Poppin' Arms Guild ~ Main Lobby

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Thanks, pal. Kudos t'ya on findin' S'more's soul," said Brisa, to Joule. She turned to Diyem. "Does this mean we can return him t'normal?"

She scratched her cheek fur and tilted her head. There were a score of questions for every answer on this planet... At some point, a migraine had begun knocking at the inside of her skull.

Luz spoke up in her place, rubbing the back of one paw with the palm of the other. "If Maple is recoverin' her memories, p'rhaps we can learn more about the events that put all this in place? Maple, is there anythin' else y'can tell us yet? Such as . . . if there were any other important folks aside the ones we already knew were involved, or if'n there were any indications Soda knew about all this goin' back a ways?"

Ah. Had they even broken the news yet to Maple...?

Brisa coughed. "I hate t'bear sorry news, Maple, but Soda's off his face on Blacklight. We could do with knowin' his weaknesses fer when we invevitably have to beat sense back into 'im."

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa listened quietly, mostly content to let the others speak. Exhaustion left his brain fuzzy, though it was mostly mental. His body felt surprisingly fine after fighting a titanic insect dragon. When Xerneas and Smore’s souls were mentioned, his ears perked up. “So we can bring them back? But…” he paused and fidgeted. “What happens… what’s gonna happen to Xernatus?” He glanced over to Xernatus and gave him a reassuring smile.

He cast a glance at Diyem. "And what's the deal with your form? Blade said he's never seen a Dark Matter be able to do that."

 

[Namohysip]

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?

"Thanks, pal. Kudos t'ya on findin' S'more's soul," said Brisa, to Joule. She turned to Diyem. "Does this mean we can return him t'normal?"

"We might need to deliver them both to Buffet," Joule spoke up. "It may be the easiest way to revive them for the time being until we can sort this out, though they may need temporary bodies until then... I'll be sure to call him now!"

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.

Maple listened quietly, nodding. Yes, all things considered, knowing was better than wondering. It always was, wasn't it? Because now, at least she knew where Telum was. It was... closure. A small bit of closure... and resolve.

"If Maple is recoverin' her memories, p'rhaps we can learn more about the events that put all this in place? Maple, is there anythin' else y'can tell us yet? Such as . . . if there were any other important folks aside the ones we already knew were involved, or if'n there were any indications Soda knew about all this goin' back a ways?"

Maple shook her head. "I don't think there is anything new for me to know. I only know that, in that explosion, perhaps I had... triggered a desperate act. Perhaps if we talked with Pop and Buffet together, we can see if this is some kind of Voice failsafe, should something ever go awry with a world..."

"It could be something like that, or a combination of it," Joule said. "If a Voice of Life is the embodiment of a will to survive, well... if one must travel away from a burning forest, but one needs fire to survive, what better way than to bring the trees with you? ...Ah. The analogy fell apart..."

"I hate t'bear sorry news, Maple, but Soda's off his face on Blacklight. We could do with knowin' his weaknesses fer when we invevitably have to beat sense back into 'im."

It was more tough news. Maple knew some of it--had been quietly filled in during everyone's assembly--but she still didn't seem to know all of the details. "We will free him," she said simply.

“So we can bring them back? But…” he paused and fidgeted. “What happens… what’s gonna happen to Xernatus?”

Xernatus, too, hesitated... and he also wondered about S'more--the false one. He, too, had a spirit, did he not? Would they be... disposed of?

"Pop is not a cruel god," Diyem said. "He has no doubt been contemplating this scenario. Perhaps we can ask him. He is apparently busy with Bahamut. Of what, I do not know. But I trust he is at least informing Pop of everything that happened as a status report, personally."

"And what's the deal with your form? Blade said he's never seen a Dark Matter be able to do that."

"...Mrm." Diyem squeezed his claws against the tile. "Unimportant."

"No secrets," Owen lectured.

The Abyssal Dragon snorted. "Irrelevant."

"I didn't say no lying, I said no secrets!" Owen crossed his arms. "It might be important."

"That's your excuse for everything, isn't it?" Diyem muttered. "...The ability to reach across dimensions. The power to conjure bodies and revive the dead. To manipulate memories and reincarnate new lives. Give it some thought. What am I, Owen?"

 

[Negrek]

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Nate said, looking between Diyem and Maple. "You, too?" Was there anyone around here who wasn't like five different things?

He made a frustrated gesture at Maple. "And you didn't realize something was up when she turned out to look like your special ultimate form or whatever the fuck?"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Is there a motherfucker on this planet what don't turn into a charizard...?"

 

[Namohysip]

"No, because that is the Voice side of things," Diyem replied irritably. "It's what happens when they gain powers beyond what are normally granted. An ability to manifest a form on their own. And since Maple has the powers over Light..."

"Wait--so you aren't a Dark Matter?" Owen asked.

"I am. I haven't lied to you about that."

"Then how did you gain the powers of a Voice?" Cal asked, skeptical. "What, did you kill one?"

I will never forgive... the sins of your past... the powers you have stolen... the lives you have taken... The Overseers should have sealed you away.

Diyem was silent. "I... have performed actions in the past... that have caught the Overseers attention long ago. And some of those actions involved... being more successful than average for my species."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa gave a grim nod.

"How many lives, Diyem?" she asked, softly.

She took a shallow breath.

"I just wanna know if you know."

 

[Fusion]

Hmm, the strength to be more that what he was..? The top-percentage of Dark Matter, sitting right in this room... An ultimate evil that not even humans could overcome... Although Scrafty was tuning in and out of the conversations bubbling around them, Diyem's... existence, certainly piqued their interest. Perhaps it was obvious it always did, considering who was a part of them.

"Shoulda figured you were some interstellar heavy-hitter, given how strong you were able to make us, and what you awakened in a few of us. Particularly me, but that's beside the point." What they wouldn't give just to fight Diyem at his best... The grin on their face gave away just how excited they were at the thought. "Well, don't keep the lady waiting. Although I'm sure we can guess it's in the billions at least."

Puddle bubbled anxiously, its eyes on Diyem. Confused? Scared? No... but what was this feeling..? It didn't have the time nor the patience to try and battle it, there was already a line of mixed feelings waiting just under its surface already, what harm would another do? The Scraggy shook its head, putting a stop to its bubbling. "It ain't like you haven't been makin' up for all that shit, Pops. You don't gotta hide it from us... but you ain't gotta tell us neither. It's just like you said, it's irrelevant, ain't it? All we really needed to know was the Voice powers, none of the shit that came before."

Scrafty rolled their eyes, their flame flickering irritably. They felt they should change Puddle's name to "Wet Blanket," just to be that more accurate to its character.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr remained at the back of the meeting, determinedly not saying anything. More overcomplicated bullshit, more of everyone turning out to have like fifty different parts. It didn't matter. They'd figure out who needed to get some sense beaten into them next--probably Soda--they'd go ahead and do that, and she'd feel a lot better about things. That was how these things went. Not this time.

---

Lexx, on the other hand, was busy taking down scattered, half-finished notes on his tablet. "So we've got a Voice of Lifelight, a Voice of... Dark... life. They've both got Eterna mixed in there, either from Eien or from that other Eternatus that Gio was chasing down, but Maple's also got Divine mixed in there, so we're thinking Arceus is stuck in her Voidlands somewhere." He paused, tapping a claw to his cheek. "Just checking--Maple's the only one we know of who's got all five in her... right?"

 

[Namohysip]

"...I am... sorting through it all, still," Diyem said. "Many, many lives. Rehabilitating those I had shattered, little by little. Helping them reacquaint with proper living, even if they're long dead. Turning over the recovering ones to Overseers." Diyem kept a neutral expression, but it was clear to Owen that it was because he didn't know how to express this.

"Your Voidlands," Owen said. "The... the Void Shadows..."

"Garro. You met him, didn't you?" Diyem asked. "The Gengar you all met, of Veritas City. The one who guides the spirits who appear there. He is not very powerful now, but in the past..."

"He's the Voice you stole," Owen finished.

"For obvious reasons... I didn't mention it. Nor did he."

"Then, you guys work together, kind of?" Owen asked. "Did you, er... make up?"

"I refuse to trivialize the matter with that sort of phrasing."

"R-right, sorry."

"But did you actually destroy your whole reality?" Cal asked. "Did you..."

"No. I'd failed. That, I did not lie to you, either. I was defeated the same way as all the other Dark Matters that I know. The only difference is what I targeted first. Rather than the Legends and the figureheads, I aimed for the Voice. I turned him into a grand Void Shadow comprised of so many spirits that he'd been harboring and ferrying... And when I was defeated, the spirits who still had bodies to return to were restored. But those who had already died... were unable to recover, and remained in my Voidlands, as they considered it home.

"And Garro... stayed behind. It was his duty to save the spirits of his world. A new Voice was established in that world, and Garro became the Voice for my world. The world within me. And... Garro, too, is corrupted. He enjoys the bleak atmosphere. Even he is recovering from my power. And even when he is freed, I will still have the power I acquired. I will always be a Voice of Darkness."

"Just checking--Maple's the only one we know of who's got all five in her... right?"

"I believe so... until Soda, at least. Perhaps Maple was too strong-willed or too powerful to be fully turned by whatever that Parasite's progenitor is."

 

[Fusion]

Oh, humans still did him in, huh? Eh, what can ya do, evil gets beat no matter what it looked like. Even still... that's a lotta power the old man's got just at the ready. And Maple's just like him but stronger? "Despite all the bad shit, you gotta admit the title 'Voice of Darkness' has a nice ring to it. Figures you can't really parade it around, though. Someone would've tried to kill you several times over by... now..." Scrafty paused, thinking about what they just said a bit more, thoughtful puffs of smoke rising from their head.

"Hey, Diyem, nobody else knows what you are, other than a Dark Matter, right?" Scrafty asked. "Because like... If I was someone looking for ultimate power, and I knew a Voice of Darkness was around, I'd probably try to capture them and use their power, or outright kill them. You know, like what's happened to you a few times already."

"Yea..." Puddle hummed. "You don't got any long-time enemies, right Pops?"

 

[Dragonfree]

"Yeah, uh, Soda very much has all five of them, and a fucking moon cannon, and whatever it is has carved out every sane motivation in favor of blindly trusting its manipulated whims. So we should start figuring out how the fuck we're going to get there and decorrupt him, now." Dave fixed his gaze on Maple and Joule. "Does anybody have the faintest idea where he might've left his last Substitute? Because we could really do with finding him."

 

[Namohysip]

"You don't got any long-time enemies, right Pops?"

"Mm. Not anymore."

"O-oh." Owen tensed.

"...Because we've moved on, Owen. I didn't kill them. They killed me."

"Does anybody have the faintest idea where he might've left his last Substitute? Because we could really do with finding him."

"Hmm..." Joule looked to Maple. "You know his habits more than I do."

"Soda usually operates with three Substitutes when he has to do intensive scouting, but one is usually with Flesh and the rest of the team to report back findings quickly in case a Substitute is killed. The main Soda himself usually does the main mission on his own since his talents would be needed at their full power... So he'd be on the moon. He would also station Substitutes at key observation locations... so, the Tree..."

"Yeah, that covers all the places we know. Where would he put a Substitute that can't be found at all?"

"It would... need to be somewhere that he can easily meet with anyone he needs to on his own. So, it can't be anywhere far, or on another plane."

"Oh, good, so we narrowed it down to 'somewhere on Cibus,'" Cal grumbled.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"That rules out the Reverse World, I guess," muttered Brisa, leaning into Starr a little. Thank fuck, that place held nothing but her shittiest fucking memories. "But fer all we know he could be sneakin' around just about any place we've been. Can Chip cook up some means of detection...?"

 

[Namohysip]

"A Zoroark detector would normally be easy," Joule said, "but the problem with Soda in particular is his talents involve prevent signals from going out at all. He, er... I do not think Chip's methods will work. We have to predict him rather than detect him."

 

[Flyg0n]

Koa frowned, staring at the ground as he thought long and hard. Finally, he spoke. "If one was at the Tree and one was with Flesh.... Whose to say one isn't either here now or just... Hanging around one of bars in Destiny Village?"

That seemed like an awful Soda-like thing to do.

 

[Negrek]

Nate listened to Diyem's explanations, rapt. Jesus. Imagine having a whole fucking world inside you, all full of goddamned depressed dead people. Imagine you were the one who'd killed all of them. It was hard to even wrap his head around. Hard to feel like it was real, like that was something that could have happened to real people in a real place.

And before he could say, Hang on, Maple, you still ain't actually let Diyem check you out, or, Yeah, about that parasite... they were off talking about that shithead Soda again. Nate glared at the fucking mightyena. Dude was fucking obsessed, wasn't he?

"Could be he's slacking, but the other two weren't," Nate said. "Course, the Bar's a great place to overhear gossip, and Destiny Village is probably where he'd want to be at if he wanted to keep an eye on our progress." Not that he'd bothered to drop in the last time they'd been in here doing important shit--that anybody knew of. "Ain't a bad idea to check, but we ain't gonna get far hoping we happen to guess the right place. And with this guy being the biggest fucking stealth master in like the entire fucking universe, tracking him don't seem like it's the way to go, neither. Best thing would be if we could make him come to us. Draw him out somehow. If anybody's got ideas there."

 

[Namohysip]

"We'd probably have to ask Soda himself about that," Owen said, gesturing to the air a few of his paces away from him, near the wall. Seconds later, Owen brought a hand to a particular spot by his side and caught a suddenly-visible bottle of beer.

"Fuck you, I was tryna relax," the Substitute grumbled, tapping his claws as his illusion of invisibility dissipated. "Look, I'd help if I could, but Prime never told us anything. Destiny Village? Maybe, but one was already assigned here. Be kinda redundant, y'know?"

"But it's a big city," Owen pointed out. "having multiple Substitutes would be useful, just like Bean's copies."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave frowned, rolling his eyes at Nate's glare. The Mudkip had apparently managed to evolve, miracle of miracles, but it only made him look more like a gigantic fucking dork. He was about to speak when Owen did, and jumped as Yellow appeared out of thin air.

"Jesus. Maybe just fucking attend the meeting and say hi like a normal person next time." Owen'd told him he'd gotten out okay, and it wasn't like he'd doubted him, but still, the confirmation helped.

"At least according to what Green told me, the last Substitute was told to hide. So, you know, it didn't sound like he'd be posted somewhere with a job exactly, unless Soda Prime came up with some secret mission to put him on after you split off him. Unless he could just selectively decide to omit that part from your memories." He gave Yellow a questioning glance. "Either way, Soda can hide wherever he wants. So for all we know maybe he is just hanging at the fucking Cauldron or wherever. Christ."

 

[Negrek]

For a second Nate stared, confused, at the bottle of beer Owen had pulled out of thin air, and then, oh. Right. Of course he fucking would be here, wouldn't he? Just like last time.

Nate supposed he should be grateful. This was the one from the Tree of Life? Yeah, he actually probably should be grateful, because if he'd gotten caught up in that eternatus storm they'd probably have ended up with an evil Eien who could turn invisible and zap people with Judgement, what with the way everybody was fusing with everybody else around here.

"No clue where he'd go, huh?" Nate said. "What about something that'd get his attention? Anything that could make him come out of hiding?"