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. )
[ He wasn't really thinking too hard about his phrasing when he said it (which, shame on him, maybe eight weeks here among people who generally aren't thinking about things in terms of "use" has left him rusty) but now that it's pointed out—
Well, maybe he said it that way without thinking for a reason. That was also probably sitting somewhere in the back of his head for a while now; he just didn't really want to acknowledge it. ]
[ Unfortunately, he isn't sure what he's supposed to do with that and knows fuck all about how to go about it. Like, yes, his family works in a certain nightlife industry, but he's pretty sure this is pretty far removed from that. ]
[ ...And now he's probably made this even more awkward with all his internal screaming. Good going, genius. You're supposed to be the one with social skills here. ]
In the midst of his efforts, he will find that in a flash of blinding light - okay, no, just kidding, Void Archives isn't going to flashbang Wolfwood, though they did consider it for shits and giggles.
Departures seem like they should end a bit more sacred, somehow. Either way, they are going to block off his path to escape. ]
Just one moment, hm? That isn't quite how you should leave. After all, isn't it better you give proper farewells...
[ They cross their arms, and fashion him one of their (menacing) grins. ]
[ Well, at least Void Archives caught Vakama before he has made his departure. It would be most unfortunate if they had missed him!
Though, they wonder how soon it is before he will make it, they don't have to for the moment, seeing him make the motions that he does with his notebooks. ]
Oh? Still hard at work towards the end of everything?
[ Habits do die hard for the lot of them, it seems. ]
[Oscar has just been watching this all from a distance, and this is reaching the point of absolutely painful. He thought he and Bas were bad, but at least they've figured out where they stand? This is starting to look like an intervention is needed...
... which will come in the form of him coming up from behind and just draping his arms around the two of them.]
There you two are! Bas and I were gonna go find someplace to grab dinner later... you guys should come with us! Our treat.
[MAKE IT A DOUBLE DATE.
(He has not actually discussed this with Bas but it's fine!!!)]
[ Mods nods at that. Personally, he feels ambivalent towards Neo - neither positive nor negative, but glad that the choice that everyone made was one of mercy. ]
We're in no hurry. I'm actually rather curious about exploring this town now that it is... roughly how it is mean to be. [ The chroma is an issue, but ah well. ]
And even beyond adverse effects... Neo is going to appreciate having somebody with similar experiences around as he grows accustomed to this.
No, not at all. ... It's a valid question. I promise, I'm actually happy. I'm just... tired, I think? Of smiling. When we first got here, I was faking it a lot. So I don't want to anymore.
Void Archives has to stop for a moment and wonder if somehow they just got sucked into a mindscape again because that would be their luck.
They rub at their eyes and then blink, reassessing their environment. Ah, well...they suppose they will have to try to trek somewhere.
Wait. They do recall something from their previous trek in the mindscape. Thank goodness for being an archive.
They make their way towards the path with volcanic rock, certain they'll be able to pinpoint Vakama's location the best out of anyone who knew him with a giant heaping of smugness (this may or may not be true.) ]
[ Imagine...if Void Archives purposefully stayed in order to brutally murder someone else. Fortunately, they are not thinking on that as an option, and with that bright smile decide to count instead that they probably assume matters are kosher enough.
They are still an overthinker, but not every interaction necessarily means it will end in flames. This is a notion they understand as well, and...they do wish to make lasting memories from this. ]
You phrased it just as sentimentally as I thought you would.
[ Poking light fun with a little grin. ]
Well, I won't have any particular instructions on how you make your drawing. Though, perhaps we should take the photo first before you begin...?
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