- # # # 1 # # # -

Everyone returned to the village from the Convergence event. The sun descended below the horizon, leaving the world in twilight, when only the brightest of stars came out to play.

Dinner was about to start, and some villagers went straight to eat, but most of them were relaxing and loitering around the Residential and Plaza Levels instead.

Rocko walked along the plaza, carrying an orb in his hands.

He headed to the Dining Hall. As he looked inside, he failed to locate what he sought.

Ayo ran up to him from behind with overbearing enthusiasm and yelled, “Heeeyyyyyy, Rock!”

“Oh, Ayo!” Rocko replied, turning her way.

“What’s up?” Ayo asked.

“Not much. You?”

“I’m talking to you, obviously.”

“Oh, that’s how you meant it? Then wouldn’t my answer be the same as yours?”

“What? You mean you’re talking to yourself? Weirdo.”

“Yes, of course I am. Who else would I be talking to?”

“Me! Obviously!”

Rocko chuckled, “Can’t finish your own bit, huh?”

After a brief second, Ayo’s eyes widened. She turned and pouted, saying, “I didn’t get the reaction I was hoping for.”

“Ah, I see.”

“What’s that you got there?” Her cheerfulness returned as though it never left.

“Oh, this?” Rocko smiled. “See for yourself.”

Rocko held the orb up to Ayo. Ayo tried to grab it, but Rocko quickly pulled it away from her, saying, “Nope! No touching! Only looking.”

“Pffft. Lame,” Ayo playfully whined.

Rocko held the orb back out. Ayo looked at it carefully. She had gotten a brief glimpse of it already before they left for the Convergence, so she had looked forward to seeing it close up like this. It was pretty for sure, but it was a bit disappointing beyond that. She couldn’t comprehend what she was looking for, or what purpose it served. It was just a pretty, transparent orb.

Giving up, Ayo asked, “What am I looking at?”

“Don’t look at it,” Rocko said, “look through it.”

“Through it?”

Rocko nodded.

“Well... alright.” Ayo leaned forward and brought her eyes level with the orb.

She focused. Finally, she realized what was so special about it, and gasped with amazement. When she compared how Rocko’s hand looked through the orb to how it looked outside, it was much larger, and somewhat distorted. She could clearly see the details of his skin through the orb. She could also see nearby scenery as if it were much closer, though it looked warped with the orb’s shape.

Standing straight up, she said, “That’s super useful! Anta might be mad you turned her specialty into an item, though.”

“If she gets mad, she’ll just have to suck it up. I can’t use her eyes for myself, you know.”

“That’s true, but... what do you even need this for?”

Rocko smiled with pride and asked, “Wanna see?”

They climbed up the dropoff’s vine as Rocko led Ayo to their destination. Rocko held the Orb with his tongue so he could use his arms and legs to climb. They reached the dropoff of the Residential Level, but continued climbing up.

Ayo stopped herself from climbing further, saying, “Wait! We’re going to the top? Pretty sure I can’t go up there.”

Pausing his climb and freeing one hand to hold the Orb in so he could speak, Rocko replied, “It’s not like it’d be the first time you’ve gone up there.”

“Yeah, but... that was to help you, and I left like immediately. This is different, y’know?”

“Hmmph. It’s fine if I say it is, right? So, it’s fine. You get a free pass, today, courtesy of me!”

Ayo hesitated, but smiled and said, “Works for me!”

So they continued their climb to the Administrative Level.

“Hold on,” Rocko said once they made it to the top, “uh, I want to show my Dad.”

Rocko crossed a bridge to another platform as he started to his destination.

Ayo followed him, asking, “Is he even up here? I don’t see anybody.”

The level was much emptier of people than the previous two. In fact, at a glance, they were the only two people there at all.

“Well, it’s not like there’s anyone usually up here, but consider the time. Dinner’s basically already started, but Ramento was working on it all alone during the Convergence, so he’s probably helping finish.”

“So, wouldn’t he be at the Dining Hall?”

“He’d go back and forth. He’d need to be up here to grab the food in the first place, you know.”

“That reminds me, how do you even carry food from here to the Dining Hall?”

“One hand and foot to climb, the other two holding the baskets,” Rocko said as he started walking on his side — using his left hand and left foot — while freely waving his right arm and leg through the air, “They make multiple trips, too.”

“Oh, yeah,” Ayo said as they reached the next platform, “I guess that makes sense.”

Rocko stood back up properly. They arrived to a platform with an oversized hut, much like Rocko’s hut, but it wasn’t his.

“Whose hut is this?” Ayo asked.

“Ramento’s.”

“I thought you wanted to get your father.”

“Ramento prepares the food, you know. If my dad is helping, he’d probably be here.”

Rocko entered the hut. Ayo hesitated behind him. The entire entry room was like a spacious kitchen. There was only one other room, down a short hallway.

As Rocko tried to proceed, Ayo placed her hand on his shoulder and stopped him. “I should go back.”

“Why?”

“I really don’t think I should be up here.”

“I already said it’s fine, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, but—”

“What’re you doin’ here?” interrupted a hostile, elderly voice from behind, causing them to jump. They turned around to see Ramento carrying two empty baskets in his arms, he continued, “Villagers shouldn’t be up here!”

“Ugh-! Ramento...” Rocko said.

“Don’t ‘ugh’ me. Why is she up here?”

“See?” Ayo said.

“You’re not the one in charge, Ramento,” Rocko retorted. “My dad is.”

“Doesn’t matter who’s sayin’ it. Rules are rules. Take her back to the Dinin’ Hall.” Ramento noticed the orb Rocko held. “Don’t bring villagers up for such silly reasons.”

“It’s not s—”

“Huh?” Ryuto interrupted as he walked onto the platform, “Rocko? Ayo? What are you two doing up here? Dinner’s starting. You should be at the plaza.”

“Dad!” Rocko exclaimed, pushing past Ramento and running up to Ryuto.

“Yes, that’s me. I’m ‘Dad.’ Did you need something from me, Rocko?”

“Look!” Rocko said as he quickly raised the orb up for his dad to see.

“Oh, wow! Is that the last piece?”

Rocko nodded fervently, and said, “Yeah! Do you wanna see how it works?”

“I’d love to, Rocko, but you caught me at a bad time. Can it wait until after dinner?”

“But I want you to be the first to see!” Rocko said. Ayo looked at him with raised, furrowed brows.

Ryuto glanced at Ayo and said, “Ah... It’s okay if you show Ayo first, Rocko. I don’t mind.”

“B-but—”

“Go on, you two. I’ll see it later, okay? You don’t need to worry about me.”

“O-o-okay,” Rocko said, “if you say so.” Rocko looked down.

Ayo went up to Rocko, and said, “Well? Where is it?”

“O-oh, right! This way!” Rocko said as he rushed forth, crossing the bridge.

Ayo followed.

Ryuto gave Ramento a sharp glare.

“Ridiculous,” Ramento said under his breath.

“What?” Ryuto asked.

“Come with me,” Ramento demanded.

- # # # 2 # # # -

The Administrative Level had the fewest platforms of all the Levels. It had the Chieftain’s hut in the center. Ramento’s hut to the north. The dropoff to the south. A miscellaneous storage hut to the east. And the food storage hut to the west. In between each of these platforms were smaller, empty platforms that connected each other platform via simple suspension bridges.

Rocko led Ayo to the southeast platform.

Just as with each of the corner platforms — as in, the platforms to the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast — there was a fourth bridge that led down halfway between the Administrative Level and the Residential Level, to a Fifth ‘Border’ Level.

The Border Level was unique from the other four levels. Frankly, ‘level’ was a misnomer. Though the labels of ‘first,’ ‘second,’ ‘third,’ and ‘fourth’ all referenced the elevation of the Administrative, Residential, Plaza, and Barrier Levels respectively, the label of ‘fifth’ for the Border Level had nothing to do with its vertical relationship, but its horizontal relationship, to the rest of the levels.

The Border Level comprised of four Watchtowers at each corner of the village. As they were off-limits to most villagers, they were situated a fair distance away from the main levels of the village — far enough that one needed to use the bridges to reach them, but near enough that guards could identify and deal with any problems in the village with haste from their posts on the Watchtowers.

Ayo began, “So that’s what the Watchtowers look like from up here!”

The Watchtowers — as seen from the levels below — looked just their name would imply: a tower. They were tall, rectangular structures, whose height reached from halfway between the Administrative and Residential levels, and went all the way down to the Barrier Level. Each Watchtower connected to each other via sturdy suspension bridges, as well as to the other levels via simple suspension bridges. After the Dining Hall, they were the sturdiest structures in the village, as well as the heaviest.

But the top of the Watchtowers looked like any other empty platform, save for a lack of water and having a hatch in the middle of the floor.

Rocko replied, “Yup! Pretty cool, right? But that’s not what we’re here for.”

By the Watchtower’s ledge was a unique device. It had a long conic head, with the wider end pointed at the sky, that stood on a single leg with a short and wide cylindrical base. There were tight hinges between the head and the leg. The conic head was mostly hollow.

“What is that?” Ayo asked.

Rocko walked up to the device. Carefully, he placed the orb into the wider end of the conic head. He then turned to Ayo, looking quite proud of himself, and gestured to the device.

Ayo stood for a moment, not quite sure what was going on. After a few moments, she said, “Uh... What?” and chuckled confusedly.

“Oh, right. This small point,” Rocko said as he gestured to the smaller end of the conic head, “place your eye against it.”

“Ah... alright— wait, against it? That sounds painful!”

“Oh. No, no! Not literally. Just... like... look through it, I guess? Up close, though.”

“Oh, okie.”

Ayo walked up to the device and placed her eye by the smaller end of the conic head. “Oh, whoa!” she exclaimed, taking in the sight.

“Wait, actually, let me see. I haven’t looked yet.”

“No, wait! I’ve only just started looking!”

“But I want to look, too! It is my creation, you know!”

“Didn’t you ask me to look? Why are you trying to get me away, now?”

“I’m not, I just wanted to see, too. I’ll let you look, again.”

“You will?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm... okay,” Ayo said as she took her head away from the device’s head. She then looked to Rocko and said, “I’m not that interested in stars, anyway.”

Rocko quickly went and looked through the device. After a few seconds, he exclaimed, “It-it finally works! But... it’s not enough.” He took his head away from it, and mumbled to himself, “I’ll have to request more orbs.”

Ayo looked at Rocko with a melancholic smile, and said, “Um... I’m not trying to be mean... but... I’m curious, is there a reason you don’t have this much determination for the village, too?”

“Figures you’d say something like that, too.”

“O-oh! No! I didn’t mean it like that!”

“I know... probably. I just hate how many people think this is just a silly dream.”

“Well, I didn’t call it silly...”

“You’re not denying it!”

“Well, I mean, if we’re being real here, it kinda is, so...”

Rocko looked down with a gentle frown.

Ayo continued, “B-but don’t worry! Mine is even sillier.”

“Really?” Rocko asked.

“Yeah! Because it’s something that happens to everyone.”

“That’s like... the exact opposite reason why mine is silly.”

“No, no, no. Yours is better for it, you have an actual aspiration. Something to achieve that most people wouldn’t even think of! Isn’t that what makes a dream a ‘dream?’ In my case, it’s not something I can work for, or something even unique to me. It’s something that’s guaranteed, eventually.”

“So... what is it?”

“Never mind! It really is too dumb to say.” Ayo laughed awkwardly.

“You can tell me. Also, you can’t just back out on it after all of this buildup!”

“You’re... right. Yeah. Okay. I’ll tell you.”

“Then do it.”

“Right! Okay! So... I just want a specialty.”

“Oh, really? That’s a— I mean, why?”

“You were about to say ‘that’s all’ weren’t you?!”

“Now, now, Ayo... I asked you a question,” Rocko said as he wagged his finger. He then shrugged and smirked to the side.

“It’s not cute when you act that way, Rock.”

“You say that as though you’re cute when you do it. But seriously, why is that your dream?”

“Well, I mean, aren’t they just so cool?! Come on, how can you not be fascinated with them? You’re fascinated with stars, and bugs, and everything!”

“I am, though! Honestly, it’s one of only a few things I’ve been trying to figure out with no answers. Like, why do some people’s eyes glow when using them and others don’t?” as Rocko spoke, Ayo's smile grew and she nodded with increasing fervor, “Is there meaning to the colors? How is a specialty determined to begin with? Why do they only develop around a certain age?”

“Right?!”

“But... I’ve never seen someone else think of them so highly like that, so it surprises me.”

Ayo’s smile turned melancholic, “It’s stupid, right?”

“I never said that.”

“Well, to make it even stupider, I get this kind of pain in my chest when I see the others get theirs. Like Ramuno! Since when could he walk like that?! Why can’t I have that? Even though we’re the same age! Imagine what I could do for everyone if I had that instead. I could do so much more!”

Rocko responds simply with an awkward smile.

Ayo continues, “That was kinda horrible to say. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no. Well... it wasn’t the greatest thing, but I don’t think it was horrible. So, don’t worry.”

“Well, anyway, your dream can’t be stupid, because mine is! If yours is stupid, then mine is completely brainless!”

“I don’t remember saying it was stupid, though.”

“R-right. Nobody said that! But that’s the point, because it’s not!”

“Whatever, I get it.”

Ayo chuckled, and said, “I’m getting really hungry. Wanna go eat?”

“Good idea!” Rocko replied.

“Race ya there!”

The two of them raced to the dropoff.

- # # # 3 # # # -

Ryuto stood leaning in the doorway of Rocko’s room, looking over its contents. Ramento stood behind him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Ramento broke the silence, “Why allow this foolishness to continue?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ryuto asked.

“Don’t play dumb,” Ramento began. “My meaning is crystal clear. Just look at this room...”

Rocko’s room was cramped. His nest was squished in the corner of his room, across from the door and beside his window. There was a desk of sorts on the other side of the window from the bed. In the far back of the room, there were shelves which held scrolled up paper, many of which had scribbles on them, and many of which were blank, and in a corner of the room were a series of various measurement tools.

In the center of the room was a large contraption like a model of a solar system. It depicted the landscape beneath the village as the base which it stood on. There was a ball to represent the sun to the side of the model, and there were hinges which linked to the pieces that really took up the room: two large and very wide sideways planes, which curved inwards toward the model, and were sprinkled with mostly white jewels in a way that could be confused as random.

“...and look at that thing he built out there. How could you raise a son so focused on somethin’ so unrealistic instead of on the well-bein’ of our village?”

“Give me a break, he’s just a kid.”

“Mmm. Perhaps it was I who failed in that regard.”

Ryuto turned sharply to Ramento, saying, “I’m trying my best, you know.”

“Sure you are.”

“The village is well fed, the villagers’ individual needs are met so morale is higher than ever, and nobody’s died in a Morning Harvest even once since I took over. What’s there to complain about?”

“I’m worried about the village’s future. Not long from now, you’ll be without my advice, and there’s no helpin’ that. You’ve made poor decision after poor decision, and that’s extended to your own kin. Is the future of the village I’ve worked so hard for really gonna be wasted by delusional dreamers like that child?”

“Don’t talk about him like you’ve got nothing to do with him.”

“I’ve nothin’ to do with an heir what has no intention of bein’ heir. He’s always been a problem child, but even his goals are too radical. It’s dangerous enough just leavin’ the Mother Root, but that kid wants to explore the freakin’ stars. He’ll get us all killed!”

“Realistic or not, he should be allowed to enjoy his childhood. At least as much as possible, given the circumstances.”

“This is exactly why I didn’t want you to have a child so early. You should’ve waited a century or two at least and reigned in the experience, but instead you just had to have one with Ayita, didn’t you?”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s just too traditional. What’s all this about me making ‘poor decision after poor decision,’ anyway? Exactly what poor decisions have I made?”

“When people’ve screwed up or broken the rules, you’ve made conversation with them instead of punishin’ them. When you became Chieftain, you had a child merely two years later instead of two hundred, and just look where that got Ayita.”

Ryuto’s brow furrowed. “Rame—”

“Now that same child has developed a dangerous delusion for a Chieftain to have, and you’ve been enablin’ it!”

“Kids should be allowed to dream, Ramento.”

“He’s old enough to develop a specialty! He no longer qualifies as a mere ‘kid,’ you moron.”

“But he doesn’t even have one, yet.”

“True, but he will one of these days. It could be as soon as tonight. That’s how old this ‘kid’ is, and you’re still enablin’ this delusion. There’s no room for stupid dreams that late in life — 'specially for a Chieftain. You need to wake him up. It’s gone on for long enough.”

Ramento’s voice had grown stern. Ryuto realized this was no time to argue, as much as he wanted to. He simply responded with, “I know.”

With a raised eyebrow, Ramento said in a condescending tone, “If you know, then why isn’t it done? Go. Break his heart.”

“Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow. He just built the thing, he should at least enjoy it for tonight.”

“Ryuto...” Ramento said, his voice much lower, and with a faint fiery glow in his eyes. “Do it now.”

“Why can’t it wait until tomorrow, Ram—”

“Enough!”

Ryuto noticed something odd about his body. Warm? Warm. No, hot. Burning. Ryuto fell onto his knees, holding in screams. He writhed on the ground and struggled to control his movement. An intense burning overwhelmed his insides. He couldn’t find the will to even speak.

Ramento’s eyes glowed a fierce orange. He walked up to Ryuto as Ryuto writhed on the floor in pain, and said, “Are you really gonna disobey your own father, Ryuto?”

Ryuto struggled to get a word out, to even move his lips. With a concentrated effort, he managed to say, “N-n-no... f-father.”

“Good.” Ramento’s eyes returned to normal.

The hellish burning that overhwelmed Ryuto’s body had stopped, but he remained still. It was as if he were frozen inside, though warmth gradually returned, minute by minute. Ryuto laid there, unable to collect his thoughts. Not a muscle moved except to breathe, but his breaths were sporadic and brief.

Ramento continued, “I’ll bring the last of the food down while you come back to sanity.”

- # # # CHAPTER END # # # -