“Oh? You’re back, I was surprised when you left so suddenly before.”

When the world stops being black I find myself back inside the bird’s nest, I grab at my neck and find that the bangle is no longer there, worrying me intensely until I remember I don’t need it to talk to her. Now being a bit calmer that the last time I was here I look at my torso and see that the book’s straps are also gone, I must’ve just not noticed it last time.

‘Hello again Shiona.’

“You actually remembered my name, I’m flattered.” The light which was glowing from her eyes and through her mask become thinner, turning from large folium shapes to crescent ones.

“And you were… Plush, right?” She says as she claps her wings together.

‘Yup, but call me Leo.’

‘Leo? No, that can’t be right…’ It would seem that just like how she’s able to hear my thoughts I’m able to hear her’s.

‘Can’t be what?’

“!” ‘Can he hear me?’

‘Yeah I can hear you, you’re being very loud you know.’

‘... Realy?’

‘Really. Same way you’re able to hear me, or do you still not believe that?’

“Are you still angry about that?”

I could just tell her that I am who she thinks I am, but this is revenge for last time.

‘It’s not every day a rabid demi-bird tries to claw your face off. Now mind explaining what it is that “can’t be”? And not really a great idea to try and lie when I can hear everything you think.’

*sigh* “I used to know this one guy… His name was the same as yours so I was just taken aback a bit.”

‘Used to know him? With a reaction like yours it must’ve been a bit more than that.’

“Never in my life did I expect to be interrogated by a stuffed… Whatever you’re supposed to be.” *sigh* “But fine, you’re the first company i’ve had in two years so at least it’ll work like a distraction.”

She walks out of the bird’s nest and sits down at the tree with the multicolored fruits, and I do the same.

She *sighs* yet again and starts talking.

“We… We were a couple, and a damn close one at that, most people our age thought of relationships as just being… maybe one month long or so, they never put any real feelings into them while they lasted, and didn’t think to much about it when they ended either, but me and him, we were as close as could be, and if we hadn’t been separated we would’ve probably lived the rest of our lives together…”

‘... If you had such strong feeling for each other, how did you get separated?’

*sigh* “Some of my family had died and I was going to fly down to them to visit, I didn’t really want to go down there, but do you know what he said when I told him that?” ‘No way this guy would know, why am I even asking?’

It seems it might’ve been a bit too much to think back on all of this for her, she is completely ignoring the barrier between her two lives and isn’t trying to disguise it at all, I even feel kind of bad for her, so let’s end this.

‘Yeah, I remember it like it was just yesterday that I told you that if you didn’t board that plane and attend your grandmother’s funeral you were going to regret it for the rest of your life. Shame how that ended up going though...’

After the first few words Shiona starts staring at me, the lense shaped lights showing through her mask had turned to wide circles and she was shaking.

“How are you here…” ‘... Leo…’

*drip* *drip* sounds can be heard from the ground below her.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

‘I’ll come get you soon, so don’t leave alright?’

And then everything turns black again, letting me realize that:

‘Maybe I should’ve actually used this time to try and find out where we were…’

----------------------------------------

When the world regained its color I find myself laying down in a bed, and judging by the size of the bed I must be inside the pickit city.

I sit up in the bed and feel at my neck and my back to make sure the book and bangle are on me again.

When I touch the book a blue hand stretches out of the pouch carrying a blue jelly.

I grab the blue jelly and use it, afterwards the hand seems satisfied and goes back into the pouch, only for a thin blue strip of paper to take its place.

Revenant Reconnaissance

Due to having a ghostly disposition and an intense yearning for being in a place where you are not you have been given this ability.

This ability lets you project yourself outside of your body while you’re unconscious.

The more practice you have with this skill the more connected with reality you will be while you’re using this skill, letting you more easily do things while projecting yourself.

The paper then rushes back into the pouch as the door to the room opens with a *creak*.

“Ah, Plush, you’ve awoken.”

In the doorway stands Charlton while drinking tea.

‘Yeah, what happened?’

“Charlie and the others found you laying on the ground outside the entrance, when Lizz saw Charlie she tried to wake you up, however it didn’t work so they ended up carrying you here. I heard Charlie even forgot you were not a creature of blood in her panic when she saw you covered in it. You must’ve used your abilities to much, I’m not sure what happened to make you use them enough for this to happen, but try to tone it down in the future.”

‘I’m sorry for causing trouble.’ I realize that I probably shouldn’t tell him that I had been using an ability while I was sleeping as well.

“Nonsense, just by helping the three I sent out with you to get a place to stay inside an above ground city you’ve already put us all in a debt that we’d gladly repay. Speaking of repaying debts, Charlie and Lizz told me about the situation and I accept to help you, however there are many mountains and not enough pickits to search all of them, so you will need to tell us anything you know about the place you saw and then we can start working. So, did you see anything noteworthy?”

‘Well, it all took place inside a giant bird’s nest, and the person I’m looking for is a demi-bird.’

*scribble* *scribble* Without me noticing Charlton has pulled out a pen and notebook and started writing things down, catching a glimpse of the notebook I can see large numbers and simply equations.

“... The bird’s nest removes a tenth of the mountains, and knowing that it’s demi-birds specifically lowers it by a third, leaving about six tenths. Anything else?”

‘Wait, you’re ruling out mountains as we speak? Do you have all of them in your head or something?’

“I’m not the leader of this city for nothing you know, but what color was the demi-bird?”

‘She was green, though I can’t say I know the exact hue.’

“Oh dear, green happens to be the most common color for demi-birds living in mountains so that only removes a handful, well it was worth a shot.”

‘Oh! She said that all her family had already left two years ago, and she can’t fly so there can’t be much activity around there.’

*scribble* *scribble*

“Is that all? I’m sad to say that with this many still left it’s going to take very long.”

*smack*

‘How could I forget!? There was also a giant tree next to the nest, even though almost everything in the vision lacked color I could still see that the fruits on the tree all had bright, vibrant, and completely different colors from one another!’

*clap*

“Good! That definitely cuts down on the matches.”

‘Really?’

“Yes, those trees are very special, in fact there’s only a few dozen in the entire world, It won't be long until we find her, and when we do we’ll contact you immediately, here-”

He hands me a small prismatic crystal.

“-This will start glowing, vibrating, AND generating sounds when we want to contact you, however you will still need to come here to actually speak with us.”

‘By the way, where is Charlie’s bunch?’

“After they dropped you off they went back outside, saying they wanted to hurry up and register fully so they could join you on your trip after we find which mountain the person you’re looking for is on.”

‘... Really, those guys…’

“I will be going down to the living room, feel free to rest here as long as you need.” Charlton then exits the door.

I take out the crystal from the pouch and, after looking at it for a while, I phase it inside of my body, letting it lay inside of my torso.

I get out of the bed and start finding myself down to the first floor.

‘I wonder where Lizz is…

A blue arm appears from the pouch, when it opens its hand I can see Lizz laying on it while sleeping.

“Haaa…”

The arm then pulls her back in, and judging by a lack of complaints it did so without waking her up.

Eventually I find my way to the first floor, I tell Charlton that I’m going back to town and ask him to tell the others when they return.