Part 5: ...Why have you gone away?

Update 5: ...Why have you gone away?



We search around for Emily for a while, and eventually find her at the station.



*Conversation: Emily*
: Emily?
: Huh...!?
: Looking for Ashley, huh?
: Er, y-yes, I am. But how did you know my name...?
: What? What do you mean?
: (Huh...? Doesn't she remember talking to me earlier?)
: You must have heard it from Ashley, when the two of us were talking about your present. Isn't that right?
: Oh, er...yeah. Something like that.
: (Wait a minute...It's not that Emily doesn't remember our conversation...)
: (it's that our conversation never even happened!)

: It's...
: It's all my fault that Ashley went missing...
: Your fault? Why?
: Well...er...
: (I should ask Emily about that flashback.)



*Question: Did something happen to Ashley?*
: We were saving up for your present...But when it came time to buy it, Ashley said she didn't have the money.
: I'm sure she must really have lost it somewhere, like she said... B-but I...I didn't believe her...and I called her every name in the book.
: And you pushed her away, right?
: !? How did you know...!?
: Oh, uh...I just figured it was something like that...
: You're right. That's exactly what happened. Then Ashley got angry and ran off somewhere...





First time we've gotten more than one new option at once. Let's take them in order.

*Question: Where did you two argue?*
: It was in front of Chronos, where everyone puts their bikes.
: Chronos, eh...
: (That's our usual hangout.)

*Question: When was this argument?*
: It was the day before yesterday... Right around 7 at night.

: I think I've got it. Thanks.
: (So she doesn't know where Ashley went...)
: ...Ashley...
: Don't cry, Emily. Ashley'll be back.
: I know...I know she will...But still...
: Why don't you wait at home for any news? You'll just catch a cold crying out here all day.
: You're right...thank you, Ethan.

And she leaves.

: (Looks like that conversation Emily and I had never happened.)
: (Wait a second--so that means...the present I got "yesterday" would have disappeared, too...?)

Our new information lets us clear up that flashback.


It's worth noting that we can head over to the Chronos bike area to start a Digging session, but Ethan won't let us open a Hole there because he has nothing he can do.

So off we go to his room to check on the status of our erstwhile present.

*Outside Ethan's House*
: (Hey, I should go see if it's still in my room...)

*Ethan's Room*


*Empty Shelf*
: (I knew it--my present is gone.)



: (The past has transformed...into a world where I never got that clock. ...A Pen that can change the past...)
: (What will this Hollow Pen let me do...?)
: (I might be able to do something if it were glowing.)
: (...I have to make things right, or Ashley might...)





Fun fact: I actually got stuck on this for a bit due to not investigating enough the first time. We need a way of contacting Kori. There's been one mentioned, so let's go there. But first, let's check on the other members of our search party. Ben's in the Station, and Morris in the courtyard.



: Aw, Ben...
: I heard Ashley's friend was around here...The one with the glasses. You know her, don't you?
: (He must mean Emily.) Emily? Yeah, I talked to her a little while ago.
: You did!? What did she say?
: She has no idea where Ashley went.
: Oh...okay...
: Ben...
: Let's look around just a little more--what do you say? I'll have to go home eventually, but until then...
: Sure--I'll poke around some more too.
: Sounds good. See ya!

*School Courtyard*
: Hey, Morris--any luck in the classrooms?



: Got it.

We head to where the paper with Kori's contact info was.

*Bulletin board note*
: Here it is--Kori's contact info.
: (Kori's presence means the past has changed. She might know something after all.)
: (...What should I do...?)
: (...Less thinking, more doing, Ethan. Call her already!)

There's the sound of some numbers being punched, and a dial tone.



Ethan: Kori? This is--
Kori: Ethan, right? I recognize your voice.

Never mind that she's only heard us once.

Ethan: Er, yeah. This is Ethan Kairos.
Kori: What do you want?
Ethan: I, um, wanted to ask you a few things about the memo you left on the bulletin board.
Kori: Oh, that. Are you still at school?
Ethan: I'm right in front of the bulletin board.
Kori: I'll be there in a sec.

She hangs up.

: (Phew...)
: (Doesn't sound like the friendliest girl on the block...)

===

: Here she comes!



: Whatever "fell out", was that the day before yesterday?
: Yeah, at lunch.
: Do you know who dropped it?



: She bumped into me and dropped it. She was racing through the hall at the time.
: (Sounds like Ashley...)
: And what was inside the envelope? Money, right?
: ...Yeah, money. I didn't know what to do.
: I could have given it to her, but I didn't know where she went.
: So I posted my contact info here.
: (Definitely Ashley.)
: That envelope belongs to a friend of mine. But she hasn't been at school lately...
: ...? The girl everyone's been talking about? I heard she went missing or something.
: Yeah. Or something. Can I give her the envelope?



: I REALLY am.
: (She doesn't trust me. Can I prove it to her somehow?)

And who better to look to for proof than her brother?

*Vin's House*
: ...What is it?
: Oh...nothing really. (Vin's taking this hard...)
: ...You wanna see something?
: What is it?
: A picture...Ashley's picture.
: Oh, sure...let me take a look.
: Here.
: Wow...you sure have a lot of them.
: I guess...Which one's her best?
: Wow, I couldn't choose...
: (It's like he's getting ready for a memorial service...)

{Soundtrack: Silence}





: What?
: It's just...I'm in this one. Me and you and Ashley...



: (This is just the proof I need!)
: Hey, Vin...mind if I borrow this picture for a while?
: ...Go ahead.
: Thanks. I promise I'll give it back.
: Whatever...




With proof in hand, back to Kori we go.



: Oh, yeah...that's her, all right. So she's Vin's sister, huh?
: Uh-huh. Things are really tough for Vin right now, so if I could have that envelope...
: ...All right. I'll call if anything comes up. Can I reach you at this number?

There's the sound of...something. I think it's supposed to be Kori punching the number into her phone.

: Yeah, sure. Just give me a ring.
: So...it'd be a good idea if she were to find this, right?




: Uh-huh. Thanks.



Ethan: ...Huh? What do you mean?

And she just up and leaves.

Ethan: (Rats...I'll have to talk to her again later. First I've got to do something with the envelope Kori gave me.)
: (It would be better if Ashley had never dropped this envelope.)
: (If I could give it to the Ashley back in the past...)
: That would have to change something, right...?)

With our envelope, that now lets us fill in the last piece we need for our school lockers flashback. We got the time from random male student, and the details from Kori. We're all clear now.


I guess it's time for a vote. We have two spots where our Pen glows, so I need to know which one we're going with and (technically) what we're doing. Here's what we've got:

*Hole: Chronos Argument*
: This is where Ashley and Emily had their argument...And all over my missing birthday present money. ... Wish I could do something for her...)

*Hole: Lost Money at School*

Make your choice.