Recorded by Finnegan Lionhartt,
Of the events which took place on the 18th day of Radia after the sun had risen, year of Pinnikle: 1,229.

And in the end you'll find you had the will of greatness, but not a credible title. Many have called you unworthy. My child, I give you new status this day. It is free from the associations of your old one. With it: you can change the world that wronged you.

— An ancient proposition from a good king

In the morning, Sophie and I awoke in a haze. I'd not had such a sleepless night since we were children. Sophie woke first, feeling the warm sun glimmer through the trees behind our hut. She yawned, stretched her arms behind her head, and accidentally laid a hand over my mouth.

"Ahh!" I grunted, and opened my eyes quickly. "Sophie..." I said, muzzled by her hand, "Could you be any weirder?"

"Oops! haha," She responded, clumsily brushing her hand over my open eyes!

"Sophie, c'mon..." I grumbled, wincing as I sat up to look over the village, with blurred vision.

"Ew... it's all wet!" Sophie exclaimed, wiggling off moisture from my eyes.

Then we heard Leon chuckle, before saying: "You two are really quite abnormal..."

He had been leaning back on his hands, watching the sun begin to shine over Luca. Sophie was startled by his laugh. She was hoping the previous night had been a strange dream, but Leon's presence was contrasting evidence to that hope. Her goofy demeanor quickly turned to guard as she thought about the night before: the shadow that dragged Leon through the water.

"Nothing quite that peculiar has happened since we were little," she said, "Who are you, anyways...?" Her quick glance at him had become a cautious glare, and soon she noticed his eyes searching her own, with concern.

Leon did his best to speak to my sister's feelings: "I know you must be confused... Last night was very strange,". After a moment of searching for words, he concluded: "You both saved my life. I owe you you for that, and I will repay you."

Thinking to himself out loud, Leon said: "I can offer you a place in Lucidia... But what good would it do if that beast is on the loose?"

"You live in Lucidia?" Sophie asked him. "And what do you mean about a beast?"

"Ah, I suppose I've only told your brother," Leon began to answer, but fell silent at the thought.

"Well..." Sophie said, looking up at him curiously, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Deal?" She stuck out her hand for a shake.

Leon shook, and there was silence. It was not the good kind, though. Sophie and I both knew Leon was swimming in tragedy.

"So... " I started to say, searching for a topic. After a moment of thinking, I continued to share the only thing on my mind: "I had the strangest dream last night!"

"Tell us about it?" Sophie asked, helping me to change the topic.

"Well... I dreamt that there was a ribbon," I began to explain. "It was big, and red! And the tail of the scarlet ribbon moved like a compass. It led us, together, the three of us, down to Plummet Valley. And there was a man in a pointy hat, who waited for us there."

It was true. I really had dreamt those things, though as I spoke, I realized I had not lightened the mood.

"Was it to see Mr. Lofi? Is that why we were going down to plummet valley?" Sophie asked.

Leon's curiosity grew, and the look on his face told me that he'd perhaps heard of Lofi before. He listened carefully as I continued to recall my dream.

"I think... it was Lofi," I said. "I couldn't really make out his face... But I don't know who else wears pointy hats like that."

"And let me guess," Leon said playfully. "There was some riddle involved, right?"

I did not know why he asked me that question, but I began to unravel my thoughts: "Well, no! Actually... Maybe. In my dream, we found Lofi's house in Plummet valley. After that, I was alone with Lofi and the sandman, and I asked Lofi a very strange question..."

"What was it you said to Mr. Lofi - in your dream?" Sophie prodded.

"It was odd... " I began, "I told the wizard something like this: 'Scarlet's the color of blood; and blood reminds us we live and die. And death's a good fathom, but those alive shouldn't waste their time on it - But you... You know the mystery, and I know you do. If there is one greater than death, I think it's you. Tell me what you know, wizard. Tell me what to do,'."

"Wellll... Any idea what all that means?" Sophie asked.

"I think Lofi and the sandman sent me the dream," I said, "But I don't know why..."

Leon studied us curiously, as we sat closely, trying to figure out the meaning of the dream. I'm not sure he knew about the sandman, but I suppose it didn't matter. His cloudy blue eyes inquisitively darted between us.

Leon asked me, in a curious tone: "Fin, you said the wizard, Lofi, might have sent you the dream? What did he make you desire? Maybe he has set you on a quest."

I answered thoughtfully, "In my dream, I wanted to know if there was anybody who had been beyond death. I thought Lofi had, and that he could tell me about all the things I don't know."

Leon asked another leading question as he rubbed his chin: "Do you... normally have those kinds of thoughts - when you're not dreaming?"

"No..." I said, then laughed anxiously. I told him, "But if I think of death... It's because I want to know if our parents are there."

"You speak of death as if it were a destination..." Leon told me what he understood, then delicately prodded: "May I ask you another question?"

"Sure... Ask away dream detective," I replied.

Sophie locked eyes with Leon, as if searching him for malintent. After a moment, she turned her gaze from him to stare straight ahead again, listening to his questions.

Leon asked: "Do you think maybe Lofi put a riddle in your mind, because he wants you to come find him? And what about that red ribbon?"

"Maybe... He does want us to find him... What do you think, Sophie?" I asked her.

"It seems like Leon knows something about the wizard..." She said, and we both became very curious about our new friend.

Leon showed a face of surprise and asked, "What would it take for you to trust me?"

Sophie persisted, "We've heard Lofi does not speak with anyone - no one except the king and queen - and even that is only a rumor."

"Have you not heard the news about the queen?" Leon asked, and looked down to his feet.

"No..." Sophie said, "Is there news about her?"

"There is..." He responded, sorrow in his voice.

"What is it?" I asked. We had not known anything about the goings on in the kingdom.

Leon struggled to find words, and we did not know why. I did not yet know that Leon had been the king, in our very midst. I only knew he had lost his family... He looked at us, each, and then over over our village, then back to his feet. I think I saw a tear fall to his boot... But he did not speak for a long moment.

"It's just that...'' He began to explain, hesitantly: "Queen Selmaril is gone. The royal house was attacked by a dark creature. It took the life of the queen, and my daughter - I mean... Their daught—"

"—Hold up..." I interjected, and searched Leon's eyes. "Last night, Didn't you tell me how a dark thing took your daughter!? Does that mean you are the father of the queens daughter - The king?"

He lifted his royal eyes to me, admitting it: "Yes. I am king Leon Oakenhartt... I did not want to tell of it in this fashion."

Sophie and I were shocked. We had saved the king! And we did not even know! What coincidence! What a circumstance! We looked at each other in disbelief, but knew he would not lie. Nix in Pinnikle do not lie.

Sophie's countenance changed to a comforting one and she asked, "What has happened to you? Did you know you were dragged by some dark thing over the falls of plummet valley?"

"Yes, I did know. You see, I was thrown a very long way, after that thing took my family from me. I awoke somewhere in End's lake, and was carried to the river. It was about the time I flowed through your village, that I came to consciousness. I felt the cold arms of some dark thing, but I was too burdened by sorrows to act and save myself. I wanted to die, because my family was gone."

I remembered the promise we had been offered so many years ago: The king had named us royals after Sophie was brought back to life. I wanted to feel sorry for him, or be compassionate, or anything good; but I was suddenly angry with him! We had been through so much mockery from our village, since that distant promise.

I suppressed my anger and said, "You haven't lost all your children, if memory serves me right."

He looked at us, with emotions on his face that seemed some place between confusion and sorrow.

"Oh?" He asked.

Sophie and I both felt like we wanted to comfort Leon. We both, unfortunately, expressed our long-delayed grief to him.

Sophie was the first to talk: "We have spent years in a village that did not want us," she said, and her voice quivered of frustration. "Even when they had witnessed a miracle, they did not want us."

He looked at us with sorrowful eyes. Leon did not speak - I suppose he did not know what to say. I spoke up instead.

"Do you not remember? Two stars came to you, and told you about a child who died, after her brother pleaded with his village to help her. The brother nearly died as well. That was us! I nearly faded to nothing as I searched for a single person who would take Sophie from my weak arms, frail with sorrow."

"Yes," Leon said, sympathetically. "Yes. Two stars came, and told me how the sister died..."

He looked at Sophie, understanding for the first time that he was talking about her.

"You... died," he continued, "And Lofi brought you back from the dead,". The king lost a tear, but it seemed a tear of gladness as he recalled the events he had heard about so long ago. "And two stars did come to me while you stayed with Lofi. They came, and asked if I would take you in. I did not. I truly did believe it would be best if you stayed in your village. I am... Remorsefully sorry that you were not treated well after those events. I believed your villagers would cherish you..."

He was speechless for a moment, after which Sophie interjected: "You remember the stars, Lumin and Trynity?"

"I do..." Leon replied. "My dear wife was very close with those two... Thirteen years ago, until only days ago. Lofi, the mage of Plummet Valley had revived a little girl who's village left her for dead. It was after her parents chased off the very beast that stole my own family from me. The stars did not want to return the little one to her village: neither her, nor her brother."

Leon lifted a sad gaze to lock eyes with Sophie, and continued explaining a new thing, with tears in his eyes. His royal eyes danced a regretful saunter back and forth, between Sophie and I, as he spoke: "Trynity refused to return you to your village. She worried they would only let you die again, or that they would be jealous; or otherwise not understand... I should have listened to the star, but I did not."

For the first time in thirteen years, Sophie felt validated. I did too. It made sense to us why Tryn and Lumin had not been in our lives for such a long time. Though he did not say it, it was the king who had told them to leave us to the villagers, and there is no one who goes against his orders. Not even stars.

Sophie questioned Leon: "Is it true that you offered us rites in the next spectacle of lights?"

"Yes," he replied, though it did not feel like justice.

I asked Leon, "Why did you say those things?"

"Granting you rites meant you would always have my covering, even from afar. From that day, under contract of stars, I adopted you both..." Leon answered.

We had always wanted the care of a parent, not a king's promise. We did not know how to express years of pent up frustration. I was growing increasingly upset by the king, who never showed up to help.

"But you never came for us!" Sophie exclaimed, angry about the life we grew up with. "Do you know how many times I was mocked for your so-called offer? Do you have any idea the way our village treated us for the last thirteen years!?"

I could only stare ahead, suddenly feeling two things: I did not think it was okay to be so upset at the king - the only king of the planet. Nonetheless, I was angry he had never even come to Luca to validate his promises. As my gaze met the villagers below, starting to go about their day, I remembered how many of them had told us we would never be royals. Because the king never came, nearly every nix in Luca village had believed the stars only made up those things.

"Sophie!" A voice like diamonds pierced her mind, and I heard it too.

"What do we say...?" The star asked. Tryn was somehow communicating to us in our minds!

Sophie glared into Leon's eyes, through tears. Remembering all the lessons about manners Tryn had taught her in two short weeks, very long ago, she forced herself to express forgiveness as best she could to the King: "Leon Oakenhartt, I have be offended, because I was mocked by my people... My brother and I were alone to fend for ourselves among this village of... arrogant... disgusting—"

"—Woah, Sophie!" I butted in. "Name-calling won't make anything better. Your issue is with the king now, not the villagers."

She nodded, and finished: "We were alone; orphaned, and with no stars! No one was there to help us. It has caused us much harm... I forgive you for that."

There was silence for a moment. Leon sorrowfully looked at Sophie, like she were his own daughter, whom he lost only nights ago.

With love in his eyes, he responded: "Sophia Lionhartt, I know the pain of loss, unlike many who live in Pinnikle. Our people are unfamiliar with such things... To add to that: unlike all - perhaps aside from the two of you - I also know the terror of Fear. Will you please forgive me for failing to visit you in your formative years?"

"Y-y...Yes. You have my forgiveness, and my trust," Sophie accepted. Though she was still hesitant to trust Leon, she followed Tryn's guidelines to forgive, from long ago.

"I forgive you, too," I said softly... "The villagers didn't change much after the stars left us. If it weren't for Tiko, we would have been dead long before now. She snuck us food, and helped us when we struggled in school. I suppose we would have managed without her, but she stuck by us. You didn't. We felt like you just offered us a chance at the rites that we'd never get. Because you never came to see us in person, the village mocked us. They called us 'bastard-royals'. But you didn't know... And there was no way for us to tell you. So I Forgive you."

"I... accept your forgiveness," King Leon responded thoughtfully.

"And did you ask the stars to stay away from us?" Sophie asked him the question I was thinking.

"I did..." He said. "I believed your village would be better to raise you if they knew you needed them... I see now that I was wrong. Forgive me?"

"We do," Sophie and I both said, and felt better for it.

We had wondered for a very long time why the stars did not visit us. For the first time, everything made sense. And it is strange, how forgiveness can knit people together so quickly. I felt comfortable with the king in a moment, and I wanted to keep talking about the strange events from the night before. Sophie, on the other hand, finally had the chance to say something she had never even told me.

"L-Leon..." She murmured, "I... don't remember my father."

"He was brave, as you are," Leon's voice cracked sadly, and I was surprised to hear a nix use that word, brave. "He would have called you his princess," Leon continued, "From this day forward: you are the only princess of Pinnikle, and I will make sure you never feel unsafe again."

A tear fell from Sophie's chin... It is not often that such a noble gesture is given to a girl who has experienced a life of hardship. It was a moment that time himself slowed down: Sophie's redemption. We did not know how Leon knew our father, and perhaps we would not find out. It mattered very little in that moment.

"Finnegan Lionhartt," the king spoke to me. "You are the only prince of Pinnikle, and I will be with you both until one, or the other takes my place at the next spectacle of lights."

I felt butterflies. What was once a third party promise, was now absolute truth. There was silence, and tears, and hugs under the morning light. I did not know what would change, nor did I know what would be required of me.

That was the day Sophie and I resolved that no child should ever go through the things we had been through. Fear seemed only like a myth on that good day, but if there was a beast who brought nightmares, sent shadows, and beckoned rotting pride: we would find it. No matter its towering height, terrible power, or the depths in which it might hide - we would destroy it; for a king had given us a new name. Having possessed the will all along, we would no longer be held back by many who called us unworthy.