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“So you’re the one who pulled the strings and made me dead. I can tell you don’t belong here. You’re barely even there, like the shape of something left behind. You’re more of a…memory than a person.”
The Narrator: That’s rude.
“You’re kind of like me, actually.”
The Narrator: I’m just going to ignore her. You push yourself off the ground. The Princess is nowhere to be seen—
Voice of the Cold: Obviously she’s nowhere to be seen.
“Because I’m in here with all of you. Everybody knows that.”
The Narrator: I’m setting the stage. The room is empty, because you made a spiteful, idiotic, and all around foolish decision.
“Oh, shut up! Stop trying to manipulate everyone. Or don’t, actually. It doesn’t really matter, because you won’t be around to do this for much longer.”
The Narrator: Sigh. “This is infuriating, just… whatever you do, you can’t leave this place. It’s not too late to fix this. Probably.”
[“I can’t think straight. There’s too much noise.”]
”Then don’t think. Just. Move.”
Voice of the Cold: One way or another, this is all going to end. Wouldn’t it be nice if He ends with it?
“I guess we’ll just have to see what happens when we leave. But if I’m stuck here, I’ll be making some renovations. It’s too crowded.”
[Slay the Princess.]
Voice of the Cold: Isn’t that an interesting idea.
The Narrator: I.. haven’t considered it as an option. Slaying her would slay you. Are you sure you’re willing to do that?
Voice of the Hero: Of course we’re sure. The decision has already been made.
The Narrator: Alright then. Better this than ferrying her out of here.
“Wh-What do you think you’re doing?!”
Voice of the Cold: Here that? She’s scared. No point in wasting more time. Do it.
The Narrator: You lift the blade, then plunge it deep into your guts. Pain spreads quickly through your torso as you attempt to turn its edge toward your heart. The Princess, spirit bound to your prison of flesh as she had once been bound to the basement’s prison of stone, cries out in agony as you slice through organ and muscle.
”No!”
The Narrator: Your skin rolls and bucks as she violently pushes against it from the inside. Bits of her seep through, white and glowing with an ethereal light, but still the walls of your prison hold.
”Who do you think you are, trying to take me out with you?! Well I’ll show you! I can do worse than that little knife. It’s not you taking me out, it’s me taking you out. I’ll tear this body to shreds!”
Voice of the Cold: Wouldn’t that be interesting? I’d like to see you try. But I think this is the end for all of us.
”I said I’m leaving, you cold little freak!”
…
Voice of the Hero: Wait, what just happened?! I feel… lighter all of a sudden.
Voice of the Cold: Yes. Even He feels it too, doesn’t he?
The Narrator: While it would have been best if I ignored it… yes little voice, you are right. It does feel lighter around here, specifically the body. Almost as if the wind got knocked out of you. Something is missing.
Voice of the Hero: Wait a minute. Where is he? The decider.
The Narrator: I don’t have time to explain such things. You fall onto the wooden floor with a hard thud. Blood pools all over your body and the taste of copper floods into your mouth.
Voice of the Hero: No! This isn’t right. Can’t you stop this? Can’t we start over?!
Voice of the Cold: There is no ‘starting over.’ We made our decision. We just have to live with it.
The Narrator: Why did you guys listen to her?! If you had just done what I’ve told you and slayed her from the beginning, we wouldn’t be in this situation. There isn’t any time to think about that though. Soon enough, your body dutifully loses its blood and vision subsides. Everything goes dark and you die. You better find a way to bring him back, got it? If they find a way to come together…then we are doomed.
Chapter III The Princess and the Dragon
The Narrator: You’re on a path in the woods—
Voice of the Hero: So I guess we get another chance at this, don’t we?
Voice of the Cold: I guess the third time is the charm.
Voice of the Opportunist: Now that’s the spirit! What is this, our third round now? We know exactly what to do this time. We are on easy street now, boys.
Voice of the Cold: Oh. Another one of us.
The Narrator: Excuse me, did I hear that right? You said this is your third time?
Voice of the Opportunist: Right you are boss!
The Narrator: What? This can’t be right! This is supposed to be your first time, not your third! What did you guys do to muck it up so bad?
Voice of the Hero: You can blame the emotionless one for that.
The Narrator: Sigh. “Well if this really is your third time being here then you already know your task and the fate of the world is in your hands.
Voice of the Opportunist: Wait. Is the decider still not here? Usually he would have said a snarky comment by now.
Voice of the Cold: Yes. I already knew that before He started talking. Can’t you feel it through the stiffness of the body?
Voice of the Opportunist: Do you think that we can… move the body?
The Narrator: Oh… no, no, no! This really isn’t right. The decider is supposed to be here… he has to be here! This is the worst case scenario for everyone! He can’t be with her right? No… not after everything I…I’ve said too much.
Voice of the Opportunist: Noooooo! You were just getting to the good part!
Voice of the Hero: What do you mean?! You already knew we had the ability to go back, didn’t you?
Voice of the Cold: There’s no point lying now. Might as well just say it.
The Narrator: …I guess you have a point. Yes I do know. Kind of.
Voice of the Hero: What do you mean ‘kind of?’
The Narrator: I believe you guys did have past lives, but I don’t know anything about me from before. I could have given you good advice or heaven forbid, said something that helped the Princess end the world. I guess I was in denial. I just wanted to be the first version you’ve met.
Voice of the Cold: Wow. How pathetic of you.
Voice of the Opportunist: Come on cold one, there’s no need to be down in the dumps. Cut Him some slack! If I couldn’t remember my past life and the fate of the world was decided by our little friend, I’d freak out too!
Voice of the Hero: Wait a minute, I’m not done asking questions! The Princess referred to you two being similar last time.
The Narrator: That’s obviously false. In fact, she couldn’t be more wrong. I am nothing like her.
Voice of the Hero: And when we died last time, you said that the world is doomed if she and him come together again. Just earlier you were freaking out that he might be with her in the cabin! You know more than you are letting on!
The Narrator: Maybe if you just stopped asking questions and went into the cabin already, then we can stop the end of the world from happening.
Voice of the Hero: What aren’t you telling us? What is so damn important that we can’t know?
The Narrator: Think about it this way, little voice. If I say anything that could compromise your mission, the truth would be too complex for your brains to understand. It would be even worse if he was hearing this conversation right now. Just know that the fate of the world is in his hands and if I am right to where he is, it is vital that he gets out of her web of lies before everything goes in the shitter.
Voice of the Cold: Interrogation is getting us nowhere. He is going to keep stalling.
Voice of the Opportunist: As much as I would looooove to learn His fun secrets, standing around in the woods is getting boring, don’t you think?
Voice of the Hero: What if—
Voice of the Opportunist: Andddd think about it this way, with the decider gone, we are the ones in charge now. Every time we wanted to make a decision, he was always in the way. He was so controlling.
Voice of the Cold: And He isn’t?
Voice of the Opportunist: You are looking at things all wrong. We are at the top of the pecking order now! We can finally do what the decider started. We can be better than him.
Voice of the Hero: But we don’t know where the decider is. How are we going to find him?
Voice of the Opportunist: Yes we do. He basically gave the answer for us! Through the Princess, my friend. If we are back then she is back. I bet she has the answers to finding our friend. I think it’s time for us to head to the cabin now.
Voice of the Cold: How? We’ve never moved a body.
Voice of the Hero: It can’t be that hard. Feet, legs, torso, arms, hands. As long as they move then we are fine.
The Narrator: So we are finally going now? Alright. You begin to move the body. It loosens up, like a plank of wood wiggling out of the floorboards. Though the movement is rigid, almost as if you are a baby trying to walk for the first time. It’s agonizingly slow. Like three little voices are trying to puppet a massive body and they don’t have the strings to hold it up.
Voice of the Hero: If it’s so hard then why don’t you do it? I don’t see you trying.
The Narrator: I can’t. It is my very nature that I can describe and dictate. Even if I wanted to do more, I can only say… move an object around or something. Not a body like his. You guys are the ones in charge now. I thought that’s what you wanted, right?
Voice of the Cold: Yes. Let’s go now. The more time wasted is less time getting what we need.
The Narrator: Eventually the three little voices get the hang of things. Small awkward steps become something natural. Things finally start to feel steady. You feel the ground between your toes and your arms swing side to side naturally. One foot at a time as they say. You make your way to the cabin.
Voice of the Hero: No words of warning this time?
The Narrator: You know what to do.
Voice of the Opportunist: Now let’s get in there and show that Princess who’s boss!
The Narrator: The interior of the cabin is almost entirely bare. It’s wider than a normal size. It could fit the body of two of you. Still, the walls and floors are covered with a thin layer of dust. The only furniture of note is a plain wooden table and the pristine blade perched on the edge of it. The blade is your implement. You’ll need it if you want to do this right.
Voice of the Opportunist: Well that’s a no brainer. We’re grabbing that sucker and slaying her once and for all!
Voice of the Hero: Or maybe we don’t. Maybe there’s a peaceful option instead. How about we try freeing her?
Voice of the Opportunist: Um, do you remember what happened last time? She practically tried to kill us!
Voice of the Hero: That was because we swiped at her! This cycle of violence will get us nowhere!
Voice of the Opportunist: Technically, the decider was the one who did that. We didn’t have any choice in the matter. This time things are different. We aren’t wasting this chance. We are taking that blade. Now.
Voice of the Hero: Hold on now! You aren’t the leader in this!
Voice of the Opportunist: Well unlike you, I’m actually trying to be useful in a time like this. But if it makes you feel oh so much better for you, then how about we put this to a vote. Who wants to save her? My vote is… no.
Voice of the Hero: You already know my vote.
Voice of the Cold: I’m also against slaying her.
Voice of the Opportunist: Why?!
Voice of the Cold: Like the hero said. All we are doing is going in one long boring cycle. Plus it would be interesting to see something different. Bringing the blade after two times gets painfully dull after a while.
Voice of the Opportunist: What- this is… hm. What about Him? Why doesn’t He get a say?
Voice of the Hero: He’s not one of us. You just don’t want us to save her.
Voice of the Opportunist: Dramatic gasp. I would never! I just care deeply for His opinion! Right Mr. Narrator?
The Narrator: Yes. I am glad someone acknowledges me. Bring the blade. Slay her before it’s too late. There can’t be any more ‘do overs.’
Voice of the Opportunist: Well that settles that!
The Narrator: You take the blade from the table. It’d be rather difficult to slay the Princess and save the world without a weapon.
Voice of the Hero: That’s not fair! You get the advantage to make it happen!
Voice of the Opportunist: Oh, quit your whining! You don’t even deserve an opinion when you’re the most boring one here. You were always too soft. What do you even do? Go on. Tell me. You are starting to get on my nerves.
Voice of the Hero: What do you think I do? I’m the heroic one. I help others, not kill—
Voice of the Opportunist: You know what. I don’t care. You clearly don’t understand the huge opportunity we have here. We are so close to greatness and I won’t let you ruin that for me. How about you continue doing your useless job and just shut up, got it?
Voice of the Cold: Someone’s upset. What? You can’t handle someone having a different opinion than you?
Voice of the Opportunist: You shut up as well. Your snarky comments don’t do anything to contribute.
The Narrator: The constant bickering is getting us nowhere. Just get to the basement and do your job.
Voice of the Cold: We can’t.
The Narrator: And why is that?!
Voice of the Cold: The mirror in front of us. You never described it.
The Narrator: That’s because there is no mirror.
Voice of the Hero: There’s definitely a mirror.
Voice of the Opportunist: I would like to agree with everyone and say that there is a mirror.
The Narrator: Clearly, the three of you have some trauma from the last time because you’re being delusional.
Voice of the Hero: Maybe we can get a look at ourselves? Them? I don’t know anymore.
Voice of the Cold: We don’t need to see ourselves. We already know what we are. It’s about perspective with how we interpret that.
The Narrator: Sigh. You step in front of the door and touch the center of it. The handle is to the right just a little bit down.
Voice of the Hero: …It was right there.
Voice of the Opportunist: Who cares! Let’s go down already! Time is wasting!
The Narrator: The door to the basement creaks open, revealing the stairwell that is lightly coated of dust. This is a lonely place. No one has come down here for a long, long time. If the Princess lives here, slaying her would probably be doing her a favor. Unusually, a voice does not echo up the stairs. There is only silence.
Voice of the Cold: How interesting.
The Narrator: You see yourself face to face with the Princess. Her face looks irritated and cold. A noticeable feature is the scar placed on her chest. The chain is placed around her wrist.
Voice of the Opportunist: So the damage we did last time stays. I wasn’t expecting that to be honest.
”You’re missing something important aren’t you?”
The Narrator: You feel your head cock to the side. Just what are you doing?
”I know because I have it right here.”
Voice of the Hero: So he is stuck with her. What are we supposed to do now?
Voice of the Cold: Find a way to get him out.
The Narrator: As soon as possible would be nice.
Voice of the Opportunist: Okay, I have a plan. Everyone just needs to follow my lead—
”Hey! I’m talking to you! It’s rude to have a conversation in front of other people without letting them in on it.”
Opportunist: “Oh, you would like to hear what we’re thinking, wouldn’t you?”
Voice of the Hero: What are you doing?!
Voice of the Opportunist: My plan. She’s a feisty one, isn’t she?
The Narrator: You raise the blade over your head, dangling the handle in front of the Princess’ eyes. A smile curls around your lips.
Opportunist: “But I think we hold the power right now.”
Hero: “But she knows about the decider being gone. That would be a weird bluff to come up with if that weren’t true.”
Opportunist: “Look, I love that you are trying to contribute, but I think we need to take a little sidebar.”
Hero: “But I don’t want to do a—“
Opportunist: “I’m so sorry, this will be just one moment.”
Voice of the Opportunist: What do you think you are doing? I’m trying to do my plan here! Could you not try and stop me for five seconds?
Voice of the Cold: You are being rather annoying, aren’t you?
Voice of the Hero: Being a little prick isn’t going to do anything! You are setting us up for failure.
The Narrator: This is a lovely discussion and all, but can you go back to slaying her now?
Voice of the Opportunist: Yes, yes. Of course boss—
”Hey! I’m talking to you.”
Cold: “My apologies. They’re really being quite dull in here. I think they want to kill you. At least the new one does. He’s very, very passionate about it.”
”Well he can try if he wants, but I’m not so sure you have it in you. Not without your missing piece.”
Opportunist: “Ah, well that just makes it two birds with one stone doesn’t it? How tempting.”
Voice of the Hero: This isn’t the plan! We can’t kill the decider!
Voice of the Cold: We are doomed with you as leader.
The Narrator: Do what you have to do. If you have to strike at him to slay the Princess, then so be it.
Voice of the Hero: I thought you just said that you needed them separated! There you go, changing your words on us again!
The Narrator: Slaying her is more important.
Opportunist: “From what I remember, it was easy to kill you the first time around, and this time you’re back to being very… what’s the word?”
Cold: “Fleshy?”
Opportunist: “Yes! That’s exactly the word I was looking for! You’re fleshy now. No more of that incorporeality. Trust me. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think it would be easy.”
”Bring it then. But you caught me off guard the first time. It’s not going to happen again.”
Voice of the Hero: Stop this right now!
The Narrator: The little voice’s words escape from your mind. The overwhelming power that you feel has more weight than words of reason could ever hold.
Opportunist: “What can I say? I’d back off if I wasn’t entirely committed. So I guess I’ll just have to pretend that you’re bluffing. Which you maybe, probably are!”
”Having second thoughts?”
Opportunist: “Shut up!”
The Narrator: You charge at the Princess, striking for the kill. You raise your blade and spread your wings, making sure she doesn’t find a way to escape.
Hero: “Uh, before anything happens, I just wanted to let you know that we are not all on board with this.”
Opportunist: “Now, now. We voted.”
Hero: “It was not a majority decision.”
Opportunist: “But we did have a plurality!”
Hero: “He shouldn’t count!”
Opportunist: “Says who?”
Hero: “Says me. He’s not one of us!”
Opportunist: “He’s been here since the beginning! The old chum really deserves a say. Besides, you’ll all thank us when this is finally over, and we are officially on top. But enough chatter.”
Cold: “Oh, so you finally decided to do something, have you?”
The Narrator: You stand there for a moment's hesitation as you look into their eyes. Slay her already. You are wasting precious seconds.
Voice of the Hero: Don’t do it!
Voice of the Opportunist: I’m going! I’m going!
The Narrator: But the hesitation doesn’t last. You stab the Princess, the sharp cold metal slides deep into her chest. But she has the upper hand. The Princess, fists closed in rage, punches you, making you fall across the floor.
Voice of the Opportunist: What?! That’s not fair!
The Narrator: You missed. How could you have possibly missed?!
Voice of the Cold: You are such a disappointment.
Voice of the Opportunist: I’d like to see you do better.
The Narrator: The Princess rips the blade from her chest, and fury in her eyes, cuts herself loose from her bindings.
[“Wait wait wait I’m back in my body stop! You getting stabbed switched me back!”]
The Narrator: Oh… you’re different.
Voice of the Opportunist: You’re back! Just as I intended. I was never cut out for leadership, really.
“Then I just have to make this next one count!”