-->>Tw/Cw: In-Dream S//icide & Spoilers<<--
A few minutes had passed after the Hide-and-Seek event. The group of friends are currently walking on the path to go to Basil's house.
They kept on walking until something catches their eyes, as they came across a colorful flower garden. Supposedly Basil's, since he likes to take care of plants or flowers, and they're placed on the path to his house.
The group stopped by to see the beautiful flowers. Why not? After all, they have the time in their lives right now.
"These are Sunflowers. They're called that because they always face the sun. That's how I want to be like... Someone who sees the bright sides of things." Basil explained, giving the others a sheepish smile.
They continued to walk and saw another flower patch. Basil knows that it's his cue again to explain.
"These flowers are called Lily of the valley. It's said that they're able to ward off evil spirits and help people see a brighter future... I guess that's why they remind me of Mari. I can always count on her to help me stay positive!"
They continued to walk forward until all of them stopped in their tracks. In front of them lies a little critter stomping on small flowers.
"Whoa! What's that ugly plant creature?" Kel asks, a little surprised.
"Really? I think they're somewhat cute. I want to pet it." [A/N] said, looking at the small creature.
Aubrey sighs, then she looks at Kel. "Don't you know, Kel? That's a Sprout Mole! Sprout Moles are highly intelligent creatures, but become dangerously vicious when they are lost." Aubrey explains.
"Please Mr. Sprout Mole! Stop that! You're stomping over all the flowers..." Basil begged the small Sprout Mole.
Its response, however, was not happy. The Sprout Mole glanced in their direction, angrily stomping, again and again, then it charges toward them. Starting a battle between it and the group.
As the battle progresses, Hero explained to the others about the enemies and their emotions. The Sprout Mole that they are currently facing is Angry, so its attack is higher, but it lowers its defense.
*****
The Sprout Mole turns out to be an easy enemy. So with a blink of an eye, it was defeated fast.
"Ah... Most of the flowers are unharmed... That's a relief!" The relieved Basil said.
Hero then gave Omori a journal where they can keep track of all foes they come across before continuing the path onwards. More flower patches ahead.
"These are Roses! Can you guess who they remind me of?" Basil asks his friends.
[A/N] took a small glance at Hero. "Who else but Hero and his charming nature that a lot of other people fall for... And probably his slight romantic-ky aura for Mar-Mar. Wait, is that even a word?" They thought to themselves while trying to figure out if romantic-ky was an actual word instead.
"They remind me of Hero! Did you guess correctly? Roses come in many different colors and have their own unique meanings. Pink roses symbolize admiration, Orange roses symbolize passion, Yellow roses symbolize friendship, and the list goes on!"
"Hero doesn't remind me of any Rose in particular. I think Hero is like all Roses, because he's versatile and universally loved!" Basil continues.
"Close enough for me. Can't argue with that." [A/N] thought, sheepishly smiling as they continued to look at another flower patch.
"Ah! These are a type of flower called the Gladiolus!" Basil exclaimed.
Kel stands there, confused. "The Gladio-what?"
"Gladiolus! Also known as the 'Sword Flower'! As you might guess, they represent strength of a character. Someone who is honest, with strong moral values... Someone who stands by their convictions... The Gladiolus reminds me of Aubrey, because she's always true to herself!" Basil explains yet again.
"Oh, I see... So what you're saying is that Aubrey is really stubborn!" Kel said with a big smile.
"Hey! No, I'm not! Right, [A/N]!?" Aubrey denies it as she looks at [A/N].
"Of course haha... Don't listen to Kel." [A/N] said to assure her as they gently patted Aubrey's head. On the other hand, She stuck out a tongue at Kel.
"Haha... Okay! Let's move on!" Basil said cheerfully as they continued... To find another Sprout Mole. But this time, it was twirling on the small flowers.
"Oh no, not again! Please, Mr. Sprout Mole! Stop twirling! You're destroying all of the flowers!" Basil begs again, worried, as a flower-plant lover.
The Sprout Mole, however, charges at the group too. But this time, the Sprout Mole looks nicely... Happier than the last one.
The Sprout Mole is currently feeling a Happy emotion. It has a higher chance to hit weak spots and do more damage, but it also has a higher chance of missing.
*****
After the Sprout Mole was defeated, Hero told everyone about how Emotions can determine how strong or weak an attack is. Hero gave an Emotion Chart guide to Omori.
[A/N] peeked over to see the chart. It was nicely doodled by Hero. Happy beats Angry... Angry beats Sad... Sad beats Happy... And so on.
Another talk, then another walk. They approached a funky-looking plant.
"Whoa! What are these flowers called? They're all cool and spiky!" Kel said, mouth agape in admiration for the plant.
Basil smiles at Kel. "Actually Kel... This is a Cactus! It's more of a plant than a flower... And it's funny that you ask, because they remind me of you!"
"Is it because... He's a prick?" Aubrey smiles in anticipation of Basil's answer.
"Hey!" Kel pouted.
Basil sweatdropped. "Well... That too, but mostly because Cacti are pretty sturdy and resilient plants by nature. They don't need much care and can survive in seemingly impossible conditions! I guess what I'm saying... Is that even you can take care of a Cactus, Kel!" He explains.
"Whoa, neat! Cacti are awesome!" Kel cheered, giving everyone a toothy grin.
[A/N] looked over to another flower patch. "Oh hey, what type are those flowers? They look so silly and colorful." [A/N] said, examining the flower patch.
"Oh! These flowers are Chrysanthemums!" Basil told them.
"...The Ch...What-the-mum...?" [A/N] tried to repeat what Basil had said, though a little confused, they got the spirit. I guess.
"This has a much more complicated pronunciation than the... Gladion-Luz... Or something..." [A/N] thought, sighing internally as they realize they need to research more on these simple things.
"Chrysanthemums! Chrysanthemums symbolize fidelity, optimism, and joy. These fun blossoms also can convey loyal love, hope, and cherished friendship. And in some places, Chrysanthemums are known for being good luck flowers! It's nice that you were the one to bring up this flower patch, [A/N]. Because these blossoms remind me of you!" Basil exclaims.
"Basil's right! They are colorful, just like you!" Aubrey chimed in, earning an embarrassed-yet-happy smile from [A/N].
[A/N] gave one last glance at the Chrysanthemum patch before they and the others continue to see another flower patch. Their eyes landed on one specific blossom. A White one. Devoid of all colors.
"...Eh, that blossom looks out of place near the colorful ones. But oh well, I guess you can't control how they grow and what colors they take." [A/N] thought as they shrugged and follows their friends to another flower patch.
"Ah... These are White Tulips. Plain, simple, and bulbous... Just like Omori! I don't know... I just think it's cute." Basil admits.
The group continues to walk to their normal destination, again. Until another convenient Sprout Mole, appeared, yet again.
"Ah! Not another Sprout Mole!" Basil panics, looking over the small flowers.
"It's all good, Basil! We got the hang of this by now!" Kel told Basil as he gave Basil a nice pat on the back.
"Are you sure that we should battle that little Sprout Mole...? It looks a bit sadder than ever... Plus, it doesn't seem to be destroying those flowers...?" [A/N] told the others, feeling bad for the little creature.
"It's okay [A/N]! It gets a little bit scary sometimes battling something, but we've got your back anytime!" Kel told [A/N], attempting to cheer them up.
"Kel... That's not what I-" [A/N] tried to explain before Kel ran up to the Sprout Mole, entering another battle.
*****
The Sad Sprout Mole was successfully defeated. Damn, you guys killed it fr.
"We did not just put the Sprout Mole out of its misery... We did not just..." [A/N] mutters, no one heard it though. [A/N]'s mind is probably in a mix of grieving for the Sprout Mole and speechlessness.
New weakness unlocked!
You cannot beat the crap out of Sad-inflicted enemies.
After the last Sprout Mole battle, we encountered Mari and her picnic blanket and basket on the road.
"Hi everyone! You all came just in time for a lovely picnic! Feel free to rest here!" Mari greets the group.
One by one they sat down on Mari's picnic blanket. Then they began to eat the delicious fruits Mari had prepared for them. Either eating gracefully or just scarfing it down.
>You and your friends feel like new!<
"Munch... Munch... Munch... Woo-hoo! Thanks, Mari! You're the best!" Kel cheers, while still munching on his fruit.
"Oh... It's nothing... I'm just trying to look out for all of you." Mari smiles at the group.
"Aww, Mari... I wish I could be like you! You seem to have everything under control." Basil exclaims.
"That's not true at all! It just seems that way from the outside!" Mari denies.
"Come on, Mar-Mar! Don't be embarrassed to admit it. You do amazing things for us and you always do what's best for us! And I admire that." [A/N] cheerfully told Mari.
"Either way, you sure seem to make everything look easy." Hero follows up with a simple smile.
"Yes, I agree! Mari is so effortlessly graceful. Don't you think so, Omori?" Aubrey glanced at Omori, as Omori nodded in agreement.
Mari looked at all of them, her face a little red, embarrassed from all the compliments she got from the others. "Awwww... I guess I have to believe it a little bit if you think so!" Mari said, happily.
"Don't believe it a little! You did so much for this group and you care for us a lot! So don't leave yourself out! Like a certain someone would say... You should believe in yourself more!" [A/N] gives Mari a thumbs up as Aubrey looks at [A/N], proudly.
"Haha... I guess that's true, but you guys care about this group too in your own ways! And we all have our specialties in different things! Like Hero and his cooking talent, [A/N] and their craftsmanship skills, and so on!"
"So don't make me take all of the credit for the friendship we created. Alright?" Mari told the rest.
[A/N]'s smile grew wider, and so did the rest. As they nodded in unison while answering with simple 'Yes-ses'. Happily eating and talking together.
"Being friends with them is the best miracle that's ever happened to me..." [A/N] thought, before continuing their batch of fruits they have.
After eating together, all were satisfied with the picnic. Basil stood up, "My house is right this way... Are we all ready to go?" He asks. Everyone, except for Mari, stood up. Preparing to leave.
"I'm ready when you are!" Aubrey exclaims.
"We'll catch you later, Mari!" Kel said, cheerfully.
"Let me know if you need anything! See you soon!" Mari smiles happily.
"See ya later, Mar-Mar!" [A/N] said, waving at Mari, before leaving with the others.
Continuing their way to Basil's house, they felt small earthquakes happening. They didn't seem to mind at first until they discovered a giant Sprout Mole blocking the entrance to Basil's house. As another battle begins, once again.
This time, the battle was quite tough. Well since it appears to be larger than the last Sprout Moles.
Hero suddenly perked up, getting a sudden idea. Then he whispers at [A/N], asking them to help him teach everyone else about the special teamwork attack Hero, Mari, and [A/N] ever talked about. As [A/N] nodded without hesitation.
Hero began to speak, "Oh man, this fight is pretty tough... We can do this if we work together! It looks like [A/N] and I are going to have to teach you all a little bit about teamwork!" He exclaims.
"Let's give it a go again, Omori! We can take it down this time!" [A/N] said, encouraging their younger friend. Returning to battle.
*****
After those strong hits and slashes from all of their special attacks, the elder Sprout Mole was defeated.
"And there you have it... Hero's battle tutorial 101, featuring [A/N]! I'm sure that as we fight more battles, our teamwork will improve overtime!" Hero said, pumped up.
"Well, as they say, Teamwork is Dreamwork!" [A/N] said, raising their fist upwards. Their voice trying to imitate a character.
"Wow, you guys! That was so amazing!" Basil complimented, eyes brimming with astonishment.
"Ah, that was nothin'... Heh, heh. I've taken down way bigger guys than that! I should teach you some of my skills one of these days!" Kel told Basil.
"Basil... I know you're not the type that likes to fight... But it's good to know how to defend yourself too!" Aubrey tells Basil.
"You know... [A/N] and I have been working on a book all about battles! Maybe we can all study together next time. It's been a while since it had been updated, but I'll give it to Omori to hold onto it for now." Hero told everyone, then gave the book to Omori before Hero continues to explain about skills and levels.
"Yeah, yeah... We know! Can we go to Basil's house now?" Kel said, impatiently puffing his cheeks.
"Okay! That's all I had to say! Patience, Kel..." Hero said, sheepishly at his little brother. Then the group walks in from Basil's house entrance.
The atmosphere near Basil's house is Nice, simple, and cute. The place doesn't seem to have much sunlight through.
There's a small, flowing river surrounding Basil's house. His house looks like a cute, old-fashioned brown shoe.
Basil rushed forward from the rest of the group line, standing in front of his friends, camera in hand. "Say cheese!" Basil said before a snap from his camera could be heard.
Basil then pulled out the polaroid from inside the camera. "Aww, it came out kind of blurry... Well that's okay. That gives it character. Hope you don't mind the photo." He sighs a little.
"Of course we don't mind! I wanna see it!" Aubrey said, sparkles filling her eyes.
"O-Oh. Sure thing." Basil said, quite shyly.
Aubrey dashes to Basil and looks at the picture that was taken not too long ago. "We all look so cute!" Aubrey chirps, happily.
"How's my hair?" Hero asks, walking towards Basil.
"I WANNA SEE!! I WANNA SEE!!" Kel shouted in excitement, catching up to Hero.
[A/N] grinned at Kel's enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Omori was blankly staring at the others, then he looked at me.
[A/N] smiled at him, then pointed at the rest. "Come on, Omori! Let's see how the picture turned out!" They said, not wanting Omori to miss it out. Omori nodded, then the last two approached Basil to see the picture.
"Oh hey, Omori, [A/N]! Did you two want to look at the photo too?" Basil asks.
Omori and [A/N] nodded in unison as Basil lets them see the newly taken picture.
As expected, the photo was blurry. Though, things like their smiles were still visible in the picture. It was quite nice.
"It's too bad that it came out kind of blurry, but you all still look so cute. I should add it to my collection!" Basil remarked.
"Woo-hoo! Another shot for the photo album!" Kel cheers. "Move over, Aubrey! I can't see!" Kel pushes Aubrey aside to see Basil and his photo album more clearly.
"HEY, STOP PUSHING!" Aubrey yells, also pushing Kel to put him in his place.
"YOU ALREADY HAD YOUR TURN!!!" Kel yells back, pushing Aubrey aside once again.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY, KEL!" Aubrey snaps in return. Resulting in a 'Push-off' between the two.
"W-Wait, hold on! There's no need to fight!" Basil told the two, trying to stop the fight. Though, they didn't seem to listen.
"Erm... Kel, Aubrey, we can see the photo album together in Basil's house! So there's no need to fight!" [A/N] tries to convince the two kids.
"Y-Yeah... Ahh, stop it! You guys are knocking me over!" Basil begs for the two to stop.
Kel and Aubrey kept on pushing each other again and again. Even though Basil wasn't involved in the 'Push-off', he was close by to Kel and Aubrey. His body shook a lot because of their forces from pushing each other.
*Thud*
As the result of the 'Push-off', Basil fell to the ground, his photo album falling with him in the process, causing the few pictures from inside the photo album to be scattered on the ground.
"...Basil! Are you alright...!?" [A/N] semi-shouted, concerned for the boy.
Basil looked visibly sad at first. Then he looked at [A/N], nodding slowly at the last question he was asked of.
"Uh... Whoops..." Kel said awkwardly.
"Oh my gosh... Basil... I'm so sorry..." Aubrey apologizes in a regretful tone.
Hero turns around to Kel and Aubrey, "You two are in big trouble now! This is why the both of you need to learn how to get along!" Hero scolds both of them.
"I'm sorry... We didn't mean it, Hero! Please don't tell Mari..." Kel begs his older brother.
Basil slowly stood up, then brushed away the dust on his outfit. "I-It's okay, don't worry about it. Accidents happen..." He said, giving all of us a small smile.
"Well, sure. Though you guys ought to watch around your surroundings next time... Or uh, just try to not fight each other... How about a truce?" [A/N] suggested to both Kel and Aubrey.
Kel and Aubrey exchanged looks and nodded together. In the meantime, Hero's helping Basil collect the remaining pictures that were scattered on the ground.
"Here's your photos. It doesn't look like any of them got damaged. Let's put them back in your photo album together." Hero said, handing over the photos he collected from the ground to Basil.
"Thank you, Hero!" Basil thanked Hero. "Let's go inside my house first. Remember to wipe your feet before you come in!' Basil told the others before entering his house. As the rest enters as well, following Basil after wiping their feet.
Basil was already sitting there, placing his photo album on the floor, opening the pages that have missing pieces.
Omori approached Basil first, Basil took notice of him. "Are you ready to put back the photos, Omori?" Basil asked, along with Omori that nodded after the question.
Everyone sat in a circle, surrounding the photo album. "Yay! Let's get started!" Basil tells the others, cheerfully.
The rest of the group helps Basil on putting the photos back in their each original places. They completed it in perfect order, thanks to Omori and his amazing memory.
Basil then closed the photo album with a nice smile. "There, good as new."
Aubrey took a deep breath, before releasing it and said, "I'm sorry for pushing you over, Basil... ...Even though at least half of it was Kel's fault..." Aubrey apologizes as she whispered the last parts of blaming Kel.
"Yeah, I promise to never fight with Aubrey again! ...Unless the starts it first..." Kel declares, also whispering the last parts.
"Don't worry about it. I know you only wanted to see my photo album." Basil said to assure both Aubrey and Kel.
"I'm glad you two are going to get along with each other, Kel, Aubrey." [A/N] said, smiling.
"Well... The process would be a little tricky at first, but it's better than no process at all." Hero sighs, a little happy from the fact that his little brother will try to get along with Aubrey.
Basil then picks up his photo album from the floor, supposedly wanting to store it somewhere in his house. But one photo came out of the album and fell to the ground. Because the photo had fallen from its rightful place, Basil picked it up.
"Hm? That's strange. A photo must have been loose." Basil said, examining the photo. He was facing backward from the group, the others not having a clue which photo fell out.
Though everyone could hear Basil gasping, his breathing suddenly became heavier as seconds pass by. "Huh? What is this? Did I take this photo? Something about it seems so... Familiar..." Basil questions himself.
[A/N] was confused. From all the pictures that they saw in the photo album, nothing weird or unfamiliar came up. All of the photos in there were just happy memories of their friendship. ...Right?
"N-No... That can't be..."
The atmosphere is getting very uneasy at this point. Everything felt wrong. It felt like darkness was slowly seeping onto [A/N]'s skin.
They felt anxious from the feeling, but they slowly took notice of what was under the floor. Specifically, directly under Basil.
The floor was slowly turning black every second possible. The roots took shape as if... It's pointing it all at Basil.
[A/N] panicked and tried to warn Basil. But somehow, nothing could get out of their throat. Not even a small sound.
Basil, on the other hand, slowly turned around to face the rest. A despairful expression, replacing the happy expression he had a few minutes ago. Another second of tension, then he opened his mouth.
"Mari... She's..."
Before Basil could finish his sentence, the world surrounding [A/N] seemed to...
Glitch out.
.....
..........?
[A/N] opened their eyes. They are now laying down on the cold floor of this small place from before.
They stood up, trying to recollect their thoughts. "What... Happened...?"
Their eyes widened as they remembered the terror that had just happened in Basil's house.
They turned around to a specific spot.
...The door... Is gone.
"No... No... NO... NO!!!" They cried out.
"Stupid door... Just... JUST APPEAR ALREADY!!! I-I need to make sure they're fine...! Please... Appear..." They cried out again. Though they knew that no one could hear their pleas.
"OMORI!? KEL!? AUBREY!? HERO!? BASIL!? PLEASE... ANSWER ME...!!!"
"□□□□!?"
After saying that specific name they called out. [A/N] covered their mouth with their hands. Their eyes widened. It felt like tears were about to pour out any second.
Why...?
Just why...?
Why was 'that' name distorted when they mentioned it...?
Why...?
Why was it painful for them to say 'that' name...? It... Hurts...
It felt like their throat was burning over and over again. And their head felt like it was spinning endlessly.
What's happening...?
As they were trying to process the pain they were feeling. It felt like they had stepped on something.
...
The gun from earlier today. Now under their feet.
...
Despite their blurry vision that's catching up, they managed to pick up the gun.
...
The pain will disappear this way... Right...?
...
Slowly, they held the gun tightly. Then sticked it directly to the side of their head.
...
Without any more warnings or hesitation, they closed their eyes and pulled the trigger.
*BANG*
...
It was dark.
...Darker.
...Yet darker.
______________________________________
[Bonus Notes]: Sprout Moles are so silly and goofy why are they murdering them/hj
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