Aida

"Can we go home now?" Nightmare ventures, as the last Mammertee blinks out of existance. "We've been grinding for three hours!"

"But this is so much fun!" Nocturnal replies, briefly admiring her distorted reflection in her beloved ring.

They've amassed a mountain of delicious seafood, as well as a great number of Basically Useless objects. It's been a good day.

Giving up on sympathy from his beloved partner, Nightmare turns to his leader.

"Are we done now, Vitani?" he asks, hopefully. He just wants to go home and snuggle with his Fuiran. The little thing is learning how to whistle, and its attempts are almost adorable. "We've got lots of loot, and it's not like you can ascend past the Kelp Beds, anyway."

Twenty five is the highest of all the levels. There is nothing higher.

And yet, there are legends. Even the youngest dragons have heard of the familiar that can bend time, space, even pixels. And some of the oldest dragons talk about level twenty five cracking open, and a mysterious buzzing noise coming from the other side.

Legends. Stories for children. The water bubbles around them, comfortingly real. Nocturnal pats Nightmare on the shoulder, careful not to cut him with her sharp claws.

"One more round?" she asks Vitani, making her own plea in direct opposition to his.

Vitani considers both of their suggestions carefully. Everybody has worked very hard already, but they haven't collected quite enough melons for the plant eaters.

"Once more," she agrees.

Nightmare sighs, resigned. Nocturnal always wins, probably because she's so beautiful.

A troupe of three gorgeous Marons appear, tossing their hair and dancing up and down in the water. Even Nightmare has to admit that the Kelp Beds are a wonderful place, even if he'd rather adopt all the monsters than strike them down.

As it turns out, he doesn't have to do anything. Vitani takes out the first two, and Nocturnal eliminates the last one with gobsmacking efficiency and grace. Nightmare could write poetry about Nocturnal - sonnets and sonnets - but she'd probably just get embarassed by it.

Algaestriders flit around in the water, and Vitani snatches them up effortlessly. She and Nocturnal leave first, shoulder to shoulder, as eager as each other. Nightmare hesitates for just a second.

For a moment, in the distance, he can hear a faint buzzing sound. Not the striders. Something different. Bigger. Rarer.

But its nothing, its almost definitely nothing.

They go home.