Chapter Text
“Have these always been here?” Daydream asked, her single blue eye peering down at the small holes dotting the white bark of the Great One. “I don’t remember ever seeing anything like this on them. How long have they been leaking sap?”
It was rare for Daydream to visit Folly’s floor, finding the place filled with too many bitter memories. Watching the players slapping each other off of her floating islands was much more entertaining, anyway.
No players had visited her floor for the last few hours, however. She hated the silence, and Melanie was busy in Mozelle’s castle, so visiting Eternal Limbo it was.
She had noticed something felt off within the crimson-bathed floor the moment she appeared within it. It seemed… emptier? Less oppressive? Whatever it was, Daydream immediately knew something was wrong.
“Since when did you care?” Folly rebutted from her spot lounging on the white platform below where players from the elevator often challenged her. “Besides, the tree's always been leaking something from its ‘eyes’ ever since my little transformation.”
“Just because I’m angry at them doesn't mean I don’t care,” Daydream responded, rolling her eye at Folly’s comment.
She reached a hand towards the bark, gently brushing her fingers against one of the dripping wounds. It came back with something soft but gritty sticking to it.
“Sawdust?” Daydream quietly questioned, rubbing her fingers covered in the wood together in confusion.
She was silent for a moment, and then hopped down to join Folly on the podium.
“I really think something’s wrong with-“ Daydream started, only to be overcome with dizziness once her boots hit the ground. She stumbled, landing on her knees hard.
Folly quickly sat up, looking at her twin with mild concern as the smaller entity lifted a hand to the broken side of her mask.
“Oof, got lightheaded all of a sudden,” Daydream said out loud before Folly could respond, shaking her head and rising to her feet again once the feeling passed.
“Hmhmhm, I believe you’ve overused your abilities again, dear sister,” Folly mocked, standing and walking towards Daydream. “You really should learn where your limits lie.”
“Tch, I’m aware of what my limits are,” Daydream retorted. “And I haven’t overused them. Something here isn’t right, I just know it.”
Folly watched Daydream carefully, looking for any sign of deception from her sibling.
Daydream was being completely honest and serious.
Folly gave a small, thoughtful hum and shrugged.
“I suppose I should trust your judgment,” she responded. “You were correct to question our creator’s intentions when we were younger, after-“
The taller sister was cut off by a sudden, sharp cough. And then another. Before either of them knew what was happening, Folly was thrown into a coughing fit so violent that it made her double over.
“And I’m the one who overused my abilities?” Daydream playfully poked back. “How many times have you challenged the players that came through here today? That might be what’s causing your lapse in health.”
Folly didn’t respond. She slowly stopped coughing as seconds turned into minutes, but only stood there panting after, as if she couldn’t quite get enough air into her body. It wasn’t like her to not take a chance to wipe the smug expression off her sister’s face, even while out of breath.
Daydream immediately became worried.
“Folly?” she asked, slowly approaching her sibling.
There were red drops underneath where the taller entity was bent over, a stark contrast against the bone white platform. Daydream couldn’t tell if it was tears or blood, as both looked the same coming from Folly, but she knew the presence of either was a bad sign.
“C’mon, you need to sit down,” Daydream tried to soothe, pushing back her own panic as she gingerly held Folly’s shoulders.
Folly didn’t fight as she was guided to sit on the ground. She didn’t argue, didn’t resist.
Tears streaked her face and mask just as Daydream had feared, her exposed ruby eye glazed and unfocused. Crimson stains had begun to seep through her sweater as well, right above…
“Folly? Hey, talk to me,” Daydream nearly begged, placing a gentle hand on the right side of her sister’s face where her mask was still intact.
Folly whined at the contact. A small sound she would never willingly make around others without the threat of dismembering anyone who heard it if they so much as breathed a word to anyone else.
That was the last straw.
Daydream reached for the cellphone Melanie had given her with shaky fingers, barely able to keep a grip on the device. She thanked any deity who would listen, except MR, that the robotic rabbit had shown her how to speed dial on it. She wasn’t sure she could type the individual numbers with how much she was trembling.
The phone rang five times before the recipient answered.
“Day? Is everything alright, sugar?”
“Can you come to Eternal Limbo, DrRETRO? Folly needs help.”