Poppin' Arms Guild ~ Main Lobby

[Negrek]

That was less detail than Nate had been hoping for, but honestly more than he could have expected, given Soda's condition. He could feel Rocky still fucking grinning at him, and e closed his eyes for a second before continuing. "Thanks," he said. "The big meteor... is there any chance that was Eien? I don't know if full-grown eternatus have cores." He looked from Xerneas to Diyem, not sure if either of them would know, either. "Maybe that's when someone took her and... put her in that Tree."

 

[Namohysip]

"You did transport it, right?" she asked, head tilting. "Y'carried away somewhere, right? ...or did ya?"

"...Don't remember," Soda said after a long moment of trying to recall. It seemed to be a genuine struggle for him; too much strain, and Soda feared he might not last even as a Substitute.

"The big meteor... is there any chance that was Eien? I don't know if full-grown eternatus have cores." He looked from Xerneas to Diyem, not sure if either of them would know, either. "Maybe that's when someone took her and... put her in that Tree."

"Eien has a Core of a sort," Diyem said, "but it isn't one of stone, or one you could call a meteor. It is a ball of energy in her chest, or one she coils around when in her energized form. But it is like her heart; she would not part with it in that way, just as an Ultra Shade wouldn't part with their Core... But could it be possible...?" He pondered it, but then grunted. "We still don't know what happened to it..."

Soda sighed, figuring that Bahamut had a point, and started to wander deeper into the guild. "Put me in a cell," he muttered. "I'm tired."

Owen seemed to be getting tired as well, even more than before. At this rate, he wasn't going to be able to think properly...

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"I reckon I'm about done here," muttered Luz to herself, as she took herself away.

Being a person just got more complicated by the day, apparently.

 

[Negrek]

Not clear, then. What else could it be, though? If not Eien herself, then an extra-large egg, for some reason? In which case one of Diyem's kids was probably out there getting used as a battery or some shit. Probably on the moon. Or, well, perhaps it had been something Eien had been fighting... along with the God Squad? Before or after the God Squad?

Whatever. Nate suppressed a yawn. He was starting to lose it. "Yeah, probably time to turn in. We all took a walloping out there. Think I'm gonna head out..."

"Why? I don't want to leave. I feel great!"

"...before I do a fucking murder."

There was one last thing, though. Nate turned and squinted at S'more, just for a moment. Ghosts... probably didn't have organs to eat? Or whatever? But if there was another fucking corpse parasite in him, Nate would kind of like to know.

Nate used foresight!

 

[Namohysip]

There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary with Marshadow, and while Owen would probably be able to provide further details about it, Marshadow didn't seem to have proper anatomy within his body, either. But at the same time, he also lacked any sense of Eterna-parasite, too. Then again, he was probably too small to host one properly... But there still seemed to be something off about that.

Still, Owen hadn't sensed anything odd about S'more before, had he? Why did he never bring that up?

But Owen was already lumbering out of the hall and down the road, perhaps too tired to talk about much more. And as more and more people shuffled out of the Guild, it seemed that while many questions were answered, there were still a few questions that lingered above them all...

 

[Ambyssin]

"Keh heh heh." The shade watched others file out. "I do so look forward to seeing how things play out with such... wonderful new developments."

 

[Negrek]

Well, at least the ghost didn't have any kind of nightmare horror in him, too. There had to be something up, if his soul was like fucking excommunicated or whatever, but at least he didn't have some kind of parasite wearing his corpse like a fucking suit.

It didn't feel like there was a ton they could do here, with who knew what kind of catastrophic shit awaiting them on the moon, out of reach, and Maple and Eien sealed up inside that fucking tree. There had to be something, though. No way was Nate going to sit on his ass and expect everything to work out for the best when, to all appearances, there were multiple nutjobs who wanted to destroy the world running around out there.

For now, though... For now, he needed a fucking break. Rocky strode by his side, positively bursting with good spirits, and Nate struggled to keep up, wincing as his injuries complained.

"I could carry you, if you wanted," Rocky said.

"Fuck you. I can fucking walk. Go head back yourself if you're so fucking impatient."

"That's okay. I like walking with you," Rocky chirped. And he sounded completely like he meant it, too. Nate seethed.

"Let's just get some fucking sleep," he muttered.

Rocky didn't answer, only humming to himself and looking up. The moon hung glowing in the sky overhead, watching over them as calm and untroubled as ever.

<><><>​

 

[Namohysip]

The lobby was starting to feel... cramped.

Joule was there, having come in from another portal after leaving Maple. He was holding an odd, shadowy orb in his wings, but otherwise said nothing. He occasionally pet it like a baby Litten. Nobody asked.

Then there was Maple, large as ever, looking a little Shadowed but otherwise stable, standing in the front of the room to address the others.

Next to her was Diyem, and now that they had a good look at both of them, while the limb count was different, their general body shape was... similar. It was a little uncanny.

And then, of course, there was Owen and the other larger members of the team--it was perhaps a miracle that Bahamut, too, hadn't been there to further occupy the strained lobby space.

"I would like to... apologize to everyone for the trouble I'd put you through to save me," Maple opened once everyone was settled.

 

[Negrek]

Nate wondered where Bahamut had fucked off to, after all that. Really going to go off and meditate in the forest or whatever the fuck without hearing what the hell had gone on on the Maple side of things?

"Ain't your fault," he said, considering Maple with arms crossed. "I mean, we even checked you for corruption and all. Couldn't find shit." He tilted his head. "And how's that supposed to have worked, huh? Getting Telum and all stuck inside you?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa nodded. It was a good question.

"It's good to have ya safely – and sanely – back with us, ma'am. But y'needn't humble yerself about it right now. I reckon we'd all like t'hear an explanation of yer true nature, and how events came to pass."

 

[Namohysip]

"I wish I could explain it all with concrete terms," Maple said, "but while I have more information... I don't think we'll ever know the true nature of it all. But... I think I know enough. I will try."

"Perhaps we should start with what we know," Joule said. "Telum...The reason you, as a Voice, exist without your world..."

"Is because the world was within me the whole time." Maple's expression was grave. "All this time, I was using their power, without so much as a thank-you. And... the reason I was only able to see darkness... That was the manifestation of part of me. Dark Matter. I... am partly one, now."

"A Voice, and one with the dark," Diyem said, humming. "And not to mention, one part Eternatus as well. You had absorbed its power, too."

Maple nodded. "The body and spirit of Eternatus--the one that fled--must also be resting somewhere within my Voidlands... or is part of me, and soon those dormant memories will arise, too. Though... I have a feeling it led a mundane life, until Giovanni tried to capture it."

"It must have happened as a reaction with Dark Matter, Eternatus, and yourself all in the Tree of Life in Telum. A combination of elements that led to the whole world's... desperation state. All to survive."

"And then, I, with a Dark Eternatus within me, reacted to Eien. Perhaps by resonance, or simply it awakening to that presence... And Eien must have sensed the same and worried that I was there to harm... And eventually, some of the stronger spirits, or the ones nearest to the Tree, were broken loose after that combat..."

 

[Fusion]

"So basically this is all still Giovanni's fault..." Puddle sighed, shaking its head. It stood alone, with Scrafty nearby, half asleep and dimly burning. "I guess you ain't got a clue how you actually took everthin' inside you, right? Has anythin' even like that even happened to a Voice before?"

 

[Negrek]

Well, if that wasn't vague as hell. Eternatus, Voice of Life, Dark Matter, and somehow Telum got all crunched up inside her. Sure. Whatever.

"So you've got an eternatus in your Voidlands," Nate said. "Can you be sure that it's in there right now? What about the Dark Matter? In there somewhere, too, or have you just got the shadows? You remember that meteorite that hit Cibus after your fight with Eien--I'm wondering if it was one of them that got dragged free."

 

[Namohysip]

"I'm... not sure." Maple looked down. "You would think that it's there, and given how large it is, we'd find it. But I don't truly know. Unless... it simply is part of me now."

"There is still the mystery of that meteor," Diyem said. "I actually have one thing to remark about that. Mewtwo is currently in my Voidlands, and his body is kept in the lab. The petrified body, at least. And now that he is claimed by me... I most definitely sense a soul within him. Otherwise, my petrification would not have worked."

"Could... I be Dark Matter?" Maple asked worriedly. "I... have been speaking to the other part of me. The Hydreigon some of you saw. We are... sorting ourselves out. But I wonder if..."

 

[Negrek]

The mewtwo was in Diyem's Voidlands now? Just what the fuck had Nate missed in the like ten minutes where he was dealing with the seal?

"That's good," he said after a moment. "Maybe we'll be able to break the seal on him, too. Is there, uh, any way he can hurt you from in there, though? Like could he make another of those parasite things and, like, control you somehow?"

Meanwhile, Maple didn't sound like she was dealing too well with the whole darkness thing. Considering how many of them she'd supposedly killed, yeah, that was probably super fucking awkward. "Diyem, I know you were able find the Dark Matter from this world and talk to him, right? Is there any way you'd be able to tell if there was a Dark Matter inside Maple, or if she is one?"

 

[Namohysip]

"I will warn you if that risk is coming," Diyem stated. "But as for you, Maple... I am willing to check. You could be related to, or corrupted by, a Dark Matter in some way. But... I do not think you are properly a Dark Matter. Your properties aren't... the same. Unless being a Voice changed you in that way..." He nodded slowly.

"I see... Perhaps... Perhaps Dark Matter is... No, that probably isn't..." She was clinging to the idea that she wasn't Dark Matter. "I... why would I possibly be a Dark Matter, in any sense? I... fight them. I save worlds from them... I..."

"Let's not have this identity crisis," Diyem said with a frown. "I am literally saving a world akin to the one I tried to destroy. If you're a Dark Matter I do not think anybody here, including Joule, would care."

Maple glanced worriedly at Joule, who waved cheerfully at her with a free wing.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa skewed her mouth, at once hopelessly sympathetic and deeply frustrated.

"Not t'delegitimise yer existential angst, Maple, but yer record of savin' worlds is a strong indicator that you're a bein' apart from Dark Matters, even were it not fer yer other components. We're gettin' real accustomed to shootin' the breeze with godlike folks as've tried to dust us, so y'can rest easy. We ain't gonna hold it against ya."

She glanced round at the assembled team members, many still nursing injuries from the last fight.

"Right, y'all?"

She didn't wait for a reply.

"So, assumin' there're plenty of Legendary 'mon inside Maple, particularly Telum's arceus an' complement of unown, that would mean that Maple has contained Light, Life, Shadow, Divine and Eterna energy inside her fer generations. That's all of the big five, the 'Eternal Blacklight'. Could everythin' that's happened . . . have come about by that cause?"

 

[Cresselia92]

Oh, yes. Nothing was better than some cold tea and a few healing waves to soothe the aches from the battle. Icetales was back to his usual appearance, devoid of both Radiance and Shadow, and sipped his beverage in silence while observing the situation.

So many folks were still tired… Were those meetings going to be a thing? Sure, assessing the situation was good, but if there was something he understood, it was that people were more on edge after a grueling battle.

Hm… He gave himself a mental note to intervene in case there was some conflict. For now things were… calm. That was good. Very good.

"I see... Perhaps... Perhaps Dark Matter is... No, that probably isn't..." She was clinging to the idea that she wasn't Dark Matter. "I... why would I possibly be a Dark Matter, in any sense? I... fight them. I save worlds from them... I..."

…Ah. What a relatable statement.

“Miss Maple, I am a daemon who has hunted daemons for survival in a hellscape. I can tell with upmost confidence that there is no shame in being related to the very thing thou art trying to keep in check.” Icetales smiled sympathetically. “So, what if thou art Dark Matter or hast absorbed Dark Matter’s energies? For me and for many of us thou art still Maple. The very same ally who hast lent her help to assist with this entire Blacklight situation.”

He walked closer and gave a quick bow in respect. “For that, I shall not hold it against thee, and I reckon thou should not think any less of thee for being what thou hast become. Thou art still thee.”

The Ninetales glanced at Diyem, then looked again at Maple with confidence. “Let Sir Diyem check inside thy essence. Perhaps he can find something that shall shed some light about what happened to thee that gave thee… well, some of Dark Matter’s energies.”

 

[Namohysip]

There was a look of dread across Maple just then and she looked down. "I... caused all of this? What if... what Diyem finds is... simply more malice that could set me off again?"

"Don't get like that," Owen said cautiously. "You couldn't have known. And all of your power is... it's helped so many other worlds, too. We'll fix this one and then we can find a way to help you, too!"

"...Hmph. He has a point," Diyem grudgingly admitted. "And in the end, you have the support of your team and your mate. That has not changed. And--Joule what are you petting. It's starting to get weird."

"Ah!" Joule grinned. "I thought you'd never ask. I found S'more!" He held the shadowy soul forward, which bobbed listlessly, as if asleep.

Owen looked at the orb, then at the one that was still following Nate.

"You know, it's the most interesting thing. Pop had told me to be ready to pull you all out in case something went wrong, and suggested I speak with Sunny for some spiritual travel. After some navigating, I was able to find my way to Maple... and what a place it was! But on my way there, on the fringes of Cibus and its spiritual borders, I saw a glimmer of something odd. An ominous energy. I... struck it a few times, pried and pulled, and I found this adorable thing! It was sealed away in a far corner of Spirits' Edge! It's no wonder none of us found it; none of you were looking around particularly heavily there, and Buffet likely had no idea what such an energy would be like..."

Joule's words were dizzyingly fast and a great ramble... but it seemed that S'more had been hidden in a realm between the living and the dead. Perhaps in the same way that...

"Then that's Xerneas, isn't it?" Owen pointed at the other, rainbow orb that drifted near Nate.

 

[Negrek]

"Uh, yeah, I was kinda wondering about that," Nate said, glancing at the fruit-thing over his shoulder. "I mean, it popped out after I broke one of those eternatus seals in the tree, like there was this little bush that grew or something, so I figure it has to be something to do with Xerneas. Is it just going to keep following me now? Does it want me to find someplace to, like, plant it?"

S'more had been sealed near Spirit's Edge? Did that mean someone had to go through there to seal him up? Or was that, like, a backdoor kind of deal, so no matter where the seal was on Cibus, the spirit itself was being held suspended in that in-between kind of place?

So many fucking questions. But first, "Maple, I don't think this was your fault. It was set up a long fucking time ago, and you didn't even know what had happened. Ain't nobody would like to find out they got darkness in them"--he glanced at Diyem--"No offense. Especially after the life you've had. But if Diyem can help you tell one way or another, well. Ain't that better than worrying about it? You know you ain't gonna be able to stop asking yourself about it, after this."