Doll doesn't know what happened. Doll felt so much pain. Doll, in fact, lost all its senses, for an unknown amount of time.

But the pain is over, and Doll is still alive. Still standing.

And Doll... Knows a lot now.

Doll holds up its hands. Nothing has changed. Well, something has, but Doll isn't sure it wants to try.

Until Doll notices the woman's gaze, the lifted eyebrow, the look of amusement and interest that is beginning to fade.

"Doll... Can talk?"

Doll's voice is still high pitched, a... Child's voice. Yes, Doll looks like a child. Unbidden, more of Doll's new words come out.

"Doll doesn't have to say 'Mommy' anymore... Doll is... Happy about this."

"Oh? Does Doll not want a Mommy?" The amusement has returned to the woman, and Doll knows... Doll is being mocked. But Doll can express herself now, even if it's only in her voice.

"Doll wants to live. But Doll couldn't say what it wanted to say, and Doll thought it wasn't so bad about dying anymore." Petulant. Yes, that was a petulant statement. But the woman laughs loudly.

"Oh, this was worth it! I may have used three of my little decorations, but it was worth it to see something like this!"

Doll is confused. It looks arou- Oh, just as the woman says, three of the adventurer stones aren't there anymore! Doll looks back at the woman.

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"Doll is... Happy you did this?"

The woman smiles. And leans back on her tail, cupping her chin. "Hrm... Doll refers to itself as Doll. Does Doll have a name? My name, by the way, is Zildra. Since I think we're going to be talking more, and since you're interesting enough not to die yet..."

Doll tries to make her voice frown as much as possible. "Doll would rather not die at all." Its voice softens. "It doesn't have a name, but it does like to talk, and Doll is grateful for Zildra giving it more things to know. Doll wants to know things."

At this, Zildra sharply leans forward, rushing with uncharacteristic speed toward Doll, and it instinctively tries to step back. "Doll wants to know more? Well then, Doll is going to know more, since it's so interesting... And besides" Zildra's smile is so wide, so... Bright... "We both have that desire. In a sense, all the ones like us have that desire. And another one..." Zildra's smile becomes sly. "Does Doll know what that desire is?"

Doll tilts its head. Desire. A thing Doll and Zildra want. Is it something Doll wants? Doll wants...

"Forward. Always forward. Backward is bad. Doll hates dead ends, because dead ends lie about being forward." Doll puts particular emphasis on that, and Zildra chuckles.

"Yes, dead ends are frustrating, although it's interesting to hear such hate from a cute little... Well, doll is accurate, but while the thought of calling me mommy is embarassing to both you and I, I can't really see you as just a doll anymore."

"Doll is confused. What else is Doll besides Doll?"

Zildra smiles a lot. Or did she only start smiling more since she met Doll? But Zildra answers Doll's question.

"Doll is like a child, young in life and wanting to learn. And Doll looks like a woman child. So Doll... I want to ask you two things..." Again, she comes close, but Doll doesn't flinch this time.

"Does Doll want to be a girl? And does Doll... Want a name?"

Doll should have a name.

Another intrusive thought. The same one that occasionally tells it... No... Her things...

What Zildra says is new, and makes sense. What the thought says is new, and feels right.

Doll trusts her instincts.

"Doll is a girl. And how can Doll get a name?"

Zildra points at the circle Doll just left. Doll's voice is wary.

"No other way?"

Zildra nods.

"No other way. But it won't hurt this time. I promise."

...

Doll doesn't quite trust that.