Chapter Three Hundred and Sixteen - Past Tense

Amaryllis and I didn’t move.

The Broccoli illusion planted herself on one side. The cervid mercenaries on the other.

I knew what would happen. This was all a vivid memory, still. We’d... or the illusion of me, would talk. The cervid wouldn’t be completely unhelpful.

Amaryllis, the illusion across the rivulet, glared at her captors, then she spared the illusion Broccoli a softer look. Almost as if thanking her for being there.

This was the moment where Amaryllis really became my friend. Before this, we... well, we weren’t getting along that well. I had been trying hard to convince her to be friends, but maybe I was trying too hard. I had been desperate for friends back then. A new world, a system I didn’t understand, magic that was strange and bizarre and wonderful.

Then, just as we were starting to become closer, Amaryllis was kidnapped.

I had already decided that she was a friend, I think.

The illusion-Broccoli argued with the cervid mercenaries, and it got pretty heated. She looked defeated--even sad, in her oversized beige gambeson and tipped-back helmet.

The old me whistled, and Throat Ripper landed atop the hill next to Broccoli. He was as big as I remembered, all bones and armour. Even now, as strong as I’d become compared to all those months ago, I didn’t think I could fight him on an even playing field.

A small army of skeletons followed, the illusions forming out of swirling light to stand atop the hill beside illusion-Broccoli. The cervid across from them looked nervous now.

The back and forth continued.

I remembered what would happen.

The cervid would toss out a smoke bomb, to distract and blind illusion-me. Then I’d wash it away with Cleaning magic. The cervid would decide that it wasn’t worth fighting, and they’d toss Amaryllis down. Then they’d leave and I would get to reunite with Amaryllis. I think that’s the moment that really solidified everything for us.

The smoke appeared as the cervid leader said something that I couldn’t hear, then it was cleared and--

My breath caught in my throat, and I heard Amaryllis gasp.

In reality, in my very vivid memories, Amaryllis had been tossed down to roll into the creek.

In this illusion, her head was wrenched at an impossible angle; her snapped neck deformed around displaced bone, and the leader kicked her down the hill. She rolled, stopping halfway down in a tangle of loose legs and wings. Her eyes stared across the hill, confused, unblinking.

“No,” I whispered, hands jumping over my mouth.

The illusion faded, first at the edges, breaking apart like sand caught in an unfelt wind, then working towards the centre until all that was left was... was Amaryllis’ corpse.

“No no,” I whispered. That... that was... but it hadn’t happened, it wasn't real, it was... was it Amaryllis’ fear?

I turned to my friend, expecting to see her as shocked as I felt.

Instead, she was furious.

“Typical,” she spat.

“What?” I asked.

Amaryllis’ talons balled up, and she glared at the fading illusion, then at me. “I said typical. That’s probably what should have happened back there, isn’t it?”

“No, it isn’t what happened at all,” I said. “It’s okay, Amaryllis, it never happened, you’re fine, we’re both fine.” I reached out to hug her.

She stepped back, out of hugging range. “It’s not what happened, but it’s probably what will, isn’t it? Broccoli Bunch, always charging headlong into trouble. Like I said. Typical.”

“What?” I asked again.

Amaryllis brushed me off. “I’ve seen enough of this. I’ll make it back on my own.”

“Amaryllis?” I asked. “What’s wrong? Are you okay? It’s okay to be scared.”

“I’m not scared, you idiot. I’ve just realized that your stupidity will be the literal death of me.” She turned, and the emotions in her eyes were conflicted. Anger, but sadness too. “I’ll figure out how to get out of here on my own. I don’t need you, nor do I want you.”

I stood there, frozen and confused for a few long seconds.

“No!” I said “No, it’s not like that.” I didn’t know what it was even like, but, but things were confusing and weird and... and she was gone.

Had I stood around for too long?

I couldn’t even hear where she went. All I found around me was darkness and roots, and the faint light ahead that hopefully showed me where the exit was.

I swallowed, then carefully wrapped my arms around my middle. It helped with the shaking.

Once I felt a little more calm, I gathered up my determination and pushed forwards. Amaryllis... needed help. Probably. Maybe seeing that had scared her a lot more than it had scared me, and being afraid alone was a thousand times worse than being afraid with someone next to you.

The wall of roots didn’t make pushing forwards easy. I had to crawl over and under them, sometimes taking my pack off to be able to squeeze through the few gaps I found.

It was after flopping out of one of those and landing tail-first on the other side that I discovered that I wasn’t alone.

A dishevelled Awen was standing nearby, eyes wide and teary until she saw me. “Awa? B-Broccoli?” she asked.

“Awen?” I bounced to my feet, then looked around. Another wide clearing in the roots. The light ahead was much closer now too. Just a bit more. “Are you okay?” I asked.

She nodded, then swallowed. Her arms rose, and I gladly gave her a hug. I needed it too, I think. “I was scared. I saw things and... yeah,” she said.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m here.”

The hug ended too soon. Awen felt strangely cold. She must have been really spooked.

“Awa, I thought that...” she started, then stopped.

A mist was filling the room again, transforming it into a whole new scene.

It was a nice room, well appointed and richly decorated. I noted a piano in a corner, some bookshelves with hardcovers and a window overlooking a pretty courtyard. Then chairs and sofas formed, and I recognized the place.

This was in Mattergrove, in Awen’s home.

The people in the seats were easy to recognize too. Amaryllis, Abraham and his friend, even Awen and her parents and brothers.

“This is when we met,” I said.

Awen nodded, but she continued to look at the scene.

Things happened as I remembered them. We talked a bit, there were introductions, and then I gifted Awen my old wand. She flushed and looked happy, and I thought the scene might not be so bad.

Then Amaryllis and my illusion left, walking in place while the scene flowed past them. The illusions talked for a moment, with just a few gestures. I didn’t look so different than I did now, I don’t think. The ears and tail were conspicuously missing, though.

Then illusory Awen came around and we greeted her again.

This was the part where we went off. The part where I basically kinda-sorta kidnapped Awen.

Instead, the illusion-Awen shook her head, teared up, and ran back up the staircase.

Illusion-Broccoli glanced at illusion-Amaryllis. They shared a shrug, then headed out.

“No,” I said. “That’s not how it happened at all. I’m really not liking the illusions in this place.”

“M-maybe that’s how it should have worked out though,” Awen said.

I spun towards her. “What do you mean?”

She didn’t meet my eyes. “This life we lead, it’s dangerous Broccoli. So dangerous. I was kidnapped by pirates! I nearly died in the Insmouth dungeon! Those bombs the other day, a twitch and I’d be dead. I... I would be safer back home. Maybe I should never have followed you.”

“I... no, you’re my friend, my best friend, I love having you on our adventures.”

“Awa! You do, but they’re not for me, Broccoli. Don’t you understand?”

My breath caught, and I felt something nasty in my chest, as if a fist were gripping my heart. “But...”

“I’ll see you later, Broccoli,” Awen said. She moved on towards the light. “I think I need to think.”

I watched her go, then shook my head and ran after her. “Wait!”

She jumped over a root, slipped past another, and then... and then was gone.

I stopped, feet heavy as my heart.

Leaning back against one of the roots, I paused to catch my breath and steady my pulse. I had to blink a lot.

Was I a bad friend?

I pushed forwards, because I didn’t know what else to do.

The roots proved as much of a challenge now as they did earlier. That meant I had to squeeze through even more of them. How had Awen and Amaryllis left so quickly? Or was the floor making it easier for them than for me?

I winced as my hips got stuck between two roots. Had I been eating too well while in the capital?

With a wiggle, I managed to squeak past, though I’d need to take a moment to fix the fur of my tail.

Congratulations! Through repeated actions your Proportion Distortion skill has improved and is now eligible for rank up!

Rank C costs one (1) Class Point

I stared at the prompt, then smiled a little.

“Thanks, Mister Menu,” I said. “It’s nice of you to try and distract me.”

The light got brighter, and between one root and the next, I found myself in front of a door in a recess that had glowing walls around it. The door was simple and plain, but still really inviting. I stumbled over to it, then opened it up.

There was a hallway beyond, wide and plain, with doors set about a metre apart. It reminded me a little of a motel corridor.

People were milling about aimlessly in the corridor. Aria, Erin, some of the knights... my friends.

I swallowed thickly and moved over to them trying not to drag my feet. Awen looked a little shaken, and Amaryllis was standing with her back real straight and a frown on her face.

“Uh, hey guys,” I said.

Awen turned towards me, then crashed into my chest. “Broccoli,” she said, though it was muffled.

I returned the hug. She felt much warmer.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” I said. “You too, Amaryllis, I’m really sorry.”

“What are you on about?” Amaryllis asked.

"I ... I'm sorry I brought you with me! And that you've been through so much danger and pain and fear! And for all the kidnappings! And the times you nearly died! And ... and ..." I couldn't go on, I felt tears bubbling up.

She looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

I sniffled. "H-huh?"

"Where is all this coming from?"

"We ... we talked. About ... all the danger I've dragged you into."

“No, we didn't?”

I blinked, still hugging Awen, but now also very confused. “So we didn’t meet in the room with all the roots?”

“Oh, there were plenty of roots in there, but no Broccolis,” Amaryllis said.

Awen sniffed. “You were in mine.”

“Oh,” I said.

“You died.”

“Uh.” I blinked again. “Pretty sure I didn’t.”

Amaryllis sniffed. “Obviously whomever you saw in there with my likeness wasn’t me.”

“So you’re still my friend?” I asked. “You’re not angry at me?”

“I’m angry that you’d think so little of me that I’d abandon our friendship,” Amaryllis said.

I grinned. “Does that mean you’ll give me a hug?”

She rolled her eyes, then gave me a hug, and everything was okay and nice and warm. Awen giggled after a bit, then I joined in too, because laughing made the scary less scary.

Eventually the hug broke, and my friends both looked better. I probably did too. Awen wiped her face clean, and Amaryllis’ shoulders slumped a bit. I glanced around, and saw that just about everyone was back. The lieutenant was missing, but he said he would be the last to go, so that was probably nothing to worry about.

“Hey, girls?” I asked. “I think we should talk to the others.”

“What about?” Amaryllis asked.

I shrugged. “Just, you know, stuff. Maybe to distract them? Some don’t look like they had it easy in that last room.” The knights all looked pretty okay. I guess that they had all been through the room before, so they knew what to expect. Arin looked alright, and Lucille stumbled out of a room looking more angry than afraid.

Erin though, looked a bit shaky, and Bron was still missing, as was one of the knights. Just saying hi and maybe giving them a quick hug might make things better. Amaryllis nodded, and Awen did too.

“Hey everyone,” I said, loud enough that they all could hear. “I’m making tea again, anyone want some?”

***