Working With Phantoms

Building it up From the Ground

September 13th

Chicory's POV

"...hello..."

Chicory wasn't sure where he was. He wasn't aware of what he felt, either. He missed the uncanny warmth he was sure he felt yesterday, but welcomed the time when he could at least feel something.

"Chicory, hello..."

He heard a voice. Was it Yorick? It sounded awfully familiar to the usual sardonic drone of his persona.

"Where am I?"

"Open your eyes, my friend."

Chicory opened his eyes, and immediately felt a far more comfortable warmth than the one that Hellhound exuded. Then, he looked around to see Madran and Elia sitting and looking at him intently. Upon sighting them, he wagged his tail, with Madran gasping.

"Hey, mom, look, he's up!"

"Oh, no shit!"

Madran and Elia then walked up to Chicory, with him finding that he could also move his legs, nose, ears, and everything else. Then, a nurse entered the room, which confused Chicory.

"My, the sixth time, I believe, Chicory's been here, and he makes it through once more."

"I know, it's great."

"God's truly blessed this dog of yours, huh?"

"Yep."

"Wait, I'm here again?"

"It kinda makes sense. Not just I was attacked, keep in mind."

The next few hours were a slight daze to Chicory, with many more procedures that he didn't quite remember happening. He then found himself leaving the veterinarian with Madran and Elia before much else went down, and soon arrived back home, ending the fluid reel of events.

"Hey, Chic, did you have any odd dreams while you were out?"

"Wish they tell me."

"Tell you what?"

"How I get there?"

"Ok, try and get to Mementos again, then."

Chicory then nudged Elia and Madran towards the Velvet Room door.

"Hey, why do you wanna go back there?"

"I bet he wants to ask a few questions via Yorick. Hey, Mad, don't worry, there are us two to deal with his shadow if he appears."

Finally getting what he wanted, Chicory went with Madran and Elia to Mementos, where he immediately summoned Yorick.

"Ok, tell me, how did you guys convince the surgeons to help Chicory?"

"We told them that he had run, and we found him like that."

"I mean, that's not too far from the truth."

"Yep, exactly."

Yorick then looked around as Chicory sat and attempted to recall what had happened yesterday.

"You ask Madran?"

"Ask her what?"

"About Hellhound."

"Hey, Fwoosh, what did you see of Hellhound?"

"Eh, not much, he told me that you needed to die because fate said so, and then I burnt him to death."

"Not really, though, because I'm still here. Hellhound's probably waiting for another moment to strike."

"Yep, I bet."