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Told in present tense. ", "count": "86", "submission_left_submission_id": "2596350", "submission_left_file_name": "3832048_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_p2a7_showdown.rtf", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/3832/3832048_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_p2a7_showdown.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3832/3832048_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_p2a7_showdown.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3832/3832048_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_p2a7_showdown.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "269", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "123", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "91", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "55", "submission_right_submission_id": "2597837", "submission_right_file_name": "3834334_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_intermission_2_rest_aboard_the_ship.rtf", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/3834/3834334_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_intermission_2_rest_aboard_the_ship.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/3834/3834334_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_intermission_2_rest_aboard_the_ship.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/3834/3834334_Rylasasin_stars_of_iron_intermission_2_rest_aboard_the_ship.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "269", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "123", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "91", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "55" } ], "description": "It looks like their loose ends are more or less tied up. So what now?\n\nFor those who don't mind reading ahead, the entirety of Part 2 can be found [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ppeWKO7OygfxUXVwm2U3CCf2hXxWcS6hhAsLAcSGxAA/edit?usp=sharing]here[/url]\n\n[url=https://inkbunny.net/submissionsviewall.php?rid=c6a9fd4348&mode=pool&pool_id=59838&page=1&orderby=pool_order&random=no&success=]Also, obligatory link to the comic itself to which this is a fanfiction of.[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "It looks like their loose ends are more or less tied up. So what now?

For those who don't mind reading ahead, the entirety of Part 2 can be found here

Also, obligatory link to the comic itself to which this is a fanfiction of.", "writing": "[center][b]Act 8: Loose Ends[/b][/center]\nThey arrive back on the dropship. \n\"Just one more loose end to tie up.\" Khaun says as he heads over to the control panel.\nThere is a hiss, and those looking out the window see a missile fly over to the shack and explode, blowing it to pieces and burning what's left. \n\"Was that [i]really[/i] necessary?\" Nine asks as Khaun turns the dropship and gets it moving towards its next destination. Khaun says nothing, and neither does anyone else.\n\nNow everyone is mostly together in a single place, Loona, Shia and Veera specifically. When the Jolteon sees the Shinx she starts hyperventilating and shaking. \nSeeing this, Shia can already tell what is up, that side of him that he was forced to show to her left quite an impression. \"V-Veera...i...\" He took a small step towards her. \n\"No...please...please just...stay away...\" She whimpered and stepped as far away from Shia as possible, to the point that she had her back against the wall. \nLuca can sense that the emotional state of these two is...pretty bad, he doesn't want to get involved in this at all so he looks away as he thinks things are about to get very sentimental...and not in a good way... \n\"...What's wrong?\" The human is curious about what is going on, he understands that Veera must be in an emotional wreck but she wants to be away from her friend?\n\nLoona looks on suspiciously, Nine looks on worriedly, as does Eilumi and Khaun. \nNine especially looks on with worry. He's seen this sort of thing before... and he's been the direct cause of it. He hopes desperately that this does not mean what he thinks it does.\n\n\"L-Loona s-stay away...from him, h-h...e.\" It's clear that she is trying to explain but is getting so afraid that it's getting to a point that she can properly say anything again. \nShia figures that it would be better if he confess already, he knows it will make everyone properly hate him but he deserves it right? \"I...\" he begins to sob. \"I raped Veera...a-and i liked it...\" \n\"...\" Joshua stares at him in silence.\n\nEveryone looks at Shia, Loona looks at him Angrily. She moves towards him, but Nine, having set Brene down when he sensed trouble brewing, quickly moved in front of her. \nKhaun moves to protectively hug Veera, while Eilumi steps in between the two of them. \n\"Loona, no!\" Nine says. \n\"Nine...\" She growls. \n\"This isn't the answer.\" Nine says. \"You remember when I told you about my own backstory? About the facility?\" \n\"I heard damn well, I-\" Loona stops mid sentence when she realizes what it exactly it is he's trying to say. \"Are you... trying to say this is-\" \n\"I've seen and heard this sort of thing first hand before, Loona. Let me handle this.\" \n\"But he-\" \n\"Listen.\" He says to her \"If I'm right about this and if you lash out in anger now, you'll only be giving those three bastards exactly what they wanted. They'll have won in the end. You don't want that, now do you?\"\nLoona goes silent. After a few moments, she gives a humph, and backs off. \n\"You're damn lucky, Shia.\" Loona says as she backs off. \"If this were a week ago, I'd have killed you where you stood.\" \n\"Alright, Alright.\" Eilumi says as he tries to get control of the situation. \"Here's what's going to happen.\" \nHe turns towards Veera. \n\"We'll deliver your friend, er... Brene? To sandstone. Khaun will go with you so you can inform her of her passing. Afterwords, we'll give you a choice on whether you want to stay with us or remain in sandstone. Your choice.\" \nHe turns to Shia. \n\"And as for you... Say your peace. Now.\" He says. \"You have the chance now to do so, and you might not get it again.\"\n\nLoona's words hurt Shia very much, hearing a friend angry at him to such a degree feels very heavy on his heart. He covers his face as he starts tearing up. \"I...i didn't wanted to hurt her, just...\"\n\"Just what?\" Joshua asks. \"You are friends with them. Why would you do that?\"\n\"B...because the world is like that, it's...the wheel...\" The Shinx whimpers. \"He told me that if I spun it I would be happy...\"\n\"What is the wheel?\"\n\"It's...it's the fact that the strong always take what they want from the weak, i didn't wanted to be weak, he said i could be strong if i did that...\" Shia tries to explain. \n\"So you are saying that he put those ideas in your head? Are you trying to shift blame to that Raichu?\"\n\"N-no...\" He shakes his head. \"I know it's my fault...I know i...deserve this...\"\n\n\"Don't worry, Veera. No one's going to hurt you anymore.\" Khaun says to Veera. \"We'll get to the bottom of this, don't worry.\" \n\"Josh.\" Eilumi says to him. \"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I think you should just let Nine handle this. Believe me, he's got personal experience with this sort of thing.\"\n\"You felt helpless, correct?\" Nine asks, in a much calmer tone than the others. \"Like you had no other choice? That this cruel world would not allow you to do otherwise? That they would have done worse had you not complied? So you might as well... indulge and enjoy it? And now... you think you deserve to die. Right?\" \nNine waits for an answer.\n\nLoona meanwhile, still eyes Shia down. She heard Nine's tale when she was still on the ship. It had scared her, and for a moment, had caused her to think ill of Nine. But she'd come to understand him, and respect him, and feel sorry for what he was forced to do.\nAnd now, if nine is right about this, this is no different. \nOr at least, she hopes that's the case. If that's the case, then maybe her friend, the one she spent all this effort trying to save, hasn't been for naught.\nBut at the same time, she can understand Veera at this moment. If it had been her, they would not be able to contain her. She would be doing everything she could to get at him.\nWhile she remained calm on the outside, inside, she was swimming with rage. She needed someone, SOMETHING to blame. Her eyes shifted around, until they landed on a certain lucario...\n\n\"Y...es...\" Shia begins giving his answer. \"It looked like nothing I decided to do would make things any better. R-Rai could have hurt Veera if i didn't do what he said, or hurt me too f-for not doing what he said.\" He looks at Veera and Loona. \"I know...i know that i'm no better than him anymore...if killing me makes you feel better, i...i accept it.\" \nLuca could sense some hostility suddenly being focused on him. He opened one his eyes and looked at Loona, wondering just what she is going to do with this misguided anger of hers.\n\nLoona for now keeps her anger bottled inside. \nHer look softens when she hears Shia's desperate answer. She's still mad, of course. It's not something that can just go away in an instant. But \nShe can only hope nine can be able to help him. And as for Veera.... She hopes that she'll find some sort of closure. She does not know if Veera will want to join them, especially if Nine will do what she thinks he'll do. She hopes that if she chooses to stay behind, the world will be kinder to her than it had been.\n\"Shia.\" Nine says. \"You are exactly. Like....\" He leans in close. \"... Me.\"\n\"We've arrived.\" Khaun announces suddenly. \"We cannot directly go to the city in the dropship, due to the dropship drawing attention. Though we are at a point to where we can beam inside the city.\"\n\n\"Huh...?\" Is Nine saying that he knows what it's like? \"Me...? Like you? why?\"\nAfter hearing all that Shia said, Veera looks like she is less scared of him, not by much but it's a good sign.\n\"Alright then, we should move soon.\" Joshua says to Khaun. He thinks the talk with Nine and the Shinx is about to conclude so that's when they can probably get going. \"Although...we should probably move in a small group to not get the wrong attention. And on second thought it would be better if i don't come, i would rather like if the population of town did not knew i existed...and i'm unable to go invisible right now.\"\n\n\"Very well, I suppose someone has to stay with the dropship.\" Eilumi says. \n\"It's a... long story, Shia. But for now, suffice it to say that I was in a situation very similar to your own.\" Nine begins, but is interrupted. \n\"It will have to wait, Nine.\" Eilumi orders. \"We need to get these things done.\" \nEveryone's attention is on the captain. \n\"Khaun, you seem to have formed a bit of a bond with Veera here, so you be the one to carry her friend's body back to Ara with her.\" \nKhaun nods, and goes over the body and picks it up. Surprisingly, such a small creature is able to lift the lifeless body of Brene. He puts a hand on Veera's shoulders, and they disappear. \n\"As for Loona, Nine, and I...\" expression grows dark. \"... We have some unfinished bacon- er, BUSINESS to attend to here in Sandstone.\" Loona, knowing full well what he's referring to, narrows her eyes, and nods. \"Hopefully it's the last time we have to do ANYTHING in this shithole of a town.\" She says as she comes over to Eilumi, he puts a claw around her, and they disappear in a flash of light as well. \"I apologise Shia, but I must leave you for the moment. As Eilumi has said, there is some unfinished business of Loona's that we must attend to. ... Dark business, business I must insist that none of you have any part of.\" He says to everyone still remaining on board.\n\nFor now Shia is going to be sitting in place to think, feeling a little bit better after all that conversation.\nJoshua turned to Luca. \"And what about you?\" The Lucario opens his eyes. \"Well if there is nothing else...i would like to get going as well.\" \n\nNine pauses. \"Where are you going, Luca?\" Nine says. \"And might I remind you that you cannot enter or leave without one of the crew to hang onto? It's a good thing I hadn't teleported out just yet.\" \n---- \nKhuan, with Brene's body, as well as Eilumi and Loona, teleport to an all too familiar spot. At least for the latter: That half-built building where they first met Loona. It seems they've selected this out of the way area as a convenient teleport spot. \n\"Ugh, what's the holdup, Nine?\" Eilumi grumbles, while Loona looks similarly annoyed. \nKhaun meanwhile, nods to Veera. They have their own business to attend to,likewise unpleasant for a completely different reason. \n\"Lead me to the bar.\" He says to Veera. \"I wasn't there myself last time we were here. Eilumi was, so I wouldn't know where it is.\"\n\n\"Nowhere in particular, just back to my guild.\" Luca shrugs. \"So if there isn't anything else you need from me, there is little point for me to stay around but...there is something i would like to ask of you. You see how bad things are here, i still think that you can help us. It would be very good if you could visit my guild.\" \n--- \nVeera is thinking about what she is going to say to Ara, giving these bad news is going to be hard? \"Huh...?\" She realized that Eilumi spoke to her just now. \"Oh, yes of course...\" She went outside to see which part of town they are on.\n\n\"We should probably do that together instead of separate like this.\" Nine says. \"And it might be good for us to sort out these other problems first. Especially considering what we intend to do to a certain pignite in another guild here.\"\n--- \nKhaun nods to her, and follows her. It's a solemn mood, both this and knowing what the rest of his pack intend to do to a certain walking talking pork butt. He decides to try to attempt conversation. \n\"Were.... Were you close?\" Khaun asks Veera now that they're mostly alone.\n\n\"hhhmm...Fine.\" So he wait around some more. \n----- \n\"Well...the number of people in this town that were nice to me are very few, she is one of them.\" Veera explains. \"Our first meeting was helping me get up on my feet after one of the costumers at the bar forced himself on me, she hit him pretty hard for that too...She wanted to get out of here for quite some time but there was contract with a noble that she couldn't break.\"\n\n\"Thank you for understanding.\" Nine says as he disappears. \"There you are, Nine.\" Eilumi grumbles. \"We were beginning to think you weren't coming.\" \"Eh, just had to make sure that Luca stayed on the ship for a while.\" Nine replies. \"I don't think he should be included in what we're about to do.\" \nLoona just huffs. She still blames Luca for delaying them. If he hadn't, Veera and Shia might not have- \nNo. They have other things to worry about now. They have one last loose end to tie up. One last piece of revenge to get. \nTheir collective thoughts grow dark as they make their way to the Sandstone Guild. They have some pork to pull. \n--- \n\"Yes, we've seen their rather... unhelpful nature first hand.\" Khaun says as he followed her. \"I've mentioned before how we were trying to find you. The citizens... weren't of much help. To say nothing about what the local Guild here did to Loona.\" He sighs.\n\nWhen they arrive there they see that pokemon who sexually assaulted Loona when she came asking to join the guild, the Pignite. But he seems to be sleeping with his back leaning against the wall. \n--- \n\"Yeah...they really do not like meeting new pokémon.\" She sighs. \"I think we aren't too far now, this place feels pretty familiar.\"\n\n\"Wake up, fat ass!\" Loona yells as she approaches with Eilumi and Nine. \n --- \n\"Okay. I will remain here.\" He says. He puts the body down for a moment, to retrieve what it is he's been hanging onto. Her badge. He gives it to her. \"I do not think it would be a good idea to bring the body inside.\"\n\nThat wakes him up. \"Huh?!\" He looks at Loona and these other pokémon he has never seen before. \"What in the drought is this?\" He growls. \"Oh, I see how it is. I didn't expect someone like you to have 'friends'. You think you can scare me with bigger numbers or something?\" Even with all this it seems like he is still adamant about being an asshole. \n--- \nVeera takes the badge, holding it very carefully. Just looking at it is making her heart feel heavy. \"...Alright.\" She is telling herself to hold it together now. \"I'm...i'm okay, i will go in now.\" And with that said she leaves the Avali waiting out there while she makes her way into the bar.\n\n\"Well, they found me, in a manner of speaking.\" Loona says. Nine's visor changes from his normal black/blue to the 'demonic' red/black. \"Since it's obvious why we're here, Why don't we just get to the point?\" Eilumi says, cracking his knuckles. \nLoona attacks from the front with fury swipes. Eilumi jumps high, and does a falling drop kick from the top. They haven't used their weapons... [i]Yet[/i], they want this asshole to [i]feel[/i] it. \n--- \nKhaun waits outside, once again holding the body in his arms. \n--- \n\"Oh! Verra! Your back!\" Ara greets her cheerfully. However, her mood suddenly darkens when she feels the waves of sadness surrounding Veera. \"Veera, what's wrong?\" She asks. \"W... Where's Brene?\"\n\nThe Pignite got his arms to defend himself somewhat from Loona's Fury Swipes, but Eilumi's attack from above hit's straight on and it leaves him pretty mad. \n\"Why you LITTLE BITCH!\" He shouted as he cloaked one of his hands in fire to try to deliver a Fire Punch to the the Avali. \n--- \nWhat was she going to say to the Abra? Well, Veera didn't knew what to say to say. But she shows the badge and says something that should be more than enough to clue her in. \"I...i'm really sorry Ara...\"\n\nThe avali dodges the fire punch, a frown on his face as he does so. If there's one thing Avalis hate, it's fire, being from an iceball world. Fortunately for him, his dodging skills are on point. \nThis open gives Loona an opening for a Headbutt, while Eilumi simultaneously goes in for his own slashing punch. \n-------- \nAra sees the badge. It doesn't take mind reading to figure out what's going on here. \"No....\" She says softly. The next one is not so soft. \"NOOOO!!!\" She wails, tears coming to her eyes as she takes the badge from her. This causes everyone in the bar to stop what their doing, and look at them. But she is beyond caring, as she sobs. Hot tears flow from her eyes, and snot runs from her sinuses. \n\"I told her.\" She cries. \"I told her that this guild business was going to get her killed. I told her... I TOLD HER!!\"\n\nTogether they are capable of overwhelming him well enough! After that Headbutt and that punch he got knocked down to the ground, but is still very much conscious and is going to get back up if given the chance. \n--- \nSeeing her crying like this makes the Jolteon start feeling tears of her own running down her cheeks. She looks down and contemplates if things could have gone different somehow, but what happened can not really be changed. \"...I...i did not wanted to leave her there so...i-i brought her back...\"\n\nUnfortunately for the pignite, he doesn't get that chance. For it is now that he's picked up by the protogen, being held onto by his back. Nine stares him in the face. \n\"For what you've done to Miss Loona, for what you've no doubt done to countless others, for all the harm you might yet do....\" \nHe ignores the Pignites pleas/taunts/etc \n\"I... must...\" He lifts the Pignite over his head. \n[b]\"BREAK YOU!!\"[/b] Nine throws the pignite down, onto his metallic knee. \nPignite's spine breaks, like being hit in the back with a Iron large mace or hammer.\n---- \n\"I....\" Ara says. \"Thank you. You... you did the right thing by bring her back to me.\" Ara sniffles. She goes outside, presumably with Veera in tow. Khaun looks at the strange creature approaching him. He can only assume from the tears and expression that this is Ara. He offers the body to Ara, who wordlessly takes it.\nNormally she might question what this creature is, do more mind reading. Or even offer a bit of backroom 'fun'. But now? She doesn't even bother. \n\"Thank you, Khaun.\" She says. Khaun is very confused as to how she knows his name, but says nothing. \n\"Do you intend to bury her here?\" Khaun asks instead. \n\"Yes.\" She sniffles. \n\"Would you... like company?\" She senses this question is genuine concern, not some form of hit-on. Nonetheless, she shakes her head.\n\"No.\" Ara says. \"I... I wish to be alone with her. One last time.\" She pauses. \"I appreciate the thought, though.\" \nShe turns, about to head back inside, when she says one more thing. \"Khaun?\" She says weakly. \"... Take care of her.\" She nods slightly towards Veera. \nBefore Khaun or Veera can reply, she vanishes into the air with a pop, along with the body of Brene.\n\nThe noise of the pig's spine snapping was very audible, the resulting screams of pain that leaves his mouth even more so, he looks like he is in absolute agony right now. It would perhaps be best to leave in case someone inside the guild might be hearing all the noise he is making. \n--- \nVeera had followed the Abra out in silence, and listened to everything she had to say. And after all was said and done and she teleported away, the Jolteon couldn't help but cry harder, with audible sobbing.\n\nLoona goes over to the Pignite, spear in hand, she points it at the pignite's neck. \nShe says no words, everyone looks at her. She holds it as she sees his eyes, those pain filled, scared for his life eyes. \nShe lowers the spear. \n\"... No.\" She says slowly. \"... There's been enough death on this day. And besides... There are worse fates than death.\" \n\"Like becoming a cripple in a guild that only values you for your physical abilities as an asset?\" Eilumi says. \n\"Yes. Exactly.\" Loona says darkly. \nEilumi is about to deliver a speech about protecting the weak, but noise inside the guild causes him to cut his speech short. \n\"We should beam back to the dropship. Now.\" Eilumi says. Loona nods. She got... most of what she wanted here. \nShe hugs Eilumi, and the three of them vanish, and reappear back in the dropship. \n------- \nKhaun wraps a feathered arm around Veera, he pats her back. He says nothing, as there's nothing really to say, the only thing to do is to be here.\n\nVery also hugs Khaun, feeling relief that there is someone here for her at this time.\n\nHe continues to hug her for a while. Finally, he says something. \n\"Is... Is there anything else to do here?\" He asks, followed by a more important question. \"Veera... Do you want to stay here? Or come back with us?\"\n\n\"Wait...go with you? Where?\"\n\n\"Back to the ship with us, of course.\" Khaun says. \"To space. With me, Loona, and the rest.\"\n\nShe was just thinking about asking Loona if she was okay with that. \"Oh, Loona is going with you?\"\n\n\"But of course!\" Khaun replies. \"... Look, I don't know all of what you've been through, but from what you've said, it sounds like this world has not treated you the best either. If you come with us, I can guarantee you'll have a better life with us. As a part of our pack. But, it's your choice, Veera. I for one, would be glad to have you with us, but if you have a reason to stay here, or go back to the maze, then... I understand.\"\nHe pauses for a bit. \n\"If you're unsure, you can come back with us for now, and if you change your mind later, we'll return you to this world, to the place of your choosing.\"\n\nShe has been with Loona for quite a while, she wouldn't want to separate from her, and now they seem to be getting a chance to go live somewhere better. \"Well.....if Loona trusts you that much and as her mind set on it, then i think i want to come too.\" She thinks for a moment, remembering someone. \"B-but, i think there is still someone in here that i would at least want to say goodbye to before going through with that.\"\n\n\"Alright. Lead the way.\" Khaun nods.\n\nIgon is tending to the store. Unfortunately, it's not doing so well, he'll have to close permanently soon. But, such has been his luck ever since that fateful day in the guild. \nHis doorbell rings as a customer walks through.\n\"Hello, welcome to-\" He stops mid sentence when he sees who it is. \"Oh, uh, hello Veera.\" He says uncomfortably. \"You're back, I take it you were-\" He stops mid sentence again when he notices her sorrowful look. \"What... What's wrong?\"\nHe looks at Khaun.\n\"And who is this?\" He asks.\n--- \nIn the mean time, Loona, Eilumi, and Nine return to the dropship. \nLoona looks over at Shia. She doesn't look angry like she did before, but she doesn't anything either. \nEilumi says nothing either, he's just waiting for Khaun to finish his business. \nNine on the other hand, goes over to him. \n\"Now that this bit of unpleasantness is out of the way, where were we?\"\n\n\"Hey Igon...this is a friend i met today, he saved my life.\" She sighs. \"I'm sorry i look like this, just...a lot happened today.\"\n---\n\"Oh, you are back.\" The Lucario commented.\n\"You...were going tell me what you meant when you said you were are like me, right?\" Shia asked Nine.\n\n\"Oh, well, in that case... my sash's off to you... uh....\" Igon pauses, since Veera didn't introduce his name.\n \"Khaun.\" He just says his name. He feels no need to give the extended version. \n\"Khaun. Odd name.\" Igon comments. \"So... what happened, Veera? Were you able to save your friend? And what do you mean by he saved your life?\" \nKhaun, not wanting to cause her further distress with having to explain the situation, steps forward. \n\"Igon... Do you know of her friend, the guild member that goes by the name of 'Brene'?\" \n\"Yes, yes I do.\" Igon says. \"I helped her out of a situation once. So, I had Veera here call in my favor for her. Why?\" \nKhaun looks to the floor as he speaks. \n\"Brene.... has died.\" Khaun sighs sadly. \"The Raichu with Iron that she fought against... he stabbed her in the chest.\" \n\"No....\" Igon gasps, tears coming to his own eyes. Another friend has perished to the rot known as Iron. \n\"We arrived too late to save her.\" Khaun informs him. \"We were only able to save Veera and her friend from them.\" \nIgon is silent for a moment. \n\"Wait, 'we'?\" Igon asks. \"Yes, My pack and I. The rest of my pack had... other business to attend to here in the city. Don't ask about it, by the way, it's best if you don't ask.\" \nIgon knew that kind of talk. It's the kind of talk that ended up with someone dead or very hurt. Hopefully, someone that deserved it. He decides not to prod further, just in case anyone asks. Besides, he has other things on the mind anyway. \n\"Is...\" Igon says slowly. \"Is the bastard that killed her dead?\" \n\"He is. As is the one who presumably helped him kill her.\" Khaun informs him. \"We have just returned her body to her friend, Ara.\" \n\"Good. Then, I hope her soul can rest easy, at least.\" Igon sighs. \nThere is an awkward silence. \n\"Veera....\" Igon sighs. \"Forgive me. This is my fault. I was a coward. When you asked for my help, I should have come with you instead of passing the buck to Brene. If I hadn't, none of this would have happened.\"\n\"She wouldn't have died, and perhaps you wouldn't have been forced to become a Jolteon. It's all my fault.\" Igon sighs. \n---- \n\"Right.\" Nine says. He begins to recall the story of his time in the miniknog to Shia, while they wait for Khaun to finish his business with Veera.\n\n\"Don't say that Igon...\" She shakes her head. \"You don't have to apologize for that either. And given how things went down if you died in her place I wouldn't not be feeling any better...And honestly i'm getting used to how my body is now.\" And now to talk about that goodbye. \"And i just wanted to swing by to say...that me and my friends think it's better to go live somewhere else, somewhere where there aren't all of these...horrible things happening all the time. I just can't take this place anymore...\" \n--- \nShia listened to his story. He has to admit the Protogen was being honest when he said it would sound like a situation similar to his.\n\n\"I... I see. So this is goodbye, then?\" \nHe gets up from the desk, wanders over to the jolteon, and gives her a hug. For once, he's able to keep his penis down when he's around her. Perhaps, the pain of losing Brene outmatches his usual perverted horniness. \nKhaun just stands by, silently. \n---- \n\"So you see, I can understand you, Shia. We were both forced into 'spinning a wheel' as it were. I know you can't erase the past any more than I can, but no, you don't deserve to die. That will accomplish nothing. Instead, you can work towards redemption, as I do every day of my life.\" He says to him, calmly and with understanding. \nLuca already has heard of Nine's backstory, having been told that back at the brain scanner, but this is the first time Josh heard of it. \n\n\"I guess.\" The Jolteon gives back a hug of her own. Though she thinks for a moment, since she is going somewhere better, hopefully, she hopes Khaun is okay with this idea she just had. \"You...you don't wanna come too, Igon?\" \n--- \n\"And...you think i can do it?\" Shia sounds a little doubtful. \"I don't know, Nine...I...I'm not sure what I can do to atone for what I did...\" \nJoshua felt disgust about these miniknog that Nine talked about. At first when they met Joshua thought that Nine was 'just a machine' serving the two Avali, but by sticking around with them for a moment he easily came to realize that the Protogen has genuine free will and emotion that was embraced. Hearing all of this just reinforces this for him even more.\n\nIgon thinks about the idea... but he sighs. \n\"I'm sorry, but... no.\" Igon says sadly. \"I wish you and your friends the best, of course, and I can understand why you'd leave. But... I just can't. It's hard to explain, but... I just can't.\" \nHe looks towards Khaun as he lets go of her. \n\"Khaun... I don't know who you are, or even what you are, but I hope you are able to take care of her. She's been through a lot, and she deserves someone to care for her. That someone that... can't be me.\" Igon says. \n\"... I understand.\" Khaun says back sadly. \"And we will.\"\n---- \n\"I absolutely think you can.\" Nine says in response. \"I believe in you.\" \"And I think so too, kid.\" Eilumi chips in as well.\n\n\"That is alright, I understand...\" Veera gives him a nod. \"Although Ara has not been feeling very well after she heard the news. If you are still going to be around here, take of her okay...?\" \n----\nFor the first time since these last days, Shia smiles a little bit. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try to make things right for what did but...he does wonder if they are going to be together still, what if Veera wants to leave them?\n\n\"I will.\" Igon says to her sadly. \"I promise to look after her. In fact... it's part of the reason I can't leave. If I leave with you, then she'll have no one.\" \n--- \n\"Don't worry kid.\" Eilumi says. \"you'll be alright.\"\n\nShe had thought about this though, and has to amid that on the other hand at least Igon will be besides Ara. \"That's alright. Just knowing that you will stay with her makes me feel at easy.\" She smiles. \"...i need to get going now. I wish you the best, Igon, i really do.\" \n--- \n\"A-alright, i will do it, i'm gonna...try to make up for what i did...!\"\n\n\"You take care of yourselves.\" Igon says. \nKhaun nods, and follows Veera out the door. \"Is there anything else?\" Khaun asks. \n---- \n\"That's the spirit.\" Eilumi says. Nine smiles while he nods. \nIt's easy to miss, but even Loona flashes him a very small smile, before returning to her normal thoughts. Maybe things won't be as bad as she thought. It'll be a tough road, but if Shia's truly willing to make up for it somehow, and with her new friends helping, perhaps she can grant him the benefit of the doubt as well.\n\nThere is someone else that she would like to say goodbye to but...getting back on that castle after all that happened isn't something that is going to happen. The Jolten sighs. \"No...we can go now.\"\n----\n\"What about Veera though?\" Joshua asks. \"It doesn't look like it only takes seeing you for her to start panicking.\"\n\"Well i....i...\" Shia has been wondering if Veera will ever forgive him for what he did. Because the human might not be wrong, what if she doesn't stand his presence anymore?\n\n\"Alright. Hang onto me and hold on.\" Khaun instructs. \n--- \n\"All in good time.\" Eilumi says in response.\n\nShe hangs on to him so they can teleport. \n--- \n\"Alright then.\" Joshua nods. \"So after you are done here, what are you all going to do?\" \"I'm going back to my guild...i have quite a lot to talk with my guildmaster.\" Luca replied.\n\n\"Well, I do plan on joining you.\" Eilumi says. \"But if it's alright, I'd like to return to our ship for a while. For a little R and R... a lot happened, you'll have to understand-\" Khaun and Veera return just as they're about to have that conversation. \"Welcome back Khaun. And Veera.\" Eilumi Says. Eilumi gives a nod as well.\n\n\"Yeah I understand. I will be waiting for you there, you go northwest from town and you will find it it's entrance.\" The Lucario explained. \"Now may I ask to be removed from here?\" There isn't a door he can use after all. \nOh, she arrived just now huh? right when Shia was thinking about his situation with her. He thinks about saying something but he can already see she is wary of him being near her. \nBut all things considered it doesn't look like the Jolteon is having a panic attack, she does not want to get close to him but at least she is okay with him being at this distance. \"....Shia.\" She says. \nHe looks to her. \"Y....yes...?\" \n\"Are you going to come too?\" She asks. That catches him by surprise, is she talking about what he thinks she is talking about? \"H-huh?\"\n\n\"Yes, yes he is.\" Nine answers for him. \"Do not worry, he will mostly be spending his time around me.\" \n\"Oh, right.\" Eilumi says, grabbing onto Luca. \"Actually, I will accompany you for just a while to see where it's located. So once we've rested up we'll know where it is.\" \nThey vanish, and they appear back at the dropoint. \n\"Oh...\" Eilumi adds as they arrive on the drop point. \"And if you come across an injured Pignite guildie... pay him no mind. He 100% deserved it.\"\n\n\"That is good to know, Loona too right? So despite everything we are all going to be together again.\" She says, sounding a bit happy at that fact. \n\"Y-yeah...listen Veera, i...\" The Shinx doesn't know what to say, his mind still can't move on. \nShe sighs. \"Can we not talk about this right now Shia? please...?\" She really needs a break right now. \nHe stops himself from speaking further. \"O-okay...\" \n---- \nLuca looks down at Eilumi. \"...a Pignite guildie from around here? You mean the one from the Sandstone Guild?\"\n\nNine puts a hand on Shia's shoulder. \"All in good time.\" He repeats.\n ----- \n\"Yyyeeaaahhhh... why? He's not a friend of yours, is he?\" Eilumi says a bit nervously.\n\n\"A-alright.\" Shia nods to Nine.\n ---- \n\"No, i'm not friends with anyone outside my guild, and especially not with scum.\" The Lucario shrugged and turned around to leave and head for his guild. He waits for Eilumi to follow, of course. \"I don't know what reason was picked for what befell him but in the end it is a good thing.\"\n\n\"He raped Loona.\" Eilumi growled slightly as he follows him. \"Are all the members of that guild scum like him? Or was it just him?\" He also inquires.\n\n\"Was he very open with those intentions?\"\n\n\"Yes, yes he was.\" Eilumi replies.\n\n\"Then yes, they very likely are. If he went about doing all of it without fear of repercussions from his own guild it means that Sandstone is very rotten.\" \nNow it comes the time for them to pass through the town's gate. It only took the guards taking a look at the golden oval shape with the blue wing and the red wing that is Luca's guild badge for them to just let them through with no questions asked.\n\nThey do however give Eilumi a few questioning looks, but seeing he's with an ace guild member, they decide it's best not to ask questions they really should not. \nOnce he's sure that they're clear of any prying ears, he speaks again. \n\"That does however bring up another issue for your guild's... long term plans. What exactly you intend to do about these guilds once you accomplish your goal. To put it bluntly, they will be an obstacle towards any future you hope to build. Obviously we would need to more brainscans from more 'mons from other parts of the world to confirm this, but I would suspect this is not simply a local problem.\"\n\nHe nods. \"You are right, it's not a local problem. As for the long term plans...those are what the guild master makes, planning and calculating like only someone like him can. He can answer those questions better than I ever could. But he has a plan, and he has been gathering the pieces to enact it and putting them in place for a long time now.\"\n\n\"I see...\" Eilumi says as they continue their journey.\n\nHe kept guiding Eilumi to the northwest, it's a bit of a streak through the desert until they spot a cave that seems to be guarded by some pokémon.\n\n\"It's right there.\" Luca points to it.\n\n\"Okay. We'll take about an hour or two for our guests to recoup from their ordeal, then we'll come back\" Eilumi says. \"Tell your guild master to expect us. If you need proof...\" He hands Luca his short sword \"Show them this.\"\n\nHe carefully took the weapon and looked at it, wondering if it's better than one his current swords. \"Alright then, i will do that.\"\n\n\"Very well.\" Eilumi teleports away, and back to the Dropship. \n\"Okay, we are set now.\" Eilumi says as he returns to the dropship. He goes over to the controls, and steers the dropship up into the sky, it rises very quickly, and into space. A large white strangely shaped object appears in view as they head for it. \n\"I wonder how Spark is doing up there by himself?\" Loona says aloud.\n\nWith Eilumi gone, the Lucario turns to the entrance of his guild and went to it. After getting in he navigates down the cave system until he got inside a dark chamber with a table in the middle. \nLuca approaches the table. \"Guildmaster, I know you are here...I have an urgent report to make.\n I apologize for intruding like this but...\" He looks to the side, noticing a pair glowing blue eyes staring at him.\n \"Ah, Luca. You were taking longer than expected to come back, I was beginning to worry about you.\" An echoing voice speaks. \"...However you seemed to have come in empty-handed from your last job, care to explain?\" \nThe response that Luca's give is stabbing the weapon the Avali gave him right into the table. when that pair of glowing eyes in the dark laid their sights upon it, they went wide. \n---- \n\"I hope he is alright, and that he hasn't touched anything dangerous come to think of it...\" Joshua commented. He then looked at that large white object. \"Huh? What is that?\"\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Act 8: Loose Ends

They arrive back on the dropship.
"Just one more loose end to tie up." Khaun says as he heads over to the control panel.
There is a hiss, and those looking out the window see a missile fly over to the shack and explode, blowing it to pieces and burning what's left.
"Was that really necessary?" Nine asks as Khaun turns the dropship and gets it moving towards its next destination. Khaun says nothing, and neither does anyone else.

Now everyone is mostly together in a single place, Loona, Shia and Veera specifically. When the Jolteon sees the Shinx she starts hyperventilating and shaking.
Seeing this, Shia can already tell what is up, that side of him that he was forced to show to her left quite an impression. "V-Veera...i..." He took a small step towards her.
"No...please...please just...stay away..." She whimpered and stepped as far away from Shia as possible, to the point that she had her back against the wall.
Luca can sense that the emotional state of these two is...pretty bad, he doesn't want to get involved in this at all so he looks away as he thinks things are about to get very sentimental...and not in a good way...
"...What's wrong?" The human is curious about what is going on, he understands that Veera must be in an emotional wreck but she wants to be away from her friend?

Loona looks on suspiciously, Nine looks on worriedly, as does Eilumi and Khaun.
Nine especially looks on with worry. He's seen this sort of thing before... and he's been the direct cause of it. He hopes desperately that this does not mean what he thinks it does.

"L-Loona s-stay away...from him, h-h...e." It's clear that she is trying to explain but is getting so afraid that it's getting to a point that she can properly say anything again.
Shia figures that it would be better if he confess already, he knows it will make everyone properly hate him but he deserves it right? "I..." he begins to sob. "I raped Veera...a-and i liked it..."
"..." Joshua stares at him in silence.

Everyone looks at Shia, Loona looks at him Angrily. She moves towards him, but Nine, having set Brene down when he sensed trouble brewing, quickly moved in front of her.
Khaun moves to protectively hug Veera, while Eilumi steps in between the two of them.
"Loona, no!" Nine says.
"Nine..." She growls.
"This isn't the answer." Nine says. "You remember when I told you about my own backstory? About the facility?"
"I heard damn well, I-" Loona stops mid sentence when she realizes what it exactly it is he's trying to say. "Are you... trying to say this is-"
"I've seen and heard this sort of thing first hand before, Loona. Let me handle this."
"But he-"
"Listen." He says to her "If I'm right about this and if you lash out in anger now, you'll only be giving those three bastards exactly what they wanted. They'll have won in the end. You don't want that, now do you?"
Loona goes silent. After a few moments, she gives a humph, and backs off.
"You're damn lucky, Shia." Loona says as she backs off. "If this were a week ago, I'd have killed you where you stood."
"Alright, Alright." Eilumi says as he tries to get control of the situation. "Here's what's going to happen."
He turns towards Veera.
"We'll deliver your friend, er... Brene? To sandstone. Khaun will go with you so you can inform her of her passing. Afterwords, we'll give you a choice on whether you want to stay with us or remain in sandstone. Your choice."
He turns to Shia.
"And as for you... Say your peace. Now." He says. "You have the chance now to do so, and you might not get it again."

Loona's words hurt Shia very much, hearing a friend angry at him to such a degree feels very heavy on his heart. He covers his face as he starts tearing up. "I...i didn't wanted to hurt her, just..."
"Just what?" Joshua asks. "You are friends with them. Why would you do that?"
"B...because the world is like that, it's...the wheel..." The Shinx whimpers. "He told me that if  I spun it I would be happy..."
"What is the wheel?"
"It's...it's the fact that the strong always take what they want from the weak, i didn't wanted to be weak, he said i could be strong if i did that..." Shia tries to explain.
"So you are saying that he put those ideas in your head? Are you trying to shift blame to that Raichu?"
"N-no..." He shakes his head. "I know it's my fault...I know i...deserve this..."

"Don't worry, Veera. No one's going to hurt you anymore." Khaun says to Veera. "We'll get to the bottom of this, don't worry."
"Josh." Eilumi says to him. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I think you should just let Nine handle this. Believe me, he's got personal experience with this sort of thing."
"You felt helpless, correct?" Nine asks, in a much calmer tone than the others. "Like you had no other choice? That this cruel world would not allow you to do otherwise? That they would have done worse had you not complied? So you might as well... indulge and enjoy it? And now... you think you deserve to die. Right?"
Nine waits for an answer.

Loona meanwhile, still eyes Shia down. She heard Nine's tale when she was still on the ship. It had scared her, and for a moment, had caused her to think ill of Nine. But she'd come to understand him, and respect him, and feel sorry for what he was forced to do.
And now, if nine is right about this, this is no different.
Or at least, she hopes that's the case. If that's the case, then maybe her friend, the one she spent all this effort trying to save, hasn't been for naught.
But at the same time, she can understand Veera at this moment. If it had been her, they would not be able to contain her. She would be doing everything she could to get at him.
While she remained calm on the outside, inside, she was swimming with rage. She needed someone, SOMETHING to blame. Her eyes shifted around, until they landed on a certain lucario...

"Y...es..." Shia begins giving his answer. "It looked like nothing I decided to do would make things any better. R-Rai could have hurt Veera if i didn't do what he said, or hurt me too f-for not doing what he said." He looks at Veera and Loona. "I know...i know that i'm no better than him anymore...if killing me makes you feel better, i...i accept it."
Luca could sense some hostility suddenly being focused on him. He opened one his eyes and looked at Loona, wondering just what she is going to do with this misguided anger of hers.

Loona for now keeps her anger bottled inside.
Her look softens when she hears Shia's desperate answer. She's still mad, of course. It's not something that can just go away in an instant. But
She can only hope nine can be able to help him. And as for Veera.... She hopes that she'll find some sort of closure. She does not know if Veera will want to join them, especially if Nine will do what she thinks he'll do. She hopes that if she chooses to stay behind, the world will be kinder to her than it had been.
"Shia." Nine says. "You are exactly. Like...." He leans in close. "... Me."
"We've arrived." Khaun announces suddenly. "We cannot directly go to the city in the dropship, due to the dropship drawing attention. Though we are at a point to where we can beam inside the city."

"Huh...?" Is Nine saying that he knows what it's like? "Me...? Like you? why?"
After hearing all that Shia said, Veera looks like she is less scared of him, not by much but it's a good sign.
"Alright then, we should move soon." Joshua says to Khaun. He thinks the talk with Nine and the Shinx is about to conclude so that's when they can probably get going. "Although...we should probably move in a small group to not get the wrong attention. And on second thought it would be better if i don't come, i would rather like if the population of town did not knew i existed...and i'm unable to go invisible right now."

"Very well, I suppose someone has to stay with the dropship." Eilumi says.
"It's a... long story, Shia. But for now, suffice it to say that I was in a situation very similar to your own." Nine begins, but is interrupted.
"It will have to wait, Nine." Eilumi orders. "We need to get these things done."
Everyone's attention is on the captain.
"Khaun, you seem to have formed a bit of a bond with Veera here, so you be the one to carry her friend's body back to Ara with her."
Khaun nods, and goes over the body and picks it up. Surprisingly, such a small creature is able to lift the lifeless body of Brene. He puts a hand on Veera's shoulders, and they disappear.
"As for Loona, Nine, and I..." expression grows dark. "... We have some unfinished bacon- er, BUSINESS to attend to here in Sandstone." Loona, knowing full well what he's referring to, narrows her eyes, and nods. "Hopefully it's the last time we have to do ANYTHING in this shithole of a town." She says as she comes over to Eilumi, he puts a claw around her, and they disappear in a flash of light as well. "I apologise Shia, but I must leave you for the moment. As Eilumi has said, there is some unfinished business of Loona's that we must attend to. ... Dark business, business I must insist that none of you have any part of." He says to everyone still remaining on board.

For now Shia is going to be sitting in place to think, feeling a little bit better after all that conversation.
Joshua turned to Luca. "And what about you?" The Lucario opens his eyes. "Well if there is nothing else...i would like to get going as well."

Nine pauses. "Where are you going, Luca?" Nine says. "And might I remind you that you cannot enter or leave without one of the crew to hang onto? It's a good thing I hadn't teleported out just yet."
----
Khuan, with Brene's body, as well as Eilumi and Loona, teleport to an all too familiar spot. At least for the latter: That half-built building where they first met Loona. It seems they've selected this out of the way area as a convenient teleport spot.
"Ugh, what's the holdup, Nine?" Eilumi grumbles, while Loona looks similarly annoyed.
Khaun meanwhile, nods to Veera. They have their own business to attend to,likewise unpleasant for a completely different reason.
"Lead me to the bar." He says to Veera. "I wasn't there myself last time we were here. Eilumi was, so I wouldn't know where it is."

"Nowhere in particular, just back to my guild." Luca shrugs. "So if there isn't anything else you need from me, there is little point for me to stay around but...there is something i would like to ask of you. You see how bad things are here, i still think that you can help us. It would be very good if you could visit my guild."
---
Veera is thinking about what she is going to say to Ara, giving these bad news is going to be hard? "Huh...?" She realized that Eilumi spoke to her just now. "Oh, yes of course..." She went outside to see which part of town they are on.

"We should probably do that together instead of separate like this." Nine says. "And it might be good for us to sort out these other problems first. Especially considering what we intend to do to a certain pignite in another guild here."
---
Khaun nods to her, and follows her. It's a solemn mood, both this and knowing what the rest of his pack intend to do to a certain walking talking pork butt. He decides to try to attempt conversation.
"Were.... Were you close?" Khaun asks Veera now that they're mostly alone.

"hhhmm...Fine." So he wait around some more.
-----
"Well...the number of people in this town that were nice to me are very few, she is one of them." Veera explains. "Our first meeting was helping me get up on my feet after one of the costumers at the bar forced himself on me, she hit him pretty hard for that too...She wanted to get out of here for quite some time but there was contract with a noble that she couldn't break."

"Thank you for understanding." Nine says as he disappears. "There you are, Nine." Eilumi grumbles. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming." "Eh, just had to make sure that Luca stayed on the ship for a while." Nine replies. "I don't think he should be included in what we're about to do."
Loona just huffs. She still blames Luca for delaying them. If he hadn't, Veera and Shia might not have-
No. They have other things to worry about now. They have one last loose end to tie up. One last piece of revenge to get.
Their collective thoughts grow dark as they make their way to the Sandstone Guild. They have some pork to pull.
---
"Yes, we've seen their rather... unhelpful nature first hand." Khaun says as he followed her. "I've mentioned before how we were trying to find you. The citizens... weren't of much help. To say nothing about what the local Guild here did to Loona." He sighs.

When they arrive there they see that pokemon who sexually assaulted Loona when she came asking to join the guild, the Pignite. But he seems to be sleeping with his back leaning against the wall.
---
"Yeah...they really do not like meeting new pokémon." She sighs. "I think we aren't too far now, this place feels pretty familiar."

"Wake up, fat ass!" Loona yells as she approaches with Eilumi and Nine.
 ---
"Okay. I will remain here." He says. He puts the body down for a moment, to retrieve what it is he's been hanging onto. Her badge. He gives it to her. "I do not think it would be a good idea to bring the body inside."

That wakes him up. "Huh?!" He looks at Loona and these other pokémon he has never seen before. "What in the drought is this?" He growls. "Oh, I see how it is. I didn't expect someone like you to have 'friends'. You think you can scare me with bigger numbers or something?" Even with all this it seems like he is still adamant about being an asshole.
---
Veera takes the badge, holding it very carefully. Just looking at it is making her heart feel heavy. "...Alright." She is telling herself to hold it together now. "I'm...i'm okay, i will go in now." And with that said she leaves the Avali waiting out there while she makes her way into the bar.

"Well, they found me, in a manner of speaking." Loona says. Nine's visor changes from his normal black/blue to the 'demonic' red/black. "Since it's obvious why we're here, Why don't we just get to the point?" Eilumi says, cracking his knuckles.
Loona attacks from the front with fury swipes. Eilumi jumps high, and does a falling drop kick from the top. They haven't used their weapons... Yet, they want this asshole to feel it.
---
Khaun waits outside, once again holding the body in his arms.
---
"Oh! Verra! Your back!" Ara greets her cheerfully. However, her mood suddenly darkens when she feels the waves of sadness surrounding Veera. "Veera, what's wrong?" She asks. "W... Where's Brene?"

The Pignite got his arms to defend himself somewhat from Loona's Fury Swipes, but Eilumi's attack from above hit's straight on and it leaves him pretty mad.
"Why you LITTLE BITCH!" He shouted as he cloaked one of his hands in fire to try to deliver a Fire Punch to the the Avali.
---
What was she going to say to the Abra? Well, Veera didn't knew what to say to say. But she shows the badge and says something that should be more than enough to clue her in. "I...i'm really sorry Ara..."

The avali dodges the fire punch, a frown on his face as he does so. If there's one thing Avalis hate, it's fire, being from an iceball world. Fortunately for him, his dodging skills are on point.
This open gives Loona an opening for a Headbutt, while Eilumi simultaneously goes in for his own slashing punch.
--------
Ara sees the badge. It doesn't take mind reading to figure out what's going on here. "No...." She says softly. The next one is not so soft. "NOOOO!!!" She wails, tears coming to her eyes as she takes the badge from her. This causes everyone in the bar to stop what their doing, and look at them. But she is beyond caring, as she sobs. Hot tears flow from her eyes, and snot runs from her sinuses.
"I told her." She cries. "I told her that this guild business was going to get her killed. I told her... I TOLD HER!!"

Together they are capable of overwhelming him well enough! After that Headbutt and that punch he got knocked down to the ground, but is still very much conscious and is going to get back up if given the chance.
---
Seeing her crying like this makes the Jolteon start feeling tears of her own running down her cheeks. She looks down and contemplates if things could have gone different somehow, but what happened can not really be changed. "...I...i did not wanted to leave her there so...i-i brought her back..."

Unfortunately for the pignite, he doesn't get that chance. For it is now that he's picked up by the protogen, being held onto by his back. Nine stares him in the face.
"For what you've done to Miss Loona, for what you've no doubt done to countless others, for all the harm you might yet do...."
He ignores the Pignites pleas/taunts/etc
"I... must..." He lifts the Pignite over his head.
"BREAK YOU!!" Nine throws the pignite down, onto his metallic knee.
Pignite's spine breaks, like being hit in the back with a Iron large mace or hammer.
----
"I...." Ara says. "Thank you. You... you did the right thing by bring her back to me." Ara sniffles. She goes outside, presumably with Veera in tow. Khaun looks at the strange creature approaching him. He can only assume from the tears and expression that this is Ara. He offers the body to Ara, who wordlessly takes it.
Normally she might question what this creature is, do more mind reading. Or even offer a bit of backroom 'fun'. But now? She doesn't even bother.
"Thank you, Khaun." She says. Khaun is very confused as to how she knows his name, but says nothing.
"Do you intend to bury her here?" Khaun asks instead.
"Yes." She sniffles.
"Would you... like company?" She senses this question is genuine concern, not some form of hit-on. Nonetheless, she shakes her head.
"No." Ara says. "I... I wish to be alone with her. One last time." She pauses. "I appreciate the thought, though."
She turns, about to head back inside, when she says one more thing. "Khaun?" She says weakly. "... Take care of her." She nods slightly towards Veera.
Before Khaun or Veera can reply, she vanishes into the air with a pop, along with the body of Brene.

The noise of the pig's spine snapping was very audible, the resulting screams of pain that leaves his mouth even more so, he looks like he is in absolute agony right now. It would perhaps be best to leave in case someone inside the guild might be hearing all the noise he is making.
---
Veera had followed the Abra out in silence, and listened to everything she had to say. And after all was said and done and she teleported away, the Jolteon couldn't help but cry harder, with audible sobbing.

Loona goes over to the Pignite, spear in hand, she points it at the pignite's neck.
She says no words, everyone looks at her. She holds it as she sees his eyes, those pain filled, scared for his life eyes.
She lowers the spear.
"... No." She says slowly. "... There's been enough death on this day. And besides... There are worse fates than death."
"Like becoming a cripple in a guild that only values you for your physical abilities as an asset?" Eilumi says.
"Yes. Exactly." Loona says darkly.
Eilumi is about to deliver a speech about protecting the weak, but noise inside the guild causes him to cut his speech short.
"We should beam back to the dropship. Now." Eilumi says. Loona nods. She got... most of what she wanted here.
She hugs Eilumi, and the three of them vanish, and reappear back in the dropship.
-------
Khaun wraps a feathered arm around Veera, he pats her back. He says nothing, as there's nothing really to say, the only thing to do is to be here.

Very also hugs Khaun, feeling relief that there is someone here for her at this time.

He continues to hug her for a while. Finally, he says something.
"Is... Is there anything else to do here?" He asks, followed by a more important question. "Veera... Do you want to stay here? Or come back with us?"

"Wait...go with you? Where?"

"Back to the ship with us, of course." Khaun says. "To space. With me, Loona, and the rest."

She was just thinking about asking Loona if she was okay with that. "Oh, Loona is going with you?"

"But of course!" Khaun replies. "... Look, I don't know all of what you've been through, but from what you've said, it sounds like this world has not treated you the best either. If you come with us, I can guarantee you'll have a better life with us. As a part of our pack. But, it's your choice, Veera. I for one, would be glad to have you with us, but if you have a reason to stay here, or go back to the maze, then... I understand."
He pauses for a bit.
"If you're unsure, you can come back with us for now, and if you change your mind later, we'll return you to this world, to the place of your choosing."

She has been with Loona for quite a while, she wouldn't want to separate from her, and now they seem to be getting a chance to go live somewhere better. "Well.....if Loona trusts you that much and as her mind set on it, then i think i want to come too." She thinks for a moment, remembering someone. "B-but, i think there is still someone in here that i would at least want to say goodbye to before going through with that."

"Alright. Lead the way." Khaun nods.

Igon is tending to the store. Unfortunately, it's not doing so well, he'll have to close permanently soon. But, such has been his luck ever since that fateful day in the guild.
His doorbell rings as a customer walks through.
"Hello, welcome to-" He stops mid sentence when he sees who it is. "Oh, uh, hello Veera." He says uncomfortably. "You're back, I take it you were-" He stops mid sentence again when he notices her sorrowful look. "What... What's wrong?"
He looks at Khaun.
"And who is this?" He asks.
---
In the mean time, Loona, Eilumi, and Nine return to the dropship.
Loona looks over at Shia. She doesn't look angry like she did before, but she doesn't anything either.
Eilumi says nothing either, he's just waiting for Khaun to finish his business.
Nine on the other hand, goes over to him.
"Now that this bit of unpleasantness is out of the way, where were we?"

"Hey Igon...this is a friend i met today, he saved my life." She sighs. "I'm sorry i look like this, just...a lot happened today."
---
"Oh, you are back." The Lucario commented.
"You...were going tell me what you meant when you said you were are like me, right?" Shia asked Nine.

"Oh, well, in that case... my sash's off to you... uh...." Igon pauses, since Veera didn't introduce his name.
 "Khaun." He just says his name. He feels no need to give the extended version.
"Khaun. Odd name." Igon comments. "So... what happened, Veera? Were you able to save your friend? And what do you mean by he saved your life?"
Khaun, not wanting to cause her further distress with having to explain the situation, steps forward.
"Igon... Do you know of her friend, the guild member that goes by the name of 'Brene'?"
"Yes, yes I do." Igon says. "I helped her out of a situation once. So, I had Veera here call in my favor for her. Why?"
Khaun looks to the floor as he speaks.
"Brene.... has died." Khaun sighs sadly. "The Raichu with Iron that she fought against... he stabbed her in the chest."
"No...." Igon gasps, tears coming to his own eyes. Another friend has perished to the rot known as Iron.
"We arrived too late to save her." Khaun informs him. "We were only able to save Veera and her friend from them."
Igon is silent for a moment.
"Wait, 'we'?" Igon asks. "Yes, My pack and I. The rest of my pack had... other business to attend to here in the city. Don't ask about it, by the way, it's best if you don't ask."
Igon knew that kind of talk. It's the kind of talk that ended up with someone dead or very hurt. Hopefully, someone that deserved it. He decides not to prod further, just in case anyone asks. Besides, he has other things on the mind anyway.
"Is..." Igon says slowly. "Is the bastard that killed her dead?"
"He is. As is the one who presumably helped him kill her." Khaun informs him. "We have just returned her body to her friend, Ara."
"Good. Then, I hope her soul can rest easy, at least." Igon sighs.
There is an awkward silence.
"Veera...." Igon sighs. "Forgive me. This is my fault. I was a coward. When you asked for my help, I should have come with you instead of passing the buck to Brene. If I hadn't, none of this would have happened."
"She wouldn't have died, and perhaps you wouldn't have been forced to become a Jolteon. It's all my fault." Igon sighs.
----
"Right." Nine says. He begins to recall the story of his time in the miniknog to Shia, while they wait for Khaun to finish his business with Veera.

"Don't say that Igon..." She shakes her head. "You don't have to apologize for that either. And given how things went down if you died in her place I wouldn't not be feeling any better...And honestly i'm getting used to how my body is now." And now to talk about that goodbye. "And i just wanted to swing by to say...that me and my friends think it's better to go live somewhere else, somewhere where there aren't all of these...horrible things happening all the time. I just can't take this place anymore..."
---
Shia listened to his story. He has to admit the Protogen was being honest when he said it would sound like a situation similar to his.

"I... I see. So this is goodbye, then?"
He gets up from the desk, wanders over to the jolteon, and gives her a hug. For once, he's able to keep his penis down when he's around her. Perhaps, the pain of losing Brene outmatches his usual perverted horniness.
Khaun just stands by, silently.
----
"So you see, I can understand you, Shia. We were both forced into 'spinning a wheel' as it were. I know you can't erase the past any more than I can, but no, you don't deserve to die. That will accomplish nothing. Instead, you can work towards redemption, as I do every day of my life." He says to him, calmly and with understanding.
Luca already has heard of Nine's backstory, having been told that back at the brain scanner, but this is the first time Josh heard of it.

"I guess." The Jolteon gives back a hug of her own. Though she thinks for a moment, since she is going somewhere better, hopefully, she hopes Khaun is okay with this idea she just had. "You...you don't wanna come too, Igon?"
---
"And...you think i can do it?" Shia sounds a little doubtful. "I don't know, Nine...I...I'm not sure what I can do to atone for what I did..."
Joshua felt disgust about these miniknog that Nine talked about. At first when they met Joshua thought that Nine was 'just a machine' serving the two Avali, but by sticking around with them for a moment he easily came to realize that the Protogen has genuine free will and emotion that was embraced. Hearing all of this just reinforces this for him even more.

Igon thinks about the idea... but he sighs.
"I'm sorry, but... no." Igon says sadly. "I wish you and your friends the best, of course, and I can understand why you'd leave. But... I just can't. It's hard to explain, but... I just can't."
He looks towards Khaun as he lets go of her.
"Khaun... I don't know who you are, or even what you are, but I hope you are able to take care of her. She's been through a lot, and she deserves someone to care for her. That someone that... can't be me." Igon says.
"... I understand." Khaun says back sadly. "And we will."
----
"I absolutely think you can." Nine says in response. "I believe in you." "And I think so too, kid." Eilumi chips in as well.

"That is alright, I understand..." Veera gives him a nod. "Although Ara has not been feeling very well after she heard the news. If you are still going to be around here, take of her okay...?"
----
For the first time since these last days, Shia smiles a little bit. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try to make things right for what did but...he does wonder if they are going to be together still, what if Veera wants to leave them?

"I will." Igon says to her sadly. "I promise to look after her. In fact... it's part of the reason I can't leave. If I leave with you, then she'll have no one."
---
"Don't worry kid." Eilumi says. "you'll be alright."

She had thought about this though, and has to amid that on the other hand at least Igon will be besides Ara. "That's alright. Just knowing that you will stay with her makes me feel at easy." She smiles. "...i need to get going now. I wish you the best, Igon, i really do."
---
"A-alright, i will do it, i'm gonna...try to make up for what i did...!"

"You take care of yourselves." Igon says.
Khaun nods, and follows Veera out the door. "Is there anything else?" Khaun asks.
----
"That's the spirit." Eilumi says. Nine smiles while he nods.
It's easy to miss, but even Loona flashes him a very small smile, before returning to her normal thoughts. Maybe things won't be as bad as she thought. It'll be a tough road, but if Shia's truly willing to make up for it somehow, and with her new friends helping, perhaps she can grant him the benefit of the doubt as well.

There is someone else that she would like to say goodbye to but...getting back on that castle after all that happened isn't something that is going to happen. The Jolten sighs. "No...we can go now."
----
"What about Veera though?" Joshua asks. "It doesn't look like it only takes seeing you for her to start panicking."
"Well i....i..." Shia has been wondering if Veera will ever forgive him for what he did. Because the human might not be wrong, what if she doesn't stand his presence anymore?

"Alright. Hang onto me and hold on." Khaun instructs.
---
"All in good time." Eilumi says in response.

She hangs on to him so they can teleport.
---
"Alright then." Joshua nods. "So after you are done here, what are you all going to do?" "I'm going back to my guild...i have quite a lot to talk with my guildmaster." Luca replied.

"Well, I do plan on joining you." Eilumi says. "But if it's alright, I'd like to return to our ship for a while. For a little R and R... a lot happened, you'll have to understand-" Khaun and Veera return just as they're about to have that conversation. "Welcome back Khaun. And Veera." Eilumi Says. Eilumi gives a nod as well.

"Yeah I understand. I will be waiting for you there, you go northwest from town and you will find it it's entrance." The Lucario explained. "Now may I ask to be removed from here?" There isn't a door he can use after all.
Oh, she arrived just now huh? right when Shia was thinking about his situation with her. He thinks about saying something but he can already see she is wary of him being near her.
But all things considered it doesn't look like the Jolteon is having a panic attack, she does not want to get close to him but at least she is okay with him being at this distance. "....Shia." She says.
He looks to her. "Y....yes...?"
"Are you going to come too?" She asks. That catches him by surprise, is she talking about what he thinks she is talking about? "H-huh?"

"Yes, yes he is." Nine answers for him. "Do not worry, he will mostly be spending his time around me."
"Oh, right." Eilumi says, grabbing onto Luca. "Actually, I will accompany you for just a while to see where it's located. So once we've rested up we'll know where it is."
They vanish, and they appear back at the dropoint.
"Oh..." Eilumi adds as they arrive on the drop point. "And if you come across an injured Pignite guildie... pay him no mind. He 100% deserved it."

"That is good to know, Loona too right? So despite everything we are all going to be together again." She says, sounding a bit happy at that fact.
"Y-yeah...listen Veera, i..." The Shinx doesn't know what to say, his mind still can't move on.
She sighs. "Can we not talk about this right now Shia? please...?" She really needs a break right now.
He stops himself from speaking further. "O-okay..."
----
Luca looks down at Eilumi. "...a Pignite guildie from around here? You mean the one from the Sandstone Guild?"

Nine puts a hand on Shia's shoulder. "All in good time." He repeats.
 -----
"Yyyeeaaahhhh... why? He's not a friend of yours, is he?" Eilumi says a bit nervously.

"A-alright." Shia nods to Nine.
 ----
"No, i'm not friends with anyone outside my guild, and especially not with scum." The Lucario shrugged and turned around to leave and head for his guild. He waits for Eilumi to follow, of course. "I don't know what reason was picked for what befell him but in the end it is a good thing."

"He raped Loona." Eilumi growled slightly as he follows him. "Are all the members of that guild scum like him? Or was it just him?" He also inquires.

"Was he very open with those intentions?"

"Yes, yes he was." Eilumi replies.

"Then yes, they very likely are. If he went about doing all of it without fear of repercussions from his own guild it means that Sandstone is very rotten."
Now it comes the time for them to pass through the town's gate. It only took the guards taking a look at the golden oval shape with the blue wing and the red wing that is Luca's guild badge for them to just let them through with no questions asked.

They do however give Eilumi a few questioning looks, but seeing he's with an ace guild member, they decide it's best not to ask questions they really should not.
Once he's sure that they're clear of any prying ears, he speaks again.
"That does however bring up another issue for your guild's... long term plans. What exactly you intend to do about these guilds once you accomplish your goal. To put it bluntly, they will be an obstacle towards any future you hope to build. Obviously we would need to more brainscans from more 'mons from other parts of the world to confirm this, but I would suspect this is not simply a local problem."

He nods. "You are right, it's not a local problem. As for the long term plans...those are what the guild master makes, planning and calculating like only someone like him can. He can answer those questions better than I ever could. But he has a plan, and he has been gathering the pieces to enact it and putting them in place for a long time now."

"I see..." Eilumi says as they continue their journey.

He kept guiding Eilumi to the northwest, it's a bit of a streak through the desert until they spot a cave that seems to be guarded by some pokémon.

"It's right there." Luca points to it.

"Okay. We'll take about an hour or two for our guests to recoup from their ordeal, then we'll come back" Eilumi says. "Tell your guild master to expect us. If you need proof..." He hands Luca his short sword "Show them this."

He carefully took the weapon and looked at it, wondering if it's better than one his current swords. "Alright then, i will do that."

"Very well." Eilumi teleports away, and back to the Dropship.
"Okay, we are set now." Eilumi says as he returns to the dropship. He goes over to the controls, and steers the dropship up into the sky, it rises very quickly, and into space. A large white strangely shaped object appears in view as they head for it.
"I wonder how Spark is doing up there by himself?" Loona says aloud.

With Eilumi gone, the Lucario turns to the entrance of his guild and went to it. After getting in he navigates down the cave system until he got inside a dark chamber with a table in the middle.
Luca approaches the table. "Guildmaster, I know you are here...I have an urgent report to make.
 I apologize for intruding like this but..." He looks to the side, noticing a pair glowing blue eyes staring at him.
 "Ah, Luca. You were taking longer than expected to come back, I was beginning to worry about you." An echoing voice speaks. "...However you seemed to have come in empty-handed from your last job, care to explain?"
The response that Luca's give is stabbing the weapon the Avali gave him right into the table. when that pair of glowing eyes in the dark laid their sights upon it, they went wide.
----
"I hope he is alright, and that he hasn't touched anything dangerous come to think of it..." Joshua commented. He then looked at that large white object. "Huh? What is that?"
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