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[attr="class","textbox"]Was Nomi's rest burdened by the weight of what had been put upon her shoulders? Was it punctuated the buzzing excitement of her newfound purpose? Or was it the calmest she'd ever felt?[break][break]

No matter the case, she would find it interrupted by the smell of freshly cut grass.[break][break]

The smell drifted along a warm breeze blew through her room. It would almost be pleasant, were it not for the fact that such sensations should not have been present in this realm of pure light. Far off in the distance, the sound of tinkling bells teased at her ears. There would be no sign of where this had come from. No distant figures, no shadows cast, not even the Pressure of a legendary's presence.[break][break]

There was only a distortion of space and time, and then the sound of someone falling.[break][break]

"Oof!"[break][break]

The figure who had landed in her inner sanctum was all too familiar. It was the carefree biker who had helped her out of a jam over a year ago. Even after the war that had consumed the Hoenn region, even after the destiny that had consumed her own life, even after ending up in a realm he had no business infiltrating, he looked as carefree as ever. He worse a traveler's clothes, quickly propping himself up with the walking stick that sat by his side. "Phew. You wouldn't believe how hard you are to find."[break][break]

Did Nomi just sit back and let him speak? Or did she handle him how she handled every other Avatar to cross her path? No matter what she tried, how often she tried it, the end result seemed to be the same. Space and time rippled, and he was unharmed. If she had struck him down, he didn't seem to mind. He didn't even seem to react. There would only be a knowing twinkle in his eye as he continued.[break][break]

"The mes that crossed your path and lived to tell the tale - oh, don't look so shocked, you know we're diehards like that - wouldn't fess up to where you were. Told me it was dangerous, but. Don't think it was me they were looking out for." He laughed a little, his voice as clear and melodious as those tinkling bells. "The things we do for love, am I right?"[break][break]

"Isaac Merlo, the Wanderer, at your service."[break][break]

That was a new one. Most of the avatar-touched Isaacs that Nomi had encountered were far more grandiose than the humble traveler who stood before her. Their bodies had been healed and purified, bringing out the heroic build that dwelled beneath the remnants of his neglect. Even at their short height, they were larger than life figures who took their potential by the horns and lived by it.[break][break]

This Isaac, on the other hand, was every bit as scrappy as the one she'd known. He hadn't been healed. In fact, what wasn't covered up by his traveler's attire was a visible patchwork of scars. As he circled Nomi, walking stick in tow, he seemed to have quite the visible limp. It didn't stop him. His movements were jaunty, almost rhythmic, as if he was traveling to the beat of a song only he could hear.[break][break]

"Sure feels weird to see ya like this. Sitting around in a big white void? That's not the Nomes I know." He chuckled to himself, even if moments ago he had been obliterated for that crack. "Sure, you do a lot of sitting around by yourself. But usually it's in a lab, where at least one of us can drag you out and make sure you get some sun."[break][break]

"This really how you wanna spend your life? Being the Dark Triad's attack dog?"[break][break]

They sure as shit hadn't rebranded to the Dark Quartet. They didn't seem to spend much time with Nomi outside of calling her along on missions. Hell, outside of Dr. Holo, did the others even spend much time acknowledging her existence? Or had she spent her time in the kennel with the rest of the dogs, scattered bowls of alphabet soup that made up her only real family?[break][break]

"You're so much more than that, y'know. Surprised you haven't seen it on your own travels. Some of the greatest minds in the multiverse are cooped up in that noggin of yours." In a swirl of leaves and ripple of time, he was gone. Then he was in front of her, floating upside down to give her a gentle, teasing knock on the forehead.[break][break]

Just as quickly as she blinked, he was back in his spot, continuing the usual rounds. As he did, little seeds dropped down in his wake. "Smartest woman I've ever met. Someone who could change the world. Save it. Maybe even fix it." Each seed that he dropped grew, branching out time and time again. When each branch could split no more, a little pink flower sprouted at their end. "And that's been the same no matter how many timelines I've wandered."[break][break]

He sighed. He turned around. As he did, the trees behind him crumbled to ash and dust. "But you don't care about all that multiverse junk, huh? Sure, it's your job. But, c'mon." As he scooped some of the dust in his hand, he turned to Nomi and unfurled it, revealing a pink flower in a perfectly-formed bubble. "This ain't about those other Nomis. It's about you."[break][break]

"I'm not gonna talk your ear off about the other guys. Coulda, shoulda, woulda. There's a reason I unplugged myself from all that junk" There was a brief sorrow in Isaac's eyes. Perhaps Nomi would have noticed that even his intact one's iris had turned a milky white. "I'm just gonna ask you, 'cause right now you're the only Nomi that matters."[break][break]

He wasn't going to talk about them, but that didn't change that they existed. Time and space distorted behind Isaac's back. At times, the ripples seemed to mold themselves into shapes. It was like a figment of the eye at first, the pictures people swore they could see in TV static. However, with each second, with each blink, they became clearer and clearer. Just how much hope from other worlds was The Wanderer carrying with him?[break][break]

Clearest among them was a strong woman with a shock of messy red hair, putting all her heart and soul into but a single letter.[break][break]

"What do you want?"

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[attr="class","textbox"]Nomi would find herself swept up in a hug, equal parts foreign and all too familiar. For once in his life, The Wanderer had stopped moving. If she truly wanted to commit to her mission, she could stab him in the heart that he'd just bared to her. But that wasn't in the cards anymore, was it?[break][break]

"You always will be, Nomes. You just gotta know where to find it."[break][break]

And with that, The Wanderer was gone. Only the warmth of his embrace and the smell of fresh cut grass remained.