[attr="class","dragomirpt"]

Josh had been busy as could be as of late. Between helping to stop the meteor and trying to deal with the aftermath effects, he had been balancing this with working on a new project. He had confessed to Amor what his mother had told him -- that it was time for her to test if he was a fit for his position or to even continue working with RaiCorp. If his heart was truly in it. How worried he was that he had been underperforming, and how much he wanted to make this happen. Not just for his mother, or for himself. Or to keep the job for his family. But because he truly believed that after all everyone had gone through, he wanted to make their lives just a little bit better in what way he could. He had the ability, he knew. He just needed to pull it off.
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So being pulled from his busy schedule had been a surprise, but when Amor was involved, he would always make time. But this little expedition was strange. Where in the world were they going? He had only even heard of this place in Ranger reports. And Amor's intentions... What were they? His excuse was flimsy, he wanted help to investigate seals. But he gave no other details. Something was wrong here. And while he was not privy to Amor's current goal, there were things that Josh knew that Amor didn't know he knew.
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"Amor."
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He'd stopped shortly after Amor had spoken up. This talk of the spirit world... He remembered the glimpse he'd caught at some files a few times he'd been at Amor's manor a long time ago to do with ancient Sinnoh legends, and he'd had his suspicions. But was this it? Was this to do with what he'd seen? He had his guesses. Amor had grieved for his family heavily for years now. Josh understood, he'd gone through the same with his own father. But what was his aim here?
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"Why are we here truly?"
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He let that question hang a moment as he studied Amor's expression at that. "You do know you're the closest thing I have to a brother, right? If something was wrong, would you tell me?"
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Amor Rose

"Why are we here truly?"

The question came faster than he expected, they were just a few steps from the rift about to step into it, and the silver haired man halted for a moment as he contemplated it. Out of everyone that Amor was friends with only Josh Dragomir knew about his family, and that they had died. The how, and when he didn't, just that Amor hadn't ever really gotten over it. No one knew about Vivienne, save for Isaac Merlo , but he had only learned that because Amor had been emotionally vulnerable due to a lot of alcohol. Vivienne was his closest guarded secret, and he didn't turn to look back at Josh, which was a bit unusual for him.

"You know I've research a lot of myths, and legends. Read until I couldn't anymore, gone on countless expeditions to any place that could give me answers on what the Afterlife is like. Yet here it is a few feet in front of me, and all it took was a very large, and angry Dragon God to bring it to me." There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. "There are some things that are easier to see, than to explain." It wasn't really an answer to his friends question, but Amor was so close to his goal now. So close, and he couldn't risk Josh trying to talk him out of it.

Josh was a good man, Amor would die for him, and his family if push came to shove. He'd even betray Rocket to keep them safe if it was required. It was precisely because of that, that Josh was probably the one person who could talk him out of this, and Amor didn't want that. So with no further words he rushed through the portal to the other side, and it was far different than the Mechanical Kingdom he had visited.

The sky was the color of ash, and in front of him was a sea of floating islands with bridges connecting them. Large stone spires, reaching up to embrace the sky in a sea of ghostly colored wisps, floating upward. A perpetual sunset broke through the clouds, and Amor began to look around curiously, and in a flash of white a Dragapult was at his side.

"This is not what I expected in the least...." He spoke softly to himself as he looked around, he assumed Josh would be right behind him. By the end of their time in this place, he would have his answer for their purpose here.

Amor just couldn't admit to it....Not yet at least.

Josh Dragomir

[attr="class","dragomirpt"]

Amor was lying. He knew he was lying. It was as flimsy as an excuse as could be. Far too general to merit yeeting him out of nowhere to get here. Barely any preparation, and no proper team to investigate. And why did he need a Ranger, a friend, when he could have brought an excavation team with his boundless heaps of money? There was something personal at work here. Something that Amor didn't want anyone else to know. He had brought someone that he thought would keep quiet, and defend him if it came to it. That was what was going on.
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"Amor, please tell me the truth. If there's something going on, maybe I can help you find-" he had tried to protest, but Amor had already jumped through the portal. The blonde made a face at that. "... A better way. Good grief."
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Well, there was nothing to it now. He needed to fish his friend out of whatever peril they would find on the other side. He just hoped there was a way out. So with that, he and Lightning would leap through the portal after him without any further hesitation, despite being half confident that he would probably die before they got anywhere.
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Well, he didn't die. But it sure looked like hell to him. He'd seen a lot of shit, and none of it was anything like this. Josh clapped a hand on Amor's shoulder the moment he caught sight of him, even if he was still trying to process what they were seeing.
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"Well, I see it. Congratulations, we're in the afterlife. Hopefully we can get out" Josh remarked bluntly, staring Amor dead in the face at that. "Nobody seeks out the afterlife on a whim. If we're going further, I need to know why we're here. The fact you're lying to me is only making it a bigger problem, and it's clear you have a personal reason."
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A personal reason. Why would someone go to the-
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A long sigh ensued as it hit him like a ton of bricks.
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"Is this to try to bring back your parents, Amor? Is that what this is about? You can tell me, I'd understand. When I spent all those years thinking my father was gone, I..."
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He couldn't even finish the thought at first, but his face said it all. It was the worst thing to experience. He'd never wish that grief on anyone.
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Amor Rose

Annoyance flashed across his face as Josh tried to talk to him about his parents. What could he know? What did he know? He was finally here, that meant there was a chance no matter how slim it was.

"That is the difference, you thought they were gone. Mine are gone, Josh. No happy ending, no surprise they have always been there looking after me. I watched them die." that was the harsh reality of it all. "Don't worry, I wouldn't bring you anywhere that we couldn't get out of. I don't feel like risking Izumi Yamamura's wrath, because I got you trapped in purgatory." The hand on his shoulder was reassuring. There was shared history, so many adventures from the moment they met, up until this point.

They had fought countless battles together, despite drifting apart, Amor still felt that Josh Dragomir was his best friend. He trusted him enough to bring him to his place with him, to have his back no matter what, but they were now past the threshold.

"Before I answer you, let me pose a question to you. Tell me, if you lost Izumi what would you give to get her back? Would you be willing to travel to the ends of the earth? Hop into alternate dimensions, for even the slightest chance to get her back? If you knew it was possible." It wasn't a fair question, what man wouldn't give the entire world to have his love back, but he wouldn't let Josh get in his way, so he asked him this incredibly unfair question to set the tone. If Amor failed he didn't know what fate would await him at the end of this tunnel, but until literal demons dragged him down to hell, he would keep trying, and trying.

Josh Dragomir