>The engine rumbles to life as you twist the key in the ignition.
>Sweat trails down your face, and you wipe it away with the dirty rag in your coveralls.
>For a moment, you just sit there, listening to the engine switch between sputtering and humming; feeling the van vibrate lowly with each passing second.
>Finally, you kill the engine with another turn of the key. It lets out a small screech and dies off into silence.
>You frown.
>It sounds like all the work you've done is barely keeping it up, but you guess it's ten times better than the way it was when they brought it to you.
>You've done everything you can with it given the skills and tools you have.
>Looking out the window, you see the three of them sitting on the curb. Each one of them gives you a smile.
>Even Aria is smiling at you.
>Feels like a kick in the heart.
>You were hoping that they were going to get over their idea. Figure something else out. You didn't want this to happen, but you can't very much stop them. That isn't your place. You're just a small fragment in their life.
>And with that oh-so-cheerful thought, you make your exit.
>Gently, you open the driver-side door and step out onto the pavement, then close it with the same carefulness you used when opening it â€” you don't want the fucking thing to fall off again. Not after you spent six hours trying to get the old rusted hinges to hold the door in place again.
>Tossing the rag carelessly to the side, you grab your water bottle off the ground next to the van and down what's left of it in one go. Even with the sun setting, it's still hotter than sin.
>The three of them make their way up to you; Sonata is practically skipping with joy.
>"Awesome! It works!" The blue haired dimwit yanks you into her arms, smiling madly. "You're the best, Anonyomus! For realzies!"
>It hurts.
>Not the hug itself, no. You made it clear to Sonata that she was not to give you anymore death hugs after shattering one of your ribs with the first one, and giving you a hefty hospital bill.
>What hurts is the feeling in your heart.
>You wrap your arms around her, taking care to memorize this feeling.
>"A job well done indeed, Anonymous."
>Adagio peers into the driver-side window, tapping at the corners of it.
>Sonata releases you and hops out of your arms and over to the back of the van, looking at every little detail she can find.
>"I can't thank you enough for this."
>Hide the pain, Anonymous. Hide the pain.
>With a forced smile you nod at her.
"Nah, it was nothing. No problem."
>Aria laughs a little.
>"Nothing, huh? Man you're a shitty liar."
>What.
>Your facade drops and you stare at her, making her grin that same shit eating grin she usually has when she fucks with you.
>"See?"
>Sighing, you shake your head.
"Yeah, yeah. I guess I can't really lie about this. Especially if this is... y'know, goodbye."
>At the word 'goodbye', Sonata somersaults over the van and lands gracefully next to Aria, frowning at you.
"I kind of hoped you guys would have decided to stay by the time I finished the van, but it looks like you really do have your hearts set on this whole traveling band plan. I can't say I don't blame you. This fucking place sucks. I'd be heading for the exits too."
>No faking it anymore. It doesn't really matter.
>You let them see your sadness, something you haven't done in the two years you've known them.
"I didn't think it'd be this hard, seeing you three go... still, you gotta do what you gotta do. Please though, take care of yourselves, alright? Maybe I'll scrape up the cash to come see you one day, when you're all hittin' it big. If you haven't forgotten about me."
>All three are silent.
>The sun now sits on the horizon, giving the sky that beautiful orangish hue you've sat under so many times with them.
>No more of that now, though.
>The campfires, the songs, the dinners when you've earned enough money from odd jobs around the city...
>Nope. Just you. Alone in your camp once again.
>"Anonymous," Adagio says, her expression unreadable, "don't be silly. We could never forget you."
>Before you can say anything, Sonata pipes in too,
>"Yeah! You're the only human we've found that isn't totally dumb, or helped us without needing to be hypnotized!"
>Aria nods at the two of them, "yeah, what she said. The only human in this shitshow of a planet worth a damn."
"I uh... well, thanks?"
>Adagio smiles.
>"Anonymous, you aren't nearly as good at hiding how you feel as you think you are. Especially around us. We're the masters of sensing emotion. We've done it longer than you've been alive after all," she chuckles, "so that's why we've decided to take you with us."
>...
>Say what now.
"What?
>Good job.
>"Yes, you heard me right. Come with us, Anonymous. This doesn't have to be the end. You can get out of that squalid tent, stop relying on your fellow human-dirt-babies, and walk side-by-side with perfection!"
>Uh huh.
>Her usual misanthropy aside, you can not fully fathom what Adagio is suggesting to you.
>You look at Aria and Sonata for any hint that this is one of those jokes that they like to play on other people, but you get nothing. They both look as serious as she does.
"But... I mean, I have nothing to offer you. I'm poor, and I have no skills. I'd just take up space."
>"No way! You wouldn't take up space, you're fun!" Sonata clutches your arm. "Plus you're nice! And you have skills! You know how to make tacos, and fix vans!"
>This is completely insane.
>You actually do want to go with them.
>All you've done for the past four years is just survive out here. Until they showed up, you were pretty much alone.
>This wasn't supposed to be happening. You always knew that they wouldn't stay around forever. After all, they are(or were?) magical creatures. You? You were just a regular human. They've got way too much potential to be fucked over by you, a common bum.
"Okay well be that as it may, I can't just go and free load off of you three. That wouldn't be right."
>Adagio raises a brow, "how are you having this much trouble saying 'yes'?"
>Aria just shakes her head in annoyance.
>"God. Get handed a way out and bitch about it..." she mutters, "look Anon, if it's such a big deal that you do something, then just work on the van for us when it fucks up. Or work on it in general, since it's still pretty bad, even with all the work you did."
>That...
>That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. That would make you feel better about tagging along with them. But it still feels wrong in some way. You feel... afraid?
>Sonata taps her chin, "Ooo, I have an idea!"
>You and the other two look at her with grimaces.
>"Oh no, she has an idea," Aria mumbles, "someone save us."
>"Why don't you also drive us? I don't know how to drive, Aria doesn't know how to drive, and Adagio is bad at it!"
>"I am no such thing!"
>"Heh. You kind of are, 'Dagi."
>"Quit calling me that!"
>As you watch the three of them bicker among themselves, you start to realize how stupid you're being about this.
>Maybe it actually isn't a bad idea to go. You really have no reason not to. The fear? Maybe it's you being scared you'll let them down like you did everyone else that came before them.
>Were you really ready to give it another shot? Being apart of something? A 'unit'? A group? Whatever they are?
>"Do it, Anonymous."
>You now are aware of the fact that they're all watching you expectantly again.
"Do you three actually care this much if I go along?"
>"For the love of..." Aria looks like she's going to strangle something, "YES! Anonymous, you're practically like a brother at this point. Of course we care if you stay here."
>They, or atleast Aria, considers you a brother?  If that came out of Sonata or Adagio you'd just shrug, but from fucking Aria?
>Jesus. Just how much have you bonded with them?
>That question doesn't really need answering. The way it feels when you think of not being with them tells you all you need to know .
>You never really thought of it at all up until now, but you do have to admit.
>Even though you never had a sister, much less fucking three, you imagine this is what it's like to have one. Or three.
>You don't know much about being a brother, but you could learn.
>And you could learn to really be apart of other people's lives again. Learn to trust yourself. Maybe this time, you won't fuck it up. Maybe it'll work.
>You have nothing to lose.
"Alright, I guess I'll go then."
>"YES!" Sonata squeals with delight. It's one of those squeals that makes your head hurt. Guess that's a siren thing.
>Adagio nods with approval at your decision. "Good. Very good," she tries to hide the smile, but fails.
>"Oh thank god..." Aria whispers, but not quietly enough for you not to hear it.
"Yeah, I'll go. Someone's gotta keep you three out of trouble. Especially Sonata."
>"Hey!"
>The four of you share a laugh, and pile into the van; Adagio sits in the passenger seat with you driving.
>"Alright, girls!" Adagio says, "say goodbye to the cesspool! It's time to go to the next one!"
>"Goodbye!" Sonata grins, while Aria shoves her middle finger up to the glass.
>Twisting the key, the engine roars to life, shaking the foundation of the vehicle, and you waste not a single moment burning rubber out of the parking lot, the night sky now fully setting in; stars, moon, and all.
>Time for a new chapter in life.
>A dazzling chapter.