Together, we Conquer

The Key to One's Heart

The now reunited group went back to the Safe Room. Philemon was back in there, which made everyone relieved.

"Ok, so, everyone, what did we get?"

"I got a yellow key."

Suga held a bright yellow key out to everyone.

"Cool. I found a blue one!"

Madran presented a dark blue key.

"Uh, Fwoosh, that's indigo..."

"Hush! It looks blue enough!"

Philemon sighed.

"Well, anyways, past this Safe Room, I found another door with four keyholes in it."

"So, we should finish those last two rooms, and get the key?"

"Yep."

Madran and Suga then paired up.

"Ok, for this, let's mix our teams up a bit!"

Sheila nodded, and let Chicory sit beside her. The newly-formed pairs then went out to tackle the last two remaining doors while Philemon sat back in the Safe Room. Madran and Suga entered the hallway, and went to chatting more.

"So, it seems that mazes still haunt you, huh?"

"Yeah, I swear, if the next palace we go to has a maze, I'm going to lose it."

"I can understand. It's a basic puzzle, with a very easy solution, seeing as you have a scanning persona."

"Yeah. Uh, did Nefertiti get any new skills while you and Suga were in the rigged quiz show?"

"Nope, but Bubonia got Magarula."

"Cool. Y'know, I've been thinking, all of our personas represent cool people from history or literature, but Bubonia is just... there."

"Well, think about it. Suga's learning how to become an experienced nurse, and plague doctors back way when didn't have much experience. Also, it may represent her attitude to ballet."

"I think that Bubonia simply represents a mixture of plague doctor-ass stuff, as well as Suga's willingness to be free and choose what she wants to do. Like, according to her, ballet feels like a certain method of freedom."

"Yeah, I haven't really watched much of her recitals much. Gosh, that girl has a lot on her platter."

"Yep, she does."

"Also, I was chatting with Elizabeth earlier, and she mirrored some confusion as well about Suga's persona. As she said, 'never before have I seen a persona that doesn't take form of a person, god, goddess, or literary person until I met Suga.' Her feeling is that Bubonia is a representation of the Bubonic Plague, and the many doctors who worked endlessly to stop it, much like how Suga works endlessly to stop people from troubling you, me, and anyone else she cares for, but was knocked off her feet by Proctora's bullcrap, much like how the doctors simply didn't understand that the, uh, um..."

"...Miasma theory was bunk?"

"Yeah, that."

The pair walked through the door, and saw a giant row of shadows behind a large screen.

"Uh..."

Madran instinctively scanned, and saw that they were dormant.

"What in God's name is going on here?"

Sheila shrugged.

"Um, let's walk up to the glass."

Madran and Sheila walked up to the glass, seeing that some instructions were written on them.