The distinct voice of a Nopon got clearer as Rhodri opened the front door. "Tora never get full of tasty sausage! Zimm and Rhodri best tasty sausage cooks in all Torigoth! Though now that Rhodri ask, is Rhodri okay?"
"What brings up that question?" Rhodri wondered.
The door closed and the Nopon's voice got closer: "Well. Tora was doing calibration on Poppi's optics. Saw something strange."
"Poppi sure was not optic glitch!" insisted a female voice; kind of sounded like a child.
"What kind of strange?" rumbled Rhodri.
"Very strange. Saw man who looked just like Malos. Cannot be Malos, though. Malos broke down into ether particles. Very pretty. Meh-meh! Not dead part! Particles remaining looked pretty."
"Poppi thought it looked sad. Like tears."
Torna was staring at him. Malos shrugged, a non-verbal, What?
"That is not the same as being vaporized, Malos," Mikhail hissed.
"Close enough," Malos grumbled.
Oh Father damn it. Jin had the, We are going to discuss this, face. Malos hated that look.
A familiar Nopon walked into the room. Wings and arms fluttering, he sputtered, "Meh-meh! See? Is not Malos standing next to Jin who also dead!"
"But it is, Masterpon!" replied the artificial Blade.
"Meh?" The Nopon's eyes went wide. Malos crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "Meh-meh?" The Nopon looked at Jin, then over at Patroka, Akhos, and Mikhail. "Meh-meh-meh~!"
Thump.
And one Nopon was out for the count.
"Honestly. The lot of you are hopeless. Absolutely hopeless," chided Nia. "Dromarch and I step out to the market for our contribution to lunch, and you terrify poor Tora just by lookin' at him."
"Masterpon more scared of ghosts than monsters," Poppi noted.
"We weren't even gone half an hour and this happens. Do you lot have kick me signs on your backs?" Nia demanded.
Whatever quip their response would be was cut by Tora groaning. "Nia?"
"Upsey daisy, Tora." Gripping a wing, Nia helped Tora to his feet.
Tora groaned, "Tora have strange dream. Dreamed Malos and Jin and all them not dead."
"Well, they were. Architect knows how they aren't now." Nia groomed her twitching ear.
"Eh?" Tora looked around and found the only difference being Dromarch and Nia. "Meh-meh..." He straightened up. "Not going to try and hurt Pyra and Mythra and friends?"
"No," Jin confirmed.
Tora nodded. "Then there something Tora must do."
Determined, Tora walked up to Jin. The ice Blade stayed seated without reacting --
Tora bowed. Or as close as a Nopon could get to a bow without planting their face into the floor.
"You saved Rex-Rex and friends. You died saving us. You also help Poppi when all stuck in scary place. Tora want to say – thank you."
...this was not on the list of things Malos expected to happen today.
Jin took a needed second to close his jaw. "You're... You're welcome, Tora."
Tora straightened up. "If Jin and Jin-friends need help, and Tora can, Tora will. That promise."
"Well that's not bloody awkward," Nia mused. Then she frowned. "Oi. Malos, where's your brat?"
