Part 11

It's the tenth "canon" update. By that I mean I'm not counting the ruins update. We'll call it a bonus.


I hope it's just evening and we haven't stopped in Popstar or anything.


We haven't eaten anything but endangered flowers in ages.

Good point! Let's go get some food.


Maybe the people in here know where to find some!


It sure is. Seems to be a slow night here, though.

They only have three tables, and no chairs set up on the unoccupied ones. I get the feeling they don't do great business.


Those crazies at the lake, you mean?

They're the only people we've seen since we left town. Who else would I be talking about? All we know is that they were after Chitta for some reason.

I've got no idea why.


I seem to recall most of the damage done to the inn was your doing, Fron. Not that I don't support it.

Hey, desperate times. At least we're all safe, now.


She eats like the concept of food was new and exciting to her.

(Hmm... let's see here. Where... uh oh.)


*sigh* I'm afraid to ask, but what is it this time?


Hey, no need to say it so loud!

You're the one shouting!

We need to come up with some sort of plan, here.

Hold the whole place ransom.

I don't have time for your crap right now, alright?

Hello, I'm your server, Marina! Is there some sort of problem, here?

Fron, I think you're just going to have to tell the truth.


That's... the best you have?

Pretty much.

That was pretty bad, but oh well. There's lots of work to be done around here.

Awww... well, there are worse alternatives.

I'm kind of curious as to where you dropped the wallet, though.





...
Hehe, suckers.
...






Woohoo! I get the easy one!

Oh, and Fron: don't cross any tile more than once or you'll have to start over.

WHAT? How does that even work?

The guy who designed this building put in a complicated system of triggers that release mud all over the floor if you don't do it in one line. He was a big fan of puzzles.

I bet he absolutely HATED all of humanity, right?

Oh yeah, you should see what Tia's going to have to go through.


This is absolutely horrible.

Pretty boring, too. Keep going, I'll be back in a bit.

You're leaving me?

Just for a minute.


Bastard...leaving me here... grr...


Finally...

All done? Great! I'll show you to the next one.

Next...


WHY GOD WHY?

I'm back.

FUCK YOU!

I went to get the answers.

Answers?

Well, yeah. GameFAQS had them. They're from my perspective, but I'll see if I can't give you them in directions you can understand.

These directions... they will let me solve this and move on with my life?

Yep.

I've... never loved anything as much as I love the internet right now.


I know it's hard to see, but hey.

It's over... I can finally stop. Thank you so much for getting those directions.

Never a problem.

Good work! On to the last one!

I... I...


Hey, kids! Be the first to solve it on your own for eternal glory!

I tried to avoid this line of thought, but...

Yes?

If I am to accept that my life is a work of fiction... someone from your side deliberately contrived this. They are responsible.

Yes.

I want them dead.

Afterwords...

...

You okay, Fron? It's really over now. The next battle is kind of a pain, but-

I don't care. I never want to go through that again. From now on I'm having my wallet attached to my body surgically.


That's right, folks. They've been working for 24 hours straight.

But... we're still broke, you know.

It's okay, I feel kind of bad for putting you through that.

So Tia, how was your... day?

I don't want to talk about it. Ever.


Yes, father?


Who's Marco?

Just my little brother. He can't stay away from Graveyard Mountain for some reason, even though we keep telling him not to go and there are warning signs and bats and rockslides and ogres and ghosts and pits of spikes.

I should go with you to find him, then. After all, I'm the adventurer. Chitta and Tia can stay here.


Hard to make that funnier, really.


Ditto.

Oh no, I can't let him go and have him stolen by that Marina woman, but I can't stop him either.


I thought it was clever.


Chitta wants to go, too!

No.

No!

Definitely not.

Don't let her go!

You should make her stay.

Awwww...


I'm ready. Let's go retrieve us some kid!


Here we are, moving along.

I wasn't aware that the internet contained such fantastic services as this "GameFAQS."

That's one way of putting it. I'll tell you more sometime. Meanwhile, all you people out there keep reading and maybe post once in awhile. That would be nice. Either way, good evening to you!