Peace continued to be felt throughout Dundorma, most of the city unaware that a plan that would've completely changed the world had been stopped.
After all, how would they have known?
From the perspective of most of the residents, some hunters had mysteriously disappeared and returned a short while later. It was strange, but so unimportant that it was just as quickly forgotten.
The only ones affected were the ones who'd been there.
A few weeks had passed.
Joseph looked out at the city, Nargy by his side.
"I really need to disappear."
He sighed, resting his head on a metallic right arm.
There was a simple explanation for this.
As Joseph wrapped up his emotional outburst, he found himself being poked at.
"What? I'm busy here, y'know."
"I can see that," Alexandra replied "But I think there's more that requires attention here."
"Oh, ya mean the warriors? They'll be fine, don't worry about it. I already confirmed that-"
"Not that."
"Then what?"
"...Look down."
"Huh?"
Joseph did as she said, noticing way more blood than there should've been.
"Huh."
As he tried to work out the cause, he glanced at his arms. There was nothing where the right arm should've been.
"Oh. Ok. Yeah sure. Why not."
He passed out a little while later from blood loss, having to be carried back most of the way.
The power that had allowed him to regenerate was another aura manifestation, so when that had disappeared, all the healing had been undone, including the regrowing of that arm.
He had a prosthetic built a little while later, which was working fine so far.
Boredom. Joseph went for a walk through the city.
As he travelled, he could feel eyes looking upon him. He couldn't tell from where or how many, but he couldn't escape them.
It was obviously the warriors that he'd encountered before, still unsure how to feel on the one who began to lead them only to then force them to stop.
After some more walking, he encountered Zach.
"I've been thinking."
"That's unusual." Zach replied immediately.
"I know," Joseph instantly responded "But really. It's probably time for me to leave, isn't it?"
"What a coincidence. I was thinking the same thing."
"Hey, I know I'm the one who said it, but isn't that kinda mean?"
"I was talking about myself, idiot."
"O-oh. Why's that?"
"I could ask ya the same thing."
"I dunno. It just feels like I can't stay here anymore. Like too much has changed, y'know. So, I was thinking that me and Nargy should just try going somewhere else."
"...Is this just how ya respond every time something bad happens?"
"Ah, I guess it is. But no, it's not just that. Well kinda. It's just cause of everything with the aura, y'know?"
"I get ya."
"Ya still didn't explain why ya wanna leave too."
"Same reason?"
"But ya weren't the one leading them."
"Yeah, but I was still there. I think it's the same reason. Right now… staying here just doesn't feel right."
The entire group met up. That same feeling was being experienced by all of them.
For whatever reason, this wasn't the place for any of them to stay anymore.
Perhaps too much had changed, perhaps too much had been lost.
"So this is the end, huh?" Matt asked.
"Of course it's not," Natasha replied "We'll meet again somewhere, right?"
"The world's kinda too big for that." Lyra answered "The chances of any of us meeting again are close to nothing.
"Ya don't have to be such a downer about it, ya know?" Callum told her.
"...I'm just saying."
"She is right, technically." Sean added.
"No one asked ya."
"I know."
"Well if we can't go for that, what about one of those 'Even apart our hearts are always together', things?"
"No, that sounds worse." Joseph said "Can we just leave normally?"
"Well, it would be kinda underwhelming." Alexandra noted.
"Then let us go out dramatically, bringing the entire city down with us!" Ed proclaimed.
"No, I think that'd be a bit much." Natalie muttered back.
Zach looked upwards.
"Yeah. It'd be weird if it ended any other way than this." He turned.
"You're going already?" Riko asked.
"Yeah. If we keep talking we'll never leave. So let's just get to it."
He paused.
"See ya guys! And… love ya!"
"Ah, a confession, whatever shall I do." Sean thought aloud without much emotion "Guess I'll just have to dramatically take my exit."
He walked off in a relaxed manner.
"That was meant for all of us, you know?" Alexandra said as Sean walked away. "But whatever. Be seeing all of you. It was fun, probably."
"I feel the same way, I guess." Josh added "Take care of yourselves."
"I refuse to ever even consider the option." Natasha quickly responded "But whatever. Farewell."
"I am unsure as to whether I will ever be in the presence any of you mortals again, however you will surely hear the news of my exploits." Ed announced "Look forward to them."
"I'll stay on the lookout for it." Terrence replied, before turning to the rest "And uh, the rest of you… uh, have good lives, I guess."
"You need to end on something a bit stronger than that." Riko told him.
"Like what?"
"Something cool like," Riko then posed for dramatic effect "Take care of yourselves!"
"But that's already been used."
"Ah, I guess it has. Then I got nothing."
"Hey, yer holding up the scene too much." Callum complained to them both "The rest of us ain't gonna get any time to add our lines."
"Ah, good point." They said in unison.
"Don't 'Ah, good point' me, just get going." Callum quickly replied, before realising his screentime was also up.
"I guess I should get going, too." Natalie said. "Goodbye."
"Yeah, now's a good a time as any for me to get going." Matt thought aloud "Maybe kinda too late. Ah well. So long."
Lyra got up.
"Yeah, I really should've just gone earlier. Now it's just awkward. See you."
Joseph then finally got up.
"Well, I suppose this is farewell until our paths cross again-"
He looked back.
"Is what I would've said, if there was anyone to say it to. I mean, I guess I could just go in silence, but it'd be kinda lame, even if doing this makes me seem crazy."
As Matt made his way to the gates, he saw the one he was least hoping to encounter again.
"Were you waiting or something, Sean?"
"Huh? Of course not. We must just be going the same way."
"Hmm… Doesn't having a conversation like this kinda the ruin the point of what just happened?"
"I guess. So let's just go. Ah, wait."
"What?"
"One thing first. Where are ya planning on going?"
"What's it matter? Well, I'm probably gonna head back to Yukumo."
"Got it. So if yer going east, then I'll have to head west."
"Huh? We'll meet up again eventually if ya do that."
"Shit, yer right. Forgot things worked like that."
"Go north or south. I'll give ya a compass if ya don't have one. Just follow the needle forever until ya die."
"Sounds good."
Matt paused for a second.
"I still hate ya a fair bit, y'know."
"Really? Ya were so subtle about it. Though yeah, can't say I don't feel the same way."
"Wait, ya mean ya hate me or yerself?"
"Doesn't really matter."
"Ah, one thing first. I know that I hate ya and all, but it'd be leave a bad taste in my mouth if ya died. So… at least for her sake, don't go dying of any other than old age."
"Yeah. That goes for ya too."
They parted ways.
Matt and Klaus headed across the ground, while Sean and Azure took to the skies.
At another gate, Alexandra and Riko encountered each other by chance.
The usual style for both was to just leave in silence, but both felt like they had to say something.
Alexandra struck first.
"So? How are you dealing with things… with, y'know?"
Riko paused for a second before replying.
"Saying I'm over it would be too much, since I dunno if I ever will be. It just is what it is. Nothing I do is gonna change it."
"Seems like you're on the right path at least. I'd offer some words of comfort, but really I haven't got any. It never gets easier. Just… stay strong. And don't end up dealing it in as dumb a way as I did."
"Well it's too late for that, all I can do is not slip back into it."
"Yeah, same here."
Another pause.
"I miss him too, y'know. Even if it's not really in the same way… you get what I mean."
"Yeah, I get it."
A moment of silence. Riko continued speaking.
"Well, I've already thought about it enough to last me a few lifetimes, so might as well get going."
"Don't forget to make friends wherever you end up going! Being all alone's no good! It's a big world out there, plenty of fish in the sea, all that stuff. I'm rooting for you."
"Same here."
"Huh? Nah, I'll be fine, I've got Zino with me."
"That's not really what I meant."
They went on their own paths.
The twins stood in the middle of the city, back to back, unsure of what to do next.
"Where are you planning on going?" Natalie asked.
"You answer first." Natasha replied.
"I dunno. I was just thinking of wandering around the country, seeing what I could find. What about you?"
"Some of the survivors from Dia were thinking of going back to rebuild the place, so I was considering going with them."
Natalie paused.
"...I'm sorry, but I don't think I can-"
"Oh, good!"
"H-huh?"
"Ah, I was a bit early. Just keep going, I'll react properly when you're done."
"No, wait. Explain. Why are you so upbeat about it?"
"Now that you ask I realise that could taken the wrong way pretty easily. It's not like I'm excited to get rid of you or anything, don't think that. It's more… if you just went along with whatever I was thinking and offered to join too, I'd be pretty disappointed."
"...Oh, okay. Well still… yeah, I definitely don't feel comfortable going back there."
"You don't have to bother explaining it to me, I get it. It's a place with… a lotta memories involved."
"Yeah."
Natalie paused for a second.
"Eric told us to take care of each other, you know? I guess we're breaking what he told us to do."
"Eh. That was just his opinion. I guess it might be disrespectful, but what's better for us is for us to decide now, y'know?"
"Yeah, I can't deny that."
Another pause. Natasha thought for a second before pausing.
"Even with how much time has passed, I still can't stop missing them. How about you?"
"I feel the same way. Maybe it's not something we can ever get over. We've just gotta keep moving on regardless, right?"
Natasha smiled.
"Yeah. That's what I wanted to hear."
Natalie began to leave, accompanied by Frega. Natasha and Aki waved goodbye to them, while staying there.
"I know you won't be alone cause of Frega and stuff, but don't forget to write!"
"Can mail even make its way across the ocean?"
"We'll work something out! So just stay safe until we do!"
"Sure. You too!"
They headed on their own journeys.
Joseph ran into Terrence and Josh.
Now that they were on their own, none of them knew what to say. Josh started.
"How's the post-aura going for both of you?"
"Okay?" Joseph replied "Honestly, I have no clue. It just… feels different, to be without it. Even if I wasn't always using it, it was always there, so like…"
"I can't say I feel the exact same," Terrence replied after "since y'know, it wasn't there forever. But it definitely is strange."
"Yeah, it'll be like that for a while. Anyways, I've stalled enough. The two of you might as well get to the point already."
Joseph paused for a second, before throwing himself onto the ground.
"I'm so sorry about like… everything! All the using the Aron thing against ya, just to get ya to go along with a plan I didn't even believe in! Ya don't have to forgive me, and ya shouldn't, but I've gotta apologise to ya more than any of the others from then."
Terrence was taken aback for a second, before he replied.
"You're right. I'm not gonna forgive you for it. But… what happened there finally helped me to get over my thing with Aron. That doesn't magically fix everything, but what's done is already done. Staying like that won't change it, so you might as well get up."
Joseph took that in before doing as he said. A few seconds of thought, before he spoke.
"Well haven't ya gotten wise and all that shit? No idea where ya picked it up from, clearly wasn't any of us."
"I've got no idea either, I just sorta said what popped into my head."
"Well it still sounded good."
"I've got a question, real quick." Josh interrupted
"What?" Both replied in unison.
"Joseph, what do you mean you didn't even believe in it?"
A sigh.
"I guess I gave away too much. Well, ya already know about the voice of the world or whatever that was, right?"
"No. What the hell are you talking about?"
"You never mentioned it." Terrence added.
"Ah. Guess I didn't."
Joseph took the time to explain what had happened in there. How he had been in control, but he had been influenced by it.
"Yeah. All we knew was that you'd gotten the memories, you never mentioned the consciousness attached to em."
"I guess that explains all those abilities." Josh thought aloud, before pausing "...Was I in there too?"
"Nah. Only those who died with it still active."
"So Isaac…"
"Yeah."
"No point focusing on it too much. We're getting off track. We still haven't answered what I was asking about."
"Ah, that. I really didn't wanna ever have to explain this again, but it should be easier since ya were there. Well, Terrence wasn't, but whatever. It was cause of her."
"Vert?" Terrence asked.
"Who else?"
Yet another pause. He explained those final moments. How he couldn't understand her sacrifice. How he felt he had to take it and change something.
Both Josh and Terrence took this in for a while, before simultaneously reaching their own answers.
"This isn't really your brightest moment."
"How much of a blockhead are you, exactly?"
"Huh? Hey, the hell are both of ya talking about!?"
They were perhaps more bewildered by his reaction than anything else.
Josh decided to explain.
"The way it sounds, isn't it just that she wanted you to keep living?"
"No? Why would she want something like that?"
"No clue. I'm not her. Nor will I ever be. But if I had to guess… that was all she wanted. For you to stay alive. I dunno about stuff like changing the world. Just you not dying was probably enough of a wish for her."
Joseph didn't respond for a full minute, before just going "That's a nice enough interpretation, but I doubt it could be something that convenient. Anyways, let's change the subject. Where are the two of ya planning on going?"
"Dunno for sure." Terrence replied "I haven't exactly got much drive to see the world, I can't stay here much longer, and I really don't feel like going back to Pokke. Wherever there's work, I guess. The frontier might be good."
Josh answered next.
"Well, I wasn't sure until like, just now, but I've got a pretty clear idea now."
"What's up with that?"
"I'm gonna go around helping aura users deal with their problems. After all, there's probably gonna be more in the future, right? And from what you've said, if the aura just disappears, it's gone for good. I dunno if I can really change much, but at the very least I can try to stop something like that from building up again."
"Damn…" Joseph muttered.
"That's…" Terrence added.
"Kinda way more admirable than anything anyone else had planned." They said in unison.
"I'm not in it for admiration, y'know."
"I know, just saying." Joseph replied.
"That just leaves you." Terrence told him.
"Oh. No clue. Just gonna wander with Nargy for a while."
"Then why'd you bring it up?"
"Who knows?"
"Well," Josh turned around "I guess I might as well head off."
"Stay safe!" Terrence yelled.
"Try to not get killed horribly!" Joseph yelled.
"Can do." Josh replied, walking off with Frost by his side.
"And then there were four." Joseph said as he turned to Terrence.
Terrence had nothing to say, so Joseph kept talking.
"At this point, I dunno whether I can really call myself yer mentor or whatever. But, I can still say that ya've come a long way from when we first met back then. So… even if we don't see each other anymore, I'm sure ya and Demi are gonna be fine. Ya don't have to fight for anyone's sake other than yerself. Remember that."
"Don't worry, I got it. Thanks. You too. Don't get caught up in any millennium of hatred deals again."
"What, that's it?"
"Well I'd say your tendency to do it is your worst quality, so if you avoided it then things'll be fine."
"That's… not wrong. Yeah, I'll take it. See ya."
"See you!"
Terrence took off on Demi's back, heading for lands yet unknown to him, determined to become his own hunter.
Ed and Revel got ready to go, Callum seeing them off.
"Mortal. It appears we part ways here."
"Yeah, looks like it. Where are ya planning on heading from here?"
"One such as myself has no need for detailed plans, so I didn't bother. We're just going to head in whatever direction fate leads us."
"I see."
"And what about you? It's no concern of mine, however I suppose I can hear the answer regardless."
"The very same, just not the same way. Wherever me and Sanchez end up, we end up."
Ed took a second to respond.
"I suppose that I'm in a lot of debt to you, for everything. So… thank you."
"It was nothing. Just be safe out there, Edward."
Ed waved and turned to leave, before he realised.
"So it's not Ed this time?"
Lyra, Chante, Zach and Zappy stood in another part of the city.
Zach spoke first.
"Ya think yer gonna be okay with just the two of ya?"
"Of course. Well… I'm still sad over Shoot being gone. But it's not like I'm gonna die. Chante's here for me. I'll be okay."
"I'll take yer word for it. If I had to ask another question, then… where are ya thinking of heading from here?"
"No idea for sure. But… I wanna see the world at least somewhat, now. Dunno why. Before, I just didn't care, but now…"
"Then that sounds like a good thing. Ah, but ya can't go around stealing everything, remember?"
"Of course I know that much. Besides, it's too late. I've already stolen something."
"Wait, what now!?"
Lyra didn't answer for a second. Followed by another second of silence. These continued for a while, until she finally awkwardly pointed at his chest.
"Your heart."
Zach had no idea how to respond to this. After more silence, Lyra finally went "At least pretend to laugh."
"Sorry?"
"Whatever. Until we meet again, if we ever do."
"Yeah. Stay safe."
"Don't particularly plan on it, but I appreciate the thought."
Lyra and Chante headed off.
That left just six there.
They left the city at the same time, walking down the path for a while.
"I never thought a day like this'd come around, y'know?" Callum thought aloud.
"But it already happened once." Joseph replied.
"That's not the point here."
"I know. Ya mean a day where there's only six of us rather than eight, right?"
"Yeah. Exactly that."
They contemplated things for a good few minutes. Zach spoke next.
"Well, Ben would probably yell at us if we actually let it affect us too much, so let's just continue anyway. I think we've spent enough time grieving. Some of us even launched plans to change the world over it."
"That's true." Callum replied.
"Yeah, sure." Joseph replied. "But Zach, yer not much better, seeing as how yer response was to almost get yerself killed. That goes for ya too Callum, how many arms have ya lost recently? I'm not saying I was justified or anything, but the two of ya weren't perfect about it either."
"I guess that's not wrong." Zach replied "Well, we're all idiots in the end. Trying to change something without caring about the cost."
"Losing an arm or two is kinda different to trying to end the world, though." Callum tried to defend himself.
"Debatable." Joseph quickly replied, before having a thought "While we're on the aura and stuff, I should probably mention."
"What?"
"I've explained the deal with what my aura manifestation was, right?"
Zach responded this time.
"Absorbing abilities, or something like that, right?"
"Yeah. But if ya remember, I had an ability for a while that lemme cut through things. Where do ya think I got that from?"
"So he was…"
"Yeah."
"I knew it." Callum thought aloud, getting simultaneous confused responses.
"Whaddya mean? This was supposed to be my big dramatic last minute reveal, that completely takes away from it."
"Yeah, but I already worked it out before."
"How?" Zach asked.
"Remember when we went to Loc Lac and Joseph started acting all ominous. I figured something was up then. Then there was the whole thing with him absorbing other aura users or whatever, and yeah it just kinda fit together."
"Oh yeah, that did happen. Gah, whatever. Looks like ya don't actually care that much."
"Well… it's not like it doesn't matter. That gives me a pretty good idea of why things turned out like that. But… I don't really wanna focus on that much. Rather than only think about the painful memories, I'll just think about all those good ones we had."
"Yeah," Callum said "I know I didn't say any of that, but that's totally what I think too for sure."
"Well, aren't ya both enlightened?"
"Of course." Zach quickly responded.
"...Can't say it sounds too bad though, so I guess I'll have to try it too."
They finally reached a split in the road.
"This is it, huh?" Callum began. "One thing first."
He held out his left arm, looking to Joseph. Instantly, the man understood.
At that crossroads, the two exchanged a prosthetic arm fistbump.
"Maybe I should get an arm or two cut off as well." Zach thought aloud.
"Wouldn't recommend it." Joseph replied without even looking over.
"I'll just have to see for myself. But really though, I don't have much more to say here."
"Me neither."
"Same." Said Callum "This is just it. See ya around. It was… a lot of fun."
Sanchez gazed off into the distance.
"Yeah, to say the least." Joseph talked slowly "A lot happened. All that stuff. Well, I doubt that we won't run into each other again somewhere."
Nargy didn't have nearly as much attachment to the group as the rest, so he just waited to go.
"Even so, this is the part where things change up." Zach told him "So just lemme say something dramatic and leader like for the last time."
"What this time?"
"As long as it's something not too corny."
Zach took a deep breath, before looking towards the four before him.
"From here on out, we're headed on our own journeys to who knows where. No matter where we are, no matter where we're going, no matter where we end up. Don't forget all that time we spent together. All those days of aimless living, only focused on making to the next, will surely become a good memory to drive ya forwards."
"Am I supposed to be able to respond to that with anything other than an 'ok'?"
"It wasn't too bad, so I can't complain."
Zappy was a lot worse at hiding his emotions, being visibly upset by everything.
"Anyway, I should get going before this guy gets stuck in place crying. So, I'll be off first. Don't die until yer dead, both of ya."
"That goes for ya too!" Callum yelled, before heading off with Sanchez. "Have good lives, all that stuff."
"Yer taking all the good end lines here, y'know?" Joseph asked, before going to leave with Nargy. "There's still one I can use, though. Thanks for everything, ya godamn idiots!"
The three hunters and three monsters walked down their own paths, finally losing sight of each other.
Now alone with Nargy, Joseph went back in thought. He finally decided a destination.
"Uh, Nargy?"
A meow in response.
"I know we're already going this way, but I just worked out a destination. It's just that it's kinda… the exact other way. So can we turn around?"
A slightly annoyed meow this time, but the flying wyvern turned around all the same.
They headed towards a destination familiar to only one of them.
After a few days of travelling, Joseph finally recognised the scenery.
"We're here."
Nargy landed, taking a break. Joseph continued to look around.
"At least, I think we are?"
A growl.
"Chill, chill. Lemme explain. I haven't been here in what, twenty years, y'know?"
Nargy clearly had no idea what he was talking about.
"...This is around where I was born. That place that Tigrex destroyed, causing me to live only for revenge. Tanith Village. At least, its ruins should be around here."
Nargy seemed to understand this time, but he was still tired out. The two continued on foot.
Joseph looked around, trying to see what he could recall from his vague memories.
"It's weird." He thought aloud as they wandered "For a place that shaped so much of life, I can barely remember a thing about it. I spent more time wanting to avenge it than I did actually living in it."
Nargy had no real way to help him there, so he just stuck close to him.
After some wandering, they both heard something unexpected. Noise. A lot of it. They followed.
Upon drawing close enough, Joseph spotted he had never expected to see.
Standing in there, in that place he remembered being destroyed, was a village. A village that seemed alive. People walked around, going about their daily lives.
As though there had never been such a tragedy as the one he remembered to begin with, the village stood there.
It was different to how he remembered it. Very different. In that fact lay the answer.
"I see. Of course. That makes sense, doesn't it?"
Nargy was just confused.
"Even that bastard couldn't kill everyone. He probably just lost interest and wandered off eventually. But I never considered that there could be survivors other than me and Daimyo. We just kept running and running, until we arrived somewhere else. Never looking back, except in anger."
He took everything in.
"While we were doing that, the survivors rebuilt. They were still alive, so they carried on with their lives. It's not the same as how it was, but it's certainly there. That place is undeniably before me once more."
A pause.
"I wonder. If we'd turned around back then, how different would my life have been? I'd probably be there now, unaware of anything in the outside world. Would I even be happy? Would that desire for revenge have disappeared?"
A tail whip to the head.
"Gah, hey-! Nah, yer probably right. What happened happened. Focusing too much on what could've is just setting me back. Besides, I probably would have never met you in that case, right?"
Seeing that his partner was on the right track again, Nargy stepped towards the village.
"Nah. Let's not."
Confusion.
"I already said. That's a life I could've had, but it's too late now. I gave up my place there. Returning would be an insult to everything that's happened, right? At this moment, my place is right here, by yer side.
Nargy seemed satisfied with that answer, so he headed in the other direction. Joseph stared for a few seconds longer before turning to follow.
As they headed out, Joseph rambled away to himself.
"So that's all there was to it, huh? Even if something is destroyed, it'll return eventually. So long as there's people left to rebuild it, it'll never die. Was that the answer I needed?"
The two continued walking side by side.
"Something like trying to turn back time won't work. We can't return. We can't go back. Life is just like that. One day ya can be living happily, the next day something out of yer control comes to tear that down. It's just a piece of shit like that. But there's no better option than to continue living. So long as you move forward, there's a chance you can find another source of happiness. It sounds too idealistic to really work, but it's better than just staying in place lamenting what's gone by."
Eventually, they reached a cliff. His thoughts continued.
"I'm sure that if this was some convenient ending to a story, then I'd look back and see everyone's ghosts smiling upon me, now that I've finally found a method of coping that isn't leading to the destruction of everything. But I'm tired of ghosts. They can just stay part of my memories."
Done with thinking for a while, he spoke.
"No way forwards but up, huh?" Joseph asked Nargy.
Nargy growled slightly.
"Yeah, I know yer tired. But what else are we gonna do? Jump off?"
Nargy didn't answer.
"I can't fall that far, y'know? I am a fragile human. I'd die. Be considerate."
Nargy stared at him.
"Ok, maybe I would be fine getting down if I just climbed. But… ok fine, I'll just be honest. I just wanna go up and look down on the landscape and stuff, something dramatic like that."
Nargy continued to stare silently.
"I get it, I get it."
Nargy glided down as Joseph climbed his way down safely. As he reached the bottom, the flying wyvern was waiting for him.
"Any idea where we should head from here?"
Nargy meowed.
"What? Ya really thought I had anything in mind?"
Nargy quickly disconfirmed his suspicions, before walking away.
"Wait, have ya got any idea?"
Nargy meowed once more.
"Nothing, huh?"
Joseph sighed.
"That's fine. So long as we're going somewhere, we'll be fine. Right?"
Nargy purred.
Joseph finished up his thoughts.
"Trying to fight against this world, against the flow of time, won't bring us anywhere. We'll just be stuck in place forever. The only way to live is to pick ourselves up and move on. To go with nature rather than fight against it. That's why…"
He looked over to Nargy.
"I'll keep on fighting by yer side."
Without any particular destination in mind, those two continued to walk together.
TO BE CONTINUED
And we finally reach the conclusion. Well, I know that I just wrote "to be continued" and all, but that was more for effect than actually planning on anything. The story of Death by Aptonoth G is done.
If we factor in how long I've been working on the original, that makes it almost 6 years total. Which is... something. So like... me and my friends were thinking dumb shit out when I was 12, leading to now when I'm 18 writing this.
And after 6 years of on and off writing, more scrapped story ideas than I can feasibly count, and a bunch of taking influence from whatever new thing I liked that specific week, we arrive here, on this ending.
Was it the best one possible? I dunno. But it was what I ended up liking. Though while I'm thinking about all of that, maybe it would've been fun to go with one of my early concepts that had alternate universes and stuff. Of course, it wouldn't have made any sense, because what else can you expect from a 14 year old's story plan, but sure would've been unique.
Not that any of that matters anyways, I'm just rambling about things my brain made over the years, because what else is there to ramble about I guess.
I should just get to the point, otherwise I'm gonna spend ages talking about all of them.
I have no idea if anyone is going to bother reading this far, but if you are for some reason, then all I can do is thank you for putting up with all the dumb shit. I mean, I barely knew how to do anything when I started, pretty much any writing skill I have was formed during the process of this series, so I imagine it wasn't the easiest read.
That's pretty much all there is to it. This is all I can say for this story that started as a self-insert joke series and gradually morphed into some convoluted plot about letting go of your grief.
Thank you so much for seeing it all to the end, whoever this might be addressed to.