Years Without Lunares - Fantasy Life Fanfiction

Chapter 4: Bittersweet Storytelling

I TOALLY didnt get distracted with a coloring book, gel pens, Holes, The Sandlot, and picking up dinner and bringing it to the hotel room for that past couple of hours nooo

OK so this IS a filler chapter, but it's full of backstory and info that pertains to Purity's character
TBH Purity is one of my favorite characters I've ever written for some reason, I like her mystery and secretness to other people about herself
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Purity cashed in the request for the Saltless Seawater after pulling a few strings and getting a bottle from Pierre. The young Alchemist was delighted, saying how he could finally get his Apprentice license with them. Even with all the trouble Purity had to go through to get these items, it was always worth seeing the smiles and accomplishments people make with them.

I mean, the Dosh and supplies are appreciated too.

Purity watched the world go by from the top of the hill in the forest in South Castele. She hadn't actually been here in years, but had found herself wandering here as she was lost in thoughts. The lake and forest brought bittersweet memories for Purity of a friendship from long ago.

"Hey! Look at these!" The young russet-haired boy called to the white-blonde girl a couple steps away.

"It's a basket of flowers." The girl commented.

"I wonder who left them?" The boy said and looked around. But the two six year-olds were the only ones in the forest. Even the Leafe spirits that were locked out of the Elderwood were unseen and unheard. The children turned their attention back to the basket.

"Redbells and Whitebells. Like us!" The boy exclaimed. The girl tilted her head, evidently confused.

"What do you mean? We're not flowers."

"But we look like them! You're the Whitebells, and I'm the Redbells!" The boy grinned confidently. The girl was nodding.

"I can see it... Yeah!" The boy sorted the two flowers and shoved the ghostly-white ones into the girl's hands.

"Come on, let's go show my parents!" They ran back to town laughing. They ducked and dodged under the adults' feet, getting them to look down and smile a little at the childrens' happiness in the despair times.

"Mom! Dad! Look what we found!" The boy yelled as they burst into his family's little shop. The girl carefully closed the door behind her, picking up a flower she dropped at the same time.

"Heya kiddos! What did you find?" The boy's father asked and lifted his son onto his lap.

"Red and Whitebells!" The boy grinned. The girl shook her head since that was obvious that was what they had found.

His father frowned, and then chuckled. "Where'd you find these, huh?"

"South Castele." The boy answered immediately.

"Can't you let your friend talk for a second?" His mother scolded lightly, coming into the room with a pan of muffins.

The girl's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly.

"Aww!" The boy complained.

"Hmm... Did you know that most flowers stand for something?" His mother asked them.

The children looked to each other, then shook their heads.

"Redbells represent valor, courage, bravery." His father stated.

"Really?!" The boy's eyes were shining.

"Mhm. And Whitebells represent purity and grace. They are only found in special places, such as the summit of Mount Snowpeak or the Elderwood Village. Odd that you found some in South Castele..." His mother hummed.

"There's a village in the Elderwood? But no one can get in there!" The boy stated.

"Ah, but there is! It has always been there, but for a long time no one could get to it, and now you cannot once again." His father explained.

"How?" The boy was always curious. "Well, let's see... Come, sit down and listen, lass. I think you enjoy these stories even more than our son does!" His father waved the girl over.

She smiled shyly and sat down.

"It started when the hero Ben was collecting the Goddess Pieces, and they found they were missing one! The Deep Elderwood was blocked by a magical ward that not even the greatest Wizard could break..."

Oh, the stories we heard from your father.

It had been years since Purity had seen her best friend's parents. When their son had disappeared, they had blamed Purity for it. They cut her off from all contact, angered and upset that the one person they trusted with their little boy had failed.

But even Purity had no clue where he went off to, one time she went to his riverside Log Cabin, but he never answered the door. Unfortunately she knew where the spare key was, and she let herself in to find his adventuring equipment missing and no Valor home.

We ALWAYS went adventuring together before then, but then he never came home...

There was a missing persons notice up on a board in front of the Paladin's Hold, one of dozens throughout the years. People go out and take on monsters that they cannot handle, maybe accidentally find a Doomed one, and never return home. Purity hoped with all her heart that was not what had happened to her best friend, but it was also hard to avoid the harsh truth of the Reveria she lived in.

Purity sighed and fingered the Wish Shards in her pouch.

More of the people that will never return home. All that is left of those heroes are stories and a couple of rocks with their voices in them. At least Yuelia and Ben and Robin and Noelia got that much.

Purity put the Wish Shards next to Gramp's. She took off her armor and flopped onto her bed, per usual when she got back to her home. She was exhausted, but still got out her journal and took note of the requests she needed to complete soon.

Get some Magma Ore from Mount Snowpeak for Ruby's grandchildren, Golden-Sheep Fleece for that Blacksmiths' group project, some Sharp Claws and Strong Fang for that one cultist guy, ack. He's going to chew me out for how long he's been waiting for those. But all the cultist guys look the same! I can't find him, damn it!

Purity snapped closed her massive to-do list.

Next objective:  Find the cultist guy looking for claws and fangs and finally give him his stuff after like three months and hopefully not be killed by said claws and fangs. Good sleep, Purity!

The Wanderer blew out the candle and stared at the small collection of faintly-glowing crystals before rolling over and falling asleep.