The World on the Other Side of the Well

This is that well with the wormhole at the bottom... I did warn everyone away from it, but I wonder if it's still there? It could be dangerous. I'd better go check up on it.

Just like I thought. The wormhole's still here. As long as it's open, there's still a chance someone might misuse it... Wonder how things are going on the other side?

Whoa! Aw geez, not again...

Hey, you're that guy from before. I thought I told you to quit throwing trash in this hole!

Y-You've got it all wrong! I just came to look if there were any letters here. And FYI, my name is Yunelle. Remember it, I don't want to go down in history as "that guy."

All right, Yunelle. What did you say about a letter?

Well, I've been coming here for a while, just to look at this weird hole. And sometimes I find letters. At first I thought my old trash was getting sent back. You weren't sending them?

Nope, doesn't ring any bells.

So it wasn't you. Interesting... Who could be writing these? I'm really curious.

What did the letters say?

Well, they're more like diary entries. But the content is...kinda heavy. I think they're written by a girl. Whoever she is, most of her days are spent in fear.

Fear? What's she so afraid of?

From what I can piece together, she has a chronic disease. Not only that, but her symptoms are getting steadily worse. The doctor's told her she doesn't have long... Everyday she's afraid that she might not wake up again tomorrow. She really spilled her guts onto the page. I wish I could help her somehow... But what can I possibly do?

You're from wherever this hole leads, right? Can't you find the girl who's writing these letters? If you do...I'd like you to give her this letter, from me. These words are right from my heart. I want her to know I'm rooting for her.

Okay. I'll find her and give her this.

Thank you. I hope we can cheer her up.

Those letters must have come from my time, from Baruoki. A sickly girl from our village... It must be Tokka. I didn't know her condition was so bad. Better go talk to her.

A-Aldo?

Hi, Tokka. I heard you've not been feeling so hot.

Yes... I collapsed while you were away, and since then... The doctor said it's my heart. There's nothing we can do about it...

Your heart?

My chest aches when I try to move around too quickly. And every now and then it feels like it's going to just stop outright...

Is that why you wrote the letters?

Letters?

You've been writing stuff and throwing the pages down the well, right?

How do you know that?

That well is connected to another place. Someone there picked up your writing. He's real worried about you. He wanted me to give you this.

......

......

It must be nice to be so healthy... I'm a little jealous...

You know, Aldo, I try to take all this in my stride, but...it's hard. Why do I have this disease? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? My body's always been weak, but I was hoping I'd grow out of it someday, if I could only hold on long enough. If I have to live with a heart that could give out any minute, then...

Then maybe...

Maybe it would be better if I'd never been born at all...

......

Sorry, I know I shouldn't talk like that... I...I'd like to be alone, if you don't mind.

Of course.

When it came down to it, I couldn't think of anything to say to Tokka... I feel terrible just standing around. Maybe I'll head back to Elzion and tell Yunelle I delivered his letter.

You're back! Did you find the girl on the other side of the hole?

Yeah... Yeah, I did.

How is she?

I'm not gonna lie, she's not doing great. There's no cure for the sickness she's got. She can't exert herself, and her heart is really unstable, to boot.

That matches up with what she wrote. There's just one thing that bothers me... If this is the disease I'm thinking of, it's not incurable. Not by a longshot.

Did you find out something?

Yeah... I had a talk with a friend of mine who's a doctor, asked her if those symptoms sounded familiar. She said it's most likely Parmilla Syndrome.

Parmilla Syndrome? Never heard it.

Probably because hardly anyone catches it anymore. It's pretty obscure. About 300 years ago, it was a serious problem, but they found a cure centuries ago. Most people have developed an immunity to it. She must have something else...

What?! But she described it as an incurable disease.

I'll bet she was being figurative. Y'know, like she feels like she'll never get over it.

You think so? Even if it is, we'd have to make the medicine from scratch...

Nothing wrong with that.

Actually, there is. We'd need Mifellol, and that stuff's expensive. There's no demand for Parmilla medicine anymore. The pharma companies discontinued it. It's so rare now, my life savings wouldn't be enough to buy some. I guess Parmilla still is incurable if you don't have the cash... Maybe that's what the girl in the letter meant.

Okay... So, what exactly is this Mifellol stuff? Could we make it or find some ourselves?

It's a chemical substance found in certain species of snails. Apparently there used to be tons of facilities developing the stuff, but they closed when they weren't needed anymore.

Got it. We get some snail goop, make the medicine, everyone's happy.

Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how much we'd need to synthesize a cure?! Unless you're planning to hunt some giant prehistoric snails, you can forget about it!

Seriously?!

You really mean it, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. Okay. I trust you. I'll set things up so we can synth the remedy as soon as you get back.

Hey, I got it! One bottle of Mifellol, hot off the snail's back!

Whoa! I can't believe you actually found some. And so much of it, too!

It wasn't all that hard. So, we can make that cure now, right? Let's get this show on the road!

R-Right! I'll message my doctor pal, she'll know what to do.

It's finished! We're probably the first people to make Parmilla medicine in years.

Awesome! Give it to me, I'll take it right to her.

No, wait!

What's up?

While we were synthing the cure, I couldn't stop thinking about this girl we're making it for. You remember that letter I gave you for her before? I wrote that thinking I could cheer her up, but I realize now that was pretty thoughtless of me. Just saying "cheer up" isn't going to solve anything. I should have tried to imagine what she was going through, what kind of words would really help. So I came to a decision. When you've given her the medicine, after she's gotten better, I want you to tell her something from me. Tell her that someone in the world understands her. Even when she feels weak or lonely, there are plenty of people around who care about her. She doesn't have to fight alone. She deserves to experience all the world has to offer.

I'll tell her. I promise. Well, time's a-wastin'. I'd better get going.

I hope you'll be in time...

Tokka, drink this! It'll make you better!

Aldo?! Calm down a minute, what's going on?

Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I got someone I know to research your condition. This medicine should cure you.

No way! Every doctor I've spoken to says there's no cure.

I don't have time to explain, but trust me. This will make you feel a lot better.

All right. I know you wouldn't lie to me about something like this.

Wow... My chest doesn't feel so tight. The pain was almost too much to bear a while ago, but now... What is this stuff, Aldo?

Long story short, someone read your diary, and he wanted to help you. So he made this; with a little help from me. He's the same guy who wrote that letter I gave you a little while back.

Oh, that guy...

And he asked me to give you a message...

It's a letter.

"To my kind benefactor.

"Miracles do happen. What an age we live in!

The medicine worked. Thank goodness. I...I'm so glad... Good luck, Tokka...

The rift's closed. But the letter got through all right, didn't it?

That's right.

That was quite a poetic message he came up with. Hee hee. Stranger from the future... We never met, but you gave me back my life. Thank you. I'll see the world with my own eyes, just like you said. I won't waste this second chance.

Sorry... I really want to be alone.

My health hasn't been good lately... Could you let me rest for a little?

Even someone with as weak a body as mine can survive a little longer, thanks to the prisma.