Scenario:Ami - The Real Ami

The Real Ami

While examining the yupei in her cabin, Ami suddenly feels the presence of Qilin and lets out a scream. (Captain), Lyria, and Vyrn come to investigate and are stunned to discover that the cabin is filled with stuffed animals. Ami reveals that she created her intimidating personality to prevent people from treating her like a pushover. Suddenly one of her previous attackers arrives and claims that Ami's sister has been hurt and that Qinglong is headed for the island her family lives on. He asks her to fight the beast, and she agrees, saying that the people of the island deserve to be protected.

---

The Grandcypher is docked at a town to let the crew take a day off.

Ami is in her cabin, looking at the yupei that (Captain) had given her.

Ami: Nuah... This yupei is definitely different from the ones I've seen before.

Ami: Is it because they were the ones who picked it up?

Ami: What should I do? Something feels wrong about it, so I probably shouldn't give it a...

Ami: Huh?

Suddenly, Ami feels the yupei pulse ominously as it starts to glow with a white light.

Immediately afterward, her consciousness is pulled into it.

Ami: Where am I? I was holding the yupei, and then...

Qinglong: ...

Ami: Qinglong! What are you doing here?

Qinglong merely stares motionlessly at Ami, leaving her puzzled.

Ami: I don't feel any hostility. Usually it attacks me on sight...

As if in response to her confusion, Qinglong turns its head to look behind it.

Following its gaze, Ami sees something enormous looking down on both of them.

Ami: Qilin?

Qilin: ...

Ami: Aahhh!

Ami: Huff... Huff... My room? What was...

Vyrn: Whoa, what happened? We heard you scream...

(Captain), Lyria, and Vyrn rush into Ami's cabin.

For some reason, however, all three of them freeze the moment they step through the door.

Ami: ...
Sorry about that. I had a bit of a nightmare, but you don't need to worry about it.

Lyria: There's so many cute things...

Ami: Huh?

Lyria: Do you... like stuffed animals?

Ami: ...!
What, no, I don't particularly like them! These are just, you know...

Vyrn: What do you mean you don't like them? You're hugging one right now.

Ami: Nuah! No, this is...

Ami tries to throw the stuffed animal that Vyrn is pointing at to the ground.

But after hesitating for a moment, she gives up and hugs it close to her chest instead.

Ami: Nauuu... I can't throw you... That would be mean...

Lyria: Ami? Um...

Ami: I-I'm weird, aren't I? Someone like me shouldn't have a bunch of stuffed animals...

Ami: I know that they don't fit me. Especially since I act so scary most of the time...

Vyrn: Wh-what's up with you? Did you eat some expired food or something?

Ami: Nyuh... No, this is the real me. The "me" I had shown you is the personality I use to talk to people...

Lyria: Wait, what do you mean?

Ami: Well, you see, until I was chosen to use this weapon, I was just a normal, introverted girl...

Ami: I never learned how to fight... In fact, they were just having me do bridal training.

Ami: But then I suddenly became a Cardinal Saint and didn't know what I should do...

Ami: So I got some advice from the girl responsible for Xuanwu's yupei...

Ami: A-and she told me that if I act shy and introverted, people will take advantage of me...

Ami: So I should act strong enough to make people scared of me with just my gaze, facial expressions, and speech.

Ami: That's what she taught me, and that's what I based the "me" that you all know on.

Ami: A personality that won't get fooled by people, can speak strongly, and will make people frightened of me...

Vyrn: Ah, I get it now. So that's why you always tried to freak people out.

Lyria: And why you would ask them if you're scary and say things like "good" if they said yes.

Ami: I didn't want anyone to get hurt because they got too close to me...

With Ami's confession, a lot of things start making more sense to the three skyfarers.

Lyria: Um... Wasn't it hard on you to have to keep telling yourself that?

Ami: Yeah... It really, really sucked... There were so many times I went off to hide somewhere and cry...

Ami: But she said that I can't show weakness while I'm using my strong personality, and I agreed, so...

Ami: I always ignored my feelings and put on a strong face...

Vyrn: I wouldn't say always. You were showing your true colors every once in a while.

Ami: Nauu... W-well, it hurts when people are scared of me, so I sometimes end up looking shocked...

Lyria: I guess you must have not liked it even more than we thought you did.

Vyrn: Oh man, and I kept sayin' you were scary and stuff... Sorry about that.

Ami: No, don't worry about it. I was the one trying to keep you scared.

Ami: But anyway... You're creeped out now, aren't you?

Ami: It's like I have a split personality, after all... I get it...

Ami: Plus I love cute things despite having a personality like this...

1. We don't feel that way at all!

Choose: We don't feel that way at all!

Vyrn: Yeah! What's wrong with liking what you like?

Ami: R-really? You don't think it's creepy?

As Ami looks at the trio, unsure if she can believe them, they nod reassuringly.

Ami: I see. Thank goodness... You were right, Stuffy.

Stuffy: Yeah, didn't I say you could trust them, Ami?

Ami speaks to her stuffed animal, then immediately starts acting out its response.

Lyria: Oh! Is Stuffy...

Ami: Nuah! Okay, that was... Um, I mean, I was always alone until now...

Ami: So I kinda made friends with my stuffed animals...

Vyrn: You know, I'm thinking that Ami's gonna be a lot more entertaining to be around than I expected at first.

Ami: Nuaahh...

Ami squirms, then clutches her stuffed animal to her face as if to hide.

(Captain), Lyria, and Vyrn look upon her embarrassment with kind expressions.

Vyrn: Oh? Who's that knocking on the door?

Lyria: Look out! I feel the same presence as I did when those men attacked us!

Lyria's warning causes (Captain) and Ami to take up their weapons and prepare for battle.

Vyrn: No way, they actually snuck onto the ship? What should we do?

Ami: Open the door. If they're knocking, that at least means that they're not trying to surprise attack us.

Vyrn: ...

Ami: ...
What? If you've got something to say, then say it.

Vyrn: I was just thinkin' that you changed personalities real quick there.

Vyrn: You know, I really think that you could just be your normal self all the time and it wouldn't be a problem...

Ami: Can't do that. I swap to being like this automatically when people show up.

Vyrn: No dice, huh? Well, never mind that. Let's open the door.

After making sure that everyone is ready, Vyrn carefully opens the door.

Attacker: Long time no see, usurper. Glad to see you're doing well.

Ami: My assassins worrying about my health? Am I supposed to take that as a joke?

Attacker: Hmph. You can take it however you please.

Ami: In any case, why have you shown yourself to us? If you're looking for a fight, then—

Attacker: I'll cut straight to the chase. Qinglong returned, and your sister set off to vanquish it but was defeated.

Attacker: Now Qinglong is furious, and it's heading for our family's island.

Ami: ...!
Why would you anger it like that? Actually, why did my sister even think to fight it in the first place?

Attacker: Another faction of our family put the idea into her head.

Attacker: They told her that if she's the true head of the family, fighting Qinglong is her duty.

Ami: This is why I refused to give up the weapon...

Ami: Well, how is she?

Attacker: She's badly wounded, but she will survive.

The attacker reluctantly lowers himself to his knees and bows down before Ami.

Attacker: As much as I hate to admit it, you are the only person who can save us, usurper... or rather, Lady Ami.

Attacker: If you don't stop Qinglong, it will threaten the lives of all who live on that island, including your sister.

Attacker: You wish to avoid that as well, don't you? So...

Vyrn: What a self-centered bunch... They try to kill ya, but then think they can ask for help when they're in trouble?

Ami: ...
I'll do it.

Attacker: Thank you.

Vyrn: After all they did to you? Are you sure?

Ami: I don't care what happens to these people or my sister, but the other residents of that island don't deserve Qinglong's wrath.

Ami: There's also something I want to check out for myself.

Vyrn: Okay, if you say so. We're definitely comin' with you though!

Ami: Thanks. I'll be counting on you.

The crew of the Grandcypher returns to Eastern Solitary to face Qinglong.

Vyrn: Hey, is it just me or are the wind and lightning even crazier than last time?

Lyria: It's not just that. I can feel Qinglong's presence much more strongly too.

Ami: The cardinal beasts regain their power when facing a Cardinal Saint. In other words, this is Qinglong's true might.

Ami: Anyway, here it comes.

Qinglong: ...!

Suddenly, a menacing roar echoes across the skies.

Shortly after, Qinglong appears before the crew with many enormous tornadoes at its side.

Ami: In accordance with my pledge to Huanglong, I shall face you as a Cardinal Saint.

The Real Ami: Scene 2

After Qinglong is defeated, it leaves behind a new yupei, which resonates with the one the crew already had and draws Ami's consciousness into it. There she comes face to face with Qilin, a beast that produces a malevolent aura. Ami asks what it's trying to do, but returns to reality without getting an answer.

---

Vyrn: Now's your chance, Ami!

Ami: Yeah, I know. I'm ending this here.

Ami fires a bolt imbued with devastating power at Qinglong's head.

The shot flies true and pierces straight through its target.

Qinglong: ...!

Vyrn: Whew... We managed to beat it.

Lyria: Yes, we did... I never thought it could become that powerful.

Lyria: I don't think we could have made it through without Ami...

(Captain), visibly exhausted but relieved that the ordeal is over, nods in agreement.

Ami: That's not true. Without me—or rather, without a Cardinal Saint here, Qinglong wouldn't have demonstrated its true power.

Ami: Though in exchange, it would have disappeared without leaving behind its yupei, only to come back stronger next time.

Ami: When they resurrect, the cardinal beasts absorb anything that's left over from the last incarnation and add it to their own power.

Ami: That's how Uruki told me it works, at least.

Lyria: I see...

Ami: More importantly... Here it is.

Ami makes her way to the spot where Qinglong was defeated and picks up the yupei.

Lyria: Is that a yupei? Oh, that's right—you said that you wanted to check something out, didn't you?

Ami: Yeah, that's the plan.

Ami: Lyria, tell me if you start feeling the presence of anything besides Qinglong's power.

Lyria: Huh? All right...

Ami takes the old yupei from her pocket and brings it close to the one that she just picked up.

The two ornaments begin resonating, and a mysterious white light engulfs her.

Ami: This place again? Where are the others?

Ami: ...
Not here, it seems. I guess only Cardinal Saints are brought here.

Ami: Is that right?

Suspicion in her eyes, Ami shifts her gaze to the beast before her.

Qinglong: ...

However, it gives her no answer, soaring silently into the sky instead.

Once it disappears from sight, a dark, sinister power surrounds Ami.

Ami: ...!
This aura... The power is sickening.

Ami: I knew it... It wasn't my imagination.

Ami: Qilin. You're there, aren't you?

Qilin: ...

Ami: I won't beat around the bush. What are you trying to do?

Qilin: ...

Ami: ...!

Suddenly, Ami's vision is filled with a light so bright that she closes her eyes.

When she opens them again, she finds herself back with the crew.

Vyrn: Hey, Ami!

Ami: ...
What was just happening to me?

Vyrn: You fell over as soon as the yupei started shining, and wouldn't respond no matter how much we called out to you.

Ami: I see. Sorry to worry you.

Lyria: So, what exactly happened? I just felt a terribly dark power coming from the yupei...

Ami: I don't really know yet. But I think my consciousness was sucked into it.

Ami looks at the yupei with concern on her face.

In contrast, (Captain), Lyria, and Vyrn can express only bewilderment at the turn of events.