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Ulvala, Yoshos Empire: Garden Grove Hospital, Time: 4:30 PM
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Mianne sat outside the patient room with a shell-shocked, traumatic expression. She didn't know if James would survive or not. She could hear the clock ticking in her ears.
Mianne heard their screams echoing in her mind - the traumatic experience she had inflicted that very day.
It was buzzing in her eyes, it started to get louder and louder.
She covered her ears, not wanting to hear any of it when she noticed a voice.
"Hey, kid!"
Mianne looked up to see the woman who had saved them back in Emree Grove, her face etched with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, sitting next to Mianne.
Mianne kept silent, hiding herself away. She wasn't yet ready to talk about the situation she had caused.
"I can give you some candy!" The woman offered a lollipop, but Mianne made no motion to take it, continuing to ignore her.
The woman studied Mianne with compassion. The poor girl was traumatized, but keeping it bottled up would only make things worse.
"My name's Daisy," she said gently. "I know you went through something devastating. But holding onto guilt won't help your friend."
She scooted closer. "Why don't you tell me what happened? Getting it off your chest might help you feel better."
Mianne hesitated, then mumbled almost inaudibly, "We were just picking berries when...when those people came..." Her lips quivered.
"It's alright, take your time," Daisy said soothingly.
Haltingly, Mianne explained how the smugglers attacked them, and how she lost control in rage, causing their deaths. "Now James is hurt and it's all my fault!" she choked out, tearing up again.
Daisy handed Mianne a tissue, patting her shoulder. "You were trying to protect James. The important thing is that you both survived. That proves you're stronger than you realize."
Mianne dabbed at her eyes, the tiniest spark returning as she glanced up at Daisy's encouraging smile. Maybe she was right - they had made it this far somehow.
"Why don't we take a walk outside for some fresh air?" Daisy suggested. Mianne nodded gingerly. As they stood up together, the faint ticking of Daisy's pocket watch seemed to echo the tentative but steady rhythm of Mianne's courage rising back up.
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Ulvala, Yoshos Empire: Garden Grove Hospital, Time: 4:45 PM
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Daisy and Mianne stepped outside into the sunshine. The hospital gardens were in full late summer bloom. Mianne looked around tentatively, the fresh air and pleasant floral scents soothing her raw nerves slightly.
They strolled along the garden paths, Daisy giving Mianne space while keeping a watchful eye on the troubled girl.
After a few minutes, Mianne mumbled "Um, t-thanks for saving us back there...and for listening. I know it was my fault, James got..." She trailed off as her eyes misted over again.
"Sometimes bad things happen due to forces out of our control," Daisy said gently. "It can take great courage to accept that. The future is still unwritten - focus on helping your friend heal now."
Mianne managed a tiny nod, considering this. As much guilt and pain as she still felt, part of her knew Daisy had wisdom in her words. Where they went from here was what mattered most.
Just then, a nurse hurried out to them. "There you are, dear! We have good news about your friend..." Seeing the spark of hope on Mianne's face, Daisy gave her hand a comforting squeeze. This was the first step in a long recovery, but also a turn down a better path.
"So...is what I did...were my actions good or bad?" Mianne asked hesitantly, her steps slowing.
Daisy paused, thinking carefully about how to respond. "Life rarely deals in absolutes like good or bad," she finally said. "You acted from instincts to save someone dear to you. I cannot fault those intentions."
Mianne furrowed her brow, processing this. "But...I k-killed them," she stammered. "Doesn't that make me as vile as them attacking us?" Emotion built back up in her voice.
Placing a gentle hand on Mianne's shoulder, Daisy met her pained eyes. "The situation itself was terrible, forcing that split-second choice. But at your core, I see light - empathy, courage, and devotion. You reacted as many would have."
She gently turned Mianne towards where the nurse had emerged. "Go see your friend now. The future awaits, fresh and open-ended. Move forward positively together."
Mianne gazed back once more, a glimmer of understanding amidst the inner turmoil still reflected in her expression. Then she hurried off to reunite with James, heart, and mind wishing desperately for healing.
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Ulvala, Yoshos Empire: Garden Grove Hospital, Time: 5:00 PM
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Mianne walked with the nurse, her mind clouded with one thought: her best friend was okay.
"I'm sorry!" she abruptly apologized before rushing off, leaving the confused nurse behind.
"Dear, come back!" The nurse chased after her, unsure of Mianne's intent.
Mianne ran on, occasionally bumping people aside. She had one goal in mind that she was determined to achieve. She muttered to herself as she hurried towards his room.
"I want to hear his voice..."
"Mianne! You're here!"
"I want to heal his wounds..."
"Thanks a lot, Mianne! You're the best!"
"I want to see him."
Mianne skidded to a stop outside the room number, sparks flying from her shoes. Her bewildered parents were there.
"Mianne! Are you hur-" Brad started, before Mianne dashed past him into the room, leaving her staggering father spinning dizzily.
"I gotcha nerd," her mother Synda sighed, catching Brad with a hint of wistfulness at her daughter's impulsiveness reminding her of her youth.
Mianne burst through the door, panting from exertion. She looked up to see the boy she had desperately rushed to.
"Mianne?" James asked softly, turning towards her with difficulty.
His surprised parents Aren and Stacey greeted Mianne as she approached James' bandage-wrapped head.
"Thank you for saving me," James gave a weak, pained smile.
Tearing up, Mianne whispered "Thank god you're okay..." before burying her head in his torso, overcome with emotion.
Mianne felt a gentle hand softly stroke her hair as she cried into James' blanket. The soft, reassuring touch helped calm her emotional storm, even if just for a moment.
She looked up with glassy eyes to see James gazing down at her fondly despite the pain he must be feeling.
"Come now, no more tears," he said hoarsely. "A smile suits your pretty face much better."
Mianne felt heat rush to her cheeks at his compliment. She gingerly took his free hand into hers, clutching it as if afraid he'd disappear. "I...I thought I might lose you," she admitted in a tiny voice.
James tilted his head, his trademark grin returning slightly. "Hey, it'll take more than a knock on the head to stop me. We have too many adventures ahead to do!" His optimism helped lift the cloud over Mianne's heart.
She gave a delicate laugh even as more tears fell. Leave it to James to reassure her from his hospital bed when she had come to comfort him.
The door opened as a sweating Ace finally arrived, having run across the city.
"Sorry, I'm late! Are you two okay?!" Ace panicked, his middle brother's figure senses tingling wildly.
"I'm over here, spirit leader!" James tried waving but felt a sharp pain in his arm.
"Oh thank god, you had me worried..." Ace wiped his brow, relieved they were alright.
As they surrounded James' hospital bed, distant yelling could be heard outside.
"I WAS GONE A FEW MONTHS AND CAME BACK TO MY TWO BELOVED SIBLINGS FIGURE INJURED BY FAVOOR SOLACE?!" Ezra angrily burst in, his big brother figure senses also tingling.
"Jeez, you asked me to instantly transport you here and you're still worrying?" Daisy followed behind, shaking her head.
Ezra rushed over to James' bedside, his usual stoic demeanor replaced by frantic concern.
"James! Are you alright? What hurts? How bad are your injuries?" he fretted, helping prop James up on some pillows to survey the damage.
James winced slightly but gave a pained chuckle. "I'll be okay Ezra, just got a nasty bump on my head and some bruises. The doctor said I should fully recover with some rest."
Ezra's forehead creased with relief and lingering worry as he gently inspected the bandages.
Meanwhile, Daisy approached Mianne who hovered anxiously nearby. "How are you holding up?" she asked kindly. "Quite an ordeal for someone so young. But you have good friends it seems."
Mianne nodded, gazing at the brothers. Just yesterday her world had shattered. But with James on the mend and the others here now, she felt the broken pieces slowly being pieced back together.
Ace rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I should've gone with you both foraging. Maybe I could've helped fend off the attack..."
James waved his concerns away. "No use playing the "what-if" game. Let's just focus on recovering." His optimism lifted everyone's spirits.
The mood in the small hospital room remained sober but gradually hopeful. Together, their shared strength and care were helping pave the way to healing.
Mianne took a shuddering breath, knowing it was time to fully explain. They deserved to know what calamity had occurred in the forest.
Daisy gave an encouraging nod as Mianne began hesitantly. "We were just picking some berries when...when we were ambushed by a group from Favoor Solace."
She proceeded to tell them about the smugglers' plans to capture and sell her, and how James had tried protecting them. Her voice grew thick with unshed tears.
"One of them hit James with a hammer...he collapsed and I thought...I thought he might be..." she choked up, unable to continue.
Ezra and Ace shared alarmed looks. Daisy rubbed Mianne's back gently.
Mianne took a deep breath before confessing the hardest part. "Seeing James fall, something in me snapped. I...I killed those men. I didn't even hesitate, I just wanted them to suffer..."
Ezra and Ace were sweating at this, they knew exactly what just happened to Mianne. Was she just like them as well?
She waited fearfully for their judgment over her callous actions. But Ezra simply pulled her into a comforting hug. "You saved yourselves, that's what matters. We're here for you both now."
Ace and Daisy murmured in agreement while James gave her a reassuring smile. Mianne felt a tentative sense of forgiveness and relief wash over her. Blood stained her hands but her family's love helped her see the light ahead.
A mysterious figure was hiding behind the window, he was listening to the whole thing.
His slim figure was wearing a white coat, his hair was tied into a fluffy white ponytail, and he was wearing a white cap to hide his identity. His expression seems rather furious with his yellow eye vibrant in the evening.
"Mortals, scum..." He stomped his cigarette before hurrying off to somewhere else.
"Of course, she has to get to them first..." He looks at his palm before closing it, revealing a mysterious Udjat symbol.
"She would have been a fine experiment..."
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