Part 24: Who is Ari?

Music: Out of Acknowledge



I left the sewer, and the Phantom Evil King appeared before me.



I muse and I ponder, what did the "Circus Evil King" do?



And then he left, without ever once acknowledging my presence.



Maybe these people saw Marlene and the others. I'll ask them.



Young Man Who Believes in Justice: Hmmm, this place...
Guy with Frowning Face: Hey, did you know? A fearful Great Evil King named Stan is coming to conquer our world.

Stan? Have you seen Stan around here?

Hello? Can you hear me?



Hey, little girl! Have you seen a bunch of strange people around anywhere? One of them carries this huge pink parasol, you can't miss her.



Dreaming Girl: Strong, beautiful, and brave... Oh, I wish I could have seen her. They say that she took off in a hurry to search out Stan, the Great Evil King. I'm sure she will use her graceful techniques to see the end of the fearful Great Evil King. Oh, I adore her...

Say what?



Oh! Linda!! Hey, Linda!!!




Passerby: Sorry, I can't. I don't have time.

Oh, I see. Someone, please listen. Please listen to my song.

I'll listen, Linda!

Linda? Why won't you respond to me? Linda???



No one in Madril even seems to notice me. I'll go home to Tenel, surely my friends and family can't ignore me.



No complaints for serving cold food, no complaints for my shopping sprees. Is there any guy that fits this description?

Right here! I do!

Julia? Please, please say something, Julia. Please acknowledge me.



Loitering Villager: Yes, I heard something like that. Actually, I've met her. I even told her, "This is the village of Tenel", standing stiff like a palace guard.
Villager in Trouble: She bought tons of the usual traveling hero stuff, like medical herbs, antidote herbs, support items.

Rosalyn was here? Do you know where she went?

Please, answer me. Why is everyone ignoring me even more than usual!?



That's it, I'll go home! My family can't ignore me no matter how much they want to, that's just not something you're allowed to do!



I'll go get the bread, mom, just like I always do.

...Mom? You can see me, right? Right???



Annie! What are you doing in my room? Mom's looking for you, you know.

It's about time Mom asks me to go get the bread.



Huh...? Annie, this is my room. It's always been my room, Annie. Stop kidding around, okay?



I don't know what's going on but it's big! Really big!

...











Someone, somewhere has to remember me. Someone has to be able to see me.



I just have to keep searching. I'll find someone eventually!



Oh! Big Bull! Hey, down here!



Whoever he is, I'll clobber him into the afterworld! If he's that strong, why haven't I heard of him before? Where did he come from? Guess you never know what surprises the world has in store. Look out "Great Evil King", I'm comin'!







...



As I was saying: someone has to remember me.

At this point I would even be happy to be attacked. But alas, even ghosts are ignoring me.



I searched and searched, and eventually found myself at the big gate at the south end of Pos Pos.



Desperate and out of ideas, I knocked on the door.




May I come in?
Oh, there's somebody I can talk to!
......

Voice Over the Gate: ......



Voice Over the Gate: My name is K.T. I'll open the gate for you anytime. Just ask for me from now on.

Music: Theme of Triste





KT: How do you do. I'm KT. This is Triste or, to be precise, the area designated as Triste... My, this is uncommon, to have two new visitors in a row here. The people here are the ones who are "no longer noticed". A sanctuary for the disregarded. The world would act as if no one was there, even if we were in front of their very eyes. Our citizens are people and ghosts. Rather than be reminded of our state, we closed our gates to outsiders. But you are an exception. From now on, call my name at the gate and I will open it any time.



What a strange city. I've never even heard of Triste before.



Woman's Voice: Don't come in! All the dresses and coats in here, they're all mine! Yeah, if no one notices me, that means I can do anything! Everything in here, I'm taking it all with me! Hmm... No matter how good I look in these outfits, no one can see me! Ha ha ha ha ha!



Doe Eyed Girl: She is even deeper into this than we are, and always crying and wanting to go back. She seems to be able to see the world from here. Shes says a girl just like her is there and she sees what this girl sees. But lately, she hasn't been able to see anything and she's crying.



Puzzling Ghost: Then what am I exactly? Blah, blah, blah...



Quickly the door is closed!



A scribble at the corner edge of the door. "Mr. Pollack, you're nasty."



Withered Ghost: Years and years of being ignored by humans and other ghosts. Empty, so empty...



I continued to explore the city of Triste. Would I have to spend the rest of my life here? Will I ever talk to my family again?



Who are you?
I'm right here.
......

Girl's Voice: Where is Ari? I'm here... This is where I really am...



Where did that voice come from? Here?



Old Man's Voice: I'm fed up with helping you with all your lousy make-believe play with your daughter! I'm fine staying here forever. This place is far better than that choking place there! I never wanna see your bearded face again!

Waaah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!



Freaked Out Voice: Oh, stop this... It's scary, that girl's whine... That sob, sob, sobbing... How long is this going to last...? Do I have to suffer even in this town...?



I can't figure out the source of that voice. Is it coming from out here?




Ouch! What the heck?



KT: Once I saw a blond, weirdly dressed person go through here, floating in the air... Ari, it is another mark of our condition. I am sorry but I do not think you can pass here... Ari, you should first consider returning to your people in the normal world. That's okay. Even if you do, the gate will remain open for you, Ari...

I'd love to return, if I only knew how!

Maybe I'll get some ideas if I keep looking around.



Loitering Gentleman: Or did you choose to come here freely? It bothers me. Is there really an "inside" or "outside" to a natural world? By what standard does Nature measure its inhabitants? I suspect that someone's changed the world into an "inside world" and an "outside world". That someone divided reality to his own advantage.



Barely reads as "Hopkins' House"



Hey, isn't that...?




I tried to warn you once. But you wound up here, after all. What, you don't know what I'm talking about? Don't you know what's become of you? Haven't you noticed that people seem to outright ignore you sometimes?



Hmmm. That's worse than I'd thought. But not to worry, you'll be okay. If I am doing okay, I'm sure you will, too. Once I'd told you that your shadow was thin. What that means is...uh, this is purely my own thinking but... Our shadows have reached the limit of their thinness. They are so thin that no one notices us anymore. Like the pebbles on the ground, completely insignificant. Right now, in the eyes of the world, you might as well not be there. I'm not being mean or anything. In some ways, we're outlaws. We never conformed to society. Anyway, thinking of it like that helps.



Somehow, being alike, we can see each other and talk amongst ourselves. Though in the world, we remain unnoticed. Weird, isn't it? And it's not limited to people. Places go unnoticed as well. When I first found myself in this state, I totally panicked and without thinking about it, I found myself in places I'd never before seen. This was one of them. My "symptoms" were mild and I eventually recovered. Once in awhile, I'd get ignored or see my own kind, but it was never as bad as that one time. I never thought I'd see this place again but now I'm here, thanks to the "Transverse Tunnel" you guys opened.



Not so fast. There are things you can do and see only when you're in this state. So enjoy! Live it up! ...Oh right, I forgot that's how you got into this mess. Well, it's easy once you know the trick. Well, at least for me, it works.




At first, they might not hear you, but keep going. After many tries, you will suddenly feel this sensation of passing through a wall. Once you reach that stage, come to me again. Then I will cast a special spell on you and you'll return to normal. Oh, don't try it with the folks in this town. It's not gonna work. You can't effect the ineffectual, ya' know? Your symptoms are so advanced that I'll only be able to restore you barely past the borderline. Try interacting in the world again, but this time, be strong! Otherwise, it might happen again.