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Sugar-Free

The Eternally Guilty Sun: Revival

By Sugar-Free, in Freeform Role Plays

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After a while, the Robin seemed to have composed herself enough to answer her questions. Her previous sniffling had decreased to mere uneven breathing, something Aine was glad of. Giving one final sniff, the Robin wiped her face with her sleeve and began to speak.

 

“Well…y’see…it’s actually a funny story. A long one, if you’re up to hearing it…”

 

This piqued her interest, causing her to momentarily pause her care to listen. The Robin was a very dramatic storyteller, complete with hand gestures and sound effects, but she didn't find it annoying. In fact, it reminded her of her own method of speech which was often very animated. It was a dramatic story after all, and dramatic stories deserved dramatic retellings. She found all of it very fascinating, despite the rather dire events that transpired. Somehow, the events of the story reminded her of her own story. Being pulled from your home, suddenly becoming part of a prophecy, even being unable to return until it was completed. It was an exact echo of her past, although the last part may have been untrue in her case, considering she was able to appear here...

 

"...and 'cause of that, there's a relatively good chance that the reason your here is because of space-time dimensional shenanigans, courtesy of your friendly local psychopath cat-and-fox." The Robin finished, shrugging it off casually.

 

She finished wiping the blood off of the Robin's hand just as she licked the other hand and wiped it on her jacket, revealing the Mark of Grima. Is it creepy that I know pretty much everything about her before she's even introduced herself? But maybe this Robin was different, considering she had been brought here. Out of all the possible Robins, the prophecy had chosen her, which must mean there was something special about this Robin. Meanwhile, I just appeared here because I tried a stupid experiment... Still, maybe it was more than mere coincidence that landed me here.

 

"I'm Alexandria, but just 'Alex' is fine. I'm a Grandmaster from the far-off distant land of what I like to call 'Neo-Archanea'." Alex scoffed, breaking her smile and flipping her hair behind her shoulders with a flourish. "You've..prolly never heard of it."

 

"You can call me Aine, then. I actually arrived here because... I shot myself with an interdimensional gun. I was curious what would happen, okay?" She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly at this, momentarily choosing to focus on a spot directly to the right of Alex. "And I actually have heard of this 'Neo-Archanea'. Knowledge like that sorta comes with my position... or at least, what was my position. I don't think I'm gonna be getting back to Askr anytime soon..."

 

She trailed off, suddenly lost in thought. But just as suddenly, she whipped her head back to Alex, eyes widening in realization.

 

"Oh! I forgot to explain where I'm from. Well, this is a complicated one... let's just say that I'm something of a dimension hopper. Before I got poofed here, I lived in the Kingdom of Askr and acted as the official summoner of the Order of Heroes. In other words, I summoned heroes from other realms to defeat evil."

 

Now that she'd finished her introductions, she stood up straight again and folded up her sash before stuffing it in one of her pockets. She'd find some water to wash it in later, after she figured out what exactly was happening here. Turning her gaze to the door, she gave it an experimental push only to find it securely shut. That must have been what Alex had been complaining about, then. Well, sitting here wouldn't do any good. She decided to go back to Alex and offer her a hand getting up, making sure to avoid the raw cuts scattered over her knuckles.

 

"Well, since you're the expert here, lead away! Where to next?" She offered Alex one of her signature smiles, almost playful enough to be a smirk. As she did so, an odd sort of feeling spread across her body, but she dismissed it as the aftereffects of her rushed journey down the stairs.

Edited by Silverphoenixx

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The dark dragon's body was tensed, but it was also rather sore. His scales were trying to draw in lightning magic to make up for all the magic burned in battle.

 

Stormcatcher relaxed slightly as the water magic seemed to fade with distance, as though its owner were leaving. He still wasn't completely relaxed, but then he hadn't been in a long time. The warmth on his scales and the exhaustion from the magical drsin were combining to make him drowsy, but the ache that also came with the drain, and the fact there were water and wind users at least somewhat nearby, were keeping him awake. For now.

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Ratchet had experienced the ripped from on reality to another roller coaster ride once but it did not prepare him for the second time. Ratchet was ejected from the painting like the others, landing roughly on the slick basement floor. Ratchet dusted himself off the best he could and followed Ascension to the atrium of the castle.

 

Ratchet sat on the carpet covered stairs in the atrium and pulled off one of his boots. He dumped a seemingly endless stream of yellow sand to the floor, "Man, does anyone else hate sand levels?" He asked. His own travels across the universe has often times dropped him in the harsh, hot climate of desert planets. They all pose the same problem. Sand. Everywhere

 

Ratchet emptied his shoes and looked at the bunch. Solar had sustained damage from the fight with the condor. Ratchet ground his teeth. He could have been there to help if he had been faster up the pyramid. Some hero he was.

 

Now Solar was injured and no one seemed to know how to heal. Ratchet himself could regenerate bodily harm through the use of Nanotech. That was fine for him but it couldn't be used across users. That would result in liquification due to a breach in contract. Ratchet could not do much but sit and watch.

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"You can call me Aine, then."

 

If one could see into Alex's brain, they'd be treated to a lightshow. Ooh, another "A" name... Alex liked names that started with the letter "A". It was equal parts egoism and pride in it's aesthetic--A was the first letter of the alphabet, and it had a stately symmetry complimented by its commanding upward-arrow design. There was a possibility it fed into her vanity, seeing what her own name was, but tiny obsessions were not unknown to--and were welcomed by--her, so she accepted it as just appreciation for an evidently superior letter.

 

 

Alex, stahp, she chided herself, you're doing the thing again.

 

Oh, yeah...I should prolly not do that...after all, she's an Outrealms person! And if I've never seen her before...well, what's the chance I'll see her again once it's all said and done? Gotta quell the fanaticism--just for one moment!

 

And she was glad she did, because boy, was this next bit a doozy...

 

"I actually arrived here because...", she hesitated, "I shot myself with an interdimensional gun."

 

 

WHAT.

 

 

She wondered if her expression conveyed her thoughts, as Aine was quick to respond with a flippant flair.

 

 

"I was curious what would happen, okay?"

 

That...certainly wasn't what one would describe as "par for the course." Alex had a tangible, if not somewhat shaky grasp on what "guns" were, and she sufficed it to say that if one were to administer a blast to themselves from one, anywhere, at close range, reasonably they'd be dead. She wondered if she knew that was what guns did. Not like that was hard to pick up on--if anything, it'd be like pointing a crossbow at oneself, or any kind of magic, really. She chuffed lightly--what else was she expecting? Did she mean "interdimensional" in the sense that it was interdimensional, or that it was some space-time fudgery gadget? If that was the case, was she really banking on reality-jumping if having her dome scattered across the ground somehow wasn't the outcome? What was the backup plan? Was there a backup plan? How do you plan ahead for accidental self-extinguishment? All these questions and more made her so disbelieving that she couldn't keep the goofy smile from tugging up her lips.

 

 

Was she asking for death or something?

 

 

I'd call you crazy, but given what I was willing to do, she set her heel down long enough to make sure the bottle was in safe proximity, I don't guess I've got the right to judge.

 

 

She seemed to react accordingly, avoiding her gaze and rubbing at the back of her head before speaking again. When her attention came back in full, she looked a little thrown by something, and Alex mimicked her with a dash of hesitation.

 

"And I actually have heard of this 'Neo-Archanea'. Knowledge like that sorta comes with my position... or at least, what was my position. I don't think I'm gonna be getting back to Askr anytime soon..."

 

The lack of surprise at her homeland--the land of the glorious Hero-King Mar-Mar, no less!--couldn't even manage to deflate her at this point. What she was insinuating...what that little bit about her "position" entailed was endlessly invigorating to Alex's perceptions. Then was she a time-vagrant like herself then? Unfixed to the day-in day-out ever-predictable motions of the denizens of constancy??? At this point, they all sorta were in their own way...but everyone else who'd been dragged to Smashlandia--barring the Corrin, but who cares--but once it was done, hypothetically they'd be pasted back into their own static timeline. Maybe that meant this girl wouldn't! She didn't know why that excited her, but it did and that was all that mattered! She leaned up and waited for the answer.

 

"I forgot to explain where I'm from. Well, this is a complicated one... let's just say that I'm something of a dimension hopper--" HA! "--Before I got poofed here, I lived in the Kingdom of Askr and acted as the official summoner of the Order of Heroes. In other words, I summoned heroes from other realms to defeat evil."

 

So...a travelling Outrealms Gate...huh. The possibilities were endless. She briefly considered asking her if she'd summon her husband for her. And then...she considered it a little longer...and longer...

 

 

Aine stood and began collecting herself; in the meanwhile, Alex stealthed her bottle back into her breast pocket and tugged that portion of her jacket closed. The chances of her seeing it were super-unlikely, but she felt more secure in making sure of that. By the time she looked back up, Aine had walked to the door and pushed it a bit before coming to the same conclusion she had, minus the wailing and beating. She wondered if she was nearly as mercurial as she could be.

 

Nah...she seems pretty straight-laced. That's very much a "me" thing, I bet. She didn't know if that made her happier or sadder, really. Not that it was going to matter, of course--

 

 

A hand appeared above her vision. Aine was offering her a means of standing. She flinched in a moment of consternation at the motion.

 

 

But her hand went to reach anyway.

 

 

Wait.

 

Stop.

 

What are you thinking?

 

Don't you ever learn your lesson?!

 

You'll only ever regret this if you do it...

 

 

Alex knew it wouldn't have mattered any other time. Most of the others were standalones, separate from her string of existences--even when it came to Owain, Severa, Ike and Soren, they were only instances of people, not truly unique when it came down to it. However, she'd never seen an "Aine" or her representation before, and she clearly was from her string of existences if she knew about Archanea and the concept of "heroes". Though she could always be from a hubworld dedicated to "summoning" Nix-style where the tossup was random, she felt like advanced knowledge on a world of which she felt was relatively niche in the terms of the multiverse was too specific to be coincidence.

 

And besides that...Aine seemed...unique. She'd not deigned to help her, nor did she bludgeon her with scathing remarks regarding her admitted stupidity or her method of speaking. For that, she was markedly different than the others, to the point that it made her stand out amongst their variety. Things could change, she knew; maybe she was just as mercurial as she, and she was a hair away from a heel-turn maneuver that'd leave her impressions in pieces.

 

 

But she was unique.

 

 

And Alex would preserve uniquity with all her heart.

 

 

So she took her hand and stood, the touch much more considerate this time than last, and Aine gifted her with a playful smile that threatened to totally purge the virulent toxin that pervaded her thoughts.

 

 

"Well, since you're the expert here, lead away! Where to next?"

 

 

Clarified by her kindness, Alex set a fist on her hip and waved a hand above her head, a mock expression of haughtiness sharpening her features.

 

"Hee hee, I am the expert for now, aren't I?" She dropped the guise as soon as it was constructed, her hand coming down to tap at the side of her thigh.

 

"Well, my dutiful and most excellent associate, we should head upstairs and get settled in for the night. I'd say I should introduce you--o-or let you introduce yourself, whatever you're into...but since it's been a whole day full of zambs, near drownings, rain and full-contact purple Light magic, I'll say even I don't have the fortitude to keep standing at this rate!" She motioned for Aine to follow her and headed for the steps, looking up them with a quiet whine as she started ascending. If she kept this up, she'd be able to break weapons on her legs. An interesting story to share with Libra once she got home no doubt, but if she was gonna be swole, she'd like it as a full-set.

 

She let herself keep a steady pace as to walk beside Aine...as well as to save herself any more trauma from all the climbing. Besides, she had a few things she needed to get straight.

 

"Oh, and, uh...heeeeey...so, ignore that little breakdown back there. I, uh..." she twisted up her face as she thought of a good excuse. It was a good thing she was a semi-believable liar. "...well, there's no Ladies' rooms here in the big 'ol tower, sos I thought I'd excuse myself downstairs and take my business elsewhere, so to say. Buuuut..." she laced her hands together and rolled her eyes to the side, sucking in a hissing breath through her teeth, "...seems like that's gonna be an issue when whoever's here decided to lock the door and take the key, metaphorically speaking. I might've lost my temper and cursed the very ground they stood upon. Cue breakdown and...well, you saw what happened."

 

She held her hands apart and grinned. That should sell it for her.

-------------------

 

Shortly after the silence passed, Cyil respectfully excused herself from any further conversation and moved to find herself a place to sleep. Ike chose to do likewise, standing and stretching himself out before leaning to gather all of his discarded dressings. He'd barely registered just how tired he actually was, even though he'd done comparably little to what he usually undertook. When tomorrow came, he'd have to make sure to take time out to get in a few rounds of sparring if he could find someone capable or willing to do so. Upon reaching the exit down the small flight, he threw up a hand and called back to the two remaining.

 

"I'm off for the night, then. Sleep well, you two."

 

Immediately, he felt the brisk, stagnant air creep up his clothes. It wasn't as bad as having his armor cool against him, but it was still enough for him to wish it wasn't there. Knowing how bad he felt it, he could only guess Soren was probably freezing to death at this point--he'd have to try a little harder to get him to come with him this time.

 

When he made it back to where Soren was, he remained in mostly the same position, but his head was set on his knees which were drawn up to his chest, fingers tucked between his calves to keep them in place. Ike slowly approached him, mindful to keep as quiet as possible as to not disturb him.

 

He knelt down and examined him closer, mindful not to let his armor and weapon hit on anything. Soren sat completely unmoving, only shallow, even breaths rising and falling in his chest. From what he could tell at this angle, his eyes were closed, the lids fluttering as they danced in dreams. He was glad he'd restrained from foolishly asking if he was awake. Though he was want for the warmth of the fire, he carefully placed his items to the side in semi-order, making the decision against it. He was capable of doing so--Soren was about as heavy as a sack of potatoes to him--but he chose not to move Soren to a room that would soon be overly occupied, in his opinion. So, he decided to do the next best thing.

 

Now that his hands were free, he gently supported Soren's back with a hand as he removed the satchel he'd been protecting, pushing it near the rest of his gear. Very, very carefully, he maneuvered himself behind him in its place and situated his legs on either side of him. Ike leaned forward and eased Soren's chilly fingers out of their holds, his breath catching as he watched his legs fall to the sides--and yet, Soren barely stirred. He sighed in relief--You must be exhausted-- and slowly rested him against his chest, too concerned about waking him to undo the ties that were pressing creases into him. It was a small agitation, one he'd easily forget in a matter of minutes, but Soren would undoubtedly fuss about it in the morning.

 

For now, Ike was more concerned about staying warm. He plucked his cape from the ground and spread it out over the two of them, and now that their makeshift bed had been made, he leaned against the stone pillar and stared into the wall.

 

 

A lot had happened in the last two days. He'd only been in the Smashlands for only really one of them, but when his introduction had been celebrated with discovery of his best friend's mauled body, it weighed on him as if he'd been their since the beginning. He hadn't really dwelled on it--there was little reason to--but now that nothing else demanded his attention, he was growing mildly concerned over the state of things back home. He and Soren were already cutting it close on their departure, which is why he'd been so quick to deposit his funds onto the local cut-purse just to find him. From experience, he knew time ran differently here than it did there--it was almost as if time stopped in Tellius during his first tournament--but he worried that the presence of Eos and Nix would somehow disrupt that. There was no way to prove one way or another that it would, though, so he forced himself to forget about it until more information was presented. Ike adjusted his back to get the seam of the pillar out of his spine and put his arms behind his head, closing his eyes; he needed to get some sleep. Slogging around while everyone else took on his burden wasn't much to his taste, and who knew what fresh disaster they'd witness next?

Edited by Sugar-Free

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"Hee hee, I am the expert for now, aren't I?" Alex summoned up a guise of haughtiness, complete with a hand over her head, but quickly dropped it at her next words.

 

"Well, my dutiful and most excellent associate, we should head upstairs and get settled in for the night. I'd say I should introduce you--o-or let you introduce yourself, whatever you're into...but since it's been a whole day full of zambs, near drownings, rain and full-contact purple Light magic, I'll say even I don't have the fortitude to keep standing at this rate!"

 

Aine nodded in agreement, although she couldn't keep herself from a light chuckle. The odd feeling had grown since Alex had begun talking, although it wasn't yet strong enough to warrant concern. But maybe she shouldn't start up such a large flight of stairs? Oh well, it's not like I'm gonna force Alex to wait for me just because I feel "weird". My stomach's probably just punishing me for skipping dinner. So, with a deep breath of determination, she started up the stairs, trying her best to keep up with Alex. Momentarily, she regretted not training herself for stamina when she'd had the chance, but she dismissed it as a useless regret. After all, wishing that she was stronger wouldn't make her stronger, so she might as well spend her time thinking about something more productive.

 

"Oh, and, uh...heeeeey...so, ignore that little breakdown back there. I, uh..." Alex suddenly spoke, features twisting in what she assumed was embarrassment."...well, there's no Ladies' rooms here in the big 'ol tower, sos I thought I'd excuse myself downstairs and take my business elsewhere, so to say. Buuuut..." Alex took a hissing breath, shifting her gaze to the side, "...seems like that's gonna be an issue when whoever's here decided to lock the door and take the key, metaphorically speaking."

 

The odd feeling was building up to a distracting level now, and she had to take a deep breath to focus on Alex's words.

 

"I might've lost my temper and cursed the very ground they stood upon."

 

Nothing was helping, not even pausing her ascent. She was seriously worried now, enough to stop climbing and sit down.

 

"Cue breakdown and...well, you saw what happened."

 

It was a good thing she had sat herself down, because what happened next would surely have led to her falling down the stairs. She'd blinked, noting the sudden absence of the odd feeling one second, and the next she was in unbearable pain. Raw, fiery claws seemed to rake at her insides, pulling at her so hard she thought they'd rip clean through her abdomen. Instinctively, she curled up into a ball on the side of the stairs, struggling to blink black tears. Her half-open eyes were hazy from tears and pain, but she could have sworn she saw herself flicker.

 

--------Meanwhile, back in Askr--------

 

"I swear I saw her here a moment ago."

 

Anna paced around the center of the summoning ruins, running a hand through her bright red hair. The royal siblings, Alfonse and Sharena, watched her quietly, not daring to speak. She was their commander, after all, and a force to be reckoned with when disgruntled. Concern was evident on the features of all those present, especially Alfonse. Although his posture was rigid, the grimace on his face betrayed his true emotions. He couldn't be blamed, especially since the weight of an entire empire rested on him and losing the one thing that gave him an advantage had hit him hard. With their superior numbers, Embla would surely take this chance to invade Askr and end it once and for all.

 

"Are you sure you checked everywhere? Maybe we should look again, there's always a chance you missed her."

 

Anna knew Alfonse was grasping at straws, but she relented anyway. Aine was well known for her silliness and there was a good chance she was just trying to catch some ducks somewhere in the woods. It wasn't like her to miss dinner though, especially since Peri was cooking tonight. She'd often labeled the blue-and-pink haired girl as a bad influence, but there was no denying her skill in the kitchen. Aine would have jumped at the opportunity to learn from her and consume fine cuisine. Still, Aine was nothing if not crafty, and she probably would have chosen this day specifically because she knew everyone would show up to dinner. In the end, Aine was so unpredictable and came up with new ideas so quickly she couldn't even begin to predict her behavior.

 

"Fine. I'll check around the ruins again, you two head to the forest. For all our searching, she may just be chasing some birds."

 

With a tired frown, she waved the siblings off and watched them trot into the woods. If it were anybody else, she would have been worried about them getting lost, but the siblings knew all of Askr like the back of their hands. A smile twitched at her lip as she thought of this, but it quickly disappeared as she turned back to the ruins. Where to start? Behind the rock would probably be best, considering that had been where she'd seen Aine last. There had been a flash there too, and a faint flicker of something she couldn't quite see.

 

As she picked her way over the rocks, cursing her metal boots, she could have sworn she saw a flicker of Aine behind the rock. The sight gave her renewed hope, although it also bestowed a new concern upon her. Nothing she knew could make people flicker, and if Aine had done so then she'd probably tried some sort of foolish experiment. That girl's too curious for her own good. Her frown deepend for a moment, then she closed her eyes and shook her head. It could have just been a trick of the light. But when she opened her eyes again, there was no denying the phantom image of Aine before her.

 

She took the last few steps in haste, stumbling over a variety of pebbles underfoot. Not bothering to keep away a curse, she reached the illusion of Aine just as it flickered again. No no no, don't disappear! Just stay there long enough for me to figure this out! But the ghost flickered again, opening its mouth in a crackling, distorted scream, before disappearing.

 

NO!

 

--------Tower of Valni--------

 

She blinked - there it was again, an unmistakable moment of transparency - then curled tighter, unable to swallow back a scream. Even her own voice sounded strange to her, but she wasn't sure if the pain was just messing with her senses. After another moment of agony, the claws finally relented, releasing her from their grasp. Her breaths came in shallow gasps, straining against the arms wrapped around her stomach. All of a sudden, the room felt cold as she pushed herself upright on sweaty palms. She didn't know what just happened, but she never wanted it to happen again.

 

Weakly, she gathered her feet under herself before standing up, swaying unsteadily. She managed a half-grimace in Alex's direction as she put a hand to the wall to support herself, pressing her free hand to her forehead. Her first attempt at speech was little more than a hoarse squeak, so she paused to clear her throat before speaking again.

 

"Ah - I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I might be sick, so um, you might want to watch out..."

 

She had no idea what her fit had looked like to Alex, but if it was anywhere near as startling as she thought it had been then she deserved an apology. What had even happened, anyway? There was nothing of note that she'd suffered from recently, aside from a missed dinner. Maybe someone had poisoned her? For a moment, she missed the internet, as she would have been able to google it and narrow down her symptoms. But the weight in her pocket reminded her that her phone had long since died, and the chances of being somewhere that she could connect to free wifi were slim. No matter the reason for her sudden collapse, she should continue heading upstairs so she could rest.

 

However, it seemed her body had other plans. Her legs were shaking so much she could barely take a step at a time, not to mention the residual headache that plagued her. It was getting a lot better, but she couldn't imagine taking the rest of the steps in such a condition. Still, she didn't want to bother Alex any further, so she put on a shaky smile and tried to press on, only to stumble a moment later.

 

"Maybe I should rest a while before continuing. You can go on ahead, you don't have to wait for me. I'll meet you at the top."

 

She extended an arm to lower herself slowly to the steps again, trying not to shake too much. Letting out a shuddering breath, she carefully took her gloves off and stored them in her pocket, pressing her bare hands to her face. Deep breaths. Don't panic. It makes your blood pressure higher or something, I dunno, but probably not what I want at the moment. Let's analyze the situation instead. Alright - she had skipped dinner to zap herself with the Breidablik, which had dumped her in this tower. Cue the run down the stairs to find Alex. She'd noted the blood and cleaned it off with her sash, which was now in her pocket. A while after that, she'd begun to feel odd, but she hadn't bothered to take note of it. The feeling had increased as she'd gone up the stairs - could altitude be the problem? But the stairs weren't that steep.

 

Maybe her blood sugar was too low or something? She'd skipped meals occasionally before, but they'd never caused something as serious as this. It definitely wasn't a stroke or a heart attack, or she'd be dead by now. Several other possibilities ran through her mind, but none of them made any real sense. Not that she'd expected to come up with a solution since she was anything but a medical expert, but she still had hope it was a one-time thing. Oh, whatever. Worrying about it is only going to make it worse. But she couldn't keep the thought out of her head, no matter how hard she tried.

 

 

I'm scared.

Edited by Silverphoenixx

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Ascension sat and waited until the others found their way back to the atrium. Once there, Ratchet plopped down on the steps and pulled off his footwear, a waterfall of sand pouring out onto the carpet. He had a passing sensation of desire to clean up the mess, but denounced it--no one was here to care besides them. His own paws were still lightly littered with particulate themselves, but he'd been too hasty to find Eos's presence to care. Still, even as he angled himself in alignment with the power, he could still not trace its origin.

 

He swished his tail and answered to Ratchet's question.

 

"I am not overly fond of deserts, no, at least not while I take on water's incarnation."

He held up the paw and gave it a quick shake, some of the debris coming off in water droplets. "If I'd had my way about it, it would be plains and rivers as far as the eye can see. But...alas, things cannot always be so easy..."

 

 

When his head turned forward, his eyes snapped to the form of the familiar red-black cat who had nearly given her life for him. Now though, the vivacious glimmer in her eyes was gone, and he darted forward to catch her as she stumbled and fell to her stomach, smartly backing off as he nearly made the same mistake twice. Blood, too much for such a small Pokèmon, seeped onto the sun relief, and the flame inside her fire sac was dwindling quick. If this kept up, it he didn't think of something...

 

Then we'll lose her...and it'll be my fault...

 

 

Then that was the end of any hesitance for Ascension. What came next would cause her discomfort, but there was no need to call for the others to assist--if he had regained his blessing, then surely his attachment to the Stars remained. He gingerly and quickly rolled her to her side, exposing more of the lesions scored there, and set back, raising his head to the Stars somewhere above and splaying out his frills, and offered them up a prayer.

 

 

They who hold within them the memories of a time long past

They who command the motions of all creation

They who are kindly and gracious, yea Stars above

Hear my humble plea

And relieve this mortal suffering

And supplant it with a brush of silvery quickness from loving fingers

Impart your glimmering light upon her, O Stars above

And make whole that which was rent in twixt

 

 

As his supplication ended, and his eyes slowly opened, the room darkened to near-blackness. Tiny pinpricks of light broke the darkness, and slowly began drifting toward Solar's body, illuminating it in their soft glow. When enough had amassed for their purpose, they began to fill in the gashes across her abdomen and back, falling into place like snowflakes and forming together as shining bands. They pulled the skin together as the ethereal specks coaxed it to heal, and as the lesions closed, they pulled upward, tendrils trailing behind them like little jellyfish, and dissipating as strangely as they had appeared--flickers of celestial energy, parting into bits, fading as the light returned.

 

All that was left to Solar's wounds were tiny, nigh-invisible lines denoting their presence.

 

 

Ascension stood again and leaned over her to watch, monitoring her movements, face both stern and concerned.

 

 

"...how do you feel? Can you stand?"

-----------------

 

Alex stopped walking.

 

Aine had dropped down to the step unannounced; at first, she figured she was just tired. She didn't know how she'd would be after such a short time, but then again, not everyone had marathoned the steps almost twice now. She propped up one foot on a high step and the other she let set on a lower, pivoting at her waist to check on her new friend.

 

 

A bolt of cold struck her chest.

 

 

Aine was doubled up onto herself, leaning into the support of the wall. She was shaking all over, her hands grabbing onto herself, and she could hear the spurts of anguished grunts escaping her lips. Alex rushed over to her side, fingers clawed in fear and shock, and she stood over her, unable to get her limbs to move any further.

 

"A-Aine? Wh-what's happening t--aah!"

 

One hand--she didn't know or care which--caged her mouth, palm flat to her mouth and nails digging into her cheeks.

 

 

"Aine?!"

 

 

Aine flickered. In between milliseconds, she became cut through with static, dimming and flashing as if she was hardly more than an illusion, air. Alex's body relented from any reservations and moved on its on accord, racing around to her front and grabbing at Aine's shoulders--

 

And her fingers passed through her like less than even sand.

 

"Uhgh!!!"

 

Her self spread suddenly, becoming a sheet of thoughts and feelings without a shell containing them. Alex's vision blurred and stretched time--flashes of red and blue and shadows indeterminate--vague shapes she'd almost swore she recognized--a single-syllable plea--

 

 

 

She jerked herself backward, slowly--quickly--returning to present. She couldn't even register her confusion before a peal of pure agony tore through the tower, ringing through her and the air surrounding them, distorted and electric, unlike her.

 

 

Alex could swear she felt the familiar ripples of space warbling around her as she cried.

 

 

She backed away, unable and unwilling to help for fear of harming more than doing good. She didn't know. She didn't know...anything...what was happening to her, why it was happening, how she could stop it, if she could stop it...only that she was completely helpless, forced to stand back and pray that it would eventually stop. She'd never seen this sort of thing happen before, not in her entire lifetime. She looked at her hands and wondered:

 

Am I somehow responsible for this?

 

No, she reasoned, my unique state has never affected another's. Now wouldn't be the time for it to conveniently start doing so.

 

Her hands tensed into fists as the screaming stopped, fearing the worst--whatever that could be. Instead, Aine simply sat there, her arms pushed hard into her stomach and breath coming in gasps. Alex tried to approach again now that she seemed stable, but Aine came onto her feet and wavered, and Alex reminded herself of her boundaries.

 

"Aine? You want me to...?" Realizing the tremor in her tone, her voice died before she could continue. She, herself, was shaking all over, the remnant sound of Aine's broken suffering occupying her thoughts until words failed her. She steadied her breathing to the best of her ability, watching Aine hold a hand to her forehead and clear her voice before speaking.

 

 

"Ah - I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I might be sick, so um, you might want to watch out..."

 

 

She tried to press on, keeping a smile on her face that depressed Alex further. Aine accomplished only a few shaky steps before stumbling. Alex yelped in panic--if she tumbled down the steps, she'd-!--but Aine caught herself before she could fall. All she wanted was for her to stop, just take a break...but she couldn't tell her so. Her throat conspired to give away her mindset.

 

"Maybe I should rest a while before continuing. You can go on ahead, you don't have to wait for me. I'll meet you at the top."

 

Relief washed down her entire body when Aine finally sat back down, but it wasn't good enough.

 

"N-No! I'm not gonna! I'm...I'm staying right here with you! You obviously don't feel good, and it'd be just wrong for me to leave you all alone like this!"

 

What was she thinking?! Alex wasn't going to leave her here all by herself just like this! She realized just how loud she was being, but she couldn't help it! She'd...she didn't know what just happened to her, but even if it was simple sickness--Alex knew it wasn't, obviously--it was just inconsiderate on a level below what Alex was capable of stooping to. She didn't know if Aine wanted her to stay, and she likely didn't, but she was at the point where caring was becoming a detriment. She clenched her fists and pressed them to her stomach as she pushed away her indecision, then scuttled to Aine's side and sat down, too, allowing her some breathing room but keeping close enough to catch her if she fell forward.

 

No one's gonna miss me, anyway. Might as well use my time wisely.

 

 

She started by staring forward, then looking for Aine's attention through her fingers.

 

"Uhm...uh...Aine? Uhm...mmh...wh...h...what...is there...is there anything I should do right now? What even was that? You were yelling and screaming and you sorta weren't there and--and..."

 

She shook her hands violently and grabbed her head, sighing in agitation at herself.

 

"I'm sorry...you're sick and probably don't wan't to talk. I'm just all worried and stuff..."

Edited by Sugar-Free

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Solar heard a voice chanting above her. She couldn't quite tell what it was saying.

 

Then she felt... something. Like light if it had substance. Her wounds healed as that... light... seemed to go into them.

 

When it was over, she didn't feel as weak as she had before. The light-feeling was gone. He wounds were no longer painful. And wen she saw her body again, there were merely lines indicating where they were...

 

Then Ascension was speaking. The Torracat scrabbled with her claws at the ground, pushing herself up from where she had collapsed.

 

"I'm.... fine now."

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Now that his Wish had been received and answered, the healing light of the Stars had brought solar back to her feet. With a bit of scuffling, she came back onto her feet, affirming her condition. Ascension sighed heavily, the burden lifted from his chest.

 

"Thank the Stars...I don't know what I would've done if..." He paused, considering his feelings, preferring to push them away for the sake of the others. Wounds and blood were quick and often to come; he would need to steel himself against the pain of it, lest he succumb to despair.

 

"No...it's fine," he assured, mostly for himself, "we have work remaining to be done." He walked up the steps and approached the Star Door, eyeing it all over. The impacts of Severa's battery were evident still, and he couldn't help but snort. Their impulsion will be the death of them if they aren't careful. Perhaps it already had been; neither the couple nor Shawn and Blossom had returned to the atrium. It was possible they were just held up by whatever task had been assigned to them, but considering the amount of time it had taken his group, he'd assumed they'd have finished by now. He was about to ask the Bowsertron for a current star count when Blossom and Shawn exited their assigned door. He regarded them with a quick salutation, and watched them gather with the others below.

 

 

It was then that it hit him.

 

 

"Where are Zoey, Arctic, Vulpes, and Doey?"

 

His eyes flicked to and fro, but he was certain he wasn't missing over them--it was utterly impossible. Ascension jumped down and quickly searched the nearest accessible doors, but there was no one to be found. He tapped a paw to his muzzle before leaping back up the railing to the Star Door. It didn't appear that anyone had seen them come or go at any time...so...

 

"Hm...I wonder as to where they've gone?"

 

 

 

"SSHHHHRKK KRRCK SHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh...."

 

 

 

Ascension whipped his attention back to the door. The Bowsertron crackled and hissed with static, and after a few short bursts of whining discordance, it shrieked one last time and fell silent. Ascension opened his mouth to speak--

 

 

And his fur stood on end.

 

 

The minute trace of solar energy that had trailed them since Shifting Sands Land, as if a bind on it had been released, saturated the air to the point that he flinched backward several inches. It was so powerful that he could nearly taste it--hints of grain heated by afternoon sun, drying fur, iron and plasma--and he spat at the ground and growled. To his amazement, the Star Door did not open--instead, it melted to a pool of molten metal, and a great all-encompassing light shone forth for a moment before receding to the far end of the hall beyond. He wasted no time--destiny was upon them--and leapt to the banister, commanding his followers to listen.

 

"Everyone! The Star Door has opened at last!" He glanced back at the door and flicked his tail sharply, "Though I don't know the others' locations, we don't have time to tarry any longer. Make haste, and mind the metal slag at the door's base! Let's head in!"

 

Ascension chose to be the first to go, as it was his duty, first and foremost, to protect those that had been so kind as to lend their hands, paws and claws to him. As he went, he prepared to jump the gap where he knew the trapdoor would let down, but was surprised to see himself pass directly over it without it so much as giving even a mite. What that could entail alluded him; his attention was too drawn by the image that stood to greet him at the end.

 

 

There was a painting. That much he remembered and had come to expect.

 

 

But the painting was completely dark--no Peach, no Bowser evident in the frame. He narrowed his eyes and ran forward, trying to find some form within it.

There just has to be something behind it! I...I can feel it...I can feel her...

 

 

Just like an imprint of his thoughts upon the canvas, the image began to reveal itself--the background brightening to a blinding white, then the faintest outline in subtle, hardly noticeable grey, more of a faint shadow than anything else.

 

 

The image, bleeding out into near-obscurity as the radiance threatened to blind him, was unmistakable.

 

Large, graceful ears.

 

A body both vulpine and feline in appearance, run with brilliant gold designs across delicate legs and a graceful abdomen.

 

In contrast, a gaping wound in its chest, impossible to look at.

 

And glowing golden eyes, wide and staring into him.

 

 

 

Guilty.

Edited by Sugar-Free

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Solar listened as Ascension thanked the Stars.

 

She looked down, and saw how much blood had seeped into the ground. The Torracat hissed when she realized how much there was.

 

I could have died...

 

The Torracat looked up as the other Pokémon wondered where some of their party members were. Odd. They didn't seem to be anywhere...

 

The Star Door let out a horrible noise, and Solar snapped around to face it.

 

What was that?

 

She hissed. And then a firey energy pervaded the very air. It was so strong Solar felt like she couldn't breathe. And it wasn't normal fire energy, no, it was different. Wrong. A blaze of light consumed the Star Door, shining so brilliantly Solar's eyes snapped shut, before receding. When she opened her eyes again, a metallic mess was all that was left of the door.

 

Ascension called for them to go. She followed him, leaping over the slag, and continuing on.

 

Ascension tensed to jump, but relaxed... and she followed him. A glance down revealed a trapdoor that shut at the moment.

 

She looked up... to see a dark painting.

 

As Ascension got closer, it brightened, and she squinted at the white. The Torracat barely made out the form of an Espeon. Far more visible was a gaping wound on the form's chest. olden markings. A sun so bright she could barely look. Glowing golden eyes staring out.

 

"What... is...?" Solar hissed.

 

---

 

Lightweaver jumped when the door emitted an awful shriek. She fought back a shocked snarl...

 

And then there was that tainted light. Overpowering. Sickening. Her left claw ached - she tried to scream, but no sound - a flash of light.... a sun mark on her claw. It was sore, and the energy pulsing through the room made it painful. The energy caused that energy in her to pulse brihter and brighter. A brilliant haze swept over her world.

 

Another burst of light. She was used to light, but not this firey light. This light that wounded her. A being of light! How?

 

The light faded away, lifting from her vision. The pain lessened,

 

And then the golden dragon saw the mess. And heard the call. Before she could move, others were going. And then she, too, followed the others. Her tail flicked, and her inner light glowed ever-so-slightly more brilliantly.

 

The tainted light clung to her. Once again, she looked at her claw. Hoping to the others she was dreaming.

 

But no. She was awake. A white-gold tracery in the shape of a stylized sun. Her dark yellow claw brushed over it, and she flinched, baring her teeth. That sickened light. That cursed light!

 

The golden dragoness couldn't wait here any longer. She headed into the hallway. The others were at the other end. With a brilliant painting.

 

A cat-fox. White so bright... if she hadn't been a being of light, she wouldn't have been able to survey it as long as she did. But even she had to avert her eyes from that light. It had a large chest-wound. Golden markings. A sun on its chest that Lightweaver could barely make out... a sun like the on her claw. And golden, glowing eyes.

 

And then Solar spoke, voicing a question that the golden dragon did not ask herself.

 

But she spoke next.

 

"What... is that tainted energy?" She wanted to say something else about how that accursed energy felt. But she stayed silent after her question.

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"N-No! I'm not gonna! I'm...I'm staying right here with you! You obviously don't feel good, and it'd be just wrong for me to leave you all alone like this!"

 

Aine jumped slightly as Alex' voice broke through her thoughts, but she only pressed her hands to her face harder, wiping away the dreaded tears that came to her eyes. I - I don't want Alex to see me cry. I'm not weak! I won't be a crybaby! So she sniffed as quietly as she could, furiously rubbing her eyes as she let her hair fall over her face. The silky black curtain partially obscured her face, offering her a blanket of sorts. She had to resist the urge to pull her hood on and run away when Alex sat down next to her, trying to peer past her layers of security. There wasn't much that she didn't want others to see, but crying was definitely one of those things. It was incredibly embarrassing, and worse, she couldn't control it. Her eyes just teared up naturally, even when crying was the last thing she wanted to do.

 

I could be dying, and the one thing I care about right now is not letting others see me cry. Stupid.

 

"Uhm...uh...Aine? Uhm...mmh...wh...h...what...is there...is there anything I should do right now? What even was that? You were yelling and screaming and you sorta weren't there and--and..."

 

She - she had disappeared??? What?!? That wasn't possible, was it? How could she just not be there all of a sudden? It broke all the rules of science, biology, physics - not that she knew all the rules, but she was quite sure humans weren't just supposed to blink out of existence - and it simply didn't make sense. Sure, she'd seen some pretty weird summoning logic back in Askr, but at least she'd been sure she existed. Or, at least more certain about the laws of reality than she was now. If she couldn't even trust her own state of being, then what was she supposed to believe? Was there even anything she had to believe? She'd been sucked into a video game, a wonderland that fulfilled her wildest dreams, but one that wasn't supposed to stand up to constant logical scrutiny.

 

Maybe she just had to let go of her concerns. Something had gone wrong, but she didn't know what. Who knows, it could be part of a weirdly written plot. What if this is just me unlocking some cool powers or something? I might just be the main character in my own strange little story. I've even got a prophecy and everything! This whole situation practically screams "fantasy plot"! The thought brought a little cheer back into her mind, giving her enough strength to finally stop sniffling. She took her hands off her face just in time to catch Alex wring her hands out, sighing in agitation.

 

"I'm sorry...you're sick and probably don't wan't to talk. I'm just all worried and stuff..."

 

She shook her head vigorously, closing her eyes for a moment before smiling in earnest.

 

"No no, it's fine! I'm all good now, you don't have to worry!"

 

And she meant it. Despite the magnitude of suffering she'd endured, the aftereffects went away surprisingly quickly. In fact, she felt no different than when she'd first been teleported into the tower. It was odd, but it wasn't the first time she'd suffered from a sudden discomfort only to have it disappear immediately. At least she wasn't sick in a way that made her constantly uncomfortable, although she wasn't quite sure she was even sick at all. As far as she knew, there were no sicknesses that could make people flicker into nothingness. Hm. She'd have to think on it later. But for now, she had stairs to climb.

 

"Let's keep going up the stairs. I might not know what just happened, but I'm sure a good rest will help~!"

 

She pushed herself up again, this time with distinctly less wobbling. Her bare hands reminded her of the gloves stowed in her pocket, so she took them out and pulled them on again. The leather felt soft and reassuring, a constant against all the weirdness she'd been subjected to. They were a reminder of Askr and the fact that she'd endured way more than this when she'd first gotten zapped out of her homeworld. Now, if only she could find a way to get her phone charged and access the internet. Then she could begin to make sense of all that had happened, or maybe even figure out what kind of space-time defying disease she suffered from.

 

((I got a really strong sense of deja vu for some reason when I wrote that last sentence. Maybe my mind is trying to tell me something? O.O))

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Klefki led them to the hill they had already spotted from a distance. However, the path up there looked even me dangerous from up close than it did from afar.

 

"I think I've got this. Jump on my back, I can get us there." Shawn said to Blossom, noticing her outfit wasn't one to easily manoeuvre across this path.

 

"Uhm... alright." She replied. "Klefki, thanks for your help! You can take some rest now!" She then returned Klefki and jumped onto Shawn's back.

 

"Hold on tight."

 

"Aurora Dribble!" The scarfed boy shouted as he used his special dribble technique. Blossom was amazed by how beautiful it was.

 

Then it suddenly faded. Just like the ground beneath her, or well, Shawn's feet. Something had smacked them off of the hill, so now they had to start all over again. So they did.

 

"Aurora Dribble!"

 

They managed to get a bit further this time, but got knocked off again.

 

"This is going to be harder than I thought..."

 

"Just try it without me. That should be easier for you."

 

"No... I might need you up there. Who knows what's waiting for us?"

 

And they tried it a third time. A fifth time. A tenth time. A twentieth time. They never managed to make it all the way to the top.

 

Then, after attempt number 37, Shawn clicked. A sudden breeze bewildered his hair and made his scarf move violently as his eyes turned yellow.

 

"Pathetic little brother, I will show you how it's done. Eternal... Blizzard!"

 

And with a single kick, he sent the ball flying up the hill, taking out everything it moved past. Running just behind the ball, he managed to get up the hill easily.

 

"Hey! So you're the one between me and my goal?!" He asked rhetorically to the large, round thing on top of the hill. "Guess I'll have to take you out then! "Stop it!" "Too late. Eternal..." "No!" "Blizzard!"

 

With a bang, he sent the walking bomb flying. But he was still on the hill. Two more shots took care of that.

 

"Wh- what... At least we have the star now."

 

This was a good thing, but it was a bittersweet victory, as he still felt bad about how they had done it. How he had done it.

 

Feeling exhausted from the fight against his brother, he basically fell flat on top of the star. With a sigh of relief, he found himself back in the castle, with the star.

 

-----

 

Link had asked which of the two halls to move to, before going left anyway. As she followed him, she was pleased to be greeted by a warm fire.

 

"Hmm, seems you made the right choice." She said to Link, before finding a place near the campfire to lay and rest, holding on tightly to the bow Link had given her.

 

Then, she fell asleep.

 

-----

 

Valerie really wished she could've done more, but Spritzee was hindered too much by the sandstorm to keep on flying around and her other Pokémon couldn't even have helped anyway. Now they were all back in the castle and Valerie was horrified when she saw what had happened to the Torracat. And Spritzee was far too tired to help healing her!

 

Luckily, Ascension, who now was a Vaporeon, was able to heal her using Wish.

 

When returning to the main hall, she immediately ran towards Kali, but Blossom wasn't back yet.

 

She didn't have to wait long though, as she returned soon enough, together with the boy with the odd ball.

 

She wanted to talk with them about what had happened, and so did Kali and Blossom, but there was no time for that, because soon enough the last group returned and the star door melted away with a bright flash. Ascension led the group into the newly uncovered hall. At the end was a painting that slowly revered itself to depict an Espeon, one with beautiful golden decorations and a much less beautiful wound on it's chest. Despite the beauty, Valerie still got mainly overwhelmed by a sense of fear. Where they ever going to get some rest?

 

(Yes, Shawn's roflstomping everything in his merged form here, but that's because the situation is incredibly advantageous to him for this task. If it would be a longer fight/stronger opponent/enemies from more than one side, it'd be a lot tougher.)

Edited by Felixr2

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Ratchet knelt next to solar after she announced she was fine. Whatever Ascension did had worked like a charm. For all Ratchet knew, the eevee wished the cuts and bruses away, "You did good back there." he said simply. Ratchet wasn't sure what to say. Luckily, the silence didn't have to last long.

 

"Ratchet! Ratchet! Come in Ratchet! Dammit Lombax are you there" Aphilleon's voice crackled over his communicator.

 

Ratchet jumped and looked at this wrist. fourteen missed transmissions and twenty six minutes of recorded messages. The painting must jam is communications with his ship in orbit. Ratchet looked at Solar apologetically and walked off to take the call.

 

"You got Ratchet. What's up Ap-"

"don't What's up me! Where have you been? Are you still in that weird castle?"

"Yeah I've been in a painting. Weird story. Wait....How did you know where I was"

"you're wearing a locator dumbass. That is not why I called! I was doing a sweep of the planet and I picked up on some familiar data signatures from this castle. I ran a few more scans and found something else. There is a massive amount of solar fusion occurring somewhere within. it was so strong I could no longer get an accurate reading on the area. Ratchet, I advise you leave the premises immediately.

WHat? Whats imposs-

Ratchet didn't get a chance to get the rest of the sentence out.

 

Ratchet whirled around at the sound of the speaker squealing to life. Seconds later, the star door simply melted before his eyes. The carpet ignited around the spreading pool of red hot molten metal. Ratchet glanced at Ascension. The blue fish fox was standing defensively and staring obscuring smoke and blinding light emanating from the top of the stairs. Ratchet looked back just as the flash happened.

 

Ratchet's suit snapped into it's spacewalk setting. A fully encompassing nano carbon suit was constructed around his body as well as a helmet. The solar shades on the visor were as dark as he had ever seen them. Whatever caused that flash just bombarded the room with enough solar energy to activate his suit's emergency ejection mode. Just for a moment, everyone in the room was exposed to the harsh elements of space.

 

Ratchet touched the plate on the center of his chest and the suit vanished in a flash of blue light. Ratchet's eyes were glued on the doorway, unable to focus on what was now standing in it,

"I'm going to have to call you back." Ratchet didn't wait for an answer. He touched the end call button on his wrist com.

 

Guilty.

 

A voice that was both beautiful and terrifying spoke from the doorway. Ratchet constructed his omniwrench in his hand and spun it once. Something about that one word put him on edge. Ratchet wanted to be ready for anything and if this was who he thought it was, he was going to need a bigger gun.

 

 

 

 

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Link watched as Tyrande passed him and continued over by a fire that was burning dimly in the center of the room. She hadn’t answered his question, leaving him more than a little annoyed and confused. Brushing it off though he wandered over to a pillar taking up residence at its base. Slipping his shield and sword off he reclined back against it as he watched the fire dance in its place. It throwing shadows around the room, some taking on a life of there own as the wove in and out a visibility.

 

Paying them no more attention link laid down and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him. He was in fairly good company giving no room for concern for his safety. If something came up the stair there was a room full of people and other such creatures to give warnings first.

 

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"No no, it's fine! I'm all good now, you don't have to worry!"

 

Alex looked at her, surprised by her sudden cheer.

 

"Let's keep going up the stairs. I might not know what just happened, but I'm sure a good rest will help~!"

 

Aine pushed herself back up and fished her discarded gloves out of her pocket, slipping them on without a moment of hesitation. Alex eyed her--she was tenacious, she'd give her that...likely to a fault, if she could recover from what was too evidently a normal occurrence with such ease. What did that make her, she wondered, in the larger scope of things? What did it say for herself, when she was so quick to toss it in and quit?

 

 

The bottle was always there. What did that say about her?

 

 

Aine had already set off up the steps, and Alex had to pull herself back together and flail upward to catch her. As she strode next to her, a silence fell between them. At this point, she was at a loss for topics; sure, she had a billion things she wanted to ask her, but...it didn't feel right. Was it too prying at such an early stage of knowing one another? It was simple human curiosity, she figured, and she typically had no issue indulging herself in a barrage of inquisitions interwoven with borderline non sequiturs. Why did she feel so withheld now, then? She glanced sidelong at Aine.

 

It's not like she can run away...

 

Alex twitched her lips to the side and let it drop for now. She still felt uncomfortably fixated on the moment before, unable to leave it on the steps where it belonged. For some reason, it had hooked its claws into the center of her chest and hung itself there, breeding obsession with every heartbeat. What this feeling was akin to...

 

 

 

You'll only ever regret this if you do it...

 

 

 

"I know--" she whispered, more a breath than a real sound, but bit back whatever would try to follow. Being sentimental for a time that had yet to pass was idiocy. It was futile in the long run, but she busied her mind by rifling through her jacket to find her brewing thermos. A quick look and she affirmed what the weight of it meant--refilled to the water line with...well, water. Thank goodness for enchanted specialty items! A tug later, and she found a bag of tea--not the cinnamon and ginger one she'd started her journey on, but one much sweeter, much softer--of mint, chamomile, and blue. She held them close to her, almost unsure of how to proceed, but she struggled out the question she'd been dying to ask just someone for days now.

 

 

"..........hey, Aine? Do you...like tea?"

 

 

~----------=-----------~

 

 

Ffff...ffff....ffff...ffff....ffff-ffff-ffff-fff-fff-fff-

 

 

Hours. Hours. Hours.

 

 

How long had it been?

 

 

Hours. Hours. Hours.

 

 

 

 

Days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millennia.

 

 

 

 

How long had it been?

 

 

 

The clouds beneath her trailed her paws, pushing away into wisps and reforming in puffed curls as she passed. The room was so black that even her brilliance could barely penetrate it, the air so entrenched in forgotten magic that it consumed any light with a ravenous hunger, devouring it before the world above could witness it. Likewise did it lick at her heels, like she were just some sweet for it to sup upon at its leisure. She kicked away a tendril of cloud that tugged at her ankle, feeling the rawness of her throat as she screeched admonishment for the uncounted time.

 

 

And was the silence so deafening.

 

 

The silence would not overtake her. She was the Sun. She was all-consuming. She was the face of daylight. She was Light and Fire incarnate. And her incandescent soul would sear even the shadows to ash.

 

Outlines appeared on the horizon—grey, swirl-crowned globes highlighted in white, the floor in perpetual motions with wavering haze. Beyond; a great spiked mass plumed with red, and the distinct scent of rot and iron about it. An interloper...highly unusual, actually impossible by normal means. When she strode up to its side, bathed in that all-too familiar scent, her eyes found an unmistakable mark: an ornate crescent in its chest. But...what was this? She pushed down of the creature’s carapace until it flipped—hardly a trifle to her extraordinary strength—and realized the folly of her lesser’s hubris.

 

The silver outline no longer remained. She chuckled, soft at first, but increasingly manic as the fit took her. Normally, she wouldn’t deign to do such a thing, but was so delightful that she couldn’t contain herself. Her body shook and her throat went hoarse as she rolled onto her back, indulging in the absurdity of it—how he must’ve looked devising this plan: back straight and ears held high; that smug, serious look of self-importance on his wretched face; “Go fetch me that orb, knave!” he’d likely said to the pitiable cur, willfully ignorant of the limitations of his own piteous strength.

 

“Awww...” she cooed and clicked her tongue as she reached out lazily, rolling it back to its front. “Did brother dearest lose another one of his toys? That won’t do at all...oh me oh my, who will amend your screw-ups now?” She took a moment to tenderly caress its scaly head before sitting up abruptly, swatting at it in meanness. To her surprise—and amusement—the head parted away from the stumped neck, tearing away the muscle and sinew into dribbling strings.

 

And you even left it a sticky mess. How like you.

She no longer had time for her brother’s broken playthings; further ahead lay the true goal. She wasted no time descending upon the radiant marble altar, atop which the clawed pedestal did stand, and in its steely grasp did sit the item she had coveted—an orb, white as alabaster, with three depressions equidistant around its circumference. As if in acknowledgement of her birthright, a purple flame engulfed the stone, and light that shone from it intensified. She almost took it as a challenge. Almost.

 

 

No. I have no equal. Nothing can usurp me. I am incomparable.

 

She reached out to the orb, tendons and ligaments aching and straining against the urge to not crush the orb once her nails made contact. The sensation of feeling this inferior, but supplementing fire just under her digits...feeling the flame flickering and flowing up through her arm up to her elbow alone...fantasies of how formidable she had yet to become...vivid images before her eyes, cloaked in a tint of purple flames, of a broken, arid world, devoid of life or any of its components, a world governed by raging sandstorms and ravaging flame...she could barely stand to have it apart from herself for any longer.

 

 

 

She held the orb to the sun spot on her chest and readied herself. And she was so...so...ready.

 

 

 

But she stopped, the fire retreating to the orb before she absorbed it. Her ears flicked, the prong of her tail stood on end and vibrated. She was no longer alone.

 

Interlopers—impossible to have happened upon this blighted place. She steadied herself with one paw on the altar and swiveled her head, the frontward glare of her internal star coupled with the orb rendering her a harsh silhouette to those who dared gaze upon her.

 

 

 

In the darkness afar, she felt one specific entity. One entirely unique life signature, one she had not felt in...how long had it been?

 

Not lunar energy, not her eldest brother. She could have expected him to traverse this domain without submitting to the hijinks of the castle's whim, likely to retrieve what he thought was his. But this was entirely different. Not foreign, though--even now, she reeked of the smell of her past.

 

 

Of what had happened that fateful day.

 

 

The never-ending nightmare.

 

 

The anger and disgust.

 

 

Eternal guilt.

 

 

 

She nearly broke the orb when she realized it.

 

 

Guilty...guilty...

 

I am...Guilty...

Edited by Sugar-Free

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Ascension was quiet. The brilliant oainting shone. Solar peered into it, before being forced to look away. Into the light she lunged, the painting warping.

 

Solar's paws smackwd into the dark ground. Wisps raced up to the Torracat, hungry wisps. They seemed to retreat when they touched her, for the most part. Some stuk around, and she wondered. Oh how she wondered.

 

Clouds roiled across the ground, and that strange fire energy from before was present here. The red and black cat hissed.

 

Solar looked around, before catching sight of... others. The others. The clouds everywhere rolied, the strange magic permeating the area made the Torracat's ears flatten. With a hiss, Solar stalked towards the others.

Edited by Dusky_Flareon

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The trek up the stairs was mostly spent in awkward silence, and Aine couldn't help but feel it was partially her fault. It hadn't taken Alex long to catch up to her but she half-wished she'd taken longer. At the very least, it would have given her more time to come up with something clever to say. She had the distinctly uncomfortable feeling that Alex was still thinking about the moment prior, leaving the air heavy with unspoken questions. Who could blame her? If she'd seen someone just fall down and flicker into nothingness, she'd be startled too.

 

"..........hey, Aine? Do you...like tea?"

 

She nearly heaved a sigh of relief as Alex broke the silence, saving her the pain of having to do it herself. The question struck her as slightly odd, seeing as they were nowhere near tea or the subject of it, but a quick glance at Alex revealed a bag of tea in her hands. Was she going to drink that? It was certainly unlikely that Alex would offer it to her, since they weren't much more than strangers. Even if she did, she'd have to refuse. It was way too late for her to drink anything containing caffeine. Still, she guessed it couldn't hurt to say that she liked tea.

 

"Well, yeah, I like tea, but I can't have a lot of it at once since I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine. It's good in the mornings though, if I run out of milk or cereal."

 

Did Alex even know what caffeine was? Was science in the Fire Emblem universe advanced enough to unlock the secrets of chemistry? She'd never asked, mostly because it had never occurred to her before. But judging by the archaic armor and swords in most of the universes, she guessed not. Breidablik was the closest thing to a gun she'd come across, and she was a time-travelling realm-hopper. Sightseeing didn't get much better than that. There was magic though, so maybe that reduced the need for technology? Funny that no matter how hard I tried, I never found someone who could charge my phone using Thunder. Or rather, no one who could charge my phone without frying me into a crisp. Maybe tomes just weren't meant for that sort of stuff.

 

"Hm... I'm just wondering, but do you guys have electricity anywhere? Internet? Have you heard of those things?"

 

With any luck, Alex would think she was just babbling nonsense. She'd asked thousands of people already back in Askr, but the answer was always no. Obviously, she lacked the knowledge to invent electricity, or she would have done it herself. It would definitely have ruined the charm of the universe a little, but that was a necessary sacrifice. By now, she was pretty sure she suffered from an internet addiction, though the fact that she'd literally been sucked into a video game eased the pain a little. It wasn't her fault that the internet and video games offered her everything she loved and more.

 

Back in the modern world, she'd passed her days dreaming of living in a fantasy world. The tedious grind of real life had never been to her taste, and she'd always fancied she was meant for better things. More exciting things. Her grandiose imagination had to be good for something, didn't it? Being in charge of tactics in the Order of Heroes had been a delightful turn of events, something perfectly suited to her skillset. She had never been particularly talented at practical things, besides cooking, but her mind was one of her best features. Playing tactician was perfect.

 

But that wasn't even mentioning all the summoning and portal jumping. Meeting her favorite Fire Emblem characters in person, learning about their personalities, histories, and relationships was like living in a writer's paradise. The best part was that they all listened to her and trusted her. They believed in her ability to lead them to victory, and she delivered. It was surprising how easily command came to her, despite the introversion she'd displayed prior to her sudden dimension warp. Heh, maybe the teleportation left that part of me behind. She still wasn't completely over it at times, but she was definitely a lot more confident than she'd been back in her homeworld.

 

It was amazing, really. How had her wishes all fallen into place so perfectly? She couldn't have arranged fate better herself. Now, she was wrapped up in a dramatic prophecy that promised to be interesting. The temporary failure of her existence was odd, but she wouldn't allow it to put a damper on her mood. With all that had gone her way, it would seem ungrateful to do otherwise. All the fear of the previous moment was nothing more than a faint memory, and she was determined to keep it that way. She would tag along in this journey, and she would have fun.

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"Well, yeah, I like tea,” Aine replied, “but I can't have a lot of it at once since I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine. It's good in the mornings though, if I run out of milk or cereal."

 

But if only that was an issue! Disregarding any other setbacks, if there was one thing Alex knew, it was her tea. Seeing as how late it likely was—she had a decent guess at the time; likely close to midnight by her measures—she’d be crazy to drink anything that’d keep her up any later than need be. Maybe if she had the inclination to look over her papers—I should prolly do that soon...I’d hate to get rusty...—she’d pull out some black tea, but that was on special occasion, reserved for when there wasn’t a large-scale crisis that demanded her undivided attention. Or, well...she would if she could, but she was a true professional, and had utterly forgotten to pack some with her before accepting her invitation. Not like that wasn’t the only thing she’d forgotten to bring: she was still kicking herself for messing up and bringing the Meteor tome over something she could actually wield. She was about to answer Aine when she continued on with another curious question.

 

"Hm... I'm just wondering, but do you guys have electricity anywhere? Internet? Have you heard of those things?"

 

“Yeah,” she responded, and gave a little shrug, “I’d have to be a starfish to be so out-of-the-loop. Just about everything here’s powered by it, but they keep stuff like ambient sconces and some suches intact for...well, ambience. If you’re talking magic, we’ve got a literal self-proclaimed god of the stuff, and,” she wiggled her hips to show off Ilyana at her side, “I’ve got an amazin’ Thunder sword, too. I would tell you I can use Thunder magic like a pro, but dumb old me went colorblind and grabbed the wrong tome before leaving home.” She screwed off the top of her thermos and took off the basket below, carefully scooping in a couple fingerfuls of blue-flecked tea.

 

“Internet access is spotty sometimes depending on where you are. Some folks can use it on some things they have, but I don’t have anything like that so I can’t check. Seeing as this place is what we in the business like to call ‘unused’, there’s a good chance there’s none here.”

 

Alex held the lid and the basket between her index finger and thumb, letting the thermos balance from her pinky, ring and middle pressed against her palm. With the free hand, she returned the bag back to its pocket and retrieve Meteor, giving it a quick scan to remind herself of the one usable passage and reholstering it quickly after. She flicked her thumb and produced a spitting, wavering flame, and held it to the bottom of the thermos as she climbed.

 

“...um, y’know, though...if you’re worried about staying up or something, uh...well, herbal tea—this tea, actually—doesn’t have...’caffeine’, right? That’s what I remember reading on it. I always wondered why black tea gave me nightmares, so I don’t drink it before bedtime anymore.” She shuddered. After one particularly zany dream involving flat fetuses in boxes in a land of mossy patches of rainbows, she’d been completely turned off from the consumption of black tea for months. She was coming back into its enjoyment, particularly the ones loaded with cardamom and orange peel, but never, never ever before heading to bed! Never. Again

 

 

Focus, Alex. You’re losing it again.

 

 

“Mhm...so...and, see, this one? This one’s really good for relaxation. Say what you will about herbal remedies, but I live by chamomile and cornflower as true as my tome and blade.” Now that the water was coming to a good boil, she quickly screwed the top back down onto the thermos and held it close, breathing in the strengthening scent of smooth spearmint and lavender. Already, she felt soothed by the familiar notes of lemon and rose, and the honey-gold descending in steady whirls to the bottom was enchanting to watch.

 

“...this is my favorite tea. I call it ‘Nighters’ since I drink it at night or when I need to calm down.” She smiled and her mind wandered to a scene from the past, when things were easy and slow and unlike to change.

 

“I like the imagery it brings, y’know? The silvery glimmer of moonlight over fields of grain? Watching the individual tufts sparkle as a soft breeze stirs them...the world cast in monochrome...sometimes, even, when the clouds sit just right, the shadows and highlights make this scene in the sky that’s like a view into some distant world. Black mountains and paths rising from a misty vale as the night watches them over...a shifting reality as sweet-smelling wind rearranges them...” She sighed longingly.

 

“Ahhh...it’s completely magical.”

 

 

 

 

It was about then that the two of them had finally reached the top floor. Somehow, it didn’t seem like it had been all that long at all.

 

She looked to Aine and held out the thermos to her, a dusting of pink over her cheeks.

 

“Aha-ha...sorry~. I get to waxing poetic if you leave me the room to. But...what I’m getting it is that this is really good. You won’t have to worry about nightmares or an upset stomach on this. If I had honey it’d be better, but...I don’t...”

 

She paused before jerking it a bit back to herself.

 

“’Course, feel free to tell me ‘no’! I just kinda think you deserve it after—nng, yeah!”

------------------

 

Ascension chased the energy through the painting.

 

 

 

--pff.

 

 

 

His feet did not strike ground. Rather, puffs of smoke alleviated his fall, and through his toes he could feel a dry coolness weaving. This area...no matter how hard he squinted, he struggled to make out any distinguishing features save for a faint glow on the horizon. This wasn’t a part of the castle’s dimensional infrastructure, was it? It couldn’t be: there was no presence of Power Stars to be found here, and he’d never encountered the area in passing...

 

He caught the sight of Solar, who must have jumped ahead of him, creeping toward the light much further ahead. He growled to himself and darted forward, keeping his footsteps light and his body as close to the ground as possible. When he caught up to her, he roughly nudged her until she tumbled, and he came up in front of her face with an expression of the utmost severity. Now was not the time for such recklessness!

 

“Solar,” he whispered, quiet but feverishly, “you must not proceed any further! Take it from me when I say that what lies ahead is far beyond your capability!” He didn’t mean to be so harsh, but kindness would gain him nothing. That she’d risk her hide in some show of bravery or curiosity...he stared at her before shaking his head and recomposing himself.

 

 

I will not falter here. Not when we’re so close...

 

 

“...if you must, stay behind me, but keep as far away as your eyesight allows. And when—if you look upon her," he grimaced at his slip, “do not gaze at her gem or chest. It will burn you from the inside out.” Ascension turned his dark blue gaze toward the light, feeling the celestial radiance nearly burning his skin. Perhaps having like elements had spared Solar the effects of the aura, but Ascension knew all too well just how oppressing it was capable of becoming. He turned and began walking toward the light, feeling it cut down into the fibers of his fur, perishing the layer of slime-coat that coated him.

 

In the shadow of the glare, he first saw the departed one, his large, reptilian body splayed out unceremoniously as if he’d simply fallen there, like the life had simply escaped him in one final, insignificant and lonesome breath. What struck him about the display was the twisted space between head and shoulder, the appearance of what looked like stran—

 

 

 

Ascension flinched and choked at the smell of decay. It turned out to be his mistake, as the figure beyond, standing against an altar at the back, turned and looked his way. The whorls of gold across her body, the unmistakable shine of her gilt-ridden eyes...he hardly needed the outline of her body to recognize her. Through the biting stench of blood on her skin, he made out the familiar hint of sun-baked grass. His heart dropped.

 

 

 

“Sister.”

 

 

 

In recognition of her title, the figure stepped down from the altar with an absurd amount of delicacy--far beyond that of mortal compare. As she did, the light of her inner star shown forth with such an incredible brightness that he had to turn away. It didn't help that the strange orb she held clenched in her defined paw was just as splendorous, only serving to magnify the light she shed. When she had approached close enough that he was sure he'd burst into flames, she sat back on her haunches and regarded him, her expression uncharacteristically downtrodden.

 

 

"Brother? What are you doing here?" She tilted her head to the side, her tail trembling.

 

"I thought you were dead. Didn't...did I kill you? Or was that really only a nightmare all this time?"

 

She angled her head, her eyes misty with wistful remembrance. Ascension did not share in this display, more taken with the feelings of confusion and disgust rising like bile to his throat.

 

 

"I'm afraid not, dear sister. Do you truly not remember who did this--" he displayed the horrible bleached scarring that plastered his chest and back--"to me? Or are you incapable of accepting that?!"

 

She considered the notion with a tap of the white orb against her chest, her aura flaring painfully against his retinas with each contact.

 

 

"...ah, so I did. What a shame. I was certain that was all but a dark fantasy I'd entertained." She set the orb on the ground and shifted her weight onto it, burning away the clouds that slithered around it. Her face refined into a look of renewed certainty, but Ascension had seen this before. She was being flippant with him, a tactic she used to undermine even the most serious situation. He felt his blood boiling with an intensity that rivaled the heat.

 

"I suppose now that you mention it, it must be true. My heart does feel so heavy...otherwise," she lifted the orb again, scorching him in its wake, "why else would I entertain the search for alleviation? I believe this here will brighten my illustrious days, wouldn't you?."

Edited by Sugar-Free

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Lightweaver scowled slightly as the Eevee lunged into the portrait on the heels of the Torracat, ignoring her question. Honestly! He could've at least acknowledged her...

 

The others were quick to tail the duo, while Lightweaver snarled in frustration snd annoyance. Then she realized something. She was being left behind. Her ears flattened, and she collected herself for a leap.

 

And then she, too, lurched through the disgusting sliminess of the painting.

 

When she hit what was closest to being the ground, she hit clouds. Solid enough to hold her, streaming under her claws. Wisps flocked to the golden dragoness. Her inner light failed to dampen, but she felt weak again. Weak. Slightly... sick. Like her body was heating. Her intrinsic Light magic was being weakened, and the foreign magic had more run in her body.

 

She let out a soft snarl as she spotted Ascension. He was speaking to Solar. The others were nearby. And then she saw something brilliant - a figure. So bright that though she barely glanced, she had to look away. As though it were all the light in magic concentrated. Fire. Light. Power. Lightweaver couldn't look. She mentally hissed at herself. Oh how the brilliant fell...

 

Her ears flicked as she caught the signs of an exchange. A slightly unpleasant one at that, which failed to faze the gold. Though the unfamiliar voice's tone made Lightweaver's lips curl. It was so... flippant. Mocking. A quiet hiss escaped the dragon. The energy in her blazed with the power of the aura the ripped into her, and that aura was so harsh. She flinched slightly at its assault.

 

---

 

Solar jumped when Ascension addressed her. The harsh tone made her stop, snd listen hard. She was trying to figure out if this was the type of scolding she got for defending herself against those digusting Bugs, or the serious thing type. It seemed to be the serious thing type, thank Arceus.

 

Then the Vaporeon spoke again, snd she decided to follow him in spite of the warning, stalking behind him now. Though she averted her eyes as Ascension warned, she could see light shining out the corner of her eye - in sharp contrast to the blacks and greys of this place. The firey energy was stronger now. As they got closer, Solar spotted a dead... thing. A dragonish thing. Its head was chopped off, and strands of muscle snd sinew were stretched out between the two halves of its severed neck. There was blood, which had presumably oozed from it following gravity.

 

Ascension seemed just as disgusted as she felt. Solar wanted to burn away the rot with flame. And certainly not to touch it. But Ascension's reaction had attracted... the creature of light. The shining Espeon. She couldn't look - when she unwittingly turned towards it, the light made her turn her head away, but not before catching sight of an odd white Stone.

 

The Torracat blinked, spots of white dancing on her vision, and listened to the exchange of words that followed. Whoever was talking to Ascension, they - no, was it a she from the voice? - seemed almost taunting. Solar hissed, not liking the tone of the last few sentences from that voice all that much.

Edited by Dusky_Flareon

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Ascension’s lips curled back as he denoted the weight of her words.

 

“And what exactly is this ‘alleviation’ you’ve sought?” He knew better than to take her at her word. The orb brimmed with such a single-minded fervor that it was clear to him that, whatever it was, she should certainly not be in possession of it. Her mental state was already as delicate as dandelion seeds, and anything could offset her at any time. But why didn’t he recognize it? It felt so familiar to him, and yet, her was certain he’d never seen it before. Eos seemed to read his expression, rolling the orb closed to herself in response.

 

“Being the youngest does have its downsides, doesn’t it? Ah, the gaiety of youth...” She tossed the orb into the air and caught it, turning herself a bit to look at her brother from the side.

 

“...hm. Well, if you must know, I intend on using this ancient weapon to empower myself beyond limitation. With this power, though only a trifle of the power I inherently contain, I shall rise even further above the toxicity of tangibility, and as I achieve full refinement, I shall scour the earthly and empyreal realms and establish my own, helio-dominant reality. Forever will we be done away with this black mark upon the heraldry of the Celestial Triad—that which you call “mortal’.” The orb landed one last time in her paw.

 

“Perhaps you should’ve brushed up on your history instead of wasting your life amongst the help, pleading your elders to think for you.”

 

His glossy fur prickled all over, causing it to stand up in slick cowlicks across and around his body. With the growing presence of Light and Fire behind him, she leaned onto the orb again, her ears straightening to match her smug expression.

 

“Such a bleeding heart. It’s good to see that you’ve never outgrown that childish ideology. ‘Always Ascension’: different form, ever the romantic...yes, indeed.”

 

 

The memory of how much he despised her overtook him, the cutting light slicing through any semblance of familiarity down to the quick of his heart. When she stepped forward and the light became overbearing, his chest swelled and he spat a boiling stream at her feet, prompting her to buck back to avoid the splash.

 

 

“You’re nothing but an egotist who doesn’t care about anyone but herself! You wonder why the people of the lands below blasphemed your name?! Take no further look than the nearest mirror!!” He shook his head, trying to fight the anger smothering out his sense, but the ire was beating out all logic. It was the poison of her light—a twisted, disillusion glare that distorted reality and endeavored against the mind. He could not give into her, he wouldn’t--

 

“O-ho? Touched on a nerve, have I?” Her tinkling laughter echoed through the room. Each burst of mirth threatened to sever any remaining benefit he’d lent to her. Thankfully, it stopped shortly after, but the renewed sympathy she showed left him with severe whiplash.

 

“No need to be a martyr, Senshi. You know I love you to the stars and beyond. At least I’m capable of admitting my faults—I was too easy on them. Any deity worth their godhood would’ve plague and burned their subjects into extinction by now. To think it only recently occurred to me to correct my mistakes. Tsk, tsk, oh how I’ve changed...I suppose a thousand years or more will do that to you.”

 

 

Her face twisted in confusion and she tilted her head, her mouth moving silently to ask herself for some clarification. She seemed to remember what it was and regarded Ascension again, the sickly-sweet smile returning.

 

 

“I imagine we should set to work removing that other black blot from our bloodline, as well. The brat left his toys lying out again, and it reeks of a fetid stench now. I wonder where he is? Plotting? Snarking? Breaking anything he can get his twitchy paws on? I see he tore down an entire mansion all by himself...~”

 

The evident prodding was obvious, and a thinly-veiled attempt to draw his attention away from the meat of the matter. No matter—Ascension knew how to deal with this.

 

“Eos, give me the orb. I don’t know the extent of its capabilities, but you are in no shape to wield it. I promise I can keep it safe—“

 

“HahahahahA-HAA!” She retreated backward and fell onto her back, pawing and hugging the orb to her blinding chest as she writhed in a fit of laughter. He was taken aback by its sudden onset—she had some very outlandish reactions before, but this was unreasonable even for her. The cackling wracking her body in painful throws, the way her eyes strained in their sockets...

 

 

 

You’re truly mad.

 

 

 

She rose up slowly, clutching the orb with both arms, onto her hind legs, towering over him. Her lips and eyes twitched and spasmed, uncontrolled by her frail sanity.

 

“Ohohohohoh I think not. I’ve been traversing this misty cesspit for...how long has it been??? And neither you nor your scuzzy fleshbag army of do-rights can ever hope to take this away from me~.”

 

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Solar listened to the exchange. It was starting to anger her, and she hissed, fluffing up her fur. Her eyes narrowed, losing their shine snd turning to a firey glint.

 

No deity worth... full stop there. Arceus was a god, a god who was worthy in the Torracat's eyes - but who was she to judge, a mortal tossed away over and over? He had created all the world. He had given the world life. Solar's claws worked into the smoke, tattering it. Before it reformed. Or was he really a good deity?

 

Solar hissed and pushed the thoughts away.

 

She was quivering as the Espeon continued on, quivering with wrath. Mad laughter - and the blow that made Solar spit flame. That Espeon... was calling them scuzzy fleshbags as though--

 

I've heard too much from this creature. Reminds me of certain humans.

 

I know why I was glad he with his Bugs decided to get rid of me.

 

Solar kept her eyes averted - the brightness of the light was a convincing reason. But even so, she fired an attack in the Espeon's direction.

 

"Swagger!"

 

---

 

Lightweaver's ears pasted themselves to the side of her head and neck. Her neck came down stiffly in a tense arch as the loathsome creature continued to speak. While she did make a good point about Ascension's idealism... she was acting far too much like one obsidian-scaled idiot who was far too sure of himself for the golden dragon's taste. And now this jumped-up cat was...

 

Case in point: the wretch's assumption of a proper deity. Lightweaver reacted in a barely controlled voice moments after the last shot of the Sun-creature's ...wit.

 

"A proper god or goddess does not scorch away their children. A proper deity gives them their birthright, their duty, their very power. A proper deity aids their children.

 

And all I see is a fool, a delusional, self-praising fool. A fool like that Stormcatcher who spends eternity working his Flight beyond reason! Eternity stealing from other gods, eternity hating elements! Believing he doesn't have to answer to other gods!

 

But isn't that just like you? Perhaps not the stealing and elemental hatred, exactly from what I've seen - though I'd not be suprised if you had one of those, but still my point mostly stands...

 

Your assumption does happen to fit that Plaguebringer... except for those of her Flight being more resistant to her plagues, of course. Another example of how deities are supposed to aid their own..." She let the words roll off her lashing tongue, loaded and then fading into the air, but still echoing in her mind.

 

Lightweaver had crossed the line between tolerance and snapping, the strange power within and all around persuading her, exciting the frustration and annoyance into wrath. She didn't care how true she was being. Her words were like poison in their tone - oh, how perfect! She didn't need magic, not that sickened magic. She just needed her tongue. Though her body felt weakened, unnaturaly warm, she still pressed on with her tongue.

 

That tainted magic exuded from the pink feline, buffeting the gold and twisting her barely-suppressed frustration into a leering snarl. Perhaps the dragon was biased, but in her opinion, her description of the dark-scaled one was, if scathing, nothing more than what he was. And it seemed to fit this cackling dawn-cat too. A low growl escaped her, and her claw with the sun-mark clenched. Unclenched. Clenched again. Before stretching eide, its tracery visible, and the claw a-trembling.

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Surprise of surprises, Alex did know about the internet, although she probably couldn't direct her to a power outlet. Not that she'd brought a phone charger anyway, since her sudden arrival in Askr hadn't left her time to gather anything beyond the clothes on her back. At least she'd been keeping her phone in her jacket pocket when she got poofed, or she wouldn't have it at all. Geez, I wish I'd brought my 3DS with me. I miss my Pokemon games. Some extra batteries and chargers would've been nice too, but I guess I shouldn't complain. Maybe she could ask the lightning god to charge her phone. Did gods even bother to do things like that? Would it offend them if she asked? There was no way to know until she tried.

 

She took in the conversation as she watched Alex brew the tea, noting the small flame wavering above her finger.

 

“...um, y’know, though...if you’re worried about staying up or something, uh...well, herbal tea—this tea, actually—doesn’t have...’caffeine’, right? That’s what I remember reading on it. I always wondered why black tea gave me nightmares, so I don’t drink it before bedtime anymore.”

 

Alex shuddered as she finished her sentence, causing Aine to raise an eyebrow. She'd never heard of tea giving people nightmares before, but then again she'd never expected to be transported into a video game either. Besides, she wasn't going to judge people based on their dreaming habits, if she was going to judge them at all.

 

“Mhm...so...and, see, this one? This one’s really good for relaxation. Say what you will about herbal remedies, but I live by chamomile and cornflower as true as my tome and blade.”

 

Well, there certainly was some science behind herbal teas, even if they weren't the first thing she'd go to for a problem. Speaking of tea, the water must have come to a boil, since Alex dissipated the flame and replaced the top of the thermos. Already, she could smell the faint traces of mint and lavender, complemented by other scents she couldn't name through smell alone. It was somewhat embarrassing to admit, but she had a surprisingly underdeveloped sense of smell for someone who cooked so often.

 

“...this is my favorite tea. I call it ‘Nighters’ since I drink it at night or when I need to calm down. I like the imagery it brings, y’know?" Alex smiled wistfully, a touch of nostalgia hinted in her eyes.

 

"The silvery glimmer of moonlight over fields of grain? Watching the individual tufts sparkle as a soft breeze stirs them...the world cast in monochrome...sometimes, even, when the clouds sit just right, the shadows and highlights make this scene in the sky that’s like a view into some distant world. Black mountains and paths rising from a misty vale as the night watches them over...a shifting reality as sweet-smelling wind rearranges them...” Alex's sigh of longing drifted through the temporary silence, setting a tone for the image forming in her head. “Ahhh...it’s completely magical.”

 

Aine took a moment to absorb the scene, allowing herself to get lost in thought. The amount of detail Alex got from the tea alone surprised her, but she had to admit it was an entrancing description. Fields, sunsets, distant mountains... it sounded just like one of those flowery ads she heard so often back home. But, she had a feeling Alex's description was more than mere sales tactics. It wasn't spoken with the kind of practiced calmness that came with memorization, no, it was spoken from the heart. She could tell through the small things. Heh, now I sound like I belong in some cheesy inspirational movie. If this goes on much longer, I might just start quoting Shakespeare... Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

 

She chuckled quietly to herself, throwing her hands up and clasping them behind her head. Somehow, they had arrived on the top floor already. Listening to Alex had taken her mind off the tiresome journey, but now that she was back in reality, she noticed how long the climb had truly been. It definitely hadn't been effortless, but her constant walking in Askr must have helped. The Aine from the modern world would never have been able to handle it. Although... she had technically taken a break in the middle, so it hadn't been a continuous climb.

 

As she finished her survey of the stairs, she was surprised to find Alex holding out the thermos to her. For a moment, her mind went blank as she tried to decide what an appropriate course of action would be, letting her arms relax and fall to her sides.

 

“Aha-ha...sorry~. I get to waxing poetic if you leave me the room to. But...what I’m getting it is that this is really good. You won’t have to worry about nightmares or an upset stomach on this. If I had honey it’d be better, but...I don’t...”

 

Alex paused, leaving Aine to do a rather excellent impression of a gaping fish, before suddenly retracting her arm.

 

“’Course, feel free to tell me ‘no’! I just kinda think you deserve it after—nng, yeah!”

 

That last sentence put her in even more of a pickle, although she had already stopped pretending to be in a silent movie. She did want to taste the tea, but she also didn't want to seem greedy. Tea wasn't infinite after all, and Alex definitely seemed to love hers.

 

"I - um - well, from the way you described it, I thought you'd want to keep it for yourself. After all, you've only got so much, and you did say it was your favorite... Not that I don't like the tea! It smells great! Just... are you sure you really want to give it to me?"

 

There she went again, being the incredibly eloquent and gracious person that she was. If she had one weakness, it was being given gifts and compliments. In those moments, it seemed as if she suddenly forgot all the progress she'd made and reverted back to the quiet, flustered Aine from the modern world. Of course, if there was one thing she prided herself on, it was her quick recovery, and there was no better time for it than now. She usually managed to get her wits back together by the time the other person replied, something she was immensely grateful for.

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Alex tilted her head at Aine’s sudden shyness. After being so gung-ho in the face of her own fazing, she was taken down by something as negligible as being offered tea? She found such a reaction as dubious at first, but looking at it from her own perspective, she wasn’t any better. Kindness was always one of the hardest things to swallow, and in her place, she’d have been reduced to a puddle.

 

“Of course I am,” she said, raising her eyebrows in a sympathetic smile. He fingers twitched with intent, and she gave her boundaries a thought—It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?—but figured with the right maneuverability, it shouldn’t be an issue. She reached out and grabbed behind the cuff of Aine’s right sleeve and raised it, guiding her thermos into her fingers. She tried to assure her with a determined nod.

 

“I’d rather share the things I like with the people I like so they can experience them like I have, and lemme tell you, I am not quick to part with them so frivolously! Now, maybe if you were some awful person, I wouldn’t even bother, but you’re not some awful person! So! By my logic, you’re entitled to this.” She took away her hand, going slow to make sure Aine wouldn’t suddenly drop her arm and drop the thermos in the process, and with her hands unsure of where to go or what to do, gripped lightly at the fabric at her stomach.

 

“Good people deserve good things.”

 

Making such an assertion was incredibly foolish on her part. Alex couldn’t even begin to guess at who this girl was or what her intentions were outside of what she’d been told, but here she was, being blindly faithful in her observations like the idealistic idiot she was. There were many, many ways she was going to regret this, she was sure of it...but it was as if it stopped mattering sometime recently—within the past few minutes they’d been able to acquaint. Like she was just a person talking to another person, and the stupid pasts didn’t matter here, like they were best left subtracted and borderline impolite to score this moment with. Alex didn’t know how that made her feel, but it was strange and familiar in the same turn. Nearly almost sort-of liberating.

 

 

Still nervous. Her hands told her as much--she wasn’t even entirely sure why—but...it was liberating.

 

 

She gave the thermos a light tap and resumed subtly clutching at her shirt.

 

“Just bring it back to me in the morning and I’ll get it cleaned up and ready for the morning brew. I think you might like that one, too~.”

 

She suddenly felt a tension in the back of her jaw, and her hands came up to rub at her face as she yawned. Little tears obscured her vision, and she felt the weight of the day throughout her muscles and bones. Alex tried to rub them away as she spoke.

 

“I suppose we should head to bed soon. I don’t really know where everyone’s scattered, but it sorta smells like a fire up ahead, and it’s pretty hard to catch stone on fire, so maybe someone started one?” As soon as her sight cleared, she eyed the wall leading to the two paths. The idea of rejoining them after everything made her stomach twist, so she opted out of it for now. Her jacket would be enough to keep her warm if she tugged it together tight enough, but it wouldn’t have been any sort of problem if she could even Fire magic...

 

 

She squinted. Not the time, Alex. Come on.

 

“I think I’ll hang out here and keep post. Feel free to do whatever.”

Edited by Sugar-Free

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“Of course I am,” Alex said, reaching out to grab the cuff of her sleeve. Before she could regain control of her own arm, Alex pressed the thermos into her hand, forcing her to grab it.

 

"I’d rather share the things I like with the people I like so they can experience them like I have, and lemme tell you, I am not quick to part with them so frivolously! Now, maybe if you were some awful person, I wouldn’t even bother, but you’re not some awful person! So! By my logic, you’re entitled to this."

 

Alex finally took her hand away, but not before making sure Aine's grip on the thermos was stable. Her lingering surprise made her fingers falter slightly, though she was quick to secure the drink with her other hand before it spilled. She hadn't expected Alex to be so bold, grabbing her jacket no less! At least she hadn't been startled enough to drop the thermos - it would have been terribly embarrassing.

 

“Good people deserve good things.”

 

She couldn't suppress a grin at this. Over the course of her adventures, she'd been called many things, but "good" wasn't one of them. Kind at heart, maybe, but her antics didn't exactly fall under the dictionary definition of "good". Especially not her crazier ones. Like that one time she'd tried to hunt with a "borrowed" Fire tome. In her defense, it was a good concept! If she hunted with fire, then the meat would already be cooked by the time she managed to subdue the animal. I would have succeeded too if that one deer hadn't run behind a tree. It's not my fault the forest is flammable! Admittedly, she would probably have been better off with more training, but her accuracy wasn't that bad. Fire was an easy tome after all.

 

A Corrin had been nearby to extinguish the blaze anyway, so she technically didn't deserve that scolding she got from Anna. The idea wasn't really even her fault, it was Anna's for telling her to make a "quick lunch" while on a mission. What quicker way was there than to hunt and cook at the same time? If Anna had really wanted speed, she should have packed sandwiches. Still, the whole thing had been rather hilarious, and she could have sworn she heard Anna telling a funny story about it the day after they got back. Anna never truly got mad at her, no matter how many times she got scolded.

 

A light tap on the thermos drew her out of her reverie, bringing her attention back to Alex and the scent of minty steam.

 

“Just bring it back to me in the morning and I’ll get it cleaned up and ready for the morning brew. I think you might like that one, too~.”

 

She was about to protest and say that she didn't need so much tea, but Alex seemed stubbornly set on showering her with goodwill so she settled for a nod instead. As she did, Alex let out a mighty yawn. Tired already? Though, she supposed Alex had a way more difficult day than she did. It was past her own usual bedtime as well, so she wasn't going to complain if Alex pointed her to the nearest resting place.

 

“I suppose we should head to bed soon. I don’t really know where everyone’s scattered, but it sorta smells like a fire up ahead, and it’s pretty hard to catch stone on fire, so maybe someone started one?”

 

Alex had read her mind perfectly, and she fully expected Alex to walk ahead and show her the campsite. It came as somewhat of a surprise when she stayed in place, eyes scanning her surroundings.

 

“I think I’ll hang out here and keep post. Feel free to do whatever.”

 

For a moment, she hesitated, before inspecting the two hallways and moving closer to the left one. She definitely wanted to see what the group was like, but she had a feeling that she should introduce herself before sleeping in their general area. There was no way to tell how they would react to a stranger suddenly asleep in their midst, and she didn't fancy having to explain herself out of a fight. It would be best to scout them out, then sleep in one of the hallways. She'd miss the fire, but her clothing was made to protect against the cold. After all, the Order of Heroes were no amateurs when it came to protecting her in every way possible. Sometimes, she felt suffocated by it, but more often than not she appreciated it. They definitely weren't going to let their one and only summoner call in sick because of a cold, and with this she didn't have to worry about getting chilled.

 

"Alright, I think I'll go see what the group's like. I hope it's okay if I sleep in the hallway though, since I'm not sure how a bunch of armed strangers are going to react to me."

 

She gave Alex one last wave before heading off to the left hallway, keeping a hand on her dagger nervously. Dark stone towers were so unsettling without other people to keep her company... Suddenly, she realized how often she'd stood behind the protection of an army of Heroes. Wherever she went, there was always someone protecting her and watching out for her safety. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she gone anywhere alone, except for her latest stealth adventure. It was odd traveling alone, and she wasn't sure she liked it. Danger could hide anywhere, making her painfully aware of her combat uselessness.

 

The hallway was long and winding, containing several twists and turns. She'd almost given up hope of ever finding the fire when she came across a short series of stairs. A quick peek around the corner revealed a fire and a large dragon, one that didn't look like it was messing around. Her mind was made up in an instant as she ducked back behind the wall, trying to hurry away as stealthily as possible. There was no way she was going to sleep there and risk the wrath of the dragon, no matter how appealing the fire looked. Lying on the uninviting stone floor already made it hard enough to sleep without worrying for one's life.

 

As she wound her way back past the hall, she tried to keep an eye out for a corner not dusted with spiderwebs. Eventually, she found one, and settled into it, not bothering to take off her jacket. She did take her dagger off her belt and clutch it in her hand, waving it occasionally when she spied a suspicious shadow. Overall, it wasn't one of the worst places she'd ever had to sleep, but the creepy factor made it decidedly difficult to drift off. She steeled herself with the reminder that she would have to wake early to introduce herself and potentially protect against ambushes, sipping some of the still-hot tea to comfort herself.

 

When she ran out of tea at last, she lay down on the ground and clutched the thermos close, ensuring it wouldn't roll away from her in her sleep.

Edited by Silverphoenixx

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The lightning dragon didn't know how long he had lain there half-asleep, before he thought he heard something. One cyan eye opened, followed a moment later by the other, and he raised his head slowly. He smelt something unfamiliar, but he didn't see anything.

 

Stormcatcher lowered his head again, and this time the fatigue from the prior events and drainage of his magic took full effect over the ache of being drained. The grey didn't have time to think before slumber gripped him.

Edited by Dusky_Flareon

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Ratchet struggled to get his boots on as the rest of the party vanished into the painting. He was going to miss all the action again!

 

"Stupid form fitting boots" he grumbled as he finally managed to wrestle on his second boot. He jumped to his feet and dashed into the painting.

 

Ratchet activated his hoverboots and floated to the ground. Only the ground wasn't really ground in the traditional sense. Wisps of clouds that somehow held his weight danced around his boots. Ahead, some being of incredible brightness was having a face off with Ascension. Ratchet constructed his combuster.

 

“you must not proceed any further! Take it from me when I say that what lies ahead is far beyond your capability!” The Eevee called to Solar. The seriousness in his voice gave Ratchet reason fo pause. He stopped short not to far from Lightweaver and Solar.

 

Ratchet's suit had reverted back to it's spacewalk mode. This time, however, Ratchet decided to keep it this way. It may limit mobility but it would protect from the cosmic rays radiating from the being. Through the tinted visor, he could make out the thing talking to Ascension. It seemed to be the same kind of thing Ascension was. It looked like an alien fox who radiated sunlight.

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