Madotsuki woke up slowly, feeling warmer than usual. She started to rise, but quickly realized that she was confined to the bed, something was clinging to her! She quickly scrambled out of the grasp of this monster, ready to draw her knife… when she realized it was just Mary. It seemed she had been hugging Madotsuki in her sleep.

The dreamer let out a sigh, willing her heart to stop pounding. As far as she could recall, she had never shared her bed with another, so this was a bit of a shock to wake up to. On reflection though… perhaps a little more sleep would do her good. Maybe another thirty minutes or so. She crawled back under the sheet, shifting so Mary’s arms were around her again.

Mary woke up as she felt the sun shining on her eyelids, a warm and new sensation. What was also new was the blanket she had over her, and the small brown haired person she had in her arms, hugging her back and breathing quietly in her sleep. For a moment she thought it was Ib, but then she remembered who it really was.

She wished she could have shared this moment with Ib, after all she had done to try and be with her… but Ib didn’t want her. She didn’t want to be friends. Mary hugs Madotsuki a little tighter. Despite that… she did have one friend, right? She wasn’t all alone anymore. The childish artist smiled at the thought.

And she’s finally out of that gallery! She can see the world! And even better, she remembered that she almost had all the ingredients she needed to make more friends… today would be the day it happens! Mary quickly scurried out of bed, too excited to stay still. “Wake up, wake up!”

Madotsuki groand as her loud companion roused her, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Mary..? What is it?” She got up quickly, storing the blanket in her inventory again.

“Can you help me find some reeds? I need them to make a friend!” Mary stared at her hopefully, while Madotsuki took a moment to just to understand what was asked of her.

“Reeds?” That much she understood. She remembered seeing some before when she was looking into the marsh, though she hadn’t taken any then. She had been meaning to investigate its run-down houses in particular once she felt strong enough, and now that she had help, perhaps it was time. “Alright. Just stay close to me. I don’t know what else may be hiding in them.”

Mary nodded excitedly, and the two set out.

Ib wasn’t quite sure what she expected her new friend to do once daybreak came, but she certainly didn’t expect him to be so stubborn. Though he did follow her as she wandered about, collecting materials and food, he did not seem very interested in actually helping her. He certainly looked strong, but even if she had made him an ax, he wouldn’t use it to get them wood for her fire- he seemed interested in nothing but fighting, no matter how much she protested or pleaded.

It was strange to see an adult that was so uncaring, even after what she had done for him. Well, she certainly didn’t have to do anything more for him if he wasn’t going to return the favor- but then an idea struck her. He might do things for her, if she gave him a reason he understood. 

“I could make us some protection.” The Batter stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. “I just need you to help me get some grass.” Without a word, Batter got to the task, though Ib quickly realized he would uproot all of it if she didn’t tell him not to. What a strange man he was...

Despite how wet the marsh seemed to be, luckily it wasn’t raining when the pair arrived, looking for reeds. They stayed on the winding road through the area for now, wary of what may be hiding off it. Reeds weren’t exceptionally hard to find. In fact, Madotsuki was certain this would be a very quick trip, but Mary had insisted: “We should grab as many as we can. That way we won’t have to come back much.”

Mary did make sense in that, but Madotsuki still felt they should take what they need and leave before something bad happened. This place put her on edge. She made sure to stay very close to her new ally as they collected reeds, always returning to the path after grabbing some and moving on.

Eventually, they found a very large field of reeds a bit away from the path, and Mary's face lit up as she ran off towards it, forcing the dreamer to follow. “Wait!”

Mary paused, looking back with a frown. “This is the last stop, okay? If we get all these, we won’t have to come back.”

Madotsuki sighed and readied her knife, looking around carefully. “Alright, but lets be careful. Don’t just run in.”

Mary nodded and walked closer, drawing her own knife. Madotsuki couldn’t help but notice that hers actually bent upward before reaching the handle, an odd feature she had never seen before. She was about to ask Mary what it meant, before she was cut off by a rumbling sound.

A massive purple tendril emerged from the ground, somehow emitting a low growl that turned Madotsuki’s blood to ice. Faster than either girl could react, it lashed out and sent Mary flying over her friend’s head, stunned. Madotsuki tried to stab it with her knife and pin it down, but it easily pulled itself back up, making her fall over from its strength. She scrambled back, and thankfully the tentacle seemed to lose interest once she was further back, sinking into the ground again.

The girls simply laid there for a moment, overwhelmed with shock. “Mary, I think we should go.”

“Y-Yeah...” Mary held onto Madotsuki’s hand as the less injured girl took point, leading them down the road they came. Part of her was relieved they were heading back to camp, and that nothing worse had happened- but their failure here meant one day, they would no doubt return.