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| =====The Savior Appears===== | =====The Savior Appears===== | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| There is no voice, but the intent is felt clearly like a voice. | There is no voice, but the intent is felt clearly like a voice. | ||
| Line 1746: | Line 1746: | ||
| <Give what back?> she thought to herself, wondering if the newcomer would hear it in a similar way. | <Give what back?> she thought to herself, wondering if the newcomer would hear it in a similar way. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| Eligor smiled and leaned on the bow golden half of the table. | Eligor smiled and leaned on the bow golden half of the table. | ||
| Line 1758: | Line 1758: | ||
| Novine wanted Ilia here. She needed people who were aware of the dancers around her, to go off the cues they displayed. She exercises her power, attempting to alter the effect of their clash, intending to distort their reality to have Ilia only rebuffed safely away and not ejected from the room with such force. | Novine wanted Ilia here. She needed people who were aware of the dancers around her, to go off the cues they displayed. She exercises her power, attempting to alter the effect of their clash, intending to distort their reality to have Ilia only rebuffed safely away and not ejected from the room with such force. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| ||The world distorted, and Ilia found herself painfully indented into the wall instead of out of the picture entirely.|| | ||The world distorted, and Ilia found herself painfully indented into the wall instead of out of the picture entirely.|| | ||
| Line 1770: | Line 1770: | ||
| Novine would halt the rift, the one that thundered into existence so suddenly. It would simply fail to appear. Novine imagined it never opening, trapping that being in some between-place. As a result of the distortion, the rift would hopefully dissipate in their room before it could fully grow. That girl would never arrive to decapitate him, and he would never get the satisfaction of having summoned her. | Novine would halt the rift, the one that thundered into existence so suddenly. It would simply fail to appear. Novine imagined it never opening, trapping that being in some between-place. As a result of the distortion, the rift would hopefully dissipate in their room before it could fully grow. That girl would never arrive to decapitate him, and he would never get the satisfaction of having summoned her. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| ||The woman did indeed not appear through the rift this time....at least not physically. Her aether very clearly still broke through however. Without a physical presence, Ilia could not attack her directly, which eliminated that outcome entirely. Eligor, however....still found himself headless on the table.|| | ||The woman did indeed not appear through the rift this time....at least not physically. Her aether very clearly still broke through however. Without a physical presence, Ilia could not attack her directly, which eliminated that outcome entirely. Eligor, however....still found himself headless on the table.|| | ||
| Line 1780: | Line 1780: | ||
| "What is it you want?" she asked with a growl. | "What is it you want?" she asked with a growl. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| ||The attempt backfires, and she instead finds herself knocked back and through the wall much like Ilia was earlier. Flying through the air she would notice a golden spiral of aether enveloping her body.|| | ||The attempt backfires, and she instead finds herself knocked back and through the wall much like Ilia was earlier. Flying through the air she would notice a golden spiral of aether enveloping her body.|| | ||
| Line 1788: | Line 1788: | ||
| As soon as the aether began to overtake her, she reacted. She would change this outcome. Rather than have it backfire and cause herself to experience the violent recoil, she would reverse the interaction. She would stay put and the energy of the interaction would play out as such that this aetherial presence would find itself repelled instead, the force maintained, but the velocity and intertia changing parties. | As soon as the aether began to overtake her, she reacted. She would change this outcome. Rather than have it backfire and cause herself to experience the violent recoil, she would reverse the interaction. She would stay put and the energy of the interaction would play out as such that this aetherial presence would find itself repelled instead, the force maintained, but the velocity and intertia changing parties. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| ||The feat works, but the entity was not physically there. Instead of Novine, a golden chair suddenly burst through the wall instead. The entity focused on Novine now, glowing eyes coming to a squint.|| | ||The feat works, but the entity was not physically there. Instead of Novine, a golden chair suddenly burst through the wall instead. The entity focused on Novine now, glowing eyes coming to a squint.|| | ||
| Line 1800: | Line 1800: | ||
| "I haven' | "I haven' | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| The entity takes one look at Alia's reactionary barrier and looks back to her, no mouth visible on her face but a frown fairly apparent there. | The entity takes one look at Alia's reactionary barrier and looks back to her, no mouth visible on her face but a frown fairly apparent there. | ||
| Line 1816: | Line 1816: | ||
| "I...I don' | "I...I don' | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| "That can't work. I'm rearranging them." | "That can't work. I'm rearranging them." | ||
| Line 1834: | Line 1834: | ||
| <But... she's my sister.> | <But... she's my sister.> | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| “I have to save them.” | “I have to save them.” | ||
| Line 1846: | Line 1846: | ||
| "Why!? You should just leave them alone!" | "Why!? You should just leave them alone!" | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| "You don't understand because you cannot see it. These worlds are being linked but they are being used as food. All of you were, until I pulled you out." | "You don't understand because you cannot see it. These worlds are being linked but they are being used as food. All of you were, until I pulled you out." | ||
| Line 1858: | Line 1858: | ||
| "But Father' | "But Father' | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| Raziel grabs Novine' | Raziel grabs Novine' | ||
| Line 1872: | Line 1872: | ||
| "I want to save them! I'm her! I promised her! He's all we have! I'm powerful there! I can do it!" | "I want to save them! I'm her! I promised her! He's all we have! I'm powerful there! I can do it!" | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| Raziel jerked back as the jolt ran into her, a glow coming to one of her eyes before going out. | Raziel jerked back as the jolt ran into her, a glow coming to one of her eyes before going out. | ||
| Line 1884: | Line 1884: | ||
| "How do I know I can trust what you're saying!?" | "How do I know I can trust what you're saying!?" | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| She looks hurt, but puffs out her cheeks. | She looks hurt, but puffs out her cheeks. | ||
| Line 1896: | Line 1896: | ||
| " | " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| ||**Traitor**|| | ||**Traitor**|| | ||
| Line 1904: | Line 1904: | ||
| Novine digs her nails a bit deeper as she hears those words, wincing with the pain of it, resisting the voice for now. | Novine digs her nails a bit deeper as she hears those words, wincing with the pain of it, resisting the voice for now. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| " | " | ||
| Line 1922: | Line 1922: | ||
| "So where is it now then? Where I was?" | "So where is it now then? Where I was?" | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| " | " | ||
| Line 1930: | Line 1930: | ||
| "So... what, you move all the people with your rifts and stuff? What do you need me for?" In her bad-tempered mood, she adds a little dig in. " | "So... what, you move all the people with your rifts and stuff? What do you need me for?" In her bad-tempered mood, she adds a little dig in. " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| "I don't, you shouldn' | "I don't, you shouldn' | ||
| Line 1938: | Line 1938: | ||
| " | " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| " | " | ||
| Line 1946: | Line 1946: | ||
| " | " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| ||She freezes up, a look of horror spreading across her face. Before she can say anything however, the fairytale world is bent and pushed inward before a rapier busts through the tapestry of reality like popping a bubble and Ilia comes tumbling through, falling face first but managing to roll over in front of Novine before realigning herself and pointing it towards Raziel, seemingly positioning herself to act as a shield of sorts.|| | ||She freezes up, a look of horror spreading across her face. Before she can say anything however, the fairytale world is bent and pushed inward before a rapier busts through the tapestry of reality like popping a bubble and Ilia comes tumbling through, falling face first but managing to roll over in front of Novine before realigning herself and pointing it towards Raziel, seemingly positioning herself to act as a shield of sorts.|| | ||
| Line 1956: | Line 1956: | ||
| Novine lunges for Ilia, grabbing her rapier arm to make sure she didn't attack Raziel. " | Novine lunges for Ilia, grabbing her rapier arm to make sure she didn't attack Raziel. " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| From the front, Ilia looked mostly the same aside from one crucial detail: The right side of her face was scarred, around her cheek. Upon closer inspection, one would be able to see underneath the bangs grown over that side of her face to hide the truth. She was missing an eye. She did not spare a glance towards Novine at all, keeping her stance like a statue even as Novine tried to hold her. | From the front, Ilia looked mostly the same aside from one crucial detail: The right side of her face was scarred, around her cheek. Upon closer inspection, one would be able to see underneath the bangs grown over that side of her face to hide the truth. She was missing an eye. She did not spare a glance towards Novine at all, keeping her stance like a statue even as Novine tried to hold her. | ||
| Line 1966: | Line 1966: | ||
| Novine maintains her hold. "Yeah but... she's trying to save people." | Novine maintains her hold. "Yeah but... she's trying to save people." | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #E54262>'' |
| Raziel looks her over for a while before bristling angrily, pointing at Ilia. | Raziel looks her over for a while before bristling angrily, pointing at Ilia. | ||
| Line 1976: | Line 1976: | ||
| Novine looks between them and lets go of Ilia's arm, backing away a few steps. She remains silent, looking a bit uncomfortable with her position: lacking evidence, lacking truth, or seeing truth but from so many angles that the truths conflicted. | Novine looks between them and lets go of Ilia's arm, backing away a few steps. She remains silent, looking a bit uncomfortable with her position: lacking evidence, lacking truth, or seeing truth but from so many angles that the truths conflicted. | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| Ilia turns her head towards Novine, doing a bit of a double-take at her appearance but remains in place, poised to strike. | Ilia turns her head towards Novine, doing a bit of a double-take at her appearance but remains in place, poised to strike. | ||
| Line 1988: | Line 1988: | ||
| "Well, what do we do?" she asks, a little agitated that the story was turning again. " | "Well, what do we do?" she asks, a little agitated that the story was turning again. " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| "Me!? What about you? You lied to me when you were working with HER all along!" | "Me!? What about you? You lied to me when you were working with HER all along!" | ||
| Line 2000: | Line 2000: | ||
| "And no, I'm not mad you found out. It's a nice trick that saved Koro!" | "And no, I'm not mad you found out. It's a nice trick that saved Koro!" | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| She lowered her blade after a time. | She lowered her blade after a time. | ||
| Line 2012: | Line 2012: | ||
| Novine follows her trajectory with her eyes and looks back to Raziel when it seems she has disappeared. " | Novine follows her trajectory with her eyes and looks back to Raziel when it seems she has disappeared. " | ||
| - | <fc #9400d3>'' | + | <fc #cd5c5c>'' |
| ||**Oh no you don't! Traitors must be repaid in kind!**|| | ||**Oh no you don't! Traitors must be repaid in kind!**|| | ||
| Line 2024: | Line 2024: | ||
| ||The world reformed in gust of hot air, as Ilia and Novine were spat out onto hot and hard earth, cracked from who knows how long in the sun, with the sounds of cannon fire booming off in the distance with a near constant bombardment. Raziel was nowhere to be seen, but Novine would find herself in Alia's skin once more.|| | ||The world reformed in gust of hot air, as Ilia and Novine were spat out onto hot and hard earth, cracked from who knows how long in the sun, with the sounds of cannon fire booming off in the distance with a near constant bombardment. Raziel was nowhere to be seen, but Novine would find herself in Alia's skin once more.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
| + | |||
| + | =====All in Jest===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine lets out a frustrated cry as Alia interferes and the world goes dark. She lands unceremoniously in the dust and quickly examines herself to determine who she was in the moment. She reached up to touch her forehead, ascertaining if a crystal was indeed there and found herself surprisingly relieved to find it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | As she pushes herself to her feet, she looks to Ilia, then looks around for Raziel, appearing to be a bit concerned by her absence. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Where are we? You recognize this place?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia stands up, looking around for a while before starting to shake violently. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "We can't be here. It's gone." | ||
| + | |||
| + | She turned towards Novine, grabbing her by the neck and lifting her from the ground. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "WHAT DID YOU DO!? TRYING TO TORTURE ME!?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia appeared looked as she did earlier, but appeared to be younger now, but her right eye was blood red and covered in old cuts. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine grabs at Ilia's wrist and channels some aether into her arm, her hand turning to a flash of a flame to escape the choke-hold. She found the fact that she couldn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia was forced to release her thanks to the flames, but she kept her good eye trained on her. She seemed even more powerful than she was before now, like some ominous predator that was looking for any opening to lunge in for the kill, but as the explosions continued in the distance she sank to her knees, shutting her eyes and clawing at the ground. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I destroyed it already, so it can't be here." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "She must' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "It wasn't on purpose!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | She stood up, gripping her rapier tightly enough to make her armor creak. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I tried to save everyone. Kept going back over and over again, to do things differently. To change the past, and make a better future." | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | She rubs her right eye absentmindedly. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "The world can't take too many changes to what has been or what will be before it starts to fall apart." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "The only way was to erase this future entirely. And myself with it." | ||
| + | |||
| + | She turns towards Novine, pointing. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Well, it's a different world. Why would you expect it to be the same? So much else about 'em is different, why not the people? I mean, to me, comparing things to my world, you're not there either, but there' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "THERE ARE RULES!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | "But that other girl does not follow the rules. She has no other anywhere. There is no reason she can be here." | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | She pointed towards Novine. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Even you. In this world, you should not BE, because the me that exists is me. How then, does your flesh persist in a world where the ' | ||
| + | |||
| + | "The answer is simple yet complicated. The rules were rewritten to allow you to exist here, BECAUSE you exist elsewhere. Understand?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Your existence is supported by that possibility being present elsewhere." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "....I also broke the rules." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Here there is a me, but that possibility was erased. I had to keep moving through worlds to persist, but I had to...nevermind." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "What matters is we are here now. I can fix things." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "This has been interesting, | ||
| + | |||
| + | A man appeared behind the sisters, sitting on a nearby rock. His features were covered head to toe, with a helmet that appeared like that of a jesters mask and a goofy suit that seemed like a mix between that of a happy clown and a ninja. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia turned around, raising her hand. " | ||
| + | |||
| + | "So what can you do girl? Are you going to entertain me?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine bristled at being yet again yanked from her position, her expression seething as she stared at him as a result, too many people pushing her around. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I dunno, are you that bored?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | He continued juggling before speaking in a mocking tone. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I do believe I said I was bored, did I not? Clearly listening is not your strong suit!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Nah, it just seemed a bit sad so I thought it was a joke. But, well, wouldn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Guess so! I mean, it is a bit mean, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like watching worms wriggle about helplessly. Give it your best shot worm-girl!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | He leans back and laughs, now juggling by kicking the knives in sequence with his feet. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine grins. " | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | She exercised that power of hers. She didn't want to pulled around by other people' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||The effect happens anyway, leading the masked man to stare with a chuckle before pulling a bunch of knives from his suit, beginning to juggle them one after another.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | "So what can you do girl? Are you going to entertain me?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine grumbles, finding herself in the same place, the same circumstance. Rather than listen to the man go on, she decides to distort things again. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | She could see the aether swirling around them, vibrant and structured. She would attempt to compress the aether closer, compressing it so that only Eligor would be alone within its confines. Perhaps then she could see the truth of where she was. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||The attempt finds success, somewhat, as the masked man found himself alone on his rock, with a black orb twisting in his open palm.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Father wait!” Ilia cried, “I know who you are, see? We don’t have time for this! You need to stop this war and flee before it’s too late. Even if you stop, they will just keep coming. We need to run!” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looked to Ilia and smiled slightly at the success, feeling as if she had figured something out. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | Staring back at Eligor, seeing him sitting smugly atop the rock he was perched atop, she would distort its nature. The rock would no long be a hard substance, but rather a extremely viscous one. If she had her way, Eligor would find himself sinking within it, the nature of the rock more acidic than it would appear. It would be difficult to pry oneself from it, like an extremely tacky, acidic glue or tar. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | The man sinks into the rock slowly, seemingly surprised by the sudden turn of events. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “My my my~ this is quite the new treat! Which of you little samples managed this?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looked to Ilia, ignoring him. "Do you want the possibility back? To exist?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “What’s that supposed to mean?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Rather, I’ll rephrase it.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Would you not want to exist?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Oh... that big, then," she says in an irritated voice flexing her fingers, that aether itching away at them. "Well, fine, what do you think will stop stuff? Or at least protect people the most? Raziel wants to move everything around, what are you trying to do exactly?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Can’t save everyone. Pick what you can then save it.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | “The rest aren’t real anyway. Let them—“ | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||Her sentence was cut short as the masked man had appeared behind Novine, steam rising from his suit.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | “So it was you then? Very interesting, | ||
| + | |||
| + | He seemed quite tickled, but by Ilia’s reaction he might be anything but playful. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looked over her shoulder, surprised by the fact he was able to escape his little prison so quickly. She turned to face him, looking up at at the taller figure and crossing her arms. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "So what if it was?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Tell me how you did it. I’m interested.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Why should I?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia interjects, placing an arm between the two. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Neither of you want to do this. We have more important things to focus on.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine keeps her gaze locked with some version of her father, she supposes, having heard it from Ilia. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Then let's focus on it," she states with an eyebrow raised toward the masked man, as if challenging him to focus on the task at hand as well. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “And why should I listen to either of you? Looks like intruders in the dead land to me.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | He snaps his fingers, and a violin appears out of the aether, dropping into his hand. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine turns away from him, stepping back a step, noting the violin but otherwise not engaging with him. "Well, seems he doesn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Because he’s the focus. We need to get him out.” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | He starts playing the violin, hopping around to himself while the two talked. | ||
| + | |||
| + | “Would you believe two monsters that just appeared out of nowhere?” | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine ignores him again. " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia takes a deep breath, clearly not looking forward to what needed to be done. She drew her rapier and stabbed it into the ground, carving some sort of symbols as continued on, addressing him. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I know what you're hiding in the castle up there. I know that she's sick. You can't save her." | ||
| + | |||
| + | The violin playin stopped quite abruptly. When he spoke again, it was not the playful jester he'd dressed himself up as, but a tired man suddenly put on the defensive. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Well then. That changes things doesn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looks between them, stepping away a bit to give Ilia room for whatever symbols she needed to make. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | The two stared each other down for a while in silence, and then they both seemed to disappear. Or rather one might assume that from how quickly they began moving around the area, causing a series of wind bursts with each change in momentum and apparent clash. Just as soon as it started however, it ended. Ilia had pinned the man down on the carved glyph, and with a burst of aether a series of glowing purple chains burst outward, covering him and lifting him into the air. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia turned to Novine, seemingly no worse for wear. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Can you fly?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Then we need to get to the castle." | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||In response to this, a massive amount of aether could clearly be felt gathering in the chains covering the man, even exuding a familiar pressure over the area as the eyeholes of his mask began to flicker threateningly. Ilia...simply cut the chains, waited for the man to fall to the ground in confusion.....then proceeded to beat him over the head with the butt of her rapier. || | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine watched on as Ilia tried to subdue him, before she approached and attempted to siphon some of his aether away, to perhaps weaken him somewhat and make the job easier. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Where is it?" she asked, focusing her attention on him, but asking Ilia. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "It moves, but assuming we are in the right year it shouldn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | She continues to beat the man without missing a beat, eventually throwing him to the ground again and raising the bangs to reveal the crystal in her forehead. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I don't have time to keep convincing you over and over again! We need to move and you aren't going to get answers the way you want them! I know you already can feel my aether, so just stop being stubborn and listen! I've done this hundreds of times...HUNDREDS! You'll never beat me again, and if I want you dead you will be!" | ||
| + | |||
| + | She takes a deep breath, but this does nothing to calm her down. Her eyes come to a searing glow and her aether bursts from her body. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looks between them and looks down at the man, who simultaneously was someone she knew but also a stranger. He probably didn't know her though, especially if he knew Ilia.* | ||
| + | |||
| + | "You should listen. It's true what she's saying. She's trying to help. I'll help her do the stuff she says too if you don't cooperate." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Eventually he stands up, removing his strange helmet. Underneath was not the smiling and smug face of a man ready to laugh at the world burning, but the tired and sleepless face of Eligor. His eyes were baggy and black from days of obvious unrest, his skin was pale and splotchy from little to no care or exposure to sunlight, and his hair was peppered with black and white streaks of hair appearing throughout a scraggly red mane. He did not say anything in response, but pulled Ilia into a tight hug, staring at the ground. | ||
| + | |||
| + | He pulled away after a while, before pointing at Ilia's right eye. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Did I do that?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | At the lack of a response, | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine tensed, not expecting him to recognize her as anything or anyone meaningful, deserving of such a gesture. She allows herself to be embraced, the feeling a bit unfamiliar, a rarity she wasn't really afforded much. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I... you know me?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Not exactly, but I can more or less guess what's going on, and I can feel how familiar your aether is. Moreover..." | ||
| + | |||
| + | He flicked Novine' | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Not like that's hard to miss." | ||
| + | |||
| + | [Novine[ | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine screwed up her face a bit as he flicked her, the feeling a bit strange. She expected it to hurt, but when it didn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Oh... Right. So... Um...," | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I recognize my blade work when I see it. She knew everything I was going to do before I did it and had me beat enough to even set up a trap beforehand in my face." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "There is no need for a spy stronger than the target when the world is ending. You'd just call them an assassin." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "You both also seem serious. I'm not so stupid I can't recognize there' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine lets out a little laugh of triumph, as if she had anything to do with the success. She even gives him a little squeeze of a hug back, unable to resist the opportunity. If she was Alia, then surely this counted for him as well, yes? | ||
| + | |||
| + | She pulls back and looks to Ilia. "So... We go the castle now, yeah?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "That would be ideal, yes." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Eligor spoke up, adjusting his collar. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | He holds out his palm for the two to take it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine takes his hand, seemingly without hesitation, her barrier of distrust easily breached. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia grabs it as well, and without much further preparation the three are surrounded by a tendril-like shadow and swallowed into the darkness. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **TO BE CONCLUDED** | ||
| + | |||
| + | ---- | ||
| + | |||
| + | =====Mother===== | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||The three reappear sometime later in a dimly lit room. It was not terribly unlike the dining room that the previous Eligor died in scale wise, but was devoid of any of the gallant and extravagant decorations. The entirety of the room seemed to be made entirely of some black metal, and aether could be felt flowing and filtering through the very floor and walls to an almost overwhelming degree.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia moved away from the group quickly, clearly already familiar with the layout of the building. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine takes in her surroundings, | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | She does not answer for some time, walking through the wide hallways and making her way to what appeared to be some hallway while Eligor followed in silence. The bulk of the aether running through the largely featureless castle was being focused into this room, and into a large pod nestled at the back of the room. Ilia made her way to the pod without a word and placed her hand on it's smooth black surface before resting her head on it. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | With that brief moment over, she turned around, addressing Eligor now. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "We need to move this castle somewhere no one else can get to. We cannot simply go higher, they will find ways to get there. Do either of you have suggestions?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine watches the display quietly, her features softening only slightly, not able to empathize as much with the actions as she didn't have anyone she personally identified as much of a mother, but she folds her arms and thinks on Ilia's question. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "...Is that the only idea you have?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia seems reluctant to explain, but Eligor cuts in. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | "The facility can go underwater, but that would require...rerouting the power. Currently, seventy percent of the power is being supplied to this room." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looks to the pod, her grumpy expression trying to hang on, faltering a bit. She makes to chew on her lip for a moment as she mulls over the problem, only letting out a little his as she, again, forgets that these ones are sharp. She puts a hand to her little cut. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I created a grimoire to make up for my shortcomings, | ||
| + | |||
| + | "It keeps her alive but it is also killing her. And due to the coma, we cannot even hope to gain control of the problem either." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Eligor looks the pod over, clearly still trying to think over solutions even as he tells the story. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "What if she could handle the recoil? Would anything bad have happened?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "She likely would still be conscious, but the fusion still would have occurred." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Would she be at all anything like the person you'd still want around? Like... would that way of living be something you'd want for her over this?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | She looks a little sheepish as she looks back to him. "Well, I could make it be that way instead. Well, probably. It sometimes ends out weird but... I could change it, n' then the castle could go underwater and she'd be okay." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I just don't know her so... I don't wanna decide it for you two." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "That won't work," Ilia chimed in, sighing. "I already tried that. Something else kills her if you stop the core from fusing with her. So many times...no matter what you do, death finds her like it was meant for her." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "No, I wasn't gonna stop the core from fusing, 'cause then Father wouldn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looks back to Eligor, tilting her head, eyes wider with that eager confidence, wanting to try. "Do you want me to try?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "The alternative is we watch her die anyway. She's not a guinea pig, but it's not like we have room to properly test." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "If you think it will work, I'll at least bet on you." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine uncrosses her arms and nods. "I... I can only guess. I wish I knew more about the way things were here with you all ' | ||
| + | |||
| + | She looks at the pod, and that power that itched and hummed underneath her skin is called forth. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | She attempts to do as she says, to change the effect of the recoil - to allow the fusion, but to give Ilia's mother the ability to withstand it, to remain with them. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||Time begins to unravel and unfold itself, and the moment in question is righted. The woman in the pod never falls comatose to the recoil, but as time began to resolidify something began to go wrong. At some point life was replaced with death, and like a glitch in the distortion itself, the death seemed to play out multiple times over and over, each time with Ilia present. The woman looked very much like her--almost identical in fact save for hair of a far less intense hue, and a crystal in her forehead that seemed much smaller. Each time the woman died, a new scene and a new death played out--over and over again in sequence seemingly hundreds of times. Each time Ilia's eyes seemed more and more crazed and desperate to stop the coming doom. Eventually, with the final death Ilia seemed to have lost hope entirely, looking on at the scene with a cold indifference before turning away. Time continued forward as normal again until the group found themselves in the room once again from the moment they entered, with Ilia moving to the back of the room and placing her hands on the tube that had quite suddenly turned into an elaborate coffin. || | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||The aether was no longer filtering through the castle into this one room, but instead seemed to be focusing on some room above it. Eligor was no longer dressed as some strange jester either, but was clad in black armor now, his eyes even more devoid of life than they were previously.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looked at the coffin, shaking her head, her expression screwing up into one of confusion. She took a chance to glance at the both of them, trying to gauge what they understood of the moment. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia turned around after having placed her hand on the grave, her face tightened up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "We need to get the castle away from them, and flying higher won't help. I think our best bet would be to go underwater for now, but even then we will need some kind of way to cloak this place. Failing that....we need a barrier. Soon enough the heaven piercer will be ready to fire, and if that thing hits us directly everything within a hundred malms will be dust." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looks into their eyes and sees how much worse off they were, how dead they seemed. It wasn't right. This wasn't right. She told them she could change it. She would try her best. This wasn't her best. | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | She would change the cause. If her dying was related to the core, perhaps.... perhaps the nature of the core needed to change. What if it didn't need to fuse? Eligor said it did, but she decided things now. She was in control. She would make it so that the core didn't need to do that. She would harbor it inside herself, but it would not consume her in the way it needed to. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||Once again time unraveled, but somewhere along the way something went ever so slightly wrong. The core did not fuse with Ilia's mother, but instead she ripped the grimoire straight from Eligor during that incident years ago. The resulting accident caused her to go mad, and she began to terrorize the populace in far more brutal fashion. After much trial and error, Eligor finally managed to imprison her within this room, where a series of red nails kept her pinned to the wall. During Ilia's visit, the woman began to snap wildly at her with her teeth but her simply being alive seemed to have changed things considerably. Ilia's right eye was no longer red and damaged, and Eligor no longer had a tired and depleted visage about his person.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | **M̵̐̓a̴͒͆d̵̾̊n̴͑͠ê̷̕s̷͌̽s̴̋̀ ̴̛̾i̵̯͠n̶͗́c̸͒̉r̴͋͐e̶̓̀a̸̐̔s̷̉͠e̴̿̎d̵̽͆** | ||
| + | |||
| + | **T̶͓͌h̷̽̾e̸͂̏ ̸̐͊w̸̚͠ȍ̴̈́r̶̈͐ĺ̷̓d̷̅͂ ̴͒͝h̵̆̒ä̶́́s̸͆͝ ̴̆͠b̶͍̓e̸͗̌c̶͆̾ò̴̃m̵͋͗é̴̄ ̶̍͋s̷͆͗o̷͆̆ ̴̿̈́m̴̈́̓ù̸̿c̵̈́͝h̴̒̄ ̸̔͝l̶̾͒e̸̊͑s̶̎̉s̵̐͆ ̷̂͐ẗ̵̐ḧ̴́̌a̵̐̊n̶͛͠ ̵͑͒i̸͑̊t̸̍̅ ̵͆͗o̸̊̚n̵͌͗c̶̛̈ë̶͙ ̷̄̔w̵͋̕á̸͋s̶͘** | ||
| + | |||
| + | **C̶̀̿a̸̾͘ǹ̷̚ ̶̛̑y̸̆͊o̸͆͊ư̸̆ ̶͆̄f̶̏̕e̶͋͒é̶̾ĺ̵̈́ ̵͋̊m̸͌́ẻ̵͘? | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine freezes as she experiences the hitch in her distortion, the feeling of it different. She blinks and shakes her head running a hand through her messed up hair as she takes in the new reality she had wrought. Ilia's mother is alive, and everyone seemed... not necessarily happier, but certainly less tortured. After everything Ilia had said, this seemed preferable. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I... No, wait, what? Why would you do that? That's stupid. Just go underwater? Can that thing get us there?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "It can," Eligor said, "but they can still find us." | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia nodded. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine - " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||Suddenly, a white light burst through the walls, quickly melting everything in a torrent of white. In that moment, the true consequence of Novine' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine widened her eyes and activated the power yet again. This wasn't good enough. Nothing was. Ilia was right, she couldn' | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | **I̷̍͆s̵͂̏ ̷̄̒s̵̆̂å̵̛v̴̓͘i̷̿̚ǹ̸̉g̵͋̈́ ̶̌͂ḧ̷́͠ě̸̑r̵̈́̉ ̴̙͌t̴̿͛ḧ̷́̌e̷̓̇ ̸͛͝r̷̍̽e̴͂̽ȁ̶̚l̸̃̍ ̶̛͌ä̵̏n̴̽̋s̸̋͂ẁ̴̈́ê̸̿r̴̊͗? | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||The world unravels again, reforming into what it once was, replacing Novine again into herself moments before starting her first distortion in this new world. Eligor stared at her, nodding for her to continue.|| | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Do you...need help?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | **T̸̈͘ḧ̷́͗ě̷̈́r̵̈̽e̶͐̂ ̸̏͛a̷̽̎r̵̀̄e̷̒̇ ̸̋́b̴͗͠ű̷̕g̷͂̌s̵̆̚ ̷̛̽ĩ̸̔n̵͊̓ ̶̃͐m̵͋̇y̵̓̋ ̴̔̚ḧ̷́̊à̸̄i̷͛͘r̸̃̃** | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I... tried." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "...I see." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "How did you try? I do not understand how you do what you do." | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looked to him, a little cautious, greedy of her power, remembering Alia's prior warning not to tell him. But... she called her a traitor and sent her here with the same power. And this version of her Father seemed reasonable. The Father she knew was an intelligent man. Surely this one might be able to help her direct it toward a use she had not thought of. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "....I can change stuff. Distort moments so that they happen differently. Cause or effect of anything, I can change it. I haven' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Yeah, anything. At least, I haven' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia turned around, while Eligor continued his questioning. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "So, what exactly did you do?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I just... there' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Not what I mean." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "You said you tried and failed already." | ||
| + | |||
| + | "But you are here, and I have no memory of this. So what exactly did you try to do with your power? How did you try to save her?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | "This would be better understood with a test." | ||
| + | |||
| + | He raises a hand and promptly jabs it knifehand style directly into his abdomen, causing blood to immediately spurt from the large wound. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine looks at him with irritation as he maims himself, but she concentrates, | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | He stares down at himself as his hand fails to pierce his body, confused but clearly comprehending. After a moment, he begins to rub at his chin thoughtfully before finally speaking up again. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "If this power truly works as you say it does, then the problem is solved." | ||
| + | |||
| + | **S̸̈̀h̷̐͠ơ̸͒ư̶͝l̶̇̿d̴̓̚ ̵͋̓h̶͂͐ả̶͑v̶̆͌e̴͛̇ ̶̾͛m̶̛̒ǎ̶͐d̵́̒ê̵͘ ̷̈̏i̵̛̊t̶̎̓ ̴͌̂f̸̃͗o̵̚͝ŕ̶̆c̷͂̃e̷̓͌ ̵͐͋h̶͌̌i̶̽͝ḿ̵͛ ̴́͑ṫ̴̔ö̷́̔ ̶̛͝c̸͊̽r̸̽͘y̵̛̑** | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine takes a deep breath and releases it as the thought comes to her unbidden again. | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "They are not bad, but they are....overly complicated in a sense. Especially if we account for failure." | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | " | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "I would assume so." He turned towards Ilia. "Is there anything else to worry about Rurumi?" | ||
| + | |||
| + | Ilia was eerily silent throughout this exchange of ideas, but upon Eligor' | ||
| + | |||
| + | Eligor turned back to Novine, a hint of confusion on his features. | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Can you do that....wait, | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Oh, it' | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | "Then let's try that." | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||Without any ceremony, a tendril pops out of his sleeve and digs into the black metallic floor. With a groan, the entire begins to shake and after a moment more begins to slowly move. || | ||
| + | |||
| + | "We should head south east," Ilia noted. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | Novine would change the the way the building moved through space, increasing the distance that the building' | ||
| + | |||
| + | **D̴̓̈́i̸̾̕s̷͋͛t̷̽͊o̶͒͠r̷̉̓t̶̏̂i̶̿̀o̷͒̚n̷̽̾** | ||
| + | |||
| + | <fc # | ||
| + | |||
| + | **Ü̶͝H̴̑͘ ̶͆͐Ǒ̷͗H̴͗̂** | ||
| + | |||
| + | **M̶͐̈́Ä̷́͂D̴́͘N̷̎̎E̴͋̀S̶̈́S̴̊͝ ̷̄̍Ỉ̸̍N̷̓̚C̶͂͑R̷͗̊E̷̋̈́Ä̸́͘S̶͛̕Ê̷͛D̶͂̚** | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||The world suddenly goes still, and all color drains from it. From the crystal in Novine' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ||**`Ẇ̶̕i̴̓͝l̸͌̆l̷͋̉ ̸́̆y̴͐̄ȯ̶̀ǔ̶̈́ ̸̄͑ä̷́̐n̶͌̐s̵̀̑w̸̍̆e̴͑̚r̶̔̿ ̵̄͝ẗ̵́͊h̴̽͝e̴̓͒ ̸̔̔c̶̽͌a̴͋͊l̴̀̍l̴̊̿? | ||
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