Destiny Village ~ Central Crossroads

[Flyg0n]

Koa paused as he left Icetales side and edged towards Bahamut. His only conversation with the strange being had not been pleasant, but he also understood him a little better now.

"Hey." He sighed. "We weren't friends or whatever, so you probably don't care what I think. But we couldn't have succeeded without your help in our battles. So thanks. I hope you find some happiness here you... deserve to find your own. Even if you don't think so."

Koa gave him a respectful nod, before continuing on his way.

Echo beamed, and paused to address Bahamut. "It's going to be good, staying here. I'm glad you'll be around." His voice was less bubbly than usual, but his eyes gleamed with genuine interest. For whatever reason, he seemed unbothered by Bahamut's demeanor.

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut smirked. “Well, I’ll have plenty to tell you about what the Potluck lookalike told me about how he and his friends fired Arceus and all the other legends in their world.”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa loped in a little after the bulk of the crowd. Just like old times. She'd spent her final few hours with Starr and Astrid, naturally. They'd had enough drills and battles. They deserved a bit of time to relax, reminisce, share some drinks and revel a little. Astrid was with her when she arrived, a little tired, but bright-eyed.

"Howdy y'all," she said, softly, mostly to herself. She'd said goodbye in emotional terms to everyone already, pretty much. She'd be okay.

Don't pull the plug 'til I'm ready, you sinister fuck, she sent to Diyem, tongue in cheek.

Most folks seemed okay, looking round. She dipped her head to Bahamut. Flashed a lazy salute at Cabot and Kate. Winked at Koa, proud of him earnestly gushing to various fellas. Including Dave.

Dad...

Brisa approached Dave at a slow, padding walk.

"You holdin' up okay there?" she asked him, offering a tired smile. "You look like the world's about to end."

 

[Negrek]

"Ooh, are those cupcakes?" Rocky hared off in Petram's direction, and Nate relaxed a bit. Hopefully he could fade into the background now.

He felt like he'd already said goodbye to everyone he'd meant to already, more or less, but it felt strange to just ignore them all now. He spent a bit circulating among the Cibus natives, giving a last farewell to Chip, to Buffet, to Pop and Cola. There were more people he knew than he'd really realized before now.

It was just Diyem and Owen's group that he avoided, somewhat guiltily. But, like. He'd already said goodbye, right? No point maybe accidentally starting something that was going to ruin the moment.

"You know," Rocky said, appearing at his shoulder with bits of cupcakes floating in his ectoplasm. "It wasn't true, what you said to Brisa. About this not being the place for you." He waved at the assembly of people with a half-eaten cupcake. "You fit in just fine here. Especially if you didn't hide so much."

"That ain't what I meant." Nate's gaze wandered to Diyem. "I mean, all this about the world being based on hope, friendship, all that stuff. It sounds nice, and for most people, it is nice. But it seems like that's always gotta come along with a Dark Matter, you know? And that... that's pretty fucked up. Designing a universe so there's somebody out there who's suffering for all eternity, and who literally can't be happy because happiness is like actively painful to him. Plus it's like, anytime you're feeling down or have a bad day or whatever, that only adds to it? Like brings the apocalypse a tiny bit closer?"

Nate sighed. "I dunno. Cibus is nice, for sure. But I kinda don't want to hang around someplace where maybe I'm priming some kind of catastrophe by having normal emotions. It'd always be in the back of my mind, you know? So I'd rather go back to my world. Yeah, it sucks, and there's probably more suffering than there is here. But it ain't, like, built that way. It ain't written into the rules of the universe that anybody's gotta be suffering. It can change someday, maybe. It suits me better."

"Oh." Rocky stuffed the rest of the cupcake in his face and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I don't really get that, but okay. Hey, do you think Starr's around? We should say goodbye to her!"

They kind of had taken off in the dead of night and missed any final goodbye there, yeah.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz had said her goodbye to Brisa privately already. Since the Eterna Storm, they'd spent a little time together most days, quietly adjusting to being themselves, together, in preparation for being themselves, apart. They were so different in ways that only mattered because of similar they were to each other... But in the most important sense, Brisa was leaving a piece of herself behind. The most hopeful version of herself, for a world full of hope.

She was here nonetheless, sitting quietly off to the side, watching.

Her body was brighter than usual. Her eyes and aura markings brighter still, gleaming silver and gold. A little gift from the members of God Squad, since they wouldn't be taking her to distant shores just yet.

She bit her lip, and though it wasn't quite pain she felt, it was a kind of catharsis.

"Seeya round," she whispered.

 

[Dragonfree]

The ghostly Zoroark looked almost pained, but he disguised it with a smirk at Dave. "Hmph, yeah, yeah, go on and get your pack of smokes," he said. "...Fuck, I need to find someone else to have mozzarella sticks with now. Damn. Just realized that." He rubbed the back of his head, then looked at Flesh, who was making strange, growling noises while trembling. Yep, he was crying.

Owen smiled at Dave, stepping toward him quietly. "Hey, Dave," he said. "Sorry if I was hard on you, y'know, a while back. You... look like everything's all in order here, too. Just wanted to say, y'know, before we forget, er... You know."

"Mozzarella sticks are okay," Mia said, tilting her head. "I like meat better, though. Maybe you can buy mozzarella sticks and get me something else. Like hotdogs."

Dave chuckled. "Yeah. Maybe the two of you can have food while you talk about backup plans." Was Flesh... crying? Jesus. Shadow's ears flattened and he let go of Ionys to lean comfortingly into the Guzzlord instead. "Come on, it's okay," Dave said, looking away, giving him an awkward pat. "You'll be fine."

He looked back up at Ionys with a sigh. "...Just take good care of them, all right?"

Dave turned at the sound of Owen's voice. An... apology. He didn't know what the fuck he was supposed to say to that, either. Yeah, thanks, you should be sorry? No, actually, you were right, I'm human garbage?

Shadow stepped up by his side. "I know what you were trying to say," he said quietly to Owen. "Thanks for caring about me. I care about you too."

Dave took a deep breath. "Sure, what he said," he said without meeting Owen's eye. "Hope you kick the asses of whoever's trying to control you over in your world, even without remembering any of this."

Dad...

Brisa approached Dave at a slow, padding walk.

"You holdin' up okay there?" she asked him, offering a tired smile. "You look like the world's about to end."

Brisa. He turned around again. "That's a bit dramatic," he grumbled. "Just not much for awkward drawn-out public sentimentality."

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded, giving Dave a firm look while Flesh sniffled and trembled against Dave. "And you know what, I don't want you to give up the fight that's happening in your world, either," he said. "To me, it sounds harder. But you seem stronger, too, in a way that I'm not."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa chuckled. "That's fair. A year ago this'd've been my fuckin' nightmare."

She looked around, and smiled.

"Sky and stars," she began, then trailed off.

A moment. A sigh.

"I'm glad I got t'know you, Dad."

 

[Flyg0n]

Echo's eyes widened with fascination at Bahamut's comment. "I can't wait!" Koa simply rolled his eyes.

He glanced around again, then smiled. Oh good, Brisa was here. He flashed her a confident smile, from a distance. All that needed to be spoken between them, had been spoken, for now.

 

[Dragonfree]

Owen nodded, giving Dave a firm look while Flesh sniffled and trembled against Dave. "And you know what, I don't want you to give up the fight that's happening in your world, either," he said. "To me, it sounds harder. But you seem stronger, too, in a way that I'm not."

Dave blinked. "Yeah, wasn't planning on it." Stronger? "...Thanks."

Brisa chuckled. "That's fair. A year ago this'd've been my fuckin' nightmare."

She looked around, and smiled.

"Sky and stars," she began, then trailed off.

A moment. A sigh.

"I'm glad I got t'know you, Dad."

Dave sighed too, stepping closer and wrapping a paw around her. "Me too, kitten."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa grinned at Dave and bumped her head against his shoulder.

"I'm just about ready," she growled, softly. "Ain't thrilled about it, but I've got all the closure I need. This... All of this... It was a singular experience. I'm proud of it. You oughta be, too."

She leaned against him, and felt loved.

"Goodbye, Dad."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave ruffled her mane. "If your dad approaches you for his thing and doesn't treat you like a fucking person, tear him a new one for me."

He took a careful, steadying breath. "Goodbye, kid. I'm proud of you."

 

[TheGOAT]

Astrid moved a little bit like a zombie, bouncing from teammate to trusted teammate. Each goodbye didn’t feel real. And the approaching end… she was trying not to think about that. About what it meant. She’d be relinquishing control of her identity on the theoretical chance she’d snatch it back from the omniverse someday.

Her breathing quickened and she swallowed hard.

No, I’ll remember. It can take as long as it needs… but I’ll remember. Someday, I will…

…and then?

Then, I’ll be at my happiest. Yes, my very happiest.

She was reminded of the day they’d arrived in Veritas City, and how she’d moved similarly then—a leaf in the wind. Everything else about that time was foreign, though. She wouldn’t recognize herself back then, no. Not her new friends, either. They’d grown into something more than the sum of their parts. Something more than who they were when they arrived.

Reaching Owen, she mustered a chuckle. “Hey. I guess this is just another Tuesday for you, eheh…”

With a sober cough, she continued, “I was um… I was wondering how you dealt with the memory loss. A-and finding them again.”

She locked eyes with him; as usual, he saw through what was in front of him.

“I’m nervous,” she admitted, “and this is the best chance I’ll ever get to ask.”

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded, undeterred by the line of questioning, and he even smiled a little at the joke.

"You're already prepared," Owen said. "More than I'd ever been for the other times I lost my memories. This is the best way to lose them. But also remember... the life you have when you get those memories back could make them mean something different. Be ready not just to get them back... but to contextualize them with what's happening then.

"And while you don't have those memories? Well... you won't really have to worry about anything, will you?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Goodbye, kid. I'm proud of you."

"Proud of you too," she said, chuckling. "You don't gotta worry 'bout me. That's a promise."

She gave Dave one last hug, one last jolt of Radiance, and waved goodbye.

Then, it was time to trail around as others were doing, in her own style. Shaking paws or offering hugs, as appropriate. Giving thanks, too. Everyone had given what they could, and everything had mattered, after all. There were too many to name, by now, especially with the Miracles there too.

It was almost time...

 

[Dragonfree]

At last, when Diyem was starting to give everyone the get-a-move-on look, he turned to Mia, and before he could say anything, her scythes transformed into hands once again, and she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stood there, still, like that, for a few seconds.

"...Mia, what the fuck are you doing."

"You like hugs," she asserted.

"Mia, what."

"Shadow keeps doing it. And it releases hormones that reduce stress. I read about it."

"And what, now you like hugs?"

"No, but I like you and I want your brain to be better."

This was fucking ridiculous, but after a moment he just pulled her close with his paw and pressed her gelatinous body against his chest.

...And then Shadow came up behind Mia and wrapped his paws around them both too. Good fucking God.

"I'm sorry," Shadow murmured.

Dave sighed. "Look, whatever. So long as you don't follow me home."

Shadow smiled, tail wagging.

 

[Namohysip]

Owen smiled, but then something cold landed on his snout and he blinked. He saw Cal in the far distance, having finally stopped to come back. She was watching them go. Because of course she'd have the will to come back to see it all through, to the very end. He smiled, nodding at her, and then another cold spot appeared on his snout. He sneezed at that one. "What...?" He felt it, then looked up.

"You're... kidding. At this time of year?"

Diyem looked up too. "Well. We are far north. I think I remember the weather report saying there was a chance..."

The clouds were rolling in. The winds were getting a little colder, but not intolerable, especially after all the time they'd spent in Destiny Village. But, indeed... it was snowing.

And it seemed like Diyem was almost ready. There was a small, almost sympathetic smile on his face.

For once... he looked serene.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Oooh, yay, snow!" Polaris waved his pom-poms around cheerfully.

The snowflakes instantly sublimated when they touched Bahamut. "I never saw the appeal."

 

[TheGOAT]

"And while you don't have those memories? Well... you won't really have to worry about anything, will you?"

Astrid smiled at Owen, a little sad. Comfort birthed from ignorance. She’d have to live with it.

“Yeah. You’re right.”

 

[Fusion]

Vix and Drake kept quiet, for the most part. Call it stagefright, or cold feet, or some greater force being absent for prolonged periods of time to grant them the ability to interact, but whatever the cause, it was no longer in play.

The Chandelure floated over to Shiron and their soon-to-be ex-housemates, smiling her jagged smile. "Sorry, I zoned waaaaaaaay the hell out for... I dunno how long. Probably an unhealthy amount."

"Which is an achievement, since I don't think either of us can be "healthy" thanks to not havin' real bodies," Drake chuckled, a vanilla ice cream cone in hand. "Also, this ice cream stuff rocks, holy hell."