Outside the Fragrant Chamber, Reubemont was quietly pacing on the spot wondering about his friend. This meeting was extraordinary, nothing about the way it went seemed to make any sense. Normally he'd be marched straight to his superiors, reprimanded for his actions and made to scrub stalls for a month. And what did the Sultana want to discuss with D'brovola? Such questions circled in his head but no matter how he tried to make sense of it all the more it left him feeling confused.
The tall doors to the chamber opened and Melanie walked out looking none the worse for wear. Reubemont breathed a sigh of relief to see his friend once more. "Brovola, is everything all right?" he asked her calmly. Melanie nodded as she began making her way down the long staired hallway. "What was all that about in there? Something's not quiet right, that meeting made no sense at all."
"What do you mean?" Melanie asked without stopping trying not to answer him. Reubemont quickly stepped in front of her halting her steps. "What, you don't think it was strange that the Sultana herself wanted to question us? Don't say you don't think that wasn't strange, and add to the matter that we got away with it so lightly. And what did she want from you?"
Melanie let out a sigh. "What do I say to him? I need to think of something." Melanie tried to come up with an excuse that was plausible enough that Reubemont would just let it go. She looked up into Reubemont's eyes hoping to put on a believable show. "She just wanted to know how I was getting along with my training" Melanie replied.
Reubemont blinked his eyes in disbelief. "She wanted to know about her training? Why has she never taken an interest in my training?" Melanie stepped around Reubemont and continued walking towards the Royal Promenade. Reubemont was still stood where he was looking more confused than ever. "That can't be the reason she wanted to see her privately." Quickly he turned around and chased after Melanie before he lost sight of her. "I understand if you don't want to answer truthfully, and I'll respect your privacy and question no further. You are certainly a woman of mystery" he said to her.
Melanie stopped in her tracks. "I should've known that would never have been believable" she thought to herself. She felt a little guilty that she couldn't really be honest about herself to him, after all he did help her many times already in the short time they'd known each other. She tried to swallow away her guilt which felt like a huge pill stuck in her throat. "Thank you for understanding" she said quietly.
"Reubemont! Brovola!" Suyaya's voice called out to them across the promenade along with Johna and Holskwyb waving them over.
"My friends, full glad am I to see you again" Reubemont exclaimed excitedly as they rejoined together.
"It is ever so strange. We were released and told we were free to go, no punishment or anything, except we were told Gridania is currently off-limits for the time being" Holskwyb said.
"Well for you it is, it's currently closed off for all non-citizens which means that me and Johna can return at any time" Suyaya said with her hands on her hips doing a cocky little dance on the spot. "Although I am not sure we would want to go back there right away. Perhaps we should wait a day or two so we can check in with our mentors. It will give us a chance to get some insight into what is really happening over there after our departure."
"Agreed" Johna replied, "I am not so sure I want to face my mentors just yet."
"Then it is settled. Let us remain in Ul'dah for a couple of days. We can use this time to do some more training outside" Reubemont replied with a little optimism in his voice.
Suyaya glanced over at Melanie noticing that she was quiet and looking a little sad. Melanie couldn't help but think about what had happened over in Gridania and about lying to Reubemont. She also couldn't stop seeing the face of the two sisters who were failed by the Gridanians and condemned to live and die as outlaws.
"Chin up sweetie" Suyaya said to her with a smile. "It will be all right, you will see."
Melanie looked surprised at Suyaya and closed her eyes still feeling a little despaired. "I hope so" she said clutching at her chest.
Suyaya knew her words barely touched Melanie at that moment but she was hopeful that she might feel some amount of comfort and be able to rest easier.
"Tomorrow morning we should reconvene at The Quicksand as usual and plan our day ahead. In the meantime let us take some rest while we can and try and clear our heads" Reubemont said in a slightly more confident voice. Everyone nodded in agreement. He then turned to Melanie. "Will you be all right?" he asked her calmly.
"Yes, I think I'll be fine after I've taken some rest" Melanie replied with a nod.
"Very well. I shall see you tomorrow. In the meantime if you want to talk about anything or just want some company you can always contact me via linkpearl."
The group began to disperse and Melanie was once more alone. She looked around hoping to find something to distract her so she wouldn't let her worries overcome her or cause her to have an emotional breakdown in public, however it was now dark and most people had turned in for the night. "I need to get away from here" she thought to herself and began to head towards The Hourglass so she could book herself in.
Once she was booked in Melanie immediately headed to her room. As soon as she was all alone she dropped her satchel on the floor, unbuckled her weapons and let them fall to the floor and then stared at the bed. Her body started to feel very heavy as she slumped towards the bed and collapsed face down. "I am such a failure!" she began to sob. "All I do is cause trouble wherever I go. What am I even doing here?!"
Melanie began to think about her home world and started to feel homesick. How simple this would be if she could just log out and return back to her normal life and no longer worry about the consequences. She started to miss seeing Tony's face even though they rarely spoke to each other anymore. He might even for once offer her a hug seeing her in such distress. She missed her old bed, she missed her online friends in the game, and she missed watching Netflix and Youtube. There was nothing here on this world to take her mind off her worries save drinking, studying and fighting monsters. There was nobody she could really confide in except maybe Tataru but she was all the way out in Mor Dhona.
Feeling helpless Melanie buried her face deep into the sheets. Perhaps if she fell asleep like this she would suffocate in her sleep and put this world out of its misery before she caused even more trouble. She started to feel sleepy and within moments began to slip away into a deep sleep.
---
Come and find me.
Melanie found herself walking in a large and empty white space. "Did I die in my sleep? Is this what it is to die?" she questioned herself. She caught sight of her belly sticking out in front of her and gasped in a panic. Her cat ears and tail were also gone and her hair was now a long dark brown with smaller ears at the sides of her head. Familiar moles on her arms confirmed her suspicions. She was her human self again.
Melanie then noticed she wasn't alone. Another person was sat on a small wooden chair ahead of her. She was a mi'qote with the same pink hair and style Melanie had when she arrived on the First. Melanie was surprised to see her as there was nobody else there just seconds ago.
"Hello?" Melanie called out to the mi'qote but she was too far away to hear her. Melanie walked towards the mi'qote. "Excuse me, can you hear me? Where are we?" Melanie said as she approached her. The pink haired mi'qote raised herself from her chair and turned to face Melanie. Melanie double stepped backwards almost tripping over her own feet with a gasp. The mi'qote was exactly the same as her Final Fantasy character. "What the... who are you?" Melanie stammered.
The pink haired mi'qote closed her eyes and giggled a little then opened them again. "That is an interesting question. I suppose I go by the name M'leineya" the mi'qote replied.
Melanie's heart began to palpitate and she began to struggle to breathe. "But I created M'leineya, she's just a fictional character named after myself. You can't be real, in fact none of this can be real. I must be stuck in a lucid dream."
The pink haired mi'qote closed her eyes momentarily again and smiled gently. "I assure you all this is real. Perhaps it would be best if you took a seat so we can talk." She gestured towards a chair that was now behind Melanie. Melanie turned around and looked startled to see the chair just materialize from nowhere. M'leineya pulled her chair up towards her and sat down in front of Melanie.
Melanie nervously took her seat and glanced around her surroundings. Nothing else had changed, it was still white as far as the eye could see. "Ok...so if this is real then where are we?" she asked.
"This is a very special place, one where our souls can both communicate" M'leineya replied.
"Does that mean we're both sharing the same body then?" Melanie asked, still doubting that what was currently happening was for real.
"Not exactly. My soul is being held prisoner somewhere beyond this realm, I don't exactly know where. I'm able to see and feel the same things you do within my body and I can project my thoughts to you, although all of these with great difficulty, but beyond these there is little else I can do."
Melanie stopped panicking for a moment as she heard M'leineya mention being a captive. "You're a prisoner? Is there anything I can do to help and free you?"
M'leineya shook her head sadly. "I have been separated from my body for so long that I am no longer able to reclaim it as my own. Were by any chance you were to find me and free me my soul would dissipate and return to the aetherial sea."
"But aren't you here now?" Melanie looked puzzled.
"No, this is just a place where both our thoughts are able to reach out to one another. You are still in your bed sleeping while I am held in shackles far away from our star in a realm shrouded by darkness."
"How did this happen? Was it because of me, or because of what my people did when they created the game?"
M'leineya took in a concentrated breath. "From what I remember I had been summoned by Hydaelyn. She warned me of a darkness that was approaching and that I would need to put my trust in her. Then a dark hooded figure approached me. He struck me down and bound me in arcane chains, the same ones that hold me now. I will never forget his words to me, "I know who and what you are. This time you will not get in the way of our plans." I was then pulled away and cast into the darkness and made to bear witness to my body in control of another. At first I thought he had possessed my body or another soul of his choosing was using my body to commit dark deeds, but then I saw you helping others instead and I started to doubt this was part of his act. This was confirmed when he made himself known to you and fought against you, and with that I learned of his name - Lahabrea."
Melanie gasped, her jaw agape and her eyes wide open. "But Lahabrea was defeated a long time ago by my hands! I mean, your hands! Ugh... never mind. Wasn't this enough to free you from his spell?"
M'leineya shook her head sadly. "These chains are all that's keeping me from returning to the Aetherial Sea. I once contemplated just letting go but Hydaelyn stopped me through one of her consorts and reminded me that I needed to keep my trust in her. I don't know what it is she wants me to wait for but I have placed my trust in her."
Melanie sat back in her chair feeling a little frustrated. It seemed that there was no way forward for M'leineya to reclaim what was rightfully hers. "Then what happens from here? Is there just no way you can reclaim your body?"
M'leineya sat silently for a moment looking straight at Melanie. "If there was a way I could reclaim my body it would be at the cost of your own soul. I could not and would not do that even if such a thing were possible. But there is something else that I could do."
"Then why not do it?" Melanie exclaimed with her palms held outward. "You have my permission. I don't care what happens to me, it's your body not mine. Do whatever it is you need to do! The realm needs you back. All I'm doing is screwing things up and I'm just not strong enough to become this great warrior everyone is expecting me to become."
M'leineya quickly shook her head.
"Why not?!" Melanie gasped exasperated.
"Because to do so would require a great sacrifice" M'leinya replied. "Besides, I have a personal request before I decide on a course of action."
"Well, name it then!"
"I want you to show me your strength. Show me you can fight and overcome your fears. You said you are not strong enough to become a warrior, but I believe you have the potential and that over time you will find strength and confidence in yourself and in others and surpass your own expectations. Once you have shown this to me then you will be ready for my proposal."
Melanie sat back in her chair again with a look of disbelief on her face. "So that's it, you're giving me a quest to do before you'll do anything to help yourself or your people just like an NPC?"
"No, that is not what I mean..."
"Well that's what it sounds like to me!" Melanie leaned forward hissing exhasperatedly.
"I only have one shot at this and there would be no going back for either of us! If I were to do this now I would be cast out into the Aetherial Sea and lost forever. As for what would happen to you I don't know and I am not willing to take that risk. This can only work once we are one at both body and mind."
Melanie slumped backwards into her chair again feeling defeated. "You know how I feel about myself. I have no confidence. Everyone is relying on me to become this great hero but no matter what I do things go to shit. Look at what I started in Gridania! And as for my fears I've had these all my life. I can't just switch them off like a light switch."
"This is why you will need to work hard to overcome them" M'leineya replied leaning foward to her. "With the help of your friends you will grow stronger and more confident in yourself. You will be able to face your fears and cast them aside. You will stumble on the way and not always make the right decisions, but people will still stand with you because they are drawn to the light that is within you. I know how good your heart is and how much you desire to do what is right. I know how much you love this world and its people and will do anything to protect it. You can do this. I know you can. And as for Gridania I would not be so quick to judge that things are not going to turn out well there."
"How would you know that?" Melanie asked puzzled.
M'leineya leaned back in her seat, raised a hand to her face and chuckled. "Because I would have done the same thing myself" she replied.
