Destiny Village ~ Library

[MadderJacker]

Was that what Dave had gotten from that? That Mergo had insisted there was only the extremes to pick from? He should have expected that, given just how things had been going lately, but it was still frustrating. It was the same. All the same.

It was like they expected him to spell everything out for them. Like he had to let them know every little meaning behind what he said, and every word he said had to be the absolutes. Did they expect him to guide his conversational partners through the fact that there was nuance to situations? Of course he didn’t believe in absolutes. Of course he wasn’t implying to simply bend over and take it. Was that what moving on meant to them?

Mergo placed a deep-green hand on the cover of the book and slowly, gently, pressed down on it. For an instant it started to sink into the table itself, and the book started to tremble. And then there was a sound like a sudden blast of air, and the book was gone. Shunted. He had the address memorized anyways.

The silence had only been about two seconds before Mergo exhaled, shifting his elbow to the table and resting his cheek in his palm. “Good answer, Dave. Truth be told, I was afraid you’d lost sight of that,” he admitted. “Sure, you all suspect something, but the audience? Our powers are strange and foreign. They don’t understand them entirely. No doubt some suspect it to be staged, but you have those parts of the audience in every public duel. So to them, the truth is that you pulled a narrow victory from the jaws of defeat. And that's the truth that matters here."

 

[Dragonfree]

Mergo pushed down on the book on the table, and it shook and then just fucking disappeared with a sudden whoosh that made Dave jump. Wasn't that a library book? Maybe that was just a very showy way of teleporting it back onto the shelf where he got it, but it was real hard to tell with this guy.

"Truth means something. It's not the truth just because people believe it." He narrowed his eyes. "But yeah, sure, let them have their heightened spirits. I'm not out to rain on children's parades over a dumb fight."

 

[MadderJacker]

'Something,' Mergo mouthed, tapping his finger on the table. He wondered what Dave would say that 'something' was. How absolute was it if they were willing to be flexible?

He felt a pang in his chest, and for a brief moment, he looked away to where the book had just been. Mergo distantly wondered what He would think about this ruse. More than likely...

Mergo drew in a sharp breath and returned his attention to Dave. "Then I thank you for understanding," he commended. "The people are all that matter here. Whatever it takes to ensure their safety, yes? Rain... Well, in the language of theatre, rain isn't good. Keep them dry, hero."

 

[Dragonfree]

...What? "I guess? I'm not sure where safety comes into it, but whatever. Point is, announcing to everyone that the show fight was a show isn't about to improve anyone's life, sure. I'm not going to walk into children's playgrounds to announce there's no Santa Claus. Not going to try to hide it if someone's worked it out, though."

Mergo'd looked weirdly contemplative just then. Something. What on earth was he thinking? The guy was impossible to get a grasp on.

(Did they even have Santa over here, or in Mergo's world? Probably not. Whatever. Surely his point was clear regardless.)

 

[MadderJacker]

“Safety,” he said again. “Their well-being. That wasn’t supposed to be part of my…” Mergo gestured with his offhand as he searched for the right phrase. Eventually he just gave up and went with something simpler. “Part of my whole thing. I meant it literally. You're going to be saving lives. And... In theatre, when it's going to rain, it's usually a sign that someone is going to die."

That line could use some work. He pocketed that one away to spruce up another day.

"Tell me, Dave," Mergo went on in a far more conversational tone, and his finger traced a line on the table. A dark crease formed on its surface, and he dug around inside by touch. "You've been here a while, haven't you? Close to a year. Do you care for anyone here?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave squinted at Mergo as he tried to explain his theater metaphor. What on earth was he talking about.

"I mean, sure? There are decent people around. Probably proportionally fewer asshats than where I come from, honestly. Why?"

 

[MadderJacker]

“Just curious,” Mergo replied off-handedly. “I hope that you’ve all been treating them well. is Maple content? Anth— ah, Truffle, is he doing well? Guardian angel, that one, whether you need one or not.”

He could have found the answers to these questions himself, but that would mean seeing them. And that would mean faces he knew well greeting him with a polite but informal, ‘and you are?’ Like the elderly when they reached their second childhood.

“There was Red, too. For as uncomfortable as he made me, I can't deny the positive rapport he had with my companions. And a masseuse in Treasure Town that Krys would always talk about, I'm thankful for him too. Yveltal helped many of my compatriots from research to time-wasting. Sweet thing, she is. And then there's— oh. There we are."

And his hand withdrew from the rift again, sealing behind him as he went, to reveal a pendant the size of his fist made of white bone. Coarse thatch was woven into twine to serve as a cord.

Across the face of the amulet bloomed a flower, an etching glowing red and violet like a desert sunset. Its petals opened and turned upward, before wind carried them away to sights unseen, leaving the ovary open and exposed. Then all withered and turned to ash, leaving only a barren stalk. After a split second, the flower budded and then bloomed again. And thus the cycle repeated. Every time Mergo watched it animate, it was like he was viewing it for the first time again.

Drawing in a breath, he slid it carefully to the end of the table to let Dave see it for itself. The pendant wobbled a bit. Its other side had writing etched in by hand, but it was too small and cramped to read at a glimpse.

"A friend of mine gave that to me," Mergo finally continued. "One of my compatriots, admittedly, but while we were being hosted in Treasure Town. She got the resources for most of her crafting from the Kecleon merchants. And though you'd never get her to admit it, she had quite a few people who she risked her life to help. So that responsibility stretches to me.

"And powerless though I may now be to do that, if I can give you the advantage you need, I'll do whatever it takes. I'd spin a whole tapestry of lies if I have to. Orchestrate a con so great that your Soda would wilt from shame just to ensure that the only truth they need concern themselves with is that they can wake up to see the sunrise again."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave looked down at the pendant as it played its looping animation. A bit overwrought and dramatic, like Mergo himself. Probably been the perfect gift for him, hadn't it. Who was the girl who'd given it to him?

"So what you're saying is," he said, peering back up at the Gardevoir, "this hope-filled raising-spirits thing is supposed to literally give us an advantage in this final fight?" Had he said literally anything indicating that up to this point? Maybe, at a stretch, the bit about how they were ready 'with the cheers of Cibus at their backs'? Jesus, someone teach this guy to just fucking say what he meant.

"And, okay, so you're thinking if everyone's maximally hopeful, and everyone claps their hands if they believe, then we're more likely to save the universe, and that's why you don't want to shatter the illusion for anyone? Because the universe literally runs on hope and faith and if people find us inspirational enough, even if it's based on a complete fabrication, we're literally more powerful?" Dave rubbed at his face. "God, I hate cartoon logic."

But it was what it was. Sure was the kind of logic Cibus ran on. Fuck. Why not.

He sighed. "Right. Fine. I'll lie through my teeth at any inquiring children, until after we save the universe with the power of their hope-juice."

 

[MadderJacker]

"Well, that's not entirely wrong. History shows that battles, barring the factors of one side showing overwhelming strength or incompetence, tend to come down to morale. Take care of your soldiers, treat them right, and remind them what they're fighting for. Hope is very tactically useful."

The pendant magnetized to his hand, and he went about fastening it to his neck again. Now that the fight was over, he need not worry about it being damaged again. There would be no replacing this.

"Although, I'd prefer if you didn't tell them," Mergo went on. "If he does this once, he might have to do it again. Letting them know that Arceus has staged fights in the past might sour the legitimacy of another attempt like this in the future. Which would make it far more difficult to help them."

Assuming Pop didn't reveal his own trick later on. He likely would, lulled into these times as he was.

 

[Dragonfree]

"Yeah, can't say I'm a huge fan of him making a habit of this. Maybe a literal god should be able to come up with ways to make people hopeful and inspired that don't involve cheerfully lying to them."

Dave sighed irritably. "Not that it fucking matters. We'll probably be gone not long after this fight anyway."

 

[MadderJacker]

Mergo hummed. A literal god didn't have many other options other than to lie. If his own power to enhance Team Spectrum would have been rendered moot, could anything else have been done? Aside from brainwashing? But, Mergo knew they wouldn't see eye to eye on that one. He'd known it for a while now, and they'd ran out of fresh points to throw.

Instead, he fiddled with his pendant idly as he stared across the library towards a private study room he'd frequently use, and Mergo nodded gravely. "Nothing but dust," he agreed. "Reverted back to who you used to be. Effectively dead. Our grievances won't matter then."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave glanced at Mergo. Effectively dead. That was one way of looking at it. From Cibus's point of view, was there even a difference? For all they knew Diyem wasn't sending them back at all.

"Well, unless we get whisked off to another universe later for a show fight, I guess."

 

[MadderJacker]

Mergo offered a humorless grin as he shook his head. "Now wouldn't that be crazy? Reduced to a cameo. Having the death you embraced on your own terms be made a mockery of for the sake of a greater good."

What do you do when you can still speak after your last words? When the peace you've made is broken?

"On the bright side, it means you can be whatever you'd like in the mean time," he continued. "Become a show. Have fun while you're at it. Embrace being a villain for once. For not being allowed to actually follow through with any schemes, I'd say I did okay."

 

[Dragonfree]

"Wouldn't say you all were cast as villains. Whole thing was supposed to be some kind of bullshit training exercise, wasn't it? We were supposed to be learning from you. Ostensibly. Always sounded like a dumb excuse to do a pointless sports match to me, but I guess it was actually a dumb excuse for a galaxy-brain gambit to power us up with fucking hope."

Dave rolled his eyes briefly. "At any rate, being called back for this kind of nonsense is shit. Saving universes is all well and good, but surely he could've facilitated hope without dragging you out of the figurative grave to be the arbitrary opposition."

At least he hoped it was figurative.

 

[MadderJacker]

Mergo offered a shrug. "I'm used to the life of a soldier," he said. "Waking up in the middle of my one good night's sleep to the call of battle... Just like home, you know? Orders are orders. Lives are lives."

If that was the mindset he would try to instill, he'd be a hypocrite to not do the same. And besides, Mergo had no qualms with the orders themselves-- just that he was called from retirement.

"Besides. Who am I to judge after what I've done? I've asked more of people for less noble tasks. It's a fitting punishment. And thankfully, I don't believe it's hitting my companions as hard."

And why do you think that is? a small part of him asked.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave raised an eyebrow. Punishment? I've asked more of people for less noble tasks? It took a special sort of person to choose to just cryptically, off-handedly say that without elaboration.

"Well, if you're fine with it, be my guest. Personally, I'd be less happy. Especially if I'm being shunted off to a different Cibus. I'd be fine coming back here, saying hi to Mia or whatever, but some other crypto-Cibus that's the same but not? Creepy as hell."

 

[MadderJacker]

"It is," Mergo mused. "And look at what all this grumbling has accomplished. I'm still alive."

Distantly, he wondered if he even could die. Actually die. Would Diyem bother reincarnating someone for these last few days now that the job was done?

Mergo hummed. "I found it's better to focus on what I can do instead. Like answering deep philosophical questions about my current existence and what it means to live." He shrugged casually. "Accepting that it happened and moving on to more important matters. No use getting... Oh. Hm. I've gone full-circle."

 

[Dragonfree]

And they were back to this. Dave had slightly more of an idea what Mergo was on about, after all this circling around, but only slightly, and he was not curious enough to take a whole other round of this. The main point was he'd managed to drag out of him (eventually) that Arceus had arranged the fight as a big scheme to make everyone believe in Team Spectrum harder. That was something.

"Right. You have fun with that." Dave stood up. "Enjoy the rest of your stay in crypto-Cibus."

 

[MadderJacker]

Mergo let out a short laugh as he leaned back in his seat until it was on its hind legs. 'Fun.' Well wasn't that just cruel?

"Thank you," he said, and he sounded genuine. Mergo tilted his head up and towards the window, where rays of sunlight filtered through the glass. Motes of dust danced about in the air. "Your time's short too, so make the most of it. Be as prepared as you can be to save the world. Make peace, and decide what you wish to take to your grave with you."

His hands folded together, and more of that faint black haze rushed over his body. That deep forest green crept over his chest as his hair retreated further back into his head, and a tall crest emerged atop his head. His natural gown faded away, and the legs underneath were broader, athletic, agile. The change was instant, blink and you miss it.

"Take it from me: that's a chance you'll only get here," the Gallade added, and a soft gold flash washed over his body. An instant later he was outside.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave blinked. He was still talking like he'd gone to his literal death. What the fuck did 'decide what you wish to take to your grave with you' even mean here? Bizarre fucker.

He shook his head and sighed before heading out of the library.

<><><><><>​