Part 63: Moon Door 5: The Happiness Stone - Part 2

-A Cat Relaxing in the Sun-



Elder Serge: I'm quite interested in seeing what's on sale at this year's bazaar. I can hardly wait to see!



Zack: ...Wait. Aren't you the kids from the orphanage? Eh, no biggie. Offer still stands--let me know if you see anything you want! I'll knock a bit off the price, too, just for you kids. Everything here costs 20 mira. I'll go as low as 10 mira for you girls, though!



Solomon: If you have, I can't help you, though. Sorry! I've told you all I know. All I know is it's some legend I picked up from my old man.



Fisher: ...and I always find myself thinking what a lovely place it is. I hope I can live in a village as peaceful as this when I reach old age. This is a wonderful little village, isn't it? It's an excellent fishing spot, too!



Amelia: He wasn't very reliable as a child, what with him always getting lost all the time, but he certainly is now. Come to think of it, I could probably do with a new pot after burning the last one. I wonder if any of those will be on sale at the bazaar...



Carla: You look like you're having fun.
Nothing! Nothing at all!
Nothing at all!
Carla: Heehee. Really, now? Come play with Lucia again soon, okay? I'm sure nothing would make her happier.



Rex: Did you find something interesting over at the bazaar?
That's a secret!
A BIIIG secret!
Rex: Ahaha. Maybe I should pop over there myself and see what I find, then. All of the interesting items might have sold by now, though.



Sadie: Time to close up shop and head over to the bazaar! I'm sure at least a few people would want to buy flowers if I sold them over there. I mean, who doesn't feel relaxed looking at pretty flowers?



Creda: I'm guessing Sadie's donated vases to be sold there, too.



Lucia: No! There'll be no corner cutting on my watch!
*sigh* She really is a demanding mistress... I won't fault someone for being serious about their work, but she's not exactly a very considerate boss...



Lucia: ...A what? Tell me more! Tell me more!
(W-Wow... That's some smile.)
Lucia: I want to know everything you know! Tell me! Tell meeeeee!
I can't. It's a secret!
Although, I suppose I could tell you a liiiiiittle bit.
Lucia: Tell meee!
Umm... It's something you get when scary monsters come after you and you almost fall off cliffs!
Big, scary cliffs!
(Umm... She's trying to retell O'Neil's story, isn't she?)
(It's somehow got a lot less impact when Polly tells it...)
Lucia: Scary monsters? Eeeeek! A name like happiness stone made it sound so nice... Scary monsters and dangerous cliffs, not so much... Maybe this is some kind of riddle? It's something you get when scary monsters come after you and you almost fall off cliffs... I don't know!



Yeah... You've told me a thousand times now... So is this spot okay for the poster?
Lucia: It's supposed to be really shiny, though! Doesn't that sound so nice? ❤
(Girls really do love these kinds of stories, don't they?)
Lucia: But you've got to almost fall off a cliff to get one!
(This story makes less sense by the minute...)







Vogt: Wh-What might you two be doing here?
Hello!
Actually, lighthouses are pretty high up, aren't they?
Sir, you haven't seen a happiness stone before, have you?
Vogt: A-A happiness stone?!
They're really shiny and pretty!
Vogt: N-No, I don't recall ever seein' any such thing in all my years...
Oh... That's too bad...
Well, thank you anyway.
Let's keep looking, Polly!







Vogt: ...They're sharp little devils, aren't they? A happiness stone, hmm...?

-Looking Up at the Sky-



Say, Polly? What do you think those happiness stones are really like in person? Do you think Mr. O'Neil's right about them glowing with a pretty golden light?
*sigh* That'd be so wonderful... ❤





I-I'm not saying that I believe him now or anything! Far from it!
I'm just saying if all he said IS true, it'd make a perfect present for Matron Theresa... What do you think?



Wait... Polly?!
D-Don't tell me she's lost... Polly!
Polly! Where are you?!



Polly! Polly!
I told her to stay close to me, too!



Where could she have gone...?
*sigh* She's hopeless...

-A Cat Relaxing in the Sun-



Vogt: I reckon that's my happiness...



Rex: Is she playing with Clem and Daniel now? Well, that's all right. Though, I hope they all take it easy and don't get hurt. There's no harm in playing around and having a good time. Just make sure you don't get hurt.



Carla: What happened to her?
She's... Umm... She's playing with Clem and Daniel at the moment.
Carla: Oh, really? That's all right, then. You all be careful. And remember to stay away from tall cliffs!
I-I will!
Carla: Just remember that Matron Theresa will worry about you all if you stay out too late. Try and go home before it gets dark, all right?
...I will.



Lucia: What happened to Polly? Isn't she with you?
U-Umm...
She's playing with Clem and Daniel now.
Lucia: Aww! Really? I hope she comes back to the bazaar later...
W-Well, I'll let her know you'd like that.
Lucia: I hope lots of people come to the bazaar. It'd be really nice if we got as many customers as the department store in Grancel does.
Welcome, welcome! ...Oh, wait. You're that girl from earlier.
Something wrong? Can I help you with anything?
N-No, it's nothing...
(It's not like this is the first time Polly has done something weird... I'll be able to find her on my own!)
If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask, all right? I mean, I'm a bracer, after all. Helping people is our job.



W-Well... She's...playing with Clem and Daniel right now.
Oh...
Well, that's all right, but if anything was to happen, you would tell me, wouldn't you? I don't want you thinking you have to bottle things up and deal with them yourself. I'm always here if you need me, all right?
Th-Thank you!
...
(I can't... I just can't. Mentioning the present thing to her is out of the question, and Polly disappearing is all my fault. I'll have to see if I can find her myself...)
Elder Serge: I think she's a lovely child, personally. She's remarkably levelheaded for one her age, too. I don't think you have anything to worry about with her. Especially as I'm sure she still has plenty of growing and maturing to do. It's what children do. I really do think you're worried about nothing, here. More than anything, the children just want your smile.
I know how levelheaded she is better than anyone...
...but with the way she is, I'm worried she'll always find herself being relied on. I want her to feel like she can actually act her age from time to time...
(...)
I can't help but worry she's got it into her head that she might become a burden to me if she doesn't try to do everything she can.



Amelia: I should've known I'd find one here. You really CAN find anything at a bazaar. Now, what should I buy next? ♪



Creda: Someone must have really wanted it. I'm glad someone wanted that pot I donated. It's always a relief to see things you donate go to good homes.
Happy end



Zack: Fun to do and for a good cause! This is the kind of work I was born for, if you ask me!



Sadie: Everything here was donated by the people of Manoria. Heehee. There are even things here that were donated by me! So do take a look around and see if anything sings to you.



Solomon: It's hard to imagine the town without it now, though. It's one of our major attractions. I mean, who doesn't love a good festival? While you're here, why not take a look around? You don't even need to buy anything if you don't want to. Enjoying festivals is more about taking in the atmosphere than opening your wallet.



-Looking Up at the Sky-



Polly! Come on out! Polly!



(I can't find her anywhere...)
(This is all my fault for being so careless... I shouldn't have taken my eyes off her... I never do this, either! So why did I do it this time?!)
W-Wait a second... (...Is this the right way?)
(Wh-Which way did I come from again?)



-Visions-



Answer me, Polly!
*sigh* Where, oh, where have you gone...?



...Huh? Where am I?
(I-I've never been this far from the orphanage before...) It looks like Polly's not the only one who's lost...
What am I doing? I need to be strong and look after the other children!
I've got to find Polly.



This is all my fault. It's all my fault... I never should've believed in that silly story... I should never have taken Polly so far from the orphanage...
How could I have messed up so badly...?







Whew...
I've got to find Polly.
If a monster like that finds her before I do...! I don't even want to think about it!
Please! Be safe, Polly!







Polly...please... Just come out... I know I messed up... So please, just come out...







(I mustn't cry... I mustn't cry...) *sniffle*...*sob*...



Voice: Bleeech... It's mad chilly this time of year, huh?







Strange Monster: *yaaawn* Maybe I should go catch some more ZZZs...



Strange Monster: ...Huh?





Strange Monster: I thought my heart was gonna go pumpin' right outta my ch-chest!
...Huh...
Strange Monster: ...Whuzzat? Somethin' on my face, lil' buddy?
Pffft... Hahahaha! You're weird! Ahahahahahaha!
Strange Monster: Heeeeeey... It's WAY not cool to laugh that much!
Heeheehee... Sorry. What are you doing here, anyway?
Strange Monster: Who, me? I was just keeping my head low while all that scary stuff was going down.
Scary stuff? Like what?
Strange Monster: Like the Glorious and the Aureole and junk... Didn't you hear about them?
I... I don't think so?





Strange Monster: Yuppers! I'm only 320 years old!
What?! Really?!
Strange Monster: Why're you so surprised? That's totally normal.
I-It is?
I'm not so sure about that...
Strange Monster: Anyway, I'm bored. I want some grub!! Do you know if there're any dandelions that bloom around here?
Is that what you eat?
Strange Monster: Sunflowers are yummylicious, too! They taste just like the sun! No lie! ♪
I didn't know that...
Oh, I know!
Ta-daaa! You can have one of my super-special sandwiches! They haven't got any dandelions or sunflowers in them, but they've got some plants from our garden in them!
So I'm sure they'll have a sunny taste to them! Okaaay! Open wide, now...



So? What do you think?
Strange Monster: *munch* *munch* That was SO GOOD!!
I made it all myself, too. Heehee. Aren't I amazing?
Strange Monster: W-Wow! You're crazy amazing! Can I have another one?
Another one?! But I've only got one left, and that one's supposed to be mine...
Strange Monster: Gimme half, then! Pretty pleeease?
Well...I suppose I could.
Okay. You win!













Strange Monster: Brrr... It's sure getting chilly now.
Y-You think?
Do you have trouble dealing with the cold?
Strange Monster: N-Nuh-uh! I do awesome with the cold! I swear!
It's nothing to be ashamed of! I'll go gather some firewood, okay?
It'll get a lot warmer if we start a fire. ...Just wait here, okay?
Strange Monster: O-Okay... Can you be fast, though? Please?







Strange Monster: B-But it's getting dark now! B-Being out in the dark alone is kinda scary...







You're so soft, and you smell so nice...
(Huh? This smells like... I can't remember. This smell is just somehow familiar...)
Strange Monster: I'll help you look for firewood, too! That way we'll both be warmer!
That sounds great!







I think this should be enough.



...Wait. We're going to need some fire to get this started, aren't we?
Strange Monster: Don't sweat it! I got this.



W-Wow! You can really breathe fire?!
Strange Monster: Anyone can do it if they practice enough!
No, they can't!
Strange Monster: Uh-HUH! They can! I only learned how to do it recently, too!
Oh, really?
I-I wonder if I'd be able to do it if I practiced enough.
Strange Monster: I'm sure you could if you practiced for 320 years like me.
I-I'm not even going to live that long!

-Under the Moonlight-





You're so soft... And I'm sure I know this scent from somewhere... But where...?

This is so warm...

-Silence-



Achoo!
Mm... Mmm...?



...!



He's gone...
... I guess that's it... I guess I'll go home.

-Visions-







*WHOOOSH*



-Silence-



Matron...

I'm sorry...







-Dancing With The Wind-





You can fly?
Strange Monster: I'm still a kid, so yup-yup!
Can you only fly if you're little?
Strange Monster: Well, no. Grownups can, too. It just causes, uhh...problems...?
Th-That's not much of an answer!
Strange Monster: Haha...





...What?

-Silence-

Voice: ...Hey, are you okay? Wake up!

-The Whereabouts of Bonds-



Oh, good. She woke up.
You okay, Mary?
H-Huh? ...? What happened to that weird monster?
Monster?! Were you attacked?!
No, but...
There wasn't any monsters... Just you.
Th-That's weird...
Was that all a dream, then...?
Mary!
Maryyy!



A-Are you okay?!
Y-Yeah. I'm fine...
How can you be fine?!
I promised Kloe and Joshua that I'd protect everyone! I promised!
If anything happened to you, I...I...
Clem...?
Wh-Why do you always gotta try and do crazy things alone, anyway?! We were all gonna look for the matron's birthday present together...
Don't go off and start doin' dangerous stuff all by yourself!
...I...
He's right, Mary! We were real worried about you!
We were all looking for you together... 'cause you went and disappeared on us.
I...
I'm sorry...
...and thanks.
...H-Huh?!
Wh-What're you thanking us for?! I wasn't worried or nothin'. I just figured we could look for you while looking for a present...
Umm... You remember how Clem forgot to buy those decorations when he was in Mr. O'Neil's shop, right? That was why we went over to the bazaar to do a bunch of shopping there, so we could get what we needed for Matron's birthday.
He said we had to go do it 'cause it'd be a big pain in the butt for you.
Shhh! Don't tell her everything!
Anyway, then we headed over to the Krone trail aaand...



Owwwwww! Y-You're hurting me, Clem!
... (Heehee... I feel so happy for some reason.)
(...I feel like I just had a dream. A really, really nice dream...)
M-Mary?! Are you okay? You aren't feeling sick or something, are you?



Are you all right? Feeling dizzy or nauseous?
Oh, I'm fine.
Heehee. I was just spacing out a little. A lot's happened, you see...
Heh. Okay, then.
...Okay, troops! Let's start heading back!
Whaaat?!
B-But we still haven't found a present yet!
Maybe not, but you're all downright exhausted from looking around for one.
The young lady here looks like she could do with some serious napping, too.
I-I'm fine, honestly...
Nope. Not hearing it.
I'll escort you all back home, so take it easy and get some rest for today. If any of you were to get sick from overexerting themselves, the matron would be really upset, wouldn't she?
You can always keep searching for a present tomorrow. I'll give you a hand, okay?
Wow! Really?
You're pretty cool for a guy who looks so boring!
Ouch... Just kick me down while you're at it, why don'cha?







Wow... That looks...
You don't think that could be...?!
A sealing stone! I wonder who the fifth orphan will be.
Whoa!!
It's a happiness stone!
...Yeah.
It must be!

Clem suddenly chimed that he had an idea as he took an old pendant out of his pocket.

He'd grumbled that it was only something he stumbled upon at the bazaar.

With everyone's encouragement, I decided to try setting the happiness stone in the center in hopes that it would fit.

...It fit perfectly, too! It was as if they were always meant to be together.

Polly's golden chain turned out to be the perfect length as well.

Finally, we placed it in the small box that Daniel had kept with him, wrapped it in wrapping paper, and the perfect necklace was born.



Mary: Huh? This is the same smell that monster gave off... Is that because I gave her the happiness stone?
Matron Theresa: ...Mary?



Mary: ...I understand now.



Mary: It's the warm smell of happiness.

Happiness is a warm dragon.

also everyone reading this has diabetes now. I'm sorry

Side Story [The Happiness Stone] finished!
Received Happiness Stone.
Received 12,000 mira.



Did the Lord of Phantasma seriously steal this from the matron?

And then they made it a money-making item, because they're a cynical edgelord.