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...

-The Oathlands-

[Through the use of her Ecliptic sorcery, Safiri has returned to her decimated village with Cruce. The destruction is not absolute. Huts are left standing. Everything is as it was left in the struggles with Riot. The Aphotic Tower has been taken away, leaving behind a large icy patch of ground... The land is desolate, but alive and full of color.]

[No one can be seen here.]

...

Safiri: [With Cruce and the Script at both of her sides, she stands in front of the village's central statue, her head lifted at the colorful dawn sky.] ...Time flies when you're traveling through... whatever it is you're traveling through...

Cruce: [He scans the village and sighs.] Amnesia, I guess. At least your world's sorta fixed. [He faces Safiri.] Hey, I think I saw Euwer up at the Growth. Shouldn't we have done something about him?

Safiri: Hm? Is Euwer that small spiky guy? You won't need to worry 'bout him. [She shakes her head.] He can't do anything to hurt our Ancient Growth. He'll probably just hurry back to his Darkness.

Cruce: If you say so... [Returns his attention to the destruction.] 'Still work to be done.

Safiri: Lots. [She nods.] But I'll need some help from friends.

Cruce: I hope they're alright out there...

Safiri: [She raises her head and smiles.] I know they are. We each give each other the strength to go on and on... It's our gift to each other--our gift of faith. 'Course, if you wanna be all technical, it's when I'm the Eclipse and Safa's not breaking apart, heheh. But still... I do believe there are some less explainable forces at play.

Cruce: Good old magic of friendship... [He shrugs, tilting his head to the side a bit.] Must be nice!

Safiri: Aww, whaaat? You've got friends, Cruce. You've got me! And Ri, and Slianna. C'mon we're friends...~

Cruce: We are? [He lowers his head and smiles a little, eyes shifting towards Safiri.] You sure about that? 'Not going to try and stab me again?

Safiri: No. I promise. I'm... a little... a -lot- ashamed of myself for thinking what I thought back there... But it was like I couldn't think right. I wasn't Safiri. I was probably closer to being turned into one of those Nightmares than anyone else. But... I don't know how it works.

Cruce: Ah... well I'm glad to have you back. Heck, your world's glad to have you back, I'm sure.

Safiri: Hmm~. [She smiles wide once again.] ...The air feels good... But I'm a tired foxy. I want to rebuild, but I'll get nowhere on my own. I'm going to go back to my place and rest. Your welcome to come with. We can talk, you know? Never got to talk much.

Cruce: Sounds like a plan, if you don't mind.

Safiri: Nope, not at all.

Cruce: Awesome. I can't really go anywhere else at this time... Yeah, sure I can go to the other Safa. But I'm going to leave them alone for a while--get things organized over there.

Safiri: Oh brother, I know what you're saying. C'mon, c'mon! I want to show you our den! [With the book hovering at her side, Safiri makes her way over to a low, hollow mound.]

Cruce: [He trots after her, grinning to himself.] (I'm pretty tired too, and I might finally get a moment of peace. Feels like I haven't slept in... well I don't know, I have amnesia. Right...)

...

[In Safiri's room, Cruce makes himself comfortable on a cushion of large leaves. The room is quite small, torchlit with various kinds of maps and flowers lining the walls, evidence of Safiri being something of a treasure hunter for exotic flowers. Sealing her Script away in a type of magical compartment under her raised bed, she sits down to chat with Cruce.]

...

[Safiri eagerly shares her stories; adventures with Rilia and Slianna, mishaps with Doctor Maiwell, her times with the Connector Cruce knows little about, her journeys with the Phaze Guardians, and her moments of peril. She also shares a few personal stories about her life as an "ordinary" girl in the tribe. Cruce can only listen, as he has little a story to share for himself. He enjoys this time with her, however. He listens to her practically rant on like the little girl she really is; a trait Cruce actually finds charming and very human-like. A revelation of its own.]

...

[Hours pass. Morning becomes noon, and noon passes by. Cruce and Safiri walk around the town, sharing their experiences with the alternate Safa and the world called Chronic. Safiri often interrupts herself as she reaches town monuments, such as the flower garden, and the futuregrounds which has much to do with the mysterious human named Danithan. She explains how she had seen a future version of herself and her friends. Things are quite "different", as she puts it. She seems to go on endlessly about the things she's seen lately...]

...

[The two Safans stop upon the icy ground where the Aphotic Tower was strangely removed from existence. Cruce hangs his head low, thinking about Glace. He thinks back to the unanswered questions, such as how Xulfur got to Safa in the first place. How Lavender and Riolu got to Safa. Where the Eclipses named Nuvlora and Pachi went. If they will ever come back. If anyone will.]

...

[The sun is now setting beyond the Ancient Forest's canopy. Cruce and Safiri have climbed the local monument known as the "Clay Tree", which mainly serves as a small playground for young Safans to climb. The two use it to watch the sun descend.]

Safiri: [Finishing a more mellow story.] ...but in the end, Slianna made better friends. She's so at home here. And she's made a name for herself. She's like the smartest girl around. That's why she's the doctor's apprentice. Or student? I don't know what it is. She's sure something.

Cruce: [Watching the sun as Safiri speaks, seemingly paying little attention to her. He is paying less attention to what he sees, however.] You are.

Safiri: [She goes silent, bobbing her head back and blinking once.] ...?

Cruce: You're something. [Smiles at her.]

Safiri: [It registers. She blushes.] ...You're just... saying that...~

Cruce: I mean it.

Safiri: W'll... Yeah~. 'Cause I'm like the first person you remember, right?

Cruce: ...Hrm, sure I don't remember anyone else as much as I know you now I guess. But for all intents and purposes, I'm glad my first could be you, Safiri.

Safiri: Your... first?

Cruce: I guess my first true friend. The only one I know.

Safiri: [She stands.] Oh no way~. I gotta introduce to more of my other friends when they show up. And who knows? You'll be making other buddies on other worlds too.

Cruce: Other worlds, huh... I've seen so little of Safa though. Just this town and the forest.

Safiri: You should come back and explore with us when you get the free time. It'll be pretty awesome.

Cruce: I'll do that. [He nods, standing up as well.]

Safiri: Yay~. [Smiles cutely at Cruce.]

Cruce: [He gives her a gentle hug.]

Safiri: [Blushes a bit again, leaning her head against Cruce's.] Oh...

Cruce: ...Thanks... just... thank you.

Safiri: ...Mhmm...

...

[They hold each other for a minute before a particular yell is heard...]

???: I'M GONNA WIIIIIIIIN! [The voice becomes louder as its source gets closer... at a very impressive speed.] HEEEEEY LOOKOUUUUUT! WHOOOAA! [The rainbow blur loses velocity, however still crashes roughly into Cruce, tugging him away from Safiri and crashing into the ground behind the clay structure.]

Safiri: [Her hair flows with the fast motion of the blur. She stands paralyzed with her eyes wide and her head still leaning.] ...C-...Cruce...?!

Cruce: [Laying on his back, dazed.] A-aaow... [Opens his eyes to see Rainbow Dash standing up on his chest.]

Rainbow Dash: [Grins nervously, lifting a leg.] Heheh hey uh... Sorry about that...

Cruce: [Shakes his head quickly.] Wh--Rainbow!! You're okay!

Rainbow Dash: [She lifts herself into the air with her small wings.] Huh? Of course I'm okay! Um... Are you okay?

Cruce: [He rolls to his side and stands up.] I'm fine. But where did...?

Rush: [Hovering high with the use of his leggings. A short stream of blue plasma can be seen leaving his high-tech boots.] Wow...

Elivri: [The Ancient Fairy follows shortly after, in flight as well.] Looks like she beat'cha, Rushy.

Rush: [Crosses his arms and turns away.] I'm not much of a flier anyway...

Elivri: [Blinks as she spots Safiri.] Saf... Safiri's... She's okay...

Rush: Hey...! Hey Saf! [Flies down to the clay tree, gently setting down on its top.]

Safiri: Wha-wh-wha?! You guys are okay?! ...I mean... I mean you guys are okay! I knew you'd be! I knew it!!

Rush: Sure! Right before things went down the Tartarus express, Amen, Danny and I warped everyone off the place... Mostly everyone. [Rubs the back of his head.] I don't know what happened to Lavender and her friends... I hope they're alright, I'm tired of losing Lavender, regardless of who she is this time.

Elivri: [Remains in flight. She joins the other two.] It's so good to see you. Did you restore this world to its natural state all on your own, Safiri?

Safiri: Definitely a big no! [She shakes her head.] I owe it to Cruce. [Smiles down at Cruce, who waves back.] Mr. Spirit Cross down there... He's... he's up there.

Rush: Down there? Up there? [Places his hands on his hips.] What're you going on about?

Safiri: Up there with the Connector, I mean! I felt the Connection through his Crossblade. He and I worked together to beat whatever it was that had corrupted Safa. The bad guy is gone. Who we fought was... uhm... it's... confusing. But we won! We won, and it's all thanks to Cruce. I almost lost faith... No, I did. I did lose faith, but... Cruce brought me back with the Connection. He fought just like Chris would.

Rainbow Dash: [Listening to Safiri speak, she returns her attention to Cruce.] Whoa, you're Cruce...?

Cruce: Yeah! We met before, but I was stuck in Safiri's body. I think...

Rainbow Dash: Oh right! You're the one who almost fell!

Cruce: [Blushes, disgruntled.] That's how you remember me?

Rainbow Dash: ...Well ya did almost fall. But you're also the guy who said he'd help me.

Cruce: [He smirks.] That I am.

Safiri: [She giggles as she watches Cruce and Dash.] Hey Elivri, Rush. Where's everyone else?

Rush: They're up at Me'ihm Gardens. It's safest there. I think Danny took some of the others to Naught's castle. Not as prisoners--he contacted us--they're all doing good too.

Elivri: Rush brought a few of us back to check and see if Safa was doing okay. My sisters, Naera and Garnet, are at the Ancient Growth: our point of arrival. I came with Rush and his rainbow friend to see how the village was doing.

Rush: Yeah, and Rainbow Dash really wanted to come and look for Cruce. 'Said he was going to help her with something or other. Next thing I know, we're racing and... she flies fast...

Safiri: I saw. Kind of. But it's good to see you again. When do you think everyone can come back?

Rush: Not sure. Things look alright here. If you're the Eclipse again and that other Darkness is gone for now, we can probably start sending the folks back home. They'll be happy to hear that stuff's sorta smoothing out here. 'Ll give you guys some time to start repairing the place too.

Safiri: Ugh, right?! We haven't been given any room to breath! Day after day, it's like something keeps hitting us in the face. [Pretends to be slapped.] And all we want is some peace and quiet so that we can fix Oathville.

Elivri: We must work to restore both of our homes. It looks like that chance has been given to us, thanks to Cruce.

Rush: Yeah... Cruce... [Watches him. Cruce and Rainbow Dash appear to be talking.] That guy's apparently no kidder. At the start of all of this, I thought he was Chris. I was wrong... But sounds like I was close.

Safiri: A powerful emo-haired teenager guy with powers and the Connection? Very close!

Rush: ...Emo hair? C'mon, everyone here's got that style. That's like the fashion of the stylish warriors. If you don't have your hair over at least a little bit of one eye, you ain't cool.

Elivri: I do hope you're kidding.

Rush: [He laughs.] Yeah, I am. Some people don't have hair.

Safiri: [She laughs with Rush.]

Cruce: ...So, nothing yet?

Rainbow Dash: [Shakes her head.] Mm-mm. Nope. Not much. I remember two friends. Rarity and Applejack, but that's all.

Cruce: Can't remember anyone else, maybe?

Rainbow Dash: Nuh-uh. I only remembered those names 'cause they were mentioned.

Cruce: So we gotta mention names to make you remember stuff...? ... ...Sugar Fairy!

Rainbow Dash: ... Blurting stuff out's not gonna work.

Cruce: Dang it. Well look, amnesia's dumb. We can agree on that, right?

Rainbow Dash: I'm with you on that one!

Cruce: Cool, and that's why I want to help you. I might even uncover something about myself... (Which... isn't my goal now. If I find out about my past somehow, will I still be alright with this quest Vesse has given me?) ...

Rainbow Dash: Great! So where do we start? Do we need to travel through all sorts of portals and beat up bad guys and stuff or what? How's it work?

Cruce: You summed up my entire time in this universe just now. 'Cept you didn't include me being beaten up by bad guys but... ne-never mind. [He looks up at Rush, catching his glance.] ...I think I have an idea... Where'd Rush take you?

Rainbow Dash: [She inhales before speaking extremely fast.] It was like the coolest cloudy place I've ever seen! It had huge pillars like the size of great big towers and a super huge fountain and these REALLY REALLY cool looking people who were pretty nice, by the way, and everything was so awesome and there were gardens and SKY! LOTS OF SKY! Oh and this huge bearded dude who was like the supreme ruler of Light or something like that.

Cruce: ...Oh... Hot dog.

Rainbow Dash: What? You want a hot dog?

Cruce: No, I mean great! That's what I was thinking. Phaze Guardian had to take you somewhere. I had a hunch it might be the land of Light. Whatever it's called. Maybe the ruler of Light can answer a few of our questions. Did you happen to ask him anything about yourself?

Rainbow Dash: Oh, I ... couldn't. He was busy. Uhm... Maybe I should've.

Cruce: Don't worry about it. We'll ask him together.

...

(Again... Things are looking up! I went from thinking we had no chance at all of even saving Safa to standing on a saved Safa thinking I have a chance of finding Dash's home. Seems good! Lots of un-answered questions are hanging over me though. Hell, I don't even know how to ask them. But I don't care right now. I'm happy. I've made such a good friend. It feels amazing... After that struggle, we got to have the town to ourselves. I needed that so badly... Like something out of a dream.)

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Lol~.

Rainbow Dash having both a Pinkie Pie and a Fluttershy moment.