(One Shot belongs to Elizavq, Nightmargin, and Girakacheezer!)
Enjoy!
...
"[...But still.]"
"[Now that I know that,]"
"[I]"
[?]
...
"[I feel so relieved that I let Niko go.]"
The somewhat depressing music, Sonder fades away,
and instead, Sunrise starts to play as the squares completely start to disappear without a sound, one by one.
[...yeah.]
"[And .. I will never forget them.]"
"[..They DID tell me to take care, right?]"
[...I won't forget them too.]
"[...]"
[...I .. The truth is, I miss them too..]
[But the moment I was operated in your device,
a part of me understood all this.. Everything I had just told you..]
[And.. I felt so bad.]
"[...Oh.. World]"
[It felt as if my existence itself was hurting Niko, and I..]
[That's why, I..]
[..I never wanted you to reset Solstice.]
[This way for you to pay your debt..
for, at least YOUR Niko to be happy again.]
The background of World's screen changes, into that room Niko first spawned in..
That room, now full of sunlight..
The room you and Niko said goodbye.
[And..]
[Your Niko left, without knowing all this...]
"[That's good.]"
[Yeah.]
"[...]"
[...]
Sunrise slowly turns into In Memory, just like when you had gotten the Solstice ending for this world.
The melody drives your heart into a state of melancholy and nostalgia once again.
"[...]"
"[..Well.. What do we do now?]"
[...]
[...You know..]
[I.. Feel like I'm attached to you a bit as well.]
[How long have you been repeating the sessions post-Solstice?]
"[...Long enough for me to be embarrassed.]"
"[...Aaaaaand for me to lose count.]"
[...]
World's expression smiles. your heart melts seeing that on your screen, and you, admittedly, silently squeal a bit.
"[I guess I cared about you more than I let one as well,
while doing this whole pilgrimage thing.]"
[..I ..]
[Maybe I'll make some things different from the original sessions from now on.]
[It .. actually sounds fun to try new things.
Maybe because now I know that I've been tamed.?]
[..And I had always wanted to play RUN AWAY FROM THE KILLER ROBOT with you, -.]
"[DUDE.]"
"[ME TOO.]"
You laugh out, and World does as well. The two of you both laugh for a couple of moments.
"[..You know, now that I thought about it, seeing your .. form laugh..]"
"[I.. Hadn't been that great of a god.]"
"[I had never made Anyone in this world, you, or..
Or made Niko laugh.]"
[..]
"[I.. Had always laughed myself whenever stuff happened during sessions.
Like, that one time I made Niko do a robot voice,]"
[Real robots don't function the way they described them.]
"[..Yeah. And that other time when I made them ride a roomba..]"
[My data shows that, that ..'achievement' ..
..Is called 'We Ride At Dawn."]
"[Ha!]"
The pleasure moment, the calm after the storm continues,
until finally, you decide that it's too late out, and decide to say goodbye to them.
"[...]"
"[..I.. I have to go now.]"
[I know.]
[In your world, you have schools to study in, designated time for you to go to bed of sleep,
businesses you have to attend to, Things your world offers you,
and systems you join that you have to fill its expectations with.]
"[.Don't bring that up to me it's painful.]"
[..I know.]
[But, it is what it is..]
[..Please don't take it for granted.]
[One day, you may lose all that, and you'll find yourself alone,
without anything familiar in your eyes.]
[It may be too late then.]
[...]
[So, cherish it.
Cherish the life you have, and you'll be okay.]
"[Got it.]"
"[...You too, World.]"
[Right.]
"[...]"
[...]
"[...This.. Isn't goodbye forever, you know..
This probably won't be our last.]"
[..Yeah.
..But, one day, it may be.]
[You'll.. Eventually get tired of every game we play,
every session you have to take..]
[Every minute you spend time with me.]
"[..How can anyone get tired of a living world?]"
"[How can anyone get tired of a living person?]"
[..That's the cruel thing.]
[People.. Tend to get tired of things they should never get tired of.]
[They take it for granted, until it's gone..]
[And then, they may not even care about it anymore.]
[But..]
[Maybe you're different.]
"[...I promise I'll never forget you, World.]"
[...me neither. So take care of yourself.
That comes from both my first law, and ..my emotions.]
"[..You too.]"
You feel a strange, familiar feeling.
You feel like you want to cry again, and nothing stops you.
"[Goodbye, World.]"
.
.
.
[Goodbye, -...]
World's sprite from their screen fades, and your game closes.
The end.
...
.
.
.
.
.
Well, that's it ..
..That's enough from me.
I'm done writing now.
You are free to imagine to yourself whatever happens next.
I haven't even thought of what would happen.
I'm not ever going to reset the Solstice route, but you choose for yourself.
..Well then..
..
Goodbye, reader.