- Partners
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There was no sound in space, normally. But here, it was as loud as ever, the wind from the atmosphere of Cibus rapidly pouring into the pocket of land that they had turned up. Gray dust filled the air that had newly filled the atmosphere, and a silver light enveloped every single one of Team Spectrum and the three Soda Substitutes, who immediately doubled back under Diyem's care.
They had landed on the face of the moon, where the Blacklight energy had been the strongest, but still a distance away from the very epicenter. But that had been enough. All around them, Unown swarmed in a rhythmic circle like bees. Far ahead, Cibus was getting closer and closer as the moon accelerated toward the planet. From so far away, it seemed so peaceful, despite the fact t hat, at that very moment, everyone was frantically preparing for what would have otherwise been an inevitable demise...
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"Well, well, look who's finally here!" They had landed on the face of the moon, where the Blacklight energy had been the strongest, but still a distance away from the very epicenter. But that had been enough. All around them, Unown swarmed in a rhythmic circle like bees. Far ahead, Cibus was getting closer and closer as the moon accelerated toward the planet. From so far away, it seemed so peaceful, despite the fact t hat, at that very moment, everyone was frantically preparing for what would have otherwise been an inevitable demise...
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Not one second after they had set foot on the loose dust of the moon did a voice from everywhere address them. They could breathe and speak as normal, and it felt like a bit of Pop's Gravity was anchoring them to the ground. At least his influence did not stop on Cibus, and within Soda's domain--at least slightly.
"So glad you could make it. Well, not really, because I was hoping you wouldn't find a way here... ahh, well. That's how it goes, I guess."
"Soda! Stop this!" Owen shouted, and then glanced at Dave, who was near the back of the group as they rushed in. "Please! Don't you remember anything?!"
"Oh, I remember everything! I remember how much you guys got in the way of my plan to fuck over the gods that fucked me over! Cut! And! Dry! Ah... ahaha! But now you're here. HAH! But that's fine. I was gonna claim Cibus for that good, good planet power, but I think having you guys in me would taint the pure power. Separating you out... was just what I needed!"
"So you really were going to absorb every spirit of Cibus," Diyem hissed. "All for the power of a god?!"
"Oh, I'm already a god, dear dear Diyem," Soda replied, followed by another volley of mad giggles. The Unown were twisting themselves intoa twisted connect-the-dots form of Soda towering above them. The Unown Soda pointed at Team Spectrum. "But now, I need the power to DEFY gods. To USURP them. And this Eternal Blacklight... is just what I need. Now all that's left... is a world to call my own. A world to travel to other planes... and take over. A world where I can finally change everything..."
Diyem grunted. "There's no reasoning with him in this state. But we all knew that."
"Oh, definitely not. You're not going to convince me with words and good feelings. Won't matter anyway! Ha haaaa... ah, yeah. Yeah. Won't matter. I won't be absorbing you guys into my realm, though, oh, no. No, no. You guys?" He pointed at Team Spectrum. "I'm gonna make sure there's NOTHING left to TAKE!"
The Unown burst apart and swarmed all around them. They didn't look like they were very organized or strong yet, and it seemed like Soda was focused on something else if he wasn't showing himself directly. Was he still controlling the moon? Then perhaps there was still time to find him...
The moon tremored. A wave of Blacklight coursed through the ground, several feet tall, and a new energy radiated out from there. A pulse from the center followed, breaking past the passive barriers held up by Team Spectrum.
They would feel something tearing at them. From their very core, Soda had drawn something out like an iron heart with a magnet. Splitting them apart, drawing something and tearing it away--and then, suddenly, something was... missing. Gone. Something always there, never really noticed its presence in this innate sense, until it... was taken away.
And then, standing in front of them, looming, glaring, drifting forward like possessed dolls...
"W-Wishkeeper?" Owen asked, clutching at his chest as he tried, again and again, to Perceive around him--but it was like he had gone blind. Were his powers in Cibus truly entirely tied to his Blacklight power...?
"I... can't control... my body..." Wishkeeper tried to resist, but it was no use. He lunged at Owen, Shadowy claws nearly raking across his body. Owen dodged quickly, but it seemed like the rest of the team was dealing with much of the same.
Mad laughter echoed. The static of the Eternal Blacklight under them drowned out most sound. And then, Soda spoke:
"Your attention, please!"
The fighting briefly stopped; all of Team Spectrum's Blacklight halves, like puppets, jumped back and took on a formation that mirrored theirs. The amalgamation of Soda appeared from the Unown again, holding his arms out haughtily.
"As you can see, I am a very, very busy man. Worlds to destroy, realms to conquer. But I'll offer you all one last show to send you off into Lockout. We've got mmmmaybe an hour before we crash into the moon, after all! So, without any further waiting..."
The Unown scattered, dissolving his false form.
"Let's get to work!"