Loomian Legacy Veils of Shadow

A Day On The Town!

As Thane made his way into the main area of the Battle Theatre, he was immediately swarmed by a silver mob. "Hmf!" He choked out as Embit slammed into his chest, pulling him into a hug. "Thane!" Lauren's voice rang out as she threw her arms up into the air. "You did it!" Thane didn't stop it. He let himself be wrapped up in a hug. He fell into the embrace of the faceless silver humanoids and a laugh escaped his throat, a laugh of pure joy and pride. No other victory over a theatre had made him feel like this. Then again, his parents were never there for any of his other victories over a Battle Theatre. They witnessed them through a screen. Everything was going to be just fine. More than fine.

When the group made it outside, everyone huddled around Thane as he placed his fourth medal into his case. He was sure it was beautiful, and his mother assured him that it was. A small golden trident over a seashell with a tiny, illuminant green gem in the center. It was beautiful.

Noah looked down at his watch. "We have to get back to the museum in a bit, but we still have time." He looked to his wife, who seemed to have the same idea. Then, he turned to the kids with a big, stupid grin that only a dad could muster. "You kids hungry?"

It didn't take any effort to find a restaurant that served both human and Loomian customers. It was, however, hard to find a restaurant that would take their large group without a reservation. There were six humans, and each of them had Loomians. Thane and Lucy each had four, Jake and Lucas each had three, and Mabel and the parents had one each. Their group was twenty-three members in total. They were lucky that Lauren and Noah hadn't brought their full teams.

Finally, through Lucas' food expertise, they found a good place. The stars aligned. The restaurant took their large group and sat them outside. The area was private and a bed of flowers washed their eating area in a pleasant aroma. Escagrow helped himself to a few flowers as a snack.

Due to the size of their group, the food did take a while, but when it did arrive, the group ate like kings and queens. Laughs and stories were exchanged. Everything was right with the world. Thane bombarded his parents with detailed stories of his journey. How he met his Loomians, the battles they've been in. How he met his friends. The people he's met. The jerk Yuto.

Thane thought his only audience was his parents, friends, and the Loomians, but he was wrong. Hidden in the shadows, Whispup stared with longing. His stomach growled. He wanted to be part of that. Not just for the food, but for them. They all looked so happy. Every single one of them. Their Loomians were strong, but not hardened. They weren't knives sharpened by blades of abuse. Their strength was so pure. He wanted that, but he was so afraid to go and get it.

Whispup wasn't the only secret audience member, though. In an undisclosed POLUT Corp facility, Dr. Vanta watched through Thane's cybernetic enhancements. He had seen Thane's battle against the Battle Stars. He had been watching Thane from the moment he stepped into the city, through the eyes, and through Meredin. The boy and his friends were getting stronger. The fact that his parents were here added another potential threat. The silver lining, though, was that they had no idea of his plans in Atlanthian City. He hoped it stayed that way. With nothing relevant coming through the feed, Vanta shut off the monitor and leaned back in his chair. A glare fixed itself into his face. He should never have given Thane his sight back.

Eventually, the group had finished their meal and recalled their Loomians back to their discs to rest. Embit quickly hopped onto Thane's shoulder. Then, they filed out of the restaurant. Noah looked down at his watch. "Well, we have to start getting back to the museum. We'll call when we find anything." He said as Lauren gave Thane one last hug. "Good job today, sweetie. Halfway until you get all eight medals for the Roria League." She whispered softly, proudly. Then she pulled away. With one final goodbye, the parents and the children separated.