Working With Phantoms

Passing the Withered Torch

August 12th

Madran arrived back in the Velvet Room to find only Sheila, Marie, and Philemon there. She then sat down and began chatting with them.

"Hey, guys, what's up?"

"Ah, you've arrived. Madran, how has Elia been?"

"Oh, mom? Well, she's been kinda stressed about the upcoming trial."

"By kinda, do you mean sorta, or really stressed?"

"Well, sorta. She's normally like this before trials, but, well, I'm kinda worried because of what we're doing."

"Are you worried about the change of heart?"

"Well, yeah. I'm kinda split between either calling it off until after the trial, or a second, more direct approach..."

"And, that is?"

"Well, ya see, remember when Margaret said that Elia had the potential?"

"Hmm, you're right."

"Yep. Honestly, I don't really wanna put her through that, and I also don't really want to change her heart so suddenly, just a week and a few days before this big custody trial."

Philemon nodded at Madran.

"Why wouldn't you want her to face her shadow?"

"Well, I mean, all of these memories are pretty shitty. Abusive parents? Constant bullying? Like, why would I want Elia to face all of that again, when she's done so well without it?"

Marie sat down next to Philemon and sighed before looking at Madran.

"Hey, Madran."

"Yeah?"

"I... I was once faced with a similar dilemma. I had my memories of being Izanami sealed away, so, when Yu and his crew beat Adachi and unleashed the fog, I absorbed all of it and remembered everything. My true identity, my new purpose, whatever. Due to this, I trapped myself within a small section of the TV World to die."

"And, what does this have to do with mom?"

"Well, I thought I was beyond saving, but Yu and his team thought otherwise. They rescued me, and gave me a new meaning to life. If you change your mom's heart, then you save her from her past, like how Yu and his team saved me from mine."

"Elia, by no means, is evil. I previously thought that people who were, by all intents and purposes, evil in some way were the only ones who could have palaces. However, since both Futaba's and Elia's palaces have rulers that aren't evil, my new view is that anyone with desires distorted enough can have one."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Well, what would Elia's distorted desires be?"

"Hmm... good question."

Philemon looked around at everyone.

"We may just have to ask either the cognitive Elias or Shadow Elia herself."

"I doubt we'd get a straight answer, to be honest."

"Yeah, honestly. But, if I had to guess..."

Sheila sat up.

"I'd say that Elia wishes to run from her past, and that's what's causing the palace to arise."

"I mean, running from that sorta past makes some sense."

"Look at me, Madran. I ran from my past, and look where that got me."

Madran looked over at Philemon and nodded.

"Well, fine, you guys all have a point. Just, I'll see what happens. We should be getting to the end soon, so we'll see."