Animal Crossing: Stolen Memories

Act 3 (Part 2), Scene 8

You open your eyes and see a very concerned Sable standing over you. Did I fall down or something?

"Oh good, you're awake!" Sable says. "I was starting to get scared!"

You rub your temples and sit up. "What happened?" The last thing you remember is talking to Rosie about something... That's right! Gaston! I hope he hasn't been waiting at The Roost for too long! "Where's Rosie?"

"Rosie?" Sable says, puzzled. "She's at her house with my sister... Weren't you just there?"

"... I was?" Then you remember. "Oh, that's right." So all that was...

"You walked in, and I mistook you for Lance, so you asked me if I was okay... Then you collapsed... I guess I should ask if you're okay!"

You sigh. So it was a dream. Or was it some sort of vision? You shake away any lingering fatigue and stand up slowly. "Uh- yeah, I'm okay. I guess I was just a bit tired... How long was I out?"

"Just a minute or so. Not too long. I was just about to go call for help when you finally woke up!"

"Ah, I see... That's good." You start thinking more about the vision you had. That was the first time I met Rosie, wasn't it? I don't know why I thought I met her while doing a delivery for Mr. Nook! You chuckle out loud.

Sable looks at you, even more concerned. "Are you sure you're okay, Ai?"

You laugh even harder. "I'm fine, Sable, don't worry! I came here to check up on you! Sorry to make you worry."

"Oh, it's not a big deal. I'm sure you would do the same for me, right?"

"Really, Sable?" You raise an eyebrow. "Of course I would!" You smile, but that vision still bugs you. Who was that guy? And why did I dream about meeting Rosie? None of it makes sense.

"So, do you want to help me close up shop?" Sable asks. "Business has been rather slow today and it's getting late, I figure it wouldn't hurt to close early and have some fun, you know?" She smiles. "What do you say, Ai?"

You shake your head. "Sorry, Sable, I have something else I have to take care of."

Sable shrugs. "Well, if you get time, I'm going to be at The Roost for a while."

"You're not going to Rosie's?"

"No..." Sable laughs nervously. "Mabel would be so angry if she found out I closed shop early! You won't tell her, will you?" She winks.

You laugh. "Your secret's safe with me! I'll try to stop by The Roost later, but I can't make any promises." You tell Sable. You consider going with her, since it has been a while since you were last able to hang out with her, but you decide it would be better to find Rover and tell him about the vision you had.

"That's fine! See you later, Ai!" Sable says cheerfully. She walks away in the direction of The Roost, and you start walking away to find Rover. You figure it'd be best to check around Agent S's house to see if Rover is still there. The chances he'll be there are slim, but it's a better place to start than any.

———

When you arrive at Agent S's house, it's 8:30 PM. You don't see any lights on inside, but you knock on the door anyways. I hope she's home... You wait for a few minutes, but it doesn't seem like Agent S is there. Out of curiosity, you wiggle the doorknob, but the door is locked. That settles that... You sigh. Where else could I look for Rover? You think to yourself.

You hear some rustling behind you and turn around instinctively. "Who's there?" You ask the moonlit shrubbery around you, your voice is shaking a little. Keep it together, Ai...

"Boo!" A shadow pops out of the bushes in front of you.

Your voice cracks as you scream and fall backwards, shocked. Wait, is that... You shake your head and your eyes readjust to see-"Rover?!?" You call out angrily. "What were you doing hiding over there?"

Rover dusts off his clothes with his hands. "I wasn't hiding, I was... uhh... looking for clues! Yeah, then I saw you, and decided to say hi!" He laughs.

You don't buy his explanation. "Sure..." You say, rolling your eyes. "Anyways, did you find Agent S in those bushes?"

Rover shakes his head. "Nope. It doesn't look like she's home, obviously." He pulls out a piece of paper. "I found this note saying that both she and Big Top are off on some sort of secret mission." He shrugs. "I take it that means they have left town."

"So what? Did they leave on the train?" Don't tell me we're going to find their bodies too! You can't help but fear the worst.

"No. Porter keeps complete records of everyone that takes the train, and when we were investigating there, I didn't see their names on the register... They must have left some other way..." He strokes his chin. "Is that important?" He mumbles to himself. After a few moments in deep thought, Rover looks back up. "How were things at Rosie's?"

You feel your stomach knot with anxiety. "R-right... About that..." You tell him everything that happened, including the strange man and the vision-Or was it a dream?-that you had.

Rover raises his eyebrow with curiosity. "Well, it's interesting that this person only appeared inside your head, and Sable didn't notice anything... It just doesn't make any sense." He scratches his head.

You sigh. "What could it mean...?" You ask helplessly.

"Oh!" Rover suddenly gasps. It seems that he's had some sort of epiphany. "I remember hearing strange rumors about someone in a trench coat appearing at night on the beach. Do you think it could be the same guy?"

You think back to the vision, and the man was wearing a trench coat! You nod.

"Then, it's not much to go by, but we should check it out! Let's get going!" Rover smiles and starts walking towards the beach.

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