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. )
Jayce and I have the expertise to help this place rebuild, together. Do something actually worthwhile rather than cause a hundred more well-intentioned mistakes. I...think it will be nice, to have a chance to start over.
Now, now--jokes aside, let us not get ahead of ourselves. We have a considerable amount of things to discuss and a lot to simply allow to settle, as well as a city to rebuild.
[And now is where he switches to a different language entirely, because Jayce is standing right there.]
But how did the two of you meet?
[Given the fact that Viktor almost certainly doesn't call his language Czech means that some terminology and pronunciation might be different, but it's still being spoken without an accent whatsoever.]
Oh, your language is remarkably similar to one I'm familiar with. I know every language there ever was in my world.
[He explains this like it's self-evident.
This isn't really an ability, so he still has it! It just wasn't useful to keep secrets from the group so he didn't have a reason to switch languages.]
Oh, the investigation was largely done and over with. Truthfully, it was barely a 'crime' in the strictest sense--just a matter of unauthorized research into a power that the head of the Council took issue with. Which is to say, he was trying to generate magic as a form of energy.
...I took it upon myself to help him prove it could be done, so we broke into the dean's laboratory to utilize the confiscated materials in question.
[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.
That's right--your world is similar to this one, isn't it? I doubt travel will be an option for a while, but...is there anywhere you might think worth a look?
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I take it you will be returning?
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It seems... wrong of me to leave and never return.
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[Mostly because he cares about the people he's met, though.]
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[He smiles, like he's proud of how obnoxious he is. Which, to be fair, he is!]
It will be nice to see how you all are getting on, once I've smoothed things over back home.
You will tell me about your relationship milestones, won't you? I must hear every juicy detail.
[I mean you don't have to go into graphic detail with him, but Lucifer will be delighted if you do because he isn't bothered by sex talk at all.]
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[the instant things settle down this metal body is undergoing rigorous experimentation ifyouknowwhatimean]
But, if I should end up with a last name some time in the future, it would be difficult not to mention.
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You must invite me to the wedding.
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[And now is where he switches to a different language entirely, because Jayce is standing right there.]
But how did the two of you meet?
[Given the fact that Viktor almost certainly doesn't call his language Czech means that some terminology and pronunciation might be different, but it's still being spoken without an accent whatsoever.]
There's a story there, I'm certain.
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How in the fuck did you do that. Have you just been able to speak a specific Zaunite dialect this whole time? What the hell, Lucifer.
[we'll get to the question, give him a second]
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[He explains this like it's self-evident.
This isn't really an ability, so he still has it! It just wasn't useful to keep secrets from the group so he didn't have a reason to switch languages.]
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[Says the former centerpoint of a massive hivemind. What was a little weird linguistic shit next to that.]
It's a long story--technically we met when I was overseeing his arrest and trial after some illicit materials exploded in his apartment.
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Oho! Not so similar to how I met Chloe. Though she was not there to arrest me; I was a witness to a crime she was investigating.
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...I took it upon myself to help him prove it could be done, so we broke into the dean's laboratory to utilize the confiscated materials in question.
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[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's quite a remarkable way to meet anyone.
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[Unfortunately, from what he's gleaned from Viktor's world, and given his appearance...
Something something Hell and good intentions.]
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But we can try again here. Take smaller steps, and not reach so far that we fail to see what is right in front of us.
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[They're both quite young still.]
This world will keep you occupied, I'm certain.
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Yes, he'd gotten the impression that something rather major had happened. Especially given Victor's general appearance.
Lucifer simply isn't the sort to judge about things like this.]
There's something to be said for taking time to enjoy things. That's what Maze and I did upon first arriving on Earth.
[Though he sort of doubts Viktor would do what the two of them did.]
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That's right--your world is similar to this one, isn't it? I doubt travel will be an option for a while, but...is there anywhere you might think worth a look?
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That depends on what you're looking for. I'm one to always go where the people are. I must recommend Los Angeles for that.
[There won't be a Luxe in this world's version of Los Angeles, but he loves the city regardless.]