I awoke in absolute silence, only the subtle ticking of my alarm clock to fill the void. It was still dark out, so I knew it wasn't a reasonable time to be up in the slightest. But my body was forcing me awake, and I couldn't do much about it. I carefully looked over at my nightstand, seeing a sleeping Maple in his pot, back turned to me, and my bedside clock reading a very upsetting 4:30 AM. I let a sigh out through my nose, and turned my head so I was looking back up at the top bed cover.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

I jolted into a sitting position, seeing Katania in her nightgown looking at me from my room's couch. Gladius was hovering next to her in his scabbard, and even in the lack of light I could tell they were giving me contemplative looks. Maple turned around to face me, wide awake and eyes reflecting today's sombre tone.

I opened my arms so Maple could come and snuggle me, which he accepted without hesitation. As he cuddled up into my chest, I clicked my bedside lamp on so it was easier to see everything. Katania and Gladius joined me on my bed, all of us now sucked into a dower mood.

"This is it…" I said quietly. "After all of this, this is our last full day all together as a group. After two whole months of a crazy adventure where me and Gladdy jumped across time and space, this is it."

"It really sucks", Katania said in dejection. "I really like the gang. It's so nice to have more girls to hang out with and talk to. Like, I feel like I can confidently call Jenny, Star, Merida, Izzy and Scrap Baby sisters. They feel like they were always meant to be here."

"Same, honestly", I continued. "Everyone feels like they're a member of a family I always felt was impossible for me. Maria, Manolo, Amy and Rory all feel like parents, everyone who's around my age or younger are my siblings, and I have a plethora of wacky uncles and aunts." The smile that was forming on my face fell. "And now I have to see them all leave…"

I sniffled as tears began to pool in my eyes, so for comfort I hugged Maple closer to my chest. The Wasabi Whip responded by wrapping his whip around my arm tightly, with Kat smooching over so she could lean on my left side. Gladius hovered in front of us, looking us over carefully as if half expecting me to run out of the room in tears.

"I'll be honest with you, Caleb", Gladius began. The other three of us looked up at him. "Rainbow's been so quiet as of recently because I've been screaming at her in regards to this. How I hate she's letting her paranoia rip the friends that helped us so much away. And seeing how distressed it made you, I gave her a piece of my mind."

"I thought so…" I mumbled.

The sword nodded. "I knew you'd figure it out, you're smart and very perceptive. I won't beat around the bush… I was trying to convince her to reconsider, or else she'd lose the two of us again. Clearly, that didn't work."

"I'd support that no matter what", Katania said firmly. "And I know my mom and dad would kick up a fuss about it. They actually are, now that I remember. My dad's been very vocal during training about how he feels like the gang has been so much help breaking me out of my shell, and it's gotten my mom to notice and agree. And when my mom agrees with something, the army slowly follows along."

I sniffled again, eyelids heavy. "Still, Rainbow is sending everyone away. No matter what we do or say, she's set on this."

"Then we just have to make the most of today", Katania said reassuringly, although her voice did shake a bit. "Let's just focus on today."

I nodded, then looked down at Maple. "What about you? Is Rainbow sending you away too?"

The Wasabi Whip made a motion akin to a shrug, which didn't fill me with much confidence. So I simply pulled my plant companion into an even tighter hug, as Katania and Gladius moved over so they could hug me close, all of us stuck in this miserable cuddle pile. It was not a fun time right now, and my heart beating at a very unhealthy rate didn't help.

After we stayed like that for a little longer, I had finally calmed down enough so I wouldn't burst into tears at the slightest breeze. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, my mind and heart relaxing significantly. We all pulled apart, and shared sombre looks.

"So, what's the main plan for today?" Katania asked.

I hummed in thought, looking off towards the music box that was resting on the windowsill. "We just do what you said. We'll make the most of today."

Gladius nodded. "It's clear none of us are going to be able to get back to sleep, so let's go and get something to eat. Maybe by then everyone else will be awake."

The three of us nodded, and as a collective group we left my bedroom and wandered the halls of the castle till we made it to the kitchen. Upon entering it, it was completely devoid of any staff. I saw this as an opportunity to make something I've been craving for far too long…

A peanut butter and jam sandwich.

I set Maple down and made my way over to what I assumed was the pantry (luckily it was when I opened it), and made quick work pulling out one of the several loaves of bread. I tossed it onto one of the counters and made my way over to the walk-in fridge to find a jar of peanut butter and strawberry jam. After picking out what I was looking for, nearly freezing solid in the process, and made my way back to the bread.

Katania had set a plate out for me as she made herself a fried egg sandwich, with Maple sipping a glass of water as he watched us both with a cute look. Gladius hovered around aimlessly, weaving between the hanging pots and pans. The four of us were quiet as we worked away, only the sounds of Kat's frying egg and the humming of the vents above to fill the void.

As I finished spreading the jam and forced the first of my two sandwiches together, I looked at Katania. "You usually operate a stove?"

Kat half nodded. "I know it's not that normal for most kids, but when your mom is an army general, you tend to be taught a thing or two about being out on the field. Or more… pick it up by watching."

"She didn't teach you?" Gladius asked in mild surprise.

Kat shrugged as she used a spatula to flip her egg. "Mom never liked the idea of me actually learning to be a soldier, but it just kinda happened because I never left her side when she took me out of the house."

"That's understandable", I said with a shrug. I took a bite of my PBJ, with silence once again falling over us. I watched Kat make her sandwich, and take a bite of it.

"I think we should help the others pack up", Gladius mentioned, gaining our attention. "That way we'll have more time throughout the day to hang out and enjoy our time."

"Not a bad idea, Gladdy", I said with a wistful smile as I finished my first PBJ. I picked up my second one. "It gives us some one-on-one time with them too, just as that last little bit."

With that, we all decided to start our day off with that. So after we finished up our early morning breakfast, we cleaned up the mess we made and made our way back to our hallway. Upon turning the corner, we stopped when we saw Scrap Baby leaned up against the wall next to her room's door. As we approached, she looked over at us, her blue eyes somewhat dim and her claw arm hanging limply.

"Hey Baby", I said quietly. "Is everything okay?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to have to leave a fantastic world that's beyond my wildest dreams, and return to a cold steel trap that's expected to burn as my final resting place. I just… I don't want to go…"

I shared a horrified look with Katania, but luckily Gladius was there to save us. "You won't die, if that's what you're worried about. No one in the multiverse dies. They simply go to a sort of… storage place with the others that have 'died' for later use. Based on what you told us, you'd end up in a place with all the others from your story."

Baby was silent for a moment. "I'd rather die than whatever that could turn out to be."

"Well, at least you'll be alive", Katania said. "So we can visit you again."

"I suppose… that is good." The animatronic sighed. "Still, I don't want to leave. Not when it feels like there's so much more to do." She gave us a look. "But I know I can't change that. So… So keep our memory strong. I won't forget any of you."

I nodded. "C'mon, let's help you pack up. Even if you won't be able to bring everything with you, I'd just… keep us busy."

Baby nodded and held the door to her room open, letting us head in. The room was much like mine when I first showed up, absolutely barren of all personality and life. The bed in the middle of the room had a trio of open suitcases laying on it, with a few scattered orange and red dresses.

"I'm not really equipped for this sort of thing…" Baby mumbled sheepishly as she held up her claw arm.

"We'll help you, Baby, don't worry." Kat quickly went to work, folding up the dresses and putting them carefully into one suitcase.

As she worked and I moved to help, Baby spoke up. "I know I've been with you guys the least", she began, "But… I don't know. It just feels like so much has happened since I fell through that wall back in that metal cage. Just that alone made me feel more free than I had in years. And now it's… and now it's over…"

I nodded sadly as I adjusted some of the loose trinkets in a different suitcase. "It can be hard. And I hate that I can't do anything to stop it, but I can keep your guys' spirits up. No matter what happens, we will always have each other even when impossibly apart."

"So if you ever need a pick-me-up at all…" Katania held up Baby's music box. "You know what to do."

Baby flopped down on the bed, eyeing us as we worked away. "Yeah, you're right. It'll… It'll be hard, but after what you've shown me, I think I'll be able to handle it."

"That's it, Baby." I gently put a gentle hand on her arm, and she quickly reacted by wrapping me up into a firm but loving hug. I returned it just as Kat, Gladius and Maple joined in. Any amount of love was good.

Even if it would be the last love we shared.

~X~

By the time we finished helping Baby, it was much later and everyone else was awake in their own ways. Obviously, that clearly didn't include getting dressed, as everyone was still in their night clothes and looked as though they didn't sleep a wink. Considering the circumstances, I didn't blame them.

But I didn't let that uproot the plan, as my little group moved on to McGee and Gretchen. Both of them had holed up in their shared room, already a decent way through packing. Even still, we made our way over and helped them pack up their mountain of things.

"We bought a bunch of stuff for Squirt and the others", McGee said in a quiet tone as he tried to force a suitcase closed. "Just felt right, you know?"

"Yeah, that's totally fair", I said with a chuckle at McGee's failed attempt at a cool dude pose. That chuckling became a normal laugh when the suitcase exploded open, sending all its contents all over the room. Everyone else began to laugh alongside me as we quickly helped McGee get everything back into the case.

As we did, Gretchen's laughter ended and she sighed. "It's weird. One moment we were enjoying our time at Lakebottom, the next some bunch of weirdos showed up in a blue box and basically blew our minds with what they could do. The more I think about it, the weirder it gets."

"Trust me, I've been wondering that since I met a certain someone…" I shot Gladius a joking look, and he sputtered.

"Excuse me?!" Gladius shouted indignantly. He then paused. "Oh, you were joking."

Gretchen snorted. "Yeah, exactly what I mean."

"I'll miss all you guys", McGee said. "But a part of me is excited to get back home. Rub all of this cool junk in Buttsquat's face. Plus, I'm optimistic. I'm positive we'll meet each other again. I bet on that."

I smiled at him. "I hope so too, McGee."

~X~

Next was Corey and Laney, who didn't have much to pack away aside from some souvenirs for who I assumed was Kin and Kon. When my little party entered their room, I saw Corey's attention was solely on a notebook he was scrawling into.

"He's been at it for hours" Laney chided as she finished packing her bass into its case. "Barely had any surest."

"It's called creative genius, Laney!" Core countered. "Thanks to Caleb I've been on a roll!"

"So I can tell the lyric writing is going well", I said bluntly as I helped Kat and Laney pack up the suitcases. "Whatcha' come up with so far, Core?"

"That'll be a surprise for later", the singer said with a proud smile. He closed his notebook and hopped out of the chair he was sitting in. "But I know Kin and Kon will be very happy to hear what I've come up with."

"It'll definitely make Trina lose her mind", Katania said with a cheeky grin. "She'll explode when she finds out you wrote your own songs."

"She definitely will! And the best part, I won't need her diary anymore." Corey gave me a surprisingly calm look and smile. "And that's all thanks to you, dude. You got me out of my funk, and now I can properly redeem the Riffin name back at home!"

Laney snorted as she picked up her music box. "That's one way to put it, Core." She carefully put the box in a suitcase. "I'll be honest. Even if Majima and Flowey were insufferable… I'm gonna miss 'em. Not hearing them crack jokes at our expense will, seriously, be weird."

"I'm with ya', Laney", Corey added. "Manolo was awesome to hang with, especially since he gave me a lot of good tips for playing the guitar. I'm gonna miss that."

"Well, I'm sure he's gonna miss having his favourite student", Katania teased him. This made the singer groan, and all of us laugh.

~X~

Dry Bowser was half asleep when we walked into his room, and he seemed very quiet. Unnaturally so, considering who he was. It did make my heart ache, as he seemed more angry with having to leave than sad. Understandable considering him, but still upsetting nonetheless.

"How are you feeling about all of this, kid?" Dry asked me.

I shrugged. "Sad, but the more I do this, the more… content I become. I guess it's that acceptance finally stepping out and making itself known."

"Hasn't hit me yet", Katania said flatly. "I basically still just met all of you, so having to see you all leave so soon doesn't feel right."

Gladius nodded. "It is true. Even now, I can't accept the fact we won't all be together."

Dry Bowser sighed, some stray ashes flitting throughout the air. "I'll be honest, I'm not looking forward to heading home. It'll be an adjustment, that's for sure."

"It'll be for everyone", I said. "So don't feel like you're alone in regards to all of this."

"I'm not. It's just something that makes my bones lock up. It's gonna be fun making it back and being endlessly compared to my fleshy hotshot counterpart."

I put a reassuring hand on Dry's arm. "It'll be okay, Dry. trust me."

He sighed again. "I wish I had your optimism, kid."

I frowned as I helped Kat pack Dry Bowser's stuff up into his suitcases, the mood a lot more dower than I would have liked. This was still just beginning, and already it was becoming kind of harder to keep my smile.

~X~

As we helped the Ponds, it was a lot more calm. We occasionally made small talk and things were polite, but otherwise it was fairly quiet. That was until I had to ask a question that was burning in my head.

"So what are you guys going to do when you get home?" I asked innocently.

Amy shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. Between all of our adventures with The Doctor and this whole thing, it's hard to say."

"I'm just looking forward to relaxing for a long while", Rory said as he and Kat tag teamed a fairly big suitcase. "I'm all adventured out at this point. With Daleks, cults, volcanoes and a black hole, I'm set for life."

I laughed as the girls and sword giggled. "That sure is one way to put it, yeah."

Rory rolled his eyes. "I'm serious."

"We're just teasing, Rory", Amy said sweetly as she leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek. He smiled back, and we all returned to work packing.

"I'll miss you guys…" I said in a quiet, sad tone. "You… You two were amazing. I look up to both of you a lot."

"We'll miss you two, Caleb." Rory ruffled my hair. "If it was up to me, I'd have us live here forever. It's just that perfect to me."

Amy gave me a side hug. "He's right. We'd be here all the time if we could. I know I'd love waking up whenever I want to, getting a breakfast and tea made for me, then heading to a museum for the day. That would be my ideal life."

"As someone who can do that", Kat added. "I agree. It is amazing and oh-so convenient to have everything you could ever dream of right at your fingertips."

"Maybe in the future… we can come live here", Rory mumbled. "At some point we won't be with The Doctor anymore in our world, so what's stopping us from just packing up and living here after."

I frowned somewhat. "We'll have to wait and see, Mr.Pond", Gladius said in a sophisticated tone. 'We will wait and see…"

~X~

The Doctor was already completely packed by the time we found him looking at one of the screens of the TARDIS' main console. We didn't stick around long with him, mainly because he was busy with things, as he said, only a Time Lord could understand. Although I did linger around a bit, wandering around the TARDIS for what I felt like would be the last time. As I wandered the halls, the ship let out calm yet sad sounding beeps and groans, making me smile sadly.

"I'll miss you two, old girl…" I whispered, gently rubbing one of the walls. The ship let out a sad groan as I finally made it back to the central room. The Doctor was still busy with the main console, but ended up dashing over when I tried to make my way to the door.

Before I could react, he wrapped me into a tight hug and kissed my messy mop of hair.

"Thank you, Caleb. You gave more to care for than I ever expected, and I couldn't be more grateful for that."

I beamed and returned with a tight hug of my own. "Yeah… I'm glad I got to help you with this…"

The bow-tie loving man set me down and smiled. "You better catch up with the others. Don't want to keep Katania waiting."

I nodded and began to make my way to the front door of the ship. "I love ya', Doc!" I walked out and waved, the man laughing and waving back.

~X~

When I finally caught back up with Katania, Gladius and Maple, they were already finished helping Merida and Izzy pack. The two redheads were chilling on the small couch their room offered, although the Psycho Hose Beast looked a bit… off.

"Everything okay, Izzy?" I asked as I walked into the room.

Katania and Gladius, who were sucked in with a conversation with Merida, looked at Izzy in concern.

The wild child shook her head, then shot me a reassuring smile. "Just… thinking. Mostly about what I might have to deal with when I get back."

"She told me about everything that happened at the… movie lot", Merida explained. "And since Zomboss couldn't wipe the footage, those punks you call friends will be asking a lot of questions."

Kat winced. "Ooooooooo… I actually never heard the whole story in regards to that. What happened?"

"The movie lot's bootleg Godzilla robot", I explained with crossed arms. "Suddenly decided to wake up and become sentient. If it wasn't thanks to Zomboss piloting his Zombot and a supersized Ralph, all of us would have been vaporised."

Kat's jaw dropped and she looked at Gladius. The sword nodded in confirmation. "The blasted thing ate me, as if it knew I was the key to leave."

The general's daughter stared at the floor in shock. "Okay, note to self, stay away from abandoned movie lots."

Izzy giggled slightly. "You guys don't have to worry about me. I can handle whatever they throw at me. I was planning on just dancing around the big question, anyway."

"Wish I had your confidence, Iz…" Merida sighed.

"Not looking forward to heading back home, Merry?" I asked in concern.

"I am, I'm just not looking forward to readjusting, that's all."

"Understandable", Gladius mused. "You were from a time without modern technology, and now you have to leave all of that behind."

The Dun Broch shrugged. "More me not wanting to put up with the hurricane of my brothers."

All of us started to laugh, as my mood slowly improved. I knew this would have its ups and downs, so any of those ups I would cherish.

~X~

Barranco, Dave and Flowey's shared room was an utter disaster, with toilet paper and plungers all over the room. It seemed they were having fun doing some target practice.

The flower smirked proudly as he held up his small suitcase, which seemed to only have his music box and a few assorted hats in it. "You four took your sweet time showing up. I'm already packed!"

I shot Flowey a look as me and Kat moved over to help the Rabbid and Minion pack up their things. "Ready to get going already?"

The flower's grin fell. "Well… No. I don't…" He fell silent, Maple scooting up next to him and looking at him in concern.

"He's been like that all morning", Barranco said as he adjusted the pillows on the bed. "He won't admit it, but he really did enjoy spending time with me and Dave. The three of us were a creative hive mind in this little room."

Katania looked at a poster of Mickey Mouse on the wall that had several darts and a single plunder stuck to it. "I can tell."

"To be honest, you three are a force to be reckoned with", Gladius said in a somewhat tense tone. "I dread to imagine the day when you three find the armoury. You three and Majima."

"Honestly, I'd rather build my own weapons than take others'", Dave said honestly. "It's more fun to experiment."

"Right you are, Dave!" Barranco hopped off the bed and made his way over to the closet. "So it frustrates me that I'll be stuck with a pack of screaming, unstable, annoying idiots once again. At least I'll have Scribbles, which is nice."

"I do miss the girls a bit", Dave said. "They were that shred of order to the chaos of my home. And after all that stuff with El Macho, I'll definitely be more on board with being a hero."

"You two are lucky you even have friends", Flowey spat dejectedly. "Back at my home, I'm a violent flower that's all alone in the underground. I guess that's kind of my punishment for trying to kill everyone again and again and again. But still, this was the most mercy and humanity I've been shown in a long time. It's like the old soul I lost is slowly sparking back."

Maple smiled and nuzzled his fellow plant, much to his embarrassment. He blushed and hid his face, the adorable sight making me smile. "Well, who knows, Flowey. Maybe with this you'll be able to jump here whenever you want. Just hold out that hope, and stay determined."

That perked the flower up, while the others all looked at me in confusion.

~X~

The Powerpuffs weren't letting the enviable goodbye drag them down when we found them in their room. They were flying around at super speeds, filling their suitcases at such a rapid rate I was worried they'd create a tornado right in their room.

"All of this has been awesome!" Buttercup cheered as she finished packing up her green suitcase. "From the time travel, to the supervillain busting, to all the food, this was incredible!"

I chuckled. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Buttercup."

"Don't forget about us!" Blossom said happily. "The Professor is going to be so jealous when we tell him all the wild things we did. Although, as much as I am excited to finally go home, I'm going to miss all of you guys."

Bubbles, who was done packing, hugged her octopus plush close to her as she snuggled up into Katania. "Do you guys think we'll ever see you again?"

Katania shrugged as she hugged the blue-clad Powerpuff. "We don't know, but I'm hoping we do. You guys all deserve a chance to come and visit whenever you want."

"I'd like that", Blossom said as she came over with her two packed suitcases. "I get Rainbow's reason to not let us hang around, but it doesn't feel fair, you know?"

"Trust me, I know", Gladius spat in frustration.

I cringed and winced simultaneously. "Yeeeeaaaah… It's a really upsetting time in regards to all of that." I perked up a bit. "But I just know we'll figure something out."

Buttercup smirked. "Mojo should take some pointers from you, Caleb. If he does, then he'd be unstoppable!"

"Hmmmmmm… Maybe I should…"

"Traitor!" I began to laugh when Buttercup lightly tackled me and the two of us started to rough house on the floor.

~X~

Ruby and Iris' room was a lot calmer than the last few. I honestly thought it was needed, since I didn't want this day to absolutely exhaust me to the point where I couldn't walk. So I was glad Ruby and Iris were next.

"I really hope everyone is okay", Ruby said as she looked out the window. "I know they can handle themselves, but we've been gone for a long time."

"Remember what I kept telling you, Ruby", Gladius began reassuringly. "We can send you back so it was like you were gone not even a minute."

"Yeah, it'll be okay Ruby!" Iris said happily as she jumped on the bed. "Plus, we got everyone all this crazy stuff! They'll want to hear about all the crazy things we've done!"

I snorted and smiled. "Exactly, Iris. Gloomsville isn't ready for the new and improved Ruby and Iris who've fought gods and demons alike."

Ruby spun around and gave me a wide eyed look. "That's a good thing?"

"Depends how you look at it", Katania said. "Maybe for a sweet, kind pacifist like you, leave out all the brutal violence out so you don't make your friends faint."

I cringed. "Good point Kat."

Iris pouted. "But what about all the space travel and sweet tricks?"

"You can tell them that", Kat continued. "Just don't go into grizzly detail. That's a one way ticket to panic and worry."

Gladius sighed. "Perhaps just let Ruby do the storytelling when you both get home, okay?"

The cyclops pouted more but nodded, making her rag doll friend giggle cutely. I smiled and returned to packing up the rest of their things, sticking everything they had bought into the single case.

"Have you guys ever imagined what would've happened if you didn't meet us?" Ruby asked absentmindedly.

I shook my head. "I'd rather not. I already have to say goodbye tomorrow, so thinking about a life where I didn't meet you is just gonna sting."

"Good point." She fell silent for a moment. "Though, if you ask me, I am more than happy we met. Because if anything, it made me realise the bright side could get even brighter."

I shot Ruby a smile, my heart swelling with joy.

~X~

Maria and Manolo had a lot of stuff to pack up, so when we showed up in their room and saw the absolute mountain of stuff and the several open suitcases, we knew this would be a nightmare.

As I helped Manolo fold up some novelty shirts he bought during the first shopping trip, Maria and Katania tackled more of the expensive jewellery.

"We are definitely hiding all of this from Joaquin and my Papa", Maria said like a school girl trying to sneak her boyfriend in after hours. "He'd have a heart attack if he saw all of this."

"You sound like he wouldn't be happy if your amazing husband spoiled you on our honeymoon", the musician said cheekily.

"Oh shush you."

"You two are so sweet it feels like I'm gonna get a cavity", I joked. My smile fell a moment after. "It's gonna suck when you guys go. For the longest time, I felt you two were the parents I've needed my whole life."

Maria paused her packing to move over to me, sitting on the floor next to me. I leaned against her as she wrapped me in a side hug. "Mijo, it'll be okay. If we could, we'd scream our heads off at Rainbow for her to reconsider. But as of now, we can't do anything."

"I know…" I gave her a sad smile. "I'm just… going through the motions."

"We all are", Gladius spoke up. "Time stops for no one, so we're doing what we can with this time we have now."

"Exactly", Manolo said. "So let's just keep the smiles up no matter what."

I nodded and wiped my eyes, which made Maria place a gentle kiss on my forehead. She returned to help Katania with the packing, and for the next little bit we were silently packing everything of theirs away. Soon, we only had a few clothes left, which was when I asked another question.

"Would you guys have been happy if you had a kid like me?"

The two wooden people paused, then gave each other a look. I eyed them carefully, and in mild embarrassment, until Manolo looked at me with a warm smile.

"We would cherish our kid if they turned out like you." The man ruffled my hair, which filled my heart with a reassuring warmth.

~X~

Zomboss, much like The Doctor, was already fully packed by the time, so Katania, Gladius and Maple didn't linger. But I did, as me and Zomboss got some one-on-one time after so long.

"And with all of this, I'm hoping it'll make those blithering fools that follow me more aware", the zombie explained to me, holding up the blueprints for a device that was supposedly made to increase intelligence.

I snorted. "Good luck with that, Edgar. I'm pretty sure they're gonna find some way to destroy it."

He groaned and let his arms fall limply to his sides. "Yeah, I know. But I still want to try."

"Well I wish you the best of luck!" I stood up and moved to leave the room. "I gotta go and help Galacta pack… If he needs to, anyway."

"Caleb, wait!" The scientist called. I looked back at him, and somewhat jumped when he tossed something at me. I caught it, and looked at the small green orb with a button on it.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A gift from me, as a thanks for all of this", he explained. "I want you to press that button on your next birthday, okay?"

I was silent, giving Zomboss a long look before looking down at the strange device with a smile. "You got it." I waved him goodbye and walked out of the room.

~X~

Galacta was already packed, as he only had a simple sack with him filled with simple purchases and the music box. But unlike the two scientists, he kept us in his room so we could talk.

"I'm curious to see what happens when I return home", the knight mused in his usual stoic tone. "It's been on my mind when we first made it here, and I supposed I'm worried I'll have my memories wiped as a side effect of who I am."

"I don't believe that will happen", Gladius said as Maple napped on my shoulder. "The multiverse works in mysterious ways, but I can confirm you will keep your memories. Only the four gods have control over something like that, the multiverse can't force it onto you."

"That's reassuring", Katania said. "The idea that any of you guys could lose your memories is seriously terrifying."

"I'd like to not think about that, please", I said firmly. "The more this day trucks on, the harder it gets. So I'd really like it if we don't become all doom and gloom, please and thank you."

The others fell silent, but much to my surprise Galacta hovered over and wrapped one of his wings around me. I closed my eyes and leaned back into the surprisingly soft feathers, soaking up all the warmth I physically could. All the while, Galacta remained silent. Katania ended up snuggling into the other wing, and for a good while all five of us just stayed there relaxing.

"I wish I could've taught you and Gladius proper sword duelling more", Galacta said in a surprising amount of vulnerability. "You two have infinite potential, and I see both of you accomplishing incredible things."

"Thanks, Galacta…" I mumbled. "I wish we had more time for that too. Just from the few fights you've been in since joining us, you were incredible. I hope we get a chance again sometime…"

"I hope so too. But for now, just relax. No matter what the future holds, I will always cherish what you've done for me."

I nodded absentmindedly, spacing out as the lavender coloured feathers tickled my neck.

~X~

Star was idly bouncing a ball off her wand like a paddle ball, while Marco and Katania nearly finished up their packing. I clicked the suitcase I was working on closed, and then made my way over to her.

"How are you holding up, Star?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Surviving, if that's what matters. Just… a lot's been on my mind."

"I bet." I sat down next to her. "Talk to me."

"It's just…" She began. "I saw my future. The way it was supposed to go without you guys. But now I do know. I know about Eclipsa, and Mina, and Toffee, and my mom betraying me, and all of it! How am I supposed to go home and keep a straight face despite knowing all of this?"

I cocked my head to the side. "Well, why not carve your own path? Now that you know what was supposed to happen, what's stopping you from just saying 'screw it' and doing what you want?"

"He's right, Star", Marco said loudly, earning our attention. "We can stop everything bad from happening. We can right the wrongs of the MHC, of your family's history, all of it. Nothing is stopping us from teaming up with the others to make things right."

"But… what happens if we destroy the universe?" Star's eyes widened in panic. "That'd be so much worse!"

"That couldn't happen", Gladius suddenly said. We all looked up as he lazily hovered around the top of the room. "Your show has already run its course, so there is a version of it that exists where everything goes to plan, so wanting to go down a different path when you get home is perfectly fine."

"See?" Marco faced his best friend. "So that means we can stay the unstoppable duo who travels dimensions and get into magic filled adventures with no worry."

"Do it, Star", Katania encouraged. "Break the rules! That's why you hated Saint Olga's so much, right?"

The Mewman Princess fell silent as she thought it over. "You know what… you're right! I am Star Butterfly, and my home is Echo Creek! Monsters, prepared to be saved!"

That made all of us burst out into cheers, my own cheer being the loudest. Star was back, and I couldn't be happier.

~X~

Hilda was struggling to pack up everything she had accumulated over the course of our long and chaotic journey. She had three suitcases, but as me and Kat helped her load them up, we were wondering if a fourth suitcase was needed.

"Jeez Hilda, why do you have so much stuff?" I grunted as I struggled to close the final suitcase.

"I had to get mum, David and Frida stuff", she defended. "It didn't feel right to just not get them something."

"Hey, I don't blame you Hilda, don't worry", Katania reassured. "We just feel like you went a bit overboard.

The blue-haired adventurer smiled sheepishly, as Alfur laughed from his spot on the vanity. "I told you they would complain, Hilda. You shouldn't have bought that complete art set for Johanna."

Twig barked in agreement, which made the Trolberg adventurer pout.

I snickered then grunted one last time as I finally closed the final suitcase. I was still careful as to not accidentally break anything. With that finished, I dusted my hands together and went over towards Katania. She was sitting on the couch with Maple, so I joined her swiftly and relaxed.

"Don't worry about all this, Hilda", I told her, gesturing towards the three packed suitcases. "If Fredrick were around, I'd definitely spoil him with every cent I had saved up."

"See? Caleb gets me." Hilda, still pouting with her arms crossed, walked over and sat next to me. "I just felt like they should somewhat know about what I did. Obviously not all the scary stuff, mum would have a heart attack if she heard any of that. But the fun stuff. All the places I saw, the people I met, all that."

"Oh relax, we're just teasing you." I wrapped her in a hug. "Just trying to make ya' smile before the big day."

"Yeah… Tomorrow is it…"

A somewhat dower mood fell over us until Twig hopped up and began a barrage of licks all over my face, which made all of us explode into laughter.

~X~

Majima lazily sat on his couch as Kat and I finished packing up the last of his things. He spun his knife around between his fingers, before sharply stabbing it into the small side table next to the couch. His eye was clouded, and shadows covered his face.

"Kamurocho is going to be hell compared to all of this", the yakuza snarled. "I've been having so much fun, and now I have to go back to a shit hole filled with complete dumbasses."

"It can't be that bad… right?" Kat asked in an unsure tone.

Majima was silent for a moment. "I didn't tell you, but around when you showed up, Caleb-Chan, I was roped up into a tough spot. A rival regime, the Omi, was getting really aggressive. Kiryu-Chan was forced in, and now Omi thugs are prowling around because of everything…"

"That probably explains that group of things we were jumped by after visiting Club SEGA with Vanellope", I said, looking at my sword companion.

"You got lucky", Goro continued. "And right now, I'm not really that excited to head back to the shithole because of all of that."

"Well now you can kick their asses in a different way", Katania said with a surprising amount of fire in her eyes. "You've battled a bunch of planet busting gods and survived timeline shattering events. What's a few dumb thugs compared to that."

There was a beat of silence before Majima erupted into a bunch of explosive laughter. "Holy shit, you are so damn right Katania-Chan. I fucking did so much crazy shit that a few little punks that think they're all high and mighty are nothing."

"Plus, don't forget you're running a construction company", I said with a smile. "You've got a load of employees who'll need their badass boss back so they can keep the site safe from all the lemmings that think trying to take your spotlight is a good idea."

Majima leapt to his feet and let out a maniacal laugh. "Damn straight! I am the Mad Dog of Kamurocho, and no one is gonna take that title from me!"

"Yeah!" Me, Kat and Gladius all roared in excitement.

~X~

It was fairly easy to help Steve get all packed, considering his shulker boxes were just really good for mobile storage. It was nice to have an easy one, even if I wished it was a hassle so it took longer. But, it is what it is.

"It's gonna be fun getting all of this set up at home", the crafter said wistfully. "Plus, it'll be nice to wear something that isn't just my usual blue shirt and pants combo." He gestured to himself dramatically, making me and Katania snort then giggle.

"I get ya', Steve", I said with a cheeky smile. "Being forced to wear that one outfit for my whole trip and needing to rely on Star's magic to keep it washed was… a tactic I did not like in the end. It was absolutely exhausting."

"Man, you guys had it rough", Katania said. "It makes me wish I was there, just so we'd become even. I hate that I barely got to feel what you all went through."

"Nah, it's good you didn't tag along", I said with the wave of my hand. "Without you tagging along, it gave me more reason to make it back. I kept thinking of you, Rainbow, Virus and everyone else as my fuel to keep going. It was… it was nice."

"You were a trooper, Caleb", Gladius complimented. "You had more energy and determination to keep going than most people in a situation like that. Many would have given up at some point."

"There were a lot of points I nearly did", I admitted. "Just decided it wasn't worth moving forward and to just wait to be rescued. Glade that wasn't how things turned out."

"Yeah, you kept on putting one foot in front of the other", Steve said with a happy glint in his eyes. "I know I was crazy proud."

I beamed at him, petting a tired Maple as he rested on my shoulder. "Thanks guys. Hearing that makes me… It makes me grateful I found all of you. You all helped me through so much."

"And remember, no matter what happens, you will always have us."

I nodded and smiled at my creative construction friend. He smiled back, and offered me a piece of cooked chicken. I eagerly took it and munched on it, my heart aching as we reached the end.

~X~

Instead of packing right away, me, Kat and Jenny all laid on her made bed, shoulder to shoulder and staring up at the ceiling. Gladius hovered aimlessly above us all, and Maple looked over us in confusion as he rested on my chest.

"It's going to be weird waking up back home and seeing mom and my sisters", the teenage robot said quietly. "I'll probably half think I somehow had my dream upgrade reinstalled. Although I won't say I've missed it."

I nodded. "A lot of the others have said that. All of us were used to universe jumping and sleeping in a new place every few days that finally being able to settle will be so weird."

"I'm probably gonna hate it after a week", Jenny said bluntly. "I love everyone back at Tremorton, but I've gotten so used to Majima, Flowey, Barranco and Dave's brand of chaos that not having them around will send me through a loop."

"I feel ya', sister", Kat said. "It's gonna be weird not having any other girls around to hang out with."

"Time trucks on…" Gladius mumbled as he looked out the window. I did too, and saw the sky the faintest tint of orange. We did take a break to have a brief lunch earlier before Hilda, but I never would have guessed the day had gone by that quickly.

"I'll really miss you two so much", Jenny sadly whispered. She brought her arms up and wrapped the two of us into a hug. "All of this beats everything else I have ever done. I mean that, really. I… I don't think I'll be okay for a while…"

I moved closer towards her. "Same here, Jenny. Same here…"

We all snuggled close and just enjoyed each other's presence, a gentle silence falling over us. It was… It was too much. I held it in, but I knew I'd crack eventually.

"Always and forever, all of us", I whispered.

"Always and forever…" Jenny, Katania and Gladius whispered back.

~X~

Helping Ralph and Vanellope get fully packed was pretty simple and quick, mainly because they didn't have much with them. I guess being a video game character has more upsides than one would think. The biggest being they never had to really change their clothes at all.

"Well, we're all done", Ralph said as he put the three closed suitcases by the door. "All of us are packed up and ready…" He looked over his shoulder at me. "You okay kid?"

I was sitting at the end of the made bed, a sad Maple on my shoulder and a very silent Vanellope hugged close to my chest. At Ralph's question, I simply hugged Vanny closer and shrugged. "Just… Still trying to process this is actually happening. It's almost all over. I just… I just feel… hollow."

Ralph walked over and sat to my right, while Kat sat to my left. "Yeah… But trust me kid, It'll be okay. We'll… we'll make it through this. No matter what, okay?"

I didn't say a word for a few minutes, simply looking at the floor in misery. "I… I don't know, Ralph. For once, I don't know…"

"C'mon Glasses", Vanellope whispered. "You had us since the beginning. You think we're just gonna give up and let the last two months disappear? Heck no. You brought us along this crazy adventure that was both awesome and scary at the same time." She wiggled out of my arms so she could turn to face me. "You're my bro. And I won't let anything keep us apart."

I took a slow, deep breath. "I know you will. Heads just all over the place right now."

"Which is why I called my dad", Kat said. We all looked at her with blank expressions. "We're going to my special spot before the sun sets, because I feel like we deserve one last view of the city before it's over. We are family, and I want that to stick."

She stood up and began to make her way towards the bedroom door, with Vanellope following after her swiftly. Maple jumped onto the racer's head, leaving me, Gladius and Ralph alone in the room.

"You want to get going, kid?" The wrecker asked.

I looked up at him silently, then nodded without saying a word. Ralph gave me a half smile, and he stood up and stretched. I followed his lead, grabbing a hold of his massive hand for reassurance. Ralph's grip was gentle as he led me towards the door, and I closed my eyes for our final evening together.

~X~

The wind was gentle as our hair whipped around as we all stared out towards the sunset painted city from the hill. The cherry blossom tree's petals danced about as they followed the path of the wind, giving the whole area a sombre, melancholy feeling.

I sat in the dead centre of the group, hugging a scabbard wearing Gladius and Maple close to me. Everyone else was dead silent, faces trying to be stoic but the hints of tears somewhat visible as they glistened in the sunlight.

"So, this is the last time we'll ever see this sunset", Marco said sadly, clearing his throat as it very subtly cracked. "It… It sucks, really. All of you guys have been awesome. So this being our final evening as a whole group…" he trailed off, clearly not having the heart to finish.

Everyone silently nodded in agreement, all of them clearly doing their best to stay calm for my sake. If anything, this was just making me worse, because it showed all of us were emotional wrecks at that point and the slightest breeze would make us all shatter.

Jeremy called to us from the limo, and we knew that was our cue. Everyone began to move down the hill and back to the vehicle like their bones were made of concrete. I remained where I was, simply letting my thoughts stew.

Then, I finally stood up after what felt like an eternity. As I made my way back to the limo, a single tear rolled down my face.

~X~

This is it…

After a collective two years of this, the next chapter is the last of the main plot. It all ends…

…

I hate that… so much…

Hopefully you all loved this journey as much as I have…

Let's do this…

Up next: This incredible journey finally reaches the end, as Caleb, Katania and Gladius are forced to see all their friends off. This was it…

~Caleb~