#ca drabble

Just silence.

How often he would had found himself caught on such a stage.  A silent mess cluttered with whys and hows.  How long had he been there and found himself secretly wishing to fall back into that darkness and sleep?  How tired he was of waking up to what he eventually knew were lies?  It would all eventually disappear and swallow him back up.  He had to admit at least one thing in this.  It was a very ... interesting ride these past few years.  Never would he had thought to own an inn like this.  Never would he had thought to do something so silly as make friends.

Never would he had thought to have found something as fickle and brittle as love.

To be called a hero at a few points in time would had been completely unheard of.  How much he enjoyed confusing and concerning people of his past with his changes.  Yeah, he had some fun in this city.  Even if it wasn’t an eternal paradise, he had his fun.  Looking down, he got into a drawer to pull out a scroll.  Unraveling it to open the contents, a puppet of his would be knelt down before him as he sat in his chair.  Eyes stared into the brown eyes of this particular puppet as if getting one last memory etched into his mind.  He remembered words from before to always try to remember, no matter what.  Never forget.  If he could remember her, then maybe he could keep some form of himself of today.

“I suppose the only good thing of having you here with me this long is to have that constant reminder.  You and Ultear both saved me from myself, but ... you were the two I hurt most here,” standing himself up, he would end up picking the puppet up into his arms and finally walking out of the inn and making his way to the back.  As he reached a spot outside, he would unleash a second scroll for the Ultear puppet to appear.  Both would lay on the ground as the puppet master would begin digging.  After some time has passed, he would lay the two puppets in their own graves.  Once his burial was completed, he would kneel down in front of the two spots marked with crosses.

“Thank you... for giving me a chance that I didn’t deserve.  Thank you for reminding me each time I forgot who I was or lost my way.  Thank you for allowing a fool like me to get to know you and understand more of human life...  Thank you for....”  a pause as he struggled for a brief moment.  After a moment...

There are no words, not for something like this. 

How could there possibly be enough words in the goddamn dictionary to spell out what is running through his mind? Like a train rushing through a track, the thoughts churn and churn, faster and faster until he's left out of breath, panting and using all his energy just to stand. 

He’s... he’s saying goodbye.

How many years have you wished for this? And how many have you spent dreading it? 

When did things change from When will I leave? to Will I ever leave? to Do I have to leave? When did the thought of returning to where he once hailed become so frightening, so dreaded that he’d much rather spend his days dying over and over than face whatever was back home? When did he start to treasure the time spent here, in this shit city that he’s damned more times than he can count? 

When did Hive fucking City become home?

Dio can’t breathe; he’s barely even standing, legs trembling and arms scrabbling at the foundations of the house he’s grown to love. He’s clinging for dear life, utterly afraid of what’s to come. There’s so much here that’s become the norm for him - he’s turned into someone he can’t even recognize anymore... someone he actually likes. Someone who the old Dio would be ashamed by, and that’s somehow okay. Because he knows that his past self would hate who he’s turned into, and that means he’s improved enough. He’s become a better man, a better Dio to himself and those around him - moreso than he would’ve ever thought possible as just Left clone D-10.

But no. He’s not Left. He’s Dio - he’ll always be Dio. He’s not going to forget that. 

Without really thinking, he lets his two Pokemon out of their Poke Balls. They chirp happily upon being out, but soon realize that something is horribly, terribly wrong. Fitz is not pecking at his hat, and Lyra is not rubbing against his leg. They simply stare with him, their eyes not able to conceive why or how the world is breaking down before them. But Dio lets them watch - he can’t deny his treasured partners the sight of their own farewell.

The sky is bleak as he stares over the rim of his top hat, his vision blurry and wet. He chews on his bottom lip, trying in vain to keep the tears at bay, but he’s become weak to them. They overwhelm him in that quiet moment, trickling at first but gaining speed and duration fast until he can’t help but let loose a sob. Falling to his knees, Dio yells, his fists tightening and slamming into the ground. Everything - everything will be gone, and he doesn’t even know if he’ll remember it.

Goddammit, he finally found what he needed, wrapped his greedy claws around it, and it’s being ripped from his fingertips. And the absence of it already aches, his chest burning with enough anger and sorrow and grief to last a lifetime. 

The end is near, but he has enough time to say goodbye to those that matter. He doesn’t even care if their phones are no longer active or if they’re in this city anymore - he’ll send it to anyone that once mattered but didn’t any longer, and those that will always matter.

To: Frisk, Magilou, Yuan, Luna, Rika, Terezi ...[expand for more...]  From: Dio [txt]: this is it, then. [txt]: thank you.

And of course, for those that he’s grown the closest to, there will be no words spared. He knows this is it.

To: Marceline, Peridot, Travis Love: Dio [txt]: none of it was wasted. [txt]: i’ll miss you more than you know.

Hitting the send button is a bit more difficult than he realizes, his fingers trembling as he types it all out. He wishes he could be with at least the most important three right now - he wishes he could at least go out with them. But he’s here, he’s watching the sky evaporate before his eyes, and he fears what’s next. He fears what’s to come, he fears going home or to Hell or to the nothingness that’s claimed him so many times before. He’s just so unsure of what will happen, but he’s learned by now that being a coward does nothing. No, he must stand now, and meet his end like a man - like a much better man than he was when he first arrived five years ago. 

With a few deep breaths, he’s able to get back on his feet, hands still leaning against the house. But he needs to let go of his home - the place he’s spent so many years living in with people dear to him - and face whatever’s happening with courage. It’s time to let go. 

It’s time to go.

He finally lets go of the wall, fists clenched at his sides. With his Pokemon released, his loved ones texted, and the last of his reluctance broken, he has no choice but to stare it in the face. The sky splits apart, the ground crumbles into pieces, and Dio feels the numbing sensation envelop him, too. 

“This happens about every month or so.” “I just stay at my mother’s while the house repairs itself.” “This is the first time I’ve seen you trying to help. This must be new to you, huh kid?”

Hell, the NPCs seemed to want to comfort Anda more than the other way around (likely because of the tears...) Most were generally grateful for the help, like an elderly lady thanking a child for helping her cross a road. No casualties were reported. It was all so... heartbreakingly routine for everyone, if the ankle-deep sea of sorrow said anything about it.

As the shuttle buses came to transport the temporarily deposed, Anda joined them, hitching a ride to Vario before slouching into the sheltered bench stop. Soaked, reeking of fire, soot staining the cuffs of their jeans...

But still, there was something missing. Scratch that, there was someone missing.

Takeru was good at pretending he was fine. Really, everything involved he was an old hat at it. Go to a new world, everything’s going to be fine. Patamon’s sick, everything’s going to be fine. But this wasn’t the Digital World, at least not how he knew it. This place was...Different. And a few days later it seemed like there was no way out, or else everyone else would have left too. 

And it seemed like Yamato wasn’t here, either.

He was lucky, he knew, cradling the Digimon in his arms, that he had Poyomon. He had Hikari. He was lucky.

But he also knew Hikari missed Taichi, just as he missed Yamato. It wasn’t...Easy. He wasn’t happy about it. In fact, Takeru was miserable over it. Takeru wanted to go home - things had only just become easy. They were able to relax together, with their Digimon, go to school...

And now he was missing again. He would be like the other Digidestined on the news - missing, his mom would be panicking. He was stuck here in some experiment, and without Yamato or the others. Just himself and Hikari...

“Maybe they’ll just think we ran away together.” He said out loud, to nobody in particularly, giving a half hearted chuckle as the sky rumbled again. “Wouldn’t that be funny?” TK looked down at the sleeping Digimon, quietly sighing.

Klavier looks up at the clock, reclining on his bed with his guitar on his lap. It’s one of the cheap ones he found while shopping with Nahyuta, but it’s better than nothing. He doesn’t want to play for fear of disturbing his roommates at such a late hour, but it’s a comfort to have it with him. Maybe if he went to the law office…? He doubts anyone would be in at this hour; it’s almost midnight, after all. Even if there is someone, he doesn’t think anyone would mind him coming in to find a quiet place to play. Especially on a day like today. Or… what it’s going to be in a few minutes.

     TIMING is everything. He didn’t want to reveal it too soon, lest it suck all the air out of the room and kill the party when it hasn’t had proper time to blossom. Too late and his guest will have spent all their energy already. A tad past when things have reached their peak, when conversations aren’t quite yelling over one another any longer and the line for karaoke has dwindled.

Above the fountain, he rises into the air, raising two crystal pitches appropriately Star Platinum sized over his head, red liquid sloshing inside.

❝ O R A  ❞

His voice booms around the vaulted ceilings of the former mall, reaching even the most secluded corners. It startles Speedwagon Agent Uly mid-sip of beer, sending him into a coughing fit in his scramble to find the microphone. “Gather ‘round, tough guys! Star Platinum has a surprise for all of you!” he wheezes with restrained bewilderment.

A meaningful glance is spared to each of his Fight Club buddies upon his return to the water’s edge below.

❝ O R A !! ❞

“Fruit punch?” Uly gets the translation out in time for Star Platinum to sling the pitchers of fruity drink onto the crowd and leap at the muscliest bastard whose face he can reach with his fist. His buddies all grab the partygoers nearest them and dispense blows of their own. It’s a free-for-all.

While the introduction to Hive City continued, the Night Fury explored his new surroundings before a door clicked open. Immediately he snarled and jumped back, startled, before settling down with a huff when it became apparent there was no one there.

Cautiously, he crept to the exit and peeked out into the brand new world he was now living in. There was no grass, no flowers; certainly this couldn’t be Berk! Where were the mountains? The rivers and the sea? It was all so very confusing and, worst of all, Hiccup wasn’t there.

With a sad little groan he stepped out and wiggled within the saddle and harness that still adorned his large frame. It would get uncomfortable at some point but it wasn’t like he could take it off on his own.

     HEAPS of neon decorated flyers flutter to the city streets from whatever dropped them for the sky as it darted past. Upon picking one up, it’s revealed to be a copy of those flyers peppering every flat surface they’ll stick to bordering the sidewalks. It reads,

『                                        RETAIL SELF-CARE                                    ﹃

     Are you looking to ruin your sleep schedule?      Do you crave free food?      How far can you throw a car?*      Do you love music playing over an intercom?      We're ordering pizza.

     Come to the abandoned mall in downtown Sector oo5 on Sunday 6/10         to celebrate you and your fellow citizens keeping it together in this               dump of a city. We've got two karaoke to protect those who don't want to           perish over it. Free food, that's all we can promise. Bring your strong friends.

     *You'll be asked to sign a legal waiver at the door**      **Star Platinum is hosting and will have visual confirmation of all those who         attend. You can sneak in but he will find you and he will make you sign that         thing.

﹄                                                                                                                   』

*:・ﾟ☆

ooc info under the cut