After eight long, difficult weeks of fighting, you've finally done it. You've put an end to Neo Metal Sonic's dreams of conquest and with it, you've saved not only this world, but all worlds. Perhaps not everything is wrapped up as neatly as some of you would like, but you've done what you set out to do, and now you can breathe a sigh of relief.
In the hours that follow the immediate aftermath of Neo Metal Sonic's defeat, Tails sets about figuring out how to control the Egg Fleet and recall them to where Neo Metal Sonic had them stationed. Sonic heads out into the city - and then even further beyond - to ensure that the people are starting to regain their senses without anyone to suppress their free will anymore. Knuckles escorts you back to the base, then takes a ring to hop into the Void to let Shadow and Infinite know what's going on.
As for you all? You aren't expected to do any work, because you've done so much today. Take a load off and take the time to rest - you deserve it.
For those of you who can't wait to get home, you're welcome to grab a ring from one of your colorful friends and head straight back, but for those of you willing to take the night off and regroup in the morning, you'll find that said colorful friends have put together a party for you - or, well, they tried their best. The decorations are store-bought (or not) and simple, Sonic seems to have thought confetti is the best way to throw a party and there is so much of it getting showered on all of you the moment you walk into the room, and someone obtained a sheet cake that did not have any sort of message on it, so an awkwardly scrawled message of "THANKS FOR HELP" is written in bright green icing that clashes with the cake's soft pink and red color scheme. An attempt was made.
You're welcome to hang out here - both in the new base and in this world as a whole - for as long as you'd like. Permanently, even, if you don't have any intention of going home. After all, you've more than earned it. Sonic and friends will gladly help you figure out a way to get settled here.
If you do choose to stay for any length of time and head out into the city, you'll find that people are indeed starting to return to their daily lives. They don't really understand - or remember - what happened, but they do recognize you as someone they have some innate fondness for, regardless of how startling your appearance may be to them. The city itself has seen better days thanks to the spread of Eggman's chroma, but thankfully the natural elements are recovering from that just fine. The buildings, streets, and the like will not naturally recover, so it seems Chicago's going to require some pretty intensive rebuilding...
But for the time being, everything is going smoothly, and you've done everything that was asked of you. You're free to return home. If you do, your shard may eventually come loose and simply fall off, ridding you of both the shard and its powers. Or maybe it won't, and you'll have that memory of your time in this world forever, along with the power innate to you and the ones you can activate from your fellow shardbearers whenever you're near each other.
Congratulations, shardbearers. You've done the impossible, and maybe even formed some new bonds along the way.
( Welcome to the final log of Shardbond! With this, you have successfully navigated your way through the Sonic friendship game and no one died! Hooray!!! For this final log, you may do whatever you'd like - if you want to use this to do an immediate aftermath top level, go for it! Party top level? Sure? Post-game top level? Have fun! You want to bring a castmate in and NPC them or have someone else play them? Also cool! Generally speaking, you are now free to do what you will with the setting as a whole - your fuzzy little friends will be hard at work making sure that you all are able to get home and/or get settled just fine, and they'll also be keeping an eye out for one (1) Neo Metal Sonic. And also Infinite, I guess, unless someone wants to take that stray jackal with them but like, no one needs that. )
There is not, no. It is not terribly difficult to find rings on the way too or from a place so long as you are observant, and that includes the various bars and clubs and whatnot.
[hehe.]
...
In any case...
[...]
I suppose I am feeling more optimistic than I was.
[then why does he look vaguely uncomfortable still...]
[If magic existed in Lucifer's world, maybe he could have more of an opinion on this, but since it does not, his opinions are limited to "laws are boring".]
It was certainly something. At first I assumed I was just dealing with another rich topsider lacking in common sense, but...that kind of intellect surprised me. More so his sincerity about it; the insistence that magic was something that could help thoe who truly needed it.
[ Jasper...well, baby steps when it comes to being forthcoming about certain matters that are more or less bothersome, right? Whatever that may be.
Void Archives has become quite close to him, though, and he knows by now when something is bothering him that should certainly be at the least not completely glanced over. ]
Hmm...if nothing has changed completely, I won't blame you for it. The situation is quite the complicated one - naturally, I can continue to see that.
Or, is there something else that's on your mind regarding the matter?
...Or, perhaps, a distraction would be amenable until the very moment of our arrival?
We still have time to have some potential last-minute joys before our departure. But, either way, know you don't have to hold back where I'm concerned~
[ Though, they are certainly still getting the hang of this, Void Archives is certainly going to be the best they can for Jasper. So, they take a glance, to see which hand of Jasper's is free, and move their own, to see if they can grip it. ]
The specifics do need actual working out after the two matters are more or less are finished, but you are certainly correct.
[ Going back to Earth completely isn't exactly within the cards, yes. Space and multiple world crossings and travels? That is what they're aiming for. ]
And yes, while there are those I can more or less...help that issue along, I can't do the same for everyone else.
[ Some people just want to live a normally long-lived life and all. ]
...As for your problem with being an immortal yourself, do you plan then on leaving it soon or in a certain number of years?
[ Void Archives tended for it to be little more than an innocent prank, but they are re-learning how the individuals in this society conduct themselves when it comes to revered figures. Granted, they never really cared too much about that before in the mindscape besides logging the data as potentially information that would assist in their goal, but the snippets made some aspects clear. As well as previous discussions with Vakama himself.
Regardless, this is going to be an issue...
If it weren't them that was dealing with. Their attention at an all time high. The one who leapt on him is suddenly throw off with such speed and force, well. He may hardly have realized what happened - if he takes a few hair strands or so with him, it hardly matters.
The rest don't get the courtesy of being able to come close, because they will simply collide with a golden barrier. ]
Stop panicking already. I haven't done anything else other than make him trip.
Or, continue to panic and make yourselves look like fools. It is your choice.
I figured that was the case. I'll make sure to pick out lots of great movies for you and Viktor!
[And whoever else is around at the time can come too. He just thinks Neo and Viktor need to chill out the most. Anyway;]
Aah. Rather than hard coding, it's society that restricts the freedom of humans. Whether it's socioeconomic factors, the opinions of others, or... well I suppose sometimes it is our "coding" as well. But here, the things that were holding me back are gone! So yes, I do think I will. And if I can, so can you.
[Yay! Yippee!! He never knew his actual parents so getting a grandpa will be very exciting.]
... I suppose that's true. I still don't feel like I deserve it, but I definitely wouldn't say Mr. Viktor deserves to suffer and he's arguably hurt more people.
[ Lark hangs around the party for at least a while, trying the cake and then seeming to almost instantly wonder if maybe this is too sweet for his tastes. Eventually, whoever, he steps out with a can of soda, wandering over to look out at the water nearby the base. He seems to be in a thoughtful mood, judging by how he seems a little distracted.
A couple of days later, Lark heads back home, only to return within the next few days with a white-haired girl in tow. As he shows her around outside the base, she has a look of something between awe and scepticism; the sort of look of someone who's never seen a city that wasn't the perpetual daytime darkness of Wu-Jian. ]
cut for length So you're telling me there's just…all this space everywhere, even with all the shit they got in the city? [ Crane gestures around them for emphasis. ]
I know, right? You have to actually go back down to the ground floor if you want to go to another building. Far as I know, anyway.
Sounds like a pain in the ass.
[ Lark shrugs. ] A bit, but it's easier to figure out where everything is once you get used to it. And the rooms are usually bigger too.
Right. [ She doesn't sound entirely convinced of the alleged upsides to this yet. ] And you're still telling me I can't swipe anything?
Look, I know it sounds kinda dumb, but we both wouldn't want to cause trouble for Sonic and the others, yeah? Since they're the ones letting us stay.
You're the one who dragged me here…
And you let me drag you here, so we should at least try to play by the rules here, alright? People here aren't used to getting lifted from like it's another day of the week for them.
[ For a long moment, Crane doesn't say anything. Then: ] That's somehow the fakest sounding crap you've said to me yet.
[ With a nervous laugh: ] Surprise, most people don't have to worry about being robbed?
[ Still, Crane looks thoughtful about it, thought it's hard to say whether she finds the notion a good thing or otherwise. ] ...Not even their pockets?
…I mean— [ Lark waves his hand. ] I'm not gonna stop you or anything, but if you're gonna do it, don't get caught?
Tch, who the hell do you think I am? [ You can talk to both Lark and Crane, or even just Crane if you want. She can be found taking shelter in the shade of a building, probably grumbling about the sunlight, or maybe you're unfortunate enough to have her pick your pocket, who knows? Responses from Crane will be from saltedwounds.
You can also pick any other wildcardscenario. Lark will be in the city for at least a few months. ]
This is as good a time as any. Everyone else is eating. Besides - is it bothering you?
[His own programming is different, but if he'd managed to somehow hold the Protocol back through sheer force of will, he can only imagine it being difficult and painful.]
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