//------------------------------// // The Journey Continues // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// As the light faded, the group felt themselves completely refreshed. Before their very eyes, the Infected wounds faded and vanished, leaving only healthy skin behind. Jeff breathed a sigh of relief as he saw this. "Oh...good..." he managed to say as his knees gave way and he fell back on his butt. "That's...over and done with. No more...mental decay..." "I guess I can see why that's something you'd especially worry about-" Buzz Buzz began. "Ness can take charge again, thank god!" Jeff gasped out, putting his face in his hands as he continued to shake. "Please don't ever put me in charge again. I don't like it at all..." Ness chuckled softly, and patted Jeff companionably on his shoulder. "Well, you did a good job of it," he offered warmly. "I doubt we'd have pulled through on this without you. Thank you." He held his hand out to Jeff to help him back to his feet. Jeff looked up in surprise. Blinking and straightening his glasses, he accepted the hand up. "I just...did what needed to be done..." "That's all any of us are doing," Paula pointed out, giving Jeff a comforting hug to help him calm down. "So where to now, Ness?" Moondancer asked, happy to let things get back on track. "Well, the coffee voice said we need to go to Fourside," Ness recalled with a smile. "So let's get back to Threed and move on from there. Here's hoping getting rid of that Master Belch got rid of the zombies." "Well if that didn't, maybe waking the Light here in Milky Well drove the darkness back," Buzz Buzz suggested. Turning, Ness led the group back out through the cave system. The journey back to Threed proved rather uneventful, and even the crypt-like tunnel between Grapefruit Falls and Threed was empty of zombies and ghosts, much to the group's relief. When they stepped out of the tunnel, they had to shade their eyes as the sun shone brightly down on the town. They couldn't stop the smiles on their faces as they saw and heard the townspeople celebrating the end of the siege. "Sounds like everything's back to normal," Paula stated happily, smiling as the group looked out over the town. "Do we want to stick around for the celebration?" Buzz Buzz asked curiously. "Pretty sure you could all use a break." "We may want to, but we shouldn't," Ness stated firmly. "We don't know how time's flowing right now, or when or where we need to be to fix everything at the end, or how we'll get there. Until we do, we need to keep moving." "Not only that," Moondancer began with a frown, "if the various forces under Giygas' command that are still capable of rational thought are in communication, they'll know we finished things here. Do we want to bet they haven't beefed things up in Fourside, or give them time to do so?" "You've got a point there," Buzz Buzz agreed with a sigh. "The woman who locked you up under the cemetery and arranged your infection was talking to Belch's troops about getting back to her post in Fourside. We need to rush." "So the question is...walk or ride the bus?" Jeff asked curiously. "Bus," Ness stated firmly. "If it's running now, we should save our physical strength and rest up however we can, and riding a bus would be a good way to do that. Let's get to the bus stop." As they made their way towards the Bus Stop, they wound up taking a wrong turn and walking in front of the circus tent. As they did, the mysterious photographer dropped out of the sky to land near them. "Well, I know you're in a rush, but the specter of decay is no longer hanging over any of you or this town, so how about making a memory before being on your way?" Smiling, he held up his camera. "Look at the camera and say...Fuzzy Pickles!" Moondancer and Ness both smiled, posing for the camera as Paula and Jeff both blinked in shock. "Fuzzy Pickles!" they declared together just before the old man snapped the photo. "Wow, what a wonderful photograph!" he declared happily. "I'm sure it will always bring back the fondest memories!" With that, he vanished back into the sky. "What is up with that guy?" Buzz Buzz demanded in confusion. "I'm sure we'll learn eventually," Moondancer allowed thoughtfully. By the time they reached the bus stop, the bus was just pulling up. The driver glanced at them as he swung the doors open. "This bus will take you to Fourside, barring any traffic or other incidents beyond my control. $2 per person to ride. For your group, that's $8. Wanna ride?" Ness nodded, not feeling nervous but still uncertain about speaking aloud to someone he didn't know at all. He handed over the money as everyone took their seats. The inside of the bus was like public transportation anywhere, with seats that were the barest level of physical comfort to maximize possible passengers while still meeting all safety regulations and leaving room for handicapped passengers. They each took a seat - Moondancer between Ness and Paula to stabilize her - as the bus doors closed and it pulled away. The bus drove readily down the streets of Threed, making its way rapidly into the East Tunnel. Moondancer lifted her head to stare out the window as she watched the tunnel lights swoop by, seeming to fly away as the bus drove on. "Fascinating..." she murmured as she watched the play of the shadows inside the bus from the lights as it drove rapidly through. As they left the tunnel, she stared briefly at the grassy area they passed through before entering another tunnel, before watching the shadows play again. Beyond that tunnel, she stared out at sandy dunes and rocky formations for a brief moment before pulling back and shedding her turtleneck. "How is it so hot out here when it was cool barely 100 yards away?" she demanded incredulously. "The desert sands absorbs and releases the heat of the desert, I believe," Jeff offered thoughtfully. "I'm not sure, since I haven't studied weather, but I do know that deserts are much hotter by day and much colder by night than most other environments." The bus suddenly came to a halt. "Man, it's bumper to bumper out here!" the driver declared. "There's no way I can get through this to Fourside. "My job's to drive, so I need to take the bus back and report this. If you guys want to get out and walk around to get to Fourside, I'll open the door. Or I can take you back with me. Your choice." "I guess we'll get out and-" Paula began, only for Ness to cut her off. "Can you drop us off back at that store I saw a little way's back?" he asked the driver. "I think we can work something out from there." He stared at Moondancer in concern as she stared worriedly out at the scorching sands, already starting to pant from the heat. "Sure thing, kid," the driver agreed, turning the bus around to stop there. "There's a bus stop here, anyway. Good luck, kids, and be careful!" The group stepped off the bus, moving quickly into the shaded awning of the store as they began to plan their next move.