Chapter 15 – Breakfast Conversation
Sixer was awoken by knocking.
He pushed himself up into a sitting position and yawned, baring sharper-than-average teeth to a small, quiet room.
"Sixer?"
Sixer's ears perked up at the muffled, familiar voice on the other side of the door. "You can come in."
The door opened slightly, revealing Maria on the other side. Her hair looked like a bedhead style, and her eyes didn't have their usual level of shine, but there was a satisfied grin on her face. "You feeling okay?"
"I am." Sixer nodded, then frowned. "How long was I asleep?"
"All night – it's about as close to nine AM as we're ever gonna get in this dimension." Maria frowned and tapped her chin, looking up at the ceiling as she did. "At least, I think so. Joshua, Shulk, Linada, and I were up all night working on Dunban."
"All night? Is he…."
Maria nodded, the grin coming back. "Yeah. It was kinda touch-and-go for a bit there about an hour ago, but he's got a Reploid frame now like me and Joshua. We're just giving his soul time to settle in his new core before we coax him into waking up."
"Does this mean you're going to rest or –"
"Pssh, I've stayed up for longer than this. I'll be fine. I just need some food and time out in the sunlight and I'll be good. It is about time for breakfast, though, and Fiora's putting something together."
At the prospect of food, Sixer's stomach grumbled. "I…suppose I could do with a little breakfast."
Maria bounced from one foot to the other, grinning, then motioned for Sixer to follow as she almost bounced down the hall. Sixer followed after her as she settled down, but the grin remained.
"You seem excited." Sixer caught up with her and matched her stride.
"I have a very good reason to be!" Maria laughed. "Dunban's gonna be okay, and he's as free from Dickson's influence as he could possibly get! That's a very big win in my book." The grin faded. "But Dickson is still a problem. We're going to have to do something about him before I feel comfortable going back to Gravity Falls." She looked at Sixer. "Do you know anything about him? Joshua said he sometimes looked like an old man with a blond beard, and he dressed like he was part of a biker gang."
Sixer frowned at the question. A hand moved to his chin in thought as they moved past the holding cells and down a different hall across from the labs. "I…do think I remember him. He came at the same time as a young man who looks eerily similar to Shulk and a woman with a larger pair of wings than Melia has."
"Zanza."
Sixer looked up and saw Shulk leaning against a wall nearby. There were bags under his eyes, and his hair looked more disheveled than Maria's.
"The man's name was Zanza. He was…a creator of our world, or something like that."
Sixer's ears stood straight up. "A creator?"
"That's what Alvis's said, anyway. He used to be mortal like us, but after something happened involving a – a conduit? something like that – Zanza and Meyneth ended up here and created everything we knew. But Zanza didn't want to be forgotten and wanted to keep on living, so he decided that we – the Homs – were going to be food for him and keep him alive." Shulk's nose scrunched up in an expression of disgust. "He was planning on using me as a vessel to destroy the world and remake it to start the cycle all over again, but Cipher arrived before he could follow through with his plan. Dickson was one of his disciples."
"Doesn't sound like a loyal one, if he made a deal with Cipher," Maria commented.
"…considering that Cipher destroyed Zanza and left his corpse to be eaten by Teeth, I think he made what he thought was a wise move," Sixer said slowly. There was a faraway look in his eyes in that moment as his gaze moved around the corridor. "Zanza thought he was able to take Cipher's place. He didn't realize that we'd taken…five, six worlds before this one? But he and the woman were blasted out of existence."
Sixer pulled out of the reverie and looked at Maria and Shulk, who were staring back at him with wide eyes.
"Whoa, okay." Maria blinked a couple times. "That's…certainly something."
"This was the fifth or sixth world you'd taken?" Shulk asked.
"Depending on…whether or not you decide to count my own," Sixer admitted.
"It sounds like you have an excellent memory."
The three of them looked up as a purple-haired young man wearing a key from a short leather string approached, Joshua right behind him.
"Alvis!" Shulk exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see the young woman and the kitsune she rescued," Alvis replied. "As well as how Dunban is doing. A Reploid, in our world…this is going to make the future very interesting."
Maria raised an eyebrow while Sixer frowned and looked at Alvis with a curious expression. Something about the purple-themed man's attire was familiar, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. His tails flicked and twitched as he looked Alvis over, trying to remember if he'd seen the strange man before.
Alvis noticed Sixer's frown and gave a smile in return. "It is good to see that you have not lost your metal faculties permanently. I was quite concerned when I saw you and the look on your brother's face by comparison. He was quite angry with Cipher over what had been done to you, wasn't he?"
"…yes, he was." Sixer's frown deepened. "Did you…sneak into the Fearamid at any point?"
"Well, I was there when Zanza decided to try and flaunt the power of his and Meyneth's Monados. But I did not enter the throne room. I have no reason to make deals with chaotic demons, and I had no reason to make myself known. So, after Dickson made his deal and Cipher had destroyed Zanza and his other disciple, I left."
"You never told us about that." Shulk frowned.
"I had no reason to. You knew that Dickson was working with Cipher by the time I managed to find this camp. What I saw would not have made that much of a difference." Alvis smiled. "Ah, but what are we doing here, talking about past events? There is breakfast to be had, remember? And I am sure that Dunban would appreciate something in his stomach when he wakes. Which…I think that will be soon."
"What makes you say that?" Maria asked.
"Wait for it…" Joshua held up a hand and started counting down from five.
By the time Joshua had made his hand into a fist, Sixer stiffened up slightly at a muffled sound that came from somewhere down the hall behind them.
A metal thump, followed by a yelp.
"He's active." Joshua started moving down the hall towards the lab. "I'm going to help him learn how to set his balance systems – Shulk, could you let Fiora know?"
"Of course!" Shulk turned and bolted into one of the nearby rooms; the sound of people talking came from the other side of the door before it closed shut behind him.
"How did you know?" Maria turned to look at Alvis while Sixer watched Joshua step into the lab.
"I am quite well-connected to this world, and the people who live in it," Alvis replied. "Just because Dunban has changed does not mean that I cannot peer in on his future from time to time. It is not something I was able to practice when Cipher's presence was here, but I am capable of a little of it now."
"Cipher's presence…makes the rules of a stable universe unworkable," Sixer said carefully. "Time tends to either stop or go in any direction possible for it, at different speeds. It makes sense that an ability to see the future wouldn't work under those circumstances."
"Indeed. But now that time is moving forward again, I am happy to say that we will be moving on to better events, especially now."
The door opened again, and Fiora rushed past them and into the lab. Shulk followed after her at not quite her speed.
"But let us put talk of future what-ifs behind us for now," Alvis added. "I think we have someone we need to see." He walked over to the lab.
"He's right, we should check in on Dunban." Maria paused. "Oh – you haven't seen his new form yet either! He looks much better than he did before." She motioned for Sixer to follow, then moved over to the lab door.
Sixer followed and peered into the lab over Maria's head.
Dunban and Fiora were hugging in the middle of the lab, with Joshua and Shulk standing a short distance away. Even with Fiora blocking some of Dunban from Sixer's view, he could still see that the man looked more human than he had when Maria had brought him in.
Dunban had a full head of dark-colored hair now, and no visible cybernetics. From the base of his neck down, however, he was covered in an armor that was very much similar to Maria's and Joshua's, except for the color. Instead of an electric blue, or red and orange, Dunban's armor was a deep blue color except for his shoulders – which were colored white – and his hands, which were not covered in white gloves like Maria's and Joshua's.
"I'm glad you're okay," Fiora said. "You – you look better." She looked up at her brother with a relieved expression.
"I feel better," Dunban replied with a smile. "It is a little strange, but I don't think I will have that much of a problem adjusting."
"And if you have any problems, Shulk and Linada know what went into making your current form," Joshua spoke up. "So if anything happens after Maria and I leave, you still have people who can help."
Fiora turned and looked around at the rest of them, tears pricking at her eyes. Dunban rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment before shifting his stance slightly – Sixer noticed he looked a little unbalanced. Dunban must be still getting used to his new form.
"Thank you, for doing this." Fiora looked to Joshua, then Shulk and Maria. "But – are you certain he is going to be all right in the long run? He's more like the Mechon now, not like…like a Homs."
"It is a sacrifice Maria and I had to make as well, but under different circumstances," Joshua said. "It…is still possible for him to end his life in an unexpected fashion."
Maria's smile dropped. Sixer could guess why and, judging from the look Joshua sent her, he knew as well - or at the very least could guess.
"However, that does not mean he will be without friends and allies for the rest of his life," Joshua added.
"I should hope not," Dunban agreed. "I can always make new friends of the children and their children, and the Mechon as well."
"But that would be a lonely life to live," Fiora said.
"It doesn't have to be," Maria replied. "A life is what that person makes of it, don't you think?"
Dunban chuckled. "I will be all right, Fiora. I may not be a Homs in body, but that doesn't mean I intend to live the rest of my life in complete solitude. Now, Joshua said you made breakfast? I'm starving, and it has been far too long since I had some of your cooking."
"But…" Fiora frowned, then looked at Joshua. "Can he eat?"
"He can," Joshua replied.
"We can too," Maria added. "What, did you think that just because we were mechanical on the inside, we wouldn't be able to blend in in the food department?"
Fiora's eyes widened. "But – how?"
"Part of the way our systems work. Sure, Dunban can get energy from the sun and ether now, but his core functions in such a way that it can burn organic material and turn it into energy too."
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Joshua nodded at Maria's words. "So let's go get something to eat, and then we can discuss our next move. I am sure that you all have a few ideas in mind."
The grin that crossed Dunban's face made Sixer's tails shudder. "Dickson isn't going to know what hit him."
Maria grinned back and gave a thumbs-up, then backed out of the lab doorway, giving the others room to move out into the hall.
Dunban, Fiora, and Shulk were the last ones to leave the lab, Dunban leaning a little against the wall as he started walking.
"Don't rely on crutches too much," Joshua warned. "Your balance system may take that into account and make you require one until we can get it to reset."
Dunban pushed himself away from the wall a little and took a few steps. "I'm getting it, just give me a little time first."
"Which we do have, considering that time is actually moving forward now," Joshua replied.
They reached the door Shulk had disappeared through earlier, and when Alvis pushed it open, they were met with Reyn looking like he was about to step out.
Reyn stepped back. "Alvis? What are you—" He looked past Alvis and noticed Dunban and Fiora standing in the corridor. His eyes widened, and he took another step back.
Then Reyn whirled around and yelled, "Dunban's awake!"
All conversation in the room was cut off immediately, and Alvis walked in, followed by Dunban and Fiora. Shulk and Joshua followed suit, while Maria and Sixer hovered in the doorway.
This room looked like a small dining area, likely meant for people who were in this part of the base. Melia, Sharla, and a few others were in the room sitting at one of the two tables.
The other table happened to be piled with food.
Melia rose to her feet as Dunban stepped inside. "Good morning, Dunban. How are you feeling?"
"Better than I was," Dunban replied. "Just getting used to moving around again." He looked over at the other table. "Oh, that looks delicious. Fiora, you have outdone yourself." He strode over immediately, every step made with a lot more confidence than the last.
Melia and Sharla watched him go in confusion.
"Can he…?" Sharla trailed off.
"I can," Joshua replied. "And Maria can. I do not see why he can't."
Melia's eyes widened as Dunban piled his plate high with breakfast foods, then sat himself down at the table next to a bald, older man, and started eating, much to the others' surprise.
Maria chuckled at the looks on their faces, then stepped inside. "I'm feeling a bit peckish myself. Being up all night works up an appetite!"
"That it does," Joshua agreed, following after her.
Sixer stepped into the room and followed after them, planning on doing the same, but then the older man next to Dunban spoke up in alarm.
"What is that thing doing in here?"
Sixer stopped at the voice, his tails curling around himself slightly. He met the man's gaze as his ears pulled back.
Maria turned and was about to speak up when Dunban put a hand on the other's shoulder.
"It's all right, Otharon. He isn't with the enemy."
"And you are certain of that because—"
"Because the young woman who rescued him is the same person who brought me back." Dunban looked over at Maria, who had been watching the conversation with a guarded expression.
Otharon looked between Maria and Sixer, frowning. "And you didn't rebel against him? Why?"
Sixer noticed Maria look over at him, and he paused to gather his thoughts before answering, "I think you will find that Dunban's situation and mine were far more alike than they appeared to be."
Otharon's expression remained a guarded mask for a moment. But then his expression softened slightly. "I see. My apologies for jumping to conclusions."
Maria relaxed and started gathering up a breakfast platter for herself.
"It's…understandable, that you would jump there," Sixer admitted. "There was…never much of an indication of our status back then. The only reason Weirdmageddon stopped is because Maria saw something and acted on it when no one else had in the past."
"We should consider ourselves lucky that she got herself involved, then." Otharon looked at Maria as she walked over to the table and took an open spot next to Melia. "Thank you for that."
Maria blinked at the thanks, then nodded. "In the end, I didn't work alone to undo everything. But I will admit, I was…kinda the one who jumpstarted everything."
"I should hope that you didn't work alone! You don't look much older than Joshua or Shulk."
Sixer paused as he reached the table piled with food. He noticed Maria pause with a fork partway to her mouth.
Maria put the fork down. "I wouldn't put much stock in my physical appearance, Otharon. I think you'll find that I can be quite full of surprises."
"That, I think, would be putting it mildly," Joshua commented as he moved to grab a plate of breakfast.
Sixer sat down next to Maria and looked around the table for a moment before he dug into his own breakfast.
There came the sound of clicking metal heels behind them, and Fiora cleared her throat.
"Um…Maria? Joshua?"
Maria turned slightly and looked up while Sixer's ear twitched at Fiora's tone. She sounded like she needed help with something.
"What's up?" Maria asked.
"You…you said earlier that you would be able to do this for other people, right?"
Sixer watched Maria and Joshua exchange looks around him.
"If those people are willing, yes," Joshua replied. "But we might require more materials than what you and Reyn found for us before."
Fiora nodded. "I made sure there might be enough for me, too."
Dunban looked up sharply from his meal, and Sixer's ears perked up.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Shulk asked. "There's…no turning back from this. You won't be able to be fully human ever again."
Fiora nodded. "This body is failing, Shulk. And as much as I want to see Dickson taken care of…I don't want to die immediately after he's gone, or right before we can see this through. And he could…still do something to me like this. We don't know completely what he's capable of."
Maria frowned, but Sixer's expression went a bit hazy for a moment.
"I…I remember his deal."
Sixer's vision came back into focus, and he found the others staring at him.
"You were there?" Sharla asked.
"He mentioned earlier that he saw Cipher destroy Zanza," Shulk spoke up. "It makes sense."
"Well, then what was it?" Otharon asked harshly. "What did that traitor ask for?"
Sixer frowned at the question, but when he saw the worried look on Maria's face, he answered carefully, "Dickson, in exchange for unending loyalty to the demon, asked that he be given enough power to create and control a Monado. Cipher merged the two swords in his resulting transformation."
The table remained silent for a moment.
"That explains what happened to Dunban," Shulk said after a moment. "Your old body was…almost half Homs and half Mechon, except the Mechon half didn't work well at all, and it made your Homs half fall apart."
"It would be in line with what I remember as well," Dunban agreed grimly.
"Which means he's definitely going to throw a fit when he sees you," Maria remarked.
Dunban chuckled darkly. "That's the hope. But in order to fight him, I'm going to need something that wasn't built by his hands."
"We'll take care of that," Joshua said. "Both for you and for Fiora." He looked over at Dunban's sister. "Go ahead and wait for us in the lab. Shulk and I will follow in a few minutes to start discussing and putting together the new frame. Maria will join us soon after, I suspect, now that she knows what she's doing."
Maria gave a thumbs-up. "Just gimme a few minutes to produce the shard for her new power source, all right? Gotta make sure I've got enough energy in me for that, because it's gonna knock me flat for a while before I can help you guys out."
Joshua nodded. "Understandable. Don't push yourself."
"That will not be a problem." Maria rose to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, guys, I've got something to do."
Maria had walked out the door and disappeared before Sixer could speak up and ask if she thought he was needed anywhere. It left him staring after her with a confused expression.
"Well, I suppose we had better get to work as well." Joshua rose to his feet. "Sixer, do you think you could—"
"Actually, before you leave with him, I have a few questions."
Sixer looked over at Otharon, while Dunban frowned at the older man.
"I don't intend to pry too much, but…I have to admit, I am curious as to how Maria saved your life and how that managed to lead to the end of the chaos that we've been living in for some time now," Otharon said. "I can have the word spread to the rest of the colony, and see what everyone else thinks about your little…escapade across dimensions."
"That wouldn't be a bad idea, actually," Joshua commented.
"I have to admit, I am curious as well," Alvis added. "It's not every day one hears about a world jumper taking on a so-called chaos god."
"World Jumper?" Otharon repeated in confusion.
"I am sure Sixer will be able to explain at least in part what that term means." Alvis raised an eyebrow.
Joshua rose from his chair. "When you're done here, Sixer, you can meet up with us in the lab. I'm sure Maria will be taking a nap in there while we're working on putting Fiora's new form together, so you can help us if we need it."
Sixer looked up at Joshua and nodded.
Joshua nodded in return, then looked over the others still sitting at the table. "I think it would be wise to be careful of what questions you ask him. From what I know of Cipher, he can be a terrible torturer on his best days. I am certain the information that reached my dimension doesn't even represent the tip of the iceberg."
The eyes of those present widened, while Sixer frowned and looked up at Joshua.
"What…did you see?" Sixer asked carefully.
Joshua paused at the question. "Electrocution. When he was asking about the equation. I assume that wasn't the only thing he did."
Sixer's ears flicked back, and he gave a curt nod. "That would be a correct assumption."
"As I suspected. I'll leave you to it, then. And remember – the lab. Maria will likely be there by the time you're done."
Sixer nodded again, and Joshua turned and walked out of the room, Shulk and Fiora in tow. He watched them go, then turned his attention back to those sitting at the table.
"Maria has also laid some limits on what I can tell you," Sixer said. "I cannot go into exact details on what she did in order to wrench me from Cipher's control, as that might give you the inclination to do the same and keep me from being able to return to my family in the process. With that said…"
Sixer rested his arms on the table and folded his hands in front of him.
"Where is it you wish to begin?"