The Tower of Passion

Hours later, the entire group - Including Penthi, and her sister Pertha who had joined the rest of the party on top of the canyon in their impromptu friendly makeout and groping session in her mare form were cuddled up next to a fire in Penthi's home. Fiona had her head resting in Penthi's lap in her mare form, stroking her head, as the human spooned Ash, her tail wrapped around Fiona's legs. Liddy and Annabelle getting on like a house on fire were on either side of Qae, Liddy using the Dragon's lap as a headrest, and Pertha's lap as a footrest, chatting away about something as a small fire warmed them all. 

This was everything. Fiona was truly happy here, and if it wasn't for the impending threat of this being gone forever, would have happily stayed like this.

She lay there, listening to the roar of the fire, her friends chatter, time slowly drifting away.  She was happy it had been an easy decision to not take Penthi's ability - neither of her current ones seemed replaceable. She thought about her adventure so far, how lucky she had been, and how... Well how much better this life was. She had friends. She dared leave her house - To go on adventures! She didn't have fucking Gary, and his stupid positivity through her laptop speakers.

This was a life worth fighting for.

"Fiona" Liddy's voice from above her. She opened her eyes, and her small friend seemed nervous, wringing her hands. 
"Could I... Can I talk to you about something?" Her voice nearly trembled, Fiona nodded and sat up.
"Whats going on?"
"I... Could we head outside for a bit?" 

Fiona nodded and stood up, Annabelle giving a rowdy shout as she saw the two leaving together which Fiona ignored.

"What's worrying you, friend?" The human asked as the sea gnome sat down next to the house wall, her fishy tail wrapping around her and Fiona joined her friend.

"I... I really like having you as a... As a friend" Liddy started, staring up into the endless starry sky. Fiona wasn't sure what the hesitation was about, hoping she hadn't offended the monk.
"I like having you as a friend too" Fiona put her hand on her thigh, gently.
"I worry you won't be after I tell you this." Tears seemed to form in the little woman's eyes. 
"Impossible." The response came immediately, with confidence which seemed to reassure Liddy.
"It's about the first time I went to floor three. What happened to my old party."

Fiona had been curious - especially that extreme reaction to the escape stone. She hadn't wanted to pry and... Well, they had been busy. And she wanted to give her friend her space - she was sure she'd come to her eventually, and she was afraid of pushing her away. And here she was. The trust she placed in Fiona made her heart swell.

"I am sure whatever it was won't change how I fe-... Our friendship at all."
"Uhm..." Liddy started.
"It's okay - and you don't have to tell me now."
"No, I will it's... It's important to have everything out before we finish floor seven and... Well, we're not far off." 

The gnome took a deep breath, and Fiona could tell she was mentally bracing herself as she met her eyes.

"I used an escape stone. I used it first. I left them all... I left them all to perish." She said, voice trembling again.

Fiona had not expected that from her brave little friend, and a moment went by when she was stunned. Not knowing how to react. Liddy looked about to cry, and she snapped back to reality. Her strong arms went around her friend, holding her tightly.
"It's okay... I... tell me what happened." She said, feeling the wetness of Liddy's tears against her chest. Patting her friend's head.

Liddy didn't pull away as she started talking, just pushing her head into Fiona's breasts, seeking comfort.

"My... the first two groups I was in went well. We didn't stick together, but they were okay. We had the escape stone on the second floor, I got it for no particular reason. I never intended to use it." She took a deep breath, Fiona kept listening quietly, gently stroking her friends hair, squeezing her tight.

"The first two floors I had other frontline fighters - kind of like us at the start. No dedicated tank, but we managed. I got cocky." Voice unsteady, as the odd cry came out as she cuddled into Fiona.

"The third floor I was the only fronting fighter. A mage, a healer, and a ranged - none us competent as us. I had to tank. I was better at it - your skils change when you escape - but I was still just a support damage hybrid." She paused for a moment again, and Fiona thought she could see were this was going, but let her friend speak.

"We were in an ogre den. It went okay to start - terrifying, but okay. I bobbed and weaved." Fiona could feel her doing little movements in her embrace, remembering. 

"It felt good. We did a lot of damage, and they were big and slow. We got past the first miniboss, he had two axes and I slipped through. I felt so strong. It was amazing Fiona. It was great, we defeated him and we were the best. And then we weren't." Another deep breath, Fiona's strong arms giving what she hoped was encouraging squeezes. 

"The boss. He looked like the rest of them, big, gross, smelly, oversized bone club. I thought he'd be slow like the rest of them. He wasn't." She was shaking and heaving now, crying into her friends embrace. "It was so, so hard. I dodged maybe every second attack  at best, I was battered and beaten - we'd gotten some good hits in too." 

Silence for a moment, just the sound of the crying gnome, and Fiona trying to soothe her, tears falling from her face too.

"I don't know if I tripped, he tripped me, I don't know. Next thing I'm flat on my back. I can see the enormous club coming from my head." She pushed her face further into Fiona then, hiding from the shame. "I don't even remember doing it. The next thing I knew, I was in the mist. System telling me my abilities had been reset. I waited for a week before I entered the queue, trying to feel confident again" 

Fiona didn't know what to say, she hadn't expected this. She knew Liddy had been in another party, but she hadn't expected this. She took a breath, and put her immediate emotions behind her before hugging her friend closely.

"Liddy. If you hadn't escaped, what would have happened?" She said finally.

"Uhm, I don't know. Maybe I could have done something else." She finally pulled away from Fiona and looked up at her wiping tears away. "I could have saved them! And now they're gone."

Fiona cupped her friends cheek, stroking her face gently.

"The way you told it, it doesn't sound like you could. It sounds like you either escapes or died - and I am glad you escape Liddy. You have truly made this confusing experience nice, you are a true friend." She thought for a second. "And you said the boss was nearly dead right?"

Liddy nodded slowly.

"So maybe they finished it. You won't know, might never know but they could have. In any case Liddy, I don't blame you, or hold it against you." She gave the sea gnome a soft kiss on her forehead.

Liddy looked like she was about to cry again. 

"You think they might be alive?" Uncertain hope filled her voice.

"Maybe. I don't know. I'm just happy you are. We are friends, and nothing will change." Fiona kept to soothing her friend  as Liddy leapt back into her arms to cuddle, the gnome eventually falling asleep in her arms as Fiona was sat watching the unfamiliar stars. She'd ha e to ask Qae if they were based on real ones, she thought, while processing what Liddy had said. It must have been hard for the brave gnome to carry that. And she still thought she was brave, dying for no reason wasn't brave, just stupid. And she was grateful beyond words that she got to meet her friend, her heart fluttering as she looked down at the muscular monk sleeping in her lap.