Scenario:Drang - Forget Regrets

Forget Regrets

In order to repel the visitants, Drang needs to find Redster, the Red Sphere, but his enthrallment knocks him unconscious. He dreams of his regrets and, after remembering his grandmother's love, wishes he could make up with his remaining family. As he feels death draw closer, he feels another regret—that he'll never see his partner Sturm again.

---

Drang: Pretty sure that visitant already enthralled me a while back...

The visitant Drang refers to is a threat from another dimension—part of a greater force set on conquering the Sky Realm.

Bluey, initially raring to send the visitant packing and seal its dimension off, now stares in shock at Drang.

Bluey: Whoa-whoa-whoa! What do you mean you're already enthralled? What kinda orb wielder are you?

Drang: I left before I could learn much about our ancestral role, so... Most of what I know is self-taught, hehe...

Bluey: This is no time to be laughing! What the heck are we supposed to do then, huh?

Drang: Listen, I don't wanna leave you hanging, but... My limbs are turning into jelly...

Drang: Brain feels like mush too... Sorry, would you mind finding someone else for help?

Bluey: As much as I wish I could, I can't...

Bluey: Because unlike the good ol' days, you're the only orb wielder left in the world!

Drang: Seriously?

Drang: Ah... Guess we're all doomed then. Goodbye, world.

Bluey: Don't you give up on me!

Bluey: If we don't get rid of the visitant threat, then it really will be the end of everything as we know it! So get your act together, you hear me?

Bluey: Oh, this is so not good. We gotta move soon, before everyone in this town gets enthralled!

Drang: That... would be pretty bad...

Bluey: First things first, we need to find Redster! There's no winning without him by our side!

Drang: (I dunno how much moving I can still do, but I have to try something, or this'll haunt me to the grave...)

Drang: So... any ideas on how to find this Redster of yours?

Just as Drang musters the barest hint of energy, another rift in space opens in front of his eyes.

Visitant: ...

Drang: Talk about timing. Sheesh...

Drang: I dunno how (Captain) manages to do the hero thing... Because this isn't going well for me...

As his vitality slowly drains away, Drang quietly thinks of his parents and the regret he feels at their estranged relationship.

Drang: (I wonder if this is how I'm gonna kick the bucket.)

Father: ...

Drang: Father...

Father: Well, better late than never.

Mother: Your father always believed you'd come home one day, no matter what.

Drang: ...

Father: As a member of this family, it's your responsibility to inherit our ancestral role—to honor the work of our predecessors.

Drang: Ancestors this, work that. How about you keep your expectations to yourself?

Drang: All I wanted to do was see the world and everything it had to offer.

Father: So you settled on becoming a mercenary.

Drang: I sure did, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Drang: Thanks to my job, I managed to make it to that misty island and meet Ferry, who Granny always wanted to see one last time—

Father: And what good did that do? Your grandmother was already long gone by then.

Father: And now I am too.

Drang: ...

Drang: I abandoned my home and everyone there a long time ago.

Drang: But somewhere deep in my heart, I felt I had to face my father eventually.

Drang: I let that feeling sit there for years and years, and now... it's too late to do anything about it.

Drang: As for my mother...

Mother: Things haven't been the same since your father passed.

Mother: But I'm doing better, now that you're home.

Drang: She kept my room clean all this time, ready for my return at any given moment.

Drang: But judging by how frail she looked, she's probably enthralled too...

Drang: ...
Just another regret to add to the pile, right at death's door.

Drang: (If I could go back in time, would I have done anything differently?)

Drang: I'll take on our ancestral role and become an awesome priest like you, Father!

Father: Haha, I look forward to the day.

Drang: I could have pretended to be a good kid. Said whatever my parents wanted to hear.

Drang: Died on the inside day by day, until nothing was left. Could've spared me some regrets that way.

Grandmother: Whenever I see your smiling face, it makes my heart leap with joy. So I want you to keep smiling for me.

Grandmother: That's more than enough to keep me going.

Drang: ...

Drang: If it was enough to haunt me to my grave, maybe I should've said something sooner. Had a proper conversation at least.

Drang: Because at the end of the day... we were still family.

Drang: Ain't that right, Granny?

Grandmother: ...

???: ...
Gotta... up! I said get up!

Drang: ...

Visitant: ...

Bluey: The whole Sky Realm's doomed if you die here!

Grandmother: ...

Drang: Granny? Hold on, wait for me! Don't leave me behind!

Drang: Owie...

Sturm's Voice: Really? This is no place to be lazing around.

Drang: Sturm?

Hearing the familiar voice of his partner, Drang turns around but finds nothing there.

Drang: Sturm, are you here? Where are you?

Drang: That's right... If I keel over now, I'll never get to see Sturm again.

Memories begin to surface as a new regret eats away at the dying man.

Forget Regrets: Scene 2

As his life with Sturm flashes before his eyes, a persistent pain in his rear finally wakes Drang, revealing an annoyed Sturm in the flesh. Much to Bluey's delight, Sturm has the Red Sphere, which Drang uses to fight back against a horde of visitants. However, his efforts aren't enough to reform the seal, as his enthrallment prevents him from unleashing the true extent of the spheres' power.

---

Drang: Y'know, from my point of view, doing merc work is pretty suffocating.

Sturm: And? What's wrong with doing work and getting paid for it?

Drang: I never said anything was wrong per se, but doesn't it feel awful to be someone else's lapdog? Don't most people wanna live freely?

Sturm: You think we don't live freely, huh?

Drang: Am I wrong? I'm mostly taking stabs in the dark since you won't tell me anything about yourself, but...

Drang: I think it's pretty sad that youngsters like you can't do what they want for their own sakes.

Sturm: I am living the way that I want.

Sturm: They knocked me out in one blow back there on Zinkenstill. I couldn't even protect you...

Sturm: A weak merc is a worthless merc. I fell short of my duty...

Sturm: I truly... failed you.

Drang: ...

Drang: So um... you whacked me with your sword because why?

Drang: Oww! What's that for? What's the big idea!

Sturm: It's embarrassing! Don't make me say it, you idiot!

Drang: Sturm, you really ought to cut down on some of that meat! Everyone knows a balanced diet is the key to a fair complexion!

Sturm: Shut up. Can't you stuff your mouth with food, not words?

Drang: Aw, gimme a break! Chow time is the perfect occasion for a powwow!

Drang: You know what they say: a dining table's just the thing for family gatherings! So why not let loose and—

Drang: Yeeowch!

Drang: Heheh... Hahaha...

Sturm: Hey, Drang.

Drang: Sturm...

Sturm: Drang.

Sturm: Drang.

Drang: Sturm...

Sturm: Stop messing around. Get up.

Drang: Owchie...

Drang: C-cut it out... Seriously...

Drang: Yeooowzers!

Unable to withstand the stabbing pain in his rear, Drang springs upright, only to be greeted by the annoyed face of the partner he had been dreaming about.

Drang: Huh?

Sturm: Finally awake? Took you long enough.

Drang: S-Stuuurm!

Teary-eyed, Drang goes in for a hug, which Sturm deftly sidesteps.

Drang: Bwegh...

Sturm: What happened here?

Drang: Honestly, I don't even know where to start...

Bluey: Hang on a second! Look! Do you see what the pretty lady's holding?

Drang: Whaaat? Wh-what even are the chances! S-Sturm, is that the Red Sphere you've got in your hand?

Sturm: The Red... Oh, this old gem-looking thing?

Sturm: The guild dispatched a merc out here for guard duty, but they got sent to the hospital after a shrine collapsed on them.

Sturm: Apparently during the chaos, this orb from the shrine got into their belongings.

Sturm: I'm here to return it instead, since they're not exactly in traveling condition.

Drang: That's crazy...

Sturm: Is it? You seem like you recognize this thing, so I bet you know who to return it to. Here.

Without waiting for him to respond, Sturm hands the orb over to Drang.

Bluey: See what I said! We orbs resonate with wielders and always find our way to them! It's fate!

Drang: Yeah, yeah. I just didn't expect Sturm to be the one carrying our fate in her hands.

Sturm: Who... are you talking to?

Drang: Uh, Bluey, of course. Who else?

Sturm: Bluey?

Bluey: Umm, just so you know, only fellow orb wielders can see my adorable form and hear my lovely voice!

Bluey: If you don't properly explain what's going on, she's gonna think you're going cuckoo crazy!

Sturm: ...

Drang: You should've said so sooner!

As Drang struggles to clear up the situation with Sturm, the Red Sphere starts to shine, glowing brighter and brighter until...

Redster: Hey, honey. Sorry we split up. Life's just not the same without you by my side.

Bluey: Squee! Don't you ever leave me again!

Drang: Ah, so the Red Sphere's got a personality too...

Sturm: Did all those stabs in the butt give you brain damage? But that doesn't make any sense...

Drang: Er, um... I know it looks like I'm talking to myself, but I can explain everything later.

Sturm: Later it is, since it looks like we're out of chatting time.

Sturm: You stay back. You're in no shape to be fighting.

Drang: As much as I'd love to kick back and relax...

Drang: Agh...

Sturm: Drang!

Sturm: What the hell are these things...

Drang: Don't look at them!

Drang throws himself forward, blocking the visitants from Sturm's view.

Sturm: Drang?

Drang: If you lock eyes with any of 'em, you'll end up like me...

Sturm: Then it sounds like all I need to do is cut them down with my eyes closed.

Sturm: Raaagh!

Visitant: ...

Sturm: Did my blade just go through nothing?

Drang: Their bodies are in another dimension, so I don't think you can physically hurt them from here...

Drang: But since you brought the Red Sphere to me, we've got a way of fighting back.

Redster: I am the crimson to the azure. We have existed since time immemorial.

Redster: Red lords over martial prowess, while blue keeps invaluable knowledge.

Redster: When calamity looms on the horizon, I repel the threat so that wisdom may seal it away. Thus have we kept the skies safe.

Bluey: It's your time to shine, Redster!

Redster: They'll never know what hit 'em.

Drang & Redster: Let's go!

The Red Sphere glows crimson, summoning a magical vortex of raging flames that send the visitants packing.

Sturm: Nicely done.

Drang: Heheh... I may be self-taught, but that doesn't mean I don't have the skills.

Redster: Hey, this is no time to be celebrating! You better keep your guard up.

Drang: I take that to mean we haven't won yet.

Redster: That's right. Unless you draw out the full extent of my power, the visitants won't stay gone...

Bluey: And I won't have the chance to seal them off!

Redster: So this is on you, partner. If you don't do your part, we can't do ours.

Redster: You've gotta figure out a way to escape their enthrallment if that's gonna happen though.

Drang: That's easy enough for you to say... Guess I better get to thinking.

Sturm: Hey. If you've got some idea of what to do, let me hear it.

Drang: Well, from the sounds of it, we're doomed unless we can figure out a way to free me from this spell...

Overhead, countless rifts open in the sky, each with their own visitant lurking in wait.

Forget Regrets: Scene 3

A tremendous slap from Sturm snaps Drang out of his daze long enough to get his bearings. Successfully drawing out the power of the spheres, Drang banishes the visitants and reforms the seal between dimensions. Afterward, Sturm accompanies Drang home to help him make up with his mother, but is mistaken to be his significant other in the process. Though there's a lot to work through, Drang feels optimistic about his relationships moving forward.

---

Determining that Drang poses a significant danger to their plans of world domination, the visitants move to eliminate him.

Redster: Tch... They're trying to overwhelm us with numbers.

Bluey: We've gotta do something fast, or else we're toast!

Drang: Ugh...

Sturm: Get it together, Drang!

Sturm hits Drang with a mighty slap, utilizing the full extent of her strength.

The impact is enough to send him rolling away, his body only coming to a stop once he collides with a nearby tree.

Drang: Yeeeowowow!

Sturm: Looks like that woke you up pretty good.

Drang: Y-you could've held back just a little, y'know that?

Sturm: Oh, shut up! You just focus on snapping yourself out of it while I hold them back!

Drang: Sturm?

Despite the impossible odds, Sturm turns to face the horde of enemies. Her fearless stance makes Drang straighten up in turn.

Drang: She really is just too damn cool... Has been since the day we met...

Sturm: I am living the way that I want.

Sturm: I've never once thought that taking care of my family was a burden.

Sturm: Cutting ties with people won't set you free.

Sturm: Neither will running from responsibility.

Drang: (Always more mature... more sure of herself. Right from the get-go.)

Drang: Their lives could be so much better if they would just ditch their "friends" and families, break the mold.

Drang: (I acted like I was above it all, when I was the most hung up on those things.)

Drang: (I can't turn back the clock and change what I've done...)

Visitant: ...

Sturm: Ngh!

Drang: But I can at least keep that list of regrets from getting any longer!

Blinding light bursts forth from the Red and Blue Spheres, in tandem with Drang's newfound determination.

Redster: Heh, guess you're like me. You show up when it counts for the people you care about!

Drang: I gotta stand my ground... or else this is the end of the world as we know it, yeah?

Visitant: ...!

Sturm: Finally. You always get serious way too late into the game.

Drang: Sorry about that, Sturm! But it's all good now. I'm feeling so fine, there's no way we'll lose.

Sturm: You mean victory's as good as ours. We just need to finish mopping the floor with every last one of them.

Drang: Haha! You know what, you're right! Victory's always ours when I've got you by my side!

Brimming with confidence, Drang skillfully conjures a fiery whirlwind from the Red Sphere twirling between his fingertips.

The flames instantly engulf the eyes gazing upon the world, sentencing them to a burning demise.

Drang: Hehe!

Bluey: Waaah! They're calling in the cavalry—and lots of 'em!

Drang: Well, if they want more, then who am I to say no? You ready, Redster?

Redster: Let me at them!

Another round of fiery punishment swallows every visitant crossing the dimensional border.

Drang: All right, Bluey, you're up!

Bluey: Okay! Tag me in, coach!

Cool blue light floods the area as the Blue Sphere forms the seal to ensure the visitants stay in their own world.

Drang: (And that's that... You can rest easy now, right, Father?)

Successfully proving himself, Drang becomes the new official wielder of the Red Sphere and Blue Sphere.

As for the seal, its magic will hold strong as long as both orbs remain together.

Drang: Phew, I'm beat.

Sturm: Take a breather.

Drang: Sure, but you should too.

Sturm: I didn't even break a sweat out there. You pulled most of the weight this time around.

Drang: Naw, that's not true.

Drang: If you hadn't brought me Redster when you did, it would've all been over. Me and the rest of the skies owe you one.

Sturm: So those things... really do talk?

Drang: Yep! Only to me, but they definitely have wills of their own.

Sturm: Y-yeah? As long as you're not actually losing it...

Redster: Heh, you guys get along almost as good as me and Bluey.

Drang: Heheh. Guess what Redster just said, Sturm? He thinks we seem like pretty good pals.

Sturm: Hmph. You can tell that orb we're not "pals." We're partners.

Drang: Haha... You heard her.

From her position ahead, Sturm suddenly turns around and beckons for Drang to move past her.

Sturm: You've got other business to finish, don't you? Lead the way.

Drang: Huh... Oh, that. You sure? Don't wanna wrap you up in my own personal mess.

Sturm: The more things you've got on your mind, the less effective you are at work. So this is to my benefit too.

With Sturm in tow, Drang heads to his childhood home, where he comes to a stop in front of the door. He makes no move to open it.

Drang: ...

Sturm: I don't think I've ever seen you this quiet before. Makes me want to savor it while it lasts.

Drang: On the flipside, you're way chattier than usual.

Sturm: What, would you prefer total silence? I can't help you if I say nothing.

Drang: Th-that's true...

The door suddenly cracks open to reveal Drang's mother, who has noticed the commotion they've been making.

Mother: Oh...

Drang: Uhh... Mother, sorry for the unexpected guest, but this here's Sturm...

Sturm: I'm this guy's—

Mother: Hehehe, it's nice to meet you, Sturm. Do come in.

Smiling brightly, Drang's mother places a gentle hand on Sturm's back and ushers her inside.

Mother: Have you been with my boy long?

Sturm: About ten years or so, give or take.

Mother: My, my. That's quite a while...

Drang: Er, Mother. Sturm's actually...

Mother: Have a seat, you two. I'll be right back with some hot tea.

Sturm: Drang. After you chat with your mom, take me to your dad and grandma's graves.

Drang: Wha...

Sturm: You and I both know we can't turn back time. Your regrets will always stay with you.

Sturm: So... Don't waste the opportunity you have right now to change things. At the very least, it's worth giving it a try.

Drang: Yeah... You're right. If I don't face my past, then there's no way I can face my future.

Drang: Though I get the feeling this chat with my mother is going to be awkward...

Sturm: Yeah, and? Just be honest with her.

Drang: I mean, I'll definitely try in regards to our problems. It's just... she seems to think you and me are an item—

Drang: Yeow!

Sturm: Wh-what do you mean an item? Y-you better clear that up immediately!

Drang: Now that I think about it, maybe letting her run with the idea might save me some other troubles—

Drang: Owies!

Sturm: I'll help you make up with your mom, but I won't pretend to be your girlfriend! Got it?

Drang: Aw, but...

Many years of unresolved problems remain between mother and son. But with enough honesty and patience, their family will move forward together.

At least, Drang is confident that future will come to be, as long as the one and only Sturm stays by his side.