Author's Note: So, I beat Future Redeemed. It was very...fulfilling. But MAN, my head is spinning with regards to the timeline of everything involving Matthew and Na'el's parents, the Liberators, and whatnot.

Especially regarding a certain common variety Nopon.

This particular segment takes in-between the last two scenes of the ninth installment (the one about Taion and tissues): between where Taion gifts Eunie his last tissue, and where Eunie gets him a gift in return the next day. Also, as before, this does follow the prior narrative convention wherein:

-Nia traversed Aionios with Noah and Company upon her Awakening (so that her Hero Quest could fit in the main plot);
-Melia, instead of instantly teleporting away after being freed, had to be evacuated from Origin due to ether depletion.

Spoilers follow for Future Redeemed.

xxxx

/Time: Chapter 7, during Melia Antiqua's trip to the City/

It was the night of a great feast: a celebration by the City, for the safe return of a long-awaited Queen.

Melia Antiqua had felt a strange somberness over it all: seeing the numerous Citizens laud her, knowing that her presence was the signal for the end of their purgatorial conflict with Moebius. However long they had kept their proverbial vigil over the future of their worlds...how many truly understood the weight of what was to come? From what she knew, Nia had already informed them all about the fact that defeating Z would mean the end of Aionios: had such knowledge been forgotten, in the untold centuries since her imprisonment? Or had it only been considered one possibility out of many?

Some might have felt despair over such uncertainty. That the City — as a whole, at least — were resolved to strive for the future was heartening.

Then again, given their Founders...perhaps it was no surprise.

Hence, late at night — long after the festivities had faded, though doubtless before they would start up again in the morning — Melia quietly departed from her sleeping quarters, using subtle applications of ether to dampen her footsteps. Using her borrowed blanket as a makeshift hooded shawl, she calmly made her way to the vaunted Memorial Hall.

Melia looked over the seven statues, focusing particularly on two: those of House Ortiz and House Reid. Nikol...Shulk. To think that Shulk and Fiora's darling son had slipped free of Moebius's wretched cycle; to think that Shulk, even now, served as part of the proverbial Trinity which kept Origin intact, and endeavored to keep the world standing for just a little bit longer. To persist after all these years...

"Masterpon."

Melia slowly turned, smiling at the sound of such a distinctive voice. "Riku." Kneeling down, she gazed eye-to-eye with the diminutive Nopon. "You followed me."

"Riku could not sleep with loud snoring of Lanz. Tummy also rumbled from too much snacking. Besides, expert craftypon able to work with minimal sleep!" Resting his wing-arms against his hips, he added, "Though not too much."

Melia smiled, impulsively ruffling her hand through the little Nopon's afro. As her eyes turned towards the statue of the Ouroboros Stone, she remarked, "You did not let them make a statue of you?"

"Riku avoid spotlight! Is place for others to be on stage."

"Yet you always seem to find yourself in the company of those who have a hand in changing the fates of many," she wryly remarked. "Like father, like son?"

Riku was not appreciative. "Dadapon was much more engaging with spotlight: natural for Legendary Heropon. Riku prefer to let others be Heropon. Would not be sporting, for only family of Riki to be Heropon. Is Riku wrong?"

Melia smiled. "Sharing the wealth, I suppose you'd call it then."

"Masterpon can call it what Melly wishes: what Queen says goes. Not place for mere common variety Nopon to question."

Melia sighed; it was an ageless sound, one that the diminutive Nopon — one who, like many Nopon, had slipped into Aionios: free of Moebius's cycle, yet cursed with an endless life befitting an 'Endless Now' — doubtless empathized with. "I suppose...you found enjoyment where you could, in those many years...which reminds me of something very interesting."

"Oh?"

"Nia caught me up on a lot, when I awoke from my slumber: the ups and downs; serious matters, and jovial trivialities." A tiny smile crept onto her face as she recalled Nia's precise wording. "She seemed quite amused by how Noah and the others were so...enthusiastic...to learn about how new life is created." Tilting her head, she asked, "Why then would you and Manana raise your hands? Given how many siblings you have, I doubt you are ignorant as to how children are born."

The Nopon huffed. "Riku not liking insinuations. Cannot speak for Manana, but Riku simply play along: not everyday you see naive Hom-Homs get the Flamiis and the Fliers lecture." Grinning in spite of himself, Riku added, "Seeing friends' faces change colors was of great amusing!"

...how cheeky. "For all you seem to differ in temperament from Riki...you can be just as much of a rascal."

"Meh-meh?"

"But I suppose there are worse role models than the Legendary Heropon," she commented with a fond expression. "...he would be proud of you."

"Riku is...simple craftypon. Not even great warrior, without encouragement of Manana and others." With a morose sigh, he added, "Common variety Nopon is lot in life. Riku prefer it that way."

"...if you say so," murmured Melia with a skeptical expression; though she was not privy to all of the details regarding Riku's life on Bionis, it was enough to know that he was one of Riki's eldest, having ventured off to make his own way in life...and many years before Shulk and his comrades had ever set foot in Makna Forest, at that. "But as your Masterpon, and as Riki's close friend...I know that he would not think less of you."

At this, the cryptic Nopon sighed. "Riku not need to be told. After all...kept safe possession of Lucky Seven for many years. In a sense, it like dadapon was always by my side, until time came for Noah to pick up sword." With a definitive nod, he finished with, "But cannot say no to vote of confidence from Queen Melly. Will have to make do."

"As must we all," said Melia, briefly glancing back towards the statue of Shulk. Confidence...to do what what we must, in the end...

After several moments of silence, Riku added another point, almost as an afterthought. "Plus...after hiding away in Keves as simple Bladesmithpon for so many years, it long time since Riku see a teensy-tiny person. Was more nostalgic than the tastiest Tootshroom."

"...I suppose that's as fair a reason as any," admitted Melia, reading between the lines: it had been a reminder that, even in the midst of a world frozen in time, new life continued to persist. A reminder of why we persevere...

The unlikely duo — mysterious Nopon and his regal Masterpon — lingered amongst the statues for a time, letting their memories say all the worlds they needed...for the morning was the dawn of a new (yet old, it was always old) day.

xxxx

Author's Note: The revelation that Riku is the son of Riki (though Kino is a potential possibility, it seems more likely that it's Riki) was somehow so obvious it looped all the way back around to being shocking and surprising at the same time.