TBLT+FF(Chapter 1)

They walked along back to the quiet town left not long ago, and spotted a man bound to a wheelchair, who chuckled upon seeing them, "Oh, you're all awake."

In turn, Toaster rose a brow, asking, "And you speak familiarly why?"

The man laughed, answering, "Because I've known you for five years. Why else? What? Don't remember how we came to be the only people here? And boy, your voice is hard to get used to. It sounds too small for someone of your age and growth."

Radio rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously, "What? Come on. I just got here, and now it's all empty?" Brows furrowing, the chair bound man responded between clenched teeth, "You didn't just get here today. You got here about five years ago. All of you. On the same day."

Kirby shook his head slowly. "No, not to my memory."

"B-but you remembered me earlier!" he retorted, only to get from Kirby, "Because we traveled together getting here, A/C."

Turning to Kirby, Radio wondered, "What? A/C?"

"That's all he gave me to call him by."

Wheeling over to the group, he argued once Kirby finished, "Yeah, but even still, you don't remember anything!?"

Fear overtook his face, and he seemed like a statue as he insisted, "B-but surely you di-no, didn't, no! Wait! Y-you remember, d-don't you!?"

Colder and colder, his hair was standing on end, a result of the chills despite warm temperature. That was when he finally screamed, "No, you gotta remember! And hey, it isn't nice to play such mean jokes on people! Pretending not...you really don't remember!? Wha-"

Stopping, he looked to his feet, then saw a cold, hard material covering him gradually. "Wake, no, wait! No, hold on! This is a gown toast! No, I mean a ghost town!"

Toaster rushed to him, asking, "Sir, can I help you? Really!"

Turning, he shouted, "Does anyone have a Golden Needle? Anyone!? And what did you mean this is a ghost town?"

"Everyone's gone! What else can I mean!? Now, get back! You have no idea what I can do, even from this chair! Even if I'm turning to stone! Since you've clearly lost your minds!" A/C screamed.

Then, Toaster backed away, unable to stop the man from becoming stone, even as everyone else tried to look for a way to stop it. Kirby even tried Esuna. But it didn't work, by this development seeing that maybe he wanted to be stone to escape the fear he must have felt.

"Why do you think this place suddenly became a ghost town?" Kirby wondered, not expecting any answer as he stroked his chin.

Lampy shrugged, then looked into a window, finding a mysterious object. His pupils dilated, and he turned behind him, calling out, "Hey! Guys! I don't know if it is important, but I think I found a tablet thingy!"

Radio was the first there, followed by Kirby, Toaster, and Blanky. "What is that?"

Toaster opened the door. "What's it doing in my house? Wasn't here a while ago."

They entered, and Blanky asked, "So, if it's been five years, how old are we?"

Radio answered rather loudly. "If that was what happened, I'm...twenty-four!"

Blanky counted on his fingers, then realized, "Wow, that means I'm seventeen!"

"Then...I'm twenty-two!" Lampy gasped.

That was when Toaster interjected, "I'm twenty-three. And to what importance is that?"

After that, Kirby responded, "I think Blanky here intends to remind us of our situation. And if you really want to know, I'm about...twenty three."

With a stroke of the chin, Toaster glanced side to side among his acquaintances, and he took the tablet carefully. "We'll take it along with us. See if we can figure out what happened with this little evidence."

A few quiet moments later, Radio commented, "I know someone really smart who could probably figure it out. He advised I go to this town in the first place."

"And who would that be?" Toaster inquired with a turn of gaze towards the bard.

"I think his name was Robert McGroarty." he answered quickly.

Shaking his head violently in disbelief, Toaster repeated, "The Robert McGroarty!? Him!?"

The bard titled his head. "Well, I guess. He actually did a lot to help me get back on my feet."

Intervening, Kirby explained, "I think I met him while I was training as a youngster."

And following suit, Blanky did the same. "He visited the village I used to live in. He was like the first big brother I had, even if he had to go away."

Swiftly, Lampy added, "And he was there when I was just barely coming of age."

Becoming interested in the topic, Kirby's brows furrowed, though not quite in anger, but concentration, and he leaned in ever so slightly. "Do you think there may be a connection with him, this town, that thing, our apparently lost memories, and those times in specific?"

All had each others' attention grabbed, and when Kirby spoke, it was very compelling to find who'd answer, even more so if anyone gave a more interesting answer.

"Possibly." Toaster sighed, breaking the suspense and silence, and he looked for a bag, carefully placing the tablet inside. "So where was the last place you all knew he was going?"

Unable to take any more suspense, Radio exclaimed, "Rob said he was going to the City of Light to settle down! I have no clue where it is, but I'm sure it isn't here!"

Nodding slowly, Kirby's eyes wandered from the uncontrollably rambunctious bard to the beige hooded child. Gulping, Blanky questioned, "So, what are we going to do?"

Not but a half hour later, they gathered collectively a compass, a map(which could be outdated due to lack of knowing what changed since the map's making), a few bags, some luggage in case they encountered monsters, some things found in their homes, and some food.

Looking out to the horizon, Toaster uttered, "I...guess this is it."

"Uh-huh." Kirby hummed.

Taking out a piece of paper, Blanky sighed at the contents, the voices having drowned out earlier, and Kirby tapped on his shoulder. "Hey Blanky."

Facing the taller man, Blanky put the picture in his pocket. "Are you ready to go?"

Rapidly nodding, the youth didn't need words to show he was ready to go.

"Alright then. Let's go."

Beginning their journey, they hadn't even glanced back to the town which they were now leaving behind.