Maribel Hearn Quest: ACT III - Part 2

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"She didn't, Layla sent Rengeteki away after what happened to you, and now she was hunting her down in order to kill her."

>She looks appalled at your words.
>"L-Layla.... Is what she saying... true...? D-Did you really try... to murder... Rengeteki?"
>Layla does not answer.
>"Layla... please answer me..."

>Step closer.
>"You are Rin right ? Thank you for setting Renko free, i just... couldn't think of my life without her..."

>"Y-Yes... I am Rin Satsuki.... And you're... welcome..."

>Look back at Rengeteki.
>"Rengeteki..."

>You look at Rengeteki, who also looks like she's seen a ghost. Tears are welling up in her eyes.
>"R-Rin... H-How are you even- Y-You were erased! Y-You can't be real.... th-this is a dream... I-It has to b-be..."
>"Rengeteki..." Rin takes a step closer, but stumbles, "I.... can assure you... I am... real... You see... When you used your... powers.... on me... I ended up... in some kind of... limbo... I felt myself... slowly fading.... And I was like that for.... I can't remember how long... Anyway... A few... days ago... some kind of odd... black wind... came out of nowhere... And... I don't know how to explain it... but... it's like it.... nudged me back here..."
>_

[Monarda]

>"A black wind..."
>Glance to Sumitenshi.
>"It must have been hard, for all of you... but if you are here, then there must be a way to bring you back fully, i talked to Rengeteki about it, i promised that we would find a way to do so, without sacrificing anyone..."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"A black wind..."
>Glance to Sumitenshi.

>You notice Sumireko looking at thin air, a little concerned.

>"It must have been hard, for all of you... but if you are here, then there must be a way to bring you back fully, i talked to Rengeteki about it, i promised that we would find a way to do so, without sacrificing anyone..."

>"Well... Layla and I... were working on a way... to stop my body from fading... I just need... a vessel... something to anchor my soul... to the world... We were originally going to just make one from scratch... but... we don't have enough time... my body... fades faster by the second... So... Layla thought we could just find a pre-existing vessel... that was compatible... But... if we used a living person, my personality... would overwrite the one already there... I only agreed... on the condition that whoever Layla found had no loved ones... no connections... and was willing to vanish..."
>She smiles faintly,
>"I appreciate... your willingness to help... a complete stranger... but... at my current rate of fading... I only have... about a day left... could you really find such a person... in that time...?"
>_

[Monarda]

>"A vessel ?"
>Take out the Soma Arcana.
>"What defines if your vessel is compatible or not ? Why did it have to be Renko ? There's gotta be a way, i won't let the love of someone that is like a sister to me die off, i wouldn't let anyone have that fate !"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"A vessel ?"
>Take out the Soma Arcana.

>You take out the book from your satchel.

>"What defines if your vessel is compatible or not ? Why did it have to be Renko ? There's gotta be a way, i won't let the love of someone that is like a sister to me die off, i wouldn't let anyone have that fate !"

>"Layla said there was a variety of factors... to consider... if the vessel was a living person... Among them were... magic potential... similar physical... age... similar body size... among other things... But for an empty vessel... like what we intended to make... before my fading sped up... only requires that it's... large enough..."
>She gives Layla a look,
>"Assuming... she wasn't lying... about all that... either..."

>"I wasn't lying about the compatibility..." Layla frowns.
>Sanae lands near your group.
>_

[Monarda]

>Light up.
>"Alice ! I remember she said something about having dolls the size of a person, so she might have one just the right size !"
>Turn to Sanae.
>"That way this can all be resolved peacefully, Rin will live and there will be time enough to construct a custom body for her."
>Turn back to Rin.
>"Renko and i have been through very tense moments Rin, we have learned to never give up on our hopes, just like i said to Rengeteki, trust me, there is always a beacon of hope leading to a way out."

//Is it weird i am writing all of this for no need ?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Light up.
>"Alice ! I remember she said something about having dolls the size of a person, so she might have one just the right size !"
>Turn to Sanae.
>"That way this can all be resolved peacefully, Rin will live and there will be time enough to construct a custom body for her."

>"That sounds like a great idea." Sanae smiles.
>"Do you... really think.... it'll... work?" Rin asks.

>Turn back to Rin.
>"Renko and i have been through very tense moments Rin, we have learned to never give up on our hopes, just like i said to Rengeteki, trust me, there is always a beacon of hope leading to a way out."

>"Heh... I suppose so..." Rin smiles as well as she can manage.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Well make it work, one way or another, we are not giving up on you."
>Nod and turn to Layla.
>"Now before it all... please hand over that baton, it's time to get rid of it, you have done too much evil to your sisters with it, breaking that promise..."

[the old guy]

>"....And also tell me where the missing women you kidnapped are!"

[Monarda]

>"....And also tell me where the missing women you kidnapped are!"

>Don't ask this.

//She already said that they were set free after she found Renko, since they only needed one compatible vessel.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Well make it work, one way or another, we are not giving up on you."
>Nod and turn to Layla.
>"Now before it all... please hand over that baton, it's time to get rid of it, you have done too much evil to your sisters with it, breaking that promise..."

>"I only broke that promise because I had no other choice." Layla frowns, "Besides, once I am finished with it, and dispose of it on my own terms, it's not like they'll ever remember that I broke it, let alone remember me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave. I no longer have a purpose here."
>Layla begins to fly away.

>"Layla, wait..." says Rin, "If... you must leave... at least tell me... why... why all the lies...?"
>Layla stops, "...Everything I've done has been for your sake, Rin. That is all..."

>"Is that really... it...? Layla... I want.... the truth..."
>Layla continues, not answering.
>"Layla!"
>_

[Monarda]

>Make a gap just in front of Layla leading back here, without any time to reach.
>Once she is here: "You no longer have a purpose is that what you say ?"
>Frown.
>"I think that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard in my life, you have the person you love here needing as much help as we can and you also have your sisters whom you need to deeply apologize too, i can clearly see a purpose for you."
>Cross our arms.
>"To live with the ones you care about, and make their lifes happier, do you think any good will come from leaving after all this incident ? You won't be forgotten, but you can change how you are seen."
>Close that gap and open the one to the Netherworld.
>"Chen, do me a favor and go get the Prismrivers we freed okay dear ? They should be at the Netherworld, at least Lyrica."
>Stop Layla if she ever tries to run away.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Make a gap just in front of Layla leading back here, without any time to reach.
>Once she is here: "You no longer have a purpose is that what you say ?"
>Frown.
>"I think that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard in my life, you have the person you love here needing as much help as we can and you also have your sisters whom you need to deeply apologize too, i can clearly see a purpose for you."
>Cross our arms.

>You gap Layla back.
>"And it looks like she's found help." Layla frowns, "As for my creations, I already said they will be none the wiser."

>"To live with the ones you care about, and make their lifes happier, do you think any good will come from leaving after all this incident ? You won't be forgotten, but you can change how you are seen."
>Close that gap and open the one to the Netherworld.
>"Chen, do me a favor and go get the Prismrivers we freed okay dear ? They should be at the Netherworld, at least Lyrica."
>Stop Layla if she ever tries to run away.

>You create a gap to the Netherworld.
>"Got it." Chen nods, before heading through.
>_

[Monarda]

>"And what will you do otherwise ? Rot away alone hoping to be forgotten ? They said you were dead, how can you still be here ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"And what will you do otherwise ? Rot away alone hoping to be forgotten ? They said you were dead, how can you still be here ?"

>"I am dead." Layla replies, rather matter-of-factly, "I'm a ghost."
>Chen emerges from the gap, with Lunasa and Lyrica in tow.
>"So... It really is her..." Lunasa remarks.
>_

[Monarda]

>Nod.
>"You are awake again, sorry for being harsh like that to you."

[Neovereign]

>"Why did you do this for her sake? What was it for if you're just going to leave her and never return?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Nod.
>"You are awake again, sorry for being harsh like that to you."

>"It's fine." says Lunasa.

>"Why did you do this for her sake? What was it for if you're just going to leave her and never return?"

>"Because I want her to live. She doesn't deserve what that scum did to her because she couldn't have her! I retrieved this baton from where I buried it because I knew we wouldn't have much time to find a compatible vessel and needed more hands. It was a necessary evil. And, for the record, I never intended to leave. But..." Layla eyes Rengeteki with contempt, "Seeing as how she now knows that piece of filth is still alive, I-"
>"Layla. Stop... just... stop!" Rin exclaims, "Stop blaming Rengeteki... for all of this... she did nothing wrong." she sighs, "If you really must... blame someone... blame me.... The two of you probably would've... never become enemies... had I not entered your lives..."
>"Rin, don't say that..."
>_

[Monarda]

>Look at them and shed some tears.
>"You three... just stop... it was none of your fault, none of you would have predicted the rockslide, the only idea you had at the moment was using Rengeteki's abilities."
>Sigh.
>"Why does someone have to take the blame ? Does that even matter ?! When you kidnapped Renko from us, we were in this exact same position, but then we realized that throwing the blame on someone for something none of us could have stopped was just plain stupid ! Rin herself said she wanted to try using Rengeteki's abilities, and Rengeteki was reluctant herself..."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Look at them and shed some tears.
>"You three... just stop... it was none of your fault, none of you would have predicted the rockslide, the only idea you had at the moment was using Rengeteki's abilities."
>Sigh.
>"Why does someone have to take the blame ? Does that even matter ?! When you kidnapped Renko from us, we were in this exact same position, but then we realized that throwing the blame on someone for something none of us could have stopped was just plain stupid ! Rin herself said she wanted to try using Rengeteki's abilities, and Rengeteki was reluctant herself..."

>"...Maybe she's right..." says Rin, "...What's done is done... let's just... move forward... But still, Layla... I just want to know... why... why did you lie about Rengeteki? I just can't see... how that would be for my sake..."
>Layla looks away.
>_

[AzyWng]

>Wait for Layla's response.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Wait for Layla's response.

>"...Layla..." Rin frowns.
>"...I did it," says Layla "because I knew that if you knew she was still around, you'd choose her over me."
>"What...?"
>"W-What?" Rengeteki seems just as surprised at those words.
>_

[Monarda]

>"B-But how can you say that ? You never heard it straight from Rin... she could have chosen both of you."

[Neovereign]

>Let's wait to see if they'll resolve this on their own?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"B-But how can you say that ? You never heard it straight from Rin... she could have chosen both of you."

>Let's wait to see if they'll resolve this on their own?

>You were going to say something, but decided that you'd rather watch things play out.

>"I saw the way you look at her, Rin... I knew, even back then, that in the end you'd choose her. I guess I never wanted to believe it..."
>"S-So... you told me Rengeteki was dead... s-so I had no choice but to choose you...?" Rin frowns, "That's so... s-selfish..."
>"Of course it was. But I guess it's nothing new, considering I'm the most selfish person I know."
>_

[Monarda]

>Look sad.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Look sad.

>You can't help but frown.

>"Layla... you really shouldn't... say things like that about yourself..."
>"But it's true, Rin. Look at me, I created poltergeists with the form and personalities of my older sisters to replace them just because I was too scared to leave my home and the memories it held behind like they did. Can anything be more selfish than that? Not to mention that I lied about Rengeteki just so I could have you all to myself, and then I tried to murder her, using those very same poltergeists to further my goals against their will, to prevent you from ever running into her and exposing the lie."
>"...I see..."

>Lunasa frowns at those last words. Meanwhile, Lyrica seems to be trying to get the attention of the third Prismriver.
>_

[Monarda]

>"...people can change you know ?"
>Take a step forward.
>"It all depends upon you, do you want to change for the better and live a happy life ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"...people can change you know ?"
>Take a step forward.
>"It all depends upon you, do you want to change for the better and live a happy life ?"

>"Perhaps, though I've already lived a happy life.... And It's really too late to change now..."
>"How can you... be so... sure... about that.... Layla?" Rin asks.
>_

[Monarda]

>"It's never too late to do anything, besides you are a ghost, time isn't your issue."