Everyone’s Dreams, Coming True!? Chapter 4 - You’re not Listening to Me!

Let’s go see Raffine first!

I've got an idea in my head while walking alongside with the two and Carbuncle. I don't know where Sig went, but at least Raffine's close by! Arle and Ringo were thinking of something while walking on with me.

"I don't really know what Raffine's dream is..."
"Oh right. Amitie, what is Raffine's current circumstances?"

I looked over to give an honest answer.

"She's wearing a sparkly frilly dress, rides a carriage, and calmly gave some buff stranger guys a beating."

*Silence...*

"...The heck is that, Amitie?"
"Gugu..."
"Frankly, I don't understand any of that."

Arle and Ringo looked at me, eyes half-closed, not amused and not buying it. I'm being serious here! I don't quite get what I just said either, but...

"C'mon, Raffine loves gorgeous things!"

I rushed my explanation, then Arle asked me "Who are these mystery men, then?"

"Uhh, the burly men from earlier that said they're in love...and they're 'handsome' according to Raffine," I talked out my thoughts.
"But, if they're so handsome why did she beat them down..."

Ringo doesn't seem to agree completely.

"Uhm, uhh...Raffine's also working very hard to become stronger. She wants to become stronger than anyone else!"
"I-I see? In other words, she wishes to be gorgeous, popular with men, and powerful...she's packed up in all of her desires."
"Considering what Schezo said, it'd be chaos! Totally~!"

Just as I was talking, Raffine ends up showing up to this very location.

"Oh la-ti-da!"

That laugh...here comes Raffine! ...wait, what the!? She's in her frilly-as-ever dress, and she's not riding a carriage, but sitting in a pretty gorgeous chair, just like royalty. The chair itself is in something that looks like a shrine, and I see the "handsome" men shouldering it around... The ones that aren't carrying the shrine are waving big peacock feather fans at Raffine.

"Heave, ho! Heave, ho!"
"Raffine is our worldly angel!"
"She is the strongest, fairest and most wonderful lady!"
"Oh la-ti-da! Oh please, all of your shouting is making me blush!"

Whoa...geez, it's getting chaotic fast! I looked to my sides, seeing Arle and Ringo look all discouraged.

"Th-that's what's etched within Raffine's heart, huh..."
"Really brisk desires, no doubt..."
"Guguugu..."

Carbuncle's also curious and in shock. I'm hesitant to talk, considering Raffine's overwhelming smile. But I've still gotta do it anyway! I cupped my hands to form a megaphone and called out to Raffine.

"Raffine!"
"...oh? Amitie. What's wrong?"

Sweet, I got her attention!

"Heya, Raffine? The dress you're wearing, the mini-shrine, and the men here, all of it is a dream! Open your eyes!"

Anyone would get weirded out by seeing this situation. Once I explained, Raffine was able to understand! Or so I thought.

"...A dream, you say?"

Raffine looked the other way, irritated.

"That's not true."
"Wh-Whaaa! Butbut why do you suddenly have that dress, and that group of men for no real reason!?"
"Well, it is but a sufficient reward from my normal life to a pure, righteous one.
"S-Say whaaaaaat!? Hey, listen to me! What you've been doing is from the dangerous influence of the Dream Mist, it's affecting you because you touched the little chest yesterday..."
"Oh please, could you cease your nonsensical chatter? Something this real couldn't possibly be a dream."
"G-Grrrrr....!"

Not good, she isn't listening at all! Frustrated, I turned to Arle and Ringo looking pretty bitter.

"Persuading her is useless..."
"It really is what the Dark Wizard said. They've greatly immersed themselves in the dream.
"Get real, now what...ah, I got it! Maybe we can pinch her on the cheek..."

I rushed over to Raffine with my idea.

"What are you doing to Raffine!"
"I won't let you lay a finger on Raffine!"
"Gaaaah!?"

A bunch of men stood in the way.

"I can't get close to Raffine!"
"You won't get through!"

The surprise made me fall on my rear, and Arle and Ringo helped me up even if they broke into a cold sweat.

"Oh la-ti-da! I will not let you deceive me, for you don't know what you're doing, Amitie!"

Raffine let out a big laugh from above. Geez, I've got to go help her, but this is ticking me off!

"Get real! If the all-knowing Klug were here, he would know SOMETHING about this!!"

I don't know what to do, so all I could do was shout in desperation.

"...Klug, you say?" Raffine responded.
"That's right! Klug is way, way, more informed about mysterious spells than me. He might have an idea on how to make you come back to your senses!"

Raffine looked grouchier as I told it to her, eye-to-eye.

"If you know what's good for you, you should forget about that snarky glasses kid."
"But, I-, what do I..."
"...Uh, AAH!"
"Eeh!?"

I shouted right after Raffine, who was pointing to someone behind me. When I turned around...Klug is suddenly right there, right now!

"Whooah. So the rumors were true! What a turn of events~"
"Gu gu!"
"This is surely a godsend!"

Arle and Ringo were surprised too. Thank goodness you're here, Klug...gah!! C-Can he spring an idea without out knowing what's going on just by looking at Raffine!? My heart was racing like nuts, but Klug stayed calm as usual and quickly approached her.

"Raffine...what in the world are you doing?" Klug pushed his glasses up with his finger.
"What did you say? I'm afraid you have no relevance to this."

She's already arguing with him. Oh fiddlesticks, I can't listen to anymore of this chit-chat! As for Klug, he just brushed it off and continued on.

"How pathetic of you to be immersed in such an improbable dream."
"I beg your pardon!"
"These circumstances are not reality. Do you not understand? Hmm?"
"Wh-...! Y-You're saying nonsense! Truly!"

Raffine stood up from the elegant chair, and jumped down from the shrine to confront Klug.

"As I said, you are irrelevant! Can't you just leave me be!?"
"I am irrelevant to this dream you're trapped in, because I don't idiotically run my mouth nearly enough to get in it."
"Excuse me!?"

Oh boy, that promised fight is starting...Now it's totally out of the question~! Even while flustered, I turned to Ringo, who was muttering something off to the side.

"...something's not right."
"Eh? What's up?"
"Uh, this capped bespectacled one..."

I think she means Klug. Ringo sometimes refers other people with weird nicknames.

"Why? Have you got a proper grip on the situation?"
"Ah, if you put it that way, then yes!"
"Gu gu!"

Then Arle spoke up.

"Wh-...what do you mean?"
"From what Amitie said, Mr. Bespectacled didn't learn the secret of the small box that day. Secondly, he didn't even see us inadvertently open the box. Furthermore, it's strange that he recognized that Raffine is dreaming with just a single look."
"Uhm...isn't it because...Klug is well-informed?"
"Nope. How do I put it? Hey, look!"

Arle pointed over to Raffine. Once I turned my attention, something surprising began to unfold!

"What in the world is this strange shrine?""
"Th-This is...this is my throne!"
"Hah, how pointless."

*Poof!*

After that argument, the throne behind Raffine suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. The smoke was white, but glittering radiatingly from the rainbow dust...rather, it's the Dream Mist we saw yesterday.

"Uh, wh-whoah..."

The surprise continued on as I continued to stare in awe.

"Raffine, putting this persisting strangeness behind, who are these muscle men here?"
"These are my kindly suitors!"
"You've never seen them before. On that note, they do stand out in Primp, but I have not heard any news of them. Can you even call them by their name, each and every one of them?"
"Gr...Grrrrr...!"

*Poof!*

Then the burly men disappeared into the Dream Mist.

"Back to normal now. What is that dress though?"
"It's a gorgeous dress tailored to me!"
"It's not your typical wear, is it?"
"Well..."
"Is the word 'functionality' in your vocabulary? Your daily clothing should be something worn suited for ease of movement. Are you confident enough to rely on a gaudy dress such as that?"
"I-! I'm beautiful in anything I wear!"

*Poof!*

Raffine's back to normal now. Well...to her usual self, I mean. And Klug just continued on.

"Hah. I couldn't allow myself to leave your sanity unchecked...Contemplate it well, Raffine!"

With that single line, Raffine exploded into rage!

"Ee-EEEEEEEEEEEEK! Why do you have to keep blabbering away, Klug!? Fine then, I get it, this is all a dream! Just get me out of it this instant!!"

*Poof!*

...and that was the last thing she said. Both Raffine and Klug disappeared into the Dream Mist.

"Eeh!?" I shouted in a panic.

Th- The two of them just up and disappeared~! Is this right!? But Ringo calmly said "I knew it..." to herself.

"Mr. Bespectacled...He, was a product of Raffine's dream. I felt it was quite improbable."
"I see..."
Then Arle continued, "So that Raffine, is just something from her imagination. That situation came from the bottom of her heart. But she couldn't accept it. Her own image of Klug eventually made her finally accept it all."
"Uhh....okay then...?"

I thought over what Arle and Ringo said...So Raffine and the rest disappeared into the rest of the Dream Mist and now I can jump in!

"Bweh!?"

...well, not yet anyway. Unsurprisingly, they told me I "need to wait for the little chest" first. I watched in awe at the little chest opening up, absorbing it all up.

"Th...that thing just now..."
"The mist that escaped the box went back into it."
"So now, once we gather the mist from everyone affected by it, Sir Dark Wizard will finally seal it again, and everything will be okay!"

After Arle and Ringo looked at the little chest in my hands, they let out a good laugh.

"Y-Yeah! Alrighty~, on to the next one! Onwards with this steady rhythm!"

I raised my fist up in the air.

"Yeah!"
"Guu!"

Arle and Ringo, as well as Carbuncle, raised up their hands with me.