Chapter 25: I Want Off This Crazy Train

I don’t want to stay here anymore. Please let me come home.

Love,
Yuna

Yiazmat set the paper down atop a small stack. All letters with similarly negative things to say about her daughter’s experience at Horizon Academy. The dragapult sank into a stone chair. “You’re sure these are the genuine ones?”

She looked across the stone table, where a nidoking stood bracing his right hand against its edge.

“I’m confident,” he replied. “The ones you received are forgeries. Expertly crafted.”

Yiazmat bit her lower lip. Of course, she had some suspicions about the letters she received. This was Yuna’s first time away from home. The lack of homesickness struck Yiazmat as off, but she took it as a sign of Yuna’s burgeoning dragon spirit.

Digging her claws into the chair’s arms, she growled, “Why?”

Nidoking brushed dust off his black blazer. “I can’t speak to motive.”

Yiazmat’s wispy tail twitched in irritation. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful you brought this to my attention. But I’m unsure what to do with this information. If this is Isola’s doing, we can’t tip her off that we know what she’s doing.”

“My intel suggests the order isn’t coming from her,” Nidoking said. “It seems more like your daughter’s being set up to fail.”

Flames smoldered in Yiazmat’s horns. “Elaborate.”

“The class Yunavresca is in participates in a competition called the Crowne Cup.” Nidoking paced across the tiny, stone bunker. He stared at one of its empty, gray walls. “One of my subordinates believes her team was changed at the eleventh hour. She was partnered with my son, for starters.”

Yiazmat leaned back, partly phasing into her chair. “Chiaki, correct? His name came up in one of the forgeries.” She scowled. “I’m still surprised you neglected to mention he attends Horizon.”

Nidoking’s shoulders slouched. “He’s… still not talking to me.”

“Young adults are rather rebellious,” Yiazmat mused. She stroked a horn with her claws. “I still remember the look on my parents’ faces when I rebuked the marriage they arranged and eloped with Calcifer.” A mischievous grin spread across her mouth. “That goodra would’ve been a spineless king, literally and figuratively. I think the present results speak for themselves.”

“I wish it was that simple.” Nidoking sighed. “But Chiaki’s been so distant since I remarried.” He shook his head. “I had nothing to do with him attending Horizon. He pulled funds from Ami’s life insurance and enrolled himself.”

“I see.” Yiazmat bowed her head. “I imagine it’s quite stressful for you.”

“In a manner of speaking. Bahamut must be testing my resolve.” Nidoking turned away from Yiazmat. “I apologize for the tangent.”

“It’s fine.” Yiazmat flicked her right arm. “Ultimately, I’m glad you brought this all to my attention. At this point, however, it’s best I sit on this information.” Normally, she wasn’t one for the cautious approach. But this involved her eldest daughter. Yiazmat wasn’t about to take chances.

“Fair enough.” Nidoking nodded. He glanced back at Yiazmat, a glint in his eye. “But if you do decide to act, know that one of my best assassins is stationed at the school. If you want someone snuffed out, we’ll make it look like an accident.”

Yiazmat’s tail lazily drifted back and forth. “Let us pray it doesn’t come to that.”

“Understood.” Nidoking stepped back from the wall. “I should be returning to Radiance. There’s a big criminal trial that should be ending soon. The Beacon needs to cover the outcome.”

Nidoking turned back around and straightened out his blazer. The golden R sewn over his breast pocket glimmered under the bunker’s candlelight. He bobbed his head. “Give my best to Calcifer.”

“I will. Travel safe.”

Yiazmat pressed down on her chair’s right arm. There was a click, then the back wall fell away to reveal a damp, moss-covered underground passage. Nidoking ducked into it and vanished into the shadows.

Yuna was beyond ready for the day to end. Any enthusiasm she had over securing the Needle and helping Aquardah melted away with the end of the trial. Benedict’s chilling laugh echoed through her head even as the gallery erupted into a flurry of conversations and reporters scrambling to get to the exits.

The sight of Shimmer prancing happily around his uncle made Yuna’s ectoplasm boil. He knew something was off and deliberately ignored it!

“It is quite troubling.” Rayquaza hummed in thought. “But thou should hold thine head high. Thou stuck up for thine beliefs.”

“I wonder if he really is happy with this outcome, though,” Reshiram muttered.

“What dost thou mean?”

“Well, after that display from his so-called uncle, maybe Shimmer feels… intimidated,” Reshiram elaborated. “He might just be playing along because he’s afraid Benedict will say something to his mother.”

Yuna strongly doubted it. Shimmer was the Crown Prince. He should’ve had more sway with Queen Isola than some slurpuff banker.

Whatever. The dreepy picked herself up off the omnibus bench. All she wanted was to fall asleep in Noctum’s warm, black-scaled arms. He had promised to wait in the defense lobby for her before she left for the Crowne Court.

Yuna headed for the exit. There were gallery pokémon staring at her. Yuna hastily looked down, fearing they agreed with Benedict. To her surprise, however, there was a smattering of applause. It was quiet, sure, and it stopped the moment Yuna looked up. But it was there.

It didn’t do anything to lift her spirits, however. Yuna headed through the oak door into the defense lobby. Kain was leaning out a rectangular window between two of the rapidash busts. A grimmsnarl guard rubbed his back. Yuna flinched upon hearing retching noises. She wasn’t the only one unsettled, clearly.

“Princess! Are you alright?”

Yuna turned around. Instead of Noctum’s nervous smile, she found Baraz’s bulky frame waddling toward her. His slender upper half flopped up and down as he went.

“I’m okay,” she replied. “Um, where’s Noctum? I thought he was meeting me here.”

Baraz’s ensuing frown made Yuna’s gills pulsate. Something had happened. It was written all over his face.

“I’m… not sure.” The dracozolt rubbed the back of his feathery head. “I went to bed early yesterday. He wasn’t in our room when I woke up.”

Yuna curled her arms up. The dark spots in her arms spread a bit. Great. What else can go wrong today?

“Dost thou not fancy this, erm, strange creature?” Rayquaza asked.

Huh? No, I like him. Baraz helped rear me, after all, Yuna hastily responded. It’s just… Noctum’s my best friend. And I could really use his comfort right now.

“Your classmates told me what happened.” Baraz closed the remaining distance and put his tiny hands on Yuna’s shoulders. The Soul Dew’s glow reflected on his midsection. “I’m sorry you had to see that. But I’m proud of you for sticking up for yourself. And I’m sure your parents would say the same thing if they were here.”

The compliment rang hollow for Yuna. Still, she politely nodded her thanks.

“Tough break there, Princess.”

Yuna glanced left and saw Nikki leaning against the wall. Against one of the tapestries. Probably intentional, if Yuna had to guess.

“That was a load of trubbish.” Nikki looked ready to hock a loogy onto the floor when Chiaki put his hook on her shoulder and shook his head. She rolled her eyes.

“It’s over. Nothing anyone can do.” The grovyle crossed his arms. “Maybe the public will protest the results, but I doubt it. I bet the news will focus more on Yuna and Kain trying to get Benedict found guilty at the last second.”

Yuna stiffened. That hadn’t occurred to her. “Th… they’d really do that?”

Chiaki nodded.

“But that’s not even accurate!”

Chiaki shrugged. “If it gets the news networks more views and ad money, they won’t care.”

“Take it with a grain of salt,” Reshiram cautioned. “His dad owns an unpopular newspaper, right?”

… yeah.

“I agree with Twiggy.” Nikki strummed one of her chest gills. “It’s like Shredder always said: ‘Radiance has two justice systems. One for the wealthy and one for everyone else.'” She threw her arms up behind her head. “If we didn’t have class to return to, I’d suggest hitting a pub because you need a freaking drink.” Nikki nudged her head in Yuna’s direction.

“I, uh—” Yuna drifted closer to Baraz. “Maybe some hot tea?”

Nikki could barely hold back her laughter.

Baraz nudged Yuna’s forehead. “In this context, I think she means something hard.”

Yuna cringed. “Yeah, I’ll pass.”

Kain finally rejoined the group, looking considerably paler.

“How’d your breakfast taste the second time?” Nikki said, smirking.

“Let’s not focus on that.” Kain rubbed his stomach and belched into his right hand. “Ooogh.”

“How are we even going to get out of here without getting dogged by press?” Cid wondered, hovering by a second, open wooden door that led to a spiral staircase.

“A back exit, of course.” Chiaki pushed off the wall and strolled toward Cid, hands in his jean jacket pockets. “Buildings like these need fire escapes. And I saw one on the main floor.” He paused by the orbeetle. “If you float in front of Kain and Yuna, your bulbous head might let them sneak around without the press catching them.”

Nikki dismissively flicked her right hand. “… feh. I bet they’ll be too busy fawning over Pillow Princess.”

Yuna blinked. “Is… is that what you’re calling Shimmer?”

“Duh.” Nikki smirked. “Though I gotta give the Reaper credit, ‘Clown Prince’ is a hell of an appropriate nickname for him.”

Sighing, Yuna shook her head. “Let’s just head for the back exit.”

Chiaki’s gambit paid off. With permission from the gossifleur guarding the fire escape, the group proceeded out the steel door and onto a grass field stretching down the hill the Crowne Court sat atop. There wasn’t a soul around.

“Great!” Baraz’s tail thumped against the grass. “If we hustle, we can make the next train to Horizon Gardens.” He pointed right, then took a position on Yuna’s right. Cid floated in front of him, while Nikki and Chiaki took positions behind the dracozolt. With the monmade wall in place, they proceeded toward the front of the building.

They made it about fifty meters before shouts drew their attention.

“Back away from the Crown Prince!” “No solicitations allowed!” “Stand down or you’re under arrest!”

Nikki whistled. “Huh. Maybe there are protestors.”

But when a rasping wheeze echoed from around the corner, Yuna hastily dismissed that idea. “We’ve gotta go… now!“

Everyone but Kain got the message and quickened their pace. The flygon took to the air. “Wait, I don’t get it. What’s the problem?”

“Do you not see how the ether seeks to divide us?”

Sure enough, the front of the building came into view. Shimmer and Benedict stood on the stone steps, flanked by guards. Reporters and gallery members stood in clusters on the circular roadway, giving a clear view of Xeromus pacing at the bottom of the stairs.

“The haves carve their own paths. Bask in their manufactured happiness.” Xeromus pointed to Shimmer and Benedict. “But what of everyone else?” He turned back to the crowd. “The ether leaves them to scrap and squabble over what little the haves leave for them. They dangle false hope over your heads like a carrot on a stick… and snatch it away when you get too close for their liking!”

“What an uncouth individual. He speaks in riddles,” Rayquaza observed.

“And we shouldn’t stick around for it,” Yuna whispered, before realizing she said that aloud. The rest of the group had stopped to observe the scene, however. “Guys?”

Baraz fidgeted with his tiny claws. “Shimmer is the Crown Prince. Is it really safe to ignore this?”

“He’s got plenty of people around him.” Nikki hiked her leather jacket up and turned around. “I’m with Princess. Let’s scram.”

“Even a worthless nobody like me can see the sinful tactics you employ.” Xeromus pointed accusingly at Benedict. “You control the ether… so you control justice as well.” He thrashed his head back and forth. “Life is not about control. It is about freedom and love!”

The longer Yuna stared at Xeromus, the clearer she was able to notice a specter drifting around him. It was a dark lavender, with a head that looked vaguely like some sort of broad-chinned dog. She looked at the others. “Hey, do you guys see—”

“What? The freak acting like a freak?” Nikki shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious.”

“Is he a beggar?” Kain shuffled back nervously. “I know some of them are a bit unhinged, but accosting the Crown Prince like that is beyond foolish.”

“Natus’ love rises above this perverse justice.” Xeromus addressed the crowd once more. “Equality. Eternity. That is what real love looks like. Love that sees past the ether!”

“What are you ingrates doing?” Shimmer looked at the guards surrounding him as she shuffled back toward the Crown Court’s entrance. “Get him! He’s trespassing o-or something.”

“Relax, Shimmer.” Benedict put a hand on the ponyta’s shoulder. “We can handle a drunken beggar.” The slurpuff took a step forward. “Your delusional fantasies mean nothing, mutt. I got to where I am in life through hard work and perseverance. People like you are content to wallow in their helplessness.

“That’s all there is to it.” Benedict put his hands on his hips and smirked.

Xeromus coughed loud enough to make Yuna think he’d somehow hack up a lung. “I don’t expect… my words to sway anyone. I’m but a lowly omen.” He looked up. “But if anyone wishes to see what real love looks like… meet me in Hebrides’ main plaza in three days’ time.”

The guards sprang into action, but Xeromus was faster. Shadows swallowed up his body and evaporated into the air. Seconds later, frosty air and lightning bolts showered the area where he was standing.

Yuna sighed in relief. He left without escalating things. Thank God.

Groaning, Nikki stretched out her back. “Well, I think that’s enough entertainment for one day. Let’s get a move on before those saps come to their sens—”

“Look out!”

A lady’s shriek drew the group’s attention back to the front entrance, where a large chunk of stone from the building’s overhanging arch dislodged. Shimmer reared up on his hind legs in shock and shot a pink beam toward the rubble, shouting, “Move, Uncle!”

Several guards launched lightning bolts while an arcanine dove for Benedict. It was all in vain, however. The large white stone crushed a screaming Benedict.

“Uncle Benedict!”

Shimmer’s horn sparked as he failed to move the rubble with his telekinesis. Arcanine slammed into it. The bisharp guard assigned to Benedict during the trial let loose a flurry of punches from his metal hands.

While screams and shouts racked the crowd, a familiar screech drew Yuna’s attention above the wreckage. It was there she found Talonflame circling over the broken arch, squawking loudly as he flapped his wings.

No. It… it can’t be.

There was a whistle. Talonflame flew toward a balcony on the building’s right brick tower. Mellath leaned against the balcony’s railing and stared at the scene below him. And a familiar dusknoir floated beside him. Vegna stretched out his right arm to offer Talonflame a landing spot.

For a brief second, he caught Yuna’s gaze. Blue sparks danced underneath his black hood. Then, with a flutter of his cape, he turned and floated back through the balcony’s open door.

Yuna looked to Nikki, trembling. “Did you see—”

The toxtricity crossed her arms. “Looks like the Grim Reaper struck again. Can’t say the bastard didn’t deserve it, though.”

With her vision flickering, Yuna darted to Baraz and buried her head where the dracozolt’s upper and lower halves met.

“I have to go home. T… take me home!”

Noctum fell back on his rear. His jaw hung open. It couldn’t be real. This was all staged!

“Aha ha ha ha! Wow, what a performance!”

The feed showing two blissey loading a tarp-covered stretcher into a white, metal box cut out and returned to showing Paradox seated at his desk.

“I don’t know about you, Eternians, but I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.” Paradox leaned forward. His tentacles twisted into hands for him to rest his head against. “Still, it’s so tragic, isn’t it? While our benefactor remains trapped, the people inhabiting His prison are themselves imprisoned. Segregated into lots from birth.”

Noctum’s scales crawled. Paradox sounded eerily like the mutt that showed up at the end. The same one that had apparently cold-cocked him back in Herbrides. His hands balled into fists at the memory.

“They’re not free. Real freedom is the love that Eternatus offers us.” Paradox’s arms unraveled. He stood up from his chair. “His love conquers injustice. His freedom is littered with an eternity’s worth of choices.”

His right tentacles twisted into an arm once again. Paradox snapped his fingers. The purple fragments of a rift appeared on the left side of the screen. “Ah, and right on cue, it appears our guest of honor has arrived.”

The rift opened, revealing two of the mechanical Eternatus Troopers carrying none other than the very same slurpuff that Noctum had just seen crushed to death on the video feed.

“Unhand me, you vermin! Do you have any idea who I— oomph!“

The Troopers dropped Benedict at the foot of Paradox’s desk. He took one look at the deoxys and screamed. Though Benedict tried to bolt, a pink outline surrounded him. Paradox levitated the struggling slurpuff into the air.

“Do not worry, friend. Eternatus loves you in spite of your sinful perversions of justice,” he declared. “And you can return His love… through eternal servitude!”

Paradox pried Benedict’s mouth open with two of his tentacles and plunged the other two down his throat. “Grrk!” Benedict’s eyes widened in terror. Purple energy coursed through the tentacles and swallowed the slurpuff’s body up.

“What the hell?!” Valkyrie stumbled back and, like Noctum, ended up on her rear. The two watched as Benedict’s body dissolved away in black and purple smoke, leaving an unown-B floating there with panic stricken across its eye.

“My friends, we grow ever closer to freeing Eternatus from His prison.” Paradox grabbed the unown and dangled it in front of the camera while tears bubbled in its eye. “If you would like to join us in the closing weeks of our campaign, please visit your local Paradigm Recruitment Office to pick up an application.

“Praise Eternatus!” Paradox proclaimed. “Nos vera Natus!”

The video feed cut out, returning the perfume advertisement. Seifer’s sprinted away from Noctum and threw up. Not-Zapdos dropped off his back. His orange wings twitched.

“Nngh… what…” His eyelids opened. The beady yellow eyes darted around before settling on Seifer. “Commander!”

Noctum scooted back. “Ah, he’s awake!” He looked at Valkyrie. “Should we do something?”

The garchomp held up an arm. “He seems lucid. And, uh, I guess Seifer was right about this being one of his guardsmon.”

Seifer coughed a few times before wearily turning around. “Quetzal? It’s— you’re Quetzal, right?”

“Yessir.” Quetzal tried to get up, but looked in dismay at his long legs and stubby, orange wings. “Why?” he whispered. “Why do I still look like this?”

Valkyrie quirked a brow. “You mean you’re not normally an orange bird?”

Quetzal shook his head. “I’m a zapdos! I’m meant to take to the skies.” He flopped his tiny wings about. “I can’t do anything in this state.”

“What happened to you?” Seifer hobbled toward Quetzal.

Before the orange zapdos could respond, however, bright searchlights shined on everyone in the group. Noctum threw an arm up but couldn’t make anything out in all the light. The mechanized voices that followed, however, gave him a pretty good idea of what they were dealing with.

“Halt, miscreants! You cannot loiter on a rooftop without an approved rooftop loitering permit!”

“Present your permit or surrender yourselves for age-appropriate punishment. It is Archbishop-approved fun for the whole family!”

It had to be two Eternatus Troopers. Squinting, Noctum made out the silhouettes of their rounded glass domes and saucer-like bodies. They each hovered in the air with three mechanical legs trailing off their bodies.

Valkyrie got to her feet. “I’ve got your permit right here.”

Noctum’s tail flame sparked. “Hey, wait, maybe we should—”

She opened her mouth wide and sent a blue bolt at the Trooper on the right. It easily flew out of the way. The searchlights disappeared revealing that, unlike the previous Troopers Noctum had seen, these ones had spring-loaded arms that ended in what appeared to be small, purple dragon skulls.

“Did you see that?” the Trooper that dodged Valkyrie’s attack asked its colleague.

“I did! The garchomp responded with violence.” The other Trooper raised its arms. Blue energy swirled in its skull-like hands. “Lethal force is now authorized. How delightful!”

Seifer whirled on Valkyrie. “You idi— aah!“

Ice chunks peppered the keldeo’s rump. He hopped forward, face scrunched up in pain.

Quetzal squinted. “Wait, was that Freeze-Dry? What the heck are those things?”

“Eternatus Gunners,” one of the guards cheerfully responded. “Ones with authorization to smack some sense into your behinds.” Its hands glowed blue and, within seconds, the air was filled with Freeze-Dry chunks.

Noctum took to the skies to dodge, but a yellow rock smacked him in the face, interrupting his ascent. A second rock struck the Malice Crystal in his gut, sending him tumbling back, limbs flailing. It hurt so much! Was he hit with a Rock Blast?

“Fly, you idiot!”

A blaring horn followed Valkyrie’s cry. Noctum opened his eyes in time to see glaring headlights. He spread his wings. A single powerful flap propelled him back from a flying vehicle resembling a carriage without a roof. Its machoke passenger slowed down and shook his fist at Noctum.

“This ain’t a skydiving spot, asshole!” he shouted, then flipped Noctum the bird as he flew off.

“Oh-ho! The lizard is flying without an authorized flying license!”

Noctum looked up to see one of the Gunners training its skull-hands on him. Yellow rocks were forming in the blaster barrels. “Another citation to add to your list. Now, eat your minerals. They’re good for you!”

The charizard instead looked right and noticed a small glowing arrow attached to a building’s fire escape. With a strained grunt, he ripped the metal sign off. Noctum swung it around right as the yellow rocks were going to make contact. He knocked the Rock Blast back at the Gunner.

“Guh… gah!“

Its glass dome cracked from the blows. “How dare you! Attacking a loyal Trooper and engaging in property damage? Forget force. I’ll assimilate you on the spot, liz—”

A giant glowing spoon struck the Gunner’s glass dome, shattering it. Its mechanical body exploded in a purple blaze. The unown-J inside the saucer careened through the air until it disappeared in a burst of red light.

Noctum was in such disbelief, he almost dropped out of the sky before remembering to keep flapping his wings. Valkyrie poked her head over the edge of the roof.

“You gonna hover there gawking? We don’t have all day, dweeb.”

Another horn followed, but this one sounded distinctly more… musical. Noctum flew up to the roof and found the scrapped remnants of the other Gunner’s body plastered against the side of a taller building to his left. More striking was the large hovering vehicle in the middle. It was built like a large charjabug.

“Now, now. No need to thank me, Charizard. All in a day’s work.”

Noctum glanced at the charjabug— no, the charjabus’ roof. His eyes widened.

It’s that weird, black-purple cat guy from Cyril’s presentation! But was he called again?

“Mewtwo if you want to be technical.” He crossed one leg over another, a toothy grin on his face. “But you can call me Gene. Freedom fighter. Bot basher.” The mewtwo pivoted to show the Malice Crystal wedged into his right shoulder. “And evidently not the only guy in the Qliphoth with a crystal stuck in him anymore.”

A white-furred paw stuck out the driver’s side window and smacked the side of the charjabus. “Talk shop later. You really think these guys are going to thank you when your recklessness put ’em on the roof to begin with?”

Valkyrie stepped to Noctum’s side in time to see Fenrir stick his head out of the window. At least, Noctum figured it was Fenrir because of the pink bandana peppered with white hearts. Something was clearly wrong, however.

Fenrir brushed matted, white hair out of his white-furred face. “All that time putting on makeup and fixing up my hair for you to spoil it in a matter of minutes!” Black pupils narrowed at Gene from against yellow sclera.

“The hell happened to you?” Valkyrie asked.

Sirens wailed. Multicolored lights flashed in the distance.

“Later, later! Get in the bus.” Fenrir growled. The white hair fell over his face again. God, it looked so fluffy. Noctum wanted to hug it.

“Yeah!” Gene lay on the roof, stretching out his legs. “It’s time for us to make like bananas and split!”

Noctum glanced at Valkyrie, who shrugged and ran to the charjabus’ other side. The charizard followed her. They took seats on blue, metal chairs opposite one another. Seifer and Quetzal were several seats behind them, looking equally bewildered.

“Kssht! Attention, customers. This is your captain speaking,” Gene proclaimed, appearing in the middle of the charjabus’ interior in streams of distorted red and purple energy. “Please fasten your seatbelts and hang onto your lunch. Stolen Charjabus, Inc. is not responsible for any bloody snouts, broken bones, deaths, or dismemberments sustained during our flight.”

Seifer’s horn stub sparked. “Wait, what?! Let me go! I want off this crazy train!”

The sirens grew even louder and the emergency lights brighter. “Halt! You are in violation of the law! Surrender peacefully or face assimilation! We promise it will be fun and not seconds of excruciating agony! We have cookies!”

Gene’s crystal surrounded his body in a purple aura. He pointed an index finger forward. A rift opened ahead of the charjabus. “Punch it, Chewie!”

The charjabus sped forward. Noctum dug his claws into the seat to keep from tumbling back into Quetzal. Seifer screamed in fright as the psychedelic colors of a Qliphoth rift enveloped the charjabus.

CDL-205: Eterna City, Planet Axiom
The crown jewel of Planet Axiom, centerpiece and capital of the Eterna Empire. Oh, yeah, don’t buy into any of that ‘Qliphoth Network’ crap. Paradox fancies himself as more than the face of Eternatism. Anyway, like other Axiom locales, this one was ripped straight from its origin planet. Same place Boss Kitty was made, actually: Earth. The archbishop knew from the name alone he wanted it as part of the capital. I hear the humans turned the crater the Troopers left behind into a tourist spot. Typical.

Over the centuries, Eterna City’s been built up from its modest, foliage-obsessed beginnings to a sprawling metropolis bathed in neon. Paradox’s main office is located in Paradox Tower, which was made from the remnants of a… Galactic Building, whatever the hell that is.

Other highlights include three separate baccer arenas, two pokébase stadiums, headquarters for several corporations including Flapple, Inc., and at least three dozen nightclubs. Not that there’s much difference between day and night here. The sky will always be purple and black.