ATEE: Partners in Crime *Me (That Guy) and Alex64*

[Alex64]

When vision was returned to her, she would see that the land was now, more or less, completely flat; everything was some shade of greyish-green, and a large, dark orb, presumably some sort of moon, had half-set in the distance.

 

[That Guy]

"...Huh. Where'd everything go?" she wondered idly, casting about to re-establish where her teammates had ended up.

 

[Alex64]

They were in the same places as before, except for Leonel, who was standing by the flagpole and looking up at it, as though he was seriously considering jumping onto it.

 

[That Guy]

"So, uh...What now?" She took a moment to observe Leonel. "...And, please. For my own entertainment, go right ahead and jump crotch-first at the flagpole. It's not like it'll voodoo out to your real-world testicles or anything."

 

[Alex64]

"Funny." Leonel scanned the horizon around them. "Not quite sure, but..." He pointed out some bare trees in the distance. "That looks like a good place to start."

 

[That Guy]

"If you say so." She shrugged noncommittally, then set off walking anyway. "So, uh...just how miserable are things going to get before we find Mary?"

 

[Alex64]

"Hopefully not anymore..." Travis sighed. "But I suppose beggers can't be choosers."
On their way, they would go past yet another Ghuliba, though this one only had a single large eye, was a dark red, and was apparently too saddened to even move.

 

[That Guy]

"Y'know, little guy," Megan remarked, not stopping to properly address it beyond just using it as a waypoint for her thoughts, "if you're supposed to represent something real in my head, I should probably see a therapist. ...On second thoughts, judging by everything I've seen in here, I should probably see a therapist."

 

[Alex64]

Once they were past the Ghuliba, they would come across a stream of water, which wouldn't be unusual in itself if not for the reflections it cast; instead of Megan herself, the blue sparrow known as Rex was visible.

 

[That Guy]

"...Hm?" She signalled to her teammates to come and take a look. "Are you guys seeing this? ...Probably not. That's usually how these things work. Worth a shot, though."

 

[Alex64]

As Leonel stepped beside her, his reflection showed a version of Midnight that had shorter, more well-groomed fur and slightly less-pronounced teeth.
"Well I'll be..." he smiled. "Didn't think I'd be seeing him again here, of all places..."
Travis and Jake then approached, their reflections showing a snake and a lilac-furred cat with a red/silver coat that resembled Blaze, respectively.

 

[That Guy]

"What are those two doing here?" Megan wondered aloud, then turned her attention to the latter pair. "...And who are those other two meant to be?"

 

[Alex64]

"Probably friends of that bird-guy," Jake suggested. "Maybe they're a team, like us."
"And I get the feeling that 'bird-guy' is Midnight's son," Leonel added.

 

[That Guy]

She cast Leonel an incredulous look; "offended" didn't even begin to cover it. Despite this, all she could think to retort was,
"...No??"

 

[Alex64]

"Hm? Why not?" Predicting her answer, he said, "'I think I'd know if he was my brother'... Right?"

 

[That Guy]

"...Well, yes, that, but also..." She gestured wildly at the reflection. "He's a blue chicken??"

 

[Alex64]

"...Sparrow, actually, by the look of it. ...You saying you don't remember my old stories?"

 

[That Guy]

"Well, clearly, I do, or else you wouldn't have mentioned them." She shut her eyes and shrugged with aggressive indignance. "But what have they got to do with anything?"

 

[Alex64]

"Well, this guy..." He pointed his thumb at the reflection of Midnight. "He isn't your father, the Midnight you know. ...Well, he kinda is. This is a version of him from a parallel universe, the one I adventured with so many years ago."

 

[That Guy]

"How...convenient. Alright, then, wise guy..." She folded her arms, nodding at each image in turn. "...Then what are he, Chicken Boy, Toffee Nose, and The Snek doing in my mindscape?"