The Stars Shine Bright

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(Atticus starts to plummet.) Myu: Atticus!! (She acts quickly, diving through the bubble and then using her magic to send a big collection of water from her own bubble in Atticus’s direction.)

(He dives after her and soon they’re both diving between bubbles toward the top. Myu is a stronger swimmer than Atticus, and she starts doing tricks and being a little silly.) Atticus: You’re more shallow than you look, Myu. Look at you, showing off like m— (As he jumps, a small floating rock intercepts his momentum, knocking him off course.)

Myu: For a water-type, you sure swim like a rock! Atticus: I’ve… never been a real strong swimmer… Myu: Really? I thought you were “pretty good”. Atticus: Hey! I’ll show you how good I am! Myu: Oh? Well, I’ll race you to the top, then! (She dives out to the next bubble.) Atticus: Hey!! (to himself) You’re on.

Atticus: Wh-what are you doing? (Myu is wading at the top of the bubble.) Myu: Come on! You want to get out of here, don’t you? (He hesitates, then takes a deep breath and jumps into a different passing bubble. He floats upside down without grace, then flails his way to the top.)

Atticus: So… does that bag have anything in it we can use? Myu: Oh. Umm… No. It’s empty. I didn’t plan on going on an actual adventure. Atticus: Ah… figures. (She peers up to see a massive island far above them, floating orbs of water rising into the air. She suddenly jumps into a passing water bubble.) Atticus: Ah?!

Myu: I think I was right! I don’t think all these islands have their own magic source. They’re all connected. (She puts one fist in the other with certainty.) I bet… this is a Mystery Dungeon! Atticus: Huh?? But I thought the thing with Mystery Dungeons was that they changed all the time? They make big mazes? (Myu gestures at the wide floating islands changing position constantly.) Atticus: Oh.

(Before they fall to their doom, they land in the water on a passing island. They drag themselves to shore. When Myu gets up, she looks… starry-eyed. She jumps in place to test the gravity.) Myu: The gravity’s so odd here. I still can’t float… But at least we can stand.

(The gravity lets them go and they start plummeting down.) Myu: Atticus, fly! Atticus: I… I can’t!!

(Energy expended, Myu falls back over, dazed.) Atticus: Okay… okay… This… could be worse, right? Maybe… we just gotta wait it out. (The island flips over, the gravity still pulling toward its center, so they remain pinned to it, facing toward the earth far below.) Atticus: Eep.

(The crystal glows brightly. They are suddenly pulled down with an increase in gravity. Myu tries to get up, but she can’t pull against it.) Atticus: This might be a reason. Myu: I-I can’t… get up. (She tries transforming into several different species in an attempt to pull away from the gravity: dragonite, kommo-o, noivern, flygon…)

(Down below, the world is floating by.) Myu: Its… moving. (starry-eyed) It’s moving! (She zips around the island.) This is incredible! It’s moving all on its own! I mean, it’s probably a nearby magic source, actually, but— Wow!! I’m really seeing it for myself! Atticus: I thought… you'd be a little more worried about this. Myu: Worried? Why would I be worried?

Atticus: Ah— No!! I-I just… It never came up! A-and I didn’t wanna worry you, and… Myu: Calm down! I’m only joking. Atticus: Oh. Hah! I-I knew that. (The crystal Atticus bumped into glows brightly. The island trembles and the two of them peer over the edge.) Atticus: What’s… going on?

Atticus: Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Atticus Stone’s always okay. Better than okay. I’m pretty good, even. Myu: Ohh, okay… I guess it was also “pretty good” when you almost froze my sister solid? Atticus: Whuh—?? Ah, you learned more about that… Myu: Topaz told me the rest. You’re a complete lunatic. (The crystal glows while they aren’t paying attention…) Myu: Y’knooow, the way you didn’t tell me, that almost seems a little like lying.

(Myu breaks and cracks up laughing. Atticus grins.) Atticus: Check this— (He stands on one foot.) I call this one, “The Stars Shine—” Whuuuh—! (He stumbles and falls into the crystal embedded on the island.) Myu: snrk, ha… Atticus, are you okay?

Atticus: Ehh?? See?? You la-aughed~! Myu: No, I don’t even know what spaghetti is— I can just tell from your tone of voice you’re making another goofy joke. Atticus: Ooooh, okay then. Look at me— Myu: (playful) I am not looking. Atticus: You’re just gonna let me mewve around without an audience? Look, look— (She looks over her shoulder. Atticus has his front paws on his hips like he’s imitating an impatient biped.) Atticus: I call this one, “Angry mom”. (Myu begins to lose her composure.)

Atticus: I can see why you’d come back up here… Anything to get your mind off the gravity of the situation, right? (Myu hesitates, briefly caught off guard. She snickers and turns away.) Atticus: Heeeeey, you just laughed at one of my jokes! Myu: No, I have magic sickness, remember? My nose is stuffy, that’s all. Atticus: Suuuuure. And I don’t got these things on my face. I look like a bowl of spaghetti— but think of the pasta-bilities! (Myu snorts a little again.)