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His peaceful days were vanishing. Libestal had fallen, the Guildmasters disappeared, and The Captive was unleashed.
No sooner than being rescued from the crumbling The Sanctuary were Gonathan and his fellow heroes tasked by the same mysterious entity that had saved them to strengthen themselves in this new world's dungeon. As the heroes began to clear these dungeons, Gonathan realized that much like the dungeons in Libestal, the memories of one of the heroes would be restored upon dungeon completion. With The Hot Pink One and the CEO of Faunamart having already restored their memories as IRyS and Ceres Fauna respectively, the heroes were gearing up to take on this world's next dungeon:
The Clock Tower.
Gonathan couldn't explain it, but a gut feeling told him he needed to climb the tower before anyone else did. And so off he went, enduring the time-distorting trials on his own, ascending until finally reaching the tower's peak. And what was his reward for making it all this way? A final room in the tower, where a lone, blue crystal floated, glistening, seemingly beckoning for him to reach out and touch it. Panting from the effort of the climb, Gonathan did just as such, welcoming in the glimpse of another's memories once more. He was greeted by the sight of a familiar tall woman, in her regal white, black, and blue attire, seemingly keeping watch over and managing differing timelines. Gonathan knew immediately: these were the memories of his Queen, Tam Gandr–or rather, Ouro Kronii, the Warden of Time.
Gonathan fell to his knees, from both the physical and mental exhaustion of all he had experienced in the tower, alone. He knew that were his Queen to make it to the top of the tower herself, her memories as Time Warden would return. Yet he also feared–would she also end up like his Pearl had, as someone else entirely, not remembering the memories made after their amnesia. He also remembered how his Pearl had been driven mad, obsessed with finding her diamond (himself, Gonathan thought with a bittersweet smile), and having been crazed for anything even resembling the shiny blue gem.
Gonathan stared up at the lone blue crystal, reflecting upon what he had just seen, and what he knew. He began to curse. He cursed the crystal, the tower, The Captive, the Stains, even that mysterious entity that had saved them, everything that seemed to want to interrupt his peaceful days with his friends. All he had ever wanted was to spend time in Libestal, his kingdom, alongside his Pearl, his Queen, and the other members of his guild, and lately, it seemed like nothing in life seemed like it would let him have that.
And then, something clicked.
If his Queen never made it to the top of The Clock Tower, never made it to this room, NEVER regained her memories–she would never be able to forget being his Queen. He would continue to protect her, by keeping her from any anguish or madness inflicted with her memories returning. The more he thought about it the more appealing the idea seemed to him.
He knew not all of his fellow heroes would agree with his actions, but Gonathan pushed those thoughts aside. He had convinced himself that this was the best way he had to protect what few days of peace he seemed to have left. And so, he rose.
Gonathan pulled himself up off his knees, glaring at the crystal and its room one last time, before he marched out and slammed the room's doors shut. He turned around psyching himself up for the inevitable conflict this would bring him into against the other heroes. Yet he vowed that he would never let his Queen past these doors, into the room, for even just the slim chance she would lose herself.
For he was Gonathan G. He had already lost his kingdom. He would not be much of a "humble knight" if he lost his liege too.
