Legendary Drop

With the celebrations stretching on until the late afternoon, things were finally winding down. The people who visited today and participated in the Verdant Inferno’s campaign would forever be left with a unique experience, a memory they wouldn’t be forgetting anytime soon.

Next to a gift shop, just watching the animatronic dragons in the sky go by, nobody in the party was really sure what to say to each other. For the original members of the Verdant Flames, it was one of the most exciting events in their young lives. For Frankie and Katie, it had been just one more stop in a long, long list of all the places they had to go.

“I… guess we should be saying goodbye about now.” The traveler spoke for her big sister, who seemed to be in a quieter mood as she kept watching the dragons.

“Y-You do?” Percy’s eyes darted around, landing on Katie time and time again. There was so much more he could teach her. Or… maybe more accurately, more she could teach him.

“Y-yeah… you guys have got more school tomorrow… right?”

Serah nodded. “Still… little sad to hear we won’t get to go on more adventures with you tomorrow.”

Katie wavered for a bit. Couldn’t they stay just a bit longer? But that itching feeling came again. The inevitable fact that, if she wasn’t quick enough… she could possibly see the whole world, even in the decades and decades of life she had ahead of her.

“We’ll… come back, someday. If we can.” Frankie assured them, though again it was mostly to comfort her sister more than anyone.

“I’d like that.” Greg smiled. Rocco nodded. “And…” the mage continued. “If you ever do come back, I hope we can all get to know each other better. There’s… only so much you can do, with just a few days and a corporate scheme to unravel…”

Frankie softly chuckled. “Ain’t that the truth.”

“B-but!” He adjusted his glasses. “Before you leave, can I… give you something? I’ve always wanted to do this…”

Frankie blinked, just watching him dig around in his robes. What was this? Not another sudden confession, she hoped.

“There’s this thing… it’s like it’s lost to time, a relic of a forgotten world.” He finally pulled the green, dusty tome from his inventory. “Nobody in the whole world but me seems to even know about it… the King knows these guys sure won’t read it.” He wiped the book’s cover. “…So, I want you to have it, and spread knowledge of it back to its homeland in the States, got it?”

Gregory hoisted the copy of Percy Phytoplankton, Volume One, up to Frankie’s bewildered face.