Destiny Village ~ Library

[unrepentantAuthor]

"No idea what I'd be like without the inborn 'legacy'," mused Luz. "I like t'think I chose it while I was gestatin'. But who knows? You're probably right in that shades with some kinda aspiration or predetermined traits'd have an easier time just havin' an identity. And now this eternatus thing... It goes deeper'n yer host, t'somethin' that genuinely does have bearin' on all of us. I think that's kinda fascinatin'."

Luz scratched her chin. Soul could still turn out to be anything or anyone depending on how Eien herself turn out to be, but she sure sounded like someone who bent the rules so she could help people. That was someone Luz would want to know. Which meant, perhaps, if they were lucky, that the Soul-to-come would be a gal she'd think highly of, too. That'd be nice.

"Well, I sure hope that y'get t'speak with Eien, and that y'like what y'find," she added. "And I hope that whoever you are when that happens, is someone who still wants t'be my pal."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

The thought that normal familiars might have chosen their identities was something that had never occurred to Soul. Though, if Luz wasn't awake enough to remember it, would she have been awake enough to make a choice? Possibly. It wouldn't be the strangest thing about being a shade.

Soul had been thinking of her search as if both she and the others didn't get to choose identities. She'd started thinking of it that way around the time she'd failed to make up and identity she'd be happy with... but maybe that had just been the wrong way of doing things. Maybe they all really did have a choice, and this was just the choice that felt right for her. Was it still a choice if you could only find one option that felt right? It wouldn't be a choice if only one right option existed, but what if there were other identities she'd be comfortable with, and she just hadn't found them. That might count as a choice.

This was giving her a headache.

There was one thing she knew with certainty: "I'm sure I'll still be Soul, I'll just have learned more about who 'Soul' is. I'll still have all these memories," Soul said, shooting a smile Luz's way, "and I certainly won't forget about my friends, or the things I've learned by spending time with everyone."

Soul's tails started tapping against the floor. "I think I'll like Eien. We've heard a few things about her here and there, and she sounds really nice! I hope we can get her out of the tree at the same time we help Maple... I really want to meet her."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Luz nodded, grinning. "I like the sound of her too. I just hope everythin' works out alright, y'know?" She tapped her claws on her chin, making tiny little dull sounds, of firmed-up ectoplasm, and not keratin. "I figure I'll change too, over time. That's what livin' even is, maybe. But hey. I'm lucky enough t'get t'do that alongside folks like you an' the rest of the team, on a world like Cibus. That's a blessin' I don't think I appreciated 'til now."

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"And I'm lucky enough for that as well..."

It used to be the case that, what felt like ages ago, Soul had wondered if being more than a shade was worth all the trouble that came with becoming *Soul* in the first place... How long had it been since she'd last wondered that? It was a long time ago.

She didn't need to wonder that anymore. It was worth it.

"I'll appreciate that blessing, too."

She didn't feel the need to look for a book anymore. She had wanted to find one that gave words to how she'd felt. She wouldn't need that anymore, Luz had helped her find her own words for it instead.

<><><><><>

 

[Fusion]

This time, Puddle actually remembered to send out a message to the person he hoped to meet. All it had to do was wait for Bahamut to show up... if he did. Puddle was so anxious waiting that it didn't realize it was stacking book at the table it was waiting at.

"...The hell am I nervous for? I ain't even got nerves," Puddle grumbled, adding another book to the stack. Each one was about Pokemon and Gods, encyclopedias basically. Man, if only there was an electric one. In like, a handheld shape. Honestly there probably was, or that fancy badge could act like one, but books were smarter anyway.

Even after calling itself out, Puddle went back to finding and stacking books. They'd be its backup, if Bahamut didn't want to help.

 

[Ambyssin]

The wonderful thing about having portals back at his disposal was that Bahamut didn't actually need to commit to meeting anyone. He could poke his head through a portal and, if whatever was on the other side was a waste of time, pull back and call it a day.

So that was exactly what he did. It started with a spark of purple energy. Then distorted ripples. Then an ultra wormhole's checkerboard pattern opened to reveal Bahamut's pointed head. His matched eyes bathed Puddle in multicolored light.

"You rang?"

 

[Fusion]

Puddle still didn't know how he and Bahamut stood together, but if Bahamut is greeting like that... maybe they're still on good terms? Hopefully that was the case.

"Hey, yeah. I'm tryin' to find a way to help Deoxys, Karat says he's still dormant in his core and Karat ain't gettin' a response from 'im," Puddle explained, fixing the stack of books to look nice before facing Bahamut. What a giant head... "You're the smartest guy I know, so... I was hopin' you'd help me out with that. Or maybe point me in the right direction?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut was sorely tempted to snap at the little familiar. Ask why he even should help after being telepathically harassed. This was all his siblings' faults. He shouldn't have been the one needing to take responsibility. It should've been them, though that did leave the risk of things getting even more fucked up. What a pain.

"Well, if it's anything like the one I'm familiar with, then it thrives on electromagnetic radiation," he explained. "Ultraviolet light being the easiest one to come across, naturally." The necrozma slowly slithered out of the portal, which shut behind his gray tail. "The alternative is , as a mutant virus, a deoxys should take nutrients from a host. So, it would need to infect someone. Perhaps that mewtwo that clearly pines for it. He seems strong enough to survive having his energy sucked away."

 

[Fusion]

Puddle nodded, thoughtful. Ultraviolet light... sunlight had that, right? It felt odd to ask Karat to just... leave Deoxys out in the sun for a while, but it was still something to keep in mind. That nutrient part might be something to look into first. "I... wouldn't feel right askin' Karat to sacrifice himself to bring back his friend, or anyone for that matter. Maybe... Diyem or Joule, since they've got damn near infinite energy and one of 'em can't really die, or we could find somethin' else."

"If all Deoxys needs is nutrients and energy, maybe we can find somethin' super-powerful or packed with life to give to 'im?" Puddle asked, grabbing a book about dragon types. Those had lots of power naturally, so maybe Puddle could find something about them that could help. Or maybe look into psychic types, since Puddle was mostly sure Deoxys was psychic too. "Or... maybe we could make somethin'? Destiny Village has a fuck ton of powerful tech, one of 'em's gotta be able to help."

 

[Ambyssin]

"No, no, and no." Bahamut tapped the top of the book stack with an upper wing-claw. "If you expose Deoxys to Diyem or Joule it'll just wind up corrupted by shadows or radiance, breaking it even further. Artificial energy is not of any help. Viruses thrive off what is naturally produced by one's body. Some deoxys even communicate using spectrums of visible light. The ones I've seen literally heal themselves simply by flying close enough to a sun."

Chances were that Karat could literally plop Dexoys down by him and Joule and wait it out. "You could always try recruiting Groudon. Helped Joule to stabilize his core after he blasted the moon."

 

[Fusion]

Oh, sounds like the sun thing was actually legitimate. Go figure. "Well shoot, alright. We'd have to hope that Groudon doesn't think as little of us as Rayquaza does, then. Pretty sure I heard around the block that the giant sky serpent thinks we're idiots..." Which, considering what just happened, would be fair.

"If Groudon doesn't wanna help, leavin' Deoxys out in the sun would still help? Or... would another trip to the space be in order?" Puddle grimaced slightly. "Without anyone gettin' blasted to hell. Literally." Even if they didn't plan on going anywhere near the moon, Puddle felt that no one would want anyone going out to space again, especially Karat. Even if it did help Deoxys. "Might have to figure out a plan that doesn't include space. Don't wanna another... this."

 

[Ambyssin]

"You do realize that, between me, Joule, and Palkia, we can probably make a portal in the sun's general direction to bathe Deoxys in light, right?" Bahamut said. "Let's not try for anything crazy. After all, the moon is watching us."

 

[Fusion]

"I just... didn't wanna ask someone else to go to space after the moon shit, 'specially not you, or anyone that ain't connected to Diyem," Puddle huffed, closing the dragon book. It'd still need a backup plan, or some other plan that excluded going to space. "It's like you said, the moon is watchin' us, and thanks to Vix and my siblin's, whoever is on the moon knows we're willin' to go to space. What if they attack anythin' that leaves the planet? What if they got more things set up to blast anyone and anythin' down?"

It got a little heated, simmering. Puddle took a deep breath, held it, then let out a sigh. "The last thing I... that we need is more of us gettin' killed. I wanna avoid goin' up there with Deoxys at all costs."

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut harrumphed. "I don't think it's necessary for anyone to leave the planet right now. Inevitably we have to deal with the nonsense on the moon, but the odds are strong that the team will be in a better position with Maple and—" he shuddered "—Eternatus to back us up."

 

[Fusion]

Bahamut had a point, they really didn't need to go to space right this second, and having two of Puddle's three Moms on their side would help lots, but... "Do you think Karat will wait that long? He's... pissed, to say the least. He's pretty good at hidin' his emotions, cuz he only looked like he kinda wanted to kill me. Hell... I feel like whatever's on the moon is gonna get strong enough to take out both Maple and Eien by the time we free them from their mind shit."

Puddle sighed, dropping its head on the table. "Man... the hell do we gotta deal with so much powerful bullshit? It's startin' to get ridiculous..."

 

[Ambyssin]

"Please. Nothing's blown this planet up yet, so it's hardly the kind of power I'm used to."

 

[Fusion]

Puddle shook its head. "I thought you were against overconfidence. Ain't that why you were gettin' on Vix's case? I get that you've been through hell and made it to the other side, but that ain't your original body, and this ain't your planet neither."

"I... really don't wanna see you get killed, alright?" Puddle flinched, growling slightly. It's simmer increased, but didn't go up to a boil. "'Specially not because you thought you wouldn't die." Funny, it almost sounded like it knew what it was talking about from experience.

 

[Ambyssin]

"This isn't overconfidence. It's stating a simple fact." Bahamut gestured up with a wing. "If whatever powers are at work truly had the strength to lay waste to this planet, it already would've happened. But it hasn't. Meaning Soda doesn't have whatever he's been tricked into thinking he needs. And I say this as someone whose original body had the power to destroy planets with enough light present.

"I'm not like the others. It doesn't matter if I die. There's no one to miss me and there's certainly nothing I'm fighting to go back to. I can't even really fight in this body. If anything, this is more of a cosmic vacation."

 

[Fusion]

"Bullshit, I'd give a damn if you died!" Puddle huffed and boiled, standing on the table. It felt like an ant standing before a tree. "And... I wish you'd stop tryin' to convince yourself no one cares about you. Even if I am insignificant, I still care about you, idiot."

Puddle exhaled again, bringing itself down to a simmer once again. "Simple fact or not, that ain't a reason to be full of yourself. We've been kickin' the shit outta people that thought they couldn't lose since we got here, do you honestly think there ain't somethin' against us that'll do the same back?"

 

[Ambyssin]

Bahamut's tail pulsated. "It is basic reasoning. If someone had the power to strike us down, they would do so now, while we are not prepared." He paused. "I suppose Maple and Eternatus might be capable of that, but they're too busy with each other and too beyond their senses."

The necrozma shook his head. "Besides, I believe our allies are too determined to get the best outcome possible." Bahamut was looking past Puddle at this point, gaze aimlessly shifting between bookshelves. Not that anyone else could tell given his lack of pupils. "Every time something hasn't turned out exactly the way they've intended, they have rebounded with a tenacity that reminds me of the Paradigm's Uroboros. First Darkwhite, then Joule, and then this nonsense with the Tree.

"I'm staying with Diyem because my defenses are better served keeping him alive, but it's also to the team's benefit that I not be around them when they inevitably try to talk Maple out of her insanity... while beating the tar out of her innards, of course."