Sonia (Oath to the Dawn)/Stories
After seeing Stella determined to improve herself despite setbacks, Sonia is inspired to make her own progress. She invites Stella, Alk, and Elise on a trip back to the Kingdom of Sand.
Sonia: Giving up already?
Sonia: Feels like déjà vu, huh? Me, catching you practicing in secret... Is something wrong? You're looking at me funny.
Sonia: ...Are you afraid? To keep dancing, I mean?
Stella: I... believe so?
Stella: That would explain why I'm hesitating.
Stella: But I know I need to keep going somehow.
Sonia: Yeah... I know what that's like.
Sonia: Hey, Stella. Remember how we danced before? Take my hand.
Sonia: It's okay to tune your thoughts out. Forget all of that.
Sonia: Just listen to the music... Take in your breathing and the beating of your heart... And let go.
Sonia: Feel yourself melt away. Lose yourself in whatever you want... In the breeze flowing around you, or the emotions you're drowning in...
Stella: Sonia?
Sonia: Then, once again, you can forget-
???: Enough, Sonia.
Elise: Stella is not a dancer. Don't force her down that path.
Elise: ...If you want to teach her how to dance, do it some other way.
Sonia: In that case...
Sonia: Elise, you teach her.
Sonia: No one is more qualified than you. I still remember how beautiful you looked when you danced with the moon that day-
Elise: I've told you already. I don't dance. Not anymore.
Elise: Sorry for interrupting you.
Stella: Did you want to dance with Elise?
Sonia: Now that you bring it up... I guess I did. I'm not very good at noticing what I want...
Sonia: Sorry, Stella. That wasn't a good performance from me. Next time, I promise I'll teach you properly!
Stella: You don't need to apologize. I learned plenty.
Sonia: What you said earlier... You reminded me that I also need to push forward somehow.
Sonia: Stella, mind coming with me for a bit?
Sonia: Sonia Therese takes the stage! Like a shooting star, with the wind at my feet, I'll dazzle and charm!
Stella: That was beautiful.
Sonia: What about you two? Got any compliments for me?
Alk: O-oh, um, yeah, that was great.
Nimbus: You know you're playing right into her hands, right?
Alk: I know! I'm doing my best, okay?
Nimbus: Guess some things never change. All right, spill. Why go out of your way to change your outfit?
Nimbus: I doubt you did it to impress us.
Sonia: I sure didn't. I was actually thinking of bringing Stella with me on a trip back home.
Sonia: Considering everyone and their mothers must've heard of the Floating Lotus by now, I figured a change of clothes might help disguise me.
Alk: In that case, you should bring some bodyguards along too.
Sonia: I was just thinking of that. Can't have Stella getting hurt on my watch, after all. So how about it? We could MAYBE disguise Nimbus somehow-
Nimbus: There's no way you're gonna be able to hide the Hellcat of the Dunes.
Sonia: Well, it was worth a shot. Guess I have no choice but to count on you, Elise!
Elise: As if I would let you leave me behind. Wherever you and Stella go, I follow.
Sonia: Then that's that!
Sonia: I've got some other stuff to prep, so I'll catch you later!
Elise: Sorry, Alk, but could you tag along? I'd feel better with your blade at our side.
Alk: Of course I'll help. But... are you sure about going? Especially considering where you two came from...
Nimbus: An awful place like that hasn't changed much since you left, I bet.
Elise: Like a bad scar that never fades... But if Sonia's going, then I don't have a choice.
Alk: Whoa... Who knew all this sand was hiding a place like this?
Stella: It's very pretty.
Elise: You do remember we don't have a hometown to return to, don't you?
Elise: They took everything from us- even our names. Where are you planning on going on this trip "home"?
Sonia: The Moonlit Stage.
Sonia: Just the name brings back memories, doesn't it? That's where everything began for me... My birthplace, you could say.
Sonia: You'll protect me the whole way there, won't you, Elise?
Elise: ...You are truly a selfish girl.
Sonia: I sure am. You should know that by now.
Sonia: Alk! Stella! Let's go!
Sonia takes her friends to the Moonlit Stage, where they hear a scream and go rescue a group of people from a guardian. One of the rescued people is a sprite dancer, who later comes to question how Sonia can dance with a smile. Sonia answers her, then invites her to dance.
Sonia: This is the Moonlit Stage- where people go to dance with sprites.
Alk: Dang... Was this naturally formed?
Sonia: Hehehe... It's really something, isn't it?
Sonia: But sorry to say, this platform was formed by people.
Sonia: It was flattened and polished by all the sprite dancers that performed here over the years.
Stella: What are sprite dancers?
Elise: A category of dancers created by the people of the borderlands to distance themselves from people like us.
Sonia: They're said to only be able to dance with sprites.
Elise: To be clear, the sprites they believe in are different from the ones in Palpebra or the genies that appear from magical objects.
Elise: There's no proof that they even exist. Calling them gods or spirits would be more accurate.
Sonia: Oh? For the record, I think they're actually real.
Elise: ...Real or not this is their holy ground. We shouldn't stay long-
Sonia: Someone's being attacked!
Elise: A stray guardian! Let's move!
Mercenary: Crap, this is bad... Run! Get outta here!
Alk: That was close!
Elise: Yeah... Too close. Not something you ever want a bodyguard to say.
Mercenary: Never thought we'd run into a stray out here. Thanks for the save.
Mercenary: Please, take this. It's the least we can do.
Sonia: No need for any of that! The greatest reward is seeing you all safe and sound.
Mercenary: S-still, I insist...
Mercenary: You're a dancer, aren't you? I couldn't possible walk away without showing appreciation somehow-
Sonia: You want me to stay away while the sprite dancers are at work, right? I got it.
Sonia: This isn't my first time here. I know how the traditions are.
Mercenary: I'm sorry... I appreciate your understanding...
Stella: ...She's amazing.
Alk: Yeah, it's almost scary how good she is...
???: Was that a swords dance?
Dancer: It was absolutely beautiful... for more enchanting than a dance with fake sprites.
Sonia: You're a sprite dancer, aren't you? What are you doing here?
Leela: The name is Leela. As a fellow dancer, I wanted to apologize for earlier.
Sonia: Yeah? You didn't strike me as the "proper" type who'd care about things like that.
Leela: Well, that's because I'm not. I snuck out to see you.
Leela: I wanted to ask you a question... How can you dance and still be able to smile like that?
Leela: The other sprite dancers pity dancers like you. But if you ask me, we're the ones that are truly pitiful.
Leela: We dancer for a lie- fake sprites that send others to their deaths.
Leela: I've never once felt joy when I take the stage.
Sonia: Hmm. That's a good question.
Sonia: You want to know something? I think sprites actually exist.
Sonia: But not the ones they tell you about. I'm talking about the ones inside our hearts.
Sonia: You only meet them after you've danced so much, you lose yourself in the motions... When your entire sense of self vanishes, all that's left is that sprite. Your sprite.
Leela: Out of the both of us, you seem to be the real sprite dancer... What's it feel like, to be able to dance like that?
Sonia: Sad.
Sonia: It's lonely to dance by yourself...
Sonia: In a world with no one else in it.
Stella: ...There's no happiness that comes with it? None at all?
Sonia: Not at first.
Sonia: But after realizing what happened, I found myself able to smile. I figured out what to do about it, you see.
Sonia: Come dance with me, Leela!
Sonia: I want to see everything you've learned in this world... and what lies inside of you.
Sonia: Show me how you dance. Join with me, and let everything melt away...
Sonia: At the end of it all, you'll get to meet your sprite. I'm sure of it.
Leela: ...You're a dangerous temptress.
Sonia: All right, Stella, Alk. Make sure you pay attention to our every move!
Stella: We will!
Sonia begs Elise to dance with her, before she passes out from dehydration after dancing too much. After waking up, she apologizes for pushing Elise, then asks her to watch over her. Later, Sonia and Denah dance together. Denah asks Elise to join them, to which Elise responds with a maybe, which leaves Sonia hopful that Elise may one day dance again.
Dancer Girl: Who... What were you dancing with?
Other Girl: No one. Nothing.
Other Girl: There's nothing left for us, Sonia.
Other Girl: So why... Why must we dance?
Sonia: *pant*
Sonia: Maybe you don't have a reason, but I-
Elise: Sonia. Still going?
Elise: You've spent enough time keeping at this.
Elise: It's time to go, Sonia. Alk and Stella are worried about you.
Elise: Haven't you learned all you can here already?
Sonia: ...You say that like you don't know what it is I'm struggling with.
Sonia: Come on, Elise. Dance with me.
Elise: Sonia...
Sonia: After all...
Sonia: You're the one that brought me here.
Elise: I can't, Sonia...
Sonia: That's a lie! Your wound is no excuse! And don't give me crap like, "Oh, I'm rusty now!"
Sonia: The sprite inside of you still-
Elise: I'm not like you!
Elise: I'm sorry, Sonia. I can't, and never will be, like you...
Elise: I've always been too afraid to change or let others in.
Elise: I'm a coward.
Sonia: You're wrong... If you really were then why-
Elise: Sonia?! What's wrong? Hey!
Sonia: Ahh... Ngh...
Elise: Don't tell me you forgot to drink water this whole time...
Elise: You selfish fool...
Elise: Alk! Where are you? I need your help!
Alk: Thank goodness it wasn't anything too serious.
Elise: No amount of talent is going to save you from dehydration, you idiot! Why are you always like this...
Alk: This might not be the right time for this, but... I was surprised to hear you talk that way about yourself.
Alk: I have to agree with Sonia though. I don't think you're a coward.
Elise: You listened in on us?
Alk: Er, not intentionally... I was within earshot, you see... Sorry?
Alk: Anyway, I just wanted to say that it's okay to think cowardly thoughts.
Alk: Real heroes are the ones who push on despite their fears, you know? Or at least, that's what I'd like to believe.
Alk: So, uh, yeah. That's all. I'll catch you around!
Alk: Man, Light and Stella are so much better at this pep talk thing...
Sonia: Alk's a good guy. If only more people in the world were like him...
Elise: You... What did you say to him while he carried you on his back?
Elise: He kept blushing and screaming in panic.
Sonia: Oh, was I saying stuff? I was so delirious, I don't remember what happened. I'll apologize to him later.
Elise: Don't bother. You're just going to trouble him again.
Sonia: I'm sorry, Elise.
Sonia: I shouldn't have overstepped like that. Forget everything I said. You don't have to dance if you don't want to.
Sonia: But in exchange, you aren't allowed to take your eyes off me.
Sonia: I want you to watch me dance and change. I want you to know everything about me.
Sonia: I'll be a scar you won't forget- always there, marking you...
Sonia: Never going away. You won't be able to run from me.
Elise: You really are the worst.
Sonia: Aren't I? A few weeks ago, I probably would've denied it... But I've come to realize it myself.
Sonia: Elise, come watch! Denah and I came up with a new dance!
Denah: Muahahaha! Behold the dance of the KING of VOID and DARKNESS!
Elise: ...An interesting dance. Is it from another world?
Denah: Yeah, it is! I'm surprised you noticed... Could you be.. one of my people? Or a dancer?
Denah: Either- or, you should join us!
Elise: ...Maybe not right now. But I'll think about it.
Denah: Tch, well, this bites! We could use the vibes of a cool and sexy older lady!
Alk & Sonia: Denah, you're amazing!
Denah: Huh?! Wh-what's going on? I mean, I deserve to be praised, but like... What for?