Your head is foggy as you slowly begin to wake up. Before you open your eyes, you notice how comfortable you are. Could you be on a bed? You quickly realize that the comfort that you're feeling right now means one thing. Someone found you when you hit the surface of the planet and moved you.
Your vision is a blur as you slowly open your eyes, and the first thing you see is a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes laying on the bed staring right in your face. After a couple seconds, it clicks in the little girl's brain that you're awake and her cheeks flush a bright pink in surprise.
" MAMA!! THE ALIEN IS AWAKE!!! THE ALIEN IS AWAKE!!! "
She screams as she quickly scurrys off the bed and runs out of the room screaming and slams the door shut.
" AAAAHHHHH!!! "
You can hear a bunch of banging and clanging outside of the room as if the little girl is knocking a bunch of stuff down screaming as she runs around the house. Then you hear the soft voice of a woman outside of the room.
" Mimi! Calm down, silly. You might scare him if you keep yelling and making a bunch of noise… "
The banging and clanging stops abruptly and it's quiet for a few seconds. Then the door opens slowly and you see a woman, presumably the girl's mother, standing in the doorway holding a mug.
" You're finally awake. "
The woman says softly with a kind smile as she walks over to your bedside and sits down in a chair. She holds the mug outwards towards you, offering you a drink.
" Coffee? "
She asks kindly.
You shake your head, respectfully declining the hot drink from the stranger.
" That was quite a fall you took. The village folk were amazed and you were quite the talk of the town for a few days. You landed right in my garden and there wasn't a scratch on you. You had so many visitors while you were unconscious and they've taken to calling you the "Star Faller"... Do you remember anything before the fall? "
You think about your encounter in space with The One and the Omniverse, but you obscure the truth as to not give any information to this woman.
" No. I only remember falling. "
You tell her as she puts her hand on your forehead to check your body temperature. As she's examining you, you realize that The Holy Omniverse Transcript is missing.
" I remember when I fell, I had a book in my hands that was very important to me. "
" Oh? "
She exclaims.
" A book? When we found you, there was no book at all. It was just you lying inside the crater in my garden… Well, Mimi actually saw you first and found you before coming to get me. "
The woman then turns and looks at the little girl who's peeking out from behind the door frame of the room.
" Mimi, come and say hi. Don't you want to talk to the Star Faller? You're the one who was so worried about him when you found him. "
The little girl's face turns a bright red in embarrassment. Then her face turns serious and she runs into the room and jumps onto the bed that you're laying in. She stands over you holding a wooden toy katana and points it in your face as she declares who she is.
" My name is Mimi!! I'm 11 and ¾ and I'm not scared of you!! "
You start to smile but do your best to hide it while this tiny girl stands over you trying her best to intimidate you. She then notices that you're holding back a smile and a look of panic washes over her face.
" AAAAHHHHH!! "
She screams and bonks you on the head with the wooden sword.
" MIMI!! "
The mother exclaims as Mimi jumps off the bed again and runs out of the room back through the house.
" Don't mind her. She gets nervous around strangers. Ever since her father passed away, she's been afraid of meeting new people and forming new attachments… It's nice to meet you, Star Faller. My name is Veronica. "
The woman smiles gently before she grabs her cup of coffee and gets up, walking towards the door. She stops in the doorway and turns around towards you.
" Whenever you're ready, feel free to come out and stretch those legs. You've been asleep for quite some time. I just finished making breakfast. You're welcome to join us if you'd like. "
Veronica says before giving you a gentle smile and exiting into the hallway outside.
The room goes silent as you lay in bed, evaluating the current situation and where you are.
One moment I'm watching the birth of Gods and the next moment I'm being offered breakfast by a woman I've never met… She seems nice and there's no doubt that she took good care of me while I was unconscious. I'll play things safe and join them for breakfast, but I need to find that book.
You get out of bed and walk into the dining room where breakfast has been prepared. You take a seat at the table where Mimi and Veronica are eating and Mimi stares at you in awe while she chews her food. The atmosphere is silent and tense as you eat with them, but as you politely enjoy this meal that Veronica has prepared for you, you can tell that Mimi is slowly lowering her guard and getting more comfortable around you. Veronica smiles at you when you're finished.
" How was it? "
She asks happily.
" It was immaculate. "
You reply kindly as you both get up from the table.
" Welp, it's time for me to go to work. Mimi, would you like to come to work with Mama and spend the day with me? "
Veronica asks Mimi, giving her an opportunity to stay with her mother in case she's still nervous around you. Mimi thinks about it for a moment as she stares at you, then she answers her mother with another question.
" Actually I think I got a better idea, Mama. Would it be okay if I show the Star Faller around the village and where we found him? He looks like a dummy that doesn't know where he is and that's probably really scary, so maybe if I show him around, I could help him feel better! "
Veronica smiles, happy that her daughter is empathizing with you and your situation before replying to Mimi in a motherly tone.
" That's fine, Mimi. But you gotta be home before the moon cycle starts, got it? "
" Okay Mama!! "
Mimi cheers as she jumps out of her chair and grabs your hand. She looks up at you with a bright smile and declares her first destination with her fist in the air.
" FIRST STOP, THAT BIG HOLE YOU PUT IN MAMA'S ROSE GARDEN!! "
Mimi shouts as she runs excitedly, leading you out the front door of the house. Veronica holds back her laughter as you follow Mimi out the front door and to the front gate of her mother's garden where Mimi lets you in. Still holding Mimi's hand, she leads you through the garden until you reach a man-sized crater in the ground. Mimi jumps into the crater and spins around in a circle while giggling.
" See! Look at this crater! This is where you landed when you fell! I was looking up at the stars here in the garden when I saw you! You hit the ground really hard! "
After Mimi says this, her face fades from a smile to a frown, obviously upset as she looks down at the ground. Mimi then sits down on her legs inside the crater, brooding over something that's bothering her.
" What's the matter, Mimi? "
You ask her with a look of concern, standing at the edge of the crater. Her cheeks blush a bright red and you can tell she's got something on her mind.
" When you fell… did it hurt? Mama says I should always help people when they're hurt and when you hit the ground, it looked like it hurt really bad. Mama said there were no scratches, but I saw it… "
You sit down on the edge of the crater in front of Mimi and look her in the eyes.
" No, Mimi. It didn't hurt. My book protected me as I fell. Without my book, I probably would've gotten hurt really bad. The book saved me. "
Mimi's face lights up with wonder and amazement.
" It didn't hurt? Like, at all? The book saved you? Star Faller, you must have superpowers! "
Mimi giggles for a bit, then gets serious again as another thought crosses her mind.
" Star Faller, I think I remember seeing something when you fell… A big dark scary man wearing a big blanket floating over you right after you hit the ground. I was hiding in the bushes when I saw him and he looked at me before disappearing into the dark… Do you think that he might've took your book? "
You suddenly get chills down your spine and your face goes pale as you come to a terrifying realization…
This little girl saved your life.
" Star Faller… are you okay? You look sick all the sudden. Did you lie to mama about liking her breakfast? You look like you're gonna barf… "
You choke down the feeling of fear that's creeping through your bones and you give Mimi a forced smile.
" No, Mimi. I'm alright. Your mother's breakfast was amazing. "
Mimi's face lights up again with excitement as she holds her hand outwards to you to help her out of the crater.
" Awesome! C'mon then, Star Faller!! I wanna show you the village next!! "
Mimi says as you grab her hand and she climbs out of the crater before running ahead, leading you out of the garden and into the village.
Your next stop is the shops, where Mimi introduces you as the Star Faller and the villagers give you many reactions of amazement. Everyone also seems to know Mimi and they're very nice to her, giving her gifts and sweets that they've purchased specifically for her and the other children in the village when they come by. You notice that the atmosphere around this village is very kind and welcoming, and you can tell that these villagers all share a special bond with one another as a small community.
As you continue to follow Mimi around, you eventually end up at a weapons vendor on the streetside where an older gentleman has a variety of weapons for sale. Mimi greets the man with a bright smile.
" 'Morning Hugo!! "
" Good morning, Mimi. I see you're out and about with that Star Faller everyone's been talking about. "
Hugo says as he leans forward over the counter with a friendly smile.
" Mhmm! "
Mimi exclaims proudly as she looks up at you before Hugo speaks to you in an impressed tone.
" I'll tell you what, there ain't ever been a man around these parts that can take a fall like that and look completely fine only a few sun cycles later. That means you must be pretty tough. If you're ever looking for a finely crafted weapon, I'm your guy! As long as you can afford what it's worth to make them, of course. "
You nod your head respectfully as you reply.
" I'll keep that in mind. Thank you. "
" What about my sword, Hugo? You still have it, don't you? "
Mimi asks in a silly tone as she looks around at the weapons on display.
" Of course I do. What kind of man do you think I am? A man of honor sticks to his word, and that's what I intend to do. Your father told me not to give it to you until you're older so that's what I'm gonna do. I got it locked up nice and safe here behind the counter. "
" Can I see it again? Please! Please please please! "
Mimi pleads to Hugo with her hands together.
" Yeah, sure. It's your sword after all. You can't hold it though because swords are a dangerous weapon and you gotta learn to wield them responsibly. That's why I made that wooden replica for you in the first place. "
Hugo says as he reaches under the counter and pulls out an ornate display case, setting it on the countertop. You and Mimi both step forward to look at it and Mimi gets up on her tiptoes to see better.
The sword is a beautiful katana with a shiny pink guard and a white blade. There are intricate cherry blossom designs engraved all over it, filled in with gold and it's obvious to you that this piece was made by a master craftsman.
" Doesn't it look pretty, Star Faller? Papa paid so much money to have it made for me! He wanted to make sure my sword was the nicest one in the whole village! "
Confused, you ask Mimi a question.
" Why'd your father have a sword made for you? "
" Oh yeah! That's right, haha! You're not from around here! "
Mimi says before answering your question.
" When the kids here in the village grow up, their Papa gives them a sword as a sign of them being proud! The sword is like your Papa telling you that you're at an age where you can take care of yourself from now on. Everyone here gets a sword when they're old enough and each sword is special depending on who it's for. "
Hugo decides to chime in and educate you on the matter.
" These swords are often very nice but don't let their beautiful appearance fool you. They take years to make and are crafted to perfection, capable of cutting just about anything given they're wielded properly and with the right form. Some of them even have an affinity for magic, just like Mimi's here. "
" Very nice. "
You say as you and Mimi both continue admiring the sword on the countertop.
" Papa isn't here anymore but he told Hugo that if anything happened to him, then he would want Hugo to make sure I was given my sword at the right time… "
Mimi says in a sad tone as she begins to think of her father.
" Your father was an honorable young lad, Mimi. I made a promise to him and as long as I'm still alive and kicking, I intend on keeping it. "
Hugo says as he picks the display case back up and locks it away again behind the counter.
" You know, if you're giving the Star Faller here a tour of Ishville, then you should definitely pay a visit to the village church. Forging swords to impress men is one thing, but if you really want to blow him away, you should show him what our ancestors built here to impress the Gods. "
" That's a great idea, Hugo! "
Mimi says, taking her mind off of what was making her sad and grabbing your hand again. Hugo waves and shouts towards you as you leave, letting Mimi lead you again.
" Come back whenever you like! You're always welcome here! That goes for you too, Star Faller! "
It's afternoon by the time that you both arrive at the village church and the architecture from the outside is absolutely astonishing. Just by looking at the amount of detail, you can tell that this building took several hundred years to build at least.
Upon going inside, you see a variety of villagers in the mass all praying to four altars, with each altar dedicated to a God of Light. You recall the memory of seeing the Gods portrayed on these altars being born right in front of you and you ask Mimi a question regarding why there are only four.
" Isn't there supposed to be seven Gods? Where are the altars to Nahzgor, Sowzo and Reylesh? "
The entire church immediately goes silent and everyone that was praying stops to stare at you. You can hear a faint whispering among the crowd as the entire church silently judges you, looking at you like you just committed a terrible sin.
Mimi then grabs your hand again and puts her head down in embarrassment as she leads you out of the church. The doors close behind you and you follow her to a nearby park that you both previously visited before sitting down on a bench next to her. Mimi then looks up at you in bewilderment.
" So those are the names of the other three Gods… Mama says that I shouldn't know their names or say their names out loud because bad things will happen. How do you know them? "
You tell her a white lie that's much more believable than the truth.
" I don't know, Mimi. I think I remember it from when I fell or something… I hope I didn't get you in trouble for telling you. "
" Don't feel bad, Star Faller! I won't tell anyone that you told me. It'll be a secret between me and you! "
Mimi exclaims in a worried tone in an attempt to put your guilt at ease.
" You know… I like you, Star Faller. You remind me a lot of my papa before he went away. I miss him so much. "
You can see the look of sorrow on Mimi's face as she stares into the distance and thinks about her father again. You say something in an attempt to make her feel better.
" I'm sure if your papa was still here, he wouldn't want you to be sad. It seems like he loved you very much and would want you to be happy no matter what, even when he's not here. "
Mimi then looks up at you with tears in her eyes before giving you a hug.
" You're right, Star Faller. My papa would want me to be happy. "
Mimi buries her face in your shirt as she hugs you. You look up into the sky as Mimi is hugging you and see the sun beginning to set. You put your arm around Mimi to comfort her as she cries and you speak to her in a gentle tone.
" C'mon, Mimi. It's starting to get dark. Let's go home. "
Mimi sniffles from crying and wipes her eyes as she looks up at the sky as well.
" Yeah. "
Mimi says as she takes a deep breath to get herself together.
" The moon cycle is almost starting and Mama wanted me home before then… "
You both get up and start heading back home… but you can't shake the feeling of ominous eyes that are watching you from a dark treeline in the distance as you and Mimi both leave the park.