196 Phase 148: The Silver Arch

They reached the Arch in the next hall. Here, it was quieter, and Colin felt it was time to speak his last words here.

"Sonia. Eclipse. Cour."

There they were. Colin never thought to see them again after he bade them goodbye, but here they were now.

The Lords of the Wilds.

That's what he called for when he touched his badge. He didn't think about who to call, what to say. He just knew how he felt, that he was going to pour to full fury of the Forest Prince upon these enemies, and the words that came out of his mouth (and Philip's) were: "Lords of the Wilds".

And they appeared before him. His Comrades, no longer bonded to him by the rules, but they came to him in his time of need. They came at his call, for a deeper bond than a mere agreement. The bond of the Lords and the Prince of the Forest.

{To the very end... though no longer my Comrades... still my comrades.}

"Shiro. Raiki. Kirin. Foxie."

These four were still bonded to him.

"I set you free." He told them quietly, no longer afraid to do so.

They nodded. But they did not leave him. As he knew they would not.

Colin touched his badge. He knew he wasn't supposed to, but this was the time for it. "Meek. Warc. Rall."

His oldest Comrades. The ones who were with him when he almost drowned at Hot Sands. They came now, though bonded to others or even sealed, they came to him when he called them now.

Meek stamped her foot and looked at him insistently.

Colin smiled. "Mika."

And Meek's child, the one Colin had kept for himself before, appeared.

"Fireheart. Bubba. Gera. Blackswirl." Colin called more, old Comrades no longer with him, given to Katrin to protect her before the worst happened. Old memories, time once shared, but not forgotten.

"Junrei. Ardent. Glide." Colin called those who spent almost no time with him. Bonds he had made in his fears and insecurities. Mistakes. He had been unable to care for them as he should have. Seeking power, fearing the future, he had made bonds in his haste, and these were the Comrades who suffered for it. Yet they came when he called them now. Just to say goodbye.

But still it did not seem complete. Colin's hand gripped his badge tight. {No. Don't try it. This should not be! You shouldn't!}

But he had to. Just to say goodbye. He had to.

"Rita. Henry."

They appeared, looking absolutely stunned.

"What... what just happened?!" Henry asked, eyes wide.

Rita, incredibly, was struck speechless.

More. Colin called more. "Satrox. May. Lucy. Sora."

They appeared. Looking sick like they'd just died, or looking half-bored and then blinking in amazement, they appeared. Only Sora appeared unsurprised, and a bit late, like he had taken a moment to check himself in the mirror. He gave Colin a serious look, and clasped him on the shoulder.

There. These were his friends here on Nakama World. There were more, people he'd barely met or spoken with, but this was enough. These were those he considered his friends.

"You shouldn't have done this." Philip told him quietly, stepping up.

"I know." Colin said, but he made no excuses, gave no reasons.

Philip sighed. He too, tapped his badge. "Michi. Casiphia. Lynn."

They appeared. Completely unsurprised, but a lot more quickly than Sora had appeared, they came at his call.

"Philip? What...?" Michi stared, eyes wide. "Are you...?"

"We're leaving Nakama World. Colin and I. He's coming with me." Philip gave them a serious look and told them in a low voice. "I've appointed him an Imperial Guardian."

Michi exchanged brief glances with Casiphia and Lynn, the girl who bred all of Philip's Comrades and Colin's two best exchanging knowing looks with the previous Mountain Princess and Forest Princess.

Lynn smiled. "Welcome to our ranks, Colin."

"Your ranks...? What...?" Colin stared. "Wait. Does that mean..."

Philip spoke to him in a soft voice only he could hear. "Imperial Guardians. They did their best to draw the Gaians' attention away from me."

"I'd say they succeeded." Colin managed.

"And we're going back to {continue} succeeding." Michi said. But not unkindly. She squeezed Colin on the shoulder briefly. "Take care, Colin."

"You too." Colin exhaled slowly. Then he raised his head. "Lucy."

"Hmm?" Lucy turned away from Sora to eye him askance.

"You're the next Forest Princess." Colin said.

"WHAT?! But what am I supposed to do?!" Lucy spluttered.

Lynn sighed. "I'll take care of this. Go on ahead, Colin, you don't have any more time. The End Dungeon is designed for battle but the Turtle can't take much more of this."

"Let's go." Philip said decisively and strode towards the Gate.

A voice came over the gate from two cute projections that resembled a blue bunny and a white wolfcat, Philip's and Colin's first Comrades. "Congratulations on reaching the End of the Journey! We would like to thank you for your participation in such an epic..."

"There's no time." Colin agreed with Philip and moved forward decisively. "I'll go first, just in case."

Philip nodded and let him take point.

The projections went on talking. "...options of prizes given to the winners, starting from..."

Colin stepped under the Silver Arch and the world was filled with silver light. To those he was leaving behind, he said one last word.

"Goodbye."

Silver light blazed and then something startling happened.

Shiro lunged forward and leapt through the Arch with him.