On The Surface | An OCTale Sequel

40) The Return (Ending)

"So Luke, who are we looking for?" I ask, Luke laughing.

"Your neighbor." He shrugs, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Ambstablook? Why would Ambstablook know something about this Roiaru person?" I question, Webdings catching up to us.

"EMMA'S GHOST FRIEND...HMM...OH! MAYBE SHE KNEW THIS ROIARU PERSON IN HER PAST LIFE!" Webdings deduces, Luke smiling and nodding.

"Huh? What do you mean, past life?" I reply, even more confused now.

"Every ghost has a past life, Tyler! They're the magical leftovers of monsters who had lots of determination. That determination allowed their souls to persist as purely magical entities!" Luke explains, as the four of us stop outside of Ambstablook's house.

"Oh! So she's like you! But...I guess monster ghosts get memory loss, huh..." I nod in understanding, but still a little confused as to how this helps the situation.

Luke knocks on the door, and it opens to a surprised Ambstablook.

"[Oh! Luke! It's been a while! How are you?]" She signs, Luke sighing.

"Yeah...I've been gone for a year now. It's...a long story." He laughs, as Ambstablook gestures for us all to cone in.

"[I wasn't expecting visitors, so sorry for the mess. Why are you visiting all of a sudden?]"

"Well, we wanted to ask if you knew anything about a person called Roiaru." I explain, Ambstablook flinching at the mention of the name.

"[Roiaru...? How do YOU know about her?]" Ambstablook hesitates, Luke shrugging.

"I told them. And I know your secret already. We're here to see if you can remember the cure to the substance you created - H-4T3." Luke laughs, but starts to get serious. Ambstablook chuckles silently, and sighs.

"[The Hate experiments...I guess I vaguely remember them. It increases the user's strength at the cost of their own sanity.]"

"WAIT, HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS? ROIARU HERSELF WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO RESEARCHED IT...RIGHT?" Webdings asks in confusion, Ambstablook looking at him in hurt.

"[...No, you researched it too. With me, and Sayonara too, remember...? I know these things...because I WAS Roiaru.]"

Webdings is taken aback in surprise, and I'm just confused.

"Anyway, do you remember the cure for H-4T3, Roi- I mean, Ambstablook?" I ask, as she stops in thought.

"[Hmm...let me go take a look in my diary. I've started documenting information every time I get a 'memory flash'.]" She hums, before floating through the wall and into her room.

About a minute later, and she comes out with a sequin-covered diary, which is filled with notes about her past life as Roiaru. I skim the pages, looking to find any mention of Flora's demise, Sayonara's show, anything that could have answers.

The H-4T3 could enhance a monster's capabilities exponentially, at the cost of them losing their sanity. Can't remember the cure.

"Oh great...all of that for nothing." Luke groans, ignoring the ghost and skeleton signing to each other in the background.

"Wait up, there's more..." I reply, reading the next page.

H-4T3 infected Sayonara, and that's what caused her to attack Flora. I remember thinking a cure for the substance would be...the opposite of what it represents. The opposite of hatred...

"Love." I murmur, Luke perking up.

"...Love? Love is the cure? How does that help?" He asks, and I shrug.