Another Eden story · Character quests, Id
First Love
Id has been revealed to be the top dog of Purgatory. In order to see her again and discover the answers to her many remaining mysteries, Aldo goes to Purgatory...
5 scenes, 196 lines
1. Scene 1
31 lines......
It's beautiful out here.
Sorry, I saw you hop in from the mortal realm just now. I thought we could talk?
About... Y'know. I still can't wrap my head around it.
'Round what exactly?
Uh... You being IN CHARGE of Purgatory?!
Or at least, I think you're supposed to be! Why all the secrecy? Wiping people's memories...
Riiight. That.
What's going on down here? Daisy' worked to the bone, you know.
And from what I saw, the scythe wielders are really stretched thin.
I don't wanna tell you how to do your job. For all I know, things work different here in Purgatory. But can't you...help?
Oof. No, lay it into me. I deserve it...
I've been hands-off. I know. But it's all gonna change. I'm.... I'm gonna...
Urgh...
Id! Are you in pain?
Urgh... You don't know the half of it. It's...nothin' new, though.
Say, Aldo... Mind doing me a favor?
Sure. I can head back to Lotus Hall and get you some...
No...not that. I... I need you t' take me somewhere.
Id, you can hardly stand! Can't it wait until...
ID! Crap...
I hope you know what you're doing... I'll get us to the Illusory Tree, just hang tight!
2. Scene 2
15 linesStill with me, Id? We're here.
Uck! What is that?!
Oof... Yeahhh, that's not good. Knew something was up, though, my body has NOT been working with me lately.
See it? The creepy-crawly up there? I've never had bugs before, not even once.
End of the line, huh? My old carcass might really have nothin' left to give.
I don't understand...
Eh... It's probably quicker if I just show you.
...Sorry. I hate t' work you like this, but do you think we could make another stop?
I don't mind at all. Obviously this is important.
You're a real one, Aldo. Then...
We're going in that portal?!
Yep. Mind lending me your shoulder again?
No problem. You good to go?
3. Scene 3
73 linesWhere...are we?
Underground! On the roots of the Illusory Tree, to be specific
Didn't think I was gonna make it...
So, what exactly are we...
What the?!
That looks like Id in there... No! How's that possible? She's...been right here with me...
Hold it! Let me help you...
What was that just now?!
Down, Hazama. It's just Aldo. We like him, remember? You know him.
Come on, be nice. Go on and say hello.
Oh! That one's kind of...like an avatar? Harmless compared to the big guy here. Don't wanna scare anyone, y'know?
Ahh... That's a little better. Thanks, buddy.
What exactly...is Hazama? And who's that? Why does she look so much like you?
Slow down, will ya? Hazama's a pet. And as for sleeping beauty...
She's me. Technically. That's...my real body.
Your real body? Then...what am I looking at right now?
This is more like... How do I explain it. Just my spirit, I guess? Just smoke and mirrors! I gotta concentrate, or this form poofs away...like you saw.
My real body became part of the Illusory Tree ages ago. Couldn't take it back if I tried.
What? Why would you let that happen?
I had to. To protect it.
Protect it? The Tree?
Hazama here practically begged me to. It was dying. Plants need nutrients to bloom, right? I had those. So I gave it me.
All right, you look lost. Why don't ya sit down? I'll tell you a story.
Okay...
Just like everyone else living in Purgatory, I came here from the mortal realm. Past life, yada yada... Basic stuff. I just...happened to have been a monster. Y'know, a soul-eating one.
A soul-eating... You don't mean...
Yes, really! There's even one that likes to eat souls. And let me tell you... Tender, young souls like yours? They're gonna seem extra tasty.
...Rarrr!
So, as Party Professor, I can't let ya go.
To these monsters... Your souls are like nectar. Sweet, sweet nectar.
You warned those kids...about yourself?
Feeding on souls was what kept me alive. And I hated it.
I wanted to be more like your flowers. Beautiful, living just on soil and water. A little sunshine, some wind...
I was smitten with every living thing in the mortal realm. It was all so beautiful to me.
So that was it! I'd starve, I made up my monstie mind to die, rather than consume another soul.
So I sat around waiting for it to happen.
I went on, loving the flowers, loving the living, loving that world... And after what felt like forever, I thought I finally felt death approaching.
Then...
The very next moment, warmth. In my mouth, pooling in my stomach. I was scared. I just...panicked.
Look. I didn't know all that much. Animals don't right?
But I recognized THAT feeling. Of something in my stomach. Digestion, the organs starting to stir.
I didn't need the creature's husk at my feet to tell me. I knew, I had taken its life for food.
......
I still remember the taste on my tongue. It was so...so...
Delicious. I wished it wasn't, but it was. I relished it. How could I pretend to hold life precious, when my whole body sang for it like that? That's all I was, a hungry animal.
I can't imagine...
It broke me. You could hear me clear across the lake, I bet, the way I wailed at myself.
Once more, I vowed never to feed again. I was SO careful, too. I tried so hard not to eat.
But that stubborn body, it was built for survival, and survive it did. Each time I neared death, I would black out and feed, sustaining myself a little longer.
Time went by...
Next time, let me be a flower, so I can be pretty. Let me be snow, so I can fade away gracefully.. Or wind, or water, Or a sliver of the night sky... Just not...this. Next time... Is there a next time?
That was the dying refrain.
My soul wandered... And it came upon the Illusory Tree, still so young back then.
Not even a sapling. Just a shriveled thing. Clearly it hadn't gotten enough nutrients during its development.
And there, nestled next to it, was Hazama.
He seemed... It was hard to explain. Neither a good being, nor bad, just something else fallen through the cracks. The Tree felt the same. Cast off by the tree of life, a lost sprig and its guardian, alone in the wind... The poor thing was stuck there. Didn't have a chance. Without protection, it would never bloom.
I didn't even think. I just embraced it.
Hazama tried to ask me something, but I didn't hear. I didn't care.
......
And that's how I went a from lost soul, to a soul with a body, and to a body to nourish the Tree. Becoming nourishment meant...agony. And it would never stop, y'know? But that didn't scare me. Not even as the roots sunk in, I was at peace with it.
It's a full-time job, though! It takes a toll, even on my incorporeal self. I'm kind of running on fumes.
It was the three of us, me, Hazama, and the Tree, for I don't know how long.
When Daisy finally showed up, I couldn't believe my luck! But she seemed so...fragile. She was such a pretty soul. Small, and bright.
I wanted to comfort her. I asked her if she liked flowers. Told 'er she reminded me of a star daisy, , That she was my little flower, a miracle blooming in Purgatory.
I...I see.
It's not just her. Every scythe wielder, each and every soul bloomed from that Tree is a precious flower.
And now, the Tree is withering. If I can't... If we don't do something about the bug, and quick, they're all gonna...
Okay. How do we get rid of it?
......
I have an idea, but I need to get a better look at it first. Sorry, do you mind?
Sure. Let's go back to the base of the tree.
4. Scene 4
28 linesWhy do you think it's doing that?
It's suffering.
Suffering?
Big time. I hadn't noticed, but... after Hazama's pick-me-up just now, I can feel it.
Poor thing... It wanted to come here, but not like this.
Then it's not harming the Illusory Tree on purpose?
No, I don't think so. I don't think our little friend here means to do wrong.
Sometimes we end up causing pain, even if we don't want to.
Huh?
Aldo. If I go off the rails...
I'm gonna need you to beat me back to my senses. Do you understand? You can't hold back.
Uh, care to explain?! Who's beating who up?
Whatever you do, don't use a blade of reincarnation on me, 'kay? Trust me, you do NOT want to try to send me back.
Id, wait! This is ridiculous, what are you...
What does it look like? I'm eating it.
Wait!
Rgh...think about what you're doing! Consuming another living soul? Is that really...what you...
Don't make me do this...!
Stop!
Gyah!
Crap... Id!
This is bad...
Id, snap out of it!
You asked for it... I'll bring you back, I promise!
5. Scene 5
49 linesGood... Tastes...sooo...good... I loved them... I cared for them... Nurtured them... Oh, cherished... Little lives, bouncing on the water, eating plants, running around in the sun... That world... I loved it... Loved it, sick, sick with yearning... Why... WHY?! Why can I never...never...!
I didn't want to eat... Just to reach out and touch...
Who...are you? But I thought I... ......
Ah... I understand. You're one of us, huh?
...d! Id!
Id! Thank goodness.
Phew... Hey Aldo.
Sorry 'bout that. Took longer than expected.
You were worried too, huh Hazama? Yeah... I'm sorry, buddy.
About that...
What's going on?
Say hello to our newest scythe wielder.
It's a soul. Our bug friend was a new flower of Purgatory.
I wasn't sure if it'd actually WORK, but, when I decided to eat it... I thought if I could keep it together, eat just the rotten parts...
One bite too far, and... It was a gamble, but just maybe, if the radiant part of its soul stayed intact...
Looks like it worked.
We had an understanding. One monster to another.
Understanding...?
I think it could tell what I was tryin' to do.
It was definitely some kind of bug monster in its past life. It came to Purgatory in real unstable shape... The Illusory Tree's fighting for its life. It probably latched right onto the bug, and caused it all kinds of pain...
...No worries there.
I fed on a soul...or at least a part of one. So my body'll hang in there.
It's good. It should give the tree enough to keep goin' for a bit.
......
...... Come on, you're killing the mood!
This isn't a funeral! Look on the bright side. See that new petal? Our new friend's gonna be just fine. Another bundle of light... Welcome to Purgatory. You'll get a warm welcome, just like everyone else.
Id.
Yeah?
You don't need to reincarnate. If you ask me, you're already the flower you longed to be.
Bwa ha ha! Come on...
I appreciate what you're tryin' to do. But flowers don't take. I'm a different animal.
I just slurped up a soul, I'm no different than I was before. But y'know what? That's fine by me.
If my new little bloom's got a smile on its face, that's good enough for me.
There's all kinds of beauty here among the dead. So much to love...
I may not be a flower myself, but I've got a beautiful garden right here. Purgatory's full of life.
In the end, all I ever wanted was this. If I'm to go to sleep beneath the trees... Let me at least sprout flowers.