A tribute from someone you once saved.
The sky was already a bruised shade of crimson when my steps faltered over jagged stones and twisted roots. My breath came in ragged gasps. My body was battered—my soul, far more so.
But I kept going.
Because I was searching for you, Bijou.
Not to ask for anything. Not to beg for another miracle.
But to say thank you.
Back then, when the world grew too heavy and I sank into a pit of despair, you appeared—radiant, smiling. You wiped my tears and, in your own chaotic way, said,
"You look kinda cute when you cry!"
Strange, isn't it? But that absurd little comment pulled me back from the edge. It reminded me that there was still color in this world—still light.
You were that light. And now, I was determined to find you again.
I fought beasts that grew from shadows, clawed through cursed ruins, and fled from a dragon whose breath turned forests into graveyards. I faced demons with a broken blade and the stubborn will to see your face again.
And when I was at my lowest—lost, bleeding, trembling—I stumbled into an ancient library.
There, among the ruins of forgotten wisdom, she found me.
Shiori Novella.
The divine librarian who reads the hearts of men like open books. She studied me with those knowing eyes and whispered,
"If it's the gem you're seeking… your path isn't far now."
She took my hand and led me through winding halls of stories and memory.
"Hearts drawn to Bijou never wander alone for long."
But darkness never lets go so easily. As shadows closed in once more, a melody pierced through the gloom.
A voice—strong and sorrowful. Beautiful and wild.
Nerissa Ravencroft.
With hair like storm-tossed waves and a voice that could silence gods, she cleaved through the darkness around me, each note a sword, each lyric a shield.
"Don't you dare give up now. Bijou believes in you."
Her song lit the fire in my chest again.
---
But when death came for me in the form of that final dragon—fangs bared, fire blazing—it wasn't my will that saved me.
It was Fuwawa and Mococo.
They burst through the smoke like twin shooting stars. Fuwawa's strength. Mococo's fire. Their arms caught me as I fell, and their voices cheered me back to life.
"She's waiting for you," they said.
"So don't you dare stop here."
---
And then…
At the edge of the world, where the skies shimmered like gemstones…
I saw you.
Small. Brilliant. Unshakably kind.
Your eyes welled up. Your lips quivered.
And you ran to me.
You threw your arms around me. No hesitation. No questions.
Warmth like nothing else. A pulse of radiant magic.
The pain vanished.
Your Jewels of Emotion glowed as your hand touched mine. The cuts on my skin, the cracks in my heart, the shadows in my mind… all of it, gone.
And in that moment, I whispered,
"Thank you."
Then louder, braver:
"Happy Birthday, Bijou. You saved me."
You giggled—light and lovely.
And just like that, the world felt whole again.