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Annabel Ashcroft

Faerie [Aether]

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Day 138: Good and bad choices.

Public
Note: There are going to be a few blogs for this section of the MSQ, this is just the first one, there was a lot I wanted to write about.


Dear Dee:

Once again I found myself in Amh Araeng, that desert of endless light, bitter cold, and bitter memories. I wondered if coming back here would trigger the bad memories of Tesleen, cause the ones I have tried to suppress to resurface. But surprisingly, they have not for the most part, only faint lingering of thoughts and whispers both fast and fleeting. I think it's because I put that specter of Tesleen to rest, freed her from her fate. That has allowed me a measure of rest and has allowed me to come back here, without fear of the past haunting me.

Why was I there you ask? Well Dee, the Light was still VERY prominent there and the Lightwarden yet to be found. The Twins had somewhat of a lead but more information was needed about the area, so there I was, back there again. This time though, our little group was not in he eastern half of Amh Araeng but the western part of the realm. Here there were the people who used to and still did mine the area for whatever valuables they could dig up from the earth.

The area was every bit as stark and desolate as I remember but without the cheeriness of Tesleen to brighten them. Was that too much Dee? I know, but being there, happy thoughts of her DID crop up from time to time and I let them. They offered me a bit of distraction from the boredom of the place. After the brightness of the Fae lands and the green of the Greatwoods, this place was sooooo DULL!

As we traveled though it, we learned of the former people who built the place and the decline and decay of it because the machine like golems who did the heavy work broke down. One by one they failed with no one able to fix them until they were all gone, leaving the people to fend for themselves and do what they could to keep going. Many could not so left, leaving ruins, broken equipment, and broken dreams behind.

And that is what we found as we traveled, broken things everywhere, including where we had to go. For it seemed Dee that the trolley system that would take us more southward was sealed off, only able to be opened by one of those now non functional golems. Though we were stuck, a streak of good fortune soon found as in the form of disgruntled miners who thought we were trying to steal their stuff.

After explaining things to them, (by beating them up first!), they were surprisingly willing to help us for no other reason than to see one of those stone golems operating again. Their leader though, Magus, was of a different idea. He wanted nothing to do with our efforts preferring to drown his sorrow in drink because he lost his wife in a mining accident years ago. It was pretty sad Dee in more ways then one. I have seen many people die, yet I never once thought to turn to alcohol to try to numb the pain. Maybe I'm just stronger than some.

Luckily though, some of the others, along with Urianger's help, deduced what was needed to get one of the golems operational. It seemed the 'heart' of the golem was wore out and needed to be replaced. This item consisted of a VERY rare element that according to the miners was hard to find.

Sigh, so you know what THAT meant, right Dee? Yeah, it was a LOT of searching, talking, and MORE searching sprinkled with the occasional minster killing. And most of this was done in dark, dirty mines. UGH, it was MISERABLE Dee! Plus it seemed to take FOREVER! But eventually we got enough of the mineral to get that damn heart made.

Everyone was most excited about getting the golem working, especially the miners, for good reason I guess. Hey, I don't blame them, less work is a GOOD thing! Now that the thing was operational, we could get the trolley moving and get to where we needed to be.

Oh silly me, I forgot to tell you WHY we were going there! Yes, it WAS because of the Lightwarden, but it was for another reason too, and that reason had a name, Minfilia.

You see Dee, young Minnie was sick and tired of what she considered being a burden. She wanted to help, make a REAL difference. But the only way to really DO that was to use Minfilia the Oracle's Light power, and the ONLY way to GET that power was to join with Minfilia. Yeah Dee, I know, BAD idea. No one really knew WHAT would happen when she DID this. Would she be absorbed by Minfilia? Would she die? It wasn't worth the risk, but it was NOT my decision to make. It was hers, young Minnie's, and she made it.

So there we were Dee, heading down the tracks on this trolley because of a foolish girl's decision. And of course, nothing EVER goes smoothly, never! This problem came in the form of the Eulmore General, Ran'jit.

He stood right on the tracks Dee, waiting for us. He KNEW somehow where we were going to be, and in no time at all he had caused the trolley to crash, spilling us to the desert floor.

Ugh, it was sooooo annoying Dee, that guy CONSTANTLY harassing us. I wanted to fight him then and there but Thancred stopped me. He said to get going and keep young Minnie safe and that HE would take care of the pest. I didn't argue, we had wasted enough time getting that silly trolley running, I had no time for a prolonged fight. So we ran, leaving that fool of a man to his fate, which I would find out later.

We soon came to our destination, another pile of old ruins, these close to that wall of Light. But Dee, these somehow felt familiar, I just could not place my finger on it. While there I watched the Minflilas, young and old alike, do what they came here to do. I know the girl did not know that I could see Minnie standing there interacting with her younger self. Minnie seemed....different somehow, as if being near the girl changed her in some way. Dee, I don't want to admit this, but seeing Minfilia there I didn't realize how pretty she ACTUALLY is. I don't know, maybe it was all that light those two were giving off giving me a headache and the fatigue from being in that damn desert too much. I mean come on, Minnie PRETTY? No WAY! Yeah.....definitely delusional!

How did I feel about the merging? I felt.....worried, is that the right word, worried, scared? Concerned for that silly spirit? Concerned for my friend?

Look Dee, I have made no secret about how I feel about Minfilia to you, so you know my conflicting thoughts. But honest and truly, I was....REALLY sad when I saw what happened. When young Minnie....changed from the blonde woman she was to how she looks like now, with red hair and brown eyes. All trace of Minnie being....gone from her. I REALLY thought she was truly dead, and I was.....crying for the loss of her.

Ugh, I SHOULD have KNOWN better. That annoying ghost was NOT gone as I found out later. THAT'S what I get for caring at ALL about her. Well, from NOW on Dee, NO more caring for that Harpy, you will SEE! I MEAN it!

But as for the changed Minnie, who by the way is NOT Minnie any more. It seems that that annoying ghost gave her what she wanted, the power of the Light and the ability to sense it. We also found out that Thancred had beaten that annoying General but almost died in the process. Thanks to the annoying Twins though, he lived to flirt with me for another day.

Speaking of Thancred, he took the 'loss' of Minfilia well, (Yeah, everyone now thinks Minnie is truly gone, but yet she STILL stays around ME! Damn it!) He was very glad that the girl was unharmed though and even gave her a new name, Ryne, to help establish herself as her OWN person. Honestly, i am glad for her. I am glad she survived this and came out better for it. I hope she will be happy with her new life.

So, party back together, we STILL had that stupid Lightwarden to find and deal with. Thanks to Ryne though, we had no trouble locating it. It turns out it was hiding down in a old well, NOT the kind that you get water from Dee but this HUGE hole in the ground that went down into the depths below the desert.

Yes Dee, of course I HAD to go down there. Remember, I always get all the FUN jobs, right? It was dark, dank, wet, muddy, and full of those stone golems that were still active. I guess because of the whole trolley thing, those miners had no access to this place, but now that it is open, thy can collect the ones that I didn't smash to pieces.

(Anger issues Dee, ALWAYS anger issues....)

The Lightwarden fell like the others, but this time something different happened when I absorbed it's Light. I felt....sick, like there was something wrong with me. I....I don't know what happened. Y'shtola had mentioned something about this before. I think I need to have a talk with her later about what's happening to me, find out WHAT is going on.

So, another realm was free from the Light, the people of Amh Araeng welcoming the darkness. According to Urianger, we only have one more place to go, the realm of Kholusia and that AWFUL city of Elumore.

It's funny Dee, that was the first place I went to on my journey to help these people and it's the last place to free. Oh well, better late than never.

Ok, I am going to end this here. I am still not feeling too good from that experience, Twelve I hope nothing serious is happening to me. I think that prissy catgirl is right, all that Light CAN'T be good for me. Oh Dee, I REALLY don't want to have to worry about THAT too, I have WAY too much on my plate as it is.

I'm just glad this thing with Ryne turned out well and that both she and Minnie are safe. If only ALL the crisis I seem to always be faced with now turned out for the better, then I could sleep better at night Dee, knowing that there will always be a happy ending.

Till next time;

Anna



Comments (5)

Siglinde Skysworn

Sargatanas [Aether]

Aww, Minfillia's still around as a ghost, even though Thancred thinks she is gone? But how? Did she discover some way to give Ryne the power of the Light without completely overtaking her soul? Details, Anna, we want details!

Yes I know Minfillia said she would try but come on, that is not as satisfying. In the MSQ, the big catharsis of this part was Mini-fillia gaining the strength to be her own person, Thancred coming to terms with Minfillia's death, and Minfillia's own final sacrifice.

Siglinde Skysworn

Sargatanas [Aether]

In this timeline, shouldn't Annabel being there, and her relationship with Minfillia, cause a different but equally major catharsis? If I was Annabel, I would definitely yell at Minfillia - "Try! Is 'try' all you can do?" At the least, I would expect Annabel to slap the power of the Light out of Minfillia and give it to Ryne that way, lol.

Siglinde Skysworn

Sargatanas [Aether]

P.S. It seems Annabel is now feeling the effects of absorbing too much Light. Good god, that is an even bigger spoiler moment. I can't wait to see how that ends up affecting Annabel. The pace of the plot increases!

Annabel Ashcroft

Faerie [Aether]

LOL, the story with the Minnies' is already written and will answer some of your questions. I was deliberately vague on it here. I'll edit it and release it when I am at work tonight.

As for the Light issue, I still need to write that.

As for Thancred.....well, you will see....I haven't forgotten him. ;-)

I DID say there were going to be MANY blogs for this.

Siglinde Skysworn

Sargatanas [Aether]

Awesome! I am looking forward to it all!
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