*yeah, sorry for the late chapter -I legit slept more than expected. My alarm was good to wake me up, but I closed my eyes and gone I was :))
It's here now tho, so please enjoy. I'll also be going live on Twitch in a bit (links on Discord in general, that's where I tend to announce stuff and talk with yall) so yeah. I suggest you check it out (link in bio, copy and paste into chrome).
For now, enjoy. Peace out and Deus Vult.*
"Is that... a TV?" asked Firefly, skeptic when it came to something that looked so normal yet felt so odd. Arcade machine, but it was just an old piece of equipment, a black and white TV, with an arcade joystick stuck into it; the red ball used for the grip just a stark reminder of a past era where games took that form.
"Why was this TV... dumped on the side of the road?" she asked again, pretty confused about the entire situation. Mark sighed, staring at it with an unimpressed gaze.
"It's the game itself, right, Sampo?"
The man nodded, rubbing his palms eagerly, like a merchant ready to scam somebody with their wares.
"Yes indeed, my good friend. This machine has a good sense of aesthetic, nothing like the techy junk you see around Punklorde."
He looked over at Mark, grinning from ear to ear.
"How about you try touching it and see what happens?"
Mark didn't even bat an eye to the screen for a second time, reaching out for the screen without fear. Everyone looked at him eagerly, waiting for something to happen. Firefly knew that something was fishy with the piece of machinery, while Stelle simply wanted to witness what trouble Mark would get himself into.
Blinding, a flash of light, which was gone as quick as it appeared. Behind, what appeared was the tiny figure that had been staring at them from within the television, a tiny creature with a pair of dark sunglasses, a tiny suit, and a cool hat that Mark sort of liked.
"Is that... Mark?" asked Stelle, looking down at him. Sampo was laughing his eyes out, while Firefly was worried too.
"Why did you turn into this... thing?"
Mark knew what had to be done, considering how the game itself had worked. Instead of trying to talk, he simply let out an extremely cool grunt. It was really cool.
Firefly smiled at him, crouching down with Stelle.
"You look so... cool."
Stelle chuckled, reaching out to try and touch him. She touched the hat, tilting it over his eyes so he wouldn't see. Mark grunted again, instantly entering battle mode. Tiny as he was, he jumped and spun at the same time, his tiny leg reaching out for the coolest kick Penacony itself had ever seen. Stelle barely managed to pull her hand away on time, lest he'd hit it.
"Woah, easy there, tough guy," she chuckled, tempted to go for it again. Firefly was all a smile, enjoying the scene that played out before her.
"Looks like you finally got swag, pal. You got sucked into the TV and swapped bodies with Hanu. Let me check something," said Sampo, reaching out for the good old cartridge. "There it is. The game is titled 'Hanu's Adventure' and, according to the plot synopsis, you've been shrunken down by one of Stone's devices. You will embark on an epic adventure to rescue Dreamville with your miniature body."
Mark nodded, letting out a serious grunt to show his determination. Truth be told, it was fun, and the tiny body felt a lot lighter than his own. Without awaiting further instructions, in his classical 'I know the future' manner, he stepped through the tiny entrance to begin his adventure.
Mark walked through it and found himself in a different place, with a weird voice talking, Boss Stone. The path was blocked by objects that, for a tiny being like Hanu in that moment, passing would be impossible, requiring one to change to their human form. Not for Mark, no. He had power inside. A meager 10% that the tiny body could handle was enough to reach a level of strength comparable to an average human.
"Hm, interesting. The 10% would give me power around that of a soldier in peak shape. However, in this form, I get power equivalent to my normal human self before training and all that. If the power scales with the base, then... let's just say I'm in for a fun time."
Like a miniature force of nature, Mark broke through the barriers that obstructed his path. Boss Stone sounded a bit scared, if not desperate to try and stop him. A cool grunt left his mouth as he kept pacing forward, undisturbed. Without too much bother, he found the treasure that Stone had stolen and made sure to take it back with him. After opening the chest, he found himself at the exit, ready to leave.
Outside, the three were waiting for him, watching intently as his tiny frame appeared in view.
"Hmph," he grunted, sounding as nonchalantly as possible.
He touched the television, turning himself back to normal.
"Phew, I'm finally back. Here, Sampo," chuckled Mark as he twirled a pair of handcuffs around his index finger, a donut with a bite mark in it used for one of the metal rings.
"Look at that, you did great! This is the proverbial moment of freedom! You've earned it. Now that we have everything we need, we just need to go into a dream. Come on, just follow me, and you'll experience the real fun."
Mark nodded, but deep down he was skeptical. The wall between himself and the memories was thinning, allowing him to try and reach out to it with less pain for the cost. It gave him less time to act, but at the very least, it gave him time to peek into the future—or at least the version of the future that he knew.
Still, the group walked together, chuckling and joking together, with both Mark and Stelle bullying Sampo a little—maybe a little more if you count Stelle's attempts at actually smacking him with the bat—while Firefly both laughed and tried to stop the violence. Still, their destination came into view, and Mark stared at the big eyeball that gazed back at him.
"Welcome to Dreamscape Sales Store! Dr. Edward at your service."
The eye turned towards Stelle, who waved at it.
"Oh, Trailblazer of the Astral Express, here we are again! Haha, I see you've brought three friends with you. They look like fun people."
Sampo spoke with a laidback tone, his usual antics up in the air.
"Hello, Edward! I'd like for my friends to try something... fun, if you know what I mean."
Mark crossed his arms, listening to the conversation go on, with them wishing to use Sampo's dream for the dream bubble. With the right technology, they could turn any dream into something to be experienced repeatedly. He simply took a step back without realizing as images of the ferocious anomaly within his mind took over, clouding his mind. Shadows lingered in his gaze, the lights around him seeming to flicker, casting longer patches of darkness that stretched his way from all angles.
Something touched his shoulder, his body jerking that way, his punch set in motion, only to freeze at the sight of... nothing. No one was there.
"Are you alright, friend?" asked Sampo, noticing that something was off about him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just reflexes kicking in thanks to some random shoulder itch," he sighed, reaching over to try and scratch the place despite no feeling whatsoever.
"Well, if you say so, I'll take your word for it," replied the man, focusing on the dream once more. Stelle was ready to dive right into it, while Mark snatched away a piece of the future before it could happen. The dream was a bit weird, but nothing too out of the ordinary for that world. Despite all that, the tiny buzz in the back of his mind didn't let up. Something about that battle scene was seen somewhere in the future by him, relating in one way or another to something that had importance to Penacony.
Mark focused on the dream, and just as expected, it was all trashcans walking outside. He laughed out, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head, just like seeing an inside joke only he could understand.
The dream went on, and just when Stelle was about to face off against the giant version of Sampo, Firefly called out, somewhat frustrated.
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
The dream came to a halt, and Stelle rejoined the world of the living—well, the dreaming living.
"What a bummer," said Sampo, disappointed. "I was truly looking forward to how Stelle was going to overthrow the Garbage King..."
Stelle puffed up her chest, her hands resting on her hips with pride.
"I would have finished him off in one punch," she boasted, lifting her chin up a bit.
"What a huge pity," said Sampo, looking at Firefly, "such a meaningful dream came to an abrupt halt because of Miss Firefly."
She shied away, feeling bad about what she'd done. She bowed her head, staring at the ground. Mark wasted no time and punched Sampo from the head down, smacking him into the ground. There was no pain in the dreamworld, so it was more about sending a message.
"Oops, my punch slipped," said Mark, whistling as he pretended to look around. He shot Firefly a tiny smile, silently comforting her.
"So what if that stupid dream was stopped? It's just a dream, after all. We're living one. Endings don't matter, because they're not predetermined when you can make choices yourself."
Sampo got up, brushing himself.
"You pack quite the punch now, dear friend. I didn't expect it."
Sampo looked at them all, speaking on about what he wished to say.
"I wanted to see the moment when the truth dawned upon her."
Stelle raised a brow, crossing her arms.
"What truth?"
Sampo sighed and shook his head, taking a touch more seriousness in his speech.
"Don't you want to find out the truth behind the dream? Don't let all the pretty scenery in the dream world distract you from your goal. As soon as you get complacent, you'll lose sight of the truth."
His right arm waved slowly through the air, pointing to the world around.
"Don't you think this dream bubble looks really similar to modern-day Penacony? A small stage is crowded with a bunch of scheming people. None of them want to be exposed under the spotlight, so they all push you to the front."
Mark spoke up, catching on quickly to what Sampo was hinting at.
"Don't worry, 'old friend'," he said, putting a strong emphasis on the word friend, showing that he wasn't as careless as thought by the one behind the mask. "I'm quite sure I know what's happening to a good degree. And don't worry, we're willingly on the scene. After all, someone has to steal the show so that even the scheming people will lose focus, leaving themselves open to other disasters."
Sampo smirked, liking what Mark was saying.
"Well, then I suppose you already have a decent clue about your missing friend back there."
He pointed to where Firefly had been, but Mark didn't even turn around. He simply scoffed, grinning slightly.
"I'm much aware of many things, alright? I know that only a fool would be up to no good."
With that, he walked away, and Sampo waved. Both conveyed enough of what they wanted.
"What's wrong, Mark? Is Firefly hiding something?"
He looked at Stelle and let out a heavy sigh, one charged with the internal turmoil of struggling to grasp at both memories that were piled up, damaging his mind bit by bit as he kept grasping at them from all sides, and the active struggle of piecing together what he has.
"It's all odd the more you think of it, Stelle. You need to be extremely careful. We're not on a simple vacation here, that much you should know too. Himeko made it pretty clear with that decoded message. Strange things are going on here, Stelle..." he sighed, his breath catching as another touch stung him, this time in the side. His eyes darted around, catching sight of a mere shadow that turned a corner, a trick of the light...
"Stranger than even I had expected..." he muttered, the words lost to him too.
Stelle took a deep breath, annoyed by the mysterious nature of what he yapped about.
"Mark, I hate how you have these moments where you don't call things by name. Just how much are you hiding?"
He shrugged, looking at her with understanding.
"Stelle, knowledge is power, but it also puts one at risk. One wrong move, and you throw things into disarray. The less people know, the better. It's the same thing Elio did with Kafka on the Xianzhou."
A silent breath entered his lungs, his eyes darting around quickly.
"He willingly fed her just enough information so that nothing extra would be leaked. Less variables to keep in check means more control over the situation. So is the deal here, with the entire group of schemers. We have the IPC, the Garden of Recollection, the Family itself, and even the Galaxy Rangers present here. Everyone will try to gain the upper hand somehow, so be wary, especially of that blonde gambler, Aventurine. He's your worst enemy, because he's keen on pulling your tongue to get what words he wants out of you."
Mark's gaze softened as Firefly appeared into view, a touch of something akin to sadness and protectiveness flaring in him. Stelle didn't even know what to say anymore. It felt like he knew everyone, as if he understood the deepest parts of people that they themselves were unaware of.
"Mark, you're just... too much to handle sometimes. I'll try my best," she said, smiling a little as Firefly got closer the more they stepped.
It was just the three of them next to a ledge, silence accompanying them. The girl turned around after a few moments, speaking softly.
"I'm sorry."
Mark sighed, patting her head. It was his go-to gesture most of the time, embarrassing as it was for some.
"Don't be. I can understand withdrawing some things from us. Just know that we wish to help you, alright? We're not the enemy, nor do we want to harm you."
His touch lingered some more, feeling her soft hair beneath his touch. Just how gentle could she be? Like a tiny flower hidden away from the world, tender and unknown.
"Thank you... I guess you know that... there are things I'm hiding from you."
He nodded, pulling his hand away, letting it rest at his side. Stelle smiled a bit, the sad expression on Firefly's face unbearable.
"Don't worry. Just as Mark said, we understand."
She nodded, speaking shyly with regret.
"I'm not a local, and there's a reason why the Bloodhound Family is after me... I also have my own purpose for joining you on your journey... but still, I appreciate your help. I mean it from the bottom of my heart."
She clutched her arms together, looking at them both with a dazzling spark in her eyes.
"And my admiration for the Nameless is also genuine. You guys have been to a lot of worlds, met people from all walks of life, and experienced all sorts of things. Every day is a new beginning for you guys..."
The excitement in her voice was palpable, yet Mark felt a hint of sadness creeping up on him. Her words were wonderful, but his view of things was lacking, a stark contrast.
He did see it as something beautiful, but the mental hell he's been in since the start placed too much of a toll on him. How could he even explain the shadows that passed him, mocking him, waiting at the corner of his eyes, only to dance along his vision whenever he tried to catch them? His sanity was slipping away bit by bit, and he could only watch as something far more sinister wished to come to light.
"You can board the Astral Express too," said Stelle, beaming a gentle smile her way.
Firefly smiled at the idea, gasping softly. She smiled and spoke again, this time more relaxed.
"Can I bring you to one more place? It isn't another tourist attraction—it's my own secret base. I'll do my best to tell you everything I know when we get there."
Mark smiled, clapping his palms together.
"Alright! We ride at dawn!"
He neighed, mimicking a horse a touch too well as he pretended to genuinely ride, shooting a pose for the two of them. They both began laughing as his antics, and he felt proud of himself for bringing a smile to their faces.