Sunward Atop Sunrest Mesa

[Jackie Cat]

Sada nodded without looking up from her work.

"I'm sure your help with her cultural and societal reintegration would be most welcome. I expect that to be something she accepts or declines for herself, however. I have no authority as a guardian over Amida—I think of myself, in this moment, as more like a paramedic."

She finished her blistering pace of typing, and tapped a final panel of light with a satisfying bleep. Then she stepped back, as the Iron Radiance unsealed its shell, opening with a hiss of air and a whirr of servos. The photovoltaic panels that orbited it tilted towards their target.

Professor Sada, be advised: the corporeal integration process is now in progress.​

"Thank you, Betel," said Sada, quietly, looking up to the flickering Radiant Volcarona above. "I... I hope this works."

The blinding form of Amida guttered like a lighter in the wind, then stilled. Slowly, slowly, the light spilling from her was drawn towards the Iron Radiance. The effect, if any Wayfarer present might recognise it, looked a little like a star being pulled into a singularity – solar light falling away in a continuous stream.

"...my end is not yet come..."
​

The final 'whispers' heard through Amida's Radiance faded out, and the synthetic vessel filled with Infinity Energy – her soul – until the machine glowed too bright to directly look upon. Yet still more Radiance remained...

Warning! Radiant Infinity Energy is in excess of Iron Radiance capacity.

Do you wish to abort?​

Articuno spread their wings, and a glint could be seen in their stoic eyes.

"Allow me," said the Saint.

The bird's whole body began to faintly glow as they drew what remained of the solar energy into themself, then stronger, more brilliant, until their eyes shone like tiny suns. They let out a long, slow exhalation from the effort, and their breath could be seen glittering like golden mist.

"Challenging... but not impossible!" came their verdict, reverberating telepathically with the strength of the light.

It seemed Articuno would manage the feat asked of them...

Excess Radiance flow is stable.

Configuration complete.
​

The vessel folded up, gyros whining and polycarbonate exoskeleton gleaming with energy...

Welcome, Iron Moth Amida.​

The strange creature rose into the air. The panels floated into place. Then it blinked, twice.

"Hello, everyone," said Amida. "Hello... world. I think... I'm still alive."

The LED-like eyes seemed to smile.

"Despite all that I have been through... somehow... I remain 'me'. Thank you."

The electronic eyes widened.

"Have I truly been asleep for... five thousand fucking years??"

 

[Ambyssin]

"In our defense, we didn't think you were in any right mind to get an exact number earlier." Nova projected a little radiant halo over his head crest.

"But! Here you are!" He wagged his fish tail, laughing nervously. "Good, uh, morning?"

Real smooth.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"It's mid-afternoon."

Beat.

"Oh. I know exactly what time it is at all times. That's new."

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt nodded. "The fact that you were not aware that it had been five thousand years," she explained, "is likely why you are able to retain your sense of prior self at all. I imagine it would have been a much longer road to recovery without that grace." She crossed her arms sternly, though it seemed more to herself. "More time than we have, ourselves... But I refuse to allow a savior of Forlas to dissipate before we do."

She smiled faintly at the thought.

"It's liberating, in a way. Having that default excuse."

Mhynt, sensing a horrible pain all over her body that still hasn't quite gone away completely, turned to look at Owen.

The Shadow Charizard was flat on his back like a sunny-side-up egg.

"I warned you," Mhynt said.

"I'll get over it," Owen croaked.

Mhynt exhaled through her nostrils. "In any case, Amida. How much of our discussion have you heard before?" she asked. "We propose you return with us to a place called Frontier Town. It's safe and we have a place you can be out of the public eye. We have a Tyranitar, Gerome, who is good at keeping the peace. Then, maybe after a few days, you with your bearings, you can decide what to do from there?"

 

[Tetra]

It worked. The adrenline high of the battle was still coursing through his veins, and his tail wagged ever so slightly by reflex as he beheld Amida.

"Have I truly been asleep for... five thousand fucking years??"

Koa snorted, reminded for a moment of Odette. He ignored the flicker of bitter annoyance he felt.

"Hello Amida," he said, voice edged with emotion. "Welcome back."

A wild sort of excitement still buzzed through him. They'd saved her, she was here, living. Questions swirled through him, mostly practical ones, things to ask Sada, but.... They could wait, she'd just woken. After a few moments of thought he asked, "How do you feel?"

 

[Shiny Phantump]

"Yeah it's been about five thousand fucking years," Gladion confirmed, reciprocating the fuck so dryly that it almost sounded like he thought nothing of it to someone who didn't recognize that such was the kind of thing he considered a joke.

He glanced up at the airship, which appeared to still be in one piece. Well, aside from the guns. Those were very decidedly not in one piece anymore. "I'm glad that you're alive and that Articuno's fine, but just thinking ahead... Do we wanna maybe get a move on, just in case something happens? Get Amida to an unknown location and let Articuno find somewhere they don't have to worry about using any other moves 'till that radiance comes down?" (If they were dazzled, it might not be a great idea for them to use more moves if he understood the function of high radiance levels correctly.)

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

The searing light faded and... It worked! Oh, it worked! Steven's heart soared with relief. Articuno seemed to barely even break a sweat, how powerful was such a Saint?

The soft, metallic lilt of Amida's voice, free from the Radiant corruption, sent a smile dancing across Steven's expression. Except his eyes widened in surprise when--

"Have I truly been asleep for... five thousand fucking years??"

Well, that was unexpected. Although, no one ever said the Living Sun wouldn't be allowed to swear. Not after five thousand years. She should be able to. As a treat.

His gaze slid towards Mhynt. "I don't see why she cannot remain here under the protection of the Wardens, if she wishes. They are the Sun's protectors, after all. Although after so much time spent here, it's understandable if you'd want to go somewhere different," he said, turning to Amida with a small chuckle.

In some ways, she was a little like him. A soul in an inorganic body. A soul with a second chance.

His eyes winked into an upturned smile. "We're glad to have you back."

 

[Sinderella]

Odette placed a relieved hand over her heart, sighing out all of her lasting grief. Crow did indeed taste good. And it cursed.

“Oh, thank fucking gods, she gets it.”

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova nodded at Gladion. "I thiiiiiiink we need a moment to let everything settle and get the radiance out of Articuno."

His gaze sharpened as he looked out over the mesa. Then he glanced toward Brisa and the wardens. "And it sure seems to me like we've got a fair few criminals that need corralling."

 

[Phoenixsong]

The robot volcarona—Amida—beeped, blinked, moved. Working. Alive.

"I'm glad you're okay," Leaf said. Still a little choked up, but not out of frustration this time. "Where do you want to go? Wherever you think it'd be easiest for you to catch your breath." Except not that, because robot, but whatever.

 

[Shadow Serenity]

“And what do we do if the south traversal is something we can’t handle? Then not only is Amida fucked, Forlas probably is too. Then what?”

It's safe and we have a place you can be out of the public eye. We have a Tyranitar, Gerome, who is good at keeping the peace.

Do we wanna maybe get a move on, just in case something happens? Get Amida to an unknown location and let Articuno find somewhere they don't have to worry about using any other moves 'till that radiance comes down?"

"I don't see why she cannot remain here under the protection of the Wardens, if she wishes. They are the Sun's protectors, after all.

Kimiko frowned at Odette, not really having a proper reply. It was a good thing, then, that several others offered solutions for her.

"I... do think she needs to be under some kind of protection, at least for a little while. Give her enough time to ensure that she and she alone is in control of her new body."

Kimiko shrugged. "I think she'd be safer in Frontier Town-" given that they just had to come to the Warden's aid here, but she didn't say that part aloud, "-but again, it should be her choice where she goes, not ours."

Her piece said, she turned back to Odette, somewhat sheepishly. "On an unrelated note, thank you. And, uh... how are you feeling?" She didn't really look any worse for wear, but Kimiko could still hear that pained shriek from the fire that had been meant for her.

 

[Jackie Cat]

Mhynt nodded. "The fact that you were not aware that it had been five thousand years," she explained, "is likely why you are able to retain your sense of prior self at all. I imagine it would have been a much longer road to recovery without that grace." She crossed her arms sternly, though it seemed more to herself. "More time than we have, ourselves... But I refuse to allow a savior of Forlas to dissipate before we do."

"It was like a long, strange dream. A fever dream, really."

Amida laughed. It sounded vaguely like a synth keyboard riff.

"I didn't expect to wake up to anyone calling me 'saviour'. Let alone more pokémon from other stars! Hm... I wonder if I can still dream in this strange body?"

"Hello Amida," he said, voice edged with emotion. "Welcome back. "How do you feel?"

"Hello! It's nice to meet you, Electrike! I feel... okay, thank you. A little like I've had far too much mead at a party... but better than I've felt in five thousand years, apparently!?"

"I'm glad that you're alive and that Articuno's fine, but just thinking ahead... Do we wanna maybe get a move on, just in case something happens? Get Amida to an unknown location and let Articuno find somewhere they don't have to worry about using any other moves 'till that radiance comes down?"

Nova nodded at Gladion. "I thiiiiiiink we need a moment to let everything settle and get the radiance out of Articuno."

"I don't see why she cannot remain here under the protection of the Wardens, if she wishes. They are the Sun's protectors, after all. Although after so much time spent here, it's understandable if you'd want to go somewhere different. We're glad to have you back."

"I'm glad you're okay," Leaf said. Still a little choked up, but not out of frustration this time. "Where do you want to go? Wherever you think it'd be easiest for you to catch your breath." Except not that, because robot, but whatever.

"I... do think she needs to be under some kind of protection, at least for a little while. Give her enough time to ensure that she and she alone is in control of her new body. I think she'd be safer in Frontier Town-" given that they just had to come to the Warden's aid here, but she didn't say that part aloud, "-but again, it should be her choice where she goes, not ours."

Amida couldn't shrug, exactly, but her floating panels did a little shivering motion that approximated ambivalence.

"I don't know what you're all so worried about. I'm the most powerful pokémon on the fucking planet."

Articuno laughed under their breath, covering their beak with one wing for modesty.

"I'm not entirely sure how true that is. Strength is relative, after all. But you are certainly formidable, dear Lady Lepidoptera."

The Saint smiled, and sighed with satisfaction.

"Speaking for myself... I do feel a little light-headed. I have not been addled by wine in a very long time, but I vaguely recall it feeling a little like this. Ah! What a moment this is! What a triumph! Such splendid serendipity; a solar soul siphoned into synthetic skin—"

They seemed like they would continue like this for some time. But at least the Radiance they absorbed was – gradually – rising away from them like sublimating ice into the air.

“Oh, thank fucking gods, she gets it.”

Amida blinked, then narrowed her LEDs at Odette.

"Hey! You were the one that wanted me dead! What gives!?"

 

[Sinderella]

"Hey! You were the one that wanted me dead! What gives!?"

Odette’s brow shot up.

“Gods dammit, I didn’t want you dead, man! I just didn’t want you to get taken advantage of!” She sounded exasperated. Did she have to make her case again?

“I thought we were being set up and didn’t want you to be the collateral damage. But I was paranoid, stupid, and wrong, and I apologize. You’re welcome to smite me if you’re still pissed, but you have to know that I wasn’t coming from a place of malice. I didn’t want to see you fucked over, and our options were kind of fucking shitty in the moment.” She raised her hands. By this point, she sounded more earnest than anything. “That’s it. If you don’t set me on fire right now, I’m happy to buy you a drink—or…whatever you would otherwise ingest—and further explain my fuckass train of thought. Clearly I owe you.”

 

[Namohysip]

Mhynt sighed to herself. "Powerful or otherwise, we don't want you parading around without knowing how much of that power is still there now that your Radiance is... largely dispelled," she reminded. "Surely, you want at least a few days to acclimate."

And not accidentally blind someone, or something...

 

[Jackie Cat]

"I think that would be good. I need to... orient myself. I don't even know if there are any Volcarona left in this era...?"

Aurelia approached, hesitant and clearly in awe.

"Lady Surekhi, there are distant relatives of yours who make their homes in a village not far from here. If you will it, I – Day-Captain Aurelia – would be glad to escort you there."

"Oh! That's... weird, but good. I think. Thank you!"

“That’s it. If you don’t set me on fire right now, I’m happy to buy you a drink and further explain my fuckass train of thought.”

Amida laughed again, a little sheepishly.

"Actually, no... That makes sense. And, well... I have been dead for generations, right? It's not like I would have minded. Anyway, I would accept your offer, but I don't think I... can... drink, anymore. This new body is turning out to be a sore bargain indeed, is it not?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"Well, I left my copy of So, You're Living in a Synthetic Body Now back home," Nova said. "But I find hands-on lessons are better, anyway."

 

[Sinderella]

"Actually, no... That makes sense. And, well... I have been dead for generations, right? It's not like I would have minded. Anyway, I would accept your offer, but I don't think I... can... drink, anymore. This new body is turning out to be a sore bargain indeed, is it not?"

Odette sighed to herself. Looks like the “smiting by a god” would be left to Odile yet another day. She at least appreciated that Amida understood where she’d been coming from.

The smile she offered was also sheepish, her eyes roving over the insect-like metal form. “…oil might be an option?”

 

[Jackie Cat]

her eyes roving over the insect-like metal form

"Oh gods, do I still... look good? Machine or not, I'd better still be sexy. I did not burn myself alive for thousands of years just to look drab, wan and— and malnourished!"

 

[Tetra]

"Lady Surekhi, there are distant relatives of yours who make their homes in a village not far from here. If you will it, I – Day-Captain Aurelia – would be glad to escort you there."

"Oh! That's... weird, but good. I think. Thank you!"

Koa smiled a little. That was good. At least she had a place to go. He wondered if she really meant it about being that strong, and if her new body would be able to handle it. Maybe she wouldn't be in as much danger?

Ignoring Odette's justification (at least Amida didn't seem too bothered, that was good), he added "My name's Koamaru by the way." He considered a moment before asking a question. "Is there uhm... Anything you want? Before you go, that is. Maybe we can help?" Lorrel flashed to his mind, but he couldn't even begin to figure out that.

 

[Ambyssin]

"Oh gods, do I still... look good? Machine or not, I'd better still be sexy. I did not burn myself alive for thousands of years just to look drab, wan and— and malnourished!"

"Well, you have really pointy wings now. And they're orange." Nova held a foreleg and extended his front-facing claws. "So, they match Lorrel's ears."