Poppin' Arms Guild ~ Infirmary

[Cresselia92]

Icetales didn’t say anything at first, his gaze going back and forth between Maple and Truffle. Then, he focused entirely on Truffle.

“…Thou were craving for a death wish. Some way to… redeem thyself for failing at keeping someone protected. And as a guardian of sorts, that must have been a heavy weight for thee.”

He sighed. That was such a hard topic to tackle, and Truffle was truly a broken individual.

“…It was not thy fault, however. What happened was a fatality, but… it was not thy fault. Folks die, and… at times, there is nothing we can do to stop such deaths. No matter how much we try. Trust me, I’ve been though that, too…”

Icetales shuddered, remembering the anguish he felt when part of his team died. The graves he had dug in that wintry forest, and… and…

No. No more thinking about that.

“What thou must learn… is that life goes on, even when souls part to the Twilight.” He flashed a tiny smile. “And a part of them will always live within thee, close to thy soul. Canst thou try to… preserve that little part of them alive, at least? I wager that is the least that those departed souls would wish.”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa took some moments to come to terms with what Maple had said. Salt and sand and spite... It was too grim to countenance. Fucked up. Wrong. But how to get the old bird to think differently, when he was so lost in it...?

The duty to live is greater'n the duty to die, said a familiar voice, a whisper in her ear. And our duty t'the dead ain't to hasten t'join 'em.

"It's right that you should grieve yer friend and ally," she said, "but he ain't gone. Icetales ain't wrong, but Soda is still in yer life. And besides... He freely made a sacrifice of his own. And his will ain't subordinate to yers."

She rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of fatigue, and perhaps to forestall tears.

"Yer will ain't more important than the livin' folks whom y'got a duty t'live fer, either. Look... I can't be angry with you fer this fer ever. And I only got a week to be anythin'. But y'got Leg, y'got the rest of God Squad, y'got the folks of Cibus whom you've come to know an' of Telum whom you've got every chance to come to care about. For a li'l while yet, you've even got us. Will you put yer deathseekin' aside long enough at least fer me to say goodbye t'you properly, and to give yerself the chance to mourn?"

Somehow, her voice didn't break, even if her heart had.

 

[Namohysip]

"And more to that," Maple said, "I can't... reach out to spirits that do not have a flame. I--if you were to... I wouldn't have been able to find you."

"Then perhaps I would go home," Truffle replied weakly. I..." His eyes seemed to be looking at another plane entirely. Thinking back to what Ionys had said. "I... I don't know what to do. I didn't know where... this weight over my shoulders, Blade, it's... I..." He weakly curled his wings over Leg, who was still asleep by a curious spell. "Where do I go from here? I have nothing..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"What of yer daughter?" asked Luz, earnestly. "She needs you."

Brisa winced. "Y'should speak to a therapist, fella. They got good ones here. Real gold standard professionals. Just let... Let folks help you."

 

[Cresselia92]

“That is far from the truth, good sir,” replied Icetales, calmly and gently. “Thou still hasn’t thy friends by thy side, no? Good friends that have been though thick and thin and who got thy back. That is not nothing, dost thou not agree?”

His tails swayed slowly, as if a soft breeze blew through them. Snowflakes swirled in the air, as a manifestation of their creator’s demeanor.

“Besides, even if thou truly had ‘nothing’ now, that doesn’t mean thou cannot find something for thee in the future. Thou only need to keep looking for that spark that shall give new light to thy life.”

He glanced at Brisa. “As she said, let someone help thee. Thou hast always done much to help others. Now let others repay the favor.”

 

[Namohysip]

Maple was somewhere between worried and frustrated, like she didn't know how to save someone standing right in front of her. Perhaps that was how Truffle felt when speaking to Ionys, she wondered.

"...I'll... I'll try," he said. "I shall seek someone... as you wanted." His eyes were looking at something that wasn't there. "Maple, is Ionys truly okay?"

"The last thing he wants to do," she said, cutting through the veil, "is blame you for what happened. None of that was your fault."

"...Did he tell you of--"

"I know what he knows," Maple replied flatly. "Just... stop with the notion that you are to blame for any of this. You are a guardian but Ionys has his will, too. And he chose not to let anyone else shoulder his burden, just this once. When he drew the attack toward him, that was his final living request, was it not? Honor it."

"Honor it..."

A long silence followed.

"Don't leave us," Maple said softly, sitting next to him. Slowly, she brought a hand to his back, then his opposite shoulder. He didn't resist.

His eyes were focused on the Mimikyu next to him. He flicked a few feathers, and a near-imperceptible barrier of gold dissolved. She blinked awake, bleary, but then went back to a proper sleep.

"I almost left her," he whispered. "I... oh, gods..."

 

[Cresselia92]

It seemed that whatever metaphysical barrier Truffle had put around his heart and mind had slowly started to dissolve. The tiny light of realization… Icetales could see that. It was so feeble, but perhaps it could glow a bit brighter with some extra reassurance.

He looked at the sleeping Leg and smiled. “…She truly cares plenty about thee, Sir Truffle. If thou art looking for that light that shall shine into thy future, that tiny fragment of hope… thou hast it right by thy side. Dost thou not concur?”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa sighed, relief pouring off her with a small shudder. Thank fuck for that.

"Good man," she muttered. "Try not t'scare folks like that again, y'hear? There's still a good deal of good left fer you to do in yer life."

She reached out a paw and placed it on his wing.

"After all, you're a real good guy, right, fella?"

Luz beamed with her usual unrestrained joy. "He's come to his senses! This is great. I'm gonna watch him like a staraptor t'make sure he stays that way."

 

[Namohysip]

"I will," Truffle said weakly. "And I agree, Icetales... But I... I really do need to rest," he said, and this, based on where he was and what Zinc had told them, was true.

Maple deflated a little, sighing. Some tension went away. "That's good to hear, then," she said, and then laughed. She suddenly looked so tired from that relief; were those tears in her eyes? Those were rare... "I... feel that flame again, Truffle. Please, don't lose that again."

"I won't, or, I will do what I can to prevent that... again. I... There is a lot I must think about. But... I shall endure. I will find help. And... I will find peace again. I must. For all of you."

The room was a lot brighter. It was almost symbolic, had it not been for Joule sticking his head into the room seconds later. "Ah... bad time?" he whispered, producing a bag of Truffle's favorite treats, along with a smaller one for Leg. He set it on the shelf.

"Thank you, Joule," Maple said. "We're fine. Truffle does need his rest, though... Brisa, Icetales... Thank you. Really. Even after saving all of us, I find new ways to owe so much to you..."

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales waved his paw and smiled. “Think nothing of it, Miss Maple,” he said, and his smile widened into a grin. Pixie dust gathered on his pelt, the tension from before evaporating like snow under the sun. “Always glad to help in any way we can.”

The Ninetales glanced at Joule, finding the whole timing fairly entertaining, and chuckled in delight. Then, he looked again at Truffle and gave him a pat on his shoulder. “Please, do take that rest and take care of thyself. I shall be cheering for thee.”

As if on cue, a pulse of Radiance flared into his paw, spreading a small energizing jolt the Decidueye. Once the light faded, Icetales removed his paw and wagged his tails.

“We shall take our leave, then. If you all need anything else, before our departure… let us know, all right?”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded, and said nothing more, but for a tiny shimmering thread of Radiance that let her tell Truffle,

you are loved; you are needed – don't forget.

And with that, she gave Maple a dry smile and a dip of the head, and put her paw on Icetales' withers to steady herself as they left.

Luz lingered a little longer. Well done, she mouthed to Maple. And thank you.

And then she, too, left, ushering Joule to follow her out rather than disturb the silence in his characteristic manner. She could leave Truffle in peace for now. She wasn't worried.

She'd have plenty of time to see him again, after all.

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