“Reaverbots? Zakobon you say?”
“Mhm… thanks to Ash I managed to get the drop on it and used my helmet to deactivate the thing like you taught me,” Bran replied, trying not to wince as her little sister helped her get dressed. It didn’t feel like there was anything broken, but the general stiffness and pain made things more difficult than it should have - she was definitely grateful to have Ashlynn lending a hand. “After that, two more popped out of the walls… had to be a little more creative to get out of that one.”
“...I see,” The young woman replied, unable to help but notice Ashlynn make a face as her sister recalled what happened during the dig. She felt her temper flare at the thought, but the brown-skinned woman immediately quashed it down - she had miscalculated. She should never have allowed them to continue exploring there. At least, not yet. “And the shards you found came from those three? That’s very impressive.”
“It is, isn’t it? I’m actually kinda proud of myself!” Bran beamed as Ashlynn helped the injured girl get her shirt on - it was one size too big which made it easy - the digger instinctively running a hand through her shock of brown hair. Despite the general pain she was feeling, Bran was on cloud nine. She had not only faced down three zakobon and survived, but successfully destroyed them in the process, snagging quite a few good refractor shards for her efforts. “It almost made me wish I could have gone a little further to see what else was there.”
“Keep wishing,” Ashlynn huffed in reply, a small pout forming on her freckled face. If her sister getting hurt like this was going to happen every single time they went on deeper expeditions, then maybe they needed to look for safer ruins! It didn’t matter if all the refractors in the world was down there; money would never take precedent over her sister’s safety. “If it were up to me, we wouldn’t even go back to that place!”
“Ash, I know how you feel, but we need to get used to this too okay? How are we supposed to get better as a team if we don’t practice... right Sue?”
“Ashlynn has a point,” The Calves Desert native known as Susan replied flatly, earning looks of bewilderment from both sisters. While it was true that she encouraged and trained Bran almost daily over the course of the year to grow into her own as a proficient digger - she had not meant for them to experience something like this so early. The amount of things that could’ve gone wrong in this last dig… she needed to restore Bran’s equipment as soon as possible. There was simply too much at risk. “You two aren’t going back to that ruin for now.”
“B-but Sue!” Bran exclaimed, her good mood suddenly spoiled as she tried to stand from the chair, visibly struggling to get up. Ashlynn quickly moved to support her sister, feeling somewhat relieved that Susan had intervened, but guilty for the very same reason. “I can do this! We can do this! I’ll get better, I…”
“Hey... this isn’t any fault of yours,” Susan’s features softened, placing a reassuring hand on the young girl’s shoulder. Bran’s thoughtful, pleading dark eyes told her everything she needed to know. Sue couldn’t help but be reminded of herself when she was younger… and that thought scared her more than anything. “What you accomplished given the circumstances... I couldn’t be prouder of you, of both of you. But therein lies the problem.”
The raven-haired native sighed, giving Bran’s shoulder a little squeeze before turning and walking toward the kitchen where the kettle of water she’d been boiling had begun to whistle from the steam. “You and Ash managed to find yourselves in a dangerous, unexplored area and were ill-equipped to tackle what it had to offer - I’m the one at fault for taking the city’s sanctioning of the area for fledgling diggers as a sign that it had been explored completely… or at least sufficiently.”
Bran gingerly sat back down as she watched Susan prepare what looked to be tea, feeling her cheeks flush with frustration. Try as she might, there was no way she could be angry with Sue. Bran knew only too well the lengths she would go to protect the two of them. Unsure what to think, Bran’s gaze met Ashlynn’s bright blue eyes, her sister quickly breaking eye contact as they did so. Was Ash feeling guilty because of what she said? She didn’t have to. With some effort, the young girl placed a hand on her little sister’s back and gave her a little rub - it seemed to cheer her some. “So what do I… what do we do? We can’t just give up right?”
“Far from it,” Susan cocked a lopsided smile, walking over back to Bran with a steaming cup of herbal tea. Breathing in its pleasant scent, she gently offered the concoction to the girl, making sure that she had a firm grip before letting go… it would help relieve some of the pain. If Calvesram’s government was inept enough to underestimate the desert ruin - no matter how close it was to the mountain tunnel in the city’s outskirts, then she may as well set a good example right? “They might consider this ruin open to all comers, but I don’t. Once you’ve fully recovered and prepared, you’re going to earn yourself that B Class License you’ve been asking for all month.”
“What? You’re serious?!” Bran’s eyes widened, almost dropping the cup as Sue’s words slowly began to sink in. Her guardian had always been against her applying for any kind of license due to the fact that the desert ruins were almost completely unsanctioned because of the dangerous and (mostly) unpredictable weather. Being a native of Calvesram, this was of no consequence to Sue, who was able to skirt through the dangers with their mobile home well enough that they would technically never need to go on digs in the city. However, this was Bran’s chance to be recognized as an actual digger! “I can take the exam?!”
Ashlynn smiled brightly as she gave Bran a gentle pat on the back. This meant so much to her sister, and she was genuinely glad, even if she was worried about the dangers that would come with taking the exam for a digger’s license. “Congratulations sis!”
“You can, on the condition that you exercise patience. We won’t sweat the details for now, but right off the bat I can tell you that as with Ash’s schooling, Guts will be your official guardian,” Susan explained, already considering all of Bran’s options. She had no intention of setting foot into Ram Town - which had long since been large enough to be called a city - for fear of being recognized. True, Guts was a former teammate but he had always worn something to obscure his face in those days… now that he was just another junker, only a handful of people knew who he was - who they were - a little over ten years ago. “Ash and I are also working on restoring another type of shard for your helmet. If all goes well, it should be ready by the time you take the exam. I’m not going to put you in danger like that again... at least not unprepared.”
The young digger couldn’t help herself; she quietly placed the tea on the table, ignoring the pain as best she could as she got up and hobbled over to her guardian, giving her a tight affectionate hug. For reasons that Bran was unwilling to even think about, she knew just how much the two of them mattered to Sue… how pain flashes through her eyes at even the thought of putting them through any kind of risk. She felt the metal arm and leg through Susan’s cloak and immediately suffered that same, familiar wave of guilt that felt like it would cave in her chest if she let it. “Sue… thank you.”
Susan found no words, instead gently wrapping her arm around the young digger and returning the embrace. Her mechanical limbs were almost always suffering from a type of phantom pain, but these two made it so easy to ignore sometimes. She felt Ashlynn sneak a hug to their sides happily, and Bran responded by ruffling her pale blonde hair.
Scratch that; they made it easy to ignore all the time.
Megaman Legends Sidestory: Legend of the Spelunker! (スペランカーの伝説!)
CHAPTER ONE
Welcome to Ram Town!
“Bran, Are you ready yeeet?”
“Slow down there birthday girl! Just about,” Bran answered as she excitedly put on a pair of weathered sneakers. Her little sister’s excitement was extremely contagious, but there was no denying that she had been looking forward to this all week as well - perhaps even more so than Ashlynn. Her sister’s schooling meant that she had been able to go to the city proper almost every day, but Bran rarely if ever got to go. She really wanted to see more of what Ram Town had to offer instead of Garry - Uncle Guts - always driving her either to the farmer’s market or the clinic. “Could you get the jeep running for Sue? I’ll be out in a bit.”
“Yay! Don’t take too long!” Ashlynn exclaimed, almost unable to contain her excitement as she gave Bran’s door a few more knocks for good measure before bolting down the stairs.
The young girl couldn’t help but smile as she heard her sister’s loud footsteps heading down to the living room and out of their mobile home. Ash loved that jeep… actually, she loved anything involving moving parts, all working in unison to accomplish something the individual parts could never have done on their own. Bonus points if she was allowed to tinker with it.
With a deep breath, Bran moved her arms in a circular motion, taking note that while there was still pain, there was definitely more freedom of movement when it came to her right shoulder. Thanks to Sue’s remedies and some good ol’ fashioned rest, her legs had felt much better as well. The only thing that still felt raw was the cut on the small of her back from when the Zakobon had grazed her.
Sue had disinfected and bandaged it up the day they returned, but she insisted that they visit the clinic as their first stop today. Bran definitely wasn’t complaining - she would have that kind (and pretty) nurse there take a peek to make sure it was healing correctly. With a small sigh, she couldn’t help but run a finger through the bandage on her right cheek as well… with any luck it wouldn’t scar.
‘That doll had better still be there,’ The girl thought to herself as she stood up, instinctively patting herself down despite having just taken a bath and changed into clean and (somewhat) presentable clothing. She caught herself doing so and chuckled, chalking it up to the side-effects of being a digger. Bran’s thoughts were interrupted by the familiar honk-honk of their jeep outside. “Coming, I’m coming!”
Ashlynn had spent the better part of a minute studying the knobs and gauges of the jeep as she waited for Sue and her sister to step out of their home. Truth be told she’d long memorized each and every placement, and even the little details of its engine from the times Sue or Bran would pop the hood open to show her. She wasn’t so sure herself, but she seemed to possess something her teacher liked to call photographic memory. Still, it only seemed to really work when it was something involving machines.
Taking off her glasses and absent-mindedly chewing on her lower lip, Ashlynn considered giving the jeep’s horn another good honking when she spotted her sister jogging toward the jeep. She couldn’t help but notice how Bran still seemed to favor her right leg, and the little girl felt a pang of guilt for hurrying her. “We’re heading to the clinic first okay?”
“Yes ma’am,” The older sister replied, hopping onto passenger side of the jeep and leaving the front seats to Sue and the birthday girl. This was the normal arrangement and Bran definitely wasn’t complaining - she enjoyed sitting sideways and stretching her legs during these drives. It wasn’t like Ash was going to be the one driving anyway... right?
“Ready to go guys?” As if on cue with Bran’s thoughts, Susan had made it to the jeep as well, and the two shared a silent exchange before she popped open the door and sat beside Ashlynn in front - leaving the young girl on the driver’s seat instead of switching like they usually did. Sue had tried to give Bran a look that said
‘Well, it IS her birthday’, and she figured she was successful because the response was an expression that very clearly said
‘Oh no’. “Bran’s been teaching you how to drive this rust bucket for a while now - think you can take us to the mountain tunnel?”
“You can count on me!”
The look Ashlynn was giving Sue made the young digger consider whether or not she drove like a maniac on purpose... either way, she wasn’t going to take any chances. Bran quickly fastened herself in, very rarely using the seatbelt on the back seats but definitely making an exception today. Without a doubt, her little sister was the only person who made her feel like they could wreck this vehicle in a vast desert with little to no obstacles of any kind. “...Okay Ash, just like I taught you. Be gentle with the clutch and gas pedals when you’re picking up speed at first gear… actually, just be gentle the whole way, please…?”
“...You can count on me!”
If there was anything positive Bran could have taken from the experience, it was that at least she didn’t scream this time.
Mercifully, the drive didn’t last longer than twenty or so minutes before they had arrived at their destination; the foot of Mount Kalfi, the tallest mountain on the island and one of the main reasons the Calves desert region even existed. If not for its enormous rain shadow, perhaps the island would’ve looked a bit more like it did from the other side of the mountain - a greener type of tropical grassland with forests and groves scattered about. To Bran the difference was so jarring that it felt like she’d entered another world… and it would probably be no different today.
“...Thank you, Ash,” Sue broke the silence a few awkward moments after they’d parked, feeling the need to clear her throat and step out of the vehicle as soon as possible. Bran was already way ahead of her, looking like she’d seen a ghost. There were quite a few things she wanted to speak with Ash about regarding her... driving, but Sue didn’t think the birthday girl performed all that terribly honestly. That said, she understood her sister’s reaction all the same. “Feeling okay Bran?”
The young girl simply nodded in reply, making an effort to keep her breakfast inside her stomach where it belonged. Ashlynn was smiling obliviously, and so she smiled back - though to be honest, her expression could have easily been mistaken for something else at this point. “T-thanks, Ash…”
“I love driving,” Ash replied matter-of-factly as she hopped out of the jeep, earning another round of awkward silence from her sister and guardian. One day, she’d own her own vehicle - or maybe a ship! She could even build it herself! Pleased with her train of thought, Ash peered through the large mountain tunnel that seemed to stretch forever, spotting the tell-tale headlights of Garry’s truck. “There’s Uncle Guts now!”
As the little girl eagerly awaited for its arrival, Bran couldn’t help but stare at the distinct cylindrical shape of the ruin - the very same one they had been surveying until a few days ago - towering in the distance. Normally, when the government sanctions a ruin as free to the public for those like her who were registered but had no license yet, there was generally little of value to be found. In fact, had it not been for that small entrance way (more like a hole) Ashlynn had found while mapping out the ruin with their dodgy spotting equipment, Bran would not have come across those reaverbots and more importantly, the shards they provided.
It excited her to think that they were the only ones who seemed to be aware of that out-of-the-way passage... and she was looking forward to earning that B Class License to gain Sue’s trust - and permission - to go exploring there again.
“If it isn’t my favorite group of trouble-makers!” Garry exclaimed, leaning out of his open window to wave at the three waiting for him by the jeep; he had dark hair tied to small ponytail that flapped about with the wind. Picking up a little bit of speed, he deftly turned his vehicle around and went in reverse - screeching to a halt next to Sue and the others. There was always something about seeing his old team-mate that made him want to act like a goof. From the way Sue was shaking her head though… yup, he nailed it. “Did I keep you fellas waiting?”
“Nope!” Ashlynn chirped, running over to her Uncle Guts for a hug as he stepped out of his truck. He knelt down and was more than happy to oblige - with a smile she tried to give his back a few pats but only ended up patting his side (as always). Even for a grown man he was quite tall and burly - the little girl liked how safe she felt in his arms, as he was the closest thing she had to a father figure… well, next to Bran of course, silly as that sounded. “Hope you don’t mind driving us today!”
“Birthday girl, is that a trick question?” Garry said, eyebrow raised. He knew how the little genius worked, having helped Susan raise her since she was in diapers, and decided to play along. “...That said, I did have a couple other things planned this morning - it’s just too bad.”
Ashlynn simply stuck her tongue out before getting into the front seat of Guts’ truck.
Getting up with a grunt and patting the sand off his pants, he caught the older sister walking toward him and his smile formed into a knowing grin. The young girl raised a hand and Garry followed suit into the universal greeting of the fist bump - Bran’s favorite way of saying hello. “Kiddo, I heard from Sue when I picked up the shards; three reaverbots that dig? Heck of a job.”
“Thanks Guts… I gotta get better at it though,” Bran smiled back, honestly still quite proud of herself but knowing that this was only the tip of the iceberg. Stories from Garry about their glory days had them and their team being pit against dozens upon dozens of reaverbots far more dangerous than zakobon almost every single dig! Granted, the big guy had a knack for exaggeration judging from the way Sue often reacted to his stories.
Bran was always always delighted to hear them… but then, the guilt would come back full force as his recollections of Susan painted her as such a different person from the way she was now. They had lost far too much trying to save her family that day and she just…
‘Come on now, It’s Ash’s birthday! Happy thoughts!’ “One step at a time yeah?”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself little miss,” Guts replied with a smile, though he couldn’t help but notice Bran’s expression as she spoke. It was unreadable almost, grey eyes like that. In fact he would not have known any better had he not seen that same look time and time again in the face of his old friend over the years. The thought damn near broke his heart, but today was a happy day and the least he could do was give the sisters a good time for Sue. “No worries huh? Nothing but smiles today!”
The young girl’s eyes widened for half-a-second, taken aback at how quickly he was able to figure her out. Was it really that obvious, how she felt? In a way, she was extremely grateful for it… her Uncle Guts always seemed to know just what to say. Following his lead, she gave him as big and as genuine a smile as she could muster, the appreciation evident in her voice. “Yes sir!”
“Atta girl,” The big man’s expression softened as he watched the young digger climb onto the back of his pickup. She looked a little banged up, but nothing a trip to the clinic wouldn’t rectify. His gaze finally resting on his old friend, Garry eagerly approached, placing a large, gloved hand on her shoulder. “You gonna be okay?”
“Mm,” Susan nodded, finding herself looking into his eyes for some comfort. She had a difficult time putting it to words, but she always appreciated what Guts had been doing for them all these years. She had to remind herself sometimes that he was just as much in the thick of it as she was in the events that led to the way they were now… and that just made him seem all the more unbreakable. She smiled at him - but what she wouldn’t give to be able to smile the way he did. “Take care of them, Guts.”
“Have I ever let you down?” The man grinned, letting out a powerful laugh. Was she shaking her head again? There it was. He was getting pretty good at this, all things considered.
With everything in order, the three said their goodbyes to Sue, who would take the jeep back to the mobile home, and in minutes they were well on their way to Ram Town. The tunnel cut a path straight through Mt. Kalfi, the largest mountain in the island. Aside from being a long tunnel, it was quite the wide passage as well. This allowed construction vehicles to get by without a hitch over the past decade or so, while the government expanded the overall digging scene into the Calves Desert.
Her mind wandering as they hit the halfway point, Bran couldn’t help but recall the story Guts had told her about how their team had been part of the massive project to build the tunnel; specifically by mapping the massive labyrinthine structure located inside Mt. Kalfi... this was to ensure that its construction wouldn’t disturb the untold number of reaverbots located inside the ancient ruin. Sue had painstakingly acquired a Class S License so that her team would be allowed to participate; a feat that was mind-boggling to the fledgling digger, especially since Sue would have been around her age at that point.
Astonishingly, Guts told her that their combined haul had been so massive, Sue (with the team’s blessing) had decided to give much of it to the city simply because of how much it actually helped finance the project as a whole. The fact that the two had then used the fraction of what was left to them to finance Garry’s junk-shop - alongside keeping their makeshift family afloat for a solid decade - truly spoke volumes as to what they had found in Mt. Kalfi.
Knowing what she did about the history behind the tunnel’s creation and the hand Sue’s team played in it, Bran couldn’t help but look around in silent reverence. Even now, Mt. Kalfi’s ruin was closed to the general public and nothing short of an S Class License could be used to venture inside. It was one of the city’s biggest mysteries, which was saying something when most of the ruins dotting Ram Town were completely saturated with diggers trying to make a living.
‘I wonder if I’ll ever get to see those ruins for myself…?’
Bran shook those thoughts away for another time when she spotted the light at the end of the mountain passage. For Garry and perhaps Ashlynn, entering the city might have lost a bit of its flair because of how often they would go back and forth, but she felt her heart slowly rise to her throat as the light inched closer and closer.
Unbeknownst to the wide-eyed young digger, both her little sister and Guts exchanged a knowing look as they snuck glances at her from the rear-view mirror. She certainly had a way of making something as simple as visiting the city seem magical. While Ash was indeed the birthday girl, this trip was in a lot of ways for her sister as well.
Bran couldn’t help but squint as the tunnel finally gave way to the city outskirts, the cool breeze tickling her nose. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, before finally taking in the view with a sigh and a goofy smile. Trees littering every direction, Mt. Kalfi’s downward path stretched in myriad shades of greens and blues that pleasantly shocked her senses - no surprise given how different the desert region of the island looked. Even through the howl of the wind and the sound of the engine, her ears could pick out the distinct melody of crashing water… Bovine Falls. It was the largest of its kind in Calvesram, though try as one might (and she did try) there was no way to spot it through the tree line.
What she could see however were the rivers and streams that connected to the aforementioned falls. They would have to cross at least one bridge built over these massive waterways depending on the chosen route, before finally ending up in the city proper. Ram Town itself was completely visible, and was an absolute sight to see. Even from far away the buildings and houses and roads, it all seemed so… colorful and busy. Once again, living in what could be considered a desolate wasteland made her extremely sensitive to these sights and sounds. Not that she was complaining!
Bran could already make out Ram Town’s famous ports, one of which was located in Lake Arnee, smack dab in the center of the city. She could see the other next to the island just large enough for the digger’s guild, north-east of Calvesram.
As they crossed the aforementioned bridge and over one of the largest rivers, she could spot the farmers’ market through the trees; a halfway point for those on their way to the ruins dotting the mountains or the great expanse of the desert. While the clinic was supposed to be their first stop, they would have to make this little detour because…
“Okay guys, we just need to make a quick stopover at the market,” Garry responded as if on cue to the young digger’s thoughts, slowing down as their pickup reached the center of the market and parking next to where the other mish-mash of vehicles was located. He looked back and gave Bran a small wink as he took the large sack of refractor shards Bran had collected, opened his door and stepped out. “This won’t take too long, fellas! I just need to convert some of our stash to something a little easier to use.”
“Okay - we’ll hold the fort!” The little girl chirped in reply, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting into a more comfortable position. It was understandable why Guts would want to trade for banknotes here - there wasn’t as long of a line here as there would normally be in the bank and the digger’s guild. Refractor shards could be used for money the same way (with discounts for digger-centric gear and vehicles) but aside from the convenience of it, there were some areas in the city that only accepted the paper form. “You wanna look around though sis?”
“I’m good,” Bran shook her head as she got up on her feet and did a little stretching. Of course she knew that Garry was simply looking for that doll that had been imported from a little known island a few months ago. Ash had gushed over it when they had seen it here, but because it was pricey and wasn’t part of the budget, she had refused to even ask for it. Her little sister could be so responsible and thoughtful for her age… she deserved so much more than what they could provide.
‘I really hope it’s still there…’ “It’s perfectly fine if you’d like to look about though, I can come with!”
“Oh no, it’s okay! Honestly, I’d like to have Brooke take a look at you first before we reaaally start the day,” Ashlynn confessed, the worry clearly evident on her freckled face. While it would certainly be nice to check the market out just because of the sheer variety; from meats and supplies to even clothes and products brought in from other islands, she wanted to head to the clinic as soon as they possibly could. “Maybe we could have a look around on the way back?”
“That’s a plan,” Bran smiled, sitting back down and giving her legs one final stretch before getting cushy. Brooke was the very same nurse that she was looking forward to seeing, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why really. Visiting the clinic felt like it should have been quite the uncomfortable experience all things considered, but there was just something about her that calmed the young digger down. “Hopefully Guts doesn’t take too long.”
From what Garry had told her (with some insistence on her part), Brooke’s parents - the Swirls - were a reputable digger and spotter duo known not only in Calvesram but in many other places in the known world. They were old friends of his and Susan back when their team had still been active, and were part of the privileged few who knew that the latter was still alive. Brooke had learned a great deal of first-aid traveling with her parents because of how often they’d have to patch up her dad. Considering Brooke’s age - she shouldn’t have been much older than Bran was - even with her natural talent, she likely would not have landed the job as one of the official nurses of the digger’s guild if not for the leverage her parents had.
Thanks to Guts and possibly the Swirls, she was also the only nurse who could have a look at Bran. The young girl couldn’t help but smile a little wider at that. It seemed unusual, but it made sense. The desert’s reaverbots had different qualities from the ones in the city (at least from what she was told), and Brooke’s general expertise thanks to her travels matched that criteria. Of course this wasn’t the only reason… she had also made sure that Bran’s gender in the guild documents would show as male to ensure an easier time being granted access as a digger.
Bran honestly didn’t quite know what to make of that. In some ways, she resented the fact that women would have to go through more hoops and paperwork to be considered official diggers in Calvesram… but she also knew that there were plenty of risks and generally, the role of a digger was seen more as a man’s responsibility. However, she knew for a fact that there were no diggers on the island who had surpassed Sue back in her day - who was she to disappoint?
When they spotted Guts walking back to the pickup, Bran had hoped that he actually managed to find the doll, and was just hiding it so it could be a surprise. When Garry looked at her and low-key shook his head however, she knew that it was a bust. After all, when they had first found the thing it looked to be just the one… why would they even import just a single doll?
“Okay guys, sorry for the wait,” The burly man sighed as he popped open the door and stepped inside as Ash scrambled to put her seatbelt back on. Perhaps he could have a look at the city if they happened to sell the same doll. “Next stop, Ram Town’s clinic!”
“Plan is go!” The little girl exclaimed, earning smiles from both Garry and her big sister. Despite worrying just a little bit about how much they were going to spend today, she let her excitement get the better of her. Today was going to be amazing!
Ashlynn didn’t realize it, but her enthusiasm had completely cleared the dark cloud settling over the others.
From the farmer’s market, it wasn’t too long a drive until they had finally reached the city proper to the west. The clinic was on the other side of the island close to the guild, so there were plenty of sights to see - they came across the colorful Theater District first, where the news and radio station could be found, alongside a few shops, cafes and a building or two that the sisters couldn’t quite put their finger on... whatever it was, it certainly seemed entertaining.
“I hear they’re working on some kind of game show there,” Garry chipped in as they drove through the relatively busy road of the district and past one particularly colorful building with a neon sign that said ‘Cape Studio’. “Would certainly beat having to watch the news all the time.”
Afterward, their vehicle crossed into the Lake District which was the center of the city. Beautiful ships dotted the port on the lake, and the area itself seemed to have a little bit of everything. There were warm looking houses, family-run businesses and very inviting eateries lining the roads. Bran immediately perked up as her nose caught the smell of freshly grilled fish and other seafood.
“Isn’t it awesome how the most delicious food here is the cheapest too?” Ash commented as she watched the fishermen go about their day spreading nets.
“Well, we’ve never actually set foot into any of the expensive restaurants… not even close actually--
--Shush sis, just let me have this moment...”
There were some areas they wouldn’t be passing through, such as the main residential district found further south that housed the richer families of the island. It was near both the school’s district as well as the police station, too. Instead they traveled north-east to the Guild District, where the towering structure housing the digger’s guild dwarfed just about everything else in the vicinity - which included Anoa Galleria, a diggers’ mall of sorts.
As they neared the clinic a small airship soared overhead a little too close for comfort, where it eventually ended up hovering next to the guild’s headquarters. These weren’t a rare sight, but the young digger couldn’t help but get starry eyed. For someone who focused much of her efforts underground, being able to touch the clouds felt like a pipe dream.
They slowed to a halt at the front of the clinic, where Garry gave Ashlynn his two-way radio. “Just like always, the shop’s nearby so I’ll be there working on a few things. Birthday girl, just chime in anytime you need me to drive you fellas anywhere in particular okay? I know you two like trekking it but give me a holler the second you need me.”
“Okay - thanks for the ride Uncle Guts!” The little girl smiled, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before placing the two-way radio in her bag and opening the door.
“Serious though yeah? Just call - Sue would kill me if she knew I was letting you two go off on your own like this,” Garry said, always feeling a little uncomfortable whenever he would let the two explore the city on their own. Still, he definitely trusted them to behave and he knew how much the two enjoyed themselves when they didn’t have either Sue or their Uncle Guts watching their every move. He looked over to Bran who had already climbed out of the pickup and spoke a little quieter. “I’ll check and see if they’re selling that doll anywhere around here okay?”
“Thanks again Guts, really... we’ll be at the galleria after this for a bite maybe; we’ll call if Ash wants to go anywhere farther than that,” Bran smiled, grateful as always for his efforts. It had been her sister’s idea that Garry let them go off on their own whenever they were in the city… he was always busy so she was glad that he could get a few things done instead of spending all day watching them. He smiled back and handed her the banknotes he’d traded for and her eyes widened. “This is - wait, this is ten thousand zenny…! What about the budget for the supplies and...”
“Don’t you worry a thing about that little miss,” Garry’s smile grew softer as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You just enjoy yourselves today! If there’s anything left it’s all yours and Ashlynn to save for a rainy day.”
Bran’s smile threatened to split her face in two from the excitement.
As Garry drove off, he could see the young digger animatedly telling her sister about how much money they had from the rear-view mirror. Ashlynn jumped, and Bran followed suit - before comically skipping about. Judging from the little one’s reaction, it looked like she might have hurt her leg a bit. The large man had to stop himself from chuckling… he didn’t want to feel good at Bran’s expense, but those two just made his day right then and there.
“Mister… Mett?”
“Yup, that’s me!” Bran immediately stood up when she recognized Brooke’s voice and saw the girl peeking out from the corridor - regretting it somewhat as a bit of pain shot up from her ankle. They had been in the waiting area for just a little over five minutes; it definitely had been a good idea to do this in the morning as there weren’t too many people. They had been using Guts’ last name as he was their official guardian… not that there was anything wrong with that. On the contrary, she was grateful to be associated with the name.
“This way please,” The young nurse said with a professional looking smile, before walking back toward the corridor she’d come from. She approached a small group of doctors, making a quick and respectful bow before continuing through and into one of the vacant rooms of the clinic.
Ashlynn shot her sister a knowing look - the young digger raising an eyebrow in response - before Bran quickly followed Brooke into the room.
The nurse waited for the girl to enter before delicately shutting the door and locking it. With a small sigh, she turned to look at the young digger, her smile suddenly much friendlier and more inviting. “Whew. Hi Bran! It’s good to see you!”
“H-hey! Brooke… it’s uh, good to see you too!” Bran replied, letting out an awkward laugh as she scratched the back of her head. She didn’t even know why she was so embarrassed, but there was always something about the young nurse that made her warm and fuzzy. She was a sight to see, with long dark hair that seemed to go wherever it wanted - though unlike most natives of Calvesram her skin was a lighter shade, closer to her own. “I hope you don’t mind checking on me today…”
“Of course not,” Brooke replied with a slight giggle as she gestured for the girl to take a seat on the bed. She didn’t really want to see Bran getting hurt, but since she was the only one who could make sure that the young digger’s documents would show as male, that really couldn’t be helped. Plus, having been raised the way she had, she couldn’t help but admire Bran’s decision to be a digger… the least she could do was make that easier for her patient by being the best nurse she could possibly be. “So! Walk me through it… what happened?”
“Well, you see…”
As always, when it came to Brooke, Bran felt like she could tell her anything - and tell her she did. She went into detail about all the progress she and Ashlynn had been making in the dig, as well as her encounter with the three zakobon during their last outing. She could remember vividly how she had dealt with them, and it looked like the dark-haired girl was hanging on every word. It added to Bran’s embarrassment and a small blush was creeping on her face, but it was about right - especially considering that Brooke’s parents were both renowned diggers.
While Bran got into the subject of her injuries and how it was treated the first two days, Brooke had helped her remove her shoes, and was checking her ankles for any swelling. Thankfully there only appeared to be the slightest bit of it on the left foot - the young nurse gently pressed on it and asked if there was any pain and her patient shook her head in response.
“The way you describe the reaverbots in the desert ruins… they seem so much more intimidating than the zakobon my parents would normally encounter, honestly,” Brooke said, though more to herself than to the young digger who had just finished her story. It wasn’t unheard of however; in their travels they had encountered many different subtypes of the same reaverbot, like the zakobon. It made her worry for Bran a little bit more; if this was what she was encountering over at Calves Desert. “I’ll have a look at the cut on your back okay?”
Bran nodded and turned around, lifting her plaid shirt up to show her good friend her bandage. Again she felt quite awkward, while at the same time, secure. She felt the young nurse remove the bandage and gently press on the sides of the cut. She couldn’t help but make a face… it still definitely felt raw.
“I’ve seen this kind of infection before - the cut itself doesn’t need stitches thankfully, but we’re going to have to treat it with a topical antibiotic,” Brooke said, her voice taking on a more professional tone as she quickly approached and opened the drawers of the desk at the corner of the room, removing what looked to be a tube of sorts alongside some more bandages and medical tape. Just like her mother, she had learned to identify through the look and feel of certain wounds caused by reaverbots, what would be needed to treat it. “While this should have been applied the same day, it’s not nearly as bad as it could be. It was dressed and treated very well even without the antibiotic.”
“Oh, I see,” Bran’s thoughts went to Sue, and a little smile played on her lips. Leave it to a famous digger to know how to deal with strange reaverbot infections. “Sorry about that...”
“Aw, no apologies necessary, it really isn’t a bad thing! Sorry if I made it sound that way,” Brooke replied rather quickly, afraid that she might have offended her friend - who was already shaking her head in response as though to quash her fears.
“Oh no, no, you didn’t.”
“Okay then,” The young nurse smiled as she got to work on treating the wound. Having performed these things countless times with her stubborn dad, It was a relatively simple matter; she very gently and thoroughly applied the cream, waited for it to dry a little before dressing the cut with the bandage and tape. She had never come across the reaverbots in the desert before, but judging from the look and feel of the cut, she was fairly convinced that this would do the trick. “All right, all done. I’m sure you can already tell what I’m going to say, but no digging for at least a few days… I would give it about a week. I’ll let you keep this antibiotic for free, but you won’t need to apply this more than three or so times over the next few days… and, if it doesn’t feel like it’s getting better in that time, I’ll have another look at it okay?”
“Okay!” Bran grinned happily as she let her shirt down and got right to putting her shoes back on. A relatively clean bill of health - definitely a relief. She was very grateful that Brooke was willing to give it away for free… she knew how expensive antibiotics could be. As the guild’s official field nurse in the clinic, she was given a bit of leeway as far as what she could do, but it was still incredibly generous of her. “I really appreciate it Brooke, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it Bran! Well… seriously, best not to mention it,” The nurse grinned back in reply, happy that she could help in any way really. As someone who normally kept to herself because she and her parents had always moved from place to place, she felt a kind of kinship with the young digger. It seemed embarrassing to ask, but it felt like they were about the same age, too. “I’ll take care of the documents as usual so - oh! I almost forgot.”
“Hm? What are...” Bran’s eyes widened and she couldn’t help but stiffen up as Brooke gently placed a hand on her cheek and traced her thumb over the small bandage there.
“Let me have a look at this too yeah? We’ll replace the bandage.”
“O-oh, yeah… sure.”
After Brooke had taken care of both the bandage as well as wrote up the documents to be passed on to the clinic and to the guild, she and Bran had gotten caught up on conversation regarding her decision to acquire a Class B License.
The two didn’t often see each other all things considered, but every time they did, it always felt like they had been good friends since the start.
Megaman Legends Sidestory: Legend of the Spelunker! (スペランカーの伝説!)
CHAPTER ONE
Welcome to Ram Town! -Closure-
“So the zakobon you encountered had one red eye yeah? I think the one I’d seen most often had two!” Brooke said, absorbed in the conversation as they walked back to the lobby. There had been some places where she had seen her dad had take a few down above the surface, though that didn’t happen too often. She could recall him having a relatively easy time, but that’s probably just because of the open area when compared to the closed-in, claustrophobic halls of an underground ruin… not to mention the possible differences between the reaverbots in Calves Desert and everywhere else. “In some places they’re called horokko. Honestly… I find them kind of cute.”
“C-cute? We’re still talking about the same thing right…?” Bran replied, shuddering at the thought of those hulking, unsettling, unreasonably fast reaverbots in the deep dark ruins as… cute. The young girl definitely had more experience than she as far as reaverbot types went, but the thought of the zakobon in those ruins being anything but creepy was hard to swallow.
“Maybe… it might even be a completely different type of reaverbot altogether, the one you encountered,” Brooke considered, finding the thought of the desert holding all new different types of reaverbots intriguing. She would definitely be telling her parents about it when they returned home from overseas. “It might be asking too much but… do you think you could draw the horokko? What you saw?”
“Huh. Actually, I think I can,” The young digger smiled, having never taken that into account before. She quite enjoyed sketching things up, even though she wouldn’t consider herself an artist by any stretch of the imagination. She didn’t think she’d ever forget the way those zakobon - or horokko - looked. “I’ll do my best and I’ll bring it the next time I come back!”
“Sounds great!” Brooke smiled widely, unable to help but notice the young digger looking away and making that awkward laugh again. She was a bit glad that Bran was acting so funny; it was giving the nurse a bit more confidence, funny as that sounded. Plus it really was quite sweet. “Oh, I see Ash right there… who’s with her?”
“Hrm?” Bran looked over to where her sister was - she looked to be speaking with someone who was dressed rather… oddly. Wait… what was that Ashlynn was holding? It was blue and… it was the doll! Did Guts already find it? She could feel her heart beating a little faster from excitement as she jogged toward the two.
Ashlynn caught Bran heading toward them with Brooke following suit and flashed them a bright smile. “Si--Bro! And Brooky! I want you to meet Mister Salvatore! He teaches us sometimes about machines at school, he’s super cool.”
“Ash, please, you know formalities make my skin crawl…” The young man closed his eyes and flashed a brilliant looking smile, tipping his strange, cat-themed hat to Ashlynn’s brother as well as the nurse. “Just Soufflé will do.”
An awkward silence fell on both the digger and the nurse as they struggled to figure out what to say.
Bran in particular had never seen someone dressed… quite like that. He seemed awfully young to be a teacher, again not seeming older than Bran herself. The young digger sighed and shook her head, mentally scolding herself as she brought her fist forward for bumping. Actually, apart from the cat-themed hat and the odd cat face sticker on his vest and... the way his belt seemed to resemble a tail, he seemed to be dressed rather normally. The deep mess of red hair and the striking dark blue eyes only served to make him look more unusual, though... “I… nice to meet you Soufflé. I’m Bran, and this lovely lady is Brooke.”
“Uhm, hello,” The nurse chimed in with a nervous smile. Where did all that confidence with Bran suddenly go...
Soufflé stared at Bran’s fist for a bit, before lifting his hand and giving it a little pat pat. What an odd way of saying hello. But then again, this was Ash’s brother - he was supposed to be a digger right? Or learning to be. He knew enough about the way diggers worked as his family had found their fortune initially through digging. However, he was far more interested in the way ships and machinery were put together rather than what they were being used for. That said, the boy seemed a little… soft, to be a digger. “A pleasure to meet you both… Ash has told me quite a bit about you actually. That line of work isn’t for the faint of heart you know.”
Bran wasn’t quite sure what he had meant by that. “No… I suppose it really isn’t.”
“Bran, look what Mister Soof got me!” Ashlynn couldn’t hold in her excitement as she showed her sister - well, brother at the moment - her doll. This was the very same doll that she had wanted from a while back in the farmers market. It supposedly was modeled after a powerful digger from the other side of the world - Ashlynn had remembered hearing about him from the news at one point or another. Still, the reason she wanted it was because it was simply too cute and cuddly. “It’s the same doll! You remember right?”
“Oh… yeah, of course I remember kiddo,” Bran smiled, quite happy for his little sister - but she also couldn’t help but feel disappointed as well. She had wanted so badly to surprise her with that doll… how did Soufflé even know about it to begin with? Considering how close they seemed, Ash had probably told him at one point. Even if she was very glad that someone cared enough to do this for her little sister, she couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit jealous. “Thank you for giving my sister that gift... I really appreciate it.”
“Ahahah, well, it took some doing,” Soufflé replied, scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. He did know that Ashlynn’s birthday was coming up... but what she might have wanted was a completely different story. He had to ask some of her friends at school, and they had mentioned the doll in the farmers market. He could see a lot of potential in the freckle faced girl when it came to engineering - in a way, she reminded him a lot of himself. He had a bit of a soft-spot for talented people without the resources to achieve their goals. “But anyway! I know you three probably have something planned for today, but now that I’ve found Ash, I’m going to take everyone out for some food and a good time yes? My treat of course.”
“Huh? Wait, I…” Brooke started, her voice suddenly feeling very tiny. “I can’t just leave my post…”
“Nonsense,” Soufflé grinned, looking at the young girl’s name-tag - he knew that last name quite well - before calling out to one of the nurses in the reception area. “Excuse me! The Salvatores need Miss Swirl here to have a look at one of our diggers. We’ll bring her back later yes?”
“Of course Mister Salvatore! I hope it isn’t anything too serious.”
“Miss Swirl is capable indeed, the digger is in good hands,” Soufflé nodded and tipped his hat toward the reception area before looking back at Brooke, who was suddenly finding the floorboards quite interesting. He looked over to the brother and sister and flashed a toothy grin. “Now, does anyone else have any objections?”
As convincing as this strange individual could be, Bran couldn’t help but say something, her cautious nature getting the better of her. “Now hold on… this is all happening a little too fast…”
“Ah, well, true enough,” The young man said, feigning defeat. “I suppose I should call off the airship then?”
“What?! An airship?!”
“A-airship?! Bran he just said…!”
“We’re going to ride an airship Ash!”
“We are! We’re gonna ride! Brooky too!”
“I… okay…”
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A/N: Harro! This took quite a bit to write, and I'm sorry about the wait! This chapter... well, it's technically one of two parts of what had happened during Ashlynn's birthday. It's quite long though, sorry! I always get lost in the introductions because there's often so much to say haha. So you guys, I hope you all enjoy Chapter One of my very own Legends, and I have the concept art posted in the artwork section if you're interested in seeing what the characters look like.
You guys just keep on being awesome!