Destiny Village ~ Central Crossroads

[ExplosiveTurkey]

With a snort, Aria hopped off the couch and headed for the terminal that had been long forgotten. "You sure that'll be less embarrassing? No harm in trying something new, but I won't force you to."

Humming a simple tune, she tapped away at the screen, and the lighting — and walls — dimmed to something darker and cozier, as if curtains had been drawn on invisible windows. "And here's the other reason I wanted to come here. There's supposed to be a lot more you can do with these rooms, but… I think I'd rather just relax."

 

[Magyk]

"A...a lot more?" he asked, nervous.

Then he swallowed, and shook his head. He had to get his act together. Thank Arceus she didn't care. "Relax...? You came to a singing place to not even sing?"

He seemed confused by this.

"I appreciate the privacy...but what else is there to do if we don't use the room for its intended purpose...?"

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"Oh, no. We'll be singing, alright."

Aria walked back, falling flat onto the couch with a satisfied sigh. With a flex of her paw, small bits of solid aura began playing with the terminal in place of fingers. Neon lights and a percussive beat kicked in as the ambience shifted to something closer to a nightclub, before a few more taps dimmed things back down.

"That's what I meant by wanting to relax." She rolled over to face the ceiling. "Something cozy and laid-back, like when we used to just lounge around in the living room. Besides, I don't think the janitors would be too happy with what I'm guessing popped into your head."

 

[Magyk]

The arcanine pulled a face of disgust at that. "Yeaaah...no. I'm fine, thanks," he mumbled. "Keep that between you and Mike, or Mergo, or whatever you do with Owen, apparently."

Then he pulled another face, as if he'd been struck by some awful mental image. "Anyways, um...do you sing?"

Singing wasn't really something he could picture Aria doing. At least, not in front of others.

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

She shrugged the best she could while still lying down. "Sometimes, yeah. It's not often I get the chance to... so that's another reason why I wanted to come here."

 

[Magyk]

"Huh, okay," he replied casually as he stretched. "I could, um, howl along or something. If you want me to."

From refusing to enter to hesitantly offering to join in, Ben felt ridiculous for even stressing. He might forget, he might remember one day, but right now he had to make sure Aria remembered him well.

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

"Ooor..." Aria tilted her head to look at him. "You could try singing along. It'll be fun!"

 

[Magyk]

His expression turned serious. "If I do, it never leaves this room."

 

[ExplosiveTurkey]

Aria sat up, grinning. "If that's all it takes... deal."

<><><><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

Everything was finished; any affairs the team may have had, all of their obligations, their worries, their business. All was over, whether they wanted it or not. Diyem was in good health, but he could sense that soon, their tenuous hold to their bodies would start to break down. Diyem wouldn't want to strain himself more than necessary, especially after the time they'd already given, not to mention the fact that the Miracle Matters were also putting their Diyem through the ringer just to maintain themselves here.

It was time to go.

Everyone who wanted to come had come. Pop was there, several Legends, all of the Omen Heroes. The S'mores, Xernatus. They all watched distantly, wanting to give them a spot to go.

"Well," Diyem said, chuckling. "This will be all, then."

"We will never be able to thank you enough," Pop said. "We can only hope to have you in our memories."

"Someone has to," Diyem said with a wry smile, but then he glanced at Bahamut, who, of them all, was not part of this group. He would be with him. And, in a way... he didn't mind that.

"...Then, this is goodbye," Diyem said. "Everyone... I will be sending you all home, now. If you have any final words... Now is the time."

 

[Negrek]

"Of course we'd be the first ones here," Rocky said, laughing as he bounded into the crossroads, looking eagerly over the crowd of Cibuseans who'd gathered to see them off. "You're really eager to leave, aren't you?"

"Nngh," Nate said. Mostly he felt like he wanted to sleep for a week. He looked blurrily at the group of people waiting to see them off, then back at the other members of the team who were gathering behind them. Right. Goodbyes and all.

Rocky was whirring from place to place as usual. He didn't seem any different, but every time Nate caught the gleam of his one blue eye it gave the marshtomp a horrible cold jolt. It couldn't mean anything good.

"Say goodbye to Pop!" Rocky told him sternly. "And Cola. And... oh, do you think Karat decided to show up?" He craned his neck, searching.

 

[Flyg0n]

Rocky was whirring from place to place as usual. He didn't seem any different, but every time Nate caught the gleam of his one blue eye it gave the marshtomp a horrible cold jolt. It couldn't mean anything good.

"Say goodbye to Pop!" Rocky told him sternly. "And Cola. And... oh, do you think Karat decided to show up?" He craned his neck, searching.

So this was it. The end. Even knowing this day was always coming, even with all his preparations, and coming to terms with it... it still felt surreal. Hollow. Echo fluttered about, chattering with some of the locals. At least his familiar didn't seem to broken up to see him go. Besides, Echo would have plenty of fun with the other familiars, even if he would miss this one too.

Koa spotted Nate and Rocky, and made a beeline for them.

Nate he'd neve really spoken to but Rocky... Rocky had been the very first person he'd really spoken to. He still remembered the boisterous Infernape familiar giving him a tour of Destiny Village, explaining everything, and even their fateful encounter with Flesh. A smile formed at the memory.

"Hey Rocky!" he greeted him. He found himself surprised by the cheer in his tone. Although... the familiar looked a little different.

 

[Negrek]

"Hi, Koa!" Rocky said brightly. "Wow, it's so weird saying goodbye now. It feels like you just got here."

"Take care," Nate said, wearily raising a hand. "Good luck on your journey and all. You got a lot of potential."

"You know, Flesh is over there," Rocky said in a stage whisper. "We could go say goodbye to him for you, too!"

"Rocky, leave the guy alone. He's been traumatized enough."

 

[Flyg0n]

"Thanks," he said with a chuckle. And good lucky to you two... wherever you're off to," he added, eyeing Nate. Nate was a trainer, but that was about the extant of what he knew about the Marshtomp. Well, at least he had his team to return to, right?

"Maybe we should say bye to Flesh," he added, giving a playfully devious smirk. Talking to Rocky again made him feel wierdly nostalgic. He almost wished he'd tried to hang out more. "Hey uh... is something different about you?"

"Oh! He has a blue eye!" Echo said cheerfully, swooping down to perch on Koa's head. "That's cool."

 

[Navar]

Shiron just sat down. Sappy words were his thing, admittedly, but if he tried it would end in a stream of tears.

I guess I'm gonna miss this. Freedom, a powerful body, and friends that helped me become more confident. I'll forget everything, I'll be that worthless, useless person again. I'll go home and...

He stopped. The tears were already building up. Shiron let them fall like rain, and he frowned, gills drooping. No longer chatting with Saltriv, no longer bickering and loving Vix, nothing. Just... nothing.

How can I go back home after all of this? Return to a boring human life... With nothing worthy happening.

...I don't wanna go.

 

[Negrek]

"Hey uh... is something different about you?"

"Oh! He has a blue eye!" Echo said cheerfully, swooping down to perch on Koa's head. "That's cool."

"I do!" Rocky said, drawing himself up proudly. "You like it? I'm more shadowy now, too." Nate looked ill.

"Hey, Echo," Rocky went on. "What're you going to do after this. I'm gonna visit some of the other parts of Cibus with Mia! Wanna come?"

Nate took a glance around the crossroads, hoping to find something to distract himself from Rocky's boasts. There was that big swampert over there, the one who'd come late. Nate had never really gotten to know him, but it was plenty obvious the guy wasn't feeling great. Jesus. If this whole thing turned depressing, Nate wasn't sure what he was going to do.

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut floated there silently. After Brisa, no one else on the team had sought him out. Not that he blamed them, in light of Diyem's revelation. He holed himself up in the library trying to figure out if there was something that could be done to replicate his situation. But, alas, he came up emptyhanded.

"And our connection is going to be severed as well," he said to Diyem. Bahamut made it fairly clear that was a statement and not a request.

 

[Flyg0n]

"Hey, Echo," Rocky went on. "What're you going to do after this. I'm gonna visit some of the other parts of Cibus with Mia! Wanna come?"

"It's really cool!" Echo said cheerfully. "How'd you get it? And oh, that sounds fun. I'll be kinda bored when everyone leaves, so I guess I'll go with you guys."

Good. At least Echo would be enjoying himself. Koa's eyes traveled across the other mon, noting that Swampert and Bahamut were here too. His gaze drifted back to Rocky. "Oh. Before we all go... I wanted to thank you. You were the first person I talked to when I got here, and you showed me around and everything. You were really cool so... yeah. Thanks."

 

[Namohysip]

"Hey, don't feel too bad," Owen said to Bahamut. "Cal told me all about you guys. Relayed everything. You're gonna do great, y'know? So, hey, don't forget us, okay?"

"Our connection might be," Diyem said, "but only slightly. I'm still your father in the end, and that means something, cosmically, for our kind. Don't think I'm letting you get away that easily." He huffed, sighing. "The Overseers want to help you, too, after all."

Cal was standing by Bahamut, grinning up at him. "Hey, you're just as hard to beat up as Owen is," she said. "Can we spar sometimes?"

"Help take care of Cal for me," Owen added to Bahamut. "If I'm a child to you, then Cal's your grandchild."

"And my brother!"

Owen gave Bahamut an apologetic smile.

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut looked down at Cal. "Don't expect me to be the grandparent who sends you checks in the mail for absurd things like 'Recycle Your Plastics Day.' I don't have any money."

He flicked an upper wing which sparked with a... strange bit of distorted energy. "But I suppose if we fight, I can continue to get closer to achieving the power I remember."