Linking Souls

A way to bring back memories of your past life?

Yes, I thought that given your wide circle of friends, you might know something.

Yeah, Ilulu just can't resist taking care of everybody.

Yeah, well that's 'cause I'm everybody's big sis! That includes you, Mazzy!

Don't confuse the poor girl more by inventing non-existent sisters.

Oh, it's fine! I already have a guy calling himself my brother. Why not add a sister to the mix?

Oh, I can think of many reasons...

Hmm... Y'know, past lives and all that ain't really my area of expertise. I mean, there was this girl once, an' she loved watchin' soulzies' memories. But I think she left Purgatory...

Anyway, why d'you wanna know about past memories, Mazzy?

Well...

Mazrika, I have a job for you.

Zeviro! Of course, I'm always happy to help!

A soul I reaped in the other time layer has been sent to this Purgatory by mistake. Unless we rectify this, the total soul count will be off for that time layer. Would you mind transporting it to the other Purgatory for me?

I'm on it. I'll collect the soul and head on over.

And thanks for your help, Ilulu! Or rather, big sis!

Mazzy's such a good li'l purgatorian, ain't she?

You too, Zevy.

Lemme give you a li'l pat!

Do not treat me like a child, Ilulu. Honestly, the way your mind works is a total mystery to me.

And stop calling me Zevy. My name is Zeviro.

Oh, don't be like that, Zevy! You ARE such a good li'l purgatorian!

Don't think I don't see what you're up to! I know you only sent Mazzy on that job to keep her quota up! Someone's tryna make sure she doesn't get kicked outta Purgatory, eh?

Well, Mazrika's performance reflects directly on me as her mentor.

Teehee! You see! You're just the sweetest mentor ever, Zevy!

We made it!

Yep, the soul's definitely in there! Now we just need to send this soul to the Purgatory of this time layer and we're done.

Back and forth, back and forth through the time layers. I wonder if this hole will ever close. *sigh* Sometimes I just wanna collapse on a nice, fluffy bed, and laze around the whole day.

Hoohoo?

Oh, don't look at me like that. You know I'm not actually gonna slack!

Only naughty children spend the day lounging around in bed eating snacks, I know that!

It's just...wouldn't it be nice?

Um. Yeah. Okay. Uh, why don't we head over to Purgatory then, huh?

Hoohoo?

Huh? Weiss?!

I better go after him.

Weiss, wait up!

Dunarith?!

What happened to him?

I was just coming back from some errands when I saw the bard collapsed on the ground. A young guard's already run off to fetch some help. Hardly worth panicking over if you ask me.

He's probably just over-indulged again.

Seriously? Not again...

Dunarith, wakey-wakey! Stop making yourself a nuisance...

...Hm?

Dunarith? Dunarith! WAKE UP!

Shaking him won't do any good. The man's out cold.

Yes, it does look that way...

(His body isn't dead, but his soul is missing...) (What is going on?)

I found a healer!

Thank you for your trouble.

It was no trouble at all. Anything I can do to help.

Hm? Is that Mazrika over there?

Weiss, you still know the scent of Dunarith's soul, don't you?

Then go, find his soul before it's too late.

Before it's too late? What does that mean?

...Is he in trouble?

Dunarith's soul has been separated from his body.

And in this state, there's a very real risk that he will die.

What?!

Now, his body is still technically functioning, but the problem is his soul. A body without a soul is incredibly fragile.

And if his soul disappears, he'll never wake up again.

Have you found Dunarith's soul?

Hoohoo!

The Ancient Battlefield? What would it be doing there?

Oh, what does that matter right now. We have to hurry!

I'll come with you. I want to help him in any way I can.

I thought you'd say that. Come on, let's go!

Sorry, something's come up. Will you take care of him while I'm gone?

Then let's head to the Ancient Battlefield of the Dusken Lands.

Aldo, over there!

Huh, these cages look a lot like yours.

Yes, they're standard issue for carriers like me.

...But why are they just sitting here? And where's their carrier?

Maybe something happened to them?

Must have... It is unlike a soul carrier to just leave souls behind like this.

And so unless we do something, these souls are just going to sit in these cages forever?

...Maybe we should let them go? I feel sorry for 'em.

Yes. We should release them so they may return to the cycle.

Go on, out you go.

Um? You can come out now. It's safe out here. Look, I don't know what happened to your purgatorian, but I'm gonna take care of you now, okay?

Yes, that's my job.

Aaaah!

Shoo! Hands off my collection!

Grr! I was sure I'd be hidden from the other purgatorians here! Ugh, this is so annoying!

Are you purposely keeping these souls in the land of the living?

Yeah! I just love to watch a soul's memories! They're so sparkly!

But their memories and feelings all disappear when they get reincarnated... And we don't want that, do we?

So I keep them nice and safe in my little cages instead. Don't I?

But you're imprisoned in there. Why would you be grateful?

No, she hasn't! Even if your souls remain, your minds and your memories will eventually fade! You need to be reincarnated!

Yeah, you say that...but then why're you carrying a soul carrier's cage?

Looks like someone's not practicing what they preach. You don't wanna get reincarnated, do ya?

......

Looks like I hit the nail on the head, Mazrika.

How do you know my name?

Tadaaa! Check it out! This one's my favorite!

That's...

Thought you'd recognize him! I found our little bard friend down by the coast.

Sweet thing doesn't care about his own life, but boy has he got a lotta love for others! He's so beautifully messed up that I knew I had to have him! So, I reaped his living soul!

Return it this instant!

I'm warning you!

I've got your back, Mazrika!

*giggle* You mad? You are, aren't ya?

Cause you know, I saw his memories. I know how important he is to you.

(I feel blood rushing to my head...) (...Why do I feel so angry?)

Ooh, the anger in your soul is SO SPARKLY!

It's so pretty! I wonder...would it get even sparklier if I reaped the soul of your friend here?

Not happening!

Gotcha! Silly thing, it's you who I really wanted, not him. So, how d'you like my perfume? It's made from Purgatory flowers! Now, nighty-night!

Ngh!

MAZRIKA!

Where am I? I've never seen this place before...so why do I feel so nostalgic? And why am I so small?

Is this...one of my soul's memories?

You're up already, Reliath?

It's not like you to be up this early, sleepyhead.

......

...It was you after all. You really are my...

What are you muttering about? Are you still half asleep?

No, I'm awake...Bro...ther.

(Why? Why had I never noticed before?) (He was the one I'd been searching for all this time...) (He was so close, I just didn't realize it. He was right there, all along.)

You look sad, Sis. Something wrong? Hey, why don't I sing you a song?

That normally cheers you up.

Yeah...

(I wish I could stay here forever...) (I could wake my brother up, send him off for work, tell him how much I love him...) (And...and...) (...What am I saying? I've got people to save! And besides...) (I'm not Reliath anymore.)

(This is just a hallucination created from memories of my past life!) (If I just sever this part of my soul, I should be able to snap out of it...)

(But in doing so, I'll never remember who he really is.)

Still...

Even if you disappear from my soul, the fact that you had a sister who loved you will always remain.

So...I'm okay with this.

No. I'm not okay... After all this time, I've finally found you...

There's so much I want to say to you... My dearest brother... I don't want to...forget...you...

You can't, Mazrika.

If you stay here, you'll lose your your sense of self completely. Besides, this is only a memory. The real Dunarith won't hear anything you say in here.

But if I cut myself off from my memories...

Yeah, I'll disappear. I know. But this soul is yours now. I'm the past, you're the future. I have to give you this chance.

Besides, you're more responsible than that. You wouldn't abandon your job just to indulge in a blissful fantasy, would you?

No. I am Mazrika the purgatorian, guider of souls. ...And I have people I want to protect. Here. Now. So...

Farewell, the me I used to be...

And farewell, my beloved brother.

(He's...starting to disppear...)

Mazrika! You're awake!

Huh? What am I? Oh. I passed out, didn't I? Wait. Where'd that purgatorian go?

No where in sight. Same for the soul cage, actually.

Weiss went out in search of her, though.

I see... I bet she changed into her spirit form. If that's the case she can't have gotten far, so let's search around here.

Aldo! Over there!

No fair! How'd you catch up so quick?

You're not getting away this time! Hand over the souls!

Boy, you really want them, huh? Well, too bad! You can't have them!

If you're gonna try and steal my souls then I guess you leave me no choice!

You're...freeing them? Why?

I don't think she's freeing them in the way you're thinking...

To me, my pretties!

Now, my little souls! Who wants to play chase?

Why are those monsters attacking the souls?

The thing about cheruvi is they have this weird ability to sense souls. She used the souls to summon cheruvi from Purgatory. And now...

These little souls are weak, which makes them really easy to eat! Hehe!

Still better than my pretties having their sparkle taken from them down in Purgatory!

But...oof. What a way to go, being turned to ash by a monster. It's so horrible, I can't watch!

Sooo before they do, I'm gonna go! Tata!

Not happening!

Mazrika, over there!

NO!

Relax, I got this!

Honestly, you're such a handful.

You two...

Boss? Ilulu? What are you doing here?

Your friend came and asked us for help.

We'll protect the soulzies! You focus on her!

Got it!

Ugh! You're really getting on my nerves now! Get them!

I won't let you toy with those souls any longer! As a purgatorian, it is my duty to protect them!

Owww! That hurts, you big meanie! I was just tryna save those poor souls. My heart was in the right place...

Oh, don't be ridiculous. You cannot be serious.

I just don't wanna end up like my stupid boss, is all!

My boss was pretty, and cool! She was kinda more like an idol to me than a mentor, actually. She eventually got reincarnated, but right after she was born her parents killed her and her soul was just in shambles. So I thought, well if that's what happens to someone as amazing as her, then I definitely don't wanna be reborn! I'd rather just fade away.

Look, I get it. Life after rebirth isn't guaranteed to be sunshine and rainbows.

But for me, it's still better than rotting away in a cage. Their connection to the world is cut, yet they remain a caged bird, unable to fly away. Imagine how lonely must that feel.

Speak for yourself! Maybe some might be lonely, but some are totally fine with it!

You were only able to meet your boss because you were reincarnated as a scythe wielder, right?

Well...

Hmph! Whatever!

Save it for our leader, okay? Because I have a feeling she's going to want to speak to you.

If you somehow manage to avoid expulsion, be prepared to spend the next century rotting in a cell.

Ugh! No fair!

That's a good little soulzie...

And, um, what's going on over there?

Yes you are! You're a good little soulzie! Naww, this one's SUCH a cutie! Such a brave li'l thing, tryna protect the memory of someone special.

Yeah, the girl's not right in the head. It's best just to ignore her.

Are you all okay?

Yeah, about that. I don't want to force you.

Well, that's not really what I'm saying. I just want you to WANT to do it. I don't want you to cut off your connection to the world.

I want you to agree, and to choose reincarnation for yourselves.

So, it's not enough for them to know it's the rules? They have to accept it for themselves?

Right. So first, allow me to tell you all about Purgatory!

I'll answer any questions you may have, from living environment, food, housing, and of course, reincarnation!

How remarkably inefficient.

I think it's a great idea! I'm gonna help out!

So, what do you think? We can talk it through, no commitments necessary.

Great! Then let's go to Purgatory!

We'll take the souls from here, Mazrika. We're escorting the prisoner there either way, so we might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Why don't you handle putting Dunarith's soul back in his body?

Understood.

Come on, soulzies! Let your big sis lead the way!

We should get going, too.

Dunarith's body will be in Rinde, right?

I think so. Let's try the Rinde inn.

Is that it? Will he be okay now?

Yep, that's all there is to it! His soul was unharmed, so he should wake right up.

Hmm? Grhmm...

Mmm...that was a nice nap...

...Hm? How did I get here?

Glad you're awake, Dunarith.

There's some folks here worried about you, you know, I'll go tell them the good news.

Good morning, Dunarith, you sleepyhead.

The sun's already risen well above the Zanbora trees, you know.

How the tables have turned. I never thought you'd be the one calling me the sleepyhead.

Hey, I'm no sleepyhead! I'm just not good with mornings, okay?

That so? You're so serious, but deep down, I know you're a lazybones...

I am not!

You're such a meanie, Brother!

......

Um...

That was weird...

You're probably still half-asleep yourself.

Go ahead and get some rest. The bed over there's free.

No, I'm fine. You know, the thing about you? No matter what, you always seem so happy.

Yeah, I am happy. Are you?

Are you happy as a purgatorian?

...Yes.

I'm so happy that I'm scared to get reincarnated.

...But I'm also so happy, I do want to be reincarnated. So that I can connect this soul to the next one.

Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?

It is and it isn't. Heh...

I'm glad I was born. That's why I want to carry this happiness to the next life. And, I guess...to you.

Are you being kind to me right now? Who are you and what have you done with the Mazrika I know?

Okay, I'm going now. I have work to do.

Fair enough.

Come back soon, Mazrika.

I will. Take care of yourself, Dunarith.