Chapter Text
Stelle can't remember the last time this week that her head hasn't hurt.
It started off as a barely perceptible headache, then into a persisting throb and now a pounding assault onto her temples.
At first, it was easy to tune out. After all, they were in Planarcadia now, there was so much to do! Stelle felt like there was no time to waste on a mere headache.
But as the days went by, the bags under Stelle's eyes were prominent and the periodic violent twitching of her golden eyes was getting harder to ignore.
Yet any concerned questioning from the Astral Express crew was very quickly brushed off with a mere, “just a small headache, tired from all the adventure.”
No one believed her. Stelle knew that no one believed her, but she also knew that if she persisted enough then they would get off her back and let her power through.
It wasn't that bad, nothing for them to worry about! Well, by Stelle's standards anyway.
Though Stelle would be lying if she said she wasn't a teeny bit worried about why her head felt like it was going to progressively explode and attempted to think hard as to what caused it.
Was it something she ate? I mean… keep it on the list for now but she hasn't gone trash diving in two weeks thanks to a bet with March, and Pom-Pom is a pretty great chef so probably not.
Perhaps her neck muscles are too tight? But she just had a spa day with Himeko and March! She's super relaxed and her neck hasn't been sore in a long time. So, probably not that too.
Maybe it was something she did? Well, about a week ago she did go on a little mission with Dan Heng for Black Swan into the Memory Zone, but it was totally safe! They had a memokeeper with them the whole time and she even befriended a little sprite that looked like a cosmic version of Mem. So, probably not that either!
“Ugh, forget it… All this thinking is making my headache worse.” Stelle groaned, clutching her head. It was way too bright outside this bookstore, her vision was starting to blur. No business needs that many neon signs!
March 7th triumphantly walked out of the bookstore, proudly displaying her comic. “Stelle! I finally got my hands on the new edition of The Fluffy! Hopefully another weirdo won't come and say it's for their dead friend again- Hey, you okay…?”
Stelle was the type of person who believed being in pain was a weakness that needed to be hidden away no matter how bad it was, but this logic only applied to her.
So once March 7th saw Stelle visibly being in pain, not even noticing that March was right there, she felt the concern that’s been churning in her all week bubble back up.
“-elle?”
Stelle's brain was under such intense pressure that she didn't even notice that March 7th had exited the book store and was looking at her with a concerned expression.
Stelle quickly composed herself, ugly guilt squeezed her chest as she blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision to appear somewhat okay. “You're done? Where did you say you wanted to go next? How about we-”
“How about we go back home? Come on.” March 7th interrupted, already grabbing a gentle hold of Stelle's hand and dragging her in the direction of Perdido train station.
"͈͈̇Ṯ͍̗͉͔̅̒h̸̜͚̹e̸̼̺ Ę̻̯̥̤̏͌x̴̋ͧ͛p̷̥̞̋r̶͋͂e̳̳̪͒̓s̶͔̜̙̯ͤ̆̅͐͗s̷̬͖̯ͩ̆ͮ͐̍ iͨ̐͂͋ͩs͒̏n̫̙̻̱ͥ͌͗͛̉'͓̳̞ͯ́͛ţ̗͓͚͙͖ͯͦ͊̑̔ h̘͇̻̀ͪ̇͆̏o̱͔̖ͦ͗ͯm̸̙̰̖e̫̽͐ͥ f̨̌o̼̰ͯͭr͙̜̬͚͗̿ y͓̭̎̐̋̊͑o̙̣͚̅̄̎u̝͚̔̓̈͒.̮̦̱͔"̨͌ͯ
A sharp pain in her head knocked any capacity Stelle had left to act as the bizarre thought barged into her mind.
She clutched her head, feeling like the stellaron in her chest had moved up to her brain and was threatening to explode, causing loud ringing in her ears and making her vision swirl between black and white.
“-an you hear me?! Stelle!?”
Stelle could barely make out the feeling of being gently shaken in someone’s arms. Their arms were warm compared to the cool ground.
Wait, ground? How did Stelle get onto the ground?
Stelle belatedly realised that she could think clearly. The ground most definitely felt like ground and the more she focused on the sensation, the more she could identify other things. Such as March being the one holding her or the fact that her headache is gone.
Her headache is gone! Completely! For the first time in a whole week!
Stelle could’ve kissed the Aeon’s feet right then and there. All that pressure around her head and behind her eyes, it was all gone! She will never take advantage of good health ever again!
“ I can probably open my eyes now. Ugh, now I’ve made March worry. Stupid, stupid!” Stelle felt that familiar ugly feeling churn inside her chest, but decided that the sooner she reassures March, the better.
~ March 7th’s POV ~
“I need to call the others. Why did you have to collapse in the middle of the street!?” March whined internally, absolutely not panicking at an unresponsive Stelle in her arms.
March 7th had noticed that Stelle seemed off, sick even. Of course she had! After Amphoreus, her, Stelle and Dan Heng had become even closer but it seems that perhaps March didn’t know Stelle as well as she thought. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She knew that she should’ve dragged Stelle home earlier! But Stelle was so insistent that she was fine and it was just a small headache and that March worries too much etc.
Everyone knew that once Stelle got stubborn like that, there was no stopping her. But either way March doesn’t think a week-long headache is small or normal! She knew she should’ve been more persistent!
It was the double-standard that caused this which beyond irritated March. Stelle believed that she was the only one who wasn’t allowed to be sick or feel pain. It worried March half to death because no one ever actually knows how bad it is until it’s too late.
Such as right this moment. With a collapsed Stelle in her arms. In front of some random bookstore. Because of a headache.
Just as March pulled out her phone to contact the Express family for some assistance, feeling sick with worry, she felt Stelle stir and almost cried from relief at seeing her golden eyes crack open.
“Hey, Stelle. How are you feeling?” March gently tested, keeping her voice low to avoid aggravating Stelle’s headache.
But this insane Trailblazer jumps straight up into standing up, leaving March gobsmacked sat on the pavement, full of vim and vigor, eyes sparkling as if she hadn’t collapsed a minute ago! March’s heart couldn’t take it anymore!
“Stel-?!?” March hurriedly got up, her eyes wide as she got silenced by Stelle energetically putting her hands on March’s shoulders.
“I feel amazing! My head doesn’t hurt at all anymore! Haha, C'mon March, let's keep exploring!” Stelle happily grabbed March’s hand, practically skipping towards the direction of the market.
March had no idea how to feel. What the fuck was wrong with this Trailblazer?!?
So she did what anyone else would do. She just sighed exasperatedly, allowing herself to calm down a bit and be dragged along by a reborn Stelle.
Not before sending a text message to the Express family first though.
Stelle really didn’t expect an intervention the second she stepped back onto the Astral Express.
She was sitting in the parlor car on one of the red sofas, completely surrounded with the worried and stern faces of the entire crew. Even Pom-Pom was here!
Stelle knew she was done for.
“Kid, you really must take it easy from now on. Amphoreus took a lot out of you.” Himeko kindly said, but her expression was stern and pinned Stelle in place.
“Indeed. Any form of fainting is a medical emergency, especially caused by something as unsuspecting as a headache. You must let us know if you’re ever feeling unwell again.” Sunday gently insisted, his delicate face having concern written all over it..
“I technically didn’t faint-” Stelle avoided their gazes, their unease and concern made her feel even more guilty, gnawing at her very existence and she wanted nothing more than to erase it.
Dan Heng quickly cut her off, he was easily the most bothered by the incident. “Even if you didn’t faint, you still landed on the concrete of Planarcadia due to a ‘headache’ that you’ve been insisting is nothing. That is not nothing.”
Stelle had nothing to say. She knew they were right. That perhaps this headache is more serious than she’s willing to admit. But it did nothing to reduce her indignation or increase her shame.
Welt sighed as he noticed Stelle trying to shrink, not retaliating nor agreeing. “Alright, I think she understands what we’re trying to tell her. Do you, Stelle?”
“...Yes.” She meekly agreed, grateful to have the heat off her.
“And what are we trying to tell you?” March had her hands on her hips, staring Stelle down with a frown. She was the one who had to deal with the situation; she was allowed to be a little bit upset!
“That… I shouldn’t collapse on the pavement!” Stelle attempted to joke, looking up to smile proudly at them.
Absolutely no one was impressed and the oppressive aura in the room suddenly felt like it got a million times stronger.
Her smile faltered as she cleared her throat, “right ahem… taking it seriously now. You’re trying to tell me to not push myself.”
“Yes, and?” March pushed, still not quite satisfied with her answer.
Stelle sheepishly smiled, “and to… uh, be honest about pain?”
“Fine. But you better keep to it! You’ve literally defeated Lord Ravagers! Do you really want to go out because of a headache?!” March got her final lecture in, finally feeling satisfied that her point was across.
“Yes, yes… it’d be a pretty sad way to go out.” Stelle laughed as she agreed, glad for the whole debacle to be over and stood up.
Pom-Pom waddled over to her, “that being said, how is your head now?”
“It’s all better now, Conductor.” Stelle said honestly, hand over her heart, but Pom-Pom still had a suspicious expression. “Really, it is! I don’t know what happened but it’s like after I came to, it just disappeared. I’m fine now, I promise.”
“Hmm okay! But Passenger Stelle, if it ever comes back, you must tell us!”
“This is true, Stelle. If it ever comes back, we can always go on a quick trip to Herta’s Space Station to get you checked out. We all care about you.” Himeko stated, happy that the intervention had gone so well.
“Will do. Thank you, all of you.” Stelle said earnestly. She still had guilt tugging at her heart but the warmth from all the love of the Astral Express never failed to soothe any pain..
"̨͚̺̲ͨ͗͂T̵̬͍̭͑̇̓ḣ̸̞ė̴ŷ̷̯̳͛ d̵̼̜̼o̷͇ n̄ͭͦo̴̰͙͌͑ţ̳͔̖ c̴͕̄a̶ͪr̫̗̱e̶̗͕̜ͤͭ̂ a̵ͭ̀̏b̠͉͉͊̅ŏ̲ͨ͂u̩̟̘̒͊ͫt̙̳͈ y͉ͩͦ͊ͅȍ̴̙u̶̻͎ͪͣ.̵̾̂͑"̥͍ͯ̆
Yet again, as the strange thought crashed into Stelle’s mind, her headache came back at full force.
She couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her lips as she grabbed her head, her knees buckling as she couldn’t concentrate on anything but the explosive pain shooting throughout her head.
“Stelle, what’s wrong?!” "͚͙̌ͣ̉ͮͭ̊̎N̵̳̗͙̭̫ͬ̇ͦ̉ͭ̄̀̊o̷̸̜͖̲͇͖̬̹̒͐̐ͨ̀ͩ̊̂t͚̲̯̠͒ r̴̵͌̿ͥͦͣͣ̏e̘̭̹ͦͬ̄̂̋͐a̴͎̱̹̠͌ḽ̹͛̈.̶̨̩̹̝"̴̵̰̖ “Her mind is a mess, I can’t tune at all.”
“Is the headache back? Stelle, talk to us!” "̵ͦͣ͛̈T̸̴͉͔̹͙ͫ̔̔ͫẖ̵̨̩̘̖ͬ͌́ͧ̾̆e̴̥̞ͥ̍͗͐̓̃y̩̩̭̥͈̓̏ͮ͐ d̸̲̙͈͈̥̞͓ͧ̑́̾̓̔o̵̴̪͎n̴̨͐̆ͦ͆ͥ͐̾̊'̤͉̲͈̞͙͔̤ͧͧt̺͐̄ͣ̿̏ c̷̬̩͙͒͛̌̅͊ͯ͒a̦͂͊̑ͮ͗̏̏r̴̵̝̳̀ͥe̸̤̪̪͙̖̱̅ͩ.͍̗͈̏ͮͤ͌͑"̶̶͍̱̬̗͙̱͎͐ͧͪͮ͐͊
“Get some water!” "̭̥̘͐ͥͧͤͦY̸̸̗̖̞̯̖̜͑̿͑̉͆̈ͮo̟͍̹͕̖̦̲͇͐̇̏u̵ͩ d̵̵̬̩̙̹̈̋̓̄̏͊̔̔o̴̵̬̳̜͚̥̓͛n̙̦͌ͨ͐ͮ̂̈̆'̶̤͎̟͇̟̒̎ͭ́ͧͮt̮̹̗̲͉̫͋ͦͮ b̖̯͇͇e̴̵͓͔͖̩͇̾̃̆̋̾l̶̴̲̑̃ͬọ̱n͍̮̬͐̽̃̽͑̐ͩ͌g̵̵͎̱̲̥̰̼͕͈̎̐̅ͪͮͨ̒ͥ.̶̴̫͓͍͔̖̝̉"̵̨̗̜̰̞͋̅̂̓́ͯ͒͋ “You’ll be okay, it’ll be over soon.”
"̝͓̰͔̰ͯ͛̊͋̄̅̂̆W̴̨̫͍̦̹̻͍H͙̅̇͗̂̈Y̔ W̘̼͔̗͎̦͉̿O̼͓̙̞ͯͫͦ̋ͪ͑͒Ṳ̴̧̞̽ͤL̘̱̲̟͈͍̺͆̓͌̇̋ͦḌ̶̨̤͊́ T̵͙̮͉͙̑̎ͫ͆́̔H͍͔ͪ͒ͣ̓͗̾E̸̶̜̝̮͆͋̌̈Y̶̓̽̊ͫ͋ͬ̿̌ C̝̭̙͗ͭ̍́̇Ḁ̦̤̑ͤ͗ͫ͋R̬̪̘ͨ͑ͮͨ͌Ë̮͕ͧ͋ͅ.̹̄̎ͩ̑ͪ̑̀"̴̴̹̼̙̰̼̟̖ͦ̈̏̎͐͂ͥ́ “Not again! Come on, stay awake this time please!”
Her mind was a jumbled mess of pain and pure confusion. She was faced with two truths, but she couldn’t determine which one was reality and which one wasn’t.
But forget determining the truth, she couldn’t even figure out who was talking to her. She felt like she was underwater, slipping into a deep sleep…
“By the Aeons, stay awake Stelle!”
Stelle did not stay awake.