It was a strange sort of dinner party, perhaps the strangest. It was the kind of gathering where old friends meet and old memories are shared. The room echoed with the sound of laughter and conversation, but there was a shuffling of feet and pauses that left an undercurrent of meloncholy in the air.
Nick Bluetooth sat at the head of the table, looking around at the faces of his old allies. "It's good to see you all again," he said, raising his glass in a toast.
"Indeed it is," Nepol replied, his face lined with age and experience. "It's been far too long."
As they ate and drank, the conversation turned to old times. Jens spoke of the time they had battled the Gorm on the planet Quorbon. "I'll never forget that battle," he said. "We were outnumbered, outgunned, but
far from outmatched. We fought with everything we had."
Nepol reminisced "Remember the time we narrowly flew through from the jaws of a giant space squid!? "hat was a close call," he said with a chuckle. "I thought we were goners for sure."
Tager laughed as he recalled the time he had accidentally set fire to an entire moon. "Whoops!" he said, grinning sheepishly as he looked at the drink he was nursing. "I guess I got a little carried away with the laser cannon."
But as the night grew darker, the conversation followed suit.
"I miss them all," Jens said, his voice soft. "Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if they were still here. The comrades that fell in battle...and those who simply faded away."
Nepol nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. There are so many things I wish I could have said to them before they were gone."
Tager sighed. "I never thought I'd see the day when we'd be the ones left behind. Does it ever feel like our adventures ended too suddenly?"
A quiet fell over everyone with those words.
And then, as if by some unspoken agreement, the conversation turned to the future. They talked about the things they still hoped to accomplish, the places they still wanted to go, and the people they still wanted to meet.
"I want to see the galaxy," Nick said, his eyes gleaming like a galaxy all their own. "I want to explore every corner of it, and see everything it has to offer!"
Jens smiled. "I just want to spend more time with my family," he said. "I want to be there for them, and make up for all the lost time."
Nepol nodded. "And I want to learn everything I can about the Outer Dimension," he said. "I want to be a true scholar, and study its mysteries and wonders."
Tager grinned. "And I.... I want to blow stuff up," he said, winking at them all.
As they talked, Nick felt a sense of clarity wash over him. Despite all the trials and tribulations they had faced, they had lived a full and meaningful life. They had made a difference throughout both realities, and they had left their mark on their twin
universes.
And so, as the night drew to a close, they said their goodbyes. Nick hugged each one of them in a tight embrace he never wanted to end, and promised to stay in touch, but he had a feeling he would never see them again.
Nick took slow, thoughtful steps away from the dinner party, and his dearest friends. He felt a sense of peace and contentment fill his being.
Looking up at the sky, there were billions of stars, and each star shone light on stories untold. Each Galaxy was brimming with worlds rich in mystery, but Nick knew he'd trade it all for just one more adventure with them all.