Destiny Village ~ Parfait Way

[Dragonfree]

Dave let out a long sigh. “Look, we want to help him. This thing that’s in his head, it’s—” He paused. “I mean, do you know what’s going on, with Soda Prime on the moon?” Christ. Did he? Wasn’t it Green who was supposed to look after Flesh, and now he was in the Holding Cells? Had anyone told Flesh about what’d happened at Spirits’ Edge? He should’ve fucking gone here earlier.

 

[Namohysip]

"Soda said he was fine," Flesh said. "He said he was fine and I should just stay put because he'd take care of it and straighten everything out. Because... that's always what he does." Flesh growled a little more, but it was so soft or garbled that the translator couldn't pick anything up. "He said not to interfere because I might get hurt. That everything would be okay. A few others tried talking to me, but I don't think they're telling the truth. None of them like Soda. Not even that Charizard. I know they don't get along."

 

[Dragonfree]

He really should have gone here sooner. Fuck. Had Flesh been here this whole time, in the dark, getting all his information from the last Substitute who still believed Soda was up there to depose an evil Arceus and rescue Adne and then put Cibus back the way it was?

“Flesh,” he began, trying to work out how to get words around anything. He was so fucking exhausted. “Soda got taken over by a… an Eterna Parasite. Little creature full of misery and hate that wants to end the world. It manipulated him. Selectively erased his memories so he’d do what it wants and think he was doing the right thing.” Or a neutral thing, anyway. Think he was doing it of his own accord, at the very least. “He was still mostly lucid when he split off the Substitutes and went off to the moon, but I talked to his soul through Spirits’ Edge later and he was just…” How much did Flesh even know about his supposed plan? “You know he wanted to get his partner back? He barely remembered she even existed anymore. He’s trying to end the world, not because he’s bad, because of the fucking parasite rotting out his brain. We need to get up there and save him.”

 

[Namohysip]

"Rotting his brain?" Flesh repeated. "But how? Soda's strong. He's our scout. He knows how to avoid trouble. You... that can't be true. He's safe. He knows what he's doing." Flesh didn't look like he was doubting Soda; if anything, it looked like he was worried what Dave was saying meant Team Spectrum had lost their way.

But then, a hissing whisper echoed in Dave's ears. It wasn't telepathy; someone was physically talking to him, even though it smelled and felt like nobody was there. The hissing voice, so familiar, said, "What the fuck are you doing? Leave him alone."

A light breeze washed over Dave. Someone went outside. It felt like he was being watched from the streets.

 

[Dragonfree]

He felt his fur rising on the back of his neck. Yeah, there he was. Figured.

"...Flesh, hang on a sec. Don't worry, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

Cautiously, he followed the presence back out the door, into the street. "Soda? Come on, talk to me."

 

[Namohysip]

Another breeze guided Dave further down the road, likely to get out of earshot from Flesh. It was an empty road, and it was very likely that while talking to Soda, they would be invisible to the rest of the world. That was simply how he operated.

Eventually, Soda appeared. Completing the set, this one had a blue bauble on his mane. It wasn't the usual turquoise, either, but a deeper color, like the open ocean depths.

"What kinda bullshit are you spouting?" Soda growled.

 

[Dragonfree]

Blue. Yeah, he'd been expecting blue. Dave exhaled slowly. Take three.

"It's not bullshit. Look, I did talk to Prime at Spirits' Edge. He'd forgotten why he was even doing this. Breaker checked out Green and his mind was like a broken husk stuck together with duct tape. Your memory's shot to hell and back -- try to remember how old you even were when you left your world, or what your Arceus was like day-to-day. And if that doesn't convince you, I can take you to Green and he'll tell you, okay? Prime's nuts and he's going to destroy the fucking world if we don't stop him and get the parasite out of him."

 

[Namohysip]

"What, are you doing some kinda mind trick?" Soda said defensively. "I remember how old I was! I was old! Like, past my prime, for one! And day to day... I just didn't like the guy! Why would I want to dwell on something like that, huh?" He snarled. "What's all this about a parasite? Parasite this, parasite that, is that just what you're choosing to blame next?" Soda looked ready to bolt. "Green. You locked him up and brainwashed him, then."

 

[Dragonfree]

"Soda--" A desperate Radiant impulse rose in his chest, no, he couldn't lose him right now, and golden shields formed around the both of them. "Please just fucking listen to me for a second. We've got the parasite that was in Mewtwo back at the lab. I can take you there if you want. Yellow agrees too, you want to see him? What proof do you need? Green told me your partner's name, would that do it? Just, fucking imagine you're living in the universe where I'm telling the truth and actually think about it. Please."

 

[Namohysip]

He stared, long and hard, and glared at the shields around him with disdain. He knew at some level what those shields meant, and in some regard perhaps it meant Dave wanted to protect him.

But the silence that followed was long and tense. Soda seemed to be waiting for the barriers to fall, but around midway through that, he sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "He really told you her name?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave nodded, heart hammering, still thinking of the way Yellow had reacted to it, but at least Blue seemed to have calmed down first. "Adne."

 

[Namohysip]

"Fuck," Soda muttered, like it actually pained him to hear the word. He didn't make eye contact with Dave. "Fuck..." He turned again, claws digging into his wrists. He didn't do anything else. Silent. Mulling things over...

 

[Dragonfree]

Okay. Okay, he was thinking about it.

Dave took a breath, watching him warily. "...You want to grab a beer and talk about it?"

 

[Namohysip]

More silence, and then Soda made a long, long sigh. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, fine."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave nodded, exhaling slowly. "Good. I'll just... tell Flesh I'll visit again later, and we can head for the X-Eye."

---

 

[Namohysip]

They'd gone to the bar, and then returned a little while later, Blue Soda having taken a drink that was bubbly and blue to match. By the time he was walking back with Dave, there was a noticeable wobble that he occasionally had in his step.

"Hey," Soda slurred, "let's go'n... talk to Green an' Yellow. I'm gonna go an' tell'm that they're total FUCKUPS fer... eh... I dunno, I'm mad at'm, though. Then I'm gonna go hug Flesh. I guess you c'n watch."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave wasn't entirely steady himself, but doing significantly better than Blue was. He supposed learning your more real self was trying to end the universe would be an occasion to try to black out for.

"Yeah. Yeah, we can go see Green and Yellow. What have you been up to this whole time, anyway? You never, I dunno, heard about any of what we were doing? Checked in with them?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Part... of our mission," Blue went on, "is the whole thing, y'know? Gotta keep info separate until we get back to Prime, gotta... mission it up." He waved his right hand in a swirling motion. "That way, if any get caught, they won't give info where the others'd be..."

 

[Dragonfree]

"You been doing anything special for the plan, besides laying low?" While he spoke, Dave pulled out his badge to message the others. Coordination was not all there but he managed to type anyway.

[Scotch > SodaY]: Found blue, join us at holsing cells?
[Scotch > SodaG]: Youy at the cells? Bringing blue

 

[Namohysip]

They both replied with the same message, "what how. are you drunk"

But in the end, they both decided to head over or remain where they were, and they wobbled their way to the holding cells.

"Heyyyyy buddy," Blue said, waving at Yellow, who grimaced.

"What, you got him shitfaced to cooperate?" Yellow asked.

"Nah. Probably learned the truth like the two of us..."

Yellow and Green seemed to understand.