Rocky Road ~ House of Dill, Saltriv, Shiron, and Vix

[IFBench]

Saltriv smiled brightly, and wrapped vines around Shiron in a hug. "I'm glad you're my friend, too!"

 

[Navar]

Shiron returned the hug, smiling brightly. "Let's do our best, okay?"

 

[IFBench]

"Ok!" The Meganium said, their tail wagging.

They hoped they'd see Shiron again someday, even after all this was over.

 

[Navar]

Shiron pulled away from the hug and yawned. "I think I'm... More confident than I was before. Being here, it changed me. For the better."

 

[IFBench]

"Yay!" Saltriv said. "I think this place changed me for the better, too! I've become less scared of myself!"

 

[Navar]

"That's great to hear!" Shiron beamed. "What a wild ride it's been..."

 

[IFBench]

"Yep, it really has! We've done so much, and been to many places, including even the moon!" Saltriv said, swaying their leaf to the side.

 

[Navar]

Shiron nodded. "Did you ever think that.... something like this would've happened? If I told myself I'd help save an entire world... I don't think I would've believed it!"

 

[IFBench]

"Nope! My uncle was a hero, but I never thought I'd be one, too!" Saltriv replied.

 

[Navar]

"Can't say I expected to be one either," he replied. "But... did you want to be one?"

 

[IFBench]

"...I always imagined what it would be like to save the world, but it rarely crossed my mind if I actually wanted to do it," they said, their leaf drooping.

 

[Navar]

"Hm, can't say the thought crossed my mind either," Shiron shrugged. "...Honestly, I just kinda tried to survive each day. Didn't really think about my future that much."

 

[IFBench]

"Survive?" Saltriv asked, looking at Shiron with a concerned expression.

 

[Navar]

Shit. Did he say that out loud?

"Uh, yeah. I didn't really have a plan for the next day, I was just... Dunno, hoping to live another day."

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv didn't say anything, they simply hugged Shiron with a pair of vines.

 

[Navar]

Shiron didn't reply either, or made any effort to move at all. He just grabbed the vines and sighed.

"S-Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

 

[IFBench]

"It's alright," Saltriv said.

"...I have hope that things will get better for you, even after you return."

 

[Navar]

"I hope you and your team will be alright, too," Shiron said.

He rubbed his arm and looked away. "Gotta think positively, right?"

 

[IFBench]

"Yep," Saltriv said, smiling once more. "Doing that has gotten me this far."

 

[Navar]

"Well, it'll probably get us to the end." Shiron replied. "Let's just try and keep it that way."