Monster raid! Aques's space plants are losing their light!
MC: what?
Invasion of darkness.
Alphecca: What!?
Obsidius: Rakta!
Rakta: Right, the Monsters are likely absorbing the city's ether.
Obsidius: So the plants that drink the water with all ether in it? Damn.
MC: Obsidius, explain / Rakta, explain
(A) Obsidius: They're going after the whole damn city!
(B) Rakta: The Monsters are targetting everything in town!
Alphecca: Oh. So we're outgunned. We probably can't save the whole city even if we call for help...
Rakta: We can still figure out a safe place to evacuate though.
MC: Low ether zones. So inside or somewhere away from the water.
Rakta: Correct!
Obsidius: So we got two jobs to do. Lead the evacuation...
Alphecca: And hold out for Theoreol.
Rakta: Indeed. Put a refuge announcement on stream.
Obsidius: And kick Monster ass, got it!
MC: Not like we got anything better, so let's do it!
Alphecca: Obsidius and I will take point! You two guard the civilians!
Obsidius: We gonna smash them all!
The two start wiping out slimes.
Rakta: MC, let's go! Watch your feet!
MC uses their phone as a flashlight.
Rakta: People, this way to safety!
Citizen A: We're saved...
Rakta: It's okay now. You look fine, so could you lend a hand?
Citizen A: O-okay!
Rakta: Tell everyone who's hurt to go to the hospital and not the bathhouse. Those are dangerous right now.
Citizen A: I haven't been to the hospital in forever, but okay.
Rakta: Thank you! MC, let's keep going!
MC and Rakta head on! All the randos look dead inside.
Rakta: I am a doctor and here to help! What's wrong?
Rando: (mumble)
Rakta: Come again?
Rando: I said GO AWAY
Rakta: Uh, there is literally an attack going on right now.
Rando: Aques is doomed! What does it matter anymore!?
Rakta: H-how can you give up like that? You are perfectly physically healthy for one!
Rando: Then do something about our home, bitch!
Rakta: !?
MC: Hey wait let's all calm down for a sec...
Rakta: Oh, sorry. I panicked there... I'm useless again...
Rakta starts having a hospital flashback!
Title Card: The Light of Mercy Shining in the Depths
Flashback!
Rakta: Hello, how are you today?
Patient: (stares)
Rakta: It's time for your check-up... okay, you're on the road to recovery. You should be okay to leave in a month at this rate. Let me know if anything hurts!
Rakta (narrating): I was in charge of a surgery patient after a disaster damaged their legs. They said there was no pain, but they never got out of bed.
Rakta: Nice day out, huh?
Patient: Close the curtains.
Rakta: Oh...okay.
Rakta (narrating): The disaster destroyed the patient's home, so they're a refugee on the moon. I didn't understand what it meant to lose your home.
Rakta: Hello, nice day out again!
Patient: (stares)
Rakta: Check up again! ...okay things are on track. How about a walk around the hospital instead of going outside?
Patient: Sorry, I don't want to see the outside.
Rakta: Oh...okay, sorry.
Rakta (narrating): So there's a mental shock from losing their home and all their family, but a psych specialist said they didn't pick up any PTSD or mental illness somehow! There's counseling specialists on staff, but I wanted to help too.
Another day
Rakta: Hello and how are you today?
Patient: (stares)
Rakta: Check up again...and you're doing great! How about looking outside?
Patient: ...no thank you.
Rakta: ...could you tell me why not?
Patient: ...I don't want to be reminded that my home blew up! Doctor, do you have any concept of a home?
Rakta: !!
Patient: I'll never see any of it again!
Rakta (narrating): The word "home" doesn't have any emotional meaning to me. I've lived on the Moon my whole life, but nothing ever stayed the same. Literally none of my school friends live there anymore. Heck, everyone in my proximity changes by the month. How do I form connections like that when it all changes by the minute?
Rakta: I'm sorry, I don't know what people mean by home. Would you mind telling me about yours?
Patient: Doctor...
Rakta (narrating): And so the patient started telling me about their home every day and all the little joys that come with it.
Later
Rakta: Congratulations on getting dischaged!
Patient: Thank you.
Rakta (narrating): The patient never looked outside during their whole stay, and I never managed to get their feelings. I don't know if I did the right thing, and maybe I'd have done something different if I did understand them. I became a hero soon after that. I healed many people, but still never understood how to give people emotional support.
Present
Obsidius: (blocks for Rakta) Look out!
Rakta: Ah!
MC: Rakta!
Obsidius: Get hammered!
One more Monster defeated!
Rakta: I'm sorry everyone...
Alphecca: I'm not sure why you're spacing out, but remember why you're here!
Obsidius: Yeah! Remember who you are and why you're standing there.
MC: You aren't alone. We're here too.
Rakta: ...right. How could I forget something so important?
Rakta: (turns to Rando) I can't promise to fix your home. But...
Rando: W-what?
Rakta shows Rando the herbarium souvenir he picked up earlier. It's still glowing.
Rakta: As long as you remember what your home was like, you can take all the time you need to get back on your feet! Your doctor will be with you.
Rando: ...
Rando: ...okay fine, you win. Geez. I'll believe in you, so protect our city!
Rakta: Of course!
Rakta gives Rando a firm handshark and sees him off to safety. Loud digivice noises!
Phone: New Path detected. Subject: Rakta. Connectivity: Very High.
MC: Oh!
Click. Ta-dah! Variant Rakta!
Rakta: W-what? Amazing! Make way, the doctor is in!
Obsidius: Damn, wow.
Alphecca: Impressive!
MC: The city's lights are coming back!
Water pouring from Rakta's jar flows into the canals and restores the plants' glow!
Rando A: What?
Rando B: Oh my god!
Cheering across town!
Rakta: Everyone, let's go! I'll support you as we excise the evil tumor!
Rakta's water turns into light that surrounds the party!
Alphecca: Wow.
Obsidius: Yeah, it's like power's flowing into me!
MC: Awesome! Hammer those Monsters down!
BATTLE START (more happens after)
Rakta: Casting support!
Alphecca: Let's go!
Obsidius: Hell yeah!
Alphecca and Obsidius start squishing slimes!
Obsidius: I can do this all night!
MC: More incoming!
Slime Monster: (blubs in reinforcement)
Alphecca: More fiends to spear then!
Mowing down slimes~.
MC: They're still spawning...
Obsidius: Don't forget, we're just stalling really. Look!
Theoreol: hello everyone I am back with my investigation results
MC: Oh my god yes! What'd you find out!?
Theoreol: first, I analyzed the Monsters. they're all one being
Rakta: What!?
Theoreol: I said what I said. but if you need a more detailed explanation, let me set up my presentation...
Obsidius: Tell us AFTER we kill these ones first!
Theoreol: oh, right. okay these slimes are like divided cells
MC: what / oh!
(C) Theoreol: thank you for being quick on the uptake
Theoreol: dumbed down explanation: the slimes are split off bits from a main boss. also they have a hive mind, and they're after--
Rakta: Ether. We first saw them at that souvenir stand, with the herbariums with glowing plants.
Alphecca: Then we saw them at the bathhouse attacking the water intake.
Obsidius: Yeah, what with the water and all the ether in it.
Theoreol: indeed! the main boss is attacking the whole city with the puppet cells to steal all the ether. how rational!
MC: Forget that, what do we do?
Theoreol: simple! where is the biggest deposit of ether around?
Party: The water's source!
Theoreol: correct, that is where the boss should be!
MC: Let's go!
Rakta: Right, my jar should fix any damage it does to the city's lights.
Alphecca: We should call for help protecting the citizens.
Obsidius: Yeah, then we focus on the boss!
Theoreol: splendid! there is a tunnel door behind the statue. it isn't locked.
MC: wait how did you find all that out already?
Theoreol: logic and observation. where most Monsters spawn...
Obsidius: Is the closest point to the water source, right? Nice!
Alphecca: Haha, let's go then!
Rakta: Roger!
And so the party makes a phone call and sends people to safety on their way to the Monster lair.
End of Episode
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