Triton, by most accounts, seemed fairly simple.
("Ahh, I do love the sea. So I'm taking this thing on a trip!" he exclaimed to Ouroboros. "I just love watchin' the sea from a Ferronis, truth be told.")
Even though he was a Moebius, and a capable brawler...his threat level seemed rather mitigated by an attitude that would be deemed downright hedonistic compared to most people on Aionios.
("...there are things on the sea so tasty they'll make ye weep! Along with some gigantic monsters." The Moebius sounded excited just talking about them. "So I arranged for them to be here! Things you landlubbers would never dream of!")
His scatterbrained mentality further reduced his threat level, making him seem rather good-natured, if sadly...melancholic, at times.
("I remember now..." he muttered, looking at the pot of legendary miso, concocted by his long-departed friend. "He and I...we journeyed to gather ingredients that would match this stuff. But...when we finally arrived here...that blasted monster went and ate him!" Scowling at the blue Ekidno's corpse, he growled, "And he...he entrusted this to me...idiot!" Smacking his hand onto his head, he bitterly muttered, "How could I-? How could I ever have forgotten something that damn-well important?!")
However...even if many aspects had been lost to the void, they still lingered in the essence of who Triton was: hanging on, unwilling to let go, lest they be lost forever.
That was what it meant to be a Moebius.
xxxx
/Time: An Indeterminate Number of Years Prior to Melia's Capture by Z/
"You're a strong man, Triton; why wouldn't you want to help us retake Origin?!"
Triton grinned toothily, looking back over his shoulder at the poor slob who was on night watch. "Ye've got a strange way of looking at things, my man; the Queens are hellbent on throwing everything they've got to retaking that giant ball of tech and whatnot." Running a hand through spiky black hair, he gestured towards the grand landscape of Aionios, spanning far and wide away from where Origin currently sat. "They're too busy focused on the past, when there's a whole new world ripe for the taking!"
"...are you mad?! This world isn't supposed to exist! The geeks in R&D keeping saying that its very foundations are unstable; you've seen the Annihilation Events!"
"Which means it's not gonna be around forever; that's what makes it so valuable, ye see?" Clenching his fist, Triton looked at the distant shape of the Great Sword: a great landmark on the horizon, but still just a small part of the world. "It only makes sense, right? Being from the world of the Bionis and the Mechonis...I've only ever had stories about Alrest and Elysium, from those that've been awoken by the Queens to fight this 'Z' fellow. Now's my only chance to see 'em for myself, even if it's just parts of 'em!"
"But-!"
Waving him off, Triton — bushy black beard swishing from his movements — added, "Bah, Queen Melia's brighter than a Nebula and craftier than a Nopon merchant. And yer from that Alrest place, aint'cha? I'm sure your Nia's just as capable a leader; I bet they'll have this whole thing cracked in a year, and we'll be back in our own worlds, none the wiser! So until then...I'm gonna have a good time."
Ignoring the patrolman's pleas, Triton sauntered on into the night, with only the clothes on his back, a rucksack full of supplies, and Ether-enhanced knuckle dusters to his name.
xxxx
Aionios was Triton's oyster.
He traversed the lands, fighting monsters of every shape and size, and tasting whatever delights he could find. Though the remnants of his old world poked through here and there, there were so many new things that could only have been traces of Alrest, of Elysium. It was a downright blast!
So much so, that he never really bothered thinking about changes in the wider world. It thus came as a surprise, during a chance encounter with a Nopon Caravan years later, that he learned of Queen Melia's capture by Z.
With the other Queen, Nia, having gone into hiding, there was a power vacuum. Into that empty void, emerged the nations of Keves and Agnus.
War gripped Aionios...and now matter how much time passed, it seemed to be caught in a perpetual stalemate.
By this point, Triton had stopped caring, because what could he do to change the current state of affairs? He was just one man...and there was still so much of Aionios left to see!
Even as his hair turned gray, he kept on going. There was far too much for one man to witness, even in a single lifetime...
Oh, if only there was more time...!
xxxx
"You've been on quite the journey."
Triton frowned, wondering why he was sitting in...a theater? "Well...how did I get here...?" He'd last...been on that great sea, near the base of the Great Sword. There had been a storm...and then...he'd gone overboard...? "Am I...dead?"
"That is a choice you can make, if you so desire."
Looking to his left, Triton arched an eyebrow at the figure before him: with cracked skin and purple fire leaking out of his skull, the stranger cut a quite ghastly figure. "Well, you look like you need some sunlight. And what do you mean by 'choice'?"
The pale man with crimson eyes gazed at the screen. "Choices: everyone's life is determined by the choices they make." Triton followed his gaze; on the canvas was footage of his very self, walking away so long ago to face the vastness of Aionios on his own. "By choosing to walk away, an entire web of alternative times, lives, and decisions were cut away: a great branch, severed from the tree that is your life. Yet you grew regardless, feasting upon the fertile soil you've professed this world to be. And yet...a tree, no matter how great and grand, eventually withers...and dies. Such a shame."
"...what's yer name, bud?"
"My name is Z. I am the ruler of this world."
So THIS is who the Queens were fightin'. He wasn't quite sure what to think; he'd been removed from the idea of retaking Origin for so long that the thought of fighting Z seemed pointless. Even so, this lunk had somehow captured Queen Melia...so there was a bit of pride as a loyal subject still lingering. "Heh; I'm tempted to take a punch at ya myself. But if ye managed to pluck me from the depths of the sea, I imagine there'd be no point to tryin'. What's yer angle?"
"The life you sought for yourself is one that you've enjoyed, in spite of all the odds placed against you." On the screen was an image of Triton suplexing a Gogol. "And yet, the timespan of your life is limited; the chance of enjoying everything was denied to you from the very start."
"Ye act like a man can live forever. I may be a greedy sort, but I ain't a fool."
"Why act so bewildered? In this world, life fuels life: you've witnessed this for yourself, in the battles between Keves and Agnus." On the screen, Triton could see himself watching a distant conflict between soldiers in black and white, with red motes soaring into the air with each blow. "And what is a life, but a series of moments in a causal chain from beginning to end? Any given moment can last for an eternity...if you but have the will to make it so."
Triton honestly couldn't believe what he was hearing. "...ye can do that?"
"Your particular way of existing...is relatively unique, in this world. That kind of life you embody...it would be a shame, for it to go to waste." On the screen was an image of Triton, watching a great fish roast over an open fire: the contented smile on his wrinkled face was impossible to ignore. "But if you believe that your time is over...and that you should let it all come to an end...then that is your choice."
...yeah, to HELL with that. "What's the catch?"
"Live as you have been," remarked Z, still watching Triton's past exploits. "It is enough, in and of itself, to keep the Endless Now going."
"...well, this is probably the easiest choice I'll ever make. Ye've got yerself a deal!"
Z finally looked at him, eyes glowing with crimson infinities. "Do as you please...T."
xxxx
Although he was ostensibly a servant of the Queens (Keves or Agnus, depending on which 'side' he was allied with at a given time), Triton knew they were just a bucket of bolts.
Thus, he focused mostly on exploring the unseen heights and undiscovered depths of Aionios: from the tallest peak to the deepest cave; were it not for a lack of fuel, he'd pick a horizon of the endless sea beyond Aionios's borders and keep on going. Sometimes, when he was bored, he'd pluck monsters from one region and stick them in another, just to mix things up a bit and see what happened.
Yet, his Moebius body required the consumption of life to keep going. No big deal! He'd have a punch up with whatever sorry sack of flesh came his way.
In those early untold years, Consul T was a figure of legend on the battlefield, plunging into battle against Agnian forces with reckless abandon. Then he would disappear, seeking out unique beasts and unusual sights in distant corners of the world...only to reemerge after the passage of decades, when the generations that had known him to be a scourge against Agnus were long dead. He'd then take a turn moonlighting as a crusader for Agnus, smashing Kevesi soldiers left and right!
Hell, there was even at least one time where he pretended to go mad, fighting Keves and Agnus at the same time! Not a few Gold-ranked Colonies fell to his fists.
When so many faces always ended up emerging once more from the cradles, years down the line...it was easy to think of it all as a game: a mere sport to play at.
But all games eventually grow old...
xxxx
/Time: An Indeterminate Period Prior to the Destruction of the First City/
"I've heard rumors of a 'City' in the far north of Erythia Sea," muttered Triton.
"Er...Consul T?"
"Hmm?" The Moebius gazed over his shoulder at the confused expression of Colony 20's Commander. "What? I'm just thinkin' aloud." He hadn't heard the word 'city' in a good long while. (How long had it been?)
"Ah. Right." The brown-haired man with two-toned skin of gray looked back to the squads behind them; thus far, they had managed to avoid most of the tougher beasties in Maktha Wildwood. "If the reports I've been reading are right, then they're a conglomerate of rebels who have chosen to form their own polity. Since they're situated deeper in Agnus's territory, it'd be best to let them bleed away at each other...in my professional opinion, sir."
Triton chuckled to himself, waiting patiently for the sappers to deal with whatever defensive measures locked the door in front of them. "They honestly sound quite interesting...once we finish explorin' these crusty old ruins, maybe I'll pay this 'City' a visit." He'd been stationed in the Wildwood for a while now, and Erythia Sea had always calmed his ancient soul.
"Consul T, if I may be so bold...what benefit will we gain from exploring this place? This overgrown city has existed for as long as Keves has; whatever's of value has likely been plundered long before we ever emerged from the cradle."
Triton slapped the sharpshooter on the back with a hearty laugh. "Ah, you'd think. But I bet there's treasure in those depths!"
"...if you say so," muttered the put upon Commander. "How's that breach coming, Bolearis?"
"We're almost through, Commander Mwamba! Give us five...more...seconds!" With a screech of sparks, their equipment finally broke through the rusted door; with power frames whining, Bolearis and his mates grabbed the edges of the double doors and heaved. "Come on Dougie, put your back into it!" roared Bolearis.
"Speak for yourself," growled the burly Defender, putting every single bit of his two metri frame into pulling.
With a triumphant cry, they opened the doors.
At that precise moment, the darkness beyond echoed with monstrous shrieks, as humanoid beasts embedded with blue crystals suddenly emerged. "What, what the spark are those things?!" cried a confused soldier.
"Oh ho, so that's what a Guldo looks like!" exclaimed Triton, finally glad to put a face to the creature he'd heard about so long ago, from people he honestly hadn't thought about in ages. "Don't worry men! They can be killed...so GET TO KILLIN'!"
Driven by desperation, the soldiers of Colony 20 leapt into battle against the unknown monstrosities.
Triton, meanwhile, tapped Mwamba on the shoulder. "It's Moebin' Time!" he exclaimed with anticipation.
Mwamba blinked, mouth agape with dumbfounded astonishment. "...must I? We're in a tight spot-!"
"It's. Moebin'. Time," Consul T insisted.
"...fine." Sighing tiredly, Mwamba muttered, "It's Mwambin' Time."
"Ha ha! THAT'S the spirit!" exclaimed Triton as he transformed into his empowered form. "Now, let's have some fun!"
"Are you ever going to explain that power of yours?!" exclaimed Mwamba, raising his ether rifle to his shoulder.
"Eh, there'll be time for that later!" With a hearty holler, Triton — Moebius T — leapt into the fray.
xxxx
It was not the first time that Triton had let slip certain things about Moebius to the Colonies under his command.
Nothing about Z, or Origin, or things like that, to be sure...but the fact that Consuls could transform into powerful behemoths? That was fair game!
Some of the other Moebius complained about how lightly he treated their secrets...but why should he worry?
The men and women they commanded, be they Kevesi or Agnian...they'd die eventually. So why worry?
Yes...why worry indeed.
(Somehow, that sounded sad, when it once hadn't been.)
xxxx
Triton calmly walked out of the decrepit skyscraper, feeling somewhat...refreshed. Been a while since I've met beasties that could take more than one punch from my transformed body...what a riot! Sitting down with a tired grin, he leaned against the wall: an unaging remnant of an undying city, always stuck in a state of decay amidst a timeless world. (Kind of like Moebius, to be honest.) "What...a hoot. Ain't that right, Mwamba?"
There was no answer.
"Mwamba? Bolearis?" Triton looked back through the door, lips etched into a frown. "Dougie? Connor? Kayla? Anyone?" His voice echoed into the darkness. "I know you scallywags are there!"
Still no answer.
"...huh. Guess they all died against the Guldos." It had been so bloody dark in the depths of that building that he'd only focused on fighting and bashing the beasties. Only distantly, did he now recall the cloud of crimson motes that had littered the room: sticking out like errant dust caught amidst a ray of light. "...huh..." His hand was holding onto something; blinking dumbly, Triton held it up. "Oh right...that sign." Amidst the gloom, as the last Guldo had fallen, his eyes had caught a flash of bright letters against a dark background; not even thinking, he had picked it up as his rightful prize. "Let's see now...'GET MORE OUT OF LIFE'," he recited aloud, reading letters that he could only understand thanks to his Moebius body. "Get more out of life...HAH! The irony." He'd still be carrying on, to enjoy everything the world had to offer; such was his fate.
The Silver-ranked Colony 20, led by the peerless Crackshot Mwamba...would just be listed as another casualty in an endless war, until it (and all its soldiers) inevitably arose once more. Maybe next time I'll remember to actually tell them about why I can transform...
For some reason...that bothered him. "...how long have I been alive?" he suddenly wondered, out of the blue. The Wildwood did not answer; nor could he. How...how long have I been alive?
He sat there for a while, thinking with an uncharacteristic solemnity.
(It had slipped his mind, alas, to look into the City; it wouldn't be until after its destruction by the newest Moebius, N, that he would be reminded of its existence. By that point, it was too late to look into them.)
After untold days, he finally felt compelled to find something to eat.
(Every so often, he would meet one or two denizens of the reborn City in the years to come, out and about for one reason or another...but finding the City itself? That would be denied to him, for a very long time to come.)
"...wonder what I'll do next," he muttered to no one in particular.
xxxx
At some point, Triton had undergone a definite change.
Was it a function of age? Impossible, you might say: in an immortal Moebius body, he was unchanging. Yet, things began to slip away, here and there; it was the damnedest thing.
Even so, he kept doing what he did best...and slowly but surely began to incorporate his subordinates into more of his adventures, even beyond their missions for Keves or Agnus. Why not spread the wealth, so to speak? Why not share his enjoyment of life with those he was responsible for?
Alas...the very existence of the world kept that from happening.
The confines of Aionios — its immense landmass forming a great ring, as though it were a Flame Clock all its own — imprisoned everyone within its grasp.
Even Triton, for as long as he had lived, wasn't as free as he thought.
xxxx
/Time: An Indeterminate Number of Years Prior to the Main Plot/
"...sir, why are you punching the Flame Clock?" asked Lieutenant Isurd.
Triton, face hidden by his crimson helm, huffed. "Just testing out me boat hooks!" Looking over his shoulder at Epsilon's second-in-command, he remarked, "Ye've got a problem, with that?"
"...well, you're frightening the soldiers. Our Flame Clock is very important, after all," he said, gazing at the sterling Ferronis overlooking the vastness of the Dannagh Desert.
"...so it be." Sighing with irritation, Triton turned on his heel. "Keep doin' what yer doin'. I'm gonna find a monster to take out my frustrations on."
Isurd blinked with confusion as the caped Consul walked away. "Um, not that you need an escort, but would you like an escort, sir?"
"Bah, don't mind me! I'll be back in a short while."
Thus it was, that Triton surged through the sands of the desert, punching at monstrous Arachnos and giant Aspars. Even as his fists flew, his thoughts raged. Damned Flame Clocks; if I could remember how to transform, I bet I'd shatter that thing into pieces! Punch, punch, squish. Then...I'd be able to give my friends a taste of the life I've been living...so they can enjoy it for themselves...! Punch, punch, splurch. My life is mine...their lives are MINE...not some wretched Clock's! Punch, punch, crunch. Their lives are mine, so I can set'em free if I want! What does a blasted CLOCK have to do with anythin'?! With a defiant roar, Triton pulverized a hapless Arachno Queen.
Breathing heavily, he grumbled as the blood of his foes sizzled off of his blazing boat hooks; he was so strong, and had conquered so many enemies...yet his mighty fists couldn't so much as dent the Flame Clock! This Colony, the Colony before that, and the Colony before that...no matter how hard I try, those blasted Clocks can't be broken...!
"Are you done with your little temper tantrum, T?"
Triton huffed with annoyance. "Yer in Agnian territory, Irma. Aren't ye s'posed to be attached to Colony 9 for the next few generations?"
The smaller Consul huffed, letting her Moebius helm — a slim red helmet with a relatively plain facemask of ivory covering the front, leaving only her eyes, falsely colored blue, to peer out — dissolve. Her sandy hair wavered in the wind, whilst her bright hazel eyes narrowed with agitation. "It's I, you clod. You're lucky anyone even bothers to check up on you, these days."
Triton huffed, letting his own piratesque helm dissolve. With a weathered face, he looked at the expression of someone who had been so young when they chose to become Moebius. (How long had it been, since he had accepted Z's offer? How long had he been a Moebius?) "Ye act like it's a favor. I'm still keeping the blasted Flame Clock filled, aren't I?"
"The Colonies you command rarely participate in battles with Keves; you usually have them going off on some half-baked journey. You're lucky that so many other Kevesi Consuls consider your Colony an easy mark that they'll go out of their way to attack you!"
"Hah! Let 'em try. The lads and lassies under my command have always been tough."
Huffing, she added, "Anyhow, you know Y gets irritated when you attack his Flame Clocks. They're his, after all."
"And? If he wants to complain, he can bring it up to my face."
Irma pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "You really don't get it, do you? I don't even know why I bother trying, anymore. It's like...more and more of who you are keeps slipping away. Doesn't that bother you?"
"We Moebius do as we please; that's the way it's always been. I ain't gonna suffer a lecture from a pipsqueak who hasn't been a Moebius for even half as long as I have," he snapped. "Besides, what's the point of having fun with eternity if those around us can't share in it?"
Irma honestly looked perturbed. "That's...crazy talk, T. This eternal war is the will of the world itself: an unending sacrifice of blood, to maintain this Eternal Moment!"
"Ye say that now," snarked Triton. "But one day, I wager you'll find yerself a Colony of subordinates who'll grow on you...and then it'll dawn on ye that this whole state of affairs is a mite less fun than ye thought. Ye got that kind of heart, I can tell."
Irma scowled. "You'd say that, even knowing why I became a Moebius...?"
"...remind me, why did you become Moebius?" he sincerely asked.
Irma's eyes widened with genuine shock, but only for a moment. "You..."
"...ah, I guess ye told me before," he admitted, feeling a bit contrite. It's not like he could help being forgetful!
"...stupidhead," she snarled, warping away without another word.
Sighing, Triton felt oddly drained. "Feh...what a pain. Now...where was I...agh, blast it all. Might as well head back to Epsilon; I'm sure it'll come back to me..."
(How little did either of them know, just how prescient Triton's words would be for Irma...but the story of Colony Mu has already been told.)
xxxx
Time continued to pass.
The sorrow, the anger, the frustration...it all became buried under the pitiless march of the Endless Now, calcified into a husk by the equally pitiess ravaging of Triton's memory.
His desires seemed to become simpler; in turn, he became more easily satisfied. Yet it lacked...sustenance. It would never be enough to give him true joy. So many faces came and went, that they tended to blur together; it was those he saw only once in a blue moon that managed to stick out the most. Alas, even they would become lost, to the murkiness of his mind...
Then...came the present age, and the newest incarnation of Ouroboros.
With the Flame Clock on Colony 15 sundered, his shackles had been released...to an extent.
However, the passage of time had left its mark...
xxxx
/Time: Chapter 6, After Completing Segiri's Hero Quest, yet Prior to Unlocking the Cloudkeep/
/Hargan Point, Erythia Sea, Cadensia Region/
As the Boundary pulled up besides the beach of Hargan Point, Triton was busy trying to assuage Ouroboros. "Look, it'll just be a quick trip!"
"Your subordinates were dropped off by a City Levnis to gather up the rest of your Ferronis's supplies," remarked Taion, adjusting his glasses with irritation. "I don't see why they can't just signal the vessel when they're ready."
"Ah, but ye were already in the City helping with some other business; might as well take care of this before ye go off to whatever it is ye need to do! Besides, I'm sure Astrid and Sonia will appreciate the help!"
Mio, with a put upon sigh, remarked, "It's fine, everyone; I'm sure our assistance will help everything go faster. Then we can make our way back to Captocorn Peak."
"Ugh, Queen's corset, it feels like we'll never get to our destination," groaned Eunie.
(In the background, Sena quietly looked up at Lanz. "Why does she swear by the Queen's...everything?")
(Lanz shrugged. "I'm as clueless as you.")
Triton laughed. "Ah, don't be so down!" Trodding upon the sand, he calmly led the way up the hill, where Colony 15's Ferronis still lingered; Ouroboros followed, leaving Riku and Manana to watch the ship. "Given all ye've done to help my lads and lasses adapt to the City, it's only fitting that this be the capstone for the arrangement!"
"I...guess so?" remarked Noah with the tilt of his head.
Taion sighed tiredly. "You're lucky enough that the Senate decided to overlook the times you entered the City without invitation to watch over your crew without being accompanied by us...like you agreed to."
Triton blinked. "That so? Sounds like a right pain, it does. I ain't even gotten into a single punch-up inside the City! That's a downright miracle, for the likes of me!"
"I...you..." sputtered Taion. "...ugh, I don't even know why I bother."
Truly, Triton felt lighter than he had in ages; Astrid and Sonia in particular were particularly excited to settle in the City, to start a new chapter in their lives. It was a possibility that had been denied to them for so long...and now, they were going to be living the dream. At least I've got one Colony I've been able to do right by, he thought with a satisfied smile. Cresting over the hill, the main encampment of Colony 15 came into view, surrounded by supply crates and thick canisters. "Ahoy, lasses! Ye've got..." His voice trailed off into a confused tone. "What...?"
Red motes.
Red motes, from the bodies of two young women: husks.
Standing beside them were four Agnian soldiers, suddenly alerted to their presence.
(Words echoed by from behind, unheard by him: "Their insignia," warned Taion, glaring at their gear. "Asha, Shikino, Lulika, and Yuri...the Blades in the Dark.")
("The assassination squad?" gasped Mio. "They must've gone rogue once Agnus Castle fell to the Lost Numbers!")
("Spark, they killed those two," growled Lanz.)
They killed Astrid and Sonia? But that didn't make any sense; they'd been freed from the Flame Clock! They no longer had any business in this wretched war! So why?! They...killed...my crew...
Joy had made Triton feel younger than he had in ages; already, he'd been reliving many memories of times gone by, thanks to his journeys with Ouroboros.
Yet...he was still a Moebius.
And he'd become a Moebius for a reason.
(His voice, far more youthful and cocky, echoed through his mind like a knife. "...there's a whole new world ripe for the taking!")
My Colonies were mine...they were mine.
Synapses fired, long unused.
With a hoarse growl, Triton slowly transformed. "Ye took...what belonged to me..." Blooming in size — uncaring for how Ouroboros backed away with sudden alarm — Moebius T glared at his newest prey. "Ye shouldn't have done that."
xx
"What the snuff?!" exclaimed Lanz, watching with shock as Triton transformed. "I thought this mudder said he forgot how to transform?!"
"Well he definitely remembered now!" yelled Eunie, nervously aiming her Gunrod at the Moebius.
The hulking form of Moebius T was somewhat unique: despite being as tall as Moebius Y, his physique was lean and lithe, akin to Moebius D; the only exception were his forearms, which bore utterly monstrous musculature. "Come at me, ye dead men walking!" howled T, charging on all fours like a Gogol.
The four Agnian assassins quickly acted like a well-oiled unit, turning their weapons — two pairs of handguns, dual ether blades, and a pronged lance — upon his form. However, their combined strengths mattered little when they didn't even come up to his knees.
To say that it was a slaughter...would be putting it mildly.
Shikino got pulped by a single mighty fist, plowing her into the ground; Lulika's shots were blocked by his arm, his other hand reaching out to fling her into the rocky canyon walls, where she collapsed bonelessly; his great head launched downward into a vicious headbutt, the impact snapping Asha in half; finally, he leapt at the last gunfighter, using his hands to punch at Yuri over, and over, and over. After fifteen seconds of unmitigated blows, the assassin had been rendered into an unrecognizable smear in the ground.
All told, the seasoned Agnian assassins had been put down in less than a minute.
"...um...Triton...?" nervously said Sena, holding onto her hammer for dear life.
"Has he lost himself...?" wondered Mio.
Moebius T slowly turned, aiming wide, violet eyes at them that promised violence.
Lanz scowled, impulsively adopting Triton's class; even though he hated donning the colors of Moebius, it was still Triton's power...and he would use it as he willed. "Come on!" he roared, fists glowing with purple boat hooks. "Is this what a brave man of the sea is really like? A monster that's lost his mind?!"
Moebius T snarled, fists curling into the dirt; his fingers carved thick trenches, promising great and terrible punishment...until with a roaring snarl, he punched himself in the face.
All of Ouroboros blinked with confusion. "What's happening now?" exclaimed Taion.
Whatever the motive had been, it seemed to have brought Triton to his senses; in a burst of light, he quietly returned to his normal state. "...well now, that was a rush," muttered Triton, looking around with eyes that seemed to focus in and out at random. "Ah...right." Looking upon the husks of Astrid and Sonia, he said, "Kids. Mind seeing off my crew?"
"...but of course," muttered Mio, reaching for her flute with a forced calm.
"...oh, and ye might as well send off those four saps as well," he added, casually gesturing towards the four Agnians he had just turned into corpses.
"...are...are you sure?" asked Noah, trying to be diplomatic. "They...were the ones who killed your friends."
"Ah, so they did. They're just doin' what they were s'posed to be doin'...can't fault 'em for that." Sighing, Triton calmly trudged along, sparing the husks of his two subordinates one last glance. "I'll be waitin' on the ship."
As the old Moebius walked away, Lanz followed him with his eyes, lips turned into a concerned scowl. "...what the spark...?"
"No kidding," agreed Sena.
"...we should grab what supplies we can," advised Taion, looking at the carnage with a grim expression. "No need to let this day end on such a dour note..."
"Too late for that," muttered Eunie.
Before long, the sound of two flutes echoed through the canyon: a funeral dirge, for the murdered and their murderers.
xxxx
The mood on the Boundary was somber, as they made their way back to the docks at the southern edge of Erythia Sea, where Colony 15's supplies would be processed. As Riku piloted the ship in stern silence, Triton felt the stares of Ouroboros upon him. (Not that he could blame them.) "Ye kids have questions, I take it."
"...you said you had forgotten how to transform," said Taion. "Was that a lie?"
"Nah, t'was no lie. Not sure what happened in the moment, just now; I felt a lot of feelings. I'd normally empty 'em out with my fists...but it was too much, it seems." Triton, despite how much he towered over the six kids, felt rather small. "Can't even remember what went through my head, and it just happened not even a half hour ago...ain't that a hoot?"
"Triton," said Sena with compassion. "Are...are you okay?"
"...okay is a pretty funny word. Lots of people use it when they are okay...and when they aren't. I've not made it a point to try and hide what I am; been a lot easier just to be blunt and upfront, and let the chips fall where they may." He couldn't rightly recall if that had actually worked out for him, in the long run.
"...you got upset because your mates were killed. That's nothing to be ashamed of," solemnly swore Lanz.
Triton chuckled. "Like I told ye kids before...I've learned a lot about death. But I've forgotten a lot about it, too. It almost makes me wonder if the me I used to be would even recognize the me I am now...which is a funny thing, isn't it? I'm a Moebius; I ain't supposed to change."
(Given everything that had happened with N and M, Noah and Mio both winced.)
"We've seen far too much to believe that," said Riku from up front.
"He's right," agreed Eunie with a stern nod. "Even if Moebius has tried to keep the world from changing...they can only do so much. And though most of the Moebius we've met have been right tossers...not all of 'em are."
Triton wordlessly hummed, wondering if she was right. "...with all the time in the world, I thought I could have it all. And here I am, losing more and more." Would he wake up one day, with no memory of the past? Would he be an effective blank slate? I wonder...if there's any point to me...
"You've left an impact on your Colony," said Noah, interrupting him from his thoughts. "And despite whatever it was that led you to become a Moebius...your choices have also led you to this: fighting alongside us, for the sake of creating a new world for everyone. And that...gives us hope, for someone very important to us."
(Under his breath, Lanz whispered, "Joran...")
"...ye got a silver tongue there, lad," remarked Triton, feeling oddly light at the thought. "It fits." Far better than N's ugly mug...wonder what he's up, nowadays?
At that moment, Manana interrupted the proceedings. Holding up a thermos towards Triton, she exclaimed, "One fresh batch of soup, flavored with legendary miso!" With sparkling eyes, she said, "Manana always heard about how way to heart is through stomach-"
("Factually incorrect," said Taion, right before he got elbowed in the side by Eunie.)
"-and Manana think Triton heart need BIG pick-me-up! So feast, and enjoy!"
"...ye ain't half bad, little lady," he said with a smile, grabbing the thermos and twisting the cap off. The aroma was appetizing...and the savory aftertaste was to die for! Ah...brings back...memories. Sighing, Triton mulled over his circumstances. I still got me crew. I still got me fists. The future's still mine for the takin'. "That settles it!" he suddenly yelled, startling everyone. "When we get back to the City, we'll gather everyone from my Colony for a feast, to give ye a big send-off before ye continue yer journey...we'll make sure to share all the stories my lads and lasses have about..." Pausing for a moment, his mind tried to reach for the names. "...Astrid and Sonia! It'll be a blast, with a lot of laughs."
Ouroboros looked at each other with somber expressions before agreeing to do so without another word.
Huh...wonder why they looked sad, just now? Ah, I'll probably remember later...or not. Doesn't matter!
xxxx
Triton had seen so much...and forgotten even more.
Yet, his zeal for excitement, for adventure, and for the grand journey of life...that had not faded.
So long as he drew breath, he'd been an embodiment of life for everyone around him.
That was the potential of Moebius.
Oh, what could have been...oh, what could have been!
xxxx
Author's Note: I imagine that Triton and the homunculus Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist would be great drinking buddies.
/fun observation
/Triton and Greed
/have similarly colored eyes