that I grew close to." She interjected.

Aventurine sighed. "Ah, Topaz…You have to understand Belobog's debt to the IPC had to be repaid one way or another. I understand you have friends over there, but it was never personal. Still, your ingenuity in that incident did strike me." He stood up from the chair. "It's clear you're not just one of the crowd. You possess a distinct quality, so magnetic that it could sway the outcome of any game. That power, you really don't wish to use it? Or... you don't want to be rid of it? Why not use it to etch your name across the stars?"

He smiles. "The power that men both fear and desire is right in the palms of your hands…"

Stelle freezes. Aventurine knows something. Could it be her memories? That wouldn't make sense, the only way public knowledge about her incident with Fuli would get out is within the Herta Space Station. Unless the IPC's got eyes on there too.

"...Miss Stellaron, have I hit the nail on the head?"

Oh. She kind of forgot about that.

"I didn't touch anything in Belobog, I swear." She blurted out.

Aventurine chuckled. "Acting's good, I like that. You don't have to answer me now. Sit on it for a while. When the time is right, I will look for you again. Of course, you can confer with your colleagues as well or go as far as to use me in turn — I welcome that notion. Because it will also show me your true value."

"I don't do deals where I'm on the losing end. So, I hope that "friends"... don't let me down."

Stelle paused for a moment before she replied. "Then you'd be sorely disappointed. I have nothing to offer."

He chuckled again. Seriously, what's with the smug attitude? "There's always something in everyone's sleeves. No matter what happens... the outcome will remain the same." Aventurine walks towards the entrance of the room, before turning back around.

"Oh yes, before I go, let's play another game — a simple game, to get to know each other better. You just have to guess which hand the chip is hiding in. It'll help you get a better grasp on my personality, and the way I do things-"

"Enough." The gambler paused. Stelle rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I don't care whatever deal you want to give me, what gambling metaphor you want to throw at me. I know the game is rigged; I don't want it. So why don't you just fuck off?"

"Feistier than I expected…And why would I do that?" He smirked.

"I've killed people like you…" She muttered, not realizing it was loud enough to be heard. But it didn't really matter as Aventurine was standing right in front of her, their bodies only a foot away from each other. The gambler's smirk had dropped, instead his gaze narrowed at the bullet scars on her forehead. He seemed surprised.

He sighed. "...so, what you say is true." He flicked the coin in the air before catching it. "The offer still stands, regardless of your body count." Aventurine leaves the coin on the hotel room table before turning towards the entrance once again. "I shall make my exit, Stelle. Farewell."

Once the door was closed, she groaned. "Good riddance." Rubbing her head, she went towards the table to have a look at the coin the gambler left, golden in color and shining with turquoise spades adorning the center. Was this a monkey's paw curling? She did say she'd rather have Penacony's shenanigans than the resurfacing memories of Courier Six. So much for a vacation…

She was about to walk towards the bed, er…tub of Memoria before she suddenly hears a knock at her door. The migraine was already forming as she walked over to the door and snapped. "Leave me alone! …Please? I've got a headache."

"I need your help." Came a soft voice from the other side. "I'm…lost."

She sighed and opened the door, revealing a woman with long dark purple hair that covered one of her eyes, wearing a crop top kimono hybrid and shorts. She looked to be one of the more important guests considering the others simply wore suits, dresses or casual clothes

"Well?" Stelle inquired.

"Could you show the direction of the lobby? All these hallways look the same to me." She asked.

"Go straight from here and turn left at the stairs, go down said stairs and you'll see the lounge. You'll be able to find an elevator from there that leads to the lobby." She instructed before rubbing her face. "I need some sleep."

"Thank you, but wait…" The woman put her foot at the door. "Have we met before?"

Stelle looks at her up and down, before shaking her head and nudging her own foot to push the stranger's foot away. "Sorry, you've got the wrong gal." Once the door was unblocked, she closed it. Another sigh left her lips as she walked towards the tub of Memoria. "Jeez, you can't even catch a break."

She reads the Dream Pass instructions on preparations of the Dreampool before she sighs, doing as the instructions say and then climbing in the tub and settling herself. It was like going into a bathtub with all of her clothes on. Yet she didn't feel the fabric of her clothing soak in the liquid as she laid down and reclined against the pool.

"Please relax. Feel the ebb and flow of your body." A voice in her head spoke. Presumably a pre-recorded message. Stelle could feel her eyelids grow heavier and her vision grow blurrier as the sedative properties of the memoria kick in. She didn't fight it as her eyes closed. "Focus on breathing…and imagine paradise."
Flashes of what appears to be more of the Dreamscape fill her mind: the clock work, blue whales in an ocean and some kind of automaton core. Then came the vision of a wondrous land, a giant city floating above the clouds. Suddenly, a soft voice calls out her name as the image of a pretty young lady clad in a white and green dress outstretches her arm towards her with a smile.

"Stelle..."

The vision flashes again, and the lady suddenly changed. Instead of the dress, she was wearing steel gray armor - one that made her profile bulkier and taller than the average man. Unlike the futuristic armors that she might see here in the galaxy, this one was cruder and more militaristic, with a yellow two-headed bear on the chestplate. In one of her hands is a weapon of some kind, a light machine gun. Her arm is outstretched like before, but her face was one of panic.

"Stelle!"

The Trailblazer was once again bombarded with flashes of more memories: smoke from a shotgun barrel, bodies of men clad in red…and the river of blood that flowed between them.

"Get up!"

Before she could render what was going on, the visions flash back to that of Penacony's Dreamscape – serene, comforting paradise – and switching back to the hellscape of whatever battle Courier Six was surrounded in. Stelle could feel her heart race and the urge to clutch her head, to make it stop. But her body felt limp, like her head had been cut off from the rest of her body. The constant switching of dreams and nightmares was slowly driving her insane.

"WAKE UP SOLDIER!"

The sound of a mysterious feminine voice blared in her ears as she suddenly jolted awake. Her eyes frantically scanned the environment around her. Wind was blowing all around her, and she could finally feel sensations on her body. Stelle took a moment to register what was going on. She was still dreaming…

And she was now in free fall.

In a different section of the Reverie, the gambler Aventurine enters another hotel room. Unlike the Trailblazer's room, this had a window with a nice view of the Reverie's core. He scans the room before noticing something was off.

The man he was supposed to meet is not here. Moreso, he's never late.

Something moved in the corner of his eye, making him turn. But no one is there to greet him. He gives a sigh and a knowing smile. "There's no need for fancy tricks, you can come out now." Yet no response.

"Alright, if you want to play that game~" He answers, turning towards the direction of the door…

A sudden pain erupts into his side as he finally sees who was in the room with him - a woman clad in black; with a black leather jacket, pants and black boots. Instead of a face, a colorful skull mask covered the woman's face, like a female mariachi player. Aventurine looks down to see the knife buried into his side.

"Straight to the point, h-huh?" He stumbles back to the chair in the room. "Who are you?"

The woman wipes the blade on her sleeve before she speaks. "You talk confidently now. Most people do, until the neurotoxin kicks in."

As if on cue, the gambler's body stiffens as he feels his body lose all feeling. Aventurine grits his teeth as he tries to move a muscle. Nothing. Then the pain comes. His body instinctively twitches as a sheer excruciating burning sensation courses through him, like being set on fire without the flames. He tries to open his mouth but to no avail.

His red eyes gaze towards the woman as she sheathes the knife and tilts her head.

"Interesting." She mutters, like a scientist taking down notes. Aventurine could feel the smug smile underneath the mask, as she placed a foot on the spot between his legs. "That little venom came from an insect in my world called a Cazador. Normally the toxin would just kill you in 10 minutes untreated, but I've had it modified just enough to keep the victim alive so all they can do is squirm in pain until the poison wears out. You couldn't even scream if you tried~" The woman presses her finger in the chest window of Aventurine's suit. The touch of his bare skin made the internal pain worse as his lips quivered and his hands shook.

"I've heard about the IPC's Cornerstones, Mr. Aventurine. You people are dangerous." She continued monologuing as she reached from within her jacket to bring out a pair of fighting knives and some kind of orange-brown powder in a plastic bag. "I was going to leave you and your posse alone, but you just had to strike a deal with my target."

Aventurine could feel eyes grow wide slightly despite the agonizing pain. What does this mysterious stranger want to do with Stelle?

"You look surprised." She giggled. "Don't be! I'm looking for her for the same reason you're trying to rope her into your scheme." The mariachi woman sharpened her knives. "Looks like I got to her first. Better luck next time, señor~"

She leaves the hotel room with a skip to her feet, leaving Aventurine to his fate as muffled screams fill the room. The woman puts two fingers to her ear, revealing an earpiece.

"This is Sangre. I've taken care of the gambler. Move to phase II."

Stelle opened her eyes to the strange Dreamscape room once more - the same area where she saw Benny. Except this time, there was no one to greet her, no one to guide her out. Confused, she stumbled towards the door of her hotel room. She reached for the doorknob, but it did not budge. A broadcast seems to play on the vox system, apparently not all of the dreamscape has finished construction hence why some areas are blocked off.

"Huh." She looked if there was any way to leave the room. After some rummaging around, she found a note.

"The impossible can also happen in dreams. Find it, and then you shall be granted an audience." It seemed to read, but most of it had been scribbled over and a new hastily written message was written underneath.

FOLLOW THE VOICES

Stelle puts away the note, a little perturbed. It reminded her too much like those horror movies. Was that part of the dreamscape experience? Because if it was that that's just scaring off potential guests.

But it's likely this was something that her mind specifically was doing to her

She could hear faint whispers that seemed to move around the room before she heard the voices grow louder next to one of the paintings, which was torn down the middle, and light glowed between the cracks. She could also hear the voices more clearly:

"Come closer."

"Patrolling the Mojave…"

"Profligate…"

Just a bunch of gibberish…

Stepping through the painting, she was transported to a different section of the dreamscape - now just an empty hallway leading towards an open door. The voices guided her through the hallway, and Stelle could hear snippets of actual conversations.

"You want to track down your wife?" She heard herself say.

"My wife's dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her." Came the reply of someone else, a man with a serious and bitter voice.

Stelle narrowed her eyes as she walked down the hallway, hearing more conversations of different people - a lot of which included herself. Could this be the Courier that Benny was talking about?

"Well, thanks for taking a chance on a naive young girl from California with stars in her eyes and a pneumatic gauntlet on her hand…" A voice spoke, a youthful and snarky tone.

"The time for talk has passed. The Lord's work must be done." Said another, deep and wise.

"Who won the lottery, I did!" Another voice interjected, grating to the ears. Stelle probably shot him from how annoying he sounds…then shivered that she even thought of that.

Reaching the end of the hallway, she opened the door - seeing a white void before her and a single person standing with their back towards Stelle.

"Hello?" She calls out towards them, approaching cautiously. "Are you staff? I'm confused with all the visions back there, was that part of the experience?" When the person turned to face her, she realized he was no hotel staff at all.

He was a black man of tall stature, a foot or two taller than Stelle. He wore a duster coat with the sleeves removed over a tunic with an ammo pouch over his chest, as well as thick pants and leather boots. The most notable feature on him was the breather mask that covered the lower half of his face.

Stelle gulped. This was going to be another Benny situation. "Who are you this time?"

"This time?" The man spoke, his voice booming despite his mask muffling his mouth.

"Oh, because I met this guy the last time I was here. Guy named Benny, said he shot me in the head, and he said something about me being someone called Courier Six. But I have no idea who that is. I don't even know who you are…" The Trailblazer tried to explain, but she faltered seeing his unchanged stoic expression and his raised hand.

"You may not remember me. But I remember you, Courier." He answered. "Why have you forgotten your past?"

"I didn't even know I had one…" Stelle muttered. "Look, if you're just going to have some gimmick - can you at least help me remember or understand what the fuck is going on?"

The masked man pondered for a moment before he answered. "Can only remember your time with me. Can't tell your other memories, only stories." He suddenly started walking deeper into the void.

"Hey wait! Are you gonna help me or not?" She calls out as she runs after him. Thankfully he didn't go far as he stopped in front of an empty door that materialized in front of them.

The man looked at Stelle. "You've helped me before. Consider this a favor owed." He points at the door. "Walk through. Then you shall know your history, limited that may be."

"Uh, thanks..." The Trailblazer reached for the doorknob, then turned to the man once more. "You never told me your name."

"I went by many. You called me Ulysses." Was his answer. He looked around, seeing the white void start to crumble. "Hm. This is the world you live in now. Communicating through a dream. Maybe the Dream Weaver tribe were not so foolish after all..." He looks behind him, and Stelle's face paled.

The shadow in black armor had returned, now carrying some kind of bloody golden staff with an ornate eagle at the top end. Ulysses glanced back at Stelle, pulling out a strange submachine gun from his duster coat. "Go. Now."

"Going!" Stelle rushed through the doorway, turning back just in time to witness the shadowy figure swing the staff towards Ulysses…

She didn't see anything else as the environment suddenly changed around her and she was back into free fall - gliding towards what appeared to be a vibrant city at night, back into Penacony's dreamscape.

'I don't know what the hell happened back there. That memetic entity is back...but at least this is a nice change?' She thought to herself as she spread her arms out, the blissful feeling of the wind rushing towards her and around her body. It felt nice to fly, even for a brief moment. But why did she feel something bad was going to happen next—

'OH SHIT, GROUND.'

Stelle panicked as she flailed her arms helplessly. There was only a second for her to brace before she slammed hard into a plaza, cracking the center area from impact. She expected every bone in her body to break and bleeding out...but nothing happened. In fact, it felt like someone bumped her shoulder more than anything. Truly, the benefits of doing everything in a dream.

"...uughhh..." It did not help that she landed in such an awkward angle. Stelle took a moment to recover, before she suddenly saw two people in front of her: the same siblings from before - Robin and Sunday. She stood up, brushing herself of any dream dust. "Am I in the right place? This whole city burns my irises."

Robin giggled softly. "You have a way with words - perhaps you could join with one of the comedy acts." She winked.

Sunday smiled, shaking his head. "Welcome to the Dreamscape. It seems like our guest here hasn't gotten used to the transition. Fret not, feeling a sense of weightlessness is normal for new visitors." He turns to his sister. "Robin, please guide our friend in getting more comfortable with the new environment."

"Leave it to me." She says before she locks her eyes with Stelle's. She had no idea what she did but all of a sudden, her body begins to dissolve (metaphorically) and calm itself down. Stelle was about to protest when Robin soothes her. "Don't worry, just relax. You'll be feeling like your normal self in no time. Inhale..." Stelle follows. "Now exhale..."

A vitality like no other fills her as the past events feels like a distant memory. Stelle opens her eyes, blinking slowly to fully accustom herself. "Thank you. Whatever you just did."

The singer nodded. "You're welcome, Stelle. Welcome to Penacony."

"Cool, cool." Stelle takes another breath. "Is there anything else I need to take note before I go off?"

Sunday shakes his head. "You're free to do whatever, just follow the Dreamscape's rules. Robin already helped you getting attuned to the environment and to have you control your limbs freely in the dreamscape. Essentially, the dream of Penacony is a world formed by memoria. Only by fully understanding its nature can you move freely within it. It's like learning to swim — it's easy to sink at first when you aren't accustomed to the water, but once you get the hang of it you can float and swim on the surface effortlessly."

"Right, thanks." Stelle stretched her arms. "Does the memoria make visions of your memories in any way?"

The administrator pondered before shrugging. "We don't really have an in-depth understanding of the memoria. I've stated before that it's best not to enter the dreamscape with burdens - it might hamper your experience. Unless you're one of the Memokeepers of the Garden of Recollection, it can be difficult at first to manipulate the memoria as you wish." Then he seems to catch himself and laugh. "Oops... I've fallen into my professional habits again. I just can't seem to shake off this urge to be a know-it-all."

Robin chuckles as well. "Don't mind him — he's always like that. Please enjoy the beautiful dreamscape The Family has built for everyone. We shall take our leave. Have a blast!"

Stelle waved the two siblings goodbye, before she checked her phone to receive a message from March 7th. They can apparently message each other through the dreamscape, and the other Astral Express crew seems to have gone to different Dreamscapes. After trolling March for a bit, she gets the request to check out some kind of sales store...

"Why not." She shrugged to herself, checking her phone to see where she's going. Walking down the route, she could feel her limbs feel natural moving through the environment.

But she couldn't help the feeling that she was being watched.

A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Or New Year, if this was released much later.

In any case, greetings, it's me again. I come with yet another chapter and this time I made sure to keep it within the 2024 time period - making it the last chapter of 2024. Come 2025, I'll try to shorten the waiting time between chapters (even though my writing is wonky).

And if you're curious, I'm making a radio playlist specifically made for the fic. Just a collection of oldies if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not sure if putting links here is a good idea, so just DM me if you want the Spotify link (I'll make a YT version soon)

I cannot thank you enough for your time for reading this fic and for being patient with me. I promise to give this more attention and give you more of this story.

I'll see in the next chapter, adios.