Destiny Village ~ Sundae Park

[Magyk]

"Extremespeed..." Ben hummed as he remembered the rush of the move. The speed, the power...

"You've met Aria, right?" he asked with an amused smile. He had a feeling she had. "She's the one that taught me that move, actually. It's super fun!"

Were luxray even capable of learning that move? Anything was possible in these bodies...still, it was worth a shot. Right? Brisa certainly had the tenacity and the determination, but Ben wasn't sure if he'd even make a good teacher. "We could try and see if you can pick it up...what if we go through the motions and see if you learn it? When I was learning, the place was frozen in time, but surely with enough effort..."

He was confident Brisa could actually learn it, but...his expression fell. "Though, I'm not sure if I'd be the right teacher. I've never really taught a move to someone."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"I've met Aria," said Brisa, her mouth drawing into a wider grin. "She's fun."

So, she'd taught it to Ben, huh? Maybe she could teach it to Brisa. It sure would've come in handy for that brawl, perhaps it'd do some good against their final foe.

"Can't do anythin' 'til you've done it fer the first time," she drawled. "That's not dissimilar t'how I felt about teachin', at first. Took me long enough t'get 'round to it, but I give reg'lar lessons at the Colo trainin' facility these days."

She swished her tail and inclined her head at Ben. "What's it feel like, goin' as fast as that?"

 

[Magyk]

Regular lessons? So Brisa really was an active member of the team. It made Ben wonder if his experience would have been different had he not been such a fucking coward from the beginning. He'd reverted back to his old self more or less, and the shame trickled in. All he'd been through at home and here he had to learn the same things because he wasn't used to any of this madness?

He felt stupid.

He just hoped some of his hard-learnt lessons could apply to some of Team Spectrum here before he had to go again. He knew the hardest part was yet to come.

Ben was grateful for the question, and he thought about it with a grin. "To go really fast like that? It's all whoosh, shoom, woah and pow! You hit your opponent!"

His description felt apt in his mind, but then he blinked and chuckled nervously. "Haha...it's actually kinda hard to describe in words. Let's see..."

The arcanine thought about it for a moment, looking up at the sky. "You ever thought about what it's like to fly? I think using that move ain't too different. It almost feels like I'm floating, like my paws don't touch the ground or anything. It's such an exhilarating rush when you charge forward and strike your opponent!"

Huh, guess it wasn't so hard to describe.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa laughed as Ben described the attack as if he were great big kid. But his follow-up was promising.

"I can float," she remarked, watching for the arcanine's expression. Doubtful? Intrigued?

It wasn't her most robust technique or anything, but with a little concentration...

Brisa used Magnet Rise!

"Comes in handy sometimes," she drawled, hovering in mid-air as if time has slowed mid-leap. "Maybe I could combine the techniques."

 

[Magyk]

Ben's eyes widened as he watched her slowly float off the ground. He mouthed a "Wow" in awe.

Then he blinked, snapping out of his fixation on Brisa's technique. "That's really cool!" he proclaimed. "I always thought electric types were pretty amazing because I know a luxray back home, he's one of my Guildmasters, actually."

Then he continued, a child-like grin on his expression. "If you could get away with combining both that would be super awesome! Your opponents wouldn't stand a chance."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa relished the undisguised awe her little trick inspired in her new friend. A luxray guildmaster, huh? The thought of becoming Chief of the Ranger Union crossed her mind for a moment, and a guilty grin crossed her muzzle as she admitted to herself that she liked the idea. Not that she had this kind of preeminent combat power back in her own world.

"Wish it were somethin' I could take home with me," she remarked. "If everyone's gotta return to their rightful universes, I oughta at least keep this kinda shit."

She chuckled. She was only half-serious, but then, she was only half-joking.

"What do you wish y'could keep, anyhow?" she asked.

 

[Magyk]

Ben immediately knew his answer to her question, and he frowned. "My friends," he told her. "All of them, the ones I've made in this Cibus and the other one...I wish I could remember them and see them again."

Then he went silent for a moment as he thought some more. His next words were quiet, almost a mumble.

"I don't want to forget them again."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa winced. "Same here. Tryin' to accept it, but . . . I'd give up damn near everythin' t'keep 'em if it were possible. Even just the memory of 'em."

She skewed her mouth. "D'you remember what life was like fer you after y'got home? Didya live life any diff'rent to the way y'did afore Diyem recruited ya? Or . . . were it just more of the same?"

 

[Magyk]

He thought hard. The memory split was slightly confusing to push past, but he managed. "It was pretty much like nothing happened, except sometimes I felt like something was missing, but I didn't know what. I learnt to just get over it."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa's gut lurched. She'd get over it too, wouldn't she. She'd just . . . endure. Sky and stars, she knew she would.

"Right."

She steadied herself, trying to get enough fresh air into her lungs to quell the unease in her belly. "Who knows," she said, tail flicking unhappily. "Maybe the memories'll return eventually. Diyem said somethin' about the Hero's Aura wearin' off after a time."

She glanced about the park, looking for something else to talk about. She spotted the patch of grass and shade where she'd done battle with Mergo. Her nose scrunched up in irritation.

"What're the rest of yer team like, anyway? Been thinkin' of makin' the social rounds a li'l more now that the fight's done. So far I think I've only run into Aria, Mergo, an' yer good self." She grinned. "Yer the only one I ain't sparred with, at that."

 

[Magyk]

It was only a matter of time, wasn't it? His 'Hero's Aura' would fade and he'd remember...eventually. He still wasn't sure what he'd do if his memories returned. Cry, maybe.

"Rest of the team? Bunch of whackos," Ben said without hesitation. "But they're good mons, unless you're talking about Kora. He's...bizarre. Oh, and um, Gene says a lot of funny words that make no sense. I just nod and smile because I can't get my head around her world and that funny language."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Why doesn't Diyem's telepathy just translate it the same as the rest of what everyone says?" asked Brisa, frowning. She shook her head. "Whatever. I'll take yer word fer it. Ain't got much of a view of Kora yet, an' I don't expect I'll seek an audience with Gene after that pompous fucking display in the Colo. Maybe I'll catch one of the others somewhere an' get their, uh, words of wisdom or what have you afore the end."

The end. So soon already? And yet half the living she'd ever done had been here, on Cibus.

 

[Magyk]

"Yes, the end...are you ready?"

He'd not totally ignored her sparring remark, he just wasn't sure if he was prepared for another beatdown--his body still ached after all. Though he did respect Brisa's passion.

"If you need any help on that, I can try and guide you through goodbyes and stuff. I know they're not...exactly easy. Especially if you've formed really good bonds here compared to home." He tried not to look sympathetic, he wasn't sure if Brisa would appreciate it.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

He was putting on a brave face, but dogs were rarely good at masking their feelings, and Ben was no exception. Did he think she couldn't see his tail? Bless.

"I dunno how ready I am," she replied, softly. "To put it simply, I ain't got a soul in the whole damn world t'call 'friend' back home, an' over here I got the loves of my life an' friends fer whom I've bled and would bleed again. Quite the, ah, contrastin' circumstances."

You don't wanna say goodbye.

"I don't wanna say goodbye," she said at last, defeated by her Sombra's pestering. Motes of Shadow flecked the air around her. Nothing serious. She could keep her shit together.

"In fact, Ben, to tell the truth... Sometimes I think I'd rather just die than go back."

 

[Magyk]

Ben frowned. "Is it...really that bad back home?" he asked, his voice gentle. He had absolutely noticed the shadows, which told him that this was an internal problem she'd been struggling with.

He knew that all too well.

"Every life should be worth living...though I can't pretend I fully understand how bad some lives can be. Is there really nothing back home for you? Not even parents or...some kind of family?"

When he looked at Brisa he saw strength and a kind heart, but he also knew that even the strong ones had weaknesses. "I'm not sure if Diyem can keep you here...and won't it be just as lonely if your friends and partners go back to their homes while you stay here?"

The arcanine tried not to cringe. Ben hoped he wasn't asking too many things at once.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa offered Ben a smile as tired as she'd ever given. "Family are kinda the problem, fella. Ain't got nothin' to do with 'em these days, don't much want to, an' odds are good that won't change. An' if I could stay, I'd have the folks of Cibus. I'm close to a few of 'em."

She sucked teeth for a moment. "This feelin'll pass soon enough. Been dealin' with this sort of emotion fer months now. I can bear the partin', though it'll hurt like nothin' else, an' I tell myself that I'll remember enough of what I've come to believe 'bout myself in Cibus that my life will change fer the better once I'm home. But I can't know. An' even if it does, what I really want is to see the people I love again, somehow."

Her eyes prickled, but she kept her chin up and fixed her eyes on the elder tree that still dominated the park, where she'd almost confessed to Astrid.

"Even if that never happens," she admitted, with a wince, "this has been more'n worth the pain. I believe that."

 

[Magyk]

Fuck. He couldn't promise her anything, could he? It was a bunch of 'what if's and uncertainties. There was no way Ben could tell her with confidence that things would work out.

"Then...you should make sure you spend as much time as you can with them. That way you can tell yourself upon your leave that you made the best memories. You might not remember for a while...but at least you made a big impact on the lives of others, right?"

He didn't think he'd ever see Aria and everyone else again, and here he'd gotten another chance, only to potentially forget them all again later.

Ben paused. Should he? He slowly leaned over and nuzzled Brisa, feeling incredibly awkward but wanting to comfort her all the same. "I can't relate on the love part if it's literal, but...I'm sorry. It's not fair that we have to make this sacrifice."

Surely Pop could do something, right? Didn't he keep past heroes here? Who the heck was behind that?

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa let the arcanine's muzzle touch her. Physical contact wasn't so rare these days as it had been, but it still provided a catharsis like no hard liquor could.

"Y'know, it's funny. I used to care so much about impactin' the lives of others, even when the folks I was protectin' didn't care a wink fer me. Strange to think... I've had a paw in savin' a world, this world, this beautiful, brilliant world, an' it's full of people who actually . . . want me around. How could I ever give that up?"

Brisa chuckled. "Funny thing is, I lit'rally gave my life t'save others, some months ago. No lie. Went to Diyem's Voidlands an' all; didn't even hesitate. An' that was fer two folks on my team, not even a world full of civilians. Fair or not, I'll make the sacrifice – I agreed to it long ago, after all – I just... I guess there's enough selfishness in me after all, to want a better reward than I'm gettin'. A sure shot at a future in which I can be happy."

She nodded, slowly. "I think that's what's really botherin' me. The sense as I can put all the effort in I like an' it won't affect how things'll go back home."

 

[Magyk]

"Yeah, I getcha," he responded as he pulled away. That's good, she seemed better, but not entirely at all. Ben remembered that half the team had just about died trying to stop Joule, and it seemed like they had more or less recovered from it. "But what if leaving messed something up back home?" Ben asked, almost hesitant. "Like, um, if something bad happened there, and you were meant to stop it, but you weren't there to do it?"

The arcanine frowned. "The way I've seen it is that everyone brought here has had some part to play in where they came from. Aria's the hero, Mergo's a leader, Gene's a ruler...I have a team back home that's my family, and we explore new places and stuff. If any of us had stayed in Cibus, it might have upset the balance back home."

But Brisa sounded like she didn't have a purpose back home, so how could he assume the same thing applied here? "I know the sacrifice is hard...but that's just how it is for us, isn't it? Us heroes are always having to sacrifice, not always getting what they want in return...so I think it's okay to be selfish, yeah? N-Not in a bad way, at least."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa took longer than usual to chew that one over. Just when Ben might've been about to worry, she gave him a melancholy, wistful look.

"Used to tell myself I were destined fer somethin' like that. Like my parents, y'know? Made sense. I had strength, I wanted to protect folks, 'course I'd end up doin' somethin' like that. Somewhere along the way, I guess it got harder to believe. Now that I've been doin' exactly that on Cibus fer the better part of a year, even gettin' a zeraora body if'n I want the use of it, I guess it kinda feels like I've got all I deserved...?"

She savoured the strange, sad taste of that thought. This is all you get.

"It's easy t'be pessimistic. To think that I won't get to live that kinda life, or that if I do, it'll be a wretched experience somehow. But..." She had to force the words out. To grab at the hope Ben was offering, and sink her teeth into it. "But maybe, jus' maybe, whatever darkness lies brewin' in my homeworld is a darkness I can do my part t'fight."