CYOA: A Brighter Day (prototype)

Note: I made big changes to my system, which is why this has taken so long. And since HHD hasn't been around, I just wrote it for our wind magic specialists.


Two children sit beside a lake in the middle of an open field. The lights coming from windows in the village become clearer as the sun sets, which doesn't seem to bother them. One child, no more than eight years old, waits patiently. She thinks she sees another kind of light floating in the air, and looks at her best friend, who just can't stay still.

"I think I saw one! It's almost dark enough, so we only need to wait for a few more minutes. Then they'll be everywhere!"

A stranger in a gold cloak stands at the edge of the pine forest that borders the field, clutching her left arm. She stares at the village, part of her desperately wanting to go there for help, but...something holds her back. Fear, fear of what might follow her and put the people there in danger. Her gaze turns to the ground, and then to her worn, tattered boots, and she steps out from the trees and sits down.

The moon slowly rises, and the children grow increasingly excited as the little lights appear more and more often. They begin to chase them as they laugh, but soon the child who had been so impatient before saw the strange woman. Despite knowing better, they slowly approach the woman, and see the bloodstains on her coat. They cautiously ask the woman what happened, which takes her by surprise because she didn't realize the child was there.

"It's just a scratch. But it's getting late, shouldn't you be going home?" she says.

The child refuses to leave, obviously not fooled by the woman's lie. As the woman sees the other child who is also in the field, she has an idea. She takes a minute as she seems to consider something, and after a moment she seems a little surprised, but she quickly recovers and speaks again.

"Hey, is that your friend? What if I give you a secret power that can help you both? The only catch is that you have to go home after this."

She holds out her hand, and a strange sword is in it. The child considers leaving for a moment, but the sword is so strange and enchanting. Slowly, they put their hand on the sword, and the woman smiles.

"In this hand, take this key. And so long as you have the makings, through this simple act of taking, it's wielder you will one day be."

The child begins to feel something happen in their heart, and while it's alarming at first, soon they start to feel a warmth radiating from both their heart and the sword. Whatever it was, the sword really did have some magical power, and they were getting some part of it!

"And you will find me, friend. No ocean will contain you then. No borders around, below, or above, so long as you champion the ones you love," the woman says, and the warm feeling stops. "Now, it's time for you and your friend to go home."

The child takes a few steps away, towards their friend and the village, before stopping and looking at their hand. Suddenly there's a flash of light behind them, and when they turn around the woman is gone. Unbeknownst to the child, she opened a corridor of light with her last bit of strength, and walked out of another much farther into the forest, where she sat down and leaned against a tree. She knew she had lost too much blood, but she could die in peace.

"At least I was able...to pass the gift to such an...extraordinary child. Such a strong heart, surely they'll...do great things." she says as she smiles, and her breathing slows until it stops completely.


Several years later...

The child has grown, and is now a teenager. They still hang out with the same friend, but on what had seemed to be an ordinary day, strange creatures attack the village. As they close in on the town square, the teen takes up a sword to fight. At first confident in their abilities, things quickly change when these enemies prove to be stronger and faster than expected. One lunges toward them, and just as they fear they're about to die, suddenly they're somewhere else.

A giant stained glass platform lies under their feet, and an abyss around the platform. It shines with a brilliant, almost blinding, light. And no matter how they move, the glass never cracks underneath their feet. Suddenly they notice their sword is gone. There's nothing to do but walk around the platform, and ponder if they're dreaming or dead. Or...try to figure out why their face is part of the picture on the platform. That's more than just a little creepy.

Aside from the large portrait of themselves, the glass isn't really that detailed. A feeling tells them that's because they have so much more to experience, so much to see. The background is made up of clouds, with little bits of blue sky sticking out in the places where the clouds break. They see small pictures of family and their friend, and a picture of their pet. For some reason it's wearing a collar with a little mouse head tag on it, but as strange as that is it's probably stranger that they know it's supposed to be a mouse head...

Okay, time to stop thinking about that, there's something in the distance. A...a voice?

"You can still see things, and add them to this place as you go on adventures. After all, whatever you hold dear will always become part of your heart. That's what makes hearts special."

Their heart? Is this place some abstract representation of it?

"You already know the answer to that and so much more. Just look around you."

Now that they take another look, a few other things have appeared. A sword, a shield, and a staff float above short pillars made of clouds, which happen to be shaped like keys.

"Be careful. When you welcome things in to your heart, sometimes you must turn something else away."

Well, thank you, cryptic yet informative voice.


A. Take the sword, and let it's power become yours.
B. Take the shield, and let it's might protect you.
C. Take the staff, and let it's wisdom combine with yours.