Chapter Text
Mary Sue wore the cutest outfit that sunny day. A plushie-muffler coat, a flare shirt, a giant hair ribbon, everyday tights, and pleather ankle boots, all some sort of black or gray. She felt so fashionable. Her light blue locks and pink orbs were a stark contrast to the dark colors of her outfit. Truly a wonderful sight. She stepped out of her home as gleefully as ever. “Not a cloud in the sky!” Mary Sue said to herself. Looking to her right, the mailbox had a flickering flag standing right up. She had mail. Inside was a letter from Marshal printed onto golden stationery. It wasn’t real gold of course, just the color. He had found a nice wallpaper that made him think of her. The wallpaper was attached to the letter. It was a nice looking wallpaper. “I might just use this for my kitchen. I’ll have to thank Marshal next time I see him!” She left her garden through the stone archway she had set up.
She followed the path of her five star island, walking past the orchard and the cafe-style patio and the small collection of blue roses planted at the base of a pine tree. Mary Sue noticed a weed had made its home right by those roses. She plucked it up, for only the most beautiful things are allowed on Mary Sue’s island. Walking across the red zen bridge all paid for out of her own pockets, Mary Sue noticed the lights were on in Lily’s house, so of course she had to visit her!
Opening the door to Lily’s home, she heard Farewell playing in the corner. The song itself sounds so sad but when paired with the misty-garden wallpaper Lily had in her home it felt more calming than lonesome. “Hello, Lily,” Mary Sue greeted.
“Hi, cookie! What’s on your mind?” Lily asked, delighted to see her friend.
“I brought you something!” Mary Sue took out a gift wrapped in silver wrapping paper. She dropped it into Lily’s open hands.
“Mind if I open this up right now?”
“I don’t mind at all. Please do!” Inside the gift was a brand new froggy chair. “I saw it in the shop and it reminded me of you. I hope it doesn’t bother you that it’s a frog.”
“No, of course it doesn’t! It’s adorable! I’ll find a place for it as soon as I can. Thank you, cookie.”
“You're welcome, Lily. Take care!” And with that, Mary Sue left.
The sun still shone down on the world below it. Mary Sue smiled at it. Everything was perfect on her wonderful island! She continued down the path to the other houses. She passed by some orange trees and shook them before continuing on her way. In a sitting area, just to the side of the other animals' homes, Raymond sat reading a book.
“Hello, Raymond,” Mary Sue said. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Raymond flipped a page in his book.
Mary Sue sat next to him on the bench, eyes twinkling. “What are you reading?”
“A book about beetles. I’m interested in which ones are active this time of year.”
“That sounds cool! Do you know anything about the golden stag? I’ve been trying to catch one recently but they’re just nowhere to be found!”
“No, I don’t know much about it.”
“Oh. Well, that’s too bad.”
There was a pause. He continued reading his book for a bit, occasionally glancing over at Mary Sue who was still staring at him. Eventually, he closed the book and stood up from the bench. “I’d better get going.”
“Wait! I have something I wanted to give you.” Mary Sue also got up from the bench and pulled out another silver wrapped gift from her pockets. She held it out for Raymond to take. He did and opened it without saying a word. Inside was a maid’s dress.
“Another one? I already have plenty.”
“Yes but none of them are this color!”
“Great.” Raymond smiled, trying his hardest to force his eyes to smile with. He then put the dress in his pockets. “I’ll see you around.” He waved and walked around the corner. Mary Sue waved back.
She continued on the path until she spotted Dom, doing some casual weight lifting. Quietly, she snuck up behind him, took out her star net, and swung. Bop! Right in the head! She didn’t hit him hard, not at all, just enough to make him confused. “What? Huh? What was that?” Dom looked around nervously.
Mary Sue giggled and put away her net. “Hello, Dom.”
Dom turned to see her innocently grinning. “Oh, hi, Mary Sue! Didn’t see you there.”
“Isn’t this a wonderful afternoon?”
“Yeah! Did you put on sunscreen? The sun’s really coming down today!”
“I sure did. It’ll be clear even past sundown, yes?”
“Should be. Maybe Celeste will visit! Then I’ll get to show her how much stronger I’ve become.”
“Maybe.” Mary Sue looked up once more at the clear, sunny sky. Not a cloud in sight. Perfect. “Here, I have something for you.”
“For me?” Mary Sue handed him a stick. “For me. It’s… great! I’m sure I can find a use for this.” He put the stick in his pockets. Mary Sue kept grinning, even as she continued on the path.
There was a waterfall on one side of the path and a river on the other. The pathway was the thing keeping them apart. Mary Sue stood there for a bit to admire the falls. Then she spotted a fish in the water. She cast her line and managed to reel in an arowana. The large orange fish was an excellent catch. Mary Sue spent a moment acknowledging how great of a fisher she was. Then she continued.
At another set of houses, she found Sasha and Fang finishing up a conversation. “Hello, boys.” They both waved.
“Hey, we were just talking about Muffy,” Fang said.
“She’s sick. Could you check up on her?” Sasha asked.
“Of course!” Mary Sue beamed. “That’s what friends are for!” She handed them both some oranges and turned back towards Muffy’s house.
Mary Sue stood at the door and double checked her pockets to make sure she still had the medicine. She always had medicine on her in case she ran into wasps, so naturally she was prepared. Muffy sat at her sewing machine trying to be creative. She wasn’t doing great.
“Hello, Muffy,” Mary Sue said as she entered. “Are you doing alright?” The somber music and dark atmosphere of Muffy’s home might have been upsetting to most, but not to Mary Sue. She quite enjoyed it. She thought there was an odd comfort to be found in the darkest corners of life. Maybe it made her grateful for her happy life and how lucky she was to have it. Maybe it made her curious to find what lurks in the darkest corners of the mind, what wanders at night when no one is looking, what watches through the window to make sure no one else can see. Or maybe it was just a nice color scheme.
“Yes, just fine.” Muffy lifted her hands and stopped the sewing machine just before she went into a coughing fit. “Don’t worry about me.”
“I will worry about you! You're sick.” Mary Sue held out the medicine for Muffy. “Take some of this and head to bed. You need rest.”
“But I need to repair this dress.”
“You can do that tomorrow. Okay?”
“Okay.” Muffy took the medicine and got up from her seat. “You know. You really are a good friend, Mary Sue.”
“I know.”
Muffy got into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. Mary Sue stood in the house, taking in the surroundings for a second more. The assortment of purple and black melted together into a gothic aesthetic that one could only dream of calling theirs. The only thing that really stood out was the golden rose that Mary Sue had given Muffy a while back. It sat on top of the closet, so shiny, so spectacular, so perfect. Mary Sue moved the stool from the sewing machine back to the spinning wheel, its usual spot, and with that Mary Sue decided to head home. She’d been getting very tired very easily in the past week or two and just wanted a nap. She decided she’d continue her chores and gift giving in the evening.
~☆~
“Did you hear?” Francine asked.
“Hear what?” Chrissy’s interest had been piqued.
“Rumor has it, this island is haunted.”
“Really? By what?”
“A ghost, obviously! Apparently it only comes out at night. And when it does, you better not talk to it.”
“Why?”
“You never know what a ghost could be up to. It could steal your stuff. Or even give you stuff!”
“Scary! I hope I don’t run into this ghost.”
“I’ve seen it a couple times, but I don’t dare go near it! There’s always someone else who does the talking for me.”
“They must be so brave. I wish I was that brave.”
“You’re plenty brave as it is, Chrissy! Don’t be putting yourself down like that. You really are wonderful.”
“Thank you, Francine. You’re too kind.”
~☆~
The sun had set on the island of Glimmer and Mary Sue was back again to continue handing out gifts. She had Marshal, Judy, Francine, and Chrissy left to give gifts to. She looked up at the starry sky and the galaxies beyond it. This world is so small, Mary Sue thought, and this island even smaller. She looked up at the highest point of the island and the house that sat on it. She tried to think of the last time the resident of that home had come out to say hi. She couldn’t remember. After all, she had been keeping herself busy these past few weeks.
She walked around aimlessly for a while–catching bugs, fishing, shaking trees–before she spotted Marshal conveniently standing in front of his house. “Hello, Marshal,” she said to him. The same smile she always wore was still plastered to her face.
“Hi, Mary Sue. Nice weather, isn’t it?.”
“It’s been nice all day.” Her eyes wandered up to the cosmos once more. “The stars sure are beautiful, aren’t they?”
“Yep.” He took out a broom and began sweeping off his doorstep.
“Perfect for a romantic night out, wouldn’t you say?”
Marshal paused momentarily and gave her a look. His eyes were skeptical but his smile remained the same. The people of Glimmer always smiled.
“I wonder where Raymond is at this time. You two would get along so well.”
Marshal cleared his throat and said, “Have you seen any good movies lately? I watched a few kung fu movies today. I even tried some moves myself! It uh… didn’t end well.” He chuckles a bit. Mary Sue does, too.
“Here, I have something for you.” She handed him a delightfully decorated peach pie. The darkness and shade that surrounded anything didn’t make the pie look quite as pretty as it really was. The pink peaches weren’t exactly Marshal or Mary Sue’s style but that didn’t change the fact that food is food and Mary Sue’s cooking is some of the best on the island.
Marshal accepted the pie. “Thank you, Mary Sue,” he says. “I can’t wait to have some.” He left his broom propped up next to his door and went inside his home. Mary Sue got the sudden feeling she was forgetting something. The sound of cicadas blared through her ears as she tried and failed to remember whatever it was. It was a cold night, as cold as it could be in August. Clear sky, full moon, neverending expanse of space ready and willing to swallow you whole. Never mind that, there were more people to find! And off she went.
~☆~
"When was the last time you saw them?" Chrissy asked.
"Saw who? The ghost?" Francine tried to understand.
"No, I'm not talking about ghosts anymore. I'm talking about them." Chrissy pointed to the highest point of the island and the house that sat on it.
"Oh. Dave? It has been a while, hasn't it?"
"About four months, I think."
"That is a while."
Judy walked up to join the conversation. "Are you two talking about the hermit on the hill?"
"Is that what you call them?" Chrissy said with a slight chuckle.
"Yeah? It fits."
"It does," Francine said so she could close this conversation and move on to the next topic. "Judy, do you think water is wet?"
"Well, yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"
Chrissy practically yells, "Because it's not! Something's wet when water is on top of it, but water-"
"Always has water on it. It's fucking water." Judy liked to swear, just never in the presence of Mary Sue, otherwise she might end up on the bad side of the resident rep.
"But water on top of water is just water! It's. Not. Wet!"
"It is too," Francine made it clear which side of the argument she stood. "It makes things wet." She made a condescending arm gesture as if the fact was obvious.
"So? Water might make other things wet but water itself isn't wet!"
"Water you three up to?" Mary Sue stepped in, startling the group of girls. She giggled a bit at how terrible the joke was. Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight and her smile seemed to be the softest thing in the world. The argument dissipated in an instant.
Chrissy was the quickest to respond. "We're discussing if water is wet. What do you think?"
"Hmm." Mary Sue put her hand on her chin in thought. "I'm not sure. Nobody's really sure. It's one of those things that nobody has an answer for, one of those things nobody was meant to think about. You should probably just forget about questions like that."
The group of girls nodded in agreement.
"You're right."
"Makes sense."
"It would be best."
Mary Sue handed them an orange each and moved on through the night.
A star streaked through the sky and she made a wish on it. A few more went by and she made some more. I wish to catch a golden stag. I wish to see Marshal and Raymond together. I wish for success in the coming ritual. She walked up a ramp to the island’s flower garden. Tulips and hyacinths swayed slightly. A patch of roses looked on the verge of detaching from their spot and falling into the ocean. A single cicada could be heard from somewhere in the distance. It was there, at that garden, that she found Celeste staring up at the stars she loved so dearly. "Hello, Celeste."
Celeste turned and lifted a wing in greeting. "Good to see you, Mary Sue. Aren't the stars just lovely?"
"As lovely as ever."
"I'm so glad the skies are clear. Now the entirety of Glimmer and the surrounding islands can see the lunar eclipse." She looks up at the full moon. Or, it's supposed to be full. A shadow seems to have taken a chunk out of it.
Mary Sue’s smile slips before catching itself. "Lunar eclipse? That's tonight?"
"Well, of course. Can't you tell?"
"I… yes I- I can see that. It’s… it's just…" She looks up again, hiding the growing panic in her eyes from Celeste's view. "Shit," she mutters.
Mary Sue turns and bolts through the garden before Celeste can even question what she said. She shaved off seconds as she trampled flowers and scared off bugs. They'll come back. The Blood Moon won't for a long time.
"I can't believe I forgot!" she yelled into the wind.
Marshal sat on a wooden bench along the path with an orange smoothie in hand. He watched the leaves of both trees and bushes shift slightly in the warm breeze. He noticed Mary Sue coming his way so he stands to say hi. She smiled and slowed as she approached but just as he opened his mouth to say something, a cold, firm hand grasped his shoulder.
Mary Sue looked him in the eyes. "Not right now," she said, her voice stern. Her face held her soft, calming expression but everything else about her was stiff and demanding.
She tugged his shoulder, moving him to the side of the path and nearly tripping him. He was startled but didn't say anything. He couldn't think of what he would say. His thoughts just faded as he watched Mary Sue run off. Bright blue hair. Bright pink eyes. A love for the island and its residents, her friends. He watched as it vanished around a corner.
Marshal had always shown nothing but love and adoration for Mary Sue, but he'd be lying to say he wasn't a bit miffed at this.
~☆~
"Gather 'round everyone," Tom Nook announced in the middle of the plaza. A crowd of eight came to listen, some standing, some sitting, some just arriving. This is excluding Tom Nook and the two beside him, elegant Isabelle and wily Redd. "This is the first lunar eclipse we've had the privilege of witnessing here on Glimmer. I'm so glad we're all able to get together for this event." He scanned the crowd. "Except for Marshal and Muffy…where are they?" He looked over at Isabelle beside him. She shrugs.
Sasha raised his hand like he was a kid in class. He said, “Muffy’s sick.”
Nook raised an eyebrow at this. “Too sick to watch the eclipse with us?”
Isabelle steps forward and softly says, “It’s best to let her rest, sir.”
“Well, alright. The boys should be here soon. They’ll be coming with enough light sticks to go around. In the meantime, Redd here,” he addressed the kitsune with a scowl, "will be raffling out various items."
"For the party!" Redd added.
"A party?" Dom asked gleefully. "This is a party?"
"Of course! And everyone's invited!"
A few people mumbled at this and Tom Nook didn’t say anything. He was done addressing everyone and instead turned to Redd to discuss things.
As the crowd spread out with any sparklers and poppers they brought, Marshal finally arrived, out of breath. Fang spotted him first.
"What took you so long."
"Forgot."
Fang nodded. It was an understandable excuse.
"Mary Sue was acting weird."
Sasha walked over and handed a sparkler to Fang before lighting his own. He missed the first part and asked, "Who?"
"Mary Sue." Marshal looked up at the cliffs. "She was in a rush and she… she pushed me."
"Pushed you?"
"Yeah."
Fang finished lighting his sparkler, holding it as far away from himself as possible. "Maybe it was an accident?"
Marshal looked back to the plaza stone. He knew it wasn't an accident. It couldn't be possible. Unless he was mistaken. Unless Mary Sue wasn't as forceful as he thought she was. Maybe he misremembered? "Maybe…"
Fang handed Marshal his sparkler to cheer him up, and also because it was making Fang anxious. Marshal took it with a shy smile.
Then, Timmy and Tommy arrived with bags filled with yellow light sticks. Everyone cheered and crowded around to get their own, minus Raymond who just stood back and watched.
Off in the distance, their shouts melded with the cries of cicadas. A song so common, so uniform, yet different for each one. There's the occasional beetle or stag that danced to the rhythm of the woods. But the coolness of their hiss and hum was broken when a startled shriek came from one then another then another. There was bumping on the trees and the crack of a broken, unfound twig that scared the bugs back into hiding. There, in the middle of it all, was something soaked and somber struggling to walk, a creature letting out a low grumble and angry outstretched hands.
That night, nature wanted nothing to do with whatever had crawled out from the ocean.