Talking to myself again... Anyway. Orlha and Tia. I think this is coherent, at least.
14. Mirrors Reverse Right and Left
===========================================================
Orlha's Bar, Guldove (Another)
===========================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Serge drops in and talks to Orlha without showing her
the brooch (or while he's still Lynx)...]
Orlha:
I have a twin sister.
Her name is Tia...
Orlha:
According to old legends,
'"Twins are signs of tragedy..."'
When I was a child, I was
separated from my mother and
sister, who left El Nido...
I only had my father.
I felt as if half of my
body had been lost.
There was a huge
void in my heart...
Serge:
I've heard that legend before,
but I've never known anyone who
really took it seriously. Your
parents must have been...very
traditional. (Well, it sounds
better than saying, "I think
they were squid-tupping nuts!",
anyway. I hope.)
Orlha:
Chuckle... I never told this
story to anyone before...
Strange.
Sometimes I really feel that
there are countless worlds...
And I am not the only me...
Does this sound odd?
[Serge shakes his head]
Serge:
Not in the least.
Norris: [if present]
Indeed, should you ever have the
opportunity, I think you would
find meeting yourself...
interesting.
Serge:
You said the brooch you gave
me belonged to your sister?
Orlha:
Yes.
It is a token that's been passed
down through generations in
my family.
It is cracked in half now; one half
belongs to me, and the other to
my sister Tia...
Whenever I started to feel weak
or lonely as a child, I would
hold it and remember that there
was another person in this world
who had to be feeling exactly
the way I did...
Serge:
(And she gave it to me?!)
Magus: [if present]
...
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[If Guile is also present]
Guile:
Magus? What is it?
[Magus' hand touches his side, where Schala's amulet is slung.]
Magus:
...Nothing of importance.
Guile:
Are you certain?
Magus:
Merely old memories resurfacing.
None of them have anything to
do with our current situation.
Guile:
Hmm.
Serge:
(Weird--he's the last person
I'd expect would find Orlha's
story...touching. But back to
that brooch...)
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
[If Nikki and Marcy are both present instead]
Nikki:
...
Marcy:
Oh, shut up!
[Marcy steps on Nikki's foot]
Nikki:
Ow! What was that for?!
Marcy:
I don't want you even THINKING
the word "sister". Every time
you say it, you start to act
all weird at me!
Serge:
(Oh, man... It's a good thing
THEY don't have a brooch, or
Marcy would probably make poor
Nikki eat his half. Speaking of
which...)
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Serge:
I can't keep something that's
so important to you, Orlha.
Orlha:
You don't have to return it...
just yet.
This blue gem... This is the only
one that exists in this world.
That means it is proof
you are the real '"Serge."'
Orlha:
So, please keep it with you
until you have regained
your true identity.
Serge:
(I don't get it--why does she
think I need "proof"? If she's
worried about Lynx faking her
out, well, Lynx probably doesn't
even know her name. It isn't
like stealing my body gave him
my memories or anything.)
Orlha:
This blue gem is a token of the
promise between you and me...
Don't forget, Serge..
Serge:
(I get the feeling there's going
to be no arguing with her about
this.) I won't.
Orlha:
Someday, I will find
my sister, Tia...
Somewhere, somehow...
Serge:
I hope you do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Serge-as-Serge shows Orlha the Sapphire Brooch]
Orlha:
This blue gem... Looks like you've
regained your true self.
Serge:
Yeah, I guess so. Here, you can
have this back now. (Not that I
understand why she wanted me to
have it in the first place!)
[System]
Serge returns Sapphire Brooch.
Orlha:
Oh...
Serge:
What is it?
Orlha:
This is strange. I think that
this half of the brooch has
somehow come very close to the
other half...but I don't
understand how Tia could be in
El Nido.
Serge:
Well, maybe she isn't in THIS
El Nido.
Orlha:
What do you mean?
Serge:
(Ugh, I had to go and say it...
I'm an idiot. Sigh. Now I have
to...)
Well, it's kind of like this.
[Fade out, then in, as Serge waves his arms expressively]
Serge:
(I hope that this is the last
time I EVER have to explain all
of that, but I'm not betting
on it.)
Orlha:
Then...my sister might be
in this other world?
Serge:
It's the only thing I can think
of that makes sense. (Well,
unless she's crazy, and I really
don't think she is. Even if she
does talk to her jewelry.)
Orlha:
I hate to ask you for another
favour, but could you take me
there? If Tia is there, I...
I want to see her.
Serge:
I don't see why not. (I mean,
it isn't like we've been trying
to keep bits of the worlds from
mixing together or anything.)
Is there anywhere in particular
that you'd like to go there?
Orlha:
Guldove, I guess. Even if no one
there recognizes me, I think I
can convince some of them to
help me look for her.
Serge:
That should be easy enough.
(I was afraid she would want
to check out everywhere we've
been on that side. Including
the Dead Sea. Yeouch.)
[And we fade directly to the docks of Guldove(Home).
Serge's boat is moored at the pier, and we see Orlha
get out of it and walk over to Doc's clinic.]
===========================================================
Front Room, Doc's Clinic, Guldove (Home)
===========================================================
[When the party enters, they see Orlha standing in front of
Doc, who is sitting on his stool in the upper-left corner,
staring down at his hands.]
Orlha:
Doc,
please...look up.
Doc:
This voice...?
It is so familiar.
But something is different...
who is this?
Serge:
(That's weird--I'm pretty sure
Orlha isn't here in this world.
I mean, Orcha's the one running
the pub, isn't he? So why would
Doc recognize Orlha's voice?)
[Doc looks up, and lunges to his feet]
Doc:
......!?
Tia, is that you Tia?
What the...?
Serge:
(I don't believe it! She found
what she was looking for in the
first place she checked?!)
[I would dearly love to add an O_O smiley to that line,
but it wouldn't fit with the rest of the script. Anyway,
Orlha shakes her head]
Orlha:
No, I'm not Tia...
Please calm down.
I am Tia's twin sister, Orlha...
[Doc shakes his head]
Doc:
Tia's twin sister...?
H-Hold on a sec!
What exactly is going on?
I thought Tia's twin sister
died four years ago!
Serge:
(Oh, no, not AGAIN...)
Orlha:
Sorry, we don't have much time
to explain right now...
Serge:
(Saved!)
Orlha:
Please...let me see Tia.
I can feel her, even though
we live in different worlds...
Tia...Tia is here.
Doc, I beg you...
Doc:
...Your eyes tell me you
speak the truth.
I understand, I will permit you
to visit, but realize one thing...
It will be a painful reunion...
Orlha.
Serge:
(I guess that means she's really
sick... Dying, even? I wonder if
the Tia in our world is okay.)
Orlha:
Yes, I know...
But still...I must
meet my sister.
Doc:
...Alright.
Then let me take you
to her.
===========================================================
Ward, Doc's Clinic, Guldove (Home)
===========================================================
[We're sent here directly from the last scene. Orlha is
crouched by the head of the bed, in which an unconscious
girl is lying. The other members of the party have their
backs to the bed, and Doc and the nurse are standing near
the foot.]
Doc:
As you can ascertain, dude...
Our voices can't reach her,
no matter how hard we try...
We don't even have a firm
diagnosis of what caused her
to become unconscious and
collapse...
Time has mercilessly passed by,
while she continues to slumber.
Luccia: | Sprigg: | Serge:
Dis is not my area of study, | Somethin' strange is goin' | Please tell me she hasn't
but how long has she been | on 'ere... 'az this got | been like this for ten
afflicted like dis? It vould | somethin' to do with the | years! (Of course, everything
not have started ten years | dimensionz splittin'? But | ELSE freaky that's been
ago, vould it? | she can't 'ave been like | happening around me lately
| this for ten yearz. | is due to the dimensions
| | splitting, so why should this
| | be any different?
Doc:
How did you know? She hasn't
been like this the whole time,
but it was ten years ago that
she started having fainting
spells. Then, just a little
while ago, she collapsed
completely.
Serge:
(Probably when I first went from
one world to the other. So this
is my fault somehow. What in
hell am I supposed to do?)
Orlha:
Tia, can you hear
my voice...
Your big sister is here
by your side...
[Tia]
Sis...
Orlha...
[Orlha]
~!?~
Orlha:
Ti...Tia?
Serge:
(!)
[Tia turns her head]
Tia:
I was having a long dream...
Orlha...
I finally meet you...
Your hair, your eyes,
we are both really alike...
For we are twin sisters,
born on the same planet...
Orlha:
Oh, Tia,
how could this be...
But I...
Tia:
No, it's alright, sis...
I know. I've been watching
everything from my dreams...
Yes, the world is not one.
...Just like our dreams,
the possibilities are infinite.
Serge:
(So she dreamed of the other
world... I wonder if the other
world's Tia dreams of this one?)
Tia:
My long dream has ended...
I am so glad...
that I was able to meet you...
Orlha:
No Tia, it's not the end!
No Tia......
I...I won't...
I won't let it end like this!
We're going to start over
from the very beginning...
So please...Tia. Don't go!
Tia:
My spirit will
always be with you, sis...
I will always be with...you.
[Tia turns her head away again]
~!!!~
Orlha:
...Wait, Tia.
Please...
just once more...
...your eyes.
Open your eyes and...and show
me your smile once more...
I beg...of you...
[And we fade to...]
===========================================================
Front Room, Doc's Clinic, Guldove (Home)
===========================================================
[Orlha is sitting on the bed, with everyone else clustered
around her]
Orlha:
Tia...
Just when I finally found you...
Serge:
I'm sorry. I wish we could
have gotten you here sooner.
Orlha:
You...couldn't have known.
I should have...even from a
different world, I should have
been able to tell she was here.
Doc:
Another world?
You mean to say such a thing
exists? Truly bodacious...
Serge:
I'm...not sure that that's the
word I'd use to describe it.
("Truly a pain" would fit a
lot better!)
Doc:
A miracle, brought together by
a bond spanning two worlds...
[Nurse]
It is truly unbelievable,
for such a thing to really
occur...
Serge:
(I don't know that I'd call it
a miracle. If we'd been able to
save Tia, THAT would have been
a miracle...but we didn't.)
Doc:
Orlha...
As Tia said in her final
words...
She will always be with you.
Even though your worlds are
different, you two are truly
sisters. That will never change...
Doc:
This was Tia's.
...Take it with you.
Orlha:
That blue gem...
Doc:
I heard Tia talk about
this gem before...
I can only give it to you.
Tia's spirit will always be with
you, along with this blue gem...
Now, Orlha, open your hands.
[System]
The split gem has become
one and regained its blue sparkle.
Orlha received the
Blue Brooch.
Orlha:
Tia's spirit...
Orlha:
...Oh, Tia...
Why did you have to......
[Orlha turns to face the window and kind of slumps, and then
we fade directly back to...
===========================================================
Ward, Doc's Clinic, Guldove (Home)
===========================================================
[Orlha is sitting alone on Tia's bed.]
Orlha:
Tia...
Just when I finally found you...
[Tia]
...Sis.
[Orlha looks up]
Orlha:
...Tia?
Orlha:
Oh...
it can't be.
[Tia's...ghost?...fades in on the left side of the room]
[Tia]
...Orlha.
Orlha:
Tia!!!
[Orlha gets up and turns to face Tia]
Tia:
The blue gem binds us as sisters,
and also contains the prayers of
mother and father...
The split gem has crossed the
worlds and become one.
And now, it has been passed
into your hands...
Orlha:
Mother and father's prayers
are...within this gem...
Tia:
And my spirit,
will be with you, sis...
Please don't forget...
And live strong for the both of us...
Orlha:
I will...
[Fade directly to...]
===========================================================
Orlha's Bar, Guldove (Another)
===========================================================
[Orlha is back behind the bar, and Serge is leaning against it,
with the rest of the party behind him.]
Orlha:
Thank you, Serge. If you hadn't
taken me there...
Serge:
Hey, don't mention it. (It was
easier than a lot of other stuff
I've done lately.)
Orlha:
There isn't much I can do to
repay you, but from now on, your
drinks are on the house!
Serge:
Um... In that case, how about an
orange juice?
Orlha:
I'd almost forgotten how young
you are. Okay, one orange juice
coming right up!
[Orlha hands Serge a glass, and he drinks.]
Serge:
Thanks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[If Guile was recruited]
Serge:
(Mind you, there are a few
people I'm going to have to
avoid bringing here now!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
===========================================================
Front Room, Doc's Clinic, Guldove (Another)
===========================================================
[This scenelet takes place if they go into the clinic in (Another)
and speak to Doc after Orlha and Tia meet]
Doc:
Hey, dude! Orlha's been looking
a lot happier lately. I don't
know what you did, but it seems
to have helped her. Thanks.
Serge:
We took her to see Tia. I guess
it meant a lot to her.
Doc:
!
...Oh, I see. The other world's
Tia must still be alive.
Serge:
Actually, she passed away while
Orlha was there, but... (Hey,
wait a minute!) How did you know
I was talking about the Tia from
the other world? If you know
something about what happened to
her in this world, why didn't
you tell Orlha?
Doc:
...Do you know where Orlha got
the money to set up the bar?
Serge:
Um, no, but what's that got to
do with anything?
Doc:
About four years ago, a merchant
ship tried to sail through the
Throat and into El Nido just a
little too late in the year...
A few of the life rafts made it,
and the cargo was mostly timber,
so it floated and was eventually
recovered. The captain of the
ship was Orlha's mother. She
went down with the ship, trying
to save her bedridden daughter.
Part of the proceeds from the
sale of the cargo, along with
the story, came to Orlha, their
next-of-kin.
Serge:
You're saying that Orlha knew
that Tia was dead?
[Doc nods]
Doc:
She's known for more than three
years, but she's always said it
wasn't possible, that she could
feel Tia somewhere nearby... I
hope that meeting the other
Tia has given her some kind of
closure.
Serge:
(So Orlha was...sensing...Tia
there all along, just on the
other side of the wall between
the worlds... I guess there
really is something strange
about twins after all.)
Possibly not the flashiest explanation for Orlha and Tia, but it was the most plausible one I could come up with.
The next segment will be Skelly's backstory, assuming that I can figure out what happened to him. Then leftover bits and pieces, then the next chapter.
